Seizures Like Lightning

Hering prepared and proved Calcarea Arsenica in 1848, and because of that, in a sense my life was saved. This case is that of my husband.   It was Thanksgiving 2006. Jim had been suffering violent seizures for days, and ended up in an ambulance that night, rushing through rain, siren on, to a hospital to try to find out what was happening. After a few hours he was dismissed with a prescription for muscle relaxants and referred to a local GP, who wrote a referral to a local neurologist, saying, “It may be the multiple sclerosis back.” (I’ll mention more about that later.)

Upon our return home that night, he had another seizure getting out of the car, and after helping him into the house I said in exhaustion, “If we don’t figure this out, I hope you at least consider taking something (medication) – for our quality of life!”

“I will never take a drug,” he adamantly shot back.

He was right not to. He was right to refuse the CT scan. Two doctors later confirmed that an MRI was just as good, better, without radiation exposure. And one of those doctors, a Homeopath M.D. and past neurologist (mentor and friend), pegged the problem after three other medical doctors failed to see it: Epilepsy, suggesting a few remedies to look at including Calcarea arsenica. Knowing to repertorize under Generals: convulsions; epileptic was critical, as my repertorization under simply Generals: convulsions had not proved helpful.

How did my husband develop epilepsy suddenly, at 59 years old? Ailments from anger (vexation). Jim is of a Calcarea carbonica constitution, a real family man, and it was sudden, disarming news regarding one of his adult children that made his blood boil and fists clench, not entirely figuratively.The news hit like lightning, causing a flash of anger, although soon enough he collected himself and set about working to help in the situation. The moment of susceptibility had passed, but in its wake a storm was brewing.

The first seizure occurred while he was sitting in a coffee shop with friends. He described feeling “like my spirit left my body.”Then hisleft hand curled in painfully, his chest tightened, the muscles in his limbs contracted, and he cried out, “Help me!” and screamed a primordial scream as he attempted to stand. He’s a big guy, and it took several men including an Olympic power lifter to catch him and force the hand open at his loud command. From then on he suffered great anxiety, especially at night.

The seizures occurred repeatedly, increasing in frequency over the following week. He could feel one coming on, felt suddenly powerless over his arms and the left hand would violently clench, other muscles following like dominoes. It looked as if he was being electrocuted. When he wasn’t seizing, he sat nearly motionless, often wearing a sweatshirt with the hood covering his head. He refused to be left alone even for a short time, insisting on my being by his side morning, noon, and night so as to open his hand for him with every seizure. It was the only thing that would stop the painful convulsion, and he feared for his heart if there was no one there to stop it. I had to wash and feed him, and he didn’t dare drive — for what would turn out to be three months.

Many years prior he had multiple sclerosis, the reason I went to school to learn homeopathy. He was my first ‘patient’, and it took years, but eventually he was cured with Sulphur. Somehow, this new valley we found ourselves in was more frightful.

SYMPTOMS

Mind:Ailments from anger; from emotional excitement. Anxiety; in the evening; at night; with fear.(There is no more anxious remedy than Calcareaars.! Three equal it: Arsenicum, Kali Arsenicum, Psorinum) Desires company.

Generals: Convulsions; epileptic; from anger (Calcarea); Convulsions; epileptic, aura: congestion of blood to head; descending; drawing in limbs;from heart; in Arms; in Left arm; in Back and Left arm; Chest, in pain; Hands, pain.

Calcarea arsenica is not in the rubrics, Shrieking, before; during; epileptic convulsions, but the above otherwise was a picture of his type of seizures. (Calcarea carbonica is in the rubric:Shrieking from anxiety.)

Modalities were < slight exertion, > rest.

Materia medica confirmed the selection of Calcarea arsenica, and from the proving symptoms, “a vertigo before epilepsy . . . In sudden attacks he feels as if he were flying or swimming in the air, as if his feet didn’t touch the ground; feels incredibly well, as if in heaven . . . it seems to be a great many different things but lasts only a second, it passes like lightning, but is infinitely much.”

It might be a stretch, but Jim did describe feeling that his spirit left his body with the first seizure, though not after that. Proof that Calcareaars. was the simillimum, was in the cure.

I dosed with LM1, 4 oz bottle, 4 succussions, one dilution cup, and through some trial found the perfect dose size was just ¼ teaspoon, every 3 days. If the dose was too soon or too big, he’d aggravate with increased anxiety. Too late, he’d have a bad seizure. Once the posology was figured out, the seizures became fewer and farther between, and far less intense. From the first dose on, his peace was restored and we both felt hopeful. After three months, by then on LM2, he had his last seizure; just a whimper of one.

Jim waited three more months before driving again. That was eight years ago.

Says Kent, “. . . Calcarea arsenicosa is deep acting enough to cure some of our most stubborn cases of epilepsy. If this wonderful remedy is studied with the mind on Arsenicum and Calcarea, a broader knowledge will be gained.”

I am forever grateful to Master Homeopaths past and present for providing the light Calcarea arsenica proved to be in my darkest days, and give the glory to God.

Resources:
The Guiding Symptoms Of Our Materia  Medica, C. Hering;
Synthesis Ed. 8.1, Frederik Schroyens;
Concordant MateriaMedica, FransVermeulen;
Lectures on Homeopathic MateriaMedica, J.T. Kent