Case Presentation:
The patient is a woman, 65 years old. First consultation: 15/09/2014. For the last month she has had strong impulses to kill her three grandchildren. “I feel like cutting them into pieces, then boil them and eat them. I feel like piercing their eyeballs. If I see any rope or scarf, I feel an impulse to strangulate them”.
“Impulse to hit their head with the pressure cooker. On seeing a match box, I feel an impulse to put them on fire.” “On seeing a knife, I feel like stabbing them.”
Impulse to use abuses. Impulse to talk in rhyming words. Because of such tormenting thoughts, she wants to commit suicide.
Comorbidities: Hypertension. Takes two anti-hypertensive medicines Amlopres 5 (amlodipine besilate) & Telma 40 (telmisartan) everyday
Past History
-In 1990 (24 years ago), she caught her husband flirting with another woman. She did not express her feelings and she became sleepless. The impulses started at that time.
At that time the impulse was to kill her small children by hitting them on their head or drowning them or putting them on fire or strangulating them.
There were impulses to use abusive words and also impulses to kill herself.
She was given 8 ECT (Electro Convulsive Therapy) and then she became normal.
– In 1998, her brother in law took all the share of their property and because of this injustice the impulses appeared again. She was again given 8 ECT and she slowly became normal.
Physical Generals:
- Thermally Hot 3+
- Sleeps on back 2+. Dreams of fighting with others (2+), but in reality she does not reply back.
Mental Generals:
- She appears to be very soft and sweet
- She has never carried out the impulses. She has never even abused anybody.
- She feels tormented by the impulses and feels that she should kill herself before any mishap happens.
Prescription:
STAPHYSAGRIA 1M (twice a day for 6 days) (Though key notes like siesta aggravation and recurrent styes could not be confirmed )
Follow Up:
22/09/2014 (7 days after Staph 1M)
Impulse to kill >> 50% >; Abusive> Before the medicine, when she would get up from the floor, she would press her hands on the floor. This would make her feel that she is choking her grandchildren’s neck. Now this is absent
PRESCRIPTION – Sac Lac
09/10/2014 (25 days after Staphysagria) The patient appears very sad!
New Symptom – Anxiety of health has appeared. Fear of fainting. Fear of epilepsy and stroke
Impulses >
Abusive >
Rhyming tendencies >>
PRESCRIPTION – Sac Lac
3/12/2014 (2.5 months after Staphysagria )
She is very sad, as all impulses have returned!
Sleeplessness has <<
PRESCRIPTION – Staphysagria 1M B.D X 6 days
26/12/2014 (23 days after Repetition of Staphysagria 1M )
All Impulses are worse.
Constant thoughts of killing grandchildren.
Desire to talk in rhyming words <
Abusive thoughts < Appears very sad
PRESCRIPTION – Staphysagria 10M O.D X 6 days
04/02/2015 (1 month after Staphysagria 10M )
No Change at all in the impulses.
Almost constant thoughts and she is in despair!
PRESCRIPTION: Thea 200 BD X 3 days
07/02/2015 (3 days after Thea 200) Constant thoughts of impulses have reduced. Three days ago if a thought would come, it would stay for at least 2-3 hours. Today it is staying for half an hour only. Tiredness < since 2 days
PRESCRIPTION – Sac Lac
13/02/2015 (6 days after Thea 200) Thoughts of Impulses have again increased. If a thought comes, she cannot ignore it, again for 3 hours. Abusive thoughts <
“I feel there is a devil in me that wants to kill the grandchildren and simultaneously in me there is mother Yasoda (mother of Lord Krishna) who is constantly struggling with this devil.
PRESCRIPTION – Anacardium 1M B.D X 6 Days
Combination of Conflict + Abusiveness leads to the idea of Anacardium
20/02/2015 (7 days after Anacardium 1M)
Abusive Thoughts >
Impulses are still the same
Weeping <<. Crying spasmodically.
PRESCRIPTION – Sac Lac
Considering this as an emotional outlet – it was best to wait.
20/03/2015 (5 weeks after Anacardium 1M)
Thoughts of impulses are still constant. No change in them. Abusive thoughts have again increased. There is great despair in the her now.
Analysis –
The peculiarity of the impulses is not that she wants to kill by knife only (Alum, Merc), or by fire (Hepar) or by strangulating. The peculiarity is that she wants to kill her own grand children or her own children, and not anybody else.
PRESCRIPTION – Derris Pinnata 200 BD X 3 days followed by1M OD X next 3 days.
MATERIA MEDICA (Clark)
Is afraid of killing someone with a knife – disposed to strike, and inveighs against his dearest friends. Materia Medica (Prof Vithoulkas’ live lectures)
A case of schizophrenia in a young lady was cured with Derris pinnata – she had the symptom – impulses to kill her mother, whom she loved but not anyone else. She had even attacked her mother many times.
02/04/2015 (12 days after Derris Pinnata) In last 4 days, impulses did not bother her so much.
PRESCRIPTION: Sac Lac
18/04/2015 (1 Month after Derris Pinnata) Weeping > Intensity of impulses the same, but duration of thoughts much better. Initially one impulse would bother her for 3 – 4 hours. Now it stays only for 1 hour
PRESCRIPTION – Sac Lac
18/05/2015 (2 Months after Derris Pinnata)
Intensity of impulsive thoughts >>
Duration of thoughts much >
Sadness >
No weeping
PRESCRIPTION– Sac Lac
15/06/2015 (3 Months after Derris Pinnata)
Impulses and constant thoughts better by 75%. Since thoughts do not disturb her so much, she can even sleep in the daytime.
Sleeplessness >. Hypertension is better. Advised to reduce both
anti-hypertensive tablets to half. Since 15 days, itching on the body
PRESCRIPTION: Sac Lac
30/11/2015
All her complaints were again found to be worse, with a relapse of all her impulses.
PRESCRIPTION – Repeat Derris Pinnata 200 BD X 3 days followed by 1M OD X next 3 days.
07/12/2015 (8 Days after repetition of Derris Pinnata ) Energy has increased by 30% ; Impulses and thoughts are better by 30%.
PRESCRIPTION: Sac Lac
31/03/2016 (4 months after repetition of Derris Pinnata ) Impulses and thoughts are 70 % better. Energy is much better. Sleep is also better as thoughts are not disturbing her. B.P is 130 / 78, so she was advised to reduce anti-hypertensive tablets to 1/4 of what she was taking in the 1st consultation.
16/05/2016 (5.5 months after repetition of Derris Pinnata) Obsessive thoughts better by 80% ; Energy again >; Appetite > Suppressed feelings of past are better.
PRESCRIPTION: Sac Lac
17/08/2016 (8.5 months after repetition of Derris Pinnata) Patient says – “Only 2-3 % of impulsive thoughts are remaining in me.” Energy is > “ I am walking 2 Km daily.” ; Sleep is much better. The BP is 140/84 – still on 1/4 of both anti-hypertensive tablets.
PRESCRIPTION – Sac Lac
Conclusion
In this case, Staphysagria, Thea and Anacardium acted as similar remedies. They brought some amelioration (in proportion to their similarity) but the amelioration was followed by relapse.
If we see such a reaction, repetition of the same remedy even in a higher potency will be of no use, as we saw after repeating Staphyagria 1 M & 10 M.
Long continued amelioration of all symptoms was seen after Derris Pinnata. We should think of this remedy especially if there is a desire to harm loved ones.
Very nice and classical case presentation by dear Atul sir thank you for this very good learning case…
Thank you for sharing the case Dr. Atul Jaggi!
I read your case, it was exceptionally well-written. I particularly liked the fact that it was an objective and clear presentation pointing out the benefit of small remedies when they are indicated.
I would like to thank you for both an educative and informative case.
Great Job! Congratulations!
A very good case, thank you, for the learning opportunity. I have a question – according to Prof Vithoulkas’ teachings, we would usually give a single dose and wait and see the reaction. Starting with Staphysagria, you have repeated the chosen remedy, twice a day for a few days and then waited to see the reaction.
I’m sure there has been a logical thought process behind it… am keen to know what it was.
Where Derris p is concerned, you have given 200 bd for 3 days then 1M bd for 3 days…here too, I’d like to understand the reasoning for it.
Thank you so much, looking forward to your reply.
The reason to repeat Staphysagria was because the indignation was very old and very deep in her Psyche.
The reason to give Derris in 2 potencies was just to be sure that at least one potency would be active, and we may not miss the correct remedy just because of a bad preparation. As Derris was not available in India and we ordered it from Ainsworth, we were not sure !
The important rule of repetition is that the moment we see an effect, we stop the repetition.
Thank you
Thanks so much!! Good to know because after attending Prof GV’s e-learning course, I have tended to become over-cautious where repetition of potencies is concerned. I get what you’re saying, thanks again! So yes, while starting, if needed, we can give a few doses of the potency, but once the action is visible, no more dosing.
Dear Atul,
Congragulations, thats really good case presentation and showing how homeopathy could work. I admired your patience with the client and your trust to process, ıts not easy to wait and observe, cases like these one.
Thank you sir… For sharing such a beautiful learning case…
Good learning !! Thank You Sir fr sharing this case.. We r always looking forward to study ur cases !!
Thank you so much dear Atul sir for sharing such a wonderful case