Clinical Cases

A Cimex lectularius Case (Bedbug)

blagojevic dec image
Written by Dragana Blagojevic

A case of a woman with PMS problems solved with Sankaran’s sensation method. It includes general analysis and differentiation between remedies.

Content:

Anamnesis

What is to be Cured in the Patient?

Analysis by Kingdom, Subkingdom, Miasm

Repertorisation

Differential Diagnosis

Prescribed Homeopathic Remedy and Reasoning

Self-Reflection

Anamnesis

Patient: M. V.

(Born on July 18, 1979 in Zrenjanin; single; no children; profession -journalist)

H: Tell me about your problem.

P: My periods are irregular, it was never normal. I was taking birth control pills, but a few years ago I stopped. The gap between my periods is usually 2 months, and that’s how long my PMS lasts. I’ve got all the PMS symptoms, it literally lasts 2 months. (She’s tapping her right index finger on the table.)

I often have mood swings, I feel confused, and sometimes I’m very cheerful and impatient. At those times I have trouble showing myself to others. There’s a kind of border – I’m on one side, they’re on the other. Before my period I get really bloated, but no pain, nervousness is coming out of me. As if skin is stretching, I have oversensitive skin. Everything tingles, prickles, I’m hot, I feel hot flashes, nervousness, crazy PMS. Also, my appetite is out of control, I’ll eat anything, especially at night. I’m annoyed by everyone, it’s like they all want something from me, they’re all up in my space, and I can’t even accept myself. All this really bothers me, something is wrong.  (Brief pause, she’s tapping her index fingers.)

H: Go on.

P:  This whole situation is troubling me.

H: That’s the only problem?

P: That’s what bothers me the most. It affects my whole life, my work, my relationship with my boyfriend, everything. I feel like I would start to breathe again if I could get rid of this state. I’m worried because I don’t know what the way out of this is.

H: Tell me a bit more about your problem. What exactly worries you?

P: My periods are irregular, I always feel like it’s coming, but it doesn’t. All the while I’m very nervous and distracted. I’m in this state right now. Everything is hot, everything prickles.  (She’s tapping her index fingers on the table.) I don’t know what to do with myself; it all comes down to one question: When will my next period start? I go crazy at work, I feel anger, but somehow I manage to control it. I fear that I might lose self-control, I’m boiling inside, I would run away from myself. Fear keeps me from losing self-control.

H: You are doing very well, just keep going on.

P: I’m trying to figure myself out, and if I manage to do that, I’ll get it all out.

(She’s moving her right index finger upwards, as if she’s throwing something off the table.)

H: Go on.

P: I’m awfully hot, this feeling is hot.

H: I’m not sure I understand, tell me about that again. What happens then?

P: It is abnormally hot in stomach; something is growing inside of me. I’m getting bigger, but nothing can come out. I just keep getting filled up.

H: Describe this once again, so I can understand you better.

P: I’m very bloated; all this blood must be inside of me and can’t get out. It’s a horrible feeling, and there’s no way out. I can’t get it all out. At this point when it’s all in me, it gets very hot and I don’t know what to do with myself. How do I get this entire load out?!  Everything is confusing, I’m snapping at everyone around me. This is not regular PMS, this is a state when you want to jump out of your own skin, everything is suffocating you, but you have nowhere to go!

H: Go on, you’re doing great…

P: (She is alternately poking with index fingers on the table.)

I have a pronounced need to be by myself at those moments, because I need to be by myself in order to go through that process of figuring out. I’m impatient, I’m not OK, and I want to find what’s there as soon as I possible, I want this hot feeling out as soon as possible.

H: Explain this a bit more, I’m trying to understand what’s going on inside of you.

P: Well, this is some sort of state, this is my crazy PMS. I’m going to draw you a picture of it (laughs). This thing inside of me prickles, tingles, it’s hot, I’m full of blood, and then I have this barrier around me, so I can realize what’s actually going on. When I explore these feelings inside, I’ll be able to get rid of them. This state will disappear.

H: What kind of state is this? What’s your crazy PMS like?

P: Then I get very hyperactive, I have so much to do, and I feel like there’s no time. I don’t sleep right, I switch to night rhythm, everything tingles, prickles, I’m all irritated. I can’t calm down/find peace. I vacuum at night (laughs). I get all messed up. A lot of hot emotions build up, and I have to get to know them, otherwise I can’t go on. I want to comprehend why is this happening.

(Tapping her right index finger on the table.)

H: How does that make you feel?

P: To me, all this is torture, everything is burning up inside of me, and I have nowhere to go. I’m trapped inside myself and I have no time. Thousands of thoughts are running through my head. I want to get out of myself, everything is tight. I have to do something, to free myself. If something doesn’t change soon, I’ll go mad.

(She’s poking with index fingers on the table.)

H: What do you then? (The patient notices I’m watching her moves.)

P: (Laughs.) I poke, to somehow get out of myself, because inside me is something gushing and which I don’t know. The thing that is burning, I have to do something urgently, to organize myself, otherwise… (Pause.)

H: Otherwise?

P: There’s no time, I’ll suffocate. Something inside of me is filling up, spreading, it wants out, there’s no time, and you’ll suffocate.

H: Bit more about it

P: It’s like I’m in a box. Something is going on, it’s hot, gushing, but it can’t get out. Then I poke around and I have to get out, otherwise it’s the end. I’ll stay in the box.

H: You’ll stay in the box?

P: That’s the image, like I’m locked up in the box.

(She laughs and taps her right index finger against her forehead.) It’s hot inside, everything is stinging and I have to get out as soon as possible, I have to break out.

H: Bit more about it

P: There’ no room, it’s hot, here inside the stomach. I don’t know how to describe it. As if I’ll go mad if I don’t get out as soon as possible.

(She is alternately poking with index fingers on the table.)

H: And then?

P: I poke around (laughs). I try to break through the border, I’m here, and the others are there. These are my periods. I’m torturing myself and others. (Laughs.) Everything is tight, I’m too much for myself, and I have nowhere to go. Then I try to get all these emotions out, so I attack other people.

(She is making movements with index fingers towards me.)

H: You attack other people?

P: My mood changes, I like to tease them. (She imitates poking with index fingers.) But it’s like any other PMS, only mine lasts longer. I can be sarcastic and harsh, but my boyfriend understands it for now. But if this situation isn’t resolved soon, I think he’ll lose his patience. Who would want to be with such a person? On the other hand, we live in a rented flat, and when I’m in these periods of nervousness and heat, my skin is tight and my flat is cramped, and it would be best for me if I was alone. And it so happens that exactly then he’s at home every time I’m home and it’s like he’s invading my space. He just gets in my way and I lose control over the smallest thing, I freak out. A kind of heat hits me and I usually just storm out of the flat, otherwise, who knows… My mom says I’m sucking the blood out of him (laughs), but she’s just like that with my dad. She’s like the family general, everything has to be under her control, and dad is nice, quiet like a mouse. He never yelled at her, I have no idea how he’s been putting up with her for 30 years. It’s a sado-masochistic relationship. I don’t want that kind of a relationship, but I often catch myself being like her. My boyfriend surely won’t stand for that for a long time, and whoever I’m with, I know I have a big problem. I have to balance my emotions, to reduce my nervousness. I’m all burning up inside, everything prickles. It’s like when you put on a wool sweater on naked body. It’s something hormonal, but it’s all in the head.

H: Go on, you’re doing great.

P: About my mom?

H: If you want.

P: My mom always kept us closed, like under a bell jar – don’t do this, don’t do that, and I wanted information and I wanted to do stuff. She almost didn’t let me go to Petnica, I literally ran away from home. She has the need to dominate us, but since I moved in with my boyfriend, I got rid of her control. My brother is still with her and I have no idea how he still puts up with her attacks and torture. It’s much better now compared to when we were kids. That woman simply infects others with a kind of anxiety. We had to go to school even when we were sick, so that we wouldn’t miss anything. If she has nothing to do, she makes something up, like dusting flowers (laughs). She’s like an energy vampire. She was charging us with negativity until I would get so dried up I thought I would burst. She just pokes and pokes. (She’s imitating poking with index fingers.)

It’s not pleasant to be under a bell jar.

H: Describe that feeling.

P: You have nowhere to go; everything is prickling with nervousness, unpleasant heat. I was fighting her all the time; I was burning inside with anger. She’s very rigid, not flexible at all; you can’t explain anything to her. No compromise. And now, when I catch myself being like her, I get mad. I have to deal with it. I don’t want to be like her, a tyrant to loved ones, but when you spend 30 years living with someone like that… I want to be better than my parents. I just feel sorry for my dad and my brother, they’re like mice, and they’re very passive. At least I was fighting and confronting her, but the most important thing is to leave those unhealthy surroundings, to free you. Now we see each other a few times a week and that’s OK.

(She pokes around the table with her right index finger, and watching what she’s doing.)

Now I have other issues, I can’t express myself at work, and creativity is very important to me. Journalism is very interesting, but I work with morons. Everything stands still over there, there’s no air, everything is filled with smoke and nothing is going on. I have to do something otherwise I’ll end up like the others. I love to move around, to dig around and surf the net on various issues, but my boss is not interested. I get very upset when I get home, my stomach is burning, my whole body aches, my skin stretches, and everything hurts. I know it’s the stress. I don’t want to be taking tranquilizers because of work. I have fantasies about yelling at my boss and tell them all to fu … And when I get this crazy PMS, everything is intensified.

H: Tell me about a dream you remembered or one that recurs, the time is irrelevant.

P: During childhood I had a recurring dream. There was a car accident, everything was burning, kind of a fire, and I was in a closed space. Someone put me in some car, shoved me into safety to protect me, but he didn’t survive and I wanted out. Someone protected me, but didn’t think of himself. I was banging and scratching with all my strength, I was very furious and aggressive. Suddenly, I realized that I was covered in blood, like I stabbed myself with glass. It’s very hot, I’m stabbed with this big glass and when I finally manage to get out, I wake up. I wanted to help those people, but someone seemed to have protected me.

H: What was the feeling?

P: I have to help the others, but I’m locked up. It doesn’t matter that I’m safe if the others are going to die. Horrible feeling of helplessness. Till blood. That dream has haunted me for a long time. I couldn’t help them; I watched them disappear in the fire. Everything was up in flames, I was the only one who was protected, but I didn’t want that. And then when I finally manage to get out, all stabbed and bloody, I wake up. I don’t want to be alone, life is so short. When dad had a heart attack, everyone was shocked, and I was very organized and called the ambulance right away and took care of him while they got there. The others were a mess. I realized what happened only afterwards. I can handle urgent situations.

H: What about the dream had the strongest impact on you?

P: I felt small and helpless, and I had to do something. Hot, pricking, burning, enormous aggression, and then blood, I’m finally out, but everything vanishes. I wake up in sweat and there is no sleep anymore.

H: Tell me about your fears, no matter if you still have them or if you had them in childhood.

P: I have fear of death, but everyone has that.

H: What’s that fear like?

P: Well, it’s not really fear of death, it’s fear of the way of dying. For example, I fear that the elevator cable might snap and the elevator might crush me. Violent things like that, suffocation, getting buried under something, stuff like that. For example, to be buried alive. If you’re unconscious it doesn’t matter, but if someone buries you and you’re alive and conscious, well… Generally, I’m afraid of accidents, although nothing ever happened to me, but a movie or a story is enough to scare me and get me imagining myself in those situations.

H: What’s the scariest thing there?

P: Well, it’s not natural, I don’t like violence, everything is OK and then all of a sudden someone wipes you out. I don’t drive a car, I have fear of a car accident, and I’m afraid I might lose control and put someone’s life in danger or vice versa. I trained in a marshal art for 12 years, but I never saw it as a violent skill. I’m tiny and I wanted to learn a marshal art. Judo is demanding and strenuous, but it’s not violent. Now I practice yoga, I’ve been doing it for almost a year, and I’m curious about also becoming an instructor. Stretching and breathing exercises are helping me a lot to handle the stress.

H: What is it about yoga that you like the most?

P: I love asanas and a particular breathing technique. You make a tube out of your tongue and you breathe in, and then breathe out through the nose. It’s very relaxing. It’s ideal for stress. Sometimes I get completely relaxed, but not always. I still need to work on that a lot. My body is very flexible, I love to stretch, and I can easily do all the exercises. I have an extra vertebra, which probably has to do something with the fact that I’m like rubber. And I can do a thing with my fingers. It’s totally scary. (Laughs.)

I can completely fold my fingers. My joints are so flexible that I can fold my fingers in the opposite direction just like when I fold them in the usual direction.

(She folds her fingers backwards.)

When I was younger, I used to buy sunflower seeds in the street and I would put out my hand with fingers folded like that inside the glove for the seller to pour the seeds. Afterwards, when I would put my hand back into normal position, people would be astonished. My yoga instructor says I’m ideal for a circus to perform as a rubber woman. If I quit journalism, I’ll have something to fall back on (laughs).

H: Why did you decide to study journalism?

P: My first option was archeology. I love old objects and anything old, digging, research. It puts you in a new dimension. That has a special value. I was in Petnica when I was in high school. That was a great experience, I was happy. It’s a very unique feeling to find something someone was using many years ago. As if suddenly you are teleported through time. Grandma lived in an old house, I remember I loved to search around and go through her stuff. (She pokes around the table with index fingers.) There were many rooms, many old paintings, and old furniture. My parents sold the house later on, and I had fantasies about living there when I grew up. But, as far as archeology is concerned, the materialistic element prevailed. I wouldn’t be able to do that for a living.

H: Do what?

P: Well, dig around. I was sorry, but I never gave up on archeology, I’m just not really doing that. I like journalism, too, because information is important to me, I like surfing the web (she is pricking around the table with index fingers) and looking for data, I like the phenomenon of information transfer. It’s similar with archeology; because you dig some information there too, thus transfer them through centuries. There’s a flow that goes through entire eras. It gives them eternity, in a way. It’s wonderful to be a part of that. I like best to monkey about social subjects, interpersonal relationships, etc. Writing is completely therapeutic for me; you get it all out on paper, no holding back. But when I’m in this state, I can’t even breathe in normally, let alone write. It’s depressing.

H: What is your relation towards animals?

P: I love them, more than people. Animals are better than people. I feel sorry for small and helpless animals, because people tyrannize them, but feeling sorry doesn’t help. Their rights should be constantly fought for, and for opening new shelters. I’m a member of Orka; I want to get more involved when I find the time. As a journalist, I can do a lot. Cats are my favorite.

H: What’s your favorite thing about cats?

P: They’re obstinate, you can’t influence them, they have their own will and they’re completely free. They defy gravity. They don’t accept compromise, and when their territory is invaded, they find another one, a better one. They’re not slaves to people, like dogs. They have an attitude. But I like dogs, too. I like all animals, except for insects. They’re completely repulsive to me.

H: How come?

P: I hate insects, i.e. bugs. Actually, I’m scared when I see them in a closed space.

H: What scares you about them?

P: I don’t like when I’m with them in a closed space. If I’m out, I’m not scared. But when they’re in the flat, I feel disgusted, I feel more than nauseated… (Brief pause).

I don’t know how to describe it.

H: Whatever comes to your mind.

P: It’s not that it stabs me (she’s pointing at her chest), it’s just that I feel the need to get away. That’s why I don’t like them in a closed space. I have nowhere to go, I can’t ignore them. I’m free in open spaces, I’m not limited, I can move. I can’t even smash them when I’m in a closed space, something immediately start gushing in my stomach. When I’m out, I just pass them by. I know they can’t do anything to me, they’re small and helpless, but everything about them is slimy to me. Sometimes they’re in the bathroom. I get so scared; I keep looking around for them not to fall on my head while I’m taking a bath. And before I go under the shower, I check everything, just in case. But you’re never sure with bugs. They can come out of a hole in a second even when you think it’s all clear.

I can’t kill them. A bug has this barrier around it and I can’t get close to it. It’s a horrible feeling.

H: Explain bit more.

P: It’s slimy, cold, and mucous, everything is disgusting, the bug is cold. And inside it’s hot. The membrane is hard, and the inside is hot and slimy, everything stretches. It’s filled with some horrible hot liquid. Awful.

H: What is the experience?

P: I can’t explain, I feel uneasy in the stomach, everything’s burning, everything prickles. I have to get away, as soon as possible. The most disgusting is that hard membrane and if I step on it, inside it’s all soft, it stretches and falls out. I feel sick even thinking about it. This hard membrane and the sound of me kill it.

H: Explain bit more.

P: Should I draw a picture? (Laughs.)

H: If you want to.

P: Here is my bug in a membrane (laughs). That’s the hard membrane, and the bug inside. This barrier protects it, but when someone steps on it, all this dirtiness comes out. I don’t know what’s more horrible, the membrane or the inside. And the sound it makes: snap! They’re awfully disgusting; I’m not as scared of the other ones as I’m scared of the ones in closed spaces. I can’t get away, and I don’t dare to kill them. It’s not that I’m afraid; it’s just that it’s disgusting. This hot and slimy stuff, I just want to jump out of the room, throw it out somehow. It’s either the bug or me. And the sound of it being smashed is disgusting and when everything drags and comes out of it. It’s the worst at night. You’re asleep, and they’re coming for their dinner.

Horror! Sometimes when I’m asleep I have this feeling that they’re crawling around my bed. While I was in college, I stayed at an awful flat and I kept the lights on whole night because of bugs. It’s the worst when it’s in the bed.

H: What’s the worst about that?

P: What do you mean what? A bug in the bed! Who doesn’t think it’s the worst? It’s dark, you can’t see it, and it’s crawling around your hair. Dreadful! And if I accidentally smash it, all the stuff inside would get on me. I cover myself like a pancake in bed when I think about it. It would be best if I was sleeping in those capsules, like in space ships. To set the border. (Laughs.)

H: How do you feel now?

P: Strange, calm, I never talked about bugs this much. But the funny thing is I know that they can’t do anything to me, they prick and go (imitates poking with finger), like everybody, I’m no different, I’m not a little child, but I abhor.

H: And what does that gesture mean? Describe it.

P: It’s a kind of poking. I noticed I do that a lot during the conversation, and I haven’t paid attention before. It’s like I’m trying to pierce through something, to get out of a box. Now all this reminds me of bug. It also continually digs and pokes around.

What is to be Cured in the Patient?

Patient’s main complaint is irregular periods. Waiting for her period to start, the patient goes through a prolonged PMS which affects every area of her life. What needs to be cured in the patient is altered state, which lead to complaint manifestation through symptoms at the physical and mental levels. This altered state represents, actually, the altered energy pattern of the patient. Once the altered energy pattern is removed, the patient will not feel the need to manifest mental and physical symptoms. Through vital sensations: prickles; stabs; pokes; hot; the goal is to get to the pattern and the source itself, if possible. In this way we can understand the deepest disturbance of the patient. From the local area, via general, the patient led me to the vital sensation. By exploring the vital sensation, I got the essence of the altered energy pattern. The patient has a vibrational pattern of an insect and through all areas of life, conscious and unconscious, this altered pattern, directly from the source, affects all levels from vital through to the local. Whether it is the delusion that she is in a box or under a bell jar or locked in a car, the patient is experiencing everything in a particular way – everything is burning, tingling, prickling. Her recurrent dream shows the same: hot, stab, burns. In the main complaint, there appears again: prickling, tingling, hot flashes. Therefore, on all levels of experience, the same form of energy appears which comes from the source itself. What needs to be cured is precisely this altered energy pattern, which will lead her to freedom and the possibility of fulfilling higher purposes of existence. The patient is a human being, not an insect, and correctly chosen homeopathic remedy is aimed at freeing her of the insect, i.e. the insect vibration which altered the original human vibration of the patient. When this happens, all the consequences of the altered pattern, from vital through to local level, along with the insect vibration, will disappear. At the end of the interview, the patient entered the so-called temporary awareness, when she herself felt that she was acting like an insect. The fact that, one day after the interview, her period spontaneously started proves it. However, because this awareness is temporary, further support, while necessary, will be provided to the patient by the aptly chosen homeopathic remedy and potency, which most resembles her altered vibrational pattern. In this case, it is Cimex lectularius (Bedbug), 1 M.

Analysis by Kingdom, Subkingdom, Miasm

Brief Analysis:

  • The main complaint is prolonged PMS. Already in the description of main complaint, the patient gave a lot of information. She states local sensations: tingling, prickling, hot, accompanied by appropriate gestures. I had the impression that she is very jovial and active. Her talk was very dynamic and she was getting my attention from the very start. Expressions like: “I’m on one side, they’re on the other; everyone annoys me; everyone wants something; I can’t even accept myself“, are all implying animal kingdom: aggression (attack), failure in self-defense; I and them. However, it was still early for conclusions, so I let the patient take me wherever she wanted.
  • The patient continued to describe her main complaint, which is affecting all areas of life, by repeating local sensations and gestures. There is an indication of the process inside of her, but it’s all at local level for now. Her talk is very active, energetic, she seeks eye contact. She calls her PMS crazy PMS: “everything tingles, prickles, I’m all irritated; a lot of hot emotions build up.”
  • When asked how she copes with her complaint, the patient gives the following information: “To me, all this is torture, everything is burning up inside of me, and I have nowhere to go. I’m tight inside myself and I have no time. Thousands of thoughts are running through my head. I want to get out of myself, everything is tight. I have to do something, to free myself. If something doesn’t change soon, I’ll go mad.” I got a very nice example of the tubercular miasm. There is the perception that time is short, quick change is needed, everything is tight. Successful reaction is hectic activity; she wants to get out of herself, to free herself. If not, she will go mad, which would be an unsuccessful reaction to the coping mechanism of handling stress. Therefore, there is the sycotic aspect, fixed problem, but on the other hand, periods of despair, when the patient loses all hope in riddance from problem – the syphilitic part of the tubercular miasm.
  • I then get an image, i.e. delusion: “as if I’m locked in a box.” The bodily experience of this false perception is the sensation which repeats itself: “it’s hot inside, everything prickles.” The patient spontaneously went from a detailed description of the main complaint to her relationship with her mother and stated the delusion: “as if under a bell jar,” at which this image came from the sensation: “everything prickles, unpleasant heat.” At work, the situation is the same: “my stomach is burning, my whole body aches, my skin stretches, and everything hurts.” The same sensations are present at local (main complaint) and at general level (mother, work).
  • Everything is accompanied by appropriate gestures and miasm, so I continued to one of the vital areas – dreams. She states the recurring childhood dream in which someone puts her in a car, while people outside are burning in a fire. The dream is very interesting, because it gives a lot of information, as well as the confirmation of the patient’s vital sensation. There’s a fire outside, people are burning, while she’s locked in the car and she’s trying to get out and help them: “I was banging and scratching with all my strength.” Then in anger she stabs herself on glass, blood is everywhere, and suddenly she’s outside, out of the car. However, the dream ends here. Again I get: hot, banging, scratching, stabbing and the sensations are definitely becoming vital. It is interesting that in the dream, after the stabbing with glass, the patient was covered in blood and then she managed to get out of the car, as if blood has set her free. (This is my subjective interpretation.) In the main complaint, she complains that the menstrual blood is inside of her and can’t get out. In her dream the image of her own blood gets her out of the car (which corresponds to the image of the box and the bell jar).
  • In her free time she practices yoga, which helps her with stress. She is constantly under stress, so yoga is her outlet. She is extremely flexible, she likes to stretch. Her favorite breathing technique is the one which involves forming a tube with the tongue. For the first time she mentions that she is very flexible, like rubber, which was key in differentiating from other bugs when choosing the homeopathic remedy. (Several times she mentioned that her skin is stretched. Later, when talking about bugs, she mentioned that everything inside them stretches.)
  • Another confirmation of the vital sensation is received in the story about archeology and journalism: “Digging, research… It’s a special, warm feeling… because there’s also information being dug out… I like to poke  around.” Spontaneously she started to remember her grandmother’s house from her childhood about which she fantasized to be living in when she grows up: “I remember I loved to search around and go through her stuff.” After talking about the fear of insects, i.e. bugs in closed spaces, everything pointed towards the bug, as the homeopathic remedy. The question was which bug is to be given to the patient?
  • At the end I asked her to explain the gestures which she repeated during the interview in the form of poking, tapping and scraping around with index fingers, simultaneously or alternately. The patient then completely identified with the source and reached a level of awareness: “It’s a kind of poking. I noticed I do that a lot during the conversation, and I haven’t paid attention to it before. It’s like I’m trying to pierce through something, to get out of a box. Now all this reminds me of bugs. They also constantly dig and poke around.

Summary:

Kingdom – Animalia

Examples of animal themes which are intertwined throughout the case are:

  • There’s a border, I’m on one side, they are on the other;
  • I attack other people;
  • S&M relationship;
  • I don’t want to be like her, tyrant of loved ones;
  • I feel attacked and I just wan to get away;
  • They are better than me, I’d rather go away;
  • Animals are better than people;
  • It’s either the bug or me;
  • Need for space and freedom.

Subkingdom – Insecta

Themes:

  • Restlessness;
  • Busy, fast, jovial;
  • Hyperactivity;
  • Busyness;
  • Short human life span;
  • Constant need for change;
  • There are sensations, such as: burn, tingle, prickles;
  • Physical and emotional reactions to insects.

Miasm – Tubercular

There is a strong need for change and hectic activity, as a way of reacting, i.e. a mechanism of overcoming a stressful situation. The tubercular miasm is typical of the animal subclass – Insecta. The following statements of the patient indicate the tubercular miasm:

  • I’m tight inside myself ;
  • I have no time;
  • Everything is burning up in me, I have nowhere to go;
  • I want to get out of myself, everything is tight;
  • I have to do something urgently, to free myself;
  • If something doesn’t change soon, I’ll go mad.

Repertorization

  • I’ve chosen Sankaran’s method of taking a case, so I did the repertorization after the chosen homeopathic remedy. If it were the opposite, I’m not sure that with the experience I have so far, I would come to Cimex. In some key symptoms of the patient, I haven’t found Cimex.
  • Still, I found the following columns in Synthesis which appeared peculiar, and in which Cimex appears:

Mind – Confusion of mind;

Mind – Irritability;

Generals – Heat; flushes of;

Generalities – Stretching;

  • A large number of symptoms of the mind, as well as the symptoms of the main complaint, did not have the insect as the suggestion for the homeopathic remedy in the Repertory, and as mental state indicated the insect, I looked for information about the source itself.

Differential Diagnosis

Drosera – carnivorous plant belongs to the tubercular miasm. Common sensations of the carnivorous plants family: shooting pains, sticking, cutting, feeling of being trapped, suffocation, choking, spasms, and convulsions. Passive reaction is: weakness, paralysis, not trusting anyone. Drosera theme: “I’m suffocating and I have to get rid of the feeling of being trapped as soon as possible.” Because Drosera is plant and animal homeopathic remedy, the patient should manifest all said sensations, as the reflection of the experience of the insect trapped in the plant. Key sensations of my patient are: burning, heat, prickling, stabbing. The important sensations of heat and burning do not exist in carnivores. Drosera is a common example for explaining of tubercular miasm, and since insects are generally in this miasm, there is a great similarity. However, further research of vital sensations and energy pattern steered me away from Drosera. The patient gave several images of being as in a box, under a bell jar and alike, but these delusions came from the sensations: burning, tingling, prickling, stabbing, sting/piercing. Afterwards there was no dilemma about whether the patient had the vibrational pattern of an insect, but what kind of insect, i.e. bug, is in question.

Cimicifuga – plant belonging to family Ranunculaceae. Sensations: sharp, stitching, burning, stabbing pain; vulnerable nerves; pains like shock, etc. Cimicifuga theme: “Oppressed and trapped in an upsetting situation.” Passive reaction of this family is: bluntness and numbness.

Cimicifuga has very strange sensations during menses, like for example fear of going mad, fear of insects, and delusion of being trapped in a cage. It is interesting that the translation of the plant is – blossom for repelling bugs. Similarities with the patient are in connection to the symptoms which come from the tubercular miasm. Ranunculaceae sensations are not the center of the patient. Also, the patient belongs to animal kingdom, with themes such as the victim and the attacker and similar, while plant kingdom patients do not go far from their sensation and reactivity.

As for the differentiation between insects, as I said before, in finding the homeopathic remedy I tried to spot a specific characteristic that would be similar to the patient. I had knowledge about Apis and Cantharis, but when I got to Cimex, I stopped my search. The patient went into the source and spoke of bedbug itself. However, it would be interesting to explore whether there exists a bug that is even more similar to the patient’s altered pattern. The following differentiations are for general repetition of known homeopathic remedies from the Insecta subclass only: (because the patient went into the source and spoke of bedbug)

Apis – tingling, redness, heat, pain. There is general aggravation from heat and amelioration from cold. However, the patient manifested a peculiar symptom – the need to stretch out and dilate, which I did not find in Apis.

Cantharis – pathology is very violent and destructive. There are tingling, stabbing pains (most commonly of the urinary and genital tracts), which bring the patient to a delirium state.

Prescribed Homeopathic Remedy and Reasoning:

Prescribed homeopathic remedy is Cimex lectularius (Bedbug), 1 M.

About the Source:

  • Cimex lectularius or bedbug is an insect of the family Cimicidae. They live solely feeding on blood of humans and other warm blooded animals. The name bedbug indicates their most common localization – beds and in general places where people and animals could sleep.
  • Although they are not strictly nocturnal animals, they are mostly active at night and then they freely feed on their hosts. They are attracted by the warmth of the host and the presence of carbon dioxide. Because of their aversion to daylight, they come out exclusively at night. The “bedbug alarm pheromone” contains (E) – 2 – octenal and (E) – 2 – hexenal substance. Pheromones are released when the bug is upset, e.g. when a predator attacks. People often react to infestation and bite with anxiety, stress and insomnia.
  • As for the life cycle, there are 5 juvenile stadiums, known as the nymphs. Nymphs are a miniature version of grown bugs. Each nymph stadium requires at least one meal in the form of host’s blood, so that the transition to the next stadium is made possible. The entire stadium until the transition to grown bug is about 8 weeks long (2 months).
  • After maturation, grown bugs lay eggs. Nymphs look like grown bugs, but they are smaller and lighter in color. They are oversaturated with red because they are filled with the host’s blood.
  • They pierce the host’s skin with 2 hollow suckers (tubes).

– By feeding on the host’s blood, its body “stretches“, enabling the eggs to mature properly.

(“My stomach gets abnormally hot; something is growing inside of me. I’m getting bigger, but nothing can come out. I just keep getting filled up.”)

Why Cimex lectularius?

  • Until the taking of the case, I had no information about Cimex. I was looking for a bug that has something peculiar, something that differentiate it from other bugs, and that is also present in the patient. I chose Cimex because of the peculiar stretching out symptom, which differentiates it from the others, and which is also the peculiar characteristic of the patient.
  • In exploring further about the source, I found out that Cimex lives in closed spaces, most often in bed (“A bug in the bed! Who doesn’t think it’s the worst?“) and it’s active at night (“It’s the worst at night. You’re asleep, and they’re coming for their dinner.”).
  • It is possible that the patient is, considering her main complaint, stuck in one of the nymph stadiums in which she’s filled with the host’s blood (“It’s filled with some horrible hot liquid.”), but still is not mature enough to lay eggs. This, of course, is my free observation. Also, with each maturation stadium, its body stretches more. (“The membrane is hard, and the inside is hot and slimy, everything stretches.”)
  • Cimex prickles through the host’s skin by 2 hollow suckers, i.e. tubes. (Index fingers gestures, favorite yoga breathing technique – they very much resemble the image of the tubes with which the bug pokes, prickles and sucks blood.)
  • It is interesting that these stadiums until laying of eggs and intensive night blood feeding last around 2 months, just like the patient’s PMS period. (“I’m very bloated; all this blood must be inside of me and can’t get out. …. Also, my appetite is out of control, I’ll eat anything, especially at night.”)

(Above: nymph stadium; red indicates being filled up with the host’s blood)


(“This thing inside of me prickles, tingles, it’s hot, I’m full of blood”)

  • I chose potency 1 M, because I think that the patient is occasionally living at the vital sensation level, and that most of the time she’s at the delusional level.

Self-Reflection

The case was taken 6 months ago. It is interesting that the patient got her period only one day after the interview, despite the fact that she got her remedy 10 days after the case taking, because I wasn’t sure which homeopathic remedy to chose due to my poor knowledge of the world of insects. To me, as a beginner, this was a fascinating experience. While I was typing the analysis, I completely entered the energy of the homeopathic remedy. I also practice yoga and there was this one stretching exercise which I managed to do during the preparation of this analysis, although I’ve been trying to do it for a year with no success. I think that the patient would get help from any bug, as a homeopathic remedy. Still, I was interested in finding the one that is closest to the simillimum. The bug Cimex lectularius may not be the most similar bug, but it most certainly is very similar to the patient’s vibrational pattern. Researching the source and finding similarities with the patient altered pattern was incredible and very motivating. The energy of the remedy itself helped a lot and had me in its grip in my “poking and scraping” around the Internet. Of course, most of my work was done “at night”, just like my source. This experience of a kind of proving of a homeopathic remedy while researching it was also very inspirational and interesting. The case taught me to believe the patient and follow them carefully, despite the fact that I know nothing about the homeopathic remedy. The entire case extremely motivated me and lead me, as countless times before, into the endless beauty of homeopathy.

About the author

Dragana Blagojevic

Dr. Dragana Blagojevic was born on September 22nd, 1979, in Zrenjanin (Serbia). She studied medicine and graduated from the Medical University of Belgrade in 2008. She studied classical homeopathy in the School of Classical Homeopathy "Hahnemann" in Novi Sad from 2007 till 2011. Dragana enjoys writing about homeopathy and her greatest wish is to teach homeopathy around the world.

20 Comments

  • wow,
    Tt was a very detailed case with crystal clear understanding of sensation method,absoulately unbiased ,very well understood.This one should surely shared with Dr Sankaran, he will be really delighted to know how well people r using his tools.

    A very intresting case,very well taken with good analysis,I enjoyed the systematic analysis and your humbleness to say you r a beginner.

    Thks for sharing,

    Regards,

    Sonali

    • Dear Sonali,
      thank you for your beautiful comments. I would surely wish to share my case with Dr Sankaran, if I had a chance; this e – editions are great way to spread our works. Dr Sankaran is one of our greatest masters and without his tools I would probably never thought about Cimex as a remedy.
      This case gave me and my patient so much.
      In the follow ups of the case which I’m preparing, I would be delighted to share that experience with you.

      I’m so happy that you enjoyed, thank you again.

      Many greetings and best wishes!

      Dragana

  • Hi, Dragana (is it a Dragon female? It saound like this in portuguese)

    Beatiful case! Neither Dr.Sankaran would did it better.

    Congratulations – Edson, MD (Brasil)

    • Hi Edson,
      thank you so much for your comments. It means a lot to me
      and you made me blush 🙂
      Dragana isn’t a Dragon female, its derived from adjective “dear”,
      so that’s the root of my name, but female Dragon sounds very cool 🙂

      Thank you again,
      wish you all the best!

      Dragana

  • Thank you for the very deep analysis of the case. I have learnt a lot. My best compliments. You are really a good doctor.

    • Dear Christiane,
      thank you for your beautiful comment.
      We learn from each other all the time,
      so we are all connected in order to help the patient.
      We are on the same mission.
      I like your site very much, don’t know much italian, but ready to learn 🙂

      Wish you all the best!
      Dragana

  • It was very encouraging to read this case and your brilliant analysis – for homeopathy student like me!
    I’m looking forward to read your follow ups!
    Best wishes!

    • Dear Milka,
      Thank you for the comment.My final exam was yesterday, so now I’ll focus on the follow ups.

      Wish you all the best!

      Dragana

    • Dear Dr. Sudha,
      Thank you for the comment.My patient did almost everything and I’ve just used the great tool
      that we have.

      Best wishes,
      Dragana

  • Hi Dragana-It was a beautiful case, but Cimex is “exclusively nocturnal” (Vermuelen Synoptic), “A small family of vampire insects whose love for the close society of humans during the hours of darkness is not requited”.(Natural HIstory of Animals) both accessed from Reference Works. Again let me say that it was a great case and I learned from you.

  • Hi Mike,
    thank you for the comment.
    I found on the internet that they come out
    exclusively at night, although they are not strictly nocturnal
    and at that time it was
    enough for me to decide for the remedy Cimex;
    all about that source was similar enough with the patient
    to prescribe it,
    but thank you for the informations.
    Vermeulen’s Synoptic
    is really great material.

    Thank you again,
    best wishes

    Dragana

  • hi smart lady.
    very nice case taking,i have done proving on cimex , i will share with u later.
    right now getting late, keep up good work. i will send my case of dionea,it will further clarify things about insectivorous themes.

    • Hi,
      I’m looking forward to read about your proving on cimex and the dionea case.
      Cant wait 🙂
      Thank you for the comment and compliment.
      Best wishes!

      Dragana

  • I would have liked to see more follow-up on this case. After so much analysis, there is only one sentence of follow-up covering the first day after the remedy was taken. Can we just assume that the remedy worked on all levels for a long time?

    • Dear Diderik,
      I’m preparing translations of the follow ups..I hope that it would be published in March.
      Many greetings,
      Dragana

  • Congratulations, Dragana! It’s a wonderful case, very well explained. I didn’t know that our neighbours are such good homeopaths. If you don’t mind and you have enough time, I’d like to talk more with you about homeopathy in privat.Best wishes and good luck in your practice.

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