Cases

This is a case of 65 yr old female who had severe knee pains for the last 4 yrs. Her pains would exacerbate at the change of weather and after exertion. She also suffered from chronic allergic cough, which would be constant throughout the day, at intervals, not abating with anything, for the last 2 yrs. She was also very chilly. The author treated this case with complete failure for 2 yrs. The pains and cough alternated, and the treatment given was at most palliative. The remedies which seemed indicated did not help, whether deep acting or acute. While studying a medicine the writer came across a symptom, which encouraged her to give STICTA PULMONALE 1M/ 1 dose to this patient. The result was astonishing. Within a week, her chronic cough of 2 yrs vanished, and her knee pains reduced to a large extent, though her treatment had to be continued (striking the underlying miasm).

Explanation

The symptom that prompted the prescription was ‘rheumatic pains precede catarrhal symptoms’ (Boericke Materia Medica). After STICTA, the allergic cough vanished, which was last to appear (Hering law/direction of cure) and the knee pains reduced to a large extent. This case highlights the importance of concomitant symptoms, anamnesis and last but not least, a constant need for a homoeopath to read, search and find the right remedies for their patients because it is only through the right remedy that a cure is possible.

Aude Sapere

Shivangi Jain
BHMS, MD, PGDMLE, PGDHHM
drshivangijain79@gmail.com
https://drshivangihomoeopathy.com/

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A child of 4 years of age came with a complaint of severely cracked and bleeding heels, since 2 years. He would wear socks even in summers, which relieved him to a certain extent. He was a thin and tall child for his age and complained of frequent leg pains. His father would massage his legs at night to give relief, without which he would not sleep. The diagnosis was not made but the differential included planter keratoderma or plantar psoriasis; more in favour of plantar keratoderma. Based on his symptoms and presentation he was given CAL PHOS 1m in one dose. The mother was also asked to apply coconut oil or olive oil regularly (plain but not medicated). He was also given calendula ointment to apply on cracks which were very deep and bleeding and was advised to stop applying the ointment once the bleeding stopped. A month after follow up the lesions were much better and the child was more comfortable. Even the pain in the legs was reduced. He was given Saccharum lactis for another month.

Explanation

The prescription was based not on the main symptoms but on the other accessory symptoms. The child had growing pains (CAL PHOS, PHOS, PHOS AC, GUIACUM etc are remedies for growing pains). He was slender and tall for his age. Warmth > his cracking to a certain extent. CAL PHOS relieved him of his trouble. He did not follow up ever after the second month, which left the author wondering whether the relief was permanent or temporary.

Aude Sapere

Shivangi Jain
BHMS, MD, PGDMLE, PGDHHM
drshivangijain79@gmail.com
https://drshivangihomoeopathy.com/

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A 37 yr old male had a bout of viral fever. His fever subsided in 3 days, but a constant cough with pain in the chest was left. He also developed joint pains more marked in the lower extremities. A chest x-ray was advised which revealed a minimal pleural effusion on both sides. He was given ABROTANUM 6/ 3 doses/ once in 10 days. A month later, his cough vanished and he no more complaint of joint pains.

Explanation

Abrotanum is an excellent remedy for sequele of influenza or influenza-like illness (Phatak Repertory). This patient developed a cough with pleural effusion (Boericke Materia Medica), pain in the lower extremities more than upper which pointed towards the abrotanum.

Aude Sapere

Shivangi Jain
BHMS, MD, PGDMLE, PGDHHM
drshivangijain79@gmail.com
https://drshivangihomoeopathy.com/

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 A 65 yr old male presented with DOE (dysponea on exertion). He had difficulty performing daily activities of life. He was compelled to take inhalers a few times a day to carry on with any kind of activity. He was from a coastal town and noted that whenever he went to his hometown, his asthma would aggravate. Sometimes he would eat to get relief from the attack of asthma. He also had a slight salty expectoration in the morning. These modalities led to a prescription of SEPIA 10M, one dose. He was also given ARS ALB 30 as SOS. He felt much better for some time but the symptoms started returning. 3 months after the first dose, he was given SEPIA 50M in one dose. This time the improvement progressed beautifully till he was completely off inhalers and was able to carry out his activities without any difficulty in a follow up 6 months later. He had stopped taking ARS ALB also as SOS medicine.

Explanation

The strong modalities which were elicited in this case led to the prescription of sepia (generality; air; seashore agg. Generality; eating >. Kent Repertory). There was a salty taste of expectoration which supported the choice of remedy. The potency 10m helped initially but failed to carry forward the improvement, hence it was decided to go to a higher potency instead of repeating the same.

Aude Sapere

Shivangi Jain
BHMS, MD, PGDMLE, PGDHHM
drshivangijain79@gmail.com
https://drshivangihomoeopathy.com/

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This is a case of a mother and daughter who came with severe itching all over the body. They had lesions predominantly on the hands and legs. There was severe burning following scratching with bleeding from here and there. The complaint started after they visited someplace. Scabies was suspected and was confirmed by dermatologic consult.

The child was given SULPH 200/ 2 doses, the second to be repeated only if the first fail to show improvement within 3 days. The child took the second dose as well and felt much better. 15 days after 1st prescription another 2 doses were given with similar instructions. This time only 1 dose was needed and eruptions subsided completely at the end of 1^st month. (3 doses- 1^st day, 4^th day, 16^th day).

The mother was given SULPH 30/ 3 doses every 5 days as she had more severe lesions with instruction to repeat only if improvement stops. She took all the 3 doses and felt much better at the end of 15 days. She was given just one dose of SULPH 30 on the second follow up. At the end of 1st month, only occasional itching was left and all lesions had disappeared. She was given SULPH 200 to complete the case.

Both of them were also given AZADIRACHTA INDICA Q 5 drops / to be put in a bucket of water and bath with it.

They were also advised to wash their clothes separately, after being soaked in hot soapy water for some time.

The husband was given SULPH 200 prophylactically to prevent infection and was also asked to sleep separately from the affected family members.

Explanation

Scabies is highly contagious to close contacts. The fact that both mother and daughter showed symptoms indicated a contagious diagnosis. It, therefore, is of paramount importance that not only is the patient treated but care also be taken, so that it does not spread to other members. Thus, the knowledge and importance of diagnosis help a homoeopath take pre-emptive steps not only in treatment but also in prevention.   

They did not show any constitutional symptoms. The itching of the body with burning that follows is pathognomic of SULPH, hence sulphur was prescribed. Azadirachta was given (in very high dilution of bathing) to locally cleanse the lesion and prevent any secondary infection.

Aude Sapere

Shivangi Jain
BHMS, MD, PGDMLE, PGDHHM
drshivangijain79@gmail.com
https://drshivangihomoeopathy.com/

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A mother aged 26 yrs came with a pregnancy of 31 weeks. She had recently undergone a routine ultrasound for her foetus where it was found that the foetus has a space-occupying fluid-filled lesion in the brain. She was told that the outcome of this lesion could not be predicted and that the foetus could be severely neurologically impaired. However, given the advancement of pregnancy nothing could be done except wait and watch. It was under these circumstances that the parents hoped that homoeopathy could help them. The history of the mother was unremarkable. So was the pregnancy. She had not fallen, had not taken any medicines or suffered from any illness. She was given CAL PHOS 200/ 2 doses to be taken and consecutive days followed by ARNICA 30/bd/ 10days. A scan was asked to be repeated every 5 days to see progress if any.

After the second scan (i.e., 10 days) the lesion resolved completely.

Explanation

There was no indication of any medicine in this case. The mother was thin tall dark-complexioned. Keeping this physical makeup of the mother in mind with a fluid-filled lesion in the foetus (which was not a hydrocephalous but a localized collection of fluid), tubercular miasm was thought to be lurking in the background, which led to the prescription of CAL PHOS. ARNICA was followed assuming that mother might have slipped/ had a jerk, something which she must have forgotten, hence was not able to report. This was done to cover any common factor that could have caused it (this is a not advisable way of prescription, nevertheless was done, given the lack of information and the direness of the situation).

Aude Sapere

Shivangi Jain
BHMS, MD, PGDMLE, PGDHHM
drshivangijain79@gmail.com
https://drshivangihomoeopathy.com

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A 57 yr old female came for the treatment of GERD (gastric oesophageal reflux disease). She complained of severe acidity and heartburn throughout the day. It would get aggravated further when she did not eat. She had a cough at night which prevented sleep (pharyngeal irritation from acid reflux producing cough). On enquiring about her history, it was found that she was extremely stressed. Her husband did not participate in any of the day-to-day affairs of running the family from the day she got married. Mother to a girl 27yr old, she had to look after an extended family, make decisions, look after everyone but no one to ask her about herself. The daughter reported her being highly irritable and snapping easily. She was thin, tall had freckles over her face. She was given SEPIA 10M and 6 months later SEPIA 50M. After that, she was kept on a placebo for almost 1 and a half yr. Regular follow up showed improvement in her condition steadily. Then, an interesting thing happened almost after 2 yr of treatment. She reported that she had a big swelling almost 3 inches in size in her popliteal fossa, for almost 10 yr now, which she was intending to get operated on but somehow was not able to. After this treatment, she noticed that it has started reducing in size. Now, this was something that the patient never revealed to the physician until now. She was kept on a placebo for another year. After 3 yrs and 2 doses of medicine (sepia 10m and sepia 50m), one dose each) not only did her reflux settle, but her popliteal synovial cyst also disappeared completely.

Explanation

This case shows that when the medicine chosen is the specific remedy for the patient and is correct, then not only does it take care of what the patient complains of but also what the patient fails to reveal. The medicine administered not only helped her GERD (it did not go away completely though till the last follow up, which was attributed to her circumstances being the maintaining cause of her disease) but also helped her baker’s cyst (complete resolution), as it was given for the patient (individual) and not for the disease.

Aude Sapere

Shivangi Jain
BHMS, MD, PGDMLE, PGDHHM
drshivangijain79@gmail.com
https://drshivangihomoeopathy.com/

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This is a case of 33 yr old female who presented with diarrhoea for 3 days standing. She went 4-5 times every day. It was gushing in nature and she had to run to the bathroom every time she felt the urge to pass motion. She had travelled previously, so a GIT infection was suspected and Ars Alb was given without relief. 3 days later she came with no amelioration in her complaints. Her appetite, thirst and other generals were unchanged. At this juncture, it was noticed that her eyes were slightly red. On questioning it was found that also developed eye itching and some coryza along with GIT upset which she failed to reveal in the previous visit. She was given a dose of GAMBOGIA 200. She was given another dose to keep, to be taken only if another watery stool is passed. A follow up 3 days later showed that the need for a second dose did not arise.

Explanation

There are many medicines that can be used in cases of acute diarrhoea with, similar nature of complaints. It is here that the concomitants help us to differentiate one remedy from another. GAMBOGIA has diarrhoea with similar nature to many other medicines (Gratiola, Croton Tig etc, to name a few) but none have an accompanying eye itching (Boger Synoptic Key).

Aude Sapere

Shivangi Jain
BHMS, MD, PGDMLE, PGDHHM
drshivangijain79@gmail.com
https://drshivangihomoeopathy.com/

Download a copy of the case below.

A 23 yr old female complained of irregular menses, missing a few months at a stretch for 4 yrs, weight gain, and acne. She had a history of chickenpox 1 yr back, jaundice 3 yrs back, H/O recurrent tonsillitis since childhood, and a habit of snoring. Her mother described her as a very lazy person with no interest in new things. She slept in a hand-knee position and craved sweets and lemonade. She was given CAL CARB 50M in one dose. Later follow-ups her periods became regular slowly. She was given various medicines like Fucus Q, Thyroidinum 3x, Senecio Aureus Q, Puls 200, Nux Vom 200, etc from time to time depending on complaints. Her case came to standstill a year and a half later when it was reviewed. She liked rocking (she would sit in her house’s swing for hours) and sweated profusely. She was given KALI CARB 200 without any change. Then KALI CARB 1M was given a month later. 2 yrs after starting the treatment, her periods were regular now and her acne resolved. She was also advised to follow dietary and lifestyle modifications. Her USG showed complete resolution of PCOD.

Explanation

The first prescription was self-evident. It was however the second one that was difficult. Kali carb 200 did not work hence 1M was given since the writer was sure of the medicine (‘Whenever the general benefit derived from a single dose lag, the remedy should be repeated in the next higher potency instead of looking upon the new symptoms as indicators for some other drug; for only the most inveterately rooted dyscrasia can, by varying its expression, resist the whole scale of an indicated remedy’. Chp- SOME THOUGHT ON PRESCRIBING FROM C.M. BOGER’S  STUDIES IN PHILOSOPHY OF HEALING).

Aude Sapere

Shivangi Jain
BHMS, MD, PGDMLE, PGDHHM
drshivangijain79@gmail.com
https://drshivangihomoeopathy.com/

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A 65 yr old female reported long-standing constipation of 20 yrs. She would use suppositories, isabgol (an ayurvedic medicine), or even enema from time to time to get herself to move her bowels. She spoke with confidence and had short white hair. Presently staying with her partner with whom this was her second marriage after her first spouse passed away, she worked for an NGO. She did not hold her first partner in high opinion. During the consultation, her driver entered to inform something, with whom she was not polite enough and passed a snide comment once he left. She was given PLATINA 200/ 1 dose. She responded well with that dose when after a month she reported that her bowels moved without help for a couple of days before the condition returned but not of the same severity. She was given PLATINA 1M this time, one dose. After a month she announced herself to be free of any trouble and was not in need of any external agency to pass the motion.

Explanation

Severe chronic constipation along with the mental concomitant of looking down upon others lead to the prescription of PLATINA. The 200 potency fell short of its depth when 1m finished the job.

Aude Sapere

Shivangi Jain
BHMS, MD, PGDMLE, PGDHHM
drshivangijain79@gmail.com
https://drshivangihomoeopathy.com/

Download a copy of the case below.