Natural health: Lupus and homeopathic treatments for grieving

Megan Sheppard gives her advice on what to do when diagnosed with lupus and recommends some homeopathic treatments for a grieving widow.

Q. My mother has just been diagnosed with Lupus. She is 70 years old and is in general good health besides the usual complaints of ageing, particularly stiffness in her joints.

Her doctor has given her a prescription. Is there anything else she can do?

A. Lupus is an autoimmune disorder, which is a group of conditions where the immune system begins to attack perfectly healthy tissue — and the group of people who suffer from at least one autoimmune condition is growing at an alarming rate.

What’s worse is that most people find that they seemingly collect more autoimmune conditions to add to the load in an already over-burdened body.

Symptoms of lupus do differ from person to person, so it may well be that some of the ‘ageing’ symptoms that your mother has been dealing with are either related to the development of lupus, or perhaps even another autoimmune issue — such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Dietary changes are important in supporting your mother’s wellbeing —particularly the elimination of dairy products.

It is extremely common for people living with lupus to become dairy-intolerant; specifically to the casein found in dairy, since it stimulates the immune system.

It is at least worth a trial run to see if this is an issue for your mother.

There are a few other foods known to trigger symptoms — alfalfa sprouts due to their L-canavanine content; chocolate, peanuts, apples, and chicken, due their phenylalanine content; oats and fish due to their tyrosine content (dairy also falls into this category).

You may find some useful information and recipes by searching online for autoimmune paleo protocols and diets (often abbreviated to AIP).

Antioxidant supplementation is a great idea — with a particular focus on vitamins A, C, E, and selenium.

Essential fatty acids will help reduce inflammation and soothe skin irritation.

As well as getting healthy fats and oils in the diet by adding flaxseed, chia seed, or Udo’s Oil, you should also apply vitamin E cream or oil to the affected areas.

Your mother might like to talk with her doctor about the possibility of taking Simba, a plant remedy from The Little Herbal Company, which is used to treat a wide range of autoimmune disorders.

Simba contains pure Hypoxis Hemerocallidea, otherwise known as the African Potato tuber.

It works by shifting the immune system back into a state of balance — if it is overactive then Simba will help to reduce immune overactivity, and if it is underactive, then it will be stimulated.

Take one Simba capsule three times daily on an empty stomach.

It is essential that you take the capsules up to 30 minutes before or two hours after food in order to receive maximum benefits.

Simba costs €36 for 90 capsules from The Little Herbal Company (www.littleherbal-international.co. nz).

Caution: Simba should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women, or individuals who have recently undergone a bone marrow or solid organ transplant.

Q. Could you please recommend some homeopathic treatments for a grieving widow?

A. Homeopathy can certainly help with the emotional and physical aspects of the process without masking feelings or causing unwanted side effects or interactions.

If the grief is still very new then Rescue remedy is a good first choice.

Star of Bethlehem can help if the death was a shock or surprise; Ignatia is typically indicated for those who find themselves staring off into space, sighing often, and switching moods at the drop of a hat.

Pulsatilla is often indicated where constant tearful episodes become problematic; Causticum for those who express great anger at the departed; Natrum muriaticum for those who bottle everything inside and soldier on.

There are of course many other remedies used to help support you, and it should be noted that it is best to work with a qualified practitioner rather than self-prescribing beyond Rescue Remedy usage.