Cure Fibromyalgia With Homeopathy

HOW DOES IT PRESENT:

Fibromyalgia is one of the most common chronic pain disorders, affecting more than 5 million Americans, mostly women. It is characterized by widespread muscle aches & stiffness from all four quadrants of the body that may last the entire day, and most of the times accompanied by incapacitating fatigue, headaches, sleep disturbances, as well as memory and mood alterations. One of the key features of fibromyalgia is the presence of specific tender points. The inability to focus or concentration on mental tasks is often labelled as 'Fibro Fog'. The condition typically develops between the ages of 30 and 50, but can occur in people of any age, including children and the elderly.

HOW IS IT DIAGNOSED:

Since there is no lab test that can objectively confirm the diagnosis, it is usually concluded as 'diagnosis by exclusion' after ruling out other ailments based on the clinical features presented by the patient. The intensity and character of pain may be individualistic but patients often describe pain as stabbing or shooting kind. It is also believed that the condition can amplify painful sensations by affecting the way our brain can process pain signals.

CAUSATIVE FACTORS:

The symptoms sometimes can begin after an accident (PTSD), major surgical procedure, infective episode or after a period of psychological stress. In many cases the symptoms gradually accumulate over time without having any specific triggering factor. It is often seen that the condition can run in families, pointing to genetic link. It is often observed that the patients have low concentrations of magnesium in their blood; 

Interestingly, the patients suffering with fibromyalgia also show concomitant presence of tension headaches, temporomandibular joint affection, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety or depression; most of which are psychosomatic in origin.

TREATMENT OPTIONS:

Though claimed none of the diet-supplements or specific diets has shown any effect on fibromyalgia. However, it is important for fibromyalgia patients to eat a healthy and balanced diet.

Exercise has been found to improve outcomes for people with fibromyalgia. Available pain relievers fail to provide any significant relief from the pain, making it an utmost frustrating situation for patient. That is the main reason why almost 90% of the patients take help of various alternative therapies to achieve desired relief. Homeopathy is one of the leading treatment options among them.

TOP FIVE HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR FIBROMYALGIA:

Since every true homeopathic prescription is individualistic in nature, one must select the remedy based on symptom-similiarity alone. Although the following can be named as top five remedies for fibromyalgia, an individual case might need a totally different remedy as per the characteristic presentation. Thus it is strictly advised to consult a professional homeopath for the treatment.

Here are the top five remedies with their respective indications...

Bryonia:

Pains are stitching or stabbing in nature that get aggravated by slightest motion. Patient prefers to sit or sleep quietly without moving a bit. Every spot on the body is painful on pressure. In general the patient gets worse by warmth or on waking up in the morning. The pain feels better by lying on painful side, hard pressure, absolute rest and cold applications.

Rhus Tox:

This is the key remedy for any kind of rheumatic ailment. The pain appears after getting wet or being overheated. Fibromyalgia starting after strain or sprain of muscles gets relived with this remedy. Pains are as if a muscle was torn from its attachment or the bone has got scraped with a sharp knief. There is generalized soreness of the joints. Lameness, stiffness and pain on first moving after rest or on getting up in the morning indicates this remedy. One of the trio for restlessness. Patient feels better in warm and dry weather or by continued motion.

Kalmia:

Pains are sticking, darting, pressing, or shooting in nature. The most peculiar presentation will be the joints of upper part of the body getting involved first and then the pain travelling downwards to the lower limbs. The pain is assocaited with numbness of the affected part. It is mostly a right sided remedy, but the pains can change places often going from joint to joint. The affected joints are red and swollen. 

Causticum:

This remedy is typically indicated in patients who have long-lasting grief or sorrow leading to fibromyalgia. The pains appear suddenly due to fear, fright or anger. Like rhus tox, there is a marked restlessness where the patient feels like moving constantly but motion does not relieve. Pains are associated with paralysis or paresis of single parts. Typically precipitated after getting exposed to cold air or draft. the most peculiar feature of this remedy is getting aggravated in clear fine weather while feeling relieved in damp wet weather.

Arnica:

Typically helps nervous women affected with fibromyalgia with bad effects from mechanical injuries. There is sore, lame and bruised feeling all through the body, as if beaten. Everything on which the patient lies seems too hard. There is a heat of the upper body with coldness in the lower part. Pains are aggravated by lying down and relived with motion.

Once again I would remind you not to try these remedies without a professional supervision.

Using Mother-Tinctures In Diabetics: My Experience

“Oh! you are a Homeopathic doctor!! Do you have anything to control my blood sugar levels?”

I often come across this question when I get introduced in a social meeting. Diabetes has spread its wings and has quickly started getting grip over the young-adult population as well… thanks to our life-style (do we have any style left in it?) and food habits. I have at least 10 patients who have met this silent-monster before they celebrated their 35th birthday. Thus it becomes extremely essential to think about various options available with us to control and/or eradicate this dreadful disease called diabetes from our society, with the help of homeopathy.

Much before I started treating diabetic patients with the deep-acting constitutional remedies, I had started using mother tinctures. Right from the days when I was studying Homeopathy and had hardly known more than 100 remedies in total. No need to guess the prescription… it was nothing else but ‘Syzigium jambolanum’, which has got its roots from the ancient Indian healing system - the Ayurveda. I had prescribed it to many but with not so promising results. First I doubted its actual role in the treatment of diabetes, but later as I learnt (and grasped) more about the system of Homeopathic healing, I could understand the reason behind the failures. I had simply ignored one of the basic principles of homeopathy - Individualization.

Can we individualize while selecting a mother-tincture?

The question thus arises – whether we can or should apply the theory of individualization while selecting a suitable mother tincture for a patient, or should it be guided by the clinical diagnosis alone?

If it is guided by the clinical diagnosis – then how do we select from multiple remedies indicated for the same disease. Can a clinical picture be utilized to pick up individualizing characteristics for a given case?

After more than 12 years of actively treating diabetic patients, I can now safely say that it is utmost essential to individualize while selecting a suitable mother-tincture for any case. I would like to discuss some of these mother-tinctures and their selection criteria through few case-experiences.

Clinical presentation of diabetes:

The initial presentation of diabetes has always surprised clinicians. The much-learnt clinical presentation of ‘Polyuria – Polydipsia – Polyphagia’ is rarely seen in the clinical practice now. Instead of that, diabetes prefers to declare its arrival through variety of other symptoms. These symptoms or the organs of diabetic complications can be the key to the individual mother-tincture selection.

I have seen Syzygium-jambolanum doing wonders specifically in the cases of diabetes where the degree of rise in the urinary glucose levels is much higher than corresponding rise in the blood glucose levels. I have had a patient whose post-lunch glucose never went beyond 200 mg/dl [11 mmol/l], but his glycosuria always remained in ‘+ + +’ mark. Syzygium given along with Calcarea-carb as the constitutional remedy helped him to have normal glucose reading for the first time.

A diabetic patient presenting with hematuria or cystitis often calls for Rhus-aromatica as the choice of mother tincture. There is a lot of burning during and after passing of urine in large quantities. I have often used it in menopausal ladies who present with diabetes and complain of above symptoms along with stress-incontinence, suggesting of atony at urinary sphincters.

Similarly, a diabetic patient with marked nephropathic manifestations can be helped by Abroma-augusta. It presents with marked albuminuria with offensive and profuse urination along with increased thirst for large quantities of water. Patient often complains about hard stools covered with mucus as a part of obstinate constipation. Loss of bowel-satisfaction that has started since the diagnosis of diabetes always rings bells for this remedy for me. Abroma-augusta can also be selected based on the concomitant presence of severe spasmodic dysmenorrheal in female patients, who react hysterically to the pain. They can categorically mention about the onset of pain just few months before or after diabetes showed its presence.

A diabetic patient with concomitant affection at hepatic sphere, presenting with jaundice marked by loss of appetite and generalized dropsy (anasarca) leads us to Cephalandra-indica as the savior. Dryness and burning are the key manifestations of this remedy.

Gymnema-sylvestre should be labeled as the ‘boon for diabetic men’. I have been using it in cases that either present with sexual debility with erectile dysfunction or report it after few years of diabetic diagnosis. It has not only reduced the sugar levels but has also shown its efficacy in improving the erectile power. 

Calendula ranks the highest when the case presents with wounds that take significantly longer time to heal and also show a tendency to result into non-healing ulcers.

Concomitant symptoms:

We understand concomitant symptom as the one which presents itself along with the chief complaint, but has no patho-physiological connection with the chief complaint except the time correlation. Thus it just exists along with the chief complaint.

In my practice, I have tried to stretch this definition further to assess various systems / organs getting affected along with the primary complaint in patient’s life-time, to check the principle organs of affection and have correlated it with Boger’s sphere of action for the individual remedies.

To give an example – a diabetic patient, after a history of alcoholism, often leads me to the selection of Avena-sativa. In most cases pointing to this remedy, you will find marked exhaustion as the key-presentation. The diabetes gets detected with ‘marked debility not responding to sufficient rest’ as the only presenting symptom for the physician to investigate further. Avena-sativa can also be used in patients where diabetes co-exists with neurological disorders like epilepsy or Parkinson’s disease.

I have already presented a case of diabetes with psychogenic origin, where Abroma-augusta was selected based on the characteristic presentation of constipation with hard ball-like stools & significant offensive urine with proteinuria along with diabetes.

In the earlier days of my practice, I had prescribed Thuja to a case which presented with multiple renal calculi along with cholelithiasis (gall stones) as presenting symptoms along with diabetes that presented with significant pedal edema (water retention). Thuja not only had expelled the renal calculi but also reduced the swelling over the lower limbs in the initial treatment period. Thuja was followed by Lycopodium as the constitutional remedy which further helped the patient.

A remedy like Carduus-marianus that has a marked action on the portal & vascular system can be selected when a patient presents with cirrhosis with ascites and varicose veins.

In general, remedies like Chelidonium that improve hepatic function can be used to boost glucose-metabolism within the hepatic system.

Dosage:

Ideally 30 drops per day, divided in two-to-three parts 

Caution:

Though the utility of mother tinctures in controlling the blood-glucose levels  has been discussed here in great detail, it does not replace the value of a deep-acting constitutional remedy that can restore the fundamental metabolic balance. 

Health Hazards Of Soda – Are Soft Drinks Really Soft On Us ?

Ordering a soft-drink with soda in it has become a regular custom in restaurants. In fact, most homes do store big bottles of soda-drinks in their refrigerator and serve it as first choice to the guests. In urban population, it is often observed that children drink soda-drinks more than milk. With the consumption of these ‘easy to serve and great to taste’ drinks increasing exponentially, it surely is going pose a big health hazard in years to come.

Sodium benzoate, which if often found in sodas, is usually used as a preservative in food industry. Sodium preservatives affect the potassium reserves by reducing the availability of potassium. Sodium benzoate is also known to cause skin-rash, asthma and eczematous eruptions in humans. If we refer to the statistics, every day at least 11 Americans die from asthma and the annual cost of asthma-care is estimated to be nearly 18 million US dollars. Thus we are not paying just for the fuzzy drink but also for the puffs of inhalers that it demands later.

Colas also contain high amount of phosphoric acid, putting strain on the kidneys. It can also affect our bone metabolism. The high phosphate diet has been associated with bone breakdown and an increased risk of osteoporosis. When phosphorus is excreted in the urine, it takes calcium with it, depriving the bones and the rest of the body of these essential minerals. Osteoporosis is directly linked to easy fractures on slightest falls.

I always call these cola-drinks as ‘sugar bombs’ due to their high glucose content. Within twenty minutes of drinking a cola, our blood sugar gets a huge spike, causing the insulin producing cells in the pancreas to work overtime so that it gets regularized. Obviously when that much of sugar is not needed for the daily activities, it is converted to fat by the liver, to store for the future energy-needs. The relationship between the obesity and cola consumption is so strong that with every cola consumed, the risk of obesity increases 2 times. With almost 75 percent heart diseases related directly to obesity, 42 percent breast and colon cancers detected in obese individuals, and 30 percent of the gall bladder surgeries having related to obese patients, this risk appears almost fatal.

With current ratio of diabetic population, at least 10 percent of the entire healthcare funding in the entire world is consumed by diabetes or the complications related to it. Those who drink colas regularly have an 80 percent increased risk of developing type-2 diabetes. Diabetes is known to affect vision, nerves, and kidneys which can seriously lead to a handicapped life.

If you are fond of drinking your cola from a can, instead of a glass bottle, you are at a much different risk. Those cans are coated with a resin containing BPA (bisphenyl-A) which is a carcinogen often found in plastic bottles. It can also affect our endocrine system, potentially causing early puberty and various reproductive abnormalities.

Thus next time you order for a can or bottle of soda or cola, just think about the actual cost you are paying. Any sensible person would agree that it’s not worth it!

That excruciating pain in the Tail-bone !

We all are used to getting treated with allopathic medicines. Antibiotics, analgesics, anti-inflammatory medications, or anti-allergic tablets appear commonly in our conversation whenever we talk about treatment modalities. In there, the treatment is targeted more towards the diseased organ or tissue, thereby trying to eradicate the pathology.

Homeopathic system of healing, one of the most popularly practiced holistic healing technique around the world, differs from the modern medicine in many areas. The main aim of homeopathic treatment is targeted towards restoring the constitutional balance within, to aid in setting the body-equilibrium. It does not target the organs or tissues, unlike allopathy, but focuses on the inner balance of the health-equilibrium. It is achieved by carefully selecting an appropriately suited remedy for an individual patient, considering the various characteristics at the physical, emotional and intellectual sphere.

A professionally trained homeopath knows how to ascertain these qualities and arrive at the most-similar remedy selection by analyzing them.

This makes it a challenging situation to select the most-similar homeopathic remedy for each individual case. Though the clinical diagnosis happens to be same for two patients, the remedy selected might be completely different for both of them. Each case thus raises the interest-quotient and a homeopath needs to be highly alert not to miss any significant characteristic symptom from the narration of the patient.

Though causative factor ranks the highest in remedy selection process, one may come across a case that can demand overlooking the causative modality and prescribe on the characteristic particular symptom. This following case will demonstrate exactly the same.

Case introduction:

Mrs SM, a 44 years old lady, visited Swaroop Clinic for the complaint of severe coccydynia, which involves pain at the tail-bone. She was suffering for almost 8 years with that excruciating pain along the tail-bone. The pain had started after a fall on a hard surface while climbing down a hill. The pain was aching kind and on prolonged sitting in one position, for more than half an hour, she used to get intense burning in the affected region. It had made her difficult to travel long-distance. She couldn’t even sit comfortably in a movie-theatre, where the seats have sufficient cushioning, and thus could not enjoy movies or theatre performances which were her favourite hobbies. She have had taken treatment from few orthopaedic surgeons, who had prescribed her some analgesics, but without any significant relief. One of our patients had referred her to Swaroop clinic for trying homeopathic treatment for the first time.

Remedy selection:

Hypericum was selected considering the causative factor of fall and possible injury to the nerve-endings. Incidently, hypericum is one of the most commonly indicated remedy for coccydynia.

Follow-up:

The patient was prescribed hypericum in different potencies and repetition patterns but there was no relief at all. After exhausting all possible combinations of hypericum, the case was reviewed for the presence of any significant symptom.

Burning pain, which is not usually documented, caught the attention and guided us to the selection of Apis mellifica. It is a remedy prepared with honey-bees and just like the bee-sting; it too represents an inflammatory process.

Apis was selected on the basis of the burning pain that gets aggravated by prolonged sitting. Apis given in medium potency, thrice a day, relieved the pain completely within a month.

Osteoporosis And The Calcium Tablets Conspiracy

Almost 80% of the urban population across the globe has at least heard about osteoporosis till now. A significant number of them have already passed through the 'bone mineral density' test to check the bone-age of their skeleton. Most of the ladies who have crossed their forties have started taking calcium tablets to improve their bone health, after menopause. Don’t you feel doubtful about the entire pattern? Had any of your grandmothers taken any calcium tablet after her menopause? Had your grandmother faced any major bony problems, despite being highly active even at later age? Then what is at fault? You or your doctor who is prescribing you tablets that you buy blindly?

It is a common sense that if you lack in a certain nutrient, you can supply it by two sources – natural food source or artificial tablets that are synthetic. Obviously natural source will be best absorbed by the body and will supply some other essential nutrients as well along with the desired one. For example, if one consumes ‘ragi’ as a source of calcium, one can also get good quality proteins, iron and fibre as bonus package. Instead of taking calcium tablet, if you eat ragi-flour everyday in breakfast, it will not only provide you much better nutrition but will also cost you almost half the price of the monthly supply of those nutrients in tablet form. Plus, you don’t have to spend anything for the breakfast separately. As said earlier, the natural source will get absorbed easily and your body doesn’t have to strain for it.

Second line common-sense is – just think about... after the menopause, do you feel the ladies stop eating calcium containing foods? No! They don’t. Then why to provide it from outside if the food already has calcium. The actual connection of the menopause and the calcium loss then after is related to the impaired absorption due to poor physical exercise or digestion, and lack of vitamin D which is the most essential element for the absorption of calcium from the food that we eat. Has any of the doctors discussed this? And if he has discussed this, has it concluded with prescription of yet another tablet to buy, containing vitamin D?

Vitamin D can be produced by your body when we get exposed to sunlight. If it is available free of charge, why do we have to buy it in a sachet? Spend quality time in sun, of course without applying the sun-screen creams which will block the vitamin D production.

Another factor is lack of exercise. The more we exercise, and with consistency, more will be the need for these building blocks. This need will stimulate and improve the natural absorption.

Thus next time your doctor prescribes something either for calcium or vitamin D, think about the natural sources – from your daily food, cereals or morning walk. The more you go close to nature, the better will be the health. Don’t make your pharmacist and doctor rich un-necessarily. 

Treating Your Child’s Nut Allergy With Homeopathy

Introduction:

There are two types of patients who present with nut-allergies. A majority of those who are allergic to either tree-nuts or peanuts (which are legumes) while remaining show allergic response to both peanuts as well as tree-nuts. 

There are so many varieties of tree-nuts viz. Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, pecans, brazil-nuts, and cashews. A child that is allergic to tree-nuts usually shows sensitivity to all these varieties but the intensity may vary for a particular variety.

You don’t always have to eat the nut to manifest the allergic reaction. Just handling or smelling the nut too can induce a severe allergic response in an individual.

What exactly is a nut-allergy?

Nature has provided us with an innate defence system that fights infections – we call it our immunity. In an allergic individual, this natural immune system reacts in an inappropriate or disproportionate manner to the proteins inside the respective nuts. These proteins are considered as harmful substances and that leads to release of histamine (an allergy chemical) in the blood stream.

What are the symptoms?

Release of histamine can lead to different types of signs and symptoms, with varying intensity.

• Cough with wheezing
• Breathlessness along with tightness in the throat
• Stomach-ache with Nausea and vomiting or Diarrhea
• Itching in eyes with lachrymation (watering of eyes)
• Skin rash - Hives or wheals
• Swelling of the lips
• And the most severe reaction called anaphylaxis

Is there any natural cure?

As for the rest of the allergies (dust, milk, egg, or fragrances), the patient can outgrow them over times. This does not seem to be happening in case of nut-allergies. Usually they tend to stay lifelong in most of the people.

The treatment:

As the famous saying goes, ‘prevention is better than cure’. It is completely true for the nut-allergies. One needs to keep himself away from the nuts. If your child has got a nut-allergy, you must keep a keen watch on the foods he has to ensure that they do not contain even the slightest amount of the allergen. But it becomes practically impossible to avoid it completely. 

A small amount of nuts are present in cookies and chocolates, which are very difficult for the innocent little ones to avoid. Smaller ones can’t understand why they should not eat a chocolate if all their friends can enjoy them in any amounts.

In case ingested, anti-histamine medications can help to reduce the manifestations. Most of the times, patients need to carry these medicines with them to use in case of an unwarranted attack.

Homeopathic approach to nut-allergy:

Let it be almonds or peanuts or cashews, these nuts do not trouble every individual on earth. In fact, most of us relish these nuts for their wonderful taste and nutrient-value. Just imagine a Christmas cake without almonds, won’t it taste incomplete?

The problem is not with the nuts, but with our immune system. It is our defence mechanism that is acting erratically with the substance which otherwise is harmless for the rest of the population. Thus the treatment should be directed towards treating our over-reactive immune system.

Homeopathy does exactly the same. A constitutional treatment approach helps to rebalance our health leading to cure from its root-cause. Homeopathic consultation involves an interview in which the data of physical, mental and emotional symptoms along with medical history is collected. This data is then analyzed and evaluated to understand the essence of the imbalanced state of the individual. This process leads the homeopath to find the specific remedy for the individual. 

Homeopathy works by enhancing the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Action of individual specific homeopathic remedy leads to gentle stimulation and restoration of imbalanced “vital force” to balance.

Each case is analyzed separately for an individualistic remedy selection. There are more than hundred medicines that can be used for the same. It is the skill of a professionally trained homeopath to select the best suitable one for your case.

At Swaroop Clinic, we have cured many cases of food allergies (including nuts) with this approach. Those children can now enjoy all their favourite food items without having to worry about allergic reactions. They don’t have to get a nod from their mother to eat the cookies they like the most.

Treat Alopecia Areata With Homeopathy

Homeopathy is one of the holistic healing technique, which involves treating the individual patient with highly diluted substances, given mainly in pills or tablet form. It aims at triggering our body’s natural system of healing. Due to this unique way of healing, it not only relieves the symptoms but also heals you from the root-cause of the disease.

This article answers few questions about the role of homeopathy in treating alopecia-areata, which affects the hair growth in patches leading to bald areas on scalp or beard.

What is alopecia areata ?

It is a dematological condition in which hair are lost from a specific area of the scalp or beard to form small bald patches. The undelying skin looks unscarred and apparently normal.

These patches are of different shapes but round or oval are the most common ones. In most cases the condition does not progress beyond a few bare patches, but at times it can spread entirely over the scalp leading to Alopecia totalis.

What are the causes ?

It is often considered as an autoimmune disease, where the body's own defence cells attack healthy cells of hair-follicles leading to hair loss.

Genetic link - if you have a close family member with the disease, your risk of developing it increases slightly.

How common is it ?

Alopecia is quite common with at least 3-5 percent of population suffers with it at least once in lifetime. it affects both sexes equally, but is more common in males.

How does it manifest ?

The hair tend to fall out for a short period of time and the patches are mostly seen on one side of the scalp. The hair tend to pull out easily along the edge of the patch where the follicles have already been attacked by the autoimmune process.

It does not form any complications or symptoms (like itching or burning) further, but the cosmetic angle is the most significant distress for the patient.

What is the role of homeopathy ?

Based on their specific symptoms, a homeopath will match the most appropriate medicine to each patient and can prescribe an individualistic medicine suitable for your own ailment.

Medicines such as calc fluor and silica have been the most commonly used ones along with the constitutional assessment.
It may take few weeks or at times a couple of months, but homeopathic treatment definitely cures this ailment from the root-cause. Compared to the side-effects of local corticosteroid injections, Homeopathy offers a safe and effective alternative.

Homoeopathic Treatment for the Benign Positional Vertigo

The most common cause of vertigo is 'benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)'. If you are suffering with BPPV, you can experience a sudden sensation of spinning inside your head.

BPPV is characterized by brief episodes of mild to intense dizziness. The acute episodes of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo can be triggered by specific changes in the position of your head, such as looking up or down (just like you do while drying washed clothes), and by lying down, turning over or sitting up in bed. If it gets progressed, you may also feel out of balance when standing or walking.

The clinical presentation:

The most common symptoms of BPPV are

• Dizziness
• A sensation that the things around you are spinning or moving (vertigo)
• Feeling of light-headedness
• Unsteadiness leading to loss of balance
• Blurred vision that accompanies the sensation of vertigo
• Nausea and vomiting (just like one experiences during car-sickness)

The triggering factors that bring about the episodes of BPPV can vary from person to person, but are almost always brought on by a change in the position of your head. An attack of BPPV can come and go. The symptoms may last for less than one minute.
What happens inside to cause BPPV?

The inner ear that is directly connected to the brain is one of the most important organs of balance. Inside the inner-ear we have a tiny organ called the vestibular labyrinth. It includes three semicircular canals that contain fluid and fine, hair-like sensors that monitor the rotation of our head. If the semicircular canals become over-sensitive to the changes in the head position, it would normally not respond to, one starts feeling dizzy.

Risk factors

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo can affect you at any age, but it becomes more common as the age advances. At least 40% of the population above 60 years of age can experience BPPV at least once in lifetime.

Tests and Investigations

Since it is primarily a functional disorder, most of the imaging can turn out to be negative. Despite that doctor can ask to go for a Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to rule out other causes of imbalance, mainly organic causes like cerebellar tumors or an acoustic neuroma which is a non-cancerous tumor of the nerve that carries sound and balance information from the inner ear to the brain.

Homeopathic Treatment:

Homeopathy believes in restoring the lost balance within the semicircular canals through its deep-acting medicines. It not only relieves symptomatic affection but also prevents the recurrence of symptoms in future.

The common homeopathic remedies that are used in cases of BPPV are:

Conium:

It helps the vertigo of the aged and that arising from excesses an all over use of tobacco.

Patient gets a sensation when looking steadily at an object as if turning in a circle.

Vertigo on rising up or going down stairs, with great debility and inclination to sleep.

Associated with a numb feeling in the brain as if stupefied, worse turning over in bed.

Ferrum-met:

This remedy suits anaemic vertigo, which is worse when suddenly rising from a sitting or lying position.

It comes on when going down hill or on crossing water, even though the water be smooth.

Has a vertigo worse when looking at running water.

Cocculus:

Has its principal action on the solar plexus, and vertigo which is connected with digestive troubles suites this remedy

Helps the neurasthenic type with occipital headache and lumbo-sacral irritation.

Along with vertigo there is a flushed face and hot head, worse sitting up and riding in a carriage; it is also worse after eating.

This remedy also can help those who have a car-sickness.

Rhus tox:

It helps in all those cases of vertigo, especially in old people, which comes on as soon as the patient rises from a sitting position.

Usually accompanied with heavy limbs is probably caused by senile changes in the brain.

Causticum:

Is suitable to vertigo preceding paralysis.

There is a tendency to fall forward or sideways; there is a great anxiety and weakness in the head.

Vertigo and weakness in the head. It corresponds, therefore to the vertigo of organic brain diseases.

Argentum nitricum:

Vertigo, with debility and trembling, is curable by this remedy when there is much mental confusion and a sense of expansion.

It seems as if houses would fall on him when he is walking through the street.

It also suits vertigo from diseases of the brain and eyes.

Also helps the case of tinnitus.

Although these six remedies are used most commonly in cases of BPPV, individual case may need a totally different remedy. A consultation with a homeopathic physician will always help to solve your individual case. Self-medication is not advised.

What To Eat Or Not To Eat If You Have Gout

Gout is a rheumatic disorder that results from an overload of uric acid within the body leading to formation of urate crystals that get deposited in the body tissues, especially the joint spaces. These crystals trigger a recurring inflammatory response within the joint - making it a chronic and progressive disease.

A patient suffering with gout shows raised levels of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is a breakdown product of purines that are present in quite a number of food items that we eat. Apart from manifesting as painful arthritis (gout), the abnormality in uric acid metabolism can also lead to formation of kidney stones and blockage of the kidney-filtering tubules, leading to kidney failure. 

May it be gout or asymptomatic hyperuricemia, dietetic modifications to reduce the formation of excessive uric acid is the key to effective management of the case. This article will throw light on the food items that are associated with uric-acid formation in the body.

In some people, though, laboratory investigations reveal raised uric acid levels in the blood (hyperuricemia) but they do not show any manifestations of gout. This state is termed as asymptomatic hyperuricemia. In homeopathic language, we call it a uric-acid diathesis. It represents a pre-disease state, that if not taken care of can lead to disease in no time.

May it be gout or asymptomatic hyperuricemia, dietetic modifications to reduce the formation of excessive uric acid is the key to effective management of the case. This article will throw light on the food items that are associated with uric-acid formation in the body.

Let's start with a good news... although most of the seafood is termed under prohibited section, shrimp, lobster, eel, and crab are considered relatively safe to consume for the patients suffering with gout.

But a bad news for you is Beer should be avoided completely by a patient suffering with gout. Beer not only increases your uric-acid level, but also makes it more difficult for your body to clear urate crystals from your system. Though wine is considered comparatively safe, it is better to abstain from any kind of alcohol by a patient with gout.

Though all kinds of meat is not created equal when it comes to purine content, one must be selective. White meat is generally better than red, but it is okay to eat some types of red meat once in a while.

Sugary drinks - beverages sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, such as non-diet sodas or “fruit” drinks also come with a label of NO with them. The artificial sweetening agents in the diet-sodas can lead to increase in uric acid concentration.

Among the vegetables - Asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, and mushrooms are higher in purines than other vegetables. But the good news is purines from vegetable source are easier for body to excrete out.

Having said this, there are many types of foods that may help you against gout. Low-fat dairy foods, complex carbohydrates, coffee, and fruits, especially citrus fruits are highly recommended for a gout patient. You should also be sure to get 12 to 16 cups of fluid daily, which does not necessarily have to be only water (although it shouldn’t be beer!)—you can choose non-sweetened juice, tea, and coffee too. Any kind of fluid / food that keeps your blood and urine flowing is good for you.

Diabetes Mellitus Cure with Homeopathy

Presenting a case of diabetes mellitus of a psychogenic origin that got triggered after a crisis in her son’s life. It was resolved with a deep-acting homeopathic remedy selected on the presenting totality. The case emphasizes the role of the characteristic particular PQRS symptoms in forming a disease-totality, as well as the selection of the most-suitable mother tincture.

PRELIMINARY DETAILS:

MRS ABC; Age: 54 yrs Housewife

CHIEF COMPLAINT:

Diabetes mellitus since March 2004

Patient’s son has settled in USA and he met with a serious car-crash, which resulted in major musculo-skeletal injuries to him and his wife. They were admitted in the hospital for almost three weeks. It was a major shock to the patient and a severe cause of worry. She wanted to rush for his care but couldn’t go, due to some other family responsibilities. Since the news came, she started feeling drained and low in energy. She got a severe attack of bronchitis that persisted for almost a month.

During her follow-up check-up for the bronchitis, her blood sugar was found quite high with fasting 205 and post-prandial 392. Glycosylated Hb [HbA1C] was 7.5%

Urine always showed glucose in the range of ++ to ++++ and also had persistent proteinuria. Her blood sugar never remained normal for a consistent period of time and hence she wanted to opt for homeopathic treatment.

CASE TAKING DATA:

Diabetes mellitus – presented with chest infection [bronchitis] first in March 2004. Since then there were repeated attacks of bronchitis whenever her blood sugar goes haywire.

Bronchitis: Gets productive cough – sticky expectoration << lying down

No other significant modality or triggering factor

Significant changes in general constitution since diabetes:

1. Perspiration increased especially palms and soles
2. Thermally was ambithermal but now has become markedly chilly.
3. Craving for sweets increased significantly
4. Strong & strange craving to eat raw food / vegetables [spinach / okra / raw rice]
5. Profuse strong smelling urine
6. Dryness of mouth with thirst for large quantities of water
7. Constipation – hard dry stools like balls

Patient as a person:

• Motion sickness [car sickness] +
• Cravings: warm food ++; highly seasoned food ++
• Sleep disturbed due to thoughts with lots of dreams [forgets]
• Menstrual history: menopause 4 yrs back, earlier regular menses; no concomitants
• MIND: Gets along well with everyone – never gets angry even if things do not go her way; superstitious – believes strongly in ill-wills; worry and anxiety about family members and their health; does not like to mix with peers but is not reserved – will talk in social gatherings and will share her problems easily – does not mix, since does not like gossiping.
• Thermally: Ambi-Chilly ? Chilly [since diabetes]
• Family history: strong history of diabetes in family- Mother, Mat-uncles, Brother (most of them have got some or the other diabetic complications as well; patient had sustained her health until this crisis happened)
• Past history: nothing significant

CURRENT MEDICATION:

• Tab Reclide 80 mg twice daily

INVESTIGATIONS:

Urine sugar: ++ to ++++ with consistent proteinuria

Glycosylated Hb [HbA1c]: (reading above 8.0 % indicates poor diabetic control)

Date	Apr 2004	Nov 2006	Nov 2008	Mar 2010	Mar 2011	Aug 2011
HbA1C	7.5 %	8.3%	7.8%	9.0 %	9.2 %	10.5 %

Prescribing Totality:

• Ailments from – Bad news, shock
• Craving – raw food
• Craving – sweets
• Perspiration increased – palms & soles
• Bronchitis recurrent, diabetes with [bronchi as region of affection]
• Urine – profuse, offensive, putrid
• Constipation: stools hard, ball like
• Chilly with tendency to catch cold easily
• Car sickness

Remedy correspondence:

From the repertorization, CALCAREA stood out as the remedy covering most of the significant symptoms. This case presented with a ‘phase totality’ where there are few symptoms that represent the change in the original constitutional features of the individual [after the disease got established] and thus they were given higher value in the totality and remedy correspondence.

While searching for remedies covering Diabetic pathology in Phatak’s repertory, I suddenly came across a rubric: Diabetes mellitus, lung affection with. This case presented exactly the same. The diabetes was detected during an attack of bronchitis, and the rise in BSL always gave rise to respiratory infections even later during the course of the disease.

CALC PHOS thus was selected based on this differentiating rubric.

Mother tincture: Characteristic constipation with hard ball-like stools & significant offensive urine with proteinuria lead to the selection of ABROMA AUGUSTA

TREATMENT & FOLLOW-UPS:

Date	Follow-up	Prescription
8 Aug 2011	Case defined: Present complaints = constipation + offensive urine No active respiratory ailment HbA1c = 10.5%; Urine: sugar +++, proteins ++ = = = In addition to the medication, was asked to follow strict exercise schedule for at least 45 minutes including brisk walking, cycling on plain grounds, or treadmill for 30-45 minutes	Calc phos 200 stat + Placebo
10 Sep 2011	Constipation = not hard stools but unsatisfactory; Urine offensive; no respiratory complaints Urine: sugar ++, proteins ++ Following the exercise schedule regularly	Calc phos 200 wkly + Placebo
7 Nov 2011	Constipation >>> soft and satisfactory motions; Urine offensive >>> Feeling much fresher; had few hypoglycaemic episodes in between Urine: sugar +; proteins +; HbA1c = 8.6%	Calc phos 200 wkly AbrAug Q 10 QID
23 Jan 2012	No fresh complaints; Hypoglycemic episodes more frequent Visited diabetologist: reduced medication to – Reclide 40 mg BD	Ct all
3 Apr 2012	No complaints – especially no respiratory affection in spite of winter “This is my first winter without bronchitis in last 8 years” HbA1c = 7.0 %; Urine: sugar – nil, proteins – nil	Ct all
25 May 2012	No complaints, keeping well. Doing regular exercise. BSL: F = 96 & PP = 134; Reclide 40 mg BD continues; Urine – WNL	Calc phos 1M stat AbrAug Q 10 BD*
27 Jun 2012	Three hypoglycaemic episodes in last two weeks; HbA1c = 6.2% BSL: F = 76 & PP = 102; Reclide reduced to 40 mg once daily dose	Placebo dose stat AbrAug Q 10 BD
13 Aug 2012	Fasting BSL = 118 and Post-prandial = 142; HbA1c = 6.8% Regular exercise continued; No other complaints	Calc phos 1M /month AbrAug Q 10 BD
28 Nov 2012	Fasting BSL = 78 and Post-prandial = 136; HbA1c = 6.0% [24 Nov 2012] Reclide stopped by diabetologist from 2nd Nov 2012 – yet maintaining sugar levels well with regular exercise and medication	Calc Phos 1M /month AbrAug Q 10 BD

Discussion:

Her health before the crisis [in spite of having a strong family history of diabetes] and having no organic complications was in favour of the patient. The psychosomatic origin of the disease indicated the sensitivity of the patient, which not only helped in deciding the infrequent doses but also was a significant help in achieving faster response to the medication.

As regards the use of mother tincture, I have always found a remedy selected on the basis of the presenting totality as well as the associated symptoms to work in the most beneficial way. Earlier I used to give Syzigium to all patients with not very promising results. Now I have been using almost six remedies based on various indications [which I guess is the topic for a separate article]. In this case, the presence of proteinuria with constipation and offensively smelling profuse urine made the choice ofAbroma augusta easier.