Dr Ruby choudhary
Abstract
Anaemia is a serious public health problem, which affects the mental and physical development, as well as health maintenance and work performance. Iron deficiency is by far the most common cause of anaemia worldwide. About 2 billion people are suffering from varying degrees of anaemia in developing countries. The cases of iron deficiency anemia are commonly found in day to day (routine) practice. A case of 37 years old female suffering from iron deficiency anemia reported in the clinic was treated successfully within 5 months by individualised homoeopathic medicine ferrum phosphoricum 30-3x with repetition as per requirement. The evidence of improvement was regularity of menstrual cycle and increased serum haemoglobin level .
Keywords: Amenorrhoea, Individualised homoeopathic medicine, ferrum phosphoricum, iron deficieny anemia
Introduction
Anemia is defined as a reduction in the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.
Iron deficiency occurs when insufficient iron is absorbed to meet the body’s needs. This may be due to inadequate iron intake, poor iron absorption, increased iron need in the body or chronic blood loss. Prolonged iron deficiency leads to iron deficiency anaemia (IDA).
Iron deficiency ranges from depleted iron stores without functional or health impairment to iron deficiency with anaemia, which affects the functioning of several organ systems.
Anaemia can be caused by excessive destruction of red blood cells, blood loss, and inadequate production of red blood cells. The most common forms of microcytic anaemia is iron deficiency anemia caused by reduced dietary intake. Early intervention may prevent later loss of cognitive function.
Average values :
- Males: 14-18 gm/dL
- Female: 12-16 gm/dL
- Infants: 14-20gm/dL
Anaemia causes fatigue, stress on bodily organs, generalised muscular weakness, lethargy and headache, decreased appetite (especially in children), brittle nails, irritability, blood in stool, pale skin color (pallor), shortness of breath, sore tongue, unusual food craving (called pica) etc. sometimes infants or children may have a gastrointestinal disease such as a chronic infection, chronic diarrhoea, celiac disease.
DIAGNOSIS
- Physical examination
- Paleness in the skin, nail beds and gums.
- Rapid or irregular bleeding
- Bleeding : any blood loss
- Family and Medical history
- Complete blood count
- Serum Hb level
- Haematocrit level
Few Homoeopathic medicines for Iron Deficiency Anemia
Argentum nit. , Arsenic alb., pulsatilla, ferrum met., kali carb. , natrum sulph., sepia
Case report
A 37 years old female presented with amenorrhoea, generalized weakness, fatigue, headache which was ameliorated by tea, and swelling and pain in both ankles since 2 months. Pain aggravated by slightest motion and she was also complaining of disturbed sleep at night due to severe pain in both ankles. The patient did not take any prior treatment before reporting for homoeopathic medication. On physical examination pallor was present. After investigation her serum haemoglobin level was 7.9 gm/dL.
The patient was vegetarian and of pale, tall, lean built. She had weakness of memory and anxiety about future. She had eructations which taste like food. Her appetite was decreased and aversion to milk. She also had coldness in both hands.
She was chilly thermally and also had tendency to catch cold easily.
LMP- 15/December/2017
Past history : Urticaria 2 years back and took allopathic treatment for that.
Family history: Mother- Hypertension
Father- Rheumatoid arthritis
The following symptoms were considered for repertorisation:
- Anxiety about future
- Weakness of memory
- Aversion to milk
- Eructations taste like food
- Amenorrhoea
- Generalized weakness
- Headache ameliorated by tea
- Coldness in both hands
- Pain in both ankles
The reportorial result that followed useing radar 10 software.
Detail of the treatment is given below.
First prescription (12 feb.2019)
Ferrum phosphoricum 30/2 doses-od for 2 days
Placebo 30/bd x15 days
Basis of prescription
In terms of reportorial analysis, ferrum phosphoricum covered 10/10 and phosphorus covered 09/10. In this case ferrum phoshoricum was selected. It covered all the rubrics . According to Dr.William boericke, Ferrum phosphoricum 3x increases hemoglobin. According to thermal consideration, patient was chilly and ferrum phosphoricum is also a chilly remedy. Therefore the treatment was started with ferrum phosphoricum 30.
Follow ups
Date symptoms Medicine potency Repetition Days
28/02/2018 weakness reduced Ferrum phos. 3x O.D 2
Menses scanty for one day placebo 30 B.D. 15
LMP- 23/02/2018
13/03/2018 weakness same as before Ferrum phos. 30 B.D. 3
Pain in ankles reduced Placebo 30 B.D. 15
28/03/2018 Slight weakness Ferrum phos. 30 B.D. 3
LMP-22/03/2018 Placebo 30 B.D. 30
Duration- 2 days
Slight pain in ankles
01/05/2018 no weakness Ferrum phos. 200 O.D. 2
LMP -23/04/2018 placebo 30 B.D 30
Duration- 3 days
No pain in ankles
02/06/2018 No weakness Ferrum phos. 200 O.D. 2
LMP-25/05/2018 Placebo 30 B.D. 45
Duration- 3 days
Pallor- absent
Headache in frontal region
>cold application
15/07/2018 No weakness Ferrum phos. 200 O.D. 1
LMP- 23/06/2018
Duration – 3 days Placebo 30 B.D. 45
Pallor- absent
No headache
Memory improved
30/08/18 no complaint
All complained was improved placebo 30 B.D. 30
LMP- 24/08/2019
Results
After prescription of ferrum phosphoricum in various potencies, menstrual cycle became regular, no weakness and no pain in both ankles, memory was improved. After treatment, serum haemoglobin level increased from 7 gm% to 12 gm%.
Discussion
Iron deficiency anemia occurs in body due to low dietary intake, poor iron absorption, increased iron need in body or chronic blood loss. Iron deficiency anemia affects the functioning of organs. Most common form of iron deficiency anemia is microcytic anemia. It mainly affects females of puberty and child bearing age. It causes fatigue, muscular weakness, decreased appetite, irritability and blood in stool.
Because of reduction in red blood cells, decreases the ability to absorb oxygen from the lungs. Serious problems can occur in prolonged and severe anaemia that is not treated. Anaemia can lead to secondary organ dysfunction or damage, including heart arrhythmia and heart failure. Homoeopathy literatures mention several medicines for the conditions in which a similimum can help a patient to cure iron deficiency anemia. Homoeopathic remedies can offer gentle and safe cure with highest satisfaction of patient after treatment.
In this case, there was amenorrhoea, weakness, fatigue, swelling and pain in both ankles along with disturbed sleep. Severe Pallor was present . Her appetite was decreased . Her serum Hb level was 7.9 gm/dL. She was tall, pale and lean. She had anxiety about future. Proper case taking and repertorisation was done. Ferrum phosphoricum 30 was prescribed to this patient after referring homoeopathic materia medica . After treatment her menses was appeared with regular cycle, memory got improved and all the symptoms were cured. In this case, Ferrum phosphoricum was prescribed in various potencies like 3x, 30 and 200.
Although the case was successfully treated, patient visited regularly for follow ups which also helped in quick recovery of patient.
Conclusion
In this case study homoeopathic treatment had shown positive results on iron deficiency anemia and Ferrum phosphoricum in diifferent potencies were found to be most effective. It reconfirms the importance of Individualised Homoeopathic treatment based on holistic basis rather than particular pathological diagnosis.
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Dr. Ruby Choudhary
M.D. Materia Medica (Hom.)
Asst. Prof. Department of Anatomy
Naiminath Homoeopathic Medical College Hospital and Research Centre ,Agra, U.P.
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