Clinical Cases

Helicobacter Pylori Induced Symptoms in a Man of 28

Written by Sarah Penrose

A case of Helicobacter pylori induced symptoms in a man of 28 is cured by a polychrest administered by homeopath Sarah Penrose. A discussion of H. Pylori and its nosode follows. Aggravation from coffee and eructations were among the symptoms leading to the simillimum.

A twenty eight year old male bounced around by doctors and naturopaths for over six years who, at the insistence of his wife, returned a positive (urea breath) test for Helicobacter pylori in 2017 was prescribed a course of antibiotics which relieved his symptoms for just three weeks.

Mr. Smith presented in my clinic September 2018 with ‘frustratingly’ trapped eructations (1) coming on at any time of the day or night resulting in retching.  Symptoms started in 2012 during a period of long work hours labouring in tough conditions accompanied by copious amounts of alcohol (2) drunk during down time.  Coffee always aggravates symptoms (3) which ‘frustrates me as I love a morning coffee’.

Feels unfinished, unemptied ‘can’t get it all out’ (4) after a daily stool which is changeable.

He was extremely irritated by the impossibility of these trapped eructations.    ‘I feel like all I do is complain about it’ (5). A state sports champion who gets ‘angry at the thought of losing’ (6) always letting someone know if they say the wrong thing and, when younger would go looking for fights.

He gets distressed as ‘when I lie down to sleep I cannot breathe through my nose’. (7). Medical history of infectious mononucleosis; Hand, foot and mouth disease; Oral fungal infections; Eczema; Asthma.

Alimentary system RUBRICS found in The Essential Synthesis;

(1) Stomach: ERUCTATIONS – difficult: aeth  Arg-n  calc-p  cent  cocc  Con  Graph  Nux-v  spira

(2) Generals: FOOD & DRINKS – alcohol: ailments from. (30 remedies)

(3) Stomach: COFFEE – aggravates: canth  caps  CHAM  Cocc  ign  Nux-v  puls

(4) Rectum: CONSTIPATION – insufficient (incomplete, unsatisfactory stools): (100 remedies)

Mind RUBRICS;

(5) Mind: COMPLAINING – disease: of. Ant-t  cham  Lach  Nux-v  ph-ac

(6) Mind: AMBITION – increased: competitive. Apis  arg-met  arg-n  carc  cupr  ferr  lach  lyc nat-m nux-v  sil  sulph  verat

Physical RUBRICS;

(7) Nose: OBSTRUCTION – breathing: mouth, must breathe through. Am-c  kali-c  lyc  mag-c mag-m nux-v samb

NUX VOMICA – Irregular peristaltic action and ineffectual urging; Difficult belching of gas and much retching; Feeling as though part of the stool remained. A strong aetiology of the combination of over work and alcohol accompanied by a desire for stimulants which aggravate.  Nux-v is characterized by irritability, strong ambition and a zealous, fiery temperament.

Prescription: Nux-v 200c.

October 2018 – Except for one attack (quickly relieved by a dose of Nux-v) after heavy drinking, the presenting symptom of trapped eructations has gone. No change in the unfinished feeling after stool. Nose still obstructed at night. New symptom – occasional esophageal burning.

Prescription: Nux-v 200c.

February 2019 – Trapped eructations brought on by heavy drinking (quickly relieved by a dose of Nux-v). Now drinks coffee without issue every day. No longer feeling unfinished after stool. Has not experienced the nightly nasal obstruction for months. No further esophageal burning.

When I sought his permission to write up his case he replied ‘of course – homeopathic medicine saved me.’

Without testing we cannot know definitively if Helicobacter pylori has been eradicated from his system as this opportunistic ‘stealth pathogen’ is able to sequester in subgingival plaque, reappearing in times of stress.

Well prescribed homeopathic medicine improves symptoms through fostering resilience, as opposed to targeted annihilation of the pathogen, which in this drawn out case of symptomatic Helicobacter pylori infection, resulted in the near eradication (anecdotal) of symptoms  within four weeks

Image courtesy of superpharmacy.com.au

Estimated to be present within the stomachs of thirty percent of the worlds’ population, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a type I carcinogen, lives in a niche protected from gastric acid generating ammonia which damages gastric epithelium. H. pylori is implicated in gastric ulcer, chronic gastritis and gastric cancer and has also been detected in dental plaque and faeces. With fifty percent of Westerners aged over sixty years harbouring the organism, H. pylori infection does not always lead to symptoms. Common symptoms of H. pylori infection may include: abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, dark/tarry stools, fatigue, anaemia, decreased appetite, diarrhoea, peptic ulcers.

In 1983, Australian microbiologist Dr Barry Marshall intentionally swallowed H. pylori bacteria and developed a stomach ulcer 10 days later. Marshall and colleague Robin Warren’s ongoing work proved that most peptic ulcers are caused by H. pylori. Major breakthroughs in the study and treatment of stomach cancers ensued and the pair were awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine.

A 2012 study (1) concluded that the H. pylori nosode possesses potent prophylactic anti H. pylori activity in vivo after the nosode was shown to be able to stop the initiation of H. pylori infection in a pre-treatment group.

  • Gosavi T, Ghosh P, Kandhare A, Kumar V, Adil M, Rajmane A, Bohankat S. Therapeutic Effect of H. pylori nosode, a homeopathic preparation in healing of chronic H. pylori infected ulcers in laboratory animals. Science Direct (Internet). 2012 (cited 2019 Feb 04).

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About the author

Sarah Penrose

Sarah Penrose (BSc(hons) hom) is an Australasian homeopath. Sarah has three qualifications in homeopathy, oversees the Australian Homeopathic Association research portfolio, writes a Substack Evidence Based Complementary Medicine, and can be contacted via goodhealthforgreatlife.com

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