Cocculus [was: Obsessed about disease]

[Shannon Nelson]

Well, I don't think the proving information is the only relevant
part... The reason I was curious to see what RM said, was from hazy
memory of a cocculus case I read some time back. In that case (as I
remember) the striking characteristics of the patient had to do with
tremendous and ongoing overconcern for others (worried about friends,
relatives and neighbors; volunteered in a nursing home; always there
with chicken soup or etc. when needed--a lovely woman, but wearing
herself to a nubbin). I wish I could remember where I read it...

There is a *chronic* picture of cocculus, which is different from its
acute, or "situational" picture, and I think that would be relevant
here. (I am not saying that cocculus is the remedy for this case--that
I am not at all sure of... Just thought it worthwhile to explore the
picture of the remedy a bit.)

Here's a bit from Nancy Herrick, again about the possible chronic
pictures:

" Two types: 1. mild, sweet, romantic, irresolute, quiet, slow,
passive, tremendous quiet anxiety; 2. Can be quite vivacious,
extroverted, witty, excitable, hysterical, oversensitive to stimulae;
irresistable inclination to sing.

everything seems unreal; time passes too quickly; fancies he has done
wrong (again the action);

absorbed in self, notices nothing about her; little concern as to his
own health, concerned about others' illnesses; go into complete
preoccupation with themselves only after the breakdown; In the first
stages, they do everything for the person and then it flips and want to
be taken care of in the same way [[this seems to go against cocculus
for the case; I think she is saying that anxiety about one's *own*
health would not be there during the same "stage" as would anxiety
about others' health??]] and then they become irritable, resentful,
sad that others are not doing for them; No desire to work; easily
forgets what he just thought; sits in deep thought; patients say I am
lazy; catatonia;

picric acid; aluminum(forgets who they are); nux moschata; baryta
carbonica;

In case it is of interest to anyone, I'm sending some class notes,
which talk more about the chronic, less-pathological picture:
COCCULUS
Dried seed of the fruit of the Indian Cockle Tree
Lynn Amara, PAHM 6/96

The big component here is the ETIOLOGY. "Nightwatching", but also
extend this. What is nightwatching about? Anxiety, worry,
oversympathy. Lack of sleep is a big etiology. Also a remedy for
post-influenzal exhaustion (read about this in Borland's Homeopathy in
Practice, "which is a great book").
It's not in the rubric Sympathetic, yet it is "one of the most
sympathetic and oversympathetic remedies we have."
May also have the component of grief. Also AF grief.

The idea of your essence going into others, and you are left dry.
Lynn recalls a patient who recently, after a while on the remedy,
mentions the words "Whatsoever you do to the least of them, you do to
me." She finally realized that she herself is also one of these
"least", and it's okay--in fact needed--for her to care for herself,
too!

Anger, with fright or anxiety/Silent grief (ign.)

A theme of stiffness, Lynn has noticed. Imagine that you have a
motionsick feeling; and you sit there still, stiff. Kind of bracing,
as if against trauma (could be emotional trauma). 1-Contrariness;
don't want to be interrupted; 2-dwell on past disagreeable; morose; 3-

Lynn remembers a video case of Cocc w/Jeremy Sherr. Also stiff, stuck,
lots of vertigo.
Sad from masturbation (rubric); as though, let's avoid pleasure,
because then we don't have to have contact with oneself.
Hollowness anywhere
A remedy for people who are at a crossroads.
A "linchpin" sensation; hollowness within, but all this activity
revolving around them. "They really can be quite saintly with all that
activity."
Confused as to time and place--Time passes too quickly.
CNS-A big area of ultimation: spinal sensitivity; head pain extending
down the spine; headache in back of neck; that occipital HA that you
could confuse with Gels; and feeling like clenched fist in nape of
neck.
Weakness of lower back or knees, as if paralyzed; hands and feet go
numb.
Weak neck muscles; can hardly hold the head up (calc-p).

Sensorium: Vertigo; "whirling vertigo, on rising up in bed, which
compels her to lie down again."
Borland says, "slow-acting remedy", because dealing so deeply with the
nervous system.
This case above, taking months to pull out of it; on dry doses, would
agg after every remedy change; tried LM-1, got dizzy and stopped.
Later tried it again, and was able to continue. You may feel, my
remedy is not working! But it's the nature of the remedy that it will
work slowly.
GI: Nausea; extreme aversion to food. Nausea from the thought of
food; from the smell.

CASE: Acute gastroenteritis, only symptom nausea at smell of food.
Went over every remedy in the rubric.

Nausea to the point of faintness.
Metallic taste in the mouth. Big rubric, but characteristic of Cocc.
If cocc. is their remedy in morning sickness, Lynn would suspect it
might be their constitutional.
Dysmenorrhea with dizziness, weakness, nausea.
Aversion and agg. from open air. to lie quietly.

CASE: 45 yo female CB
Diagnosis-"fibromyalgia"--a huge catch-all category, means "pain in the
muscles".

"Savior complex" people. Helping the less fortunate.

"You can touch my head, and I get pains down my spine." "Head pain,
occiput, extending down the spine": Cocc. is the only remedy shown.

They always have something to worry about; then they take on some more!

Best wishes,
Shannon
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[Bonnieallenart]

In a message dated 7/26/2006 9:03:38 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
shannonnelson@tds.net writes:

In that case (as I
remember) the striking characteristics of the patient had to do with
tremendous and ongoing overconcern for others
I remember a live case in Paul Herscu's class over a decade ago...a
missionary presented with sleeplessnes, et al.........one dose of cocculus 200c.
when she returned 2 months later she was a new person including looking
10-15 years
younger.
best,
bonnie
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