Cravings and addiction — not with Chelidonium and Co.

Homeopathy can play an important role in the treatment of food intolerances, addictive behaviours and intense cravings, even if it is not the primary focus. It took me thirty years to finally learn what suits me and what does not. I believe many other people are in the same position. I have made it my mission to shorten that period for everyone who is willing to listen.

In my practice I have found that dietary changes do not always make symptoms from food intolerances and addictive behaviours disappear completely, even when a strict diet is followed. I call this the irritating 40 per cent. That means that although most people can successfully control their complaints through dietary changes, abstinence and selected superfoods, some people only improve by about 60 per cent, no matter how hard they try.

The Banerji Protocols

I now travel to India every year to observe at the Prasanta Homeopathic Research Foundation in Calcutta. There I made an important observation. The highly qualified doctors who work there practise exclusively homeopathically. Every day they treat thousands of patients, including many with the same allergic reactions and sensitivities as in my practice back home. The only difference is that they do not offer dietary counselling. The only advice these doctors give their patients is to eat traditional, regionally typical food. India is a true melting pot of religions with very different dietary habits. Most people there consume wheat three times a day. The term “typical for the region” therefore has a different meaning here than what Dr Price reports from other parts of the world. As a great fan of the Weston A. Price Foundation this was particularly interesting to me, because it is remarkable how very good results can be achieved there using homeopathy alone.

Since homeopathy is a medical method of healing, we generally use it only in cases of illness. That also means that we usually forego a homeopathic treatment as long as there is nothing to correct — i.e. the patient does not feel ill or no disease has been diagnosed. But suppose someone has a pronounced desire — or craving — for sweets. The patient does not yet have diabetes, but it is clear that something is brewing. Or someone overdoes it with coffee and chocolate. That is a good hint that a problem is developing. What can be done in these cases?

Bruno and Fast Food

Take Bruno as an example. Bruno is seven years old and does nothing he likes more than eating: macaroni and cheese, pizza and a selection of snacks like popcorn, biscuits and other treats. He refuses everything else. It doesn’t matter how hard his mother tries to prepare the best meals for him — he wants nothing but carbohydrates. His behaviour is also a little unbalanced: he has poor concentration, especially when it comes to transitions. Otherwise Bruno is fairly healthy. His mother casually mentions that he has lots of energy (I would call him hyperactive). His teacher complains that he cannot sit still long enough to follow instructions. His father scolds him as being a difficult child. Only his mother believes that other people cannot see that her boy is simply spirited and lively. Without running complex tests it is quite clear that Bruno’s digestive tract and probably his blood sugar could benefit from a gentle homeopathic nudge. Problems in this area also affect behaviour.

Molly and the Chocolate

Then there is Molly, mother of three teenagers. She runs a small company that develops advertising apps for the fashion industry. The week does not have nearly enough hours for Molly to meet all her family and work commitments. Molly has an Achilles heel and that is chocolate. Ever since she was a little girl and later as a young woman she suffered from chronic eczema. The dermatologist treating her explained that chocolate was not good for her eczema. (Allow me a side remark: I am completely on his side. In my practice I have also found that even the purest chocolate made from organically grown and fermented cocoa can worsen a chronic eczema.) Molly eats one chocolate bar a day. As soon as she eats more she cannot sleep; if she eats less she becomes irritable, especially before her period.

Can't Do Without Coffee

Sam is a self‑confessed coffee addict. His colleagues and his wife knew it long before he did. How did they know? They witnessed his “irritability” when he was behind the wheel of his car. If you asked random strangers about his driving ability, the list of complaints about his recklessness and rudeness on the road would be very, very long. When he was fuelled up with coffee, several people noticed that he swayed slightly when walking. It was as if he had steel springs under his feet that catapulted him into the air with every step. Even when sitting he looked as if he were attached to a vibrating exercise machine from the 1940s. But for Sam there was no stopping, as with everything else in his life. He really did not want to give up coffee. In addition, Sam had pain in the liver area. It felt like a sore pain and he kept rubbing the affected spot. Sam’s craving for coffee could more reasonably be called an addiction than Bruno’s preference for carbohydrates. Therefore it is desirable that Sam recognises this and endeavours to overcome his addiction. Without the associated efforts it is still possible to achieve success with homeopathy alone, but it is likely that his bad habits will regain the upper hand in the future. The will to change must be there.

In each of these example cases addiction plays a role, although that term may be too harsh; “inner urge” perhaps describes it better. And although I believe that dependence on illegal substances is in most cases a matter of choice and therefore can only be overcome with willpower and determination, the picture for food intolerances is much more complex. We therefore need to find a remedy that has proved effective in practice for treating such complaints.

Treating Coffee Addiction

A good start for Sam was Camphora 200. It is taken only on one day and supports other homeopathic remedies in their effect. Chelidonium was recommended for the liver pain together with Nux vomica as a remedy for the actual coffee addiction. Nux vomica is not always the perfectly fitting remedy, but it is usually a very good starting point. It is not surprising that Sam also suffered from constipation. His stools were dry, often incomplete and difficult to pass.

Sam’s homeopathic treatment plan looked like this:

1. Camphora 200, to clear the matter
2. Chelidonium 6, twice daily (for the liver)
3. Nux vomica 200, once daily (against the coffee addiction)
4. Lycopodium 200, mixed with Plumbum met. 200 (dry, incomplete stools, difficult to pass)

What to Do If You Are Addicted to Carbohydrates?

In a child like Bruno we would not yet speak of addiction, because the foods he craves are not drugs (although his behaviour suggests otherwise). Instead we assume that his blood sugar levels need adjusting. Over eight weeks we would therefore give two different homeopathic remedies and observe Bruno’s reactions and assess the progress during that period. If Bruno’s behaviour then becomes less noticeable, his eating more varied and the unhealthy cravings less intrusive, and if he is easier to get on with at school and at home, we can assume the remedies are effective.

At the start, as in Sam’s case, we give Camphora 200 to clear things up; then Chelidonium 6 twice daily because we assume his blood sugar is not right. Even if he has no clinical symptoms, this remedy is often used in type 2 diabetes. And because Bruno is hyperactive, Hyoscyamus 6 is added to the treatment protocol.

Interestingly, a closer look shows that Bruno had already had many middle ear and tonsil infections that often required antibiotics. Bruno’s mother also confirmed that the strange bowel movements — alternating between hard and soft — first occurred after a course of antibiotics. The hyperactivity and the unusual eating behaviour followed shortly afterwards. With this additional information a new protocol was drawn up:

1. Camphora 200, to eliminate the consequences of the antibiotic course
2. Chelidonium 6, twice daily (for the blood sugar)
3. Nux vomica 30, twice daily (bowel complaints specifically caused by antibiotics)
4. Hyoscyamus 6, twice daily (hyperactivity)

Eight weeks after the first appointment (and after administration of the remedies mentioned above), Bruno’s mother reported that he no longer had bowel problems. His stools were now regular and unremarkable, with no alternation. He was still a fairly lively boy, but now easy to have around. As for the very restricted diet of carbohydrates and sweets, Bruno now also ate a pork chop, eggs and hamburgers. His mother was even able to persuade him to drink her homemade kefir.

Shortly after that appointment Bruno’s mother stopped his homeopathic remedies because she felt he no longer needed them. He continued to do well until a few months later he developed a throat infection and again had to take an antibiotic. Not very surprisingly, his old symptoms returned. On the last day of the antibiotic treatment Bruno’s mother restarted the protocol described above and within a few months (this time it took longer) he was back to where he had been before the antibiotic course.

Since then his mother has learned to give Hepar sulph 200 at the first signs of a sore throat, one dose every six hours. This will make the antibiotic unnecessary. For many people this remedy prevents the infection from progressing and allows it to subside without side effects. This also helps to prevent future eating disorders and damage to the intestinal mucosa.

What to Do for Chocolate Addiction?

Molly had also taken many antibiotics in her life, but in her case her hormones were more significant. After all, almost all children at some point have to take antibiotics. But Molly knew the dangers of these toxic medicines and had for many years been eating fermented vegetables regularly and drinking bone broth and kombucha. She was fairly sure her gut was fine, not least because she had not had constipation for years and felt very comfortable in that respect. Molly did, however, have concerns about her hormones. She was in the menopause, her libido was low and she could not sleep well. She also had palpitations. Creamy milk chocolate helped and was an escape.

Was it her thyroid causing the palpitations, or her craving for chocolate? Molly had no other symptoms indicative of an underactive thyroid, so I gave her homeopathic remedies specifically tailored to her complaints. The following protocol was put together for her to address Molly’s craving for chocolate (and therefore for sugar) accompanied by sleep disturbance and palpitations:

1. Camphora 200, to clear the matter
2. Chelidonium 6, twice daily (addicted to sugar)
3. Ammonium carbonicum 200, to be taken every other day (hormonal changes in the menopause)
4. Coffea 200, twice daily (insomnia, palpitations, craving for sugar)

Does Molly now have to give up chocolate entirely for her to get better? Not necessarily. My philosophy is that everyone should be able to eat at McDonald’s if they want to. I do not want to encourage anyone to live on fast food and convenience meals, but if a person’s current situation does not allow them to eat high‑quality home cooking, I want them to be healthy enough to tolerate the occasional fast‑food meal without problems. Nevertheless, it would be good if Molly abstained from chocolate for a while and gave her body a break. Only then can a rapid improvement occur. (I know that is sometimes easier said than done.) In the meantime the homeopathic remedies have the potential to correct the underlying disturbance — the unhealthy craving for chocolate and sugar — and to restore wellbeing.

In our world of proactive action it is wise and prudent to counteract dietary mistakes. In some cases one must refrain from certain foods for a period of time for healing to occur. In other cases, as with Bruno, the homeopathic remedy can work hand in hand with the patient’s lifestyle and achieve a lot regardless of diet. However, there are circumstances in which this is neither desirable nor possible. Homeopathy is the medical therapy that addresses food intolerances and their comorbidities at the root and cures them permanently. Please do not forget that homeopathy acts person‑specifically (based on the individual symptom picture of the patient) and disease‑specifically. Three different forms of addiction. Three different people. One homeopathic remedy they have in common: Chelidonium 6. Who knows? Perhaps Chelidonium 6 is exactly the right remedy for you or someone you know.

Further information on dosing and potency of homeopathic remedies can be found here.

Source: https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/homeopathy/hey-cravings-meet-homeopathic-chelidonium-friends/