The Efficacy of Homoeopathy in IBS
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 2004 Mar / Apr VOL VI NO 2.
Dr Ardeshir T Jagose
'Arg-nit / Gels / Tub

Mrs XYZ, 51 yr old housewife, came for consultation at YMT HMC, PG Institute, Kharghar on 8\1\03 with the following complaints:

Chief complaints:
Loose stools since 6 months
ODP - Patient was apparently alright till 6 mths back, when she started getting loose stools, 5/ day, which were of concern.
Watery, painless stools with urgency to evacuate from fear, fright, bad news, worrying, anxiety (esp anticipatory type) and oily food .

Past history:
H\o Diabetes Mellitus since 10 yrs. Rx Allop
1999-2000 Malaria 2 times
Family History:
Mother: Diabetic, High BP, Asthma
Father: Expired due to IHD
Sister: High BP

Personal History:
Appetite - Normal. Thirst-Poor, but for cold water.
Craving - Sweets +++, Sour + + + , Hot food.
Aversion- Milk. Urine- Normal. Stool- Ref C/C
Perspiration- Marked on forehead but scanty

Menstrual History:
FMP: 13 yr, Menopause: 48 yrs
Regular with black clotted discharge
Thermal- Chilly. Sleep- Disturbed
Dreams- Not remembered
Mentals- Marked anxiety + + +
Likes to be appreciated by others
Takes tension very easily, is worried about trifles.
Great anxiety about her health.
Worried about future of children.
< contradiction, does not express anger
Fear of dogs and of descending stairs - Fear will fall
O\E: GC-good; Pulse 76/min; BP 110\70 mm of Hg
Pallor + + +; Nails flat. Wt: 73 kg

Investigations:
Repeated stool analysis over last 6 mths: Normal.
Acute Remedy: Non-repertorial approach:
Gelsemium based on Fear & Anxiety giving rise to loose stools .
Constitutional Remedy: Argentum-nitricum based on following totality
1) Great anxiety. 
2) Worried about trifles
3) Anticipation giving rise to loose motions
4) Fear Dogs & descending stairs
5) Cr-sweets + + +
6) Loose motions < anxiety < fear < fright .
Intercurrent Remedy: Tub-b based on the family & past history of the patient. Anxious nature with GI complaints.

Follow Up:
8\1\03 acute remedy viz. Gelsemium QDS.
The response was good. Frequency of loose stools reduced to a considerable extent. However it was observed that whenever SL was given due to good response, pt relapsed again.

1) Constitutional medicine-Arg-nit was introduced with single doses stimulation, which showed favourable result but yet relapses kept occurring. Hence Arg-nit 1M was repeated frequently 4 times a day with good result
2) Inspite of the favourable result with the constitutional remedy, loose motions continued but of less intensity. Now Intercurrent remedy Tub-b 1M was given in a single dose. The result was not very favourable. During this period, the pt was under tremendous tension which triggered off loose stools. Hence it was difficult to conclude whether 1M potency actually helped the pt as there was a strong exciting cause under action.
3) Hence it was again decided to repeat Arg-nit in 1M potency repeatedly. The response observed was favourable within a period of 6 mths.
4) The patient’s chief complaint was totally ameliorated. Now she came up with a new symptom complex  Fits of anger-becomes violent, shouts, curses and throws things. This behaviour was really alarming to other family members and they were very anxious about this change in her. For this new symptom complex-Stramonium1M given repeatedly for a period of  15 days. The patient was totally relieved.
5) Now she once again complained of loose stools with the same totality, hence Arg-nit 1M was repeated frequently for a period of 15 days. After this patient was completely well. The time taken to achieve this stage was a period of 1 year.

Conclusion:
From the follow up, if one has a good understanding about the philosophy written in Organon, the Homoeopathic Physician would be in a better way to understand the sequence of events occurring thereby making his understanding and actions as rational as possible.

Hence it was observed in the follow up that when 2 dissimilar diseases are present in an organism, the stronger one suspends the weaker and it runs its course. It is only after the stronger disease has completed its action, that the weaker disease manifests itself (Org. aph-26). This was observed in the case during the course of treatment wherein the stronger disease of anger suspended the C\C. Hence if one fails to perceive this, the prescription would be faulty and detrimental to the health of the patient.

In this case, no doubt the cure was not complete as exciting causes still used to upset the pt causing loose stools, but it was to a much lesser degrees. Thus the quality of living improved and her fears also reduced, making her more comfortable to handle such situations.