My Homeopathic Journey: Part II Causticum

Remedy Name: Causticum

General Name: Potassium Hydrate

Used to treat: Burns, urinary disorders, paralysis, among other symptoms.

Causticum was my first homeopathic remedy, and it was revelatory – not only did the remedy clear up my cold/allergy symptoms, it cleared away some mental blocks and allowed me to move my career in a new direction. Here's the healing process I experienced:

Within a couple days of taking the remedy, I was able to breath comfortably through my nose for the first time in a very long time. In fact, I couldn't even remember the last time I had been able to breath freely like this. My nose had always felt blocked/stuffed up. What happened was, after taking the remedy, the mucous started flowing. I was blowing my nose constantly for a couple of days as I experienced the “healing aggravation” that homeopathy can trigger. Since Causticum is a remedy that is associated with being “blocked,” this made sense – my nasal passages were blocked, something had to come out.

But not only was I blocked physically, I was blocked mentally as well. I felt burnt-out in my previous career and stuck in terms of not wanting to study something new after having completed a graduate degree. I literally could not get myself to move forward in any direction. After taking the remedy, I was able to take action to finally move my career in a new direction. I was considering a program for teaching ESL, but then I found a three-year, part-time program that would give me the knowledge I needed to become a homeopath myself. Smitten by this exciting form of natural healing, I enrolled right away. Not only had the Causticum cleared my nose, it cleared my mind and allowed me to see a clear path toward a new career!

Later, as a student of homeopathy, I learned more about the remedy and made some realizations about how that first homeopath had arrived at my “constitutional state.” I remember telling her about my history of “burning” symptoms – a burning sore throat preceding a cold, recurring urinary tract infections with “burning” pain, my “burnt out” feeling regarding my previous career...

I also learned that Causticum is also associated with being “stuck,” and I certainly had felt stuck, unable to see a way toward a more fulfilling career. I also had experience with earwax getting stuck in my ears, my nasal passageways had been blocked with stuck mucous, and even my son had become “stuck” in childbirth, just as I had gotten “stuck” during my own birth.

Of course at the time, I hadn't realized that I was experiencing so many “burning” and “stuck” sensations, but now, as a trained professional, it's fascinating for me to think back about how she was able to analyze the information I gave her and prescribe an appropriate remedy.

I continued to take Causticum for about three years before moving on to other remedies, and it has been interesting to observe my own healing process. When I started the remedy, I would take a dose of Causticum at the first sign of a cold, which for me was a burning sore throat. After about 18 months to two years, I experienced a very bad, burning sore throat for about 24 hours. Interestingly, it didn't progress further into a cold. After that, I never had the burning sore throat again. Now when I get colds I feel a bit tired, run-down, I get your typical stuffy nose, and for a time would often have a lingering cough. But those burning sore throats – the symptom that gave me the most discomfort – and of course the chronic blocked nose, are a thing of the past.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my personal experience with my first remedy – Causticum, and I look forward to sharing my stories about other homeopathic remedies in the weeks to come. Have you taken Causticum? I'd love to hear about your experiences. Please feel free to share your story in the comments section.