Homeopathy for Peptic Ulcers

The term peptic ulcer usually refers to an ulcer in the lower esophagus, stomach, or duodenum.

Peptic ulcer disease is present when acid-peptic injury to the gastrointestinal mucosa results in defects (ulcerations) through the epithelial layer.

The term peptic ulcer usually refers to an ulcer in the lower esophagus, stomach, or duodenum.

Peptic Ulcers – CAUSE

1. Heredity – Patients with peptic ulcer often have a family history of the disease, this is particularly so with duodenal ulcers which develop below the age of 20 years. The relatives of chronic ulcer patients have three times the expected number of ulcers.

2. Helicobacter pylori – This is the most important etiological factor in peptic ulcer disease, accounting for 90% of duodenal ulcers and 70% of gastric ulcers. By causing gastritis it reduces the resistance of the gastric mucosa to attack be acid and pepsin and a gastric ulcer may result.

3. Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) – These damage the gastric mucosal barrier and are an important etiological factor in up to 30% of gastric ulcers.

4. Smoking – confers an increased risk of gastric ulcer and to a lesser extent duodenal ulcer.

Also Read: Top 5 Homeopathic Medicine for Acid Reflux

HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT & Medicines for Peptic Ulcers

Homeopathy offers some very good medicines for peptic ulcer disease. But for a homeopath, the symptoms of the disease are much more important than the ulcer itself. This is because to select the right medicine a homeopaths needs to differentiate between the finer presentations of a disease which, vary from person to person. A homeopath not only tries to heal the ulcer but also tries to remove the general predisposition to acquire it. The homeopath not only tries to find ‘What is wrong?’, but also ‘Why it went wrong?’; ‘Where it started going wrong?’; ‘How it evolved to the current stage?’ etc. To find the answers to all these questions, a homeopath tries to gather as much information as possible regarding the pat and present medical history of the patient, his/her family history, his/her general physical and psychological characteristics etc. This hard work on the part of homeopath not only helps in removing  the acute symptoms and the ulcer but also is usually able to remove the tendency for relapse. The ‘on-again/off-again’ nature of the disease is often removed and the general health of the person also improves as a result.

Some of the commonly used medicines for gastritis and duodenal ulcers are argentum-nit, arsenic-alb, atropine, geranium, hydrastis, kali-bichrom, merc-cor, ornithogalum, phosphorus, uranium-nit, terebintha, lycopodium, pulsatilla, graphites, natrum-phos, medorrhinum etc.

Alumina phos. – wonderful medicine for peptic ulcer; useful when the patient vomits food mixed with blood and is suffering from Tuberculosis of the intestines. Bleeding peptic ulcers.

Anacardium – pain and burning begins 2-3 hours of taking the meals when the stomach is empty. Eating gives relief temporarily. Weak digestion, with fullness and distention. Empty feeling in stomach. Eructation, nausea, vomiting. Eating relieves the Anacardium dyspepsia. Apt to choke when eating or drinking. Swallows food and drinks hastily

Arsenic album – lot of burning in the stomach and epigastric regions, worse at night and aftereating and drinking..–Cannot bear the sight or smell of food. Great thirst; drinks much, but little at a time. Nausea, retching, vomiting, after eating or drinking. Anxiety in pit of stomach. Burning pain. Craves acids and coffee. Heartburn; gulping up of acid and bitter substances which seem to excoriate the throat. Long-lasting eructations. Vomiting of blood, bile, green mucus, or brown-black mixed with blood. Stomach extremely irritable; seems raw, as if torn. Gastralgia from slightest food or drink. Dyspepsia from vinegar, acids, ice-cream, ice-water, tobacco. Terrible fear and dyspnea, with gastralgia; also faintness, icy coldness, great exhaustion. Malignant symptoms. Everything swallowed seems to lodge in the oesophagus, which seems as if closed and nothing would pass. Ill effects of vegetable diet, melons, and watery fruits generally. Craves milk.

Phosphorous – best selected especially for duodenal ulcers; eating is followed by flatulence. Hunger soon after eating. Sour taste and sour eructations after every meal. Belching large quantities of wind, after eating. Throws up ingesta by the mouthfuls. Vomiting; water is thrown up as soon as it gets warm in the stomach. Post-operative vomiting. Cardiac opening seems contracted, too narrow; the food scarcely swallowed, comes up again. Pain in stomach; relieved by cold food, ices. Region of stomach painful to touch, or on walking. Inflammation of stomach, with burning extending to throat and bowels. Bad effects of eating too much salt.

Lycopodium – it is useful for peptic ulcers when the patient passes wind in both directions along with burning in the oesophagus. Incomplete burning eructations rise only to pharynx and burn there for hours. Dyspepsia due to farinaceous and fermentable food, cabbage, beans, etc. Excessive hunger. Aversion to bread, etc. Desire for sweet things. Food tastes sour. Sour eructations. Great weakness of digestion. Bulimia, with much bloating. After eating, pressure in stomach, with bitter taste in mouth. Eating ever so little creates fullness. Cannot eat oysters. Rolling of flatulence (Chin; Carb). Wakes at night feeling hungry. Hiccough. Incomplete burning eructations rise only to pharynx there burn for hours. Likes to take food and drink hot. Sinking sensation; worse night.

Robinia – great medicine for peptic ulcer where there is great acidity. The remedy for hperchlorhydria. In cases where albuminoid digestion is too rapid and starch digestion is perverted. The gastric symptoms with the most pronounced acidity are well authenticated, and are the guiding symptoms. The acidity of Robinia is accompanied by frontal headache. Intensely acrid eructations. Acrid and greenish vomiting, colic and flatulence, nightly burning pains in stomach and constipation with urgent desire.–Acidity of children. Stools and perspiration sour. Incarcerated flatus.

Other important medicines:

Aloe; Argentum Nitricum; Hydrastis; Nux Vomica; Kali Bi; sepia; Psorinum; Merc Cor; Kreosote; Natrum Mur; Thuja; Uranium Nit; Sulphuric Acid; Mezarium; Kreosote; kali Iod; Graphites; Carbo Veg; Kali Ars; Natrum Phos; Calcaria Ars; Belladonna; Alumina and many other important medicines.

Peptic Ulcers SYMPTOMS

• Abdominal pain – Pain is referred to the epigastrium and is often so sharply localized that the patient can indicate its site with tow or three fingers – the ‘pointing sign’
• Hunger pain – Pain occurs intermittently during the day, often when the stomach is empty, so that the patient identifies it as ‘hunger pain’ and obtains relief be eating.
• Night pain – Pain wakes the patient from sleep and may be relieved by food, a drink of milk or antacids. This symptoms if found, is virtually pathognomonic of peptic ulcer disease..
• Episodic pain/ Periodicity – Characteristically pain occurs in ‘on again/off again’ episodes, lasting one to three times a week at a time, three to four times in a year. In temperate climates seasonal variation may be noted with an increased frequency of symptoms during winter and spring.
• Other symptoms –

• Waterbarsh
• Heartburn
• Loss of appetite
• Vomiting

Peptic Ulcers – HOW DIAGNOSIS IS DONE?

• Esophagogastrodudenoscopy confirms the presence of an ulcer and permits cytologic studies and biopsy to rule out H. pylori or cancer. Diagnosis may be confirmed by the flowing tests:
  • Barium swallow or upper GI and small bowel series may be reveal the presence of the ulcer. This is the initial test performed on a patient whose symptoms are not severe.
  • Laboratory analysis may detect occult blood in stools.
  • Serologic testing may diagnose clinical signs of infection such as an elevated white blood cell count.
  • Carbon 13 urea breath test results reflect activity of H. pylori.

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO? – ACCESSORY MANAGEMENT

• Avoid cigarette
• Aspirin and Bon-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs should be avoided
• Spicy and rich food may aggravate. If so, it should be avoided.
• Drink lots of water.
• Take frequent small meals instead of two or three big meals.

WHERE CAN I FIND MORE INFO? – INTERNET RESOURCES

• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/
• http://www.niddk.nih.gov/

REFERENCE WORKS

Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, 14th ed, McGraw-Hill

Davidson’s Principles and Practise of Medicine, 17th ed, 1996, Churchill Livingstone

New Manual of Homeopathic Materia Medica & Repertory, William Boericke, 2nd revised ed., 2001, B. Jain

A Concise Repertory of Homeopathic Medicines, S.R.Phatak, 3rd ed, B. Jain

The Prescriber, Clarke, reprint ed, 1998, B. Jain

Practical Homeopathic Therapeutics, Dewey, reprint ed, 1993, B.Jain

Peptic Ulcers Cases Cured with Homeopathic Medicine

A Case of Urinary Bladder Adenocarcinoma – by A. U. Ramakrishnan

One Case, Three Treatment Stages – by Myrna Quintero