Cuprum Metallicum: Homeopathic Medicine – Its Use, Indications And Dosage

The homeopathic remedy Cuprum Metallicum is derived from metal copper. Copper is inert in its crude form, but after undergoing potentization (a process of preparing homeopathic medicines by arousing the medicinal properties of a crude substance), it gets converted into a highly valuable homeopathic medicine Cuprum Metallicum. It is a magnificent medicine in homeopathy to treat muscle cramps, spasms, twitching and epilepsy.

Drug Action

This medicine has marked action on nerves, muscles and brain. Its action is noteworthy on the limbs to manage cramps and twitching. It has an affinity for managing certain complaints of face, head, gastric system and respiratory system.

Clinical Indications

Cramps, epilepsy, convulsions, spasms, chorea, bronchitis, asthma, cough, meningitis, colic, cholera, neuralgia (nerve pain)

Scope As A Homeopathic Remedy

1. Limbs (Cramps, Chorea, Twitching, Weakness)

Cuprum Metallicum acts wonderfully on the limbs. It is highly effective in managing cramps, twitching and weakness in the limbs. It is mainly useful to manage cramps in the palms, soles, toes, fingers and calf muscles (muscles in the back of the leg). The cramps are of severe intensity that can even make a person cry in pain. It is helpful for managing twitching and jerking of the hands, arms, legs and feet. It is one of the best medicines for chorea management.

In chorea, its use is considered when jerks start in the fingers and the toes and then spread to the whole body. It affects one side of the body and is painful, but gets better on lying down. Lastly, it is beneficial to tackle weakness in the limbs, especially legs. The knees also feel weak with drawing pain on walking and standing.

Key Indicating Features

Cramps in the palms, soles, toes, fingers and calf muscles

Twitching and jerking of hands, arms, legs and feet

2. For Convulsions And Epilepsy

Cuprum Met is a very effective medicine in managing convulsions and epilepsy (tendency to have recurrent seizures or fits). Convulsions also known as seizures refer to uncontrollable shaking from rapid and repeated contraction and relaxation of muscles. The characteristic feature to use it is convulsions arising in the knees, toes or fingers and radiating to the entire body. The face becomes distorted with rolling of eyes. The person may become unconscious with foaming from the mouth. Urine or stool may pass involuntarily. After seizure attack, headache occurs. It is well-indicated for convulsions in children during dentition. When epilepsy occur during menses, at night, after fright or after a fall on the head, Cuprum Met proves very beneficial.

Key Indicating Features

Convulsions that begin in knees, toes or fingers and radiates to the entire body

Convulsions with distorted face, rolling of eyes, unconsciousness, foaming and falling

Epilepsy at night

Epilepsy during menses, after fright and a fall on the head

Convulsions during dentition

3. Face (Spasm)

It acts magnificently on the face to manage facial spasm (involuntary muscle contraction). It is prominently indicated for cases of spasm in which there is chewing motion of the lower jaw. It can also be given when face appears distorted from spasm. The face is red, sunken, pinched and may be icy cold. Its last indication is chorea with distortion of the mouth and eyes.

Key Indicating Features

Spasm of jaw with chewing motion of the lower jaw

Distorted face from spasms

Chorea with distortion of mouth and eyes

4. Head And Brain (Headache, Meningitis, Hydrocephalus)

Cuprum Met can effectively deal with certain issues related to head and brain. Firstly, it can offer help in relieving headache. It helps when burning, shooting type of pain occurs in the side of forehead and top of the head (vertex).  It also proves beneficial when pain is felt in the back of the head (occiput) and the neck on moving the head. It is also effective for managing sinus headache. Here it is used when there is pain in the forehead and pressure especially over left eye, nasal stuffiness, nasal discharge, and loss of smell. The pain gets worse from movement and better by lying down. It is of great value to manage headache that occurs after epilepsy. Another complaint for which its use is recommended is meningitis (inflammation of the protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord). In meningitis, it is recommended when the person violently shakes his head from side to side along with boring head in the pillow. Lastly, it can offer supportive help in hydrocephalus (abnormal fluid build-up in the ventricles of brain). It is prescribed in hydrocephalus when there are head convulsions, moving of head from side to side or drawing of head to one side or its falling forward.

Key Indicating Features

Burning, shooting pain in the side of forehead and top of the head

Pain in back of head (occiput) and neck on moving head

Sinus headache with pain in the forehead over left eye with pressure feeling, stuffy nose, nasal discharge and loss of smell

Meningitis with shaking of head from side to side or boring head in the pillow

Hydrocephalus with head convulsions, movement of head from side to side or drawing of head to one side or head falling forward

5. Gastric Issues (Pain, Vomiting, Cholera)

Cuprum Met manifests excellent action on the gastric system. The most important indications for its use are pain in the abdomen and cholera (infection of intestine caused by bacteria vibrio cholerae). It works well in cases of cutting, drawing pain in the abdomen. Abdomen is hot, tense and tender to touch. Pressure is felt in the stomach with nausea, belching and rumbling in abdomen. It gets better by wrapping a cloth tightly around the abdomen. In cholera cases, it is suitable when there is copious loose stool, frequent vomiting and is attended with cramps in the abdomen and calf muscles.  Cuprum Met is also prescribed to manage vomiting which also gets better from cold drinks. Vomiting occurs on waking in the morning and also on least movement.

Key Indicating Features

Cutting, drawing pain in abdomen

Pressure in the stomach with nausea, belching

Cholera with copious loose stool, frequent vomiting, cramps in the abdomen and calf muscles

Vomiting on waking in morning and from least movement

Vomiting which gets better from cold drinks

6. Respiratory System (Cough, Asthma)

Lastly it can handle respiratory problems including cough and asthma as well. To begin with it is of great service to manage dry suffocative cough at night. Cough has a gurgling sound as if water is being poured from a bottle. A very peculiar symptom is cough occurring in three attacks in quick succession. Another indicative feature is worsening of cough from laughing, inhaling cold air and eating solid food. It gets better by drinking cold water. Apart from cough, it is a well-indicated medicine for asthma cases. The asthma attacks come suddenly with breathing difficulty, cough with whistling breathing on taking deep breath and wheezing respiration.

Key Indicating Features

Dry suffocative cough at night time

Cough with a gurgling sound as if water is poured from a bottle

Cough occurring in three attacks in quick succession

Cough from laughing, inhaling cold air and eating solid food

Cough better by drinking cold water

Sudden asthma attacks with breathing difficulty, cough with whistling breathing on taking deep breath and wheezing respiration

Modalities

Worsening factors: Complaints get worse from loss of sleep, anger, fright, touch, pressure, cold air and before menses

Relieving factors: Complaints get better by drinking cold water, wrapping head and during sweating

Dosage

It works well in both low and high potencies. The potency is selected individually for every case. In low potency like 30 C, it can be repeated frequently. But when using in high potencies like 200 C, 1M, frequent repetition should be avoided.

Relationship with Other Remedies

Antidoted by: Belladonna, Camphor, Cicuta, Conium, Ipecac, Merc Sol, Pulsatilla and Veratrum Album

Followed well by: Arsenic Album, Apis Mellifica, Causticum, Cicuta, Hyoscyamus, Stramonium, Veratrum Album and Zincum Met