Thanks GM. I'll report back soon.

Dear GM - Twelve days since Rory had Pulsatilla 200. The bad cough cleared up very quickly, but he is back to the usual - runny nose, loose cough (especially in the morning). He doesn't really seem ill, just producing lots of mucus. The snot changes consistency and colour, sometimes thick green, sometimes thin, watery or white. He has red patches on his chin and cheeks.

The only time in the last year or so that Rory hasn't been more or less like this was in August when we went to England (normally we live in Cyprus). He was very clear during this time. Maybe because he wasn't with other kids at school, maybe being at the seaside quite a lot (but not all the time - he was better before we went there),or maybe some difference in his diet? We wonder whether he could have some sort of allergy - maybe milk, or at least the milk he gets here in Cyprus.

I thought of trying Pulsatilla 1M. What do you think?

Thanks
Toby

How is he teething?

Hello Anna - thanks for your reply. Rory has been producing his last back teeth over the last few months. Can't tell you quite how far he's got with it as it's very hard to see or stick your finger in to check - but they are not yet fully through. Generally teething has been a slow process for him, and our homeopath doctor here has always said that the catarrh is connected with his teething and will clear up when he's got all his teeth. As I said at the beginning of this thread, I don't know if we should just accept the snottiness as part of his way of dealing with teething and just treat the flare-ups he sometimes has. In the past the doctor has prescribed either Calc Carb or Chamomilla. The Calc (1M) has sometimes helped temporarily, the Chamomilla (200) not really - and Rory hardly ever has Chamomilla-type anger or ugliness. Part of the reason I posted his case here is that I feel our doctor just suggests one of these two routinely (on the phone, and he's very busy)without listening or thinking about it much.

Today especially, his cheeks, chin, and nose are very red.

I hope that helps. Thanks again.

I think coffea cruda 200c, one dose for this patient.

[red face, insomnia with dentition, active mind<>sleepiness, and a key is diarhoea after abuse of cham.]

Please wait to see if GM agrees since he has been managing the case.

Yes, use coffe 200, and if that dont work sulphur is the next to try, since he reacted to both cc and cp.

Hi Anna and GM - I think I left out something important. We've changed Rory's bedtime routine in the last week and he now goes to sleep by himself, quickly, without much fuss! (i.e., we were doing it all wrong, not him . . .) He still wakes up a couple of times in the night, but it hasn't been difficult to get him back to sleep. Also, he doesn't have diarrhoea - I think I said he dirtied his nappy more often than usual when I first posted, but his stools were normally formed. He's now back to just once or twice a day.

Sorry about that. Do you still think Coffea?

One other sleep-related thing that might be useful - he often wakes up very miserable from his midday sleep and takes a long time to cheer up. Only during the day, not in the morning.

Hello again - last night Rory was very congested. You could hear him 'snoring' from our room across the hall. He woke a couple of times and found it hard to get back to sleep - lots of phlegm gathering in his throat and making him cough. His nose wasn't running - perhaps it would have been if he'd been standing up. Again, he had no trouble going to sleep when we put him to bed last night. Seems cheerful enough this morning, just full of phlegm.

I had to pick Rory up from school today a couple of hours early, not because he was snotty or anything, but because he was falling asleep! This is unheard of. Even when he's only had a few hours sleep, he's always kept going through the morning. Last night wasn't bad at all. So something is up. He's asleep now.

Update. Slept for an hour or so. Has a slight temperature (38.2) Is quiet and subdued. Not at all thirsty, which is unusual for him.

[This message has been edited by toby (edited 13 November 2000).]

[This message has been edited by toby (edited 13 November 2000).]