| This case is from a Thyroid Research Project and
were presented in the Indian journal of Homoeopathic Medicine Vol
No-28 Issue No.3 & 4. These cases have been scientifically explained
and demonstrates the effectiveness of homoeopathic medicines in
these " incurable autoimmune diseases ", when the similimum
is identified and basic miasmatic concepts are applied.
CASE
NAME : Mrs. AJS
Age : 36 yrs.
Qualification : B.E. (1979) M.E. (1981)
Father : B. Sc. (Physics), Statistical Officer suffering from D.M.,
Ca. Mandible
Mother : B. A. Housewife
Siblings : 4 Sisters :- 37 yrs. (M.Sc.), 26 yrs. (B Pharm.), 21
yrs expired 1983, 24 yrs.
Married : August 1983
Husband : M. Tech., Consultancy
Chief Complaint :
Spine - Severe pains
Since 8 mths. Weight loss ( 4 Kgs. In 2 mths.)
Routine investigations and Thyroid Hormones : N.A.D.
Treated with Calcium supplements.
Thyroid Swelling on face
June 1993 Change of voice
Since 6 mths. Weight gain 6 kgs. Over last 4 months.
On repeat investigations diagnosed as having hypothyroidism. She
Was put on T. Eltroxin 2 O.D.
T.S.H.= More than 60
Antithyroid antibody Titre : Positive 1 :400
Associated Complaints :
Sinusitis Pain > Steam Inhalations
Since 5 yrs. Nose block
Patient as a person :
Cr./Av.: Nothing particular
Perspiration : Moderate, No stains
Offensive recently
Menses : Regular. Dark red
Stains indelible since the beginning
Thermal State : sun : <papules on skin
Fan ; <Heaviness of Head, Stiffness
of hand
Covering : Only in winter, 2 sheets
Bath : Hot in all seasons
C3H2
Sleep : Normal
Dreams : Occasional, frightful, used to
scream in sleep before. Robbers, Examination.
Life Space :
The patient is from a well-educated family of Baroda. She is the
second of five sisters. Her father had a transferable job but her
mother remained in Baroda for the children's education. Her father
is a strict disciplinarian, and wants things done on time and perfectly.
Her mother is very calm and quiet. The patient used to have tiffs
with her elder sister but would eventually let go of things. Overall
the family environment was protective and they shared healthy relationships
with each other.
The patient decided to do Engineering against her parent's wishes
as they wanted her to be a Doctor. She did appear for an open medical
entrance exam, she was still fascinated by her maternal uncles who
were engineers. In school she used to take part in extra-curricular
activities like games, dancing, debates, etc. She did not have
any anticipatory anxiety before going on stage. Before exams, she
would rarely get nervous, even if they were told that the correction
was going to be strict. In college she confined herself to academics
only. She stood 3rd in B.E. and 1st in M.E.
When the patient was in her final year B.E. her third sister developed
Intususception. Though she was operated upon immediately she did
not survive. The surgeon later confessed that he had not given
her prophylactic antibiotics. This was a great shock for the entire
family. They decided against filing a case as they would not gain
anything by it. The patient cried during the interview while describing
this incident.
The patient married in Bombay into a conservative family comprising
of her father-in-law (FIL), mother-in-law (MIL), 1 elder sister-in-law
(SIL) who is a spinster and her husband. Her husband was in service
the first two years, then later started his own consultancy. Her
FIL was trading in steel but retiered five years back. Her MIL is
a very irritable person. They have frequent conflicts, but the
patient prefers to remain quiet to avoid aggravating the situation.
She had initially taken up a job when her in-laws were in America.
When they returned, they did not approve of it. Her husband asked
her to leave the job. She tried to argue about their difference
in attitudes towards her and her SIL , her husband tod her not to
make any comparisons. She resigned her job without further hesitation.
The family makes a lot of demands on her although they have a full
time servant. Her SIL interferes in everything and expects the
patient to do all the work. Her husband supports them and keeps
insulting her. His attachment towards his mother and sister and
his insensitivity towards his wife, leads to serious conflicts between
her husband and wife. Once they even considered separation, but
they later patched up.
The patient described an incident while her husband was away on
tour, when her SIL gave her food mixed with insecticide with the
help of the maid-servant, who later confessed to her. Initially
she did not believe it, but when she was convinced, she told her
husband. They got it tested in a laboratory, which proved positive.
Her husband's eyes were poened. They decided to live separately,
but before that her SIL separated with insinuations of the patient
poisoning her. The patient avoided telling her parents about all
this to avoid hurting them. But when her MIL accused her of poisoning
her SIL in front of her mother, she had to give the whole story
to her innocence. Now her In-laws shift between her's and her SIL's
house. She does her duty towards, them, but her MIL continues to
find fault with her.
A few years ago, her husband was away,when she wanted to take up
a job, but her In-laws refused to let her go for the interview.
She wrote to her husband complaining about this, asking him why
he married a qualified woman when he only wanted a housewife. Her
husband wrote to his parents to let her do what she wants. She
then took up a job as a lecturer in an Engineering College. Her
husband is more supportive now and helps her in the house-work whenever
required, though he still insults her at times.
Discussion:
Here is a sensitive person who has experienced the tortures of
MIL and SIL along with her husbands insensitivity towards her and
yet she has no bitterness towards them. She has an independent
temperament with an ability to stand firm in adverse circumstances,
and a strong drive which helped her carry on and helped her adapt
to her environment. Although she has paid the price at the physical
level in the form of Autoimmune Thyroiditis, she
has shown a stability at the level of the mind. This clinched the
diagnosis of Silica. At the physical level a) Dreams of robbers
b) Menses: Stains fast, supported the diagnosis of Silica. If we
examine the sequence of events, we observe a wounded psyche.
----------->
Followed by backache and weight loss
----------------->
Breakdown with Autoimmune Thyroid disease,
Manifesting in a hypothyroid state. This
would indicate a Tubercular Miasm.
Susceptibility : Moderate
Similarity : Total
Sensitivity : Moderate
Structural changes : Moderate hypothyroid state
Miasm : Tubercular
With this understanding, treatment was started with the 200 potency.
FOLLOW UP TREATMENT:
|
Date |
Backache |
Weakness |
Face Swelling |
Pulse |
Other Symptoms |
Treatment |
|
1/7/92 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Sil.
200 III H.S. |
|
8/7/92 |
> |
> |
> |
100/48 |
|
Sil.
200 III H.S. Eltroxin stopped |
|
15/7/92 |
> |
0 |
> |
100/48 |
|
Sil.
200 III H.S. |
|
22/7/92 |
> |
0 |
> |
|
|
Sil.
200 H.S x 7d |
|
29/7/92 |
|
0 |
> |
|
|
Sil.
200 H.S. x 7d |
|
5/8/92 |
> |
< |
> |
|
Mind- relaxed |
Sil.
200 H.S. x 7d |
|
14/8/92 |
< |
< |
> |
|
Hdk
4d; cough ++; thirst inc; chilly |
Ars
Alb 30; Tds x5d |
|
19/8/92 |
> |
> |
> |
100/46.5 |
|
Sil.
200 H.S. x 7d |
|
26/8/92 |
SQ |
SQ |
> |
TSH 0.5 |
|
Sil.
200 II H.S. |
|
9/9/92 |
> |
> |
> |
|
|
Placebo |
|
23/9/92 |
> |
> |
> |
|
Face: Papules-scars |
Sil.
200 II H.S. |
|
7/10/92 |
> |
> |
> |
>+ |
> |
Sil.
200 II H.S. |
|
21/10/92 |
> |
> |
> |
86/46.6 |
Emotional+ Cries on
seeing sad movies |
Sil.
200 III H.S. |
|
4/11/92 |
> |
> |
> |
80/46.5 |
|
Sil.
200 III H.S. |
|
11/11/92 |
> |
> |
> |
86/46.5 |
|
Placebo |
|
2/12/92 |
> |
> |
> |
100/47.5 |
|
Placebo |
|
9/12/92 |
> |
> |
> |
100/47.5 |
|
Placebo |
|
16/12/92 |
> |
> |
> |
100/47.5 |
|
Sil.
200 I H.S. |
|
23/12/92 |
> |
> |
> |
106/47.5 |
|
Sil.
200 I H.S. |
|
6/1/93 |
> |
> |
> |
|
Nausea <morning;
bitter taste in mouth |
Ars
Alb 200; 6 hrly |
|
8/1/93 |
SQ |
SQ |
> |
|
> |
Sil.
200 II H.S. |
|
12/1/93 |
>70 % |
>70 % |
>70 % |
|
|
Sil.
200 III H.S. weekly |
|
11/2/93 |
> |
> |
> |
|
|
Placebo |
|
18/2/93 |
Overall
> |
Sil.
200 H.S. x 8d |
|
4/3/93 |
Overall
> |
Placebo |
Investigation:
Date T T TSH
Antithyroid antibody
7/4/92 168 12.5 -
25/6/92 - >60 +ve 1:400
16/8/92 - 0.5 -
28/10/92 - - 0.5
-ve<1:100
1/2/93 - - 1.8
-
Analysis:
The patient is now asymptomatic euthyroid and the antithyroid antibody
test have became negative. She had presented with a significant
rise in ATA titre and symptoms of thyroid hypofunction. In the
early phase of treatment she had suffered from two acute illnesses.
Let us make some clinico-immuno-pathologic
correlations to have a better appreciation of the state of susceptibility
and posology indicated.
It is necessary to revise briefly the natural evolution of the
disease. A variety of abnormalities in hormone biosynthesis is
seen in patients with Hashimoto's Disease. This can lead to hyper-secretion
of TSH.
First stage: Characterized by the presence of
thyroid hyperfunction. Serum TSH
levels and RIAU are increased. The patient is still eumetabolic,
indicating that the glandular response to compensate for the abnormalities
in hormone biosynthesis.
Second stage: With the passage of time the ability of the thyroid
to respond to TSH decreases. RIAU and Sr. T
concentration progressively approach sub-normal values.
The next step in the evolution of complete thyroid failure is the
development of "sub-clinical hypothyroidism".
Our patients are in the first stage (rather a terminal phase of
this stage) as the T3 and T4 values are normal, TSHis
high but less evidence of hypo-functioning. Thus the susceptibility
is moderate. Through multiple doses it is possible to combat autoimmune
activity faster and restore the balance. One can afford to be aggressive
but with utmost precaution taking care of the sensitivity. One
can then withdraw Eltroxin faster, if the patient is already on it or avoid
it if it has not been started yet.
When the patient presents in the second stage, with significant
autoimmune destruction of the thyroid, one's approach is quite different.
The prodromal phase of the disease gives
us valuable information. In the first case, acute fever with constitutional
symptoms indicates the constitutions' fight to deal with the stress.
Then localization occurs, followed by signs of exhaustion. This
phenomenon has been explained in Henseley's concept of stress. His ideas of
general adaptation syndrome and local adaption
syndrome, if abstracted further and adapted to comprehend the
evolution of chronic disease, would help us handle the state of
susceptibility better, and so satisfy it as desired by Stuart Close,
and thus achieve an Ideal Cure.
Dr. Praful M Barvalia
Shalibhadra Society
148, Hingwala Lane Extention
Near Popular Hotel
Ghatkoper (East)
Mumbai 400 077
Ph: 022 - 2516 5985
022 - 2513 4467
Email: praful@bom3.vsnl.net.in
Website: www.holisticfoundation.org
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