Her symptoms were a stuffy nose, sneezing, itchy watery eyes, and sinus headaches. Her ears were also chronically stopped up. Her sneezing was forceful and came in paroxysms. Her nasal discharge was thin and clear. She itched around the mouth as well. When it was dusty and dry, her cough was worse. When she was around animals it would make her sneeze and wheeze, especially cats. Cars also made her sneeze. Her sneezing would stop if she went sailing, her favorite pastime. She was employed currently as a sailmaker.

Sammi also complained of lower back pain which was worse bending backwards. The pain was localized in the sacro-iliac joints. She described it as an uncomfortable feeling that came and went. She would also get numbness in the lower back after sitting in a car or airplane seat for a few hours. Seeing a chiropractor had been helpful, but hadn't cured the problem. Her jaw was also locked for the last month after eating a bagel. This caused her to be unable to open her mouth fully, and gave her aching pain in the right side of the jaw. Her neck was painful in the atlanto-occipital joint. Her joint symptoms would get worse if she capsized in the cold waters of Puget Sound while sailing.

Digestively, she had variable stools, with occasional constipation, and some gas and bloating after meals. She would get sharp pains in her stomach about once a month if she went too long without eating. She would also, more commonly, get shakey and lose her concentration if she missed a meal. These symptoms would be relieved by eating. Her appetite was low. She had been a vegetarian for years. She had an aversion to eggs and meat, and a desire for potatoes, potato chips, salty foods, and spicy foods. She had a strong thirst for cold drinks, especially in warm weather.

Sammi's past medical history included a bladder infection and allergy to milk as a baby, hospitalizations for knee surgery for a torn cartilage at age 5, and food poisoning with intestinal bleeding at age 8. Her father had had tuberculosis before she was born. She also bruised very easily. Her mentrual flow was not profuse, however, and was accompanied by cramping the first day, preceded by mild PMS symptoms beforehand.

Her sleep was variable. She slept on the left side and liked to have the window open. If it was too hot she would stick her feet out of the bed. She would drool a little, especially in bed at night. She woke unrefreshed, and would get tired in the mid-morning and mid-afternoon. She was sensitive both to cold and to heat. If it was too hot, it made her sleepy and it was harder for her to breathe. If it was too cold, she found it harder to think.

She loved to travel and had been all over the world, to Russia, Europe and throughout the United States. Her hobbies were crafts and clothes designing

Please study the case now, then turn to page ___ for the correct homeopathic remedy, the follow-up and discussion.

Sammi was given Tuberculinum 1M in a single dose. In the first day after taking the remedy, she developed a very bad conjunctivitis with redness and severe stinging of the eyes. She was given three doses of Apis 30c which relieved her symptoms. One month later Sammi reported that she had only had two sinus headaches since the remedy was given. Her nasal congestion was also improved and her sneezing had diminished. Her ears were no longer plugged. She did not have any itching around her eyes and mouth as she had complained of previously. Her lower back pain went away for a week, but returned and her jaw was less locked than before. She had no wheezing and she could breathe a little deeper. She still had the stomach pains between meals or right after eating, but she had less gas and bloating. Her thirst was a little less and still for cold beverages. She reported that her sleep was better and more refreshing. She still had a strong desire for travelling, as before.