At 12 weeks post consult, Bob had made marked improvement. He was down to 75 mg. of amitriptyline QD, near his psychiatrist’s target of 50 mg. QD. Weight had increased to 199 lbs. Total cholesterol had dropped to 191. Bob seemed relatively settled and wanted to give the nicotine patch a try. He was even doing abhyanga before running his airboat and oiling his ears on the days he operated his heavy machinery. Recommendations at this time included:

• Nasya with sesame oil after his morning and evening Neti pot.
• Trikatu only as needed
• Reducing the Ashwagandha, as well as the Vacha, Brahmi and Jatamansi combination to 500 mg. BID for a few weeks, and then 500 mg. BID PRN.
• Lung Formula (Banyan, 500 mg BID), an herbal combination for boosting immunity, strengthening the lungs, and countering the effects of smoking on Prana. From a functional standpoint, we felt Bob’s elevated polymorphonuclear cells along with his borderline high WBC were a result of his 30-year smoking history. Taking this combination of Licorice root, Rock Sugar, Pippali, Pushkarmula, Triphala, Kantakari, Banslochan, Tulsi, Talisa, Mica, Cardomom and Cinnamon, would support Bob during and after his use of the nicotine patch.
• Continue jala neti, Bhramari, abyhanga, and Yogasanas.
• Seasonal oleation, swedana and basti.

Bob was by no means free of his Vata imbalances, but he had done a lot to reduce them. He was less anxious, he was sleeping, eating and eliminating well, and he was stable with half the amount of antidepressant he’d been on before. He had insight into his constitutional tendencies along with important strategies for restoring balance, tools we hoped he would use if he decided to take on his more difficult issues of addiction and abuse.

Abbreviations used: QD: once daily; BID: twice daily; PRN: as needed

Debbie Mathis is an Ayurvedic Practitioner and a Certified Meditation Instructor. She is also the administrator and program director for NOVA NAMASTE, the educational arm of Integrative Medicine of Northern Virginia, the first medical practice in Loudoun combining Allopathy and Mind Body Medicine.

In addition to her Ayurvedic consultations, Debbie teaches meditation, assists her husband, Dr. David Mathis, with his Mind Body Medicine classes, and promotes Ayurveda in the community. For patients and the healthcare professionals who treat them, she is currently developing a series of workshops on Ayurvedic and Yoga Therapy approaches to specific chronic conditions.
Tel: 703-777-4203  Web site: ayurvedicmd.com  
Email: debbie@ayurvedicmd.com

Reprinted from LOAJ, Vol. I, Issue 1, Fall 2002.

Kapha Clients: A Case Study

by Linda Reynolds, Ph.D., D.Ay.

Kapha – water/earth, the energy of structure and lubrication. Water is chemical energy (the universal solvent) and associated with taste. Water in the body is plasma, cytoplasm, serum, saliva, nasal secretion, cerebral spinal fluid, urine and sweat. It is responsible for the emotions of love and compassion, for thirst, edema, and obesity.
Earth is mechanical or physical energy. In the body it is the cartilage, nails, teeth, hair, skin, solidified consciousness. It promotes anabolism (the process of building up the body), cell repair and growth. Attributes of high Kapha are: lymphatic congestion, lung congestion, mucus secretions, colds, allergic manifestations, sneezing, attachment, possessiveness, and greed.

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