Urinary tract complaints are very common in clinical practice — especially cases of cystitis, urethritis, renal colic, and haematuria. Two of the most important remedies you must clearly differentiate in exams and practice are Apis Mellifica and Cantharis.
This article will help you understand the key differences in a simple, exam-oriented, and clinically useful way.
| Apis Mel (Urinary) | Cantharis (Urinary) |
|---|---|
| 1) Introduction :Apis is well indicated remedy for all kinds of urinary troubles, like Cystitis, painful Micturation, renal colic. | Introduction :Cantharis is useful medicine for the diseases of urinary tract, such as – Urethritis, Cystitis, renal colic & gonorrhoea etc, it matters little. |
| 2) Causation :Right vexation, bad news, bad effects of acute exanthemata. | Causation :From drinking cold water or coffee. |
| 3) Character of Urine :Urine is scanty, coming only in drops, bloody, foetid, albuminous with casts. May be dark and froathy. | Character of urine :Bloody urine comes drop by drop. Urine scalds. What the patient seems jelly like, shreddy urine. |
| 4) Character of pain :Stinging & burning pain during urination.Pain with great irritation of the parts. | Character of pain :There is violent cutting, lancinating & stabbing pain as from knives in neck of bladder during urination.Pain with frequent urging to urinate. |
| 5) Before Urination :As soon as few drops of urine collect in bladder, the urge comes, constant & ineffectual urge.Much straining before the urine starts coming. | Before Urination :Constant urging to urinate before & during and after micturation.Only few drops of urine pass at a time. |
| 6) During Urination :Scalds severely, stinging pain.Strangury –Last drop burns & smarts. | During Urination :There is violent tenesmus burning during urination is always present.Oversensitiveness of parts is always well marked. |
| 7) Bloody urine is also presenting symptom. | Haematuria – Blood passes with urine.Aggravation after drinking coffee & cold water. |
| 8) Modalities →Aggravation → After sleep, close warm room, from getting wet, pressure.Amelioration → In open air, when sitting erect. | Modalities →Aggravation → During urination, from touch, drinking cold water or coffee.Amelioration → By rubbing warm application. |