Dr Prajakta Vaidya
Dr Preety Shah
Abstract:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and lactose intolerance are common gastrointestinal disorders that can significantly impact an individual’s quality of life. IBS is characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, and altered bowel habits, while lactose intolerance results from the inability to digest lactose, leading to gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating, cramps, and diarrhea after consuming dairy products. Both conditions pose challenges in diagnosis and management due to their varied presentations and overlapping symptoms.
In this case presentation, we discuss the successful management of Mr. AS, a 40-year-old, male software developer, who presented with complaints of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and frequent cough and cold.
Keywords: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Lactose intolerance, Gastrointestinal disorders, abdominal pain, Strontium carb, Row 5 Periodic table
Patient Background:
Mr. AS, a software developer, expressed concerns about his compromised immune system, leading to frequent episodes of intense cough and cold. Additionally, he reported chronic gastric issues dating back to his college days, accompanied by bloating, stomach aches, and frequent loose bowel movements. His gastric complaints would aggravate as soon he would have some stress or eat outside food especially spicy food or chicken. He also feels very bloated with milk and milk products.
Doctor (D): Can you describe your symptoms?
I get a cough and cold, several times a year. It’s intense, I have not been hospitalized and all. But I want to stop allopathic medications. I take paracetamol sometimes for fever and anti-allergic medicines.
Another complaint is about the stomach. I have had a weak stomach since my college days. I get bloating and stomach aches frequently. If I eat anything spicy, if I eat from outside, I get stomach complaints. Since then, my B12 levels have gone down.
I take B12 shots every 6 months I have got endoscopy and many tests, but they have not been able to cure me.
D: Tell us more.
It starts with throat infections, then I get a fever, runny nose, and body aches. I will not be able to work or concentrate on anything for 3 days. If I take an anti-allergic medicine then it will subside temporarily. Throat pain for the first 2 days but then I have a bad voice and nose for 10 days.
After 3 days, I can function properly. Fever will go in 3 days but nose complaints remain. If I eat ice creams or sleep in the AC, I catch cold easily. So, I try to avoid these, weather change is also a trigger.
D: How does this bother you?
P: I have been working for 15 years. But when you have to work throughout, Weekends are ok, but weekdays become stressful if there is a critical deadline. With pressure at work, it becomes stressful. I will not be able to concentrate properly. I get irritated and it impacts my work.
I am not married, so I stay alone. Sometimes my parents come and stay with me, so, it’s difficult for me to manage food and everything when I am sick.
I have to eat outside frequently as I cannot really cook and outside food causes acidity. I am also lactose-intolerant. And then bloating and stomach cramps begin. So it becomes a vicious cycle.
D: Describe yourself
P: I am inherently shy and get anxious before exams or deadlines. Negative feedback terrifies me, but I am okay once I start a task. I tend to overthink and analyze failures, not letting go easily.
Sometimes, I will feel the stomach pain. Just before an exam or interview or even an important meeting so, I will feel nervous. I don’t get shivers or anything. It’s just the stomach issue. If the presentation goes bad, I will overthink it.
I work in software programming and have to make an effort to get out of my comfort zone. Before the presentation, I get butterflies in my stomach and was very nervous. Since childhood nervousness before the exam there but as soon as the paper came in front of me, then I am pretty ok
I am confident when it comes to things that I know well.
D: Tell more about this nervousness
When I get nervous, I start thinking of wrong scenarios that can happen in my mind.
This nervousness helps me prepare sometimes, but I tend to overthink a lot which would cause stress before an exam or presentation. I AM AFRAID OF GETTING A NEGATIVE FEEDBACK. I don’t like when people say ‘I am wrong’
D: Tell about negative feedback
I feel disappointed and I will think over it. If someone shouts or says negative about people in the sales or marketing domain, they will just forget it but I don’t have that personality. I will try to analyze it a lot and try to fix things, though will not take any actions.
D: A little more?
A feeling of lowness or bad which takes a day or day to go. It takes time to get over my failure and I tend to overthink and not able to let go easily. It takes a lot of time to get over failure be it a cricket match or anything. I am afraid of failing. I don’t want to fail. Apart from that, I don’t have any fears.
D: No Fears?
Infact, I am a bit adventurous. I used to do sky diving, but I broke my leg. I used to be in adventure sports a lot. I don’t get sick while I am doing sports. From the beginning, the thrill is there. From childhood, I have been keen on sports like Bungee Jumping, Trekking, etc. It takes you away from the mundane day-to-day life and work. From childhood, I have been playing sports like tennis or doing some outer door activity
D: What in particular do you like about it?
I feel relaxed after these activities, a rush of adrenaline. I get a sense of achievement; it was a tough thing to do. I don’t get nervous during such activity
I feel upbeat after doing these activities and clarity when you are not thinking about anything else.
Bungee Jumping or these things not everyone can do as it is risky and a lot of people don’t do that. Sky diving not many people have done right
I get to experience something new in these activities, it’s like exploring a new dimension, and you know that you are being guided. It’s not that you are on your own. The professionals are there to help. So, I know that I can always come back safely.
D: Describe your work and how you relate with your colleagues.
P: I work in the IT sector (works in a leading Tech company in India). We have to give the clients the software which is one part of my job. The second part of the job is mentoring the team and getting the work done. I am basically from the technical side of the team, it’s a typical IT & Software team we work with
It gets a little challenging sometimes, we have work over the weekends, late in the day.
There is a lot of STRESS, a lot of tough conversation with clients. In the last 5 years, IT has become very stressful. We sit on the chair the whole day so there is no physical activity as such
The work schedule is 12 to 14 hrs a day.
D: What are the qualities that you have which make you more efficient with what you do?
P: I have good analytic abilities. I would be able to comprehend it easily. I would be able to comprehend easily any new technology to clients or team members. I have abilities to quickly learn and adapt. I am very organized. I was like that 5 years ago. Now the work doesn’t give me the satisfaction it used to give me. In the next two years, I may switch jobs because this is getting monotonous.
D: What do you mean by a sense of satisfaction?
P: In IT, a sense of achievement is missing. You are doing repetitive things. I don’t envision being the CEO of the company, I would rather stay technical and grounded.
D: Why so?
P: Everyone is doing that.
D: So, you want to be different?
P: Yes. I want to be different as everyone does engineering and management there is a lot of talk and less creation
D: You don’t like repetition?
P: Yes, I don’t like repetition. The process is the same. Same drink in a different bottle. The issues will remain the same, just the product will change.
Once you have achieved something then next what? I don’t want to do the same thing over and over again. Achievement is if I try to do something new. I don’t want to become like Steve Jobs or invent something but work has to have newness.
D: A little more about this?
For example, I had a tough project to do and it was very difficult. I would like to approach it differently. But if I am asked to do the same thing over again. I lose interest in that. I keep changing projects every 2 years to seek something new or something better
D: How do you approach differently?
I have run out of ways to approach it differently
In IT stress is more because margins have gotten lower, time lines have become shorter. We try to innovate and automate things but with the whole MBA culture, we just give to the client which they are happy with that might not be the correct way to do it. Clients are happy with less quality if there is a saving money.
D: How would you like your work to be acknowledged?
P: I would rather get a promotion than monetary benefits
Once I have done very well, give me the independence to execute it. More control and less governance on me. Then I will have more control to achieve my tasks perfectly and have the flexibility to drive innovation
Appreciation in the form of promotion but not an award as they are meaningless. I would rather have independence to do things my way
If the recognition comes from people who I consider my mentor or whom I respect than it is meaningful for me. Small pat on the back from my mentor is much more meaningful
I like it when my MD appreciates me one-on-one. He is like a guide to me. I look up to him to learn something new.
D: What is the role of a mentor?
P: The role of a mentor is encouragement. A mentor helps you evolve and get better in the field.
A mentor will always give you good feedback to improve. A boss might give me a hike but a mentor helps you evolve and grow in your field. A mentor will always give you good feedback which helps to improve personally and professionally
If you are playing tennis with a weaker opponent your game goes down, if you are talking to someone above your mental capability then it is a stimulating conversation. I would rather work with someone who is level above me.
D: If you are taking up a new task, can you do it independently or do you need a little bit of mentoring?
P: When I start a new job there is a sense of nervousness. I need independence but at the same time need an objective of what I have to achieve and a set of guidelines to work. I don’t need guidance these days but a framework to begin with. If we are starting a conversation but there is no end goal of this conversation then it is not worth it. If you are taking up something new then you need a mentor or guide or a feedback loop. Validation is necessary
D: How were you as a child?
P: I was not very demanding. I was the younger child. I have an elder sister. Once I start earning, I will splurge on myself. I was a sensitive kid. If I fail, I will take it to heart. I will be hard on myself. I was a lot introverted earlier in my school days. Now I am more outspoken.
D: What dreams do you get?
P: Where I went to college in Jabalpur, I failed in college and I have to repeat it.
D: What will happen if you fail?
P: I will feel that I have disappointed people. I cannot get over the feeling that I failed. I will not meet the expectations of the people.
D: What will happen?
P: I won’t get a promotion; I won’t get rewards.
Physical Generals:
- Appetite: Good
- Thirst: Thirsty
- Cravings: Pizza, fast food, spicy food
- Aversion: dairy products, Lactose intolerance
- Urine: Normal
- Stools: Normal
- Sleep: Sleep gets hampered when there is stress.
Case Analysis:
His core issues were of “lack” or “Want” of confidence, and capability. This indicates the mineral kingdom and the left side of the mineral chart
A need to venture out into new with guidance and support is seen in this case, leading us to Row 5.
The following themes came up in the case which confirms Row 5
- Analyse
- Quick learning abilities
- Fear of failure
- Do something unique be it doing adventure sports or visiting historical places
- Importance of mentoring and mentoring others
- Sense of achievement
Refining, Bettering, Creative, Mastering. Achievement, Performance.
Row 5 represents the Adolescence stage of development.
Within Row 5 we see the themes of Column 2:
Column 2 – Anal/Toddler- Doer-ship, Need to perform, prove, control, needing support – a little help, guidance
At the cross section of Row 5 and Column, we see Strontium.
Dr. Sankaran describes Strontium Carb as follows:
Strontium represents the age of adolescence. This is the age when one ventures out into the new, with the full knowledge that if faced with a problem, one could always come back. What Strontium looks for is guidance, that is, an experienced person’s help to chart out the unknown, someone to rely on if there is a problem.
Themes of Strontium Carbonicum:
- Adolescence and Independence:
Strontium Carbonicum represents the stage of adolescence on the Periodic Table. This theme reflects the transitional phase where individuals seek independence and explore the unknown, all while desiring the safety net of guidance.
- Dependence and Support:
The theme of dependence runs through Strontium Carbonicum, highlighting a need for support, encouragement, and assurance, especially when facing new challenges or ventures.
- Fear of Failure:
Strontium Carb individuals often grapple with a profound fear of failure.
- Seeking Guidance:
The desire for guidance and support is a prominent mental characteristic.
Strontium Carb was selected as there was an obvious need for mentoring, guidance, and support. There was a need to venture out into the new, learn, and seek innovation breaking from the mundane and routine. We also see the themes of Superclass 5 in the case.
Follow-up:
Follow-ups with the patient were very positive. The patient responded almost immediately to the treatment. Although his stomach issues had gradually improved, he mentioned that he never suffered from allergies upon beginning treatment.
The IBS symptoms were less intense with each follow-up. We continued with Strontium Carb for a considerable period raising the potency from 200 to 1M. He improved drastically as soon as we started him on LM 0/8.
Eventually, his gastric issues were subsided. The patient mentions that he can tolerate stress better, his nervousness & anxiety have gone. He is even able to tolerate slim milk, curd, and buttermilk. He can also tolerate outside food, which he has in moderation when the situation calls for but does not suffer from any acidity or loose motions.
Bibliography:
Dr. Sankaran Rajan (2014). The Soul of Remedies. Homeopathic Medical Publishers.
Dr. Prajakta Vaidya & Dr. Preety Shah are founders and co-partners of Healing Harmony: A Homeopathic Holistic Healing Initiative
Email : dramritashahh2@gmail.com
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