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Note: The following information is not meant to replace medical advice from a homeopathic practitioner, and is meant to be educational only.

This year I have found that what I used to consider a person’s “constitutional” homeopathic remedy does NOT appear to treat the person’s acute conditions (such as the flu, cough, sinusitis, vertigo, etc.) as effectively as it did in the past. Fortunately, instead, I have used the remedies that are commonly considered “acute” remedies such as Baptisia, Belladonna, Bryonia, Drosera, Gelsemium, Hepar Sulph, and Mercurius with much success. Clearly, these acute conditions are displacing people from their usual constitution/state into new ones, the ones that are often considered “acute” constitutions/states. Once patients are relieved of their acute illnesses (the flu, cough, sinusitis, vertigo, etc.), they seem to shift back into their usual “constitution”, whatever that may be. Although I have seen cases where the patient did not shift back into her usual constitution and needed a re-dose of the new remedy for her acute constitution before she was able to shift back into her usual constitution.

Recently I seem to be witnessing a sort of epidemic of sinusitis in my practice here in Kent, Washington. Just today, I treated 3 cases of sinusitis that had been going on for different lengths of time, one for a week, one for two weeks, and one for over a month. I have had much success treating acute sinusitis cases with Hepar sulph 200C, over the last month. Patients with various typical constitutions of Calc carb, Nat mur, or Phosphorus are finding themselves in a Hepar sulph state. The remedy helped every single one of them within 5-10 minutes, nearly complete recovery in less than an hour. It’s noteworthy that these same patients had already tried their previous constitutional remedy (Calc carb, Nat mur and Phosphorus) without significant improvements with their sinusitis symptoms, although some other symptoms had indeed improved. All of these patients were very content with Hepar sulph 200C within minutes, however. (Note: Key symptoms of Hepar sulph were present in all these cases: On a mental/emotional level, irritable and moody, angry in some cases and acting out in an angry way (out of character for many of these patients), chilly (or chillier than usual if already a chilly person), swollen submandibular and/or cervical lymph nodes, stitching or splinter-like pains somewhere in the body (in the head, sinuses, or anywhere else totally unrelated to the head/sinuses), ear symptoms, sore throat, and cough. Not all of the above symptoms must be present for the person to be able to benefit from Hepar sulph, but the majority of my sinusitis patients so far this year have demonstrated most of these symptoms. It’s interesting that the above symptoms are typically NOT associated with most patients’ usual constitutions, namely Calc carb, Nat mur or Phosphorus.)

I have also been seeing a large number of cough cases, and used the various “acute” remedies listed above with rather impressive results. For example, severe relentless cough that had lasted a few weeks ended within 1-2 hours in several cases with Drosera 200C. (Note: Key symptoms of the constitution Drosera were present in all these cases: Violent paroxysm of coughing, worse at nights, particularly worse upon lying at night, either vomiting from coughing or feeling as if they could, and dry throat.)

Regarding vertigo, I would like to point out that we seem to have had an epidemic of vertigo (which appears to be getting progressively worse) over the last year or so. Homeopathic remedies are probably one of the most effective methods of treating vertigo. Although, sadly, I have seen cases that are rather challenging to treat even using homeopathic remedies.

However, that being said, sometimes a person’s own usual good old constitution seems to fit the symptoms of the acute illness rather well. For instance I had a cough case last week which after much deliberation, I decided that her own usual constitution/state, Sepia, had indeed not changed into a new one (as a result of the stress from the acute condition). She was still in a Sepia state. The remedy helped her severe cough that had been going on for nearly two weeks within hours. Coincidentally, the next day she developed a rash on her chest, what is referred to as a “healing reaction”, totally desirable, homeopathically speaking.

In summary, if you are ill with an acute illness this season, it’s quite likely you may need a homeopathic remedy different from your usual one. To find out what the correct remedy may be at this time, I would have to investigate each case, one by one.

In health,

Dr. Sharif

In this blog I’d like to address the subject of gastrointestinal disorders and how homeopathy is often a critical therapy for such patients, although not always completely sufficient by itself. I say “critical” because if a patient who suffers from digestive problems does not take their “constitutional” homeopathic remedy (refer to the article on this site, titled “constitutional homeopathy”), it is either significantly more difficult or, in many cases, impossible to obtain a satisfactory level of healing. On the contrary, if the same patient is treated with homeopathic remedies along with other natural therapies CONCURRENTLY, the possibility of healing their digestive distress is significantly higher. In fact, it is quite rare for me to see a patient with digestive problems who does not respond quite well to the therapies recommended. And, they usually do so in a short period of time, usually a few weeks.

In homeopathy, we categorize people to various “constitutions”, depending upon their physical as well as mental/emotional characteristics. People can fit into any of the hundreds of different “constitutions”, but there are nearly 50 common constitutions that I deal with on a day-to-day basis in my practice. The homeopathic remedy that is used to treat a particular constitution has the same name as the constitution itself. For example, a person who has the “constitution” Pulsatilla is treated with the remedy called Pulsatilla. People typically need to take their “constitutional” remedy once a month, on average. The remedy is not to be taken daily like most other medicines such as drugs or supplements.

A patient’s prognosis or recovery depends greatly on the person’s constitution. This is, in fact, one of the most useful aspects of being a homeopathic practitioner. I can often predict how a patient might respond to various factors, including lifestyle/dietary changes or even drugs/supplements, depending on their constitution. For example, a person with the constitution called Carcinosin is much more likely to suffer from birth control pills than a person with the constitution called Sulphur. (The details of this subject are beyond the scope of this blog, but as a rule, Sulphur individuals are much healthier than Carcinosin individuals.)

Although homeopathic remedies are considered natural, most NDs (naturopathic doctors) do not specialize or prescribe homeopathic remedies since they do not have sufficient training to do so. In order to be able to effectively practice homeopathy, a naturopath needs (although not required by law) to take extra training in the field of homeopathy. The length of training should ideally be at least 1-2 years beyond a doctorate degree in naturopathic medicine. Naturopaths typically offer lifestyle/dietary recommendations, and prescribe natural therapies including vitamins, minerals, herbs, natural hormones, and numerous other “natural” medicines. It is rare for a naturopath to prescribe homeopathic remedies, and if they do, it is often not the patient’s “constitutional” remedy - although it may be a well indicated remedy to address the symptom at hand, but not the remedy that matches the person’s entire profile (i.e. physical as well as mental/emotional symptoms and/or traits, otherwise known as the person’s “constitution”).

Below, I would like to discuss the most common constitutions that are likely to suffer with digestive complaints, and mention specifically what digestive complaints these constitutions are each likely to present with, and a few miscellaneous issues surrounding homeopathy and digestive problems.

Among the most common homeopathic constitutions, I find that Carcinosin, Silica, Nux vomica, and Lycopodium are the top four constitutions that, nearly 100% of the time, suffer from significant digestive problems.

Note that the Nux vomica or Lycopodium constitutions are known by homeopathic practitioners to have poor liver function, and these remedies are used even by non-homeopathic practitioners to help improve liver function. For instance Lycopodium 4X can be found in both UNDA #243 and UNDA #1, two of the main UNDA compounds used for “draining” or detoxifying the liver. Therefore, individuals with either these constitutions suffer from various digestive symptoms (such as gas, bloating, acid reflux, abnormal bowel movements, abdominal discomfort/pain, etc.) and/or signs (such as abnormal liver blood test results).

(Note: UNDA numbers are made in Belgium by the company UNDA, and distributed in North America by Seroyal. UNDAs are combination, low potency, homeopathic remedies that are organ/tissue specific. For example, UNDA #243 helps optimize liver function, and UNDA #45 helps optimize kidney function. I have found UNDAs to be highly effective in cleansing/detoxifying and optimizing the function of the main organs of metabolism and detoxification, namely liver and kidneys. Although constitutional homeopathy is, in my view, far superior in many ways to such combination remedies as UNDAs, I find that patients often also need UNDA numbers to help focus on and optimize the function of their internal organs.)

I have never seen a constitutional Carcinosin patient without significant digestive problems. I have noticed that many earlier authors have not written about Carcinosin at all. The reason is that this remedy was not even “proven” (i.e. put through rigorous homeopathic tests and trials) until the late 19th century. Furthermore, for reasons unknown to me, the more recent authors who have happened to write about this remedy are not speaking to the fact that Carcinosin individuals have significant digestive problems.

Carcinosin is a “phase 2” remedy (out of the four possible phases) in the Map of Hierarchy devised by Dr. Paul Herscu, ND, world-renowned homeopath who practices in Boston. I have talked about Dr. Herscu’s Map of Hierarchy in my book titled Visual Homeopathy. My understanding of this illustration is that you can’t be “healthy” as long as you are in any phase other than in phase 1. Of course, even phase 1 constitutions have their own health challenges, but phases 2, 3 and 4 most definitely do not present in a healthy version. In the eyes of homeopaths, Carcinosin individuals are unfortunately at risk for cancer due to various reasons, such as family history of cancer, history of suppression of emotions as well as rather significant digestive dysfunction which could have come about as a result of all the emotional suppression.

In my opinion, taking birth control pills or the use of other hormonal interventions such as hormonal IUDs definitely puts Carcinosin patients at risk for cancer. (Refer to my blog titled “what I wish gastroenterologists would recognize” on this site for more information on how female hormones can negatively impact the digestive system.)

Similarly to Carcinosin, individuals with the Silica constitution also have numerous digestive problems. In contrast to Carcinosin, however, Silica’s digestive problems, are talked about in all homeopathy texts. In fact, Silica is known for its constipation, in particular. I’d like to point out, however, that I have seen far more Carcinosin patients with constipation than Silica patients even though, as mentioned in the previous paragraphs, you may not read much about Carcinosin individuals having digestive problems, in general, and constipation, in particular.

In the list of the top most common constitutions, I find that there are a few other constitutions that may complain of GI problems, but their GI disturbance is significantly milder in nature than the four constitutions listed above. For instance, most Natrum muriaticum (or Nat mur) individuals have constipation as well, but otherwise, I find that Nat mur’s digestive health is rather normal. (I have found, however, that Nat murs often mask their constipation by exercising and taking good care of themselves in other ways such as with diet and supplements.) Note that the constipation in Nat mur makes sense since dryness throughout the body (and even on the personality level, as manifested by a strong tendency towards being introverted) is the central theme in this constitution.

I often find that Sulphurs complain of acid reflux as their only digestive concern. Sepia has constipation which makes sense since the central theme in Sepia is stasis and stagnation. Finally, it’s not too uncommon for me to see a Pulsatilla patient with digestive disturbance. However, treating the digestive complaints of these constitutions is much easier than the other four constitutions in the previous paragraphs, namely Carcinosin, Silica, Nux vomica and Lycopodium who have much more significant imbalance in their digestive system.

A healing reaction/crisis can occur sometimes with homeopathic remedies. (The symptoms of a healing reaction can vary from person to person, but it often tends to manifest as flu-like symptoms, or general malaise with headache and fatigue.) In my experience, patients who are more likely to experience a healing reaction upon taking their constitutional homeopathic remedy tend to be the ones with significant digestive problems. Since I also specialize in naturopathic cleansing/detoxification, I have learned that a person is not likely at all to mount a healing reaction/crisis if her organs of elimination or the vital organs are not overly congested or toxic. A single dose of a high potency (such as 200C or 1M) remedy is powerful enough that it can stimulate numerous chemical reactions in the body, specifically in the vital organs/tissues such as in the liver, kidneys, and intestines. Sometimes, this act of biochemical stimulation can cause the toxins to return into the body, instead of move out of the body, if the person’s organs of elimination are “backed up” or “congested” already. I believe this is what a healing reaction is about. Therefore, a “healing reaction/crisis” is not truly a desirable phenomenon if the practitioner indeed knows how to prepare the patient for the arrival of this most potent medicine, the high potency “constitutional” remedy. The preparation can be done by an effective cleansing program first, BEFORE the person takes her constitutional remedy. (Note: This is exactly why I have listed detoxification/cleansing as step 2 in the Seven Steps to Healing, and homeopathy as step 3. Refer to the Seven Steps to Healing article on this website under Educational Articles. Often, I choose to do both in the same visit if I feel that the patient can tolerate it.) Specifically, if a person suffers from chronic constipation (refer to my blog on constipation on this site), she is far more likely to experience a healing reaction by taking the constitutional homeopathic remedy. Therefore, I often try to effectively treat constipation before I offer the patient her constitutional homeopathic remedy. (In some cases, in addition to assuring regular BMs, a thorough liver cleanse is necessary as well to assure effective detoxification so that the patient does not mount a healing reaction.) For instance if a Carcinosin patient has one BM every two weeks, and you offer her Carcinosin 200C or 1M, there is nearly a 100% chance that she will mount a “healing” reaction and become ill with flu-like symptoms for a few days. Therefore, in many such cases of constipation in any constitutional type, I treat the constipation so that the patient has AT LEAST one BM a day BEFORE I offer her the constitutional remedy.

To make matters more complicated, note that sometimes you cannot treat the constipation with your conventional naturopathic therapies (such as bitters, magnesium, castor oil packs, laxative teas, etc.) UNLESS you offer the patient her constitutional homeopathic remedy. In such rare cases, the practitioner has to offer the patient her homeopathic remedy despite the possibility of a healing reaction. For instance, I had a constitutional Aluminum case whose constipation became worsened by magnesium which is an extremely unusual reaction. In fact, this patient’s constipation was not responding well to other natural therapies either. I had to offer her a dose of homeopathic Aluminum 200C in order to effectively treat the constipation. (Refer to her video under Patient Videos section on this website, her video is titled “Homeopathic Aluminum reverses Aluminum Toxicity”. Her chronic constipation was effectively treated overnight.)

Note that often patients with digestive problems require various other natural therapies/approaches in addition to homeopathic remedies. Proper lifestyle and diet, and various natural supplements such as DGL, digestive enzymes, bitters, probiotics, and liver/intestinal detox or cleansing can be critical as well.

In light of the extremely sad and heartbreaking news of the recent school shooting in Connecticut, I would like to write a brief note about how homeopathy may be of help in preventing such unbelievable atrocities in the world.

In homeopathy, there are people with a healthy “constitution” (with a descent level of mental/emotional/physical health), and then there are people with a rather unhealthy constitution. Fortunately, most people in society tend to have what we homeopaths would consider a “healthy” constitution (such as Calc carb, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, Sulphur, etc.) Unfortunately, on the other hand, there are some of us who are not very healthy, and are in fact, either fully or borderline insane. People with these unhealthier constitutions live in every society on the planet, and picking them out among the general population tends to require great medical knowledge and skill. They can go under the radar of most people except for perhaps highly qualified mental health practitioners (therapists and doctors) and/or homeopaths. In homeopathic medicine, we are trained to look for extremely subtle clues to find out about the level of mental health in an individual. The more unhealthy constitutions include Mercurius, Syphilinum, Hyoscyamus, Veratrum album, etc. Some such “constitutions” indeed have homicidal tendencies. They may in fact be very nice people, but the tendency to hurt others is present deep in their mind (despite their own possible dislike of the presence of such tendencies in themselves). In fact, they may at times readily admit to such tendencies in order to receive help. I have at times had the fortune of helping such individuals, and have witnessed how homeopathy can alleviate these unhealthy tendencies very effectively.

Treating individuals with psycho-emotional complaints/disorders who have a “healthy” constitution is often doable without homeopathy. Unfortunately, however, effectively treating individuals with the “unhealthy” constitutions with psycho-emotional disturbances is, to my knowledge, significantly more difficult, if not impossible in some cases, without homeopathic treatment. In other words, conventional approaches to treating psycho-emotional disorders which often involve psychotherapy and/or pharmaceutical medications may not be effective in treating individuals who have these “unhealthy” constitutions.

I heard on the news that scientists are now looking more in-depth into genetic markers for mental disorders. Although genes do play a role in our mental/physical health, homeopaths believe that there is another entity which we inherit from our parents and bring into the world with us at birth called “miasm”, predisposing us to various physical and/or mental-emotional imbalances or disorders. There are three main miasms: psora, sycosis (not to be confused with “psychosis” which is a term used in psychology to refer to mental “illness”), and syphilis. There are various homeopathic remedies that are predominantly used for the treatment of each miasm. For example, the remedies Calc carb and Sulphur are both psoric remedies (meaning they can be used to treat the psoric miasm in us). Medorrhinum and Thuja are sycotic remedies (meaning they can be used to treat the sycotic miasm in us). And, Mercurius and Syphilinum are syphilitic remedies (meaning they can be used to treat the syphilitic miasm in us). There are many other remedies in each category, but the aforementioned remedies are the classical ones that are often associated with their perspective miasms listed above. We all have all the three miasms in us. The question is which miasm has a grip on us, and how much? If we have inherited more of the syphilitic miasm from our parents, we are much more likely to have a destructive nature. In other words, homeopathically speaking, the criminally minded people tend to be much more “syphilitic” in nature. Health is a state where the three miasms are in balance in a person. To bring the miasms in balance, homeopathic treatment is absolutely necessary. Therefore, to treat a person with homicidal and destructive tendencies, he would most likely need to be treated with a “syphilitic” remedy. Although drugs can suppress such tendencies, I am not certain if they are indeed curative. Homeopathic remedies, on the other hand, are designed to be curative, and I have personally seen them be highly effective in improving very deep-seated mental/emotional imbalances (including destructive tendencies) in my patients.

Therefore, as a doctor who specializes in homeopathy, I wish our society could be aware enough so that everyone would have an annual visit to their homeopath to make certain their mental/emotional health is satisfactory. If the homeopath finds any imbalances or unhealthy tendencies (such as the tendency to hurt others) in the patient, then the patient could be treated homeopathically before he actually acts upon such tendencies.

May God help us all develop the awareness necessary to make this shift as well as other positive shifts possible on our planet.

Dr. Sharif

Note: The therapies suggested below are not intended to replace medical advice from your naturopathic doctor. They are meant to be educational only.

SUMMARY OF THE BLOG:
There are seven ideas and/or therapies that I wish gastroenterologists (digestive system doctors) would recognize and recommend to their patients:

1) Food allergies most definitely can negatively impact the health of the digestive system, causing a variety of debilitating symptoms. A blood IgG food allergy test is much more helpful for patients with digestive problems than a conventional skin (or IgE) food allergy test, which is what most medical doctors order.

2) Natural therapies to enhance liver function. There are no conventional drugs that can improve liver function, at least not without side effects. Whereas, there are numerous natural medicines and therapies that can directly improve the function of this most precious organ. (Note: The word liver has the word “live” in it. If you want to live long, you need to take good care of your liver.)

3) Castor oil packs - the topical application of castor oil over the liver and intestines are extremely helpful in healing these organs.

4) Probiotics or friendly bacteria supplementation has been shown to be critical in improving intestinal health. Obtain your probiotics from a reputable source as most over-the-counter ones have been shown not to contain viable organisms.

5) The use of many other very safe, simple, and basic natural therapies (such as digestive/pancreatic enzymes, DGL or deglycyrrhized licorice, aloe vera juice, slippery elm, and marsh mellow root) would help heal mass numbers of digestive patients in the world.

6) Recommend females to stop the use of female hormones (i.e. birth control pills or hormonal IUD). Synthetic versions of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone (as opposed to the naturally occurring ones) are very difficult for the liver to process. This can cause digestive problems in many women.

7) Stop recommending acid neutralizers and/or acid blockers for just about any digestive disorder! Their use should be limited to cases only where there is proof that the person has excessive acid production in their stomach; that is all. Even in such cases, natural approaches often work sufficiently well.

DETAILED VERSION OF THE BLOG:
I specialize in treating digestive disorders with the aid of natural therapeutic approaches. With extremely rare exceptions, I have treated hundreds and hundreds of patients with digestive problems very successfully, and therefore, feel passionate about helping fellow human beings whose lives are scarred, damaged, and even lost by digestive disorders. I have seen and heard testimonies from these patients who cry and complain in my office of abdominal aches and pains which I can often alleviate within hours/days with the aid of some simple natural medicines. Most of such patients have already visited at least one and sometimes several gastroenterologists without receiving any or very little help. Therefore, I have recently decided to write the following article sharing with you some of the basic therapies that we as naturopathic doctors offer to patients with digestive problems, and what our patients are not being told by gastroenterologists which could cost the patients their health. In this article, I make various recommendations/suggestions and offer constructive criticism to my dear colleagues, in hopes that we can help alleviate suffering in our fellow human beings.

Gastroenterologists focus on GI (gastrointestinal) diseases, NOT gastrointestinal health. In other words, they study and focus on diagnosing and treating GI diseases. They do not specialize in improving or supporting the health of the digestive organs. Most importantly, they definitely don’t offer any therapies to enhance liver function, and in my opinion, this is the SINGLE BIGGEST MISSING LINK in the field of gastroenterology.

Gastroenterologists are doctors who are educated in the science and art of performing invasive tests such as colonoscopy or endoscopy, as well as in treating digestive diseases. We clearly need conventional gastroenterology, but I wish naturopathic doctors (whom I call “in-closet gastroenterologists”) and “real” gastroenterologists would communicate freely and refer patients back and forth for the sake of their patients’ health. Fortunately, NDs (naturopathic doctors) definitely do refer their patients to GI doctors for various procedures/tests, and sometimes even therapy. For instance, I have had a few patients with advanced Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis who needed immune suppressive drugs; otherwise their health would be at serious risk. Unfortunately, the referrals are not the other way around. In nearly ten years of practice, I have never had a patient referred to me by a GI doctor! I believe this is due to the fact that, unfortunately, gastroenterologists are not truly aware of what naturopathic medicine is about. Below is a list of some of the main therapies/ideas that I wish GI doctors would employ, or at least recognize and validate the use of, in their practices:

1) The connection between food (solid as well as liquid) and the health of the digestive system is definitely not emphasized sufficiently in conventional medicine. It’s extremely unfortunate that even gastroenterologists do not address the subject of diet in much depth. We are what we eat, and in fact, I’d say (physically) we are what we digest and assimilate! Eating poor quality food and drinking unhealthy beverages such as alcohol, soft drinks and coffee are most definitely at the root of many digestive ailments. Even if you eat “healthy”, you could still be eating some foods that you may be allergic to which could cause havoc in you digestive system. For instance, you may eat whole wheat, thinking it is better than wonder bread. What if your immune system is negatively reacting to the wheat you ate today but mounts a reaction two days from now, a delayed reaction? You would never know this unless you actually had a blood IgG food allergy test done which looks for delayed food allergies as opposed to an IgE food allergy test (which may be obtained by a blood draw or a conventional skin test). Most NDs (naturopathic doctors) perform the IgG food allergy test right in their office which takes less than five minutes and is one simple skin prick. In contrast, the conventional skin allergy test that an allergy doctor performs involves numerous painful pricks on your back which doesn’t actually help you very much with your digestive problems! (Note: IgE reactions can be life threatening, so avoiding them is critical. However, most people know their immediate or IgE food allergies since the reactions are indeed immediate. Furthermore, IgG food allergies seem to be more relevant for digestive problems. Therefore, it makes more sense to order a delayed food allergy test or an IgG test in order to help patients with digestive complaints.)

Based on experience, I have found that the most common IgG (or delayed) food allergies are: gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, and corn. These food allergies can most definitely negatively impact the health of the digestive system, causing symptoms ranging from acid reflux, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, gas, mal-digestion, mal-absorption, etc.

2) There are no pharmaceutical drugs that can actually improve liver function, at least not without negative side effects on the liver itself! Of course, there are some drugs that are intended to treat various liver diseases such as hepatitis or liver cancer. None of these drugs are actually designed to directly “improve” liver function, however.

On the other hand, there are numerous natural medicines and therapies that can improve liver function. The list of these therapies is very long. To mention a few - applying castor oil onto the liver and intestines, the herbs milk thistle and chelidoneum, the nutrients selenium and molybdenum, homeopathic remedies Lycopodium and hundreds of others, cell salts Natrum phosphoricum and Natrum sulphoricum, organotherapies (derived from either actual animal livers - ideally organic, or homeopathic preparations of the liver), hydrotherapy (application of alternating hot and cold towels over the liver area), acupuncture, chiropractic, reflexology, massage, visceral manipulation (very gentle and massage-like manipulation of the liver in those individuals whose liver is actually not in the “right” place), etc. (Note that the word liver has the word “live” in it. If you want to live long, you need to take good care of your liver.)

3) Application of castor oil onto the abdomen can significantly help with GI problems. I have been seeing patients for nearly 10 years now, and have seen a very large number of patients with digestive troubles. With few exceptions, I have never seen the persistent topical application of this oil not significantly improve the health of my patients’ digestive system. It certainly works wonders as a laxative in many cases of stubborn constipation. I would be very excited to see my fellow GI doctors recommend this very safe and effective therapy which has been around for several thousand years and recognized in many traditional systems of medicine. There are various thoughts as to how this therapy helps with the healing processes in the body. Castor oil, when applied topically over the body, seems to improve with lymphatic flow, thereby improving the flow of toxic byproducts of metabolism in the tissues back into the blood stream which will eventually be filtered out of the body. The end result of this therapy is the enhancement of waste elimination from our tissues, thereby improving the speed of recovery in injured areas in our body, including inflamed intestines and the liver as well as other body parts.

4) The use of probiotics has been scientifically shown to be extremely helpful in optimizing intestinal function. With one or two exceptions so far in my practice, I have yet to hear that a GI doctor recommends probiotics. The research on this subject is bullet proof, and yet this therapy is not mainstream (most likely because it is not a patented pharmaceutical drug). Keep in mind that most OTC (over-the-counter) probiotic supplements are questionable, so you should always purchase a high quality one from a reputable source.

5) There are numerous other very basic therapies (such as digestive/pancreatic enzymes, DGL, aloe vera juice, slippery elm, and marsh mellow root) that can help and in many cases cure digestive ailments. This list is actually very long, so I will just suffice with the above for now. To elaborate on one of these therapies, the use of digestive enzymes alone has helped hundreds and hundreds of digestive patients in my practice alone. Imagine the ramifications of just this one natural therapy worldwide!

6) It is almost shocking to me that gastroenterologists do not seem to recognize the significant negative impact that synthetic female hormones (i.e. BCPs/birth control pills or hormonal IUDs) have on the health of the digestive system. OBGYNs who are the experts in the use of such hormones definitely don’t appear to acknowledge the horrible effects of synthetic female hormones on the liver probably because they do not typically concern themselves with GI (liver and intestinal) problems , and GI doctors don’t specialize in hormones! It’s no wonder females who are taking synthetic female hormones and are experiencing digestive problems are not being told by any of the above doctors (OBGYN or gastroenterologists) that they should STOP taking such medications! According to a textbook of pathology (which is the book doctors of all types study to learn about diseases), estrogens slow down the production of bile salts (necessary for digestion of fats) coming out of the liver, and progesterone inhibits the release of bile salts from the gall bladder into the small intestine where digestion of food takes place. Additionally, the liver has to eliminate these hormones, which is extra work on the liver. Clearly, synthetic female hormones are a load on the liver/gall bladder, and that’s why they negatively impact women’s digestive system. The liver is involved in hundreds of chemical reactions per second, and it can not afford to be burdened down by these powerful hormones/chemicals, most of which are derived from horse hormones which are totally incompatible with human beings’ chemistry! Some women are particularly sensitive to synthetic female hormones, and must avoid taking them if they want their digestive system (and often other parts of their body, including joints, head, etc.) to feel well. The women who are much more likely to be negatively impacted by synthetic female hormones are those who fit into any of the following homeopathic “constitutions”: Carcinosin, Lycopodium and Silica. Of course, other constitutions can and are indeed negatively impacted by these drugs as well, but the above particularly common constitutions are far too often very negatively impacted. I recently saw a young female patient for the first time who was at the “end of her rope”. She has pain and discomfort most of the day, every single day, to a point that she does not want to eat any more! She was crying about how her GI doctor had not been able to help her at all. Upon some probing, I found out that her problems became significantly worse once she had a hormonal IUD placed in her uterus three years ago. I suggested that she discontinue the use of such hormones, and have her hormonal IUD removed ASAP. Thankfully, she agreed. I am certain with the aid of some basic natural medicines and without the interference of these toxic chemicals her liver and ultimately her entire digestive system will slowly recover. (Note: Natural and bio-identical female hormones are likely difficult for the liver to process also, but in my experience most women have a significantly easier time processing these hormones as opposed to the synthetic female hormones that are derived from horses. Natural and bio-identical female hormones are identical to the hormones that females already have in their body, but these hormones cannot act as birth control, while the horse-derived ones can. Why? There is nothing natural about stopping the birth process, so nothing “natural” is going to do the job. The healthiest options for birth control are the use of mechanical means, such as condoms and/or diaphragm, as opposed to hormones which are chemicals.

It’s noteworthy that women’s liver is already smaller than men’s, yet women’s liver has to work much harder for a few reasons: 1) To balance their naturally occurring female hormones which are constantly fluctuating, thereby stressing their liver 2) To process any additional synthetic, or even natural, female hormones they take in orally, vaginally or through the skin 3) To eliminate all the toxins coming from cosmetic products they are exposed to (refer to the book called “Toxic Beauty” by Dr. Samuel S. Epstein) 4) To be able to put up with their husband’s numerous demands! (This last reason was meant to be a joke initially, and I wasn’t going to actually write it, but when I thought about it, it’s most likely true!) So, no wonder, most of my digestive patients by far are females. (Coincidentally, it seems like most women have disorders of their female system, too, which stem from poor liver function.)

7) One of the most commonly prescribed drugs is acid-blockers (such as Zantac) and/or PPIs/proton pump inhibitors (such as Prilosec or Prevacid). Unfortunately, these drugs either neutralize or block the production of your own God-given hydrochloric acid which is naturally secreted by the stomach lining. We clearly need the acid, that’s why our bodies naturally make it! I have found that many of my patients with digestive complaints receive these drugs even if their problem has nothing to do with excess production of hydrochloric acid in their stomach. (As stated above, there are not many drugs that can improve the health of the digestive system as opposed to hundreds of natural therapies that indeed can improve the health of the digestive system). The use of these drugs should be limited only to cases where there is proof that the person has excessive acid production in their stomach, that is all. In fact, in my experience of nearly 10 years of treating digestive problems (including ulcers and/or GERD, where too much acid would not be indicated), I have never had a case that the patient needed these drugs unless they came in already on them and thus their body was dependent on them. Even then, with their full cooperation, patients are always able to go off of such drugs, although sometimes it can take months to go through the weaning off process (more of a reason to not start taking them to begin with).

Recommending acid blockers and/or PPIs for just about any digestive disorder simply does not make any sense. I wish our respectable gastroenterologist community would refer patients to naturopathic doctors much more frequently as we have numerous natural medicines and therapies that are highly effective in treating digestive diseases/disorders. Meanwhile, naturopathic doctors will continue to refer to gastroenterologists for performing advanced procedures such as colonoscopy or endoscopy as well as for the treatment of cases that are not responding to natural therapies.

Dr. Sharif

P.S. Refer to my other blogs on digestive complaints such as the one on constipation and another one on flatulence. Additionally, I have written a rather extensive blog on menopause which you may want to read in case you are wondering what to do in place of birth control pills or synthetic hormones that are meant to treat your menopausal symptoms. (Although often not necessary, natural bio-identical female hormones are always sufficient in treating menopausal symptoms, and are by far safer for you than the synthetic kinds.) Lastly, I would like to recommend that you read my blog titled "some over-the-counter supplements can pose health risks". You can also read or view the video testimonials of many of our digestive patients on the clinic website.

What kinds of detoxification programs do we offer at Whole Health Clinic?
At Whole Health Clinic, we specialize in detoxification/cleansing as well as classical homeopathy. When it comes to detox/cleansing programs, there are numerous therapies available to you, including fasting, colon hydrotherapy, dietary/nutritional supplements, herbs, Biotherapeutic Drainage therapies, etc. At our clinic, we offer Biotherapeutic Drainage therapies (including UNDA numbers, Gemmotherapies and Gammadyns) as well as conventional naturopathic detoxification supplements using herbs and nutrients. Note that detoxification and/or Biotherapeutic Drainage is a key step in your healing process. It is listed as one of the steps in the “Seven Steps to Healing” article under the Educational Articles page on our website. Just as it is important to put good water and food in your body, it’s just as important for your body to eliminate waste products from outside as well as the inside of your cells.
Note: Clearly, if you are undergoing a detoxification program, it would only make sense to start making better dietary choices, including your solid foods and drinks. For instance, if you are not drinking enough water throughout the day, or consuming junk food on a daily basis, detoxification/drainage supplements may not be helpful to you.

Why is constipation such a serious condition?
Constipation results in the accumulation of a significant amount of toxicity and thus biochemical imbalance in the body, and therefore must be treated 100% effectively. Having regular daily bowel movements and urinating a few times a day, along with “normal” blood and urine lab test results, do not by themselves mean that your body is able to “eliminate” toxins properly. You must undergo a thorough drainage/detoxification protocol, under the supervision of a naturopathic doctor who specializes in Biotherapeutic Drainage, in order to assure proper elimination of toxins from the depth of the cells throughout your body. Note that often constipation must be treated first before a patient can feel any benefit from other therapies, including Biotherapeutic Drainage medicines. (Even though Biotherapeutic Drainage medicines themselves can indeed be used to treat constipation, I would rather employ other therapies such as castor oil packs, magnesium, herbal laxatives, colonic hydrotherapy, etc., to increase the frequency of the bowel movements BEFORE I recommend the use of UNDA numbers or at least the conventional dosing of them. Refer to my blog on “constipation” on our website.)

Environmental toxicity increasing...
Humanity is bombarded with toxins from various sources including heavy metals, pollutants, chemical toxins, etc. Environmentalists and public health experts warn that increasing exposure and toxic accumulations within the body can endanger overall health. Chronic diseases are on the rise and rates of respiratory disease, birth defects and developmental disorders have exponentially increased in recent decades. Here are a few examples that illustrate how pervasive toxins have become: Researchers have found lead in semen, mercury in mother’s milk, and arsenic in drinking water! It has been reported that in every human being alive, no matter where they live, they have at minimum over 250 chemicals in their tissues. There are numerous other examples which you either have heard of or can find out about on the internet.

How do toxins brings about disease? (TOXINS --> DISEASE)
Toxins interfere with the proper functioning/physiology of our cells and organelles, and consequently tissues/organ systems, thereby bringing about degeneration and causing our eventual death. For example, mercury, lead and aluminum can destroy nervous tissue.

Biotherapeutic Drainage helps physiology to prevail over pathology...
The body has the potential to naturally eliminate toxins – depending on the body’s toxic load. Biotherapeutic Drainage is the most long-lasting and effective way of restoring health to the body as it works at an intracellular and extracellular level, facilitating the emunctories to remove blockages while respecting natural physiology. Primary emunctories (or organs of elimination) include: the liver, kidney, stomach, intestines, and lungs. Secondary emunctories include the skin and mucous membranes. Opening the emunctories to discharge toxins helps to support physiological functions, encouraging the body towards homeostasis (balance). Hence, physiology will prevail over pathology.
Note: Physiology is a study of “function” in animals/humans, whereas pathology is the study of “diseases”. Naturopaths believe that by correcting function, disease can be prevented or even reversed.

Biotherapeutic Drainage versus detoxification?
Conventional naturopathic detoxification programs, using nutrients and herbs, have the potential to “push” the body, working towards the upper limits of elimination capacity in order to remove blockages. Biotherapeutic Drainage (using UNDA numbers), on the other hand, works in a “gentle” manner within the normal parameters of elimination capacity.

Biotherapeutic Drainage regulates the emunctories (organs of elimination) on an intracellular (within the cell) and extracellular (outside the cell) level, whereas “detoxification” helps cleanse our cells mostly at an extracellular level. What this means for you is that if you want to get the toxins out of the depth of your cells, you need to consider using Biotherapeutic Drainage medicines instead of or in addition to supplements designed for “detoxification”.

What is in UNDA numbers? Where are they made? And how do they work?
At Whole Health Clinic, we specialize in “Constitutional” Homeopathy as well as Biotherapeutic Drainage. UNDA numbers are the main Biotherapeutic Drainage therapies that we utilize in our treatment protocols. UNDA numbers contain a number of various low potency homeopathic remedies, as opposed to single remedy “constitutional” homeopathy. Often, a “constitutional” homeopathic remedy is given at a much higher potency, such as 200C or 1M. The company UNDA in Belgium is the maker of UNDA numbers which have been around close to 100 years.

UNDA numbers are ORGAN SPECIFIC. For instance, UNDA #243 is specifically designed to “drain” toxins out of liver cells. Or, UNDA #45 is designed to “drain” toxins out of kidney cells.

Please consider referring to the “Testimonials for Biotherapeutic Drainage” section on our website for first hand information from our patients regarding their experience with this amazingly effective natural therapy for detoxification/cleansing purposes.