When choosing medication, it is not advisable to draw a discreet line between “normal” headaches and migraines. In the case of mixed forms, a distinction is often neither possible nor necessary. When choosing a medication, very careful attention must be paid to the individual, conspicuous and possibly “peculiar” symptoms.
As in the case of “normal headaches“, one orientates oneself on the behaviour of the patient, paying attention to both psychological and physical symptoms. In addition, factors such as location, type, frequency and accompanying symptoms of the pain should also be included in the evaluation. In the case of migraine, special attention is paid to the characteristic symptoms and events, as these often turn out to be key symptoms.
Headaches occur as a symptom in a wide range of clinical pictures and can be an accompanying symptom of almost any disease. When taking a case history, it is important (in contrast to the choice of medication) to distinguish between “normal” headaches and migraines. Migraine is often accompanied by visual disturbances (blurred perception, color distortions, flickering images, seeing sparks, black rings or similar) and nausea and vomiting are common.
In addition, there are relationships with the woman’s urinary system or menstrual bleeding and migraine is conspicuously recurrent at certain periods. A careful and comprehensive interview with the patient by an experienced practitioner is essential; only in this way can the right remedy be found among the multitude of possible remedies. The following homeopathic remedies can be considered for migraine:
- Magnesium carbonicum
- Aconitum
- Belladonna
- Sanguinaria
- Gel-semium
- Nux vomica
- Phosphorus
- Aurum metallicum
- Cimicifuga racemosa
- Iris versicolor
- Potassium bichromicum
Magnesium carbonicum
Magnesium carbonicum is used therapeutically for migraine as a result of insult, anger, fright, nervous exhaustion or mental strain; especially irritable, nervous and insomniac women respond well to the preparation. The patients usually show themselves to be in a bad mood and socially incompatible with the consequence that they are shunned by their fellow men. Characteristically they present themselves as overexcitable, angry, but also jumpy and fearful.
Typically, the symptoms manifest themselves as strong, shooting pains, which are described as pressing, stabbing or tearing and are localized in the temples. Patients associate a feeling “like being in a vice”, whereby the pain often occurs only on one side. The pain is associated with visual disturbances and dizziness and occurs in attacks, sometimes with long symptom-free intervals.
The symptoms improve in the open air and when using moderately cool compresses; however, they become worse when bending, walking and any kind of vibration. Magnesium carbonicum is usually taken as tablets in dosage D4 for migraine. Further information about Magnesium carbonicum can be found under our topic: Magnesium carbonicum
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