Sambucus nigra
Remedy of suffocative attacks in children, especially infants. Child wakes suddenly with suffocation, cannot breathe, turns blue. Profuse perspiration during waking, dry heat during sleep. Snuffles in newborns.
Source
Prepared from the fresh leaves and flowers of Sambucus nigra (Caprifoliaceae).
Available Potencies
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Keynote Symptoms
Suffocative attacks in infants and children — child wakes from sleep with croupy cough, cannot breathe, turns blue, sits up in bed. Dry heat during sleep, profuse sweating on waking. Snuffles in neonates — nose blocked with thick mucus, cannot nurse. Cough at midnight. Perspiration alternating with dry heat according to sleep/wake state.
Mind & Emotional Symptoms
Fright from suffocation. Easily frightened. Restless during suffocative attack. Anxious.
General Symptoms
Worse during sleep, midnight, 12-3 AM, cold dry air, lying with head low, fruit. Better from sitting up, motion, wrapping up warmly.
Physical Symptoms
Nose
Snuffles in newborns — nose completely obstructed with thick mucus. Cannot nurse because cannot breathe through nose. Must let go of nipple to breathe.
Respiratory
Suffocative cough — child wakes at midnight turning blue, gasping. Croupy, spasmodic cough. Oppression of chest with pressure in stomach. Wheezing. Laryngismus stridulus.
Chest
Pressure on chest. Feeling of suffocation. Tight.
Skin
Profuse perspiration on waking — dry heat during sleep. Perspiration without relief. Edema — dropsical swelling.
Extremities
Edema of feet and legs. Hands and feet numb when lying on them.
Fever / Chill / Perspiration
The keynote: dry burning heat during sleep; profuse perspiration the moment patient wakes. Debilitating night sweats.
Modalities
Better From
Sitting up, motion, wrapping up warmly
Worse From
During sleep, midnight, 12-3 AM, cold dry air, lying with head low, fruit, cold food
Constitutional Type
Infants with snuffles and suffocative attacks. Children prone to croup. Those with profuse night sweats.
Clinical Indications
Infantile croup, snuffles in newborns, suffocative attacks in sleep, night sweats, laryngismus, whooping cough, edema
Comparative Materia Medica
Aconitum has croup after cold dry wind but with more fear and fever. Spongia has croup but drier with sawing sound. Nux moschata has drowsiness and bloating. Lachesis has suffocation on falling asleep in adults.
Safety Information
Arsenic, Camphora.
Elderflower and elderberry are widely used in food and medicine. Raw elderberries contain cyanogenic glycosides causing nausea; cooking destroys them. Bark and leaves are more toxic. Low toxicity overall. Safe in all potencies.
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