Disease Index

Homeopathy for Cystitis

Written by Dr. Manisha Bhatia

One form of urinary tract infection is cystitis, an inflammation of the urinary bladder. Cystitis is often caused due to some medical conditions such as renal stones, urinary retention, tumors, or neurological diseases. Homeopathy is one of the most popular holistic systems of medicine. The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity.

One form of urinary tract infection is cystitis, an inflammation of the urinary bladder. This condition is prevalent in young women. The condition may result from an ascending infection coming from outside the body through urethra, or it may be caused due to descending infection from the kidney. Cystitis is often caused due to some medical conditions such as renal stones, urinary retention, tumors, or neurological diseases which can impair bladder functions.

Cystitis can be of two forms: acute cystitis and chronic cystitis. In acute cystitis at the onset, there is little amount of pus but in severe cases there will be haematuria also. The urine is ropy and with pus and mucus. Pain and tenderness in the hypogastrium, Micturation is frequent and painful.

In chronic cystitis, larger amount of pus and urine is alkaline, and contains ropy mucus. Pain is less severe, than in acute cystitis.

Causes of cystitis

  • Bacterial infection- most of the cases are caused by E.Coli bacteria. It occurs when bacteria outside the body enter the urinary tract through the urethra.
  • Drug induced – certain medications such as NSAIDs, chemotherapy drugs can cause inflammation of the bladder or cystitis.
  • Radiation – radiation therapy top the pelvic region.
  • Chemical – certain chemicals used in perfumed soap, spermicidal jellies can cause conditions like cystitis.
  • Catheterization – long term use of catheter sometimes causes inflammation of the urinary bladder.
  • Sexual intercourse – vigorous sexual intercourse sometimes causes conditions like cystitis.

Symptoms of cystitis

  • Strong or foul smelling urine
  • Pain in abdomen
  • Urine with traces of blood or blood stained urine
  • Dark colored or cloudy urine
  • Frequent desire for micturation
  • Burning during urination
  • Pain just above the pubic bone
  • Pain in the lower back region

Older women may not have symptoms other than

  • Mild fever
  • Weakness
  • Confusion

Children under 5 years of age often have symptoms like

  • Weakness
  • Less appetite
  • Vomiting
  • Irritability

Diagnosis of the cystitis

  • Urine examination – to diagnose the presence of bacteria, pus cells, and blood in urine
  • Cystoscopy – cystoscopy is a test performed with a cystoscope, a narrow tube with tiny camera at its tip, inserted in to the bladder to see inside the bladder.
  • Urine bacterial count
  • Urography
  • X-ray
  • Bladder biopsy

Homeopathic treatment of cystitis

homeopathic medicine for cystitis

Homeopathy is one of the most popular holistic systems of medicine. The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach. This is the only way through which a state of complete health can be regained by removing all the sign and symptoms from which the patient is suffering. The aim of homeopathy is not only to treat cystitis but to address its underlying cause and individual susceptibility. As far as therapeutic medication is concerned, several well-proved medicines are available for cystitis treatment that can be selected on the basis of cause, sensation and modalities of the complaints. For individualized remedy selection and treatment, the patient should consult a qualified homeopathic doctor in person. Some important remedies are given below for cystitis treatment:

Lachesis

Characteristic symptoms are sensation as if ball is rolling in the bladder on turning over. The urine is almost black, frequent, foaming and dark; has to urinate on lying down, day or night; floating of black soot-like particles in the urine floating

Lycopodium

The urging of urine is sudden and severe. Passage of urine with intense burning; there is sensation as if molten led is passing through the urethra. Urine discharge is very scanty, turbid, dirty brownish red color, and a peculiar smell of malt.

Pulsatilla

Spasmodic pains in the bladder after urinating. Haematuria after urination; Urine dribbles when emotionally upset. Heavy pressure and cramp in the bladder after urination; Urging to urinate on lying on back; Interrupted flow.

Clematis

Tingling in urethra lasting for sometime after urinating; burning frequent urination; last drops causes violent burning; Urine starts and stops; or dribble after urination. Difficult to evacuate the urine in spell; There is mucus in the urine and not pus.

Cantharis
Cantharis symptoms are usually the first ones inquired after when a case of urinary difficulty Cantharis homeopathic medicine for cystitispresents itself. Its symptoms are clear cut, and should not be confounded with those of any other remedy. There is a persistent and violent urging to urinate, with great tenesmus; the urine is passed only in drops and seems like molten lead passing through the urethra, so intense is the burning.
There is with this, usually an aching in the small of the back. It is often indicated in acute cystitis (homeopathic remedy for cystitis), gravel and urethritis, the great keynotes being the burning and the tenesmus of the bladder; haematuria also calls for Cantharis under certain conditions.
Baehr doubts that Cantharis is ever suitable to the chronic form of cystitis.

Mercurius corrosivus
This homeopathic remedy for cystitis has tenesmus of the bladder with intense burning. The burning is less, but the tenesmus is greater, than in Cantharis. The passing of the urine drop by drop reminds of Aconite, which has the same symptoms. Aconite, however, is adapted to sudden retention of urine, for as soon as the disease becomes fully localized as an inflammation Aconite ceases to be the remedy. Cantharis and Nux vomica have also a similarity in the frequent fruitless efforts to urinate. In the region of the kidneys there is cutting pain which extends into the abdomen, the bladder and urethra. The most distressing symptom is the constant urging to urinate, even a few spoonfuls of urine in the bladder bringing on this urging, which is accompanied by the terrible distress at the neck of the bladder. This pain is aggravated immediately following micturition, showing that with this drug the trouble is more urethral. The urine itself under Cantharis is of a deep red color, deposits a sediment of mucus and often contain fibrinous casts.
Belladonna, too, is a remedy for painful urination. Hughes says that it is a rarely failing remedy for nervous dysuria.

Apis mellifica
The symptoms of scanty urine always leads one to consider whether Apis is or is not the remedy, for although Apis produces scanty urine there are number of other drugs that will do the same thing. Apis melifica Homeopathic medicine for cystitisThe keynotes for Apis in urinary affections are scanty or suppressed urine, drowsiness, oedema in in various parts, thirstlessness and suffocation on lying down. The urine is dark, highly albuminous, and contains casts, so it is readily seen how Apis may correspond to any form of Bright’s disease. In difficult micturition of children Apis is often a useful remedy. It has frequent desire, with the passage of a few drops at a time. Among other symptoms are great irritation at the neck of the bladder and incontinence of urine. It is also the remedy to be thought of in retained urine or inflamed bladder after abuse of Cantharis.

Apocynum cannabinum
Apocynum seems to act some what on the kidneys and give rise to various dropsical conditions. It produces a scanty urine, which is light in color, or, as it is given, sherry-colored. Its first effect is to produce a copious diuresis; this is followed by the scantiness of urine which results in dropsy. It also produces an incontinence and may be useful in enuresis. A sinking bruised feeling at the stomach is an indication for its use. it differs from Arsenic and Apis in the fact that it has unquenchable thirst. Arsenic wants little and often, Apis is thirstless.

Berberis vulgaris
Outside of its action on the genito urinary system Berberis is seldom thought of,land it is one of our berberis vulgaris homeopathic medicine for cystitisprincipal remedies for troubles of this system. It seems to correspond to many symptoms which occur in cases of renal calculi. It has severe tearing pains in the kidneys, not merely backache, but pains deep in the kidneys themselves; these pains extend down the back in the kidneys themselves; these pains extend down the back and down the ureters into the bladder;nor do stop here,for we find cutting pains in the bladder extending into the urethra. These pains in the back and along the ureters are very severe; they are worse stooping, lying or sitting, and relieved by standing. In the bladder they cause a desire to urinate, and the patient is constantly urinating, for the bladder seems imperfectly emptied. The bladder aches. The urine itself is reddish, has a reddish deposit consisting of mucus, epithelium and lithates. It differs from the Pareira brava urine in being more slimy. Another characteristic symptoms of Berberis is pain in the hips while urinating. Coccus cacti has some similar symptoms to Berberis, especially the tearing pains extending from the region of the kidneys, the frequent urging to urinate, the deposits of uric acid and the urine of Coccus cacti is dark. These homeopathic remedies for cystitis must be distinguished very carefully as they present many symptoms in common. Berberis has rather more back pains, and seems to act deeper. It is especially indicated in genitourinary troubles, which are due to conditions of atony, or faiblesse.

Pareira brava
This is another drug very similar to Berberis vulgaris-as to pains in the back it is quite similar; yet they do not stop in the hips with Pareira as they do under mostly clinical. It has been found useful in cystitis where there is violent straining to urinate, where the patient has to kneel to urinate, where the urine scalds terribly and where these violent pains in the thighs are present. The urine has a strong ammoniacal odor. Contains thick viscid white mucus or deposits or red sand. The three-legged stool of the drug seems to be: the pain in the thighs, the getting down on all fours to urinate, and the ammoniacal odor of the urine. It is also a useful remedy in the condition known as irritable bladder, dull aching in bladder, feeling as if the bladder were distended, with pain.

Equisetum hyemale
Equisetum acts similarly to Cantharis, but it has less tenesmus and haematuria, and the urine is less scalding. There is pain in the bladder as if too full, not relieved by micturition; the constant desire to urinate is not even relieved by copious urination. The urine is scanty,high colored and contains much mucus. Much mucus in the urine is more indicative of Equisetum than of Cantharis. Chimaphila also has much mucus, is especially useful in prostatic troubles, and has made some cures when there were great quantities of ropy mucus in the urine, which was quite offensive. This is a wonderful remedy in the cystic irritation of old men, characterizesd by a constant teasing desire to urinate with little or no relief following micturition; the patient being frequently compelled to rise at night. The state is one of irritation rather than inflammation. Dr. Hughes considered it a favorite homeopathic remedy in chronic cystitis. The general aggravation of Equisetum seems to be after urinating. Difficulty in beginning to urinate, strains a great deal, scanty urine. It has proved useful in enuresis with marked vesical irritation,being similar here to Eupatorium purpureum, which is a useful remedy in the vesical irritation of women,with much burning in the urethra during urination. With the foregoing symptoms, Equisetum becomes an important remedy in the treatment of cystitis with homeopathic remedies. It has been suggested in the dysuria of children; the pain being worse after urinating will distinguish it from Petroselinum, which has the symptom that the child dances up and down with pain when the urging to urinate comes on.

Digitalis purpurea
The urinary symptoms of Digitalis consist of a dragging and pressure in the bladder which micturition does not relieve. It has been found useful in inflammation in the neck of the bladder with intense desire to urinate, which is increased even by the passage of a few drops. The patient walks about in great distress; at the same time there is tenesmus of the rectum. The patient is relieved somewhat of these symptoms by lying on the back. The pain at neck of the bladder is throbbing. The urine is scanty, thick and turbid, and contains a sediment of brick-dust, like Lycopodium. The urging to urinate in cases calling for Digitalis is often due to the enlargement of the prostate gland, for which it is a remedy.

Terebinth
The urine of Terebinth is one of its most characteristic features. It is smoky, turbid, depositing a sediment like coffee grounds, which indicates the presence of disintegrated blood cells. Haematuria from venous congestion of the kidneys calls often for Terebinth. It has burning during micturition and most painful strangury; the urine, too, may contain albumen and has the odor of violets. Peculiar odors to urine may be fond under the Viola tricolor, where it smells like that of the cat, and Benzoic acid, where it smells strong and ammoniacal,like that of a horse. Terebinth is a useful homeopathic remedy in cystitis, with much tenesmus of the bladder and the scanty, bloody urine; there is also pressure in the bladder, which extends to the kidneys. In acute and chronic nephritis it is often indicated. The urine, oedema and the bronchial catarrh may all point to the remedy.

Nux vomica
Nux vomica affects powerfully the urinary organs, yet it is seldom thought of as having anything specially characteristic about these organs. It affects the lower part of the spine, and we have as a consequence, in the first place, incontinence of urine; there is irritability at the neck of the bladder, and the same symptoms is found here as with the rectum. There are frequent ineffectual efforts to urinate, and these are accompanied by burning and tearing pains; the urine passes in drops. Again, it is indicated in vesical torpor or paralysis; here we have dribbling of urine or retention. Haematuria from abuse of drugs calls of Nux vomica. Cystitis, with this painful urging and scanty urine indicates the remedy. The straining is violent at times, and the urine is dark with a red brick-dust sediment, or bloody, or mixed with a tenacious mucus.
Opium is similar to Nux in having a partial paralysis of the bladder with spasmodic condition of the sphincter, but with Opium the patient is unconscious that the bladder is full, and there is no desire to pass water. The Stramonium patient passes no water because the urine has been suppressed; it is not secreted.
Camphor gives prompt relief in spasmodic retention of urine.
Nux is useful in the irritable bladder of gout and alcoholism, and to relieve pain and spasm in the passage of urinary calculi.

Causticum
In paralytic conditions about the bladder Causticum deserves first place. It is one of our great remedies in enuresis, and its characteristics are involuntary micturition at night in sleep, when coughing, sneezing or blowing the nose, showing a weakness of the sphincter. Another indication of this is the difficulty the patient has in passing the last few drops of urine; the fact that he has to wait a long time before it starts, and that during the act it is expelled very slowly, showing not only a weakness of the sphincter but a weakness of the whole muscular system of the bladder. Nocturnal wetting of the bed in children, occurring during the first sleep at night,calls for Causticum. Paralysis of the bladder after labor also calls for this remedy. Zincum is another excellent remedy in these bladder troubles, and it has some symptoms similar to Causticum, such as involuntary spurting of urine when coughing or sneezing; there is apt to be more pain in Zincum cases, however; Scilla and Natrum muriaticum also have involuntary micturition when coughing. Another symptom of Causticum is an excessive deposit of urates in the urine. Another remedy which clinically has proved very useful in enuresis from weakened muscular action is Ferrum phosphoricum. Rhus aromatica has enuresis of nervous origin, and has been used successfully in senile cases.

Sepia
One of the prominent remedies for cystitis and lithaemic conditions is Sepia, and the condition of the urine becomes an indication for its use. It has a reddish clay-colored sediment adhering to the vessel, a sediment of red sand so-called. The Sepia urine differs from others in being offensive. Sepia is also a remedy for wetting the bed at night during the first sleep. Lycopodium is a prominent remedy for the indication of red sand in the urine. It is a sort of gravel and is passed in quantities, so that often the child will scream with pain on passing the water. Lycopodium will then help. Sarsaparilla and Benzoic acid have similar symptoms, the latter having as a characteristic a strong horse-like urine. Natrum muriaticum also has their red sand or brick-dust sediment. Another remedy having this symptom very marked in Ocimum canum. This is a very useful remedy in renal colic and gravel. The patient has to micturate every few minutes, during which he wrings his hands and groans with pain. Nausea is often present. The quantity of sand deposited is very large. In cystitis, with a constant desire to urinate and dragging in the bladder, Sepia may prove useful; here it will be indicated by its general Symptoms.

Vesicaria is recommended to favor expulsion of gravel and sand in urine, also Thalspi bursa Pastoris.

Mercurius corrosivus
A homeopathic remedy for cystitis affecting the genitourinary tract profoundly is Mercurius corrosivus. It has the most violent tenesmus of the bladder of an remedy, resembling most closely Cantharis; it has also extreme burning, and hence is indicated in cystitis with these symptoms, or in kidney troubles associated with this pain in the neck of the bladder. The patient has frequent calls but passes little urine, and the urine is bloody and albuminous. It is one of the comparatively few remedies producing albumen in the urine. Phosphorous is another, and Plumbum yet another, and all three have proved serviceable in Bright’s disease. The great vesical tenesmus, burning, and bloody urine will indicate this remedy at once, whether it be in cystitis, albuminuria after diphtheria or kidney disease.

Homeopathic remedies for cystitis. Best homeopathy remedy for urinary bladder infection or cystitis homeopathic remedies.

Cystitis Cases Cured with Homeopathic Medicine

Acute Cystitis in a Woman of 26 – by Nigel Cain MacGregor

Two Brief Cases from Petr Zacharias Cases of Ganglioma and Cystitis are Presented and Analyzed – by Petr Zacharias

About the author

Dr. Manisha Bhatia

BHMS, M.D. (Hom), CICH (Greece)
Dr. (Mrs) Manisha Bhatia is a leading homeopathy doctor working in Jaipur, India. She has studied with Prof. George Vithoulkas at the International Academy of Classical Homeopathy. She is the Director of Asha Homeopathy Medical Center, Jaipur's leading clinic for homeopathy treatment and has been practicing since 2004.

She writes for Hpathy.com about homeopathic medicines and their therapeutic indications and homeopathy treatment in various diseases. She is also Associate Professor, HoD and PG Guide at S.K. Homeopathy Medical College. To consult her online, - visit Dr. Bhatia's website.

3 Comments

  • This web site so use full to select specification of diseases and choose carrect medicine.

  • Dear Sir/Madam,
    If the remedy Clematis matches the physical symptoms of a UTI, what does it do about the E. Coli still present in the bladder? Does the remedy kill the E. Coli as well?
    Thank you for your response,
    Sylvia Harroch

  • Hello Dr , I am 76 yrs old , a permanent resident of USA & always fond of Homeopathy . In USA , I keep a big sock of HBL medicines for curing me & my grand kids .
    I had some pain in lower abdomen, dysentery for few days. As pain was persistent the Dr asked for CT scan . The impression of the report is:
    “ markedly enlarged tra curated urinary bladder. Large diverticulitis also arises from the left lateral wall . Chronic outflow obstruction.”
    Kindly suggest the Homeo medicines.
    Regards.

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