Hi guys, I've read that Pulsatilla is a FEMALE remedy. And my homoeopath has prescribed Pulsatilla 200 to me, when I am a guy! I admit I am rather emotional and sensitive as a person though. And she asked me if I loved cats - how did she guess? I like them very much.

Anyway Pulsatilla is part of the 5 remedies she has given me (in succession with 3-5 days break in between each remedy). My chief complaint is sore eye and allergic rhinitis (particularly upon waking, EVERYDAY). Other remedies given include Allum Cepa (presumable for sneezeing - its Red Onion), Silicea, Iodum, Merc-Sul (mercury!?!?! won't that accumulate and poison me?). I would really like some opinions, especially from those of you who have some experience with these remedies. Thanks very much!

Its very difficult to comment on the reasons why a homoeopath has prescribed a remedy or a series of remedies. Each person has ones own convictions and approaches.

Regarding whether you will accumulate Mercury...simply take it out of your mind. And Pulsatilla can be anybody's remedy. I think it very trusting of your homoeopath to give you all the names of the remeides. She must be quite confident of her approach.

Regards,
Doctorleela

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http://www.homeopathy2health.com

I think this homoeopath doesn't know what remedy to give you. She is simply trying all the hayfever/coryza remedies until something works. This is poor homoeopathy, and I would change practitioners before she damages your health or complicates your case to the point where it will become difficult to work out what is going on.

3-5 days is not enough time to evaluate the result of a remdy. A remedy will often take 2-3 weeks to have a full effect, and giving another remedy so quickly may antidote the previous effect or suppress the symptoms or interact in an unknown and often unguessable way.

Unfortunately, the only thing this approach shows is that the practioner has no confidence in her own abilities or decisions.

__________________
David Kempson.<br />Dip.Homoeopathic Medicine.<br />Lecturer Australian College of Natural Therapies (Brisbane Campus)<br />Member AHA, AROH, HMA<br />Member Australian Homoeopathic Association. Member#0442.

Hi Dr Leela et al,

I would be delighted to know what are your opinions about the illnesses that has been strangling me and what remedies you would suggest based on my history.

I am 25, male, Chinese. Born and grew up in Singapore, living in public housing. I had eczema (mainly in the folds of back of elbows and knees) since about 5 or 6 and was once admitted to A&E for asthma (lips and nails turned bluish). Never had much problem with asthma since then, only very slightly when I had colds. Was a definite mouth breather. Nose was sort of constantly stuck. Average about 3 colds/flus a year. Age 14 started to have myopia. Age 18 started to wear contact lenses and couldn't manage well, often redness in the right eye and used Visine too frequently, esp in right eye. (I heard of rebound effect only later) Age 21 I had my LASIK surgery and was announced with perfect vision in both eyes. Left eye better than 6/6. Right eye started to have inflammation (white areas raised) and redness quite often. Went to various specialists and was given Naphcon-A, Spersallerg, tried Sodium Cromoglycate and Alomide etc for a short while and din't work. Was given corticosteriods like dexamethasone which I for the past two years or so had been abusing (was using it almost EVERYDAY for a long periods) due to conjunctivitis and conjunctival swelling upon waking up. Diagnosed with deviated nasal septum at age 22 and had greatly painful nose operation to straighten it and remove some overgrown turbinates. Lots of bleeding and pain post op. Subsequuently felt great but about a year later symptoms of allergic rhinitis started again. Frequent usage of antihistamines (before and after the op) to stop the dripping. Given steriod nasal sprays Flixonase. Used for about a year with good results, tapered off as adviced by doctor and symptoms returned. Together with the conjunctivitis it's been torturing me for years. Nowadays my nose is quite ok (only discharge/sneezing etc upon waking) but its my eyes giving me the problems. After consulting many eye specialists to no avail I looked into homoepathy. Had seen a homeopath about week ago and give some remedies. She told me all the names of the drugs and what they were for which I really appreciate. In any case I would ask even if she did not tell, as I like to do my own research on the internet. So here I am, and keeping my fingers crossed that I have met the 'saviour' of my life and just wanting to make sure and hear some opinions about the treatment prescribed.

She gave me a drop of medicine on my tongue at her clinic and told me to take a break from all medicines for 3 days. Following which:

Pulsatilla 200 (3 times daily for 3 days)
3 days break
Silicea 1M (once only)
5 days break
Allum Cepa 200 (2 times daily for 3 days)
5 days break
Iodum 30 (3 times daily for 4 days)
5 days break
Merc-sul 200 (once daily for 4 days)
3 days break
Pothos 200
(when necessary, 10 mins interval, 3-6 times)
Next appointment

Important point I missed out (sort of absent minded always) she gave me Dr. Reckeweg's cineraria martima eye drops (senicio bicolor d2). I had been waking with thick (white/yellowish) sticky discharges and red and sore eyes since starting on them. Previously before all the treatments I only had sore eye (with minimal discharge) and just used Spersallerg (antihistamine with decongestant) and the eyes will be white and good again until about 10 or so hours later (this was a sort of daily routine).

Read somewhere that for long periods of suppressed illness, increased aggravation is common manifestation on starting the initial homoeopathic therapy, and could last for weeks. And that is a sign of body trying to get rid of all impurities. Is that true?

Sorry to keep adding on. I was also adviced to go on a diet of grains, fish and vegetables (essentially to go vegetarian) and to take eggs if I have no upset after taking them. I love meat and I miss it! I was asked to avoid caffeine, tea, coffee, mint, menthol, chocolate (I love the last 3). I have no problems doing it for the duration of the treatment, but is that necessary after?

Is it useful for someone with my kind of allergic problems to avoid meat, and especially when I had lost about 7kg within about 3 months (I was trying to gain weight with change of diet and weight training as I had hitherto been skinny with long arms and legs).

What is very significant in your case is the H/O Eczema in childhood and 1? episode of asthma. So I would expect that your case would be a little complicated to treat anyway.

Homoeopaths require a different type of history than what you have given above, and I could't be sure whether you gave that type of history to your homoeopath. (Is she a classical Homoeopath or is she practicing one of the variations (eg. 'Practical Homoeopathy' or 'Electro homoeopathy'.)

What we need is information about your nature, How you react to situations around you, your food preferences (likes and dislikes), what makes you better or worse, perspiration distribution, etc.

Then a remedy will be found for you that matches everything that you tell us about you, and this remedy is what will bring all your symptoms under control.

The use of steriods has complicated the situation, but homoeopaths don't give up!!

Warm regards,
doctorleela

PS; I'm not sure I agree with her line of treatment at all, but I won't comment. YOu'll find very few here who will agree too!

[ 27 September 2001: Message edited by: doctorleela ]

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http://www.homeopathy2health.com

Hi doctorleela,

She is a classical homoeopath who follows the Hahnemann teaching. BTW she is an Indian lady who looks 40'ish when she told me she is over 60! I was surprised. She did ask me about all the vital details that you mentioned.

Here are the details:

Nature / Personality:
A little of OCD obsessive compulsion, like things to be arranged in the exact proper manner. (have actually seen a psychiatrist for that problem and prescribed Prozac when I was 22) Dislikes parents, thinks they are stupid and ill-informed, but knows that they care. Bad tempered towards parents, but opposite towards close friends and strangers. Introverted person for sure. As a child averse to crowded areas and dislikes human contact, prefer to play alone. Mum even call me a freak (something to that effect), and I hate to be called that. Musically inclined, loves music from around age 4. Even now music has soothing and relaxing effect on me. Moody at times, as commented by friends, I go into mood swings pretty often. But I usually just keep quiet and keep to myself when I am not happy, seldom go on the offensive, only when towards people I have great dislike for. Lack of confidence, needs to check repeatedly, finds it difficult to remember things, have to recite again and again to oneself, happens more often when under stressful situations.

Loves surfing the internet to find out about stuff. Prefer indirect communication most of the time to direct (face to face). Curious. Likes cats, kittens, thinks they are very cute and vulnerable. Hamsters too. Basically I am a soft-hearted person yet who believes he is a little of a devil inside, rebellious (moved out from home a couple of times) and feels stifled in a restrictive country (or rather more self-imposed), loves members of same sex, sexual attraction to the same (this part I did not reveal to my homoeopath for fear of ridicule).

I change my mind easily, and am always on the lookout for better options. I have changed my handphone for almost 30 times in less than 3 years! Even in my recent situation of deciding on which course to take, I find it hard to make up my mind. Quite fickle minded basically. Even imagined occasionally how life would be with someone other than my current partner (who is quite far from my ideal).

Not unreasonable person, sometimes even quite stubborn to uphold reason and truth, yet could be quite inflexible, expecting people to do things my way sometimes.

Reaction to situations:

When people fight/quarrel I usually just watch. Fear of public speaking. However, in front of close friends or actually strangers (on a one-to-one or small group basis) I am quite sociable. At times even humorours.

Can't help feeling watched when on public bus/transport and in public areas too, as if something looks wrong with me, especially when I have conjunctivitis. Otherwise the feeling is not so much present. Prefers to be in a group rather than alone, yet sometimes enjoy going out alone.

I just dropped out of local uni due to a wrong choice of course and much self-imposed stress (couldn't understand a thing of a certain subjects) much that while working at the gym I almost passed out and had to sit on the ground against the wall for about 30 mins before recovering. (next day I wetted by bed involuntarily, which had never happen before) Had similar experiences of passing out before after running 2.4km in 12mins (not considered strict requirement). Fainted in the toilet while I was getting up once after such a run. The other passing out experience was at home - I was only leaning against the wall standing and watching tv from afar when suddenly I just experienced syncope and recovered conscious after a while. That period I was taking weight gainers and doing workouts in the hope of gaining some muscle and weight. Prefers closeness with intelligent men with toned and muscled bodies, yet few of my close friends are.

When drawn into a quarrel I will fight (not physically) to gain the upper hand, when I believe that I am in the right. When wrong will admit it.

Food preferences:

Likes ice cream, cold drinks, plain water, potato chips, chocolate, french fries, sweets, preserved foods, cream of chicken soup, appetite for many things but allergic to prawns and crabs cuttlefish (gives me a itchy feeling in the throat and makes my voice coarse). Cannot tolerate chilli hot foods. Slight spicy is ok. (eg tomyam soup is no no, curry is ok) Also dislike durians, but ok to durian cakes. Used to prefer tidbits to main meals when young. No matter how I eat I could not gain much weight. Used to have frequent diarrhea and stomach discomfort during high school (90-92) for about a year or two. Started weight training along with taking weight gaining supplements in 2000, managed to gain about 5kg from my last stable weight of 54kg to 59kg but more or less plateaued there. Recently moved back to home, eating home cooked meals most of the time as opposed to outside foods, and having started vegetarian eating only about 2 weeks (under advice of homeopath) my weight dropped to 52kg. This was like my weight before 1996. My height is 1.72m meters so that is quite borderline underweight. I had hoped to reach 63-65kg with the weight training and dieting.

Modalities:

Do not like indoors, prefer outdoors. I prefer the open air. However on hot days I prefer to chill indoor with aircon. Getting from hot outdoors to aircon cold indoor areas or vice versa could make my noise sensitive and cause sneezing etc. Back in the office workplace for last year I had cold/flu almost every other week but now seldom in airconditioned indoors I just get the occasional sneeze or nasal discomfort, particularly upon waking. But conjunctivitis plagued me for years.

Perspiration

Not a profuse sweater, only when with great exertion or running/jogging. Tend to be more sweaty in groin areas and underarms. A particular phenomenon is when talking on the phone for more than 5 minutes my armpits will start to sweat. No evidence of body odour (partner never complains).

Hope this helps!
Rick
Singapore

Rick,
I have one question for the moment, you mentioned:
"Dislikes parents, thinks they are stupid and ill-informed, but knows that they care. Bad tempered towards parents, but opposite towards close friends and strangers. Introverted person for sure. As a child averse to crowded areas and dislikes human contact, prefer to play alone. Mum even call me a freak (something to that effect), and I hate to be called that."
ALso:
"Basically I am a soft-hearted person yet who believes he is a little of a devil inside, rebellious (moved out from home a couple of times) and feels stifled in a restrictive country (or rather more self-imposed)".

Could you explain these two parts of your history. How did these feelings come about, in your opinion?

Regards,
Doctorleela

__________________
http://www.homeopathy2health.com

Dear Rick,

it is very easy for someone to SAY they are a Hahnemannian homoeopath, but then go about prescribing in a way that is not Hahnemannian. It does nothing but confuse patients, who may think they are making a good choice of practitioner, but are just getting conned.

I take it you are happy to have the homoeopaths on this BB treat you rather than go back to your current homomoepath?

Rick, can you tell me about
1. being ridiculed
2. being vunerable
3. being a freak
4. being watched
5. having something wrong with you
6. fighting to gain the upper hand
7. going on the offensive
8. being rebellious

__________________
David Kempson.<br />Dip.Homoeopathic Medicine.<br />Lecturer Australian College of Natural Therapies (Brisbane Campus)<br />Member AHA, AROH, HMA<br />Member Australian Homoeopathic Association. Member#0442.