The Tormented Wife
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1997 Mar / Apr VOL VI NO 2.
Dr Varsha Shah
'Mag-m
Female - aged 61 yrs, married for 35 yrs
Chief Complaints
1] Pain in the knee joints, swelling ++ since last 10-12 yrs
Pain < on standing, < eating, < worries, < working in water, > tensions, > Hot fomentation
> Rest
2] Oozing of blood from nipple, for which frozen section biopsy was done.
Histopathology Report - non-malignant Papillomatous growth.
3] Pain in calf muscles with sever cramps. Cannot stand. Nodular swelling in varicose veins.
4] Sudden giddiness and black-outs, often falls down even in bathroom. At times has hurt herself. Soon after marriage after 1 yr, she delivered her first son. Increased work pressure at home. Mother-in-law and sister-in-law used to torture her. She was not allowed to sleep with her husband. After sometime she was not allowed to breast feed her son because work would suffer.
Physical Generals
Hot CH4
Feels excessively hot and wants full fan. Does not like to cover. Bath, tepid water excessive perspiration;
APPETITE - average; DESIRES- spicy, salt++; STOOL - tendency for constipation. URINE - occasional burning.
P/N/O MENSES: excess, clots ++ used to stain linen.
Mind : In childhood she used to feel that her elder brother was given more importance. Elder brother used to dominate her. She could not speak about her desires to her parents. She used to take utmost care of her younger siblings. Mother used to beat all her children. After marriage she was dominated by MIL and SIL. Previously, she could not speak a word, now after so many years of suffering, speaks back, but then repents. Now at times becomes excessively irritable, at times stubborn.
Investigations : Hb -11.5 gms
RA Test negative
ESR - 25 mm of Hg
EEG -Shows epileptic pattern
Blood sugar - normal
ECG - shows a minor degree of Ischemic changes.
Examination
BP: 130/90
O/E swelling of both knee joints, tenderness++, Varicose veins++. Multiple brown warts on abdomen.
Family History : Husband: 62 yrs. Son 1: 33 yrs. Son 2: 28 yrs
Mother: expired old age, rheumatoid arthritis with contractures. TB
Father: expired at age 54, sudden Myocardial Infarction
Brother1: 64 years alive chronic amoebiasis
Brother2: 55 years alive, suffers from diabetes and bronchial asthma
Brother3: 52 years alive, no major illness
Sister: 53 Rheumatoid Arthritis
Past History : Child hood: had recurrent cold and cough, measles, chickenpox and also boils and eczematous skin eruptions++
Understanding Of The Case
Hot patient
FUNDAMENTAL MIASMS - Tubercular
DOMINANT MIASMS - Sycotic
1] Suppressions: emotions, sexual desires
2] Rejection or neglected feeling in childhood
3] Sensitivity++
4] Somatisation: spasms, pains, epileptic seizures
Considering the evolutionary aspects, life situation, physical generals, and degenerative changes at the level of knee joints and mental conditions, the remedy selected was....Mag-mur 200
To start with it was given daily at bedtime.
Slowly her anti-epileptic drug was reduced, she was on Epilex 1 tab TDS.
1] Acute totality. For joints pain in knee joints, Crepitus+ < movement, > rest, > warm application associated with cramps in calf muscles.
Mag-phos 200 every 4 hrly was given.
2] For acute severe bronchitis cough, cold with lower respiratory tract.
O/E: chest congestion++, Hot++, Ronchi++, Crepts lower base. Patient unable to cough easily. Antim tart 200 4 hrly.
Patient's treatment was continued for 4-5 months regularly.
Mag-mur 200 in infrequent doses, potency raised gradually to 10M 1 HS
Intercurrent antisycotic given was Med 1M [but after Med 1M [1], she had skin eruptions. Placebo given and observed, but the irritation continued.
Skin burning++, itching severe++ > cold, few doses of Calc sulph 30 4 hrly for 2 days helped her.
At times pains and cramps in varicose veins were very severe, unable to stand. Considering acute severity Vipera 200 was given, very few doses.
After the treatment, there was no oozing of blood from the breast. Normal mammography report, with overall general improvement. The anti-epileptic drugs were reduced. She is still under observation. It was not easy to change patient's situation. This was the optimum cure achieved within the situation.
