Dealing With Cancer Through Homeopathy

INTRODUCTION:

Cancer has reached almost every household in today’s era of lack of exercise, healthy food habits, addictions, stress and moral famine. The overall treatment options available in the medical ‘market’ outside provide pain more than the relief. Various kinds of surgeries, radiations and newer chemotherapy drugs are posing threat to the ‘quality of life’ of an individual, in their own ways and methods. Apart from the treatment options, the patient is getting bogged down by the battery of investigations and imaging requisitions, often without assessing the case clinically. The pain of cancer has thus extended, from mere physical or emotional sphere, to moral and financial downfall. The patient is getting exhausted and emptied in all sense, and what s/he gets in return? Nothing but a different form of suffering. Is there anything that we as homeopaths can offer?

Most of the patients we meet at our clinics are already in an advanced stage of cancer, or have already undergone a couple of cycles of chemotherapy for the respective malignancy. They pose three significant questions to a homeopath:

1. Do you offer anything for cancer, and if yes, what is its scope?

2. Is it safe to take homeopathy simultaneously with chemotherapy? Won’t that affect the efficacy of either of them?

3. Can you prescribe anything on the preventive basis for the patient to avoid the recurrence or to the rest of the family?

We will try to discuss all such issues…

I have heard a lot of claims by the eminent homeopaths of my city to CURE the cancer, but I think let’s not cheat patients and homeopathy. I do not doubt the efficacy of homeopathy, but if we make such claims without statistically and objectively proving it, the medical faculty will obviously accuse us for mis-guiding the patients, in turn diluting the faith of the public towards our system.

Apart from its effect against the malignant growth, I have seen homeopathy doing wonders by -

1. Dealing with the mental trauma that the cancer diagnosis causes, with further depression and hopeless mental state.

2. Reducing the side-effects of chemotherapy, especially in cases of CINV (chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting).

3. Relieving the pains in the terminal cancer cases.

The shock and the aftermath:

It is very common to have a patient in a mental state of shock and its aftereffects after being diagnosed of a cancer. There is a strong sense of approaching death leading to a mixed feeling state of fear, despair, hopelessness and sadness. Within no time, you suddenly shift to a permanently unhealthy state never to return back to your original health. The strong feeling of ‘why me?’ haunts the patient day and night, leading to a sense of guilt within.

ARNICA is the best remedy for such a mental shock, and I have used it often to relieve the state of sudden blow, when the patient least expected the diagnosis. There is a strong sense of being good for nothing in such patient, with a morose and hopeless feeling along with great apathy.

An ARSENIC ALB patient will be in a state of anguish with marked restlessness with fear of approaching death. The restlessness gets aggravated at night keeping the patient awake. Oversensitive mind with great melancholy and despair of recovery. Gets irritated at trifles, especially over untidiness around.

A patient needing ACID PHOS would be sitting quiet, with unwillingness to talk or discuss his health status. There is a strong apathy and indifference with strong reluctance to answer the questions. Hopeless state with a dread of anticipated crisis or death. There is a weeping mood at least stimuli.

ACONITE will be called in if the patient is in agonizing frightful anxious state with strong sense of death. He screams with fear and is afraid to get out of the house. It is a situation of emergency due to the state of panic and terror. There is a strong nervous state with typical prediction of death.

I have also seen remedies like SEPIA and AURUM MET working excellent to lift the mood of the patient from the sad and indifferent state. I also use certain Bach flower remedies like Aspen, Rock Rose, Wild Rose, Gorse, White Chestnut, or Rescue Remedy to relieve the acute panic and hopelessness.

CHEMOTHERAPY INDUCED NAUSEA AND VOMITING:

Chemotherapy-induced nausea vomiting can negatively affect the quality of life, making it hard for the patient to function in a normal manner on daily chores, often making him to consider stopping the chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment cycles. Almost 50-60% of the patient experience severe nausea and vomiting and rank it as the most disturbing side effect of the cancer therapy.

Along with remedial measures, the patient should follow a pattern of small and frequent meals. A dry toast or crackers can relieve the nausea. One should drink plenty of fluids throughout the day and avoid eating spicy and oily stuff.

Among the top-rated remedies for CINV, I have used – IPECAC, ARSENIC ALB, VERATRUM ALBUM, RADIUM BROM and COLCHICUM.

In case of colchicum, I have often found patient craving for aerated drinks [pepsi or coke] and alcohol [which obviously should not be provided]. There is a strong nauseating feeling on slightest smell of food. Patient craves a specific food but when offered, the smell gives rise to nausea, preventing him to enjoy or relish that.

The RADIUM BROM patient shows a strong feeling of nausea that is better by eating, just like in case of SEPIA; while the patient who needs VERAT ALB would complain of a strong nauseating feeling that is triggered by starting to eat, along with marked prostration.

THE PAIN RELIEF:

I often get patients that are in advanced or terminal stages, referred for the pain relief, especially due to the bone metastases. There is a severe bone pain that is relieved by nothing in particular. No specific position can relieve the pain and it gives rise to intense physical restlessness.

I had used various remedies for this bone pain – including ARNICA, RUTA, EUPATORIUM and RHUS TOX; but the most significant relief has been achieved with the administration of SYMPHYTUM in a mother tincture form.

Conclusion:

Homeopathy has much to offer in cases of cancer, apart from treating the malignant growth. A patient or his family would often enquire about the role we as homeopaths can play in the overall treatment process; and we need to be clear within ourselves about our scope.

Apple: not ‘forbidden’ anymore…

You can be a physicist, historian, doctor, sportsman, religious follower, chef, story-loving child or a health-freak, APPLE is the fruit that must be close to your heart.

The contribution of this ‘forbidden fruit’ goes from inspiring Isaac Newton about gravitational force, to providing a sodium- & cholesterol-free source of antioxidants exhibiting anti-cancer properties. Though an old English adage says, ” To eat an apple before going to bed, will make the doctor beg his bread.”, a doctor also bonds with it through ‘Adam’s Apple’ in the early Anatomy classes.

ORIGIN

Apple (Malus domestica) is a pomaceous fruit from the family of Rosaceae (rose) and ranks as one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. Finding its origins in the wild mountains of Central Asia, today there are more than 7500 known varieties of apples that are cultivated across the world. Most of these varieties are eaten fresh, though some are specially used for cooking or making cider.

Apple trees are deciduous, which means their leaves fall off at the end of the growing season.

NUTRITION

Apples are bulky for their caloric content (like most fruits and vegetables) and thus ranks amongst the negative-calorie fruits. A medium-sized apple provides only 80 calories. Water and air constitute almost 80% of Apple’s volume [that is why it floats].

HEALTH BENEFITS

Apples not only are cholesterol free but also help to reduce existing cholesterol by preventing re-absorption, thus helping people with heart-disease, obesity and high-lipids.

Research suggests that apples may reduce the risk of colonic cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer, possibly due to the phenolic compounds (quercetin, epicatechin and procyanidin B2) they possess, that have anti-oxidant properties. According to the USDA, apples and apple juice are among the top 20 foods with the highest antioxidant content per serving.

The fiber content, though less than in most other fruits, helps to regulate bowel movements.

Apple juice concentrate has been found to increase the production of the neurotransmiter acetylcholine in mice, providing a potential for protecting the brain from the effects of oxidative-stress.

APPLE FACTS

• Apples ripen almost ten-times faster at room temperature, thus keep them stored in the refrigerator.
• Store apples away from strong-smelling foods to prevent them from absorbing unpleasant odors.
• Coat sliced and diced apples with a mixture of one part lemon juice to three parts water, to prevent browning.
• Don’t peel your apple. Two-thirds of the fiber and lots of antioxidants are found in the peel.
• Apple day is celebrated on 21st October.