Werkboek Klassieke Homeopathie

By Joy Lucas RSHom.

Male, 49, presented with typical symptoms of M.E. + a host of other physical symptoms. Appearance and observations = tall, thin, slightly greying hair, extremely quietly spoken, smart casual dressed.

Everything started 6 months previous.

Spoke first about his sinus problems - dull ache, << cold and damp, << root of nose, < mornings, talking, < left side,

Also mouth problems = gums receding and teeth sensitive, metallic taste, H/O mouth ulcers and vesicles in mouth (inside of cheeks).

Gets lots of swollen glands, feels ill, tired and weak most of the time.

Feels as if he has a hernia developing - abdomen feels hard and distended, has dyspepsia after eating, > not eating meat, bowels generally normal.

Also prostatitis which began in 1989, some burning, sharp pain sometimes, had UTI in 1975 with a lot of itching around genitals, no discharge, H/O a/b, DX with enlarged prostate.

Memory is bad all the time, feels confused and numb, so tired NBWS shingles after death of father 5 years earlier, there was a lot of grief (he wept at this point), then his mother died, he caught everything going - minor things but a slow decline.

On careful questioning the problems actually started much earlier.
As a child he was always "thumped", became frightened of people, very timid and had no confidence, felt physically weak even then.

Tried to hide all his symptoms, frightened about what people might think "they mustn't find out".

Hasn't worked for a long time, got too tired to cope with it all, <<< stress of any kind, weak on all levels, he was in a no win situation and told he was no good at his job, "I was kicked from behind and squashed from above", realised he just couldn't do the job, felt lonely, can't make decisions "assume I will be wrong", can't take responsibility, feels lost, drinks to keep going (could be addictive).

Calls himself a perfectionist, fussy over things "things have to be right, look right".
"I don't allow myself to make mistakes".

Gets tired with too much information, can't process - short span, never coped well with pressure.
"I have no social graces, I am shy and really introverted", behaves to suit others.

Has no temper??? fears it could get out of hand, father had a violent temper.

At this point I let the conversation rest and while I was writing some notes I looked to find he had his head in his hands and was looking at me from behind his fingers - this happened twice more throughout the case taking.

Appetite not good, no real desires or aversions, + coffee, cheese, salt.
Used to be a heavy smoker, has now given up.

Sleeps a lot because he is always tired but it is not quality sleep, can't remember dreams.

H/O warts, many years ago mainly on fingers gets cysts on ear lobes which sometimes get infected with yellow discharge.

I prescribed BARYTA CARBONICUM.

One week later he phones to tell me about a skin eruption, left armpit, he has had this before, it appears to be travelling down his arm.
After taking the remedy he slept for 2 days, "felt dreadful, wasn't sure if I was ever going to wake up" His wife told him he had been talking a lot in his sleep.

Another week and he phones to say the eruption is now round his ankles, prickly and very itchy but he can tolerate it.
Still very tired but has taken to reading a lot while he is resting.
Since the remedy he wakes early in the morning 5 am.
Feels on edge and nervy because the numbness has gone.
"I feel as if I have been taken apart and not quite put back properly."

Follow up:

He had promised to phone me in 2 weeks (or before if necessary) but it was 2 months later when he phoned for an appointment.
He had been on holiday and had a good time but had a badly infected throat, lived on liquids for 3 days.
There was no holding on head in hands and he was speaking with much more confidence and louder.
The skin eruption had disappeared without trouble.
The only current symptom was a discharge from the nose in the morning, thick and yellow.
He had also applied for a job and was awaiting interview date.

He now phones occasionally to let me know how he is getting on.

Analysis:

As I was taking this person's case I began thinking about Lyc.
Tall, thin, early grey hair, intelligent, very timid (cowardly, couldn't stand up for himself), conscientious, hernia etc.
But the moment I saw him with his head in his hands and was peeping at me behind his fingers the remedy fell into place.

With this peeping and the theme of being "kicked from behind and from above" and being thumped comes the idea of being, what the Materia Medicas call, 'dwarfed' - not my word but it serves the purpose of being 'reduced' until there is no self worth left.
We know very well that Baryta Carbonicum has a marked influence on the GROWTH of children.

Anyway, the picture of Baryta Carbonicum:- Dull and apathetic, enlarged glands especially tonsils, cervical and prostate.
There is extreme weariness and a constant inclination to sit down.
Sense of stiffness and numbness.
Always getting colds with swollen tonsils.

There is a sensation of being forced through a space (birth canal?) or, in this case, this person was being forced through a workplace and job he was told he couldn't do - no space to expand or grow.

They are very timid and cowardly ( a child will often refuse to speak at all).
They have bad memories, become mistrustful of people because they believe they are making fun of them and laughing at them behind their backs.
"Hides behind furniture and keeps the hands over the face, peeping out through the fingers" (Phatak).

Glands around the ears painful, eruptions on lobes of ears.
Discharge of thick yellow mucous from nose (had this after taking the remedy).
Vesicles and ulcers in mouth especially inside of cheek and on tip of the tongue - even the mouth feels numb.
Hungry but refuses food, emaciates, sore spots in stomach, dyspepsia, averse to sweet things and fruit.
Abdomen hard and tense (he thought he had a hernia).

Lots of feelings of numbness - no feelings? part of the reduction?

Warts on the skin.
Talks in sleep (interesting that he did this after taking the remedy).

<< cold and damp >> when alone.

This is a brief picture pertaining to the case, there are obviously many other aspects to this remedy.