Clinical Cases

One Case, Three Treatment Stages

stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer
Written by Myrna Quintero

Dr. Myra Quintero, homeopath and gastroenterology specialist in Cuba, presents a case that was treated with allopathy, homeopathy without miasmatic analysis, and homeopathy with miasmatic analysis.

Let’s begin defining the terms Homeopathy and Allopathy. Homeopathy (from the Greek homeo, “similar”, and pathos, “suffering” or “illness”) is a therapeutic medical science which holistically treat illness and inherent constitutional problems by applying the Law of Similars: “like cures like”1. This therapeutic method is based upon the teachings of Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician at the end of the 19th century1.

Allopathy (from the greek allos, contrary, and pathos, illness) is the Western or orthodox medicine. It is based on the principle of the Law of Opposites, contrary to Homeopathy.

As an occidental physician, I treated my patients with Allopathic medicine for many years. Later on I studied Homeopathy and began to practice it, but not considering the miasmatic theory to choose the remedy. Some years after, and following the teachings from the Mexican Homeopathy School,  I realized the benefits of applying miasmatic criteria and, since then, I have applied it with great profit 2-4

As an evidence of this I present in this paper the sequence in time of three different treatments in a patient with peptic ulcer disease, each one with a different point of view, and a different approach.

These three treatment stages were:

  • Allopathic treatment
  • Homeopathic treatment without miasmatic criteria
  • Homeopathic treatment with miasmatic criteria.

Presentation of the case 

Female patient, 36 years old, black. She works at a dressmaking factory.

First stage: Allopathic treatment:  

I saw her for the first time as an outdoor patient. She had a personal past history of hiatal hernia and duodenal ulcer (Homeopathy Treatment for Duodenal Ulcer) diagnosed by endoscopy 5 years ago, with remission and frequent relapsed periods in spite of different treatments.

The last endoscopy was on the previous month with one cm duodenal ulcer and chronic gastritis with positive Helicobacter pylori test of urease of an antrum biopsy. I prescribed different allopathic drugs such as H2 antagonists, proton bomb inhibitors and suitable antibiotics for Helicobacter pylori, alternating them during 12 months, but symptoms and endoscopic ulcer went into remission and returned, remaining Helicobacter positive.

Second stage: Homeopathic treatment without miasmatic criteria

At this time I was just beginning my practice as a homeopath and I did a case taking. Her father died when she was a little child and, for economic reasons and   their large family, her mom gave her to her godmother in order to raise her. The godmother, whom she loved very much, died when my patient was 15 years old, so she returned to live again with her family. All this made her feel that her family didn´t love her and that her mother (“not affectionate”) preferred her siblings to her.

She is very sensitive. When she went to primary school she had high fever from loud noises. At 21 years old she had a baby without marrying; the man abandoned her and she never knew more about him. At 27 years old she married “as a way to leave home”. She loved her husband but then he became jealous and aggressive and didn´t allow her to have friends. She was afraid of him and suffered in silence.

Later on she faced him and divorced. Two years later ulcerous symptoms began.

Present symptoms:  epigastric stitching pain and water brash, no relief with food. She doesn’t drink much liquid. She is sensitive to strong noises. Weeps easily with grief or happiness.  She complains that her family have never protected or taken care of her and that she has to solve everything by herself.  She doesn´t like to be maltreated or deal with persons who don’t like her.

Personal pathologic record:

Gallbladder with a partition inside. Operated twice for epigastric hernia

Pelvis inflammation, possibly an ovarian cyst in ultrasound. Condilomatosis (Local treatment).

Family pathologic record:

On the mother’s side: Grandmother had heart disease and died from a heart attack.

Mother duodenal ulcer, gallbladder stones, hypertension, ischemic cardiopathy, diabetes. An aunt with heart disease and hypertension.

On the father side: Prostate disease. An asthmatic uncle who died during a crisis.

Three brothers: two of them have peptic ulcer disease, the other one arthritis deformans and hypertension.

We took the following symptoms for the repertorization.

Mind: Forsaken feeling (1); Mind: Weeping, joyful or sad things, at (1); Mind: Sensitive, noises (2); Mind: Aversion to be touched (3-2); Stomach: Pain stitching (2); Stomach: Eructations, water brash (3); Stomach: Thirstless (1).

Notes: 

  • Miasmatic classification (among parenthesis)5-7: 1 = Psora 2 = Sycosis 3 = Syphillis
  • It can be seen there are symptoms of the 3 miasms
  • According to its importance each symptom has an intensity (see table 1)

Result of the repertorization (Repertoire RADAR Synthesis 6.06) (sum of symptoms / class/grades) 8 Table 1.

Table 1. Repertorization without miasmatic criteria

1

Puls

2

Kali-c

3

Chin

4

Mag- c

 

5

Sep

 

6

Nat-c

7

Lach

8

Plat

9

Calc

10

Ip

14/

38

13/

27

13/

25

13/

18

11/

21

11/

20

11/

18

11/

18

11/

17

11/

17

 

Intensity

MIND- Forsaken feeling 3 3 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 1
MIND-Weeping, joyful and sad things 3 3
MIND-Sensitive to noises 2 2 3 3 1 3 2 2 2 2 2
MIND- Aversion to be touched 2 3 2 1 2 1
STOMACH-Pain stitching 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 2 1 1
STOMACH- Eructation, water-brash 2 3 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 3 2
STOMACH- Thirstless 2 3 2 3 1 2 1 1 2

 

Pulsatilla was the medication with the highest score and agreed with her present state. I gave her Pulsatilla 30 CH and then 200 CH and 1000 CH. She  improved a little but not completely.

Duodenoscopy (2 months later): Two duodenal ulcers, I cm diameter each. Helicobacter pylori present.

The patient needed to go out of Havana but she had to be hospitalized in another province where she had treatment with omeprazole, amoxicillin and metronidazole. One month after finishing this treatment, an endoscopy showed that ulcer had healed but H. pylori remained positive. Later on she had others allopathic treatments.

Third stage: Homeopathic treatment with miasmatic criteria

One and a half years later she returned to my consultation. Duodenoscopy: One duodenal ulcer one cm diameter. Chronic gastroduodenitis. Biliary reflux.

A new Case taking was made.

The family situation remains the same. She still complains about her family. She now drinks normal quantities of liquids. She feels better when alone. She becomes irritable during menses; Epigastric pain is now like a spasm that lasts a few seconds and then she has the sensation as if she had a stone in her stomach. She cannot bear to wet her feet. She has flushes during the afternoon and she notes her hair falls when she combs or washes it.

We took the following symptoms of the predominant miasma, which is Psora:

Mind: Forsaken feeling, beloved by her parents, friends; feels of not being (1);

Mind; Complaining (1-2); Mind; Company aversion, when alone amel (3-1);

Mind: Irritability during menses (1); Stomach; stone sensation of a (1); Extremities: wetting feet aggravates (1). She is suffering from flushes in the afternoon (2-1) and notes that her hair is falling when she combs or washes it (1).

Result of the repertorization (Repertoire RADAR Synthesis 6.06) (sum of symptoms / class/grades) (Table2)

Table 2. Repertorization with miasmatic criteria

Sep Nat-c Merc Calc Puls Rhus

Tox

Lyc Nat-

m

Phos Ph-ac
17/

33

13/

22

11/

20

11/

19

11/

19

11/

13

10/

18

10/

18

10/

18

10/

14

 

MIND-Forsaken feeling 3 1 2 2 1 3 1
MIND-Complaining 2 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 1
MIND-Company aversion,     alone amel. 2 4 2 2 2 1 1
MIND-Irritability menses during 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
STOMACH-Stone sensation 2 1 2 2 3 1 2 1 1 1 2
EXTREMITIES-Wetting feet agg. 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 2
GENERAL- Flushes of heat in afternoon 2 3
HEAD- Hair, falling 2 3 1 2 2 1 3 3 3 2

Sepia was the only medication that covered all symptoms.

Treatment: Sepia 200 CH twice each week and then in larger intervals. She began to feel better: She didn’t worry so much about other´s concerns.  Two months after she had a metrorrhagia (only once) that we interpreted as a homeopathic aggravation.

Duodenoscopy : Duodenal salami ulcer (numerous small, superficial ulcerations). chronic gastritis.

Later on I prescribed Sepia 1000 CH and 10 000 CH. The symptoms improved  and finally disappeared.

Duodenoscopy : slight Bulbitis. Biliary reflux. Helicobacter pylori stayed positive.

We have continued seeing this patient for two years and she has lived free of ulcerous symptoms, with negative endoscopies of ulcerous process. H. pylori has remained positive.

References

  1. Hahnemann S. Versuch über ein neues Princip zur Auffindung der Heilkräfte der Arzneisubstanzen, nebst einigen Blicken auf die bisherigen. [Essay on a New Principle for Ascertaining the Curative Powers of Drugs], In: Hufelands Journal der practischen Arzneykunde, Bd. 2 (1796) (In German)
  2. Sanchez Ortega P. Introduction to Homeopathic Medicine. Theory and Technic. Mexicana Press, 2nd.Ed. (1997). ISBN 970-92000-0-3 (In Spanish).
  3. Hahnemann S. Chronic Diseases Treatise. Firma Press. Asturias, Spain, 1991 (In Spanish)
  4. Sanchez Ortega P. Notes about Hahnemann´s Miasms or Chronic Diseases. Mexicana Press, 1977 (In Spanish)
  5. Sanchez Ortega P. Translation and Definition of mental symptoms of Barthel´s Synthetic Repertory. Mexican Homeopathy Medical College Ed., A.C. 1998 (In spanish)
  6. Allen H. Chronic Miasms . Roy and Co. Bombay, India. Reedic.1960. (In Spanish)
  7. Grimmer H. Miasms and Remedies. Homeopathic Heritage 20 (1995) 415
  8. Program RADAR Anniversary CD 7.3 for Windows. Archibel S.A. Belgium.

About the author

Myrna Quintero

Myrna Quintero M.D. is a specialist in the research fields of Gastroenterology and Homeopathy. She works at the Department of Nature and Traditional Medicine, Institute of Gastroenterology, Havana, Cuba. She is the Titular Researcher; 2nd Degree Gastroenterology Specialist; Master in Bioenergetics and Natural Medicine; Diploma in Homeopathy from Mexico and from Institute François Lamasson (Brasil).

5 Comments

  • Hi,
    I have a duodenal ulcer for three years which has never been cured by acid inhibitor drugs. I have been using graphites to get over the severe acid producing attacks and pains. I don’t know how I can cure this ulcer. When I have severe acidic pains, I need to eat some bread, pata or food tha makes me gain weight, which makes me unhappy. Is there any radical solution, any homeopathic treatment or remedy that I can try?

  • Dr Quintero is it possible to contact you by email, I am in New Zealand trying to source PrevegoVir thank you Raewyn Roberts

Leave a Comment

Subscribe
Homeopathy for Everyone
Learn homeopathy with the world's greatest experts every month - for FREE!
World's No.1 Homeopathy e-Journal - for the community, by the community.
No Thanks!