Chronic Migraine – A Case Quiz from Dr. Amarsinha Nikam

Can you solve this case?  Send your solution, including the rubrics you used, to:  [email protected]

Chronic Migraine:

This is a case of a 10 yr old boy suffering from chronic migraine who had come with his parents. They had a good family background, his father being in the construction line.

His parents were fair, strong and bulky and their constitution was reflected in this young boy, who had a fair complexion and was very obese with a large belly. His chubby cheeks covered most of the facial area hiding his eyes. He had a broad forehead and dense hair.

Before starting the consultation, they told me that they had visited many homoeopaths, who gave him multiple remedies without any positive result.

It wasn’t a simple case. (Every case is a challenging case for every classical Homoeopath who likes to follow Hahnemannian principles!)

Migraine in a 10-year-old boy was unbelievable. The poor boy was suffering from headache at intervals of three days for 2½ yrs. His allopathic consultant had advised him to be brave and bear the pain. I decided to hunt for the peculiar symptoms, which would guide me in the remedy.

Migraine: Characterized by episodic recurrent headache, this is typically unilateral and associated with vomiting and visual disturbances. In migraine with aura, there is a decrease in cerebral blood flow during onset of attack with blurring of vision. This is followed by a compensatory gush of blood from the dilated extra cranial arteries causing intense headache; the pains are throbbing which are comparable only to labor pains. The worst part is that the interval of attacks gradually decreases making the life of the patient miserable.

Allopathic treatment aims only at painkillers and antiemetics during the episodes.

His complaints were:

1.     Headache (migrainal) since 2½ years. Gradual increase with severe intensity within an hour & gradual decline.

Location – Around eye and forehead, Lt. side.

Throbbing, squeezing pain, lightening pain.

< 7a.m. – 11:30 a.m.             > Sleeping in dark room.

< Noise.                       > Cool air.

< Light.

< Sun.

< Touch.

< Air draft.

< Warm room.

No Aura. Only drowsiness with dark circles around eyes 2 hours before pain.

2.     Hyperacidity. Burning sensation in chest & abdomen.

< Loss of sleep.       > After sleep.

< Spicy.

3.       Obesity since 4 years.

4.       Pain in both heels.

< Standing.                   > Rest.

< Running.

< Pressure.

5.       Lumbar pain since fall on lumbar region. Pain gradually comes & goes. Pain in entire spine.

• Past History :

–         H/o Recurrent coryza with tonsillitis.

–         Severe headache for 21 days in 2002.

• Physical Generals :

§                               Habit             : Of thumb sucking.

§                               Appetite                 : Good.

§                               Desire            : Chicken, Meat, Ice Cream, Cold food.

§                               Aversion                 : Warm food.

§                               Food<          : Cold food  < Coryza.

§                               Thirst            : Thirsty.

§                               Tongue          : Thick white coated with red strip in center.

§                               Eyes             : Myopia. Short sightedness since 2 years, uses spectacles.

§                               Perspiration : On head⁺⁺.

§                               Sleep            : Sound. Soft bed & pillow required. Snoring.

§                               Dreams          : Of playing.

§                               Thermal        : Ambithermal, but < air draft & chilliness of ears.

The further information about the boy’s nature was given by his mother.

How is his nature?

He is very active though fat. He is playful & mischievous. He likes to play Cricket but cannot play in the sun since 6 months. So he becomes very irritable on trivial matters. He hurries in all his activities and so makes many mistakes during exams. He is intelligent but he can score only about 65%.

Anything else?

We were living in Pein (a village), but 8 months ago we shifted to Thane (Mumbai). He misses his village (Pein). He had only one good friend. He felt very sorry to be away from him. Now, he has made some friends but still, I have not seen him getting close to any of them.

Any other problem?

We had a financial crisis a year ago. We didn’t discuss it in front of him, but we were upset… Maybe he was tense that we couldn’t meet his demands. He used to get very angry but we were helpless.

 

Can you solve this case?  Send your solution, including the rubrics you used, to:  [email protected]