Summer seems to be a time when people develop unexplainable itchies.
This isn’t about Poison Ivy. I posted a story about that a month ago or so.
This is also not about insect bites. The National Center for Homeopathy had a nice summary of such remedies.
This is about strange and unidentifiable eruptions (usually) on the skin that are annoying at best and infuriating at their worst. Sometimes they are acute allergic responses to something new or something that you
If it is something new, not something chronic, there are a few homeopathic remedies that could be helpful.
Apis mellifica (Homeopathic Bees):
Symptoms: Red, warm to the touch eruptions on the skin. Could be from bee stings, but could be an unknown reaction to something. Stinging, itching symptoms.
Worse from: Heat, warm applications
Better from: Cool applications.
Mental state: Busy.
Arsenicum (Homeopathic Arsenic):
Symptoms: Intense itching of the skin, possibly without eruptions (Sulphur, Mezereum). Must scratch until it bleeds or is raw. Eruptions could also be vesicles (like blisters) or urticaria (like a nettle sting)
Worse from: Scratching. Becoming cold. Evening and night time (as it is a scary time for Arsenicum people).
Better from: Warm Applications
Mental state: Anxious, nervous, chronic hand wringing. Anxious about health, safety, etc.
Mezereum (Homeopathic Spurge Olive):
Symptoms: Itching with no eruptions, biting, tingling, itching, moves location from scratching. Area just scratched feels cold. Anxiety with the itching, so much so that they can’t sit still. Worse from eruptions that have been suppressed by zinc ointment. Intensely itching and burning that thicken on scratching
Worse from: Heat of the bed, walking into a warm room
Better from: Possibly cold applications.
Mental state: Anxiety when alone.
Peculiarities: Chilly patient, worse from heat, better from cold.
Natrum Muriaticum (Homeopathic Sodium Chloride)
Symptoms: Hives, urticaria, vesicles.
Worse from: Summer, sunshine, undressing, touch, heat of the bed
Better from: Warmth and exercise
Mental: Closed off, doesn’t really want to talk about it. Suffers in silence. More relaxed from alcohol.
Rhus Tox, also known as Poison Ivy, with the smooth leaves. Leaves of three, let it be.
Rhus Toxicodendron (Homeopathic Poison Oak)
Symptoms: Hives, poison ivy, urticaria, vesicles. May feel like bugs are crawling on or under the skin.
Worse: Getting cold, heat of the bed, night time, cold air, scratching
Better: Warm or hot bathing or applications, scratching
Mental: Restlessness, must move about, which is why the symptoms are worse at night because the person who needs Rhus Tox is compelled to move around, but can’t do so at night. Must scratch until raw. It may be that scratching has no impact also.
Sulphur
Symptoms: Sulphur can produce and cure almost every skin symptom imaginable. Hives, Vesicles, urticaria, blisters, etc. It will be warm to the touch but not as warm as Apis. Can have itching and burning. Red after scratching. May be dirty looking. Patches may bleed after scratching, and they may feel compelled to scratch until they bleed. Generally warm.
Worse from: Heat, warm applications, hot applications, heat of the bed, bathing.
Better from: Cool applications or cool bathing.
Mental: Outgoing, friendly, sociable, likes to be the center of attention. A bit of know-it-all. There aren’t any symptoms specifically related to the skin, but irritability could be expected with itching, as it is a common symptom of Sulphur.
Urticaria
Urtica Urens (Homeopathic Stinging Nettles)
Symptoms: Mostly urticaria although vesicles are possible. Redness, burning as from nettles. Could be caused by shellfish consumption.
Worse from: Warmth and exercise (summer), washing, bathing, scratching (makes it more red), becoming warm, especially in bed
Better from: Lying down, scratching.
Mental: Impatient and irritable from the itching.
Below is a comparison summary chart which contains the information helpful in determining what remedy to try. Be sure to read the descriptions above for a clearer mental and emotional picture helpful in choosing a remedy.
| Remedy | Better From | Worse From | Appearance of Eruption |
| Apis | Cool and cold Applications | Warm Applications, heat | Red and very warm to the touch. Stinging accompanies the itching. |
| Arsenicum | Warm or Hot applications | Scratching. Becoming cold. Evening and night time | Vesicles, urticaria, or possibly no eruptions, just itching. |
| Mezereum | Cold applications | Heat of the bed, walking into a warm room | No Eruptions possibly, thickening of skin upon scratching |
| Natrum Muriaticum | Warmth and exercise | Summer, sunshine, undressing, touch, heat of the bed | Hives, urticaria, vesicles. |
| Rhus Tox | Warm Applications Hot applications | Becoming cold, heat of the bed, night time, cold air, scratching | Hives, poison ivy, urticaria, vesicles. May feel like bugs are crawling on or under the skin |
| Sulphur | Cool applications or cool bathing or shower | Heat, warm applications, hot applications, heat of the bed, bathing, scratching | Almost any time of skin symptom is possible with Sulphur |
| Urtica Urens | Lying down, scratching | Warmth and exercise (summer), washing, bathing, scratching (makes it more red), becoming warm, especially in bed | Urticaria mostly, like nettle stings |
If these remedies don’t help, please contact Lotus Homeopathy for help. 651-748-1556.
Some of you know me, others of you may have heard of me. And for most, you probably have no clue about me or my business. So I wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself, my family, my business, why I am a homeopath and how I became a homeopath—not necessarily in that order.