It is a supervision I did, and I received only the summary of previous consultations made by a homeopathic collegue with whom I do regular supervision work.
NS = New Symptom
OS = Old Symptom
Case taken during October 2016:
(This is a synthesis of 27 years of homeopathic consultations, and lots of allopathic medications and seemingly well selected homeopathic remedies)
A woman of 48
Former teacher now a textile artist, has 2 kids
She is very lean +++
She came the first time for consultation in 1990
Eczema since she was 3 years old. Used lots of medications, mostly cortisone and petroleum ointments, quite often too.
It started in bend of knees and elbows
Then has gone to her face
It has been yellow discharging a serum like liquid +++
Red spots on her face
Old looking expression, many wrinkles and her skin looks folded and
somewhat old
Lots of herpes simplex around her mouth and nose
Red patches urticaria –like, all over her face
Eczema > at seaside
>damp wet
<cats – there is an allergy to cats +++ not to dogs
<wool, spring, autumn
Allergies also to carrots, kiwi, celery, hazelnuts, fenugreek (very strong)
<sulphur used for fruit preserving
Hangnails as a kid
Had warts around fingernails also as a kid
Very chilly person
Raynaud syndrome when young
Tendency to constipation
Lots of headaches
Vaginitis, sore pain during intercourse plus leucorrea
As a child many head concussions
At age 11pneumonia – treated in Hospital
Likes salty foods
Now the taste of salt feels too strong on her tongue
Does not like fats and bananas
Family is something very important for her.In fact, she lives with her parents in the same building. Was a sort of perfect child, always correct, never giving problem to her parents. Good at everything, always doing as her parents wanted
Married to an alternative guy, smoking pot etc. She likes travelling and changes
Loves art stuff She would like to have been a rebel, in fact both of her two kids are so inclined. Fear of wind
1994: abortion at 23 weeks of pregnancy (spontaneous)
Lots of eczema during pregnancy plus cystitis, many antibiotics
Since 2001 took Psorinum in different LM potencies. Has taken 1 dose every 3-6 months or so; this remedy helped for 7 years
From this remedy a new symptom appeared: herpes simplex on her lids (NS)
As soon as kids went into puberty, eczema was very bad again
She has taken Sepia, Staph and Psorinum from Dr. S. (her homeopathic family doctor)
Since 2013 eczema got very bad, especially her face and she had to use large amounts of cortisone. She also tried many homeopathic remedies again but without effect.
Finally this was the prescription given on Oct 2016 after supervision:
Tuberculinum Bovinum LM1, 2 doses every 4-5 days (to begin with)
My choice for Tub bov is related also to the fact that Sulph, Graph, Nat m and Sepia were already prescribed without effect.
Everything better, including stools -no longer constipated.
Lots of herpes on lips and headaches andprevious vaginitis came back
She said : “My skin problem is over!”
Energy much better
Even better in comparison with when she took Psorinum
Stopped cortisone
Headaches better, no medication
Repeated LM1 of the remedy for a new herpes labialis
Follow up six months later (March 18th ) no more herpes, skin is fine, some migraines (OS) before menses. They start at 6am, much worse at 10am. She feels very weak also, and someone has to carry her home.
Rx Tub Bov LM3 – To be taken when necessary in some water, infrequently
All is fine, but it is not clear what happened with these last migraines, as patient did not report.
She experienced one migraine with aura, similar to what she had once inher youth. Now, since Tub Bov, headaches are much less frequent – still present though.
Since 2015 hard stools and constipation especially when travelling
Much >>> after Tub Bov.
November 2018:
Last follow up, skin is absolutely fine
Phatak Materia Medica :
From Boericke Repertory:
Interesting rubric in Boericke Repertory:
Personal note:
If we look at Complete Rep (version 4.5) under:
We get lost in 70 remedies while a Repertory like Boericke’s, which is mostly clinical, lists only 13 remedies, which can be of great help in selecting the right remedy.This is what I learned from this woman’s case.This is a suggestion to be used only in very complicated or spoiled cases, or very medicated chronic cases, otherwise always consider the totality of case first.
Mycobacterium Tubercularis (Koch’s Bacillus)
This is a very disappointing fact that Hpathy publish this case without analyzing because when a case published in such a reputed journal with 65000+ followers then it must be excellent with proper details and explanation as it will be read by huge number of learners.
I want to attract the attention of the publisher of the journal to some points which are the reason of my disappointment.
Dr. Maurizio Paolella explain that he prescribe Tuberculinum out of the reportorial result and as all the other possible medicines were tried and failed. Do you think that this information should be enough and rational for a doctor to prescribe a medicine?
Then he give references from materia medica of phatak and boerick and mark the symptoms like Chronic eczema, suppressed eczemaas the base behind the choice of the medicine, I means are these symptoms of real or any worth to select the tuberculinum?
While he left all the informative explanation untouched, Actually there are so many symptoms from mental, general and local which are very strongly confirm the presence of Tuberculinum.
those highly useful symptoms were,
– From Mentals: The rebillious nature and travelling desires.
– From general: Lean individual, cat allergy and salt desire.
– From Physical/local: Red colour Herpetiform patches of eczema (the look of the eczematous eruption are like a coin or like a ring like that of ringworm)– which is actually a very important presentation of tuberculinum eczema apart from other common symptoms of eczema like itching, discharge, etc .
So actually, all the above very useful informations left unnoticed by the doctor while explaining the full case which are very important to understand the real and correct image of Tuberculinum otherwise how one could understand the logic and thinking behind the selection of this medicine which cures so beautifully? The main reason for going through a journal by a novice, a learner homeopath and student homeopath is to understand the logic and thinking behind the prescription which also help one to understand the image of the medicine, patient and disease clearly and not the variety, number and type of diseases improved by homeopathy.
So hopefully this comment may be consider positively and for the betterment of the homeopathy.
Dr Maurizio Paolella has been practicing for 33 years, has trained with some of the top homeopaths in the world and has worked with numerous cancer patients. This case had been treated for 27 years and was complicated by various allopathic suppressions and treated with several homeopathic remedies. Dr. Paolella does mention that suppressed eruptions were one consideration, along with the patient having aggravation from exposure to animals (cats), she likes salty foods, desires traveling. was a lean person, had specific eczemas, was married to an alternative guy, smoking pot etc (meaning a rebellions nature), and that Sulph, Graph, Nat m and Sepia were already prescribed without effect, etc. His choice of Tuberculinum was explained quite well, and it worked, where many other therapeutic attempts had failed. I considerate this a very well worked case with impressive results. There are lessons to be learned from this case.
DEAR DR,
IN HOMEOPATHY CATCHING A REMEDY WHICH CURES THE PATIENT IS MORE IMPORTANT THEN MATCHING THE SIMILARITIES EVERY TIME. THIS COMES AFTER GREAT EXPERIENCE.
THANKS
DR C S GUPTA
Interesting rubric
Mind; fight; wants to; rebellious: androc CALC-P(3) caras CARC(3) CAUST(3) diox ign kali-c lac-as(2) lac-f merc onc-t pras-o sam-co-m tub