This patient reported with excessive weight gain. She used to get tired very easily. She used to feel very dull, felt sleepy throughout the day and her lethargy would increase day by day

This is a case of Mrs. V.D.S. (Patient identification number: L-6227) a 29 year old lady who reported to the clinic with excessive weight gain. She had gained over 8 kgs over a period of 4 years. With this she also had very scanty menses, although her menses had always been regular so far. She used to get tired very easily. She also had occasional swelling of both the extremities. She used to feel very dull, felt sleepy throughout the day and her lethargy would increase day by day.

She also complained of having unsatisfactory stools. She also occasionally passed hard stools. She also had a sensation of excessive gases within the abdomen. She had to occasionally take some ayurvedic powder to get rid of these complaints. She had these gastro-intestinal complaints for the past 5 years now. She registered for the treatment on November 11, 2004.

From the narration of her complaints, it was presumed that she might be having some thyroid related disorder. To confirm the clinical diagnosis she was suggested to get her thyroid levels checked.

Here are her reports before starting the treatment:
T3: 100 (86-187) ng/dl
T4: 5.99 (4.5-12.5) µg/dl
TSH: 8.11(0.3-5.0) uU/ml

The elevated levels of TSH showed that she was suffering with hypothyroidism.

Personal details:
Her appetite was average. She had marked craving for curds. However she disliked certain vegetables like bitter gourd. She used to get recurrent dreams of relatives who were dead. Occasionally she even got dreams of ghosts, of somebody walking behind her, of a different world that does not exist.

Obstetric history:
She had two children, both of which were normal deliveries. She also had had two abortions in the past.

Constitution: She was an obese lady with fair complexion.

Background:
She lived with her husband who was an accountant working for a petrol pump. Her son (who was 11) was studying in 6 th class. Her daughter (who was 9 year old) used to study in the 4 th class.

Emotional sphere:
She was very short tempered. She would weep when angry and especially when her kids would not obey her. She said that she would get angry only on people at home but outside she wouldn't express her anger much. She was too sensitive by nature, and used to get hurt very easily even on the slightest provocation. In her teen days she was very obstinate but now she had mellowed down quite a lot. Her sensitivity was expressed by the fact she was even sensitive to excessive noise around her.
She would prefer to be alone and be silent and by being by her own self. She had grown up in a hostel away from home. Her parents could not afford the expenses of her studies and she therefore had to go to hostel wherein she could avail of good education facilities.

She did not involve herself in any social activity, she would prefer to be aside and be quite. However, off late she had become very irritable. She had also been very forgetful and she would wonder where the household things are kept and would move around the house searching for one thing or the other.
He was anxious about her husband's health; he was a case of chronic urticaria, and was also receiving treatment from Dr. Shah.

Past history:
She had suffered with malaria in the year 2000. She also had undergone fissurectomy in the year 2003. She had undergone MTP in the year 2001.

Family history:
Her father was a known case of Asthma. Her paternal grandfather had carcinoma, but she was not very sure about which part of the body was affected. Her paternal grandmother was mentally retarded. Her maternal grandmother was a known diabetic. Her maternal uncle was a known hypertensive. Her second maternal uncle was an asthmatic. Her maternal aunt was a hypertensive as well as a diabetic. Her paternal aunt was suffering with rheumatoid arthritis.

Past medication:
She had been receiving homeopathic treatment for the past 2 months for her menstrual complaints; she had taken this treatment 6 months back.
Examination findings:
Her weight when examined was 63 Kgs. Her blood pressure was 110/80 mm of Hg. Apart from this there were no positive findings in her examination.

Prescriptive totality:
Based on her case history she was given a dose of Tuberculinum 1M 1 dose and Natrum muriaticum 200, Sepia 200 6 pills to be taken twice in a day.

Follow up details:
In the initial phases of the treatment, she did not find any visible changes in her condition and she would always report to be the same as the last visit. The doses were gradually stepped up in her case. At the end of two and a half months of treatment, the improvement had commenced. She was asked to get her thyroid levels checked at the end of 5 months of treatment.

Investigation readings after starting the treatment:
T3: 121 (60-200) ng/dl
T4: 6.50(4.5-12.0) µg/dl
TSH: 4.52(0.30-5.5) uU/ml

As you might have appreciated, the hormonal levels have been maintained within the normal levels. Consequently with this, the symptoms which had come up in her case due to hypothyroidism also started responding positively. Her bowels were now satisfactory. Her hair loss had reduced drastically, though not completely stopped. She had the most bothering complaint of excessive gaseous distention of her abdomen which was now relatively better. The lethargy that she had through out the day was comparatively much lesser.
She is advised to continue her treatment and get her thyroid levels checked at regular intervals.

Remarks:
This case is the best example to show that homeopathic medicines when taken in the initial stages of the disease in cases of hypothyroidism respond very well to the treatment. In such cases the patient could be solely managed with the aid of homoeopathic drugs without the requirement of any external hormonal supplements.