Aconitum Napellus
Aconitum napellus — Monkshood, Wolfsbane
First-hour remedy for sudden illness after cold exposure, shock, or fright — also for panic attacks.
Overview
Aconitum Napellus is the remedy of sudden onset — illness that arrives within an hour of exposure to a cold, dry wind, or after a sudden fright. It is the opening remedy of any acute illness in its very first stage: the patient is restless, anxious, fearful, with dry hot skin but often cold inside. Give Aconite within the first few hours of a fever, cold, or croup and you can often stop the illness in its tracks.
Aconite is also the great remedy for panic — the patient who wakes at midnight with the sudden conviction that they are about to die, with a pounding heart and cold sweat.
Key Uses of Aconitum Napellus
- ✓Very first stage of fever, cold, or flu
- ✓Croup (sudden, dry, barking cough waking child at midnight)
- ✓Panic attack with fear of death
- ✓Earache at the onset, from cold wind
- ✓Sunstroke with sudden violent headache
- ✓Palpitations from shock or fright
- ✓Labor pains with great fear
Typical Symptom Picture
- •Sudden onset after cold dry wind or fright
- •Anxious, restless, fearful
- •Predicts the hour of death
- •Hot, dry skin
- •Thirst for cold water
- •Pulse full and bounding
Better from
- • Open air (sometimes)
- • Rest
- • Sweat appearing
Worse from
- • Cold dry wind
- • Midnight
- • Fright
- • Warm room
Dosage & Potency
Dosage: Aconite 30C, 3 pellets every 30 minutes to 2 hours at the very first sign of fever or cold. Stop as soon as sweating begins or symptoms change — then reassess for the next remedy (often Belladonna or Ferrum Phos).
Potency notes: 30C for acute early-stage illness. 200C in panic or severe fright.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is it too late to give Aconite?
Aconite is a first-hour remedy. Once the illness has progressed beyond the very early stage (fever is established, mucus is flowing, etc.) Aconite is usually no longer indicated. The window is typically the first 6–12 hours.
Related Guides
Last updated 2026-04-16. This guide is educational and not a substitute for medical advice. For persistent or serious symptoms, consult a qualified homeopath or physician.