Homeopathic Database

Ignatia is made from the plant we know as St. Ignatius Bean, or Strychnos ignatia. It is botanically related to the plant from which homeopaths make the remedy nux vomica, but Ignatia is smaller and more shrub-like. Some homeopathic texts refer to it as Ignatia Amara, but it actually is part of the Strychnos genus and is correctly called S. ignatia.

Named for the Christian saint Ignatius Loyola, this remedy is most often used for conditions directly associated with emotional blows.

The Ignatia Physiology

Ignatia conditions are often associated with headaches that occur only on one side of the body. Constipation, stomach upset and a gnawing feeling of hunger are associated with a need for this remedy. Insomnia is another hallmark of the Ingatia physiology.

The Ignatia Personality

Ignatia is used far more often for “emotional” symptoms than physical ailments. Ignatia personalities respond deeply and quickly to any emotional rebuff—especially rejection. For example, children who become ill after being scolded by their parents are labeled “Ignatia” personalities.

The Ignatia personality is most often associated with audible sighs. These souls are the folks who won’t cry or lose their temper in front of you but make their displeasure known in other ways—like whining sighs.

Ignatia in Homeopathic Medicine

In homeopathy, Ignatia is used for any condition that was directly proceeded by some kind of emotional upset. Someone who falls ill immediately after a romantic break-up is a perfect Ignatia candidate.

Ignatia is most often given immediately after the trauma and while the patient is still in extreme emotional distress. It is rarely used in non-emergency situations and never for run-of-the-mill disappointments.