Ignatia Amara

Constitution of Ignatia Amara:

Physical make up of Ignatia Amara:

• Dark complexion 
• Dark looking with dark hair 
• Easily excited 
• Sensitive 

Temperament : Melancholic

Diathesis :

Relation with heat & cold : Neither chilly nor hot but easily affected by cold 

Miasm : Psora [2]

Clinical Features

Clinical conditions

In Homeopathy Ignatia Amara medicine use by Homeopathic Doctors in treatment of following Disease Conditions

• Alopecia 
• Asthma 
• Bulimia 

• Chorea 
• Chronic fatigue syndrome 
• Cough 
• Depression 
• Encephalitis 

• Globus hystericus 
• Hirsuitism 
• Hysteria 
• Lumbago,  
• Migraine 

• Obesity 
• Rectal cramp 
• Rectal fissure 
• Rectal prolapse 
• Spasms [6] 

Sites of action / Pharmacodynamics

Brain, nervous system, sensorium, spinal cord, particularly medulla oblongata, etc. [2] 

Causation (Causes / Ailments from)

Grief, fear, disappointed love, jealousy, old spinal injuries, tobacco, shame and mortification, suppressed mental feelings, alcohol, tea, coffee, bad news, vexation, etc. [2] 

Physiological action

• The toxicology of Ignatia closely resembles that of Nux vomica.  
• Both produce similar excitation of spinal reflexes with the resultant tetanic spasms and muscular twitching. 
• Death is caused by asphyxia occasioned by tetanic contractions of the respiratory muscles. 

• Susceptibility of the nerves of special senses and all sensory nerves; initially they are excited but later, numbness and mental anguish succeed.  
• Potter says in his materia medica, ‘Cerebrospinal irritability is diminished by small doses, though excited by large ones, Ignatia being probably the most efficient controller of functional phenomena of the cerebrospinal axis.’ [2] 

Patho-physiological changes / Pathogenesis

• It acts especially on the medulla oblongata and the spinal nervous system, producing tetanic convulsions, dyspnoea, spasms and chorea. 
• It acts on the entire nervous system producing hyperaesthesia of all special senses. 

• Also increases susceptibility to external impressions – mental and physical. The co-ordination of function is disturbed. 
• It predominantly acts on the nervous system of women producing hysteria and a nervous temperament. 
• It produces a rapid change in the mental and physical condition, opposite to each other with great contradictions. [2] 

Characteristic mental symptoms (psychology)

1. Patient is absentminded, sad, morose, moody, silent and has fixed ideas.  
2. Desire to be alone, weeps inwardly, full of suppressed grief.
3. Easily offended, slightest contradiction excites anger, making one angry with oneself.
4. Rapid changing of mental condition from joy to sorrow, laughing to weeping, happiness to sadness.
5. Patient is good natured when well, but easily offended by the slightest disturbance.
6. Great grief after losing people or objects that were very dear. Anger followed by quiet grief or sorrow. 
7. Involuntary sighing with a weak, empty feeling at the pit of the stomach. 
8. Children, when reprimanded, scolded or sent to bed get sick or have convulsions in sleep. 
9. Roaring in ears better by music. 
10. Persons mentally and physically exhausted by long concentrated grief. 
11. Anxiety, as if she had committed some great crime; finely sensitive mood.
12. Howls, cries himself on account of trifles.
13. Indifference to everything, unreasonable complaint about noise. 
14. Full of suppressed grief, seems weighed down by it, broods over imaginary troubles. 
15. All complaints and troubles are aggravated by consolation. 
16. Quarrelsome, inconstant, impatient, irresolute, restless and very timid. 
17. Always commits mistakes while writing and talking. [2]

Guiding Symptoms

Generalities of Ignatia Amara:

• The seeds of Ignatia contain a large proportion of strychnine than those of Nux-vomica, yet there is a great difference between the characteristic features of the two drugs. 

• Though it affects the mind, emotional element is profoundly influenced and co-ordination of functions is interfered with; causing erratic; contradictory; paradoxical mental and physical effects; which change rapidly, and are opposite to each other. 
• Nervous system is affected causing Spasmodic effects; often violent with rigidity, twitching and tremors. 
• It is adapted to the persons of nervous temperament esp. women of sensitive, easily excited nature, mild disposition, quick to perceive and rapid in execution.  
• Sense of lump, foreign body or sharp pressure. 
• Jerks run through the whole body. 

• Tendency to start. 
• Globus. 
• Clavus.  
• Hysteria.  
• Chorea; after fright, from grief agg. after eating, amel. lying on back. 

• Convulsions of children; during dentition; after punishment; after fear or fright; return at the same hour daily. 
• Spasms, with cries or involuntary laughter. 
• Tonic spasms of single parts, with frothing at the mouth. 
• Spasms alternating with oppressed breathing.  
• Pain in spot agg. close attention amel. [3] 

Head of Ignatia Amara:

• Ache as if a nail were driven out through the sides; end in yawning and vomiting; alternate with backache. 
• Headache agg. or amel. by stooping.  
• Throws head backwards; from weight at occiput; or during spasms. 

• Vertigo, with sparks before the eyes. 
• Loud talking agg. headache. 
• Headache; from abuse of snuff, tobacco smoke, coffee, from close attention. [3] 

Eye of Ignatia Amara:

• Asthenopia; with spasms of the lids, and neuralgic pains around the eyes. 
• Flashes of light, from violent coughing. 
• Eyelids seem dry.  
• Flickering, zigzags before the eyes. [3] 

Ears of Ignatia Amara:

• Roaring amel. by music.  
• One ear red and hot. 
• Deafness, except for human voice. [4] 

Nose of Ignatia Amara:

• Sensitive to inspired air. 
• Pain over the root of the nose.  
• Sneezing attacks.  
• Cold, with hot knees. [3] 

Face of Ignatia Amara:

• Twitching of the muscles of face and lips.  
• Redness and heat of one cheek; red and pale alternately.  
• Masseters stiff and hard.  

• Emotional trismus. 
• Changes colour often when at rest.  
• Facial muscles distort on attempting to speak [4] 

Mouth of Ignatia Amara:

• Spasmodic closing of the jaws; bites inside cheek or tongue when talking or chewing. Corners twitch.  
• Taste sour. 
• Toothache worse after drinking coffee and smoking.  
• Sudden attacks of salivation. [4] 

Throat of Ignatia Amara:

• Inflamed, hard swollen tonsils, with small ulcers on them. 
• Follicular tonsillitis. 
• Feeling as of a lump, when not swallowing or that cannot be swallowed; amel. eating solids. 
• Tendency to choke 

• Globus hystericus.  
• Stitches extend to ear; between acts of swallowing. 
• Submaxillary glands painful when moving the neck.  
• Cramps in gullet. 
• Goitre.[4] 

Stomach of Ignatia Amara:

• Hunger, with nausea.  
• Craves raw or indigestible things; sour things, bread esp. rye bread. 
• Appetite for various things, but when offered appetite fails. 

• Aversion to warm food, meat, alcohol, tobacco. 
• Empty sinking or spasmodic ache in stomach not amel. by eating; amel. by taking and deep breath. 
• Hiccough; with eructations empty or bitter; after eating, drinking, smoking. – Nausea or vomiting amel. indigestible things. [3] 

Abdomen of Ignatia Amara:

• Colicky griping pain in one or both sides of the abdomen. 
• Stools 
• painful, difficult although soft.  
• Constrictive sore pain in the rectum, like from blind haemorrhoids, remains one or two hours after stools. 
• Obstipation of neurasthenics.  

• Pain shoots up in rectum.  
• Piles amel. sitting; agg. coughing.  
• Prolapsus of rectum; from moderate straining at stools. 
• Pressure as of a sharp instrument from within outwards. 
• Painless contractions of anus.  

• Haemorrhage and pain agg. when stool is loose.  
• Constipation; from taking cold; from riding in a carriage; urging to stool with erection. [3] 

Rectum & Anus of Ignatia Amara:

• Prolapsus from slight straining at stool.  

• Cutting and sharp pains in the rectum, as from contraction and soreness, especially after stools.  
• Itching and crawling as from thread-worms in the anus.  
• Ineffectual urging to stool, with protrusion of the rectum, felt particularly in the middle of the abdomen. 
• Sensation of piles in the anus, with soreness and pain; usually better when walking. Sharp sticking pain in the anus, extending deep into the rectum. [5] 

Stool of Ignatia Amara:

• Diarrhoea; thin, involuntary. 
• Diarrhoea resulting from fright or emotional excitement, especially grief. Diarrhoea, with tenesmus.  
• Desire for stool is felt in the abdomen, but is ineffectual.  

• Alternate diarrhoea and constipation. [5] 

Urinary Organ of Ignatia Amara:

• Frequent, profuse, watery urine. 
• Urging to urinate, with inability to pass urine. [3] 

Sexual Organ of Ignatia Amara:

• Itching about the genitals in the evening; (>) scratching. Menstruation too early. Menstrual flow black, offensive, clotted. 
• Clinical. Dysmenorrhoea, with great pressure. Ovarian pains. Uterine Haemorrhages from grief or emotional excitement. 
• During pregnancy, nausea, weakness, sinking in the stomach, ameliorated by eating. During labor, spasms amounting almost to convulsions.[4] 

Respiratory System of Ignatia Amara:

• Takes deep breath; for relief.  
• Choking; spasms of glottis.  
• Dry, hacking spasmodic cough in quick successive shocks; shutting of the breath; cough; as from dust or sulphur fumes.  

• Coughing increases the desire to cough.  
• Cough, everytime he stands still during a walk. Constriction of the chest, feels as if too small.  
• Whispering voice, can not speak loudly.  
• Sleepy after coughing.  
• Stitches in nipples on deep inspiration.[3] 

Heart & Pulse of Ignatia Amara:

• Palpitation, during menses. 
• Anxious feeling in the region. [4] 

Neck & Back of Ignatia Amara:

• Stiffness of the nape of the neck. 
• Convulsive bending backwards of the back. [3] 

Extremities of Ignatia Amara:

• Jerking in limbs. 
• Warm sweat on the palms.  
• Cramps in calves.  
• Heavy feet. [3] 

Skin of Ignatia Amara:

• Dislocative pain in joints.  
• Knees are involuntarily drawn upwards, when walking.  
• Trembling of hands when writing in anyone’s presence.  
• Burning in heels on placing them near one another, when they come in contact, they are cold to touch; agg. at night. 

• Sciatica agg. in winter; amel. in summer.  
• Corns painful as if sore. 
• Knees hot with cold nose.  
• As if flesh was loose on bones from a blow. [4] 

Sleep of Ignatia Amara:

• Violent spasmodic yawning, with running from eyes. 
• Sleep light; every sound wakes.  
• Jerking of limbs on going to sleep. 
• Somnambulism from wounded honour.  

• Dreams; same horrid dreams over the over again.  
• Child awakes from sleep with piercing cries and trembles all over.  
• Hiccough, chewing motions of mouth in sleep. (children). [4] 

Fever of Ignatia Amara:

• Chill with red face.  
• Shaking chill with thirst. 
• Sweat agg. on eating; often on a small spot on the face.  
• Heat, with aversion to uncover but no thirst. 
• Chill, during pains. [3] 

Important characteristic features

Keynotes / Redline: 

• Deep sighing – takes deep breath for amelioration. 
• Contradiction remedy – (Pain in ears > music. Piles > walking. 
• Haemorrhoids and prolapsus ani with loose stool. Sore throat > when swallowing. Empty feeling in stomach not > eating. Spasmodic laughter from grief. Thirst and red face during chill. No thirst in fever).  
• Spasmodic effects of single parts.  
• Pain in small spots covered by finger. 
• Cannot stand tobacco in any form.  
• Headache > profuse urination.  
• Sweats on a small spot-on face while eating.  
• Constipation with urge in upper abdomen. [6] 

Guiding:

I- Increased sexual desire with impotence. 

G- Great chaotic remedy (Asaf, Mosch, Val, Cocc, Nux-m). 

N- No thirst in fever 

A- Alopecia after grief. 

T- Thirst during chill. Red face during chill. No thirst in fever. 

I- Ill effects of grief, fright, worry, disappointed love; jealousy; old spinal injuries 

A- Aversion for fruits. 

A- Alert; oversensitive and nervous 

M- Mouth-Toothache < in between acts of eating < lying down. 

A- Angry with himself. 

R- Remedy of great contradictions like: -Roaring in ears > music. 

A- Ache as if a nail were driven out through the sides; end in yawning and vomiting; alternate with backache. [6] 

PQRS:

Dr. Nash says it is a remedy of ‘paradoxicalities’, thus all the contradictory symptoms are uncommon and peculiar, viz. 

• Roaring in ears >by music 
• Liquid is more painful than solid (Bryo., Lyco.) 
• The piles > when walking. 
• Empty feeling in stomach not> by eating (Hydr., Sep.). 

• Cough < the more he coughs; more on standings less or nil on walking. 
• Sore throat> by swallowing solid. 
• Prolapse of anus with soft stool. 
• Piles protrude when the stool is soft, but not during hard stool. 
• Spasmodic laughter from grief instead of weeping. 

• Thirst during chill and heat without thirst etc. [1] 

Confirmatory:

• Mentally and physically exhausted by grief.  
• Changeability of symptoms. Contradictory symptoms.  

• Involuntary sighing.  
• Headache as if a nail was driven out through the side 
• lying on painful side > profuse urination.  
• Cannot bear tobacco in any form. [6] 

 Nucleus symptoms: 

• Produces hyperaesthesia of all senses, and tendency to produce clonic spasms.  
• Adapted to individuals with nervous temperament, who are alert, nervous, rigid and apprehensive. 
• Patients who have silent grief or disappointment in love.  
• Great remedy for contradiction.
  Spasmodic effects.  

• Hysteria.[6] 

Therapeutic value:

• Abdominal disorders, Anxiety, Appetite, Chorea, Constipation, Convulsion, Cough, Croup, Debility, Dentition, Epilepsy, Flatulence, Genital organs, Headache, Heart affections, Hysteria, Intermittent fever, Locomotor ataxia, Melancholia, Menstrual disorders, Numbness, Paralysis, Piles, prolapse of anus, Respiratory troubles, Sleep disorders, Throat trouble, Tremors, Voice lost, Yawning. [2] 

Modality :

• Aggravation: From consolation, coffee, brandy, tobacco, after meals, grief, mental emotions, walking fast, strong odours, contact, touch, etc. 

• Amelioration: Swallowing, hard pressure, walking, warmth, change of position etc. [2] 

Therapeutic value of Ignatia Amara:

Abdominal disorders, Anxiety, Appetite, Chorea, Constipation, Convulsion, Cough, Croup, Debility, Dentition, Epilepsy, Flatulence, Genital organs, Headache, Heart affections, Hysteria, Intermittent fever, Locomotor ataxia, Melancholia, Menstrual disorders, Numbness, Paralysis, Piles, prolapse of anus, Respiratory troubles, Sleep disorders, Throat trouble, Tremors, Voice lost, Yawning. [2] 

Modality of Ignatia Amara

• Aggravation: From consolation, coffee, brandy, tobacco, after meals, grief, mental emotions, walking fast, strong odours, contact, touch, etc. 

• Amelioration: Swallowing, hard pressure, walking, warmth, change of position etc. [2] 

Remedy Relationship

Complimentary

Nat-m, Aur-m, Sulph, Phos. 

Follows Well

Calc, Sulph, Ars, Sep, Sil, Bell, Lyc. 

Inimical

Tab, Nux-v, Coff. 

Antidoted By

Cham., Coff. 

It Antidotes

Arn, Coff, Puls, Nux-v, Camph, Cocc. 

Comparison

Aloe, Sulph, Croc, Nat-m, Anac, Spig, Lyc.[6] 

Posology (Dose)

Potency

3x, 6x, 12x, 30, 200, 1000. 

Repetition

Tincture to 30 potency. In case of spinal cord, brain and nervous system, higher potencies are recommended. 

Duration of action

Lower dilutions can be repeated, but higher potencies are to be given in a single dose. [2] 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q 1. Ignatia is used for which disease?

Q. 1 Moody Ignatia’-explain? 

Ans. 

1)Symptoms of Joy: 

i) Moody suddenly becomes lively happy.

ii) Finely sensitive mood.

iii) Amiable in disposition if feeling well. 

2) Symptoms of Sorrow: 

i) Moody: suddenly becomes despondent; from laughing to weeping.

ii) Persons mentally and physically exhausted by long concentrated grief.

iii) Involuntary sighing. 

iv) Desire to be alone.

v) Impatient. irresolute, quarrel some.

vi) Easily offended.

 Q 2. Can you spot an Ignatia-lady without questioning? 

Ans. 

i) Involuntary sighing.

ii) Mental conditions rapidly, in an almost incredibly short-time, change from joy to sorrow, from laughing to weeping mood.

iii) Broods in solitude over imaginary troubles: desire to be alone. 

iv) Cannot bear tobacco; smoking, or being in tobacco is unbearable.

v) In talking or chewing: bites inside of cheek. 

vi) Sweat on the face on a small spot, only while eating. 

vii) Twitching, jerkings, even spasms of single limbs or whole body, when falling asleep.  

viii) Fever: red face during chill. 

Q 3. State the bad-effects that Ignatia covers? 

Ans. 

i) Bad-effects of anger.

ii) Bad-effects of grief.

 iii) Bad-effects of disappointment in love. 

iv) Bad-effects from bad-news.

v) Bad-effects from vexation with reserved dis pleasure.

vi) Bad-effects from suppressed mental sufferings, 

 vii) Bad-offects of shame and mortification. 

 viii)Bad-effects of tobacco: in any form. 

Q 4. State the fever of Ignatia? 

Ans. 

Chill-stage: 

i) Red-face during chill.

ii) Chill with thirst.   

iii) Ameliorated by external heat. 

Heat-stage: 

i) Heat without thirst.

ii) Aggravation from covering. 

Sweat-stage: 

i) Sweat on the face on a small spot, only while eating.

d) Concomitant:

i) Over sensitiveness to pain.

ii) Complaints return precisely at the same hour.

iii) Pain in small, circumscribed spots. 

iv) Twitching, jerkings, even spasm of single limbs or whole body, when falling asleep.  

v) Cannot bear tobacco in any form.

Q 5.State the characteristic symptoms of Ignatia. 

Ans. 

Contradictions: –

• The remedy of great contra dictions; which Dr. Nash says, a remedy of para doxicalities-viz. liquid is more painful than solid: empty feeling in stomach not relieved by eating: sexual desire with impotency etc. 

Effect of grief:

• Person-mentally and physically both exhausted by long concentrated and continued grief; resulting involuntary sighing. 

Bad effects of:

• Bad effects of anger, grief, disappointed love fear, jealousy, suppressed sexual desire, bad-news, vexation with reserved displeasure, suppressed mental sufferings from shame and mortification, excitation. (Ref. Kent)   

Note: -Dr. N, M. Chowdhury reports it is particularly useful after the bad-effects of grief of recent origin (For chronic long-lasting effect, Natrum Mur, Phosphoric Acid). 

Tobacco intolerance:

• Cannot bear tobacco in any form, which always aggravates the comp saints, there is utter intolerance to tobacco. 

Hypersensitiveness:

• Hypersensitiveness to all the external impressions viz, pain, odour. touch etc. Dr. Farrington says, as it is pre-eminently a spinal remedy (more in degree than Nux Vom), so intensifies the impressionability of all the senses (Ref. Dr. Farrington). 

Desire:

• Desire for cold food, (Ref. Kent); acid things, onion, fruits, bread, butter, great variety of indigestible things and wants to be alone. 

Aversion:

• Aversion to work, meat, milk, warm food, open air and mental exertions of any kind. 

Qu. 6. Describe the constipation of Ignatia Amara. 

Ans. 

Causation 

i) Women who are habitual coffee drinkers.

ii) From paralysis of rectum. 

iii) From carriage riding.

iv) From tobacco, brandy etc.  

v) Clarke says, from taking cold. 

 Character of stool:  

i) Excessive urging, felt more in the upper abdomen.

ii) There is great pain, thus dreads to go to closet.

iii) Prolapse of ani from moderate straining. lifting or stooping.

iv) Prolapse of ani when the stool, is loose.  

v) Ineffectual urging for stool, felt more in the upper abdomen (Ref Clarke). 

 Concomitants: 

i) Cannot bear tobacco.

ii) Haemorrhoid: prolapses with every stool. 

Qu. 7. State the headache of Ignatia Amara. 

Ans. 

Introduction: -It is full of headaches. Headache in nervous sensitive temperaments, whose nervous system has been impressed by anxiety, grief or mental works (Ref. Kent.) 

 Type: Neurasthemic and intense headache.

 Causation:

i) From tobacco.

ii) From anger, grief, sorrow, bad news

iii) From alcohol. 

iv) From close attention (Ref. Kent).

v) From abuse of snuff (Ref. Nash).

 Location:

i) Temporal region.

ii) Frontal region, over the glabella.

Sensation:

i) As if a nail had been driven out through the temporal region, amel, by lying on the side affected.

ii) There are congestive and throbbing headaches (Ref. Kent).

iii) Tearing and pressing headache (Ref. Kent). 

iv) Great heaviness of the head, as if it were full of blood (Ref. Clarke).

Character of Pain:

i) Pain changes their locality, comes gradually or comes and goes suddenly. (Clarke)

 Modalities:

Agg. From tobacco smoking, strong smell, When stooping, jar, motion, From reading and writing, noise (Ref. Clarke), From sun-light., From cold (Ref, Kent), When pressing at stool., From excitement, (Kent) 

Amel. i) By lying on painful side. ii) By profuse urination. By bending the head forwards,

Note: -Kent says, temporarily ameliorated by eating, but soon after aggravates. 

Qu. 8. State the mental symptoms of Ignatia. 

Ans.  

Introduction: 

a) It is a remedy of great contradictions or paradoxicalities. So, mental symptoms are also con tradictory in nature.

 b) Guernsey refers, persons suffering from sup pressed or deep grief, with long drawn sighs, much sobbing and others, also much unhappiness, entirely in grief; Ignatia rescues such cases.

Bad effects of :

i) Bad effects of anger.

ii) Bad effects of grief especially of recent Bad effects of sorrow.

iv) Bad effects of disappointed love.

v) Bad effects of brooding in solitude, over imaginary trouble. 

vi) Bad effects of fright,

vii) Bad effects of reserved displeasure; suppressed sexual desire. [1] 

[1] Synoptic Memorizer Materia Medica (S.K. Banerjea) > Part 1 > Chap Ignatia Amara 

[2] J.D. Patil Materia Medica edition 2013 > Chap Ignatia Amara 

[3] PHATAK S. R., Materia Medica of Homeopathic Medicines > Chap Ignatia Amara 

[4] MM of Homeopathy Medicine By pathak > Chap Ignatia Amara 

[5] A Primer of Materia Medica by T. F. Allen. > Chap Ignatia Amara 

[6] Zomeo Lane version > Materia Medica > Keynote > Ignatia Amara 

[7] Nature’s Materia Medica By Robin Murphy, Md > Chap Ignatia Amara 

[8] Lectures On Homoeopathy By Kent J. T. > Chap Ignatia Amara 

[9] A Manual Of Homoeopathic Therapeutics By Neatby E. > Chap Ignatia Amara 

[10] Materia Medica By Boericke W. > Chap Ignatia Amara 

[11] Concise Materia Medica Of Hom. Remedies By S.R. Phatak > Chap Ignatia Amara 

[12] Synoptic Memorizer Materia Medica (S.K. Banerjea ) > Part 2 > Chap Ignatia Amara