Homeopathy in menopausal complaints

In a prospective study 81.4% of 102 patients reported improvement of menopause symptoms after homeopathic treatment. Main symptoms noted were hot flushes and sweats, tiredness, anxiety, sleeping difficulties, mood swings and headaches. Women referred to homeopathy were those who either could not take hormone replacement treatment (HRT), for whom HRT was unsuccessful, who did not want or who had to come off HRT. Mean length of homeopathic treatment was 5 months.

Relton C, Weatherley-Jones E. Homeopathy Service in a National Health Service community menopause clinic: audit of clinical outcomes. Journal of the British Menopause Society, Vol. 11, No. 2, June 2005.

An outcome study and service evaluation of homeopathy service found that 88% of patients reported clinically significant improvement in their primary symptom. Greatest clinical benefit was reported by women for headaches, tiredness, vasomotor symptoms, locomotor symptoms and sleeping difficulties.

Thomas KJ, Luff D, Strong P. Complementary Medicine Service in a Community Clinic for Patients with Symptoms Associated with the Menopause: Outcome and Sercive Evaluation. ScHARR, University of Sheffield, 2001.

An observational study of homeopathic treatment of menopausal symptoms found benefit in menopausal symptoms, mood and quality of life.

Clover A, Ratsey D. Homeopathic treatment of hot flushes: a pilot study. Homeopathy 2002;91:75-9.

Homeopathy and oestrogen withdrawal

40 out of 45 women with breast cancer withdrawing from oestrogen and then treated homeopathically, experienced significant improvement in their primary symptoms, anxiety and depression, as well as improvement in quality of life. Primary symptoms changed from 7.8 to 5.4, and from 7.2 to 4.1 (p<0.001). The homeopathic approach appears to be clinically useful in the management of oestrogen withdrawal symptoms in women with breast cancer.

Thompson EA, Reilly D. The homeopathic approach to the treatment of symptoms of oestrogen withdrawal in breast cancer patients. A prospective observational study. Homeopathy. 2003 Jul;92(3):131-4.

ADHD

A randomised double blind placebo controlled crossover trial of 62 children showed significant improvement of visual global perception, impulsivity and divided attention (p<0.0001). The trial suggests scientific evidence of the effectiveness of homeopathy in the treatment of ADHD, particularly in the areas of behavioural and cognitive functions.

Frei H, Everts R, von Ammon K, Kaufman F, Walther D, Hsu-Schmitz SF, Collenberg M, Fuhrer K, Hassink R, Steinlin M, Thurneysen An. Homeopathic treatment of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled crossover trial. Eur J Pediatr. 2005 Jul 27.

In a trial to assess the efficacy of homeopathy in 115 hyperactive patients (mean age 8.3 years, range 3-17 y) compared to methylphenidate 75% of the children responded to homeopathy, reaching a clinical improvement rating of 73%. Children who did not respond to homeopathic treatment were prescribed methylphenidate (after an average period of 22 months of homeopathic treatment).

Frei H, Thurneysen A. Treatment for hyperactive children: homeopathy and methylphenidate compared in a family setting. Br Homeopath J. 2001 Oct;90/4):178-9.

ME/CFS

A randomised double-blind trial involving 62 patients with ME, reported in some detail, found that 33% of patients in the group receiving homeopathic remedies showed definite improvement compared with none in the placebo group.

Awdry R. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 1996; February, March, April.

In a triple-blind randomised controlled trial of 86 patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients in the homeopathic medicine group showed clinically significant improvement with significantly more improvement on fatigue, compared to patients receiving placebo.

Weatherley-Jones E, Nicholl JP, Thomas KJ, Parry GJ, McKendrik MW, Green ST, Stanley PJ, Lynch SPJ. A randomised, controlled, triple-blind trial of the efficacy of homeopathic treatment for chronic fatique syndrome. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 56 (2004) 189-197.

Surgery

In a survey of 26 patients receiving homeopathic Arnica montana or placebo after face-lift operation, patients receiving homeopathic Arnica montana had statistically significant smaller areas of ecchymosis (bruising) after operation.

Seeley BM, Denton AB, Ahn MS, Maas CS. Effect of Homeopathic Arnica montana on Bruising in Face-lifts. Results of a Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Arch Facial Plast Surg/Vol 8, Jan/Feb 2006.

Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever

Dengueinum 30 was administered to at least 39,200 people in the Delhi area during an epidemic of Dengue haemorrhagic fever. Follow-up of 23,520 people 10 days later showed only 5 people (0.125%) had developed mild symptoms, with the rest showing no signs or symptoms of the disease. (During epidemics of dengue, attack rates among susceptible are often 40-50 %, but may reach 80-90 %, World Health Organisation)

Central Council of Research in Homoeopathy. CCRH News 1996-1997.

Cost benefit

In a comparative cohort study of 493 patients with chronic diagnoses results indicated greater improvement in patients’ assessments after homeopathic versus conventional treatment (adults: homeopathy from 5.7 to 3.2; conventional 5.9 to 4.4, p = 0.002; children: from 5.1 to 2.6, and 3.9 to 2.7, p < 0.001). Physician assessments were also more favourable for children who had received homeopathic treatment. There were no significant differences in costs between the two treatment groups.

Witt C, Keil T, Selim D, Roll S, Vance W, Wegscheider K, Willich SN. Outcome and costs of homoeopathic and conventional treatment strategies: A comparative cohort study in patients with chronic disorders. Complementary Therapies in Medicine (2005) 13, 79-86.

A 4-year study of 84 patients treated homeopathically showed average cost savings for drugs per patient of £60.40 (range £12.48 to £703.95). 64 patients were cured, 16 showed significant improvement, 5 moderate improvement affecting daily living, 5 showed no change or were unsure, and 10 are still under treatment. No side-effects of treatment were reported.

Jain A. Does homeopathy reduce the cost of conventional drug prescribing? A study of comparative prescribing costs in General Practice. Homeopathy (2003) 92, 71-76.

In a survey of 223 patients in an NHS General Practice, the number of consultations with general practitioners was reduced by 70% in a 1 year period. Expenses for medication were reduced by 50% when homeopathic treatment was made available.

Christie EA, Ward AT. Report on NHS practice-based homoeopathy project. Analysis of effectiveness and cost of homoeopathic treatment within ad GP practice at St. Margaret’s Surgery, Bradford on Avon, Wilts. September 1996. The Society of Homeopaths. ISBH 1 901262 006.

In a study of 351 adults suffering from allergies, 35.3% received homeopathic treatment, the researchers concluded that alternative medicine is used widely for allergies by the general population and is associated with considerable costs. This has freedom of choice and cost-benefit implications for the healthcare system and health policy. The study also showed that alternative medicine users were better educated than non-users, and assessed the results of alternative medicine as very good (28.6%) or rather good (53.8%).

Schafer T, Riehle A, Wichmann HE, RingJ. Alternative medicine in allergies—prevalence, patterns of use, and costs. Allergy 2002; 57: 694-700.

A study of the cost and effectiveness of homeopathy suggested that doctors practising homeopathy issue fewer prescriptions and at a lower cost than their colleagues. The main costs for homeopathic treatment are for consultations with each individual patient. Costs for the actual medications used are relatively low, particularly when compared with conventional drugs.

Swayne J. The cost, effectiveness of homoeopathy. A pilot study, proposals for future research. Br Homoeopath J 1992; 81: 148-150.

Basic research

The effect of high dilutions

In an experimental study of ultra-high dilutions of litihum chloride and sodium chloride, researchers found emission of light even in dilutions beyond Avogadro’s number (10-30 g cm-3). The solutions were irradiated by x- and gamma-rays at 77 K, then progressively rewarmed to room temperature. Thermoluminescence was studied during the process.

Rey L. Thermoluminescence ofultra-high dilutions of lithium chloride and sodium chloride. Physica A 323 (2003) 67-74.

In an experimental study of extremely diluted and succussed solutions (< 1×10-5 mol kg-1, chemically identical to distilled water) researchers found that the diluted and succussed solution resulted in exothermic excess of heat (heat resulting from chemical reactions), higher electrical conductivity and pH compared to an untreated substance. The authors conclude that they show that successive dilutions and succussions can permanently alter the physico-chemical properties of the water solvent. The authors are unable to explain the phenomena.

Elia V, Niccoli M. New physico-chemical properties of extremely diluted aqueous solutions. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, Vol. 75 (2004) 815-836.

In a multi-centre study including four research centres in Europe the effect of high dilutions of histamine (10-30 – 10-38 M) were confirmed. Researchers were able to document that high dilutions of histamine inhibit human basophil degranulation. Results cannot be explained through molecular theories.

Belon P, Cumps J, Ennis M, Mannaioni PF, Roberfroid M, Sainte-Laudy J, Wiegant FAC. Histamine dilutions modulate basophil activation. Inflamm. Res. 2004; 53: 181-188.

The effect of high dilutions was documented in an experiment showing the effect of highly diluted Belladonna on acetylcholine-induced contraction of the rat ileum. The model is reproducible and highly recognised in ‘the scientific world’.

Bastide M (ed). Signals and Images. Kluwer Academic Publishers 1997: 161-170

A placebo-controlled homeopathic pathogenic trial, more commonly known as a proving, clearly demonstrated that provers who took the substances in C30 potency experienced significantly more symptoms than a placebo group (P<0.001). Provers were given either Etna Lava C30, Hydrogenium peroxidatum C30, or placebo. Where the placebo group experienced some symptoms, they were more short-lived compared to the verum group which experienced persistent symptoms for the first 30 days. Provers in the verum group also experienced more ‘old symptoms’ returning. A weakness of the survey is that it only included 21 provers. Researchers have now called for more data from more provers.

Dominici G, Bellavite P, di Stanislao C, Gulia P, Pitari G. Double-blind, placebo-controlled homeopathic pathogenetic trials: Symptom collection and analysis. Homeopathy (2006) 96, 123-130.

In an experimental study on the effect of histamine on basophile granulocytes, researchers found an effect of histamine diluted beyond Avogadro’s number.

Lorenz I, Schneider EM, Stolz P, Brack A, Strube J. Sensitive flow cytometric method to test basophil activation influenced by homeopathic histamine dilutions. Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd. 2003 Dec;10(6):316-24.

Treatment of animals

In a blinded study where rats were treated for urinary infections results showed that rats treated with homeopathic remedies had clear reduction of bacterial colonies. Results were at least as clear as for treatment with antibiotics. Untreated rats had no changes in bacteria colonies, compared to a reduction to 33 % of original bacteria levels in rats treated with antibiotics, and 22 % and 39 % in rats treated with homeopathic remedies (Phosphorus and self-nosode).

Gonçalves et al. O uso da homeopatia no tratamento da infecção urinária em ratas. Anais do VIII SINAPIH; 20-22 May, 2004: p.25-26.

A study of homeopathically protentised remedies showed a reduction in the need for repetition of insemination and reduced semen loss in treatment of fertilisation of female pigs.

Riaucourt A. L´Exemple de la Filière Porcine. Annals of the “Entretiens Internationaux de Monaco 2002″, 5-6 October, 2002.

In a study of homeopathically potentised remedies the incidence of haematomas was reduced by 30 % in turkeys during transportation. The study was randomised, placebo controlled and double blinded.

Filliat C. Particularité de l´utilisation de l´homéopathie en production avicole. Annals of the “Entretiens Internationaux de Monaco 2002″, 5-6 October 2002.

RESEARCH WEBSITE ADDRESSES

• CAM base http://cambase.dmz.uni-wh.de/opencam/index_en.html
• HomBRex Databse (Carstens stiftung) http://www.carstens-stiftung.de/hombrex/
• Pubmed (National Library of Medicine) www.pubmed.com
• British Medical Journal http://bmj.bmjjournals.com (search for ‘homeopathy’)
• New Scientist www.newscientist.com (search for ‘homeopathy’)
• Healthworld Online (Medline, Medical Research & Document Delivery) www4.infotrieve.com
• Biomail www.biomail.org This site offers free regular updates by e-mail. Hosted by Medical Informatics Department at State University of New York, Stony Brook University Hospital and Medical Centre.
• An evidence-based resource about Complementary and Alternative Medicine www.cam.org.nz
• Funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Health.
• Annals of Internal Medicine www.annals.org/cgi/search?fulltext=homeopathy
• University of York www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/ehc73.pdf
• Biomed Central (homeopathy review) www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/1/12
• British Homeopathic Library www.hom-inform.org
• The Research Council for Complementary Medicine www.rccm.org.uk
• Groupe International de Recherche sur l’Infinitésimal www.giriweb.com
• National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine www.campain.umm.edu/ris/risweb.isa (search for ‘homeopathy’)
• National Centre for Homeopathy www.homeopathic.org/research.htm
• Homeopathic Educational Services www.homeopathic.com/articles/research/index.php
• Homeopathy (the journal) www.harcourt-international.com/journals/homp
• Boiron www.boiron.com/en/htm/04-politique/clinique.htm
• Official Indian research centre www.ccrhindia.org
• Carstens stiftung (Germany) http://www.carstens-stiftung.de/eng/index.html (English pages)
• ISI Web of Knowledge (resembles PubMed but includes more areas) http://isi3.isiknowledge.com/portal.cgi
• BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine (free articles) www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882
• NAFKAM, Tromsø (Norway) (research info will be included) http://uit.no/nafkam/omnafkam
• Vifab (Denmark) www.vifab.dk
• Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients publishes a print alternative medicine magazine. www.townsendletter.com