Case 14: Homeopathy or Lithotripsy?
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 2006
Dr Rashmi Nagar
'Berb-v / Mag-s / Thuja

On 14-03-05 a patient, 22 years, presented with C/O right lower abdominal pain since 15 days. He was given antacid a month back for this complain.

Associated Complaints
Lt lower molar pain.
Both shoulder pain < morning

Patient as a Person
Appetite: Normal
Craving: Sour
Thirst: 6-8 glasses/day
Urine: No complaints
Bowel: 1/day, satisfactory.
Sleep: N
Dreams3: vivid, mainly daily events. Dreams also during afternoon sleep.
Perspiration: N
Thermal: C2H3
Addiction: Tea 3-4 cups daily.

P/H: Tonsillitis in childhood, renal cal cut in Dec 04
F/H: Fa, sister: Renal calculus. Mo: diabetes.

Life Space: Born in New Bombay father is a driver, mother housewife. Patient is youngest of 4 siblings all sisters. Educated in Mumbai, studied till 10th class, average student. Ran a Pan-Bidi shop, worked as a helper in a book store and finally learnt driving like his father. Likes the job. Likes to play cricket.

Mind: Anger³ becomes abusive when angry. No fear, anxiety, stress etc.
Constitution: Stocky

Investigation
On 28.12.05: small Calculus at Lt uretrovesical junction.
IVP on 28-02-06: Lt Lower ureteric calculus.

Discussion:
What does the history reveal? The strong features to be considered for prescription are:

1. Family h/o renal calculus in father and sister suggesting miastimatic background of complain.
2. Patient had similar complain in Dec 2004 and passed the calculus without medication though he was advised surgery.
   This suggests that though the disease occurred in the other members in a milder form, the patient has a stronger tendency for the same.
3. The calculus is Lt sided yet the pain experienced by the patient is more on the right side.

It would have been good to repertorise the case but there are not many mental or general symptom The medicine prescribed wasMagnesium on the basis of Dreams.
Pain felt on right side.
Patient hardly complained. Parents revealed the history. Stocky. Normally Mag are chilly.
Mag-sulph prescribed since hot patient.

Miasm: Sycotic Thuja
Acute: Berberis valgaris Q

Follow Up
14.03.05: Mag-sulph 200 (4) powder once in 3 days HS
Berberis vul Q 10 drops BD

After the 1st prescription the patient did not return for one year! The case was almost forgotten.
His father came again on 03.02.06 asking for the same medicine. Why? Because he again had mild pain on right lower abdomen and the earlier medicine worked like 'magic'. He had passed a small calculus as a size of grain with minimal pain which he showed to everyone except the Dr!
The second prescription was Berberis Q SOS and Thuja 200 (1) powder. One week later no pain, no discomfort.
Sonography should have been done but the patient was reluctant.

Conclusion: With advanced technology like lithotripsy it has become easy to remove small calculi but many can ill-afford it and in cases where there is a strong family history, there always is a chance of recurrence. Hence it would be better to start Homeopathy first or along with modern treatment.