Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy
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Knowledge, awareness, attitude and practice of Indian Homoeopathic Physicians about pharmacovigilance in homoeopathy: A web-based cross-sectional study
Get PDFBackground: Pharmacovigilance (Pv) is the science and activities relating to detecting, assessing, understanding and preventing adverse effects or any other drug-related problems. The subject is essential for developing reliable information on the safety of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy medicines.
Objectives: This study explored the homoeopathic physicians’ knowledge, awareness, attitude and practice (KAAP) towards the Pv programme in homoeopathy.
Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among 274 Indian homoeopathic practitioners for 2 months. The study team developed the questionnaire in consultation with three subject experts and the same was circulated as a generated link among different social media handles. The interested participants consenting to the study were directed to the data collection format through an online portal. The data were collected in four domains: KAAP. Descriptive statistics were used in data analysis and independent t-tests for the subgroup analysis.
Results: A total of 274 homoeopathic practitioners were approached, of which 265 consented to fill out the questionnaire, yielding a response rate of 96.7%. Most of the study participants had obtained low scores in knowledge and awareness of the programme. Statistically significant differences were observed among postgraduates and those with prior training in Pv. The attitude towards acceptance of the programme was relatively high among the participants, but the low awareness led to reduced observations and reporting of the adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in homoeopathy.
Conclusion: Despite the good attitude of homoeopathic practitioners to the Pv programme, sufficient hands-on training is required to identify and report ADRs in homoeopathy
Homoeopathy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A case report
Get PDFIntroduction: Obsessive-compulsive disorder is one of the most common psychiatric disorders. It is characterised by unwanted and distressing thoughts, images, or urges (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours or mental acts that aim to decrease the resulting distress. Case Summary: A 26-year-old man presented with intrusive thoughts, ritualistic acts and compulsive actions. After case taking, Calcarea carbonicum, Lycopodium, Sulphur and Tuberculinum bovinum were prescribed as and when required based on symptom presentation during the course of homoeopathic treatment. Individualised homoeopathic medicines led to a remarkable improvement in the case by relieving him of his obsessive and compulsive thoughts and enabling him to engage in his social, occupational and familial life without adverse effects
Recurrent appendicitis treated with the homoeopathic medicine Iris tenax 30C: A case report
Get PDFIntroduction: The non-acute variants of appendicitis include recurrent, subacute, and chronic appendicitis, which are rarely diagnosed and remain subjects of case reports. The diagnosis is complex and is based on history, clinical examination, and an ultrasonogram or computed tomography. Unlike the acute variety, a surgical emergency, these cases do not require immediate surgery. In the present case, the patient had pain in the right lower quadrant (RLQ) of the abdomen in January 2021, which was relieved with conventional medications. However, the pain recurred after 2½ months and was diagnosed as recurrent appendicitis. Case Summary: This case of recurrent appendicitis was treated from April to August 2021 at the National Homoeopathy Research Institute in Mental Health, Kottayam, Kerala, with the homoeopathic medicine Iris tenax (Iris-t). The patient presented with pain in the RLQ of the abdomen with mild to moderate tenderness. There was a marked improvement in symptoms of appendicitis in the 2nd week of starting homoeopathic treatment. Modified Naranjo Criteria for Homoeopathy–, a causal attribution inventory score, was used to assess the likelihood of attribution of the clinical outcome to homoeopathic medicine as per HOM-CASE guidelines. The ultrasonography report showed no evidence of appendicitis after treatment. The MONARCH score of +8/13 indicated a probable causal relationship between the medicine prescribed and the treatment outcome. The present case report shows the possible usefulness of the homoeopathic medicine Iris-t in cases with appendix pathology
Post-partum depression managed with homoeopathic Cimicifuga racemosa in one week of inpatient treatment: A case report
Get PDFIntroduction: Post-partum depression (PPD) is a disabling psychiatric disorder that has long-term effects on the mother and the baby. Because many people do not comply with antidepressant medication, there is a great need for alternative treatment options like homoeopathy that are less harmful. Case Summary: Here, we have presented the case report of a woman with PPD, who experienced guilt, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts, restlessness and auditory hallucination. Based on repertorial totality, Cimicifuga racemosa 200C was prescribed. The case was screened using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. To assess the outcome of the treatment, the 17-item Hamilton depression rating scale was used on the day of admission and on the day of discharge. This indicated a marked improvement within a short period. As this case falls under type 2 mental disease, according to the treatment procedure for this type, an acute medicine Cimicifuga racemosa 200C was administered, and was followed by an anti-psoric medicine, Phosphorous, to complete the cure
Mucocele of lower lip treated with constitutional homoeopathic medicine Silicea – A case report
Get PDFIntroduction: A mucocele is a mucus-containing benign cystic lesion of the salivary gland. Based on the histological features, they are classified into two types, mucous retention cysts and mucous extravasation cysts. They appear in the minor salivary glands due to mechanical damage to the gland or its duct. The case study presented here is a detailed analysis of a 6-year-old male child affected by mucocele of the lower lip and its homoeopathic treatment and significance. Case Summary: A 6-year-old child presented with complaint of a swelling over the mucosa of the lower lip. Initially, the swelling was small, but it increased in size for 5 weeks. After a detailed case study and repertorisation, the patient was prescribed Silicea 200C, one dose, once in 2 weeks, for 8 weeks. The Modified Naranjo Criteria Score for causal attribution was nine. This case brings to light the usefulness of Silicea 200C in the treatment of mucocele of the lower lip
Chronic alcoholic pancreatitis with necrotising exacerbation and pseudocyst treated with homoeopathy: A Case Report
Get PDFIntroduction: Chronic alcoholic pancreatitis with necrotising exacerbation and pseudocyst is a condition with a poor prognosis. The disease pathology, along with a history of trauma, and alcohol dependence, adds up to the severity making it more difficult to treat. The main surgical management is cyst drainage. Individualised homoeopathic medicine can resolve this without surgical intervention.
Case Summary: In a case with a combination of pathology, trauma and addiction, arriving at a homoeopathic similimum can be challenging. The present case study demonstrates the management of a patient in a semi-comatose state with abdominal rigidity and ultrasonographic evidence of pancreatic pseudocyst. The acute exacerbation of pancreatitis with pseudocyst and the chronic state were managed with acute and constitutional homoeopathic remedies selected through Boenninghausen’s and Boger’s approaches, respectively. The causal attribution was assessed by MONARCH inventory. The outcome of the treatment showed complete resolution of the necrotised pancreas and pseudocyst rendering the patient back to his daily living
Embarking on the journey of pharmacovigilance of homoeopathic drugs
Get PDFEmbarking on the journey of pharmacovigilance of homoeopathic drug
Management of overt hypothyroidism with homoeopathic medicine Iodium - An evidence-based case report
Get PDFIntroduction: Hypothyroidism is a hypo-metabolic state resulting from inadequate secretion of thyroid hormones. It is the second most common endocrine disorder among women and a leading cause of menstrual abnormalities in all age groups, thereby affecting reproductive functions in females. Levothyroxine is the standard lifelong mode of treatment in conventional medicine. Case Summary: A 35-year-old hypothyroid female presented with menstrual irregularities. However, the physical general symptoms in this patient were contrary to the expected clinical presentation of the disease. Individualised homoeopathic medicine was selected for this patient, based on these peculiar symptoms and complete recovery was seen with the restoration of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels within normal range within 7 months. TSH levels were investigated and recorded before and after treatment. The Modified Naranjo Criteria for Homoeopathy was used to assess the causal attribution of clinical outcome after the homoeopathic intervention. The patient was observed for further 3 months and showed no recurrence of complaints. Complete resolution in this case of hypothyroidism is yet another affirmation that homoeopathic intervention can be used in the treatment of endocrine disorders in which usually lifelong treatment is the only option
Management of erythrodermic psoriasis with individualised homoeopathy: An evidence-based case report
Get PDFIntroduction: Erythrodermic psoriasis (EP) is a rare and severe variant of psoriasis, with an estimated prevalence among psoriatic patients ranging from 1% to 2.25%. It presents as erythema, oedema, pruritus, ill-defined psoriatic plaques, scaling, hair loss and occasionally exudative lesions and palmoplantar diffuse desquamation with nail changes ranging from mild pitting to severe onychodystrophy, more commonly involving the fingernails than the toenails. Case Summary: A 60-year-old male patient, already diagnosed with EP, presented with extensive involvement of body surface area (80–90%). He was treated with Hepar sulphur based on the acute totality, followed by Arsenicum sulphuratum rubrum starting from 30C and then higher potencies as per the requirement and adherence to the homoeopathic principles. At the baseline, the scores of psoriasis area severity index and dermatology life quality index were 54 and 30, respectively and reduced to zero after 8 months of homoeopathic intervention, without any adverse events. Furthermore, during the 2-year follow-up, the patient had two episodes of recurrence of the same complaints with lesser intensity and was treated with the same medicine with favourable results. The causal attribution of changes to homoeopathy was explicitly represented by Modified Naranjo criteria for Homoeopathy and before and after photographs. This evidence based case report may pave the path for further research in treating difficult cases like EP with individualised homoeopathic treatment
Physicochemical standardisation of the Homoeopathic drug, Apis mellifica: A preliminary attempt
Get PDFBackground: Unlike the mainstream biomedical system, honeybees’ therapeutic use has long been well documented in the homoeopathic system. The medicine prepared from the whole honeybee, Apis mellifica, is on the Essential Drug List. Objective: An in-depth physicochemical standardisation of this homoeopathic drug is attempted. Material and Methods: In this study, first the raw drug was authenticated, and then its pharmacopoeial parameters were measured, e.g. moisture content, foreign matter, different ash values, alcohol and water-soluble extractive values. Further, the mother tincture of Apis mellifica was prepared from the authentic raw drug. The pharmacopeial parameters of in-house mother tincture and a commercial mother tincture, e.g. organoleptic parameters, sediment detection, specific gravity measurement, pH measurement, total solids measurement, qualitative ultraviolet-visible spectra determination and high-performance thin layer chromatography were carried out for in-depth standardisation. Results: This study provides the standards for the aforementioned pharmacopeial parameters of Apis mellifica using pharmacopeial procedures. For the first time, the quantitative data obtained here quantifies those pharmacopeial parameters. The comparative study of the parameters of the in-house mother tincture and commercial sample shows the significance of the reported work for maintaining the high quality of the drugs. Conclusion: The data presented here could be used for updating the pharmacopeial standards and limits for the homoeopathic drug Apis mellifica in the future