Case
In October 2004 a 25-year-old woman came to my practice. Her main complaints were fatigue and genital herpes; for six months her left eye had also been twitching. In 1996 she had contracted herpes from her then boyfriend. At first she only had sporadic symptoms, no blisters, just a slight malaise and a tingling in the thighs when she sat on the toilet. In 2000 the symptoms became worse and at a doctor’s visit the diagnosis of genital herpes was made. The doctor prescribed the medication Marvelon, but her condition continued to deteriorate. Every two to three months the illness flared up with blisters and sore spots (red blisters first on one side, then on the other, with yellow pus). The trigger was usually stress at work.
The chronic fatigue began in 1998 during her studies. Sometimes she had to sleep for two hours at lunchtime. In 2002 a mild depression developed for professional and personal reasons. She always had to lie down immediately after work and could hardly get out of bed in the morning. She was so tired that she would have preferred to go to bed at 3 pm. Although the fatigue has slightly improved, she does not have enough energy (in 2002 and 2003 she had an influenza infection). At the moment she has a persistent cough that lingered after a cold last week and she cannot stop coughing after she has talked for a while.
She is taking the contraceptive pill; before that her period was always heavier at night.
Foods/Cravings: loves Italian food, chocolate, fast food, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, strawberries, mango, leafy salad, roast with vegetables and warm dishes.
Foods/Dislikes: cauliflower, broccoli, parsnip, apples and bananas.
She is sensitive to cold but also cannot tolerate heat.
Eighteen months ago she had a severe argument with her father, which led her to storm out of the house. Later her father apologised to her and they now get on well again.
In her younger years she was very relaxed, playful and adaptable. Over the years, however, she has become sensitive to other people’s criticism and now tries to please everyone. She describes herself as conservative, thinking about whether she makes a good impression and what others think of her. Outwardly “I wear a façade and think that if the other person really knew me, they would realise how boring I am.” She continues: “If I want someone to like me, I worry about what they think of me; maybe I am too narrow-minded or conservative for them.”
Her family and security are important to her, although she cannot spend enough time with them (she lives far away from her family). Happiness and contentment are also important to her. Additionally, she has the feeling of not really belonging to her family. In the close family circle she feels comfortable, but not with the extended relatives (her parents divorced when she was a teenager). She reports: “I am often very angry, but I cannot tell anyone” (tears run down her cheeks). “Sometimes I can express it when I dance.” I ask her about the reason for her anger and she replies: “When people are disrespectful to others I get very angry. It also makes me angry when someone does not allow me to have an opinion, or when I am alone and left to cope on my own.”
Her fears include fear of rejection, fear of making the wrong decisions and fear of people who are not in control of themselves (drugs), because they are so unpredictable.
Prescription: Mag-c. 1M, single dose. She feels very relaxed soon after taking the remedy.
Analysis
The central theme of this young woman is the feeling of not belonging to her family. That is the theme of the Silica series. She has low self-esteem, worries about what others think of her (she is self-critical – it is her own imagination about what others might think of her) and wants to conform. In addition she feels passive and powerless (cannot express her anger). All of this points to stage two and leads us to the remedy magnesium. I chose Mag. carbonicum because the themes of respect, self-worth and the father are important aspects.
Follow‑up (12.11.2004)
She reports that she feels very well, she has changed her diet (no longer eats crisps and chocolate) and even argued with her partner. She had been in a bad mood because she was hungry. The left eye no longer twitches as much as before. The herpes only tingled for one day and she no longer feels tired at all. She has more energy in general and the annoying cough disappeared after three days.
On the same day as her initial consultation with me she had asserted herself against her partner and she likes her newly found self-confidence. She still finds it difficult to put this into practice at work. Everything is very positive.
Follow‑up (12.01.2005)
Since mid‑December she has felt unwell and is slightly depressed (in mid‑December she took Mag‑c. again). After taking the remedy she was in a bad mood, irritable, unmotivated and needed more sleep again. Quite obviously magnesium had fulfilled its purpose and was no longer appropriate. I reassessed the case.
“When I dance I feel better and I love the rain. I have difficulty breathing on inhalation, I am constipated and feel weak.” She continues: “For a while I had no headaches, no twitching, no cold and no chest pains” (apparently she had had these pains when she was tired). “The herpes was fine, I had no eruptions. I am now looking for another job because I have the feeling of being stuck in a dead end. I stand in the shower and cry and feel that I have to work much harder than others. I do not feel valued.”
In recent days she had a light period without pain. Exercise always does her good, otherwise she feels shapeless. She has no desire for sex and has to force herself to sleep with her partner. When she tells me about her problems, tears run down her cheeks. Since puberty she has had health problems and finds it difficult to talk about them. When others try to comfort her it only makes things worse. When I inquire further she tells me that she loves thunderstorms.
Prescription: Sepia C200, single dose.
Analysis
Magnesium carbonicum acted on a certain level and there was no reason to give it again. Other symptoms came to the fore. The current symptom picture shows that sepia is indicated. In the initial consultation she had told me that as a child she was very playful, self‑confident and lively. Now she has lost her libido, loves thunderstorms, likes to dance and cries when talking about her complaints. That is Sepia. “Not well since puberty” is also a major Sepia symptom.
Follow‑up (19.11.2005)
The patient reports that until last week she had gone ten months without a herpes outbreak. Now she has had two infections because she is emotionally under stress and cannot decide between two men. She does not know what to do. She feels tired and run down because she hardly eats during the day. She has a new job, with which she is very satisfied.
Prescription: Sepia 1M, two doses (she takes one dose home with her).
Report (24.01.2006)
A lot has happened in her life and she is separating from her partner. The shared house is up for sale. Despite the major change she is happy and now meditates regularly. In meditation she can not only observe her feelings and pains but also perceive the changes in her environment. She also feels more optimistic about the future.
The case is not yet closed. The long interval between the two appointments (ten months) shows that Sepia works well for her. My view is that Magnesium carbonicum healed a “layer” that came from the time of her parents’ separation (she was in puberty at the time). Parental separation is always a major turning point in a child’s life (whether very young or in puberty) and can have great effects on emotional, mental and physical development. Consequently she needed a new remedy – Sepia. Hopefully it will continue to help her for some time.
************************************
Literature
Scholten, J. (1996), Homeopathy and the Elements, Utrecht, Netherlands
Category: Cases
Keywords: Magnesium carbonicum, Sepia, chronic fatigue syndrome, genital herpes
Remedies: Magnesium carbonicum, Sepia
Original article: Interhomeopathy.org
