Cured Case of Alcoholism with Homeopathy by Tamara Der-Ohanian
“Still enjoying your new Honda Accord?” he inquired, following their sexual encounter in his hotel room. Rising on her elbow, Danielle peered at the stranger she had met at the bar less than two hours earlier. “How do you know I drive a Honda Accord?” she asked feeling alarmed.
“Don’t you remember being with me three weeks ago?” he continued. “You have a condo in Etobicoke and work as an IT specialist.”
Danielle had no recollection of ever meeting this man, much less being intimate with him three weeks earlier. Feeling ashamed and desperate, Danielle got dressed and left the hotel. She proceeded to drive home despite the fact that she had consumed a dozen or so gin and tonics earlier that evening.
This was the lowest Danielle had ever felt. Sobbing and pleading with God on her drive home, Danielle decided to take her hands off the steering wheel and let fate decide the outcome. Next thing she remembered was waking up in her bed the next morning with the front door of her apartment wide open. She had no recollection of her drive home, parking underground, or making her way up to the 20th floor.
This was the turning point which helped Danielle make the decision to quit drinking and call AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) for help.
I met Danielle several months after she had joined AA. At first she was alcohol-free for eight weeks, then resumed drinking, although not as heavily. Danielle was stuck in a cycle of alcohol consumption and abstinence. Abstinence brought out her feelings of anger, shame and worthlessness. When these feelings became unbearable, Danielle would resume drinking which helped her cope.
I prescribed the homeopathic remedy Crotalus Horridus, which helped Danielle to gradually stop the vicious cycle of alcohol consumption. Over a period of three months, the negative feelings that drove her to drink diminished. She was able to cope with the feelings without needing to drown them with alcohol. Instead, she could discuss them in her AA group. To date, Danielle has been sober for eight years.
Scientific Studies: Homeopathy for Alcoholism
Objectives: This study was undertaken to compare the effects of IH with standard allopathic (SA) treatment.
Methods: A randomized controlled, open-label, comparative trial, was conducted, in which alcohol dependents were screened verbally using the CAGE scale. The participants 80 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were randomized either IH (n=40) or SA (n=40) and treated cum followed up for 12 months. The primary outcome was more than 50% reduction in the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire [SADQ] rating scale at 12 th month. Data analysis was done for both intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) populations.
Results: ITT analysis reflected 80% (n = 32) of the patients in IH and 37.5% (n = 15) of the patients in the SA responding to CI before 2.4 treatment with absolute difference was 42.5% (42.5 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 23.0, 61.6]) and estimated effect: 6.6 (95% C.I: 2.4, 18.2), P = 0.0002. A significant difference favoring IH was also observed in three out of four domains of WHO QOL-BREF. Statistically significant difference was found in the number of drinking days (median difference: −24.00; CI: −39.0-−8.0; P = 0.001) and number of drinks per drinking day (median difference: −6.3 [95% CI: −11.3-−1.9]; P = 0.004), favoring IH. The results showed a similar trend in PP analysis. Medicines found useful were Sulphur, Lycopodium clavatum, Arsenicum album, Nux vomica, Phosphorus, and Lachesis.
Conclusion: The results conclude that IH is not inferior to SA in the management of AD patients. More rigorous studies with large sample size are however desirable.
Background: Alcohol dependence is a common social problem which may be associated with other risk factors and co‑morbidities. Abrupt cessation of alcohol intake may provoke an acute alcohol withdrawal phase with varying degrees of signs and symptoms. In conventional medical system, specific pharmacological interventions are used for management of Acute Alcohol Withdrawal (AAW). There exists a need to explore safe and holistic treatment of AAW. The present work reports the results of a prospective, observational, exploratory, multicentre trial (2008–2011) to assess the role of Homoeopathy in AAW.
Materials and Methods: Individualised Homoeopathy was given to 112 patients reporting with AAW. The clinical assessment was done for 05 days using Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment Scale of Alcohol‑Revised (CIWA‑Ar). Post‑withdrawal phase, quality of life of patients was assessed at end of 01st, 03rd and 06th month using World Health Organisation quality of life (WHOQOL)‑ BREF.
Results and Analysis: There was a significant decrease in CIWA‑Ar mean scores and increase in quality of life score (P < 0.001). The most common remedies used were Arsenicum album, Lycopodium clavatum, Belladonna, Nux vomica and Pulsatilla.
Conclusion: The results of current observational pilot study suggest the promising use of Homoeopathy in the management of acute alcohol withdrawal. Further studies with large sample size and rigorous design are warranted.
Abstract
Background: Alcohol is one of the main contributors to diseases world-wide which leads to a
potentially preventable death. Alcohol use disorders are the most prevalent of all substance use
disorders. Alcohol dependence poses physical, psychological, economic and social issues to the
individual, families and community.
Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of Nux Vomica 1M in reducing the craving for alcohol in
dependent subjects.
Materials and Methods: Cases presenting with Alcohol dependence are assessed with Penn Alcohol
Craving Scale (PACS) and Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SADQ) for craving and
dependence respectively. Nux vomica 1M was given orally twice a day for 8 weeks. The data obtained
from the pre and post treatment was statistically analyzed.
Results: Paired sample t test showed that there is a statistically significant difference between the
before and after PACS scores (t=9.55, df=29, p< 0.001) with a mean difference of 7.77±0.81(95%CI:
6.10to 9.43). The before and after scores of SADQ were significantly different (t=8.94, df=29, p<
0.001) with a mean difference of 11.67±1.31 (95%CI: 8.99 to 14.34).
Conclusion: The study corroborates the evidence that Nux Vomica 1M is effective in treatment of
Alcohol Dependence Syndrome by reducing the craving for Alcohol. Studies with longer duration and
rigorous study design are warranted.
ABSTRACT
In today’s modern world the occasional use of alcohol has slowly transformed into a traditional habit that is gradually leading to addiction. In previous days abuse of alcohol was found only in adults but now it is being identified in even the younger age groups which is leading to many psychosocial and physical ailments. Alcohol abuse disorders, especially alcohol intoxication is the most prominent and acute ailments found in today’s world. Homeopathy is a holistic system of medicine that is showing good results in treating cases of alcohol intoxication and other disorders related to alcohol abuse and thus this study is done to reflect the same.