Asthma in a Boy of 7

This is the case of a 7 year-old child who had visited me for first time on 6^th January, 2014.

Chief Complaints:

He was brought to the clinic by his parents who were in absolute distress due to the recurrent asthmatic (Homeopathy for Asthma) attacks that the child was suffering since the age of three.

He would have severe attacks of wheezing and breathlessness. The allopathic doctors had advised the father that his son would need nebulisation and hospitalisation frequently, almost every 15 days.  On enquiring about the complaints in detail since the beginning, the mother said:

“ He would suffer from recurrent cold and cough almost since he was 6 months old. The doctors would give him symptomatic allopathic treatment. Since almost 4 years now, he has started to have difficulty in breathing. There is wheezing and he needs to be immediately taken to the hospital where he is given nebulised medicine each time.  

Now his condition is such that he cannot play, go out with his friends, run or enjoy himself. In fact any slightest exertion like jumping on the bed or running around in the house also would cause the breathlessness and wheezing. “He has never played as such till date in his life”. He is also unable to eat any kind of chocolates, candies, ice cream, biscuits, or anything having flavours or colours.

MY OBSERVATION:

The child appeared sick and very weak. He was very shy and quiet, and did not say anything. I asked him How are you?  He seemed shy and looked down. His mother said: He gets this problem in his sleep, he wakes up and then just cannot lie down. He gets out of his bed and moves here and there which gives him some relief. He just does not sit or lie down. He is uncomfortable sitting and lying down is just impossible.” Nothing else that aggravates or relieves his complaints.

ALLOPATHIC TREATMENT PRESCRIBED:

He was prescribed Salbutamol sulphate since 8 months, Montelukast and a Levocetrizine tablet once daily, syrup Piritexyl-BR and Budesonide nebuliser almost once every 15 – 20 days.

OTHER COMPLAINTS:

Along with asthma he also had chapped hands, cracks and cuts only on palms. It was also associated with pain and difficulty in writing. Initially it would happen only in winters, but the last two years it is all throughout the year.  His mother said he does not eat well and has a poor appetite. His father added “We need to force him to eat.”

The only thing he would eat and ask for was sweets and cheese. Give him any kind of sweets and he would eat. Give him cheese all day and he would relish it. He just does not like to eat anything else.

Thirstless, he doesn’t drink water throughout the day. Stools and Urine were normal, Occasionally would pass stools once in 2 days.  Perspiration only face, only in summer.

MIND:

He is a quiet child. Does not do much mischief. Very shy but he is also obstinate. If he wants some toy he would be adamant to get it and if not given he would get angry and not talk to anyone. Also for food he is very adamant, would only eat what he feels like and mostly it is only sweets. Afraid of ghosts. He wouldn’t even go to the washroom alone after sunsets once its dark.

SLEEP:

Sound sleep.

Position: Abdomen on.

Occasionally has salivation in sleep but its not a regular feature.

O/E:

Chest : wheezing sound and congestion ++

Pallor +

INDIVIDUALISTIC SYMPTOMS OF THE PATIENT :

• Asthma , aggravated in sleep
• Asthma causing difficulty in lying down
• Asthma was better by walking about
• Asthma worse by slightest exertion.
• Shy, timid
• Obstinate
• Quiet disposition
• Desires sweets, cheese
• Thirstless
• Perspiration only on face
• Sleeps position, abdomen on

RUBRICS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION:

KENT’S REPERTORY:

• Respiration, asthmatic, sleep, coming on during
• respiration, difficult, lying, impossible
• Respiration, difficult, walking ameliorates
• Respiration, difficult, exertion after.

SYNTHETIC REPERTORY:

• Food & Drinks, sweets, desires (Vol. II)
• Food & Drinks, cheese desires (Vol. II)
• Mind, Timidity (Vol. I)
• Mind, Quiet disposition (Vol. I)
• Mind, Fear, Ghosts (Vol. I)
• Mind, Obstinate (Vol. I)
• Sleep position, abdomen on (Vol. III)

KENT’S REPERTORY:

• Stomach, Thirst-less
• Face, Perspiration
• Extremities, chapped hands.
• Extremities, cracked hands.

REMEDY CHOSEN AFTER REPERTORISATION:

SEPIA   -DR. S. R. PHATAK writes:

Generalities:

• Children who take cold easily when the weather changes.
• Short walk fatigues much
• Worse: Falling to sleep, after first sleep.
• Mind – sits quietly and answers either yes or no.
• Stomach – longings; for vinegar, acids and pickles, sweets.
• Respiratory – dyspnoea, < after sleep, > rapid motion. Asthma.
• Skin – blotched; raw, rough, hard or cracked < flexures.

Rx:  On 06-01-2014 – Sepia 30 dry dose followed with placebo for a week.

And also gave Sepia 30 to be prescribed in attenuations to be given in case there was an attack of asthma.

(Attenuations – dry minimum dose of medicine to be put in 10 tsp of water and stirred vigorously for 20 times and dose given is just a single tsp of the same. Next dose to be prepared by taking 1 tsp of the previous preparation and then add 9 tsp of the plain water and again stirred vigorously for 20 times and this to be done every time the medicine is to be given to the patient

Follow up: After a Week

There was no attack of asthma in one week. Gave placebo for another week

Follow up: After 1 Month:  In one month the asthma attack happened once and patient was given attenuated dose of Sepia 30. The skin complaints of chapped and cracked skin on hands disappeared completely in 2 weeks.

The patient’s parents stopped all the allopathic medicines on their own after 10 days of starting homoeopathic medicine, without even asking me. That was a great step that helped cure the patient rapidly and the minuteness of the dose helped cure patient gently (§ 2 – Organon of Medicine – 6^th edition)

Follow up: After 2 Months:

It was a real pleasant surprise for me! The mother came to the clinic in great happiness and showed me the 2nd prize that the patient won in school racing competition and said “now my son can play, jump around, run and eat all kinds of chocolates, candies, and can live his life to the fullest.

He has a good appetite and the parents do not have to force him to eat food.

And has also made many friends in his school.

In the following months

Sepia 200, 1M and 10M was given as and when required. The asthma attacks reduced in frequency and intensity. The skin complaints did not recur at all. It disappeared within 10 days of starting constitutional medicine.

In 6 months – Follow up of 9th December 2014

His mother says he ate ice golas and nothing happened. Not even coryza or cough; asthma had become a history for him then.

In one year since starting the treatment, patient had asthma attack only three times and a single small dry dose of Sepia every time helped him get over it.

Now the patient – the small child also had so much trust in the medicine that anytime he would get the attack of asthma, he would ask his mother to call me.

The patient was reviewed regularly every month and given medicine as and when required. The medication was stopped by 20th December, 2016 as there was no attack of asthma since one year.  To date there has been no attack of asthma and the patient is now a grown up child, happy and health and having many friends.

BEFORE: LEFT HAND                                                                           BEFORE : RIGHT HAND

AFTER : LEFT HAND                                                                            AFTER : RIGHT HAND

 

CHALLANGES FACED:

It was a case of asthma and the child was dependent on antihistamines, bronchodilators and even steroid nebulisers. There was a lot of suppression. Any withdrawal would bring about a serious asthmatic attack and the child’s age was such that it would be very difficult for him to bear the attack. The trust of the patient’s parents and the child himself was helpful as they stopped the allopathics on their own after just 10 days of the child starting homeopathy.