Disease Index

Homeopathy for Anorexia Nervosa

Homeopathic medicine for Anorexia Nervosa
Written by Dr. Manish Bhatia

Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric disorder characterized by obsessive dieting and intense fear of being overweight. Anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents. 20% of people suffering from anorexia will prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems.

Are you looking for a homeopathic cure for anorexia nervosa? This article discusses the homeopathy treatment of anorexia nervosa along with the best homeopathic medicine for anorexia nervosa treatment.

Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric disorder characterized by obsessive dieting and intense fear of being overweight. Anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder occurs most often in teenage girls and young women  although boys or men can also suffer from it. It usually starts in the teenage years.People with anorexia nervosa are obsessed with being thin and have a distorted perception of their bodies. They believe that they are fat and avoid eating. They exercise excessively in order to burn extra calories, they may even induce vomiting in order to compensate over eating.

Anorexia nervosa – Facts and Statistics

  • Anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents.
  • 95% of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25.
  • 25% of college-aged women engage in binging and purging as a weight-management technique.
  • The mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate associated with all causes of death for females 15-24 years old.
  • Over one-half of teenage girls and nearly one-third of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting, and taking laxatives
  • Women are much more likely than men to develop an eating disorder. Only an estimated 5 to 15 percent of people with anorexia or bulimia are male.
  • An estimated 0.5 to 3.7 percent of women suffer from anorexia nervosa in their lifetime.14 Research suggests that about 1 percent of female adolescents have anorexia.
  • 20% of people suffering from anorexia will prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems.

Homeopathic treatment of anorexia nervosa

homeopathic medicine for anorexia nervosa

Homeopathy is one of the most popular holistic systems of medicine. The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach. This is the only way through which a state of complete health can be regained by removing all the sign and symptoms from which the patient is suffering. The aim of homeopathy is not only to treat anorexia nervosa but to address its underlying cause and individual susceptibility. As far as therapeutic medication is concerned, several remedies are available to treat anorexia nervosa that can be selected on the basis of cause, sensations and modalities of the complaints.  For individualized remedy selection and treatment, the patient should consult a qualified homeopathic doctor in person. There are following remedies which are helpful in the treatment of anorexia nervosa:

Ignatia – Complete loss of appetite for food, drinking without disgust of taste. All-gone feeling in stomach; muchIgnatia amara homeopathic medicine for anorexia nervosa flatulence; hiccough. Cramps in stomach; worse slightest contact. Averse to ordinary diet; longs for great variety of indigestible articles. Craving for acid things. Sinking in stomach, relieved by taking a deep breath. Mentally, the emotional element is uppermost, and co-ordination of function is interfered with. Hence, it is one of the chief remedies for hysteria. It is especially adapted to the nervous temperament-women of sensitive, easily excited nature, dark, mild disposition, quick to perceive, rapid in execution. Rapid change of mental and physical condition, opposite to each other. Great contradictions. Alert, nervous, apprehensive, rigid, trembling patients who suffer acutely in mind or body. Changeable mood; introspective; silently brooding. Melancholic, sad, tearful. Not communicative. Sighing and sobbing. After shocks, grief, disappointment.

Prunus s – fullness after few mouthfuls as if too much had been taken. Shooting from right frontal bone through brain to occiput. Pain in right eyeball, as if it would burst. Piercing toothache, as if teeth were pulled out; worse, taking anything warm. Hard, nodular stool, with rectal pain, as if angular body were pressed inward. Burning in anus after slimy diarrhoea

Calcaria Ars – loss of desire for all types of food.Region of stomach distended. Enlarged liver and spleen in children. Pancreatic disease; relieves burning pain in cancer of pancreas. Belching with saliva and beating of heart. Anger, anxiety. Desire for company. Confusion, delusions, illusions. Great depression. Violent rush of blood to head with vertigo. Pain in head better by lying on painful side. Weekly headache. Benumbling headache mostly around ears.

Natrum Mur – most often prescribed medicine for anorexia nervosa. The prolonged taking of excessive salt causeshomeopathic medicine for anorexia nervosa treatment profound nutritive changes to take place in the system, and there arise not only the symptoms of salt retention as evidenced by dropsies and śdemas, but also an alteration in the blood causing a condition of anćmia and leucocytosis.Great debility; most weakness felt in the morning in bed. Coldness. Emaciation most notable in neck. Great liability to take cold. Dry mucous membranes. Constrictive sensation throughout the body. Great weakness and weariness.

Arsenic album – complaints with extreme fastidiousness, patient is extremely weak mentally and physically.

Homarus – complete loss of appetite with great weakness and inability to walk. Dyspepsia, sore throat, and headache seems to be a combination that may be controlled by this remedy. Frontal and temporal pain chiefly, with soreness in eyes. Throat sore, raw, burns, with tough mucus. Pain in stomach and abdomen, better after eating. Belching. Chilliness and pain all over. Itching of skin.

Ferrum met – appetite diminished or lost, great aversion to food. Best adapted to young weakly persons, anćmic and chlorotic, with pseudo-plethora, who flush easily; cold extremities; oversensitiveness; worse after any active effort. Weaknessfrom mere speaking or walking though looking strong. Pallor of skin, mucous membranes, face, alternating with flushes. Orgasms of blood to face, chest, head, lungs, etc. Irregular distribution of blood. Pseudo-plethora. Muscles flabby and relaxed. Irritability. Slight noises unbearable. Excited from slightest opposition. Voracious appetite, or absolute loss of appetite. Loathing of sour things. Attempts to eat bring on diarrhoea. Spits up food by the mouthful (Phos). Eructations of food after eating, without nausea. Nausea and vomiting after eating. Vomiting immediately after eating. Vomiting after midnight. Intolerance of eggs. Distention and pressure in the stomach after eating. Heat and burning in stomach. Soreness of abdominal walls. Flatulent dyspepsia.

Phosphoric acid – remarkable medicine for anorexia nervosa, loss of appetite with great weakness and lethargy. The common acid “debility” is very marked in this remedy, producing a nervous exhaustion. Mental debility first; later physical. A congenial soil for the action of Phos acid is found in young people who grow rapidly, and who are overtaxed, mentally or physically. Whenever the system has been exposed to the ravages of acute disease, excesses, grief, loss of vital fluids, we obtain conditions calling for it

Platina – extremely conscious about her health; fear of becoming fat

Aurum Ars – it causes rapid increase of appetite especially in anemia and chlorosis

Lycopodium – appetite disappears when eating first mouthfuls

Lecithinum – excellent medicine for such complaints

Causes of anorexia nervosa

The exact cause of anorexia nervosa is unknown. There may be so many factors associated with anorexia nervosa like hormones, genes, and social factors. It is likely that both inherent biological factors and factors in the patient’s social environment play a part. The disease is mainly encountered in the western world and is more common among women in certain professions, such as models and ballet dancers. Puberty, deaths in the family and other life stresses are all believed to be potential triggers of anorexia.

There are few risk factors which may involve:

  • Over consciousness regarding weight and body shape
  • Social and family expectations and pressure about health and beauty
  • Child suffering from anxiety disorder
  • Disaffection form body image
  • People who try to be perfectionist
  • People who have family history of eating disorders
  • Who are not happy with relations, with low self esteem

Symptoms of anorexia nervosa

Weight loss of at least 15 per cent below the normal ideal body weight for a person of the same age and height.

Cessation of periods or delayed development in puberty.

Self-induced weight loss. Methods can include fasting, low food intake, excessive exercise, diuretic medicines (medicines that make you urinate more) laxatives, diet pills or vomiting. Sometimes people make themselves sick to lose weight. Others take excessive exercise.

Sufferers have a constant fear of gaining weight, as well as a feeling of being fat, even when their weight is much less than that of other people of the same height.

Sufferers may feel bloated, even after a small meal.

They may lose interest in socializing with friends.

Other side effects include tiredness, feeling cold, constipation and stomachache.

Some patients also develop additional disorders such as bulimia.

Symptoms at a glance –

  • No desire to eat anything
  • Excessive exercising
  • No desire or refuse to have food in front of others
  • Immediate vomiting after eating
  • Distorted body image
  • Hair loss
  • Depression
  • Dryness of skin
  • Muscular weakness
  • Easy fatigue
  • Malaise
  • Low blood pressure
  • Hypoglycemia
  • Brittle nails
  • Confusion of thoughts
  • Low self esteem
  • No inclination to mental or physical work
  • Slower respiratory rate
  • Dryness of mouth

Key diagnosis signs of anorexia nervosa

  • Fear of becoming fat or gaining weight
  • Women with absence of menses (at least 3 consecutive menstrual cycles)
  • A distorted self evaluation of body shape and weight
  • Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height

As weight loss is the key feature of anorexia nervosa so to rule out other causes of weight loss following tests is required:

  • Complete blood count
  • Liver function test
  • Urinalysis
  • Kidney function tests
  • ECG
  • Thyroid function test
  • Bone density test
  • Screening for patients with questioners, interviews may also be useful  in the diagnosis of anorexia nervosa.

Complications of anorexia nervosa

  • Severe malnutrition
  • Severe dehydration
  • Impaired bowel movements
  • Thyroid dysfunction
  • Impaired heart functions
  • Bone weakening
  • Recurrent infections
  • Swelling or bloating of body parts

Management of anorexia nervosa

  • Increased social activities
  • having proper schedule for eating
  • reduce over exercises
  • behavioral therapy
  • group therapy and family therapy can also be beneficial.

REFERENCE WORKS

Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, 14th ed, McGraw-Hill

Davidson’s Principles and Practise of Medicine, 17th ed, 1996, Churchill Livingstone

New Manual of Homeopathic Materia Medica & Repertory, William Boericke, 2nd revised ed., 2001, B. Jain

The above information about homeopathy treatment of anorexia nervosa is only for information purpose. Please consult a professional homeopath before taking any homeopathic medicine for anorexia nervosa.

Anorexia Nervosa Cases Cured with Homeopathic Medicine

A Case of Anorexia Cured by Tarentula Hispanica – by Christiane Lhuillier

Why Psychiatric Diagnoses Are Bad for Your Health and Homeopathic Diagnoses Are Not – by Steven Goldsmith

About the author

Dr. Manish Bhatia

- BCA, M.Sc Homeopathy (UK), CICH (Greece), MD (Hom)
- Associate Professor, Organon & Homeopathic Philosophy, SKH Medical College, Jaipur
- Founder Director of Hpathy.com
- Editor, Homeopathy for Everyone
- Co-author - Homeopathy and Mental Health Care: Integrative Practice, Principles and Research
- Author - Lectures on Organon of Medicine vol 1, 2, 3. CCH Approved. (English, German, Bulgarian)
- Awardee - Raja Pajwan Dev Award for Excellence in the Field of Medicine; APJ Abdul Kalam Award for Excellence in Homeopathy Education
- Visit Dr. Bhatia's website

1 Comment

  • Hi i have a 12 years old diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and shes getting really bad headache which is not helpinh with paracetamol shes always stressed

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