Endometriosis and Homeopathy
Homœopathy is not simply masking the physical symptoms but bringing about true healing on all levels.
A definitive diagnosis is not required to use homeopathy to treat endometriosis. The symptoms that are exhibited by the woman are used to determine a prescription of a homeopathic remedy. This holistic healing modality works at balancing mental, emotional and physical aspects of the woman to bring about deep and lasting healing on all levels. Therefore the homeopathic interview is a deep analysis of the woman on all levels and aspects of her.
Miasm
Endometriosis is a chronic disease as described by Hahnemann in the Organon20
Aph 78. The true natural chronic diseases are those that arise from a chronic miasm and that, left to themselves without their specific remedy, continue to increase indefinitely, tormenting the patient with ever greater suffering to the end of [her] days, despite the best mental and dietary habits.
There couldn’t be a more accurate description of this condition!
Miasmatic considerations are paramount when prescribing for endometriosis. Bulun, et. al. (2012) state that a large number of genes are dysregulated in the gene expression profiles of women with endometriosis,27 this is proof of the miasmatic taint. Without taking into account the underlying miasm in this condition, the remedy prescriptions will be palliative at best and will not bring about lasting relief of symptoms.
Hahnemann first described three miasms in his work Chronic Diseases, these being Psora, Sycosis and Syphilis.21 Psora is described as affecting skin and mucous membranes and diseases of function. Sycosis is generally thought of in conditions of excess growth and Syphilis in erosion and destruction. Psora is universally present and the other miasms present as layers.
Endometriosis belongs to the sycotic miasm34 on the account of the nature of endometriotic tissue, which is increased growth and proliferation. Although multiple layers of disease are often present, for example Hahnemann places haemorrhages of the womb under Psora (aphorism 80, Organon of Medicine20). Later, in Aphorism 206, Hahnemann describes how Syphilis and Sycosis occur as layers that complicate Psora. So an anti-sycotic remedy may remove the most troubling symptoms in a case and later on (perhaps even a number of years later) the Psoric layer will materialise and further treatment with a different remedy may be required.
A further look at the sycotic miasm shows the following characteristics 22
A peculiar tendency for making a secret of everything
Suspicious
Tendency to brood over things
Irritability
Weak memory
Living barometer
These more peculiar characteristics may be used to help differentiate a miasmatic remedy.
Rubrics
Aph 82 “... no true cure of a psoric or any other kind of disease can take place without the strict individualization of every case.”
The repertories allow a homœopath to lookup a client’s symptoms, analysis them and determine a suitable remedy that may bring about quick relief of symptoms without having to wait for a definitive diagnosis from a medical practitioner or specialist.
When looking for rubrics, many word combinations can be entered into a computerized repertory search, with many rubrics repeated in different sections with slightly varying remedies listed under them. For example under FEMALE; Pain there are many words to describe the pain such as cutting and cramping. Similar rubrics will be found again in the GENERALITIES; Pain, menses section and ABDOMEN; Pain, menses.
Before, during or after menses is an important consideration to differentiate rubrics. The side that pain occurs on and where it extends to should also be considered when choosing rubrics in the repertory and these may be repeated in different sections as above.
Pain is the main symptom of endometriosis. To a medical practitioner, pain is pain and the solution is pain killers regardless of what the pain is like. To the homeopath the exact nature of the pain needs to be elucidated during the client interview as this is important to arriving at an accurate prescription. It is an opportunity for the homeopath to show their client that they are interested in her as an individual and the exact nature of her pain is important to the understanding of the case. To a homeopath pain requires the pillars of repertorisation that is location (including extending to), sensation, modality and concomitant.
Taking the case, questioning includes;
When does the pain occur? Before, during or after menses
Where is the pain centred and where does it extend to?
What makes the pain better? What makes it worse? What does it feel like?
Does anything else occur with the pain?
What else is going on? Mood, fatigue, libido,
What is the colour and amount of flow?
The mind symptoms are the most important in homoeopathic analysis and help to truly individualise a remedy prescription to a client’s needs. The essence or sensation of the case can direct the homeopath to a certain group of remedies that may be well represented in the initial repertorisation. This concept may be used to fine tune a prescription out of a number of remedies that come to the fore as a result of repertorisation. Again, when the particular mood or symptom arises it provides a lead to the matching remedy.
Asking the woman what they most desire and what is preventing them achieving this can elicit mental symptoms that will go right to the core of her being allowing a truly individualised selection of rubrics and therefore remedy match – to the woman not her disease.
Remedies
At the front of Phatak’s Materia Medica is an interesting list of remedies with the title “Index (Drugs Useful to Surgeons)” which highlights remedies of use in gynaecological conditions. This list identifies remedies such as
Alumina, Borax, Calcarea carbonica, Causticum, Erigeron, Fraxinus, Gelsemium, Kali bromatum, Lilium tigrinum, Natrum muriaticum, Nitic acid, Nux moschata, Petroleum, Phosphoricum acidum, Phytolacca, Platinum, Plumbum, Psorinum, Pulsatilla, Ratanhia, Secale, Sepia, Silica, Stannum, Staphisagria, Tarentula hispanica, Terebinthina, Trillium, Ustilago, and Xanthoxyllum.39
This list shows that any list of suggestions will be incomplete and remedies found by individual analysis do not necessarily need to be on any such list.
Just briefly we will review those remedies mentioned by Phatak that contain symptoms that may be seen in endometriosis.
Borax – menses too early and profuse with colic and nausea
Calcarea carbonica – menses too early and profuse, last too long; sterility with copious menses
Causticum – dysmenorrhoea with tearing pains in back and thighs, anxiety, sadness and weakness during menses
Fraxinus – dysmenorrhoea, profuse menses, uterus enlarged, heavy, prolapsed
Kali bromatum – excessive menstrual flow, colic; concomitants include ovarian cysts, either heightened sexual desire or aversion to coition
Lilium tigrinum – dysuria, ovarian pains (left), menses early, scanty, dark, clotted, offensive; dragging down sensation of pelvis
Natrum muriaticum – dysmenorrhoea
Nux moschata – continuous and obstinate flooding
Phytolacca – dysmenorrhoeaa
Platinum – dysmenorrhoea with shrieks and jerks; menses dark, thick, profuse, clotted, too early, too short; increased sexual desire
Psorinum – dysmenorrhoea near climaxis, menses early and profuse
Pulsatilla – dysmenorrhoea, menses dark and thick, menses more usually scanty and late
Sepia – bearing down sensation in pelvis
Silica – increased menses
Stannum – menses early and profuse
Staphysagria – menses with aching around hips
Trillium – uterine hemorrhage with sensation as though the bones of hips, back and thighs are forced apart, bleeding with faintness, menses every two weeks
Ustilago maydis – clotted, dark red, menses, irregular, acute ovarian pains, uterus feels drawn into a knot
Xanthoxylum – violent, agonizing, grinding, dysmenorrheal pain, not ameliorated in any position, pains to thighs or radiate over whole body; menses too early and profuse, thick, almost black blood
Other remedies that may be of use in Endometriosis include, but are not limited to ...
Apis mellifica25,33, Arsenicum album33, Belladonna33, 37, Cactus grandiflorus25, Calcarea carbonica33, Candida33, Carsinosin33, Causticum, Caulophyllum25, Cocculus indicus25, Colocynthis, Folliculinum23,24,25,30,31,33,40,42,43, Hamamelis virginica, Hydrastis Canadensis25, Kalium phosphoricum, Lachesis25,33,37,40,42, Lilium tigrinum, Lycopodium, Magnesium phosphoricum, Natrium muriaticum32, Nux vomica33, Oophorinum33,37, Palladium metallicum25,33, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla33, Silicea, Sepia25,33, Sulphur33, Trillium Pendulum29,32, Veratrum album, Viburnum opulus.
As can be seen, there are many remedies that may be of use in treating a woman with endometriosis. There is no “this for that” remedy. Endometriosis presents in a myriad of ways and is treated in as many ways. Those remedies above with no reference number have been suggested by various homœopaths who have had success with these remedies in their practice.
Having a definitive diagnosis of endometriosis does not make the selection of a remedy any easier for a homoeopath. As JH Allen writes
“There can be no security in pathological prescribing per se, as each case depends upon the judgement and knowledge of the individual.” And “It is the sick person that is to be treated, not the pathological name”36.
This article is part of a 4 part series
Disclaimer: This information is supplied for educational purposes only. Sources include published literature and anecdotal experiences of myself and other men, women and animals. The information is not intended for the treatment of any particular individual person or disease. If you are suffering any particular complaint please consult professional help. The information here is taken from my thesis written in 2016. References are available on request