A boy of 15 comes with complaints of generalized eruptions on skin with intense itching. Eruptions were red patches all over. Itching was followed by burning sensation. According to the patient eruptions started after eating. He said his eruptions appear mainly after eating lentils, but surely after taking milk and milk products. Also he had throat pain which was worse eating food. When he came to me, it was the second day of his eruptions and he was already taking high doses of anti-allergens with steroids without relief of his eruptions and agony. He has been having such episodes of Urticaria eruptions since 2 to 3 years, on and off. On examination boy was having Urticaria like eruptions with swelling around eyes and redness of conjunctiva of eyes.
History of Asthma since childhood.
Family history: Father having hyperlipidemia and paternal grandfather having asthma.
Physical appearance: Lean thin
Craving: Pungent things+2
Aggravation: Milk and milk products+2, dal (lentils)
Perspiration: Scanty
Sleep: late at 2-3 am due to upcoming board exam, sleeps on back more, sleep is occasionally disturbed by asthma episodes.
Dream: Something is falling.
Thermal: Chilly, Asthma aggravated in winters.
Mind: According to his father, the boy gets angry easily. He cannot tolerate if anyone teases him. He says he is afraid of night as he gets dreams of something falling. The boy did not speak much about himself. He says that he lacks confidence in school and among friends. He does not remember things well. He does not know what he is going to do in the future. When asked about his relationship with his parents and an elder brother of 18 years, he said that he does not interact with them much.
Repertorial totality of symptoms taken:
- Anger easily.
- Want of self-confidence.
- Indifference to his family.
- Eyes swelling of lids.
- Asthma worse night.
- Sleeps on back.
- Dreams of falling.
- Scanty sweat.
- Eruptions itching, red.
- Eruptions urticarial.
- Worse from lentils.
- Worse from milk.
- Desires pungent things.
- Lack of vital heat.
- Lean people.
After repertorization, the remedies that most addressed the totality were Sepia, Phosphorus and Nux vomica.
For me the most important characteristic symptoms were aggravation from milk and his indifferent behavior towards his loved ones.
RX: Sepia 30 in deviated doses were given daily twice a day for 2 weeks.
The first two days there was slight aggravation of his urticaria, followed by continuous amelioration.
His asthma also disappeared and there was no need for him to take bronchodilators.
Now, he is without any episode of urticaria and asthma. He is still under my supervision and has been seen on fortnightly follow-ups for three months.
Sepia has definitely helped the boy in urticaria and relieving his asthma.
As of 6-6- 2017 this patient is doing well. He had one episode of acute urticaria on 5-15- 2017 for which I gave Rhus tox 30, which led to amelioration. After that I prescribed Sepia 200 and he has been without any eruptions or asthmatic symptoms since.
