Lycopodium

LYCOPODIUM CLAVATUM 

Today, let’s understand the remedy Lycopodium and know everything about this medicine. 

General introduction: 

Lycopodium Clavatum, commonly known as Wolf’s Foot or Clubmoss belongs to the Lycopodiaceae family of plant kingdom. It is known as vegetable Sulphur. 

Medicine is prepared using tincture of spores and tincture of fresh plants. 

Lycopodium has a marked action on the following parts - 

• Hair  

• Gastrointestinal system 

• Male and female Genitalia 

• Urinary system 

• Skin, etc. 

Constitution of a Lycopodium Patient: 

• Lycopodium is a deep acting remedy, very useful in different chronic diseases. 

• Especially suited for extremes of life – children and old people. 

• Patients of mild temperaments, lymphatic constitution with catarrhal tendencies. 

• Old people with uric acid diathesis. 

• Intellectually keen people, will excel whichever career field they will choose but their body does not support them, they have weak muscular power. 

• People who look mature beyond their ages. 

• Upper part of the body is emaciated and the lower part is semi-dropsical. 

• Lycopodium patients usually want to stay alone, they do not like to socialise much, they will avoid all the situations to avoid people; fears commitment and responsibilities.  

Lycopodium patients have ailments due to -  

• Fright 

• Humiliation  

• Anxiety 

• Fevers 

• Sexual excesses, masturbation. 

• Tobacco chewing 

• Wine, etc. 

Mental Symptoms: 

• These patients usually feel weak and cowardly, they develop inferiority complexes and become shy and introverted. 

• They have low self-esteem and low confidence. 

• Easily annoyed, even little things annoy him. 

• Patients have constant fear of breaking down under stress. 

• Though the patient wants to be alone yet he wants someone in the next room, because he is feared to be alone. 

• Patient feels that his memory is weakened, spells or writes words and syllables wrongly; failing brain power. 

• There is confusion about everyday things but the patient is rational while he talks about abstract subjects. 

Head: 

• Pressing headache especially on vertex which is aggravated from 4 to 8 PM and lying down or stooping. 

• Patient feels that her body starts turning as soon as she sees something turning; whirling vertigo. 

• Headache is associated with vertigo. 

• Patients might suffer from semi lateral headache (migraine) especially in the evening. 

• Eruptions on head, with a lot of fetid suppuration; glands of neck might be obstructed sometimes. 

• Premature greying of hair, hair falls out; baldness, first on vertex and then on sides. 

• Hair falls after diseases associated with gastrointestinal system, after parturition. 

• Burning and itching of scalp especially on getting warm. 

• There is a scurf on the scalp of children, which when scratched, bleeds. 

• Hair falls from the head but increases on the other body parts. 

Eyes: 

• Sleeps with eyes half open. 

• Dryness of eyes and lids as if dust is present in them. 

• There are aching, burning and shooting pains in the eyes and lids, especially in the evening. 

• Black spots, glittering and sparks before eyes. 

• Styes on the inner canthi. 

• Day and night blindness. 

Ears: 

• Patients suffer from eczema about and behind the ears. 

• Otalgia in ears. 

• There is thick, yellow and offensive discharge from the ears. 

• There is roaring and humming the ears along with the hardness of hearing. 

Nose: 

• Nose bleeds when blown and in the afternoon. 

• Nostrils are ulcerated. 

• There is a fan-like motion of alae nasi. 

• Coryza with acrid and scanty discharge. 

• Patient has an acute sense of smell. 

• Nose stopped up with snuffles; child wakes up from sleep startled, rubbing his nose. 

Mouth: 

• Patient suffers from toothache along with swelling in cheeks. 

• There is dryness of the mouth and tongue which is not associated with thirst. 

• Tongue is dry, black and cracked; there are blisters on the tongue. 

• There is a bad odour from the mouth. 

Face: 

• Looks pale and anaemic; greyish yellow color of the face with blue circles around the eyes. 

• Swelling of submaxillary glands. 

• Dropped lower jaw in cases of typhoid fever. 

• Herpes of face and corners of mouth associated with itching. 

Throat: 

• Throat is dry, without thirst. 

• There is inflammation of the throat with stitches on swallowing, which is better by warm drinks. 

• Tonsillitis with ulceration of tonsils starting on the right side. 

• Patients might suffer from diphtheria whose deposits spread from the right side to the left side. 

Stomach: 

• Excessive hunger, even small amounts of food make him feel full. 

• Food tastes sour to the patient. 

• Patient likes his food and drinks hot. 

• Patient suffers from incomplete eructations, which rise only to the pharynx and burn for hours. 

• There is weakness of digestion; there is a desire for sweet things and aversion to bread. 

Abdomen: 

• Abdomen is full and bloated, immediately after a light meal. 

• There is inflammation and indurations of liver; liver sensitive; patients may suffer from hepatitis, nutmeg liver etc. 

• Patients suffer from dropsy due to hepatic disease. 

• Right sided hernia. 

• Brown spots are present on the abdomen. 

Stool and Anus: 

• Patients suffer from chronic constipation associated with hard, difficult, small stools with ineffectual desire to evacuate. 

• Patients suffer from piles which are very painful to touch, and have aching pain. 

Urinary system: 

• Urine deep coloured with yellow or reddish sediment; renal calculi. 

• Patients suffer from severe back pain every time before urinating because of which patients cry out; the child cries before urinating. 

• Urination is associated with itching in urethra which continues afterwards too. 

• Frequency of urine increases at night (polyuria). 

Male: 

• Loss of erectile power in males; impotence. 

• Patients might also suffer from premature ejaculation. 

• Penis is small, cold and relaxed. 

• Prostate is enlarged. 

Female:

• Coition is very painful due to dryness of vagina; there is burning during and after coition. 

• Menses are late, too long and too profuse. 

• Leucorrhoea is acrid associated with burning in vagina. 

• Patients feel that their foetus is somersaulting inside the uterus. 

• Breasts are swollen with nodosities; milk in breasts without being pregnant. 

Respiratory System: 

• Expectorations can be grey, thick, bloody, salty, purulent. 

• There is a tickling cough. 

• There is catarrh of the chest in infants, it seems full of mucus rattling. 

• There is neglected pneumonia with great dyspnea, flying of alae nasi and mucous rales are present. 

Heart: 

• Patients have palpitations at night, sometimes associated with anxiety and trembling. 

• There are sharp pains shooting in the heart, with a sensation of stoppage of circulation at night. 

• Pulse is accelerated with a cold face and feet. 

Neck and back: 

• Rigidity in the nape of neck, sometimes due to weight lifting. 

• Pain in the small of the back, which does not let the patient sit upright. 

• Patients suffer from swelling of glands of neck and shoulders. 

• There are painful eruptions on the neck associated with violent itching. 

• There are pains in the back and loins which are worse on moving, stooping and lifting anything. 

Extremities: 

• Patients who suffer from chronic gout, with chalky deposits in joints might require this medicine. 

• There is tearing pain in shoulder and elbow joints. 

• Patients have profuse sweat on their feet. 

• Patients suffering from Sciatica which is worse on the right side are benefitted by this medicine. 

• Limbs go to sleep and become numb. 

Skin: 

• Sweat is offensive, especially of axilla and feet. 

• People suffering from psoriasis get relieved; condition being the rest symptoms match. 

• Skin ulcerates easily, there are abscesses under the skin which are worse by heat. 

• Chronic eczema which is associated with hepatic, gastric and urinary disorders. 

• Very good medicine for acne. 

• Veins might become varicose, erectile tumors might be also present. 

Sleep: 

• Patients have an inclination to sleep during the day and early in the evening. 

• Sleep is disturbed and the patient remains restless. 

• Sleep with mouth open. 

• Sees dreams of accidents. 

• Children requiring this remedy may sleep the whole day and cry all night. 

Fever: 

• Fever is associated with the chill stage between 3 to 4 PM, followed by sweating. 

• One chill is followed by another. 

• Patients feel as if lying on ice. 

Modalities: 

Lycopodium is usually  

• Worse 

1. On the right side. 

2. From above downwards. 

3. From heat and warm room, hot air, bed. 

4. 4 to 8 PM. 

5. Warm applications except throat and stomach complaints. 

• Better 

1. After midnight. 

2. By motion. 

3. From being uncovered. 

So that was all about our remedy Lycopodium Clavatum. 

I am mentioning a few references of Lycopodium Clavatum in varying forms and potencies of various leading brands in homoeopathy for your ease, you can have a look. 

• SBL Lycopodium Clavatum 6 CH, 30CH, 200CH, etc. 

• ADEL Lycopodium Clavatum Dilution 30 CH, 200 CH, etc. 

• Dr. Reckeweg Lycopodium Clavatum 30CH, 200CH, etc. 

• Willmar Schwabe India Lycopodium Clavatum 30CH, 200CH, etc. 

Other potencies and tinctures of the same as well as other brands are also available. 

Note:  

Dosage: Different patients require different potencies of Lycopodium Clavatum depending upon their susceptibilities; usually lower potencies are used, without frequent repetition; therefore, one should consult their homoeopathic doctor first before taking any homoeopathic medicine. 

Avoid self-medicating as much as possible to avoid any complications.