Can Homeopathy Bring Additional Benefits to Thalassemic Patients on Hydroxyurea Therapy? Encouraging Results of a Preliminary Study

Can Homeopathy Bring Additional Benefits to Thalassemic
Patients on Hydroxyurea Therapy? Encouraging Results of
a Preliminary Study

Antara Banerjee1, Sudipa Basu Chakrabarty2, Susanta Roy Karmakar1,
Amit Chakrabarty2, Surjyo Jyoti Biswas1, Saiful Haque1, Debarsi Das1, Saili Paul1,
Biswapati Mandal3, Boujedaini Naoual4, Philippe Belon4 and
Anisur Rahman Khuda-Bukhsh1

1Cytogenetics and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Kalyani, Kalyani-741 235,
2Institute of Genetic Engineering, 30 Thakurhat Road, Badu, Kolkata-700 128, 3Directorate of Research, Bidhan
Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Kalyani, West Bengal, India and 4Boiron Laboratory, 20 Rue de la Liberation,
Sainte-Foy-Les-Lyon, France

Source : Oxford journal , The CAM Report

 

The researchers say yes, particularly in the developing world where blood transfusions suffer from inadequate screening and fall short of the stringent safety standards followed in the developed countries.

First, the details.

• 38 thalassemic patients received hydroxyurea therapy for a varying periods. Several homeopathic remedies, namely, Pulsatilla Nigricans (30th potency), Ceanothus
  Americanus (both mother tincture and 6th potency) and Ferrum Metallicum (30th potency)
  selected as per similia principles were administered to 38 thalassemic patients receiving
  Hydroxyurea (HU) therapy for a varying period of time.
• The patients were studied before and after treatment. Levels of serum ferritin (SF), fetal
  hemoglobin (HbF), hemoglobin (Hb), platelet count (PC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV),
  mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH),
  white blood cell (WBC) count, bilirubin content, alanine amino transferase (ALT), aspartate
  amino transferase (AST) and serum total protein content of patients were determined before
  and 3 months after administration of the homeopathic remedies in combination with HU to
  evaluate additional benefits, if any, derived by the homeopathic remedies, by comparing the
  data with those of 38 subjects receiving only HU therapy.

And, the results.

• There was a significant decrease in the ferritin blood levels (a complex that stores iron for use in metabolism) and an increase in fetal hemoglobin levels (oxygen-carrying pigment of red blood cells) during combined treatments.
• Changes in other lab values were not significant.
• There was a significant decrease in size of spleen in most patients with enlarged spleens.
• General health improved and there was an increase in the time between transfusions in most patients receiving the combined homeopathic treatment.

The bottom line?
The authors concluded, “Homeopathic remedies being inexpensive and without any known side-effects seem to have great potentials in bringing additional benefits to thalassemic patients.”