Clinical Cases

Asthma in a Woman of 62

Written by T. Geetha Reddy

Dr .T. Geetha Reddy shares a case of asthma and hypertension in a woman of 62. She solved the case with the Personal Evolution Method (PEM) of Dr. Mahesh Gandhi.

Abstract: This is a 62-year-old woman with chronic bronchial asthma since childhood, who I treated by the Personal Evolution Method (PEM) of Dr. Mahesh Gandhi, using kingdom differentiation. This was a video case taken on 21-03-2020. The patient was a retired woman aged 62, of moderate build, who came for bronchial asthma and high blood pressure.   From a long case, I have shared some relevant extracts verbatim.

Chief complaint:

Bronchial asthma since childhood. From 2014 it has increased. < cold, morning walk. She was using anti-allergic drugs, inhalers. Increased BP since 20 yrs and on allopathic medicine. Despite these medicines, there were a lot of fluctuations in BP.  Worked at Shillong for 15 yrs. There, she suffered from pine allergy, allergic cough < night.

She had difficulty in breathing, agg ascending stairs, wheez+++,  agg walking , disturbed sleep due to suffocation, agg cold weather.

Blood pressure when she came to me was 160 /110. She was using Aten Tab 40 mg twice daily. She said when work stress is less it shows normal.

Life space:

“There was work stress. Worked as a Dean in the University. There were lots of journeys at work, lot of stress being a woman in such a high post. I tolerated a lot of comments, sacrificed myself. Basically, I do lot of mental and physical work.”

She is a perfectionist, orderly, things should be in place. Passion for plants, gardening, animals. Very affectionate, lot of love, care towards students.  “If any student was in trouble I would take personal care”.

Father’s family was financially not good and she was worried for them. She belonged to a tribal family and there was a lot of poverty. She studied in a government school. Very active in childhood, playing, doing work, studying, sports, swimming.

After marriage husband was very supportive. She spent less time with children and husband due to work. She was very committed, responsible, did work continuously without a break. Did not argue nor react at work if any one said anything. Only work and home, no socialising.

During working days there was professional rivalry, many ugly episodes did happen. “I just kept quiet and did my work. Being a female people tried to dominate me, but I didn’t react.”

Stingy, reserved and spoke in a loud voice. She likes dogs, cattle, cats. In childhood, parents used to have lots of cattle. She spent a lot time with them, playing in the water with them, cleaning them etc.

Very tolerant, affectionate, confident. Protective of children. “I did everything at home, I liked it. I sacrificed myself for the sake of my children and for office work. I didn’t spend much time with husband and children. Don’t like dirty houses”

Doc- What were your responsibilities?

“I was teaching and doing research. At times 7-8 students were there. Every year 2 to 3 students had to submit their thesis. Many students were not up to the mark, many times you had to go down to their level and even teach writing skills.”

“Whenever the children were in trouble, students, anyone, they would have different kinds of problems. As a sympathetic person you had to reach out to them and help them. You looked after every one as your own, not of course literally but you had a sense of affiliation for the students.”

“Professional jealousy was always there. When we were promoted to a higher post and people who were expecting it in the same department… there would be a sense of jealousy.”

Doc- What was your reaction?

“Reaction… It hurts you. The people with whom you work, you develop a sense of belonging, you have a kind of rapport, if something goes wrong with them, you obviously suffer. Suffered to a point. It was not that you were taking too much   to heart or something, but you had to have a strategy. You had to run the department, had to function as a professional.”

Doc -You also said about self -sacrificing?

“In the sense staying away from your husband is always a kind of sacrifice. When you decide to have career, you can’t have everything, can’t have the cake and eat it too. So that sacrificing you have to do, you can’t have all the best things in life.”

Doc – And you like neatness also?

“Yes very much, that is a point of obsession, neatness, cleanliness, tidiness.”

Analysis:

This case I solved through kingdom differentiation and through Gandhi’s animal chart. She came from a very poor, village background, studied hard in government schools, colleges and become Dean of a University.

She worked very hard continuously. She sacrificed her time, not giving much time at home, with children and husband. Whenever any student was in trouble she would immediately respond and help them. She would go to any extent in helping them -financially, studies, exams or any issues at the college, hostel, etc. She felt bad and cared for her students. “My children” was how she described her students.

Any work, either physical or mental, she wouldn’t argue, just did it continuously. Many co- workers were jealous about her and her husband. There was a lot of rivalry but she never cared.

Animal theme:

Using words like: jealousy, rivalry, high position, group, lot of physical energy, protecting weaker one,

Here I ruled out mineral kingdom because the patient is not complaining of any lack, loss, structure or capability issues. I ruled out plant kingdom too, because her issue is not sensitivity and emotions. She is strong enough to deal with situations.

Mammals theme:

Strong desire to belong to a group + Row 3 theme of caring, protecting, belonging to community, group, helping children, anxiety about children, society, sociable, inclusion.

Mammals are in constant dilemma of need of others vs compromising own self and/or own freedom. That is why mammals’ patients often say “I have lost my wishes, my freedom, and my desires for the sake of others.  How much I am giving …” They provide security, protection, love.

Desire to express their opinions, feelings, affection, love esp. motherly love, warmth and nurturing. There is a strong bondage between mother and child.

OCD- neatness

Artiodactyl:     Bovidae: General theme of Bovidae

Cattle being social creatures, generally move in large groups. Being in a group provides them protection against predators. Intense threat is perceived to life. In patients we see this as – Fear of strong and intimidating figures like boss, teacher, husband, mother- in-law, etc.

Sudden danger or sudden attack as experienced by prey mammals. In patients we see this as fear of being suddenly attacked, jumped at, taken by surprise, unaware, something happening suddenly, out of the blue… fright and flee is the chief method of defence…..run away, escape.

Feeling of helplessness and vulnerability, mildness, obedient, gentle, submissive, powerless, defenceless, docile and timid. so need to bear a lot of suffering, adjustable and sacrificing.

They are quiet and don’t draw attention towards themselves; if work is there, will do it continuously without any arguments. They prefer to be silent in conversations and rather do their job quietly without any fuss.

They are silent, tolerant and doers. They have strength and capacity, yet tend to be taken for granted because of their silent, calm, tussle free nature. They prefer peaceful environment and in order to achieve this, they are often submissive, which can often result in being badly treated or abused.

Bovids do not like to be competitive and aggressive in their performance and they never try to be extraordinary and special. Also, they think that they have done too much for others without getting anything in return.

They prefer to do ordinary and routine work. In some cases, they have a feeling of being trapped in the household work or in the routine work. Even though they are good providers and workers, you won’t find them in challenging or adventurous jobs.

In Bovidae there are two groups– smaller sized and bigger sized bovids.  Smaller sized are more fearful, vulnerable and less confident than the larger sized ones. Larger ones are more capable, confident, responsible, and mild. They prefer to be silent in conversation and quietly do their work without any fuss. They may look very capable, adequate and responsible, but they are often mild in temperament.

Differences

Lac def:  They need to belong to the community, to do things for friends/ community, to help them in their need, not to hurt friends/community. These patients are extremely mild, docile and submissive. They come across as individuals who will not resist and oppose anything, nor will they exercise their own will. Adjustable and pliable. Cows are known for their quality of being adjustable and pliable to different kinds of feed and climate. The commonest situation is of a woman who gives up all her likings and desires for the sake of her husband, children and family.

American Bison- Bison Bison   Great power and strength. They don’t use their power to harass anybody or abuse their strength in a malicious way because they are naturally mild.

However, in Lac Bison, there is none of the intense submissiveness as in Lac Def. Unlike Lac Def, they are not sacrificing their personal life to make anyone on whom they are dependent upon, happy. Lac Bison can do anything for the safety and security of the group but we don’t see so much of the pleasing nature of cow in them.

Instead, we see more self-assurance. They are strongly protective of the young, weak or vulnerable individuals of the family/group. During this protective mode, they can be aggressive, destructive or very angry. They have high self- esteem and they are ready to meet any kind of crisis, even if it’s to take a lead role, to take charge of the group during crisis situations.

Elephant (Proboscides) – has the need to take care of people all the time and they try to be in the centre of action all the time, while for Lac Buffalo, it is only during crisis time. Elephant responsibility is like Row 6, while Bison’s responsibility is Row 4 like Ferrum or Niccolum. Elephant looks like a king while Buffalo, is like a policeman or army commander and desires equality in the group.

Bison and Buffalo D/D

Lac Bison people are extremely sensitive to disrespect. They show their power and strength when anybody tries to overpower them or not give them due respect. Nobody is able to stop them. They become furious and attack with intense rage with no warning.

Lac Buffalo people do not get hassled nor triggered easily and so are a little more tolerant and friendlier. Lac Buffalo people get angry only when they take charge of the situations while protecting the weaker ones. Bison appear calm but reserved while Buffalo is also calm yet friendly and chatty. Bison people can be angry, even triggered with loud noise or arguments.

So this patient is not like lac def – docile, mild, nor like Lac Bison – aggressive, angry, she is like Lac Buffalo who helps the weaker ones and capable, a doer.

Indian Domestic Buffalo – Lac Buffalo/Bubalus bubalis

Rx:  Lac Buffalo 200 weekly one dose for 4 weeks, followed by placebo.

Within 15 days only, she got relief of asthma, sneezing, no nose block. She stopped her inhalers and anti-allergic tabs. After the remedy in the initial month her sleep was better, wheeze decreased more than 50 percent, no suffocation while lying down, or while ascending stairs; asthma is quite better.

After one month her BP was 140/90 mm of hg, and she said no fluctuations. Allopathic med same dose using.

Second month asthma no wheezing, no difficulty in breathing , absolutely normal while ascending stairs; she started morning walking and exercising with much ease.  BP 130 /90 no fluctuations and same dose of allopathy medicine. I advised her to visit her physician.

Third month no asthma issues, BP same 130/80 mm of hg , her general physician decreased one time dose from 40 mg to 20 mg.

4th month no asthma complaints, absolutely alright; she took ice cream twice, no flare ups , went on tour. BP 130/80mmof hg Her physician  decreased the second tablet also 40 mg to 20 mg.

5th month BP meds only one time 20 mg. After this 5th month follow up she discontinued medicine.  She visits me whenever there are some acute issues or  when she accompanies her family members.

For BP she is now taking very minimum dose of allopathic medicine, and no fluctuations in BP. She continued allopathic medicines for 5 months then stopped as she was okay. Here Materia Medica knowledge especially of the mammals helped solve the case.

About the author

T. Geetha Reddy

Dr T. Geetha Reddy, BHMS - I have been practicing Homoeopathy for the last 15 years at Hyderabad. The last 5 years my practice has changed tremendously after using the Personal Evolution Method (PEM) of Dr. Mahesh Gandhi. I got experience in dealing with various chronic diseases by using this method.

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