Revisiting: Sleeping With Damp Hair!

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Mom, it’s time for the quiz again!!!

No way!

Guess who died?

Guess who died????   So soon with “The Death Report”?

Ray Manzarek of The Doors! (that’s him on the right, pictured below)  It’s so sad.  I have his book.  Did you know that Robin Gibb died a year earlier to the day?

No one would know that but you, Shana!  But Ray Manzarek will always be remembered for his Bach-inspired, enduring keyboard intro to “Light My Fire”.  

…also Mom, today I just found out that…you might want to sit down for this…

Why?  What?  Who died?

An actress.

OMG!  It’s not Rhoda, is it?

No, Mom; and I know “Rhoda” (Valerie Harper) has brain cancer; it’s Jean Stapleton who played Edith Bunker on “All in the Family”.

Oh My God!!!!!!!!!!

It’s so sad that Jean died.  It’s sad because the character Edith is actually dead too.  She died in an episode of the spin-off series “Archie Bunker’s Place”.

Shana, I never accepted that spin-off, and I never accepted that Edith was dead, I could never bring myself to watch the episode where Edith died!  Now I’m all verklempt!  

Mom, you’re not going to cry, are you?  Are you going to be alright?

This has been a very bad month, Shana.  I thought we were going to be able to get through the whole month without any of my “friends” dying!

Who else died?

Marvin Junior.

Marvin Junior of The Dells?

 

Why couldn’t I have lived through the ’60’s and ’70’s?

The main reason for that is that I would have been too young to have a baby at that time!  Did I ever tell you about the night Daddy took me backstage to meet The Dells?

Yes, but I sense you’re going to tell it again!

It was a great show!  Jerry Butler was reunited with the Impressions!  Wow!  I wouldn’t have missed that show for the world!

So there it was, intermission, and we found our way, somehow, to the stage door.  It was guarded, of course.  Daddy said, “Can you tell The Dells that Richard Lewis from The Silhouettes is here?”  Well, amazingly, Chuck Barksdale, the Dells’ bass singer, came to the door and let us in!  I remember shaking his great big hand and feeling so honored to have gotten backstage at the prestigious Academy of Music!

Then we went to The Dells’ beautiful dressing room, and there was Marvin Junior in a tuxedo, big as life; and in his famous robust, husky lead voice said to Daddy, “Hey Richard!  How are you doin’, man?”  Daddy says, “I’m doin’ alright, how about you, Marvin, how are you doing?”  Marvin says, “Oh man, I got a sore throat, man!  I don’t know if I can sing!”  Well, that was unexpected!  When we were back in our seats, and the group was introduced, (“Ladies and Gentlemen, The Mighty, Mighty Dells!”)  I was like, “Oh my God!  How is Marvin going to be able to sing?”  Answer: flawlessly!  You know that there are no people like show people, Shana.  The show must go on!

You’re not going to sing “There’s No Business Like Show Business”, are you?  At least not before I pick a song to play?

What are you going to play?

“I Can Sing a Rainbow”.

Shana, I think I know the quiz audience, and they don’t want to hear “I Can Sing a Rainbow”.

They don’t????

No.  The Quiz audience wants to hear, “The Love We Had Stays on My Mind”.

Well, if you say so!  But I don’t see how you know that.

Shana, we’re going to have to start including some of the comments at the end of the videos, like this one:

Marvin, now reunited with Johnny, you really were the greatest. Rest in peace, big man.

We can start the quiz now.

Mom, wait, this just in.  Cornelius Harp, lead singer of The Marcels, died.

What????  When did this happen?????

I found it on Youtube:

Cornelius ‘Nini’ Harp, the Marcels’ lead singer and guitarist passed away yesterday {June 5th}…

The group’s biggest hit, “Blue Moon”, entered Billboard’s Top 100 chart on March 6th, 1961; and on April 3rd it peaked at #1 {for 3 weeks} and spent 14 weeks on the Top 100…

They also had another Top 10 record in 1961, “Heartaches”, it reached #7…

Well this is a disaster, Shana; a complete disaster!  Find me “Blue Moon”.

Check!

Listen everybody, there’s a falsetto crescendo at the end of the song that’s to die for!  (sorry, poor choice of words), keep an ear out for it!  Here are The Marcels with their blockbuster Doo-wop classic, “Blue Moon” with Cornelius Harp (below with guitar) on lead:

If no one else has died, we can tentatively start the quiz.  Oh no.

What?

Shana, I have completely run out of fictitious names!

Um….did you try “Queen Elizabeth”?

Since when is that a fictitious name?

So she’s a real person?

For the time being, anyway!  OK, we’ll use “Beth” instead.

So here we go, then, with “Sleeping With Damp Hair”, starring Queen Beth:

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Hi Elaine

Hi Beth, sorry I’m late!!!!!

Hope you are doing good.

Yes, fine thanks!

Elaine My seasonal allergy has been worse since last week.

Well, you gotta hate it.

And today morning I woke up with an earache (left) and other symptoms due to that. I think this was due to sleeping with Damp Hair.

He’s no good for you, Beth, I knew this would happen!

What are you talking about?  I’m not sleeping with someone named Damp Hair!

You’re not?

I am attaching the Questionnaire.  Please let me know.  Hope to hear from you soon…

Regards

Beth

 

Questionnaire

Name: Queen Beth
Age:39
Male or Female: F
Weight:120lbs
Height:5’3”
Date:7June 2013
Email
1. Describe the complaint:

I started getting allergic cold symptoms about a week back. It started with a lot of itching – tip of my nose itched, face skin, inside corners of eyes (closer to nose), eyebrows were all itching. In the following days, sometimes my nose would itch inside, sometimes throat (back of tongue), ear. Then in a day or 2, started getting congestion. However there was no discharge, just stuffed up nose. Then in another 2 days (2 days back) my eyes and nose started watering a little, along with the itch in the nose and throat and sometimes ear. This is mostly after I go out and come back inside (not most of the time not when I am still outside). The itching also happens after I put my hands in water. Since yesterday my scalp is also itching. So basically all the symptoms related to seasonal allergies.

My allergies started last spring when I was pregnant. That was the 1st year it happened. Same thing has happened–lot of itching and total nose blockage (inflamed but no discharge)

Now last night what I did was, I made my hair damp and tried to curl my hair and tied it with rubber bands.

It sounds charming.

I am really frustrated with my hair and I had never done this before. My hair is naturally wavy but recently has been looking very bad. So for the first time, I tried this thing –trying to curl my hair….it was a bad idea. I think since I slept with damp hair, when I woke up today, my left ear ached very bad. Since morning the left ear is hurting a lot. I think the cold increased and there is some discharge stuck behind the left ear. When I swallow, there is a cracking noise in my left ear. The right also has it but very little. Also if I blow my nose, I can feel the pressure from inside trying to open my left ear, like when you are in a plane and you blow your nose or yawn or swallow and your ear suddenly opens from inside out.

2. Etiology–
Sinus/cold—due to seasonal allergies
Earache—looks like due to Sleeping with Damp Hair

3. Sensation–
Cold—nose is stuffed up…basically hardly any discharge, but closed due to inflammation
Ear—continuous pain. Maybe it has pressure too. Also crackling in ear when swallow
My left temples are hurting. I feel like putting my 2 fingers on my temple and can feel it throbbing
Looks like my gland on my throat – left side has also started paining. I feel like pressing there.
Eyes hurt–just plain tired
Head is also paining- top , back and left side of my head
Where head meets neck is also paining-mostly left side

4. Appearance– anything remarkable?
Tired eyes

5. Location–where on the body is your complaint located?
Head, face and throat

6. Modalities (things that make the case better or worse)–

I haven’t been able to find what makes it better
Worse–Going out and sometimes even when I am inside the house, the allergy symptoms start. Sometimes when I put my hands in water, the itching starts
Ear pain– nothing is making it better. But warm feels good.
Worse—the pain is constant-nothing is making it worse

7. Concomitants (what else is wrong)
I do sneeze sometimes. Usually 2-3 sneezes at a time.
Today morning (after damp hair issue) I had about 10 sneezes this morning
8. Discharges–
I had little watery discharge from nose. And my eyes water when I get the allergy attack I would say. But mostly my nose is all stuffed up -hardly any discharge and mostly swollen/inflamed
The ear pain since morning- no discharge . Feel like there is stuff on the inside though—crackling when I swallow

9. Generals–
I am so tired-my eyes hurt, head hurts, I can’t breathe
I want someone to take care of me, help me
10. The mentals
I prayed to God to make things easy for me- like putting baby down for her nap and night time, feeding the children, etc. Everything is double difficult with the allergy symptoms

11. What have you been saying?
I would like it to be quiet and peaceful. I would like to feel better soon and maybe get rid of this allergy and spend the rest of the summer healthy and enjoy the summer with the family 🙂

12. What are you doing?
I tried to figure out my remedy since yesterday and more since I woke up with the ear ache today

13. Describe your thirst and appetite–
I am feeling the usual thirst and hunger. I usually feel hungry a lot. I also feel like drinking hot tea since everything hurts

14. Fever?
No fever
15. Sweating?
No sweating as such

16. Odors?
None

17. What is most striking, peculiar or identifying about your condition?
Hardly any discharge but stuffed and can’t breathe. When I go out, the Allergy symptoms are not there. But when I come home they start. Sometimes the itching starts suddenly when I am home just sitting- no change in environment etc. Sometimes it occurs after I put my hand in water. About 10 years ago, I started getting red itchy bumps on my face if I go out in very cold weather. Again this would happen when I come inside into warmth. I found that peculiar—that the issue starts after I am out of the cold and come into warmth.

18. Is there a diagnosis?
Seasonal allergies
Earache due to Sleeping with Damp Hair

19. Describe your energy–
Tired, want a remedy soon, want to feel better soon—have lot of work to do at home and take care of kids

20. What does your tongue look like?
pink with very thin white coating- I think the usual…

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OK, Beth.  I’m going to go with _______30C in water, 10 succussions before each dose, take one dose an hour for three hours (or stop sooner if there’s a striking improvement or aggravation) then stop and wait.

 

Sorry Elaine…I was so tired yesterday, I went to bed.

I read about ____just now….

I have ______200C. So for now I am taking it in the 6th cup because it’s such a high potency. I hope that is OK.

And what I mean by 6th cup is–put 6 200c pills in 1 cup water. When they dissolve, throw almost all water out and then fill it back up. Do this dumping and refilling until 6th cup/time, then take sip.

Please let me know if the above is not OK.

Regards

Beth

Beth, if you’re taking the 200C, one dose is enough.  Let me know what happens.

Hi Elaine

I had already taken 2 doses before I read your email.

Here is the update 🙂

The earache is completely gone!

I still feel a little congestion behind my ear— 90% better and maybe just 10% remaining

And hence, I still feel a tiny crackle when I swallow.

My ears don’t pop out now when I blow my nose (yesterday they would pop when I blow).

I don’t remember any itching after the doses.

My nose congestion is so much better—maybe 70% better.  I can breathe.

It sounds like you had a dramatic improvement after taking the remedy, right?

—Yes, you are correct! 🙂

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So, hey everybody, what do you think the remedy is?  Let me know by writing to me at [email protected] and we’ll be back with the answer in next month’s ezine!  See you then!

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Votes:

Wyethia

Pasque Flower

Rhus tox-2

Sulphur

Dulcamara-3

Sepia

Pulsatilla-3

Ignatia

Calc-carb

Lachesis.

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Hey everybody, Vamsi’s in the house!!!!

Hi Elaine,

Hi Vamsi!

I am back after a short break. Could not respond to a couple of your quizzes as I was on a vacation to UK. So once again I am to India, and am excited to answer this week’s quiz.

This is a complicated quiz with lots of symptoms,

That’s true!  A lot of symptoms!

but the peculiar symptom stands first before all the other symptoms.  Feeling better in open air, and worse indoors.

This would call for “PULSATILLA”.

Ah yes, but what else has that, which ALSO has ITCHING!  Which is all she talked about, basically, besides the pain in her ear, which was better for warmth, by the way; and, is Pulsatilla better for warmth?  Noooooooooooo.

Please let me know your opinion.

Thanks,

Vamsi Sudha 

OK!  So……..looking at the case, what are we seeing here as a theme?  I, for one, am seeing ITCHING!  What else?  Aggravation from dampness-moisture!  She must have mentioned dampness and water a million times!  What else?  Worse at night, as the whole thing happened while she was sleeping, and, she’s better for hot things–hot tea, and the ear is better for warm applications… so, what does this suggest to you?  Itching… better warmth… worse dampness… night time aggravates?  Rhus tox!!!!!  This is from Murphy’s MM:

The plant’s signature will not fail to connect the cardinal aggravations of Rhus tox.: at night and from damp with the increased virulence of the plant at night and in damp atmosphere.

I rest my case!

Did you know that Rhus tox has a yearly aggravation?  And it has ailments from getting the head wet too!  In Murphy’s Repertory, 3rd ed., see rubric:  “Head: wet, getting head, agg.”  There are only 8 remedies in that rubric!  So, you only need to look at the 8 remedies and ask yourself, “Which one of these is famous for itching?”  Here are the 8:  Belladonna, Baryta carb., Bellis perennis, Calc-carb, Ledum, Pulsatilla, Rhus tox and Silica.  Well, my money is on Rhus tox! 

Also, you may already know of Rhus tox’s famous amelioration from hot compresses and hot drinks–better heat, hot showers and hot applications in general.  This is what will lead you away from Sulphur and Pulsatilla which hate the heat in all its forms.

Didn’t you think it was really striking and peculiar the way she got worse when she put her hands in water????  Wow!  That was strange!  I know that’s not in the repertory as stated; but, at times like this, you have to use your imagination.  What could this mean?  We know that Rhus tox is worse rainy weather, worse getting the head wet and worse for dampness; so, why not worse for putting one’s hands in water?  I rest my case–again! 

Dr. B?  It’s time to announce our winners, and they are……..

Shweta and Anurag!  Congratulations, you guys!   Your prize this month is the Rhus tox theme song: 

“Poison Ivy” by The Coasters!

See you in August!

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Elaine Lewis, DHom, CHom

Elaine takes online cases.  Write to her at [email protected]

https://ElaineLewis.hpathy.com