Homeopathic Remedy: Graphites

Often I write about the acute nature of remedies. Today I am going to talk about Graphites. It is less often a remedy used in a first aid situation however it is in the kit that many of my patients have so I thought it would be good to introduce the remedy to you.

The first thing to think of with Graphites is skin problems. These skin problems can be in the form of any herpetic eruption anywhere on the body. The scabs are thick and often itchy. Often there is a discharge that is offensive in its smell. If you or someone you know has had this you know exactly what I am talking about. These scabs can be behind the ears or in the nose. They can be on the mouth or in the genital area, regardless they are all thick and itchy and may have a sticky, stinky discharge. Also related to the skin is thickness. This can be the skin, the nails, a wart, a callous etc.

Graphites can also have some trouble with digestion. There can be a lot of gas that is worse after eating. A sensation as if a plug was lodged in the throat or as if the esophagus was filled all the way with food. With the GI problems is almost always constipation and “insufficient stools” this means that you still feel like you need to have a bowel movement even after you just went. The constipation can cause hemorrhoids or fissures that burn and hurt each stool.

Graphites is a very common remedy used during the time of menopause. The menses can be too close together, too far apart. It is often also on the lighter side. There can be hot flushes that are felt in the face and a general fatigue that is associated with this time of life, especially when doing technical work.

The last point I will make about Graphites is the insomnia. This could be during menopause or other seasons of life. It is characterized by difficulty in falling asleep, a suffocating feeling in the chest that leads to a light sleep and easy waking. When asleep there are a lot of anxious, frightful dreams. The sleep always tends to be worse at a full moon.

In homeopathy, we know the indications of a remedy based on proving symptoms, meaning a healthy person accidently or intentionally proves (over doses) on the substance. Most remedies produce many symptoms. Graphites is no exception, Graphites has produced a total of 1143 symptoms. So you can see I gave you only a few.