Clinical Cases Disease Index Homeopathy Papers

Cardiomegaly – Hypertrophy of the Heart

Written by Vinit Monga

A presentation of several cases of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy treated with homeopathy.Cardiomegaly means enlargement of any chamber/chambers of the heart. In this article I deal with only clinical aspects of LVH, because LVH is common, among all types of hypertrophies.

Cardiomegaly means enlargement of any chamber/chambers of the heart.
It is termed right or left cardiomegaly, depending on whether the right or left chambers are enlarged. If only both upper chambers are enlarged it is called aortic hypertrophy. If only both lower chambers are enlarged (Homeopathy Treatment for Enlarged Heart), ventricular hypertrophy. Among all types of hypertrophies, Left Ventricular Hypertrophy [LVH] is most common. In this article I deal with only clinical aspects of LVH, because LVH is common, among all types of hypertrophies of the heart.

Clinical causes of LVH are:-

1. Heredity
2. Diabetes Mellitus
3. Anxiety Neurosis
4. Hypertension Idiopathic
5. Chronic Renal Failure
6. Prolonged stresses & strains
7. Excessive Alcoholism
8. Narcotics
9. Sedentary Lifestyle
10. Tobacco Smoking/Chewing

Clinical Diagnosis of LVH by signs and symptoms:-

Following Symptoms clinically judge LVH:-

1. Palpitation – Palpitation may associate with anxiety, nausea, restlessness, suffocation. Some patients complain of palpitation with anxiety, or with nausea, or restlessness, or with a feeling of suffocation. The most prominent symptom of palpitation is palpitation which is worse lying on the left side (effect of gravity).
2. Dyspnoea – The patient complains of difficulty breathing on slightest exertion. Sometimes difficult breathing is associated with feeling of suffocation even on rest.
3. Suffocation – The patient may complain of suffocation in a warm or closed room. Feeing of suffocation may be better in open air.
4. Retro-sternal pain – Patient complains of Retro-sternal pain which is worse lying on left side, due to gravitational force. Retro sternal pain may occur with or without palpitation.
5. Hypertension- High blood pressure is a prominent manifestation of LVH. High blood pressure manifests with various symptoms according to the individuality of patients. Some patients complain of body ache during hypertension. Some complain of pulsating pain at sides of the head or pulsating temples. Others complain of heat at the vertex during high blood pressure.
6. Fever, Cough & Coryza in heart patients causes a serious emergency condition. Cough in LVH may be due to edema of lungs & around heart, which results in prolonged and severe episodes of coughing.
7. Edema -Generalized edematous swellings in LVH indicate a severe condition of the heart.
8. Tachycardia – Pulse rate above 100/minute indicates tachycardia.

Confirmation of LVH:-

1. E.C.G. Electrocardiography shows:-

{A} Increased QRS Complex voltage in leads LI & LII

{B} Prolonged Time Interval 0.09 to 0.12 seconds in Leads LI, LII & LIII.

{C} QRS complex inverted and Prolonged in Lead LIII.

{D} QRS complex inverted (electronegative) in Lead aVF.

2. ECHO. Echocardiography shows increased dimensions of left ventricle
along with decreased ejection fraction.

MANAGEMENT OF LVH:

This section includes followings:-

1. Bed Rest to avoid unnecessary burden on heart pumping system.
Complete bed rest must be advised.

2. Avoidance of maintaining causes such as smoking, alcohol drinking habits. Change of place for peace of mind. Music therapy if change of place not possible. Other means to avoid excess stress and strain such as reading,
watching funny serials.

3. Edema must be treated by increasing urine output.

4. Fever, cough & coryza must be subsided as soon as possible.

5. Diet should be free of carbohydrates, fats, coffee, cold drinks, meat, gullet (Madda) and spices. Restrict salt intake. Minimum quantity of salt in vegetables. Raw salt intake such as in salads must be prohibited.
Fluid intake must be according to thirst. Advised to drink half of what is thirsted for. Excess water/fluid intake & salt increases the severity of LVH patients by increasing edema.

6. Advised to take plenty of raw vegetables such as cabbage, onions, garlic, tomatoes, ginger. Honey is backbone of heart. Soyabean is for strengthening the heart. Fruits should be used instead of chapattis.

CASES

CASE-1

Case of Smt VM, age 45yrs diagnosed LVH along with DIABETES MELLITUS presenting with following symptoms on date
14-02-2006:-

1. Fever with chilliness. Temp. 103.4 degrees F.

2. Dyspnoea with palpitation. Palpitation with anxiety.

3. Retrosternal pain < lying on left side along with suffocation feeling. Suffocation < on exposure of smoke while cooking.

4. Sleep disturbed due to palpitation, lying on left side impossible due to retrosternal pain along with palpitation.

5. Cough – episodic severe attacks of cough.

Findings:-

6. Hypertension BP=160/90mmHg with pulsating headache left sided.

7. Tachycardia Pulse 130/minute.

8. Blood Glucose fasting above 300mg/dl

9. X-Ray on date 14-02-2006 indicates Cardiomegaly with edema of lungs.

10. ECHO shows left ventricular hypertrophy with decreased ejection fraction along with systolic & diastolic dysfunctions.

Among Generals:

Sleep disturbed due to retro-sternal pain, palpitation and cough along with fever, body ache.

Appetite reduced due to fever.

Thirst increased.

Stool hard constipated. Sometimes hemorrhoids painful, bleeding.

Urine normal.

Desire & Aversion not specific.

Chilly Patient. Shaking with chill sometime without fever.

Among Mentals:-

Domination

Humiliation

Industrious

Impatience

Fastidious

Constitution Melancholic

Miasm Psoric & Sycotic.

Repertorization:-

From above Repertorization Remedy indicated is Calc-Carb. Acute of Calc-Carb is Belladonna. Prescription made according to Organon of Medicine. Whenever patient comes under acute severe condition with organic changes, prescribe
acute remedy lowest dose, with frequent repetition. Bell 30 one hourly first day.

On next day dated 15-02-2006

Temp. = 98 degrees F, chill better.

B.P. = 130/80 mmHg.

Pulse = 130/minute.

Retro-sternal pain as such.

Palpitation along with anxiety less than previous day.

Exertional dyspnoea.

Appetite less.

Bell 30*3hrly prescribed.

On date 16-02-2006

Headache throbbing better.

Exertional dyspnoea.

Appetite increased slightly.

Cough slight off & on.

Retro-sternal pain off & on.

Palpitation & anxiety better.

Sleep better.

Fever better.

B.P. = 110/70mmHg.

Pulse = 98/minute

Bell 30* tds prescribed.

After two months on 23-04-06, patient was feeling better regarding constipation, hemorrhoids, retro-sternal pain, dyspnoea, cough, fever, palpitation, anxiety, appetite, sleep, and headache.

B.P. = 110/70mmHg.

Pulse = 90/minute

Prescribed Calc-Carb 30*1dose, followed by Placebo tds, because her general health was good and she was feeling energetic.

Case is running with gradual increase of potency of Calc-Carb 200 to 1M. Now patient is over Calc-Carb 1M followed by placebo tds. Her blood glucose level gradually recovered from 390 mg/dl to 133 mg/dl random. Case is following Hering’s Law of cure. Joint pain appeared after normalization of LVH. Three months after treatment ECHO shows normal heart. X-Ray shows normal heart size. (Reports of X-Ray, ECHO indicate success of Dr. Hahnemann’s homoeopathy in heart diseases.)

CASE-2

Smt. SRB, 45 yrs aged, presented on dated 21-12-2007 having Diabetes Mellitus, LVH along with I.L.D., Anxiety Neurosis, Cervical Spondylosis, Hepatomegaly along with fatty infiltration with following symptoms:-

1. Cough since three months. Cough < sour eating > sitting > after expectoration.

2. Palpitation since 1994-95. Palpitation with dyspnoea and feeling of suffocation. Exertional dyspnoea.

3. Hypertension since 1994-95.

4. Anxiety Neurosis since after parturition 30 yrs.

5. Cardiac Pain since 1994-95.

6. Insomnia since childhood.

7. Constipation since childhood. Unsatisfactory stool

8. Pruritus Vulvae

9. Anxiety stomach. > Juices, cold water drinking

10. Fever since 3-4days. Temp. 99 degrees F < exertion

11. Itching. Urticaria < bathing after < summer < washing clothes

PAST HISTORY:-

H/O Hysterectomy 1994-95.

H/O Recurrent injury from falling.

H/O Facial Paralysis Left sided 1995.

H/O Relapsing enteric fever.

Treatment History:-

Always Took Allopathic treatment.

Generals:-

Sleep: Sleepless after waking.

Dreams: Dead Relatives. Crying with dreams of dead relatives.

Appetite:

Intolerance of hunger. Trembling from fasting.

Thirst: Polydypsia

Perspiration: Causes itching in joints.

Urine: Polyurea. Sudden urging for urination. Must urinate and if delayed then involuntary.

Taste: Tastelessness of food.
Desire: Juices, Sour Fruits.

Chilly patient

Among Mentals: Delusion pursued by someone while walking in dark.

Melancholic, Nervous constitution. Oversensitive to noise.

Repertorization:
From above repertorization remedy prescribed was Lycopodium. Potency 200 selected because of dominating Syphilitic miasmatic condition. Lyc
200*1 dose followed by placebo tds prescribed. Patient is free from cough which was not improving with strong antibiotics. Initially increase in cough occurred for first 24 hours, then gradual improvement. Cough was due to pericardial and pulmonary edema. Cough subsided as pericardial and pulmonary edema improved. Till now she is free from coughing, palpitation, dyspnoea, anxiety in stomach, loss of taste.

Delusion got better.

Constipation improving gradually. Joint pain increasing – recovering from mesodermal organic level to connective tissue mesodermal level.

Sleep gradually recovering.

Findings:

B.P. = 130/80 mmHg.

Pulse = 80/minute earlier 110/minute.

Blood glucose = 201mg/dl (R)

CASE-3

Smt. AS 38 yrs aged, consulted on 24-02-2008 with following symptoms:-

1. Headache with nausea. Nausea fasting.

2. Suffocation > open air.

3. Palpitation < lying on left side.

4. Retro-sternal pain < lying on left side.

5. Peripheral edema.

6. Hemorrhoids painful & bleeding profusely.

Findings:

1. B.P.=150/100mmhg.

2. Pulse= 150/min. & missing.

3. Temp.= 99 degrees F.

4. X-Ray shows Cardiomegaly.

5. E.C.G. indicated QRS electronegative in Lead III & aVF.

Past-History:

H/O Appendicectomy December 2005.

H/O Renal Calculi.

Among Generals:

Sleep unrefreshing due to dreams.

Thermally sensitive to both heat and cold.

Mental:

Patient is a nervous lady.

Repertorization:

From above Repertorization Remedy selected Lyco & Chelidonium which is acute
of Lyco. Lycopodium 200*1 dose prescribed followed by placebo tds.

Follow-ups after one weak

B.P. = 140/100mmHg.

Pulse = 130/minute & regular, earlier missing.

Palpitation persisting.

Headache better.

Suffocative attack persisting > open air.

Joint pains start appearing.

Placebo tds continuous.

Follow-up after one week (07-03-2008)

B.P. = 130/90mmHg.

Pulse = 110/minute & regular.

Suffocative attacks persisting.

Frequent urging for urination.

Pain joints.

Palpitation better.

Pain retrosternal better.

Placebo tds continuous.

On 18-04-2008

Pain in abdomen with nausea, diarrhea & vomiting occurred at night. After midnight patient arrived with severe dehydrated condition with severe pain in abdomen along with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Involuntary diarrhea. Nausea at sight of food. Restlessness with pain abdomen, lying here and there in order to obtain relief from severe abdominal pain. Dryness in mouth with thirst for small quantity but often. Diarrhea watery involuntary and immediately after eating. Case again repertorized on presenting symptoms:-

From above repertorization remedy comes out Sulphur & its acute Aconitum nap. Sulphur 200 one dose prescribed followed by placebo tds. Next morning abdominal pain was less. Nausea better. Diarrhea better. Vomiting better. Hemorrhoids pain appears.

Follow-up 20-04-2008

Pain Abdomen slight after eating.

Nausea after tea, otherwise better.

Body ache.

Tasteless of food.

Hemorrhoids painful.

Palpitation better

Retro-sternal pain better.

Temp. = 100 degrees F.

B.P. = 130/90mmHg.

Pulse= 90/minute.

Beat regular.

Placebo tds continuous.

Follow-up 05-05-2008

B.P. = 130/90mmHg.

Pulse = 90/minute & regular.

Palpitation, dyspnoea, retro-sternal pain better.

Fever gets better with placebo. Here fever indicated positive response of immune system and body starts reacting against invading harmful agents present inside body and disarranging vital force. Case followed Hering’s law of cure as joint pain increased with recovery of heart and hemorrhoids. Case is going forward with favorable prognosis.

These are from a selection of cases both old and new. Reports cover before and after recovery. I have many more cases records of LVH.

Comments and suggestions invited respectfully.

About the author

Vinit Monga

Dr. Vinit Monga received his diploma in Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (D.H.M.S.) and for the last ten years has been practicing in Sirsa, Haryana, India, at his clinic, with his wife, Dr. Priti Monga. They treat all manner of diseases including cancer, Aids and heart disease. Dr. Monga also holds a certificate in food and nutrition and counsels patients in lifestyle changes.
http://www.mongahomoeopathic.com

9 Comments

  • dear sir!
    your overall article is very interesting and informative.Thank you very much.But sir,I have a confusion,why did’nt you prescribe the acute of lyco and sulph in the last 2 cases?
    Best wishes to you.

  • Respected Sir,

    Nice to hear that attempts are made to correct pathological changes like LVH.However, in the first case of fever with cardiomegaly, you have not mentioned that patient had cardiomegaly for long time. Usually in fever, cardiomegaly is an adaptive response for hyperdynamism; it cannot be construed as cardiomegaly per se.In your other cases, the correction of pathological symptoms alone is not sufficient to convince on correction of cardiomegaly.Objective evidence based on echo is necessary.

    thanks,
    Dr.P.Pramod,BHMS,MD(HOM)
    Reader,SAIRAM HOMOEOPATHIC MEDICAL COLLEGE AND RESEARCH CENTRE,CHENNAI

  • dear dr i think fever is a false response to increasing the anxiety due from palpitation and fear of death in heart patients.if heart disorders continues but the fear of death decreased fever will be lower than later.but it is a nurse object.best lights for your journal.

  • Respected Doctor
    I am sending my comments 1st time.all of your articles are very good and so informative.So nice of you and thanks for this. But a case of LVH was cured by me with IBRIS AMARa .It is a specific remedy for LHV. Once again thanks for very good article

  • Dear Sir,
    By pofession I am a Homoeopathic Doctor, I read your article and found very interesting, Sir, I am suffering from “Left Ventricular Hypertrophy”, no prominent symptoms are available, some times, I feel un-easiness in cardiac region, the most common symptom I feel is that “CONCIOUS ABOUT HEART DISEASE”. No pain, no pulsation, however some times feeling of chocking in throat (and little pain in thraod as well inner ear) especially on driving the Bicycle on heights. You are requested to kindly suggest suitable remedy / remedies and obliged.
    Thanks.
    Dr. Adbul Razzaq
    Lahore Pakistan
    Email: [email protected]

  • Hi Doctor,

    I am working in an IT (under pressure) environment, hence I go every quarterly to cardiologist for regular checkup, it has been 10 years regular checkup at times I had high BP (150/90 -160/90), doctor never prescribed me medication during these years I underwent 4 time stress test (last one was three years before). Everything was normal, last two week I was feeling more stress and I went to another cardiologist for checkup, he had asked for a ECHO test and told me that you have mild LVH (1.1cm) but this is not significant and your BP is 155/70 and we need to control it. At present he has prescribed me Olemesartan Medoxomil/Amlodipine Besilate (40/5 mg). At present I am working aboard and my friends are asking me to go back to my country India because of this. I need your suggestion. (My age is 43)
    Cardio said everything is normal except mild LVH (1.1cm) and the report is not yet issued. My present weight is 97 kg and I already started to work out since last week, I am doing spped walking for 30-40 mins and I am already under diet. Please suggest me to regress this 1.1 cm back to 0.8 cm.

  • Dear Sir, is cardiomegaly curable by homeopathy, my mother has pacemaker implant already, she was alright since 13 years, but since around 6 months she was complaining for short breathing as she walks few steps, yesterday we have consulted MD our physician, as he has got done xray chest and ECG and found out cardiomegaly, she is also diabetic as the dr has advised diuretics along with other medicines, Please tell us to proceed for homeopathic treatment if its effective along modern medicines. Will be thankful to you. Samar.

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