A Homeopath on Steroids, Part 2

A Homeopath on Steroids – Part 2
When a keynote remedy wears a cape

So yeah, I did the steroid. Mostly, it was ok—maybe even good—because this flare-up lasted a fraction of the time as normal, with no pain or loss of productivity or loss of sight. I started off remorseful and hesitant to ask for the prescription, but my eye doc was like, chill, it’s one drop locally in your eye. He told me to just push in at the corner of my inner eye while giving the drops and it’ll be like my body isn’t even attached (as if I would believe that!). I already know that the drops affect my whole system, but there was no need to explain this to him. He has the license to prescribe and the tools to diagnose my progress, and I wanted to keep the relationship positive.

After being on steroid drops for two weeks, the white blood cells floating in my posterior uvea had been suppressed right out of the picture, and I began weaning from three drops a day down to two, then one. This is super fast compared to my previous flare-ups of 12–16 weeks. These flare-ups had been painful, expensive, unattractive, and caused loss of productivity and work, so a short duration was to be appreciated.

Despite the steroid increasing my blood sugar (even just three little drops a day for two weeks), I was feeling OK and was relieved that I could carry on with my upcoming vacation plans. I got on a plane and headed to Florida to enjoy my annual visit with my best friend.

It was the worst trip ever.

I began to have anxiety. This is a susceptibility of mine when my vital force is under stress. I call it physical anxiety because it’s not that I have a particular fear or worry—I just feel near panic. Along with this, I began to have internal trembling, like an earthquake rising up in me through my core, just randomly throughout the days and waking me in my sleep. My anxiety would turn to panic by nighttime, and I was 1,000 miles from home. I had my remedy kit, and with the help of a homeopath friend, I tried a few well-chosen remedies, but nothing was calming my system. I thought this was either blood sugar issues or possibly the start of a fatal illness (we all do this, right?).

The trembling became more intense to the point where I felt like I was having hypoglycemic attacks that no amount of carbs would balance. This became constant, along with the anxiety. I’m a mask-wearer, always maintaining that everything is ok, and this was an exhausting endeavor. I thought I was dying of something but didn’t know what. I eventually had to reschedule my flight and come home early.

My eye doc was like, yeah, maybe you should just wean off the drop faster.

The next stop was my integrative doctor.

She knew right away it was steroid withdrawal. I hadn’t even considered this. She said she’d seen plenty of people get “psychotic” during steroid withdrawal, which is exactly how I felt. My eye doctor telling me to wean faster was actually making things worse, but I was down to just one drop every other day, so we agreed I should just stop and work on detox.

Besides detoxing with lots of water, milk thistle tea, NAC, and Epsom salt baths, there wasn’t much more she could offer me from a medical perspective. She felt uncomfortable offering me Valium, but with hesitation wrote a prescription for a beta-blocker to help with the adrenal reactions.

She was as helpful as she could be, and I felt much relief leaving her office, just from the clarity she provided. She believed I’d still have a rough week or two ahead of me, but I had a tool she didn’t.

Nux vomica (in this case, wearing a cape)

This homeopathy superhero should be considered first for the ill effects of drugs and is often the faithful companion to anyone in withdrawal.

This is the remedy that relieved my son’s 12-year-long constipation, which I suspected started after too much medical intervention as a baby. In a week, he was pooping and sleeping like he never had before. Weeks after this improvement, he had taken Advil for a headache, and the constipation came back. A repeat dose of Nux vomica squared him away again. So I already have quite a fondness for this gem.

I took Nux vomica 200C, and overnight I was 90% better and never had a second thought about not having Valium available. I never needed the beta-blocker. I did need to repeat this as the days went on, and each time the withdrawal effects were less severe and shorter in duration, with longer intervals in between each episode.

Lessons

1. Suffering can cloud your judgment, so having a homeopath and a good doctor in your corner can bring clarity. I suggest you don’t wait until you are suffering to find your team (trust me). I am now under the care of a homeopath, and it has lightened my load.

2. Keynote prescribing (choosing a remedy based on what it is best known for) can be very valuable in an acute. Get to know the keynotes of the common remedies so that you quickly recognize the symptoms when they appear in a family member or friend.

3. If you are a mom or a caregiver, find homeopathic friends to have on speed dial for acute situations that come up in your family and circle of care. Referring back to number one above, suffering (even on behalf of a loved one) can throw you off. Knowing your remedies and having support will make wins with homeopathy possible for you.

Author's note: stay tuned for Part 3, which I'd humbly suggest is even better.