Success Story: Homeopathy Successfully treats Nerve Pain related to Cancer Treatment

Success story

Posted by Dr. Bruce Semon, M.D., Pn.D., December 8, 2012

Cancer is an extremely difficult and complicated medical condition.  Sometimes the side effects of cancer treatment can feel just as difficult.  This is an actual, ongoing case (name has been changed of course) of a woman who suffered from severe side effects of cancer treatment, and whom I was able to help with homeopathy.  For more information about homeopathy and cancer, and about preventing cancer, click here.

I have a patient who is a 51 year old woman, whom  I will call Adrian.  Adrian has had breast cancer.  She  completed treatment about 15 months after diagnosis, which was about 10 months prior to my seeing her.  Her treatment consisted of radiation, chemotherapy and surgery.  The last treatment was a chemotherapy infusion every three weeks.

Adrian is happy that the treatment was effective for the cancer, but she is very upset about the after-effects from the treatment itself because she has become completely debilitated.

Adrian came to me tired and in pain.  She stated that the tiredness began with the radiation.  The pain came after the chemotherapy.  Adrian reported that she  has pain from her thighs down, which is so bad that sometimes she falls and the pain affects her gait.  Sometimes the pain is so bad that she cannot not wear shoes.  She later described the pain as burning daggers in her feet. Adrian required a cane to walk.

Because of the tiredness and pain, Adrian’s life totally changed.  She had to stop working.  She also has problems with memory.  She can forget what she is doing or saying.   Adrian reports that she used to be a high level professional, “stable and intelligent.”  In her job, she made tough decisions.  She was very organized.    Now, she has a loss of concentration and difficulty finding words.  She reports that she uses the wrong words.  She also has insomnia.  She can go three days without sleep now.   Adrian has trouble organizing tasks.  She also has problems with social settings.  She is nervous around people.

Adrian reports that she used to be “strong” in the doctor’s office.  When she first started cancer treatment, she could handle things.  Not anymore.  One of her other doctors  diagnosed her with PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.   Now she feels like screaming inside the doctor’s office.  She was recommended for psychotherapy but she was afraid that the therapist would make her relive all the experiences she went through.  She felt that the cancer doctors discounted her feelings, and her post-chemotherapy pain problems.

Adrian came to see me for psychiatric treatment.  This is a case in progress.

I treated Adrian  with standard medications because she did not want to try something alternative at first.  She was too exhausted and in pain to consider alternative treatment, although I offered it.  Over the next few months, I prescribed medications for both sleep and concentration.  Nothing helped.   She complained repeatedly about the doctors not listening to her about the severe pain she was in.  She could not do simple tasks or keep her house.  She could take days to balance her checkbook.

I again offered Adrian the possibility of alternative treatment based on the  severity of the pain in her feet, which was termed “peripheral neuropathy.”  This is a relatively common side effect of cancer treatment and can be quite debilitating.

I had previously helped someone who had such pain with a homeopathic remedy.  This other person was young and had been treated for disseminated colon cancer.  She had had much difficulty with numbness in her hands and feet, mixed with pain.  This patient had improved significantly.

I offered this remedy to  Adrian.  She took the remedy three times.  She came back a few weeks later.  Her severe pain in her feet is much better.   Adrian no longer has the feeling of “burning daggers” in her feet.  She also goes to physical therapy and sees a chiropractor.     She still has problems with concentration.   Today is the first day she is not using a cane.  She is more mobile, although she still has some leg and knee pain.

Her improvement with three doses of a homeopathic remedy is really tremendous.  Mostly I noticed that she was smiling.   Adrian asked me for help with energy.  I continue to see Adrian as a patient.