Nosodes, Homeopathy and Autism

Autism

Autism word

Nosodes, Homeopathy and Autism

by Deborah Olenev, C.C.H. RSHom (NA)

October 28, 2005

Dear Friends,

This article was written by me in 2005. I have gained a lot of experience since then, as have many other homeopaths. Sometimes I regret having written this article, because I feel that it may inspired too many people to use nosodes for their autistic or special needs children, when other remedies that corresponded to the child’s deep emotional state may have been better indicated and may have yielded greater results. Sometimes what is needed is to look at the deep grief, the trauma, the emotional anxiety and meet the child in his heart, rather than start the treatment out with a nosode. That said, you are welcome to read the article. One more little caveat is that a book was recently published by Angelica Lemke, N.D., entitled Healing Complex Children With Homeopathy that has a lot of good information, and an excellent spiritual approach to treating ASD children.

There have been some questions about homeopathy and nosodes in the Homeopathy for Special Needs group and I would like to share some of my thoughts on this topic with you. I will go into detail about two of the most commonly used nosodes in homeopathy below: Carcinosin and Medorrhinum.

Samuel Hahnemann the founder of homeopathy, discovered nosodes and their power in very much the same way I did. Nosodes are remedies derived from disease substances. For many years he prescribed constitutional remedies, such as Lycopodium, Sulphur, Calcarea carbonica and so forth, but in certain cases the remedies failed to work, despite his belief that they were well chosen. I had the same experience.

Then he tried to figure out how come this was happening. After twelve years of studying disease, he wrote a book called Chronic Diseases, in which he explains his theory of miasms. Miasms are enormous genetic predispositions to disease, which we have all inherited. He believed that the presence of these miasmatic taints was standing in the way of the constitutional remedies working as well as they could, and recommended using nosodes intercurrently during constitutional treatment.

His understanding was that there were three principal miasms: Psora, or the itch miasm, which originates from suppressing an itch; the Sycotic or gonorrhea miasm, which comes from suppressed gonorrhea. The outward manifestation of this miasm is the wart; and the Syphlitic miasm, which comes from suppressed syphilis. The outward manifestation would be ulcers.

The Psoric miasm, on its own produces no structural changes in the body. The nosode for the psoric miasm is Psorinum. The Psoric miasm is the largest of the miasms, and everybody on earth partakes of this miasm. The principal remedies of the Psoric miasm are: Lycopodium, Sulphur and Calcarea carbonica.

The nosode, which is at the heart of the Sycotic miasm is Medorrhinum. Medorrhinum is characterized by overgrowth of tissue, and excesses in everything. This miasm needs to be present in order for a person to have cancer. Lower down in the article, I talk extensively about this nosode. Medorrhinum is definitely a remedy to be considered for autism, and a frequently indicated remedy in general.

The nosode, which is at the heart of the Syphilitic miasm is Syphilinum. This remedy is not as prevalent in society as the others I have mentioned. It is, however, the most destructive. It also needs to be present for cancer, which is what we call a tri-miasmatic disease, meaning that Psora, Sycosis and Syphilis are present in people who have this disease. Seasonal allergies are also considered tri-miasmatic conditions. This remedy could also be considered for autism. Remedies in this miasm that are well-known for autism are: Bufo, Baryta carbonica, Alumina, Mercurius, Tuberculinum, Syphilinum and Sulphur. As you can see there are many remedies that are in more than one miasm. For example Tuberculinum is both tubercular and syphilitic, and Sulphur is both syphilitic and psoric.

The Tubercular miasm is a cross between the Psoric miasm and the Syphilitic miasm, and the nosode at the heart of the Tubercular miasm is Tuberculinum. Tuberculosis was quite prevalent in the last several centuries. People who need Tuberculinum have a love of travel, and often suffer from diseases of the lungs. I associate this remedy with the age of exploration, when explorers set off to look for uncharted territory and new worlds. Tuberculinum, Phosphorous, Baryta phosphorica, Calcarea phosphorica and Zincum metallicum are remedies of the Tubercular miasm that definitely should be thought of for autism. There is a very good book called “The Homeopathic Treatment of Children,” by Paul Herscu, and I use him as a reference for some of the symptoms I have listed below when I describe the nosodes. He has excellent chapters there on some of the remedies I am discussing here, particularly Tuberculinum. He considers this one of the main remedies for autistic children, and I can confirm this from my own experience.

Carcinosin is the main remedy of the Cancer miasm. Hahnemann did not call cancer a miasm. Rajan Sankaran, an Indian homeopath, recently identified ten miasms, whereas Hahnemann thought there were only three, and he believed the others were combinations of these. Other remedies in the cancer miasm that could be thought of for autism are Tarentula, Agaricus and Baryta carbonica and Bufo. Some of these may be listed under other miasms as well. Agaricus is a remedy that definitely should be thought of for Autism. Tarentula is not listed for autism, but is listed for hyperactivity.
I will elaborate more on two of the principle nosodes used in homeopathy below.

CARCINOSIN

During this eleven years I have prescribed nosodes many hundreds of times, and I have come to understand them and their uses. The first nosode that I really became familiar with was Carcinosin, and I have written a few articles about this remedy, which you can find in my website. I will quote from an article I wrote in a newsletter about five years ago.

Carcinosin is a remedy that homeopaths see often indicated nowadays, and I consider it to be the most frequently indicated nosode for our age. Nosodes are remedies that come from disease substances. This particular nosode comes from breast cancer.

My feeling is that people develop Carcinosin symptoms and characteristics as an adaptation to modern life. This remedy resembles and has points of contact with so many remedies. It is like Grand Central Station in New York City, a place where so many paths cross and link. We are taught to think of Carcinosin if there are symptoms for more than one remedy in the case, and if there are glaring inconsistencies in what looks like a solid case for a remedy.

For example if everything looks like its pointing in the direction of Natrum muriaticum, but the person loves consolation and has a desire to travel, I could prescribe Carcinosin instead, because these characteristics do not belong to Natrum muriaticum, but are a part of Carcinosin.

Carcinosin also embodies many of the ideals of modern society, such as perfectionism and fastidiousness. Workers who pay close attention to detail are highly valued. Doing the right thing at all times is the ideal we are taught to emulate. It is interesting how one sees this come out in very small children to an exaggerated degree. So much can be said about this remedy, but in the interest of space, I will list the most prominent symptoms.

Mind Symptoms
Addictive tendency (coffee, cigarette, chocolate, etc.)
Ailments from nightwatching (or caring for the sick)
Ailments from suppressed anger
Ambition
Anxiety about health (of oneself and loved ones)
Anxiety about time
Deep depression; suicidal depression; depression with a family history of cancer
Desire for consolation
Desire to travel
Early sexual activity or drug use
Fastidious or Perfectionistic
Fear of abandonment
Fear of cancer, fear of AIDS, fear of germs,
Fear of crowds
Fear of dogs/animals, also love of animals
Fear of emotional pain
Fear of failure
Fear of heights
Fear of the medicine
Fear of narrow spaces (claustrophobia)
Feeling like I am not good enough
Feeling like there is something I have done to cause my health problems
History of abuse; history of sexual abuse
History of anorexia or bulimia
History of domination by others
Long history of unhappiness
Love of dance
Love of reading; love of reading medical books
Love of thunderstorms, and or fear of them
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Over responsible, strong sense of duty, loyalty
Prolonged unhappiness due to other people’s
influence
Self-pity
Shyness from childhood
Sympathetic

General symptoms
Better by the seashore (love of the ocean)
Better from exertion (exercise)
Characteristic low time is 2 to 3 p.m.
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue after an influenza
Chronic insomnia (sleep problems in children)
Eczema of children and adults
Love of the sun
Many brown spots, moles, or cherry angiomas (little red spots) on the body

Food preferences
Desire for: Berries, butter, chocolate, eggs, fruit (or
aversion to fruit), ice cream, potatoes, soup,
smoked meats (hot dogs, beef jerky, salami)

I have observed the health problems of children of all ages where there is a family history of cancer, and usually these are the children with the most health and behavioral problems. Usually present will be eczema almost from birth, early ear infections, asthma, hayfever, many allergies, and sleep problems of all sorts. There can also be a history of bad reactions to vaccines. The books describe a cafe au lait complexion, and blue color to the whites of the eyes. Children who need Carcinosin often have many fears, and one of the deepest fears is of abandonment.

I have often observed extreme clinginess and separation anxiety in children with a family history of cancer. They can be jealous of siblings, and want the parents’ undivided attention, because of the fear of death and abandonment. These are the children who have to follow the parents into the bathroom, or will stand wailing at the door.

Another characteristic of these children is eating problems–often there will be a very narrow range of foods that they will eat. For example, hamburger only the way McDonald’s cooks it. Feeding these kids can be a torture for the family. They absolutely refuse to taste anything new.

Temper tantrums are a constant reality, as are frequent illnesses. As soon as the child gets over one illness a new one starts. The child also may not develop immunity to a disease that she has had, so she may get chicken pox twice. A history of whooping cough despite vaccination is often also present. A history of frequent high fevers is another clue to this remedy.

Anorexia and bulimia, as well as a feeling that I am not good enough often starts as the child enters the teen years. The youngster wants to be the perfect child (to win the love of the parents). Often with the encouragement of society and the parents, they way overextend themselves. So we have kids who get straight A’s, are never late to school, who take gymnastics or ballet or karate four days a week, plus drama class, and volunteer on weekends to wash pets at the local pet store. They never have any down time, and don’t know what it is to relax. They are tormented by anxiety, by the need to perform, the need to produce, the need to prove themselves.

Often they burn out–sometimes it can be by the time they hit the second grade. Some can hold on until the freshman year of college or later, but at some point a breakdown of health can be in the cards.
Other things one often sees is a long history of unhappiness. This can be from any cause and it can start from early childhood. Often the individual will claim to be unhappy not from anything that they have done, but from what other people have done to them. There will frequently be a history of domination by a parent, or an abusive sibling. Often a history of sexual abuse, or alcohol in the family is also present, which creates suppressed anger and humiliation.

In cancer families there will also often be a history of early responsibility. I warn parents to guard their children from this as much as they can, because this is a big predisposing cause for cancer. The children are not allowed to be children and are forced to grow up too quickly. The stress of that responsibility at such a young age can put on a cancer layer.

I have used the term cancer families several times and I want to clarify what I mean by this. I have read that in only ten percent of cancers is there a family history of cancer, so why is cancer so pervasive and why do cancer characteristics show up in children where there is no family history of cancer. I believe the reason for this is that all our actions, thoughts, deeds, conditioning and behavior has an impact on our genes and alters them constantly.

It is absolutely remarkable when I see babies under two years of age who have an obsession with time and watches–and I have seen this–and this has been in families where there is no family history of cancer. As much as possible I encourage the parents of children to try to reduce the impact of time awareness on their children. I encourage them to keep clocks and watches to a minimum in the house, and to avoid telling the child we are going to be late. I helped two children with eczema based on this symptom of obsession with time.

The next big symptom is perfectionism and fastidiousness. One of the big dangers here is that it takes enormous expenditures of time and energy and resources to create and maintain this perfection. It depletes the vital force. Secondly, the focus of attention moves from the interior life to the exterior world. The healthier way is to maintain a sharp focus inside and a soft focus outside. I tell people that as they get healthier inside, they will naturally (or they should train themselves to) become more relaxed about the exterior environment, and to develop a higher tolerance for disorder.

One thing I have noticed is that having all these cancer characteristics does not necessarily mean that the individual will suffer from ill health. I have seen many elderly people who have been relatively healthy all their lives, despite all these cancer characteristics. By the same token I have seen many children where there is no family history of cancer, who suffer ill health almost from the first breath they take. Life and health are truly a mystery. I believe that inherent vital energy has an influence.

I would like to share some of my theories with you about how cancer characteristics manifest in ill health at different stages of life. I believe that the manifestations are different, but the disease, which is essentially of a spiritual nature is really one. A time line would look like this:
Babies–severe colic, separation anxiety, insomnia, eating disorders, eczema, frequent ear infections, high fevers, fearfulness.
Toddler years– and up–temper tantrums, eating disorders, separation anxiety, ear infections, asthma, frequent colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, fevers, hyperactivity, learning disabilities, fears.
Teen years–anorexia, bulimia, early sexual behavior, early drug use, addictive tendency kicks in, anxiety, over-responsibility.
Adult years–full range of disease manifestations.

I believe in a cause and effect relationship when it comes to cancer, but we have to know what to look for as cause. I have listed many symptoms that show the predisposition to cancer. Society’s conditioning and many of the beliefs and values that we hold dear may be a contributing cause of cancer. The values that we are taught to cherish can lead to ill health when taken to extremes. We learn from our mothers and grandmothers to worry and be anxious about family members. We are taught loyalty at all costs. Orderliness, cleanliness and promptness are held up as high ideals. Are these values really good for our health? Are naturalness, spontaneity, simplicity, and ease of living sacrificed to these ideals? I hope that this article will stimulate thinking and self-examination.

MEDORRHINUM

Medorrhinum is a very important remedy to consider for Autism. It is also a magnificent remedy for hormonal problems, and affects the generative organs very strongly. It is one of the best remedies for severe menstrual cramps and other problems connected with the menstrual cycle. It is the first remedy we consider in homeopathy for recurrent urinary tract infections. The remedy also affects the musculo-skeletal and nervous systems very profoundly. Some of the mental symptoms of Medorrhinum are:

Either extreme extroversion, or extreme introversion.
Exreme shifts in mood, from very sweet to rages and tantrums.
The word Extreme is the hallmark of Medorrhinum.
Early experimentation with drugs and alcohol.
Early sexual experiences.
Hyperactivity
High energy at night. Medorrhinum’s are night people.
Difficult concentration.
Dyslexia. Makes mistakes in speaking and writing. Memory problems.
Aggressive behavior, such as fighting and hitting.
Enjoys watching scary or violent movies.
Love of animals and cruelty to animals.
Self-mutilating behaviors.
Risk taking behaviors.

Some of Medorrhinum’s fear are:
Of someone following behind them.
A fear of being exposed.
Fear of being alone in the dark.
Fear of ghosts.
Fear of large bodies of water.
Fear of animals.

Medorrhinum has many symptoms associated with food and eating, such as:
craving for oranges or citrus fruits and juices, a craving for carbonated drinks or sodas, and desire for unripe fruit.
craving or aversion to eggplant
a desire for ice and or chewing on ice
craving for ice cream
aversion for vegetables or very finicky eating.
a tendency to skip meals, esp. breakfast
eating very late in the day

There are often clues to Medorrhinum in the physical appearance , though there may also be nothing distinguishing:

the tendency to have many warts, moles, skin tags, lipomas and vitligo
red rash of the buttocks
unusually died hair tattoos and multiple peircings.
Overtly sexual dress
The Goth look
Sleeping in the knee chest position.
Uncovering the feet at night.

Medorrhinums are often night people. They may become hyperactive at night, or have very irregular sleep patterns, such as frequently staying up all night. There is often an inability to maintain a balanced eating, sleep or work schedule.

A love of dance, partying and the night life is also frequently seen. Medorrhinum is often needed for the teenage rebel, who disobeys his or her parents, has difficulty in school, and perhaps gets involved with marijuana and other drug use. The addictive tendency is very high. Medorrhinum children often feel boredom in school, and suffer from learning difficulties.

Medorrhinum is one of the most commonly used remedies for children with behavioral problems, and sleeping and eating disorders Aggressive tendencies can be very high, and a cruel streak can also be present, which often appears as cruelty to animals, though they can also love animals. These are usually very high maintenance children, with frequent illnesses and poor health from infancy.

There can be a confusion about the sexual orientation, and Medorrhinums are often gay or bisexual. They can have a very high sex drive, or go to the opposite extreme and be celibate for years.

People who need Medorrhinum often have a love of the ocean, and can feel better at the seaside. Cities along the coast, such as Santa Cruz and Capitola are often populated with them.
Medorrhinum should be thought of for people who take things to extremes, this can be extremely positive or extremely negative. It is as commonly seen in the extreme extrovert as in the extreme introvert. You can have one child in the family who is an extreme extrovert and wants to be partying all the time, and have nothing to do with the family; and the other child can be an extreme introvert who refuses to go out and has no friends outside of the family. This remedy can help bring balance to both children, who are displaying different aspects of Medorrhinum.

From my experience a majority of the people who need the remedy Carcinosin, also need Medorrhinum, and usually symptoms for both remedies exist simultaneously in the case. It is often difficult to know which remedy to begin with. In the case of teenagers I often prefer to begin with Medorrhinum, to protect against a full-blown Medorrhinum picture coming out once the Carcinosin layer has been removed.

Medorrhinum is a massive remedy, which is possibly needed by a large percentage of mankind. When syphilis and gonorrhea are treated with antibiotics or other means in allopathic medicine, the genetic taint is not eradicted from the system, and it causes alterations in the genes, which are passed on to the offspring. Homeopathy offers a means of preventing this unfortunate scenario, which has generation-wide consequences.

CONCLUSION
My belief when treating children, or anyone for that matter, is that the child’s
symptoms are an expression of some substance in nature, which plays itself out
through his or her being. My job, as the homeopath, is to watch, observe and
study the child so that I can pick up clues as to what that substance is. The
child cannot disguise what he needs. He is screaming for it in every action
that he takes, in his mental state, in his physical symptoms and in the way he
eats. There is no one who is abandoned by nature and left without something
that will have a remedial effect. Even people who have serious deformities and
mental impairments can benefit hugely from homeopathy.

As a mother of three children, I know how important it is to heal yourselves,
your children and your families. This has been the driving force that propelled
me to study and learn homeopathy. I know as a mother, there is nothing I would
not do to heal the people I love. Nowadays the umbrella of my love extends to everybody. The whole world is my family, and with a strong connection to the divine I am not alone in doing my work. God bless all of you.

To reach me you can send me an e-mail at olenev@att.net or call me at 650-569-6219.

 

 

Deborah Olenev CCH RSHom (NA)

59 Paul Avenue
Mountain View,
CA
94041
US

Phone: 650-569-6219
Website: www.homeopathyforhealth.net

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