At Whole Health Clinic, we specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of digestive disorders. As a result, you will find numerous resources on this website covering various subjects related to digestion. We urge you to utilize as many of the following resources as possible:
1) Blogs on digestion.
2) Page on this site titled diet. (Of course, eating properly is one of the most important steps in healing your digestive system. Therefore, you need to spend a good amount of time on this page. Specific dietary recommendations will be given to you during your visit with Dr. Sharif. Note that supplements and drugs will never replace a healthy diet and lifestyle.)
3) Page under the “diet” page titled coffee. (This page covers the details of how/why coffee can hurt your digestive health.)
4) Testimonials for Castor Oil Application Over the Abdomen. (This page covers the subject of why applying castor oil onto the abdomen can improve your digestion, and how to do this procedure.)
5) Page on this site titled Birth Control. (This page covers the details of how/why birth control hormones negatively impact your digestion.)
Using Homeopathy to Treat Digestive Disorders: An Overview
The excerpt below is from an article originally written by Dr. Sharum Sharif, ND on NDNR.com. Read the full article there.
We naturopaths help numerous patients with various digestive disorders and complaints every day by prescribing necessary dietary modifications, specific tailored nutritional and/or herbal supplement regimens, and sometimes bodywork. Even though NDs are able to successfully help many of our patients with digestive problems, there are always cases that don’t respond well to these therapies. In such cases, homeopathy can be an indispensable tool. In this article, I have attempted to discuss the highlights of why and how homeopathy can be used to treat digestive disorders/complaints. Homeopathic remedies can be highly effective in treating acute digestive conditions such as the stomach flu, bloody diarrhea, and pancreatitis, as well as chronic digestive conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and hemorrhoids. Homeopathic remedies can certainly function palliatively, but when applied correctly, and especially when combined with the proper dietary and supplement regimens, they may be curative.
Homeopathic remedy and Vitamin B12 injections can effectively address chronic abdominal pain.
Homeopathic remedy and diet help with GI problems
Homeopathic remedies are sometimes far more effective than supplements in treating digestive problems.
Additionally, as you can see here, homeopathic remedies can also improve a person’s mood while the physical symptoms are getting treated. Thus, the term “wholistic medicine”.
Father and daughter
Food allergies can cause severe daily vomiting.
After over a year of vomiting on a daily basis, this wonderful girl’s vomiting ended within 3 days upon stopping the consumption of gluten and dairy, probably the top two most common food allergies/sensitivities in North America. It’s noteworthy that these two foods did not show up as allergenic foods with a conventional skin allergy test. Naturopathic doctors run into this discrepancy on a regular basis- food allergies do not show up very well on a skin allergy test. A blood food allergy (IgE) test and/or food sensitivity (IgG) test tend to be much more useful in finding a person’s food-related problems. It is noteworthy that food allergies and/or sensitivities can cause problems anywhere from head to toes. Naturopathic doctors order blood IgE and/or IgG testing on a regular basis for their patients.
One Dose of a Remedy can Stop Chronic Constipation Overnight
Judith
In this video, you will observe how Judith’s bowel movements improved significantly overnight with just one dose of her constitutional homeopathic remedy- Kali Silicata 200C. (Note: Each person’s “constitutional” homeopathic remedy is different, and it depends on a variety of factors, including the person’s physical as well as mental/emotional traits. Read the article on “constitutional” homeopathy under the Educational Articles page on this site.)
Digestive Complaints and Homeopathy
Janet
Note by Dr. Sharif: Janet’s constitutional remedy is actually Silica. I had given her Natrum muriaticum initially which did appear to have helped her significantly. However, it stopped helping her at some point. It was not until we found her “constitutional” homeopathic remedy- Silica- that she truly experienced real relief from her digestive complaints.
When magnesium and other laxatives fail to treat constipation, homeopathy can save the day.
Mental fog is a common problem. There are numerous factors which can bring on mental fog. Not all cases of mental fog are treated/cured with homeopathy. However, many are. Estelle’s case illustrates how quickly mental fog can be treated with homeopathic remedies. Of course, choosing the correct remedy can be challenging in homeopathy since there are no remedies for “mental fog”, per se. I had to search and find a homeopathic remedy that matched Estelle’s constitution, Alumina or Aluminum. (Note that everyone has a different “constitution” based on which a remedy is selected. You can learn more about “constitutional” homeopathy on our website by doing a search on the subject.) Once I had picked this remedy for her, she was surprised and shared with me how a medical doctor had ordered a heavy metal hair analysis test in 1987 which had reflected an extremely high level of Aluminum in her hair, clearly an abnormal finding. I believe her body has been overwhelmed by a high load of Aluminum which had, over the years, caused many health problems, such as an extremely stubborn case of constipation and recently significant brain fog. Historically, Estelle could go for 30 days without a bowel movement, and would have to induce BMs with the aid of laxatives. One dose of her “constitutional” homeopathic remedy, Alumina, brought on regular BMs in less than 24 hours. Her constipation continues to be much improved since taking this remedy. Cure is on its way.
Notice that somehow her body had been exposed to too much Aluminum years ago (Refer to lab test results below.) Now, the homeopathic remedy Alumina appears to be reversing her chronic complaints of constipation and brain fog. (Coincidentally, her brain fog is most likely related to years of constipation, resulting in an overload of toxins backing up from her intestines into her blood, and ending up in her brain, affecting her cognition.) Homeopathy, in a way, is similar to vaccination in that a small amount of a substance can cure symptoms one would develop if he/she were exposed to large amounts of the same substance. Another interesting fact about Estelles case is that magnesium makes her more constipated which is extremely unusual. My patients always find magnesium very helpful in treating their constipation. Why would magnesium make Estelle more constipated? I believe the nerves in her intestines had become damaged by an excessively high load of Aluminum over the years, resulting in extremely lazy intestines. (Note that we need the nerves in our intestines to fire properly in order to have healthy peristalsis, leading to regular bowel movements.) Magnesium is a muscle relaxant, and, in effect, can make the intestines more lazy. Thus, making her constipation worse. In most cases, relaxing the intestinal muscles brings on bowel movements, but in her case, her intestines were already too relaxed. In other words, the nerves going to her intestines were too relaxed, or not working properly. And relaxing the muscles with magnesium would clearly add to the problem. She would end up with relaxed nerves AND muscles. This is the most unusual case of constipation, which appears to be responding very well to the homeopathic remedy Alumina.
Homeopathy helps with chronic abdominal bloating overnight
Mary loves UNDA numbers for improving her kidney and liver function…
With the UNDAs for liver and kidneys, Mary can urinate and defecate more frequently throughout the day, helping her feel better overall. Without the UNDAs, she does not urinate enough (she urinates, but in very small amounts), her abdomen feels uncomfortable, and she becomes constipated.
Note that most cases of constipation are due to poor liver function. Therefore, as you detoxify or “drain” the liver, one should experience relief from constipation.
UNDA #1 and Juniperous gemmo help the liver and overall health…
Here, Ilene is sharing with us how taking UNDA #1 appears to be helping with her liver/gall bladder function, as manifested by improvement in pain over liver/gall bladder area within minutes of taking this natural medicine. She also speaks briefly about how taking Juniperous gemmotherapy seems to help her feel better overall. (Note: Please do NOT take these medicines without a prescription from your naturopathic doctor as they may cause side effects if improperly chosen and dosed.)
Hormonal IUD can create havoc in a woman’s digestive system.
Child’s chronic daily vomiting stops overnight by simply eliminating a common food allergy- Dairy!
Tyler
(Three videos available – click on picture to view)
Dear Dr. Sharif,
I read your blog titled What I Wish Gastroenterologists Would Recognize and reviewed the information on the Birth Control page on your site, and I cant believe how my primary doctor and GI specialist brushed me off when I told them my digestive issues started once I didn’t return for the 2nd shot of Depo. One shot was enough for me. Its scary how doctors aren’t connecting birth control with digestive problems. I basically had to do my own research. When I came across your website and read your blog, I was almost in tears! It seems like a sign of hope because everyone else thinks I am crazy! I can say that as time passes my acid reflux is getting better. Which gives me reason to believe that eventually it will go away.
I’m not over weight. I’m on 29 and I don’t smoke or drink soda or coffee. I don’t eat anything that will trigger symptoms of reflux. Women don’t realize that this type of birth control will cause digestive problems.
Thank you for the information on your site!
Ericka W.
Jacksonville, Florida
Dr. Sharif,
Thank you so very much for taking me as a patient on such short notice. It truly was a pleasure to meet with you.
I am feeling a lot better.
After stopping the dairy products, and gluten, my cough is still about 90% gone, and I have not had bronchitis at all this year, that in itself is great.
After the homeopathic injections, my knee felt a lot better for a while, but after doing a lot of walking lately, it is back to hurting. I am still taking the meds you prescribed, and hopefully they will kick in to make my knee better for good. My hip does seem to be much better though.
I am no longer taking the Previcid, and I think my system is rebelling. The “chocolate” licorice is great, and thank you for suggesting that I keep the Cal Mag Liquid. It does wonders for a burning stomach.
My energy level has increased, and I am not as tired as I was before I came to see you.
Thank you so very much for all of your help.
Anita
Life-threatening chronic and recurrent bacterial pneumonia and severe acid reflux
My name is Kathi Hennessey and I have suffered many illnesses in my lifetime. I had rheumatic fever when I was 5, which resulted in the mitral valve in my heart to tear and rupture at the age of 45. Since then I have had 3 open heart surgeries to repair and replace the heart valve. I have had a hysterectomy, my gall bladder removed and a so-called hiatal hernia fixed in 2009.
About 16 years ago, I started suffering from severe heartburn and had to take antacids on a regular basis for the heartburn. I have been on every antacid medication on the market, including Nexium, Acifex, Zegrid, and Zantac. Not one doctor, stomach or other doctor ever told me not to take these on a regular basis or just use as needed. I also have been on massive doses of antibiotics all my life from numerous infections. The combination of antacids and antibiotics over the years took a toll on my body and it became deadly, almost fatal. I was close to death several times and each time no one (doctor) was closer to finding out what was wrong with me.
Over the past 8 years I have been to 100s (and I mean 100s of doctors). I have been to many specialists, and I even felt so desperate in 2009 that I flew myself to the Mayo Clinic in Arizona to seek the help of their specialists. When I was at the Mayo Clinic, I had the worst outbreak of what all the doctors determined as bacterial pneumonia. Previous to this, I had many outbreaks of what was diagnosed as bacterial pneumonia and ended up in the hospital over 20 times. Each and every time, every test, baffled the doctors. My white cell count went off the charts and I would go into septic shock. My blood pressure would drop to dangerous levels, ran a high fever, coughed up blood, body aches that were unbelievable. X-rays showed discoloration in the lungs and it was determined to be some type of bacterial pneumonia, and I was put in intensive care. Each episode I had I was given massive doses of antibiotics, which cleared up the infection. I would get better with the antibiotics, and the doctors would send me home each time with no answers as to what was truly happening to me. Then the vicious cycle would begin again, month after month. This was ruining my 22-year marriage, my husband lost his faith and I became severely depressed and suicidal. I am a strong, strong Christian, and I have an amazing faith, and that is what saved me from committing suicide. The one thing I still had was God and prayer, which was enough for me. I prayed everyday for answers and/or a doctor that could figure out this mysterious illness that was taking my life and give me some more time with my family. I never gave up hope. I was determined to not let this destroy me or my marriage.
In late October of 2010, a good Christian friend of mine came to the office where I worked and told me about a naturopath she had found that she took her husband to for his heart trouble. I thought, why not, Ill give him a try. It was really my last ditch effort. Little did I know, Dr. Sharif would be my saving grace. Dr. Sharif had my situation figured out in 5 minutes. I had one of the worst cases he had seen of Candida/Yeast overgrowth in my gut. This was caused from years and years of the overuse of antibiotics and the overuse of antacids. Overtime, the Candida overgrowth in my digestive system had weakened my immune system, thereby making me much more susceptible to lung infections, a connection none of my conventional doctors, including the Mayo clinic doctors, had mentioned. It is extremely difficult and emotional for me to talk about this. No one lived in my body and suffered the fears I did about dying. I thought, I cant die without knowing what has caused this. What is my death certificate going to say? It would probably say some made up excuse by another doctor that couldnt figure it out.
Dr. Sharif started with the basics of getting me back on track. He was completely honest with me about the severity of my condition. He told me it will take a long, long time to fix this. I didnt care, someone finally listened to me and sincerely cared. Dr. Sharifs compassion for wanting to heal his clients is amazing. We started with some basics to build my immune system and to kill the Candida/yeast in my digestive system. Something so simple yet I was never tested for the yeast overgrowth.
Dr. Sharif suggested I completely stop eating sugar and drinking coffee, and eat a healthier diet. He also recommended a number of natural supplements, including herbs, nutrients, and homeopathic remedies. Changing my diet was difficult, but the pay-off would be worth it. He constantly monitors my health to make sure his suggestions are working, and I am on track and not getting sick anymore. I am finally getting my life back and when I think about what I have been through it makes me so sad, but now that I am getting so much better I do not want to waste a single moment on the negative. The power of prayer and the belief in yourself and God, and never giving up hope is what you have to strive for. Sometimes you are all alone in the battle, family sometimes can turn their back on you because they just cant cope with your illness anymore or you feel like you are going crazy because the doctors begin to not believe you. But please, please keep fighting. It is that attitude that God wants you to have. We are all put through trials and tribulations in life and life is a test. I wanted to share my story that hopefully through my experience I can help someone else. Like they say, pay it forward.
This is a list of things that have disappeared or improved in my health since I started seeing Dr. Sharif and following his naturopath and homeopathy recommendations:
– No more intestinal Candida or yeast outbreaks (unless I am bad and eat sugar) leading to lung infections
– My knees use to ache every time I walked up or downstairs that has disappeared
– I always had a runny nose and blamed it on my medication that has stopped
– The best news is my heartburn is gone and I am finally off antacids I just use natural enzymes
– Bloating & gas is not severe anymore, No more constipation
– My skin is beautiful now! It was red, scaly, itchy I looked like a lizard
– I actually have my appetite back I use to feel like I had a valve in my throat that shut off when I ate more than 5 bites of food. I am hungry now and eat like normal people.
– Sleep has improved
– Fogginess in my head is gone
Please do what Dr. Sharif asks you to do! The pay-off will be huge!
Reflux and Stomach Pain
I originally came to see Dr. Sharif to find out what natural treatments he could offer me for my stomach pain, reflux, and bloating. I had already sought conventional medical treatment, and been offered Protonix (an acid blocker), but was not interested in taking a drug for an indefinite amount of time.
Dr. Sharif offered an elimination diet and some natural medicines. Within days, all my symptoms disappeared. Now (a few months later), I do not even need to continue the natural medicines if I only follow my recommended diet. I am very grateful to Dr. Sharif for his help.
Neda from Seattle
Numerous gallstones defecated by a patient after a gallbladder flush…
Note: Please do not undergo this procedure without medical supervision.