Homeopathic Treatment of Brain Hemorrhage: Several Cases

By Manfred Mueller, RSHom (NA), CCH

first appeared in The American Homeopath, vol 19

Cerebrovascular injuries, whether from trauma, surgery or internal chronic conditions, are all too often the cause of permanent disability, if not fatal outcomes. It is perhaps because of the very severity and hopelessness of these cases that they constitute some of the most frustrating and at the same time most rewarding work a homeopath can engage in. In this article I hope to convey some of the triumphs, as well as difficulties, we homeopaths may encounter while working with the victims of brain injury and their families.

Case # 1: Hemiplegia after Hemorrhagic Stroke with Hematoma

Harriet called from Roanoke, VA, about six hours from Durham, NC, where I then practiced. Her older sister Eleanor, aged 70, had collapsed after she suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and, “was now in a bad way.” She was lying in the hospital bed, nearly unconscious, and tests showed she was completely paralyzed on the left side. Her breathing was noisy, with a snoring sound. Eleanor was currently on a ventilator and taking several medications. Harriet, aged 62, was a retired hospital administrator and did not trust that conventional treatment was going to do her sister much good. She reasoned, “At the very least she can use all the help she can get!”
The first few consultations were conducted with Harriet travelling six hours to Durham to speak with me in person. She would describe her sister’s appearance and observational symptoms, since Eleanor was unable to talk. She would then travel back the same day and take her the remedies, administering them herself.

May 5^th, 1998

Harriet described Eleanor as “semi-conscious” and unable to speak. She did respond to questions by making sounds and shaking or nodding her head. She had developed pneumonia with a fever, and was on Keflex and three other medications.
Eleanor had a bloated face that was dusky red and hot to touch. She was muttering and only occasionally responsive to attempts to talk to her. A left-sided paralysis was suspected since she was unable to move the fingers of her left hand or lift that arm and could not move her left leg, foot or even great toe. Stertorous breathing had begun before the pneumonia developed, and she now had rattling respiration deep in her lungs, as if drowning in her own phlegm. She was on a respirator.
Brain scans found that after the hemorrhage, blood had pooled and coagulated in one area on the right side of the brain. It was already several days after the stroke. It was important to get started with treatment as soon as possible. Medical records would be forthcoming. Concussion
In critical cases like this, taking the constitutional case can wait. A good acute clinical case and prompt treatment can start improvements and move the case quickly beyond the critical phase. Critical care is no time for orthodoxy. Aggressive homeopathic treatment (meaning: matching each syndrome to a remedy, dosing in alternation and repeating the doses frequently in the mildest of potencies, and clearing the effects of drugs and other obstacles to cure) can avoid the grave outcomes and serious long-term effects of cerebrovascular injuries. This approach rarely produces potentially dangerous aggravations in already compromised patients, which are commonly seen from high centesimal potency constitutional prescribing. [1]
The first remedy selected was Arnica montana, which covers stertorous breathing as a result of a stroke, along with a red-hot, bloated face. Arnica is associated with hemiplegia or paralysis and aggravations on the left side after stroke. I also selected Antimonium tartaricum to cover the pneumonia with rattling in the lungs as from copious phlegm. Since pneumonia is a separate condition, above and beyond the stroke, it most likely would need to be covered by a separate remedy, in this case Ant-t. These remedies were given in Q (LM) potencies, in standard dose and repetition.
In cases where several remedies are needed to cover the symptoms and/or more than one condition, alternation of several remedies has shown excellent clinical results. This method is consistent with Hahnemann’s practice during the last eight years of his life, as evidenced in his patient journals.[2] Because of their special characteristics this is more advantageous in the Q-potencies since they can be repeated without adverse effects.

May 7^th, 1998

A phone call from Harriet indicated there was considerable improvement in Eleanor’s breathing capacity. The amount of phlegm had reduced so considerably that the antibiotics would soon be discontinued. Eleanor seemed more alert; she no longer had a red face and “enjoyed being fanned.” I chose Carbo vegetabilis 30c, which Harriet obtained from a local health food store. She was to administer one dose in liquid and give it as needed afterwards, until things improved. She was to continue on Arnica in ascending Q potencies, one dose daily.

May 17^th, 1998

Harriet reported in person this time. She had seen definite improvements. Eleanor had completely recovered from the pneumonia and was off the respirator and all antibiotics. She was fully conscious, but still unable to talk; however she responded well to questions by nodding or shaking her head. When she tried to talk or make sounds, “her voice sounds nasally and she seems dull, confused.” Her face still looked bloated and heavy. The left-sided paralysis was confirmed now that she was conscious. The plan was to continue Arnica, which covers this symptom.

June 8^th, 1998

Harriet reported that Eleanor was “making good progress.” She was able to eat normally now. She was also able to talk, although she was having trouble articulating. She had made good progress in her ability to move her left side. She could lift her left arm and her leg, and could move her left foot and toes. Brain scans showed the hematoma had been almost completely reabsorbed. We would continue on Arnica montana. Concussion

June 29^th, 1998

Harriet reported that a follow-up brain scan showed complete resolution of the hematoma. While there were some improvements in her speech and mobility, some problems remained: a left-sided hemiplegia and difficulty speaking. Now memory problems were becoming apparent, including some amnesia for events following the stroke. Eleanor continued to have a problem articulating her speech and some difficulty with comprehension. Harriet reported, “She seems to lose the sense of words and confuse numbers and dates.” Eleanor herself complained of feeling too hot all the time and still looked red-faced, bloated and dull. A red rash had appeared on her back that looked like sunburn. She was very sensitive to the slightest touch.
We were beyond the critical phase. Arnica had done much for her recovery so far, but a deeper acting remedy could move the healing process further along. To truly cure we needed to look at the underlying condition that had given rise to the present pathology and address it. It was time to learn more about Eleanor, her health history and her susceptibilities. I also needed to assess whether the current symptom picture was only the result of the stroke, or part of her existing susceptibility and constitution.
It turned out that she had a history of hypertension, obesity and always complained of being too hot. She craved carbohydrates. She loved coffee, pasta, oysters and alcoholic drinks. Harriet described her sister as often purple-faced. She had a bubbly personality, was energetic and outgoing socially. On more than one occasion she liked to drink a little too much wine, and was very “intense.” She was always worse in the morning on rising and was busy and talkative in the evening. She was single and had been a teacher but now she worked as an artist.
In situations like this, where you rely on descriptions by others, you must ask them to look for specific symptoms and ask specific questions. For example ask, “How do her eyes look?” “Can she move her eyes?” etc. To fully cover her pathological symptoms I considered remedies like Anacardium orientalis, Causticum, Lachesis mutus, Opium and Phosphorus—all of which have hemiplegia after stroke. Lachesis met the symptoms of the condition and her constitutional characteristics best, and was chosen in Q-potency in alternation with Arnica montana—just in case Arnica would continue to do some good work. I believed the rash was likely from the repeated diagnostic X-rays—radiation burn. X-ray in Q-potencies was to be alternated with the other two remedies. This would also serve to antidote the harmful effects of these scans and hopefully improve her overall health.

July 20^th, 1998

Eleanor arrived at the consultation in Durham with her sister. She walked with a walker. There had been major progress in her mobility and her ability to speak was almost normal. I was now able to see that physically Eleanor was short and heavy-set. She now was able to report her own symptoms.
Her personality was optimistic and energetic. She told me she never felt she would not recover from this¾it always felt like something temporary. She felt much improvement from the Arnica in the first three weeks, but then less so. Since the Lachesis she had seen dramatic improvement in her ability to talk and move. The two remedies together seemed to bring her a renewed sense of wellbeing.
Her biggest chronic symptoms had been hypersensitivity to touch and her constant general heat. Both have improved since Lachesis. In addition, she was lucid, quite different from reports of a few weeks ago. Her rash was much better. The X-ray was helping. She could feel a tingling in the rash on her back each time she took a dose. Some aching in the joints of the shoulder and hips had developed, so a reduction in her dose of X-ray was indicated. The other remedies were still helpful. I instructed her to dilute the liquid X-ray doses with three dosage cups and take it in alternation with Lachesis, both still once daily in ascending Q-potencies.

August 12^th, 1998

Again, Eleanor came to my office with Harriet. She was now walking without difficulty. Her speech was back to normal. The hypersensitivity was no longer there. She no longer had any noticeable sequelae from the stroke. Even her rash was gone. She reported that for the first time she could remember she felt a little chilly. Considering that it was now August in the southern United States, this was a noteworthy symptom.
Her blood pressure averaged 138/78, which was significantly lower than before the stroke. She was currently taking the last of three potencies of Lachesis and had finished the two levels of X-ray. After taking a complete health history, family history and constitutional assessment, I chose Carcinosinum. Carcinosinum was a constitutional remedy to address a hereditary cancer diathesis. The cancer diathesis has hypertension. Carcinosinum would likely normalize it over the next few months. The instructions were daily doses of Carcinosinum in alternation with Lachesis in ascending Q-potencies, in standard repetition.
From now on, she continued with regular consultations every six weeks. There were no setbacks, only continued improvements in her overall health. Eleanor recovered completely from the stroke. She continued on the remedies Lachesis in alternation with Carcinosinum for six months.
Her file contains a thank-you note she sent after her last consultation, on January 7^th, 1999, expressing her gratitude for her homeopathic treatment and recovery: she said she felt in much better physical shape than she had been in for decades. She was still well a year later when she called about her sister.
Harriet, who had faithfully brought Eleanor her remedies, was now in hospital in a coma. Could I help? Harriet had gone to the ER several days ago concerned about vertigo. An X-ray had showed a tumor in the brain. Immediate surgery was scheduled. The surgery found no tumor. Harriet felt well after waking up from the anesthesia, only to slip into a coma four hours later. She died before the homeopathic medicines arrived.