On 31st May 2021 a woman of 43 visited me for intolerable pain in the right side of her pelvis. It was extreme pain with a sensation that somebody is tearing her pelvis.
Her ultra sound, done at 29th May 2021, showed a hemorrhagic cyst of 4.3 by 2.4 cm in the right ovary. Her gynecologist suggested surgery. She wanted a solution without operation.
When she entered my office, she was bending forward due to pain. I gave her Colocynth 30 CH one dose which relieved her pain and she could give the history.
She had painful, offensive, bright red clotted menses since 4 months. Occasional hot flushes were there. Weakness, breast pain and irritability before menses. There was no other complaint related to gynecology.
She had disturbed sleep due to thoughts. Pain and stiffness in joints, sometimes difficult to comb her hair as she could not raise her hands and shoulder.
Physical generals like appetite, thirst, urine, stool and sweat were normal. Thermally- hot. Does not cover feet while sleeping.
Desire for sweets after eating
Her mother had breast cancer and she died due to brain hemorrhage.
Nothing specific in her history.
By profession, she is a teacher and started her job four years ago. It sounded strange to me. A woman who was homemaker throughout her life suddenly decided to start job at the age of 39. Why?
Life space- Her mother died when she was 17 years old. Later on the family environment changed. Her aunt used to scold and humiliate her for trifles. She suppressed her anger for many years.
After her marriage, she was happy with her husband but her mother in law was not so cooperative and she had to suppress anger and emotions due to the mother in law’s behavior.
She said- ‘I am a very affectionate and open person, love to talk and enjoy but my mother in law told me that my life is only for serving the family and to produce children. I was not allowed to go to work.
I was compromised for many years but always fulfilled my duties. Life is all about giving and taking respect. I respected them but they insulted me. To prove myself I decided to join the job. I wanted to be independent.
Due to this decision, my mother-in-law left our home and shifted to her other son’s home. It was difficult to handle home and job together. She did not support me. I accepted the fact, struggled and eventually could manage everything well.
I dedicate myself to my family and work. I become sensitive; cry every now and then. I am worried about my daughter’s future.’
I asked her about mother- in-law. She said- ‘I don’t care. She is no more part of my life. May God teach her a lesson!’
Puffy infiltration in face, especially in upper eyelid. Obesity. Distended belly. Restless while sitting due to pain in back and knee. Pain localized at right ovary with tenderness in full abdomen.
Analysis:
Her mental picture especially the strong need of respect and recognition with suppressed anger indicated Staphysagria.
Obese woman, menopausal age, stiff joints and muscles, infiltration in face, painful menses accompanied by ovarian complaints, hemorrhagic cyst in right ovary, warm blooded patient was indicating Apis mel.
Apis mel was listed under ovarian cyst and haematocele pelvis in repertory.
I wanted a remedy, which should cover the mentals of Staphysagria and physicals of Apis Mel.
The patient complained of tearing pain in ovary. We must cover the chief complaint. I thought of Kali Iodatum.
As mentioned in Douglas M. Borland’s Materia medica and N. M. Choudhuri’s -a study of Materia medica, Kali iod is talkative (I am very affectionate and open person, love to talk and enjoy), passionate (To prove myself I decided to join the job- she started job at age of 39), warm blooded patient (doesn’t cover feet while sleeping), having anxious weeping tendency (I become sensitive; cry every now and then), fear of evil (I am worried about my daughter’s future), maliciousness with sadness (May God teach her a lesson)
Troublesome and unreasonable impressions become fixed ideas in Kali iod (I know the world is full of selfish people.)
Her premenstrual complaints, stiffness and joint pain indicated Kalium group.
It was the confirmation from Materia medica. I want to check with repertory. I opened the search window in my software and put in ovary and Kali iodatum. The result is as below:
Prescription-
Kali iodatum 30 twice a day for 8 days followed by placebo for 8 days at 31st May 2021.
I instructed her to call on our helpline number if pain became unbearable. She should not take any painkiller.
Follow up at 14 th June 2021-
Bearable pain for 3 days after medication.
She passed offensive leucorrhea for 5-6 days.
Menses appeared at 10th June.
Dysmenorrhoea- less.
No offensive odor, no clots.
Irritability before menses- same.
Sleep disturbed.
She said- “After your medicine, skin eruption, which looked like snake, came on my back with severe itching. I wanted to apply lacto calamine but your assistant told me to apply coconut oil. It went off after 8 days.”
During interview, she refused any skin treatment taken in past. Might have forgotten! Otherwise, how homeopathy would have dug it out!
(I have video.)
Kali iodatum 30 one dose for 8 days given.
Patient insisted she get an ultra sound. I usually prefer it in a gap of 3 months.
Ultra sound report – 15th June 2021-
Haemorrhagic ovarian cysts usually dissolve within 8-10 weeks in premenopausal woman. If it is extremely painful, surgery is advisable.
Patient did not want to be operated on hence sought homeopathy for her acute emergency.
Conclusion
Homeopathy efficiently manages acute pain, hemorrhage and other emergencies with well-selected remedies.
Apis mel would have given the same result but I wanted to treat the personality not just the local problem. Her mental symptoms and physical signs indicated a Kalium personality. When we see, feel, listen and touch the patient without keeping any remedy picture in our mind the ball is always in our court.
Kali iodatum has two specific symptoms-though the inflammation localized at one site (for ex. right ovary), there is diffuse tenderness in surrounding area (in abdomen and pelvis.) and this hot patient does not cover the feet while sleeping.
Our selected remedy must justify material medica, repertory, mental symptoms and semiotic observation.
