Alopecia Case.
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1995 Nov / Dec VOL VI NO 6.
Prabha Patwardhan.
Cases.
` Thuj / Sil.

A 20 year old girl came in September 1989 for large patches of Alopecia on the scalp, loss of eyebrows, eyelashes and pubic hair since February 1989. It was only when she removed her wig that we realized the extent of her hair loss. It was almost Alopecia totalis. She had seen many dermatologists without any improvement.

LIFE SPACE:

Her father has a transferable job and she accompanied her parents to most places except when they went to Moscow, when she stayed back at a hostel in Delhi as the exams were approaching. She was worried and tense. That is when it all started. In 1989 April, she didnt really want to come to Bombay as she made many friends in Delhi.

MENTALS:

Many moves in short intervals made her feel unsettled, forsaken and unloved. It was important for her to have people around; people she could count on. She was scared of being abandoned.

Fear of - Rats (3+), Darkness (3+) alone while and heights.
Aversion to crowds, and unknown people, shopping and noises.
She desired company (3+). Averse pity (3+) but wants people to supportive. She gets irritated if people become obstinate. Usually suppresses her anger. Does not like confrontation. Read to talk about her problems. Very friendly with mother. She is very scared (3+) of her father who is disciplined and matter of fact and would shout at her when he was angry. She hated being yelled at.

As a child she was very clumsy and broke many lamps, crystals, statues etc. Her father would get upset and occasionally she was beaten. She was terrified of this. She cried if angry but avoided crying in front of others.

She wants to be a copywriter; is fond of writing and maintains a diary. Usually writes about how she feels in some touching situations. Averse to horror movies and ghost stories which give her nightmares. Affected easily by cruelty.

Quite religious; prays, has read the Gita and Bible. As a child she was fat, friendly and fond of travelling and walking. She liked music, dancing and reading. Very shy. She was nervous going to any new place.

Averse to all competitions (3+). Tremendous stage fright. She gets petrified with cold hands and feet. She was afraid that people could see she was nervous. She could deal with one or two people, but would not perform in front of a large crowd. Anticipatory anxiety and diarrhoea before exams.

She tends to do badly in exams as she is very slow and cannot finish the exam paper though fond of studies. Obstinate about certain things. Mostly yielding disposition and always soft spoken.

PAST HISTORY - Cough and cold from dust (+2), dampness, change of seasons; before and during menses, ate chalk in infancy. Milestones normal.

Before the hair fall started, she had a lot of warts on the right little finger and left thumb near the nail, which were cut and cauterized. Some near and around the nail bed, reappeared and were hard.

She had unwanted hair on the face, chest and abdomen.

FAMILY HISTORY - Diabetes, Cancer, IHD, arthritis. H-O vaccination (3+) in parents. Younger sister of 17 years was operated for squint.

PHYSICAL GENERALS:

Craves - Sweets (3+)
Aversion - spicy food, chillies
Thirst - profuse (3+).
Thermal - Hot. Worse by heat and sun. Complaints of sun headaches. She prefers a hot bath.
Perspiration - Sweats (3+) especially the underarms, back, face, head, palms and soles. Worse if not or anxious.
Skin - Dandruff (3+), flaky eyelashes. Allergic to metallic jewellery like ear rings which cause inflammation and pus formation. Worse silver or artificial jewellery.
Menses - Started at 12 years. Irregular for 3-4 years. Prolonged bleeding on exertion. Often got menses before exams and preceded by cough and cold, weight gain, heavy breasts and a sore and patchy tongue.
Sleep - good. Late sleeper. Sleeps on the abdomen. Wants an airy room. Covers always; if hot, sticks her feet out.
Dreams - Nightmares (3+) in the hostel. Dreams of being followed by people, room mates trying to strangle her. People hitting her with a stick, of being raped. Alone in a building on top; violence. Often dreams of being bald.

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION: Large bald patches on scalp. No eyelashes and eyebrows. A large black hairy mole on the upper thigh. Unwanted hair on face, abdomen and chest. Warts on thumb and little finger.

TREATMENT and FOLLOW-UP:

13-9-89 - Thuja 200 - 3 doses, SL 2 weeks.
2 weeks later - came with cough and cold. Hepar-sul 30, followed by Silicea 30, 3 doses and SL 2 weeks.
6 weeks later - Cold was better with Hepar-sulph. Hair growing slowly. Silicia 200 and SL.
10 weeks later - Hair growth. Silicia 200 and SL
12 weeks later - Sore throat. Hepar-sulph 200.
16 weeks later - Silicia 200, 1 dose repeated every month for 4 months, Back hair almost normal.
38 weeks - Eyelashes back. Frontal hair growing. Silicia 200 and SL.

Between 10-18 months she improved greatly with Silicia 1M once in two to four weeks with occasional doses of Sulphur, Calcarea-carb, Thuja, Flouric-acid, Psorinum and Tuberculinum. Got rid of

wig and had a hair cut. Then she got married. Father expired when she was on her honeymoon. Patches again on vertex and frontal areas. Silicia 200 and SL.

She was treated for 3-4 months with Silicia 1M, once in 2 to 4 weeks. Then medicine was stopped as she was fine. This was in July 1992.

She again came in March 93 with irregular menses, spotting and sterility. Diagnosed as a case of polycystic ovary. Belladonna 30, 3 doses.

There was no follow-up for about 18 months. Then she came in August 1994 with complaints of some hair loss for which Silicia 1M and SL were prescribed.

15-10-94 - Silicia 1M and SL.
14-12-94 - Menses delayed. Not conceiving. But hair is fine!
Before menses there is breast pain (3+) Sweat (3+). Calc-carb 200 and SL.

REPERTORIALS:

Indications for Thuja were - a history of vaccinations in parents, warts and hair in unusual places.
Indications for Silica were - Need for support (3+). Anticipatory anxiety (3+). Soft spoken. Yielding nature but obstinate in some matters. Stage fright (3+). Fear of failure. Timidity. Sweat (3+) soles and palms if anxious. Past history of pica.

RUBRICS:

1. SR 499 - Fear of failure
2. SR 498 - Fear before examination
3. SR 480 - Fear of appearing in public
4. SR 86 - Anxiety from noise
5. SR 15 - Ailments from anticipation
6. SR 901 - Sensitive to noise
7. SR 1025- Timidity appearing in public, to talk in public.
8. SR 547 - Forsaken, feels of not being loved by his parents, wife, friends.
9. SR 159 - Confidence, want of self
10. SR 1102 - Yielding disposition.

Her main remedy was Silica but she needed other remedies from time to time, mainly on physical symptoms.

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