A case of IBS and migraines in a young girl
In February of 2009 year I received a phone call from a former patient of mine from Ontario asking for advice for his 12-year-old daughter whom I will call Lisa – not her real name. The young girl was suffering from irritable bowel syndrome as well as severe migraine headaches which would come on during the night, sometimes several times a week. She had been suffering like this for four years but was steadily getting worse over the past two years and especially the past few months. They had taken the girl to a couple of other practitioners in the area with some success.
However, the child’s symptoms would only be temporarily relieved and would return with
greater intensity. As the father and his parents had been patients of mine in Ontario with
good success in the past and were quite desperate for their daughter they decided to consult me and even offered to fly out to Victoria with her.
I suggested to try taking the case over the phone to start, but asked for a photo of the girl, as
physical appearance often helps us to decide on certain remedies. The mother sent a photo
via email which showed a pleasant-looking, full-faced and sturdily-built young girl who looked
mature for her age with lovely full, wavy hair. Her physical built was an important
consideration in the prescription.
Problems since summer camp
Speaking to the mother during the phone consultation I learned that Lisa had not been really
well since a week-long summer camp experience when she was eight years old. While at
camp she came down with an intense fever and flu-like symptoms, which at the time were
attributed to a virus. At the time she was sick for 4-5 days with a 104 degree fever. The fever
began on Tuesday, she had abdominal pain and was vomiting by Thursday and taken to the
hospital that day and again the next day. The parents picked her up on Saturday. That night
the fever broke at exactly 5 am. (Note, this is very important for the rest of the story.) Three
other kids at the camp had also been ill with the same symptoms. 
Ever since that time she has suffered from recurrent fevers, stomach aches and diarrhea.
The parents think that the child’s immune system was somehow compromised by the
illness, as she has not been quite well since. (Note, this can happen. It is a well-known fact
that a severe infection can weaken the organism and some people – more common in the
elderly – never fully recover from a severe flu, pneumonia, mono, etc. Homeopathy can be
very helpful in such cases.)
The other girls at the camp did not believe that she was really sick, which was also very
stressful to Lisa. The child was also very frightened of the hospital at the time. They could not
find her vein and only a 16-year-old girl was with her in the hospital. (Note, the fright Lisa
experienced when she had this fairly severe illness far away from her parents may have also
contributed to the lasting aftereffects. )
For the first year or so after the initial episode she would have ‘attacks’ of stomach aches and
diarrhea about once a month or less often. Over the next four years this has slowly increased
to once a week, then every two to three days. At those times she would wake up around 2-3
am and be doubled over in pain.
Parasites?
In 2007 another naturopath diagnosed her with parasites and suggested a parasite cleanse
which gave some relief for about ten weeks, then the problem recurred. Another parasite
cleanse was performed, but only gave relief for about four weeks this time. Around that time
she was also given a battery of medical tests, including an abdominal X-ray which showed
that her bowels were completely impacted with feces. The child was sent to a specialist who
told the family that there was nothing he could do, it was a case of irritable bowel syndrome
and the family should expect good and bad days. He did prescribe Lancelol pediatric gel for
ten weeks, though, and every morning the girl would have a massive bowel movement.
Now the child has also developed migraine headaches, which also come on at 2-3 am
during the night. They last for 48 to 72 hours and affect her vision and balance. She is very
pale with those migraines. Sometimes it seems that weather changes will trigger the
migraines. Her hearing becomes very acute, she can hear people talking down the street.
She is worse with motion and wants to lie still.
Onset at 2-3 am makes homeopaths happy
2-3 am seemed to be the time when both her GI and migraine symptoms were aggravated.
Homeopathic doctors get very excited when they hear such things, time modalities can clinch
a case in a wink. She can wake up doubled over in pain with cramps, then will rock back and
forth until by about 3 am she would have a bowel movement. She will push on her stomach
as if it is dough to get the stool out.
Her IBS is worse if she eats junk food and a lot of wheat, but her diet is generally very good.
She has missed five days of school in the last month as a result of the migraines.
If the family travels and she gets excited she will get a fever. She has been like that since the
summer camp in 2005; when she gets really nervous or excited she will become sick with a
fever and vomiting. The mother tells me that she was also like that as a child. She would
vomit and then be fine.
Personality is important, too
I asked the mother to tell me more about the girl’s personality. “She is a good kid, really
funny. She has a heart to serve and loves to help out at summer camps for the less fortunate.
She takes acting lessons. She is very logical and excels in math but finds the language arts
more challenging. She is a pleasure to be around. Sometimes a bit lazy when it comes to
homework”
She is miserable at school. The family moved and she is attending a new school since last
September, which she says she hates.
Why does she not like her new school?
“It is too structured for her. It’s a private (religious) school. The kids are not allowed to talk
during lunch or in the halls. It is very strict with a lot of rules. The kids are not allowed to go to
the washroom by themselves.” (Note: This may or may not mean anything.)
She enjoys physical activity like hiking or kayaking, can do a five-hour hike, has great
endurance.
She is very neat and tidy, showers every day and “would die if her bed was not made.” She
has her own bathroom at home and keeps it spic and span and even complains that her
mother does not clean it as well as she does. She eats what is on her plate.
She is seldom late. She is very responsible. Last summer she decided to do dog-walking as
a job, got two daily clients and walked the dogs reliably every single day at only age 11 for the
entire summer.
At Bible camp at age nine she washed the dishes three times a day for 100 people for 16
days. “Other kids would bugger off, but she didn’t,” the mother said. (Note: These personality characteristics are very important information for me. Anything that is unusual and peculiar is very useful to assist in a good homeopathic prescription. This child is responsible and even dogmatic beyond her years.)
Adults like talking to her, she is mature for her age. “We treat her like an adult and discuss
many things with her, including finance etc. “
She may tell the teacher that the teacher is not doing a good job.
She loves here family, her family is very important to her. The family is very involved with the
Church and the girl enjoys that also.
Does she have any fears?
“She does not like to sleep by herself. She is afraid of heights, but okay being in the CN tower
inside. If standing on a table or ladder would want to have her mother stand behind her. She
has issues with her peers and will fret over them. She feels that she is being picked on.”
How is her sleep?
"It is broken. Goes to bed around 10 – 10:30 pm, but naturally would like to stay up later. By 1:
30 pm she will be up and ask me to come into her bed. I have to speak to her 4-5 times a
night, every night. Last night I spoke to her at 1:30, 3 am and 4:30 am.” (Note – this is an
important symptom, the child never sleeps properly at all. )
She gets hot when she sleeps.
Around the time she first developed the stomach problem she developed difficulty in  falling
back to sleep – wanted to be cuddled. It is still like that.
Tell me about her perspiration?
“She perspires under her arm and on her hands when she is anxious – they become
clammy and blotchy.
Food cravings?
Loves microwave popcorn, coke, more savories than sweets, popcorn over cake. Likes ice
cream, hamburgers and fries, steak and fries, loves olives very much (desire for olives - good
symptom, once again, anything unusual is very helpful)
Does not like pepper and overly spicy food.
Analysis:
What is going on here and what needs to be done? This is a young girl, mature for her age
both physically and mentally, who developed an acute illness four years ago while away at
camp and has not been well since. Her symptoms include bouts of stomach aches and
diarrhea, likely secondary to constipation, as well as migraine headaches, all of which come
on at about 2 am at night. She is better after a bowel movement which happens by about 3
am.
During the original illness her fever of five days broke at exactly 5 am.
From a homeopathic point of view the time aggravation is very important here. We need a
remedy which covers the peculiar time aggravation of being worse from about 2-5 am, and
which has digestive problem and headaches. Her personality is kind of conservative and
almost overly responsible, even dogmatic, for such a young girl. The remedy which matched
her symptoms, including her personality, best, was Kali-carbonicum. I prescribed Kali-carb
200CH based on the above symptoms, one dose a day for two days only. Other remedies I
considered were Calc-carb and possibly Sulfur in the future. The peculiar time aggravation
was the most important factor in the prescription.
Follow-up email from mother on March 18, 09:

“We just wanted to let you know (and thank you so much) that Lisa is doing much better. After
the first dose of the remedy she had a massive bowel movement and lots more elimination
for 24 hours. She had some mightmares which is very unusual for her. She has the start of a
headache from time to time but is she takes a Tylenol it will go away right away (that did not
work previously, she would be ill for 24 to 72 hours.) The stomach cramping is almost gone
and she is sleeping better.”

Analyis: What happened? The remedy acted well, Lisa had increased elimination which is
not an unusual reaction as well as some nightmares. Suppressed emotions often come to
the surface in dreams after a remedy. She is now doing better in all areas.
Plan: Wait.

Follow-up on phone April 16, 09
“There was quite an improvement after the first dose of Kali-carb. Now the symptoms are
slowly creeping back again. The headaches are still better. She may get some prodromal
symptoms such as flashes of light but not full-blown headaches. She has not missed a day
of school since the remedy. Her sleep is till better. She is in a better mood, much more
agreeable! (Note: The mother did not mention her mood at the initial consultation, but has
noticed a change. This is a very good sign. It makes sense that she would be feeling better
on all levels as her health improves.)

Plan: Repeat Kali-carb 200 CH and order Kali-carb 1 MK in case it is needed.

Follow-up, June 14, 09

She has been doing well in every way until two weeks ago. There were no headaches,
bowels were functioning well. Just now the symptoms are coming back a bit.

Plan: Kali-carb 1 MK

She has not needed another dose at this time