Paroxysmal Cough Treated with the Mind Method

Introduction:

The aim of presenting this case is to teach the application and usefulness of the mind method in homoeopathy.

Case study:

This is a case of an 11-year-old girl, studying in 6th grade. She resides in Agra. Her mother called up for consultation stating the girl is suffering from paroxysmal cough since 2 months.

Onset of the complaint:

She had viral fever 2 months before. It started with cold, fever and severe cough that night. She was given antibiotics and within 2 days her fever and cold subsided but her cough remained. It has been 2 months and since then every day she gets a bout of cough 7 to 8 times in a day which lasts for an hour.

Ailments from: Drinking cold drinks

Chief complaint: Dry paroxysmal barking cough daily since 2 months.

Associated symptoms: Itching in the throat with burning headache and backache due to continuous coughing. She feels hot when there is a bout of cough, and she wants the air-condition to be switched on. She feels completely exhausted after her episodes of cough.

Mental state during cough: During her episodes of cough, she starts crying and hugs or holds her grandmother tightly. She also gets angry and scared because the cough lasts long and she is not able to bear it.

Past history: Three years ago she had a similar episode of cough after a viral infection and she was given anti-allergic medicine and steroids. It took almost a month to subside.

Mental state in general: The child said that she wants this cough to get better fast as she wants to go to school. She also wants to play and because of this cough she is not able to. She wonders why all this is happening to only her, as her other friends also drink cold drinks and they don’t suffer immensely. She is really talkative.

Observation: Her way of speaking was loud.

Diagnosis- Post viral Allergic Bronchitis

Repertorial Totality:
MIND – WEEPING – cough – during
MIND – CLINGING – children; in – cough; during
MIND – FEAR – coughing; of
MIND – ANGER, irascibility – tendency – cough – from the
HEAD PAIN – GENERAL – coughing, on – agg.
COUGH – COLD – drinks – agg.
COUGH – EXHAUSTING
COUGH – PAROXYSMAL

Criteria for selection of the remedy and case Analysis:

While selecting a remedy, only 3 symptoms that were characteristic were considered mainly in prescribing. These are called “qualified mentals” as we have characteristic mental modality to a physical complaint, hence they were given importance in reportorial totality.

MIND – WEEPING – cough – during
MIND – CLINGING – children; in – cough; during
MIND – FEAR – coughing; of

For me these 3 rubrics defined the case. Though in the reportorial totality, remedies like Antimonium Tartaricum, Spongia Tosta, Veratrum Album, were the top 3 remedies, the remedy that covered all the characteristic mind symptoms was Antimonium tartaricum.

Prescription: Antimony tartaricum 30C in water 3 times a day for 3 days was given.

Follow up assessment: 70 percent better on day one. On day two she was 100 percent better. No cough, hence she was kept on placebo and did not have a single episode of cough. A month later she is still symptom free.

Conclusion: Clinical Tips while case taking:

In this case, the characteristic mental modality to the physical symptom was the key in selecting the remedy.