Autoimmune thyroiditis (AT), also known as Hashimoto’s disease, is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the thyroid gland that is caused by abnormal blood antibodies and white blood cells that mistakenly attack and damage healthy thyroid cells. It is a progressive disease that may destroy the thyroid gland, causing thyroid hormone deficiency (hypothyroidism).
Case Study
A woman in her early forties visited me with an established diagnosis of auto immune thyroiditis. Her blood chemistry for Free T4 test (25ug/dl), Serum TSH 12 Uu/ml, T3 (250 ug/ dl), Thyroid
peroxidase antibodies were very high above normal. She was already on Tab Synthroid 125 mcg/day for last six months as a result of which she started getting side effects like headache, difficulty in going to bed at night, and hot flushes.
Her main causes of worry were:
1) levels of thyroid not coming within normal range.
2) Getting side effects from Tablet Synthroid.
Her family physician who believes a lot in Homoeopathy referred her to my clinic for consultation.
Her major complaints for the last few years are constipation with hard stool and ineffectual urging, recurrent urticarial rash without any modalities, menses copious which come early, recurrent tendency to catch cold, weakness at the end of the day after coming home from job.
She is a corporate manager in a reputed bank working since last 11 years. She is married and has two children. She is a very hard working and conscience women with strong principles in life, short tempered esp. on inefficiency of her staff. Occasionally due to bank stress, she has concentration problem, she worries about her future since the time she has developed the thyroid disease. She comes from Kerala hence her food habits are chiefly fish and rice which she craves esp. fish in any form. She is a very hot patient and wants air condition even on cold nights. She was quite thin before marriage but after marriage and delivery she is now obese. As a child she was a victim of primary complex. Her mother has history of breast cancer.
According to her, thyroid problem is due to bank stress with high responsibility and balancing her professional life and her personal life.
Analysis
Here we see a young women with thyroid problem, who is successful, honest, short tempered,
with history of T.B., family history of breast cancer, loves fish in all form, hot patient and obesity. I selected Ferrum–Iod 6c in 5 cup method 1 tsf 3 times a day followed by 30c two times a day and 200c once a week for 4 months. At the end of 4 months all her blood chemistry came to normal. At this juncture, I tappered her Tab. Synthroid to half the dose and continuing Ferrum– Iodium 200 once a week, again after 4 months the reports were perfect. At the end of one year I asked her to stop her Tablet Synthroid, and after 6 more months of Ferrum–Iod, I also stopped her homoeopathic treatment.
Useful rubrics which I use to select Ferrum Iod
1. MIND – ANGER – easily
2. MIND – ANXIETY – future, about
3. MIND – CONCENTRATION – difficult
4. MIND – CONCENTRATION – difficult – studying
5. MIND – CONFUSION of mind – evening
6. MIND – CONFUSION of mind – reading, while
7. MIND – CONFUSION of mind – writing, while
8. MIND – CONSCIENTIOUS about trifles
9. MIND – DULLNESS – reading
10. VERTIGO – MOTION – agg.
11. HEAD – HEAT – menses – after – agg.
12. HEAD – HYDROCEPHALUS
13. HEAD – PAIN – air; in open – amel.
14. HEAD – PAIN – gastric
15. HEAD – PAIN – menses – before – agg.
16. HEAD – PAIN – reading – agg.
17. NOSE – CATARRH – morning
18. NOSE – CORYZA – discharge,with – morning
19. NOSE – DISCHARGE -copious
20. NOSE – DISCHARGE -Posterior nares
21. NOSE – OBSTRUCTION -morning
22. NOSE – OBSTRUCTION -night
23. NOSE – THICK
24. FACE – BLOATED
25. FACE – CANCER -Submaxillary glands
26. FACE – ERUPTIONS -impetigo
27. FACE – SWELLING
28. FACE – SWELLING -Submaxillary glands
29. MOUTH – DISCOLORATION- Tongue – yellow – heavilycoated
30. THROAT – MUCUS – drawnfrom posterior nares
31. EXTERNAL THROAT -CANCER – parathyroidgland
32. EXTERNAL THROAT -GOITRE
33. EXTERNAL THROAT -GOITRE – exophthalmic -menses; from suppressed
34. EXTERNAL THROAT -SWELLING – Cervical Glands
35. STOMACH – APPETITE -easy satiety
36. STOMACH – APPETITE -increased
37. STOMACH – HEARTBURN
38. ABDOMEN – ENLARGED
39. ABDOMEN – ENLARGED -Liver
40. ABDOMEN – ENLARGED -Spleen
41. RECTUM – CONSTIPATION- difficult stool
42. RECTUM – CONSTIPATION- ineffectual urging and straining
43. RECTUM – DIARRHEA -morning
44. RECTUM – DIARRHEA- alternating with -constipation
45. RECTUM – DIARRHEA -eating – after – agg.
46. FEMALE GENITALIA/SEX- LEUCORRHEA – acrid,excoriating
47. FEMALE GENITALIA/SEX -MENSES – copious
48. FEMALE GENITALIA/SEX -MENSES – frequent; too
49. FEMALE GENITALIA/SEX -TUMORS – Ovaries
50. FEMALE GENITALIA/SEX -TUMORS – Ovaries – cysts
51. RESPIRATION -ASTHMATIC
52. RESPIRATION – DIFFICULT- edema, pulmonary
53. CHEST – BRONCHIECTASIS
54. CHEST – CANCER – Mammae
55. CHEST – CANCER – Mammae- right
56. CHEST – INFLAMMATION
57. CHEST – INFLAMMATION -Bronchial tubes
58. CHEST – INFLAMMATION -Lungs
59. CHEST – MURMURS -cardiac murmurs
60. CHEST – PALPITATION of heart – exertion – agg.
61. CHEST – TUMORS – Mammae
62. BACK – CURVATURE of spine
63. EXTREMITIES – COLDNESS- Feet
64. EXTREMITIES – COLDNESS- Hands
65. EXTREMITIES – CRAMPS -Wrists – writing agg.
66. EXTREMITIES -RESTLESSNESS – Feet
67. EXTREMITIES -TREMBLING – using hands
68. EXTREMITIES -TREMBLING – walking – agg.
69. EXTREMITIES – WEAKNESS- walking – agg.
70. PERSPIRATION – EXERTION- agg. – slight exertion
71. PERSPIRATION – MOTION- agg.
72. PERSPIRATION – PROFUSE
73. SKIN – DRY
74. SKIN – ERUPTIONS -urticaria
75. GENERALS – SIDE – right
76. GENERALS – ANEMIA
77. GENERALS – BONES;complaints of
78. GENERALS – BONES;complaints of – Marrow
79. GENERALS – CACHEXIA
80. GENERALS – CANCEROUSaffections
GENERALS – CANCEROUSaffections – Glands
82. GENERALS – COLD;TAKING A tendency
83. GENERALS – DIABETES MELLITUS
84. GENERALS – EMACIATION
85. GENERALS – EXERTION;physical – agg.
86. GENERALS – FOOD and DRINKS – chicken – desire
87. GENERALS – FOOD and DRINKS – fish – desire – salty
88. GENERALS – HEMORRHAGE
89. GENERALS – HYPERLIPIDEMIA
90. GENERALS – HYPERTENSION
91. GENERALS – HYPERTHYROIDISM
92. GENERALS – HYPOTHYROIDISM
93. GENERALS – INDURATIONS – Glands
94. GENERALS – INFLAMMATION – Bones; of
95. GENERALS – INFLAMMATION – Bones; of – Periosteum
96. GENERALS – INFLAMMATION – Joints; of
97. GENERALS – INFLAMMATION – Joints; of – deformans; arthritis
98. GENERALS – LABORATORY findings – sedimentation rate – increased
99. GENERALS – OBESITY
100. GENERALS – REACTION – lack of
101. GENERALS – SMOKE – inspiration of – agg.
102. GENERALS – SOFTENING bones
103. GENERALS – SWELLING – Glands; of
104. GENERALS – SWELLING – Glands; of – chronic
105. GENERALS – TOBACCO – agg. – smoke of tobacco; by
106. GENERALS – TUBERCULOSIS – Glandular
107. GENERALS – WARM – agg.
108. GENERALS – WEAKNESS – exertion – agg. – slight exertion
Source: The Homoeopathic Heritage
