Hustera Woes
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1997 Jul / Aug VOL 5 NO 4.
Dr Sucheta H Desai
'Opium / Plat

Hustera woes can occur during any period, starting from Menarche to Menopause and beyond to old age. The timely arrival of menses turns out to be an event either of relief or a source of tension and worry to the person concerned and her family. The latter condition led to calling this period 'The Curse!' 

We often see these young girls in our clinic accompanied by their worried mothers. Their complaints are usually irregular cycles, profuse bleeding, or painful menses. They often come after a round of treatment, hormonal, supportive and or Homoeopathy. Our instant and instinctive response is to think of medicines like Polyganum, Senecio-aureus, Oophorinum, Mag-phos, Colocynthis, etc which are considered as specifics. They often have to be used frequently, over a long period of time, in mother tinctures or changed potencies but fail to give permanent cures. 

CASE 1
Miss S A 17yrs had come with her grand mother and aunt. She had a smiling face on a rounded barrel like body. She greeted me and plonked into the chair. Her aunt introduced her and asked her grandmother to state the complaints. The case taking revealed the following. 

Chief Complaint: Delayed cycles. Menses every 2-3 months. Scanty fluid discharge. Weak in studies. 
The patient suddenly bends forward and tells me 'see these white spots on my face? Please do something about them. 

Her grandmother says 'look at her! She's so fat that she cannot move. Does not study though she has to give her SSC exam. So lethargic that by the time she decides to do the work told to her and gets up, the work is already done by others! So careless, cannot do anything properly. Very lazy, has to be coaxed out of her sleepy state to get something done.' They call her 'Kumbhakaran'. She is so indifferent, unaffected, unconcerned, that if she was watching TV she would continue to do so even if the house was being robbed! Telling her anything is like 'patthar par paani'. 

Physicals
Appetite : ++ always ready to eat.
Thirst : 8-10 glasses/day.
Desires : Tasty food especially. 'Namkeen' chocolates.
Sleep : +++
Stools : Alternate days is normal for her.
Perspiration : -+++
Thermal : >winter Cold air < but still wants fan.
9 lbs. at birth. Very chubby child. Always lay down quietly. Would like to be rocked in her cradle for hours.
Late, menarche - 5 years. That too after medication. 6 months back menses after taking 'fertyl'.
On enquiry -a very dominating mother with an angry and taunting nature. She was too busy to bother about accompanying the patient. 

Rubrics
Content: Forgets all complaints.
Indifference: Fine feeling to.
Elevation mental.
Dullness; sluggishness; torpor; indolence.
Gluttony.
Childish behavior. A/F reproaches.
Physical build
Increased lipids - inhibits hormonal actions.
Indolence of follicles - No ovulation [stasis]
Polycystic ovaries - inactive uterus. 

Treatment : 18-1-96: Opium 1M 1 dose
No news from patient. Except send medicine for 2 weeks.
3-2-96: SL
9-9-96: Periods regular.
Passed SSC exams, to the satisfaction of all.

CASE 2
Miss SA 25 years.
Chief Complaint : Severe dysmenorrhoea. Pain starts 2 days before and goes on during her menses. There is discharge of dark fluid with dark clots for the last 4yrs. Used to have backache and now she writhes in pain because of severe abdominal cramps and spasms. Mother is so worried, saying that she cannot see her in that state. Anything she tries to do to help irritates her daughter. But she has to be around whenever required! Takes 4-5 Baralgans and injections also to get relief. Constant use of hot water bag, which >. No appetite but there is nausea and diarrhoea. 

The patient is working with a firm as a dress designer but lost the job due to repeated sick leave.
There is leucorrhoea which is profuse, thick and bland. "I am uneasy, I do not like it, maybe I am feeling weak and giddy because of this discharge?"
The patient was a very smartly dressed and confident young lady. She has however a congenital problem-total absence of hair! Her cousins too have it. [autosomal dominant disease; hair is kinked. New hair twists and breaks off.] She was very upset about it and said 'why me only, the world is too bad, it does not want others to be happy, I know. But my mother is too good and she pampers me too much". 

Her problem gnaws her mind and heart. It is something she cannot change. She has suffered much in her childhood, as she was made to become aware of her condition even by her teachers. She remarked "I'd like to bash them up! The world is too bad, I know, it does not want me to be happy." She added that the 'bosses' interview her and expect her to go on calling on them for the results. She is suspicious about their intentions. Or she is disillusioned and hurt by putting her faith in the wrong person. She has an inner desire to marry but says 'who will marry me?' then on second thoughts she says 'why should I ruin the life of some man? She had a boy friend with whom things did not click. 'I hate men' she suddenly declares. 'They do not suffer like we do! I wish they would also menstruate and suffer the agony like us and get pregnant and go through the torture of delivery that most women go through. How I hate them!' [helpless anger-can do nothing.] 

She is very angry, which agg pain; she was short tempered even in school
Fastidious; neat, keeps things spic and span; confident and efficient in her work. Selective about friends. 'I hate bitchiness, it puts me off'.
She is reserved and helpful and generous to the underprivileged. [not revengeful but does not forgive easily].
She is always well dressed. Wears a smart wig.
Brooding. "I feel like burning the whole world see people suffer!" 

Thermal - AC excess  headache.
Full Fan - OK. Sun excess aggravates  headache.
Thirst - Prefers cold drinks.
Desire - Spicy, fried food. 

Rubrics - Anguish, anger from.
- Casting off of people against her will.
- Contemptuous - in paroxysms against her will.
- Sadness - mental depression.
- Hysteria - menses before.
- Haughty.
- A/F Position loss of.
- A/F Ambition deceived.
- Hysterical - [hypothalamic]
- Over sensitive. - ? intolerance to pain.
Platina 1 M was prescribed.

Next menses required less anti -spasmodics. Rubrum continues regularly. The patient started applying for another job within a week after taking the remedy. After six months got news of her being busy with a new job. Patient came back 3 months back-pain again; 2 baralgans will suffice. Enjoying her work, colleagues are good, boss decent. But problem recurred. Repeated Platina 1M. After 2 weeks she pours out the story of being on the verge of being jilted! She cried, which she says she rarely does. Pains tolerable; does not miss work. 

Food for thought: Hustera means womb in Greek. Hysteria means functional disturbance of the nervous moral or intellectual faculties [specially in females]
Woes are the problems arising from the above disturbance. These problems often occur in high strung, pampered and spoilt females. Hence the importance of the noble metals and sensitive medicines of our Materia medica, as the similimum.