Chelidonium Majus: Homeopathic Medicine – Its Use, Indications And Dosage

Homeopathic medicine Chelidonium Majus is prepared from the plant ‘greater celandine’. It belongs to family Papaveraceae. For preparing this medicine, the entire fresh plant greater celandine is potentised at the time of flowering as per homeopathic formula that arouses its medicinal properties. After this process, we get a very important homeopathic medicine Chelidonium Majus. It is a renowned homeopathic medicine to treat various liver complaints.

 The ‘Chelidonium Majus’ Constitution

This medicine is well suited to people predisposed to or suffering from liver problems.

Drug Action

It is predominantly a liver remedy. It acts magnificently on liver. Other than this, its action is noted on gastric system, neck, back, joint, face and head.

Clinical Indications

Liver disorders, liver pain, fatty liver, liver enlargement, jaundice, gallstones, gall bladder pains, colic, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, joint pains, headache, neck stiffness,

Scope As A Homeopathic Remedy

1. Liver And Gall Bladder Complaints (Liver Pain, Liver Enlargement, Fatty Liver, Hepatitis, Jaundice, Gall Bladder Pain And Gall Bladder Stones)

Chelidonium tops the list of homeopathic medicines for managing liver and gall bladder complaints. It is extensively used to treat numerous liver complaints including liver pain, enlarged liver, fatty liver, hepatitis and jaundice. With its action on gall bladder, it is beneficial for managing gall bladder stones and gall bladder pain. This medicine is well-indicated for shooting, stitching, pressive, dull or throbbing pain in the liver. The pain from liver radiates to the back and shoulder. Liver pain may get better from eating. A characteristic feature is liver complaints attended with sharp pain under the lower and inner angle of right scapula (scapula is a triangle-shaped bone in the upper back, one on the either side). In liver complaints, pressure, fullness and tension is also felt around the liver. It is a top-listed medicine for enlarged liver when liver is painful and sensitive to pressure. For fatty liver, Chelidonium Majus is considered when it is accompanied by jaundice. It is a leading medicine for managing jaundice (yellow discoloration of skin and white of eye from increased bilirubin levels) cases. The juice of plant Chelidonium is yellow-like bile which has been highly recommended since ages for managing cases of jaundice. In cases needing it, there is yellow discoloration of face, hands and white of eyes. The stool is dark and urine is offensive. There is sleepiness and low energy levels in daytime. Besides, this medicine is highly recommended to manage gall bladder pain and to dissolve gallstones.

Key Indicating Features

Shooting, stitching, pressive, dull or throbbing pain in liver

Liver complaints with sharp pain under the lower and inner angle of right scapula

Fatty liver with jaundice

Jaundice with yellowness of face, hands and white of eyes and sleepiness, low energy levels

Gall bladder pain and gall stones

2. Gastric Problems (Pain, Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Constipation)

This medicine is very useful to manage various gastric concerns. It is effective for managing stomach pain especially when it gets better by eating. The nature of pain is aching, gnawing, scraping type. A sense of constriction in stomach attends pain. The pain worsens by applying external pressure on the stomach. Pain may radiate to back and right shoulder blade. It offers help in treating cases of nausea and vomiting, headache may also be present. Vomiting is acidic or of green mucus. A unique feature is relief in nausea and vomiting by drinking very hot water. This medicine can be given for managing pain around the navel region. Pressure is felt over the navel. Chelidonium also gives good results in cases of loss of appetite. It helps to boost the appetite of a person. It is recommended when a person has loss of appetite attended with nausea and weight loss. Those needing it have desire for very hot food and hot drinks in general. Another prominent indication for its use is chronic diarrhea (loose stool) in case of liver complaints. The stool is brown, watery, may have green mucus in it or can be thin, bright yellow. It can be given in constipation cases as well. There is hard difficult stool, or stool like dry clay or sheep’s dung. Constipation and diarrhea may alternate in cases requiring it.

Key Indicating Features

Stomach pain worsens from pressure which gets better by eating

Pain in stomach radiates to the back and right shoulder blade

Nausea and vomiting get better by drinking very hot water

Long-standing diarrhea in case of liver problems

3. Neck And Back (Pain, Stiffness)

Chelidonium acts well on the neck and back. It can handle well cases of neck pain and stiffness. Neck muscles feel tense. The neck feels stiff on movement, crackling noises from vertebrae in neck are heard when neck is moved. Another complaint for which it is frequently used is pain under inner and lower angle of right scapula. In case of pain under right scapula which gets worse from moving right arm and inhaling air, Chelidonium is highly recommended. Pain and stiffness in the spine between the shoulders is also well treated with it. Last indication for its use is drawing, stitching pain in the muscles of the back along with stiffness. Burning sensation in the back may also be felt.

Key Indicating Features

Painful, stiff and tense neck

Pain under the inner and lower angle of right scapula

Pain and stiffness in spine between shoulders

Drawing, stitching pain in muscles of back along with stiffness

4. Joints (Joint Pain)

This medicine acts wonderfully on joints to manage joint pain. It can manage shoulder pain well. It is recommended for right-sided shoulder pain. The pain from the shoulder may radiate down to the wrist. Chelidonium is an excellent medicine for hip pain as well. The guiding feature for its use is right hip pain worse when rising from the seat. Pain can be drawing or shooting in nature. It acts well in managing knee pain too. Here it is prescribed when there is knee pain on right side along with stiffness and burning sensation. It gets worse from movement. Besides these, it is a valuable medicine for cases of right-sided ankle pain which gets worse with movement. The ankle is also stiff with pain.

Key Indicating Features

Right-sided shoulder pain that may radiate down to the wrist

Right hip pain worse when rising from seat

Right knee pain with stiffness and burning sensation, worse from moving

Right-sided ankle pain and stiffness worse when moving

5. Face (Pain, Pimples, Herpes)

With its action on face, it can successfully handle cases of facial pain, herpes on face, pimples, etc. In facial pain, this medicine is given when pain starts over the right eye radiating to eye and cheek. It can also be used when pain begins from the left eye and goes to cheeks, teeth and forehead. It occurs periodically in the evening in bed. Along with facial pain, there is eye pain, sensation of sand and tears in the eyes. It is effective for treating herpes (skin rash caused by varicella zoster virus) on the face, especially on chin. Itching is marked in herpes. Lastly, it works wonders in cases of pimples on the face mainly on chin and cheek.

Key Indicating Features

Pain starting over the right eye radiating to eye and cheek

Pain begins from the left eye and goes to cheeks, teeth, forehead

Facial pain with eye pain, sensation of sand in eyes and flow of tears

Herpes on face especially on chin

6. Head (Headache)

Chelidonium gives excellent results in treating headache. Its use is mainly preferred in right-sided headache. Along with headache, there occurs nausea and vomiting. Head feels heavy along with weakness and drowsiness. Headache gets worse by coughing, stooping and in open air. Persons needing it feel relief in headache after eating.

Key Indicating Features

Headache with nausea and vomiting

Headache worsens from coughing, stooping and in open air

Headache gets better after eating

Modalities

Worsening factors: Complaints get worse from motion, in early morning, from change of weather, touch and on right side

Relieving factors: Complaints get better from hot food, milk, from eating, lying on abdomen, pressure and from hot bath

Dosage

This medicine can be used in the form of mother tincture, low potencies and high potencies as well. Among these, the most preferred is the mother tincture form that has shown great clinical improvements in various health conditions.

Relationship With Other Remedies

Antidoted by: Aconite, Chamomilla and Camphor

It antidotes Bryonia

Followed well by: Aconite, Arsenic Album, Bryonia, Ipecac, Lycopodium, Nux Vomica and Sulphur

It can be compared with remedies Arsenic Album, Belladonna, Bryonia, China, Lycopodium, Nux Vomica, Phosphorus, Podophyllum, Sepia and Sulphur