S.M. is 63 years old, tall and flamboyant. She wears a lot of perfume and make-up. Her clothing is colourful. She is assertive and speaks loudly. She becomes angry easily.
The patient is very worried about her son, who has legal problems, and she gets upset, but she cannot help him while she is away travelling. She is a very devoted and protective mother. She is the main emotional and financial support for her four adult children.
S.M.: "I have many itchy spots on my abdomen; they are very swollen and burn. I also have some on my back; they are not quite so swollen, but they itch terribly. When I lie down at night my back itches even more. Scratching makes it worse. I tried calendula, but that doesn't help. The only thing that helps a little is cold, wet compresses. Also, in the last few days I have woken up with swollen eyelids. I'm trying to work out whether it was something I ate."
The swelling is also evident in her slightly puffy face and in her calves and feet. |
Assessment:
I have been treating this patient for many years; she had previously presented with pimples and swelling, but the current swelling was very different from the swelling I treated five years ago with a snake remedy. I initially thought of a bee sting, but I felt that her anxious facial expression and the fear that her son might go to prison did not reflect the general anxiety I associate with Apis. Moreover, she was very upset and angry because her son's problems could disrupt her forthcoming trip. The physical symptom of itchy pimples worsened by scratching likewise does not fit the Apis picture.
Prescription: Vespa vulgaris C30
Follow-up (telephone):
Two weeks later: Improvement in itching and swelling, no more dizziness.
S.M.: "Itching and redness occur to a small degree when I get upset and angry. I only had a few more days of pain in my right elbow and in the right fingers." She is with her husband on an extended tour of the US Southwest.
April 2012 (telephone):
S.M.: "I'm not so worried about my son any more, and I'm sleeping much better. I had a dream in which I felt great; I flew over a beautiful desert. My diet is more than good, my appetite is back and I'm no longer nauseous." (This was something she had not mentioned before.) Her joint pains have disappeared, although she still has stiff fingers. I recommend taking another dose should the pains or other symptoms recur.
Carol Jones lives and practises in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Photo: Tim Evison
Category: Cases
Keywords: wasp, agitation, anxiety, family, joints, stiffness, burning, itchy rash, swollen eyelids, dizziness
Remedy: Vespa vulgaris
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