Homeopathic medicine, treatment and remedies for Liver disease

Some of the most important homeopathic remedies that are helpful in treating liver disease are listed below. The symptoms mentioned under each remedy prompt the homeopathic physician to choose the said remedy.

• Bryonia Alba
  Common name: Wild hops
  Symptoms: Bryonia is well suited to people who experience the following symptoms: 
  • Soreness in liver region
  • Stitching, burning pain in abdomen, which worsens with pressure, coughing and sneezing
  • Hard swelling in the right side of abdomen and umbilical region
  • Nausea and regurgitation of food after eating; vomiting of water and bile after eating
  • Yellow, dark brown or white coating on tongue
  • Extreme dryness of skin, lips, mouth and throat along with extreme thirst
  • Vertigo, nausea, dizziness on rising and confusion
• Cardus Marianus
  Common name: St. Mary’s thistle
  Symptoms: Cardus marianus is an excellent remedy for liver disease. It is indicated in alcoholics who crave beer. It is also indicated for the following conditions:
  • Congestion in brain, stroke, meningitis and neuralgia
  • Poor appetite with nausea and vomiting of green acid bile
  • Bitter taste in mouth
  • A feeling of fullness and soreness along with pain in liver region while deep breathing
  • Jaundice and cirrhosis
  • Hard, difficult, clay-coloured stool alternating with diarrhoea
  • Itching skin, especially on lying down at night
  • Easy bleeding and tendency to haemorrhage
  • Varicose veins and ulcers
• Chelidonium Majus 
  Common name: Celandine
  Symptoms: Chelidonium majus is well suited to individuals with the following characteristics and symptoms:
  • A tendency for gallstones with obstruction and enlargement of liver
  • Jaundice with constant pain in the lower part of the right scapular region on the back
  • Yellow tongue with a bitter taste in mouth along with bad breath
  • Thirst with dryness of mouth and throat
  • Constipation alternating with diarrhoea; during constipation stool is hard, sheep dung like, while during diarrhoea it is bright yellow, pasty, or clay coloured
  • Nausea and vomiting, which is relieved by drinking very hot water
  • Extreme weakness and disinclination to work
  • Frequent hiccoughs and belching
  • Symptoms temporarily relieved by eating
  • Symptoms worse in the early morning and better after dinner
• Leptandra Virginica
  Common name: Culver’s root
  Symptoms: Leptandra virginica is an effective remedy for liver disorders when they are present with the following symptoms:
  • Liver diseases with jaundice
  • Sharp pain in the umbilical region
  • Black or clay-coloured stool
  • Extreme weakness; the patient falls asleep after passing stool
  • Yellow tongue with severe pain in liver region and vomiting of bile
  • Rumbling and discomfort in the lower abdomen
  • Weakness so severe that the person is unable to stand
• Lycopodium Clavatum
  Common name: Club moss
  Symptoms: Lycopodium clavatum is an efficacious medicine for treating liver diseases when they are present with the following symptoms:
  • Shooting pain in the abdomen that radiates from right to left
  • Distension and fullness of abdomen even after a light meal
  • Sensitive liver region; pain in the right side of the abdomen while eating, walking and on touch
  • Brown spots on abdomen
  • Ascites due to liver disease
  • Atrophy (reduction in size) of the liver due to hepatitis
  • Sour belching with bitter taste in mouth
  • Strong craving for sweets and warm food; aversion to sour food
  • Symptoms worsen between 4 pm and 8 pm
• Natrium Sulphuricum 
  Common name: Sulphate of sodium, Glauber’s salt
  Symptoms: Natrium sulphuricum is an efficacious medicine for relieving the following symptoms:
  • Hepatitis with soreness and stitching, throbbing pain in the liver region
  • Inability to bear tight clothing around the waist
  • Pain worsens while lying on the left side
  • Abdominal pain extending to the chest with difficulty breathing
  • Involuntary passage of watery yellow stools while passing flatus
  • High levels of bilirubin in urine
  • Yellow eyes and skin
  • Bilious and sour vomit
  • Thirst for cold water
• Nux Vomica 
  Common name: Poison nut
  Symptoms: This remedy works well for lean people who are constantly angry and irritable and are prone to gastric complaints and piles. It helps relieve complaints that are triggered by excessive tea, coffee, alcohol, tobacco and spicy foods, lack of sleep, overexertion and medicine overdose or abuse. Nux vomica is an efficacious medicine for liver disorders when they are present with the following symptoms:
  • Complaints generally
  • Colicky pain with soreness around the liver regionSevere constipation.Hard and difficult stool with streaks of blood
  • Constant urge to pass stool but an inability to pass more than a few dropsNausea after eating or drinking anything
  • The person prefers to vomit to get relief; vomit smells sour and contains dark clotted blood
  • Diarrhoea with jaundice; slimy and bloody mucus in stool
  • Symptoms worse in the morning, from mental exertion and eating spicy foods
• Phosphorus
  Common name: Phosphorus
  Symptoms: This remedy works well in lean and tall people who are emaciated, stooped, extremely nervous and oversensitive to stimuli such as heat, light, touch, and noise. Individuals who benefit well from phosphorus have the following symptoms:
  • A tendency for haemorrhages where even small wounds bleed profusely with bright red blood
  • Jaundice; hepatitis with congested liver and yellow spots on the abdomen
  • Pain in the abdomen that worsens on touch and walking, and better with cold food and ice
  • Stools are greenish, greyish white or black with flakes of mucus
  • Extreme weakness after passing stool or from loss of body fluids through diarrhoea, vomiting or bleeding
  • Puffy, swollen eyes with dark circles; sickly appearance
  • Craving for cold water

Do’s

• Since homeopathic medicines are given in very small doses, take utmost care to preserve the medicines
• Go for regular walks in fresh air in almost all kinds of weather
• Do light manual labour to strengthen muscles. Some exercises also help to relax the mind
• Consume healthy and nutritious foods

Don’ts

• Homeopathic medicines are prepared in highly diluted doses. They can easily lose their potency by reacting with some foods and cosmetics. Here is a small list of such substances which may interfere with the action of homeopathic medicines:
  • Strong-smelling foods and drinks like coffee, herb teas, fine liquors prepared with medicinal spices and spiced chocolate
  • Medicinally compounded tooth powders and mouthwashes
  • Perfumed sachets
  • Strong-scented flowers in the room
  • Highly seasoned foods and sauces
  • Frozen foods like ice creams
  • Raw herbs on soups, medicinal herbs in foods
  • Celery, parsley, stale cheese and meat
• Do not lead a sedentry lifestyle
• Long afternoon naps will lead to harmful effects and must be avoided
• It is important to avoid mental strain to achieve proper health

In cases of liver disease, the metabolic, storage and detoxification functions performed by the liver get affected, which in turn affects the rest of the body. Patients with chronic liver disease are often disappointed with the frequent use of conventional medicine, which may not provide a permanent solution to their condition.

Homeopathy offers a simple and safer way to manage the condition at a deeper level. It also helps in safely tapering the dose of allopathic medicines. With the application of its principles and detailed case history, homeopathy has much to offer in liver disorders. Homeopathic medicines not only treat disease symptoms but also treat the predisposition of a person to certain diseases, called miasm.

When taken under the supervision of an experienced doctor, homeopathic medicines help reduce inflammation of liver, cure jaundice, decrease swelling and tendency to bleeding, reduce itching, improve energy levels and appetite of the patient, normalise the elevated liver enzymes like serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and bilirubin and prevent the progression of liver diseases to cirrhosis. In case of hepatitis, homeopathic treatment aims at decreasing the total viral load in blood.

Clinical studies indicate the efficiency of homeopathic medicines in the treatment of liver diseases. In a clinical trial, two patients with chronic viral hepatitis, who failed to respond to conventional treatment, were given specific homeopathic remedies as per their complaints. After taking these remedies for the required period of time, both the patients attained remission and continued to do well even after two years of discontinuation of conventional treatment.

Animal studies suggest that a homeopathic drug named chelidonium majus exhibits anti-tumour, anti-genotoxic and enzyme-modulating activity, and thus may be effective in the treatment of liver cancer.

Homeopathic medicines are highly diluted and potentised; hence, these are essentially safe and are not known to cause side effects. However, not all remedies suit every individual equally and self-medication may lead to side effects. So, it is important that one seeks help from a qualified homeopathic physician for a correct and genuine homeopathic remedy and its dosage. 

Liver diseases, varying from mild to most serious forms, affect the body considerably. Homeopathy is a very safe mode of medication without any noted side effects. When taken in appropriate doses, homeopathic medicines help achieve remission, particularly in chronic liver diseases. However, it is best to check in with a doctor before taking these remedies as self-medication may lead to side effects.