Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is one of the most commonly found types of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) of unknown cause. Genetic, ethnic, altered gut bacteria, and autoimmunity can contribute to its causation. UC affects the large intestine – specifically colon and the rectum, and causes open sores and inflammatory patches in its inner layers. People with UC typically experience bloody loose stools, mucus with their diarrhoea, colic pain in their abdomen, urging to pass stools after eating, weight loss, and nutritional deficiency. These symptoms can be aggravated by taking certain pain killers and NSAIDs.
What Is Autoimmunity
Our immune system is designed to attack external harmful germs and safeguard our body during infections. This is done in two ways: the innate immunity and the adaptive immunity. Innate immunity is the first-line of defence and it consists of the skin, saliva, tears, bacterial flora, cells in the blood, and immunity obtained through mother’s milk. Adaptive immunity fights bacteria by forming specific attack-cells and is capable of building a ‘memory’ to prevent future infections of the same kind.
Autoimmunity occurs when our immune cells erroneously identify the body’s healthy tissues as harmful, and attacks them. While it has been theorised that IBD can also be triggered when the immune system identifies our gut bacteria as harmful, the attack may be directed against the inner lining of the colon itself.
Why Homeopathy For Ulcerative Colitis?
The reasons for autoimmune disease are often stated as unknown. However, physical and psychological stresses have been implied in the development of autoimmune diseases. Over 80% of patients have reported having had uncommon emotional stresses before the development of their autoimmune disease. The current treatment options available for UC focus solely on reducing the inflammatory processes, pain relief and reducing the swelling, which are the end products of the problem. These treatment options offer momentary relief, but come with the risk of side effects and relapse of the complaints. In more severe cases, patients may be prescribed steroids and antibiotics, but it is advisable to limit their usage due to adverse reactions.
Homeopathy has been useful in treating various chronic and autoimmune diseases as the treatment is specific to the person. The treatment approach is holistic – meaning that the patient’s mental, emotional and physical complaints and/or ‘triggers’ will be taken into consideration, so that the person is seen as a whole and not as component parts. Thus two people having the same disease may receive two different treatments, as opposed to a single generic treatment specific to the condition.
This approach can be better appreciated in terms of a patient’s improvement because autoimmune conditions have a strong correlation with emotional and/or mental stresses and may also be associated with other various health issues. For instance, a person with UC might also have associated knee pain, skin flare-ups and falling hair. Fortunately all such symptoms can be treated simultaneously with the aid of homeopathy.
A Case Of Ulcerative Colitis Treated With Homeopathy
A 35-year-old woman first visited our clinic in September, 2021 with complaints of extensive UC over the past year. She complained of passing gushing bloody stools 10 to 12 times a day. She was previously under strong medications including anti-inflammatories, pain killers and immunosuppressants; but despite these treatments she continued to grow weak, pale and lost 7 kilos in weight. She also suffered from anaemia and its accompanying symptoms, although she only had occult bleeding (detected by laboratory tests) with no visible bleeding in stools. Her anaemia persisted despite taking multivitamins and folic acid supplements.
She had no family history of UC, but the patient narrated an unusual emotional stress where she was severely mortified – and after this her bloody diarrhoea developed. On the basis of injured pride, which she hadn’t overcome in over a year, and the characteristics of the diarrhoea, she was prescribed the homeopathic remedy Gratiola 30C once a day for 6 days.
The remedy ameliorated her weakness, breathing difficulties on ascending, pain in her calves, and her stools became more formed. There was no more occult blood or RBCs seen on microscopic examination of her stool and therefore her blood report showed higher levels of haemoglobin and RBC count. She got back her appetite, her energy, and gained 2 kilos. Furthermore, the patient felt better on the emotional level, and felt free of her injured pride.
The immunosuppressants that the patient was taking were slowly tapered down and finally stopped over a period of 4 months of homeopathic treatment.
When the patient developed the same complaints again, she was prescribed the homeopathic remedies Aloe 30C and Sulphur 200C on two separate events (February and June 2022 respectively). The prescriptions were always holistically based.
Table. 1. Blood reports through homeopathic treatment
It is to be noted that the remedies mentioned above were prescribed upon careful consideration of the symptoms, and are not to be taken without prescription.
This case shows that with meticulous, principle-based homeopathic therapy, significant improvement can be observed in psychological and physical states, even in serious autoimmune conditions like ulcerative colitis. The holistic approach renders the treatment individualistic, and brings about a relief from stress, and increases the joy of living. In future, the therapeutic possibilities of homeopathy in treating serious health conditions should be seriously noted by medical authorities worldwide.
Thousands of cases like this are being cured daily with homeopathy. If you would like to learn how to practice homeopathy effectively, register for your free 10-day trial here: https://www.vithoulkas.edu.gr/en
Author Bio
Dr. Latika Jaggi is Director of H3 – Health & Happiness by Homeopathy Centre of Classical Homeopathy in Nashik, Maharashtra, India. She graduated top of her class from one of India’s premier colleges: Nehru Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital, New Delhi in 1998. She is an IACH Diploma holder and has attended the IACH summer courses in Alonissos, Greece for the last 19 years. Since 2013, she has worked together with her husband Dr. Atul Jaggi to moderate the IACH E-learning Course in India. Dr. Latika Jaggi is an individual moderator of the IACH E-learning Program.