HIV and Homeopathy

As per data from the AIDS Epidemic Update there are more people living with HIV than ever before as people are living longer due to the beneficial effects of antiretroviral therapy and population growth. However the number of AIDS-related deaths has declined by over 10% over the past five years as more people gained to access to the life saving treatment. UNAIDS and WHO estimate that since the availability of effective treatment in 1996, some 2.9 million lives have been saved.

I feel these encouraging results will keep the momentum to make this earth HIV free.

According to new data in the 2009 AIDS epidemic update, new HIV infections have been reduced by 17% over the past eight years. Since 2001, when the United Nations Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS was signed, the number of new infections in sub-Saharan Africa is approximately 15% lower, which is about 400,000 fewer infections in 2008.

In East Asia new HIV infections declined by nearly 25% and in South and South East Asia by 10% in the same time period. In Eastern Europe, after a dramatic increase in new infections among injecting drug users, the epidemic has leveled off considerably. However, in some countries there are signs that new HIV infections are rising again.

As I analyzed, out of nearly 7 billion people of this world nearly 0.5 percent i.e. (33.4 million) [31.1 million–35.8 million] people are living with HIV worldwide, which is really a higher incidence for a single disease.

This report also estimated that

– 2.7 million [2.4 million–3.0 million] people were newly infected in 2008
– 2 million [1.7– 2.4 million] people died of AIDS related illness in 2008

That means, everyday nearly 8000 people are becoming HIV positive, and similar numbers are dying of HIV — and, this is continuing for last many years. Well, prevalence of HIV infection is different in each country, where Sub-African countries are most affected.

Concept of the disease in Homeopathy

Since ages, man tried to formulate the ideas about health and disease — from effects of supernatural powers, astral influences to germ theory and now to genetic theory of evolution of diseases, Hahnemann also placed his ideas or concepts about diseases and health i.e. doctrines of vital force and miasms.

Broadly speaking, Hahnemann differentiated all kinds of illnesses into 3 big syndromes, that he named as Psora, Sycosis and Syphilis — specific groups of all kinds of symptoms, signs and syndromes. We have seen similar ideas/concepts about diseases in teachings of Hippocrates, Galen, etc. and in Chinese medicines and Ayurveda. If someone is ill, he is having miasm, basically he is having psora or psoric miasm. Hahnemann used miasm term synonymously with disposition to any disease. For any illness or any disease in the human body, there should be some predisposition, and this he termed as miasm.

With the evolution of this mankind, homeopathically we have 3 basic categories of ailments. This evolutionary idea about miasms is well explained by Peter Fraser in his book along with a new extension — The AIDS Miasm Contemporary Disease and the New Remedies.

Peter Fraser believes that the arrival of speech, in our collective past, would have created a new awareness of past, present and future, which would have given rise to “apprehension and anxiety” in our distant ancestors. The end result of this anxiety was the psoric perception of life as a struggle for survival.

The next great miasmatic change would have been the discovery of writing, which allowed human beings to widen their scope beyond “the experience of a single person”, and to thus go beyond the verbal confines of the tribe, towards “the establishment of a large and successful city-based society… Trade, money and banking are all the direct consequences of writing”. The inevitable result of these changes would have been economic overgrowth, and the synchronous birth of sycosis.

The conditions for syphilis, Peter Fraser reasons, were born out of the discovery of printing, which was the first truly industrialized process. Industrialization requires a completely regimented and suppressed population, which provides ideal fodder both for the dark satanic mills, and also for their equal and opposite image, the destructive maw of syphilis.

The most recent technological shift is the arrival, in the last fifty years, of the ‘Electronic Age’. The book’s central thesis is that the electronic media have brought about “an almost complete destruction of the concept of distance in both space and time… the result of this is that the world becomes a global village”.

This has caused profound changes in the way we see the world, and the consequent adaptations we have been forced to make have given rise to a new miasm – the AIDS miasm.

AIDS is a disease that is characterized by a destruction of boundaries. The immune system, which is destroyed in AIDS, defines the boundary of the individual as a physical entity – between the self and the not-self.

Challenges to Homeopathy

Everyone is well aware about Lancet’s article about Homeopathy a placebo, and campaign against by Sense About Science of UK, and many similar ones. In his one letter, Prof. Chaturbhuja Nayak, Director, Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, New Delhi, INDIA, put forward some strong points towards the efficacy of homeopathic medicines in AIDS and HIV positive cases.

He mentioned:

“In the Maharashtra state, the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (an autonomous body of the Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, whose mandate is to conduct and promote research in Homoeopathy) has one Regional Research Institute in Mumbai, which conducted one pilot study (1989-91) to evaluate the role of homoeopathic medicines in the management of HIV infection. Initial results suggested a positive role of homoeopathic medicines and prompted a randomized placebo control study (1995-97). In the subjects with stage III AIDS a statistically significant difference was observed in CD4+ T lymphocyte counts between the pre and post trial levels in the patients treated with drugs (varum group), whereas in the placebo group, a similar comparison yielded non-significant results2.”

“Another group of studies conducted in the clinic settings in California, Oregon, Hawaii, New York and Washington found specific physical, immunological, neurological, metabolic and quality-of-life benefits, including improvements in lymphocyte counts and functions and reductions in viral loads3.”

References:
1. Prasad Raekha. Homoeopathy booming in India, The Lancet, Vol-370 November 17, 2007.
2. Rastogi D.P, et al. Homeopathy in HIV infection: a trial report of double-blind placebo controlled study; British Homeopathic Journal; vol-88, issue-2,1999
3. Ullman Dana. Controlled Clinical Trials Evaluating the Homeopathic Treatment of People with Human Immunodeficiency Virus or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2003, 9(1): 133-141.

I believe, governmental agencies are working and very soon we shall have some results.

Clinical evaluation of homoeopathic medicines in HIV infection

Encouraging results obtained from the pilot study (1989-1991) and randomized control trial (1995-1997) in HIV infection at Regional Research Institute (H), Mumbai, prompted Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH) to carry out a multi-centric clinical trial with an objective to evaluate the role of homoeopathic medicines in the treatment of HIV infection, to help delay in progression of infection and to see whether objective laboratory changes corroborate with clinical improvement.

Fifteen hundred twenty three people with HIV infection from different Units/Institutes of CCRH were studied during the period 1989-2005. Cases were enrolled as per the classification given by Centre for Disease Control (CDC) for HIV infection. During each follow-up visit, changes in the body weight, biological functions, presence or absence of minor or major opportunistic infections were recorded. CD4/CD8 counts were done at Mumbai centre from 1995 onwards and at National Institute of Communicable Diseases, New Delhi for the cases enrolled at New Delhi centre.

Six hundred and sixty cases were followed up regularly. Out of these, 332 patients maintained asymptomatic status for a period varying from 3 to 10 years and 215 patients improved in varying degrees. No improvement was seen in 23cases, 52 cases were worsened, 04 cases died and in 34 cases status could not be ascertained since they were registered during last phase of study.

It was observed that cases presenting with minor ailments such as oral candidiasis, cough, weakness, diarrhoea, weight loss etc. responded favorably to the homoeopathic medicines.

Arsenic alb. (n=102),
Bryonia (n=132),
Calcarea carbonica (n=44),
Lycopodium (n=84),
Merc.sol. (n=112),
Natrum mur. (n=96),
Nux vom.(n=80),
Pulsatilla (n=124),
Rhus tox. (n=132),
Sepia (n=49),
Silicea (n=48),
Sulphur (n=110) and
Tuberculinum (n=88) were the most efficacious medicines.

Sustained psychological support influenced the health of the people with HIV infection.

Homoeopathic medicines could help in prolonging the life of asymptomatic cases, delaying or slowing down progress of infection and maintaining the quality of life of the patients. The results obtained suggest a definitive role of homoeopathic medicines in managing people with HIV infection. A further study with additional laboratory parameters like estimation of viral load is needed for scientific validation.

Researchers:

Nirupama Mishra, Vikram Singh, S.k.Dey, K.C.Muralidharan, D.B.Sarkar, P.Kameshwar Rao
Regional Research Institute (H), Mumbai

K.Bhanu Murty, Ch.Raveendar, B.S.J.Raja Kumar
Regional Research Institute (H), Gudivada

K.Bhanu Murty, S.Bhuveneswari, S.k.Dey, P.Prasad
Clinical Research Unit (H), Chennai

Clinical evaluation of predefined homoeopathic medicines in HIV disease

A research study was conducted by CCRH India to evaluate the role of predefined homoeopathic drugs, that are known immune suppressors in material doses, in the management of asymptomatic HIV Infection and to see whether homoeopathic therapy could help in delaying the progression of HIV infection and occurrence of opportunist infections related to HIV/AIDS, and whether clinical improvement corroborates with corresponding improvement in immune functions manifested through shift in CD4/CD8 count.

A total of 237 cases were registered at HIV Research Clinic, Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy headquarters, New Delhi during the period of 1998 – 2003, as per the CDC classification.

Potentized immunosuppresors viz. Azathioprine, Cocainum muriaticum and Amyl nitrosum were administered to HIV patients according to their pathological similarity. Besides, the indicated homoeopathic medicines were prescribed as per totality of symptoms as and when required. The outcome was assessed through pathological investigations, CD4/CD8 count, and biological markers.

Two hundred and two cases were followed up regularly. Among the potentized experimental drugs given in varied potencies (12, 30, 60, 90), Azathioprine was found to be efficacious in 156 cases out of 307 cases prescribed.

Homoeopathic medicine like Azadirachta indica in varied potencies was also found to be efficacious in 156 out of 262 prescribed cases.

Nux vom. 200, showed good result in 111 out of 121 cases prescribed.

156 cases maintained asymptomatic sero positive stage after 3-5 years under therapy.

The above findings underscore the positive role of homoeopathic medicines including homoeopathic preparation of Azathioprine in managing patients with HIV infection. A multicentric trial with viral load test is further required to substantiate the outcome.

Researchers:

V.P.Singh, .Jaya Gupta, V.K.paul
HIV Research Clinic, CCRH Head quarters, New Delhi

A homeopathic cure for HIV/AIDS – undisclosed remedy

A homeopathic medicine has been found to be very effective against HIV/AIDS during screening at National AIDS Research Institute, according to Dr N K Ganguly, director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (reported in 2007).

“The homeopathy compound screened in vitro at NARI against HIV has been found to have a lot of potential in effectively killing the virus,” Dr Ganguly told UNI.

However, he refused to name the compound as there were Intellectual Property Rights issues involved. Moreover, there was a memorandum of understanding with the company which had given the compound, which is already being used in treatment of some other disease, for testing against HIV so the details could not be divulged, he said.

He said the compound could be released for commercial exploitation only after it is tested on human beings. However, since there was not much toxicology involved in the homeopathy medicine, given by the Indian company for testing, it would not take much time.

“We are adopting a lengthy process so that only an effective drug is launched,” he said and added that the time taken in the entire process may be four to five years.

In the last, I can say that the Homeopathy can be very effective in treating the emotional effects of being HIV positive, stigma associated with it, opportunistic infections like herpes, aphthae, pneumonia, etc. and side effects from conventional treatment (nausea, diarrhea, peripheral neuropathy, liver deficiency, fatigue etc) and long-term dependency on steroids or antibiotics.

HIV pandemic

Since AIDS was first recognized in 1981, it has led to the deaths of more than 25 million people, making it one of the most destructive diseases in recorded history.

Let’s join together to achieve victory over this biggest HIV pandemic.

Dr. Anil Singhal, MD (Homeo)

Visiting Faculty:
Nehru Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, New Delhi.
Dr. B. R. Sur Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, New Delhi.
Bakson Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Greater Noida.

Recipient:
Lifetime Achievement Award – by Board of Homeopathic System of Medicine, Delhi.
Dhanvantari Award – by All India Indian Medicine Graduates Association, Delhi.

Life Member:
South Delhi Homeopathic Medical Association, Delhi
All India Indian Medicine Graduates Association (AIIMGA), Delhi

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