With thanks to Homeopath Fran Sheffield and her client Kirsten for this story (not to mention the fabulous Homeopathy Heals web site for reporting it):

Kirsten says: ’… I have suffered from recurring kidney stones since I was 17 years old, and have needed major surgery about every 18 months for my rare disease. I have tried so many different types of treatment, both natural and conventional, and have seen many ‘specialists’ to try to stop the growth of the stones, or at least slow them down. I had actually given up on finding anyone who could help me, I but then heard of a homeopath who was doing amazing things. Although I was very sceptical I thought I would give it one last go.

‘… I had just had my 15th operation and it was a particularly traumatic one with complications. I also had a few small stones remaining in my left kidney, which would need surgery by about June. I have not passed a stone for 9 years although I drink between 3 and 4 litres of water every day.

‘… After my first homeopathic treatment I noticed that so many other little problems like irregular periods, irritable bowel and constipation, fear of confrontation and many other things had dramatically improved. My marriage also improved amazingly because I was now able to communicate more effectively. My libido also increased (maybe that helped my marriage too!). My kidney pain reduced and I was able to do a lot more each day because my energy levels were greatly increased. If that wasn’t enough I passed 4 stones in 4 weeks and continue to occasionally pass stones to date.

‘… I had my regular x-ray the other day. Normally, 4 months after surgery I would be expecting to have a few 5mm stones in my right side and a few 15mm or larger stones in my left. The x-ray showed just one 6mm stone in my left kidney (as I had passed the others), and that stone hadn’t increased in size at all. It showed just one small 4mm stone in my right kidney. Amazing!!

‘… I can’t believe all the amazing things that a few drops of special water can do. I am so thankful to my homeopath for giving me and my family my wonderful life back!!

Kirsten G. (NSW)

—-

Comment from Fran Sheffield, the Treating Homeopath:

‘… Homeopathy deserves the credit for Kirsten’s remarkable improvement. In contrast to conventional medicine, it treats the diseased person according to their symptoms, rather than their disease according to its name.

‘… For this reason, the skill of the homeopath is in finding and prescribing the remedy that best matches the unique mental, emotional and physical symptoms of the unwell person. This matching remedy has the capacity to stimulate the person’s innate ability to self-heal, leading to enormous changes with serious health problems that conventional medicine may have difficulty in treating.

‘… Kirsten is in the early stages of homeopathic treatment and, though there have been rapid improvements, there is still more work to be done. With ongoing treatment her health will further improve and the likelihood of her kidney stones returning will be significantly reduced.

 

With thanks to CubaHeadlines 18.11.11:

The drug Vidatox-30CH, innovative and high value for the treatment of cancer is now made in China. The Cuban company Labiofam group, which exists in the Asian country since 1994, has led to propose the drug use in that country.

As its name implies, is a homeopathic product made from the venom of the scorpion Rhopalurus junceus, endemic to Cuba, diluted 30 hundredths, and with demonstrated antitumor effect, analgesic and anti-inflammatory.

Scientists of the research team of the properties of this poison taught in September and October, the Conference on New Technologies anticancer Cuba-China in three major cities of the Asian nation: Xian (capital of Shaanxi), Shanghai and Beijing. These meetings, involving doctors, representatives of the Ministry of Health of China and the State Food and Drug Administration and experts from universities and scientific institutions, patients and employers, allowed a better understanding of the potential of Vidatox-30CH. After obtaining registration in Cuba last March, triggered Labiofam promotional events in all regions of the world, told Prensa Latina Adiley Gómez, member of the delegation in charge of that mission in China.

In this nation concerning the Director of Research and Development Isbel Gonzalez noted that the results were very satisfactory and fruitful by the exchange between Cuban specialists and experts from host institutions. He also underscored the interest shown by everyone not only through questions associated with the science, but also the application and commercialization of Vidatox-30CH.

The product, to the amazement of many, it was known by some on the Internet and tourists who have brought to family and friends, as told Prensa Latina Jingbin Qu, president of the company Yangling Hengrun Technology Development Co. Ltd., a representative Vidatox trade in China. At the conclusion of three days, in which 300 people participated, Daniel Morhaime, CEO of that Cuban group in China, expressed that these meetings will open a new path in the development of cooperation for the benefit of both peoples. All these presentations precede, as known, the start of the process for registration of such product in this country with a view to marketing.

Goodness of Vidatox-30CH. Prolong life and improve the quality of this in cancer patients is now a Labiofam goal, as explained by its specialists. In addition to nutritional supplements for human use, the agency expanded its range to the development of a drug for cancer therapy. Today has the first of its kind, the Vidatox-30CH (sublingual drops), but also advances in the natural log of the solution from the venom.

This is an investigation of more than 15 years in which they have identified five of the active peptides with marked antitumor action, from which one works for chemical synthesis and cloning. The latter, while maintaining the benefits offered by the venom, and also as a complementary alternative in the treatment of that disease.

Actions for registration Vidatox-30CH, homeopathic first presentation have been developed in over 15 countries, among which are Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico and Uruguay, Spain, Italy, France, Great Britain , Vietnam and China. Today is marketed in Albania and Argentina.

As mentioned the effectiveness of active pharmaceutical ingredient (poison), it was found that has a selective toxicity on tumor cells, including those chemoresistant, and the absence of that property from the healthy ones. So the researcher Alexis Diaz said during his speech at the event in Beijing, who also explained to the audience the scientific evidence demonstrating its potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic. The same behavior selectively toxic against solid tumors was observed on metastasis. In addition, the venom caused a delay in the onset of these, all of which confirmed that their combined use with chemotherapy potentiates the action of the latter, according to the data presented by the expert.

The challenge of Labiofam. Perhaps one of the challenges regarding Vidatox Labiofam-30CH is to overcome the ignorance of the art of homeopathy in China, where traditional medicine is very strong. The issue was widely discussed by Dr. Fabio Linares, who said that it is a method whose function is to stimulate the natural healing mechanisms in sick people. He clarified that not acting on conventional action-like reaction, but by the body with a certain condition.

Homeopathic pharmacy now has over three thousand different products belonging to the vegetable kingdom, mineral and animal, he said, stipulating that are used worldwide to treat acute and chronic conditions of man. He cited the increase in its application from the decade of 2000 to reach its sales in 2010 of 2.2 billion euros. The leading countries in this market are USA, France, India and Germany, although other equally occupy a representative, including some from America.

Described by Hippocrates two thousand five hundred years, the principle on which homeopathy is based was developed as we know it today by the German doctor Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), who discovered how to prepare properly and use these Remedies.

Early diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and therapeutic vaccines are the main weapons that science has to face cancer.  With these conventional treatments and the simultaneous use of homeopathic products that are looking to improve the quality of life of patients, prolong survival and prevent recurrence of malignant tumors, experts agreed Vidatox-30CH promoters.

Are then used to learn more about this method Labiofam 2012 International Congress convened to Havana from 24 to 28 September and which will present new results and other proposals for the treatment of cancer patients.

See http://avilian.co.uk/2011/09/labiofam-makes-marketing-pitch-for-cancer-medicine-in-europe/

See http://avilian.co.uk/2011/02/cuba-and-india-to-join-in-scientific-cooperation/

See http://avilian.co.uk/2010/12/cuba-to-release-new-%E2%80%9Chomeopathic%E2%80%9D-drug-against-cancer/

See http://avilian.co.uk/2010/09/homeopathy-in-cuba-gustavo-bracho-exclusive-interview-on-the-homeopathic-prevention-of-epidemics/

With thanks to Asbestos.com:

Homeopathy is a non-traditional treatment based on stimulating the body’s ability to heal itself with the help of natural remedies. The principle idea of homeopathy is that a disease can be cured after it is treated with natural substances. Those remedies trigger minor symptoms similar to the disease, and the body then goes to work fighting them off. For example, someone with a cough could be treated with natural medicine that also causes a cough. Homeopathy is about strengthening your immunity to a particular sickness. Hans Burch Gram 1786 – 1840, a Danish-American, is generally credited with bringing homeopathy to the U.S. in the early 1800s.

Homeopathy typically involves taking small doses of diluted substances, many of which come from plants, minerals or animals. The principle of dilutions is the lower the dose, the greater its effectiveness. Diluted substances are often shaken, called a “potentization” step. During potentization, it is believed that information or some form of energy is transferred from the original substance to the final diluted remedy. It is this information or energy that helps stimulate the body’s natural healing power.

A mesothelioma patient may be encouraged by the idea of implementing homeopathic applications in addition to receiving standard treatment options. If you’re interested in learning more about alternative approaches to treating mesothelioma, fill out the form on this page to receive a free informational packet in the mail.

Homeopathic Treatment for Chemotherapy and Radiation Side Effects

The natural aspect of homeopathy is a central reason someone like a mesothelioma patient might have interest in it. Homeopaths avoid antibiotics, over-the-counter drugs, prescriptions drugs and many standard kinds of treatments. Some of those treatments – chemotherapy and radiation therapy, for example – create side effects that can make a patient feel worse before they get better. Even if someone prefers homeopathy and yet believes chemo and radiation provide the best path to a long life expectancy, there are homeopathic remedies that can alleviate traditional side effects (nausea, weight loss, hair loss, weariness and depression, to name a few).

Homeopathic remedies have helped reduce these side effects in some cancer sufferers. One remedy is cadmium sulphuricum, which helps fight exhaustion, coldness, nausea, vomiting, hair loss and weight loss. Other homeopathic remedies for nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy include Arsenic album, Ipecacuanha, Nux vomica, Phosphorus and Tabacum. For skin irritations associated with radiation, homeopathic remedies such as belladonna, apis mellifica, fluoricum acidum, rhus-toxicodendron, causticum, ignatia, psorinum, gamma-ray and kali-bichromicum have all been effective in providing relief. Homeopathic creams or rubs such as Arnica (bruising) and Calendula (rashes or burns) have shown effectiveness.

Although homeopathy can be safely used for simple needs such as a cold, self treatment for chemotherapy or radiation side effects is not recommended. A qualified homeopath should determine an appropriate remedy and prescribe a dosing regimen based on a patient’s particular needs.

Medical Community, Homeopathy

Perhaps not surprisingly, homeopathic treatments are not widely accepted by the general medical community, and many doctors are dubious about the healing that natural remedies and herbs can provide for a cancer patient. A 2005 study from The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center analyzed the efficacy of homeopathic remedies on cancer patients through several previous clinical trials. The study, titled “Efficacy of Homeopathic Therapy in Cancer Treatment,” revealed there was insufficient evidence to support the efficacy of homeopathy for cancer patients.

Read about more about scientific research on homeopathy

However, some studies have reported positive findings about the use of homeopathy following chemotherapy. In one study published in the journal Cancer, the homeopathic medication Traumeel S was found to significantly reduce the severity and duration of stomatitis from chemotherapy in children undergoing bone marrow transplantation.

Regulation of Homeopathy

Homeopathic remedies are made in adherence to the guidelines of the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States (HPUS), which became law in 1938 by the U.S. Congress. Such remedies do not require a prescription and they don’t require a note or a recommendation from a doctor. If a homeopathic remedy claims to treat cancer, it must be sold by prescription.

In 1988, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) implemented a requirement that all homeopathic remedies provide a label that lists ingredients, dilutions, which medical problems can be treated, and instructions for safe use. All three classifications of homeopathy, including allopathic drugs, homeopathic drugs and dietary supplements, are regulated to some degree by the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act or the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. However, HPUS still excludes homeopathic remedies from many FDA rules that regulate other drugs.

Homeopathy is not known to interfere with standard treatments, but all considerations should be discussed with a qualified physician. In a 2007 National Health Interview Survey that included complementary and alternative medicine, approximately 3.9 million U.S. adults and about 900,000 children used homeopathy during the previous year.

To learn more about alternative treatments for mesothelioma, speak to one of the Patient Advocates from Asbestos.com by calling (800) 615-2270.

With thanks to Sarah Boseley at The Guardian, Friday 24 June 2011:

British study finds two-month extreme diet can cure type 2 diabetes and overturns assumptions about ‘lifelong’ condition. People who have had obesity-related type 2 diabetes for years have been cured, at least temporarily, by keeping to an extreme, low-calorie, diet for two months, scientists report today.

The discovery, reported by scientists at Newcastle University, overturns previous assumptions about type 2 diabetes, which was thought to be a lifelong illness.

In the UK about two and a half million people have been diagnosed with diabetes, the large majority with type 2, and numbers are rising across much of the world. The condition has to be controlled with drugs and eventually insulin injections. It can cause blindness and end in foot amputation, as well as shortening life.

The results of the Newcastle investigation, though the study was small, demonstrated that full recovery was possible, not through drugs but through diet. Eleven people with diabetes took part in the study, which was funded by Diabetes UK. They had to slash their food intake to just 600 calories a day for two months. But three months later seven of the 11 were free of diabetes.

“To have people free of diabetes after years with the condition is remarkable – and all because of an eight-week diet,” said Roy Taylor, professor at Newcastle University, who led the study. “This is a radical change in understanding type 2 diabetes. It will change how we can explain it to people newly diagnosed with the condition. While it has long been believed that someone with type 2 diabetes will always have the disease, and that it will steadily get worse, we have shown that we can reverse the condition.”

Type 2 diabetes, which used to be known as adult onset, is caused by too much glucose in the blood. It is strongly linked to obesity, unlike type 1, which usually develops in children whose bodies are unable to make the hormone insulin to convert glucose from food into energy. They need daily insulin injections.

The research, presented today at the American Diabetes Association conference, shows that an extremely low-calorie diet, consisting of diet drinks and non-starchy vegetables, prompts the body to remove the fat clogging the pancreas and preventing it from making insulin. The volunteers were closely supervised by a medical team and matched with the same number of volunteers with diabetes who did not get the special diet. After just one week into the study, the pre-breakfast blood sugar levels of the study group had returned to normal. And MRI scans showed that the fat levels in the pancreas had returned to normal. The pancreas regained its ability to make insulin. After the eight-week diet the volunteers returned to normal eating but had advice on healthy foods and portion size. Ten of the group were retested and seven had stayed free of diabetes.

Taylor, the director of the Newcastle Magnetic Resonance Centre, had the idea for the study after it was shown that diabetes was reversed in people who had undergone stomach stapling or other forms of bariatric surgery because of obesity. “What was remarkable was that the diabetes went away over the course of one week. It was widely believed the operation itself had done something, [that] the hormones in the gut were thought to be the cause. That is almost universally believed.”

Taylor thought the massive drop in calorie intake after surgery could be responsible and to test this hypothesis set up the study, which included MRI scans of the pancreas to look at any changes in the fatty deposits. ”We believe this shows that type 2 diabetes is all about energy balance in the body,” said Taylor. “If you are eating more than you burn, then the excess is stored in the liver and pancreas as fat, which can lead to type 2 diabetes in some people. What we need to examine further is why some people are more susceptible to developing diabetes than others.”

He warned that only a minority of people, perhaps 5% or 10%, would be able to stick to the harsh diet necessary to get rid of diabetes. But even that, he said, would dramatically improve the health of many people and save the NHS millions.

Iain Frame, director of research at Diabetes UK, said people should not embark on such a diet without a doctor’s approval and help. “We welcome the results of this research because it shows that type 2 diabetes can be reversed, on a par with successful surgery without the side effects. ”However, this diet is not an easy fix and Diabetes UK strongly recommends that such a drastic diet should only be undertaken under medical supervision. Despite [it] being a very small trial, we look forward to future results, particularly to see whether the reversal remains long term.”

Gordon Parmley, 67, of Stocksfield, Newcastle upon Tyne, a trial participant, said he first noticed something was wrong when his vision went “fuzzy” and he had trouble focusing while playing golf. He had been on medication since being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes six years ago. He said: “When my doctor mentioned the trial I thought I’d give it a go, as it might help me and other diabetics. I came off my tablets and had three diet shakes a day and some salad or vegetables, but it was very, very, difficult and I’m not sure I’d have done it without the support of my wife, who went on a diet alongside me. ”

At first the hunger was quite severe and I had to distract myself with something else – walking the dog, playing golf, or doing anything to occupy myself and take my mind off food. But I lost an astounding amount of weight in a short space of time. ”At the end of the trial I was told my insulin levels were normal, and after six years I no longer needed my diabetes tablets. Still today, 18 months on, I don’t take them. ”It’s astonishing really that a diet – hard as it was – could change my health so drastically. After six years of having diabetes I can tell the difference. I feel better, even walking round the golf course is easier.”

 

 

With thanks to the National Centre for Homeopathy and News of the Restless blogger:

Cuba is ready to release a new “homeopathic” cancer drug to the international market. Marketed as Vidatox, it is the result of work by Cuban biologist, Misael Bordier with the venom of the blue scorpion.

See http://avilian.co.uk/2011/09/labiofam-makes-marketing-pitch-for-cancer-medicine-in-europe/ 25.8.11

NOTE: More detailed information is contained in the following blog, which identifies the source of the remedy (a variety of Rhopalurus junceus scorpion native to eastern Cuba) and its preparation (five protein peptides of low molecular weight extracted from the venom of the scorpion).

The director of research and development at Labiofam, the drug’s manufacturer, says it “has been tested on more than 10,000 cancer patients, some 3,500 of them foreigners, and has shown “positive results”, ranging from “improved quality of life” to “slowed tumor growth”.”

See Homeopathy in Cuba – Gustavo Bracho exclusive interview on the homeopathic prevention of epidemics.

This translation is from News of the Restless blogger from an original article in Spanish on Cuba Debate Centra el Terrorismo Mediatico

A Cuban pharmaceutical laboratory has been overrun by hundreds of foreign patients, Italians above all, who have flown to Havana to be treated with a natural medicine against cancer made from scorpion venom. The director-general of Labiofam, Pavel Pizart, explained that the avalanche began in the beginning of October, after an Italian journalist filed a report, complete with hidden camera and interviews of several patients who had been treated with the antitumor product, named Vidatox.

“On the 4th 350 Italians arrived, on the 5th more than 250, and the number has remained above 200 a day from Monday to Friday,” said Pizart in a press conference, adding that the company has had to build facilities to tend to the visitors, since it did not have the proper installations.

“You can imagine what it’s like in a company which was not designed for that, which doesn’t have infrastructure, with 350 people waiting outside. It was a problem, we didn’t have anyplace to put them. 12 specialists for 350 people was complicated, but to this minute, no one has left the place without the product in hand,” Pizart said.

According to Pizart, the Cuban embassy in Italy has also been overwhelmed by visa applications, and charter flights have been booked since commercial airlines did not have enough seats.

The diplomatic installation in Rome placed a notice on its website that said “For now, unfortunately, it will not be possible to respond positively to the thousands of requests pouring in to Labiofam, since its production is still very limited.”

The company’s director of research and development, Isbel González, said that Vidatox is a homeopathic preparation made from five protein peptides of low molecular weight extracted from the venom of the scorpion, and which has demonstrated an “analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effect in more than 15 different cancer cell lines.”

According to González, Vidatox has been tested on more than 10,000 cancer patients, some 3,500 of them foreigners, and has shown “positive results”, ranging from “improved quality of life” to “slowed tumor growth”.

The medication is the result of 15 years of research, and Labiofam says that its homeopathic version should be registered in the coming days and could be commercially produced immediately. González added that the company would continue research to produce synthetic or biotechnological versions of the compound.

The medication was produced from over 5,000 scorpions of the Rhopalurus junceus variety, native to eastern Cuba. According to the company, it has no contraindications and is compatible with any other oncological treatment.

Pavel Pizart says that for the time being, since it has not been registered yet, Vidatox is being given out for free to persons from all over the world who have been coming to the laboratory in search of the product, but once registered, they will charge a fee for it. The intent is to produce more than a million units before the end of the year.

“If we find an Italian company that wants to sell the product in Italy, we’ll sell it to them. And if that’s not possible, in a few days we’ll be selling it here in Cuba to anyone who comes,” said Pizart, adding that Vidatox could be exported to any countries asking for it under normal trade treaties.

Labiofam has a history of half a century, and employs more than 3,500 workers in Cuba. The company presented the results of its Vidatox research in its first international congress in late September in Havana before some 500 delegates from all parts of the world.

With thanks to Dana Ullman and the Huffington Post 29.9.2010:

Depression lowers the spirits and drowns the eyes in sorrow, though tears aren’t the only reason why depressed people sometimes can’t see straight. Depression also caves in the chest, slumps the shoulders, and inhibits full breathing, usually forcing unhappy people to try to catch their breath by frequent sighing. It is sometimes said that depression brings you down to sighs (my apology to those readers who get depressed by bad puns).

On a much more serious note, depression can be a temporary passing experience or a deeply disturbing condition that may lead to suicide. Except in cases of minor depressive states, professional attention is generally recommended to help a person go through this emotional experience in a conscious manner.

The Real Dangers of Conventional Medical Treatment

Recent studies published in leading medical journals have seriously questioned the efficacy of conventional pharmaceutical treatment of people with mild or moderate depression.

In early 2010, major media reported on a significant review of research testing antidepressant medications.(1) What is unique about this review of research is that the researchers evaluated studies that were submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), though the researchers discovered that many studies submitted to the FDA were unpublished (they found that the unpublished research consistently showed negative results of antidepressants).

This meta-analysis of antidepressant medications found only modest benefits over placebo treatment in published research, but when unpublished trial data is included, the benefit falls below accepted criteria for clinical significance.

Perhaps most startling about this research is the fact the FDA only requires drug manufacturers to provide them with two positive studies on depression to attain FDA-approval status, even if these same drug companies submit many more studies with negative results. Such information forces consumers to question the efficacy of “FDA approved drugs,” and it explains why so many conventional medications eventually get withdrawn from marketplace.

At the same time that the above review research was published, another review of research was published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), and they found similar results, “The magnitude of benefit of antidepressant medication compared with placebo increases with severity of depression symptoms and may be minimal or nonexistent, on average, in patients with mild or moderate symptoms.”(2) These researchers did find benefits from the use of antidepressants in the treatment of severe depression, but because the majority of people taking antidepressants today do not have “severe depression,” it is prudent for many people with depression to talk to their doctors about safer and more effective alternatives.

Sadly (and strangely), when conventional doctors today do not obtain adequately effective results with one drug, they often simply prescribe more drugs in hopes that one of them, or their combination, will be more effective (whether this increased use of drugs is effective or not, there are certain “benefits” that drug companies receive from this strategy). However, increasing research is finding that “polypharmacy” (the use of multiple drugs concurrently) may lead to worse, not better, results. New research has shown that polypharmacy with psychotropic medications in suicidal adolescent inpatients has been linked to a significantly increased risk for early readmission.(3)

Presented at Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the researchers found that suicidal adolescent inpatients receiving three or more different classes of psychotropic medications had a 2.6-fold increased risk of being re-admitted within 30 days of discharge.

Cynthia A Fontanella, PhD, the lead researcher, asserted, “Our finding that polypharmacy was associated with an increased risk of readmission is concerning, although not surprising.” Even though the serious problems with polypharmacy are known and expected, polypharmacy is growing in mental health care, not decreasing.

Other researchers discovered a disturbing trend among the over 13,000 visits of outpatients with mental disorder diagnoses: the number of psychotropic medications prescribed increased in successive years. Visits in which two or more medications were prescribed increased from 42.6 percent in 1996-1997 to 59.8 percent in 2005-2006, and those in which at least 3 medications were prescribed virtually doubled from 16.9 percent to 33.2 percent.(4)
Why Mental Illness is Increasing

There are numerous theories for why the number of people suffering from mental illness is increasing and why it is afflicting people at younger and younger ages. The homeopathic analysis for this epidemic is unique and may provide additional insight as to why this is occurring.

Like most observers of health and medicine today, homeopaths do not believe that there is simply one reason for the increase in mental illness, though many homeopaths assert that iatrogenesis (doctor-induced disease) plays a much greater role than is commonly recognized.

Homeopaths, like modern-day physiologists, understand that symptoms of illness represent the body’s defenses in its efforts to adapt to and respond against infection, environmental assault, or stress of some kind. As discomforting as symptoms can be, they still represent the living organism’s best efforts at the time to try to defend and heal him or herself. Such defenses are an innate part of our evolutionary efforts to survive. The symptoms that a person experiences are a part of the body’s innate wisdom, commonly referred to as “vis mediatrix naturae” (the healing power of nature).

Using conventional medications to inhibit or suppress a symptom may be effective temporarily, but THIS is often the “bad news.” Because symptoms as diverse as fevers, coughs, nasal discharges, or even high blood pressure are recognized by physiologists as adaptations and defenses of the body, drugs that inhibit these symptoms may provide a short-term benefit, but such drugs also reduce the person’s ability to get over the illness. More significantly and more seriously, conventional medications may actually suppress the disease process and the wisdom of the body, thereby creating a deeper and more serious illness.

The irony to “modern scientific medicine” is that the evidence that doctors proudly show that a drug “works” is often actually evidence that the drug is effective in suppressing, not curing, a specific symptom (there are, of course, many exceptions to this general observation, such as antibiotics, but antibiotic drugs create other problems about which this writer and many others have commented already).

For over 200 years homeopaths have observed the ability of many conventional drugs to suppress acute illness into more deep chronic illness. During this time, homeopaths have also found that this disease suppression also creates more and greater mental illness. When reviewing the side-effects of many drugs, it is not uncommon to find that drugs are known to lead to various states of mental illness from depression to delusion to suicidal propensities.

Just as suppressing one’s emotions often leads to a later explosion of these emotions to someone who happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, suppressing physical symptoms can lead to a more serious physical disease or a more disturbing mental illness. Using drugs to provide temporary relief does not have some type of cost, and the cost is usually a later and more serious ailment.
Homeopathic Treatment of Depression

The Menninger Clinic is world-renowned as one of the leading mental health centers for research and treatment. Most people don’t know it, but the founder of the Menninger Clinic, Charles Frederick Menninger, MD, was originally a homeopathic physician. He was even the head of his local homeopathic medicine society and was so frequently impressed with the results that he got from homeopathic medicines, he once said, “Homeopathy is wholly capable of satisfying the therapeutic demands of this age better than any other system or school of medicine.” (5)

Numerous studies have shown benefits in using the herb, St. Johns wort, to treat mild to moderate depression. However, homeopaths generally find that it is preferable to prescribe individualized homeopathic remedies to each patient to attain better long-term sustained results without having to take continual doses of any medicine (natural or otherwise). In fact, a recent study published in a medical journal published by Oxford University Press found that individualized homeopathic treatment is as effective and is safer than Prozac in the treatment of people with moderate or severe depression.(6)

This study included 91 outpatients with moderate to severe depression who received an individually chosen homeopathic medicine or fluoxetine (Prozac) 20 mg/day (up to 40 mg/day) in a prospective, randomized, double-blind double-dummy eight week trial. The primary efficacy measure was the mean change in MADRS depression scores (MADRS is a commonly used observer rated depression scale, with a score of 32 representing the “severe depression”). The average MADRS of patients in this study was 29.

The mean MADRS scores differences were not significant on the fourth (p=0.654) and eigth weeks (p=0.965) of treatment, which suggests that the two methods are treatment are equally effective. There were also no significant differences between the percentages of response or remission rates in both groups. The study also found a higher but non-significant percentage of patients treated with Prozac reported troublesome side effects, and there was a trend toward greater treatment interruption for adverse effects in the Prozac group.

Those people who claim to be “skeptics” of homeopathy will be surprised and impressed to know that two specialty medical journals published a double-blind and placebo controlled study on mice and found that one of the medicines in the above study, Gelsemium sempervirens, had anxiety-related effects.(7)(8)

Jonathan Davidson, MD, a professor of psychiatry at Duke University, conducted a small study of adults with major depression, social phobia, or panic disorder. He found that 60 percent of the patients responded favorably to homeopathic treatment.(9) When one recognizes the considerable safety of homeopathic medicines and the benefits that some patients get from this safer method of treatment, it is remarkable that the majority of psychiatrists and psychologists do not yet refer appropriate patients to homeopaths prior to prescribing powerful conventional drugs for them.

A clinical outcome study of interest involved 14 physicians of the United Kingdom’s Faculty of Homeopathy (13 NHS GPs and 3 private practitioners) who treated a wide variety of people with chronic ailments.(10) The outcome scores from 958 individual patient conditions having two or more appointments found that 75.9 percent experienced a “positive outcome,” 14.7 percent had no change, and 4.6 percent experienced deterioration in health. Patients with the highest positive scores (over 50 percent of patients who self-scored a +2 or +3 on a 7 point Likert scale from -3 to +3) were achieved in the treatment of anxiety, catarrh, colic, cystitis, depression, eczema, irritable bowel syndrome, and PMS. A total of 63.6 percent of patients with depression self-scored a +2 or +3 result from homeopathic treatment.

More information on the homeopathic treatment of mental illness and more scientific evidence verifying its efficacy is contained in a newly published textbook on the subject, Homeopathy and Mental Health Care: Integrative Practice, Principles, and Research .
How NOT to Use Homeopathy for Depression

In early 2010, Alexa Ray Joel, the daughter of singer Billy Joel and actress/model Christy Brinkley, supposedly tried to kill herself by taking a homeopathic medicine, called Traumeel. Anyone with the simply elementary knowledge of homeopathy knows that one cannot commit suicide taking homeopathic medicines due to the extremely small doses in these medicines. Even homeopathy’s most ardent skeptics must have had a good laugh at this media report.

After the initial media report about Alexa Ray Joel’s suicide attempt, she went public with the fact that she suffered from depression as a result of a break-up in a relationship. And yet, Ms. Joel did not correct the misunderstanding of homeopathic medicine or the assertions made claiming that she (or anyone) could kill themselves with a homeopathic remedy. Sympathy is certainly appropriate for anyone who experiences such emotional trauma from the break-up of a love relationship to consider suicide. However, we should be wary of actions that inappropriately seek to tarnish the reputation of good companies or safe medicines.
Why Homeopathy Makes Sense for Depression

Homeopathic medicines are not prescribed based on the person’s diagnosed disease but on the unique way the person experiences his or her disease. In other words, homeopathic medicines are prescribed based on the SYNDROME of various physical and psychological symptoms, not just a single symptom or disease label. Although the selection of the correct homeopathic prescribing is more complex than the use of conventional drugs or even many herbal preparations, the system of prescribing that is individualized to the whole person is intellectually sound… and its results are often significant if not substantial.

The premise behind homeopathy is that symptoms of illness are not just something “wrong” with the person but are actually efforts of their bodymind to fight infection and/or to adapt to stress. Instead of using large doses of pharmacological agents to inhibit or suppress symptoms, very small and specially prepared doses of medicinal substances are individually prescribed to a person for their unique ability to cause in overdose the similar symptoms that the sick person is having. By finding a medicine that matches the symptoms of the sick person, the medicine supports and augments the body’s defenses. Ultimately, homeopathy is what Stewart Brand, founder of the Whole Earth Catalog, called “medical aikido” because it goes with, rather than against, the force of the disease. It is also a type of “medical biomimicry.”

There is, indeed, much more that could be said about the sophisticated system of healing that homeopathy embodies and on the historical and scientific evidence that verifies its safety and efficacy, but the above information and insights provide a good introduction to why people with mild to moderate depression might be consider seeking professional homeopathic care.

REFERENCES:

(1) Kirsch I, Deacon BJ, Huedo-Medina TB, Scoboria A, Moore TJ, et al. (2008) Initial Severity and Antidepressant Benefits: A Meta-Analysis of Data Submitted to the Food and Drug Administration. PLoS Med 5(2): e45. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050045 http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.0050045

(2) Fournier JC, DeRubeis RJ, Hollon SD, Dimidjian S, Amsterdam JD, Shelton RC, Fawcett J. Antidepressant Drug Effects and Depression Severity: A Patient-Level Meta-analysis. JAMA. 2010;303(1):47-53. http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/303/1/47?home

(3) Fontanella CA, Bridge JA, Campo JV. Psychotropic medication changes, polypharmacy, and the risk of early readmission in suicidal adolescent inpatients. Ann Pharmacother. 2009 Dec;43(12):1939-47.

(4) Mojtabai R, Olfson M. National Trends in Psychotropic Medication Polypharmacy in
Office-Based Psychiatry. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010;67:26-36.

(5) Menninger, C. F. The Application as Well as the Similar, Transactions of the American Institute of Homeopathy, 1896, pp. 317-324.

(6) Adler UC, Paiva NMP, Cesar AT, Adler MS, Molina A, Padula AE, Calil HM. Homeopathic individualized Q-potencies versus fluoxetine for moderate to severe depression: double-blind, randomized non-inferiority trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2009 Aug 17. http://ecam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/nep114v1

(7) Bellavite P, Magnani P, Zanolin E, Conforti A. Homeopathic Doses of Gelsemium sempervirens Improve the Behavior of Mice in Response to Novel Environments. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2009 Sep 14. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19752165?dopt=Abstract

(8) Magnani P, Conforti A, Zanolin E, Marzotto M, Bellavite P. Dose-effect study of Gelsemium sempervirens in high dilutions on anxiety-related responses in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2010 Apr 20.

(9) Davidson, J, Morrison, R, Shore, J, et al., Homeopathic Treatment of Depression and Anxiety,” Alternative Therapies, January, 1997,3,1:46-49.

(10) Mathie, RT, Robinson, TW. Outcomes from Homeopathic Practice in Medical Practice: A Prospective, Research-Tarageted, Pilot Study, Homeopathy. 2006,95:199-205.

Dana Ullman, MPH, is America’s leading spokesperson for homeopathy and is the founder of www.homeopathic.com . He is the author of 10 books, including his bestseller, Everybody’s Guide to Homeopathic Medicines. His most recent book is, The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy (the Foreword to this book was written by Dr. Peter Fisher, the Physician to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II). Dana lives, practices, and writes from Berkeley, California.

Follow Dana Ullman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/HomeopathicDana

Glimpses from the International Homeopathic Cancer Congress

from 25-27 September 2009 in Badenweiler/ Germany.

DVD of the cancer congress

Renowned homeopaths such as A.U. Ramakrishnan, R.S. and Alok Pareek, Dietmar Payrhuber, Patricia Le Roux, Rosina Sonnenschmidt and Harald Knauss, who have specialized in the homeopathic treatment of cancer, passed on their knowledge in the course of this congress in Badenweiler.

Homeopaths came over from all over the world to attend the congress: from Canada, Cuba, Netherlands, India, Italy, UK, Spain, Portugal as well as our neighbours from Switzerland and Austria.

With thanks to The International Times 5.6.09:

Syed Mahboob Alam, a doctor working towards his doctoral degree under the supervision of former Chairman of the University of Karachi (KU) Pharmacognosy Department Dr Mansoor Ahmed, has discovered that various types of cancer could be treated by administering herbal medicines to the patients in the homeopathic system.

It was usually perceived before this research that there was no cure for cancer in allopathic or homeopathic system of medicine.

A Homeopathic History of Cancer

Alam has, to date, received 107 patients suffering from different types of cancer including throat, breast, mouth and bone cancer and has successfully treated 104 patients. Two patients withdrew and one died of the ailment.

Out of 104 patients, 38 chose homeopathic system without seeking treatment elsewhere, while 66 patients turned to Alam after becoming disillusioned with other systems of treatment.

The successful treatment of patients came to knowledge of Alam while working on his PhD thesis Investigation on the different maligns curing properties of Herbal Homeopathic Drugs, Thuja Occindentalis, Taraxacum Offincinalis, Conium Maculatum, Chelidonum Majus, Cistus Canadensis.

It might be of some interest that Conium Maculatum was the drug given to Socrates.

Alam and Ahmed conducted the clinical studies at Dr Nadir Homeopathic Hospital, Super Highway, Hussaini Institute of Alternative Medicine, Old Hussaini Blood Blank opposite Nishtar Park, and Sindh Medical Centre, Hilal-e-Ahmer, Clifton, Karachi.

Ahmed told The News that they have opened Al-Murtaza Homeopathic Hospital in Ancholi Society to treat the patients for research and humanitarian purpose.

The researchers took detailed histories of prior illnesses from each patient. They were specifically asked about environmental exposure (including smoking history), tuberculosis and autoimmune disorders, previous immunosuppressive therapy, hepatitis B or hepatitis C, HIV infection, abnormal Papanicolaou test, human papillomavirus infection, etc.

Alam claimed that cardiac disease is number one ailment in the world followed by cancer.

“More specifically we can say that there is no complete cure of cancer in the allopathic system of medicine.

“However, we have the cure of cancer by herbal medicines through homeopathic system.

“These drugs act when they are administered to the patient in diluted form. They inhibit the cancerous cells and provide immunity against unwanted physiological process.

“The treatment can be administered regardless of age, intensity and period of disease,” said Alam while explaining the treatment process.

Ahmed said that the patients were also asked in detail about the exposure to chemical carcinogens if any at their workplace (Occupational History).

“It is very important for us to know what type of work a patient does. Aromatic amines cause bladder cancer, arsenic cause lung and skin cancer, Asbestos cause lung cancer and Mesothelioma Benzene causes Leukemia, Chromates cause lung cancer and Diesel exhaust causes lung cancer.”

In most cases the patients are unaware that they have been victim of cancer. It only comes to light when they (patients) grudgingly come to the doctors to get treatment.

By that time it is already very late.

“Herbal medicines work like magic,” Ahmed said.

He hinted that in this clinical study, 106 diagnosed cases of cancers of different types were studied and in majority of the cases, the standard allopathic treatment that is surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy had failed; homeopathic treatment was then compared to surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

“Homeopathy is a system of natural healthcare in which extreme dilutions of substances from nature are used to stimulate a healing response.

The basic principle of homeopathy is that the substance that elicit a particular symptom picture in their physical form (for example onion causing itching mostly and running nose with discharge that burns) can be used in diluted form to stimulate the healing of the same set of symptoms.”

With thanks to Louise McLean and Natural News 9.11.08

Throughout all the discussions and media attacks on homoeopathy during the last few years, one thing is never mentioned and that is the extraordinary effectiveness of homoeopathic medicines to treat symptoms relating to psychological problems. These include emotional states such as grief, fright, anguish, anger, indignation, guilt, remorse, disappointed love, homesickness, jealousy.

In addition, homoeopathy can also very successfully treat negative states of mind such as depression, fear, anxiety, shock, panic attacks, phobias and anticipatory anxiety.

So often on taking down a detailed case history these states can be traced back to some life changing event, something a person never fully got over or recovered from. They may stem from an unhappy childhood, a broken family or a traumatic experience.

Emotional problems frequently relate to an unhappy marriage or a difficult partner, divorce, death of a child, parent or loved one. Depression can be caused by a host of reasons. Maybe it was the result of a failure in the mind of the patient, or betrayal by a husband or wife leaving them for someone else. Panic attacks often date back to a terrible shock or fright.

A causation can nearly always be found for every negative mental or emotional state but the homoeopathic practitioner must individualize the case to find the curative remedy in the Homoeopathic Repertory and Materia Medica.

Take for example Anticipatory Anxiety. There are 72 homoeopathic medicines listed under the rubric ‘Ailments from Anticipatory Anxiety’ (i.e. shaking, sweating, rushing to the loo, stammering, etc.) In order to ascertain exactly the correct one for the patient, not only does the homoeopath have to find out the way the person behaves but more importantly, precisely which situation triggers the anxiety.

It could be fear of being late for an appointment creating this state in which case one would have to look in the Repertory under: ‘Anxiety – anticipation from – an engagement’ which show the main remedies to be Argentum Nitricum, Arsenicum, Gelsemium, Lycopodium, Medorrhinum. But each one would be anxious in a different way for a different reason! Each remedy has a whole picture which fits a certain type of person or state and this must be individually matched to the patient.

It could be Anticipatory Anxiety before an exam (Aethusa, Carcinosin, Cuprum, Gelsemium, Silica, Thuja) or maybe before giving a speech or talk in front of an audience or perhaps an actor or singer about to go on stage (Coca, Gelsemium, Ignatia, Kali Phos, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Phosph. Acid). Then again it could be anticipatory anxiety before going to the dentist or doctor (Phosphorus, Stramonium).

This gives some idea about how precise the homoeopathic prescription must be to heal and clear negative fears and emotions we all feel but in serious conditions can become chronic states that can last a lifetime if left untreated. Over time, a negative state of mind will affect the body and eventually cause physical problems.

For serious mental and emotional conditions, psychiatrists are happy to dole out tranquillizers and antidepressants. These do not treat the root cause of the problem but merely put a lid on them where they are forever festering beneath.

As long ago as the 5th century BC, Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, said there were two laws of healing — the Law of Opposites (orthodox medicine) and the Law of Similars (Homoeopathy).

Many people think homoeopathy is not scientific. Yet the healing properties of every homoeopathic medicine are collated during what is known as a Proving. With every new medicine to be tested, a number of healthy people (Provers) are given the 30c potency and told to keep taking it until they start developing symptoms. They must record all these symptoms meticulously which will go into a database. Symptoms that are experienced by all the Provers are noted as being the main symptoms of the remedy in the Proving. Finally these are written up in the Materia Medica under the new remedy and then it can be given to a person who is ill suffering from these same symptoms. All of the knowledge about a particular substance is elicited during the Provings.

The materia medica lists homoeopathic medicines alphabetically. It describes all symptoms — mental, emotional physical — for each one. Different personality types go together with different remedies. For example Calcarea Carbonica types tend to be overweight, blond and timid. Pulsatilla types are also blonds, clingey, shy and tearful. Phosphorus people can be dark, redhaired or fair and are excitable and dreamy. Lycopodiums are bossy and intellectual.

The homoeopath records a full picture of the patient taking down the details of his/her mental, emotional and physical symptoms and then finding the homoeopathic medicine that most closely fits. In a large material dose, this medicine would create the symptoms which need to be cured, but a small potentized dose will simply stimulate a healing reaction, enabling the mind/body to come back into Balance.

What are the most common states we see in our Society today? Anger, depression, fear, anxiety, jealousy, blame and guilt.

Anger – there are hundreds of homoeopathic medicines for this and it is necessary to discover exactly what makes the patient angry in order to find the correct homoeopathic medicine.

Depression – Again, what Caused the depression? The remedy must be found that fits the causation as well as the way the depression is manifesting. Maybe it was a number of things but can be one main thing that needs to be addressed. Each homoeopathic medicine relates to different types of people and different causations. Fear and Anxiety have many causes.

Grief is common in our world for many reasons. One of the main grief remedies is Natrum Muriaticum given to people who internalize their grief, can become bitter and do not want to discuss it. Ignatia is more for the acute stage of grief, the person who slams the door, cries hysterically and tells everyone to leave them alone. There is Phosphoric Acid for grief where the person becomes progressively exhausted to the point where they become indifferent to everything around them. The remedy Staphysagria is also for grief and nearly always in relation to disappointed love and they are usually indignant types. Phosphorus is also a grief remedy and it’s used for very sympathetic people who are much more open to talking about their problems.

Again this is only 5 out of at least 70 remedies listed under Grief! The whole state of mind/emotions and body must be recorded in order to find the remedy that most closely fits all the symptoms.

Turning to jealousy, there are over 30 remedies listed in the homoeopathic repertory, under this symptom (or ‘rubric’). The main ones are Lachesis, a competitive, ambitious and very talkative type; Hyoscyamus, the suspicious and obsessive type of person and Nux Vomica, an ambitious, efficient and fiery type.

People who blame and hold grudges can become sick with all manner of complaints including gall stones and heart conditions. This is a state of mind frequently found nowadays. The main homoeopathic remedy for those who are severely bitter and even revengeful is Nitric Acid. There are about 40 remedies listed but again it is necessary to find the individualized remedy.

The choice of remedy to be taken in any of the above states should only be given by an experienced and qualified homoeopathic practitioner. Reading a self help book or thumbing through the literature in the health shop is unlikely to help you find the homoeopathic medicine to cure you. There are in fact 4,000 homoeopathic medicines, although about 100 are most commonly used (known as Polycrests).

Only homoeopathic pharmacies and practitioners stock the higher potencies such as the 200c, 1000c (1M) or 10,000 (10M) potencies which tend to be used to treat mental and emotional states.

Decisions are made by the homoeopathic practitioner about how long your remedy/potency is likely to work and when you need to come back. High potencies can work for months before another consultation is necessary, making homoeopathy good value for money. The homoeopath will also be likely to see other remedies you are going to need further on in the treatment. There is a clear methodology to be adhered to for a complete cure. Very often people can slowly be weaned off their pharmaceutical drugs as cure progresses but it is easier to treat them if they are not taking any drugs at all.

This essay is a very simple introduction to the use of homoeopathic medicine for psychological disorders and was written to show that there really is another choice than an addiction to anti-depressants and tranquillizers and a genuinely better way for people who want to avoid them.

Copyright © Louise Mclean 2008
Editor, Zeus Information Service
www.zeusinfoservice.com