January 2006
A 72 year old female presents with fatigue caused by haemachromotosis
Medications: Zoloft for depression 1/2 tablet daily; Bricanyl when needed for asthma; Evista for osteoporosis.
System used: HFA system of constitutional prescribing using facial features.
Appointment 1: 5th January 2006
The patient presents with unmanageable fatigue. She says that she just cannot get on with anything and is constantly tired. Her sleep is unrefreshing, but she feels better as the day goes on and is quite bright by the evening. She feels anxious constantly and finds that her memory is poor. She finds that she cannot complete tasks and feels depressed.
I ask her if there is anything in her life that makes her anxious. She says that she has problems at home with her son who is epileptic and bi-polar and whose moods are very unpredictable. He can become aggressive and shout from time to time. On asking her what response she has to the aggression, she says that she will get an attack of asthma.
She has suffered with asthma since she was 3 years old. She finds it hard to breathe in. She says that exams at school would bring on an attack. She would feel as though she could not breathe in and then would start gasping. She wheezes all the time and is < lying down. I ask her what else would prompt an attack. She says that she would get an attack if a teacher was yelling at her or at another student. The asthma is also < spring.
She goes to bed at midnight and wakes at 9.00 am feeling exhausted. She prefers spring and summer, but dislikes humidity.
The patient is a cheerful woman with a motherly countenance and is a little stout. She says that she loves all food, but has an aversion to eggplant. She smiles a lot and looks at life in the most straightforward way. Whilst anxious, she does not appear to be enveloped by it.
Haemochromotosis is a condition in which the body produces too much iron. In order to control it, it is necessary to donate blood on a regular basis. She donates blood every 3 months. Her experience of the condition is that she becomes more and more tired as the time for her next donation draws near. She says that she feels heavier and heavier. I have observed that her skin becomes very pale as she becomes more exhausted. After the donation she feels a new lease of life.
Top to toe health check:
Head: Headaches not common
Occasional dizziness
Eyes: No problems
Ears: Has worn a hearing aid since 1995
Nose: History of blocked sinuses
Neck: Pain in neck from time to time
Back: Instability in Lumbar region
Arms: History of broken wrist right side
Feet: Bunion left foot
Digestion: Very good
Food: Loves all food. Aversion to eggplant.
RUBRICS CHOSEN
(Radar)
Mind: Laughing
Mind: Concentration difficult
Mind: Ailments from Anger
Sleep: Unrefreshing
Mind: Speech wandering
Respiration: Gasping
Chest: Pain: Pressing
Generals: Iron, after abuse ofRemedies in this graph were Puls, Ars, Cupr, Lyc, Phos, Stram, Sulph, Ign, Op, Merc, Verat, Lach, Nux-v, Bell, Nux-m, Plat, Calc, Nat-m, Acon, Anac
FACIAL ANALYSIS
| YELLOW (psora) | RED (sycosis) | BLUE (syphilis) |
| Lips Mouth Nose – profile shape Lines Hairline Smile Front teeth |
Bridge Line Width of smile |
Overbite Chin Ears |
| 7 | 3 | 3 |
The patient has a dominance of yellow facial features so she needs a psoric remedy.
Three of these remedies are known yellow (psoric) remedies – Puls, Sulph and Lyc
My reason for choosing Lycopodium at the time was that she is not a particularly weepy type who enjoys living with her son next door in the bungalow, but does not want him around too much. She also recovered pretty well after the death of her husband and enjoys her house for herself. The condition is a liver problem and that strongly indicates Lycopodium.
Script: LYCOPODIUM 30C daily
Appointment 2: 13 April 2006
The patient returned – her bottle of Lycopodium has finished and her energy has started to reduce again.
She reports that her energy levels have remained high since the last appointment. Her depression has improved greatly and she has reduced her Zoloft from a half a pill daily to half a pill every second day. Her sleep is now refreshing and she is waking wanting to start the day.
She says that her son seems to have changed and is much less volatile and much easier to get along with. She also finds that she is not bottling her frustrations as much as before.
Her last blood donation was in December. The doctor has taken a blood test and her iron levels have reduced. He has advised her not to donate again until early May.
The hot dry and dusty summer has not improved her asthma.
Script: LYCOPODIUM 30C daily is repeated.
Appointment 3: 13 July 2006
The patient’s asthma has been worse the last 3 weeks. There is increased wheezing and pain in the chest and under the ribs. There is increased mucous, but the mucous is easily expelled. She has to sit up to sleep and there is rattling in the chest. She finds her respiratory symptoms are better with taking lemon and honey in hot water.
The patient reports that her son is getting her down once again. He seems to be sleeping all day again and he is getting aggressive again. However, she seems to be coping better and has come off her Zoloft completely.
She gave blood on 06 April and her reading was 135 as against 139 in December.
I feel that the Lycopodium has run its course and the increased mucous indicated to me that Pulsatilla could be useful.
Script: PULSATILLA 30 daily
Appointment 4: 19 October 2006
The asthmatic conditions have not changed, since the last appointment, but it is not as bad as it was before any treatment with homoeopathy. She is still wheezing. She is still bringing up phlegm, white < morning. She can lie down to sleep though.
She reports that the doctor is impressed with the improvement in her latest blood tests, but no figures are available.
Script: PULSATILLA 30 daily
Appointment 5: 22 September 2007
The patient is feeling exhausted again. Pulsatilla has been continued throughout the past 11 months, but seems to have run its course. The blood count of red blood cells has risen.
Her asthma is returning again. She is once again anxious about her son and is very loquacious.
Script: SULPHUR 30 daily
Appointment 6: 14 October 2007
The patient is feeling brighter, more active and more enthusiastic. Her asthma has improved and she is wheezing less. Her last blood donation was on 28 July and the next one is on 15 November 2007, so her donations are still more than 3 months.
Script: Repeat SULPHUR 30 daily
Appointment 7: 18 January 2008
The patient reports that the last blood tests were optimistic and the red blood cell count had once again reduced. The asthma is much improved. Considering the patient is < hot dry weather, this is a good report for mid summer.
Script: Repeat SULPHUR 30 daily
Appointment 8: 18 June 2008
The patient has called regarding a repeat of Sulphur 30. She is feeling so much better and she would like to continue with the drops. She is able to continue to take the correct (miasmatic and totality) remedy with only positive effects and no aggravations so another bottle is given.
Script: Repeat SULPHUR 30 daily
CONCLUSION
I feel that this has been a positive outcome of the HFA system. I have used only yellow (psoric) remedies and each one has benefited the patient in some way. It would be really beneficial to find that she no longer needs to donate blood, but I see a reduction in RBC count as beneficial and a positive progression.
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Vivien Pells
Dip Hom Prof Memb AHA, AROH regd
Melbourne, Australia
