Arsenicum iodatum – Iodite of Arsenic Trituration; AsI3

-GEORGE VITHOULKAS
The essential features
Arsenicum Iodatum is a remedy that you will need in severe chronic conditions where the organs involved are in a precarious state. You will need it in cases of severe asthma with heart involvement. An important remedy in heart trouble, particularly with valvular problems, it should be thought of in cases with pleural exudations. Of the highest use in cancerous affections. Kent states that: “it has restrained the progress of cancer of the uterus in a notable manner; the burning and odor are removed and the ulceration is lessened. Life has been prolonged for four years in several cases….it has stopped the growth of ovarian tumors.” Useful in fibroids of the uterus, in lupus and epithelioma. Useful in cirrhosis of the liver where there is great weakness, especially in the legs, and where the condition is worse going upstairs, indeed worse after any exertion, with dread of impending evil and depression. Dropsy. Liver and spleen enlargement.
Arsenicum iodatum is preeminently a tubercular remedy and should be understood as such. It comprises a mixture of Arsenicum traits with Tuberculinum characteristics. Thin, emaciated, consumptive individuals with corrosive discharges getting colds frequently.
Arsenicum iodatum is one of the most restless remedies in our materia medica. It produces a physical and mental restlessness that can be described as physical unrest. The body cannot find rest, cannot remain calm or in one position for long (much like Iodum.) The person wants to do things all the time. It is really a combination of the restlessness of Arsenicum and Iodine : there cannot be a worse restlessness.
A typical Arsenicum iodatum child never stops moving about, climbing all over the furniture, and over the book case so that you wonder how he does not fall down. He is constantly on the move from table to chair to sofa to book-case to stove and back again! You wonder where he finds all this energy. But this is the nature of this remedy; it burns out the physical body, wasting all its energy. At school the child cannot concentrate; he cannot force his mind to pause in order to concentrate on any one thing.
There is an inner restlessness that eventually seems to burn out the body. The impression we get is of the body having been woken up and being unable to rest anymore. The Arsenicum iodatum case seems to be consumed by an internal fire that eventually will burn out the body, leaving it exhausted and totally prostrated, much like Arsenicum. A tubercular diathesis underlies the condition, and the child, if not treated correctly, is in danger of becoming consumptive. It lowers the appetite and increases the metabolism. The person is quickly wasted away, and emaciated.
The restlessness accompanied by anger and irritability that characterize the first stage of a serious Arsenicum iodatum case are eventually replaced by utter prostration and indifference. You may find that, where in the initial stage the patient showed great excitement, impatience and haste, with an inclination towards talkativeness and mirth, a change may overcome him eventually causing him to become silent, with an aversion to answering questions and to being spoken to. At this stage the patient is so weak that he will not talk, feeling totally disinclined for any kind of conversation. Should one press him to answer he will do so in monosyllables. He is indifferent to everything because of this exhaustion, indifferent to his pet that he loved, to happiness and to his surroundings.
Then sadness and discontent set in, accompanied by aversion to work and inability to study.
A degree of mental prostration prevails continuously, accompanied by an inability to decide between two opinions. A child may look and act as if extremely stupid, answering by moving the head as though saying only “I do not know”.
Changeable moods and alternating conditions of mind characterize Arsenicum iodatum, but the fine shades of the mind are not yet apparent or determined.
Further symptoms include fear of impending evil, fear of insanity, of misfortune, of people. Extreme anxiety, restlessness and fear, worse in a warm bed. There are persistent tormenting thoughts, wandering thoughts, stupefaction and prostration of body and mind. The patient may suffer from a sudden impulse to kill somebody. Confusion may set in morning, night and evening, with delirium during the night. Delusions about dead people, and over-sensitiveness, especially to noise. In the woman there is much weeping.
Mental exertion increases many of his symptoms, there is marked mental weakness. The patient seems to be progressing towards insanity, he feels he will become stupid.
Generalities
The importance of Ars-iod in active tuberculosis cannot be overstressed, and although today in the Western world it is difficult to treat such a case, the remedy must be mentioned in this respect. Tuberculosis with hoarse racking cough and profuse expectoration of a purulent nature, attended with cardiac weakness, emaciation and general debility.
It is almost certain that by the time the disease has progressed to such pathology, the original extra energy that was spent by the organism is shortcircuited and is now replaced by great prostration.
Severe pleuritic exudation of a tubercular type. Predisposition to phthisis, and complaints of the tubercular diathesis. Common colds or influenza end up in bronchitis or pneumonia.
Actually Ars-iod. and Tub. are similar, and each can be indicated to complement the other’s action.
Extreme lassitude; lack of reaction. This remedy should be considered in cases that drag along and do not recover after pneumonia. Children who catch colds very frequently will require eitherTub. or this remedy.
It has cured choreic action of muscles in girls. Convulsive movements of limbs.
Induration is a strong feature, in glands, in ulcers, in skin affections.
Inflammation of glands, bones and serous membranes. Hodgkin’s disease. Sarcoidosis. Mucus secretions increased, copious catarrhal discharges, thick and yellow resembling yellow honey, or yellow-green.
Hale’s keynote for the remedy was: “The peculiar and persistently irritating, corrosive character of all discharges, in hay fever, otorrhea, and leucorrhea, with fetid, corrosive discharge, and in diarrhea where the evacuations “scald”.
L.B. Wells cured a case of left axillary tumor in a lady aged 49. A gland the size of a hen’s egg, exuding a fluid which formed a hard, brown crust. The tumor was painful and very sensitive. Left breast enlarged, indurated and very sore. There was also yellow, bloody and irritating leucorrhea with swelling of labia.
Clarke states that he has found it useful in many cases of weakened heart (senile heart, myocardial degeneration, arteriosclerosis) more especially when associated with chronic lung conditions.
Desire for open air. Affecting all glands, liver, spleen and thyroid gland. Sensation of a band, constriction internally. Weakness from perspiration.
Worse from motion but desire to move. Worse going upstairs, gets out of breath (Calc). Bathing and cold in general aggravate. Complaints from bathing, takes cold from bathing. Avoids the wind. Worse from the warm south wind.
Worse in winter. Better after eating. Aggravation from even slight physical exertion.
Head
The characteristic action of this remedy upon the head is to cause headaches that have the feeling of dullness and heaviness.
Dull, heavy headaches pressing from within outwards, worse on motion, noise, stooping or studying. Worse when hungry, in a warm room. Better in the open air, after eating. Unpleasant feeling in the head as if he had a cold. Actually this remedy develops its headaches during a common cold where the sinuses are involved. Headache over the root of the nose and above the eyes with frontal sinusitis. Head seems enormously large and heavy. Headache prevents sleep. Headache with sleepiness. Headaches with heart troubles. Vertigo of the aged with tremulous feeling. Itching of the scalp with or without eruptions, worse in cold air. Eruption crusty; scurfy; eczematous. It is almost a specific for psoriasis which is centred mostly on scalp, with thick scales, that if raised uncover areas that are very inflamed, red, look raw and sometimes bleeding. Perspiration of the forehead.
Eyes
In severe chronic granular conjuctivitis with redness of the margins of the lids Ars-iod. is the first remedy to be tried.
Chronic catarrhal states of the eyes. (Tub., Chrysarob.) Lacrymation worse in open air. Soreness of the eyeballs. Protrusion of eyes. Wild look in the eyes.
During a common cold smarting lacrymation and discharge from meibomian glands. The lids are red, swollen and edematous.
Ears
The ears discharge an excoriating fetid pus. Catarrh of Eustachian tubes and middle ear. Stopped sensation, hearing impaired. Sharp pain in forehead and both ears from exposure to cold wind.
Nose
Most stubborn nasal catarrh with copious excoriating, greenish, or yellow-greenish, purulent discharge. Honey-like discharge. Hay fever. Pains at the root of the nose with sinusitis. Ulceration and swelling inside the nose. Nose quite dry, with epistaxis.
Face
The face looks sickly, old, tired with bluish lips and bluish circles around eyes.
Face cold, brown, earthy colour. Yellow spots on face. Jaundiced face. Swelling of submaxillary glands. Twitching of the face.
Mouth
Aphthae, cracked tongue, gums swollen and bleeding easily, scorbutic gums.
Salivation. Offensive mouth. Tongue feels enlarged, teeth feel elongated. Sour taste.
Throat
Membranes in the throat. Ulceration. Swelling. Diphtheria where the membranes extend even to the outer edge of the lips; foul breath; short difficult respiration, marked weakness and glandular enlargement. Swallowing difficult. Much choking. Dryness. Inflammation of larynx and trachea, with much mucus. Laryngismus, burning rawness in larynx and trachea.
Stomach
Appetite increased. Appetite lost with aversion to food. Desires stimulants. Aversion to fish, desire for milk. Excessive thirst. Empty feeling in stomach.
Eructations empty, sour; waterbrash. Gastritis with all kinds of pains and loathing of food. Frequent attacks of heartburn. Indigestion. Stomach feels loaded.
Constriction, sensation of tightness. Trembling in stomach. Continuous vomiting; vomiting with diarrhea; vomiting after drinking water; milk; after eating. Violent vomiting; vomiting of bile; yellow, watery substance.
Abdomen
The abdomen is hard and distended with flatus. Flatus is obstructed and there is rumbling. The liver, the spleen, the mesenteric glands, the glands of the groins are enlarged. Sharp pains all over abdomen which are relieved by emiting flatus or having a stool. Pulsating in abdomen. Restless feeling.
Rectum
Obstinate constipation. Stool hard and knotty. Constipation alternating with diarrhea. Diarrhea starts in the morning when commencing to move and after eating. Not at night. Stool excoriating. Stool blackish in colour. Continual aching in the anus with a seeming inability to keep the anus closed. External haemorrhoids. Burning in anus after stool.
Urinary organs
Acts deeply upon bladder and kidneys. It has been useful in Addison’s disease.
Retention of urine. Constant urging to urinate. Urination dribbling and also involuntary. Albumen in urine. Suppression of urine.
Genitalia – male
Hydrocele and induration of testes, swelling of testes. Ulcers on the penis. Chancroids. Increased sexual desire and activity, later on erections wanting.
Genitalia – female
Pressure on the rectum from the uterus when lying on back is a keynote of this remedy. It has been very useful with female complaints. Of benefit in cancer of the uterus where there are intense burning pains and fetid odour. Enlargement and induration of the ovaries. Ovarian tumors. Pain and swelling in ovaries, especially right. Leucorrhea acrid, bloody, burning, copious, yellow. Menses absent or suppressed. Late. Irregular in time and quantity. Prolapse of uterus.
Enlarged and painful mammae. Lump in mamma with retracted nipples. Scirrhus of mammae, exuding a fluid which forms a hard, brown crust, breast hard, heavy and sensitive to touch.
Chest
Voice hoarse and weak. Asthmatic respiration, difficult on exertion and motion, on ascending, with palpitation (much like Calcarea). Respiration suffocative and wheezing. Asthma from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Asthmatic cough, croupy, deep and exhausting. Worse in a warm room. Expectoration greenish-yellow, difficult.
Constriction of the chest, of the heart. Inflammation of the bronchial tubes, of the endocardium, pericardium, lungs and pleura. Oppression of the heart and chest in a warm room. Weakness of chest and heart. Anxiety in the heart region. Very useful in ulcerative conditions during phthisis. Swollen axillary glands, tumors in axilla.
Extremities
Cramps of upper and lower limbs, thighs, legs, feet. Eczema. Numbness of hands and feet. Extremities cold, perspiration cold. Edematous, dropsical swellings of the extremities. Twitching of upper limbs and legs. Rheumatic pains in all the limbs. Hip joint disease. Itching of all the limbs.
Fever
Regular and distinct periodicity. Fever increases in afternoon. Drenching night sweats. Perspiration stains the clothes yellow. Pulse rapid, irregular.
Skin
It dries up the skin making it harsh and unhealthy looking. Many skin eruptions, particularly dry, scaly, burning and itching, as psoriasis, tinea impetigo, pityriasis. This remedy will have its best results when the psoriasis seems to be centered primarily in the scalp and where after removing the flakes the skin underneath looks very inflamed and raw to the extent that it may easily bleed.
Another characteristic of the remedy is when we have a discharge from a tumor that is thick and sticky like honey which if left alone soon dries up to form a hard crust.
Sleep
Sleeplessness after midnight. A wakeful state supervenes after going to bed. Starts during sleep.
Clinical
Acne rosacea. Aneurism. Angina pectoris. Tumour of breast. Bronchitis. Cancer. Catarrh. Consumption. Debility. Dropsy. Epithelioma. Gastritis. Hay-fever. Affections of heart. Hydrothorax. Laryngitis. Leucocythaemia. Lichen. Affections of liver. Affections of lungs. Measles. Otorrhoea. Pneumonia. Rheumatism. Scrofulous ophthalmia. Syphilis.
Relationships
Compare: Tuberculinum; Antimon. iod. In hay-fever, compare: Aralia; Naphthalin; Rosa; Sang. nit.
Dosage
From 3x to the highest.