Renal Failure :: Chronic Renal Failure & Homeopathy

For last two years, I am busy with patients suffering from renal failure, both types, acute and chronic. These include RPGN (Rapidly progressing Glomerulonephritis) or Cresentic glomerulonephritis, RPD (Renal medical or renal parenchymal disease), ATN or Acute tubular necrosis, Renal cysts, Pyelonephritis, Renal tuberculosis, Nephrolithiasis etc.

Homoeopathy does miracles in such type of cases. Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) CRF is slow, insidious, and almost irreversible impairment of renal excretory and regulatory function. Causes and Incidence The causes of chronic renal failure (CRF) include chronic glomerular disease (e.g., glomerulonephritis); chronic infection (e.g., pyelonephritis or tuberculosis); congenital anomalies (e.g., polycystic kidneys); vascular disease (e.g., hypertension); endocrine disease (e.g., diabetes); collagen disease (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus); obstructive processes (e.g., calculi); and nephrotoxins.

Disease Process:

In CRF, the renal system experiences ischemia, inflammation, necrosis, fibrosis, sclerosis, and scarring. Nephrons are permanently destroyed, and the kidneys become unable to respond to excessive or decreased salt and fluid intake. Synthesis of erythropoietin diminishes, and the kidneys are unable to excrete the end- products of metabolism. CRF occurs in three stages: diminished renal reserve, then renal insufficiency, and finally renal failure and uremia. As failure is occurring, a number of substances that are normally excreted accumulate in the body, including nitrogenous waste, electrolytes, and uremic toxins. Eventually all organ systems are affected.

Symptoms:

Individuals with diminished renal reserve are asymptomatic. Those with moderate renal insufficiency may have only vague symptoms such as nocturia or fatigue. Lassitude and decreased mental acuity are often the first signs of CRF. Neuromuscular twitching, cramps, and seizure activity may follow these. Anorexia, nausea, vomiting, stomatitis, and a metallic taste in the mouth are uniformly present. Advanced disease symptoms include tissue wasting; itching, uremic frost, and yellow-brown discoloration of the skin; gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding; hypertension; and coma.

Potential Complications:

All organ systems are affected by end-stage renal disease, and death is imminent without renal transplantation although life may be prolonged with dialysis.

Diagnostic Tests:

Urine:
Acidic pH, low osmolality, fixed specific gravity, proteinuria, casts; WBCs and RBCs may be present in sediment

Serum:
Decreased pH, bicarbonate, magnesium; increased potassium, sodium, hydrogen, phosphate, calcium ions; increased uric acid, blood urea nitrogen, osmolality; decreased iron and iron-binding capacity; decreased creatinine clearance.

Complete blood count :
Decreased hemoglobin, hematocrit, RBC survival time; reduced platelets and decreased adhesiveness.

Xray of kidneys, ureter, and bladder/ ultrasound.
Small contracted kidneys.

Treatment:

Diet low in protein, sodium, potassium, and phosphate, high in calories and calcium and supplemented with essential amino acids; balanced fluid intake and output; monitoring of intake and output, weight changes, vital signs, electrolytes, and cardiac and mental status; careful skin care; energy conservation with activities of daily living; peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis to treat end-stage disease; long-term emotional support, counseling for adaptation to chronic, potentially fatal disease.

Summary of patients
Total no. of Patients registered 65 (Male- 51, Female- 14)
Not reported 9
Effective No. of patients 56
Cured 14 25%
Got Relieved ++++ 14 25%
Got Relieved +++ 14 25%
Got Relieved but left 5 8.92%
First relieved and stable 2 3.57%
First relieved and died 3 5.35%
Did not Get relieved 2 3.57%
Progressively deteriorated and died 1 1.78%
Died 1 1.78%

Role of Homoeopathy in CRF

Total no. of Remedies Employed in 65 Cases 31

Opium is the top rank remedy for CRF. The second one is Apis. Totaity of the symptoms based on symptoms of CRF, underlying causes and constitutional symptoms of the patients simulates these 31 great remedies rendering their value to top in our repertory for CRF.

Repertorial Rubrics in covering Cardinal Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Renal Failure (CRF)

1 MIND – DULLNESS
2 MIND – IRRITABILITY
3 MIND – RESTLESSNESS
4 GENERALS – UREMIA
5 GENERALS – MEDICINE – allopathic – abuse of
6 GENERALS – DROPSY – kidney disease, from
7 GENERALS – DROPSY – albuminuria, with
8 GENERALS – SLUGGISHNESS of the body
9 GENERALS – ANEMIA
10 GENERALS – ANEMIA – nutritional disturbance, from
11 GENERALS – ANEMIA – disease; from exhausting
12 GENERALS – CONVULSIONS – uremic
13 GENERALS – HYPERTENSION
14 SLEEP – SLEEPINESS
15 GENERALS – PULSE – frequent (= accelerated, elevated, exalted, fast, innumerable, rapid)
16 GENERALS – PULSE – irregular
17 GENERALS – DROPSY – external dropsy (= anasarca, edema)
18 GENERALS – DROPSY – internal
19 GENERALS – SWELLING – general, in
20 GENERALS – TUBERCULOSIS – lupus vulgar
21 GENERALS – WEAKNESS (= enervation)
22 STOMACH – VOMITING
23 STOMACH – HEARTBURN
24 STOMACH – HICCOUGH
25 STOMACH – THIRST
26 STOMACH – THIRSTLESS
27 ABDOMEN – DROPSY – ascites
28 RECTUM – DIARRHEA
29 RECTUM – CONSTIPATION
30 STOOL – BLACK
31 URINE – SUGAR
32 URINE – SEDIMENT – bloody
33 URINE – SEDIMENT – mucous
34 URINE – ALBUMINOUS
35 URINE – SEDIMENT – purulent
36 URINE – SEDIMENT – renal calculi
37 CHEST – DROPSY
38 KIDNEYS – INFLAMMATION – cold; from
39 KIDNEYS – CATARRH
40 KIDNEYS – INFLAMMATION
41 KIDNEYS – INFLAMMATION – acute parenchymatous
42 KIDNEYS – INFLAMMATION – bloody, ink-like, albuminous urine, with
43 KIDNEYS – INFLAMMATION – cardiac and hepatic affections, with
44 KIDNEYS – INFLAMMATION – suppurative
45 KIDNEYS – INFLAMMATION – toxemic
46 KIDNEYS – SUPPRESSION of urine
47 KIDNEYS – SUPPRESSION of urine – dropsy, and
48 KIDNEYS – SUPPRESSION of urine – convulsion with
49 KIDNEYS – SUPPRESSION of urine – stupor, with
50 KIDNEYS – SUPPRESSION of urine – violent
51 KIDNEYS – SUPPRESSION of urine – gonorrhea; from suppressed

Result of analysis of 51 Cardinal Rubrics of CRF with Synthesis Repertory

A. Rubrics Covered with Opium

1. MIND – DULLNESS
2. MIND – IRRITABILITY
3. MIND – RESTLESSNESS
4. GENERALS – UREMIA
5. GENERALS – MEDICINE – allopathic – abuse of
6. SLEEP – SLEEPINESS
7. GENERALS – PULSE – frequent (= accelerated, elevated, exalted, fast, innumerable, rapid)
8. GENERALS – PULSE – irregular
9. GENERALS – SWELLING – genera, in
10. GENERALS – DROPSY – external dropsy (= anasarca, edema)
11. GENERALS – SLUGGISHNESS of the body
12. GENERALS – CONVULSIONS – uremic
13. GENERALS – WEAKNESS (= enervation)
14. STOMACH – VOMITING
15. STOMACH – HEARTBURN
16. STOMACH – HICCOUGH
17. STOMACH – THIRST
18. STOMACH – THIRSTLESS
19. GENERALS – DROPSY – Internal
20. RECTUM – DIARRHEA
21. RECTUM – CONSTIPATION
22. STOOL – BLACK
23. URINE – SUGAR
24. URINE – SEDIMENT – mucous
25. URINE – ALBUMINOUS
26. CHEST – DROPSY
27. KIDNEYS – SUPPRESSION of urine

B. Rubrics Covered with Apis

1. MIND – DULLNESS
2. MIND – IRRITABILITY
3. MIND – RESTLESSNESS
4. GENERALS – UREMIA
5. GENERALS – ANEMIA
6. GENERALS – CONVULSIONS – uremic
7. SLEEP – SLEEPINESS
8. GENERALS – PULSE – frequent (= accelerated, elevated, exalted, fast, innumerable, rapid)
9. GENERALS – PULSE – irregular
10. GENERALS – DROPSY – external dropsy (= anasarca, edema)
11. GENERALS – DROPSY – internal
12. GENERALS – DROPSY, kidney disease, from
13. GENERALS – SWELLING – general, in
14. GENERALS – TUBERCULOSIS – lupus vulgar
15. GENERALS – WEAKNESS (= enervation)
16. STOMACH – VOMITING
17. STOMACH – HEARTBURN
18. STOMACH – THIRST
19. STOMACH – THIRSTLESS
20. ABDOMEN – DROPSY – ascites
21. RECTUM – DIARRHEA
22. RECTUM – CONSTIPATION
23. STOOL – BLACK
24. URINE – SEDIMENT – bloody
25. URINE – ALBUMINOUS
26. CHEST – DROPSY
27. KIDNEYS – INFLAMMATION
28. KIDNEYS – INFLAMMATION – acute parenchymatous
29. KIDNEYS – SUPPRESSION of urine

C. Rubrics Covered with Ser- ang
1 KIDNEYS – INFLAMMATION – cold; from
2 GENERALS – PULSE – frequent (= accelerated, elevated, exalted, fast, innumerable, rapid)
3 GENERALS – PULSE – irregular

D. Rubrics Covered with Helonias

1. MIND – DULLNESS
2. MIND – IRRITABILITY
3. MIND – RESTLESSNESS
4. GENERALS – DROPSY – kidney disease, from
5. GENERALS – DROPSY – albuminuria, with
6. GENERALS – ANEMIA
7. GENERALS – ANEMIA – nutritional disturbance, from
8. GENERALS – ANEMIA – disease; from exhausting
9. SLEEP – SLEEPINESS
10. GENERALS – DROPSY – external dropsy (= anasarca, edema)
11. GENERALS – WEAKNESS (= enervation)
12. ABDOMEN – DROPSY – ascites
13. URINE – SUGAR
14. URINE – ALBUMINOUS
15. KIDNEYS – INFLAMMATION
16. KIDNEYS – INFLAMMATION – acute parenchymatous

E. Rubrics Covered with Urea
1 GENERALS – DROPSY – external dropsy (= anasarca, edema)
2 GENERALS – DROPSY – internal
3 GENERALS – SWELLING – general, in
4 GENERALS – TUBERCULOSIS – lupus vulgar
5 GENERALS – WEAKNESS (= enervation)

Apart from these, the constitutional symptoms of the particular individual patient play vital role in deciding the final choice of the remedy. Thus we see that Homoeopathy has a miraculous role in field of Nephrology, especially CRF, where other pathies have only option to transplant a new kidney to support a life.

Further researches are needed for new discoveries and to make Homoeopathy more valuable in this regard.
My Experiments with Chronic Renal Failure

Dr. Rajneesh Kumar Sharma