Three remedies attributed to men — and overlooked in women
Three centuries of homeopathic literature is, of course, a male-dominated field. Most of the homeopaths we refer to today — the "masters" whose clinical notes we scour — are men. And they divided remedies into "this suits a man, this suits a woman." In their clinical notes, most of the masters say "she" for some remedies and "he" for others.
I would love to shrug this off as "that is how gender roles were last century" — but unfortunately, things are not so different today.
Some remedies have an affinity for the uterus and ovaries — the power to help these organs. Those instantly became "women's remedies": Sepia and Pulsatilla are the classic examples. Yet Pulsatilla is also a magnificent remedy for the testes — I have used it countless times in varicocele and testicular inflammation. And in male clients who do not have these problems but crave affection and present with changeable symptoms, Pulsatilla is an incredibly effective "woman's" remedy.
I have also given Sepia to young men: precisely for their detached, indifferent stance away from family, and because Sepia is also a superb circulation and liver remedy. Sepia men are the type who recover through sport, who experience distraction and fatigue when they do not exercise, whose liver is worn out by medication. In other words, I use the remedies described as "women's remedies" in men too — and I keep saying how glad I am that I never set them aside as "women's remedies".
What troubles me here goes beyond sexist language. This division costs us something in the clinic: these remedies are described for men, and their pictures end up adapted to a rather sharp, intense male character. Lycopodium, for instance, is mean; he chases power and despises those he sees as beneath him — "I cannot give this woman Lycopodium, she is far too kind and caring." Yet the Lycopodium woman can look very different from the man. So the caricatured images in the literature, drawn for men, do not fit women — and the homeopath may skip the remedy altogether.
Starting with 3 remedies, I will describe how we see these lesser-known remedies in female clients — so that you can spot them in your clinic without missing them.
Here we have a theme of losing power, with an anxious state and performance anxiety along with it.
The Lycopodium plant was a huge tree centuries ago; it continued its evolution by shrinking. It is a remedy carrying the information: "I was strong, I was big, I was magnificent — but now my power is gone."
In men, this causes a compensation along the lines of "no one must know I lost this power; I will make myself look grander than I am." So male patients turn into boasting men who torment their wives at home while showing everyone respect outside — men who swallow their anger.
The Lycopodium woman, on the other hand, expresses the loss of power mostly as anxiety — not by tormenting others or making herself look bigger than she is.
Developing masculine traits to survive in a man's world; trying to appear strong, suppressing her emotional side; working more, taking on more responsibility — yet feeling an endless anxiety about all of it: these are frequent themes.
Faced with a problem, she feels inadequate, incompetent. This state often emerges after the loss of a male figure in her life. Mostly it is the father who goes; sometimes the trusted partner with whom she shared responsibilities. And the woman, saying "this is beyond me; I am not competent enough for these responsibilities," sinks into a deep sense of inadequacy and starts making extra effort.
The rubric and theme of taking on extra responsibility at an early age is a highly valid sign for the Lycopodium woman. It can be confused with Carcinosin here; differentiating them is worthwhile.
In other words, this woman starts developing problems once she realises that the traits she has — or the methods, people and supports at hand for solving the problem — are no longer enough. So once again, the "loss of power" specific to Lycopodium is at play.
Subjective feelings like "I feel like a dwarf" or "I see myself as small" are the signs you will encounter in this patient.
In Lycopodium, the body is weak and the mind strong. These are not physically active, dexterous types; consider this remedy in women who learn well, know, read, and want to bring their minds to the fore. But since they are also women who say "I don't know enough", a woman collecting her 5th diploma — a lifelong student who still doesn't trust her own knowledge — can again be a Lycopodium woman.
So the need for approval is high. Structures that care deeply about what others think of them. The yielding rubric is frequently seen — in other words, submissive. She can put herself aside and suppress her anger. In this situation the picture may bring to mind remedies like Staph, Carc and Silica. But if the root of the problem is achievement and reputation, Lycopodium comes to the fore. Silica wants others to see her with a fixed image. She wants them to know her well, not to think badly of her. But Lycopodium is not content with this image; she wants them to see her as more successful, to think she is better. So just like a body that makes itself look bigger than it is in gas problems, she wants to appear bigger than she is. But she does this not by lying or boasting, as we see in the male Lycopodium, but by trying to build good relationships and suppressing her anger.
Digestive problems — especially bloating and gas — are classic Lycopodium signs. Right-sided complaints, liver and gallbladder issues are likewise common. "The more I eat, the more I want; I never feel full." "I'm craving something sweet." Some typical Lycopodium sentences. Symptoms worsening around 4 in the afternoon make a fine differential.
Lack of self-confidence, anxiety, fear of enclosed spaces, anxiety about reputation in society... Not getting too close to people — the fear that her weakness will show if she does. A hardworking, responsible woman trying to survive in a man's world. Especially if digestive problems and bloating accompany the picture, definitely think of Lycopodium for this woman. After the remedy, she will find it safer to make room for her feelings. There is a world beyond achieving — she will understand this, and her anxieties will ease.
This woman has succeeded in a man's world. Ambitious and hard-working; detail-oriented and impatient. No anxiety to speak of — she is the boss, after all. Up to this point, she resembles the male Nux-Vomica.
The Nux-Vomica picture told in the literature is angry, ruthless and insensitive. When it comes to women, we do not see these. What we see instead is a woman who works hard yet seeks help from specialists to process her anger — who reserves a set hour of her morning for meditation.
Regarding anxiety, there is of course the anxiety of fulfilling her duties and tasks. But when asked, this anxiety is almost always about duty, work and the future. Unlike Lycopodium, she has no anxiety about what others think of her. And unlike Sulphur, she does not see herself at the top without doing anything. She targets the very top and works as hard as it takes to get there.
Not to crush others, but to become the best version of herself.
Another difference is that the Nux-Vomica woman is not necessarily the boss. She can be an extremely cooperative team player. The "I" perception is more balanced in women; this is a type that can say "let's win together." But "together" or not, she is still a type who does everything to succeed.
Man or woman, what does not change is that the Nux-Vomica constitution has an over-stimulated nervous and digestive system. Working too much, thinking too much, consuming coffee and stimulants to work even more; then alcohol, melatonin, herbal support to be able to sleep... As a result of this cycle, constipation, digestive problems, twitches and reflux inevitably appear.
A Nux-Vomica woman I frequently encounter in my practice is one who, without giving herself the chance to become impatient or angry, takes the necessary supports, benefits from natural health systems to the extent that they help her work better, and does all this with great meticulousness and order.
So you may see a calm and patient Nux-Vomica woman in front of you. But look at her motivation. Why has she come to you? To achieve better health, to live longer and healthier — all of these are still part of the achievement profile. For a woman, these can be more important than running a holding. But there is always meticulousness in her attitude. The purpose of using homeopathy is also to reach a result: to heal, to reach a better version of herself.
Intolerance of tight clothing, waking frequently at night, cramps, various food sensitivities — we encounter these often in this picture.
Don't withhold Nux-Vomica just because your client is not the boss, just because she enjoys working with others, or because anger is not in the foreground. When looking for this remedy in a woman, what we mostly see is ambition, the desire to achieve, and self-confidence.
The Sulphur woman is a phenomenon. The academic; those who have done their work and earned their rest. Those who know everything without having worked. The women burning up in menopause, or those who can never tolerate the heat.
The subject here is a magnificent mind and a high ego. Ego is not a bad thing. This woman knows — and she knows that she knows. She has no quarrel with anyone; she is at the top already, a leader in her own world.
Compared to the male Sulphur, she is much more social, a structure nourished by people.
The laziness, messiness and dirtiness attributed to the male Sulphur are absent in this woman. On the contrary — extremely meticulous women can be Sulphur women. But you have to look inside their cupboards.
Here the theme is not achieving — it is KNOWING. "I know this, and I know it better than all of you. And all of you will know that I know it better." That is the ego in question. Types who philosophise and theorise magnificently.
There is another Sulphur woman I come across very often: the expert in spiritual matters... She perceives life through these; she masters the subject, and when faced with a feeling, she explains it theoretically with the methods she has learned. To a friend who comes to her in tears, she can say: "Look, you are going through a mother wound right now; the solution is over there — go home and read it." She may seem indifferent, but she is not — she is the master of spiritual and philosophical matters, after all. And what she says may genuinely work.
These can also be women with too many ideas and dreams that never materialise; who read ten books at once and leave them all unfinished; who hold magnificent ideas that would change the whole world — and prefer to sleep and rest. But I see them not so much as the typical "lazy" woman, but always as a self-actualising woman.
In terms of sociability they can look like Phosphorus — because they are delightful, talkative, social women to be around. But the theme is not needing your interest and love; the theme is CURIOSITY.
What are Sulphur children like? They touch everything; they cannot perceive their own existence without touching things. The Sulphur woman is the same — she feels curiosity towards life. You mention a subject, and she tells you its entire history from day one. If you are not a detail-loving type, this woman may bore you — because she drowns you in knowledge.
A body that sweats — and whose sweat smells; feet hot and staying outside the duvet; a body that suffers problems from sluggish circulation. Varicose veins, haemorrhoids, local burning pains; women intolerant of heat, with fast digestion.
The Sulphur woman mostly does not come to you with a mental-emotional symptom anyway. She has little problem with herself — and if she does, she picks up a book and forgets it. Or if she does come, she comes with the theme: "why are people so stupid, and why do they not appreciate me?"
And then there are those famous fears of heights. If this woman also starts finding the smell of her sweat strange, her Sulphur time may have come.
Remedies have no gender, but they do have a story. Can we begin to see remedies independently of gender, as observers without judgment?
“I'm here to listen
to your story.”