Have in mind that though pericarditis may appear with intense pain at its onset, caused by the inflamed visceral and parietal layers of the pericardium rubbing against each other, when pericardial fluid accumulates in the pericardial sac the pain may decrease; hence the disappearance of precordial pain does not necessarily mean improvement of the condition.
Main remedies:
ACONITUM NAPELLUS
Acute pericarditis of rapid onset.
Fear of impending death.
Fever.
Restlessness.
Precordial pain with anxiety.
Oppressive feeling as if heart will explode.
Sudden attacks of pain with dyspnea.
Expanded veins of throat.
ARSENICUM ALBUM
The patients has the typical symptoms of Arsenicum like restlessness with anxiety and fear of death, accompanied by the thirst for sips frequently.
Suffocative attacks.
Respiration < when lying.
>from sitting up or bending forward.
Chilly. Heat of head with coldness of body, wants head exposed to open air.
ARSENICUM IODATUM
Symptoms look like Arsenicum but the patient is warm, not chilly and with marked restlessness.
COLCHICUM AUTUMNALE
Especially in cases with pericardial effusion.
Pericarditis accompanied with nephritis.
Thirst with coated tongue.
Vomiting.
Dyspnea, faintness < with slight motion.
Rheumatic fever.
Great sensitivities to external stimuli (light, smells, noises).
An emotional person like Νat-m. (sensitive to rudeness)
Forgetting words while speaking.
We will especially think about Colch. When there is rheumatism.
DIGITALIS PURPUREA
In painless cases with quick aggravation of respiratory symptoms.
Vomiting.
Cyanosis of lips.
Jaundice.
Bradycardia.
Fear of death with a feeling that his heart will stop if he moves.
Digitalis also affects the liver and the prostate.
SPIGELIA ANTHELMIA
Spigelia is a known heart remedy.
Cardiovascular degeneration. Valvular disorders.
It is characterized by great fatigue.
Pericarditis with cardiac effusion.
Bradycardia, weak pulse (Dig.) but also palpitations. Motion aggravates the palpitations.
Stitching severe local pains.
Desire for warm drinks which relieve the pain.
Dyspnea >when lying on right side with head high.
Rheumatic fever pericarditis.
Marked palpitation, visible pulsation of chest wall.
Other remedies:
APIS
In warm patients with marked pericardial effusion.
APOCYNUM CANNABINUM
Ascites and edema (retention of fluids) in chilly patients.
Marked pericardial effusion.
Short breathing, cannot take a deep breath.
Mitral and tricuspid regurgitation.
BRYONIA ALBA
Pericarditis during pneumonia, rheumatic fever or pleurisy.
<by motion, wants to lie down still.
Pulse full and rapid, sometimes intermittent.
Thirst for large quantities.
CACTUS GRANDIFLORUS
Painful sensation in lower chest as if a cord were tightly bound around the heart or the false ribs.
Obstruction of breathing.
Constriction preventing speech, voice weak and hoarse.
< lying down, <lying on left side.
<open air.
Feeling of fullness.
Chest pain extending to the left arm (Lat.-m.) with swelling of the hand.
In conditions of myocardial ischaemia.
Hypochondriacal and hysteric-like behavior in heart diseases. He asks to take remedies.
CIMICIFUGA RACEMOSA
Pericarditis accompanied with myocarditis.
IBERIS AMARA
Arrhythmias. Tachycardia.
Boericke:
Conscious of heart’s action.
On turning on left side, stitching pain as of needles through ventricles felt at each systole.
Palpitation, with vertigo and choking in throat.
Stitching pains in cardiac region. Pulse full, irregular, intermittent. Worse, least motion and in warm room.
Sensation of weight and pressure, with occasional sharp, stinging pains. Dropsy, with enlarged heart. Violent palpitation induced by slightest exertion, or by laughing, or coughing.
Darting pains through heart.
Cardiac dyspnoea.
Dilation of heart.
Wakes with palpitation about 2 am.
Throat and trachea fills up with mucus.
Cough causes redness of face. Tachycardia.
KALI IODATUM
Warm remedy, congestion.
Hering:
Fluttering on awaking, giddy; must get up, fearing otherwise he will smother.
Fluttering of heart and nervousness; feels very weak.
Palpitation, < while walking.
Darting pains in heart, when walking; after abuse of mercury; after repeated endocarditis.
Valvular defects after repeated endocarditis, especially affecting right ventricle, which gradually becomes dilated ; stupor, and loss of breath; greatly annoying palpitations; pulse quick, but varying every moment; tumultuous, violent, intermitting and irregular action of heart and pulse, with tensive pain across chest.
Pulse accelerated; frequent.
Aneurism: of arch of aorta; of carotid; at point of origin of carotid and subclavian; of innominate artery.
KALMIA
A remedy for rheumatopathies.
Neuralgic pains.
Affects left shoulder and tongue.
PSORINUM
We usually do not know Psorinum for pericarditis although in the repertory it is in the 3rd grade.
Chilly with weakness.
Dirty like Sulphur with skin itching.
Dyspoea which is better from lying down with the arms spread, as if crucified.
Offensive perspiration or discharges. Oily, dirty skin.
She feels good before a crisis (especially in women before fainting)
Anxiety about money matters.
Chronic and recurrent conditions (otitis, conjunctivitis, bronchitis)
Always hungry, wakes up in the night to eat.
SPONGIA
It acts on the respiratory system.
Combination of cardiovascular and respiratory problems, with dyspnoea.
Induration of lymph nodes.
Chilly remedy.
Cannot tolerate tight clothes especially around the neck (Lach).
He can wake up during sleep (Lach.) from coughing with a feeling of suffocation.
Better: from drinking and eating (especially something warm like a soup), from chewing a candy
Dryness of mucous membranes.
SULPHUR
When the case is in a standstill and the exudation is not clearing up. Yet we have to have some of the keynotes of Sulphur.
VERATRUM VIRIDE
A remedy mostly known for high blood pressure. Especially in high diastolic pressure.
Mostly indicated at the onset of the pericarditis.
Full hard pulse.
It acts where we have congestion. Congestion of the lungs.
Nausea and vomiting.
Red, swollen face.
Exhausted. Useful also in sunstroke.
Esophagitis (Farrington).
Tongue (white or yellow), with red groove in the middle.
A lot of salivation.
Severe, painful hiccup.
Bradycardia (digitalis, Spigelia)
Arrhythmia
Chest pain in the heart. Burning in the heart region.
Valvular diseases.
Pulse may be felt in other parts of the body (even in the right thigh).
Hot perspiration.
D/D: Gels., Baptisia.
