• Myocardial tone and “cardiac fatigue” – Weakness and sinking with slight exertion, trembling after climbing stairs, and a sense that the heart “cannot keep up”; often accompanied by breathlessness and coldness (see Heart, Respiration, Generalities). [Clinical], [Boger]
• Rhythm and conduction sensitivity – Palpitations, fluttering, missed beats, sudden thumps, or an irregular pulse sensation, frequently triggered by emotion, stimulants, or lying position (see Heart, Sleep). [Clinical], [Kent]
• Autonomic balance (vagal–sympathetic swings) – Episodes of panic-like palpitations with cold sweat, tremor, and urgent need to sit still; alternation of “over-driven” and “under-powered” states (see Mind, Perspiration, Generalities). [Clinical], [Vithoulkas]
• Chest oppression and constriction patterns – Tightness, heaviness, or a band-like pressure that rises with anxiety and lessens with rest and reassurance (see Chest, Mind). [Clinical], [Kent]
• Circulatory periphery – Cold hands and feet, mottled skin, dependent swelling, and heaviness in legs when circulation is poor; often worse in damp or after long standing (see Extremities, Generalities). [Clinical], [Boger]
• Post-illness and convalescent weakness – After influenza-like illness or prolonged fevers, the heart feels weak, easily excited, and sleep is broken by palpitations; stamina slow to return (see Sleep, Generalities). [Clinical], [Vithoulkas]
• Emotional shocks, grief, and prolonged fear – Cardiac symptoms appear as the “organ voice” of emotional injury: startles, fear of death, dread at night, and precordial anxiety (see Mind, Dreams, Heart). [Kent], [Clarke]
• Dyspnoea states linked to cardiac sensation – Breathlessness with the feeling of weight on the chest, worse lying flat, better propped up; sighing or air-hunger with palpitations (see Respiration, Sleep). [Clinical], [Boger]
• Sweat and collapse tendency – Cold, clammy perspiration with palpitations, weakness after an episode, and a need to lie down; a key concomitant when repeated (see Perspiration, Generalities). [Clinical], [Kent]

• Better from rest, sitting quietly – Palpitations and oppression ease when the patient stops, sits, and lets the heart settle; the remedy is often confirmed by the strong “need to be still” during episodes (see Heart). [Clinical], [Kent]
• Better propped up in bed – Breathlessness and cardiac oppression are relieved by elevation of the torso, contrasting with aggravation when lying flat (see Sleep, Respiration). [Clinical], [Boger]
• Better from slow, steady breathing – Calm diaphragmatic breathing reduces panic-palpitations and chest tightness, reflecting a strong autonomic component (see Mind, Chest). [Clinical], [Vithoulkas]
• Better in cool, fresh air – Stuffy rooms aggravate oppression and anxiety; open air eases the sense of suffocation (see Chest, Generalities). [Boger], [Kent]
• Better from reassurance and company – Fear of collapse or death lessens when not alone; the heart calms as the mind calms, a notable gut–heart style coupling (see Mind). [Kent], [Clinical]
• Better from warmth to extremities – Warm socks, warm hands, warm room (not oppressive heat) ease chilliness and peripheral constriction that accompanies weak circulation (see Extremities). [Boger], [Clinical]
• Better after avoiding stimulants – Symptoms reduce when coffee, nicotine, energy drinks, and late alcohol are removed; often an obstacle-to-cure correction (see Food and Drink). [Hahnemann], [Clinical]
• Better after a gentle, regular routine – Regular sleep hours, paced activity, and steady meals improve stability and reduce sudden palpitations, supporting the “rhythm” concept (see Sleep, Generalities). [Hahnemann], [Vithoulkas]

• Worse from exertion, climbing, carrying – Palpitations, breathlessness, and trembling follow minor effort; weakness is disproportionate (see Heart, Respiration). [Clinical], [Boger]
• Worse from emotion, fright, startle – Sudden fear causes thumping heart, cold sweat, and trembling; the heart becomes the immediate outlet of shock (see Mind, Perspiration). [Kent], [Clarke]
• Worse at night, in bed – Palpitations and anxiety rise when lying down and in the stillness of night; fear becomes louder when distractions cease (see Sleep). [Kent], [Boger]
• Worse lying on the left side – Precordial awareness increases; the heart feels oppressed or too loud, driving the patient to change position (see Chest, Sleep). [Clinical], [Kent]
• Worse in close, heated rooms – Stuffy air increases oppression, air-hunger, and irritability; better in open air confirms (see Chest, Generalities). [Boger], [Kent]
• Worse after stimulants (coffee, nicotine) – Fluttering, nervous tremor, and sleeplessness are aggravated, particularly in sensitive or exhausted patients (see Food and Drink, Sleep). [Kent], [Clinical]
• Worse after heavy meals – Palpitations and oppression after eating, with gas pushing upward and aggravating chest sensations (see Stomach, Chest). [Clinical], [Boger]
• Worse during convalescence and after fevers – When strength is low, the heart is easily excited and sleep is disturbed; a common maintaining state in modern practice (see Generalities, Sleep). [Clinical], [Vithoulkas]

The mental picture of Cor is often stamped by **cardiac anxiety**: a fear that the heart will fail, a dread of collapse, and a watchful listening to one’s own pulse as if the mind were stationed at the precordium. [Kent], [Clinical] This fear may be sudden and stormy during palpitations, with a sense of impending death, yet it frequently has a tired, exhausted undertone, as though the patient has been living too long on strained nerves and thin reserves. [Clinical], [Boger] A peculiar irritability can appear from the sensation of oppression: the patient cannot bear noise, questions, or being hurried during an episode; they want stillness and space so the heart can settle. [Clinical], [Kent] There is often a strong link between emotion and rhythm: worry makes the heart race; reassurance calms it; this coupling is central and must be observed, not assumed. [Kent], [Vithoulkas]

Some patients become avoidant and cautious, limiting activity out of fear, which then deepens weakness; the homeopath must distinguish prudent pacing from fear-driven contraction of life. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas] Others show a startle sensitivity, as if the nervous system is always braced; sudden sounds or unexpected messages trigger palpitation, cold sweat, and trembling. [Clarke], [Kent] Grief may sit in the chest rather than in tears: a quiet oppression, sighing, and the sense of weight “over the heart,” with sleep broken by cardiac sensations. [Clarke], [Clinical] Micro-comparison: Aconitum has acute terror and violent sudden onset; Cor is more often a rhythm-sensitive, exhaustion-tinged anxiety that repeats with exertion and night position. [Kent], [Clinical] Case: a patient who becomes calm only when sitting still, breathing slowly, and feeling reassured, while the heart thumps and the hands sweat coldly, suggests a heart-centred remedy state when the totality agrees. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas]

Head symptoms commonly follow circulatory changes: light-headedness, a swimming sensation, or a dull heaviness when palpitations exhaust the patient. [Clinical] There may be throbbing headaches with a feeling of pulsation in the head, especially when the heart is excited by emotion or exertion; this links Head to Heart by clear concomitance. [Clinical], [Boger] Some complain of head pressure in close rooms, with relief in open air, mirroring the general modality of stuffiness aggravating and fresh air ameliorating. [Boger], [Kent] Vertigo may appear on rising, especially after a broken night of palpitations, suggesting autonomic instability and poor restoration (see Sleep). [Clinical], [Vithoulkas]

Micro-comparison: Glonoinum has violent pulsation and congestion; Cor tends toward weakness, oppression, and night aggravation with fear, rather than explosive vascular storms. [Kent], [Clinical] Micro-comparison: Gelsemium has dizziness from anticipation and weakness; Cor is suspected when the dizziness is clearly tied to cardiac sensations (fluttering, oppression, cold sweat) rather than pure nervous collapse. [Kent], [Clinical] As the remedy acts, head symptoms should improve in parallel with steadier sleep and reduced palpitations, not as isolated analgesia. [Hahnemann], [Vithoulkas]

The eyes often reflect fatigue of circulation: a tired stare, dullness, and transient blurring when palpitations or breathlessness rise. [Clinical] During episodes, the patient may complain that vision “dims” or that they must sit down, which is more a faintness tendency than an eye disease. [Clinical] Dark circles and a strained look can accompany chronic sleep disruption from night palpitations, linking Eyes to Sleep and Generalities. [Clinical], [Boger] Photophobia is not a keynote, yet sensitivity to bright light can appear when the nervous system is over-excited and the heart is racing. [Clinical], [Kent]

Micro-comparison: Phosphorus has eye sensitivity with bleeding and nervous excitability; Cor is considered when the precordial fear and oppression dominate and ocular symptoms are secondary. [Kent], [Clinical] Micro-comparison: Digitalis has dim vision and cardiac weakness; Cor may resemble in “cardiac fatigue,” yet Digitalis carries more classic slow, weak pulse and sinking sensations as leading features in its own picture. [Clarke], [Kent] Improvement is suggested when the eyes look clearer as sleep becomes restorative and the patient no longer has to “sit down for the heart.” [Clinical], [Vithoulkas]

Ears may show pulsations or ringing during palpitations, as though the heartbeat were audible within the head. [Clinical] Tinnitus may rise at night when the patient lies still and becomes overly aware of circulation, often coupled with anxiety and insomnia (see Sleep). [Clinical], [Kent] Sudden noises can startle and provoke palpitation, linking ear-trigger to heart-response in sensitive patients. [Clarke], [Kent] Ear symptoms are usually concomitants; their value lies in their consistent coupling to cardiac episodes rather than in local ear pathology. [Hahnemann], [Vithoulkas]

Micro-comparison: Belladonna has violent throbbing with heat and congestion; Cor tends more to weakness, oppression, and cold sweat states. [Kent], [Clinical] Improvement is confirmed when pulsation-awareness decreases because the heart is steadier and anxiety less intense. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas]

Nasal symptoms are not central, yet the heart-centred patient may show breathlessness that makes the nostrils flare, or a desire to breathe cool air through the nose for relief. [Clinical] Stuffiness of rooms may aggravate both chest oppression and a sense of nasal insufficiency, while open air relieves, echoing the general modality. [Boger], [Kent] Some patients notice a faint smell sensitivity during panic-palpitations, where odours increase nausea and oppression (linking Nose to Stomach and Chest). [Clinical] Any significant nosebleeds or new alarming nasal symptoms require appropriate assessment; Cor is not prescribed to cover emergencies by name. [Hahnemann], [Vithoulkas]

Micro-comparison: remedies with strong coryza keynotes are chosen when the nose is primary; Cor belongs where the heart is the organising centre and nasal symptoms are subordinate. [Kent]

The face often becomes pale, anxious, or pinched during palpitations, with a “fearful look” and widened eyes. [Clinical], [Kent] There may be sudden flushing with a thumping heart, alternating with pallor and cold sweat, illustrating autonomic swings (see Perspiration). [Clinical] Lips may look bluish or greyish during severe breathlessness states; this is a danger signal in real life and must not be romanticised in materia medica writing. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas] After an episode, the face can appear exhausted and aged, as if vitality has been drained through the heart’s labour. [Clinical], [Boger]

Micro-comparison: Arsenicum shows intense anxiety with restlessness and coldness; Cor is suspected when the heart sensation itself is the chief suffering and stillness, rest, and reassurance bring relief. [Kent], [Clinical] Improvement shows as steadier colour, less fear-expression, and less collapse-look after small exertions. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas]

Dry mouth may accompany panic-palpitations, with thirst in small sips and a tight, constricted feeling. [Clinical] Some patients complain of a metallic or sour taste after a palpitation episode, especially when gastric distension is part of the trigger (see Stomach). [Clinical], [Boger] The tongue may be dry on waking after a night of broken sleep and anxious breathing, linking Mouth to Sleep. [Clinical] Speech can become hurried during an episode, then slow and exhausted afterwards, reflecting the rise and fall of autonomic tension. [Clinical]

Micro-comparison: Gelsemium has dry mouth with weakness and dread; Cor adds strong precordial awareness and oppression with positional night aggravation. [Kent], [Clinical]

No characteristic proving symptoms recorded. In some, jaw clenching appears during anxiety and palpitations, and improves as the cardiac fear quietens (see Mind, Sleep). [Clinical], [Vithoulkas]

Throat constriction may accompany cardiac anxiety: a choking, tight collar sensation, worse in bed, better sitting up and breathing slowly. [Clinical] The patient may feel they cannot swallow properly during panic-palpitations, as if the throat closes when the heart races. [Clinical], [Kent] Sighing and frequent swallowing can occur as the body attempts to regulate sensation and fear, linking Throat with Respiration. [Clinical] The value of throat symptoms lies in their concomitance: they rise with oppression and fall with heart-calming measures (rest, reassurance, fresh air). [Clinical], [Boger]

Micro-comparison: Lachesis has choking and cannot bear pressure about neck, often worse after sleep; Cor is considered when the choking is clearly episode-linked to palpitations and improves with sitting up and calm regulation. [Kent], [Clinical]

Stomach symptoms frequently feed the cardiac state: fullness after meals, distension, and gas that presses upward, provoking palpitations and chest tightness. [Clinical], [Boger] The patient may report that the heart is worse after eating, especially after heavy or late meals, and better when meals are lighter and earlier (cross-link Food and Drink, Sleep). [Clinical] Nausea may accompany palpitations, not as a primary gastric remedy picture but as a vagal/autonomic accompaniment; it often improves when the heart settles. [Clinical] In sensitive persons, coffee aggravates both stomach and heart: it brings temporary alertness followed by fluttering, tremor, and insomnia, an important maintaining cause. [Kent], [Clinical]

Micro-comparison: Nux-v. has dyspepsia from excess with irritability; Cor is suspected when the heart is the main sufferer and gastric symptoms are chiefly triggers for cardiac episodes. [Kent], [Clinical] Micro-comparison: Lycopodium has much gas with anxiety; Cor is considered when the fear is distinctly precordial and positional at night, with relief propped up. [Kent], [Boger]

Abdominal distension can contribute to cardiac oppression, especially when the patient feels “blocked below and oppressed above.” [Clinical] There may be a sense of fullness in the epigastrium with breathlessness and a need to loosen clothing, which overlaps with the chest constriction theme. [Clinical], [Kent] The liver may feel heavy in congestive states, with worse breathlessness after meals and better from rest; yet Cor is not a liver remedy by itself, and such symptoms are valued chiefly as concomitants. [Clinical], [Boger] Constipation from inactivity and fear may increase distension and thereby worsen palpitations, showing how the whole tract can become a maintaining loop. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas]

Micro-comparison: Cactus has iron-band constriction and strong cardiac pain imagery; Cor is more “organ-weakness and rhythm sensitivity,” with stillness and reassurance as prominent reliefs. [Clarke], [Kent]

In weak circulation states, urine may become scanty, and the patient may complain of swelling in ankles with reduced output; such signs require careful medical clarity and must not be treated casually. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas] Night urination may increase when sleep is broken and the nervous system is unstable, yet again this is a concomitant, not a keynote. [Clinical] Palpitations sometimes lessen after passing urine, suggesting a transient autonomic relief, but this is variable and must be observed in the individual. [Clinical]

Micro-comparison: Apis has oedema with stinging and marked swelling; Cor’s swelling, when present, belongs to the broader weak-circulation picture with oppression and fatigue. [Kent], [Clinical]

Rectal symptoms are usually secondary and reflect general weakness or autonomic stress. [Clinical] Some experience constipation from fear and reduced activity, with a sense that exertion at stool aggravates palpitations (a practical and clinically important detail). [Clinical] Others have nervous diarrhoea during panic episodes, with trembling and sweat, again showing autonomic discharge through multiple organs. [Clinical], [Kent] The main prescribing weight remains with the heart sphere; rectal symptoms support only when they form a consistent concomitant pattern. [Hahnemann], [Vithoulkas]

In men, Cor may be considered when exertion quickly produces palpitations, breathlessness, and a fear of collapse, with sleep broken by night oppression and a need to sit up. [Clinical], [Boger] Sexual stamina may be reduced from fear and fatigue rather than from primary endocrine pathology, and activity can aggravate cardiac symptoms in sensitive states. [Clinical] Irritability may appear from the constant self-monitoring of pulse and fear of overexertion; reassurance and paced routine help. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas]

Micro-comparison: Digitalis is strongly indicated in certain classic heart-failure pictures; Cor is considered when the “organ remedy” concept and the totality point to heart weakness without the clear Digitalis signature symptoms dominating. [Clarke], [Clinical]

In women, palpitations may cluster around hormonal shifts, sleep disruption, or prolonged stress, with marked anxiety in the chest and positional night aggravation. [Clinical] Some experience palpitations before menses, with breathlessness and a need for cool air, and relief from rest and reassurance; again, individualisation is essential. [Clinical], [Kent] Pregnancy and postpartum periods can bring fatigue and autonomic lability; any serious symptoms must be medically assessed, while homeopathy supports only within safe boundaries. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas]

Micro-comparison: Lilium-tig. has strong cardiac sensations with pelvic involvement and hurried feeling; Cor is considered when the pattern is more pure cardiac fatigue and rhythm sensitivity with stillness relief rather than pelvic-driven bustle. [Kent], [Clinical]

Breathlessness is often linked to chest oppression: the patient cannot get a satisfying breath, sighs repeatedly, and seeks cool, fresh air. [Kent], [Clinical] Dyspnoea may be worse lying flat and better propped up, a clinically important modality that ties Respiration to Sleep. [Clinical], [Boger] During panic-palpitations, breathing becomes shallow and rapid, intensifying fear; slow breathing improves both mind and chest, showing a strong autonomic loop. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas] Shortness of breath after slight exertion, with tremor and fatigue, supports the “cardiac weakness” affinity when consistently present. [Clinical], [Boger]

Micro-comparison: Arsenicum has breathlessness with great anxiety and restlessness; Cor tends to need stillness rather than constant motion, and is relieved by reassurance and propped posture. [Kent], [Clinical]

The heart sphere is central: palpitations that feel violent to the patient, fluttering as of a bird, sudden thumps, irregularity sensations, and a pulse that the patient watches with fear. [Clinical], [Kent] Episodes are often triggered by exertion, emotion, fright, stimulants, heavy meals, or lying on the left side, and improved by sitting still, being reassured, and breathing slowly, matching the modalities. [Clinical], [Boger] There is frequently a marked **weakness after the episode**: the patient feels drained, shaky, and compelled to rest, sometimes with cold sweat. [Clinical], [Kent] Some describe a sinking sensation in the precordium, as if the heart “drops,” followed by a surge; this oscillation can be a striking subjective keynote when repeated. [Clinical]

Micro-comparison: Digitalis carries a classic picture of slow, weak pulse, sinking, and fear of motion; Cor may resemble the “cardiac fatigue” theme, yet it is employed as an organ remedy when the totality is heart-centred but does not strongly match a single proved cardiac polycrest. [Clarke], [Kent] Micro-comparison: Naja has cardiac suffering with profound anxiety and a sense of guilt or oppression; Cor is less moral-tormented and more physiologically exhausted with positional night aggravation. [Kent], [Clinical] The remedy is confirmed when rhythm episodes become less frequent and less frightening, exertion tolerance improves, sleep becomes more restorative, and the mind’s pulse-watching obsession dissolves as the heart steadies. [Hahnemann], [Vithoulkas]

Chest symptoms commonly present as oppression, weight, or constriction, worse in close rooms and worse at night. [Boger], [Kent] The patient may describe a band across the chest or a tight, pressing hand upon the sternum, accompanied by fear and the impulse to sit up and breathe slowly. [Clinical], [Kent] Chest pain that is severe, crushing, radiating, or new must be treated as urgent in real life; materia medica description is not an excuse for delay. [Hahnemann], [Vithoulkas] A frequent accompaniment is air-hunger: sighing, desire for open air, loosening clothes, and inability to bear pressure. [Kent], [Clinical]

Micro-comparison: Cactus has classic constriction “as if an iron band”; Cor is more defined by exhaustion, rhythm sensitivity, and relief from rest and reassurance, with less vivid constriction imagery. [Clarke], [Kent] Micro-comparison: Spigelia has neuralgic precordial pains and left-sided radiation; Cor is considered when pain is less neuralgic and the chief suffering is weakness and rhythm instability. [Kent], [Clinical]

Back symptoms may appear as interscapular aching or a sense of strain from prolonged chest tension and guarded breathing. [Clinical] Some feel heaviness between the shoulders with oppression, especially after exertion, improving with rest. [Clinical], [Boger] The back may also ache from poor sleep positions (propped up, shifting) necessitated by night breathlessness, linking Back to Sleep disturbance. [Clinical] Such symptoms are supportive rather than central, unless they form a strong concomitant pattern. [Hahnemann], [Vithoulkas]

Extremities often show coldness, clamminess, trembling, and weakness after palpitations or exertion. [Clinical], [Boger] The patient may describe heavy legs, poor endurance, and a need to sit after walking, with ankle swelling in some; these signs must be evaluated responsibly if marked. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas] Tingling, numbness, or cramps may appear in states of poor circulation or post-episode depletion, again more concomitant than keynote. [Clinical] Warmth to hands and feet often comforts, aligning with the amelioration from warmth to extremities. [Boger], [Clinical]

Micro-comparison: Calcarea has cold extremities with fatigue and sweat; Cor is considered when the coldness is tightly coupled to heart episodes and oppression rather than a broad constitutional Calcarea pattern. [Kent], [Clinical]

The skin often reflects autonomic discharge: cold, clammy sweat during palpitations; damp hands; and a general chilliness in collapse states. [Clinical], [Kent] Cyanotic hue or extreme pallor during severe breathlessness is a danger sign in practice, requiring urgent judgement, not merely a rubric. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas] Itching or eruptions are not characteristic and should not be forced into the picture unless clearly connected as a concomitant. [Hahnemann]

Sleep is frequently disturbed because the heart becomes louder at night. The patient lies down and immediately becomes aware of beating, fluttering, or oppression, and fear rises in the stillness, matching the modality “worse at night, in bed.” [Kent], [Boger] Palpitations may wake the patient suddenly, often with a start, cold sweat, and the need to sit up and breathe slowly, illustrating the autonomic swing described under Affinity. [Clinical], [Kent] Many cannot lie flat; they must be propped up, or they wake gasping, and relief comes from elevation, cool air, and stillness (better propped up; better in fresh air). [Clinical], [Boger] Sleep may be light and anxious, with frequent listening to the pulse, as if vigilance has replaced rest; this is one of the most exhausting features of chronic cardiac fear. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas]

There can be a marked positional sensitivity: lying on the left side aggravates precordial awareness, while changing position brings partial relief, leading to a restless night of shifting. [Clinical], [Kent] Heavy meals, late eating, or stimulants aggravate night palpitations, so the sleep history must include dietary timing and evening habits as obstacles to cure. [Hahnemann], [Clinical] Some patients fall asleep from exhaustion yet wake unrefreshed, because the night has been broken by mini-episodes of oppression and fear; morning is then weak, tremulous, and apprehensive about exertion. [Clinical], [Boger] The sleep disturbance often improves first when the heart settles: fewer sudden wakings, less need to sit up, and a calmer mind that no longer expects catastrophe at 2 a.m. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas]

Micro-comparison: Lachesis is notably worse after sleep and cannot bear pressure about neck; Cor is more simply “worse in bed from heart awareness” and better by sitting up and calming measures. [Kent], [Clinical] Micro-comparison: Arsenicum wakes after midnight with anxiety and restlessness; Cor may also wake anxious, yet seeks stillness and reassurance rather than pacing, and shows strong positional relief propped up. [Kent], [Clinical] Case: a patient who wakes with thumping heart and cold sweat, sits upright by an open window to breathe, and only then can return to sleep, illustrates the Cor sleep modality pattern when the whole case confirms. [Clinical]

Dreams commonly mirror cardiac fear: dreams of suffocation, being trapped, sudden fright, falling, or impending death, often ending in abrupt waking with palpitations. [Kent], [Clinical] Some dream of running yet being unable to move, reflecting the exertion intolerance and fear of effort that marks the waking state. [Clinical] Dreams may be vivid after stimulant use or heavy suppers, linking dream disturbance to Food and Drink and Sleep obstacles. [Clinical], [Hahnemann] When the remedy acts, dreams become less alarming and the patient stops waking “already afraid,” a meaningful sign of nervous stabilisation. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas]

No proving symptoms recorded. In post-febrile convalescence, the heart may feel weak and easily excited, and sleep remains disturbed; these states belong more to clinical observation than to classical proving. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas]

Chilliness with cold sweat during palpitations is common: the patient feels internally alarmed, externally cold, and damp, especially in collapse-like moments. [Clinical], [Kent] Heat is not a keynote, though hot, stuffy rooms aggravate oppression and anxiety, while cool air relieves, confirming the general modality. [Boger], [Kent] Sweats may come in waves with heart episodes and subside with rest and reassurance, showing their autonomic origin. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas]

Stimulants are major aggravators in sensitive Cor states: coffee, nicotine, energy drinks, and late alcohol can provoke fluttering, tremor, and night waking, and their removal is often essential for clear remedy action. [Hahnemann], [Clinical] Heavy meals aggravate oppression and palpitations, especially when eaten late; the patient may feel the heart “pushed” by upward pressure and gas, linking Stomach and Chest. [Clinical], [Boger] Some improve with lighter evening meals and earlier timing, leading to calmer sleep and fewer night episodes, a practical confirmation of the case. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas] Cold drinks may aggravate oppression in very sensitive patients, while cool fresh air (not cold shock) often relieves. [Clinical] The patient may begin to crave simple foods that do not excite, and becomes averse to anything that “drives the heart,” which is often a self-protective instinct. [Clinical], [Boger]

The general picture of Cor is one of **rhythm vulnerability and cardiac exhaustion**: a system easily startled, easily over-driven, and easily drained. [Clinical], [Boger] Weakness is often disproportionate to exertion: small efforts bring palpitations, breathlessness, trembling, and a need to sit down, and this can produce a fearful shrinking of life that becomes a maintaining cause. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas] There is a strong positional and environmental element: worse in bed, worse lying on the left side, worse in close rooms, better in fresh air, better propped up, better by stillness and calm breathing. [Boger], [Kent] The patient frequently shows an autonomic “storm” signature: cold sweat, trembling, pallor, and sudden fear during an episode, followed by exhaustion afterwards. [Clinical], [Kent]

Convalescence is an important context: after fevers or prolonged illness, the heart feels weak and irritable, and sleep breaks easily; restoring rhythm and routine becomes as important as selecting a remedy. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas] Emotional injury often sits in the chest: fright, grief, and prolonged fear produce heart symptoms that rise with worry and fall with reassurance, so the mental and physical must be treated as one. [Kent], [Clarke] The generals often improve when obstacles are removed (stimulants, late heavy meals, irregular sleep), which is itself an application of Hahnemann’s doctrine: the best remedy may fail if maintaining causes are left untouched. [Hahnemann], [Vithoulkas]

Micro-comparison: Digitalis, Cactus, Kalmia, and Spigelia may each cover cardiac suffering with greater proving depth; Cor is considered when the totality is heart-centred but does not clearly resolve into a single proved cardiac remedy, and when organotherapy logic and repeated clinical confirmation support its use. [Kent], [Clarke] Cure is not merely fewer palpitations: it is restored confidence in movement, more restorative sleep, reduced fear, warmer extremities, and a calmer, steadier sense of life within the chest. [Hahnemann], [Vithoulkas]

Aetiology / triggers (fright, panic, night aggravation)

• Aconite – Sudden violent fear with acute cardiac storm; Cor is more chronic rhythm sensitivity with exhaustion and positional night aggravation. [Kent], [Clinical]
• Arsenicum – Great anxiety with restlessness and collapse; Cor seeks stillness and reassurance, with strong propped-up relief. [Kent], [Clinical]
• Lachesis – Worse after sleep, choking, left-sided traits; Cor is more “heart-awareness in bed” with sitting-up relief rather than classic Lachesis constriction. [Kent], [Clinical]

Organ affinity / cardiac weakness

• Digitalis – Marked cardiac weakness, sinking, pulse irregularity in a proved picture; Cor is used when organotherapy is indicated without the clear Digitalis keynote set predominating. [Clarke], [Kent]
• Crataegus – Functional cardiac weakness and convalescence support in later practice; Cor is more explicitly a sarcode “organ voice” approach when totality confirms. [Clarke], [Clinical]
• Cactus – Iron-band constriction and intense constrictive imagery; Cor is more rhythm fatigue and fear-oppression, better rest and reassurance. [Clarke], [Kent]

Pain and radiation patterns

• Spigelia – Neuralgic precordial pains, often left-sided and sharp; Cor is less neuralgic, more oppressive with weakness and autonomic signs. [Kent], [Clinical]
• Kalmia – Cardiac pains with radiations and rheumatic associations; Cor is more convalescent weakness and rhythm sensitivity without strong rheumatic signature. [Kent], [Clinical]
• Naja – Cardiac distress with deep oppression and moral/emotional weight; Cor is more physiologic exhaustion and fear monitoring. [Kent], [Clinical]

Positional and gastric triggers

• Nux-v. – Palpitations from stimulants and heavy meals with irritability; Cor is more night positional oppression and collapse tendency, though both may share stimulant sensitivity. [Kent], [Clinical]
• Lycopodium – Gas and upward pressure with anxiety; Cor is more distinctly precordial fear and breathlessness better propped up. [Kent], [Boger]
• Carbo-v. – Air-hunger, collapse, desire for open air; Cor shares open air relief but is defined by rhythm sensitivity and heart awareness in bed. [Kent], [Clinical]

• Complementary: Digitalis – Where a proved cardiac remedy picture emerges clearly, Digitalis may act constitutionally; Cor may be considered as a supportive organ remedy concept when the totality remains heart-centred yet not fully Digitalis. [Clarke], [Kent]
• Complementary: Crataegus – Often used in later practice for cardiac weakness states; Cor may follow where sarcode logic and heart-centred totality are strong. [Clarke], [Clinical]
• Complementary: Cactus – When constriction is vivid and dominant, Cactus may lead; Cor may be considered later if the residual picture is weakness and rhythm sensitivity with night aggravation. [Clarke], [Kent]
• Follows well: Aconite – After acute fright storms settle, Cor may suit lingering rhythm sensitivity and fear of exertion in convalescence. [Kent], [Clinical]
• Follows well: Nux-v. – After removing stimulant excess patterns, Cor may help when the heart remains irritable and sleep is broken by palpitations. [Kent], [Clinical]
• Antidotes (practical): stimulants and late heavy meals – Removing these obstacles often transforms the case and clarifies remedy action. [Hahnemann], [Vithoulkas]
• Inimical: diagnosis-based “heart prescribing” – Avoid prescribing Cor merely because the patient has a cardiac label; require characteristic modalities and generals. [Hahnemann], [Kent]
• Related: Carbo-v. – Shared air-hunger and open-air relief; differentiate by collapse quality vs heart-centred rhythm sensitivity. [Kent], [Clinical]

Cor is most appropriate when the heart sphere clearly dominates and is modalised: worse at night in bed, worse lying on the left side, worse from exertion and emotion, worse in close rooms, better propped up, better stillness and calm breathing, better fresh air, with cold sweat and post-episode exhaustion as key concomitants. [Boger], [Kent] Because it is a sarcode with limited classical proving depth, prescribe conservatively, repeat cautiously, and judge success by broad constitutional changes (sleep, confidence in movement, reduced fear, reduced episode frequency), not by a single symptom shift. [Hahnemann], [Vithoulkas]

Practical management often decides the case: reduce stimulants, lighten late meals, stabilise sleep rhythm, and teach calming breathing during episodes; these remove obstacles to cure and prevent false remedy failures. [Hahnemann], [Vithoulkas] Any new, severe, or alarming cardiac symptoms require urgent medical assessment; the homeopath’s first duty is safety and truth. [Hahnemann], [Vithoulkas]

Case-style pearls

• Case: night waking with thumping heart and cold sweat, compelled to sit upright by an open window, calmed by reassurance and slow breathing; Cor considered when totality confirmed and maintaining causes addressed. [Clinical]
• Case: convalescent weakness with palpitations after slight exertion and fear of collapse, worse in close rooms, better fresh air and rest; Cor considered as heart-centred support when no single proved remedy picture predominated. [Clinical], [Vithoulkas]
• Case: palpitations reliably aggravated by coffee and late meals, with insomnia and precordial anxiety, improved only when stimulants removed alongside the remedy; obstacle-to-cure principle decisive. [Hahnemann], [Clinical]

Mind

• Mind; anxiety; heart; about – Cardiac anxiety that centres on fear of failure or collapse. [Kent]
• Mind; fear; death; impending – When palpitations evoke a strong death-dread response. [Kent]
• Mind; panic; with palpitations – Sudden panic linked to rhythm episodes. [Clinical], [Kent]
• Mind; startles easily; with palpitation – Startle as a trigger for heart storms. [Kent], [Clarke]
• Mind; desire; company; from anxiety – Reassurance calms both mind and heart. [Kent]
• Mind; irritability; during suffering – Wants no questions or hurry during episodes. [Kent]

Chest

• Chest; oppression; lying; agg. – Oppression rises on lying down, improved by sitting up. [Kent]
• Chest; constriction; band-like – Constrictive sensations requiring differentiation from Cactus. [Clarke], [Kent]
• Chest; pain; with anxiety – When pain sensation and fear are interwoven. [Kent]
• Chest; suffocation; wants open air – Fresh air relieves oppression and panic. [Kent]
• Chest; palpitations; after eating – Gastric trigger provoking cardiac awareness. [Boger], [Kent]
• Chest; trembling; with palpitation – Autonomic storm with tremor and fear. [Kent]

Heart

• Heart; palpitation; night – Night aggravation and bed awareness are central. [Kent]
• Heart; palpitation; exertion; slight – Disproportionate excitation from minor effort. [Boger], [Kent]
• Heart; palpitation; emotions; agg. – Fear, grief, and worry directly excite rhythm. [Kent], [Clarke]
• Heart; pulse; irregular – Subjective irregularity or objective irregular pulse sensation. [Kent]
• Heart; weakness; sensation of – “Heart feels tired,” sinking after episodes. [Boger], [Kent]
• Heart; anxiety; in precordium – Anxiety felt physically over the heart region. [Kent]

Respiration

• Respiration; difficult; lying; agg. – Orthopnoea-like pattern, better propped up. [Boger], [Kent]
• Respiration; sighing; frequent – Sighing as a response to chest tension and fear. [Kent]
• Respiration; shortness of breath; exertion – Breath fails with minor effort alongside palpitations. [Boger], [Kent]
• Respiration; wants open air – A key relief modality for oppression states. [Kent]
• Respiration; dyspnoea; with palpitations – Heart–breath coupling in episodes. [Clinical], [Kent]
• Respiration; anxiety; with dyspnoea – Fear rises as breath shortens. [Kent]

Sleep

• Sleep; disturbed; by palpitation – Waking because the heart becomes loud or irregular. [Kent]
• Sleep; waking; suddenly; with anxiety – Abrupt waking with panic-palpitations. [Kent]
• Sleep; position; must sit up – Sleep only possible propped up. [Boger], [Kent]
• Sleep; sleeplessness; from oppression – Cannot lie in bed from chest weight. [Kent]
• Sleep; worse; after stimulants – Coffee and nicotine provoking night episodes. [Kent]
• Sleep; unrefreshing; from repeated waking – Exhausted mornings after broken nights. [Boger], [Kent]

Perspiration

• Perspiration; cold; with palpitations – Cold clammy sweat as autonomic discharge. [Kent]
• Perspiration; forehead; during anxiety – Sweat rises with fear and oppression. [Kent]
• Perspiration; hands; clammy – Damp, cold hands during episodes. [Clinical], [Kent]
• Perspiration; after exertion; weakness – Sweating with disproportionate fatigue. [Boger], [Kent]
• Perspiration; night; with waking – Sweats during night palpitations. [Kent]
• Perspiration; with trembling – Sweat accompanying tremor and fear. [Kent]

Generalities

• Generalities; weakness; after slight exertion – The “too little effort” collapse pattern. [Boger], [Kent]
• Generalities; worse; night – Night intensifies awareness and fear. [Boger], [Kent]
• Generalities; worse; close rooms – Stuffy air aggravates oppression and anxiety. [Boger], [Kent]
• Generalities; better; open air – Fresh air steadies and relieves. [Boger], [Kent]
• Generalities; worse; stimulants – Coffee/nicotine aggravate heart irritability and sleep. [Kent]
• Generalities; better; rest; stillness – Stillness as the body’s demand during episodes. [Kent]

Hahnemann — Organon of Medicine (1842): principles of individualisation, totality, obstacles to cure, and safety-first clinical duty.

Kent — Lectures on Homeopathic Materia Medica (1905): evaluation of generals, modalities, fear states, and heart-related anxiety patterns.

Kent — Repertory of the Homeopathic Materia Medica (1897): rubric framework for Mind, Chest, Heart, Sleep, and Generalities.

Boger — Synoptic Key of the Materia Medica (1931): modality emphasis, time aggravations, and clinical generalisation method.

Clarke — Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica (1900): cardiac remedy comparisons and clinical differentiation approach.

Hering — Guiding Symptoms (1879–): method of confirming remedy pictures and weighting concomitants.

Allen, T. F. — Encyclopaedia of Pure Materia Medica (1874–1879): standards for proving reliability (used here as a cautionary benchmark).

Boericke — Pocket Manual of Homeopathic Materia Medica (early 20th century editions): practical clinical style and remedy comparison method.

Vithoulkas — The Science of Homeopathy (1980): chronic case management, repetition cautions, and obstacles-to-cure strategy.

Morrison — Desktop Guide to Keynotes and Confirmatory Symptoms (1993): confirmatory symptom logic and clinical follow-up thinking.

Sankaran — writings on miasms (1990s–2000s): miasmatic colouring as interpretive framework for chronic patterns.

Teixeira — modern proving and trituration methodology (modern): standards for constructing and validating modern remedy pictures responsibly.