I have recieved some advice recently regarding a new case what do you think - Garbage or Wisdom?

A new patient tells me she has been taking a corticosteroid (Prednisolone) for 10 yrs to help with her temporal arteritis. She dislikes taking it and there are a number of side effects – bloating of the face, hair loss, to name a few. She has asked for something to help with the side effects because she views coming off the medication altogether as being too risky. I mentioned the case to a fellow homoeopath and he suggested isopathy – I later find out that the pharmacy I use stocks such a remedy. My gut feel is to treat the symptoms as they are presented, even though some of them maybe of the steroid. Using isopathy appears to me to be a cop out, especially as I read that they are not put to a proving. Have I got this wrong? or should I give it a try? Any advice in this new area for me would be gratefully appreciated.
Thank you - Richard


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Dear Richard, I have no more experience than you in this respect, but like you my instinct would be to take the whole symptom picture and to prescribe on that. This is in accordance with Hahnemann's instructions on prescribing when the picture is muddied by drug taking.

ps I think it very unlikely that you will see any improvement in a person who is taking steroids because they block the action of remedies [GM taught me that], but if you want to try, use LMs.

A dear family friend was recently hospitalized and after a miriad of testing the diagnosis was severe osteoporosis. She is bedridden and close to death. It has been determined that the cause was years of prednisone use for asthma. Very sad.

Barb, your friend might still be helped by homoeopath. It could palliate if no more. Phos comes to mind in such a case, also Calc Phos.

Hi Richard,
This is a very'iffy' subject I feel!
Ian Watson in his book'A guide to the methodologies ofHomeopathy'(ISBN 0 9517657 0 1) gives an explanation of isopathy and tautopathy.
Basically he says that isopathy is the prescription of a remedy made from the causative agent or products of disease to a patient suffering from that disease. eg giving someone with a milk allergy Lac defloratum or someone with an allergy to strawberries fragaria. He also quotes the case of a man with eczema who had a remedy made from his own eruptions and it worked.

Tautopathy, a variation of isopathy, refers to the practice of potentising a drug or toxin that a patient has injested some time previously.
He says that tautopathy should only be used if there is no clear remedy picture.
If there is a clear picture and that remedy is given it should take care of the ill effects of the drugs.
He does quote a case where he gave potentised prednisolone to help a patient come off the drug. Apparently it can make it easier for the patient to withdraw and hastens the process.
He gives prednisolone 30c twice a week whilst reducing the dosage of the steroid over a period of weeks or months as necessary.

Hope your patient does manage to get off it.
I work with patients with severe Osteoporosis caused entirely by steroids.
Even taking 7.5 mg a day for only a month reduces the bone density in the majority of cases.
It's a nightmare situation!

And the medical community thinks they have all the answers!!

Oops, my earlier post about my husband's asthma and steroids was probably a little far afield for this topic. I will start another one.

Thanks to all that responded to my post.Much learnt- You have been great as usual!!
Cheers Richard

My deceased ex wife had astma for years ,30 odd,and died of a heart condition . I was new to homeopathy when that started and I refused to accept the then wisdom that nothing can be done for asthmatics on steroids.
It was here my use of high potencies started . I was never going to cure - but could I extend useful life - I thought and still think yes , using very high potencies. I used Arg Nit , also Carbo Veg - and other I do not recall .
I do not think one should "give up" on anyone - as long as one explains that alleviation , not cure , is the objective.