AVIAN INFLUENZA AND HOMEOPATHY

There's a lot of fuss recently about avian influenza and the concern reaches panic when it is combined with poor or unclear information from the media. The concern is certainly justified to some extent. It's true that avian influenza is difficult to be transmitted from fowl to humans but, in case of infection, there is severe illness with great mortality, especially in children and young adults. Besides, the likelihood of the virus mutating to a strain capable of being transmitted directly between humans is the main cause of concern, because the virus will then be able to cause a flu pandemic of the same, or even bigger, extent to the 1918 flu pandemic.
The treatment means available to date are poor. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is the only effective drug, clinically tested in humans. However, it must be given early in the course of the illness, is not always effective and there are already reports of resistant strains. In the field of prevention, even if we ignore Homeopathy's reserve about vaccination, the vaccine is still at the experimental stage.
In this context, the question is raised whether Homeopathy has anything to offer. Nobody can predict the future, of course, nor can one claim laurels of glory for Homeopathy in advance, yet my personal answer to the question is positive, based on the following search of the homeopathic literature. Only a trial in practice will prove whether this view is sound and realistic or overly optimistic, but nobody wishes a chance for this trial. Nevertheless, it's wise and prudent that homeopathic doctors be ready for something which never may it happen in their country.
In my search on which homeopathic drugs might prove useful in the event of a human case of avian influenza, I went through the following procedure. I looked in the Web for articles describing the clinical picture of human avian influenza cases in South-East Asia. I repertorized based on these symptoms, I picked the drugs which appeared more often and more intensely (in bold and italics) and I present them below, along with some comments on their possible usefulness. This method has an inevitable drawback from a homeopathic point of view. It didn't take into account any modalities of the signs and symptoms of the illness which may well have been present but have not been reported from the attending physicians as unsignificant from an allopathic point of view. If this happens, the following hierarchical order of drugs according to their likely effectiveness in treating avian influenza might be different and other drugs may have to be added in the list of useful drugs. Despite this possible flaw I think that this study will be useful in helping homeopathic doctors treat avian influenza.
From the articles about the avian influenza human cases found in the Web the most comprehensive is one published in New England Journal of Medicine in September 2005. From this article I quote an excerpt on clinical symptoms and course of the illness below.

Initial Symptoms
Most patients have initial symptoms of high fever (typically a temperature of more than 38°C) and an influenza-like illness with lower respiratory tract symptoms. Upper respiratory tract symptoms are present only sometimes. Unlike patients with infections caused by avian influenza A (H7) viruses, patients with avian influenza A (H5N1) rarely have conjunctivitis. Diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, pleuritic pain, and bleeding from the nose and gums have also been reported early in the course of illness in some patients. Watery diarrhea without blood or inflammatory changes appears to be more common than in influenza due to human viruses and may precede respiratory manifestations by up to one week. One report described two patients who presented with an encephalopathic illness and diarrhea without apparent respiratory symptoms.
Clinical Course
Lower respiratory tract manifestations develop early in the course of illness and are usually found at presentation. In one series, dyspnea developed a median of 5 days after the onset of illness (range, 1 to 16). Respiratory distress, tachypnea, and inspiratory crackles are common. Sputum production is variable and sometimes bloody. Almost all patients have clinically apparent pneumonia; radiographic changes include diffuse, multifocal, or patchy infiltrates; interstitial infiltrates; and segmental or lobular consolidation with air bronchograms. Radiographic abnormalities were present a median of 7 days after the onset of fever in one study (range, 3 to 17). In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, multifocal consolidation involving at least two zones was the most common abnormality among patients at the time of admission. Pleural effusions are uncommon. Limited microbiologic data indicate that this process is a primary viral pneumonia, usually without bacterial suprainfection at the time of hospitalization.
Progression to respiratory failure has been associated with diffuse, bilateral, ground-glass infiltrates and manifestations of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In Thailand, the median time from the onset of illness to ARDS was 6 days (range, 4 to 13). Multiorgan failure with signs of renal dysfunction and sometimes cardiac compromise, including cardiac dilatation and supraventricular tachyarrhythmias, has been common. Other complications have included ventilator-associated pneumonia, pulmonary hemorrhage, pneumothorax, pancytopenia, Reye's syndrome, and sepsis syndrome without documented bacteremia.
Mortality
The fatality rate among hospitalized patients has been high , although the overall rate is probably much lower. In contrast to 1997, when most deaths occurred among patients older than 13 years of age, recent avian influenza A (H5N1) infections have caused high rates of death among infants and young children. The case fatality rate was 89 percent among those younger than 15 years of age in Thailand. Death has occurred an average of 9 or 10 days after the onset of illness (range, 6 to 30), and most patients have died of progressive respiratory failure.

After repertorisation with Synthesis (Repertorium Homeopathicum Syntheticum, 5th edition, edited by Frederik Schroyens, Homeopathic Book Publishers, London) using the above symptoms and signs, the following drugs came up. In brackets there are: a)the page number in Synthesis where the rubric is, b)the number of drugs found in the same rubric and at the same level i.e. bold, italics etc. with the drug at issue.
Antimonium tartaricum (Ant-t.)
It seems that Antimonium tartaricum will be our heavy weapon from the homeopathic pharmaceutical armamentarium to fight avian infuenza owing to its features below:
▪ It is one of the main drugs which cause pneumonia with tachypnea, dyspnea and cough.
Chest > inflammation, lungs (p.1014) → Ant-t. (+17)
Respiration > accelerated (p.943) → Ant-t. (+13)
Respiration > difficult, with cough (p.949) → Ant-t. (+9)
▪ It is one of the main drugs causing pneumonia in children, which are the age group with the highest morbidity and mortality from avian influenza
Chest > inflammation, lungs, children, infants (p.1015) → Ipec., ant.t (+9)
▪ Ant-t. has a lot of respiratory secretions, causing noisy respiration, which, nevertheless, cannot expel. These features recall the clinical picture of pulmonary edema, in which stirring of exudate in bronchioles causes the rattling noise characteristic of Ant-t. Copious exudation of fluids in the lungs is the cause of cyanosis, respiratory failure and, eventually, death from asphyxia of the avian influenza victims.
Cough > rattling (p.980) → Ant.t. (+4)
Face > discoloration bluish, lips (p.489) → Ant-t. (+8)
Respiration > asphyxia (p.944) → Ant-t. (+0) (the only drug in bold)
Respiration > asphyxia, children, newborns (p.944) → Ant-t. (+1)
▪ A large percentage, up to 70%, of the avian influenza patients have diarrhea and, a less percentage, vomiting. Ant-t. covers these symptoms and, what is most impressive, it's the only drug causing diarrhea in pneumonia (even though with ordinary in the rubric).
Rectum > diarrhea (p.760) → Ant-t. (+42)
Rectum > diarrhea in pneumonia (p.766) → Ant-t. (the only drug in the rubric)
Stomach > vomiting (p.673) → Ant-t. (+28)
Stomach > vomiting, coughing (p.674) → Ant-t. (+6)
▪ It has been observed that avian influenza victims are patients whose immune system reacts excessively to the virus with overproduction of inflammatory mediators and the resulting intense inflammation in the lungs and the other organs leads ultimately to death. An identical rubric doesn't exist in the homeopathic repertory, of course, but the occurrence of side effects after vaccination is a similar biological phenomenon, since it comes from immune system overactivation.
Generals > vaccination, after (p.1698) → 3 BOLD CAPITAL / 4 bold / Ant-t. (+9)
(Another comment, by the way: In some Web fora talking about avian influenza and homeopathy, there are opinions suggesting the use of drugs of the tuberculinic miasm. I am against this type of thinking in Homeopathy and I think that prescribing should be based basically on the constellation of the existing symptoms and their modalities. However, if a homeopathic colleague is to use this way of thinking in his practice, he should choose among the drugs of the gonorrheic miasm, which is characterized by overproduction of substances, oversecretion and immunological overactivation and not of the tuberculinic miasm, related to under-activation and inefficiency of the immune system).
▪ In case of avian influenza pneumonia, the presence of somnolence, a characteristic of Ant-t., possibly a result of blood gases exchange disturbances (hypercapnia and hypoxia), will be a sign corroborating the diagnosis of Ant-t.
Sleep > sleepiness, during heat (p.1411) → Ant-t. (+11)
Sleep > sleepiness, in pneumonia (p.1412) → Ant-t. (+1) (there is no drug in bold)
▪ In another NEJM article there is a report of two childrens' cases who succumbed to avian influenza with a clinical picture of febrile encephalitis (increasing sleepiness and coma eventually) in combination with diarrhea, with or without respiratory symptoms. It is amazing that Ant-t. covers this constellation of symptoms.
Sleep > sleepiness, during heat (p.1411) → Ant-t. (+11)
Sleep > sleepiness, during diarrhea (p.1410) → Ant-t. (+3) (no drug in bold).
Sleep > sleepiness, during diarrhea in children (p.1410) → Ant-t. (the only drug in the rubric)
Sleep > sleepiness, with cough (p.1410) → Ant-t. (+0) (the only drug in bold)

Ipecacuanha (Ip.)
Considering its characteristics, it seems that Ip. will be another drug we must think seriously of in avian influenza treatment. It shares quite a lot of symptoms with Ant-t., but it will rather be chosen when nausea and vomiting predominate and nose bleeding coexists.
▪ Ip. is included in the following rubrics:
Chest > inflammation, lungs (p.1014) → Ip. ( 18 bold, 55 italics )
Respiration > accelerated (p.943) → Ip. (+13)
Respiration > difficult, with cough (p.949) → Ip. (+9)
Chest >inflammation, lungs, children, infants (p.1015) → Ipec (the only in bold)
Cough > rattling (p.980) → Ip. (+4)
Face > discoloration bluish, lips (p.489) → Ip. ( 9 bold, 23 italics )
Rectum > diarrhea (p.760) → Ip. (+42)
Stomach > vomiting (p.673) → Ip. (+28)
Stomach > vomiting, coughing (p.674) → Ip. (+6)
Nose > epistaxis, whooping cough (p.468) → Ip. (+2)
Mouth > bleeding gums (p.534) → NO
Sleep > sleepiness, with cough (p.1410) → Ip.(+1) (1 bold)

Carbo vegetabilis (Carb-v.)
Carb-v. is included in a lot of the above-mentioned rubrics, but is absent in a lot of others, too. It is a drug which also causes hemorrhages, mainly of dark blood colour (apparently of venous origin), in contrast to Ip. where the blood is bright red (apparently arterial) (Nose > epistaxis, blood bright…dark…p.466). Additional features are weakness and exhaustion which are common symptoms in influenza.
▪Chest > inflammation, lungs (p.1014) → Carbo-v. (+17)
Respiration > accelerated (p.943) → Carbo-v. (+13)
Respiration > difficult, with cough (p.949) → Carb-v. (10 bold, 16 italics )
Cough > rattling (p.980) → Carb-v. (5 bold, 32 italics )
Rectum > diarrhea (p.760) → Carb-v. (+42)
Stomach > vomiting (p.673) → NO
Stomach > vomiting, coughing (p.674) → Carbo-v. (7 bold, 29 italics )
Nose > epistaxis (p.465) → Carb-v. (+35)
Mouth > bleeding gums (p.534) → Carb-v. (+11)

Ars., Phosph., Lyc., Kali-carb., Bry., Chel. etc.
Various polychrest drugs appear in general and broad aforementioned rubrics but I think that it is not necessary to describe them at large because they are well known. Besides, their choice will depend mainly on the presence of their own special characteristics and modalities.

Laurocerasus (Laur.)
Laur. is related to cardiac mainly and respiratory diseases as well, which cause cardiac and peripheral circulatory failure (shock), but there aren't any other pieces of information to connect it with avian influenza. Nevertheless, we should keep it in mind to search for its special features in case of avian influenza illness.
Camphora (Camph.)
Camph. is indicated in some shock cases, therefore what is written for Laur. applies for it, too.

Drosera (Dros.)
Although Dros. causes cough and epistaxis, it affects mainly the upper and not the lower respiratory system (it is not comprised in the rubrics of pneumonia and tachypnea), therefore it seems unlikely to be useful in case of a severe avian influenza illness with pneumonia.

In conclusion, the homeopathic physicians having a complete knowledge of the homeopathic drugs with features matching the clinical characteristics of the avian influenza illness in humans, we can face the unwanted prospect of its advent to our countries in a cool mood and without panic.

ABOUT ME AND THIS BLOG

I was born in 1961. I entered the Athens Medical School in 1978 and graduated in 1985. I first heard about Homeopathy during my medical studies in a lecture organised by the Athens Center of Homeopathy and I liked the homeopathic doctors' way of viewing human body as a whole and not as a sum of independent parts. However, it was not until years later that I decided to study Homeopathy. During my rural service as a doctor in a provincial village, I was amazed to see that many patients with long-standing problems ineffectively treated by "Allopathic" Medicine, found cure in Homeopathy. So, along with my specialisation in General Practice / Family Medicine (1989-1992), I followed the study courses of the Hellenic Homeopathic Medical Society and of the Athens Homeopathic Center. I worked then in the Athens Homeopathic Center for three years (1992-1995) under the supervision of expert homeopathic physicians, pupils of G.Vithoulkas. The exchange of knowledge and experience with them and the participation in seminars from G.Vithoulkas, V.Ghegas and other distinguished homeopathic physicians greatly contributed to my maturation as a homeopathic doctor. I realised that there is no illness or case which should be dismissed as "incurable" from a homeopathic standpoint without making a try. I will never forget a case of a boy with muscular dystrophy, a disease considered incurable from allopathic medicine, who was told from his attendant neurologist that he would be confined to a wheelchair in a few years and who still walks due to the great reduction in the rate of muscular destruction with homeopathic treatment.
In 1995, my wife and I decided to leave stressful life in Athens in order to live more peacefully and at a slower "pace" in the Greek province. Since then, I have been living in Paralio Astros, a picturesque Greek seaside village, enjoying life with my wife and my four children, working as a general practitioner in the nearby Public Health Center and treating patients with homeopathy in private practice.
Last year I visited the World Health Organisation site to get information about avian influenza. I was deeply concerned with the possibility of the avian influenza virus mutating into a pandemic strain. I felt that, if a pandemic happens, humanity will be vulnerable and with poor defense means available against a deadly virus. I wondered if Homeopathy could offer any help and from my search in homeopathic literature came out the article entitled "avian influenza and homeopathy". It was recently published in the bulletin of the Hellenic Homeopathic Medical Society. I thought that I owe to present my work to the international Homeopathic community as well, that's why I came at creating this blog. It is essentially a single-post blog (at least at the moment) but I hope that you find it worth reading.
Panagiotes-Socrates Loumakis, homeopathic physician/general practitioner