Three cases of Radium bromatum

CASE ONE

Mrs E., born in 1939, comes in 2005, because of vulvar lichen sclerosus, which was diagnosed by a dermatologist in 2003. She has a lot of symptoms, especially burning and itching of a white eruption on her labiae. The burning is very intense, worse in bed, worse during the night, worse during heat. She has had several corticosteroid ointments but none of them helped her; the complaint has worsened after two years of this treatment.

Her gynaecologic anamneses shows that it was difficult for her to fall pregnant; she had many strictures around her ovaries. She had one spontaneous pregnancy and is happy with her daughter.

She is menopausal since she was 55 years. When she was 58, she once had a bleed; she had a curettage but the gynaecologist could not find a cause for the bleed.

She is a warm-blooded, hard working woman. She has always had a lot of energy. She worked together with her husband in their own store; long workdays but always full of energy. Now, she still has a desire for sports but she finds it difficult, especially cycling which is impossible because of the painful eruption. She wants to be on the move and to do sport every day.

In 2003, her husband had a treatment for prostate gland carcinoma: the internal radiation ‘seed’ therapy. They shared the same bed during all the months of treatment and it is during that period that the eruption started; first some itching, then intense burning and itching with white discoloration and some stiffness of the labiae. On examination, I observed the white, hard induration on the labiae and on the orifice of the vagina.

Prescription: because of the causation of the eruption, the eruption itself, with the burning and itching, and her energy, I decided to give her Radium bromatum 200K, once a month.

Follow-up: after the remedy, the eruption was more active with more burning, but then the symptoms diminished very quickly. After 2 months, the itching was gone and the eruption reduced. After 5 months, the itching had stopped and the white spots were almost gone.

After 10 months, the lichen sclerosis was cured: she has no more white spots, no itching and burning, and she can ride her bicycle again, without complaints.

CASE TWO:

Mr. B., born in 1958, comes for consultation in 2006 for lichen sclerosus et atroficus of his penis. He has white indurated spots, which are painful with itching, burning and cracked skin. He has the impression that the skin is becoming smaller and shrunken; it is very painful after coition. He has the feeling his skin is being eaten up from the inside.

He has had this problem for the past 3 years. It started after a series of medical for abdominal pain. He had X-rays and several CT scans of the lower abdomen; the only diagnosis given was irritable bowel syndrome. He has periods of severe cramping pains, with rumbling and distension of the abdomen.

Mr. B is a hard working man; he has his own furniture shop and according his wife, he is working night and day. He his a rather shy and timid person, and he feels guilty if he takes free time for himself!

Prescription: because of the possible causation and the sclerotic eruption, I gave him Radium Bromatum 12 K, once a day, 2 granules.

Follow-up: the itching and the eruption diminishes within 2 months. After 8 months, there is no more problem and he rarely takes Radium bromatum 12K, only if there is any itching. The abdominal problems are much better; there are no painful cramping periods anymore. Since 2006, the lichen sclerosus has never returned.

CASE THREE:

Mss. M, born in 1958, consulted in 2008, because of Morfea - localised sclerodermia. It started in 2005, first on her lower abdomen and later spread to her arms and legs. First, she had a treatment with Metrotrexate for 3 months, but during that period the eruption got worse. She then got corticosteroid ointments, without effect.

The eruption starts with a spot of red/ blue discoloration of the skin, which then grows: the whole leg and arm becomes bluish-red. The eruption is painful and burning; it gives the sensation of someone prickling with a needle and it feels glowing hot.The skin then becomes indurated and hard, the hairs are falling out, and when the eruption remains for some month,s it has a shining, hard, indurated appearance. More spots  are still appearing on her body, especially on the abdomen.

M. is a hard working woman, the mother of 3 children, who works as a nurse in a home for elderly people. She is shy and timid, especially in big groups of people. When she was younger, she even had a fear of being with strangers. She is very active: she bikes to work and after her work she walks her dogs.

A year before the eruption started she had a lot of X-rays and CT scans for an ovarian cyst. She also had a radio-active isotope examination.

Prescription: Radium bromatum 200K, once in 2 weeks.

Follow-up: after 2 months, the skin has already improved; less stiff and indurated. The stitching in the skin of her legs is gone, as well as the itching and burning. There is no new spots developing. After 5 months, the existing spots are getting smaller and the skin is getting smooth again, without itching and burning. No stitching pain anymore.

Now, after 2 years of treatment (last year, she took Radium bromatum MK once a month), the spots are almost gone, as is the pain and the itching. The colour of the skin is almost normal and the hair has started to regrow! The dermatologist told her the hair would never grow again! Her energy is still good and her self esteem is much better.

Photos
Wikipedia: Lichen sclerosus
Dermis.net: Lichen sclerosus and atrophicus