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The 65-year-old woman has suffered for two years from chronic muscle cramps in her legs. On the advice of her doctors she took magnesium tablets, which did not help; on the contrary, the complaints progressively worsened. The cramps occur suddenly, always when falling asleep or during sleep at night. She describes the pain as almost unbearable, sometimes to the point of tears. The cramps first appeared two years earlier, initially only twice a month, then increasingly until they eventually woke her every night. The pain is so severe that she cannot move; there is nothing that seems to relieve the pain. Only when she points her toes downwards does the patient feel relief, but this lasts only a few seconds and only helps with the pain in the feet.
At first the cramps were confined exclusively to the calves of both legs. Later the cramps extended to the feet, which pull upwards during a cramp. The cramps gradually became worse and have now also spread to the thigh muscles. The pain is aching and always occurs between 21:00 and 22:00, never during the day.
Other complaints: bone spur (osteophyte), bloating after heavy and fatty meals, liver problems (poor liver function tests), cysts in the thyroid (the patient is under observation by an endocrinologist), recurrent bronchitis, chronic rhinitis, weakened immunity, chronic fatigue, nervousness.
Past medical history: pancreatitis, joint pain and other musculoskeletal complaints, recurrent bronchitis, herpes, fever of unknown origin.
Family history: cancer, epilepsy, diabetes, kidney stones, depression.
General
Temperature/Weather: In her youth she was very sensitive to cold; now she is rather warm-blooded and does not tolerate heat well.
Time: < evenings, < nights, < 22:00
Cravings: smoked meats, potato salad with mayonnaise, baked cauliflower, sweets, coffee, cigarettes.
Aversion: shellfish, tripe, onion!
Menses: unremarkable.
Sleep: She used to sleep very well and deeply, but for a few years now she wakes up and does not feel refreshed.
Dreams: She repeatedly dreams of a house that is not yet finished, which she is working on and eventually furnishes.
The patient smokes and is overweight.
Mental
The patient lives in a small rural village. She comes from modest circumstances; her parents were labourers. She herself is also a factory worker. She loves her job, works very hard and takes good care of her family. She is not cultured or educated and is not interested in spiritual or philosophical topics. She has not completed higher education.
She has serious marital problems. She does not get on well with her husband, but she has become accustomed to the unpleasant situation and has learned to cope with it. Her husband is seriously ill and the poor relationship they have is no longer the main issue and is not currently a topic of concern.
In recent years her parents have become more of a major problem, constantly interfering in her life, even though she is a grown woman and has adult children who no longer live at home.
By nature she is more anxious than brave, and I believe one can perceive anger and resignation in the patient due to the family problems. She has little self-confidence and presents as somewhat insecure and indecisive.
She loves dogs, cares for them very well and reacts very sensitively when animals suffer.
Analysis
The fundamental question to ask in every patient is whether to prescribe the homeopathic remedy for the current situation/pathology, or whether to seek the appropriate constitutional remedy. In this case that question naturally arises as well. If we look at the patient's history, the multiple health problems she suffers from (leaving aside the family problems) and the multitude of somewhat chaotic and seemingly unrelated symptoms, prescribing based on the current symptoms, i.e. the muscle cramps that have developed over the past two years, seems more sensible. From this point one can then proceed step by step. The situation is further complicated by smoking, overweight, lack of exercise and poor diet.
The first remedy that came to mind was Cuprum. It is one of the most important remedies for night-time muscle cramps, especially in the calves. One could think of this remedy even without repertorisation, using only the knowledge from our Materia Medica, but the remedy is additionally confirmed in the repertorisation by key indications.
Repertorisation
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Prescription: Cuprum metallicum C30
My prescription is based on the repertorisation and the key symptoms from the Materia Medica. If I examine the patient's psychological state, a comprehensive remedy picture emerges. She has strongly suppressed her feelings (in accordance with the remedy picture in Robin Murphy's Materia Medica) and is 'observed' by her parents, who constantly interfere in her life. From Jan Scholten's perspective, Cuprum experiences aggravation when he/she is observed and reacts sensitively to criticism. The iron series is supported by the patient's diligence and life circumstances (village). Stage 11 is revealed by the patient's 'cramping' efforts to preserve her privacy and maintain control over her private life.
Follow-ups
The first follow-up took place four weeks later and I was surprised how well the remedy had worked. The cramps subsided immediately after the remedy was given.
Even six months later the patient had still not experienced a nocturnal calf cramp, although there were some 'attempts' which never developed into a full cramp. In these situations the patient only had to think of the remedy and the muscles relaxed again (at this point I must explain that the patient did not know the name of the homeopathic remedy; she simply thought of the little white pellets). There was therefore no reason to repeat the remedy. I find this fact absolutely fascinating and at the same time somewhat shocking. Homeopathy surprises me again and again. It shows how little we actually know about the mode of action of homeopathy and that we are still at the beginning of our journey into the healing depths of homeopathy.
It is quite possible that I will need to repeat the remedy at a later date, or that the patient may require a different potency, but at the moment everything is unremarkable. The patient is happy and content to be able to enjoy healthy sleep completely free of painful calf cramps.
She also casually mentioned that the relationship with her parents has improved. She is more relaxed and no longer takes their intrusive 'care' quite so seriously. In other words: regarding her parents she is no longer so 'tense'.
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Photo: Shutterstock
Senior woman with leg pain; Image Point Fr
Category: Cases
Keywords: muscle cramps, bone spur, thyroid cyst, bronchitis, suppressed feelings, sensitive to criticism
Remedy: Cuprum metallicum
Original article: Interhomeopathy.org
