Tiredness, Depression, Agoraphobia, IBS, Tremors, Food Intolerances, Hot Flushes & Homeopathy

A case study from Helen Campbell MacDonald concerning a female aged 60:

This lady consulted me with the following symptoms of priority concern:

• Tiredness and depression
• Agoraphobia
• Irritable bowel, abdominal bloating, diarrhoea
• Tremors
• Food intolerances
• Post-menopausal hot flushes
• Recurring thrush

For the first 11 years of her life this patient had penicillin every winter for earache. She dates the onset of panic attacks and tremors to her mid-teens. At the age of 50 she was put on antidepressant medication along with HRT.

At 53 she had to look after her father who was seriously ill; following this episode she had constant diarrhoea for 3 weeks. She was unable to eat, with excruciating abdominal pain. This was treated with steroids followed by the anti-motility drug Codeine phosphate. She developed IBS, suspected food allergy, and eczema of the ears. DH stopped HRT at age 59, but continued with a daily regime of Codeine, anti-depressant and beta-blocker medication.

With homeopathic prescribing the focus is on symptoms that are characteristic of the individual and not just those that typify a disease. In DH’s case I noted that she had a fear of drinking water; she would wake at 3a.m. and had dreams of death. She hated being observed and was fearful of going out. She loved cheese and ice-cream, although these gave her instant diarrhoea. I selected the remedy Calcarea carbonica because it closely matched the ‘picture’ DH presented.

Sometimes it is appropriate to strengthen weak organs before giving a potentised homeopathic remedy. For example with chronic Candida, liver damage is often an underlying factor; if there are signs of weakness I would give herbal tinctures, such as Carduus marianus, to detoxify and support. In DH’s case with the mental/emotional symptoms so prominent I prescribed Calc. carb. in a very diluted form - gentle but deep acting.

In the following week DH noticed she had more energy than usual. She had occasional pain in her abdomen and started to feel slightly constipated. She visited her G.P. who was happy for her to reduce her anti-depressant drugs over the next 10 weeks. I supplied Avena sativa tincture to support her nervous system through drug withdrawal; psyllium husks for bowel movement; and a good quality probiotic. (I use kinesiology to determine which supplements will work best in each particular case, and to identify food intolerances and environmental allergens.) With DH some homeopathic desensitisation remedies were used (e.g. wheat in potency). That she was concurrently taking the beta-blocker, a drug known to increase sensitivity to allergens, was an added complication which slowed progress.

Within 6 months DH had stopped the anti-depressant completely and was reducing the beta-blocker gradually. For a period she was able to stop the codeine and noticed that her eczema cleared up. However in the first year of treatment there were many ups and downs. Anxieties about family members could trigger a bout of diarrhoea and the codeine was used again to control the bowels as ‘it worked faster’ than homeopathic remedies; the eczema would recur.

When a patient has a complex of symptoms, it usually requires prescribing a series of remedies in order to work through the different layers of disturbance. DH was given higher potencies of Calc Carb. until a change in symptoms pointed to a new remedy. The following were particularly effective:

• The bowel nosode Gaertner to deal with abdominal bloating; absorption problems, diarrhoea, gluten sensitivity etc.
• Candida as a potentised remedy to reduce the incidence of thrush
• Natrum phosphoricum a ‘tissue salt’ to neutralise acidity in the body
• Secretin in potency to stimulate digestive enzymes and heal leaky gut
• Sepia to bring hormones into balance

During the first year of treatment DH lost her anxiety about leaving the house. Tremors and breathlessness improved significantly. She can now drink water, and depression and hot flushes are a thing of the past. IBS has improved by 80%. She knows that emotional upsets with family members are still likely to provoke abdominal or bowel symptoms, so her personal development is geared to changing how she reacts to problem situations, and learning how to let go of negative feelings.

Helen Campbell MacDonald Homeopath, West Wickham, Kent, UK | Helen's Web Site

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