She had two episodes of cystitis over the past year. Both times she experienced burning in the bladder on urination. She had tried to treat herself with herbs without success. She complained of burning and stinging in the bladder on urination, especially at the end of the stream. The pain was worse right before and at the end of urination. She experienced a lot of urgency at first.

Abby also complained of recurrent vaginitis. She had a profuse, thick, creamy vaginal discharge. When it got bad, her labia were red, swollen, and burned.

She had terrible cramps just before her menses. She felt a drawing, squeezing sensation in her ovaries. It was somewhat better when she doubled over. The pain always occurred in the middle of the night. Her menstrual flow was heavy at the beginning of each period. The first night she had to get up in the middle of the night to change her menstrual pad. Her cramps tapered off with the flow. Her sexual energy was good.

Abby had a past history of eczema which had gone away when she eliminated dairy from her diet. She had a tendency to constipation. Her nails were very soft.

She liked olives and chocolate. Lately she was less thirsty. She was not particularly warm or chilly. She slept well, mostly on her back.

We gave Abby Apis mellifica 200C in one dose. Apis, made from an angry honeybee, is often thought of as an acute remedy for beestings, but less frequently considered as a constitutional remedy.

Think about the symptoms of a beesting, and you will have a good idea of when to prescribe Apis. The area around the sting becomes hot, red, and swollen. There is usually burning, stinging pain. The discomfort is often relieved by cold applications. Apis is an important remedy for other conditions in which the person has similar symptoms to a beesting. These include cystitis, vaginitis, ovarian cysts, and most edematous diseases. You have undoubtedly heard about beesting treatments for arthritis. In cases of rheumatic arthritis with symptoms corresponding to Apis, the homeopathic mode of administration is considerably more comfortable than subjecting oneself to multiple beestings. Apis is a classic remedy for anaphylaxis, though Carbolic acid is often considered first in extreme cases. Apis is also useful in cases of meningeal irritation. One keynote of this remedy is the "brain cry" or "cri encephalique"- the piercing shriek of children with encephalitis.

Roger Morrison, MD, elaborated on the mental and emotional picture of Apis at the 1991 International Foundation for Homeopathy Case Conference. People needing Apis are busy bees. They are hard-working, industrious, practical type folks. They are very protective of their hives, often devoting a great deal of their time and energy to home and family. As Dr. Morrison said, "You don't want to cross a bee...or someone needing Apis ."

It is also interesting to mention that people needing Apis are generally not very thirsty. Abby's thirst had diminished of late...

One month after taking the Apis, Abby wrote us a letter because she was unable to keep her follow-up appointment. "The rash on my eyes has virtually disappeared... I have lost my thirst though I am forcing myself to drink water... " Her vaginal discharge was gone. She experienced periodic "twinges" of itching. She mentioned that she was feeling a lot of pressure at work and was very concerned because her husband had multiple sclerosis.

Abby called nine days later to report that the swelling was completely gone until she was exposed to a strongly aromatic shampoo. At that time her symptoms returned. Apis 200C was repeated. She had one more episode of the swelling six weeks later, which was quickly relieved by another dose of Apis 200C.

Abby returned to see us five and a half months after the third dose of Apis. She reported that she had been feeling great. She had no more recurrences of cystitis, vaginitis, or swelling of the eyelids.

The ovarian pain had not returned. Now, eleven months after the first dose of Apis, she has not needed further treatment.

Dr. Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman and Dr. Robert Ullman are licensed naturopathic physicians and are board certified in homeopathy and teach homeopathy to licensed health care professionals. They practice in Edmonds, WA at 131 3rd Ave., N., Edmonds, WA 98020 and can be reached at (206) 774-5599. Their book, The Patient's Guide to Homeopathic Medicine, is now available.