Dipsacus fullonum

Remedy code: 3-666.64.10
A 55-year-old woman, tough and heavily built and overweight, has hypertension (medication: metoprolol and thiazide). She complains that she is overweight and lack of energy. Over the past six months, she has gained 10 kg and feels listless. It is apathy, a feeling of laziness. Six months ago, her husband suddenly had life-threatening heart problems. Recently, she entered menopause, experiencing hot flashes and no longer menstruating. She uses a CPAP machine, and have frequent sinus infections, previous use of prednisone, and heavy snoring. This began after she quit smoking two years ago. Since then, she has been sick often, frequently has colds, and painful sinuses, and feels tired and "drained." She has a demanding job with frequent business trips and spends a lot of time sitting. She keeps going: maintaining the household, caring for the children, and staying in touch. She works alone and is the breadwinner, which is difficult for her husband, as their roles have reversed. She enjoys her work—always traveling, dining with clients, drinking a lot of alcohol, sitting, and the business lifestyle. Three years ago, she lost 10 kg, and things went well for a while. Now she lacks the energy to follow a diet or start exercising; instead, she sleeps. From home, she learned to "keep going." She speaks five languages and comes from an aristocratic family, where she always felt safe and privileged. She has always been heavy—90 kg at her wedding, now 130 kg. As a child, she was skinny and could eat anything. She gets stress-induced blotches on her neck when rushing. For the past few months, she has had hot flashes. Her blood pressure, without medication, is 180/90. Sometimes she experiences hyperventilation, waking up disoriented. Her sleep is good, though she sometimes has intense dreams, often about war. She wishes to gain strength and discipline, believing she must handle it alone. Her husband is still depressed. She is unhappy with him, and they often fight, but last year he was nearly dead, and "you don’t leave someone like that." Sometimes she feels it’s an obligation, like having another child. She felt free when he was in the hospital. He never compliments her or shows appreciation, and she feels like she can never escape him.
Calotropis, Robinia, Tamarindus, Ulmus campestris, Sambucus, and Buteo provided little improvement, except for slightly increased energy.AnalysisGold series: We see many aspects of the Lanthanides—independence, standing alone, and taking responsibility. Serie 6: heart and blood pressure problems, sinus, responsibility.
Phase 6: Wanting to escape, withdraw (pulling back), lack of appreciation, partner as a theme.
Phase 4: Taking responsibility, feeling it is natural.
Stadium 10: She is stable, strong, persistent, I can handle it, and takes things for granted.
Phase 6 is seen here as a burdensome factor: lack of appreciation, fatigue, and partner issues.
Phase 6 is also seen here as a solution: a desire to retreat, and isolate herself.
Consider themes of other Phase 6 families, such as Polygonales (deficiency, need), Ericales, and Rosales (giving a lot).
Prescription: Dipsacus fullonum.Follow-upIn the weeks following, she improved. She lost weight and managed to cut back, no longer snacking. After taking the remedy, she experienced sudden diarrhea once. Her energy has gradually increased. She could throw away many belongings, something she was previously unable to do—it was expensive, and she worked hard for it. Her mind, her thoughts, are now clearer. She can accept things more easily and no longer gets irritated. She no longer feels tied down by everything. She now sees positive prospects, whereas before, she only saw drawbacks. She no longer argues with her husband; before, it was constant, unbearable fights. She can also take things more calmly at work. She used to feel like she was always fighting something, always resisting, but now she feels calmer. She used to be dissatisfied and harbored a kind of jealousy toward others, thinking, "You still have to do it yourself." She no longer suffers from sinus issues, and the hot flashes have disappeared. After four months, she reports that everything is still going well.