Minutus

From: Dr. R. Swift [mailto:drswift@therightremedy.com]
Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 3:03 PM
To: Minutus@Yahoogroups.Com
Subject: need help with a homeopath's case
I am looking for assistance on the case of a fellow homeopath. He has been
to a number of homeopaths (from famous to not so famous) over the past
decade without any results. He has had well over 30 remedies from small to
large, proved to unproved.

Patient is a 41 year old male, 5'7" tall, medium build, brown full head of
hair, looks younger than his age, strict vegetarian past few years. When
sitting or standing, usually some part of body moving and almost always
leaning, reclining, etc.

Married 8 yrs, 2 small children. Speaks rapidly.

Following are the emailed case notes as I have them from him. I realize they
are not well organized as they are from several emails and case takings. I
have tried to delete redundant information. He prefers to remain anonymous,
as you would expect (that theme runs through the case). His notes are
between the ******

*************************************
As a child was overweight, short. Walked early, did not crawl.
· Hair- Fine but abundant. Wavy, several cow licks, esp. Vertex and frontal
area. Tends to oily.
Will- I think I am strong willed in areas to which I am committed. If I were
weak willed, I would have given up on Homeopathy as a practitioner and
patient a long time ago. Although, I do tend to get excited about new
ideas/projects and don’t usually follow through but those to which I am
committed, I don’t give up that quickly. I am not driven to succeed and at
times I think I could use more ambition. I can be dictatorial when I think I
am in the right, although relatively easily intimidated by those I view as
superior even though intellectually I realize they are not. Courageous,
perhaps, in some ways e.g. changing careers because I felt it was the right
thing to do but not courageous in others particularly in face of physical
danger. obstinate for example will suffer through headaches without taking
anything to suppress pain.
· Morals- I think I have strong morals. Even as a young man I felt it was
improper to have casual sexual relationships. Became religious 7 or 8 years
ago

· Intellect- I think I am intelligent and intellectual. I enjoy gaining
knowledge. I was advanced compared to my peers as a child. I tend to see
everything from intellectual perspective.
· Sensitive- To light, sound, odors, motion (esp. circular), touching COLD
things, criticism, embarrassment, contradiction when I believe I am right,
people telling me one thing but doing another results in feeling of being
“stabbed in the back” or being made the fool. I can’t tolerate being laughed
at either especially by “inferiors”. Others thinking they have outsmarted
me.

· Expression - tend to be aggressive, harsh (towards wife, children,
mostly) - perhaps to cover a sense of weakness. Difficult to be “warm”. Don’
t like to be touched/hugged (except for my children). Generally an
introvert.
· Speed/speech - speech is rapid, mostly fast paced. Impatient. Can be
loquacious when topics are those I enjoy. Can be silent when in group
settings where I don’t know the people present.

· Thermals - Sensitive to cold in general yet sun/overheating can lead to
headaches,

· sensitive to dairy products

· Aggravation - HA agg by light, sound. HA often come on during sleep as do
some other symptoms such as stiff back. Periodicity to many symptoms esp.
HA, urticaria which I had years ago.
Desires - desires are not really strong but strongest for sweets, sour

Generally, skin tends to be dry but when anxious, can perspire on hands,
feet, axillae profusely.

problems with eyes. right and left don't seem to work together. when tired,
especially, feel as if vision is switching back and forth between them.

A lot of anxiety about "committing a crime" and getting caught by police,
etc. yet I do things that could potentially get me in trouble such as
treating people with homeopathy. At times, feel I could become susceptible
to panic attacks.

Not neat or well organized.

Very discouraged with homeopathy as practitioner and patient. Trying to keep
persevering. It has been 10 years as both practitioner and patient (over 40
remedies!), neither with great results. Don't feel I will ever get good at
it.

Not social, like to be at home. Like to be private.

History of traumas:
· Injured both ankles and knees and left shoulder in sports. Also, in
martial arts about 20 years ago, was kicked in groin.

· Never broke any bone.

Main complaint: Recurring headaches
other complaints: Pain in Right Testicle extending into abdomen -
intermittent;
recurring pains in both knees; pains in some other joints (some fingers,
left wrist); irritability, fatigue

Concomitants:
Headaches: When severe, often have HEAT/chills, nausea/vomiting (if very
severe), pain in rib cartilage about rib 6 or 7 on left side; offensive (my
wife says "fishy")' breath; strong body odor (it bothers me, too); lack of
ability to work even when headache is not very intense; sensitive to light;
desire to lie down; face pale; eyes may be injected; difficulty focusing
eyes;

History
Headaches: I think they started in 1985 or 86. I was working for another
practitioner. Didn't really like the job. Wasn't very happy about career
choice. Was not well paid and had difficulty getting paid for everything I
did without having to prove I wasn't trying to cheat my boss. HA’s Became
VERY regular - every Wednesday and Saturday which were the days I was
working at this job. Would come on early morning in sleep and intensify.
Early on, I was taking pain killers. As I have worked with diet changes,
then eventually homeopathy, the pattern changed. For a long time, would be
once per week on the same day. Currently, not as exactly periodic and can
come on at other times of day. Recently, I have found certain things to
trigger a headache. Chocolate, physical exertion, heat/sun especially if I
cool down quickly, eye strain are the major ones although it seems anything
that disturbs my system physically such as a cold/flu will end up with a
headache.
Emotional History: This has been rather difficult. For most of my life, I
think I have been more intellectual than emotional and rather suppressed
emotionally. Even my decision to become religious was one of logic, not
emotion. One of my earliest memories comes from age 4 or 5. I remember not
being able to tell my parents I loved them because I did not understand what
love was. Eventually, I decided intellectually that I did love them but it
was not from feeling it. I think that I feel that giving oneself over to
another emotionally gives them power over me or at least allows them to feel
they are above me and weakens me. Difficulty apologizing for same reason. I
still have a difficulty feeling deep emotions except towards my two
children. As a child, I was very much outside my peer group, not liked and
often teased. I first remember this also at about 4 or 5 yrs old. when I was
teased about a costume I was wearing for a masquerade day at school. I
Remember crying on the school bus and being very humiliated. I had quite a
number of episodes of being humiliated by peers and more often by TEACHERS
at school. As I got older, I didn't show it as much and learned to "strike
first". So I became very sarcastic especially towards myself to beat others
to it. This was my defense. I had very few friends I could trust. The few I
had usually would turn on me if there was something better to do. This
pattern continued until I was in my twenties and got into graduate school.
There, I was more respected and liked. But I continued to be funny and
appeared happy to others. However, when home at night, I was very unhappy. I
had very little social life or skills. I dated one of the women in class. I
was 21 years old and it was the first time I had any type of relationship. I
knew it was a mistake because of our cultural/religious differences. I broke
it up after a few weeks. Yet I was quite depressed when she started dating
someone else. I remember at that time deciding I was not going to continue
putting on a "Happy face" for everyone else. It was quite upsetting for
others in class to see me "down". I was always the one they counted on to be
happy and keep them from getting down.

I don't recall the anger/irritability before having my own office in 1987. I
was very hard on the people that worked for me. I am also very hard on my
wife and children. (Inferiors?) I get angry easily and smile rarely. I often
get very upset about little things. Even when I don't want to get angry, it
just happens. I do not deal well with inconsistency - when people change
their positions or beliefs without good reason. I think I act more out of
duty than desire. The main thing that keeps me in homeopathy is a desire to
help others yet that seems to come from a sense that it is my duty to do so
if I can. Yet, I am not comfortable being in a position of serious
responsibility alone. I prefer to work with another person to lessen my
feeling of culpability if things don’t go well.

I feel like my profession is simply a mask of professionalism and that
behind it I don't really know what I am doing. Someday it will be revealed.
Other curious medical history.
When I was a teenager, I developed a bad skin problem on my palms
and fingers. Skin would get very thick, hard and split. Only hot water
would ameliorate for a little while. Was very painful and embarrassing.
Would
often keep my hands in my pockets to not be seen. Had cortisone, etc.
Continued to come back intermittently for 12 yrs. or so. Last episode was
around 1991. I think I suppressed it with local applications.

Had several episodes during the 90's of nightly urticarial eruptions. Very
large plaques that would start at 8 or 9 pm and be gone by morning. Would
also appear if skin was hit hard or scratched. These episodes would last
for weeks.

History of many ear infections usually after swimming/bathing and leaving
water in ears.

Received vaccination for rabies in 1982.
History of neck and back pain, stiffness

Used to have bad allergy to cats but only occasionally now.
Dreams:

one of my most common themes in dreams is of doing something wrong
(especially of making a mistake in public) or committing a crime.

used to have dreams of being a soldier and being shot but not feeling pain.
Nature;

critical of myself and others
impatient
difficult for me to say "no" to others when they ask for help.

Others see me as:
some say controlling others say very relaxed and calm.
very intelligent (though I don't usually feel that way)
****************************************

I know this is a long presentation, but under the circumstances I thought it
better to give a thorough background instead of trying to filter it as I
have not had success prescribing for him so far.

thank you

Russell Swift, dvm

Dear Group,
I have recommended Eel's serum, low potency 5x daily to begin with and told
him what it's used for.

Sue

Hi Petsfriend:)),

What remedies has he had (potency, frequency) and has he taken hom. remedies
during headaches?

Sue Muller

Dear Russell, a very interersting case which i would like to work on - can
you give some kind of list of remedies that this person has received.

Best wishes, Joy
_________________________________________________________________
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Joy and Sue,

He has had 40 plus remedies both acutely and chronically. Only noticeable
change was when he had sulfur many years ago and the HA's improved for a few
weeks. Acutely, not much. I just had the list of remedies on my desk the
other day as I was reviewing the case and of course, now I can't find it.
Here's what I remember from the various homeopaths:

sulfur
lyco
psor
nat-m
nat-s
sil
crot-c
lach
merc-acet
atrop
pediculus
gels
bry
bell
ferr
sep
actea spicata
calc
chin
chin-s
carbo-v
ph-ac
valer
nux-v
thuj
ammonium mur
androc
chocolate
ambra grisea
alumen
ruta
hepar
ars
cob
kali-c
kali-bi
rhus-t
staph
ign
ipec

Again, this in not complete and some remedies he was never told the names.

thanks and look forward to your input.

russell swift, dvm

That's excellent. I wouldn't mind giving this case some thought but would
like to say first of all I don't prescribe speculative homeopathy which
means I would be extracting information which is pertinent for
Hahenmannian/Boenninghausen homeopathy. Would this seem reasonable or do you
want a sort of combined approach?

Sue
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Dear Russell, thank you for the list of rx that your client has been
prescribed - phew! what a list.

Anyway here is my offering regarding this case - I have included your case
presentation as a reference for anyone interested.

I think this is clear case of GRAPHITES.

The theme going through GRAPHITES is one of helplessness (like that of a
child) that often stems from childhood and remains unresolved into adult
life. Very often the speech of the adult has a childish tone to it. I note
with interest that one his first ailments occurred in early life - that of
hard skin on the hands (an almost classic keynote of Graphites).

So, GRAPHITES...

Very easily discouraged, great feelings of discouragement and dejection.
Hesitation is a profound aspect - there is always something stopping them
from moving on.
Always fearful of some calamity is about to happen
Great agitation and anxiety.
Anxiety of conscience - anxious as though committed a crime.
Grieves for the future.
Timid disposition.
Irresolute and cautious.
Agitated and restless.
Hurried.
Irritability at trifles.
Despair over trifles.
Discontented with everything.
Laughing at reprimands.
Restlessness whilst sitting at work.
Slowness of purpose.
Dwells on the past.
Easily frightened.
Suspicious - feels others are laughing at him - feels he is being stabbed in
the back.

Periodicity - especially headaches.
Violent headache in the morning - with nausea.
Tension and pressive constriction in the occiput.
Stiffness of the neck - feeling of heavy weight.

Children especially, and adults are usually overweight and chilly.

Extremely sensitive to all impressions - cannot tolerate the smell of
flowers, music makes them weep. This is often why they don't like to become
too emotional about things because of the feelings that are aroused
(especially sexual feelings).

Myopia - confusion of characters on reading.
Aching and pressing pain in the eyes.

Tensions and cramp like pains in the genitals.
Hard thick skin of hands and/or feet. Nails often deformed because of this.
Lots of eruptions on the skin which itch at night.

Stiffness and lack of flexibility of the knees.

Anxious and frightful dreams (dreams of death and fire), drowsy by day,
can't fall asleep at night, agitated at night.

Perspiration sour and offensive - stains yellow - very easy sweat +
nocturnal. (Nearly everything about Graphites is yellow).

I haven't written up a complete picture of this remedy as it can obviously
be read up on in the MM's. Also worth reading Scholten and Sankaran on this
remedy.

I hope this helps,

best wishes, Joy Lucas

Dear Russell,
If he has had nosodes maybe it would be prudent to see if a previous
remedy, such as Lycopodium which I see a lot of in the case , would now act.
Just an idea. Maybe again a nosode to clear a blockage may be required,

Incidentally Ian Watson on one of his tapes suggested that complementary
therapists should go for a different complementary therapy than the one they
work with!!:-)

All the best
Rochelle

www.rochellemarsden.co.uk
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The homeopaths with whom he has worked have been from across the spectrum. I
am not the speculative type myself unless I don't seen anything else.

appreciate any help you can offer

thanks

russell swift, dvm

rochelle,

He has been to acupunturists, chinese herbalists, a variety of chiropractic
modalities, body work, energy workers, radionics practitioners, etc. in the
past 10 yrs.

I will keep in in mind, though.

thanks

russell swift, dvm