| January 2006
A 72 year old female presents with fatigue caused by haemachromotosis
Medications: Zoloft for depression 1/2 tablet daily; Bricanyl
when needed for asthma; Evista for osteoporosis.
System used: HFA system of constitutional prescribing using facial
features.
Appointment 1: 5th January 2006
The patient presents with unmanageable fatigue. She says that
she just cannot get on with anything and is constantly tired. Her
sleep is unrefreshing, but she feels better as the day goes on and
is quite bright by the evening. She feels anxious constantly and
finds that her memory is poor. She finds that she cannot complete
tasks and feels depressed.
I ask her if there is anything in her life that makes her anxious.
She says that she has problems at home with her son who is epileptic
and bi-polar and whose moods are very unpredictable. He can become
aggressive and shout from time to time. On asking her what response
she has to the aggression, she says that she will get an attack
of asthma.
She has suffered with asthma since she was 3 years old. She finds
it hard to breathe in. She says that exams at school would bring
on an attack. She would feel as though she could not breathe in
and then would start gasping. She wheezes all the time and is <
lying down. I ask her what else would prompt an attack. She says
that she would get an attack if a teacher was yelling at her or
at another student. The asthma is also < spring.
She goes to bed at midnight and wakes at 9.00 am feeling exhausted.
She prefers spring and summer, but dislikes humidity.
The patient is a cheerful woman with a motherly countenance and
is a little stout. She says that she loves all food, but has an
aversion to eggplant. She smiles a lot and looks at life in the
most straightforward way. Whilst anxious, she does not appear to
be enveloped by it.
Haemochromotosis is a condition in which the body produces too
much iron. In order to control it, it is necessary to donate blood
on a regular basis. She donates blood every 3 months. Her experience
of the condition is that she becomes more and more tired as the
time for her next donation draws near. She says that she feels heavier
and heavier. I have observed that her skin becomes very pale as
she becomes more exhausted. After the donation she feels a new lease
of life.
Top to toe health check:
Head: Headaches not common
Occasional dizziness
Eyes: No problems
Ears: Has worn a hearing aid since 1995
Nose: History of blocked sinuses
Neck: Pain in neck from time to time
Back: Instability in Lumbar region
Arms: History of broken wrist right side
Feet: Bunion left foot
Digestion: Very good
Food: Loves all food. Aversion to eggplant.
RUBRICS CHOSEN
(Radar)
Mind: Laughing
Mind: Concentration difficult
Mind: Ailments from Anger
Sleep: Unrefreshing
Mind: Speech wandering
Respiration: Gasping
Chest: Pain: Pressing
Generals: Iron, after abuse of
Remedies in this graph were Puls, Ars, Cupr, Lyc, Phos, Stram,
Sulph, Ign, Op, Merc, Verat, Lach, Nux-v, Bell, Nux-m, Plat, Calc,
Nat-m, Acon, Anac
FACIAL ANALYSIS
| YELLOW (psora) |
RED (sycosis) |
BLUE (syphilis) |
| Lips
Mouth
Nose – profile shape
Lines
Hairline
Smile
Front teeth |
Bridge
Line
Width of smile |
Overbite
Chin
Ears |
| 7 |
3 |
3 |
The patient has a dominance of yellow facial features so she needs
a psoric remedy.
Three of these remedies are known yellow (psoric) remedies –
Puls, Sulph and Lyc
My reason for choosing Lycopodium at the time was that she is not
a particularly weepy type who enjoys living with her son next door
in the bungalow, but does not want him around too much. She also
recovered pretty well after the death of her husband and enjoys
her house for herself. The condition is a liver problem and that
strongly indicates Lycopodium.
Script: LYCOPODIUM 30C daily
Appointment 2: 13 April 2006
The patient returned - her bottle of Lycopodium has finished and
her energy has started to reduce again.
She reports that her energy levels have remained high since the
last appointment. Her depression has improved greatly and she has
reduced her Zoloft from a half a pill daily to half a pill every
second day. Her sleep is now refreshing and she is waking wanting
to start the day.
She says that her son seems to have changed and is much less volatile
and much easier to get along with. She also finds that she is not
bottling her frustrations as much as before.
Her last blood donation was in December. The doctor has taken a
blood test and her iron levels have reduced. He has advised her
not to donate again until early May.
The hot dry and dusty summer has not improved her asthma.
Script: LYCOPODIUM 30C daily is repeated.
Appointment 3: 13 July 2006
The patient's asthma has been worse the last 3 weeks. There is
increased wheezing and pain in the chest and under the ribs. There
is increased mucous, but the mucous is easily expelled. She has
to sit up to sleep and there is rattling in the chest. She finds
her respiratory symptoms are better with taking lemon and honey
in hot water.
The patient reports that her son is getting her down once again.
He seems to be sleeping all day again and he is getting aggressive
again. However, she seems to be coping better and has come off her
Zoloft completely.
She gave blood on 06 April and her reading was 135 as against 139
in December.
I feel that the Lycopodium has run its course and the increased
mucous indicated to me that Pulsatilla could be useful.
Script: PULSATILLA 30 daily
Appointment 4: 19 October 2006
The asthmatic conditions have not changed, since the last appointment,
but it is not as bad as it was before any treatment with homoeopathy.
She is still wheezing. She is still bringing up phlegm, white <
morning. She can lie down to sleep though.
She reports that the doctor is impressed with the improvement in
her latest blood tests, but no figures are available.
Script: PULSATILLA 30 daily
Appointment 5: 22 September 2007
The patient is feeling exhausted again. Pulsatilla has been continued
throughout the past 11 months, but seems to have run its course.
The blood count of red blood cells has risen.
Her asthma is returning again. She is once again anxious about
her son and is very loquacious.
Script: SULPHUR 30 daily
Appointment 6: 14 October 2007
The patient is feeling brighter, more active and more enthusiastic.
Her asthma has improved and she is wheezing less. Her last blood
donation was on 28 July and the next one is on 15 November 2007,
so her donations are still more than 3 months.
Script: Repeat SULPHUR 30 daily
Appointment 7: 18 January 2008
The patient reports that the last blood tests were optimistic and
the red blood cell count had once again reduced. The asthma is much
improved. Considering the patient is < hot dry weather, this
is a good report for mid summer.
Script: Repeat SULPHUR 30 daily
Appointment 8: 18 June 2008
The patient has called regarding a repeat of Sulphur 30. She is
feeling so much better and she would like to continue with the drops.
She is able to continue to take the correct (miasmatic and totality)
remedy with only positive effects and no aggravations so another
bottle is given.
Script: Repeat SULPHUR 30 daily
CONCLUSION
I feel that this has been a positive outcome of the HFA system.
I have used only yellow (psoric) remedies and each one has benefited
the patient in some way. It would be really beneficial to find that
she no longer needs to donate blood, but I see a reduction in RBC
count as beneficial and a positive progression.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Vivien Pells
Dip Hom Prof Memb AHA, AROH regd
Melbourne, Australia
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