Diarrhoea can strike any of us at any time and for a multitude of reasons. Well, rest assured, homeopathy can provide a wealth of treatment both in the instance of First Aid and also for states of chronic diarrhoea, loose stool and urgency. But be warned, in order to find the most appropriate remedy you are going to have to look down the pan first in order to get a good handle on smell, colour, floating/sinking, presence/absence of blood/mucus, smell, taste (joking of course - but couldn’t resist for the “Eeeuuuwww!” factor), etc.

The listing of diarrhoeal remedies in our Materia Medicas (books of remedy descriptions) is enormous so I will go through some of the most often prescribed ones, these are also ones that you could take abroad for holiday tummy upsets too.

CROTON TIG.
This is considered by some as one of the best remedies for diarrhoea. The stools are copious and watery, they are passed with a profuse gushing and the material is yellowish – even to the point of looking like yellow water. There is much urging and a lot of gurgling in the intestines before it is passed. The diarrhoea is painful, with much of it being centred in the region of the belly button. The person is generally worse for any food or drink and moving around. If they can, they are better for sleep.

GRATIOLA
This is another gusher! The stool is gushing and watery, like a hydrant. It is often greenish and frothy. It differs from Croton tig. in that the diarrhoea is painless, but there is often burning around the anus after each evacuation. The patient is often worse for eating/drinking and motion, but better for getting some fresh air.

COLOCYNTHIS
This is another common diarrhoea remedy. It has a lot of abdominal pains associated with it; they can be violent, cutting, gripping, grasping, clutching or radiating and colicky. All of the pains come in waves over the person. The patient is often very thirsty. The stools are frothy, watery, yellowish and often passed with a lot of flatulence. The person feels worse for the least food, but better for doubling over clutching the abdomen or rubbing it quite firmly. Gentle motion, perhaps rocking, makes them feel better too.

ARSENICUM ALBUM
This has quite an acute upset stomach picture. The patient is restless, shifting from bed to chair and one position to another. They might be anxious with their illness, chilly and sweaty. There are lots of abdominal pains, but the most characteristic ones of Ars. alb. are those of burning pains, in this case the stool burns as it is passed and the rectum/anus burns after a motion. The diarrhoea is characterised by continual trips to the toilet to pass little gushes of stool, often described as rice water (pale, whitish, watery stools).

With this remedy there is usually concurrent vomiting and diarrhoea. In fact I have often prescribed it for a person who feels nauseous with diarrhoea and ten minutes after taking the remedy they throw up, but feel much better for having done so. This is a very good remedy for upset stomachs caused by food that has gone off.

VERATRUM ALBUM
There is great debility with this remedy, the person feels faint or may even faint with the diarrhoea. They are sweaty, chilly and pale. The person requiring Verat. alb. for their diarrhoea may resemble one requiring Ars. alb. as described above. In fact it is a handy tip to remember that if you have tried Ars. alb. and it hasn’t worked then try Veratrum. The stools are often odourless and the pains are usually cramping. There may be lots of nausea and concurrent vomiting. One of the main indicators with this remedy is that the person craves icy cold water, not just water, but icy cold – the only problem is that this can make them feel worse when they have it! They are much better for remaining still and warmth.

GAMBOGIA
The body feels sore all over and the pain is usually of a burning nature, but not just confined to obvious places like the anus, they may feel a burning pain in the eyes or stomach. There may also be pain in the ileo-caecal region (where your appendix is). The actual diarrhoea is very much like that described for Croton tig. A very strange symptom of this remedy that might be seen alongside the diarrhoea is that the urine smells like onions. It is indicated for diarrhoea brought on by hot weather, particularly in the elderly. The patient may feel better or worse for passing a stool.

CHINA
The diarrhoea of this remedy has a lot of wind associated with it. The abdomen is often bloated with gas, this may be trapped or passed easily up or down but the person feels no relief for letting it go. Stools are passed with a lot of gas, spluttering and spraying. They are often yellow, frothy and watery. They smell foul and may also contain undigested food; the stools may also be bloody. Those of you who have travelled abroad and been infected with an intestinal protozoan parasite called Giardia will know these symptoms only too well, consequently this is a good remedy for giardic dysentery.

As the diarrhoea progresses the person may become greatly weakened due to the loss of fluids, they become cold, sweaty and drowsy. The person is worse for touch or examination, noise and pressure on the abdomen. They feel better for bending double and warmth. The symptoms may also show periodicity e.g. the diarrhoea seems to get better then worse on alternate days.

N.B. Diarrhoea in young children should always be carefully monitored, they can quickly become dehydrated and lose electrolytes. Also anybody with concurrent diarrhoea and vomiting should be monitored for the same reasons. This is especially true if you are on holiday in a hot climate. Fluids are of paramount importance and the patient should drink small amounts on a regular basis. If in doubt seek medical advice.