In homoeopathy, it is used in the form of a very dilute
solution, prepared from the powder of Potassium Carbonate. An in-depth comprehension
of Kali Carb is extremely difficult because of a number of contradictions in
its nature. The patient is sensitive to both heat as well as cold. His mind is
very much preoccupied. Even if the diagnosis is correct but the constitution of
the patient happens to be different, its use will be harmful instead of being
beneficial. Generally, it is the
incorrect selection of a remedy that causes harm, but in case of Kali Carb,
even if the selection is correct, the patient may still be harmed due to a
mismatch with the nature of the patient.
For example, even if correctly selected, the usage of Silicea in very high
potency may prove extremely harmful.
In gout,
nodes form at the fingers and wrist joints causing disfigurement of
the hands, and deformities of the fingers. To give Kali Carb in high potency in
this condition even if appropriate to the constitution of the patient, is very
dangerous. It amounts to torturing the patient to death. Indication being
correct, the medicine will command the body to prepare for immediate cure for
which the body is not ready. Even if Kali Carb is prescribed after arriving at
the correct diagnosis in gout,
one has to be very cautious. Carbo Veg should always be given before giving
Kali Carb. Carbo Veg prepares the patient for proper response to Kali Carb and
serious reaction to Kali Carb is then prevented. Kali Carb must first be given
in the low potency of 30 and then in a high potency, as the patient becomes acclimatized.
Besides joint
pains, Kali Carb is strongly linked to chronic backache, especially the one starting
after childbirth. Very often, the back pain starting after the delivery becomes
chronic and not curable until treated with Kali Carb. Kali Carb is also very
effective in the treatment
of tuberculosis. Kali Carb has the capability to heal the lung
cavities resulting from a tuberculous infection. It is also very effective in
controlling all types of bleeding. Ulcers of the intestines result in the
passage of blood in the stools, like Antimonium Crude. In Kali Carb, the stools are soft, while in
Antimonium Crude they are hard. Occasionally, the patient of Kali Carb may be severely constipated and
pass blood in the stools. It is not that common however.
In Kali Carb, besides severe
stomachache, discomfort and cramps, the patient occasionally passes
blood in the stools. Several types of aches and pains are associated with Kali
Carb. Severe abdominal discomfort, cramps and blood in the stools are common to
many drugs used to treat dysentery. Therefore, it is essential that each one of
them should be identified based on its specific symptoms. Sometimes, Kali Carb
is used to cure the bad effects resulting from the wrong use of Nux Vomica,
especially diarrhoea or the headache following an overdose of Nux Vomica. Kali
Carb is best for the treatment of diarrhoea,
and Gelsemium for headache.
If diarrhoea starts suddenly after taking Nux Vomica, then a dose or two of
Kali Carb will cure the patient, with God’s grace. However, it should not be used
over a long period of time, or it will cause constipation. Once the patient has
benefited from one or two doses of this medicine, the treatment should be
stopped.
The irritability
is a prominent symptom of this remedy and is often present in mental
illnesses. Fear of
loneliness is also its symptom.
The patient is very superstitious.
The superstitious ideas have nothing to do with the loneliness of the patient.
Imagination becomes a part of the patient’s life. However, the loneliness
definitely perturbs the patient. The patient is sensitive to both heat and
cold. In general, the Kali Carb patient is of very short temper and is easily
enraged. Both hot and cold things hurt
the teeth. Sometimes, the teeth become oversensitive to cold. The symptoms of Pyorrhoea are common. There is swelling
of the gums, which start to decay exuding pus.
Such patients are extremely sensitive to cold. However,
when these patients of Kali Carb are fomented with ice-cold water, the nerves become
numb and relaxed. The relief is temporary because the symptoms recur as soon as
the effect of the cold is gone. The heat also bothers the patient. It increases
the burning sensation and becomes intolerable. In Merc Sol also, toothache becomes worse with
both heat and cold. When the gums
decay and start discharging offensive pus and blood, Kali Carb can
still cure the condition if other general symptoms of Kali Carb are present, or
Merc Sol may also offer a cure.
Both localised as well as migrating type of pains are
found in Kali Carb. The backache usually remains localized in one area.
However, during childbirth, the pain starts to move from one area to another.
If, during sleep, the quilt slips off from the body and a backache starts on exposure
to the cold wind, Kali Carb is very effective. I have tested the remedy on
myself and on many others, time and again. Once while travelling I woke up
around three or four o’ clock in the morning with severe backache, even though
by the grace of God I rarely suffered from backache. I took one dose of Kali
Carb 30. It immediately alleviated the pain and never did I have this problem again.
In Kali Carb often the ailment becomes worse during the winter,
yet the affected parts of the body feel hot (and do not feel comfort from the
outside cold). A draft of cold wind sometimes produces a blazing sensation
along the course of the nerves with the appearance of prickly heat on the skin.
It is one aspect of Kali Carb that the external cold, instead of having a
cooling effect, enhances the feeling of heat.
Heat ameliorates the symptoms.
Once the nasal cold begins, it also causes headache. Lightheadedness along
with the headache is a specific symptom of Kali Carb. By the way, it should be
remembered that the sinus headache
resulting from flu often gets cured by just one dose of Nux Vomica 1000.
Sometimes, the irritable bladder (cystitis), causing frequency of urination, may respond to Kali
Phos better than Kali Carb.However, in Kali Phos, the frequent passage of urine is
during the daytime while in the case of Kali Carb, the patient has to
wake up
repeatedly during the night, especially between three to
four o’ clock in the morning, to ease himself. Frequency of urination at
night other than due to diabetes can also benefit from Arsenic in addition to
Kali Carb, provided other symptoms of Arsenic also exist. One particular symptom
of Arsenic is more common in women i.e. they lose bladder control so much so that
they may not even be able to make it to the lavatory. A similar condition can
also develop in men due to various diseases and this becomes definitely more
difficult to treat. The reason is the difficulty in finding the appropriate
remedy out of the scores of remedies available.
Kali Carb patients, often have a sore throat. The tonsils
become inflamed and enlarged. Swelling of the glands behind the ears, (parotid
glands) is not as dangerous as the swelling inside the throat due to the
inflammation of both tonsils, which then become hard. The exudates solidify in
them and prevent the glands from shrinking in size. Kali Carb is an effective
treatment for this condition if its other symptoms are also present.
In the diseases related to Kali Carb, there is a tendency
to develop widespread swelling and inflammation in various parts of the body, but
especially the swelling of
the upper eyelids is very prominent. Like some other medicines, the symptoms of feeling a pulsation on
the side on which the patient lies down is found in Kali Carb also. Furthermore, the patient feels anxious and
cannot sleep. If the throbbing is too severe due to an increased rush of blood
towards the head and does not respond to Kali Carb, then Belladonna will be found
to work very well.
Since in Kali Carb, often the patient feels pain and heaviness on the left side
of the chest over the area of the heart, it may be well to suspect
it is due to the heart disease, even though heart pain is often felt in the
middle of the chest, radiating to the back, the arms and upto the fingers.
Although the pain of Kali Carb makes one suspicious of possible heart disease,
other symptoms can help to make the distinction clearer. The cardiac pain
(angina pectoris) becomes worse on walking fast. On the other hand if the pain,
becomes less on walking or on changing the side, it cannot be due to a heart
problem. Homoeopaths, in general, do not have access to instruments
and machines to test the heart, so they must critically examine
each symptom. Besides neurologic ailments, Kali Carb is also
useful in the treatment of heart pain (angina) especially the unusually
strong palpitations. In Kali Carb, piles
are like hanging tags instead of being in rounded masses, which give
an intense burning sensation. Cold water comforts only temporarily, reducing
the burning sensation. In the abdominal complaints of Kali Carb, cramps are a
must, such as in dysentery. However, the diarrhoea, which often alternates with
constipation, is without pain.
The burning
sensation after urination responds favourably to Natrum Mur.
However, if the burning sensation is experienced before, during, as well as
after urination, then Natrum Mur will be ineffective because this condition
relates to Kali Carb. Kali Carb is an
excellent treatment in women, especially for the treatment of the complications
arising from childbirth. One should remember Kali Carb as the first choice. It
indeed is the best remedy to treat these complications and the ones arising
after D&C (dilatation and curettage).
Kali Carb is also related to the enlarged glands of the uterus (uterine
fibroids). Other symptoms being present, it can be used for the
treatment of vomiting of
pregnancy. Kali Carb is an ideal remedy in difficult labour with weak
labour pains that radiates to lower back and thighs in difficulty in delivery of the child.
Kali Carb is very useful in the treatment of severe cough associated with vomiting,
as well as the cough
following measles. Kali Carb
is a very powerful remedy for neuralgic
conditions. It is also deeply linked to the bones because carbon has
a powerful influence on them. Kali Carb patients suffer from general weakness. In these
patients, the pulse becomes slow. There are sharp pricking type of pain
and burning sensations along the course of the nerves. Furthermore, such patients have a sensation of burning inside their
internal organs (viscera). The severity of the disease increases at night
between two to five o’ clock in the morning and which becomes worse on
turning onto the left side or lying down on the affected side. Hot
weather ameliorates the symptoms. A distinctive character of Kali
Carb is that sometimes, there is a severe burning sensation over tiny
circular areas, the size of a fingertip or a thumb