" Relief for Chronic Flatulence and Dyspepsia in a Distressed Housewife"

A 45-year-old housewife bearing (Patient ID: 53753) was born and brought up in Ranchi and has been living in Mumbai since her marriage. She visited our Borivali clinic on February 14th, 2024, reporting symptoms of excessive belching, flatulence, loss of appetite, bloating, and a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen. She had been experiencing these issues for the past year, with a noticeable increase in both frequency and severity since October 2023. The patient also mentioned a family history of similar gastrointestinal problems. Overall, her symptoms worsened with overeating, stress, and during the morning and evening hours.

She also reported experiencing frequent colds over the past few days. Her symptoms included coryza, a constant urge to clear her throat, a sensation of heaviness in the head, post-nasal drip, pressure in the right ear, and congestion in the right nostril. However, she was not on any medication for these issues.

She followed a vegetarian diet and had a reduced appetite. She reported cravings for sweets and a dislike for spicy and sour foods. Previously, she would drink tea 4-5 times a day, but recently she had reduced her intake to 2-3 times daily. Her water intake was also low, about 1.5 liters per day, and she typically only experienced sweating on her face. Her bowel and bladder movements were regular, and her menstrual cycle was consistent, though with a flow lasting only 2 days. Her tongue had a white coating.

She slept from around 1:15 AM to 8:30 AM and feels refreshed upon waking. Her dreams often involve scenarios where she is serving food to others, with many people waiting, but the food she has prepared is either scarce or has spilled throughout the house, creating a mess. In another recurring dream, she is making tea for five people but realizes after preparing it that there isn’t enough for everyone. She also frequently dreams of water, either someone floating in it or herself being in the water. Additionally, she sometimes dreams of going to a temple.

She lives in a nuclear family with her husband and two daughters, and the relationships among family members are harmonious. According to her daughter, the patient has a childish nature and tends to behave immaturely. She is the fifth of six siblings. She has completed her graduation. Her father was short-tempered but never scolded the girls, while her mother was very caring and never required her to do any household work during childhood.

She gets stressed easily and is short-tempered, unable to tolerate lies or wrongful accusations. She believes she is always right and refuses to accept her mistakes or apologize, instead opting to make amends by giving gifts to the person she wronged. During arguments, she expects family members to side with her, even when she''s wrong. She is generally happy and dislikes sitting still, often staying occupied, even when unwell. Her greatest fear is the health of her family, which makes her extremely anxious, though she believes she is strong enough to handle everything else on her own. Her hobbies include roaming, dancing, and shopping. She does not like being alone and prefers to share her problems with family members, especially her mother or younger sister. She tends to brood over issues until someone apologizes or offers a solution. Very emotional; she cries easily and gets offended quickly.

In the past, she suffered from COVID-19 and underwent a cholecystectomy in 2019. Her father had diabetes, while her mother had asthma, allergic rhinitis, flatulence, and acidity.

Dr. Shah studied the case and prescribed Lycopodium 30c along with his patent medicines, which improved the case from the very first follow-up itself.

Follow up:

The first follow-up was done on March 30th, 2024, where she showed a dramatic improvement of 80% in both frequency and intensity of her symptoms. Over the past month, she experienced two episodes—one after eating oily food during Holi and another due to stress related to her daughter''s health issues. Both episodes were managed with antacids for just two days.

By May 14, 2024, she experienced one severe episode of sour eructation and acidity a week ago, which was managed with T. Rablet for three days, one tablet daily. Additionally, she had three episodes of loose motions after eating outside. The patient mentioned that after one month of starting the treatment, she began having frequent dreams about her daily routine, which she remembers vividly. She also experienced tingling in her hands, along with weakness and heaviness, which improved after passing eructations. Occasionally, she feels pain in various parts of her body, and pressing the painful area leads to eructations, after which all her complaints are relieved.

During the follow-up done on June 25, 2024, had significant improvement, with only one mild episode of eructations and abdominal heaviness since the last follow-up. She took Tab. Rablet for one day and felt relief. The episode was triggered by overeating outside food. Her appetite has increased, and she is able to eat well, with her weight now at 68 kg.

In the next follow-up done on August 6, 2024, she was feeling much better throughout the month. She experiences noisy flatus in the morning, after which she has no complaints of gas during the day. However, she occasionally experiences incarcerated flatus while traveling, as she is unable to release the gas during that time.

By September 11, 2024, was stable and had not experienced any major episodes. She had only one episode of gas, eructation, and bloating after eating outside food one week ago, which was relieved by taking one tablet of antacid.

During the follow-up done on December 13, 2024, she was feeling overall better, with the only complaint being that upon waking in the morning, she feels the gas is incarcerated and is unable to pass it, leading to bloating. She experiences relief only after passing flatus, which is noisy but odorless. This happens every morning, and she is able to pass the gas by applying pressure.

Conclusion:

The case shows significant improvement in the symptoms, with fewer and milder episodes, highlighting the effectiveness of homeopathic treatment in managing such condition. Homeopathy plays a vital role in relief from gastrointestinal complaints, including gas, bloating, and acidity, with minimal need for conventional medications. The gradual improvement, especially in managing stress-induced and dietary triggers, underscores the importance of personalized homeopathic care in addressing both physical and emotional aspects of health.

- Case study written by Dr. Jebitha Nadar, an associate doctor to Dr. Rajesh Shah, MD (Hom)