Minutus

I've been asked about treating a leukemia patient with homeopathy during chemo - it seems that the two would work against each other and it would not be best for the patient, but would possibly be relevant after a series of chemo (or instead of, but that isn't an option here). Does anyone have experience with this and advice to give me? Also, what other support would list members recommend for someone in this situation (vitamins and reiki come to mind)? I know very little as yet - as far as I understand the patient is a man, probably in his late 50s or early 60s. I also don't know what kind of leukemia has been diagnosed.
Any advice appreciated.
Regards,
Vera

Vera,
I wind up in this situation too often - people come to me after they are already scheduled for chemo or radiation. I think homeopathy has much to offer in terms of support and comfort when the individual has made the choice to use chemo. The only problem I have seen is that they handle it so well - the supervising MD is tempted to give more telling them 'they are handling it so well'. Yikes. I do tend to use cell salts most often - but the best thing is to have good communications with a family member who is close - so you can get the details quickly and make your recommendations based on the symptoms that occur - not just on the 'normal' symptoms you expect with chemo. And yes - nutritional support is exceptionally important. I've had individuals have wonderful results with fresh juices before/during/after chemo as well as supplements as needed - based on their individual needs. Past medications can leach many important nutrients from the body - making it far more difficult to endure the insult of chemo.

I agree that homeopathic remedies are very helpful with chemo symptoms, as is nutritional support. And I've also had the horrifying experience of the oncologists deciding to do a whole additional round of chemo because the patient "handled" the first one so well. Unfortunately the additional round tends to totally exhaust the person's vital force, even if we managed to get them relatively intact through the first round. So I've learned the hard way not to agree to treat for chemo side effects without educating the patient about the vital force, and getting him/her to plan not to agree to additional chemo after the first set is finished.
I've also sometimes treated patients for cancer through the chemo process if the chemo is relatively light/ has few side effects. It's true that one can't tell during the chemo whether the homeopathic treatment is helping, but in general it seems to support the vital force, assuming it is constitutionally indicated. Better than doing nothing for months and letting the only treatment be devitalizing allopathic chemicals.
Rosemary

Rosemary - I am amazed. While I certainly do educate about the vital force, and encourage the individual to condiser all options and ask questions (and I give them plenty to ask) - If I were to require they agree not to do additional chemo after the first set is finished - it would be considered 'practicing medicine' and would be grounds for an all out attack - not to mention legal liability. Perhaps I just live in an unusually difficult area - we have headquarters for every major drug company within a few mile radius - and they fund an aggressive 'quackbuster' effort.

Yes, it's more a question of educating patients. I agree that my phrasing there sounded more extreme about chemo decisions than what I meant. I don't always feel negative about medicine, in fact. I want to help people achieve the best results for them, and homeopathy isn't necessarily always the only correct or effective treatment. But I do want to make sure that patients I'm working with have a good grasp of both their rights as a patient to say either "yes" or "no" to what a doctor proposes, and to consider the actual cost/ benefit analysis about any treatment (including homeopathy) before they agree to it.
Health care professionals, whether medical doctor, homeopath, acupuncturist.... are there to help patients, not to take over and dictate. I want to make sure they understand about the vital force and about how homeopathic and allopathic treatment might conflict or help each other. I specifically want to avoid leading patients innocently to detrimental overtreatments, which is where this discussion originated.
I was strongly influenced in my approach to treating cancer patients by a couple of disastrous early experiences. I also had a couple of patients who innocently just said "yes" when their doctors said they wanted to do a double round of chemo based on the success of remedies in helping them recover from the first round of treatments, and both of them were totally depleted and died soon after. From these unfortunate experiences, I learned that successful homeopathic treatment, under the wrong circumstances, could be a true double edged sword, leading straight to earlier deaths than necessary -- if I allowed the patients to remain uneducated about what we were doing homeopathically. So now I only agree to treat cancer patients homeopathically if they are willing to support their own vital forces and become educated about their rights and their options.
If they look at more chemo, and decide rationally that it's right for them, fine. Sometimes in some circumstances it can be helpful, and rather than being dogmatic, one has to help patients choose what will help them feel as well as possible for as long as possible, given the situation. Then it really is their decision, their life, their priorities.
For some patients, however, their own well-being is not the primary value. For them, it turns out to be more important, for instance, to satisfy their family's demand that they "keep fighting" -- meaning to them that they have to keep on with chemo or radiation, even if they know it's depleting them. It is indeed their right to decide to do what will satisfy their loved ones' anxieties, rather than consider their own relative well-being (it's actually not so unusual as a factor in the cancer miasm). Homeopathic treatment is not a good choice in such circumstances. It will be difficult, demanding, and disappointing.
When a cancer patient comes to me for an intake interview, I decide if I feel it's warranted to treat them homeopathically -- often it's not a good choice to start homeopathic treatment as a final desperate measure where allopathic treatment is being carried out to the end and the patient's vital force is already seriously depleted. I have often counseled people who were at that point to enroll in hospice and make full use of the medical palliation that hospice can offer, because that is quite simply where they will experience the best quality of life under the circumstances.
That being said, what I originally said also applies. Sometimes it makes perfectly good sense to treat someone for cancer through initial chemotherapy, to avoid losing months of potential traction in counteracting the cancer. The chemo won't do anything to treat the underlying disease state. If the patient is strongly motivated to learn about the vital force and how to support it, it also makes sense to use acute intercurrent remedies to help counteract chemo side effects and reduce their drain on the vital force.
Rosemary

Vera Resnick wrote:

I have very little experience here and most of it with animals - but
will share what little I have:

I find that homeopathy can allay the side effects of chemo instead of
the usual (horribly expensive) anti-nausea drugs and so on - in
conjunction with vitamins.
I have not tried to do healing with homeopathy simillimum during
chemo or radiation - only to do supporting things to counter toxicity
and side effects - then "picked up the pieces" towards healing afterwards.

What DOES help is to use very high does Vit E in the form of Vit E
succinate (aka alpha-TOS). Research shows that while the usual forms of
VIt E help somewhat but get mixed reports in some cases, the Vit E
succinate does actually add significantly to the toxicity to cancer
cells and to cause apoptosis (cell death) of cancer cells - as cancer
cells preferentially take up Vit E to such an extent that the Vit E
kills the cancer. alpha-TOS is highly selective for malignant cells,
inducing them into apoptotic death largely via the mitochondrial route.
Here's one ref on that:
Br J Cancer. 2003 Nov 17;89(10):1822-6.
Vitamin E succinate and cancer treatment: a vitamin E prototype for
selective antitumour activity.
Neuzil J.

Vit E also undoes/prevents/heals the effects of radiation. If you ever
saw the horrible burns after mastectomy, chemo and radiation combined -
you'd be so keen to try to allay this.
Unfortunately most oncologists seem to be behind the times on Vit E's
beneficial effect in helping the side effects AND killing the cancer -
so that you may find yourself and the oncologist at opposite poles on
it. It's important to be on the same page IMO.

Nausea-wise, Vit B6 is also especially relevant, plus ginger and
peppermint. A concoction of Vit E, B6, ginger and peppermint to sip, can
be helpful - along with whatever homeopathy matches the side-effect
symptoms to be allayed. My experience is that you, the client and the
oncologist need to be in agreement (especially the client needs to
understand and agree) on what is used and with which intention -
oncologists are leery of anything that may upset the killer activity of
chemo/radiation, and put all kinds of fear into folks.

New research also shows Fish oil's EPA ands DHA omega-3's to be
anti-cancer, including during chenmo and radiation. They are strongly
anti-inflamamtory and beneficial. See ref:
Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2007 Jul;10(4):427-32.
Colon cancer therapy: new perspectives of nutritional manipulations
using polyunsaturated fatty acids. Dupertuis YM, Meguid MM, Pichard C.

Another beneficial nutrient is Vit K2 (as found in yogurt, kefir and
other cultures) and here's one ref for that one; it's used along with Vit E:
Intern Med. 2007;46(11):711-5. Epub 2007 Jun 1.
Hepatocellular carcinoma with peritoneal dissemination which was
regressed during vitamin K2 and vitamin E administration.
Otsuka T, Hagiwara S, Tojima H, Yoshida H, Takahashi T, Nagasaka K,
Tomioka S, Ando T, Takeuchi K, Kori T, Ohno Y, Kakizaki S, Takagi H, Mor

A major concern I have is with the brain damage caused by chemotherapy.
A good friend just completed mastectomy, chemo and radiation end of last
year - and he brain function is sadly depleted. She knows it and needs
someone living with her to keep herself as functional as possible.
Vit E is shown to help improve white cell count in particular.
This ref is from a long while ago, I know there are also newer ones:
Neoplasma. 1993;40(4):235-40.
Vitamin E--its status and role in leukemia and lymphoma.
Dasgupta J, Sanyal U, Das S.

Hope you have success helping - the effects of the toxins are terrible
and long-term. For example my friend's brain function continues to
deteriorate many months after the "treatment". [She has declined
homeopathy so far but is finally using Vit E, K and fish oil - which her
oncologist had nay-said; and there is definite improvement.]

Namaste,
IRene
--
Irene de Villiers, B.Sc AASCA MCSSA D.I.Hom/D.Vet.Hom.
P.O. Box 4703 Spokane WA 99220.
www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/clickhere.html (Veterinary Homeopath.)
"Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt one doing it."

Irene's observations about brain deterioration after chemo are absolutely
correct. The articles are really interesting -- thanks!

Also, one thing about radiation that people generally don't realize is that
the damage continues to evolve indefinitely, like forever. Anything that
can stop this continuum of damage is well worth knowing about.

Rosemary

It's still not clear to me - when treating during chemo are you guided by the symptoms the patient is showing in reaction to the chemo, by the symptoms which led to the cancer diagnosis, or by previous symptoms and constitutional picture?
Thanks,
Vera

Vera Resnick wrote:

What I do in animals:
I am guided by the symptoms that always occur (lowered immunity, lowered
white cell count, radiation burns, nausea, etc) so I try to pre-empt
them; plus the symptoms that are seen (like vertigo and falling might
then also happen for example) and the symptoms that are shown by lab
tests (example liver damage etc).

I have not used the symptoms leading to the cancer so much till after
the chemo/radiation. as part of seeking the simillimum. I may be wrong
but I see such overwhelming damage form "abuse of allopathy" etc that I
wonder if the cause of the cancer has any hope of being adressed then.
If I was the vital force I think I'd want first aid first.

I do feel positive about the constitutional-type remedy being used here
as this supports the individual as an individual, against whatever they
are susceptible to (including chemo, radiation, etc).

I heavily use supplements as in my other email - not just homeopathy.
I do this because the damage is chemical and destroys nutrients and no
remedy can supply nutrients or chemicals - only the energy and
intelligence to use them well.

That's my take on it.

Nmaste,
IRene

PS I forgot to mention before - turmeric is a great anti-cancer spice.
Research shows cancer can not grow in its presence - so plenty of
curries etc - though you can add turmeric to practically anything - even
a latte:-) Just don't spill/splash - it stains bright yellow - (due to
the antioxidant that cancer can't tolerate).
--
Irene de Villiers, B.Sc AASCA MCSSA D.I.Hom/D.Vet.Hom.
P.O. Box 4703 Spokane WA 99220.
www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/clickhere.html (Veterinary Homeopath.)
"Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt one doing it."

I'm sure you will hear from others who are involved in this situation. Within my practice (I am a naturopath as well as homeopath so my training includes nutrition) I wind up involved in nutrition, homeopathy, and many times recommendations for other therapies. So then it becomes a matter of selecting the appropriate focus at the moment. If they are preparing for chemo we might work on specific current symptoms and building up the system. If they are underway, we might select nutritional support and remedies based on their reactions, symptoms and test results at that point. Unfortunately, those who have come at the point of already having chosed chemo have been so 'messed up' by long term pharmaceuticals (and surgeries) that it is not usually possible to see a clear constitutional picture - just a jumble. Given the situation and the individual we might discuss using Ramakrishnan's approach and begin homeopathic treatment at any point within the process - or we might choose to use support only. So much depends on the individual, their situation, their family concerns, their doctors concerns, etc. Present the best information you can and let the individual (or the individual in concert with their family) decide the approach with which they are most comfortable.
Only practice within your training - if you are not trained and experienced in herbs or nutrition - suggest they include an herbalist, a nutritionist or a naturopath on the team.