Case Studies
Jenny, 58, Lyme Disease
Background
When Jenny was young her father would regularly yell at her if she didn’t meet his high standards. In her teens she learned to stand up to him, but this resulted in yelling matches with him, which usually ended with a slap to her face. In rebellion she married a man who was addicted to drinking and partying. He regularly cheated on her. They would argue and that too ended with him smacking her in the face.
Lyme
In 2015 she became the head nurse of her department. She was good at her job but found it very demanding and this wore her out. After several months of flu like symptoms she was diagnosed with Lyme disease.
Dull, aching pain in her calves and joints that felt as if it came from the bones, which was worse at night and in cold weather.
Headaches in the back of her head with the pain radiating down from her neck and shoulders into her arms. She felt a constant dull, ache.
Rash: never a bulls eye; a series of itchy, red pimples similar to bug bites; initially bunched together on her right forearm and shoulder and later spread to her back
Fatigue: Jenny felt tired and exhausted.
Calcarea Carbonica
Calcarea Carbonica matched Jenny well both in symptomology and personality. Calc-c types tend to be earthy, honest and good-natured. They have immense patience, endurance and stubborn perseverance. They have a tendency to overwork and burn themselves out, which is exactly what Jenny, had done. She was given Lyme nosode 30C and Calc-c 30C to be taken once a day or every 10 minutes when she felt pain or fatigue.
After three months the pain in her knees, hips and calves had become progressively much weaker. The rash subsided and became less itchy and less visible. She still had fever symptoms so for the fourth month I added Eupatorium Perfoliatum: relieves pain in bones, muscles and joints that are accompanied by fever, fatigue and the sluggishness. I increased the potency from 30C to 200C.
She became more energetic and started taking on more challenging domestic tasks such as gardening and painting her kitchen.
The tipping point
The pains levels went down and almost disappeared but then Jenny took on a lot of extra work, and she got the flu. She couldn’t shake it and eventually she went to her allopathic doctor, who tested her and found that the Lyme had resurfaced and that her liver was slightly toxic. She was put on Doxycycline and Flagyl. She felt exhausted with brain fog and just wanted to lie on the floor.
Actually, the sudden and dramatic reappearance of Jenny’s Lyme was a common and predictable experience. To understand why you need to know that there are two sides to every disease: a pathic side and a tonic side.
The pathic side (from pathos) is the symptoms, the suffering and the pathology of the patient. It’s the visible results of a disease. Once you’ve treated the visible results of a disease the invisible cause will begin to reveal itself.
The tonic side (from tone) is the underlying tone, tenor or character of the disease. It tends to be very hard to detect because it is mental and emotional in nature. The tonic side is usually revealed through negative beliefs and attitudes towards self. I’m not good enough. I don’t deserve love. Life is painful.
In the treatment of the tonic side the focus shifts away from symptoms to the mind. We also start to rely more on counseling and education.
Anacardium
Anacardium is always in two minds. Anacardium is often portrayed as having an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, each whispering their imperatives into the ears of the protagonist. In Jenny’s case there was an incredible rage seething and invisibly on the inside and a compliance with rules and authority on the outside. Jenny’s life is dotted with episodes of this rage coming out in outbursts of anger and aggression. She described herself as a “rebel without a cause” often being rude and demanding to her coworkers and to waiters at restaurants.
The remedies were: Lyme nosode 200C and Anacardium 200C. She was asked to do journaling for 15 minutes a day about her feelings. We discussed her inner feeling and by the sixth month she felt that her energy levels had returned to normal, her pain had disappeared and she felt calmer and more relaxed.
Yumiko, 41, Tinnitus
Yumiko is very fine, delicate woman with a shy and timid personality. She is sensitive, spiritual, a little aloof and intellectually very smart. She is neat and dresses elegantly. Her ideal is to dress up and look elegant while sitting behind a grand piano playing classical music.
When she came for treatment she was living with her parents and spent most of her time at home tending her garden. She didn’t have a job. She had few friends and rarely spent time with them. Yumiko had a boyfriend but she said she didn’t love him and that he didn’t love her. They saw each other about once a month.
The reasons she came for treatment were for tinnitus in both ears; pain in her neck, left shoulder and left upper-arm and headaches. Yumiko was extremely frail and as a result of anorexia 10 years previously, so in addition we decided to rebuild and strengthen her body. She also wanted build self-confidence.
Neck, Shoulder and Arm Pain
The pain was deep; in the tendons; worse from fast movement, especially from raising her arm or pulling it backwards; worse when lying down or not doing anything; it felt as if someone was squeezing her arm. The pain along her neck and shoulders was a passive kind of pain that was there all the time. She was given Rhus-t/Ruta 30C, then 200C and then 1M. The pain progressive decreased and was completely gone by the fourth interview.
Headaches
Forehead; deep inside; worse from sunshine and heat in summer; worse from strong wind in winter; worse from cold drinks, not sharp; comes and goes; slight fever. She took one panado (Tylenol) every four hours. She was given Nux-v 30C then 200C. The intensity, frequency and the duration of her headaches slowly decreased and then stopped all together. She stopped using panados.
Rebuilding after Anorexia
At the start of treatment Yumiko weighed 41kg; that was about 9 kg below her ideal body weight. Her dietary issues were snacking on pastries and coffee. In the first month I encouraged her to eat healthier snacks such as cheese, meat, nuts and fruit. Yumiko has a sympathetic dominant nervous system so in the second month got her to eat more white meats, vegetables and homemade yogurt.
After the first month she gained 3 kg and then another 3kg. She looks healthier and more energetic, and her face is fuller.
Tinnitus
Mainly in the left ear but also in the right ear; all the time; no vertigo; no pain; no excess ear wax; worse when she has nothing to do and it’s quite or when she is playing the piano; her hearing is good; a humming sound similar to the chirping of a cicada; better from rubbing. It started two years ago and has slowly gotten worse; she has been to many allopaths but they have not been able to treat it; her mother also has tinnitus. I decided on China 30C daily, and regimenally ginkgo, zinc and magnesium.
After the second consultation the ringing spread to her right ear with the pitch in the right ear being higher than that in the left ear. After the third consult Ginkgo Biloba and the cell salts Calc fluor, Calc sulph and Kali phos were added. There was no improvement.
Emotions
The fact that Yumiko’s pain had improved while her tinnitus had gotten worse, pointed to an underlying mental, emotional cause. It was as if her suffering was like a three-layered onion with feelings of inferiority at the core, tinnitus at the center and pain on the outside.
The idea of an underlying emotional cause was supported by two observations: Her tinnitus was worse when she played the piano, and she could control the ringing with her mind.
Although intelligent, Yumiko was emotionally more like a teenage girl than like a woman. Generally there was a failure to thrive and to mature. I felt this was related to the fact that she felt inferior to her younger sister; a successful diplomat and accomplished piano player. I was told that in her sister’s presence she was very humble and self-effacing but became far more self-confident when her sister is not around.
The left-sidedness suggested a feminine/mother connection. Graphites is a left-sided remedy that includes ringing in the ears as a major symptom. There is a mental state of indecision and inferiority. In The Spirit of Homeopathic Remedies Didier Grandgeorge writes, “Graphites has essentially the same chemical formula as a diamond, but life’s circumstances have kept it black and friable.” I felt that this described Yumiko well. She is the dull one dreaming of preforming at concerts while her sister shines like a diamond.
She was given Graphites 30C daily or every ten minutes for an hour when the ringing was most intense.
Counseling
The emphasis shifted from medicine to counseling. We discussed ways she could reach her goals. We looked at ways she could build her confidence. We examined her relationship with her sister.
I feel that Yumiko’s case was a success. The pain in her arm and her headaches completely disappeared. She has gained weight and her tinnitus slowly diminished.
Yumiko has been unemployed for several months and was thinking of moving to Australia to live with a boyfriend she didn’t love. She decided to stay in Japan and found a job at a university about 15 minutes walk from her house. She now works in HR liaising with foreign students. She got a stylish haircut and dresses more elegantly so she doesn’t look like an old maid anymore.
Sara, 28, Acne
Sara is a very shy 28-year old Chinese woman living with her parents. She has a small birthmark near her right eye. When she was a child everyone told her that she was ugly. Her nickname was actually ‘ugly’ in the Taiwanese language. Sara sees herself as ugly and flawed and this has undermined her self-esteem throughout her life.
Sara’s acne started about 3 years ago, a few months after a big fight with her mother. While talking to her about her personality she mentioned that ‘face’ is important to her. In Chinese the term ‘face’ has the broader meaning of reputation, standing, prestige and self-respect. Sara has little self-confidence so it’s no surprise that her main physical complaint would be acne: a blemish to her face.
The acne is mainly on her left cheek. It’s itchy. It’s worse in summer or when the seasons change. The sores ooze yellow pus and leave scars. Sunny described the acne as ‘troublesome,’ and said it makes her feel ugly.
Acne Remedies
Causticum 30C once a day
Licorice/Dandelion/Milk Thistle tea to strengthen the liver and help for acne
Sandalwood/Rosewater Paste
Tea Tree Oil Gel/Aloe vera/Chamomile Astringent
Purifying Bentonite Clay Mask.
Her old scars started erupting after two months. This was a little stressful for her, but given her closed personality, a good sign that something was coming out. The potency of Causticum was increased to 200C and the eruptions became much worse after that, with one especially large outbreak on her left cheek. At the same time she became more outgoing and communicative. She became interested in photography.
After the third consult we streamlined the regimen down to one mask of Sandalwood, Thyme, Pearl Powder, Baking Soda and Bentonite Clay. The mixture left her skin feeling dry so she would apply a moisturizer afterwards. Since most commercial moisturizers contain chemicals I decided to make my own using aloe vera gel, beeswax pastilles, coconut oil and peppermint essential oil. After this the old pimples cleared up. She became a little less stubborn and a bit more social. In the past she had hated any attention people gave her.
Next we turned out attention to her acne scars
Thiosin 12C for scarring
Anti-scarring Cream
Olive oil/Aloe vera/bee’s wax because acne scaring can cause the skin to lose its elasticity. I changed from coconut oil to olive oil because coconut solidifies in winter making the cream lumpy.
Cell Salts: Silica/Kali mur/Kali sulph/Zinc mur/Lithium mur
Essential oils: Walnut, Everlast and Frankincense
If you were to see a picture of Sara you'd say she was very beautiful. But if you saw her in person you wouldn't think so. This is because her very timid demeanor and tendency to mouth breath. Her mouth was always open. The Ukrainian doctor, Dr. Konstantin Buteyko found that nasal breathing helps with many medical issues. I taught her one of his breathing techniques and got her to wear a mouth tape while she slept.
Alice, 47, Fibromyalgia
Alice, a 47-year-old woman from Nashville, came to me for treatment of fibromyalgia. Her pain and fatigue had persisted for years, waxing and waning with stress, changes in weather, and emotional upsets.
From the first consultation, her Phosphorus nature was unmistakable. She was warm, open, and empathetic. Yet this same openness made her highly susceptible to environmental and emotional influences. She had a long list of food allergies and intolerances and lived on a restricted diet. Scents, sounds, and even bright lights could overwhelm her. She was very sensitive to cigarette smoke and couldn't enter any rooms where people were smoking.
Initial Prescription
Because her personality so perfectly matched the Phosphorus constitution, sensitive, luminous, anxious to please, and quick to burn out, I began with Phosphorus 30C. Within hours, she developed a flare-up: dizziness, flushing, and itching of the skin. I waited a few days, then prescribed a much lower potency, Phosphorus 6C. But she reacted again in the same way.
This hypersensitivity made me wonder if Alice's allergic response was not to the remedy, but rather to the idea of being treated.
To test this hypothesis, I prepared a placebo. I gave her a bottle of plain water, telling her it was a weaker dose of the same remedy. She reacted again. This confirmed my suspicion that her reaction was psychological rather than medicinal.
Earlier, I had noticed that her flare ups generally occurred just before times of potential conflict with others or at times when she needed to take responsibility at her job. Maybe her fibromyalgia was a way to get out of trouble.
Transition to Therapeutic Education
At this point I decided to suspend all remedies and shift toward therapeutic education. That is healing through counseling and understanding rather than through medication. I introduced Alice to the work of Dr. John Sarno, the pioneering physician at NYU Medical Center who developed the theory of Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS).
Dr. Sarno observed that many of his chronic pain patients shared three key traits: They were hardworking, responsible, conscientious, and deeply eager to please. Sarno called this “Goodism.” They had a history of stress-related illnesses, such as migraines, ulcers, or irritable bowel. And, there was a lack of identifiable physical cause for their pain despite extensive medical investigation. Alice fit this model well, so I explained to her we were going to change our strategy.
Sarno-Style Journaling
We began daily expressive writing, or “Sarno-style journaling.” For 30 minutes each day Alice would write uncensored thoughts about her anger, fear, and disappointments. She was instructed not to be nice, not to be spiritual, not to correct herself — simply to let the hidden Child speak.
In our weekly calls we discussed the emotions that emerged. Memories of betrayal, heartbreak, and resentment surfaced. She began to see how her pain flared whenever she suppressed anger or tried too hard to please others.
Outcome
Over the following two months, her fibromyalgia flare-ups diminished dramatically. The pain in her shoulders and legs subsided; her sleep deepened; her energy improved. Most importantly, she began to feel more authentic and self-protective.
Martin, 52, Digestive Pain
Martin, a 52-year-old man from Germany, came to me suffering from severe digestive pain and burning during elimination. His bowel movements were excruciating, leaving him fearful of eating or using the bathroom. Despite trying many natural treatments, nothing brought him lasting relief.
Martin was an Arsenicum album type through and through. Fastidious, anxious, and sensitive, he kept a neat, minimalist home and was constantly concerned about his health. He would research every symptom online, often fearing the worst. Beneath his polite and precise manner was a deep need for safety and control. His pain, in many ways, mirrored his inner state: burning, restless, and full of tension.
Initial Prescription
Because of his clear Arsenicum constitution, I began with Arsenicum album 30C, a remedy well known for burning pains, restlessness, and digestive hypersensitivity. However, as expected with highly reactive constitutions, he experienced an aggravation — his symptoms intensified, and he reported increased burning and anxiety.
Arsenicum Album Indications:
Abdomen: Heartburn. Stomach extremely irritable; seems raw, as if torn. Gnawing, burning pains like coals of fire; relieved by heat. Pain as from a wound in abdomen on coughing.
Anus: BURNING pain and pressure in rectum and anus. Constipation. Flatulence; offensive. Haemorrhage from anus. Haemorrhoids. Pain during stool.
To accommodate his sensitivity, I lowered the potency to Arsenicum 12C, but he reacted again with the same intensity. This confirmed what I had seen before in other sensitive Phosphorus and Arsenicum types: their systems are so reactive that even a minimal energetic stimulus can cause a flare.
Smell Method
I switched to the olfactory method — he would open the vial, take one gentle sniff, and close it again. This subtle exposure allowed his system to receive the medicine without overwhelming it. Gradually, his reactions softened. After one month of using the smell method daily, we reintroduced Arsenicum 12C in water, then moved progressively upward through 30C, 200C, and eventually LM potencies. Each stage brought increased tolerance and a deeper sense of stability.
Topical Relief
In parallel, I suggested that he apply pure aloe vera gel to the painful areas after elimination. Aloe is both cooling and anti-inflammatory, ideal for the burning characteristic of Arsenicum pathology. Within a week, he reported that the post-elimination pain had lessened, and the burning sensations no longer lingered as long.
Dietary Analysis
Because chronic digestive irritation rarely exists in isolation, I looked deeper into Martin’s diet. He had been following a plant-based diet for several years, believing it to be the healthiest choice. However, his blood type was O, which according to Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo’s Blood Type Diet framework, tends to require a diet higher in protein and lower in grains and legumes. While I don’t follow D’Adamo’s system rigidly, it can be an insightful guide for constitutional nutrition.
We gradually adjusted his meals:
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Breakfast changed from cereal to eggs and bacon or other high-protein, low-carbohydrate options.
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We reduced FODMAP vegetables such as onions and beans, which ferment easily and increase intestinal gas.
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We limited nightshades (tomatoes, peppers) and oxalate-rich vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, which were likely aggravating inflammation.
Martin had little cooking experience, so I provided simple German-friendly recipes and meal plans emphasizing warmth, protein, and moderate fat.
Progress and Outcome
Over the course of three months, his condition improved dramatically. The burning pains disappeared first, followed by a marked decrease in bloating and fatigue. His energy and mood improved; he reported sleeping better and feeling calmer.
Interestingly, as his physical symptoms subsided, his mental state softened as well. He became less fearful, less perfectionistic, and more trusting of his body. “I never thought I could eat without fear again,” he said in one of our final sessions.
Martin’s case beautifully illustrates the Arsenicum paradox — the individual who seeks control to feel safe, yet whose healing only begins when he releases control and allows life’s natural flow to resume. Through gentle homeopathic dosing, nutritional grounding, and patient education, his body and mind regained their balance.
Helen, mid-thirties, Migraines
Helen came to me for recurring migraine headaches. She was very health-conscious, and deeply interested in holistic medicine. She had been following a self-directed regimen of yoga, meditation, herbal teas, and nasal cleansing with a neti pot to maintain sinus health.
They were intense, throbbing migraines focused around her temples and forehead, often accompanied by mild nausea and visual sensitivity. They began a few weeks after she started using the neti pot daily, and always occurred within hours of sinus rinsing. I asked Helen to stop using the neti pot. Her migraines stopped completely and did not return.
An Unsuccessful Case
I was not successful in this case but included anyway, as I feel it illustrates a point. You can’t win every time.
A woman from India contacted me via Facebook messenger because she was suffering from anxiety and depression. She was in her late thirties, married, and had a twelve-year-old son. Her husband had steady employment, and the family enjoyed a modest but sufficient income, yet she lived in a constant state of anxiety about the future, particularly concerning finances.
She was convinced that her neighbors gossiped about her, so she withdrew from her community. She rarely left the house, avoiding interactions for fear of being judged.
Her days followed a predictable but unhealthy rhythm. She stayed awake scrolling social media until about 3 am, then slept until early afternoon. Her diet was adequate, but she did not exercise or have any hobbies. The combination of isolation, disrupted sleep, and anxiety had left her feeling emotionally paralyzed.
Her mental and emotional profile fit Arsenicum album: people who are very anxious about health, money, and security. They crave control and order yet feel powerless to achieve it. They often experience panic or restlessness around midnight, pacing and fidgeting in an effort to manage invisible fears. Fear of financial ruin, fear of disease or death, anxiety about family safety.
I prescribed Arsenicum album 30C, but felt that in this particular case regimen and therapeutic education were more important than remedies. We discussed simple lifestyle changes, focusing particularly on improving her sleep routine. I encouraged her to go to bed earlier, wake earlier, and incorporate gentle daily activity. I explained how the sleep cycle affects mental balance and that routine could bring stability to her mind and body.
However, she made no changes. After two months her bedtime and wake time remained the same, and she continued spending her nights scrolling social media.
In the second session, we explored her underlying fears. She was bored and unfulfilled staying home doing nothing all day. She was anxious because she believed her husband’s salary might not be enough, yet admitted they had no immediate financial problems. When I suggested she consider part-time work to relieve some of the financial pressure and increase her sense of purpose, she told me that finding a job in India was very easy, but she don’t want one.
I decided not to continue the case because I felt that she was not truly interested in healing. She was simply looking for a pill to fix things without any input from herself. She wanted a quick fix.
Looking back I would have approached the differently. More gently. Perhaps she would have benefitted from longer, more supportive conversations. Perhaps I could of added a few flower essences and slowly over time encouraged her to change her sleep patterns. Perhaps I could have used positive support to motivate her to pursue a more interning life.
Even though the case was not successful, it served as a valuable lesson: healing begins not with medicine, but with willingness. Without the desire to participate in one’s own restoration, even the most accurate remedy remains inert.
I’m Dr. Rodger Douglas, DMH, a South African-born homeopath now based in Osaka, Japan. With a psychology degree from Nelson Mandela University and a DMH from the Hahnemann College of Heilkunst, I specialize in holistic care for fibromyalgia. I serve clients by phone or video across the US, Canada, the UK, and beyond.