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both of which have a vast collection of informa- tion about food nutrients and toxins (under “aversions” you can find remedies related to eating habits that lead to deficiencies. For example I had a man with a complete aversion to nuts, who responded to ferrum. Discovering this I realised, not eating nuts or other zinc rich food sources had been leading to zinc defi- ciency and this explained many of his symp- toms, which I was unable to fit into the remedy. With zinc supplementation these rapidly resolved. These symptoms had been greatly exacerbated by the further depletion of zinc caused by the use of NSAID’s for rheumatoid arthritis and H2-receptor antagonists to prevent side effects from these. Patients that are Lycopodium often have “gluten intolerance” in the broadest sense leading to inflammatory bowel disease and thus poor absorption of many nutrients, such as B vitamins, iron that can lead to all sorts of symptoms that are fur- ther complicated by the loss of nutrients, such as magnesium through the diarrhoea that occurs in inflammatory bowel syndrome. Magnesium deficiency further enhances the reactivity of the immune system, worsening the IBS symptoms, as does the other nutrient losses both from the condition and the medica- tion used to treat it conventionally.
Encyclopaedia of Remedy Relationships in Homeopathy by Abdur Rehman (20 Aug 2003) is a wonderful book, where under each remedy you can look at food aversions, desires, crav- ings, antidotes. Not only does it help one find the remedy related to each but it can also point to, where we need to supplement. I have had one case of thyroid cancer in a cat that occurred after the introduction of a high iodine supplement. Iodium or Thyroidinum might have been obvious choices for this patient or even Lachesis, as the cancer of the thyroid was left- sided and had rapid spread up the parotid gland and was at the time, I saw it, extending as far as the ear. Thuja interestingly is listed under the remedies to antidote Iodium (iodine) and also appears under thyroid cancer and left-sided. The cancer was gone in six weeks flat on twice- weekly doses of Thuja 1M alongside stopping the supplement. As this shows nutrient excess is as important an obstruction as nutrient depletion.
Taking another look at a case I saw some years ago, which was one of the first cases that started me on my road to deeper investigation ‘Drug nutrient muggers’.
The Patient presented on Furosemide formerly Frusemide (also known as Lasix or Frumex), a loop diuretic that causes:
• Hypokalemia–lowpotassiumandsoarelative • Hypernatremia – supplement potassium and
other nutrients depleted
• Hypocalcemia – low calcium
• Hypomagnesemia – low magnesium • Hyperglycemia – high blood sugar
• Hyperuricemia causing gout
The constant passage of water through the body with the diuresis, this drug induces, does far more. It has virtually the same effect as con- stant rain on land... it leaches out a vast range or other nutrients right down to trace nutrients, such as Zinc (Ref 1: Cohen N, Golik A. Zinc bal- ance and medications commonly used in the management of heart failure. Heart Fail Rev. 2006 Mar;11(1):19-24. Review. PubMed PMID:16819574).
The degree of this was originally brought home to me by Ruby, a ruby Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, who presented with extreme weakness and chronic eye ulceration alongside ankylosis of the thoracic spine
Natrum Muriaticum is a very interesting remedy in this case, when one takes into account the hypernatremia that Frusemide causes, which this dog was on for its heart failure. It presented with depression, eye ulcers and progressive heart disease with severe and deteriorating weakness. I suggested potassium supplemen- tation but in the short term, the owner decided to get a multivitamin/multi-mineral, until they could get the prescribed potassium supple- ment. The result was an absolutely huge improvement in the patient – far beyond the effect of the Natrum Muriaticum, which rapidly removed the depression but still left a weak patient with a still ulcerated eye. The nutrient addition caused rapid resolution of the ulcer and equally rapid improvement in the weak- ness. Today I would additionally use fish oil on the ulcer to provide local nutrients to speed healing of the ulcers induced by drug depletion of essential nutrients. I also put this patient on cardiac and liver support remedies. There is a connection between eye ulcers and liver dys- function in many cases, much as there is con- nection between liver dysfunction, nutrient deficiency and sinus problems, a condition often seen after the use of antibiotics. The rea- son for this is that mucous needs certain nutri- ents to maintain its correct viscosity. Among other things the following article gives a partial view of what signs a deficiency of one nutrient (magnesium) can cause (1: Johnson S. The multifaceted and widespread pathology of magnesium deficiency. Med Hypotheses. 2001 Feb;56(2):163-70. PubMed PMID: 11425281).
Today we have a vast numbers of nutrient mug- gers, daily depleting our patients reserves and the problem is at least, if not more, severe in humans. Over the last number of years particu- larly with my interest in nutrition and further pushed by my involvement with Honey’s Real Dog Food, I began to see so many of the diverse connections to signs caused by depletion of the enzymes, such as enzyme P450, one of the
main enzymes found in the body in the liver, lungs and intestines, which are recycled with the help of nutrients, such as magnesium, zinc, co-enzyme Q10, vitamins C, E, beta carotenes, anthrocyanins (in free radical breakdown), glu- tathione (in conjugation), lipoid acid, glycine & glutamine in conjugation with Aspirin and simi- lar drugs), folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, tri-methylglycine (in methylation oestrogens and phyto-oestrogens and other hormone related drugs). Lots of other nutrients are used to support these metabolic pathways such as selenium and n-acetyl cysteine.
Another leap forward for me was the realization of the connection between nutrients and gin- givitis from reading A Textbook of Dental Homoeopathy: For Dental Surgeons, Homeopathists and General Medical Practitioners [Paperback] Dr. Colin B. Lessell (Author). In this book the author explains the importance of vitamin A, C, bioflavonoids, vita- min E, selenium, folic acid, zinc, magnesium, alpha lipoic acid and most of all co-enzyme Q10 in improving dental conditions, such as gingivitis. This was particularly brought home to me, when the owner of some animal patients that I treated came for help with extremely severe glossitis following a severe kidney infec- tion. I knew this patient was already nutrient depleted, as they had thyroid disease and were on medication for that as well as smoking heav- ily. On admission to hospital the doctor decided that she should be given the strongest possible antibiotic available in light of her thyroid prob- lem. A month later she still hadn’t recovered from nearly dying from the antibiotic. Some months later she came to see me, when things – particularly the mouth symptom – were just getting worse instead of better despite the fact, the kidney infection had been eradicated.
The nutrients above were given when the rem- edy Mercurius solubilis had failed to make any impact. Within four weeks of starting the nutri- ents the tongue and mouth were back to nor- mal. The symptoms were completely those of nutrient depletion in this case. The modalities and signs that were present at the start all altered completely indicating a very different underlying remedy.
There are many other examples of nutrient
induced symptoms. I had a Weimaraner who
presented with what appeared to be kissing
ulcers from teeth but with no tartar. Several
remedies later with no result I discovered, these
only appeared on Mondays. After a lot of ques-
tioning I discovered, the dog loved peanuts,
which he only got at weekends, when he shared
them with the owner. Peanuts are high in l-
argenine, which produces a relative (not an
actual) deficiency of l-lysine, which leads to
ulceration of the buccal mucosa. Lysine supple-
mentation is used for similar reasons in herpes
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