Help finding my constitutional remedy

Yes the other thread is there- just look
further down on the forum.

It is not a problem, this one will fall off,
leave the other one open.

Is it possible for someone to have more than one constitutional remedy?

Some details about myself: Cold feet and hands.Throbbing frontal headaches, end in right eye; can't bear noise or light; sometimes pain in left ear like many tiny hammers. Pain in right hip joint; feels like a bruise.

I love coffee & cheese, but have an aversion to licorice and angelica. I am artistic and creative, details matter and I am also very analytical and I tend to think logically. Injustice/cruelty makes me feel very angry. I am very tall with fat on hips, thighs and stomach. I am overweight and tire easily but enjoy walking or cycling when I can. I feel worse in the morning before 10am and often need to sleep around 3pm. If I have a fever, it returns between 4-7pm with chill in chest & feet. Viruses and colds last a long time and the same symptoms reoccur, especially soon after menstruation or anything stressful. I tend to sweat from the head, chest and abdomen. I always get worse in cold, wet weather - better in the sun. Dark weather depresses me.
I fear most creeping insects and I also fear confined spaces. I am normally a jovial person and try to see the more humorous side of life when I can, but I tend to worry about the future and I hate to be kept waiting for any potentially bad news. If I start a project I may discard it if I find mistakes. I look to excel at whatever I do and that makes me feel more excepted - I am too much of a perfectionist. I also tend to labour a point even when the conversation has moved on; I have to stop myself from returning to it.
I like the taste of cotton fabric which I used to chew as a child, then I started chewing and swallowing kitchen paper as an adult which I have stopped doing. I also pull my hair out when I am feeling stressed and I have to stop myself from doing this.
History of heart disease, diabetes and hay fever in family. I get hay fever occasionally but I get eczema more often, beginning with a rash and then becoming dry and scaly.

Extreme Menstrual Problems
I have been getting severe menstrual flow, it starts very light on the first day then floods and gushes heavily on days 2 & 3. I cannot leave the house when it floods on these days. Very large clots, very painful before passing and some clots are black I get pain mainly in the right ovary, throbbing and feels bruised, but sometimes slight pain in left ovary but only during period. Whole abdomen feels swollen. I hate tight clothes around abdomen. Pain feels better from direct heat. My head gets giddy and faint before and during period, with much fluid retention. Flow stops at night on day 4 then continues until day 7/8 stopping and starting. I feel irritable and sometimes angry around this time, and prefer to be left alone but with someone there to bring me things or say some kind words. My allopathic doctors have put me on a very high dose of iron 800mg per day for the blood loss. I also have the symptoms of adrenal fatigue.
Can anyone suggest some possible remedies?

I think the idea of a 'constitutional' remedy has been distorted significantly over the years, especially with the advent of the internet and all the random information that appears on it.

There is a great difference between your 'constitution' and your 'remedy', although they may be connected.

Your constitution represents the chronic pattern of your health - your history, your genetics, the overall pattern which is formed by looking at all the various things that have happened to you over your lifetime. You could understand it as the 'soil' in which your different diseases have grown. It is related very strongly to the concept of 'miasm' in homoeopathy (which is a fairly advanced concept).

Your remedy on the other hand is simply the medicine that matches the most peculiar symptoms in the case. You can prescribe a remedy without looking at the constitution and get good results. However, a remedy that matches both the symptoms and the underlying chronic state will produce a much deeper and more stable level of change for the patient.

The remedy, however, will change over time, perhaps several times. You may need a remedy that does not match the chronic state at certain times. The remedy can change while the chronic pattern may not. Eventually though, if you do not attempt to change this 'soil', new 'weeds' will grow, they will keep growing back over and over.

Often the constitution (or miasm) cannot be properly seen until the patient has sat through several interviews with the practitioner. A homoeopath might need to see several different flare ups of symptoms, see the patient is various states of mind, before this state which connects them all can be clearly seen. Each situation could be dealt with effectively with a remedy, but still something keeps cropping up - this is how you know that you have not yet addressed what is most important. Despite what appear to be good prescriptions, the pattern itself keeps reoccurring.

There are a couple of misconceptions that have arisen around the idea of a 'constitutional' remedy. One of those is that there is only one for each patient. Let me explain why this is not true.

A remedy helps a patient by being 'similar' to their disease symptoms (being able to produce symptoms similar to those symptoms of the patient). It does not need to be an exact match, just similar in as many ways as possible, and it needs to match symptoms that are both important and peculiar to have the best effect.

Since this match does not need to be exact, several remedies can produce a positive response. The more similar it is (in the important areas of the case) the better the results. Similarity is actually a sliding scale, with the Simillimum at one end and the Distant Similars at the other. More than one remedy can exist at the upper end of this scale.

Similarity can include not only the current symptoms but the pattern of symptoms over the years of the patient's life, perhaps their whole life. The simillimum for a chronically ill patient must cover the 'constitution' if you wish to alter the progression. The remedy that alters this progression might be one of several.


In terms of helping you to find a remedy, I am willing to do that. I will post an extensive list of questions here, but you will need to create your own post with the answers. If you wish you can address it to me directly.

HOW TO DESCRIBE YOUR COMPLAINTS (Physical Components)

In homoeopathy, prescription is based on precise details of various symptoms from which you suffer. To tell or write to a homoeopathic physician 'I have a headache ', ' an eruption ' or “a cough” would not be enough. If you inform him 'I have headache with sharp shooting pains in the left side of the head and temple, these pains always come on when the slightest cold air strikes the head. I feel better by pressing the head very hard.” Then only you have given all the information required for making a good homoeopathic prescription. The success of the prescription depends; largely on how detailed your description of the symptoms is.
We require the following details about your symptoms.

LOCATION: Please give the exact location of sensation, pain or eruption. Also describe where the pain or sensation spreads.

SENSATION: Express the type of sensation or the pain that you get in your own words however simple or funny it may seem. You may have a sensation that a mouse is crawling or the heart was grasped by an iron hand or you may have a pain that is cutting, burning jerking, pressing. Express the sensation or pain as it feels to you. Try to explain the whole sensation in the exact way it is happening and not just the word. We need to understand the whole process of the sensation as it is happening to you.

WHAT MAKES YOU WORSE OR BETTER:

Many factors are likely to influence your complaint. Some factors may intensify it and some factors may relieve the trouble. A detailed list of the factors is given at the end. Please refer it while describing each of your troubles and indicate which factors make the complaint better or worse.

DISCHARGES: You may have a discharge from nose, ears, mouth, eyes, ulcers, fistula, eruptions on skin, private parts, etc. Please describe your discharge in detail including colour, consistency, appearance, odour etc.

1] Your Complaint:

(Use your own words as far as possible, but if you have recognized or diagnosed the condition, give this information also.) By answering as many of these questions as fully as possible, you are helping me to understand what your body and unconscious mind is conveying. This can help me find a remedy for you.)
• What is your complaint?
• When did the complaint begin?
• Where is it located?
• What sort of sensations (and emotions) do you associate with it?
When does it tend to occur (time/day)
• Does anything make it better or worse?
• How does it bother you? How is it coming in way of your day-to-day life?
• How does it feel like to have this/these problem/s?
• What is the effect of this/these problem/s on you?
• Did any event happen which caused the complaint? Describe the emotion associated with it.
• What are the other symptoms started with it, esp. mental and physical symptoms, which are not directly related to the main complaint.
• What are your reactions with it?

PLEASE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FOR EACH SYMPTOM/COMPLAINT SEPARATELY. DO NOT INCLUDE ALL OF YOUR COMPLAINTS TOGETHER IN EACH QUESTION.

Mental and Emotional State Description

1. What are the issues in your life that bother you the most. Not physical issues but mental or emotional ones. List each one separately and describe why each one bothers you so much.

2. What emotions are the most troublesome for you? What situations provoke these emotions. How do these emotions make you act? Do you feel any ill effects from expressing or not expressing these emotions.

3. What incidents in your life have had a deep impact on you? Describe each incident in detail and how they made you feel? What did you do in those situations? What effect have they had on your life?

4. What are you afraid of? Especially important are phobias, but it might be objects, situations or events that just produce a high level of anxiety. How do you manage your fears? How do you react when confronted with these fears? What would be the worst situation for you to be put in that would provoke these fears? You may need to talk about each fear/anxiety separately.

5. What hobbies do you have? Why do you like each of these activities?

6. Do you have any persistent thoughts, ideas or beliefs that are difficult to stop or cope with? What are they?

7. Do you have any unusual gestures or movements of the body? Do you feel any unusual sensation or pain throughout your body? What exactly does it feel like is happening in your body?

8. When you experience your fears, persistent thoughts, or difficult emotions, what kind of sensation or reactions do you get in your body?

9. When did you feel at your best in your life? What was that like for you? If you imagine the complete opposite of this feeling or moment, what would that be like?

10. Do you feel like you are stuck in a pattern of behavior, especially when trying to deal with your problems? What is this pattern?

11. What difficulties or problems do you have in relationships? Talk about your family, your romantic relationships, your spouse or partner, your friends, and your work colleagues. You may need to talk about all of these separately.

12. List 5 positive things about yourself. Are there any situations where this positive attribute becomes negative (is a problem)?

13. List 5 negative things about yourself. Are there any situations where this negative attribute becomes positive (is useful)?

14. Do you have any reoccurring dreams? Describe them in detail, including any feelings that come while dreaming.

15. Did you have any reoccurring dreams as a child, or earlier in your life? Describe those in detail including any feelings that came with them.

16. What were you like as a child, your character, your personality, your fears, your dreams, your problems?

17. What kind of environment did you grow up in? What problems where there at home, with your family, with your parents, with your siblings, with school?

GENERAL SYMPTOMS

1. Sleep - what position do you tend to sleep in?
- what position can you not sleep in?
- do you do anything unusual in your sleep?
- any problems with going to sleep, staying asleep, or waking up?

2. Appetite - What foods do you crave/desire strongly?
- What foods do you hate eating (have an aversion to)?
- What foods have a negative effect on you or cause symptoms?
- What foods have a positive effect on you or seem to improve your health or symptoms in some way?

- What is the effect of hunger or fasting on you?

3. Thirst - What drinks do you crave/desire strongly?
- What drinks do you hate to take (are averse to)?
- When are you most thirsty?
- When are you least thirsty?

4. Stool - Do you have any problems with your bowels or passing stool?
- What is the shape, color, odor of the stool?

5. Urine - Do you have any trouble passing or retaining urine?
- What is the color, odor of the urine?
- Do you have any sediment or debris in the urine?

6. Sweat - How do you feel about the amount of perspiration you have?
- Where do you have the most sweat?
- What is the odor?
- What color does it stain clothing?
- Does anything in particular cause you to sweat abnormally?

7. Sexuality - Any problems with your sexual desire?
- Any problems with your sexual ability or function?
- Any history of sexually transmitted diseases?

8. Menses (Women)
- How many days is your cycle?
- How many days does the flow go for?
- What is the appearance of the flow?
- What is the odor of the flow?
- What kind of stain does the flow leave?
- Any discharge before, during or after?
- Any pain before, during or after the flow?
- What symptoms come before the flow?
- What symptoms come after the flow?

9. Environment – How does the weather affect you?
- How does the temperature affect you?
- How does the season affect you?
- What physical activities affect you?
- Is there anything else in the environment you are sensitive to?

Newuser.

Evocationer is willing to take your case. On your other thread
Rishimba, who is a homeopathic Dr. is willing to take your case.

Just know that you have to choose one person and follow that person,
along with posting on the same thread each time so there is no
confusion.

Thank you, this is very helpful. It will take me some time to answer these questions about myself. I would like Evocationer to take my case.
[message edited by CyberLavender on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 23:26:48 BST]

Take your time, I would prefer the answers were carefully done.

MAIN COMPLAINT: Extreme Menstrual Problems for the last 2 years.

Mental and Emotional State Description

1. What are the issues in your life that bother you the most. Not physical issues but mental or emotional ones. List each one separately and describe why each one bothers you so much.

Feelings of insecurity; fear of financial insecurity.
Fear of failure, of not being able to achieve ambitions.

2.What emotions are the most troublesome for you? What situations provoke these emotions. How do these emotions make you act? Do you feel any ill effects from expressing or not expressing these emotions.

Anger, which I tend to suppress. If someone/something provokes me, I occasionally loose my temper and would hit an object or throw something down. Injustice or cruelty (even some stories in the news) can also bring my anger to the surface and I feel compassion for peoples’ suffering. Fairness and justice are important to me. I have high standards and I look for integrity from others and if I am let down or they turn out to be insincere, I may resent that person. I tend to suppress my true emotions if I think I will not be understood or agreed with. I also get tension headaches, due to thinking too much about too many things. Extreme stress can trigger my eczema. When I am hurt, I remember every detail and I do not want to look upset or let my feelings show - I do all I can not to let people see me cry. I prefer to hide my vulnerability even from people close to me. I like to show courage.

3.What incidents in your life have had a deep impact on you? Describe each incident in detail and how they made you feel? What did you do in those situations?

I witnessed mum’s mental breakdowns from an early age. Her whole personality changed from being the most loving, affectionate mum to being cold and rejecting. I felt shocked and helpless about the situation but knew that I had to be strong. I resented her in my teens but I understand more about mental illness now and so we get on better and I try to care for her.

What effect have they had on your life?

Emotional rejection in childhood; insecurity. I expect high standards from myself and others. I tend to be self-sufficient emotionally.

4. What are you afraid of? Especially important are phobias, but it might be objects, situations or events that just produce a high level of anxiety. How do you manage your fears? How do you react when confronted with these fears? What would be the worst situation for you to be put in that would provoke these fears? You may need to talk about each fear/anxiety separately.

Confined spaces; basements - they have no windows; Suffocation. However, vast spaces like warehouses are also intimidating and I would fear being swallowed up if I was in a field with high crops.
Fear of being compelled to jump from a height (but not suicide); vertigo from heights.
Fear of filth and slime - I dread stepping into it in the street. Foul odors make me retch.
I fear becoming blind.
Fear of amputation.
Veins: the thought of them splitting ( I know this is irrational) or being damaged, so blood tests make me nervous.
Phobia of most crawling insects especially if they come indoors.
I avoid my fears when I can. I breathe heavily and my heart races when I am afraid. I get a chill in my stomach if I am anxious or get bad news. Stomach feels tight with a sinking feeling; head can feel faint or giddy.

5. What hobbies do you have? Why do you like each of these activities?

Painting, drawing, designing things. I have always been artistic and creative. Chess: I like working out a strategy, it is an exciting game and I like the challenge to the mind. I enjoy learning about new subjects in my spare time and I am interested in learning about natural health.

6. Do you have any persistent thoughts, ideas or beliefs that are difficult to stop or cope with? What are they?

Hair pulling (since childhood) triggered by scalp irritation or stress, although I sometimes just find myself pulling out hair without thinking and then I try to stop. It relieves tension or it is like relieving an itch.
Pica: I used to chew cotton as a child and then ate kitchen roll(tastes of cotton) as an adult, but not since the past year. Perhaps because I am now on a high dose of iron plus other supplements? I know that mineral deficiency can be linked to pica.

7. Do you have any unusual gestures or movements of the body? Do you feel any unusual sensation or pain throughout your body? What exactly does it feel like is happening in your body?

Perhaps not unusual, but I sometimes fold my lips inwards. I often gesture with my hands to put a point across. My right eye closes when I laugh.

8. When you experience your fears, persistent thoughts, or difficult emotions, what kind of sensation or reactions do you get in your body?

Tension or anxiety. Body feels weak and I feel low in spirit. I hate to eat before facing something difficult - I prefer to eat after an ‘ordeal’ of any kind. Sometimes if I get a shock or very bad news I would get a fever. Severe stress has made me hyperventilate, for example if I have witnessed something shocking. Severe stress triggers my eczema.

9. When did you feel at your best in your life? What was that like for you? If you imagine the complete opposite of this feeling or moment, what would that be like?

Before the age of 7 when I felt secure and loved. I also felt best when I dedicated my life to God , I felt greatly loved, fulfilled and accepted. Many people have helped me to build up my confidence and sense of worth. Complete opposite would be to feel a sense emptiness, anxiety and rejection.

10. Do you feel like you are stuck in a pattern of behavior, especially when trying to deal with your problems? What is this pattern?

I worry about not being secure. Hard to move on from past negative experiences/ people, but I am learning to do this more. I am prone to ‘comfort eating’ but I control it more now and avoid sweet things - my coffee helps me not to miss the sugar.

11. What difficulties or problems do you have in relationships? Talk about your family, your romantic relationships, your spouse or partner, your friends, and your work colleagues. You may need to talk about all of these separately.

I always hold something back, not easily trusting, I tread carefully in relationships. Sometimes friends think I am too independent. I do confide my problems to friends or acquaintances but I do not want people to see me cry. I am a very private person and quite secretive. I would never willingly betray a confidence. I value all my relationships and the uniqueness of each person in my life. I am a loyal friend. I have been told that I am a good listener and I try to help people when I can. I do however like my own company and need my space. I am single and celibate (for religious reasons) and I am happy with this choice and way of life.

12. List 5 positive things about yourself. Are there any situations where this positive attribute becomes negative (is a problem)?

*I have a jovial nature and I like to see the humorous side of life
*Compassionate and caring
*Assertive
*Attention to detail - negative: I can be too fussy/ pedantic
*Warm and friendly

13. List 5 negative things about yourself. Are there any situations where this negative attribute becomes positive (is useful)?

*Impatient.
*I do not like too much responsibility because it restricts my freedom.
*I sometimes come back to a point in a conversation, as if that point needs finishing even when the conversation has moved on - I try to stop myself from doing this.
*Can be unforgiving if the other person is not sorry.
*Perfectionist - I have destroyed or restarted work for just one mistake.

14. Do you have any reoccurring dreams? Describe them in detail, including any feelings that come while dreaming.

Having to move house and not being ready or not wanting to move.
Dark water and falling into it; fear of drowning.
Sometimes filthy toilets and not finding a clean one: feelings of disgust.

15. Did you have any reoccurring dreams as a child, or earlier in your life? Describe those in detail including any feelings that came with them.

I used to dream I was flying up in the sky above a field and then would come crashing down, but not get seriously hurt.
I still sometimes dream that I am hiding in a strange house, not wanting to be seen or heard. Some dreams end with me trapped in a confined space - I would then wake up terrified.

16. What were you like as a child, your character, your personality, your fears, your dreams, your problems?

I was considered a very charming child - people were always admiring me. I had a very vivid imagination and enjoyed making up stories and imaginary characters. I was an artistic and sensitive child. I made friends easily. I always had a strong sense of justice and would defend rights and express my beliefs when I can. I was confident up to age 7, then became shy and withdrawn after that age. I became afraid to take risks - this lasted until my mid-teens. I learnt how to be assertive and act with confidence as a young adult.

17. What kind of environment did you grow up in? What problems where there at home, with your family, with your parents, with your siblings, with school?

Strict upbringing. I was brought up to be well mannered and godly. I was very advanced at school until we moved house. I was very unhappy at my new school and then my grades declined. I have had to catch up on my education as an adult. My Father had died when I was a baby and Mum brought me up - she had some severe mental breakdowns which I witnessed as a child. I have no siblings.

GENERAL SYMPTOMS

1. Sleep - what position do you tend to sleep in?

I tend to sleep on my side, alternating sides during the night. I use two pillows to keep my head up and to breathe more easily. My legs ‘jump’ if they are higher than my head. I need to have some sort bedding to cover me, even in the summer.

- what position can you not sleep in?

I do not like to sleep on my stomach in case I suffocate. I do not like my face near the wall or the sheets near my nose for this reason.

- do you do anything unusual in your sleep? No
- any problems with going to sleep, staying asleep, or waking up?

No problems going to sleep. I often go to bed very late because it is quiet and peaceful and I have my own space then. Noise, coldness or pain wakes me up. I find mornings difficult and to dread. My brain is more active from about 10am onwards. I am more alert in the evening.

2. Appetite - What foods do you crave/desire strongly?
Cheese; homemade bread & butter. Hard- boiled eggs. I love lamb. I often like citrus fruit, apples and bananas. Pickled or tangy condiments with meat or fish. I love plain bio-yogurt. I enjoy spicy food but cannot tolerate it very hot. I enjoy most vegetables, especially aubergine and spinach.

- What foods do you hate eating (have an aversion to)?
I have an aversion to licorice, angelica and aniseed. I do not like runny eggs.

- What foods have a negative effect on you or cause symptoms?
Non-organic dairy foods, because of the pesticides which trigger my allergies. I can tolerate and enjoy organic dairy food.

- What foods have a positive effect on you or seem to improve your health or symptoms in some way? Hot food warms me up.

- What is the effect of hunger or fasting on you? Mental alertness at first, then a hunger headache after several hours.

3. Thirst - What drinks do you crave/desire strongly? Hot drinks warm me inside. Organic coffee makes me more alert and relieves tension headaches; it makes me feel calm and uplifted. Coffee with milk stops my sugar cravings. However I never drink coffee around taking remedies or supplements.

- What drinks do you hate to take (are averse to)? Lukewarm milk - I like cold milk.

- When are you most thirsty? No particular time for my thirst, sometimes more thirsty in the evening. I drink about 4 glasses of water each morning.

- When are you least thirsty?
Sometimes I do not feel thirsty at all and I forget to have a drink during the day.

4. Stool - Do you have any problems with your bowels or passing stool?

Prone to constipation. Stools are passed every morning, after drinking water. I always have to empty bowel a second time, 1 or 2 hours later. I think bowel has a kink or is too small.

- What is the shape, color, odor of the stool? Stools are either firm,dark or sometimes black due to iron supplement OR loose, dark green and slimy with a metallic or garlic smell.

5. Urine - Do you have any trouble passing or retaining urine? Sometimes bladder is full but urine flow is slow. I have to squeeze my abdomen to help finish the flow.

- What is the color, odor of the urine? Can be yellow depending on how much I have had to drink.
- Do you have any sediment or debris in the urine? No.
Urine sometimes frothy.

6. Sweat - How do you feel about the amount of perspiration you have?

- Where do you have the most sweat? Left armpit; head,stomach,chest & back.

- What is the odor? Strong & musty from left armpit.

- What color does it stain clothing? Yellow
- Does anything in particular cause you to sweat abnormally? No

7. Sexuality - Any problems with your sexual desire? No
- Any problems with your sexual ability or function? No
- Any history of sexually transmitted diseases? No

8. Menses (Women)

- How many days is your cycle? 24 day cycle

- How many days does the flow go for? 7-10 days

- What is the appearance of the flow?
DAY 1: medium red & very light.
DAY 2: No flow.
*DAYS 3-5 : Flows all day & all night. Gushing and extreme flooding with many clots; some clots are huge (size of hand). Some clots are completely round and look like cherries; some look spongy or like seaweed, others look like flesh rather than clots. Clots either dark red, purple or black. Flow itself is like ink and tends to be medium or dark red. Flow weakens me.
DAY 6 :No flow.
DAYS 7-9 : Light flow & only during the day. Starts to thicken by day 9.
DAY 10: Brown discharge like string.

- What is the odor of the flow? Very strong, ‘fresh’ copper like odor, which nauseates me.
- What kind of stain does the flow leave? Stain washes out of fabric.
- Any discharge before, during or after?
Pale brown discharge about 2 days before flow. Clear or white discharge (like jelly) a few days after flow.

- Any pain before, during or after the flow?

Dull pain a few days before flow. Severe pain during flow especially before passing clots. Pain either throbs or it feels as if the uterus is being squeezed. Ovaries feel bruised. The pain makes me feel faint and head is light of giddy. Pain lasts for many hours. Headache by the 4th day. Pain is so bad that it makes me feel sick and I do not want to eat, but food, especially warm food makes it a bit better. I get feel chilly. Heat eases pain. Rubbing the abdomen also helps.

- What symptoms come before the flow?

Very bad fluid retention about a week before flow - I go up one dress size. Abdomen is huge and feels congested.Weak with giddy head. Cannot concentrate. I get anxious and irritable. I need to sleep for several hours at a time. I feel as if there is ice in my veins and my bones. Craving for sweet things and carbohydrate foods.

- What symptoms come after the flow? I get the symptoms of a cold soon after flow, and I feel weak.

9. Environment – How does the weather affect you?

Dark, bleak weather depresses me and saps my energy. I fear getting wet in the rain. Dampness affects my throat and chest and brings on a cold. Sunshine and blue sky makes me happy.

- How does the temperature affect you?
I thrive in warm temperatures; not too hot. Coldness makes my symptoms worse. My feet & hands are very sensitive to cold.

- How does the season affect you?
I get ‘SAD’ during the autumn & winter due to the lack of daylight.

- What physical activities affect you?
I feel better when I am walking or cycling or traveling by train. I get motion sickness from long car journeys.

- Is there anything else in the environment you are sensitive to?
Sensitive to noise and odors. I am very visually sensitive - images have a great impact on me. Chaotic, messy or dirty environments make me feel uneasy. I like colours to co-ordinate. If something for example, a cloth, is not straight or something is untidy, I want to fix it.
Music: I am fussy about what I want to hear as music affects my emotions. I choose music which soothes my emotions or cheers me up.

Additional Information:

*I am sensitive to chemicals and have always had allergies.
*History of heart disease, diabetes and hayfever in family.
*Mucus from nose or throat tends to be like string.
*Eczema begins with a rash, then becomes dry and scaly.
*I hate anything to cling around my waist or neck.
*Pain feels better from direct heat or massage.
*I am very tall with wide hips, fat thighs and stomach - overweight.
*If I have a fever it returns between 4-7pm. I get a chill in the feet & chest with the fever.
*My throat is narrow and I have to swallow smaller amounts of food/drink at a time - I take longer to finish eating. I used to choke easily as a baby.
*Migraine headaches, triggered by stress or skipping meals. Frontal & throbbing; often ends in right eye or inside left ear. Feels like many tiny hammers in these parts. Aversion to any noise or light. Massage to the back of neck helps to ease pain.

*I will send you the results from my trans- abdominal scan when I get them. The scan is to check for uterine fibroids etc.
[message edited by CyberLavender on Tue, 19 Aug 2014 00:06:23 BST]

I don't know why I missed this one. Regardless, I will get to work on it right now.

Alright this is quite a complex case. I managed to get 6 pages of rubrics out of what you gave, and at first there appeared to be no obvious direction towards one remedy - many different remedies appeared to suggest themselves to me. Especially confusing was the mental state which lead me in various directions - Calc carb, Arg-nit, Ignatia, Carcinosin, Nat-mur, Arsenicum ... I think if I had to settle on one, the high phobic state would probably make me think of Calc.

But this didn't make me feel all that confident. It felt like a bit of a guess. So instead I fished through the extensive list of physical symptoms to see if some kind of recognizable pattern emerged.

Now this was more interesting. This actually brought to my attention a number of smaller remedies - Ozone, Zinc, Vanila amongst others.

However because it appears that a great deal of the vital disturbance is focussed on the menstrual sphere, I actually chose to look through those symptoms and into the rest of the case that way.

Three remedies stood out - and the menstrual issues are really strong in your case. Sabina, Ipecac and Veratrum album.

Sabina is not a well-known remedy except in the sphere of the female organs. This makes it hard to confirm in the mental and emotional spheres.

Ipecac is better known, with a more well developed mental picture too. The nausea around menses and the heavy flow is a key feature of this remedy.

Veratrum on the other hand is a much more well-known remedy with an extensive presence in the repertory.

What really struck me as a peculiar thing within those menstrual symptoms was the incredible coldness - icy coldness in the blood and the bones. This is quite peculiar, and specifically makes me think of Veratrum. There are some powerful keynote symptoms of Veratrum here :

Menses, painful, with coldness
Menses, painful, with nausea and vomiting
Chill, internal, in blood vessels
Chill, internal, as if in the bones

So I fished through the many rubrics that I had pulled out to cover all the other parts of the case and found Veratrum in these:

Coryza during menses
Weakness before AND after menses
Perspiration staining yellow
Menses, copious
Weeping, no desire to be comforted
Fear, full of fears
Ailments from mental shock
Secretive
Injustice, cannot support

Now something that doesn't necessarily come out of studying the literature, is that I remember a particularly excellent cure I had many years ago of a woman who had been in an accident and had cut the nerves in her hand. Because of this she had lost an opportunity to compete in the Olympic Games as an athlete. She displayed very similar menstrual symptoms to the ones you have AND I remember distinctly thinking she looked mentally and emotionally like Calc carb. However, the icy coldness during extremely painful periods with nausea actually made me prescribe Verat, and it not only cured all her symptoms but the nerves regrew in her hand and she got all feeling back.

So, I would like you to take Veratrum album 200c. Obtain the remedy in liquid form if possible.

If you instead have pillules or pellets, you will need a small bottle and a dropper to make your own liquid dose. Mix water and alcohol into this small bottle to the ratio of 5:1. Dissolve 3 pillules/pellets into this bottle. All doses will be made from this bottle.

If you already have a liquid dose just start from step 1.

1. Hit the bottle 5 times firmly against the palm of the hand

2. Place 3 drops into 100mls of clean fresh water

3. Stir very thoroughly

4. Take 2 teaspoons out into the mouth and hold for 20 seconds, then swallow.

This is one dose and the same steps should be taken for any further doses, unless I ask you to change them in some way.

Start by taking ONE dose only and let me know what has happened at the end of 7 days. Do not suppress any symptoms that come up or appear to worsen during this time with other medicines of ANY kind.

Hi Evocationer,

Thank you for looking at my case in depth. I had a feeling that it would be quite complex. Your case of the athlete getting all her symptoms cured by the right remedy makes me feel very hopeful.
I can obtain the Veratrum Album 200c in either 23% or 96% alcohol. Would it be worth ordering the Sabina or Ipecac to have on standby, possibly to follow the Veratrum Album, and if so should I get them in the same 200c potency? It works out cheaper for me to order more than one remedy at the same time from this supplier. I will follow your advice.

Yes just in case the Veratrum doesn't help, it might be handy to have those on hand. Also, if Veratrum DOES work, you should have 1M as well.

You should get the one in 23% alcohol, which is an oral dosing liquid.

Should I take this ONE dose of Veratrum as soon as I get it, or is it better for me to wait until closer to my next period, which is due in 3 weeks time? I'm just wondering how the effectiveness of a remedy can be measured after 7 days, for menstrual problems, if it is not time for my next period yet.

Take it straight away. The remedy's action will go on for weeks after taking it.

Ok, I will take it straight away.

Evocationer - I am due to have a trans-abdominal scan within the next fortnight. Is a scan likely to antidote the effects of my remedy?

I took the Veratum Album 200c today, just the one dose and exactly as you instructed.

Ok great. Keep me updated on any changes.

Hi Evocationer - It is now day 8 since I took the Veratum Album 200c. The only changes I have noticed in this cycle are : I did not have the awful icy chill in my bones; the period came on the 28th day, however there was no sign of it coming when I took the remedy on the 26th day of cycle, so I wouldn't put this down to the remedy, as I am also taking a high dose of starflower oil & evening primrose oil each day. The flow started light as usual but instead of a gap for nearly 2 days, it continued as a moderate flow on day 2. It has been flooding heavily on days 3,4 and 5, and as usual preventing me from leaving the house. One thing that was different is that half of the flooding was painless this time, which is unusual for me as the pain is normally always prolonged for many hours. I didn't have to use my TENs machine this time, just a hot water bottle for moderate pain which only lasted about an hour or so. The clots were very few and also very small in size. The flow is light today which is day 6. Please advise.

The remedy has had a positive effect, and an expected one. Continue to wait for the time being. After your period is over we can assess all the symptoms and see what kind of general change has occurred.

Thanks Evacationer. The problem now is that this period is still going on and it is now day 12! Between days 7-12 the flow has been stopping for many hours, normally overnight and then starting again late afternoon until just after midnight - flow is light & mostly painless, with no sign of finishing. I am also recovering from a stomach virus : fever, diarrhea, & aching limbs - could this be the reason for the prolonged flow ? I am taking Echinacea & bio-yoghurt for my low immunity. What do you think of the idea that the virus might be the reason for this extended period?

My scan has revealed at least 4 uterine fibroids which are twisted around each other; the largest measured 5cm. These are situated at the base of my uterus, where I get the most pain during a period.

I understand that you wanted me to wait until the period has finished before deciding on further remedies, but I am wondering if there is anything I could take to finish off this cycle, or should I still wait at this stage?

There is going to be considerable difficulty with extensive pathology like that. We will need to adjust the treatment now because of that.

Pathology often causes extended aggravations and can hinder easy cures. We need to use lower potencies.

Can you get hold of either Veratrum 12c or LM1?

Yes, I can get hold of both Veratrum 12c and LM1 in 23% alcohol. Should I order both these potencies or just one? Am I likely to need each potency at some point during my treatment?