Minutus

Hi,

I'm working on a case of adult acne - with nothing! Spots are mainly
on forehead and cheeks, some on neck. Mainly very small raised red
dots, on neck they are more pronounced. Also has hair loss.

Personality - very up-tight, not relaxed. She has to be careful what
she eats as she's sensitive to a lot of foods. She's very "rigid".

She didn't have acne at all in her teens, it only appeared in her
early 20s - she's now in her mid 20s. The hair loss started in her
late teens, around the same time as she started working in a heavy
duty job with life and death responsibility. The acne appeared when
she started another job where the level of responsibility was even
greater.

Very reserved, almost formal, but with a sense that she would like to
be more relaxed. She says she's very irritable. Dark hair, thin,
slightly sallow skin.

Initial remedies given: Mag-C, Nat-M, and most recent is Bamb-a. The
last remedy related to this heavy responsibility (Aurum was to be next
in line here), and also the patient suffers from painful stiffness in
neck and shoulders.

All the remedies seem to help a little - but then nothing.
Improvement and relapse seem to follow a 2-week cycle, unrelated
almost to when remedies are given. All the remedies, but especially
the Bamb-a, have helped with mood and irritability. The Bamb-a has
helped with the neck and shoulders.

In the meantime I've asked the px to stop all remedies and start a
journal, noting for a month when the acne goes and when it reappears,
to see if it's tying into the menstrual cycle.

I can see maybe Carc, Nux-V, Aurum, Nit-Ac in the case, but would be
interested in more suggestions (or more grounds for giving the
remedies I've mentioned!)

Any suggestions welcome!
Vera

--
------------------------------------
Vera Resnick RCHom
Classical Homeopath
Alternative Medicine
054-4640736
e-mail: vera.homeopath@gmail.com
www.freewebs.com/verahomeopath

Hi Vera,

FWIW, here are some questions I'd pursue--below:
Was she like this even as a child, and if not, when and why did she
become that way? (And I always like to find out what I can about them
as a child, in case their present state is just another facet of the
same remedy, or at least might give clues as to what came next.)

What things is she susceptible / reactive to? E.g. is she troubled by
others' problems, or do they just make her feel irritable (and ditto re
how long this has been so)?

What things make her feel better / worse, more tense or more relaxed,
happier or whatever? Company / solitude; distraction / being left to
focus; any particular activities, circumstances, places?

Any memories or events that she feels are significant, esp. (but not
only) if she feels they may shed light on her current state?
What sorts of reactions, and what foods?
How does she feel about the responsibility, the job, and her role--does
she feel comfortable with the responsibility? I'm guessing not, from
the hair loss and breakout. ?

(Is sepia possible?)

Maybe also to track dreams, if she has any, and any other changes, how
she feels, in case it brings out other things that in any
respect? See if she'll talk about best / worst times, what she'd love
to be doing with her life and what things she feels are standing in
her way? If she's reserved but would like to be less so, I wonder if
in the past she *was* less so?

Shannon

Hi Vera
If remedies aren't holding then how about considering which miasmatic influence/s may be blocking her progress & giving the appropriate nosode?
Hope this helps
Sue

Any chance this might be over stressed adrenals/thyroid related?

Hi Vera,
Since you chose remedies base on the full case (and not all was presented here of course), and since those remedies did not have the action you wished to see, perhaps this is a time to consider sulphur??? Particularly in complex 'modern life' cases where skin issues are the primary presentin symptom, I have seen the oldest polycrest remedies work wonders to 'open' the case and clear the way.

I agree with your encouragement of the jounal - but would look for more than hormonal cycle, and look at food and weather as potential maintaining causes.

Donna

D C Rona, PhD, ND, DHM
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--- In minutus@yahoogroups.com, Vera Resnick wrote:

Thanks for all input.

There may be vaccine issues - have to check that one.

Using a nosode or sulphur is something I was wondering about - I don't
feel I have quite enough to base a nosode choice on, and although I
know Sulph is given in this way, she doesn't seem to have anything
about her that reminds of the remedy.

We've checked food/weather and adrenals/thyroid - doesn't seem to be
the issue. I felt if I could see a clear periodicity in the case with
or without hormonal connection that would give something more tangible
to work with.

I find it's always difficult with very reserved people in that they
need more patience in the beginning. Once I get enough information to
give even a partially fitting remedy, then they open up and I can give
something much more precise, but the beginning is often stop-start.

Causticum has been suggested, and there is something of a "fix the
world" tendency. I think also although she herself is very closed,
she's easily affected by others.

Vera

Closed but easily affected by others--sounds like one of the remedies
with "boundary issues"? E.g. phos (which doesn't especially leap to
mind from your description), sepia, carc, magnesiums, and ?

Any information on what she was like as a kid, or at least before
beginning the first of the jobs that affected her so? (And what led
her to take on such difficult jobs?)

Shannon