Joanna Karpasea-Jones's Blog

Posted by Joanna Karpasea-Jones

The use of homeopathy for a wide range of ailments, including infertility, has been on the upsurge in recent years, but is there any evidence it actually works?

There are quite a few studies to suggest it is effective in the treatment of infectious diseases, such as these:

Two studies were done to evaluate the immunological response to homeopathic doses of oral BCG antigen.

Rabbits were given homeopathic dilutions ranging from 1c to 30c in their drinking water for a month, and they had positive antibody responses, compared with negative controls.

In the second test, cell mediated immunity was evaluated. A tuberculin test was used to measure type 3 hypersensitivity reactions. Again, the results were positive when measured after 24 and 48 hours. The tuberculin reaction after oral administration of 30c Mycobacterium bovis were comparable to the one obtained after conventional inoculation (which was the negative control). (2).

In 1902, during a smallpox epidemic in Iowa, Dr. Eaton reported that 2806 patients were treated with Variolinum. Of the 547 patients who were definitely exposed, only 14 developed the disease. Overall protection rate was 97%.24 In 1958, during an influenza epidemic in Great Britain, 1100 workers were given prophylaxis and 500 workers were given no treatment. There was no statistical difference in the attack rates between the groups. And in 1974, during a meningococcus outbreak in Brazil, 18,640 patients were given Meningococcinum prophylaxis while 6,430 received no treatment. The treatment group reported 4 cases to 32 cases in the no treatment group (23 times more effective than no treatment). (3, 4, 6).

Additionally, some evidence has been collected during controlled studies in the lab. In 1932, Chavanon published that 45 children had changed from Schick test positive to Schick test negative (demonstrating antibody to diphtheria) after being treated with Diptherinum. Patterson and Boyd repeated this test in 1941, and 20 of 33 children treated converted to Schick test negative. Roux again repeated the study in 1946 with similar results. (5). (Taken from my Travel Vaccines Page on my site www.novelbookshop.com).

A study was published in The Lancet in 1994. Dr. David Taylor Reilly of Glasgow University carried out three clinical trials using the double-blind principle ( the doctors and patients didn't know who were receiving allopathic medication and who were receiving homeopathy). These indicated that the homeopathic treatment was more successful than an allopathic treatment in relieving hay fever and allergic asthma.

Peter Wiggins is a GP in Glasgow who supports alternative medicine. He trained in homeopathy. The 35-year-old doctor, who practises in Castlemilk, says he often gets patients saying they don't like the idea of taking drugs and would like to try complementary medicine instead.

`But they also like the idea of the doctor being interested in them,' he said. He added: `Homeopathy is cheap and effective. There is a large resistance, but the BMA has backed down. More and more people are realising the role complementary medicine has to play.'

Peter treats a wide range of conditions with homeopathy - chronic headaches, PMT, the menopause, arthritis, asthma, behavioural problems and childhood ailments among them. (7).

Sources:

2. Evidence for Homeopathic Vaccination? British Homeopathic Journal (1999), 98, 86-92.

3. The National Center for Homeopathy, www.homeopathic.org

4. Chavanon, P. La Dipterie, 4th edition. St. Denis, Niort: Imprimerie 1932.

5. Patterson, J and Boyd WE. "Potency Action: A Preliminary Study of the Alteration of the Schick Test by a Homeopathic Potency." British Homeopathic Journal 1941; 31: 301-309.

6. Eizayaga, F. "Tratamiento Homeopatico de las Enfermedades Agudas y Su Prevension." Homeopatia 1985; 51(342): 352-362.

7. Glasgow Evening Times October, 1993

I would be really interested to hear from women who have been successful at getting pregnant using homeopathy as I would like to add your success stories to this blog. If you have successfully used homeopathy, accupuncture or another therapy to have a baby, please contact me.

Posted by Joanna Karpasea-Jones

Studies into hypnotherapy and detox diets have shown to increase a person's fertility dramatically, even when IVF has failed, suggesting there is definitely a place for alternative medicine in treating infertility.

After I had failed to get pregnant and then suffered a miscarriage after months of trying, we turned to alternative therapy. My herbalist told me the encouraging story of a woman who had failed at IVF after repeated attempts over 10 years, and was turned away by the medical profession. She then started taking the remedy, Saw Palmetto, and successfully carried and gave birth to a baby boy against all odds.

Encouraged by this story, I took the remedy and 3 weeks later I was pregnant. The pregnancy was successful and my daughter Lucia was born. She is now 7.

Years later, when donating eggs to Care Fertility, I was handed a leaflet stating that their sucess rates had been reduced recently and they thought it was because of alternative therapies. Women's herbal remedies were impairing drug responses. They advised all women undergoing IVF to avoid alternative therapies.

Government bodies have been trying to restrict herbal medicines and vitamins for years, saying they are unlicienced medicines - yet they bring benefit to many who try them - there's just no benefit to the drug companies who don't make money from herbalism or vitamins.

So who is right? Well, I think herbal remedies may interact with the IVF drug process, so if couples are embarking on IVF they should stick purely to that drug schedule and use vitamins etc as a separate treatment.

Other non-invasive alternative therapies can be used safely with IVF, such as hypnotherapy and accupuncture, and don't have the same potiential for interacting with the drugs, giving the couple the greatest chance for a baby.

Posted by Joanna Karpasea-Jones

When I first fell in love, I was faced with a difficult dilemma. The man I loved had HMSN, which had a 50% of being passed onto our children. His father had had it, and both he and his younger brother were affected. His brother had had numerous surgeries to correct deformities. I knew the risks were high, and thought we shouldn't chance it. I suggested Donor Insemination. My partner was horrified, saying he couldn't bear to see me pregnant by another man. We discussed adoption, but the chances of us actually being allowed to adopt were remote, since we were both disabled.

We argued about it a lot, he even accused me of 'wanting a Hitler race!'

Eventually, seeing how important it was to him to have his own children, we decided to go for it. That was in 1995, prior to the days of pre-implantation genetic diagnostics. Our relatives were agast, saying we should never have children and what we'd done was irresponsible and cruel. I could see their point. But I could also see ours. Whilst I wouldn't wish a disability on a child, since I have one and am happy, I don't see it as an obstacle to a fulfilling life.

We chose not to have a CVS as I would not have had a termination anyway. Thankfully all of our children were born without HMSN. I sometimes wish we'd got together 10 years later and then I definitely would have signed up for IVF with pre-implantation genetics diagnostics.

Their father is not so sure. He says it's like trying to breed 'perfect' babies and that IVF babies have more defects and illnesses than naturally concieved ones. He sees it as attempting to make a 'designer' baby, without long term follow up of how these children actually do.

I can see his opinion too, and wonder if there is a right or wrong answer to this issue?

Posted by Joanna Karpasea-Jones

Last year, a 53 year old woman gave birth to her own granddaughter after being implanted with her daughter's eggs.

Her daughter was diagnosed at the age of 19 with a potientially fatal lung disease which prevents her from ever having any kind of surgery as it would kill her. Her heart may also give out if she is subjected to any kind of bodily pressure such as labour, so after years of childless heartache, her mother agreed to bear a child for her, and a beautiful baby girl, Annie Trinity was born by caesearean section, weighing 7lbs, 8ozs.

On reading about this I couldn't help but think what a wonderful form of surrogacy this is. The child will know and have a relationship with both the mother and surrogate.

I cannot help but wonder how many baby M cases could have been averted if more family members offered to help their infertile relatives?

Posted by Joanna Karpasea-Jones

I hadn't heard of rproductive immunity until I was sitting in Care Fertility's waiting room, reading some leaflets on IVF and IUI.

The idea that some people produce antibodies to sperm or embryos, I found shocking.

Currently, 1 in 6 couples are infertile. This surely must be an increase from when my grandmother had her first child in 1931. And what is causing human beings to counter attacks against their own reproductive system, the very thing that keeps the human race alive.

Is it the convenience orientated society we live in? Junk food dinners instead of real food? A pill for every ill? What about the increasing arsenal of vaccinations we have, that according to manufacturer's, 'have never been evaluated for their effect on fertility'? Maybe it's pollution, or tinned food with estrogens in it that can impair sperm quality?

It certainly makes me worry for my own daughters and my possible grandchildren, when I hear about the number of people needing IUI or clomid to have a baby. I feel there is a bigger picture going on that hasn't been understood or touched upon.