Minutus

Hi Beverly,
You can choose the potency for Med the same way as for any other
remedy--including the clarity of the prescribing picture / how certain
you are (are there any Med keynotes in the case?). I agree with
Barbara that the nature of the complaints seems to give preference to a
high potency, tho.

Is there anything re loves / hates of any foods?
What is his sleep pattern?

And on another note--Looking again at your original post I'm wondering
again about stram (or perhaps another remedy with something of stram's
specific emphasis on fear and violence).

You wrote:
... violent father who has hunted for person wherever they have been -
only to
threaten and swear at patient when found [father needs lyc]
situation--but does it seem that he *perceived* it as such, or did he
take it more as a matter of humiliation, or ?? This line brought to
mind a way-back case of mine, the patient (well, was a cat actually,
but still...) was hunted down and attacked every night by his father
(awesomely nasty old tomcat). Stram turned out to be a lifesaver for
him--so this I think is why stram leapt to my mind on reading your
case--but your patient's situation was different, and I wonder what it
*felt* like to him--did he feel like his life was being threatened, or
not that? The *feeling* of his response to this could--maybe?--help to
choose.]]
danger, or was it a different issue? What did he think the family
members were going to do if they found him?]]

[...]

of stram--tho should also think what other remedies might do this. So
full of fear that he seeks it out... Actually I think Med is also in
that group? And most of what I'm saying about stram maybe applies to
hyos too.]]

need anybody but in reality very lonely. Seems to be them alone
against the world. [[Who's the other, in the reference to "them"??]]
others
time.

others too, incl. I believe hyos.]]

After 1

stram-like state, aurum worked miraculously for her--but only for a
little while. Eventually we worked out that it was Lyssin she needed,
but the state *looked* very convincingly like stram (night terrors,
chronic fearfulness, violent rages [followed by quick remorse]). So
possibly that's another to put in his "maybe" basket, just for a
thought.]]

2 doses of aur given and helped [lack of

perception, or ??
whatever? [[Again maybe that can help choose among the possibilities?
you elaborate on his *feelings* in response to the (perceived and/or
carc, cocc, conv, cupr-acet, falco-p, germ, hell, hyos, ign, lach,
laur, lyc, merc, mit, nat-c, nat-m, nux-v, op, ph-ac, phos, plat, puls,
rhus-t, sep, sil, stram, sulph, verat, viol-o ]]

[...]
definitely the case with my stramonium kitty... Anyway--
No hyos, FWIW.

Helpful to others.
[...]

In case it's of interesting--
Morrison's Desktop Prescriber, Stramonium:
The degree of violence in our culture has made Stramonium an ever
more common remedy, especially in children. We often expect to see very
advanced mental conditions or mania states in Stramonium cases but
there are a great number of patients who can benefit from this remedy
who are perfectly normal mentally. In these early stage cases we will
see only hints of the violence and fear which are common in the later
stages. However all through the pathology we will find tremendous
intensity and energy. Stramonium is also an important remedy in acute
illness with delirium and febrile convulsions.
Violence in action, in thought, in the physical symptoms is the
central fact of Stramonium: violence or the fear of violence.
Stramonium is mainly a remedy of the nervous system. The violence often
seems to be of a neurological type, coming almost as a convulsion.
Epilepsy, strabismus, sleep disturbance, attention deficit disorders,
and even schizophrenia are common manifestations of Stramonium,
pointing towards an underlying fragility and imbalance in the nervous
system and helping to explain the violence of the remedy. It is in this
type of excitement and upheaval of the nervous system that we find the
sphere of action of this remedy. Any neurological insult may provoke a
Stramonium state: fever, alcohol, injury.
In adults, Stramonium patients often present without any
aggressive behavior at all, but rather with intense fears. The fears
almost always have to do with violence or death or with things which
symbolize death (darkness, cemeteries) or violence (animals).
Often we will find true mania cases in Stramonium, these patients
can be frighteningly violent. Stramonium mania can even lead to
homicidal rages. This remedy is able to cure patients with tremendously
advanced mental conditions.

The Stramonium child is often placid in the office showing little
or none of the violence described by the parent. Sometimes the child
becomes dreamy or drowsy as the parent describes the problems. The
troubles often begin after a strong fright such as a car accident, a
sexual abuse, the witnessing of an act of violence in the environment,
or after a neurological insult such as meningitis or encephalitis. The
precipitating event is often followed by nightmares or terrible
night-terrors and eventually the development of rages. The rage in
Stramonium is uncontrolled and impulsive - that is, without malicious
forethought. It comes in an outburst, almost as a convulsion or
neurological discharge. It would be unusual for a Stramonium case to
develop such a violence without equally strong fears. Remember that the
parents may for various reasons be reticent about explaining the full
degree of pathology in such a child.

Mind.

of any type - biting, striking, strangling,
etc.
with red face, dilated pupils, superhuman strength.
- especially violent death or murder.
- sleep with a light, goes into the parents bed.
- especially getting the head in water, even a
shower, and of running water.
- especially at night or in the dark.
. Dogs. Mirrors, reflecting objects. Disease.
Ghost. Injury. Insanity. Suffocation. Claustrophobia. Agoraphobia.
- especially violent things or where
death may have been narrowly averted.
: the child shrieks out and sits up, he is filled
with terror but not really awakened, makes no contact with the parents
or may think his parents are trying to hurt him not comfort him,
recognizes no one, has no memory of the event when truly awake.
Jealousy.
Loquacity.
Cursing.
Laughter, loud and cruel or wild.
Hyperactive children. Behavior disorders.
; the patient may show the most excruciating effort
in order to speak and the word finally comes explosively.

General.
often violent.

Sunstroke.
Neurological disorder from head injury, vaccination, fright,
meningitis.
Chorea, athetosis, jerks of muscles or whole limb, tics, gestures.
Unrefreshed sleep.
Combined Symptoms
Any two of these fears: Dark. Death. Being alone. Animals. Water.
TEMPER PROBLEMS AND FEARS OR NIGHTMARES.
CONVULSIONS AND FEARS.

Head.

Head injury.
Severe headaches, worse sun. Head jerks during headache.
Grimacing. Tics. Twitches. Bruxism.
Meningitis, encephalitis, or complaints arising from these
disorders.
Tongue dry and cracked.
Hirsutism.
Fearful expression in eyes or face.
Diplopia. Pupils dilated.

Gastro-intestinal.

Offensive diarrhea.
Violent hiccoughing.
Thirst increased.

Urinary and Sexual Organs.
, aggressive, vulgar language,
promiscuous.
Masturbation.
Patients with history of incest or any type of frightening sexual
abuse.
Constant touching of the genitals.
Enuresis, especially after a fright.
Metrorrhagia.

Chest.
Angina. Arrhythmia.
Chronic cough and bronchitis. Spasmodic asthma.

Extremities.
Left hip pain or abscess.

Skin.
Abscess.

Clinical.
Abscess. Angina. Arrhythmia. Asthma. Behavior disorder. Cerebral
accidents. Chorea. Delirium. Diarrhea. Enuresis. Febrile convulsion.
Head injury. Headache. Hirsutism. Hyperactive children. Mania.
Manic-depression. Meningitis. Metrorrhagia. Night-terrors. Phobic
disorder. Strabismus. Schizophrenia. Seizure disorder. Sexual
disorders. Stammering.

Relationship.
Comparisons.
Hyos - Mania, sexual expression, loquacity, violence and anger,
cursing, convulsion.
Bell - Febrile convulsions. Anger and mania, fear dogs, dilated
pupils, increased strength in mania or delirium.
Verat. Cupr. Lach. Anac. Med. Kali-Br.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I'm wondering about the toes. Since that's the presenting complaint, and it
seems very painful indeed, this needs to be right up front in your case
analysis.

If I understood correctly, the pain started when they burned the nail bed
with acid and he felt that pain because of anesthetic failure?

The essence of that sequence is an ongoing reaction to a past injury --
almost a repetition compulsion, in a way, although it's not necessarily only
mental/ emotional. The cutaneous nerves were injured and the nerve pathway
hasn't shut down. Relating this to his past reactions to other traumas
might give you an essence on which to prescribe accurately.

Looking back on your description, there is some evidence of fixed ideas,
tormenting thoughts.

Answers that might help parse out the core issue in the case:

-- What does the deep breathing do for him?

-- What's really going on when he puts himself in the way of danger?
(suicidal? unawareness? self-loathing? delusions of immortality? Lots of
interesting possibilities.

In any case, while you're waiting to analyze these deeper issues and find a
global remedy, would it be worth trying Allium-cepa, as the remedy for
persistent pain after nerve injury?

I also wonder, as he's vegetarian, if he might not be deficient in B12. A
deficiency of that can produce some pretty horribly painful neuropathies in
the foot, starting with the toes!! You could find out easily enough by
having him dissolve a 1000mcg lozenge of B12 sublingually daily for 2-4
weeks. If there's any B12 deficiency involved in the foot pain, he'll
notice a difference within that time period. He can taper off to 1 tablet a
week once he's done the experiment, and that amount would keep him "topped
up" with the B12 once any deficiency has been eliminated.

Rosemary