Gelsemium sempervirens

Gelsemium sempervirens has the common name of Yellow Jasmine and can be abbreviated as "Gels". This plant is seen often all over, climbing on walls of homes and buildings. It comes from the Loganiaceae family. Gelsemium was originally discovered to treat fevers herbally and we all know that wonderful aroma of the Jasmine plants that you can smell from afar. Made into a Homeopathic remedy, Gelsemium is a remedy you will not forget to have handy.

This remedy is great to use when you feel like a truck has hit you, in the Materia Medica, that would be a carriage. Your muscles ache, you feel dull, droopy, dizzy & drowsy knowing you are coming down with something. After going to bed or the next morning you feel completely awful. Slow coming on with this cold (6-8 hours). These are the indicators for applying this remedy to your 1st Aid Home Remedy kit: Heavy, paralyzed limb feeling that can’t move. Think of the climbing vine picture, it’s so heavy it needs to be propped up, better with your head propped up on pillow. Puffy, red throat, but sore throat – feeling a lump or pain when swallowing, or stabbing pain in the ear when swallowing.

The color yellow is the tongue, skin can be yellowish, diarrhea also loose and yellowish, with an offensive smell. May look jaundiced, possibly that heady feeling. Think of a “heady” fragrance – so lots going on with the head – severe throbbing headache, head congestion, hot, flushed face, nose is full (like when you smell a strong flower), bit dull, delirious, heavy load in the stomach. Trembling limbs (trembling when picking up a cup etc.) – helps differentiate other flu remedies. Shivers with chill up and down the spine without perspiration, dry fever, thirst less and can be hard to keep eyes open. Mind can be alert but body is “paralyzed” and that feeling of "you can’t get up from bed".

The strangest part of these symptoms can be that your headache will be relieved by by urination.

< worse for movement, bad news, early morning and last at night, sun, smoke, tobacco, fog before a thunderstorm, or dampness, hiccoughs that worsen in evening

> better with fresh air, urination, bending forward, stimulants

Gelsemium is also known to be a great remedy for a few other situations besides getting that type of cold. Gelsemium is a great performance anxiety, stage fright, bad news and or anticipation of something coming up remedy. I have used it myself on occasion now and have found it to be so convienent for the times when I have that anticipation of "something new" feeling. 

Often referred to as the paralyzing poison where the person is “buried alive” but mentally alert. Gelsemium is sometimes referring to the feeling of being in a “glass coffin”. I think at one point in everyone's life if not more than, we feel this way. It can be debilitating for us and I have learnt with the advisement of your Homeopath, it's a remedy to consider if indicated for your person.

remedies that help me get through