Homeopathic medicine, treatment and remedies for Tetanus

• Aconitum Napellus
  Common Name: Monkshood
  Symptoms: Monkshood is an acute remedy that is generally used to treat sudden development of symptoms. Common symptoms addressed by this remedy include:

  • Numbness and tingling in limbs
  • Icy coldness of arms, legs and face
  • Pain in jaws
  • Swelling of tongue
  • Cold sensitive teeth
  • Dry, constricted throat
  • Bounding pulse; the person feels their heart is beating harder than usual
  • Intense thirst, fear, restlessness and anxiety accompany all symptoms

Symptoms worsen on exposure to cold winds, in the evening, night and while lying on the affected side. They get better in open air. 

• Anacardium Orientale
  Common Name: Marking nut
  Symptoms: Anacardium orientale is primarily used to treat paralytic weakness and spasms. It also helps manage the following symptoms:

  • Paralytic weakness
  • Cramps in calves
  • A sensation of pressure in chest
  • Swollen tongue that affects speech
  • Ineffectual desire to pass stools; bowels seem inactive or powerless
  • Palpitations 
  • Stiff neck

Symptoms worsen on applying hot water. They get better on rubbing the affected area and on lying on the side. 

• Arnica Montana
  Common Name: Leopard’s bane
  Symptoms: Leopard’s bane is a good remedy for tetanus symptoms arising after injuries, blows, falls and septic conditions. It also helps treat the following symptoms:

  • Aching of limbs and body as if beaten
  • Inability to walk erect
  • Paralysis of eye muscles
  • Cold body along with hotness in head
  • A feeling as if one’s scalp is contracted 
  • Sensitiveness of the whole body
  • Stitching pain under ribs

All the symptoms worsen by in damp and cold weather, on touching the affected area, and with motion. The complaints get better when the patient keeps their head low or lies down.

• Belladonna
  Common Name: Deadly nightshade
  Symptoms: Belladonna mainly acts on the nervous system and is used to treat convulsions, pain and twitching in the body. Other symptoms treated with this remedy are:

  • Neuralgia (nerve pain) that comes and goes suddenly
  • Swelling of the upper lip
  • Twitching of facial muscles along with neuralgia
  • Swelling and pain in tongue
  • Eyelid spasms
  • Jerking and spasms of limbs
  • Involuntary limping

All complaints worsen after noon, with touch and on lying down. The patient feels better while sitting in a semi-erect position.

• Cuprum Metallicum
  Common Name: Copper
  Symptoms: Copper is useful in the treatment of cramps, convulsions and tonic-clonic spasms (sudden and rhythmic contraction of muscles). Other symptoms that can be managed by this remedy are:

  • Contraction of jaws along with foaming at the mouth
  • Spasm of the glottis (a part of the voice box), leading to stammering speech
  • Spasm and constriction of the chest
  • Jerking and twitching of limbs
  • Tongue paralysis; tongue protrudes and retracts like a snake continuously 
  • Cramps in palms, calves and soles
  • Cold hands along with clenching of thumbs
  • Clonic spasms, which begin in the fingers and toes and then spread to the torso 

Symptoms worsen on touching the affected area and after vomiting. Symptoms get better after drinking cold water and while sweating.

• Curare
  Common Name: Arrow poison
  Symptoms: Symptoms that can be managed by this remedy are:

  • Facial paralysis
  • Tongue and mouth are drawn to the right side
  • Paralysis of respiratory muscles on falling asleep
  • Weakness and heaviness of arms; inability to lift fingers
  • Trembling of legs; legs buckle under while walking
  • Weak or absent reflexes

Symptoms worsen at 2 am, in damp, cold weather and winds, and while lying on the right side.

• Gelsemium Sempervirens
  Common Name: Yellow jasmine
  Symptoms: This homeopathic medicine particularly acts on the nervous system and is used to treat different degrees of paralysis. It is also used in the treatment of other symptoms such as:

  • Paralysis of muscles around eyes, chest, throat, and limbs
  • Lack of muscle coordination
  • Heaviness and twitching of eyelids with neuralgic pain in the orbits and an inability to open eyes 
  • Facial neuralgia
  • Contracted facial muscles
  • Dropping of lower jaw
  • Difficulty in swallowing food, especially warm foods 
  • Paralysis after diphtheritic infections
  • Spasm of the glottis and diaphragm
  • Excessive weakness and trembling in arms and legs
  • Loss of control over muscles

All symptoms worsen in foggy or damp weather, when thinking about one’s ailments and at 10 am. The patient feels better in open air, on bending forward, and after copious urination.

• Hyoscyamus Niger
  Common Name: Henbane
  Symptoms: This remedy has a marked action on the nervous system and can help treat the following complaints:

  • Weakness in tendons along with twitching 
  • Eyelid spasms that cause them to close involuntarily
  • Difficulty in protruding the tongue, impaired speech
  • Dropped lower jaw with foaming at the mouth
  • Tightness in throat with an inability to swallow liquids
  • Cramps in toes and calves 
  • Epileptic seizures that end with person falling in deep sleep

Symptoms worsen at night, after eating and on lying down. They get better when the patient bends forward. 

• Lachesis Mutus
  Common Name: Bushmaster or surucucu snake
  Symptoms: This remedy is useful in the treatment of trembling pain and excessive sleepiness. It can also help in treating symptoms like:

  • Weakness in eye muscles; the patient is unable to maintain focus
  • Tearing pains in jawbones
  • Diphtheria that leads to swelling and paralysis of throat and an inability to swallow liquids
  • Feeling suffocated on lying down; patient cannot bear the sensation of something tight anywhere on the body
  • Extreme sensitivity of windpipe (front of the neck) to touch

Symptoms aggravate after taking warm baths or consuming warm drinks, after sleep, lying on the left side, and putting pressure on the affected area. The patient feels better with warm applications and once discharges begin to flow. 

• Morphinum
  Common Name: An alkaloid of opium
  Symptoms: Morphinum is a good remedy for ailments of the nervous system. It helps manage the following symptoms:

  • Drooping eyelids
  • Contracted throat
  • Numbness in legs leading to a staggering gait
  • Paralysis of the pharynx, making swallowing impossible. 
  • Paralysis of the diaphragm (a muscle that separates chest cavity from the abdomen); the patient struggles for breath
  • Restlessness, jerking, twitching and convulsions
  • Constant nausea and retching leading to faintness 
  • Irregular pulse (fast then slow)
  • High susceptibility to pain; bed feels too hard to lie on
  • Intensely painful nerve pains 

• Nux Vomica
  Common Name: Poison nut
  Symptoms: Nux vomica is an effective remedy for twitching movements and convulsions. It can also help treat: 

  • Neuralgic pains below eyes and paralysis of eye muscles
  • Tightening of jaws 
  • Swollen gums
  • Narrowed opening of the food pipe and swollen uvula (soft tissue that hangs at the back of the mouth)
  • Paralysis of arms 
  • Sudden loss of power of limbs in the morning leading to dragging of limbs while walking

Symptoms worsen in dry and cold weather, during the morning, after eating, with mental exertion and on touching the affected area. All complaints get better when the patient is resting or applies strong pressure on the painful parts. Symptoms also improve in damp weather. 

• Stramonium
  Common Name: Thorn apple
  Symptoms: Stramonium has a marked action on the muscles responsible for movement, expression and locomotion. Symptoms that can be addressed by this remedy include:

  • Graceful and rhythmic motions during spasms
  • Inability to swallow due to spasm
  • Stammering 
  • Convulsions of arms
  • Trembling and twitching of tendons in limbs
  • Delirium; the patient talks continuously
  • Rapid mood changes (from happy to sad) 
  • Seeing water and anything glittering leads to spasms
  • Laughing and singing excessively with eyes open wide 
  • Risus sardonicus (spasmodic smile during episode appearing as if the person is grinning)

The complaints worsen after sleep, on swallowing, when the patient is alone, in a dark room or looks at bright objects. Symptoms get better on being in the company of people and with warmth.

•  Strychninum Purum
  Common Name: Alkaloid of nux vomica
  Symptoms: Strychninum purum helps treat the following symptoms:

  • Muscle spasms and muscle cramps 
  • Stiff neck along with stiffness in facial muscles
  • Relaxation of muscles between episodes of spasms
  • Stiff and closed lower jaw
  • Inability to swallow
  • Spasms in the voice box making it impossible to breathe 
  • Spasms in the food pipe causing violent vomiting and continuous retching
  • Involuntary passing of stools during spasms
  • Violent jerking, trembling and twitching in arms and legs
  • Opisthotonus (arching of the back due to violent back spasms)

Symptoms get worse in the morning, after meals and on touching the affected area. The patient feels better on lying on their back. 

• Upas Tieut
  Common Name: Upas-tree, strychnos tiente
  Symptoms: Upas tieut is an effective remedy to treat the following symptoms:

  • Tonic spasms
  • Difficulty in breathing
  • Heaviness in stomach with violent palpitations (awareness of the heartbeat)
  • Eye pain
  • Pain in the mouth as if hurt by a splinter

Along with medicines, homeopathic physicians also recommend certain lifestyle and dietary guidelines to their patients. This is to ensure that the medicines work in their full potency and their action does not get suppressed by any external factors (homeopathic remedies are highly diluted preparations and are easily affected by strong scents, odours and medicinal foods). 

Do’s: 

• Eat nutritious and healthy foods that are compatible with the treatment.
• Stay in a clean and hygienic environment.
• Include physical exercise in your daily routine.
• Maintain personal hygiene.

Don’ts: 

• Do not consume foods and drinks which are known for their medicinal properties.
• Do not drink caffeinated beverages.
• Do not use perfumes that have a strong odour.
• Avoid extreme emotions like anger and grief that may lead to overexertion of mind.
• Avoid staying in humid and unclean rooms.
• Avoid all excesses in foods, including excess salt, sugar and spices

So far, there is no scientific study that says that homeopathic remedies are effective in the treatment of tetanus.

Homeopathy is a holistic mode of treatment. Homeopathic remedies are administered on the basis of the physical and mental traits of the patient along with his/her disease symptoms. This helps in the treatment of the disease and promotes overall improvement in health. 

There are many remedies in homeopathy, which can treat involuntary muscle spasms and kill infectious bacteria in tetanus patients, thereby preventing further development of the condition.

However, tetanus is a serious infection that needs immediate medical attention. It is best to check in with a doctor before taking any remedy on your own. 

Homeopathic remedies are basically diluted natural products (herbs, minerals and animal products). The dilution renders them free of side effects but does not affect their medicinal properties.

Although homeopathic remedies are safe and effective in a vast population, it is best to consult a registered homeopathic practitioner before taking them.

Tetanus is a non-communicable infection caused by the bacteria Clostridium tetani. The spores of these bacteria are present everywhere, including dust, soil and manure. These spores enter the body through broken skin, develop to form bacteria and cause symptoms such as lockjaw, muscle spasms, twitching and jerking.

Tetanus is an emergency condition that requires immediate administration of anti-tetanus shot. Homeopathic medicines are effective in reducing muscle spasms and restoring smooth and coordinated muscular movements - two of the characteristic symptoms of tetanus. However, due to the absence of credible scientific evidence, it is best to talk to a doctor to know more about the efficiency of homeopathic medicines for tetanus.