A Case of Vitiligo

Which is the most un-homeopathic question asked by most of the current homeopaths? Well, it is – “What are the homeopathic remedies for XYZ disease?”

Visit any homeopathic discussion websites or forums on social-networking websites where people discuss homeopathy, and you will find only one question – tell us ‘the remedies’ for a particular disease. Believe me, the process of homeopathic remedy selection has not stopped surprising me even after practicing it everyday for more than a decade. We definitely can narrow down our remedy repertoire for a particular disease to 15-20 remedies, but in spite of that, not more than 50% of cases get the benefit of it. Finally one has to understand the case in its individual aspect and prescribe a suitable remedy for it.

The cases of vitiligo [Leucoderma] have always proved tricky to treat, for me. I have tried all sorts of specific remedies [no need to mention], but without any good effect.  I only got results in 3 cases [out of 8] and in all of them, the key was the constitutional remedy. I would like to present a recently treated case here:

Ms KS, age 7 years. Daughter of a rickshaw driver.

Chief complaint:

Skin:   Vitiligo since 2 years, spreading rapidly. Earlier she was slightly better with homeopathic treatment, but discontinued treatment as she could not afford it.

It started with the left forearm as a 50 paise-coin sized round patch, which has now enlarged to a diameter of almost 3 cms.

She then got a few patches on her forehead and scalp – left side.

Family history: father has widespread vitiligo almost covering 80% of his body.

Dispositional features:

Ambithermal-Hot; Perspiration ++ especially over the scalp;

Cravings or aversions – nothing specific.

Developmental milestones – normal; No history of dentition aggravation;

 

Nature:

Emotionally not much affected with the lesions. Continued socializing with friends with the same ease, and without any awkward feeling. She does feel the patches should get resolved. [buoyancy]

Overall she is quite bold and doesn’t have any kind of fear.

She has a tremendous pain tolerance; mother can hardly remember patient crying due to pain, although getting injured is an everyday ritual.

Remedy selection:

Constitutional = Calc Fluor

[Totality: Left sided + Scalp perspiration + Ambi-Hot + buoyancy + pain tolerance]

In my experience, the fluoric element provides a tremendous amount of ‘tolerance’ to the personality. It can be a tolerance to pain or reprimands or criticism or exertion or for that matter anything which generally we cannot tolerate much.

16^th April 2009: case defined                                             Rx: Syphilinum 1M [1]

Placebo BD x 1 month

[syphillinum was given as an anti-miasmatic start, considering the extensive spread of vitiligo in the father’s case, and with appearance of lesions in the patient’s case at a very early age]

 

 

20^th May 2009: status quo with all lesions                           Rx: Calc flour 30 QID

23^rd June 2009: Forearm patch reducing from the periphery;

Face patches – one patch totally gone, others >>; Rx: ct all

22^nd July 2009: Reported to be better – patches resolving   Rx: ct all

21^st Sep 2009:         Forehead patches gone completely;

Forearm patch – almost 40% better                Rx: ct all x 2 months

2^nd Dec 2009: Face patches all gone;

Forearm – 80% better       [‘after’-photo]                Rx: ct all x 1 month

10^th Jan 2010:         Father reported ~100% resolution of forearm

Patches. Patient could not visit.          Rx: ct all x 1 month

Update 3/30/2010 : Thanks to her sincere and regular efforts in giving follow-ups and taking the medicines religiously, almost all her vitiligo patches over the body have disappeared in one year.

For more information about vitiligo visit-

https://hpathy.com/cause-symptoms-treatment/vitiligo-leucoderma/