Dr A. U. Ramakrishnan 

Interviews with Homeopaths | Hpathy Ezine (1)
March 2008

Alan Schmukler: Welcome to Hpathy. We are pleased that you honoured us with your visit. You are known for treating very severe cases. How can you remain positive and optimistic and give courage to your patients? Do homeopaths need a spiritual dimension for their work?

A.U. Ramakrishnan: Working homeopathically is the most fascinating experience one can imagine. Homeopathy reveals the extraordinary possibilities in human beings, the power of life energy... the highest healing force. Therefore I have the positive conviction that I can always do something that improves my patients' health condition. That does not always mean complete cure. I am by no means unaware that there are irreversible diseases. But homeopathy can help everyone to the greatest possible improvement under the given circumstances.

I have very often taken on patients who had been told they had only two weeks to live (or die), and I have managed to enable them to live another eight or nine months; not in pain and fear, but I have given them a longer time of life with good quality of life. These are the things that keep me positive even in difficult cases. I know my patients' life circumstances and I speak with their relatives; I explain the situation to them and try to achieve the best possible outcome given the circumstances.

Regarding your question whether homeopaths need a spiritual dimension... that is indispensable, and in my view every doctor needs a spiritual dimension, whether they are a homeopath or not.

Alan Schmukler: You are one of the world’s leading experts in cancer therapy. How did it come about that you have dealt so intensively with this disease? Is it realistic to expect a "cure" for certain cancers at all?

A.U. Ramakrishnan: I do not know whether I am an expert, but I have treated thousands of cases over the last 20 years, and that has given me a certain edge in therapy... and has also humbled me often enough. In summary: in the early stages (stage I and II) one can be very optimistic, and even in stage III one may be more optimistic today than I believed ten years ago. Overall I believe that we can make a valuable contribution.

Alan Schmukler: You have said: "For healing to be successful, the patient must have knowledge of his inner self and must possess inner balance." How do you help patients achieve this? How much do you involve yourself in the patient's life?

A.U. Ramakrishnan: I try, whenever possible, to take as much time as I can within an extra-long consultation to get to know the patient's way of life; then I make my therapeutic suggestions. This often triggers major changes. But there are also times when someone cannot make changes in their life for certain reasons. Life is not that easy, but we must not give up; we must keep trying.

Alan Schmukler: It is generally assumed that early diagnosis is an important factor for successful treatment. Do you rely on blood tests or other diagnostic means to detect early stages of cancer? Are there specific blood values that indicate a precancerous condition?

A.U. Ramakrishnan: I rely on the same tests as oncologists... Certain diseases such as prostate cancer can be detected in a blood test before their actual onset... e.g. by an elevated PSA level (2). A Pap smear (3) allows early detection of cervical cancer... Sometimes a routine gastric lavage can already indicate a stomach cancer beforehand. Therefore — especially after the age of 40 — annual check-ups are advisable, above all examinations such as endoscopy (4) of the upper gastrointestinal tract and colonoscopy.

Alan Schmukler: The newer homeopathic schools tend to focus more on the psychological and mental symptoms. One approach claims that a remedy that addresses the patient's underlying life conflicts is sufficient to treat the tumour. What is your opinion on that?

A.U. Ramakrishnan: That is true, and I also usually proceed that way in my cases, except in cancer. Cancer progresses extremely rapidly and spreads to other areas (metastasis), and that forces us to apply a technique that acts immediately and directly on the pathological process. That is the reason for choosing an organ-related remedy.

Alan Schmukler: Even enthusiastic homeopaths mostly run to conventional "specialists" when a life-threatening disease is diagnosed. Therefore "fresh" cancer cases do not often come to the homeopath. Most cases we get are "fully treated" — i.e. conventional doctors have given up on them. What percentage of the cancer cases you see in a year are new diagnoses?

A.U. Ramakrishnan: You are right. That is the reality, and therefore of the approximately 12,000 cases I have treated (it may even have been more), more than 9,000 were stage IV. However, that does not mean that nothing can be done. Not every case you take on can be cured. Yet we can give your patients a valuable extended time of life, and that makes our efforts worthwhile.

I have treated cases who were discharged from hospital to die at home. They were given less than two weeks. With my treatment they lived another nine months in an acceptable state of health and without constant fear of death. The relatives are often so grateful and tell me that the last months under homeopathic treatment were the best time the patient had had since the cancer diagnosis. I believe that by using homeopathy one does a great service to the suffering.

Alan Schmukler: For what reasons do "new" patients decide to consult you rather than a conventional doctor?

A.U. Ramakrishnan: Mostly by word of mouth. A friend or relative who has been through the conventional mill tells them about the poor experiences they had. That prompts new patients to look for alternative routes and brings them to your practice. And I tell you, that is not uncommon!

Alan Schmukler: Patients often ask: "Can you cure me?" If you say "No!" the patient will not want treatment from you. If you say "Yes!" you can get legal trouble. How do you deal with patients' questions and expectations? How can you give a prognosis in such cases?

A.U. Ramakrishnan: I tell them that there are no guarantees in medicine. Even with a cold or a skin rash there is no 100% certainty. One is happy if the doctor achieves an eighty-percent cure. Since that is the situation, I can only try to do my best.

Alan Schmukler: If a "newly diagnosed" and apparently "curable" patient does not respond to your treatment and suddenly dies, the relatives can threaten legal action. Has that ever happened to you?

A.U. Ramakrishnan: No, thank God not. But I usually have patients sign an informed consent before starting treatment. Homeopathic consultation is an additional recommendation and in no way impedes the implementation of conventional procedures and their possibilities.

Alan Schmukler: You often visit other countries to treat cancer cases. In most countries, however, homeopaths are not legally allowed to "treat" cancer. How do you deal with this dilemma?

A.U. Ramakrishnan: I work as a consultant with the consent of the treating oncologist. He assures me that he has done everything in his power, that the patient is fully treated and that he has no objections to the continued treatment of his patient by me. I work on an individual basis, and I do not go there to open a practice.

Alan Schmukler: Can you work homeopathically if radiation, chemotherapy and other allopathic methods are being used? Doesn't that interfere with homeopathic treatment?
 
A.U. Ramakrishnan: Of course these procedures interfere with homeopathic treatment and therefore I prefer not to have them, except for necessary surgeries, which I highly recommend.
But the reality is that we work with patients who are undergoing chemo- or radiotherapy, and this is exactly where my "Plussing Method" comes in, which is of great help in such cases. Even in the face of chemotherapy I can achieve that our remedies exert their effect!!!

Alan Schmukler: What problems can arise and what precautions are required in a homeopathic treatment when there is organ damage, for example in Parkinson's syndrome?

A.U. Ramakrishnan: In such cases it is important to know the pathology precisely. Only then are you able to make a prognosis as to the extent to which any improvement — even after a successful vital stimulation — can be expected.

Alan Schmukler: In the USA naturopaths treat cancer through detoxification, with special diets, herbs, colon cleansing etc. Do you integrate these procedures into your work or refer patients to such treatments?

A.U. Ramakrishnan: I neither adopt such procedures nor recommend them to my patients. However, if my patients have already started these treatments or ask me whether they may use them, I have no objection as long as they feel it does them good.

Alan Schmukler: Sometimes the constitutional remedy is hard to find. Is it absolutely necessary for the cure in a cancer case?

A.U. Ramakrishnan: Perhaps it is not necessary to give it right at the start, but ultimately it is very important. During a treatment process lasting several months with ongoing follow-up consultations the constitutional remedy will certainly crystallise out.

Alan Schmukler: When choosing an organopathic remedy, must the symptoms of the remedy picture match those of the patient, or is the site of the tumour a sufficient indication?

A.U. Ramakrishnan: The site of the tumour (organ of origin) and the symptoms are equally important.

Alan Schmukler: How long do you continue treatment of cancer patients after the tumour has disappeared?

A.U. Ramakrishnan: At least another year and sometimes even longer, but not so aggressively; no more plussing. Sometimes a follow-up appointment every three months for a period of 2–3 years afterwards makes sense... sometimes only one year... it depends.

Alan Schmukler: Have there been problems with (unintended) proving effects when a remedy is repeated four or more times daily?

A.U. Ramakrishnan: That is the advantage of the Plussing Method. Especially with cancer patients you do not get into the predicament of an unintended remedy proving if you administer the remedy according to the Plussing Method. I have not yet tried how the Plussing Method acts in healthy people.

Alan Schmukler: How do you distinguish side effects or symptoms caused by the tumour from significant symptoms?

A.U. Ramakrishnan: By their location and the extent of the tumour pressure.

Alan Schmukler: You co-authored the book "Cancer — a Homeopathic Approach" with Catherine Coulter (reviewed in this issue). What feedback have you received from readers of this book?

A.U. Ramakrishnan: Catherine Coulter was my co-author. She made suggestions about the scope of the book, the layout of the chapters, the wording in English, etc., while the ideas, the concept, the cases, the case management and the underlying philosophy are mine. Readers' reactions to this book showed their great gratitude. Hundreds of people have said that the Plussing Method was "the rescue". I have received dozens of letters of thanks, and that is a source of inspiration and strength for my professional career.

Alan Schmukler: In some cases death cannot be prevented. How do you cope with the death of a patient?

A.U. Ramakrishnan: That is an inevitable reality, especially in a stage IV case. It is only about enabling the patient to have an extended lifespan with optimal quality of life and you do your best to ensure that. You extend life and make it more pleasant. If you do your work and accept this reality, a patient's death cannot unsettle you.

Alan Schmukler: Thank you, Dr Ramakrishnan, for taking the time for this interview. Your knowledge and thinking inspire us and give many people hope.

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Dr Ramakrishnan MBBS (5), MF Hom (6), PhD (7), is an internationally renowned Indian physician. He travels around the world, gives lectures on homeopathy and treats difficult cases. He is an expert in heart disease, cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, arthritis and diabetes. He is the homeopathic physician to the President of India.

Dr Ramakrishnan has been presenting his knowledge at international congresses since 1981. Together with Catherine R. Coulter he is the author of the book "Cancer — a Homeopathic Approach". (See book review in this issue of Homeopathy4Everyone).

Visit his website at http://www.drramakrishnan.com/

You can reach Dr Ramakrishnan at: Rajarathnam Str. 22, Madras-600 010, India.

(1) i.e. Homeopathy for Everybody, Ezine = electronic magazine

(2) prostate-specific antigen

(3) Pap smear: developed in 1928 by the Greek doctor George Papanicolaou for early detection of cervical cancer.

(4) endoscopy

(5) Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery

(6) homeopathic physician (India)

(7) Doctor of Philosophy