Know Your Remedies: Iris Versicolor (Iris.)

Common Names: Iris; harlequin blueflag; larger blueflag.

General Information

The symptoms of Iris Versicolor (Iris.) mostly come from the gastrointestinal and nervous systems. The whole digestive tract may burn – anywhere from the mouth to the anus –  and can involve sour, acrid or burning vomit or stool. Right-sided headaches and migraines that are preceded by visual disturbances are also helped by this remedy.  Vomiting will not relieve the pain of the migraine and profuse urination may occur after the migraine or headache. The headaches may be triggered by sweets, and milk will worsen indigestion.

Head Problems

• Headaches and migraines – especially on the right side.
• Pain in the right temple or above or below the right eye.
• Migraine with sour and acrid vomiting.
• Visual disturbances and blurring before the headache.
• Headache after eating sweets.
• Headaches or migraines that occur once a week, especially on weekends or Sunday.

Eye and Vision

• Visual disturbances and blurring before a headache.

Gastrointestinal (Digestive) Problems

• Burning through the length of the gastrointestinal tract – from mouth to the anus.
• Sour, bilious and acrid vomiting, especially with a headache or migraine.
• Vomiting with headache or migraine which doesn’t relieve the pain.
• Profuse ropy saliva.

Skin Problems

• Shingles (herpes zoster) usually on the right side of the abdomen.

Where do I find it?

Iris Versicolor (Iris.) is available from our online store as a single remedy in either pills or liquid and as part of the following Complex (combination remedy): Headache – Migraine.

Important

While above self-limiting or acute complaints are suitable for home treatment also contact your healthcare provider during emergency situations or if symptoms worsen or fail to improve. Chronic or persistent complaints, which may or may not be mentioned above, require a different treatment and dosage protocol so are best managed by a qualified homeopath for good results.

Dosage Instructions (suitable for babies to adults)

For the home treatment of acute and self-limiting complaints take one pill or five drops of the remedy every 1 minute to 4 hours (1 minute for intense or emergency symptoms (plus seek emergency help), 4 hours for milder ones). Once an improvement is noticed, stop dosing and repeat the remedy only if symptoms return. If there is no improvement at all by three doses, choose a different remedy or seek professional guidance.

Note: Chronic symptoms or complaints require a course of professional treatment by a qualified homeopath to manage the changes in potencies and remedies that may be required.

More Information

Guidelines on which potency to use

From Past Masters

Homeopathy is a 200-year system of medicine. Early medical homeopaths recorded initial provings, remedy relationships, and their early experiences with each remedy in great detail.

These writings were then shared with others to advance homeopathic knowledge and practice.

Today, these same writings give a fascinating insight into the symptoms and clinical conditions for which each remedy was used.

The following extract, with minor editing, is one example.

Leaders In Homoeopathic Therapeutics by E. B. NASH M.D.

Iris Versicolor (Iris.)

Burning of mouth, tongue, throat, clear down into stomach, and of anus if there is diarrhoea.

Vomiting of stringy, glairy, ropy mucus; hangs in strings down to receptacle on the floor.

Gastric or hepatic sick headaches with blur before the eyes at the beginning. Vomiting sour, or bitter.

* * * * *

Iris is another remedy which causes great nausea and vomiting. It is sometimes very serviceable in cholera infantum. The substance vomited is generally very sour, so sour that it excoriates the throat.

The gastric troubles of this remedy are often accompanied with a burning of tongue, throat, oesophagus and stomach, and, if diarrhoea is present, with burning of the anus. This burning of the alimentary canal is very characteristic of this drug.

The vomiting is not always sour, but may be bitter or sweetish. There is also profuse flow of saliva.

I once had a case of stomach trouble in a middle-aged lady. She had frequent attacks of vomiting of a stringy, glairy mucus which was very ruby, would hang in strings from her mouth to the receptacle on the floor. Then the substance vomited became dark-colored; like coffee grounds.

She became very weak, vomited all nourishment. She also had profuse secretion of ropy saliva. Thinking she had cancer of the stomach, she made her will and set her house in order, to die. Kali bichromicum was given with no benefit whatever, but Iris cured her completely in a short time and she remains well ten years since.

Iris is also one of our best remedies for sick headache. These headaches seem to be of gastric or hepatic origin, and often begin with a blur before the eyes. I used to give the remedy in the 3d.; but of late years have given it in the 50m. and am better pleased with the result, because it is more prompt and lasting.

It is recommended in sciatica, but I have had no experience with it in this affection. It seems to act most powerfully upon the alimentary tract. I have never used it in skin troubles.