Key facts
- Chikungunya (Homeopathy for Chikungunya Fever) is a viral disease transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. It causes fever and severe joint pain. Other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash.
- Joint pain is often debilitating and can vary in duration.
- Many people have long lasting pain
- The disease shares some clinical signs with dengue, and can be misdiagnosed in areas where dengue is common.
- May 2014
- Teenage patient (F) suffering from Chikungunya Virus for past year after getting the virus while in India
- Complaining of on-going pain, initially every bone in body hurt. Had steroids, antibiotics & painkillers before seeing a Homeopath in India. Patient does not know the remedy given.
- Pain stopped initially but returned when remedy stopped, so remedy repeated whilst in India
- Pt was very sporty before illness and was slim, fit & healthy, but has put on a lot of weight in past year due to lack of activity
- Now gets pain 1-2 days a month, also has painful menstruation 3 -4 days a month. On her first day of pain she doesn’t want anyone to touch her
- Complains of headaches – heavy feeling with pounding pain across top of head & behind eyes; eyes feel heavy, hard to keep them open; she feels dizzy, worse when concentrating in class
- Gets very lethargic & drowsy with pain, also gets very breathless
- Complains of swelling in the tissues, particularly bad in forearms and in feet, back aches
- Gets very irritable with pain and wants to be left alone as she feels depressed
- Starts sweating, even on a cold day
- Thirstless
- Unable to tolerate spicy foods since being on NSAIDs after virus
- No longer able to play sports
- Physical History
- NVD Breast fed for short time only as Mum had mastitis History of asthma as a child, mild chicken pox as a child
- Emotional History
- Was a bright bouncy child always busy
- Went back to India for 1 year with Mother but really missed her Dad ( she was very close to him)
- Struggled with school in India –found it hard to keep up – had been a top student in NZ but behind in her class in India
- Got sick in the middle of exams ( she was the only student to get Chikungunya)
- She was very stressed ,studying intensely
- At time of illness had 2 -3 days of headaches & mild temperature, then became very weak –someone had to help her to her class, felt very heavy, but light headed all the time. So weak she couldn’t hold a pen or feed herself
- Remedy Comparison
- I considered Eupatorium Perfoliatum for pains in limbs & muscles after febrile diseases like malaria. This does not have the extreme weakness & heaviness F displayed
- Chininum Arsenicosum was considered because of the malarial affectations with general weariness & prostration, this did not cover the terrible pain though
- Natrum Muriaticum because of weakness, pain, headaches & wanting solitude
- Gelsemium because of the bone pains & extreme fatigue, headache & heaviness of eyes & limbs, with loss of power
- I initially gave Gelsemium 200c to cover the extreme fatigue, dizziness, muscular weakness, body aches & inflammation of tissues. This also covered the headaches with a dull heavy ache & heaviness of eyes. This remedy also covers dysmenorrhoea, with pain across back
Phone update 2 weeks later
Feeling much more energised after the remedy & pain minimised to just very small spots around her body – but effect only lasted a week ,then slowly started getting more pain & feeling fatigued
June 2014 Follow up
Able to tell me more about her emotional state
- She talked about her time in India & how much she missed her Dad & her friends, but then on return to NZ she really missed her family & friends in India
- She feels tired emotionally, really fed up & just wants to be alone now so withdraws from everyone & goes to her room
- Recently was crying & screaming with pain – pain started after Mum asked her to clean her room
- Can’t stop dwelling on the past (especially sad events) & feels resentful of all her family
- States her Mum is now looking after her cousin, after her Aunty died. F says she “was her Mums world before but now the cousin is there”. F really misses her Aunty & misses her Mum’s company. F feels alone & feels different from others.
- States she is not confident without her family- She can’t stay anywhere without her Mum. Says “I have to be with people I like a lot.”
- Her pain gets worse when she gets upset.
- Pain better pressure & rest pain ; worse at school & with exercise
- Periodicity of pains
- Complaining of stomach pains with heartburn following anti-inflammatories for pain, no longer able to eat spicy foods
- Nat Mur shows the following symptoms:
- lasting effects of silent grief
- Irritable
- fear of being rejected
- great vulnerability
- intolerant of consolation
- dwells on disagreeable occurrences
- chronic periodic headaches of Schoolgirls – worse after emotional excitement
- desire for solitude
- eyes feel heavy with headache, give out on reading
- Arms & legs feel weak. pain as if broken, all muscles painful on exertion, tightness of calves, lower arms
- sweats on every exertion, intermittent fevers
Scholten says of Natrum Muriaticum :
- Sadness & depression self-pity
- Closed , alone care
- Restriction nurturing
- Denial ,forbidden Mother
- Sensitive attention
- Holding on self-awareness
- The theme of Natrum Muriaticum is of being alone in the world .They don’t feel secure & nurtured.
- F shows this emotional picture with her homesickness & struggle to cope when she was in India. This was worse when her Aunty died and her mother ended up looking after the niece. F says “ I was Mums world before this”, now feels alone
Natrum Muriaticum 1 m given
Phone update 10 days later; pain reduced, only light aches & pains, headache better but still tired. Eyes not feeling as heavy. Some pain in calves when doing Phys Ed –but able to play a short game of hockey.
Update 2 weeks later; Pain has decreased dramatically ,only light aches in wrist & knees. Moods are much better, overall feeling a lot better
Follow Up July 2014
Got period, had bad stomach pain, then pain all over & very tired –this lasted 4 days. Severe pain in knees
Natrum Muriaticum 1M
Phone update from Mum; – Almost no pain , much more energy now & feeling happier in herself. Moodiness has almost stopped. Mum very happy to see such positive changes.
August phone update
Period came early but hardly any pain. Energy levels increasing all the time. Much better in general and playing more sports now
September follow up;
Feeling much better, occasional pains, but not the aching any more. Has a lot more energy. Swimming on a regular basis now. No further remedy at this stage
