My friend has a large kidney stone - he tells me approx 1 inch (2.54cm), its stuck and the NHS cannot operate for at least 3 months. He suffers a great deal of pain and he is not very happy with the world at the moment - even considering spending £8000 to sort it privately. So here it is - he lives 250 miles away from me and I am wondering if taking his case is going to be the wrong thing to do. Maybe there is an obvious remedy to prescribe - but what happens if the stone begins to move? where he lives is approx 100 miles from a decent hospital. Or maybe I say to myself that homoeopathy would not threaten the organism in this way - it would work in a safe and therapeutic way. I am torn between the two ways it could go. Your advice on this one would be great. Cheers Richard

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Why can't it be broken up with ultrasound?

Hi Richard,

You could take his case and see if there are clear indications for a remedy--there are many which are useful for this situation. What usually happens is that the stone dissolves or disintegrates and is moved out of the body without pain--with the right remedy and right potency selection. But be aware that you don't want to cause aggravations with this kind of pain! So go lightly--slow (reps) and low (potencies) may be the best course of action.

Some rems to think about for lithiasis:

Sepia, lycopodium, asparagus, berberis

(whole chapter of descriptions and modalities in of pain experienced in
"Kidneys, pain;")

Pay special attention to the type of pain he is experiencing--radiations of pain, frequency, time modalities, what it causes him to do. And, of course, the mental state--there may be something to his "not being very happy with the world at the moment"...

It is an acute situation, so you may be able to do some good for your friend. Take his case and go from there...

Divina

Dear Richard,

Yes, this is where homeopathy excels--in resolving acutes. Don't worry about taking a "complete" case--like his childhood traumas, and so on. Take the case of his kidney stone! You could report his symptoms to us if you're not able to repertorize. Which side is it on? Describe the pains: sudden? excruciating? shooting? sharp? stitching? radiating? extending to a specific location? or all through the body?

Urging to urinate during pain? Urge for stool? Difficult urination? What's the urine like? dark? offensive? burning? bloody?

What are the modalities? Is he worse coughing, sneezing, being jarred? Worse sitting, stooping, walking, deep breathing? stretching?

What does he do to feel better?
Apply heat? Stretch out? Bend double? Rub the painful spot?

What are the concommitants? Chilliness? Restlessness? nausea?

What's the worst time of day for him? What position does he assume? Has his choice of food and drink changed since the acute? How is he reacting to noise, touch, clothing? How is he reacting to company? Does he want sympathy or does he want to be left alone?

What is the most striking about his condition?

Good luck, we hope to hear from you soon,

Snoopy

Divina and Snoopy,
I am more cautious than you about this situation. I think even the best indicated remedy could cause an expulsive reaction on the stone which could be excruciating. And given that the patient is 100 miles from a hospital, an acute like that could be dangerous.
If to do that, use LM1 with the greatest caution.
If you can get a remedy to dissolve it, that would be better than surgery, but why is ultrasound not to be used? I'd advise ultrasound followed by a constitutional to prevent recurrence.

Richard- has your friend enquired about lithotripsy and would he have to wait as long for that as surgery?

I feel ,like Anna, that he should explore this first. Remedies can be given afterwards to help expel the 'bits'

Hi Anna, Richard,

I'm wary of that ultrasound treatment. A woman I know who is an extremely busy cardiologist (works a 90 hour work week at one of Toronto's busiest hospitals) has been suffering from a kidney stone for almost 3 months now. She finally passed the stone herself recently--and breathed a huge sigh of relief. She's skeptical about alternative meds, so she didn't try any--but she refused allopathic treatment herself for as long as she could. I respect her knowledge about the dangers of the procudures used by allopaths to treat this situation, and she was particularly frightened of the ultrasound treatment.

She was scheduled to have surgery for the stone, which she agreed to undergo only as a last resort, but fortunately passed it on her own. The fact that someone as knowledgeable about her profession as she chose to live and work with the intense pain instead of undergo the ultrasound treatment just demonstrates to me how wise it is to be wary of something which seems harmless (because docs don't tell about the complications involved).

If your friend does research this option, please advise him to get full information about the complications of the procedure. It is not as benign as we would be led to believe, and one needs to make an informed decision whatever one chooses to do. I'm still of the belief that homeopathy would be the safer option of the two.

Divina

Thanks Divina. Do you know what are the issues with ultrasound? [I don't but would like to learn.]

Many thanks for all your inputs! have taken on board your words of caution, may be best to pass this one on - here is some feedback.

Anna - regarding ultrasound treatment – he was advised against this as it would take too long (one monthly sessions over the course of ten months) - due to the large size of the stone.

Divina - With reference to “lithotripsy” – until this last week this is what he thought he was waiting for, but apparently he will be receiving “nephrotomy”. He will now enquire further about lithotripsy and see if that is an option that will come around sooner.

Patient Details: Male ages 45 yrs. Previous history of kidney stones.

General day to day condition – Describes it as “back ache” just above the left buttock, extending downwards, down back of left leg. There is a sensation of numbness in left leg. If over doing things then it can be a real effort to move this leg. This culminates in him having to drag it along whilst walking. The pain - soreness/stiffness - he feels in his back/buttock is like having pulled a muscle. The sensation is near to the surface and feels very muscular. Started approx 9 months ago, there everyday for last 6 months. Says that cold tends to agg whilst heat amel – neither markedly so.

Acute Phase – latest episode lasted for 10 days over Xmas. The back pain is no longer there during this phase. Area of discomfort is left side of abdomen, just under rib cage, extending to l. groin. There is “like a building up of pressure and then a spasm of pain stabbing,cramping,shooting into the groin”. The left side of abdomen is tense, sensitive, swollen. Nausea.Cannot stand letting the bed sheets touch this area. “Its as though you have been punched, leaving you feeling sick and nauseous”. Can sometimes get pains in right kidney. “When its bad, I have to go lie down in a dark room, lie still, tend to be more emotional, cannot do anything, do not want company, loss of appetite, no energy, feel very depressed, sensitive to light, travelling in a car is extremely painful, any motion or jar makes it worse, was cold sometimes with the nausea”. “ I did find that it tended to be worse between 4 and 8 PM during the day”. Originally started 6 months ago as episodes that would last for 2/3 hours every week, “all I had to do though was to lie down for an hour and it would go away” was again accompanied with sick feeling. The experience over Xmas has so far been a one off.

Other info: - has recently begun to crave and eat a lot of bread covered in honey.
Urine can be slightly, whitish, cloudy. There is no urging/difficulty to urinate, no urging to stool.

He has been told that the stone is made out of calcium and at the last x-ray was located at the top of his kidney.

Cheers Richard.




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Richard, I am not aware of side effects from ultrasound, and I would investigate these, but from what I currently know, if it was me, I would rather have monthly ultrasound for ten months than surgery to cut open the kidney.

The good thing about ultrasound is that once the stone is smashed up to smaller pieces you can safely start constitutional treatment. This cannot be treated as an acute because the patient has a history of kidney stones.