Adult Upper Respiratory Case

Case:  Female age in forties – 8/2012

 

Little background:

Family (3 members) in Classical homoeopathy constitutional care since 2008 when living in eastern Canada. On returning to United Kingdom remained in homoeopathic care.

Management: Throughout August, as there was a four hour time difference, and daily communication was by telephone, Skype, e-mail. Update emails were written during the night for my early morning review. I then replied in email, and we had a Skype video chat. When needing to order remedies the patient telephoned the remedy company for next day delivery. Also, on the way home from work a family member would pick up remedies.

AETIOLOGY:

3^rd August, 2012

First signs of respiratory condition began when 7 year-old daughter had a cold. Then the mother felt ill with initial head cold and flu-like symptoms.

6^th August Acute – consult e-mail

Presenting Complaint:

Head cold: moved from head, root of nose → throat → upper chest → throat

Causation, onset:  developed cold-like, flu-like symptoms, then had exposure to cold, damp rain

Duration: 2 weeks – initial head cold lasting 3 days – runny nose, sneezing

Location: 1) Nose (yellow, sticky, slimy mucous); 2) Throat (hoarseness);        3) Upper chest (rattling of mucous), cough based in upper chest

Treatment: bio-chemic tissue salts (Ferrum phos 6X), Vitamin C, Echinacea homoeopathic tincture 10 drops in 1/4 cup warm water over 15-20 minutes, 2 times a day.

Sensation: heaviness, congestion in nose, chest. Chilly – warm weather outside, but body chilly inside

Modalities: < heat, warm room; > open, fresh air

Concomitants: general weakness

Physical energy: 7/10 (10 being good)

Now prescribed:

Kali sulph 30C (2 globules) in water bottle frequently sipping for 4 days, shake before each sip

 

10th August – Skype

Presenting Complaint:

Respiratory: cough, non-productive, then green discharge (also nasal)

Causation: recent cold head cold, chest congestive

Duration: little over 2 weeks

Location: from head, root of nose → throat → upper chest → throat

Treatment: Last prescription – Kali sulph 30C

Sensation: cough – rough, hoarse

Modalities: < cold, damp

Concomitants: intermittently feels like vomiting; hands icy cold, although sweats profusely during night; nervous, frightened can’t get breath < lying down especially during night

Physical energy: 5/10 (10 being good)

Calendula 30C (Boericke)

• Great disposition to take cold especially in damp weather
• Extremely nervous, easily frightened
• Has remarkable power to produce local exudation and makes acrid discharge healthy and free
• Cold hands
• Nausea in chest
• Nose, cough green discharge. Hoarseness

Calendula 30C (2 globules) in water bottle sipping frequently through day and night

When throat very irritated – Ferrum phos 12X Tissue Salt, continue Vitamin C

12^th August – non-vaccinated daughter showing sounds of a whooping cough – case was managed and resolved by consecutive remedies and her health returned in September in time to begin new school year.

12^th August – Skype morning

Respiratory

Location: 1) Throat. 2) Stomach. 3) Upper chest

Sensation: 1) Throat sensitive – can only drink small sips, eat tiny things;         2) Stomach – nauseous, want to throw up with coughing. 3) Cough – in spasms, irritated, dry

Modalities: nausea and choking sensations, < lying down; stomach > nibbles of ginger biscuits, slices of strawberries

Concomitants: Sitting up through the night, feels she may choke lying down; cough more pronounced, deep with hoarse sound

Physical energy: 5/10 (10 being good)

Together we observed cough beginning to whoop. Drosera: hoarseness, < lying down, vomiting caused by irritation from coughing.

Drosera 30C (Boericke) – “Affects markedly respiratory organs and was pointed out by Hahnemann as the principal remedy for whooping-cough.”

Drosera 30C (2 globules) in water bottle in small sips (throat very sensitive). Shaking before each sip.

Also: irritated throat – Ferrum phos 12X Tissue Salt, Vitamin C

13^th August – Skype, morning

Respiratory

Location: 1) Stomach 2) Mind – fear during night “may be dying”

Sensation: 1) Cough – persistent, mild, non-rattly

Modalities: Stomach – nausea < lying down; > fresh air, sips of cold water, sharp lemon drink; > Sitting up through the night

Physical energy: 4-5/10 (10 being good)

Continuing on Drosera 30C, sipping frequently

However sitting up in the night – intense fear of dying. Saying: “is the hardest time of day, have a deep phobia.”

Evening – one dose of Aconite 200C (2 pellets)

Ref. Boericke: “ A state of fear, anxiety; anguish of mind and body. Physical and mental restlessness, fright, is the most characteristic manifestation.”

Update – Afternoon – Email

Now vomiting, chokey spasms. While vomiting, fear of choking predominates

Continue sipping Drosera 30C – Decide Aconite 30C rather than 1 dose of Aconite 200C – Acon 30C in water bottle sipping as needed, fear is predominate during night, also throat feels raw, burning (also Aconite).

14^th August – overnight update email

Sensation: overnight – 1) Stomach: constant nausea, vomiting, clear mucous.

2) Wheezing cough, constriction in chest with times feeling of suffocation

Immediately Ipecac 30C (2 globules) in water bottle sipping frequently

Patient “loved Aconite” – would sip whenever feeling fearful – especially during night when sitting up. Would sense when one remedy was needed at specific times, and alternated remedies, tissue salts accordingly.

Wished to take in water – Kali sulph 6X Tissue Salt (night when throat dry constricted, breathing difficult) – and Ferrum phos 12X Tissue Salt (inflammation, irritation in throat becomes acute after excessive coughing), Vitamin C.

15^th August – Skype, morning

Vomiting stopped – continue Ipecac 30C and Aconite 30C (for overnight)

16^th August – Email, early morning

Location:  1) Throat – gagging at times, congested, left side, buzzy sensation.

2) Chest – wheezy, rattling, tickling sensation

Modalities: > sitting up all night – congestion, cough, wheezing, gagging – couldn’t breath properly. > ginger, honey tea, fresh air, cold sips

Comment: “Strange, I don’t feel poorly” 7/10 (10 being good)

 

Ipecac 30C finished

Increasing sensation of rattling, gagging choking, coughing. Little expectoration.

Antimonium tart 200C (2 globules) in water bottle sipping frequently

Boericke: Respiratory: “Great rattling of mucus, but very little is expectorated.”

Continue: Aconite 30C during the night, as needed complement with Ferrum phos 12X TS and Kali sulph 6X TS, Vitamin C.

17^th August – Skype, morning

Daytime fine, more energy in afternoon, still mostly coughing during night.

We continued Ant tart 200C as the main leading remedy – and during night complemented with Sulphur 30C (Coughing hurts, whole lung heavy, burning sensation, during night, < lying down).

And saw GP – who didn’t notice cough “as whooping” – lungs were clear, and doctor said she should be over the worst of “this cold” – prescribed antibiotics (did not use).

Summary:

Throughout August – we had daily contact, often 2 times a day, following symptoms until resolution in early September.

Observations when people have been in Classical Homoeopathy Care:

• The extended family’s support is so helpful, especially when needing to sit up all night for easing respiratory discomfort.

• No additional complication of drugs, especially antibiotics – symptom picture had clarity as the symptoms changed, especially locations, and what else accompanied respiratory symptoms (concomitants).

• Have had so much practice describing Presenting Complaint (s) for: Locations, Sensations, Modalities and anything else going on (concomitants).

• Sense when remedy is working in acute situations and experienced immediate relief. Felt remedy nearing completion of action, and when picture, symptom location changes, shifts to another site.

NOTE: A vaccinated child will often have repeated, severe congestive breathing episodes – which terrify parents. They should immediately go to emergency department if respiratory congestion is more complex than they can manage at home.

Vitamin C – Ref: The Vitamin C treatment for Whooping Cough – Suzanne Humphries, MD.  End of article – description of Whooping Cough initial stages, progression and studies, clinical information on Vitamin C.