CASES

CASE1

Colchicum autumnale

Woman, 25 years old

A: Your problem is diarrhea. There is an epidemic at the moment.

P: I had very strong abdominal cramps and I had to go to the toilet. This morning I had shooting diarrhea. Now it has changed.

A: This morning it was shooting out and watery. How was the stool? I mean was it only watery?

P: No, there were some pieces of the food in the stool.

A: Did you have a lot of stool?

P: This morning yes, but now it is less.

A: But still frequent?

P: Yes.

A: Is it accompanied by cramps?

P: Yes. I have a lot of abdominal cramps, my stomach is rumbling and then I have to go to the toilet.

A: If you don't go, then ...

P: Then it comes out.

A: It would come out involuntarily.

P: Yes.

A: Did it ever happen?

P: No.

A: Do you have diarrhea with involuntary urine?

P: No.

A: The stool has changed. How is it now?

P: It is more bound and the quantity is less.

A: Do you have more abdominal cramps in the evening?

P: Yes, I have.

A: Do you have the urge to go and nothing comes out?

P: Yes.

A: So an ineffective urge. What else?

P: My stomach is not all right, I have a queasy feeling.

A: When especially?

P: When I have to go to the toilet. When I have stool then I have the tendency to vomit.

A: Now it is October 7. It isn't summer anymore.

P: No.

A: Do you have a tendency to vomit only during stool?

P: Not only during stool, but then it is worse. I have stomach pain, but not a tendency to vomit.

A: Do you have a tendency to vomit in other circumstances?

P: With the smell of food or with certain odors in the toilet.

Where can we find this rubric?

Look on page 507:

STOMACH, nausea, food, smell of

smell of : Ars., cocc., Colch., dig., eup-per., ip., podo., sep., stann., thuj.

A: Do you have pain in the muscles anywhere?

P: No.

A: Did you dream anything last night?

P: No, I didn't.

A: No headaches?

P: Not really headaches, but my head wasn't clear either. A little bit dizzy.

A: Did you sleep well or did you have to get up for the child?

P: I slept well.

A: Did you sleep the whole night through? Since when can you sleep the whole night through?

P: For three weeks.

A: Since your child received the remedy?

P: Yes.

A: Do you have dry lips?

P: Yes.

A: And you are not dizzy?

P: A little bit, not exaggerated. It is more when I lie down.

A: Salivation?

P: No.

A: More saliva in the mouth?

P: No, also not.

A: What did you drink?

P: Nothing.

A: Aren't you thirsty?

P: No, not at all. I think it's better not to drink.

I gave her the remedy in M potency and I saw her again the next day.

FEEDBACK

A: How often did you take the remedy?

P: Three times.

A: When did you come last evening?

P: About 5:30 p.m.

A: You took a spoonful three times with half an hour in between?

P: Yes, about. I took the last spoonful about 10:00 p.m.

A: What did you feel after you took the remedy?

P: After the first spoonful it was already better. I felt good. I still had abdominal cramps after the spoonful, but otherwise I was better.

A: And then?

P: I went to bed at about 11:00 p.m. and I slept very well until 10:00 a.m. This morning I had to go to the toilet once or twice, there was still some diarrhea, but no cramps anymore.

A: How is the tendency to vomit?

P: It is also better. I didn't notice anything.

A: Did the tendency to vomit disappear last evening?

P: Yes, after the second spoonful. Not immediately, but rather quickly.

A: Today it is Sunday. What did you eat at noon?

P: A very big dinner: soup, meat and French fries.

A: You don't have a problem with the smell of food anymore.

Do you have diarrhea or cramps after eating?

P: No.

A: Then this is a good reaction.

P: Yes, fine.

A: This is all I have to know. Now you can go and eat your dessert.

Which remedy did I give?

Audience: Cuprum.

Kali bichromicum.

Colchicum autumnale.

A : Why Colchicum autumnale?

Audience: Because of the vomiting with diarrhea.

A : Vomiting with diarrhea, many remedies have this.

Audience: Nauseous from smells.

A : Yes, nauseous from smells, but why isn't this Sepia officinalis?

Audience: Sepia officinalis is the second choice.

A : There is only one right remedy, not a second choice.

Tell me the second rubric which we need.

I told you that it was October. Look in the rubric "diarrhea in autumn", Colchicum autumnale is capital.

RECTUM,DIARRHEA,autumn, in : Ars., asc-t., bapt., Colch., ip., Iris., merc-c., merc., nux-m., verat.

Colchicum autumnale is also one of the important remedies in pregnancy, for women who are pregnant in autumn. You always have to see what kind of weather it is, whether it is raining, or dry, or windy, which season it is, autumn, spring, summer or winter. We have to pay attention to this.

Question: Why not Podophyllum peltatum?

A : Podophyllum peltatum doesn't have vomiting with stool where she is complaining. Normally Podophyllum peltatum patients complain about a big emptiness in the stomach, emptiness after stool and secondly you can smell the stool already from a long distance. If there is a child with Podophyllum peltatum stool on the first floor you will smell it on the ground floor. The nauseousness from smell of food is a very strong Colchicum autumnale symptom, you have to think of this remedy. It is a very important remedy in rheumatism and for pregnant women.

CASES