Diabetes and Homeopathy

Hidden Signs of Diabetes

Case Scenario #1

Have you ever glanced over at someone’s shopping cart while you were standing in line to check out? You don’t want to stare, but you see cans of 6 packs soda hanging off the sides of their cart or cases of soda on the metal shelf under the shopping cart? And inside their cart you see lots of cakes and pastries, along with boxes of process foods.

Case Scenario #2

I often get calls from clients telling me that they or a family member, including a pet have been very thirsty the last couple of months. And have been waking up during the night to pee and will also need to get a drink of water. I will ask them if they have noticed their cuts or sores taking longer to heal.

These 2 Case Scenarios above are signs that someone is heading towards Diabetes (pre-diabetic); if they are not already a diabetic.

I often have clients come to me for a homeopathic consultation who have either been diabetic for some time and are taking diabetic medication (i.e. Metformin) or insulin, or were just diagnosed with diabetes. Also, I have helped clients that are what’s called “Prediabetic” and looking for ways to lower their chance of being diagnosed with diabetes in the future.

• According to National Diabetes Statics Report (2017) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Diabetes affects approximately 30.3 million people (9.4% of the population) in the United States. Another estimated 84.1 million people ages 18 and older (about 1 out of every 3 adults) in the United States have prediabetes and don’t know it. An estimated 7.2 million people in the United States have diabetes and don’t even know it.
• Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States listed on death certificates in recent years.

What is Diabetes (Diabetes Mellitus)?

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when the blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is the main source of energy and comes from food we eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into the cells to be used for energy. Sometimes the body doesn’t make enough insulin, or make any insulin or it doesn’t use the insulin well. Glucose then stays in the blood and doesn’t reach the cells.

Three Most Common Types of Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes, is when the body does not make insulin. The immune system attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, although it can appear at any age. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day to stay alive.

Type 2 Diabetes

In Type 2 diabetes, the body either doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use insulin well. Too much glucose then stays in the blood and not enough reaches the cells

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. Too much glucose in the blood is not good for the mother-to-be or the baby. Gestational diabetes is usually diagnosed in the 24th to 28th week of pregnancy. Usually, gestational diabetes has no symptoms. If there are symptoms, they may be mild, the mother may be thirstier than normal or having to urinate more often. Most of the time, this type of diabetes goes away after the baby is born. However, with gestational diabetes, there is a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Diabetic Symptoms

• Being very thirsty
• Frequent urination
• Increased hunger
• Blurry vision
• Irritability
• Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet
• Frequent skin, bladder or gum infections
• Sores that do not heal
• Unexplained weight loss
• Extreme unexplained fatigue

In some cases, there are no symptoms. People can live for months, even years without knowing they have the disease. Diabetes can come on so gradually that symptoms may not even be recognized.

How is Diabetes Treated?

Insulin is taken a number of ways: pills, needle, syringe, insulin pen, or insulin pump. Or other diabetic medications are taken. Blood sugar is tested daily at home.

How many times have you heard that a doctor told someone they are prediabetic?

Case Scenario #3

A client called, concerned; stating that she just got her yearly blood work. The doctor said the test results indicated she was prediabetic (A1C test). The normal range for A1C is 5.7 to 6.4 percent and her blood level was 6.0. The doctor said that unless she made some life style changes she would be diabetic within the next couple of years. She asked me “Can homeopathy help me?”

Yes, I told my client, there are homeopathic remedies for Prediabetes, Insulin Resistance and Diabetes Type 1, 2 and Gestational Diabetes. I also told her in addition to homeopathy she should make lifestyle changes to help prevent becoming a diabetic.

What is Prediabetes and Insulin Resistance?

Prediabetic – Is when the blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Prediabetes usually occurs in people who already have some insulin resistance. The good news is that if they have prediabetes, making lifestyle changes will help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and other serious diabetic health problems. Over the short term (three to five years), about 25% of people with prediabetes develop full-blown diabetes.

Insulin Resistance – Is when cells in the muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond well to insulin and can’t easily take up glucose from the blood. As a result, the pancreas makes more insulin to help glucose enter the cells. As long as the pancreas can make enough insulin to overcome the cells’ weak response to insulin, the blood glucose levels will stay in the healthy range.

What Are the Symptoms of Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes?

• Insulin resistance and prediabetes usually have no symptoms.
• Some people with prediabetes may have darkened skin in the armpit or on the back and sides of the neck, a condition called acanthosis nigricans. Many small skin growths (skin tags) often appear in these same areas.

Who is More Likely to Develop Insulin Resistance or Prediabetes?

Common Conditions Include:

• Age 45 or older
• Overweight or obesity
• Having a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes
• Health conditions (i.e. high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels)
• History of gestational diabetes
• History of heart disease or stroke
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Homeopathy’s Role in Supporting Diabetes, Prediabetes and Insulin Resistance

There are several ways homeopathy can support someone diagnosed with a diabetic related disease.

1. Select a chronic fundamental homeopathic remedy for “who they are” and “how someone developed” diabetes, prediabetes, insulin resistance or gestational diabetes.
   • This is best done by seeking out a trained and certified homeopath. They would proceed to take a complete health history getting a snapshot of how the person’s general health is from birth to the present time.
   • However, the main focus would be on what was going on in their lives prior to them developing diabetes or prediabetes. Looking back at the last 6-12 months of their life for stresses (i.e. relationship, work related, financial, or caring for a loved one).
   • And consider other physical diabetic symptoms they are having such as: thirst, waking up at night to urinate or get a drink, fatigue, frequent infections (i.e. bladder, skin, and vaginal) and what their diet consists of.
2. Acute Symptoms – Select a homeopathic remedy for any Acute symptom(s) they may have (i.e. depression, nerve damage, foot problems, skin symptoms (i.e. gangrene), and or mouth symptoms.
   • Homeopathic remedy will be selected according to the acute symptom(s), along with what makes the symptom(s) better or worse.
3. Other Health Conditions Develop from Diabetes – Heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye disease (i.e. cataract, glaucoma, retinal detachment), sexual (i.e. erectile dysfunction).
   • Homeopathic remedy will be selected according to the Health Condition symptoms being exhibited, along with what makes the symptom(s) better or worse.

How the Homeopathic Remedy is Administered and Results (Homeopathy – Helping Diabetes)

1. A 6c chronic fundamental homeopathic remedy will be taken daily with 10 succussions for a period of time. Those on diabetic medication, will continue taking the medication with the expectation to lower their medication dosage and possibly get off the medication altogether.
   • Three “Signs of Health” must take place within 5-7 days after taking a homeopathic 6c remedy.
     • Increased or Balanced Energy – Usually children’s energy needs to be balanced and adults needs increased energy.
     • Well-Being Feeling – A mental and emotional shift (i.e. day seems easier in some way).
     • Sleep Cycles Improve – Falls asleep easier and stays asleep and or wakes up refreshed and ready to go.
   • The chief diabetic, prediabetic or insulin resistance symptoms that the homeopathic 6c remedy was selected for start to improve.
2. A 30c or 200c homeopathic remedy selected for the acute symptoms (i.e. depression, nerve symptoms, etc.) will be taken one to several times a day.
   • The acute symptoms will be starting to improve within 24-48 hours
3. A 6c or 30c homeopathic remedy for the other health conditions that develop from diabetes such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye disease taken once a day.
   • The health conditions will be starting to improve within 7-14 days.

The main objective is to support the immune system and help ward off or delay any type of diabetes health conditions that typically develop.

Homeopathic Remedies for Diabetes

There are well over 200 homeopathic diabetic remedies. Listed below is a list of the most common homeopathic remedies used for diabetes:

• Calcarea Carbonicum
• Lycopodium
• Natrum Sulphuricum
• Phosphoric Acid
• Phosphorus

Homeopathic Remedies Used to Just Lower Insulin Level

• Insulin
• Uranium Nitricum
• Syzygium

I do not recommend using a homeopathic remedy just to lower the insulin levels. A homeopathic remedy to address why someone is a diabetic is needed to address the disease in addition to the symptoms. The listed remedies are used when the insulin levels are extremely high and need to be brought down quickly.

Case Scenario #4

A client calls me for a consultation on behalf of her husband. She tells me that her husband (Louis) just came home from the hospital. He spent the last couple of days in the emergency room with a high sugar count of 600 mg/dl. She stated that the other morning he was nauseous, felt dizzy and felt confused when he stood up. She called 911.

In the ER the doctors determined that his bladder was enlarged and needed to be catharized. The doctors put him on an IV drip to stabilize his blood sugar and brought it down to 250 mg/dl. He is now taking daily insulin injections.

I asked her how he has been feeling in the past 6-12 months, has anything changed? She said that he has lost 25lbs in the past year. I asked her if he had lost the weight on purpose. She stated that he had started watching the kinds of food he was eating. However, this past month or so, he has been waking up during the night to urinate several times. And he has been very thirsty for soda, water, juice with ice.

I selected the homeopathic remedy Phosphorus 6c for Louis to take once a day with 10 succussions. Yes, Phosphorus was selected for him based on him being very thirsty for soda, juice and water. Another key to Phosphorus was especially because he wanted his drinks with ice. Other Phosphorus’ key symptoms are dizziness, confusion or problems focusing. I also told her that if Louis’ blood sugar levels were not starting to lower, to start him on the homeopathic remedy Uranium Nitricum 6c 10 succussions once a day. This would help bring down his blood sugar. When Louis’ blood sugar starts to drop she should contact the doctor to have his insulin injection dosage lowered.

On our follow up call 7 days later, to discuss Louis’s current condition, she told me that he was doing very well. His thirst has cut back to a more normal amount and he was craving less soda. He hasn’t had any dizziness or confusion symptoms, either. His blood sugar levels now range between 159- 184 mg/dl. The doctor has lowered his daily insulin dosage.

A month later my client called to tell me that Louis’ blood sugar numbers have continued to lower. The doctor stopped the insulin injections altogether and now has him on a diabetic medication in pill form. The best news, the doctor indicated that the way her husband’s health was improving, it looked like he would not be on a diabetic medication for the rest of his life. I told her Louis should continue the Phosphorus 6c daily until he is back to his normal healthy self and not needing any diabetic medication.

Conclusion

As you can see the homeopathic remedy Uranium Nitricum was not needed in Louis’ case, Phosphorus 6c was able to help decrease his blood sugar and overall health. The more recent someone is diagnosed with diabetes, whether on medication or not, there is a better chance that they can get off the diabetic medication or at the very least go to a lower dosage. Anyone that has been a diabetic for some time, should at the very least be able to lower their diabetic medication and possibly, in time, get off their medication through using homeopathy.

This wouldn’t be complete without stressing the lifestyle changes that should be made on the physical level.

Lifestyle Changes to Help Manage Diabetes and Lower Chances of Developing Diabetes

• Eat healthy foods that consist of fruits, veggies, protein, healthy fats and limit processed foods.
• Drink water or herbal teas, instead of sweetened beverages.
• Move more such as walking, Qigong, yoga, any sort form of physical activity at least 5 days a week with a minimum of 30 minutes.

Lose weight if overweight, and keep it off. One may be able to prevent or delay diabetes by losing 5 to 7 percent of their current weight.