A case of Schizophrenia with Renal Failure
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1994 Jan / Feb Vol III No 1.
Prakash Kondekar.
Cases.
` Thuj / Plat.
A 17 year old girl came with her parents for treatment. Throughout the interview, the girl had a smile on her face and appeared to throw her charm around trying to impress everyone around. I continued to note down the preliminary details about her age, address etc.
There was a family history of Hypertension in both the parents. Past history revealed an attack of chicken pox, measles; also of Malaria for which she had been repeatedly treated with quinine. There was a history of vaccination.
Right from childhood, she found studies difficult to manage. She lagged behind in her lessons and never had the courage to stand up for herself. She was sensitive and highly emotional. When she was put in a school she refused to speak. She kept on smiling and then a few days later she started shouting, abusing and screaming. She did not enjoy going to school. She felt she was neglected and was not cared for by others. Her concentration was poor and she was depressed and brooded a lot. Whenever she was delegated any mental or strenuous work, she would get easily upset and strangely start laughing. She was very fickle and moody with little or no interest in anything for days. She lacked will power.
She liked watching movies and could sit through more than three movies a day. As a child she loved dolls and could sit in a corner playing with dolls all day. She had many toys but she preferred her dolls. She was always attracted to soft, stuffed toys which expressed a very interesting pattern. She was friendlier with children younger than her own age group.
She was especially good at western dancing. This was her positive point. She could appear on stage and perform without any fear.
She was artistic, fun-loving and easy-going by nature. She hated work and would wriggle her way out by appealing to her older sisters pleading "I can't do it. I am sure you will help me."
As she grew older she became more and more conscious of herself. She began to speak in a hurried manner and so started to stammer.
She was suddenly very self-conscious even if anyone looked at her. She pretended she was not affected by other peoples opinion and comments about her.
Soon boredom overtook her and she could not persist with or concentrate on anything for a long time. She felt that her eldest sister was her parents favourite. She said that her eldest sister was a "big fighter cock, always bossing over her". She called her mean and felt that she had kicked and slapped her.
This young girl had participated in several beauty contests and won the title of Navy queen and Miss India etc. During the interview it was observed that she was very proud of her achievements and her beauty. She did her best to attract everyones attention and kept on laughing every time without any reason.
I noted that her father was a short-tempered man who had a habit of shouting a lot. She was afraid of him. She was scared of moths cockroachs and rats.
Her anxious nature caused her to check everything over and over again. Her anxiety was very evident if she had to lock the door or shut off the gas cylinder. She was never sure of herself and had to repeatedly carry out the checks.
She was very excitable with a tendency to weep. Even a single joke or a pun would annoy her and she would become depressed and start to brood on it for a long time. She was never satisfied until she could take her revenge. The slightest provocation was enough to put her into a bad mood. Basically, she was a day dreamer, dissatisfied, envious and suspicious. She felt better when somebody patted her and consoled her. Her mother mentioned one confidential point-she has a romantic attachment to other girls. In the IX standard she failed to pass in maths and physics and had to repeat the year. Studies and strenuous work completely disoriented her. She very strongly said "I hate school and studies" I feel sad I cannot make friends and mix around. I am suffering from high blood pressure, I stammer on the alphabets W and R, on words like What and Remember. Whenever I am worried I pull at my skin and bite my lips. I laugh at no reason at all when I feel troubled. I keep checking things a number of times. Because of this I avoid getting involved with any kind of responsibilities especially like closing the door or shutting off the gas. I feel most uncomfortable the moment a boy sits next to me. I am very fond of sweets and sweetmeats, fruits and lemons, though I am averse to vegetables and sour food. I like soft drinks, ice-creams, apples, seafoods and pastries. Her dreams were mainly connected with anxiety (insecurity) dance, death, stroke, dead bodies, diseases (illnesses), future examinations, failing to cope with any task, frightful ghosts, marriages, missing a train, murder or being murdered.
It was very obvious that her parents attach a lot of importance to external activities. They encouraged the daughters to participate in beauty contests, fashion parades and other similar contests of the exhibitionary type.
She had a specific auditory hallucination that her neighbour, a boy, was saying that she was pretty. He liked her. He loved her. He wanted to give gifts to her. She felt that the boy was all the time talking about her.
She gets very anxious and goes to the toilet frequently and makes crackling noise with toes and fingers.
Thinks that others are talking about her. They are passing comments about her. They are saying that she will fail in exams. She can hear them even if she puts cotton ear plugs and closes all the doors and windows. She bites her lips when worried. She thinks she is beautiful and everybody appreciates her.
Physical Complaints:
Blood pressure since the last two years, has been aggravated mainly by examinations. Her blood pressure also rises when others happen to be discussing her. She gets most irritable by the sun, sunrays and feels better after vomiting. She passes stools twice because of her anxiety. Occasionally she passes urine involuntarily. Menses are regular; started at 14 1/2 yrs. Menses leave stains, which are very difficult to remove in one wash. She has leucorrhoea which also leaves behind a mild stain. She is constantly afraid of soiling her clothes.
She desires fast fan, open air, air-conditioning and prefers the winter season.
Reports:
- Antinuclear antibody tests (ANA)- Positive.
- Blood Urea- 50 mg percent (Normal-15- 40mg percent)
- Serum Creatinine- 1.3 mg percent (Normal- 0.8-1.2mg percent)
- Serum Bilirubin- 0.5 mg percent (Normal -0.5-0.8mg percent)
- SGPT- 11 units per cc (Normal-40 units per cc)
Prior to treatment:
- Renal arteriogram- Right kidney atrophy with blockage.
- Nonfunctional. Left kidney functioning only 80 percent.
After treatment:
- Renal dynamic and static studies- Right kidney parenchymal
- functions normal. Arteriogram with prolonged excretory phase.
- Left kidney- normal parenchymal functions.
Treatment and Follow-up:
(Note- The complete follow-up of the case covers 30 pages and over 10 years. Only the important prescriptions are tabulated below).
Date: 5th Nov 84
Complaints: BP- 150/94 mm Hg
Treatment: Thuja 10M three powders at night.
Reason-Frequent travel abroad and a number of vaccinations.
Date: 20th Jan 85
Complaints: BP- 150/98mm Hg
Treatment: Platina 30 one powder HS.SL for one week.
Date: 22nd Aug 85
Complaints: No foul smell. Cold(1+). BP reduced.
Treatment: Platina 30 two powders HS Swelling left side LMP
Date: 4th Oct 85
Complaints: Cold (+). Indifferent to study, people. Pimples
better. BP 132/88mm Hg.
Treatment: SL 12 packets one BD.
Date: 25th Oct 85
Complaints: BP increased. 146/100 mm Hg.
Treatment: Thuja 50M one dose. SL for 1 week.
Date: 26th April 86
Complaints: BP 130/80 mm Hg.
Treatment: SL continued.
Date: 26th Oct 86
Complaints: BP 120/80 mm Hg.
Treatment: SL continued.
Date: 6th Nov 86
Complaints: BP 162/90mm Hg. Feels guilty. Sad. Laughing cannot control.
Treatment: Platina 30 seven powders HS daily. SL continued.
Date: 2nd Jan 87
Complaints: BP 120/84mm Hg. Stammering and Leucorrhoea.
Treatment: Platina 200 one powder stat.
Date: 2nd Dec. 87
Complaints: BP 120/70
Treatment: Platina 200 three powders a night. SL continued.
In between for acute illnesses, other remedies based on symptom totality were prescribed.
14th June 93: BP- normal. No medicine. Occasional anger. Report better. Advised to come SOS if BP rises or swelling is present. Patient is now better emotionally as well as physically. Can pass urine without difficulty.
10th Feb 94: Patient better. No complaints. Report only if required.
