Codeinum
Codeine · Human-made/chemical
Codeinum suits individuals with neurological irritability manifesting as involuntary twitchings, trembling, and formication. It has a particular affinity for the respiratory system with irritating night cough, and for the skin with pruritus, warmth, and prickling sensations.
Key symptoms
- Trembling of whole body; involuntary twitching of muscles of arms and lower limbs
- Itching with feeling of warmth, numbness, and prickling
- Involuntary twitching of eyelids
- Short and irritating cough worse at night; copious purulent expectoration
- Night cough of phthisis
- Spasmodic pain at pit of stomach; eructations
- Great thirst with desire for bitter substances
- Pain from occiput to back of neck
- Diabetes
Worse (aggravation)
- At night (cough worse)
An Alkaloid from Opium
Trembling of whole body. Involuntary twitching of muscles of arms and lower limbs. Itching, with feeling of warmth, numbness and prickling. Diabetes.
Head
Pain from occiput to back of neck. Skin of face and scalp sore after neuralgia.
Eyes
Involuntary twitching of lids (Agar).
Stomach
Spasmodic pain at pit of stomach. Eructations. Great thirst, with desire for bitter substances.
Respiratory
Short and irritating cough; worse, at night. Copious, purulent expectoration. Night cough of phthisis.
Relationship
Compare: Opium; Agaricus; Hyoscy; Ammon brom.
Dose
One-quarter of a grain doses to third trituration.
An Alkaloid of Opium. C18 H21 NO3.
Clinical
Blepharospasm. Chorea. Cough. Diabetes. Eczema. Gastralgia. Numbness. Pruritus. Restlessness. Spasmodic twitchings. Vomiting of pregnancy.
Characteristics
Codein possesses many of the properties of opium, from which it is derived, but it has characters sufficiently distinctive to entitle it to a separate description. Codein seems to possess in great degree the exhilarating properties some persons experience on taking opium, though it is not without strong soporific effects as well. There are many disorders of sensation, notably troublesome itching. The characteristic here is "Itching with warmth." "Itching and heat of face and head." "A sensation of agreeable warmth" is another characteristic symptom. Convulsive twitchings of muscles and limbs, and especially of orbital muscles, are very marked. Twitchings prevent sleep at night. Numbness and prickling. Codein has in many cases controlled diabetes. Headache is < in morning; restlessness and cough < at night. Symptoms in general are < by motion and > by rest.
Classical texts are in the public domain. Educational reference only — not medical advice.
