Words: Dr Naveen Kumar BOGGARAPU
Twenty-nine-year-old MB consulted me, primarily with symptoms of irregular periods. She reported that her ‘periods were inconsistent’ — with each cycle having a gap of 4-5 months.
MB was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome [PCOS] with a cyst in the right ovary. PCOS is a condition in which a woman’s hormones are out-of-sync. This can trigger problems with the periods and also make it difficult for one to conceive.
In addition, PCOS can lead to undesirable changes in one’s looks — with awkward, unwanted hair on the hands and face. If not treated, PCOS can, over time, lead to certain health problems, viz., diabetes and heart disease. PCOS is common; it affects 1 in 15 women. The symptoms often begin in one’s teenage years.
Recent studies indicate that PCOS is associated with low-grade chronic inflammation. It is also suggested that women with PCOS are at amplified risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The inflammatory and metabolic imbalances associated with PCOS may be also marked, in part, by the co-existence of insulin resistance and obesity, which could be further ‘augmented’ by androgen surplus. New research into the regulation of hormones and cytokines — small proteins that are crucial in controlling the growth and activity of immune system cells and blood cells — in muscle and fat tissue acquiesce to the view that PCOS is a systemic syndrome.
When I analysed MB’s case, I deduced there was no accompanying dysmenorrhoea [painful periods].
She reported that she experienced a weird ache in her torso — possibly because of apprehension, or anxiety — with mood swings before her periods, whenever they appeared. Her hunger too, she said, swelled before and during her periods — because of which she had put on a lot of weight, especially around her waist and hips. She seemed assertive, for no reason, and was predisposed to temper-tantrums when she was off-mood, or angry at trifles, be it home, or office.
Her mother reported that MB was usually nice, also sweet, but utterly intolerant and taciturn, at times — with a clear dislike for conversation when not in her best mood. She also said she had just one close friend in her childhood. She appeared to have two minds — as she described — while taking simple decisions. This was also why she desired to seek a little help in decision-making.
I prescribed MB, the homeopathic remedy, Pulsatilla nigricans 200C. Most individuals who respond well to Pulsatilla are sweet-natured, gentle and acquiescent. They often avoid conflict, but their moods change habitually and swiftly — like windflower, from which the homeopathic remedy is made, to draft of wind, or its direction. They can also be single-minded to gaining attention and compassion. Their physical symptoms are equally unpredictable. They are easily stirred to laughter, or tears — in quick time, no less. They are predisposed to crying spells when ill, but can be reassured by warm hugs. Most Pulsatilla types have a loathing to unaired rooms, also fatty-, or junk-foods. They have minimal thirst for water, but they love the outdoors and its fresh air.
After one year of homeopathic treatment, MB’s ovarian cyst, which measured 4.2×3.8×2.3cm, was completely resolved. This was established with ultrasonography [USG]. Her periods too, which were irregular for long, responded well to homeopathic treatment.
