4.15.1 Arsenicum album, Case 1
A 60 year old woman suffers from vertigo, nervousness, anxiety and depression. It started a year ago and she is taking Sibelium, Ludiomil and Serestra. She feels anxious at the thought of another day ahead of her, doesn’t know how she will manage. She has been contemplating committing suicide, throwing herself in front of train. Everything inside her head is whirling around, but without nausea or fear of falling. It suddenly started one night. She is afraid of burglars when she is on her own, they live in an isolated place. She can’t bear being alone for a single moment, it makes her tremble all over. She is afraid when her husband goes out to do the shopping. He even had to accompany her during the consultation.
She is quite egocentric and very preoccupied with herself. She loves her three children and her grandchildren. She is fastidious, everything has to be in its proper place. She is ultra hygienic. And meticulous with finances, the books have to be in order at all times. She gets nervous when the tax return forms have to be filled in. She is very careful with money, has difficulty buying things, can’t decide what to buy. She doesn’t easily throw things away.
Her hobbies are playing bridge and doing crossword puzzles.
She occasionally dreams about her parents who have died.
She is afraid of heights (2), spiders (2) and mice (3).
Generals
Weather: cold (2), cold hands and feet (2); > sun (2); < damp; <- cold weather and thunder.
Desires: sweet, sour, spices, cheese, fruit.
Menses: in the past very profuse, with cramp and stomach pains.
Sleep: Often awake at 5 am., gets up feeling listless.
Analysis
When we look at this case we don’t really need to do an analysis, it is a classical Arsenicum album picture.
She has a strong fear to be alone, fear of burglars, she is fastidious and thrifty. The trembling, depression and suicidal thoughts all fit in with this picture. We also see the typical Arsenicum symptom of anxiety about not being able to manage her work and the fear of the tax man. Further confirmation for oxydatum: egocentric and ultra hygienic, dreams about deceased parents and fear of spiders and mice.
Further Arsenicum album symptoms: sun (2), -> sweet, sour, spices, fruit.
Reaction
Three days after Arsenicum album 1M she gets an aggravation which lasts a week. After that she gradually starts to get better and one month later everything is 50% better. During the course of the following year the whole situation clears up completely.