Date 20/2/95
Male 14 years old. Dark hair. Slim build. Pale complexion. Shy and retiring Wanting to sit close to mother.
Previous Medical History; operated on for undescended testes November 1991; mumps, measles, chickenpox. Usual vaccinations - not Whooping Cough.
Mother - Migraines, Irritable bowel syndrome.
Father - Duodenal ulcers
One older sister of 16. PMH okay.
Mother is giving history at this point. The boy appears to want to be somewhere else. Not talking when questioned, wants mother to answer. Difficult getting answers.
Presenting complaint. "Abdominal migraines" last 4 years. Has attacks in spells every 2 months. First started around time father began working away from home (
Magnesium carbonicum). Pains Right side of abdomen. Goes to stool more often with pain. Stools harder during abdominal pain. Pains build up then go away. Pain makes him lie down if very bad on his Left side. Gets angry with the pain. Wants to be mainly on his own.
The pain is worse after eating, after sports, and better passing stool. It can be triggered by pressure. He has to bring knees up, bends double from the pain.
Temperature - neither hot nor cold.
(difficult to elicit general information and especially any mental generals - very withdrawn)
Desires: Chicken Kiev, Hot Dogs, Fish fingers, boiled eggs
Averse: Slimy, messy food, milk
Thirst: drinks lots of pop, coke, 7 Up etc. Averse to water.
In spite of pain being agg by pressure and the lack of clear given mentals, apart from being withdrawn
Prescription: Colocynthis 200 1 daily for 7 days - to stop if response.
First follow upMore energy, better colour. No abdominal pains as yet. Had episode of pain after the interview which caused him to vomit. Can do this if pain becomes bad. Felt better afterwards. No further episodes after the remedy. Bit more open, not as withdrawn.
Prescription: Wait.
Second follow upWas okay until yesterday. Got abdominal pains and was given remedy - Colocynthis 200 n/m
Woke at 5 am. Awake an hour. >> bending over, << pressure. Same building up pains. Has to lie still.
At this point I thought the Colocynthis was only partially helping and he needed a different remedy. I tried to determine some more mental symptoms.
Mother says he needs a lot of sympathy - apparently > the pain a bit.
Plays with his hands a lot.
Sensitive about his appearance. Sensitive to looking a mess. It was the worst thing to look a mess. His mates would take the mickey. Very sensitive about what others think about him. He tries to make his friends jealous - by the way he looks. He gets jealous of other peoples material things. Has to be the top dog all the time. Has to wear just the right clothes. Wants to be better than his friends.
Prescription: Colocynthis 200 if pains bad. Otherwise wait until remedy sent.
Choice of rubrics pointed to
Calcium sulphuricum as both
Calcium carbonicum and
Sulphur covered most elements of the case. Asked mother to give me call in 8 days.
30/5/95 Telecon with mother.
No abdominal pains as yet but if return badly give Colocynthis to palliate. Asked mother why her son wanted others to be jealous of him. He want them to be jealous of his image. He wanted to dye his hair blonde. Why? So he could be like that glamorous woman from "Baywatch" - this woman symbolised what he wanted to be like. The sensitivity to what others thought of him combined with the need to appear glamorous put me off
Calcium sulphuricum and onto
Calcium fluoratum. I sent
Calcium fluoratum 200 split dose to be taken when it arrived, and to call me if there were any aggravations.
On a routine call up of patients not seen for over 4 months I called the mother to arrange an appointment.
Third follow upThe young boy was like a completely different person. No abdominal problems since taking the
Calcium fluoratum. He had grown considerably as well. He did not look as pale - in fact more colour in the face. His appetite had improved and his diet had changed. He was no longer eating as much junk food and was gradually phasing this out. He had become a more relaxed person, no longer bothered about clothes, image etc. he was getting on with his life and not bothering about others in the way he had been before.
In fact his mother said is "It was like having a normal schoolboy around the house again".
Prescription: no further remedy. To phone if any return of symptoms.
Follow up25/3/97 No further contact needed with mother about the boy's symptoms.
DiscussionThe woman from “Baywatch” and her story of quick romance, short marriage and then divorce have many characteristics of a Fluoratum lifestyle - glamour, superficial relationships, sex, "fast living", "impulsive" decisions for superficial reasons e.g. married after 4 day courtship.