A nineteen year old girl came for consultation on 6th October 2018. She presented with complaints of vomiting and diarrhea, breathlessness and crying. Felt worse by sitting, > lying on the back, < lying on the abdomen. On this night, complaint began as she dreamt of standing on a building and vomiting. She woke up her aunty who took her to the washroom. Her mother being a nurse was at the hospital andgave her intravenous normal saline. At present no signs of dehydration (Homeopathy Treatment for Dehydration). History of eating roadside food the previous day. However, patient was attributing her complaints to some demonic influence.
Complaints began on 3rd October at 3:30am. Her sleep was disturbed by a horrifying dream that her beloved uncle had met with an accident, and she saw his last remains which seemed mutilated. She had to walk by balancing over wooden logs. She woke up frightened and went to the wash room, where she heard the voices of two girls crying in her hostel from two corners.When she checked, there was no one. All the girls were sleeping, so she tried to sleep near them. When she fell back to sleep, she dreamt she could see the faces of two girls whose lips were torn and so she began cleaning their lips with cotton. Their identity was unknown to her. She was so frightened that she did not manage to sleep any more. The only thing that relieved was talking to her mother on the phone.
On 4th October she dreamt that her brother who is older than she, was is in the form of a newborn and she was holding him in her hands and wiping his face with soap.At that moment, their mother comes in and announces that her brother is no more. She as frightened and woke up. It was 3.45am andshe could not sleep after that.
The next night she was frightened and could not sleep. She felt the lights and water taps in her house were under someone else’s control. Next, she dreamt that two girls came with two rings and asked her to choose one. She could not see their faces but only their hands. She chose the bigger ring and there was no chance that it might fit her. However that girl managed to put it in her hand and it was the right size.. She woke up frightened at 4.30am.
During consultation this obese woman appeared melancholic, quiet,reserved with dark circles around her eyes. While speaking she sounded frightened. Two weeks ago she had a fight with her step sister. Now both have blocked each other on the phone. Two weeks ago it was her step sister’s birthday, so the patient tried calling her. But she did not pick up her call. Patient cannot bear anyone ignoring her.
Her mother says that her behavior has changed over the last three years. She came to Goa leaving her native Maharashtra. This change was resisted by her then. The patient confirmed that since then, she became introverted. Once she had gone to her native home during holidays but all her friends were busy in their own lives. They ignored her and she felt very lonely. These last three years she spent more time in the bathroom and crying for hours. She got addicted to “Fear Files” Series of 50 stories (There are 3 seasons).
She thinks she is always right and others should follow her advice. Her objective is to work hard to buy a camera and laptop. Her family is her main concern.In the last three years she developed a fear of being alone in the dark, due to the devil.
She had completed a black belt grade in karate. She is irritated easily. Feels tired of life. Fear of going to sleep because of nightmares. Feels fear is rising from the chest. Although they are Hindu by religion,they consulted a priest who gave them a cross and advised them to pray in the church every day. The priest informed them that this soul needed her help. He also gave them some holy water.
Appetite- good
Craves – Sweets
Aversion- Vegetables
Thermal- Chilly Patient
Stool- no constipation. 1/day. Regular.
Sleep- Sleeplessness since 3 nights, after 3am.
Prescription: Kali-Carb 200, 1 single dose on 6th October 2018. Robin Murphy’s Repertory was consulted for the following rubrics. Dreams of death of relatives, Sleepless after 3am, Disappointed love (step sister). The themes of her dreams reflect inevitable catastrophes and personal dangers which don’t appear under her control.
Kali Carb has periodicity, nightly 3am to 4am aggravation of most of the complaints. Why does this happen? Kali, the potassium element causes the electrical potential in the neural cells to remain higher than normal so that the voltage gates open very easily from the slightest stimuli. This causes instability. The body always tries to counter instability by suppressing the reaction. This is done by secreting extra cortisol from suprarenals. The cortisol in turn reduces the electrical potential to make the gates slow in opening. The amount of cortisol present in blood undergoes diurnal variation with the highest level present in the early morning and the lowest level present at around 3 to 5 hours after the onset of sleep. Sothe suppressive effect on voltage gates is off and this ultimately results in excitability of the neural cells and complaints increase.
Dr Hahnemann instructs in aphorism 217 : In these diseases we must be careful to make ourselves acquainted with the whole of the phenomena, both those belonging to the corporeal symptoms, and also those pertaining to the precise chief symptoms and peculiar state of mind.
I examined Jan Scholten’s ideas in his book “Homoeopathy and theEelements”. In group 1 and period 4 of the periodic table, the themes of melancholia and depression, irritability, anger, loneliness, forsaken feeling and fright, excitement at night, controlling and headstrong, were found. Critical and averse to being criticized and stubborn.
Follow up
On the first day- after the remedy she was slightly anxious, but could sleep without any disturbances. She had no dreams and was awakened up by mother’s phone call at 9am the next morning. When well she used to wake at 9am. She sounded very happy, was very grateful. After eating breakfast she got a diarrhea. Mild discomfort exists in the abdomen yet patient is calm.
The 10th day: During the first five days she felt slightly scared before going to sleep. She began doubting herself about whether she really had heard voices back then. At present she goes to bed by 10pm and gets dreams about work she had been doing and of playing video games in which she is winning. She is able to sleep alone in the house because her fears have decreased. She has been reporting to work regularly. At work, when her boss scolds her for wasting time she has been polite, previously she would be nasty. She’s also quarreling less with her uncle and friends.
The 40th day: Patient returned to Goa after visiting for a few days. She mentioned that she is reunited with her step sister. No episodes of any nightmare. Doesn’t listen to Fear Files audios. Sounded happy and mentioned that she enjoys her life.
Here we have an excellent example of how powerful homoeopathy can be. In acute physical conditions it is important to seek the mental concomitant.
all kalis are prone to tissue inflammation and mucous excretions,worse 3am sits up asthmatic feel with hands on knees,stitching burning pains wandering,weak heart at 3am probably sa av node timing upset due to low cortisol levels.olden time homeopaths depended on objective symptoms,frightened cries on touch feet,painful umbilical region worse by touch,painful vertebrae,nausea better by breakfast,nervous cough palpitates,pale face weak vision,disturbed emotions wornout broken down constitution.at same time some books say be careful may aggravate in lung diseases.ayurveds say use aswagandha for peace of mind is natural cortisol.alternate medicines have great role but precise prescribing method is not deatailed in one reference guide.my one bengali mentor told use kali phos 6x if worried about yourself,if worried about family members also use kalimur 6x it works.