Comparison
Folliculinum and Diethylstilbestrol (= DES)
[Dr. Farokh J. Master]
The contraceptive pill had its birth in the early 1940’s where it was
chiefly introduced as a safer method of contraception. However, time has confirmed
that it has never been a safe method of contraception, as the estrogen pill is loaded with side effects, not only to the
woman but also to the children of the generation that follows, whether male or
female. Here some of the astonishing facts
High incidence of uterine, vaginal, ovarian
and breast cancers in women who are on contraceptive pills.
High incidence of thromboambolytic phenomena.
High incidence of hypertension
and hypercholesterolemia.
High incidences of cervical
dysplasia.
Children that are born out of
DES mothers usually suffer from abnormal genitals like small testes,
infertility, sub-fertility, etc.; and sons born to DES mothers usually have a
low sperm count.
As a homoeopathic student I was very much interested that there had to
be a proving of DES in homoeopathy. Unfortunately till today there has been no Hahnemannian proving of DES. Hence my experience of using
this remedy is purely clinical. My first experience of this remedy comes from a
lady who had consulted me in 1982. Her husband was an eminent builder in Mumbai
and he wanted me to visit his wife in Harkisandas
Hospital for threatened abortion (inevitable abortion). I examined the lady and
following were the symptoms:
Abortion in early months of
pregnancy.
The hemorrhage
was bright , < slightest exertion. It was a passive hemorrhage.
Even though the hemorrhage was not excessive, the patient was complaining
of severe weakness.
She was feeling very thirsty.
At that time my first choice was Ars. C 30. I
gave her a few doses but the next morning to my disappointment there was no
change. The bleeding was increased Hence I decided to change my prescription to
Sec. C 30. This worked like a miracle. The bleeding was reduced by more than
50%. Hence I was relieved, thinking that this was the right remedy. Later on
during the course of the day I received a frantic call from the husband saying
that the bleeding had become worse, and now she was bleeding like tap. At that
stage the gynecologist decided to go for an early
dilatation and curettage. I was quite nervous to repeat Sec. or increase the
potency. The patient was in no state or frame of mind and neither were the
relatives ready to give the constitutional symptoms of the patient. Hence, I
had to solely depend on my observation of the local symptoms. One point, which
was very strong in the history of the patient, was that she was married for the
last 4 years and immediately after her marriage she was on oral contraceptive
pills for 2 years. This point I thought was worth considering. I decided to
give this DES in potentized form, but to my
unfortunate destiny this drug was not available in Mumbai. Hence the only way
the drug could be made available was from Ainsworth pharmacy in London. I
explained my handicap to the husband and asked him to import this medicine as a
life-saving drug. Till the time the medicine arrived, I was too skeptical to start any other medicine. Instead I gave
placebo for a day and after 20 hours I started with DES 30C just one dose. Then
I waited for 6 hours. There was no change, so I repeated one more dose.
Next morning the bleeding had reduced by 40% and in the next 4 days,
without repetition of the dose, there was no bleeding at all. Of course I have
to admit that the patient was on simultaneous allopathic anti-hemorrhagic
drugs. But for 4 days this was administered to the patient without any effect.
It was only on the 5th day that I started homoeopathy. After a
period of 7½ months the patient delivered a healthy child who has now passed
his HSC examination successfully.
The next case was of a woman, 32 years old and who complained of
premenstrual breast heaviness. She was treated previously by eminent
homoeopaths using Calc., Bar-c., Calc-f., etc. unsuccessfully. I studied the
case and selected the remedy Graph. as she was full of fear, with poor
self-confidence, and was timid, reserved and slow. Unfortunately there was no
result after using various potencies of Graph. In the history it was mentioned
that she had consulted a skin specialist in the past for treatment for cystic
acne, for which he had advised her oral contraceptive pills. This was a big
turning point and I immediately gave her a few doses of DES in 30C potency.
This removed the breast heaviness during the subsequent menstrual cycles,
permanently.
Gradually I became more clear in understanding the clinical picture of
DES as I saw case after case improving with the help of DES. Here are a few
indications where one can use DES successfully: uterine cancer, vaginal cancer,
cervical dysplasia, genital anomalies, low sperm count, abortions, metrorrhagia, menorrhagia, and
acne. The chief indication in all the above conditions will be – excessive use
of contraceptive pills.
Folliculinum
Folliculinum arrived in my life at a much later
stage of my practice. Madame De Mattos introduced it
into homoeopathy. Later on Melissa Assilem gave a
beautiful picture. Folliculinum is a potentized form of natural estrogen. In the 1950s Dr. Donald Foubister,
a Scottish homoeopathic physician declared that it is very closely related to
the homoeopathic remedy Carcinosin.
How do I identify Folliculinum in my practice?
Folliculinum
is one remedy that has lost its identity (ego), due to strong influence of a
dominating or dictatorial person in his or her life. To some extent this is a
very common syndrome observed in India where females are still considered
inferior to males, where females are still dominated by males, because in
India, till date, many females, especially in the rural parts, are not at all
educated.
Like Nat-f., Nat-br., Med. and Carc. – Folliculinum is a remedy after abuse, sexual assault, rape,
sexual violence and incest, where the patient has not completely recovered from
the emotional trauma.
Early and precocious pubescent
– which means that there is an early sexual development and maturity in young
girls and boys. For any problem that arises during puberty, emotional or
physical, Folliculinum can be used as an intercurrent remedy. However the other symptoms of the remedy
should be confirmed.
Folliculinum
best covers ailments from menopause and troubles that arise from menopause.
Delayed convalescence after
any acute illnesses.
General aggravation before
menses.
Difficult emotional bonding
with the child, post-delivery problems like – postnatal depression, postnatal
hysteria and postnatal psychosis.
Strong craving for sugar,
wheat and farinaceous food is seen in this remedy.
In this remedy all symptoms
> as soon as the menstruation starts.
[Dr. Christina AriI
It is a special honour for me to point out the importance of a remedy
which can without doubt be considered the most female of remedies of Materia Medica Homoeopathica.
The substance I am talking about is a sarcode,
Folliculinum or oestrone, a natural hormone, which
is secreted by the ovaries, playing the leading part in reproduction of our
organism.
This steroid hormone with typical steran
structure and the formula C18H22O2 is able to
directly interact with nuclear DNA if connected with a steroid-receptor, well
known as an important and urgent transmitting substance.
The name oestrogen is derived from Greek. Oistros
means “rut or lust” and genao “to create”. What we
are talking about is a “rut or lust generating substance”.
The oestrone used in homoeopathy is derived from the urine It is a water-insoluble, white, crystalline
substance, triturated to C3.
A number of renowned colleagues have already closely studied the
substance over the past decades and through their findings have described a
wide spectrum of indications.
The remedy was proved clinically in detail by Madame De Mattos already in the 1950s. At that time mainly low
potencies of the remedy were applied and that primarily showed positive effects
against the so-called Hyperfolliculinia Syndrome.
Real Hyperfolliculin ia
takes the form of a glandular-cystic hyperplasia. It is manifested in an anovulatory cycle whichcan lead
to clinical disorders in terms of, for example, a polycystic ovary syndrome, cysts
or tumours of female organs that finally leads towards infertility.
This real hyperfolliculinia can be histological
verified through biopsy and is differentiated from functional Hyperfolliculinia.
Donald Foubister followed Madame De Mattos to examine the remedy. Publications added by Melissa
Assilem have essentially contributed to the
development of contemporary remedy characteristics. In her manuscript `Mist or
Miasma`, she was the first to show the fatal consequences of hormonal abuse,
effecting the following generations, starting in the second half of the past
century:
During a period of about thirty years a drug called Diethylstilbestrol (DES)
was given to numerous of women, to prevent miscarriages, in U.K. and U.S.A.,
causing a rare form of cancer, a vaginal clear-cell adenocarcinoma
in daughters of those women. Although these cancers could arise
very early, many were not triggered off un
til the girl was exposed to more hormones,
e.g. the pill, or another hormonal treatment. Assilem
claimed this to be a case of an acquired miasma triggering off an inherited
one. Many sons of those women treated with DES suffered from low sperm counts
or abnormally shaped sperms. The so-called morning after pill was made from DES
as well.
Finally in 1999, Folliculinum was proved by Andreas
Holling during a seminar in Münster
with Jayesh Shah involving 10 participants. Complemented
by the symptoms derived from this proving and by my own extensive experiences
with the remedy over a period of more than ten years
I managed to work out a precisely characterized picture of Folliculinum, showing a very wide spectrum of indications,
exceeding cases of symptomatic, hormone specific disease patterns.
This lecture will concentrate on indications concerning afflictions in
preference of the female sex. The effective range of oestrogens expresses
itself in the complexity of the feedback mechanism
between hypothalamus, hypophysis and the gonads.
Connections between symptoms and clinical pictures on different organ
system levels, including mind symptoms and sensations can be explained that
way. It has been proven that sexual hormones directly influence the neurotransmitting systems, unless they are considered to be
neurotransmitter themselves.
Primarily oestrogens are responsible for sustaining fertility in human
organism. They stimulate the development, the functioning, and regulation of
female sexual organs and finally affect the spermatogenesis in men.
They dictate the female hormonal balance and they safeguard the dynamics
of an individual balanced ovular cycle of a woman.
Oestrogens are the pace maker in a healthy female cycle. Every healthy woman,
therefore, has her own individual rhythmical cycle which helps her to find the
right measure in relation to empathy, devotion, self-determination, strength of
will, and individuality. These are the essential prerequisites of a healthy
female organism.
Any disturbed or suppressed physiological cycle signifies a missing pace
setting signal of the oestrogens and leads
to well known disorders in the sense of hyperfolliculinia
and its reflecting symptoms, concerning the entire organism, body, sense and
mind.
As a sarcode Folliculinum
contains information of a healthy mode of action in organisms of mammals,
therefore it must have the inner capacity to re-establish health and fertility.
To show indications for Folliculinum, in
preference of female sex,
I will proceed in aetiological terms, according to clinical aspects,
which correspond with the typical pathognomic symptom
complexes, including all psycho vegetative symptoms, and also showing up
the side effect symptoms of synthetic hormones.
I would like to start with indications which can be put down to physiologic
fluctuations of the hormonal balance: In puberty, if the development of the ovulatory cycle shows disturbances, characterized by
difficulties concerning the individualisation process leading to womanhood.
In case of abnormalities at the time of ovulation and the days before menses,
especially afflictions in terms of a premenstrual dysphoric
syndrome or menstrual disorders in general, despite the modality that the start
of the period causes improvement.
During pregnancy, around birth, during the breastfeeding phase,
especially when there is a lack in a balanced mother-child relationship, to the
point of puerperal psychosis.
In menopause, the whole spectrum of physical and mental symptoms is
covered.
Furthermore, Folliculinum is indicated in case
of functional and organically manifested female diseases, which can be
attributed to an impaired ovulation cycle, such as polycystic ovary syndrome,
endometriosis, ovary cysts, myomas, malignomas and other tumours, depressions and other
physical or mental manifested disorders.
All diseases regarding breasts should remind of Folliculinum.
Now for iatrogenic causes:
Long lasting hormonal suppression or replacement therapies represent a serious
iatrogenic cause, as severe physical side effects and a higher risk of developing
cancer are proven. That fact shows
one of the main indications for the remedy. It is common practice to
treat functional endocrine disorders with synthetic hormones. In that way to us
homeopaths alarming disorders such as acne vulgaris, endometrios is and PCO syndrome are basically and simply suppressed.
Hormonal contraceptives, no matter what kind, totally block the
functioning of the ovaries. They are made available too easily to even very
young girls, whose cycle is barely developed yet. Suppression and deception of one`s own balancing mechanisms often leads to an ovular
cycle not able to regenerate itself, which may cause infertility. This drastic
consequence, the side and after
effects of contraceptives such as widespread urinary tract infections, migraine
etc. can successfully be treated with Folliculinum.
First stop suppressive drugs and than prescribe rhythmically repeated medications
of Folliculinum, because oestrogens are the pace maker in an ovulatory cycle, this is a simple way to induce
regeneration!
This method has proven to be very successful in my experience, in the
sense of functional therapy, in intervals, supplemented by the treatment with a
Simile. We know that modern medicine`s answer to
infertility is further hormonal treatment and finally in vitro fertilization,
which most often needs to be repeated causing severe symptomatic and functional
disorders within the organisms of those women.
Consequently, children procreated this way may suffer from problems and diseases.
This could be a theme for us in future and shows up a severe miasmatic pressure already!
Antihormone therapy against hormone-receptor
positive carcinomas, causing lots of side effects, can clearly be made better tolerated
by rhythmically repeated medications of Folliculinum
C200. Some women respond to weekly, others to doses given every two weeks.
Over the past ten years of intense studies with this remedy, functional
and miasmatic prescriptions of Folliculinum
have become more and more common to me. In this way and especially when
complemented by a Simile the nosode
accompanies chronic recoveries. This method has proven to be successful with
many patients and resulted in lasting recoveries.
Foubister already experienced good effects
giving Folliculinum 3 - 4 days before an individually
selected constitutional remedy.
Folliculinum and Miasma
Hormonal balance in women is very sensitive and easily effected, either
by endogen or exogen disturbances.
Pressure and suppression induced by dominant forces on an individual such
as dominant parents, husband, harassment at work or religions dominance can be
a cause to create a so called
Folliculinum state, as well as results from immune
system suffering after long lasting and profound infection, which is suppressed
by medication.
As a result of growing environmental stress and an overload of forced
hormonal supplement in food together with treatments of synthetic hormones including
contraceptives such as the
Anti Baby Pill over a period of many decades, hormonal abuse has become
part of our lives and should be taken as a severe risk for our health,
concerning both sexes.
The increase in breast cancer and cervical dysplasia in even very young
women is alarming.
In Austria one out of eight women develops a carcinoma in her mammals.
The fertility rate in so-called industrialized countries is constantly
decreasing, while syndromes such as
endometriosis and poly cystic ovaries are on the rise.
Even men develop sub fertility, disorders in spermatogenesis are
frequently observed. This severe situation is putting tension on us and assuming
a miasma in general to be an influence that induces illness and is hidden
behind common pathologic symptoms which are signs of a disrupted force of life.
These circumstances allow for discussion of a new kind of miasma, which
can be acquired or inherited, and which primarily leads to degenerative disorders
to sign up for reduced regenerative properties.
Folliculinum in general serves as a remedy in
case of suppression or loss of the individual rhythm of life.
As a sarcode it owns the inner capacity to re-establish
its healthy mode of action within organisms to prevent infertility and
degeneration.
Over the past ten years of intense studies with this remedy, functional
and miasmatic prescriptions of Folliculinum
have proven to be successful with many patients and resulted in long lasting
recoveries, especially when complemented by a simile.