Homeopathic Medicine for Relief from Diabetes Mellitus

Calling this article homeopathy for diabetes is somewhat misleading, since I continually stress the fact that homeopathy does not cure diseases. Homeopathy cures people.

Homeopathic treatment does not target one illness, an organ, a body part or a symptom. Remedies are prescribed based on an assembly of presenting symptoms, who the person is, and how he or she experiences and copes with their stresses in life. Treating diabetes is no different.

Diabetes is experienced differently by each sufferer, with the only common denominator being elevated blood sugar levels. In fact, your homeopath will likely give you the same remedy whether or not you tell them you were diagnosed with diabetes.

I’m sure every homeopath has experienced a patient who has come back for the second or subsequent visit and reported the disappearance of a significant symptom they never reported in the first place. One of my diabetes patients is a prime example.

The reason for Alicia’s visit was her life-long battle with fatigue. In order to have sufficient energy to get through the day, she swallowed a fist-full of vitamins, drank herbal tinctures, exercised every morning and tried to eat light meals, but never past 6pm. Deviating from this routine would leave her feeling exhausted and unmotivated. During our first meeting, I asked my customary questions about her fatigue, energy level, sleep, appetite, personality, temperament and so on. Homeopathic Phosphoric Acid was the suitable remedy for Alicia. She reported more energy and motivation during each subsequent visit. She was sleeping deeper, felt happier, and was socializing more.

During her fourth visit several months later, Alicia told me her medical doctor was weaning her off insulin. Surprised and excited by this new revelation, I searched her file for any indication of her being a diabetic or taking insulin. None was found. Alicia hadn’t told me about her diabetes. She felt she was taking care of this aspect of her health by taking insulin.

WHAT IS DIABETES MELLITUS?

Diabetes Mellitus is the most common form of diabetes occurring when the pancreas secretes insufficient amounts of insulin or no insulin at all. As a consequence, the person ends up with too much sugar or glucose in their bloodstream, and not enough gets into their cells to be burned as energy. Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas, which is needed to turn sugar and other food into energy.

There are two types of diabetes mellitus:

Type 1 diabetes: Sometimes called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, Type 1 diabetes means your body cannot produce insulin because the beta cells (cells which produce insulin) in the pancreas are destroyed. Type 1 diabetes occurs more frequently in children and young adults, but accounts for less than 10% of the total diabetes cases.

In this type of diabetes, the role of homeopathy is mostly limited to preventing complications, such as diabetic neuropathy, nephropathy, etc. I have heard of cases where homeopathic treatment has stimulated the pancreas to start producing insulin. Yes, it is possible, but these cases are few and far between.

Type 2 diabetes: The majority of diabetics fall in this category. In Type 2 diabetes the body doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t properly utilize its insulin supply. While many Type 2 diabetics take medication to lower their blood glucose, this type of diabetes can be managed with diet, exercise and weight loss where required. Two main contributing factors for Type 2 diabetes are obesity and age. In both cases, the body becomes less efficient. When the blood glucose rises above normal levels, people experience different symptoms.

MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS AND REASONS THEY OCCUR

Fatigue: With insufficient insulin production, cells don’t get enough energy and cannot work efficiently. This causes fatigue.

Increased urination: All blood is filtered by the kidneys. Excess glucose in the blood must also be filtered by the kidneys, which can re-absorb and recycle normal amounts of glucose. However, when the blood glucose is too high, it can exceed the kidneys’ ability to re-absorb it. The excess glucose then goes out in the urine, literally dragging water with it. This means increased urine production and therefore increased urination.

Increased thirst: Increased urination creates increased thirst.

Blurred vision: With elevated blood glucose, the extra glucose can get into the lens of the eye. When this happens, water again follows it (as it does passing through the kidneys). When extra water enters the lens, it alters its shape. The lens loses its ability to focus light for the eye, which is perceived as blurred vision.

Yeast infections: Yeast live well in the environment of the vagina (as well as under the foreskin of the penis). When the blood glucose is high, there is also more glucose in the vagina as well, and yeast organisms live and multiply on this sugar.

Weight loss: Losing glucose through urine means losing calories. As your body starves for nutrition, weight drops off.  Unfortunately muscle is lost as well in addition to fat, making one feel weak.

Muscle and nerve problems: As muscle mass is lost, the tissue breakdown can result in loss of electrolytes (salts present in all tissues of the body, especially abundant in the muscles). When electrolytes are lost, the muscles become prone to a cramping pain. The increased glucose also passes into the nerve tissues. This radically alters the electrolytes in the nerves. The affected nerves can give false messages to the brain, and this is perceived as numbness, tingling or even pain.

Brain function: The brain does not like an environment of high glucose. This high glucose environment can cause mood fluctuations and the inability to concentrate.

No symptoms: The most common symptom of high blood sugars is to have no symptoms at all. As a result there are many people who don’t know that they have diabetes.

HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT FOR DIABETES

One of the first questions most people ask a homeopath is “should I discontinue my medication to start homeopathic treatment?” The answer is a big resounding “NO.” Homeopathic remedies can be taken in conjunction with prescription medications. In time, as general health improves and blood sugar levels are normalized, allopathic medication can be reduced gradually (with the knowledge and support of the doctor who prescribed it in the first place) until it is no longer required. Remember that homeopathy is healing all of you – not just regulating your blood sugar. With patience and perseverance, becoming drug-free is a definite possibility.

Case History: John came to see me after being on diabetes medication for two years. His consultation proceeded like any other – getting to know who he is. The remedy I prescribed was Calcarea Carbonicum. In six months, John felt more energetic, lost some weight and weaned off the medication. With the help of moderate dieting, he was able to maintain his blood sugar level within the normal range.

Homeopathic remedies can cure many illnesses and help you feel happy, motivated and set you on your way to fulfilling your creative potential. While homeopathic remedies have a lot of healing power, one’s lifestyle and circumstances can hinder their healing process. Negative situations, such as an unhappy marriage, unfulfilling job or unfavourable living arrangements can keep you in a state of distress, and as a result keep you ill. Homeopaths believe negative emotions can be as toxic to our bodies as environmental chemicals.

Case History: Negative and unexpressed emotions can contribute to and perpetuate diseases. My five-year-old patient diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes is a great example.

His symptoms of excessive thirst, frequent urination and lethargy had commenced shortly after his mother went back to work and he remained in the care of the paternal grandmother. During the interview, the child’s parents revealed the grandmother was strict, unemotional and sparing with affection. She rarely hugged the child, even when he cried. I told the parents this environment was affecting the child’s psychological health and likely contributing to his illness. The father of the child responded by saying “I was brought up by the same mother and turned out OK. It’s good for him, he needs to toughen up.” Clearly, the boy was being taught that his feelings don’t count and must be suppressed. This in turn was causing his illness. As a result, the homeopathic remedy Calcarea Phosphoricum was helpful in stabilizing this child’s blood sugar to a limited degree. As long as the child was unhappy in his situation, he would remain partially ill. In this case the child had no choice because he was forced to comply with his parents’ wishes.

The good news is that many adults can make difficult changes in their lives more easily after homeopathic treatment. Homeopathic medicine has the capacity to give the emotional strength needed to make positive changes, such as leaving a limiting job or a dead-end relationship.

Mild cases of diabetes can be successfully managed by eliminating certain carbohydrates and sugars from the diet. Others find that simply losing weight allows their blood sugar to regulate naturally. Strict dieting is a way of life for many diabetics. When treated homeopathically, these individuals find they can consume the occasional restricted foods without suffering the consequences. While homeopathic treatment targets the whole person, the digestive organs, pancreas, kidneys, and all other systems gradually improve to regain normal functioning.

During the last century, medical science has made great advances. Potentially fatal illnesses such as tuberculosis, pneumonia and diabetes are now routinely treated, and transplant surgeries have given life and mobility to thousands. Despite all the great discoveries and advances, many chronic illnesses such as psoriasis, arthritis, migraines and the like remain difficult to treat.

Perhaps the reason for this is that as conventional medicine journeys further down the microscope of scientific discovery, it is losing sight of the fact that the cells they are examining belong to human beings. Homeopathy recognizes this and treats each individual as a whole being. Our emotions, experiences, relationships, family, occupation and position in the community influence causation and perpetuation of disease.

When embarking on homeopathic treatment for diabetes, keep in mind that you are not merely getting your blood sugar regulated. True healing can only take place when it considers and treats all of you: mind, body and spirit. Are you ready for transformation?