3.2.2 Magnesium nitricum, Case 1A 48 year old man suffers from hyperventilation. He is afraid wherever he goes, in tunnels, in cars, in traffic jams, in planes, in shops and in school when he has to give a lecture. It feels as if the sky is going to come down on him. During his attacks he feels pain in his chest. He gets cramp in his heart, his body jerks, his hands and feet get cold, he gasps for air and it feels as if his oesophagus shoots towards his back. He feels faint when he hears about an accident or when he sees blood. He feels as if he is floating and as if the tables and chairs are moving. It all started 14 years ago when he was teaching. He suddenly collapsed and thought he was going to die. He feels as if his heart will stop. The worst thing for him is that he feels as if something is happening in his body that he can’t control, as if his body is the boss instead of him. He also has fear of heights. He is afraid that the building will collapse under him or that he will pass out.
He also has problems with his wife. Her behaviour has caused a row between him and his own family and between his in-laws. She is extremely emotional and tends to make a drama out of every occasion, especially a festive occasion. She created an enormous row at a celebration party after an exam and another row during the christening of their grandchild. She told him he shouldn’t see his own parents again because they were two minutes late for church. He finds it impossible to be spontaneous nowadays. The other day he got an attack when he was in the theatre watching a musical. It feels as if he is boiling inside, he thinks he is going to suffocate, his throat feels numb and tingling.
He gets cramp in his thighs when he cycles.
He gets occasional colds which makes his head feel blocked up, worse in the morning and worse on the side he has been lying on, < dust. His throat is raw and his voice hoarse. He has had problems with his vocal cords before. He completely lost his voice once. He sometimes gets cramps and stitching pains in his stomach with eructations and occasional vomiting of bile.
Generals:
Weather: slightly cold, cold hands.
Perspiration: occasional profuse sweating at night.
Time: < morning.
Desires: salt, spices, sour (2), meat, fatty meat, skins, cheese.
Aversion: peanut butter (2), fat.
Food: headache from spicy food.
Sleep: difficulty falling asleep.
AnalysisMost typical in this case is the fact that every enjoyable event ends in a drama, in a huge row. This indicates
Magnesium nitricum: quarrels (
Magnesium) at enjoyable events and parties (Nitricum).
The Nitricum element is further confirmed by the subsequent inability to enjoy life and the loss of spontaneity.
Other Nitricum symptoms: fear of narrow spaces, tunnels and shops; < 9 am, -> fat, cheese and fatty meat.
Magnesium symptoms: fear of quarrels, < morning, -> meat, sour.
ReactionThe first week after
Magnesium nitricum he feels much more positive, more himself.
Afterwards he gets some positive dreams too: a child has fallen into a ditch and he gets her out and manages to bring her back to life.
Soon it becomes easier for him to recover from his panic attacks, he feels more in control. His body doesn’t shake anymore and he generally feels better. He doesn’t get so involved in the problems with his wife and family, is better able to see it all in perspective. Gradually he starts to mend all these relationships.
This patient was later given
Ruthenium (see later chapter) with good results too.