Minutus

My son got a bite(?) last week, and I wonder if it was an infected tic
bite. I would love thoughts and feedback.

Sequence: On June 21 (last Sunday) he came home from a camping trip,
and asked what the Lyme's "target" looks like, and did it look like
(exposing his knee) this? It was a red "target" shape approx 1/2 inch
across, with a white area in the middle. He said the white area was
numb.
reasons that now escape me--I also smeared on a dab of "pitch" (pine
sap, I think), which I'd gotten for use on stings and splinters.
begun kicking myself for doing two things at once, so I didn't know
which had acted, and didn't know whether I was looking at cure,
palliation, or something else!
my toes are numb and it's really annoying! He got another dose of
Ledum, but today the numbness is even a bit stronger.
"target" disappeared--that may or may not be accurate, but it
definitely was *about* the same time.

So, my questions:
- Does this sound like possibly the beginning of Lyme's?

- I am assuming that, since this is very recent onset (a few days),
the correct remedy (and potency) should bring a very quick response,
possibly within the same day. Is there anything about the situation
(or the nature of Lyme's) that might go against that?

Other than the toes, nothing is strikingly different, except that
oddly, maybe he's more cheerful and chatty than has been usual for him.
But that could be just one of the random variations that he's prone to
anyway.

- I've given him (just this morning) a jar of 30c in water, to succuss
and sip a few times during the day, with instructions to let me know
about *any* changes in anything.

Any thoughts? (Other than "don't begin two new things at the same
time" and "don't use topical applications for an internal disease".)

Thanks,
Shannon

hi shannon,
when i had lyme, the bite was in an area not easily seen
by myself. a masseuse noticed a large red area and i
forgot what she said until weeks later when i had severe
nerve pain across my back. the bite was on the rear of the
rib cage. so the pain was in line with the bite.
i took ledum 30c at one point and the red spot enlarged at
least 5x. but i still had ignored it. my after thought was that
the 30c was wrong potency and aggravated. i wish i had gotten
a 200c and 1M potency to take even if it meant waiting a few
days for it to arrive.
tanya

But then what happened? Did the Ledum abort the process, or did it
develop further?

Ledum doesn't = numbness of toes so what else makes you think this rx. Take from him any

sensations (apart from numbness)
location we know but is there any extension
what modalities are there
concomitant sx

Bites and numbness always make me think of Agaricus - can you post a picture?

Joy

http://www.joylucashomeopathy.com
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/homeopathystudy/

i saw the reaction with the ledum and didn't trust what i had.
i then worked with a general constitutional tx. since i had
bell's palsey, someone recommended using astragalus tincture
to help remove the dead matter. i did this while doing
constitutional work until there was no more debris from my
eyes--couple of months i would say.

tanya

Dumb me, I hadn't even checked that--was just going on "bug bites",
"Lyme's" and "numbness of affected parts" (the central area). Tho I
see it is in "numbness of single parts", so possibly not ruled out...

Okay, here's the rest of the little I have:

The numbness is on each big toe, the lower / outer area: "about half
of the lower part, and a third of the upper", circular area. It's a
little stronger on the left, which is the side that got the bite.
touches the area, it feels "weird", sensation very much diminished.
moment he couldn't lift one arm. But a moment later it was normal
again.
me to agree that if it continues to worsen in spite of remedies, I
won't wait too long to take him to the clinic. (I agreed, of course.)

There's the greater-than-usual cheeriness and chattiness, and he's also
eating more than usual (I would say that usually he tends to eat *less*
than I'd expect, so this "more" seems like normalization rather than
excess--for his age, stage, and circumstances.) *Possibly* there's
some "stronger disease displacing a weaker one" going on; or possibly
these are just fluctuations; time will tell, maybe.

I don't see any modalities, except that the numbness has increased a
bit. Otherwise it seems to be constant and steady.

His overall behavior is as usual, except a bit better mood.
(Bringing phos to mind, and that is one in his "constellation", tho not
simillimum.)

I'm looking for the moment at:
Generalities; WOUNDS; BITES; Animals, of poisonous (FACE; SWELLING;
BEE-sting, after)(p, 47, 0) (47)
Extremities; NUMBNESS, INSENSIBILITY; TOES (l, 50, 18-47) (50)
Generalities; NUMBNESS, INSENSIBILITY; PARTS; Affected (l, 115, 0) (115)
Generalities; NUMBNESS, INSENSIBILITY; PARTS; Single (SKIN; NUMBNESS,
INSENSIBILITY; SPOTS, in)(l, 138, 0) (138)
Extremities; NUMBNESS, INSENSIBILITY; TOES; Tips (l, 4, 1-1) (4)

The last one, about tips of toes, I consider iffy; too small, and not
*exactly* on tips, I guess.
affected" and/or "... parts, single" (even tho there are two of them?)

So possibilities at the moment seem to be:
Phos suits the sxs (the few I've identified), but not the presumed
cause
Ledum runs thru everything *except* the "toe" rubrics.
Several others run thru the physical rubrics, but seem opposite his
mentals.
Thuja runs thru all except "tips", and is plausible from his "bigger
picture." (tentatively plausible)

But, this doesn't feel like solid basis for any choice, if not Ledum.
So I figured to begin with Ledum, repeating water dose often enough to
bring about either start of improvement, or else "clarification."

So--
None related
No
None so far
The brief paralysis of the arm? (I have no reason to think that was
imaginary or due to anxiety...?)
Possibly the cheerfulness and chattiness?
Possibly the increased appetite
Haven't seen anything else
Hm, that would go with the cheerful chattiness, I think?
I don't know the subtleties of that remedy.
Unfortunately I didn't get one.
From memory, tho:
kind of cherry-red circle, sort of textured rather than solid
looked like it *might* have been a bit raised, but neither of us
checked.
white in the middle. (middle spot roughly 1/4 the diameter? I think.)

It's not much, but all I have so far.

Thanks,
Shannon

Hi Shannon,

No time to check out bites and stings issues at the moment but a
combintation of numbness and cheerfulness brings Opium to mind - sticks
in my mind from when my daughter used to sprain her ankle while playing
sport, keep playing through the pain, and would become incredibly
cheerful, giving the whole incident a sort of party/celebration
atmosphere.

Gail
--- In minutus@yahoogroups.com, Shannon & Bob Nelson
wrote:
him.

Phos is another known for being cheerful when sick (or I think
injured). Did you give your daughter opium (or any remedy) for those
episodes, and if so what happened? For my guy Opium doesn't really
ring a bell, but we'll see what unfolds. Thanks for the thought!
Shannon

Not a lot to go on. I would concentrate on that numbness and maybe try again to get a modality about what >. Was there any heat with the bite, skin area or feelings of cold. If the picture develops then Ledum would want icy cold water on the affected part. I agree Agar again with the cheeriness and the numbness on the toes you get with chilblains is similar (red keynote with Agar) but maybe with so little to go on give a dose of Hypericum (nerve affections = numbness); bites; also has a kind of excitable nature (don't always see that but it is there).

Let us know more if you need to or want to.

Joy

http://www.joylucashomeopathy.com
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/homeopathystudy/

Yes, I gave her Opium for an acutely sprained ankle when she arrived
home one day hardly able to walk, but with an hilarious story of playing
on the ankle because the team needed her even though the injury happened
in the first 5 minutes of the game, and then proceeded to install her
wounded self on the couch amongst a lot of laughter. Opium has
camaraderie, like soldiers going off to war - they laugh because tragedy
is absurdly comical when you're numbed.

In a strange coincidence, as far as this topic goes, she is a person who
has benefited so much from Ledum since she was little that it must be
close to her constitutional. As a young child she was prone to stick
sort of injuries - quite dramatic accidents - and could find the sting
of a dead bee, waiting for her to stand on, with an unsurpassed skill.
When she got into sports and had regular injuries Arnica was rarely
helpful, but Ledum was amazing. It helped when she was suddenly prone to
aching after a long distance run and had some Ledum sort of emotionals
happening. Ledum has a picture of being part of a team but being
frustrated and feeling like there has been a lack of fairness towards
you from the other team members or coach.

It is interesting to compare why different remedies are cheerful when
sick or injured. Why is Phos cheerful? I can think maybe because of the
attention, maybe putting on a brave face, what do you think are the
dynamics there? And also Joy mentioned Agaricus as being cheerful, what
would underlie that?

Gail

-- In minutus@yahoogroups.com, Shannon & Bob Nelson
wrote:
trip,
like
was
then--for
(pine
had
know
the
days),
response,
situation
prone
know
disease".)