Case Studies 5 : Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Remedy and Response
Case of 'Irritable Bowel Syndrome'
This is an interesting case of a male patient aged 25 years suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome since 2 yrs and C/o Headache since 1 yr.
C/o seems to sound quite uncomplicated as compared to the cases presented otherwise by me but basis of selection of remedy is interesting and brain scratching. So try hard.
Just to explain the background of his day to day activities, he is a hard worker. He wanted to be a doctor but couldn’t due weak financial condition. He now works in a pediatric hospital where he can handle almost all the work. He can manage IV drip, understand investigations and at times manage patients. He works there from morning 8 to 2pm and at night till 11pm – a core hard worker. He couldn’t be a doctor but he did perceive his passion.
His Case history is as follows :
He started with the c/o of loose motions 2 yrs back. Initially it was termed as amoebiasis and was treated accordingly but there was no relief. Complaints in span of 2 years had increased to the level that he had lost 2 to 3 kgs of weight. He was also experiencing headache since last 1yr.
Meanwhile he had accompanied his brother to my hospital for the treatment of his nephew for seizures. During the case there was a short discussion about his complaints. I then told him to give the case history after which he was consulted and admitted.
Homeopathically one can consider this case to move from Psoric to Sycotubercular miasm. It has a lot of comorbidities as depression etc. which has the capacity to affect the entire personality. So one just can’t afford to ignore and neglect the condition. Proper medication is a must.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS, or spastic colon) :
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS, or spastic colon) is a symptom-based diagnosis characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and alteration of bowel habits. As a functional bowel disorder, IBS has no known organic cause. Diarrhea or constipation may predominate, or they may alternate (classified as IBS-D, IBS-C or IBS-A, respectively). Historically a diagnosis of exclusion, a diagnosis of IBS can now be made on the basis of symptoms alone, in the absence of alarm features such as age of onset greater than 50 years, weight loss, gross hematochezia, systemic signs of infection or colitis, or family history of inflammatory bowel disease. Onset of IBS is more likely to occur after an infection (post-infectious, IBS-PI), a stressful life event, or onset of maturity.
Although there is no cure for IBS, there are treatments that attempt to relieve symptoms, including dietary adjustments, medication and psychological interventions. Patient education and a good doctor-patient relationship are also important.
Several conditions may present as IBS including coeliac disease, fructose malabsorption, mild infections, parasitic infections like giardiasis, several inflammatory bowel diseases, bile acid malabsorption, functional chronic constipation, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, and chronic functional abdominal pain. In IBS, routine clinical tests yield no abnormalities, although the bowels may be more sensitive to certain stimuli, such as balloon insufflation testing. The exact cause of IBS is unknown. The most common theory is that IBS is a disorder of the interaction between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract, although there may also be abnormalities in the gut flora or the immune system.
Comorbidities :
Researchers have identified several medical conditions, or comorbidities, which appear with greater frequency in patients diagnosed with IBS.
Headache, Fibromyalgia, Chronic fatigue syndrome and Depression: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): Abdominal surgery: A recent (2008) study found that IBS patients are at increased risk of having unnecessary cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal surgery) not due to an increased risk of gallstones, but rather to abdominal pain, awareness of having gallstones, and inappropriate surgical indications. Endometriosis: significant link between migraine headaches, IBS, and endometriosis.
Other chronic disorders: Interstitial cystitis may be associated with other chronic pain syndromes, such as irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia.
Investigations : Not done.