ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: A 32-year-old patient with colon cancer consulted for homeopathic supportive care (HSC). She had also suffered from recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTIs) for 20 years. Could homeopathy treat these two very different issues with the same medicine? THE PATIENT'S MAIN CONCERNS: Though the main reason for the consultation was a fear of the side effects of chemotherapy, the presence of Escherichia coli-induced RUTIs affected the patient's quality of life. INTERVENTIONS AND OUTCOMES: The repertory listing highlighted Pulsatilla as the patient's homeopathic constitutional medicine. It was prescribed both for HSC and also for RUTI. In association with Arsenicum album and Nerves, Pulsatilla enabled a good tolerance to chemotherapy, with rapid recovery from peripheral neuropathies. In combination with Colibacillinum, Pulsatilla provided relapse-free curing of the RUTIs. The MOdified NARanjo Criteria for Homeopathy (MONARCH) Inventory score was +9. CONCLUSION: The one individual's two different clinical complaints were treated with a constitutional homeopathic medicine, Pulsatilla, which covered the whole case. However, in HSC, the use of the constitutional remedy alone is rarely sufficient: it was reinforced by individualised symptomatic medication, organotherapy and isotherapy. For RUTI, isopathic and tubercular miasmatic treatments were each helpful. For both complaints, individualised homeopathy gave rapid, long-lasting and effective results.
Subject(s)
Homeopathy , Materia Medica , Peripheral Nervous System Diseases , Pulsatilla , Urinary Tract Infections , Female , Humans , Adult , Homeopathy/methods , Quality of Life , Peripheral Nervous System Diseases/etiology , Materia Medica/therapeutic use , Urinary Tract Infections/drug therapyABSTRACT
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are considered to be the most common infections worldwide, having an incidence rate of 40-60% in women. Moreover, the prevalence of this disorder in adult women is 30 times more than in men. UTIs are usually found in many hospitals and clinical practice; as disorders, they are complicated and uncomplicated; in uncomplicated cases, there is no structural or functional abnormality in the urogenital tract. However, obstruction, retention of urine flow and use of catheters increase the complexity. There are several bacteria (e.g., E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, etc.) successfully residing in the tract. The diagnosis must not only be accurate but rapid, so early detection is an important step in the control of UTIs caused by uropathogens. The treatment of UTIs includes appropriate antimicrobial therapy to control the infection and kill the causal microbes inside the body. A long-time usage of antibiotics has resulted in multidrug resistance causing an impediment in treatment. Thus, alternative, combinatorial medication approaches have given some hope. Available treatments considered Homeopathic, Ayurvedic, Unani, and other herbal-based drugs. There are new upcoming roles of nanoparticles in combating UTIs which needs further validation. The role of medicinal plant-based nanotechnology approaches has shown promising results. Therefore, there must be active research in phyto-based therapies of UTIs, such as Ayurvedic Biology.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Bacteria/drug effects , Complementary Therapies/methods , Nanotechnology/methods , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Urinary Tract Infections/drug therapy , Humans , Urinary Tract Infections/microbiologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are frequent in women. Cystitis after intercourse (post-coital cystitis) accounts for 60% of recurrent cases. Most physicians treat recurrent UTIs (R-UTIs) with multiple courses of antibiotics. The high prevalence indicates that this bacteria-oriented approach in the long term is ineffective for many women. A change in clinical behavior regarding use of antibiotics and recognizing the importance of a patient's self-defense mechanisms are important considerations in combating antimicrobial resistance. METHODS: The intervention for each of two women with R-UTI was integrated treatment with a non-conventional and tailor-made homeopathy regimen, addressing multiple levels of disease simultaneously, for the prevention of recurrence as well as for treatment. Assessment of causal attribution of homeopathy treatment effect was carried out using the Modified Naranjo Criteria. RESULTS: Case 1 presented with chronic multi-morbid conditions, including R-UTI which had become multi-drug resistant. With regular homeopathic treatment, her antibiotic use reduced, her diabetic profile improved, and she did not need prophylactic antibiotics. Case 2 suffered from R-UTI with post-coital cystitis and burning sensation, despite following all conventional advice for treatment and prophylaxis. Addition of homeopathy improved her quality of life and prevented relapses. The Modified Naranjo Criteria total score for each patient was +10/13 and +9/13, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Addition of homeopathy can be an effective approach in integrated management of antibiotic-resistant R-UTIs. Controlled research on the topic is thus indicated.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Drug Resistance, Multiple , Homeopathy/methods , Urinary Tract Infections/drug therapy , Aged , Drug Therapy, Combination , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Urinary Tract Infections/microbiologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This is a random blinded placebo controlled murine experimental model to study the effects of Cantharis 6 CH, a homeopathic medicine, on E coli-induced cystitis. METHODS: 24 adult susceptible female BALB/c mice were inoculated with E coli - UPEC O4:K-:H5 by a transurethral catheter. Cantharis 6cH or vehicle (placebo) was offered to mice by free access into the drinking water (1:100), during 24 h after infection. Spleen, bladder and kidneys were processed for quantitative histopathology after immunohistochemistry, using anti-CD3, CD79, MIF, NK and VEGF antibodies; the cytokines present in the bladder washing fluid were measured using a LUMINEX-Magpix KIT. Mann-Whitney and Fisher exact test were used as statistical analysis. RESULTS: Cantharis 6 CH increased IL12p40, IFN-γ and decreased IL10 concentrations in the bladder fluid (p⩽0.05); in the bladder mucosa, it increased the ratio between B and T lymphocytes (31%) and between B lymphocytes and MIF+ macrophages (57%, p⩽0.05). In the pelvis, instead, it decreased the B/T cells ratio (41%, p⩽0.05) and increased the M1/M2 macrophage ratio (42%, p⩽0.05). No differences were seen in the kidney and spleen analysis. CONCLUSION: The inverted balance of inflammatory cells and cytokines in bladder and pelvis mucosa shows specific local immune modulation induced by Cantharis 6cH.
Subject(s)
Cystitis/drug therapy , Escherichia coli Infections/drug therapy , Materia Medica/pharmacology , Urinary Tract Infections/drug therapy , Uropathogenic Escherichia coli/immunology , Animals , Cystitis/immunology , Cystitis/microbiology , Cystitis/pathology , Cytokines/immunology , Escherichia coli Infections/immunology , Escherichia coli Infections/pathology , Female , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Urinary Tract Infections/immunology , Urinary Tract Infections/pathologyABSTRACT
A eficácia do tratamento dose-única com 800 mg de pefloxacina foi comparada com o tratamento prolongado por sete dias, com norfloxacina ou com co-trimoxazol, na terapia da infecçåo nåo complicada do trato urinário. Nesse estudo duplo-cego e randomizado, entre 200 pacientes estudadas, 91 casos foram considerados válidos para a análise dos resultados, 47 pacientes receberam dose única de 800 mg de pfloxacina, 21 foram tratadas com 400 mg de norfloxacina, duas vezes por dia, e 23 com 960 mg de co-trimoxazol duas vezes por dia. Para manter o estudo duplo-cego, as pacientes tratadas com pefloxacina dose única receberam comprimidos de placebo até completar sete dias de tratamento, exatamente como os outros dois grupos. No segundo retorno, com 40 dias de seguimento, a cura laboratorial foi de 93,7 por cento com o tratamento dose única, 95,3 por cento com a norfloxacina e 87 por cento com co-trimoxazol. Nåo houve diferença significante entre os índices de cura clínica e laboratorial. O tratamento com 800 mg de pefloxacina em dose única apresenta alta eficácia clínica e laboratorial, comparável ao tratamento prolongado por sete dias com norfloxacina co-trimoxazol, com vantagens como: menor incidência de efeitos colaterais, menor risco de aquisiçåo de resistência, maior aderência do paciente ao tratamento, pela facilidade e conforto de uma única administraçåo oral
Subject(s)
Humans , Cystitis/drug therapy , Urinary Tract Infections/drug therapy , Norfloxacin/therapeutic use , Pefloxacin/therapeutic use , Sulfamethoxazole/therapeutic use , Trimethoprim/therapeutic use , Double-Blind Method , Escherichia coli , Proteus mirabilis , Single Dose , StaphylococcusABSTRACT
It was made the laboratory control of autonosodies activity, prepared with alive germs and apploed in D30. Through the control of diverse biological material provenient from the patients treated with autonosodies, the authors concluded that the use of this medicine is viable in different infections. Nevertheless, its aplication must be done under a regular laboratory control, even if the patients do not present any symptom