Calcarea carbonicum, Primigravida with threatening early labor

Case
Primigravida with the history of amenorrhea for 7 months came in labor.
She was accompanied by her mother.
The patient gives the history of spotting since morning, and a burning pain in the abdomen and the uterine region.
The pain is quite strong.
She had come to her mothers place only 8 to 10 days ago.


More history
The spotting started in the morning, “I was sleeping and suddenly woke up and I had a very fearful dream of an accident. Someone is going on a motorbike and he is knocked off by a truck and his head is split. It was horrible. I woke up realizing that it was a dream and I had a lot of perspiration.”
“Then I drank water and felt better.”
“I went to the toilet and had spotting.”
She was admitted to the ward and a plain intravenous drip was started.
More history about the patient was obtained from her mother.


Tell us about your daughter?
“She has taken regular antenatal treatment in the city of Pune and has come here just 10 days ago.”
“In the morning she woke me up and told me that she had a very bad dream, she was perspiring at that time.”
“Later she went to the toilet and came back saying that she has passed few drops of blood.”
“Then the pain started.”
“She gets scared very easily.”


Tell me more about her?
“She is a very shy person and does not mix easily with people.”
“Right from her childhood she has been like that.”
“She would not take part in the school gatherings or other activities.”
“She had lot of fear of the dark and ghosts.”
“She would not go to school alone. Even in the 10th standard I would have to go and drop her.”
“She had fear of going out in public places.”
“She is very stubborn. When she wants something and if you don’t give it to her she will not keep quiet till you do give it to her.”
“Not that she would cry, but she will keep on nagging.”
“She was married only last year. “


Tell me more about the pain?
“There is more burning pain here”, she points to her uterine region.
“The pain is from the small of back running upward to the shoulder.”


Prescription:
Calcarea Carbonicum 1 m dissolved in ½ glass of water 1 spoonful every 15-20 minutes.
Maintain plain IV drip.


After 1 hour:
Pain less, but still there.
Continue the calc-carb doses.

1 hour later:
Pain is much less
Patient is comfortable.
Action: stop the medication and keep her under observation.

Next day:
No spotting
No pain
No burning.
Patient discharged.


About the case:

This was a case where the patient had spotting and this is an indication that the process of labor has begun, but the patient is not full term.
It is essential that we try and stop the pain and the bleeding as soon as possible or she may go in to labor and deliver a premature child.
 
The second stage of labor is defined as the time from the full dilatation of the cervix to the delivery of the baby.
On taking the case at length we understand that in this patient the fear element is strong, there is ample evidence from the history about the patient when she was a child.
 
The pains have started after a frightful dream of an accident.
 
She complains of burning pain in the uterine region.


A general repertorization of the symptoms shows that Calc-Carbonicum, Belladonna, and Chamomille are prominent in the list, but when we pick up the most important symptoms of the case, i.e. burning pain during delivery, pain labor running up and down, ailments from fear, and abortion miscarriage, we can see that the only remedy covering all the above symptoms is Calc-Carb. Also Calc- Carb is mentioned with 2 marks in the repertory for fear of a crowd.