Immunity and Fatigue: Case Study
Patient’s Name: Greg
Age & Gender: 65 y/o, Male
Body Constitution: Eagle
Health Condition: Immunity and Fatigue
Greg came in our Dunsborough family clinic looking for help with his ongoing fatigue and immunity issues.
Greg says he used to never get sick but since contracting COVID a couple of years ago, he now gets sick around 4 times per year with the flu. Last month, he was very ill with the flu: experiencing a week off work and a sickness that included fever, chills, joint pain, and severe fatigue. He also has had a nagging cough.
Greg has also had a persistent skin rash since he contracted influenza. It's all over his chest and back. He declines to show me and says it's clearing. He says it's like “prickly heat”. Rashes are the body's way of detoxing through the skin so this is a sign that there's still some cleansing needed to clear up the toxins in Greg's body and get his immune system working again.
More Information with Greg’s Analysis
Pulse Reading: Greg’s pulse is slow and steady. Pulse is a bit tired; pulls up at the end.
Tongue Reading: Greg’s tongue is a healthy pink but dry. Some minor areas of white toward the back showing need for cleansing.
Diet: Greg's diet is very good which include lots of vegetables and fruit. He scores himself an 8/10 though he admits to a sweet habit sometimes at night. He also has ice cream a couple of times per week.
Sleep: Just averaging 7 hours per day which seems okay.
Water Intake: Water could be better. Only 1 litre per day.
Body Pain: Greg shows no back pain or adrenal exhaustion.
Exercise: Greg admits he exercises a minimum of one hour per day normally - usually running. He will also run half marathons regularly. When I ask if he exercises to relax, he says, "Yes, I mostly run every day."
Notes and Prescription: Greg is an Eagle constitution type who is hotter and dryer. (They do like their exercise!) And Greg likes to exercise at a high level.
I mention that I think his body hasn't had a chance to fully recover from COVID those years ago, and has underlying fatigue from over-exercising and too little sleep.
We agree to reduce his exercise for a month - just 30 minutes per day with Sundays off. We also agree that Greg needs to track and increase his sleep to 8 hours plus and improve water to 2 litres.
I give Greg a Habit Tracker sheet to tick off his daily sleep and water consumption so he can see what's really going on.
We also discuss more time for rest and relaxation. Eagle constitution types often have a lot of “air and space” energy and like movement. But they have trouble slowing down and winding down in the evening.
Can Greg find a way to wind down without high intensity exercise? Books, gentle walking, even watching TV... Let's find out later.
Greg's Herbal Immunity Formula:
I make up a 2-week custom herbal formula for Greg, highlighting Elecampane and Echinacea to clear the bronchial airways and boost immunity. Yarrow also helps remove toxins from the gut and tissues and is heat clearing to the head. And Nettles will hopefully assist to clear up the prickly heat skin rash.
Greg’s Immunity Formula: 210ml
Elecampane 60 ml
Echinacea 50 ml
Nettles 40 ml
Yarrow 40 ml
Directions: Take 8ml 2x a day.
Elecampane root was one of the chief remedies for advanced chest diseases and has a long record for clearing old coughs and was widely used for tuberculosis. Chinese herbalists, Ayurvedic doctors, and Western herbalists use elecampane for arthritis, rheumatism and bronchial conditions.
Herbalist TJ Lyle writes, "Elecampane root is a gently stimulating tonic to the mucous membrane. Diaphoretic, diuretic, and expectorant; it is warming, strengthening, cleansing, and toning to the gastric, intestinal, and pulmonary mucous membrane, and is very serviceable in catarrhal conditions of the bronchi, and catarrhal dyspepsia. It is better suitable to chronic than acute cases."
Follow up Appointment (2 Weeks Later):
Greg says he is definitely feeling better, and noticed he was actually drinking less than 1 litre of water per day and struggled to increase it to 2 litres. Greg has also noticed his sleep was probably only 6-6.5 hours on average, not 7 hours like he thought.
Greg says he really liked the formula. I quote, "Yes, I noticed on Day 3 of taking it that my body was sort of craving it: my herbal “shot” in the morning. I feel a lot better in two weeks and my rash has mostly cleared."
Greg asks for a repeat of the formula which he takes for an additional two weeks. He reports to me that his rash has gone and he feels back to his normal energetic self and needs no further appointments.