Cases

This is a case of a female in her early 50’s who had been diagnosed as having severe osteoarthritis. Both knees were affected and there was no history of injury or any other precipitating cause (physical or emotional). She had Heberden’s nodes in her distal phalanges’ hands due to OA. On questioning it was found that her pains aggravated during summer months and were ameliorated in winters. She was given Syphilinum 200/ 4 doses to be taken weekly once (if needed), and stop the medication if she responds to any of the doses.

A follow-up 2 months later showed a marked improvement in her pains and lessening of swelling. She was later given a dose of 1M of the same medicine.

Explanation

It is unusual to give such deep-acting medicine in such cases. There was a dearth of information in this case except that her modalities were marked and clear. It was for this reason a deep-acting medicine in moderate potency was decided to be given. (I would withhold any discussion on miasm at this point of time, and save it for later discussion)

(Behind each successful case treated there are many that failed and showed no improvement. We as homeopaths must make a collective effort so that the experience of previous generations is successfully transferred to the next, wherein we stand on the shoulders of those before us rather than starting from scratch).

                                                                                                                                                Dr Shivangi Jain

                                                                                                                    BHMS, MD, PGDMLE, PGDHHM

                                                                                                                        drshivangijain79@gmail.com

A child around 7-8 years came with a viral wart on the inner angle of the left eye. The parents had taken treatment elsewhere by another homeopath. The names of the medicines with which the child was treated were unavailable. A dose of Staphysagria 200 was given to the child. The follow-up a month later did not show any change. I repeated the medicine, another dose of Staph 200. Next month’s follow-up was a happy meeting. The mother reported that the wart fell off during sleep, sometime in the preceding month, when she found, one fine morning that it was gone.

Explanation

When we think of viral warts a lot of medicines come to our mind, viz caust, thuja, nit ac, nat mur and even staph. What was interesting about this case was the way I reached the medicine. Now here was a very shy child who did not make much eye contact (he had been scolded by his mother and was quite angry, and this was his usual way of reacting to being scolded) (quis/who), who was thirstless (quibis auxiliis/concomitant or a generality if you want it from Kent’s perspective) and who had a wart just near the inner angle of the left eye (ubi/ location). Having recently read Guernsey’s Key-notes to the materia medica, I remembered, in Staphysagria it read- ‘Affections of the angles of the eye, particularly the inner.  I chose to give staph and when initially it did not seem to work, repeated the same medicine. I was skeptical initially as the case had already been medicated earlier, with remedies I had no knowledge of. So, when I found the location was also covered by staph it gave me confidence (well, you cannot overlook a pointer given by Guernsey!!!) and when it did not work, I repeated rather than changing potency or medicine. And it worked!

Download a pdf version of the case below:

From a personal perspective this is one of the most unusual cases I have treated. Unusual not in its presentation but in the outcome that it had, after giving the medicine, something which took me completely by surprise, and believe me it was a delight.

A patient’s grandson came asking for a medicine for his grandmother, for an injury to head after a fall. This lady an octogenarian had a history of stroke and was on various medications. she sustained a fall in the house after which she lost consciousness. An immediate medical attention was sought and she was advised to be operated upon as the subdural hematoma that she developed after the fall could be fatal. Given her age and comorbidities, there was an inherent risk in the surgery, a chance that the daughter was unwilling to take.

 This is where I came in picture. Notwithstanding my advice tilting in favor of blood evacuating burr hole surgery, the family showed more in faith me than I had in myself. I gave the 3 doses of Arnica 1m to be taken on alternate days and report after a week, with advice to admit on least signs of further deterioration.

Comes in the surprise after one week. Not only did the patient improve in terms of her head pains post falls, she had a remarkable improvement in her speech. It was noted that she was cared for, in her daughter’s house by a nurse, towards whom she was abusive, with an extremely limited vocabulary. She was not able to recognize her daughter and other family members after the stroke. Arnica not only took care of her SDH, her memory improved (she started recognizing her family )and she started talking in long sentences which she had not done for the longest time. She stopped being abusive towards her caretaker and a follow up MRI after a month showed an almost resolved hemorrhage.

Explanation

Why Arnica? A detailed study on head injuries and their management can be read in the ‘internal medicine’ section of the blog.

Arnica not only took care of her acute condition but also acted on other parts of the brain which might have been afflicted in a similar manner (covered by arnica in its chronic form), something I had a very incomplete history about.

This case was a demonstration of far-reaching actions of medicines, which are intended or otherwise. It becomes a double-edged sword, one that can harm but can be a tool of great power in hands of those who understand it.

It is with this intention that we should strive to do better. To understand our tools better.

I am extremely indebted to Prof L M Khan who revealed to me the real power of arnica in practice. And I wish the same for all colleagues and fellow homeopaths.

Aude Sapre

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

Here is a downloadable version of the case

Presented here is a very short case of urticaria, in a male patient, of recent onset,
with no other comorbidity.

The patient got wet in the rain and developed urticaria consequently. Rhus tox
10M one dose was given initially. The patient was much better in the follow-up
after a month where both frequency and intensity of urticaria was reduced, but
with stagnation beyond a point. Therefore, another dose was repeated. The
patient required one more dose after this (total 3 doses) and the urticaria was
completely gone as was found in a follow-up a few months later.

Explanation
This is a simple case of clear-cut cause (exciting cause, aph 3/ getting wet in the rain
in this case) and effect (development of urticaria). However, the patient would have required a deeper/ anti-miasmatic remedy later on.

It was these acute cases that brought Hahnemann his fame in the initial days of
his practice. (Had the patient not gotten well after this, a deeper cause would
have been addressed to). Only after did he notice the recurrence of symptoms
not responding to earlier effective medicines, did he search for obstacles and
developed the idea of miasm.

Aude Sapre

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

You can download the case below.

A child one and a half years of age came with a diagnosis of laryngomalacia.

He was advised to get operated on or wait till he gets 3-4 yrs old when the condition would resolve on its own.

The breathing was audible from a distance (called a stridor).  It was more pronounced during sleep. The child was running around in the clinic and wanted to touch everything. On further questioning, it was found that the child had aversion to bathing and had to be forced to take a bath. 

A dose of sulph 200 was given. A follow-up 15 days later showed a marked improvement in the condition with the breath barely audible otherwise (except when hand was put on chest, then it could still be appreciated).  Another dose of sulph was given to parents with proper instructions of repetition if needed at all.

Explanation

A child who has a desire to touch everything, hates water (quis/ the person who is suffering, Boenninghausen) and who has a weak larynx (where, ubi, location, Boenninghausen/ Phatak repertory), who had < during sleep (a common symptom of laryngomalacia, though not considered in the selection of medicine nevertheless was covered by selected medicine), would need sulph.

Aude Sapere

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

Download the case in pdf format below.

This is a case of a 35-year-old male with no other comorbidity and presenting with vitiligo over hands and legs.

On enquiry it was found that the vitiligo started after his marriage. It first appeared in genital region and then advanced to his hands and legs. There was some marital discord which caused a lot of stress in patient’s life.

Patient was then asked about any problems with urination. To which he answered affirmatively and said, he was having difficulty in passing urine. Nat mur 1m/ 1 dose (only one more dose was repeated after few weeks interval) was prescribed, with resultant disappearance of lesions in few months.

Explanation

While in conversation with the patient, the body language of patient was reserved. After he admitted to having problem in urination (I started thinking of staph), a further question about his use of public toilets was put forward. To which patient replied, in having inability to use public toilets as he found it difficult to urinate in front of strangers.

There are 5 medicines viz nat mur, hep sulph, mur ac, also ambra and tarent which have inability to urinate in front of strangers (Phatak repertory, urination difficult presence of others in.)

With a h/o discord and grief (most probable exciting cause) resulting in such a lesion starting in genital (location, orifice, Phatak repertory) and the above mentioned concomitant nat mur was prescribed.

Aude Sapere

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

Here is a downloadable copy of the case.