["Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?"--Combining conventional and complementary medicine in the treatment of gastroparesis].

Gastroparesis is a chronic disorder of abnormal gastric motility causing considerable suffering. We describe two cases of gastroparesis which were treated by methods which were not part of routine conventional therapy, but which, nevertheless, led to significant clinical improvement. In the first case, the patient suffered from gastroparesis following a vagal injury while undergoing a lung transplant. During his illness a mega-bezoar formed, a well-described complication of gastroparesis. After conservative measures failed, and in order to avoid a surgical intervention that carried considerable risk under the circumstances, a successful trial consisting of imbibing large amounts of "Coca Cola" and acupuncture was initiated. The bezoar dissolved completely and considerable improvement of the patient's gastric motility was achieved. In the second case, the patient was a young woman suffering from idiopathic gastroparesis, which responded well to treatment with tricyclic antidepressants. Due to her intention to become pregnant, this treatment was discontinued and she was admitted to receive homeopathic treatment. After two failed attempts in finding the right homeopathic remedy to replace the conventional treatment, the third remedy (Sepia) used brought dramatic improvement in her general condition and her dyspepsia. Today, over two years after her successful homeopathic treatment, she is in the middle of her second pregnancy, without any treatment and free of complaints. These two cases are examples of simple solutions for seemingly complicated and complex conditions alleviated by an integration of conventional and complementary/alternative medicine.

Relato de um caso de tratamento homeopático de portadora de gastroparesia diabética / Report of a case of homeopathic treatment of patients with diabetic gastroparesis

O presente trabalho consiste num estudo descritivo baseado em coleta e análise de dados de prontuário. Trata do caso de uma paciente diabética, com gastroparesia internada no Hospital Público Regional de Betim, Minas Gerais. Reconheceu-se, na base da doença, específico desequilíbrio de saúde, susceptível de ser tratado com Silicea terra. Recorreu-se a memória sintética experimental, que compreende timidez, sensibilidade à contradição, conscienciosidade, antecipação, transtornos por separação, acne e intolerância a corpos estranhos. Após dose única do medicamento na diluição 30cH, observaram-se rápida melhora de sensação de doença, processos exonerativos e exercícios de vitalidade. Apesar do ambiente hospitalar enfatizar a paliação da doença, consegue-se demonstrar a efetividade da homeopatia neste nível de atenção médica e de ensino, auxiliando na simplificação terapêutica. Conclui-se que a homeopatia pode integrar o conjunto de alternativas médicas disponíveis para a atenção hospitalar, com finalidades de ensino, e pode auxiliar na simplificação terapêutica, a partir da cura de sensação de doença.

The present is a descriptive study based on collection and analysis of data from medical records. It concerns the case of a diabetic patient with gastroparesis admitted to Public Regional Hospital, Betim, Minas Gerais, Brazil. At the bottom of her disease we detected a specific health imbalance likely to respond to Silicea terra. We had resource to an experimental synthetic memory comprising: timidity; sensitivity to contradiction; consciousness; anticipation; ailments from separation; acne; and intolerance to foreign bodies. Following a single dose of Sil 30cH the patient exhibited fast improvement of her feeling of illness, exoneration symptoms and exercise of vitality. While the hospital setting prioritized the palliation of disease, the effectiveness of homeopathy also in this level of medical care and teaching might be demonstrated, contributing to the simplification of treatment. We conclude that homeopathy can be included among the medical alternatives available for inpatient care and teaching, and that it might contribute to the simplification of treatments based on the cure of the feeling of illness.

Relato de um caso de tratamento homeopático de portadora de gastroparesia diabética / Report of a case of homeopathic treatment of patients with diabetic gastroparesis

O presente trabalho consiste num estudo descritivo baseado em coleta e análise de dados de prontuário. Trata do caso de uma paciente diabética, com gastroparesia internada no Hospital Público Regional de Betim, Minas Gerais. Reconheceu-se, na base da doença, específico desequilíbrio de saúde, susceptível de ser tratado com Silicea terra. Recorreu-se a memória sintética experimental,que compreende timidez, sensibilidade à contradição, conscienciosidade, antecipação, transtornos por separação, acne e intolerância a corpos estranhos. Após dose única do medicamento na diluição 30cH, observaram-se rápida melhora de sensação de doença, processos exonerativos e exercíciosde vitalidade. Apesar do ambiente hospitalar enfatizar a paliação da doença, consegue-se demonstrar a efetividade da homeopatia neste nível de atenção médica e de ensino, auxiliando na simplificação terapêutica. Conclui-se que a homeopatia pode integrar oconjunto de alternativas médicas disponíveis para a atenção hospitalar,com finalidades de ensino,e pode auxiliar na simplificação terapêutica, a partir da cura de sensação de doença. (AU)

The present is a descriptive study based on collection and analysis of data from medical records. It concerns the case of a diabetic patient with gastroparesisadmitted to Public Regional Hospital, Betim, Minas Gerais, Brazil. At the bottom of her disease we detected a specific health imbalance likely to respond to Silicea terra. We had resource to an experimental synthetic memory comprising: timidity; sensitivity to contradiction; consciousness; anticipation; ailments from separation; acne; and intolerance to foreign bodies. Following a single dose of Sil30cH the patient exhibited fast improvement of her feeling of illness, exoneration symptoms and exercise of vitality. While the hospital setting prioritized the palliation of disease, the effectiveness of homeopathy also in this level of medical care and teaching might be demonstrated, contributing to the simplification of treatment. We conclude that homeopathy can be included among the medical alternatives available for inpatient care and teaching, and that it might contribute to the simplification of treatments based on the cure of the feeling of illness. (AU)