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Please help me figure out my son's constitutional Page 22 of 32
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I have cham 6c and 30c on hand.
Report from daycare today was that he was coughing A LOT. And tonight he is the same. His mood is unchanged and he is coughing and coughing and coughing. His nose does not appear to be so congested anymore, and is not running much, but the cough is definitely worsening, especially when he lies down.
Does this follow what you might expect a lyc aggravation to do under the circumstances? How long do you think it might last?
Report from daycare today was that he was coughing A LOT. And tonight he is the same. His mood is unchanged and he is coughing and coughing and coughing. His nose does not appear to be so congested anymore, and is not running much, but the cough is definitely worsening, especially when he lies down.
Does this follow what you might expect a lyc aggravation to do under the circumstances? How long do you think it might last?
littlefinn last decade
If the cough does not go away, within 72 hours, we need to anti-dote this, as this aggravation was not some thing I expected.
The best anti-dote is Puls according to the cough symptoms.
So, in case, things do not improve in the next 24 hours or so, please give him a single dose of Puls 6c, just 1/2 teaspoon as dose. That should abort the aggravation.
The best anti-dote is Puls according to the cough symptoms.
So, in case, things do not improve in the next 24 hours or so, please give him a single dose of Puls 6c, just 1/2 teaspoon as dose. That should abort the aggravation.
sameervermani last decade
Ok. But how do we know it's an aggravation and not just a bad cold that would have happened anyway. I have recently gotten over a cold myself that had a very annoying, irritated cough that lasted for several days. However I did not just cough non stop, it came in waves.
Last night he did managed to drop into two deep sleeps, but in between those, he coughed non stop. Most aggravation occurred at midnight and 6am. He has now been awake for an hour and has hardly stopped coughing.
There does not seem to be anything that ameloriates it. We have tried hot drinks, cold drinks, sitting up, lying down, moving, still etc. I am just now seeing if lemon and honey will help.
I just don't understand how a 30c could cause such a huge aggravation! Does this mean it is not the right remedy?
You said in your message 72 hours, and then 24. Should it be from when the cough started to worsen (Monday morning) or from last night?
Last night he did managed to drop into two deep sleeps, but in between those, he coughed non stop. Most aggravation occurred at midnight and 6am. He has now been awake for an hour and has hardly stopped coughing.
There does not seem to be anything that ameloriates it. We have tried hot drinks, cold drinks, sitting up, lying down, moving, still etc. I am just now seeing if lemon and honey will help.
I just don't understand how a 30c could cause such a huge aggravation! Does this mean it is not the right remedy?
You said in your message 72 hours, and then 24. Should it be from when the cough started to worsen (Monday morning) or from last night?
littlefinn last decade
I meant we should wait for 72 hours from when the dose was given, and more importantly, if his mood keeps getting worse, we should intervene with an anti-dote.
I said 24, because I thought it has already been 48.
We gave a very light dose, and hence such a strong reaction to it was not expected by me especially since he had responded well to the 6c.
I said 24, because I thought it has already been 48.
We gave a very light dose, and hence such a strong reaction to it was not expected by me especially since he had responded well to the 6c.
sameervermani last decade
There is one thing which helps in such coughs, a mixture of honey, ginger juice, and a pinch of black pepper. Give this warm.
sameervermani last decade
Ok, gotcha. Yes, it has been 48 hours since the dose.
His mood isn't getting worse, but it sure isn't getting better while he continues to cough so much. He is actually trying to get on with life as normal, but he just can't stop coughing, the poor little thing.
It seems that he often responds well to 6c doses of anything, but higher ones are more difficult - even if they don't aggravate, they might have a secondary action that is too intense for him.
Can we be sure this is an aggravation? Does the pattern of what has happened sound plausible for lyc? Is it possible that the 6c was still working, and perhaps he was experiencing a secondary action when the cold came on, and the 30c just made it worse? Or do you think it's possible that he was just sick anyway, and the 30c wasn't strong enough under the circumstances?
Thanks for the idea of the drink. I will update you again tonight or tomorrow morning.
His mood isn't getting worse, but it sure isn't getting better while he continues to cough so much. He is actually trying to get on with life as normal, but he just can't stop coughing, the poor little thing.
It seems that he often responds well to 6c doses of anything, but higher ones are more difficult - even if they don't aggravate, they might have a secondary action that is too intense for him.
Can we be sure this is an aggravation? Does the pattern of what has happened sound plausible for lyc? Is it possible that the 6c was still working, and perhaps he was experiencing a secondary action when the cold came on, and the 30c just made it worse? Or do you think it's possible that he was just sick anyway, and the 30c wasn't strong enough under the circumstances?
Thanks for the idea of the drink. I will update you again tonight or tomorrow morning.
littlefinn last decade
Something else I noticed last night that I forgot to tell you - the vascular birthmark on his neck is all of a sudden very dark and prominent again.
littlefinn last decade
Hi ,
If the cough is only troublesome symptom, then, it is difficult to say, that it is due to Lyc or not, did it begin right after giving the dose ?
If the cough is only troublesome symptom, then, it is difficult to say, that it is due to Lyc or not, did it begin right after giving the dose ?
sameervermani last decade
I honestly can't remember now. I think that he was coughing just a little bit before, but it definitely got worse from there. It became nasty about 24 hours after the dose, and 36 hours after the dose it reached a peak. It has remained on that level since then.
littlefinn last decade
Okay, Puls 6c remains the plan if things don't improve, and you HAVE to intervene.
If things start turning around, do not anti-dote.
If things start turning around, do not anti-dote.
sameervermani last decade
Just wanted to let you know that daycare reported that his cough began to subside this afternoon, and indeed I got home and didn't hear him cough for 10 minutes. It has improved a lot.
I also noticed when bathing him that he has three little red pimpls on his body - arm, leg and groin. Not something we see often. Probably from the lyco?
Hopefully we are turning a corner now. I will keep you posted.
I also noticed when bathing him that he has three little red pimpls on his body - arm, leg and groin. Not something we see often. Probably from the lyco?
Hopefully we are turning a corner now. I will keep you posted.
littlefinn last decade
Okay good stuff, yes , any eruption is a good sign when it is accompanied with amelioration at other planes (cough), it is pointing in the right direction.
We will not anti-dote now. We will wait for as long as possible.
We will not anti-dote now. We will wait for as long as possible.
sameervermani last decade
Yep, sure. I think a good lesson to learn from this is just how sensitive our boy is to remedies, and we have noticed before that the action of even low potencies like 6c have continued for longer than a week. In hindsight, we probably jumped in with the 30c too soon.
I am very pleased that his ears are not bothering him at the moment, and did not flare up over the past few days. But there will probably be a far bit of action to work through from the 30c. I will keep you posted!
Thanks.
I am very pleased that his ears are not bothering him at the moment, and did not flare up over the past few days. But there will probably be a far bit of action to work through from the 30c. I will keep you posted!
Thanks.
littlefinn last decade
Well Lycopodium does not bear repetition well (except in the LM scale), so that was the thinking in going to a 30c directly.
sameervermani last decade
Don't worry, I understood and trust your judgement. What I meant was that perhaps the action of the 6c hadn't finished yet, hence the aggravation.
littlefinn last decade
That is possible, but we had seen a relapse on the mental front, hence, we decided to go ahead with the dose.
sameervermani last decade
littlefinn last decade
Hi Sameer. I'm not quite sure what to think of the current situation. His mood hasn't changed since I last posted. He is still waking upset and crying in the morning and afternoon. He is constantly asking for cheese or pasta, even at times when he wouldn't normally be given those things to eat. He is being very obstinate, wilful and disobedient. He has slept reasonably well for the past two nights, however he is waking extra early in the morning and his afternoon naps are shorter than usual. He is refusing to keep his covers on at night-time. He still has a cough, but it is not frequent. It now sounds wet, but quite chesty. Today his nose is full of mucus, very thick, sticky and green. His eyes have been watering a bit too.
What do you think?
What do you think?
littlefinn last decade
sameervermani last decade
Hi Sameer.
It has been another four day since my update.
Things seem to be improving slowly. He has been sleeping very deeply for the past four nights and not waking at all during the night. For the past two days he has slept in until his usual time in the morning, rather than waking early. On Sunday morning he woke in a good mood, chatting to himself.
His afternoon naps are still a little shorter than usual, and he is still waking upset and cranky with flushed cheeks.
For the past 3 days his bowel movements are more frequent and predictable in appearance - dry, hardish and pale in colour.
He is still asking for cheese constantly, but otherwise eating normally.
On the whole, his mood seems quite good. However he is still being extremely disobedient and is completely unperturbed by discipline.
I have noticed a few episodes of repeating himself over and over while he chats away to his toys over the past few days.
He has also had quite a lot of discharge from his nose for the past 4 days, ranging in consistency from clear and runny to thick and green.
It has been another four day since my update.
Things seem to be improving slowly. He has been sleeping very deeply for the past four nights and not waking at all during the night. For the past two days he has slept in until his usual time in the morning, rather than waking early. On Sunday morning he woke in a good mood, chatting to himself.
His afternoon naps are still a little shorter than usual, and he is still waking upset and cranky with flushed cheeks.
For the past 3 days his bowel movements are more frequent and predictable in appearance - dry, hardish and pale in colour.
He is still asking for cheese constantly, but otherwise eating normally.
On the whole, his mood seems quite good. However he is still being extremely disobedient and is completely unperturbed by discipline.
I have noticed a few episodes of repeating himself over and over while he chats away to his toys over the past few days.
He has also had quite a lot of discharge from his nose for the past 4 days, ranging in consistency from clear and runny to thick and green.
littlefinn last decade
Hi Sameer.
Everything is much the same, except that he has woken up in a good mood for the past two mornings. I have also noticed a couple more little red pimply spots.
He has also had a few of night-time disturbances since I last posted, one of which required pain relief. The others were minor.
We saw the ENT for our winter appointment on Thursday. The last (and first) time we saw him was in December, just after a couple of months with no ear infections. Then right after we saw him, he got another ear infection. So he never got a chance to inspect our son's ears when he was in a bad state until this week.
The verdict is that he has glue ear. I don't know how much you know about this, so I will just explain a little to you. It means that there is a very thick fluid in the middle ear and the eustachion tube is blocked, preventing the fluid from escaping. Glue ear does not normally cause pain, but it can affect hearing (which can in turn affect speech development at this age), and it can cause some discomfort at times because the ears feel full and blocked, as if there is water in there. Infections can come easily on top of glue ear because it doesn't take much for the fluid to turn nasty. And then once that happens, it can be hard to get rid of because the tubes are blocked. Infections can be caused by bacteria or viruses, and the most common bacteria in these cases is pneummococae or haemophilae (I hope I spelt those right), both of which have some reputation for being frequently antibiotic resistent.
At the moment, there is obviously no sign of infection, but it would be quite common for a child with glue ear to have an ear infection every time he/she caught a cold or was exposed to a virus.
The ENT is not aggressive in his treatment, and would just like us to get a hearing test for him, and wait and see. He would only want to act if his hearing test results were very bad. We think it's unlikely his hearing has been affected yet because his speech is developing well, but we don't know how long he has had glue ear. The hearing test isn't scheduled until September.
It's extremely likely that he also had this for much of last year (especially over winter), but regular GPs are not so good at identifying it, and as the ENT explained, it can often look like a normal infection or a slight irritation if you're not used to seeing it.
It is in both ears - no difference between them at all. I found this interesting, as he has definitely been pulling at only his left ear over the last few months.
He also noted that his adenoids are enlarged, which is probably what causes the slighly congested sound in his voice and occasional snoring at night time. He also said that can be quite normal in boys his age.
My assessment of all this is that I find it interesting that he seems to be happy and sleeping well (on the whole) at the moment, despite the glue ear. There is no doubt that the lyco has been a good remedy for him and he has responded well to it, but I am a bit concerned over the fact that he has responded well to puls and silicea. Is there perhaps any remedy which indicates a good response to lots of different remedies?!
I do think it's extremely positive that he had that cough/cold last week and didn't end up with an ear infection, despite the glue ear. But I guess the aim is that we need to somehow get rid of this fluid in his middle ear before he catches another virus, because once his immune system is compromised, this could go down hill quickly.
Do you think it's worth trying another remedy that specifically targets this kind of problem, thereby treating it more like an acute case?
Sorry for writing so much! I hope to hear from you soon.
Everything is much the same, except that he has woken up in a good mood for the past two mornings. I have also noticed a couple more little red pimply spots.
He has also had a few of night-time disturbances since I last posted, one of which required pain relief. The others were minor.
We saw the ENT for our winter appointment on Thursday. The last (and first) time we saw him was in December, just after a couple of months with no ear infections. Then right after we saw him, he got another ear infection. So he never got a chance to inspect our son's ears when he was in a bad state until this week.
The verdict is that he has glue ear. I don't know how much you know about this, so I will just explain a little to you. It means that there is a very thick fluid in the middle ear and the eustachion tube is blocked, preventing the fluid from escaping. Glue ear does not normally cause pain, but it can affect hearing (which can in turn affect speech development at this age), and it can cause some discomfort at times because the ears feel full and blocked, as if there is water in there. Infections can come easily on top of glue ear because it doesn't take much for the fluid to turn nasty. And then once that happens, it can be hard to get rid of because the tubes are blocked. Infections can be caused by bacteria or viruses, and the most common bacteria in these cases is pneummococae or haemophilae (I hope I spelt those right), both of which have some reputation for being frequently antibiotic resistent.
At the moment, there is obviously no sign of infection, but it would be quite common for a child with glue ear to have an ear infection every time he/she caught a cold or was exposed to a virus.
The ENT is not aggressive in his treatment, and would just like us to get a hearing test for him, and wait and see. He would only want to act if his hearing test results were very bad. We think it's unlikely his hearing has been affected yet because his speech is developing well, but we don't know how long he has had glue ear. The hearing test isn't scheduled until September.
It's extremely likely that he also had this for much of last year (especially over winter), but regular GPs are not so good at identifying it, and as the ENT explained, it can often look like a normal infection or a slight irritation if you're not used to seeing it.
It is in both ears - no difference between them at all. I found this interesting, as he has definitely been pulling at only his left ear over the last few months.
He also noted that his adenoids are enlarged, which is probably what causes the slighly congested sound in his voice and occasional snoring at night time. He also said that can be quite normal in boys his age.
My assessment of all this is that I find it interesting that he seems to be happy and sleeping well (on the whole) at the moment, despite the glue ear. There is no doubt that the lyco has been a good remedy for him and he has responded well to it, but I am a bit concerned over the fact that he has responded well to puls and silicea. Is there perhaps any remedy which indicates a good response to lots of different remedies?!
I do think it's extremely positive that he had that cough/cold last week and didn't end up with an ear infection, despite the glue ear. But I guess the aim is that we need to somehow get rid of this fluid in his middle ear before he catches another virus, because once his immune system is compromised, this could go down hill quickly.
Do you think it's worth trying another remedy that specifically targets this kind of problem, thereby treating it more like an acute case?
Sorry for writing so much! I hope to hear from you soon.
littlefinn last decade
Hi,
I do not quite think this is an acute problem as fluid build up in the middle ear must have been going for a long time during these infections.
The fact that he is in high spirits and has improved after the initial aggravation, is pointing to me that we are in the correct family of medicines, and I for-see the case needing some complement of Lyco itself , if and when we need to change remedies.
However, I would recommend waiting right now.
I do not quite think this is an acute problem as fluid build up in the middle ear must have been going for a long time during these infections.
The fact that he is in high spirits and has improved after the initial aggravation, is pointing to me that we are in the correct family of medicines, and I for-see the case needing some complement of Lyco itself , if and when we need to change remedies.
However, I would recommend waiting right now.
sameervermani last decade
Yes, I think it is a safe bet that he has had the glue ear for at least 2 months, but he definitely had no sign of it 6 months ago.
You said that lyco doesn't bear much repetition, so what would be the next step with lyco and what are the complementary remedies? I need to make sure we have them at hand.
Do we wait until we see a mental/physical negative change?
You said that lyco doesn't bear much repetition, so what would be the next step with lyco and what are the complementary remedies? I need to make sure we have them at hand.
Do we wait until we see a mental/physical negative change?
littlefinn last decade
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