Nausea
/ Lack of appetite
Nausea often occurs because of external factors: overeating, motion
sickness, early pregnancy poisoning. It is the body’s sign
to stop putting food in, for whatever reason; usually, it is good
practice to follow this cue. The exception comes when nausea is
prolonged, or seen in combination with anorexia or a lack of appetite.
This becomes a more chronic case of deficiency in the GI tract,
and is usually coupled with a nervous system component.
Treatment Goal(s):
· Relieve simple nausea; strengthen, warm, and stimulate
digestion.
Primary Treatment:
· Administer Zingiber officinalis (Ginger) for simple nausea
related to motion sickness or pregnancy.
· Administer bitters to strengthen digestion and/or if appetite
is poor, balanced to the person’s constitution (see below).
· Administer warming digestives such as Angelica, Cinnamonum,
and Capsicum frutescens (Cayenne).
Supportive Treatment:
· Administer cholagogues such as Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion),
Curcurma longa (Turmeric) and Silybum marianum (Milk Thistle) to
strengthen liver function and elimination.
Differential
diagnoses, cautions, and other considerations:
· Ongoing anorexia will benefit from counseling and nervine
remedies such as Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm) and Betonica officinalis
(Wood Betony). One cannot overstess the importance of a qualified
and experienced counsellor in managing this life-threatening condition.
· Bitters encompass a variety of herbs and herbal actions.
Choose bitter(s) which also have a positive effect in other areas
of the patient’s physiology, but always anchored in Gentiana
lutea (Gentian) for neutral to cool / dry constitutions, and Artemisia
species (Wormwood, Mugwort) for neutral to warm / moist constitutions.
· In weakened digestive function, as with any weak constitution,
sensitivity to treatment may be present. Sometimes warming digestives
will cause a “swing” to the opposite end of the symptomatic
spectrum – signs such as heartburn may develop, for example.
Use lower doses in these cases.
