Anaphylaxis and Homoeopathy?

Even I would raise my eyebrows and think twice before handling a case of anaphylaxis with homoeopathic medicines. I am a homoeopathic physician with no bias and fanatic adherence to the system of medicine I practice for the last 28 years.

In each and every case, I have been trained by my mentor Dr. Ajay Kumar Babu to act in the best interest of the patient. Every system of medicine has its own advantages and limitations and as a physician it is your inescapable duty to advise the patient for the best outcome of his disease.

So anaphylactic shock is one case we never try to play with and immediately refer the patient to allopathic care. (Well, anaphylaxis as we know is a severe allergic reaction to any substance which needs immediate care which will otherwise lead to unconsciousness and death). The patient has to be put in emergency vasoconstricting drugs, antihistamines or steroids to prevent shock and immediate death.

In fact I had one attack ten years back and my brother Dr. Hafiz had rushed me to an emergency ward in a hospital where I collapsed in front of the examining physician, but timely intervention had saved me.

Yesterday night (18/05/2021) was one of the worst nightmares of my life as well as the most beautiful epiphany I have come across till date. Yesterday night I had a sumptuous dinner of beef roast and ghee rice,one of my favourites, and actually devoured more than I  normally would. Post Covid lock down, such luxuries have been a rarity and the food was sent by a dear friend.

Immediately after finishing the meal, I got a discomfort in the abdomen, slight pain and nausea. The discomfort gradually increased and I wished if only my stomach would empty, either through vomiting or stool. But neither happened. I bid goodnight to my son by 11.30 pm trying to catch some sleep so that the feeling goes away by morning.

But that was not to be…My hand started itching in one place and gradually radiating to the whole limb. I cursed the mosquitoes which chose to bite me in this weak state. But in a few moments, I took back my curse on the poor mosquitoes.

The itching started spreading to my whole body and in an hour, I swelled up like a balloon, with fiery looking rashes and oedema in various parts of the body. I didn’t want to disturb the sleep of my work at home son, and waited in the hope that this would  pass.

I ran through my bedroom and the living room adjacent to it and looking back, I would liken my frantic running to a Charlie Chaplin movie in fast forward. My hands had to travel at that speed to all the different parts of my body at the same time.

By 3 am I could no longer contain it and knocked at his bedroom door. Seeing my condition, he got really worried and suggested that we immediately go to a hospital.

I didn’t want him to get exposed to a hospital, all the city hospitals are overflowing with Covid patients. In fact, we could still hear the ambulance sirens every few minutes. So it was out of the question that I get admitted to a casualty at this time of the night.

By that time, my head was reeling and I could not stand up steadily. But sanity had still not gone out of the window. I asked my son to run to my clinic next door and bring a medicine which corresponded to my immediate symptoms…”if only I could vomit, I would be okay”. (You guessed it right, Nux Vomica 30).

He rushed in and I took the medicine. Half an hour passed, and by that time, I was gasping for breath. The itching extended to my throat and face and I knew I was going in for an anaphylactic shock. There was not even time to get to the hospital. My vision started blurring and no more air would enter my lungs.

I realised that if this continues, I would have to exit from earth. Suddenly a gasp of eructation with the taste of the beef escaped my mouth, followed by another, and I got a faint clue of the drug to be taken next. It was the drug for preventing the death rattle and also for symptoms after consuming bad meat. (Carbo veg).

At that moment, my only intention was to get a gasp of breath. I asked my son to run once again and bring the drug. My head was reeling and I just nodded and lay down on the bed.

I told him to go and get some sleep and said I will call if I needed anything else. I took a photograph of the lesions on my body, took out the bag with all important documents from the cupboard locker and kept it on the table for anybody to see easily.

I lie on the bed with a chant on my lips and a meditation audio of healing, affirming that all toxins are released from my body and I am healing. Within minutes, I could feel air flowing freely into my lungs, the itching started subsiding little by little. Wow! That was great!

I repeated the medicine every ten minutes. I could now lie still for one or two minutes without my hand scratching all over. I was burning all over my body with blood oozing out of the pores due to scratching, yet I could now rest my palms for a little.

Slowly I became calm and by 7.30 am, I could stagger to the kitchen to brew a glass of hot jeera water. By 9.30 am, I was completely free of the itch, totally exhausted and weak but out of danger.

By 9.45 I was ready with the customary cup of tea for my son who would be coming to the kitchen before logging into his work from home.  Here was another lease to life. The third tryst with death in a single lifetime.

Here I was, still tired and weak but eternally grateful to the Universe for once more substantiating the effectiveness of homoeopathy even in such an emergency as anaphylaxis.

There is no end to the lessons life wants to teach me. Each epiphany, a calling to something else! What is it this time? Waiting for the answer.

All my Covid patients are recovering wonderfully with homeopathic medicines. Maybe I need to get out to them more, offer more of myself to the greatest catastrophe of this millennium.