Please help find consittutional remedy for chronic symptoms _{Page 2 of 7}

I thought of something else already I didn't mention, the low back symptoms have gotten worse, no severe pain but discomfort, and also extending to the gluteus muscles and around the hips.

Also, I have been craving chocolate strongly, I don't eat much of it because it tends to worsen my symptoms, even types without much sugar so I think it's the chocolate itself, and my craving for bread is still as strong as ever, it seems to be possibly the most entrenched and hard to change of my food cravings/aversions.

It's been another week, and I'm happy to report on many positive effects of the Thuja dose. The day after I wrote the last update, I had a case of the chills that lasted much of the day, sometimes fairly intensely, but the weird thing was I wasn't all that cold. The next day, I felt better that I have in some time. My legs were the most dramatic difference, suddenly they felt much less heavy and sore. The congestion sensation in the liver area got quite a bit better too after the earlier aggravation which I mentioned before. The environmental sensitivities are still a little worse than before the dose but better than the last update.

I've felt more of the reinvigoration that I noticed earlier, both on a physical and mental level. I have more mental energy, which seems to let me deal with stress and anxiety better, which makes me think the major anxiety problems I've had have been more of not having enough energy to deal with them rather than getting anxious that much more easily than others. The stammering, not being able to find the right word isn't hugely different, maybe a bit better.

I haven't noticed too many differences in the heart and respiratory symptoms, maybe a bit better.

For the last few days I have been visiting family for the holidays, and I have had another aggravation, although it seems to be abating somewhat and has been just of certain physical symptoms especially the legs, but also abdominal symptoms. However I've always felt worse staying in the house I am at now, I think I'm sensitive to something in it, plus I'm sleeping in the basement, which although I grew up largely sleeping in basements, I now know it aggravates my condition. but still I feel significantly better than last time I stayed here, and the mental improvements have lasted.

All in all, although it has not improved every symptom, the Thuja has positively affected things in ways nothing else has, and the two or three days before my traveling were probably the best I've felt in several years for that length of a period. I don't think I should take anything else until I return home at the end of the month because it would be hard to tell the effects of the dose from the effects of traveling, but I could order something (such as Thuja 1M if you think that's what I need next) to be there when I get back home.

I have now been back home for a few says, the effects from the Thuja dose are still ongoing, although the physical symptoms have worsened a bit recently, but still definately better than before the dose.

The mental symptoms have continued to be better, I still feel I have more mental energy, the stammering has gone down a bit. I also seem to be reconsidering things in my life that I hadn't thought about for a while.

My food cravings have continued to be different. I have less desire to eat when already full (which can greatly aggravate symptoms), I have less desire for sweets, which I've always tried to avoid because my body doesn't handle them well, but often in the past have greatly craved, cravings for bread, onions and garlic also down, and onion and garlic haven't been aggravating symptoms anymore.

About the environmental sensitivities, I wrote before the dose worsened them at first, which was true, but now they're somewhat better, just not in the way that I'd imagined which made me not realize it at first. I still get just as much of an immediate reaction to things, but now seem to be able to clear my system of them faster, which I think is one of the main reasons the Thuja has helped a lot. This is the opposite of what the lycopodium did, the lycopodium decreased my immediate reactions to things pretty dramatically at first, but I think it didn't help me at all rid my system of those toxins, probably even worsened that, thus it didn't work out in the end.

I will shortly be receiving the Thuja 1M in the mail, I though it would have come already as I ordered it over a week ago, but I guess it's just been slow mail around the holidays. Should I take it when it arrives?

Now it seems a bit more clear what exactly Thuja has done, it is still affecting me, not as strongly as at first but still even after over a month it's effects are definately present. However I think some of the mental effects I reported last week were not from the dose but just from travelling, as the mental have gotten back to more typical levels. I do still notice a bit of mental effect form the remedy, the increase in mental energy I reported before, but there is no significant lasting difference in the social symptoms, stammering, social anxiety etc, some times they were a bit down which made me hopeful, but it might have just been normal fluctuations.

The 'brain fog' also remains, although it's taken on a bit of a different character it doesn't seem to be much if any better.

The changes on the physical level have been more dramatic, mostly the same as I reported before, although still variable, just a day or two after my last update I had a bad day. My lega do non have the disconnectd brittle feeling anymore, and they feel lighter too, although some of the heavy feeling remains, and also they still get sore easily, for example when walking up a hill it now starts out feeling fine, but then I get muscle cramps in the legs and have to slow down and/or stop for a second. This goes along with the respiratory symptoms and palpitations, which are somewhat better but not a lot, and I think the leg muscle symptoms might be from not getting enough circulation or oxygen in those times.

Unfortunately, the symptoms around my knee have not been any better, actually a little worse. I think they are form a different cause than the other leg symptoms. They are mostly weakness but also a little pain in both the joint itself and the area around it, especially the back side.

My food cravings are still different and less strong, like I reported above, little craving for sweets, salt is more attractive, less craving for bread also, and less desire to overeat.

The pressure in the liver area has been about half what it used to be, though it shows no signs of further change.

I have been warmer in general, the chilliness still comes on sometimes (and relieves some of my other symptoms when it does) but more of the time I've been feeling warmer, including sometimes at night.

The thuja dose has been a positive effect overall, although it's more and more clear that certain symptoms, especailly many of the mental symptoms are not much affected. Do you think that the 1M potency will affect those? I have read a lot on thuja and although it is a pretty close fit, I do wonder if the remedy AMBRA GRISEA will be needed at some point at least, especially the mentals I think seem to fit me even better than Thuja, although I lack the most extreme manifestations, and even the physicals, the changes I've seen recently with the Thuja seem to put me very close the describtions I've read of AMBRA GRISEA, but then again I know I'm not the expert, but I just wanted to mention it to see what you thought.

Something else I forgot to mention, I have been having more intense dreams lately, mostly not bad ones but just 'turbulent' dreams, although I only remember bits and pieces to them later and there seems to be not genereal theme to them. I have had this issue even more strongly in the past but that was a few years ago.

I took the remedy about three weeks ago, like the last dose there were many effects but not as strong and not so much improvement, there has been improvement in some symptoms but others have actually gotten a bit worse.

The symptom that has had the most improvement is the chills, I still tend toward chilliness but have not been getting as intense chills and tolerating the cold better in general. THe first week saw an aggravation of the chills but since then they have been significantly less.

The congestion in the liver area went through a bit of an aggravation at first and afterward a bit better, but not much, it's still definately better than before the 200C dose but I'd say pretty similar to before this dose.

The same applies to the heaviness in the legs, like after the previous dose, it wa aggravated at first, although much more mildly, but followed only by a return to the same level as before, it's still better than before the 200c dose, but actually probably a bit worse than before this dose.

The symptoms around the knee have still not improved at all, there's still cracking, stiffness, and soreness in and around my knees, including the back side, the tendons on the back of my knee too, in fact tendons in several places in my body have been feeling weak with soreness more than before, my wrist tendons are also affected. Also, I sometimes feel a brief burning/shooting sensation in my wrists, this coming often it I get a burst of anxiety or are thinking of something uncomfortable.

No improvements in the respiratory symptoms, it does feel a little different in my chest but no better or worse. The heart palpitations are maybe a little better but not a big difference.

My stools have been lighter colored and looser, but not diarrhea, in fact despite being loose they are still sometimes hard to expel.

As far as mental symptoms, it's a mixed bag too. THe good news is I still do have the increase of mental energy I reported earlier from the 200c dose, although the 1m dose didn't change it too much more. I have been feeling somewhat more talkative and perhaps a bit more confident.

On the other hand, I've been sleeping worse, it's taking me longer to fall asleep and I've been sleeping more shallowly with more intense dreams.

As far as the anxiety, it feels like on one hand better and on the other hand worse. It's hard to describe, it kind of feels like I get it more intensely but can deal with it better too.

There's little change in the stammering and brain fog.

I've been getting obsessive about certain things, especially a worry about my memory that makes me forget whether I did something important (or even not so important) and keep checking it. I've always had that somewhat but I've been doing it more often recently.

My food cravings continue to be somewhat different. I crave spicy foods, eggs, cheese, fats (to a imitied extent), meat (but only certain types, things like sausage and bacon which I don't eat anyway because of the additives except occasionally if I can have additive free), sometimes I crave fruit and sometimes averse to it.

My environmental sensitivites are different too, not really much better or worse overall but I;m more sensitive to certain things and less to others. I've had a low tolerance for sugar for a long time, but it's gotten worse now, so that even the thought of something sugary doen't sound good. A little bit of natural sweeteners however don't give me that effect and I still like.

I think the fact that the chills have gotten better might be part of the reason some of the other things have gotten worse, because as I've mentioned before, the chills actually alleviate some of the other symptoms.

One of the days I was feeling best was actually a rainy day, and the clear cold days have aggravated.

All in all, I don't think this dose has brought overall improvement, although it certainly brought changes, and I still feel better than before the first thuja dose (the 200c dose).

P.S. I saw on another thread you asked someone about astrological sign, I thought I'd mention mine because it's an extreme case, I have five planets including my sun sign in one sign, Sagittarius.

Here's a list of how things currently are,

General mental/emotional characteristics

-Strong emotions but difficulty expressing them
-Anxiety in social situations, don't fit in right, but not natural introvert, like company but often frustrated with my ineptitude
-Have strong opinions on things, but typically only express them to people I feel will have a reasonable discussion, don't like to deal with rude people
-I'm a serious person, I do like jokes and having fun, but not into sarcasm and jokes that might hurt people
-Anxiety about relating to people on a deeper level, worried that even good friends wouldn't like me if they really knew me.
-Need to be alone to be able to recharge my energy.
-Very idealistic, I often anxious and powerless about the state of the external world.
-Often feel like something awful is soon to happen, not necessarily to myself but in general.
-Anger that I rarely express, it can be either over something personally done to me or more commonly over something else going on, even hearing news stories or such.
-Really don't like anyone to have power or authority over me, but not confident enough to stand up to those sorts of people.
-I set high standards for myself, and I'm annoyed at myself if I don't live up to them.
-Have trouble 'getting over' things, constantly think how things could be different

Mental and Emotional Symptoms
-Stammering, especially when excited, anxious, or talking about things important to me at the times when I most want to be clear. Talking about mundane things I stammer much less. This is a big part of why I don't stand up for myself enough, because if I do the words don't come out very coherent.
-Brain fog feelings, this comes and goes but sometimes have difficulty concentrating.
-Memory issues, I have a good memory sometimes but other times forget things, anxiety about forgetting things causing me to wonder and check again whether I've actually done a task.
-Sometimes feel depression/despair but not long-lasting and more communly it's frustration, anxiety, etc.
-Always have lots of things I want to do but not the mental/physical energy to do them
-Overwhelmed easily

General Physical Characteristics

-Tall and skinny, do not gain weight easily
-Darker skin than anyone else in my family
-Many moles and several birthmarks
-Medium brown hair, thick, somewhat curly (used to be straight), dandruff

Physical symptoms

-Congestion feelings in liver area, not as bad as before first thuja dose, but still important symptom
-Chilliness, better than before but still there, heat up quickly with exertion, have trouble with bod temperature, sometimes one part cold and another warm, can have cold knees, feet, hands, shoulders, and tip of nose for example while other parts plenty warm.
-Environmental sensitivity, to odors, particulary perfumey and chemicaly odors as well as molds.
-Digestive weakness and sensitivity, feeling of an irritating substance in stomach and intestines, the stomach temporarily relieved by water, especially small amounts of cold water (don't like cold drinks in significant quantities)
-Quite intolerant to food additives and refined sugar.
-Heart palpitations and respiratory weakness, these often occur together, worse with exertion, they can't keep up with the extra demand from exertion, also worse in evenings and sometimes after eating
-Weakness and soreness of extremities, especially legs, heaviness of legs, cramping with exertion such as walking uphill, worse in evenings.
-Soreness in lower back, comes and goes.
-Weakness of certain joints, especially knees and wrists, worst in the connective tissues in wrists and back of knees, cracking in the knee joint.
-Sometimes an irritating feeling in the kidney area
-Ear ringing, also sometimes they get clogged with wax that's hard to get out and get hearing problems, but not recently.
-Eyes often sensitive to light, on waking up eyes difficult to open for a short time.
-Frequently a minor sore throat upon waking which quickly goes away.
-Brief Shooting, burning sensation in wrists when thinking of something unpleasant.
-Recurring irritated sensation in front of throat (adam's apple area), sometimes brought on by eating
-Craving for Spicy foods, cheese, eggs, some meats, well cooked root vegetables, bread (less than before), sometimes fruit, also I crave food cooked crispy as long as it's not burnt, I really like the scrapings from a pan.
-Aversion to fish (white types of fish), recently most sweets too(which I never tolerated well anyway), green vegetables in quantity

Another longstanding symptom which I don't think I've mentioned before is my voice, I cannot speak loudly, if I raise my voice beyond a certain level it hurts my throat after a very short time, I can't talk above a loud crowd at all, and I physically cannot yell loud enough to be heard at a long distance.

I have a question about the three doses, I know you say there should be no repetition after there is already a response. Personally, with almost every remedy I've taken I start feeling some sort of effect practically immediately, even if my response doesn't peak for a significantly longer time. If I feel it again almost immediately after the first dose, should I still go ahead with the other two doses?

Here's my ten day update,

After I took the remedy, many of my physical symptoms got significantly better for a bit, the first two days or so I was tired and had some mild headaches, but I did not have and chills, was unusually warm, felt a lightness to my body that I haven't felt in a long time, had significantly better digestion too, and on the mental level more energy too, although never any change in anxieties.

Many of these beneficial changes have lasted, but unfortunately I've had other symptoms get much worse and 'new' ones pop up, I put new in quotes because none of them are ones I've never had before, in many ways I feel much more like how I did a few years ago around the onset of when a lot of these problems got bad.

After a few days of no chilliness whatsoever, I fell into the pattern of still being much warmer than before at night and upon waking, but having chills start again around mid-morning, as well as other symptoms worsening then. I now feel the best when I first wake up, until the mid-morning aggravations start.

I've been getting hot easily, luckily it's winter time, but still I've been getting mild headaches if in the sun, feel better on cloudy days.

The feelings of heaviness in the extremities are mostly gone, however they still are sore easily, can't take much exercise before getting sore.

Digestive symptoms have gone back to similar to what they were, although I have a significantly larger appetite and craving different foods now, the biggest change is really craving salt, also a bit more bland foods than before.

Not much change in respiratory symptoms, a bit of change in heart palpitations, not as bad with exertion except if I get hot, feel heart palpitations from any situation with too much heat now.

Mentally, not much change in anxieties but changes elsewhere, after a few days I started feeling some anger and more intense emotions in general, having trouble falling asleep some nights from thinking of old events when I was hurt or when I could have done something differently, but sleeping better after I actually fell asleep. All these mental symptoms are aggravated in the evenings.

Overall, I've settled into the new pattern from the remedy doses, but I wouldn't consider myself feeling better or worse overall, just very different, some symptoms much better and some worse, and more like I was feeling four years ago or so than anytime recently.

The aggravation I described earlier peaked two days after my last update, when I got a bad headache, also similar to ones I used to get frequently years ago and rarely since then.

After that, the effects have been wearing off, still not completely however, but the beneficial effects and the negative ones have both been wearing off, leaving me still no better than before I took the dose. I understand that bringing back old symptoms can be a good sign, but then shouldn't I be feeling better after the aggravation subsides. I still feel different than before the dose with some symptom changes, but not any better.

I ordered the Causticum 200c back after the last update, I don't have it yet but it should come in shortly. I just have a few things I wanted to mention.

What it felt like after the dose was that it helped at first, it certainly did seem to give me a 'boost' in certain areas, but then got blocked by the aggravated symptoms. I wonder if, going with the 'layers' of disease, if the causticum is an underlying layer (I certainly identify with many of the aspects of causticum) but another layer is blocking it form working.

I've also noticed I have a lot of similarities to natrum mur too, even including things like periodic hangnails and a (small) crack on my lower lip, and I strongly have the characteristic symptom 'Can't urinate in the presence of others', I have to go in a stall with a shut door in a public restroom if anyone else is around, I can't use the urinal because the urine will just not flow, and Natrum mur also covers things such as my anxieties and chemical sensitivities which the causticum didn't seem to affect much. I realized that before but there were other symptoms that didn't match, however I noticed the aggravation the causticum brought on included many natrum mur type symptoms, such as aggravation from the sun, craving for salt, warmer but still some chills, etc, so I'm wondering if you think that either now or at some point in the future natrum mur will be needed.

OK, will do

Here's my 2 week update,

The dose of natrum mur has been quite beneficial and I'm pretty convinced it's the right remedy. I noticed physical and mental changes almost immediately. I felt more calm at first, there was a bit of aggravation in the physical symptoms in the first few days, then I felt much better for a few days, the best I have in several years, the soreness in muscles and joints has been improved the most, the heart palpitations and digestion also significantly, the respiratory not as much. My energy levels have increased too.

I did experience a pretty bad aggravation for two or three days about a week after taking the remedy. I felt pain in the liver area, not just the congestion feeling I'm used to, after it had been better for a few days. Other physical symptoms were aggravated too, and I got the peculiar symptom of having my mouth taste strongly metallic, I've had that symptom before but never to nearly as strong a degree, but it only lasted a few days. The aggravation ended pretty abruptly one day, within a few minutes. Since then, I've felt up and down but still generally on a significantly better level, at least physically.

I have less of an immediate sensitivity to things, but the longer term effects are still similar.

For the mental symptoms, although I have had some changes it's not nearly a much as the physical changes, I did feel a feeling of calm at first, but that only lasted a few days. Since then, I've been happy about the physical improvements, but anxiety levels are still about the same as before. Another peculiar symptom I've had is a few times I've briefly had the desire to cry, but I wasn't sad, actually it was times I was feeling good in other ways.

Should I order Natrum mur 1m to be used in the future?

Over the last week a few of the symptoms improved by the dose have gotten a bit worse again, such as muscle, joint and low back issues, no further improvement however I'm still feeling significantly better than before the dose.

I'm still convinced it's the right remedy, all the other remedies I've taken improved certain symptoms but changed and made others worse, but the Natrum Mur has made nothing major worse overall (with the exception of the aggravations I described on the previous update), and in fact things like food cravings, etc are even more inline with natrum than before, I read this recently,

http://www.vithoulkas.com/content/view/407/lang,en/

and thought it interesting that it says some of the characteristic symptoms of natrum mur such as food cravings can actually lessen as the pathology gets deeper, I think that's the case for me because as a child, I had a tremendous aversion to anything the least bit slimy, and also to fats, those started to disappear as I got older and some of the other symptoms came on, but the remedy seemed to bring them back on to a certain extent, which I hope is a good thing.

Should I go ahead with the 1m dose now?