Sanjeevoni Homeo Health

Alzheimer’s is the common form of senile dementia, a group of condition that gradually destroys brain cells. As a result it destroys memory and impairs cognitive power. This disease has a long duration and may continue for 3 years to 20 years. It gradually unfolds its mischief through gradual extension of amyloid degeneration of neural tissue of brain from neocortex, limbic system and brain stem. The degenerative process is noted as tangles and plaques on autopsy.

The neuronal functions and communications of brain system are so complicated and ambiguous that Penfield described as ‘pinnacle hidden in eternal clouds’ the foothill of which neurophysiologists are trying to clear.* The pathology alters and disrupts the dynamics of interneuronal, intra and inter-cortical, communications and decision making processes.

Cause of Alzheimer’s disease:

Cause of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is really not known as also the specific dynamics of its physio-pathology. As usual the health business industry is in search of some new protein as the cause of AD. That effort lead to the suggestion that a small percentage of cases is known to caused by inherited mutant genes but failed to assure what role genetics play in AD. It is suspected that this mutant gene may be responsible for early-onset familial AD at age of 30 – 60 yrs.

In other cases variants of specific genes are suspected to increases the risk of AD. Risk factor genes interact with each other and with non-genetic factors to increase risk for AD. The only risk factor gene identified so far produces ‘Apolipoprotein E’ (APOE), the normal cholesterol carrying protein. It is suggested that abnormality of this protein induces AD in 15% of cases. It may also be noted in paradox that people who inherit such variants from both parents still may not get the disease.

Other risk factors which might contribute towards AD:

Anomaly of cranial vascular system (ischemia); Brain tumor

Risk factors of heart diseases & stroke: Hypertension, High cholesterol level, low level of Folic acid and Cyanocobalamine.

Thyroid deficiency.  Depression and imbalance in neuroendocrine system.

Drug Reaction

Heavy metal toxicity.

Physical, mental and social activities may retard onset and progress of AD.

Complicating factors:

Degenerative diseases like Diabetes, Gout, and Rheumatism are often associated with AD. In many cases AD appears in persons already affected with these diseases. The two together are likely to accelerate the degenerative process. Autoimmune responses of neroglial cells- possible?

Diagnosis and Prognosis of AD:

 

Prognosis of this disease is said to be unfavorable under conventional allopathic therapeutic management. A person with AD lives about 8 – 25 years after initial diagnosis. Untreated cases progresses faster.

There are no specific test to confirm AD apart from brain autopsy on death. MRI may help in certain level of understanding. Thyroid function testing may hint at indirectly.

So Diagnosis mainly stands on clinical symptoms exhibited by the patient. Cognitive base line creation is important and used as benchmark for confirmation, its nature and decline as also measuring effectiveness of therapies. Based on symptoms the disease has been divided under three stages:

Early/Mild Alzheimer’s (2 – 4 years):

·        Mild forgetfulness; confusion with senile memory changes. Loss of recent memories. Difficult managing routine task such as finances and planning.

·        Impaired initiative ness and impaired spontaneity.

·        Depression and terror symptoms.

·        Still able to do most motor activities.

Mid/Moderate Alzheimer’s (2 – 10 years):

·        Loss of distant memories; impaired activities of daily living like brushing tooth, combing hair. Increasing disorientation; deficit in intellect and judgment, inability to think abstractly.

·        Behavioral symptoms: Agitation, paranoia, delusion and hallucination

·        Convulsive seizures

Late/Severe Alzheimer’s (1 – 3 years)

·        More difficulty with essential ADL

·        Total disorientation; scream, groan, refusal to eat or swallow, inappropriately cries, loses ability to communicate.

·        At greater risk to infection and pneumonia.

Therapeutic Management of AD

Conventional Allopathic system based on finding a causal organism or a protein and its annihilation is helpless at this time as specific causal protein or the gene producing this is elusive. In absence of specific drugs which alters the course of specific pathology of the disease, basic drugs for insomnia and depression are used to control the behavioral manifestations. This allows the disease to run its natural inevitability.

Hahnemanian Homeopathy is based on study of drug toxicity on healthy human being and understands the dynamics of the degenerative pathology of specific drug toxicity as also the uniqueness of individual drug toxicity. Homeopaths since long before   using the nomenclature of AD recorded curing degenerative disease of nervous system including senile dementia. Homeopathy successfully cures AD by inducing similar dynamics of degenerative pathology through dose dependent toxicity of specific drug. The toxicity produced by the drug soon spends up its force due to minuteness of the dose, liberating the system from natural disease and allowing it to re-establish normal homeostasis. Individualization of drug pathology and AD pathology is of paramount importance for therapeutic purpose. Some heavy metals, nosodes, plants and minerals are accredited with ability to cause neuro-degeneration. Medicines from this group of drugs are used as major arsenals for Homeopathic management of AD.

Matching of surface symptoms of patient with drug symptom, I guess, is of little help. Finding the ‘similimum’ of dynamics of drug pathology and disease pathology as also the constitution of drug and patient is of sure help in this treatment.

N.B.: Dr. Debdatta Chakrabarti has helped number of patients with Homeopathy.

* From Review of Medical Physiology, W.F. Ganong; Lange Medical Publication, Maruzen Company Limited, Asia Edition, 1971, p. 187

33 years male, height 5’5”, wt 145 lbs looked for help from Homeopathy in the middle of June 2005. He described his complains as: ‘prone to colds, gets cold almost everyday, could be from cold weather, very hot weather and sudden temperature variation, cold wind, cold room, touch anything cold, cold food and feels sick & weak. Blocked (one) and running nose with sneezing & watery eyes aggravating during morning hours. Sweats profusely at night and very hot temperature and then gets sick. Different parts of body becomes cold frequently. I like warm food and drink. Amelioration in warm food and drinks and warm weather but not very hot which aggravates the conditions. For last 1 year having excess ptyalism and thin mucus from throat during cough. Few months back primary physician performed Spirometer test to assess lung function, the result was not optimal and prescribed Singulair. Suffering from the complains for more than 6 years.  X-Ray report suggests mild sinusitis but chest normal. Blood report normal. Cannot remember of any serious past disease. Mother diabetic.’

Patient tried both Allopathic and Homeopathic medications: He was took Claritin D, Allegra 180 mg, Zyrtek, Robitussin DM. Zing 25 mg and Singulair as prescribed by Allopathic doctor. Under prescription from Homeopathic Doctor he took a couple of patent medicine (multiple combination)  for some time then Arsenic alb ^c, Sanguinaria 200C, Allium Cepa 30, Sanguinaria Can 200C, Kali bichrom 200 and Niccolum 30.

The patient was checked at Sanjeevonihomeo.com on 06/19/05 with following findings: BM – Regular, 2- 3 times a day, formed stool. Urine – NA, Appetite & Thirst - NA, Sleep fare. Tongue rough grey coating. Tonsils enlarged, congested. BP- 120/70, PR- 82/min, Soft beat without arrhythmia. Auscultation- Chest NA, Heart sound N/A. Palpation of Abd: Liver just palpable at Rt. Hypochondrium on deep palpation without tenderness. Prescribed: Arsenic trioxide and Poison nut both medicines 3 times daily with Bacillinum once in 4 days. Advised check up after 2 weeks of medication. Patient returned on 7/2/06 reporting marginal improvement and more comfortable. Repeat for 2 more weeks.

7/16/06: reported more energetic, cough and sneezing improved but still more during morning hours. Repeated same prescription for 4 more weeks.

8/28/2006: Reported General improvement in all respect. Advised Ostrearum  - BD for 2 weeks followed by white cedar – 2 wks and Sycotic co  once a wk.

12/17/05: Returned after about 4 months stating that chill (localized) which went off is returning back with green mucus sputa for last 2 – 3 days. Earlier medicines with variation in potency and repetitions advised. On Apr 06 reported of very much improvement but nasal polyp causing obstruction. After the constitutional healing took place he was prescribed for nasal polyps and last visited on 6/10/06 when he reported of improvement in the obstruction.

I quote following excerpts from an e-mail of one of my patient to sia-members@yahoogroups.com, regarding relief with Homeopathic treatment:

“Hi guys,

Recently I visited Dr. Chakrabarti for my allergy problem and it has been extremely helpful. I was taking Zyrtek or Allegra almost everyday for last 7 – 8 years. These medicines are very expensive and who knows about the long term side effects. I am glad that I am out of it.”

Some M.D. physician responded to sia-members@yahoogroups.com as follows:

1. ‘Homeopathic remedies are constructed from serial dilutions of a substance up to 50 – 100X in succession.’ This led the physician to conclude that there is no significant quantity of drug in homeopathic medicine.

In this premise MD Physician is erroneous on 2 counts: (1) Homeopathic drug dilution is not simple serial dilution in contrast to allopathic drug dilution. (2) The drug molecules are energized at every dilution by breaking the molecular integrity through a number of ‘succussions’ imparted to the solution.

2. The MD physician maintains the erroneous understanding that there is no regulatory Agency regulating the homeopathic medicine and treatment. In America all homeopathic medicines are under FDA regulatory concept. Many parts of the world including Europe extends government regulated licensed/registered homeopathic medical care and services. Further not a single homeopathic drug has been taken off the market for its toxic side effect in America or elsewhere during the last 200 years. Above all, there is no ground to believe that the society at large is so dumb as not to take any action against toxicity of any medicine for 200 years, especially at the present time under the surveillance of rich and powerful health care industry.

Debdatta Chakrabarti

www.sanjeevonihomeo.com

AUTISM

Institute of Mental Health notes that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was not known till1943 when Dr. Lee Kanner of John Hopkins University Hospital introduced the label ‘early infantile autism’ in English language. Prevalence of ASD has, since then significantly increased from 4 in 10,000 in 1990 to as many as one in every 166 birth today. Autism or autistic-like symptoms may co-occur with many other neurological disorders.

What is Autism?

ASD is brain developmental disorder with varying degrees of impairment in the areas of reasoning, communication skills, social interactions and restricted repetitive stereotyped behavior, some are non-verbal. Emotion, motor or sensory, exacerbates these deficiencies. Some have unusual response to sensory experience such as certain sounds, or the light. Also frequently a normal developmental pattern is followed by sudden or slow but steady regression or loss of skills. Autistic disorder appears in early childhood usually during the first three years of life. The real cause(s) of Autism remains elusive.

Clinicians understand and diagnose it from outward behavioral characteristic and rely on impairment in at least one area, communication, socialization, or behavior, being evident before 3 years of age.

Physio-pathology of Autism:

Modern science suspects of a genetic component or predisposition to autism disorder. Inborn error of metabolism (phenylketonuria) from some mutant genes also causes mental retardation.

Food allergy and insufficient Vitamin and mineral have been suspected in Autism.

Hypothyroid (cretin) child is physically and mentally retarded. In such cases defective myelination leads to serious mental retardation.

Dysregulation of brain growth, caused by genetic defects, has been suspected in autism. Sudden rapid head growth in an infant may be an early warning signal.

Post mortem and MRI studies shows major brain structures like Cerebellum, Cerebrum, Limbic system, Corpus Callosum, Basal Ganglia and Brain stem, or in other words the whole nervous system is implicated in Autism.

Integrated brain functioning is in constant dynamic modulation by a multitude of feed back inputs from all systems including various parts of its own. The brain itself is a neuroendocrine organ and act as central coordinating regulator of all systems and organs. It works through secretion of different neurotransmitters, some of which are excitatory, some inhibitory. In many cases the cell receptor which is acted on by the transmitter determines if it is excitatory or inhibitory. Inactivation of the transmitter after the signals are sent also influences its kinetics. Any imbalance in this basic dynamics is reflected through brain dysfunctions.

The inputs converging upon the motor neurons sub-serve three semi-distinct overlapping functions- a) skilled voluntary activity (Pyramidal system); (b) Adjustment of body posture to provide stable background for body movement (extra pyramidal) and (c) co-ordination of various muscles to make movement smooth and precise (cerebellum).

The Reticular formations and Reticulo-Activating system(RAS) play important roles in (1) adjustment of hormone secretion, (2) conditioned reflex formation, (3) regulation of sensory input, learning and consciousness and (4) vegetative functions. Activity in RAS projects diffusely to cortex, thalamic nucleus and nonspecifically to neocortex. There is some brain mechanisms to which reticular formation contribute, that can turn up or down the volume of afferent input by effects on specific sensory pathways or the sense organs themselves. Narrowing of the field of awareness during focused attention is due to ‘turning off’ of some of the incoming stimuli to the cerebral cortex.

Learning, memory, judgment, language and other functions of mind are integrated functions of nervous system though they are largely cortical functions. Some types of learning also cause structural change in the cerebral cortex.

Hypothalamus and Limbic system are concerned with emotional expression as also its genesis. Emotions are physiologically based complex reaction pattern of changes in the nerve and muscle (smooth and skeletal) systems. Emotion leaves an electrical and chemical signature within brain and body, called “signature of emotion”. Chemically emotions are interactions between chains of amino acids that form neuropeptides and brain cell receptors. Finally though emotion is primarily located in brain, spine, autonomic nervous system it affects any and all parts of body in physiological terms.

Management of Autism under conventional (Allopathic) system :

Cutting edge technology is yet to be of any real help to the ‘state of art medicine’ in diagnosing which part has really been impaired in autism and its remedy. So the Physicians rely on behavioral characteristics to make a diagnosis

There is no single best treatment package for all children with ASD. The child is educated using applied behavioral analysis to increase communication, learning, and appropriate social behavior. Medicine is used for behavioral problems such as depression, anxiety, seizure with the groups of medicines ear marked for such conditions by FDA. A National Institute of Mental Health document on autism discloses that a child with ASD may not respond in the same way to medications as typically developing children.

Management of Autism under Homeopathic system:

Historically retarded growth and functions of the nervous system is known to the human community long before Dr. Kanner or Dr. Hans Asperger labeled them in their way. Homeopathic literature of late 19^th century records a large number of cases and their cure. The fact though remains that late 20^th century has seen exponential growth of Autistic behavior in children.

Discovery of vaccination with disease germ started with Edward Jenner who reported the 1^st case of vaccination against Cow Pox in 1798. A large number of vaccinations has since been developed as preventive therapy against deadly diseases. Homeopathic literature suspects many ASDs are results of improper vaccination or ill effects of vaccination. Many cases developed as direct sequel of vaccination. Many serious diseases like diphtheria, typhoid, mumps, measles, polio myelitis, pertussis also leave permanent neurological complication after its course in some cases. Viral infection of mother during her pregnancy increases the risk of immature or neurologically retarded birth.

Vaccines in some cases may fail to take up appropriately and the immune system initiates a chain of autoimmune reactions against body’s own tissues, especially nerve tissues, leading to various complications.

Allopathy opines vaccine that does not take up is of no consequence as the person must have already been immunized against the vaccine virus. Homeopathy considers that because of being intoxicated by the vaccine virus/foreign protein the organism cannot disburden itself of the vaccine virus by outward manifestation. Constitutionally these people have a slug Reticulo-endothelial (RE) system. Lethargy of the RE system is characterized by slow and torpidity of local defense with dragging inflammatory response.

Recent findings of growth of gliomas in organ transplant recipients link it to increased immune suppression. Immune system, nervous, endocrine and other systems are complexly integrated as one. Any aberration at one plane may alter the dynamics of physiological homeostasis and be reflected in deviant performance. Vaccination always makes the host vulnerable to incompletely understood immune suppression and autoimmune pathology reflected mainly in neurological complications including brain retardation. The risk increases when multiple vaccines are used simultaneously or in quick succession. This may correlate with the exponential growth of ASD in USA during the last half of 2oth century.

The adjuvant and preservatives in the vaccines also have their own toxicity.

Weakening of the immune system (RE system) also help flaring other constitutional taints like cold susceptibility, consumptive affection, rheumatic and collagen diseases.

Homeopathy argues that retardation of brain is also noted in heredos, hereditary syphilitic/sycotic conditions, tuberculinism, acute diseases like measles, influenza.

For therapeutic management Homeopaths must follow Hippocrates’ dictum that the whole man is ill, not one particular organ. The physician becomes a ‘healing artist’ by diligence and powerful talent of clinical observation. Accordingly homeopathy considers all the signs and symptoms, notes organ/system involvement, judges constitution and susceptibility of the patient, and relates all these to the drug pathologenesy to select the specific medicine. For ASD homeopathic miasm plays important role.

John Compton Burnett, British Homeopath, recommended in late 19^th Century that as backwardness has a physical cause and origin, the first step to be taken is to alter this physical cause of abnormality. Sending such kids for teaching/training or special methods of instruction, special nutritional program or seaside are all good but it is not enough. He opines curing the delicate and the diseased while quite young, and then letting them finish their growth. This will in the end get healthy sound adult. He wrote: “How do I know? Simply because I have done it myself many times during the past 20 years, and these pages are intended to call attention to the possibilities of curative medicine in the various constitutional delicacies of childhood, whether inherited or acquired, or both.” He stresses: “Cure the constitutional wrong as soon as possible, as thus growth comes after the cure, and then natural growth may result in complete normality.”

A case report: Female; 40+ yers old

Came with complains of flatulence and burps. Stomach uncomfortable when empty, ameliorated by eating. Gurgling in abdome, pain lower right side of abdomen; stool semisolid, borwn colored, with gas. Frontal dull headache. She had the same symptoms a year back when USA Licenced MD doctor diagnosed her to be suffering from gastritis from H.pylori and treated with antibiotic and she got well. About a year after then the patient developed the same symptoms and looked for HOMEOPATHY and contacted Sanjeevonihomeo.com.

Detail case history was taken. On Physical examination No abnormalities were detected in epigastrium or either hypochondrium. But a hard fibroma of the size of a tenis ball was detected at pelvic area and clinically diagnosed to have uterine fibroma. At this time the patient revealed that she was having some menstrual irregulariteis for last some time.

At this time Homeopathic doctor informed her of two options, surgica removal of the fibroma or regression of the fibroma through homeopathic medication. Some time had to be budgeted for medicinl regression of the fibroma. The The client opted for surgery.

A couple of months after surgery the patient came back to Homeopathy with the complain of a feeling of swelling and discomfort at her sitting area, poor appetite, flatulence, eructation and loose stool. She looked nervous. On examination it could be ascertained that the pelvic area was sill tender and the surgical wound did not heal completely yet. After a wk with homeopathy she felt much comfortable and regained confidence.

How the two system differs.

The licnced doctors, seems fettered by the corporate insurance system, failed to take look at the totality of the patients complains. It was stated by the patient that they never examined her physically when she was having problems of flatulence and lack of comfrot in stomach, neither they told her anything about her fibroma. They conceived she was having infection and completed their service by prescribing the antibiotic specific for the infective organism. Even after operation they did not advice her about pelvic exercises for rapid rapid recovery of pelvic muscle tone. They are in essence failing to follow the dictum of Hippocrates.
Homeopathy on the other hand considers disease in its totality and thereby checks all systems through the skill clinical eyes, examination and expertise. In this case same principle is applied and thats how the root cause and serious illness of the patient was discovered and given freedom to go with her own option as also radical cure.

Rationalization of practice of Medicine stepped in Europe through Hippocrates (470-399 BC) when the pre-Socratic (Socrates, 469-399BC) declared that regulation of body and life was under the control of cosmic laws, not mystic divine rule. Hippocrates, father of modern medicine, believed that all diseases had natural environmental causes. It was not a punishment for sin. He believed in the healing power of the vital force of living being and treatment of the body as a whole not just as a series of parts. As body and soul are unified, one speaks for the other.

Claudius Galen (129-200 AD) took Hippocratic medicine farther conceived that fundamental principle of life was ‘pneuma’ (greek word for air). He declared that the imbalance in body systems causes disease. He also classified herbal medicines by their properties and established different degrees of potency to treat different dysfunctions.

By late 15^th Century in the Renaissance age increased interest in Science and medicine brought Paracelsus (1495-1551), Lord Baycon (1571-1622) and Sydenham (1624-1689) to the forefront of medicine. All of them reasserted natural factors as cause of disease and that natural forces need to be harnessed in its cure. During this era they resisted the attraction from brilliance of material sciences. They understood body could be studied from view points of Physics, chemistry & mathematics for the study of biology, but not for practice of medicine. Medicine is the meeting point of art and science, and never belongs to the domain of exact science. However, they failed to perceive the dynamics of drug–disease relationship in natural context.

A century after Sydenham, the English Hippocrates, German Physician Samuel Christian Hahnemann (1755-1843) gathered all instances of specific cures in medical literature. He rejected British Pharmacologist Cullen’s hypothesis that quinine cures ague by virtue of its bitterness. He tested quinine on his own body and himself developed ague-like symptoms. This was a Eureka moment. He then tested several other specific medicines of that time on healthy bodies. From the results he made the induction that the diseases so cured by the medicines were cured by virtue of their inherent ability to produce similar symptoms to those they cured. He used the term drug pathogenesis and toxicity. He introduced the principle of ‘let likes be treated by likes’ (‘similia similibus curentur’) in 1790. Thus Homeopathy took birth as a rebellion to the understanding of conventional medicine. It presented discovery and progress, held in one hand the past and in the other the future of therapeutic science.

Hahnemann understood the paradoxical nature of the universe and the dialectical nature of matter and energy. He rightly reconciled materialistic and vitalistic approach to the study of health and disease in totality. He understood life is the beginning and resultant of the organism, as also its consummation. He emphasized life (vital force/energy) maintains health. Later WB Cannon (1871-1945) confirmed that homeostasis is made effective through numerous unexplained integrated regulatory mechanisms. Cannon’s homeostasis resonates with Hahnemann’s vitality. The truth is that material organism in vital combination are only regulated by laws of nature peculiar to vitality alone and not open to limited artificial predetermined laboratory conditions.

Disease in reality is a disorder at any level or plane - material, vital or mental - constitutes and conforms to the whole. Totality of disease is expressed through alteration of perceptible feeling and sensation. Homeopathy is based on therapeutically applied pharmacodynamics. Drugs affect given organs by their elective preference. To cure a disease a drug must specifically affect the same or similar diseased part, in similar manner, and the range of its dynamics shall be coextensive with and equate the disease action. Homeopathy also highlights the intrinsic uniqueness of natural and drug disease. By ‘likes’ Hahnemann meant in depth similarity of the drug and disease pathology. A doctor must be knowledgeable and have full training in all aspects of physiopathology of natural and drug disease to perceive the true similitude between the two.

Evolution is the law of life and universe. Homeopathy evolved on the shortcomings of conventional medicine for the shake of life and medicine. Principal shortcomings of conventional medicines are: It fails to

a) integrate health and disease in their totality. Disease is considered in part on etiological or nosological point of view ignoring individual sensitivity (uniqueness).

b) handle the matter–energy relationship in the use of medicine.

c) correlate disease and drugs in their totality.

d) select specific drug for specific individual. Basis of drug selection being etiology & pathology search for newer and better specific drug for specific disease continues for ever. The ‘wonder drug’ of today becomes discarded tomorrow.

e) use minimal or no drug but the drug signature for therapeutic purpose. This yields to development of new pathology.