Abstract:
Skin disease is one of the most common disease of an individual. In conventional medicine, most of the skin disease are treated by topical steroid or ointment which suppress the condition and invites other troublesome disease. In this article, a case of atopic dermatitis treated by constitutional medicine is being discussed. Homoeopathy plays a significant role for such kind of cases by its holistic approach of treatment. This article guides about how a constitutional medicine helps to complete cure of atopic dermatitis with the help of Tuberculinum, a nosode.
Introduction:
Atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory, non communicable skin disorder. The skin is dry, scaly which leads to a generalised and prolonged hypersensitivity to allergens. In the acute stage oedema of the epidermis progresses to the formation of intraepidermal vesicles, which may enlarge and rupture. This accompanied by a variable degree of vasodilatation and T-helper lymphocytic infiltration in the upper dermis(1). Homoeopathy has role on such kind of cases by its holistic approach of treatment and treating the patient’s abnormality as a whole.
Case presentation
Chief complaints:
A 32 years women came with the complaint of dry, scaly eruption of back for last 8 months. There was severe itching with burning sensation. The complaint aggravated at night, from undressing, and better from open air, motion
History of present complaints:
Dry, scaly eruptions with slight oozing started 8 months ago, intensity of itching was tremendously increased from 2-3 weeks. She took conventional medicine for one week, was relieved for some time, and again symptoms reappear when she discontinued the medicine.
Past history:
She suffered from asthma at the age of 28 years, treated with homoeopathy. But after taking conventional medicine for present condition, she had breathing problem for last 4 weeks.
Family history:
Father suffered from bronchial asthma for last 7 years and taking conventional medicine. Mother suffered from allergic rhinitis for last 2 years and taking homoeopathic medicine.
Personal history:
She loved travelling. Her diet was irregular. She had no addiction.
Mental and physical generals:
The patient was curious to know the new things and she had desire for travelling. Her mind used to change constantly. She was fearless and destructive in nature.
While enquiring her physical general aspects, it was found that she had good appetite but lost her weight at the same time. She had desire for milk but aversion of meat. She easily caught cold as could not tolerate it. Her stools were satisfactory, with no complaints in urine. Menstruation was normal. All complaints were relieved by motion and in open air.
Diagnosis:
Diagnosis was based on clinical symptoms, physical examination of the patient, according to Hanifin and Rajka diagnostic criteria of atopic dermatitis.(1)
Analysis and evaluation of symptoms:
| S. No. | Symptom type | Symptom | Intensity | Miasmatic analysis(2) | Totality of symptoms |
| 1. | Mental general | She always desired to change herself | ++ | Psora, syphilis | a)She had constant desire to change everything |
| 2. | Mental general | She had desire for travelling | +++ | Psora, syphilis | b) She always desired for travelling |
| 3. | Mental general | She did not care anything and destructive in nature | ++ | Syphilis | c) She was destructive in nature |
| 4. | Physical general | Generally felt better in open air | +++ | Psora | d)Generally felt better in open air |
| 5. | Physical general | All complaints relieved by motion | +++ | Sycosis | e)Complaints better in motion |
| 6. | Physical general | She had aversion to meat | +++ | Tubercular | f)Aversion to meat |
| 7. | Particular symptom | Skin eruption | +++ | Psora, syphilis | g)Skin eruption |
| 8. | Common symptom | Dry, scaly, severe itching in erupted area | ++ |
Repertorial totality:
| Symptoms | Rubric |
| Generally, she felt better in open air | GENERALITIES-AIR, open, amel. |
| Generally, she felt better on motion | GENERALITIES-MOTION, amel. |
| Desire to change every time | MIND-CHANGE, desire for |
| She had desire for travelling | MIND-TRAVEL, desire to |
| Destructive in nature | MIND-DESTRUCTIVENESS |
| Aversion to meat | STOMACH-AVERSION to, meat |
| Skin eruption | SKIN-ERUPTION |
Repertorisation(3):
Repertorisation sheet:
Prescription:
According to repertorisation, Tuberculinum got highest grade and highest matching of the symptoms. Hence, Tuberculinum was selectedon the basis of mental as well as physical symptoms of the patient. The patient was changeable in nature, destructive in charactera and wanted to travel from one place to another place, as consulted with materia medica(4)(5). Also after repertorisation, Tuberculinum was the indicated remedy.
Prescribed on 03/07/2020
Tuberculinum 200/ 1 dose, early morning mixing with ½ cup of water for 2 days along with placebo every day, two times after eating for 7 days.
Selection of dose and potency:
As per Organon of Medicine, aphorism 247, 5th edition,(6) and according to the susceptibility of the patient, high potency was selected. The patient was highly susceptible, and intensity of the symptoms was high, and she suffers from long time due to that affection, so the case was started with higher potency.
Follow up:
| Date of visit | Response | Medicine |
| 24/07/2020 | No changes took place. Itching and burning sensation was present | Rubrum 200/ 1 drop twice a day x 15 days |
| 07/08/2020 | Patient had increased itching and burning sensation | Rubrum 200/ 1 drop twice a day x 15 days |
| 28/08/2020 | She had slight improvement, itching was reduced but burning sensation was still present | Rubrum 200/ 1 drop twice a day x 15 days |
| 18/09/2020 | No itching, no burning sensation, she felt better | Rubrum 200/ 1 drop twice a day x 15 days |
| 02/10/2020 | Again itching and burning sensation reappear. So, same medicine with same potency was prescribed again | Tuberculinum 200/ 1 dose |
| 16/10/2020 | Dry scales, looked black, itching diminished, burning was also absent | Rubrum 200/ 1 drop twice a day |
| 30/10/2020 | Black scale came out and normal skin reappeared | Rubrum 200/ 1 drop twice a day |
| 06/11/2020 | Improvement still continued and no other associated complaints was present. She was perfectly good both physically and mentally | Rubrum 200/ 1 drop twice a day |
| 18/12/2020 | Normal skin reappeared | No medicine is given |
Picture of patient:
Fig 1: Before treatment (19/06/2020)
Fig 2: During treatment (28/08/2020)
Fig 5: Normal skin appear after treatment (18/12/2020)
Conclusion:
In case of any kind of dermatitis or eczematous eruption, homoeopathy has a vast scope as it treats the patient according to its symptomatology, and the dynamic medicine does not produce any kind of side-effects like conventional steroid medicine. A homoeopath believes on individualistic approach and homoeopathy possesses a great scope to get rid of such kind of skin disease. In the above case, with the help of Tuberculinum, complete cure occurred without having any side effects.
References
- Davidson, Principle & practice of Medicine, 19th ed. London: Churchill Livingstone; 2002
- Babu NG, Comprehensive study of Organon, 1st ed. New Delhi: B. Jain publishers (P) Ltd.; 2009
- Kent JT, Repertory of Homoeopathic Materia-Medica, 3rd ed. Kolkata: Rup publication; 2016
- Allen HC, Allen’s Keynote Rearranged & classified, 10th ed. New Delhi: B.Jain publishers (P) Ltd.; 2013
- Boericke W. Boericke’s New Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica & Repertory, LPE ed. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd.; 2014
- Hahnemann S, Organon Of Medicine, 5th & 6th ed. New Delhi: B. Jain publishers (P) Ltd.; 2016
About Author:
- Dr Azizul Islam Khadim, PG Scholar, Department of Practice of Medicine, R.B.T.S Govt. Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Muzaffarpur
- Dr Shimul Jamatia, PG Scholar, Department of Organon of Medicine, Naiminath Homoeopathic Medical College Hospital & Research Centre, Agra
