Homeopathic medicine, treatment and remedies for Ovarian Cysts

• Apis Mellifica
  Common Name: Honey bee
  Symptoms: Patients who benefit from this remedy have some of the following symptoms -       
  • Congestion in the ovaries, especially in the right ovary.
  • Soreness in the inguinal region.
  • Stinging pain in the ovarian region of the abdomen during menses.
  • Constricted feeling in the uterine and ovarian regions.
  • Swelling and puffiness of eyes.
  • Suppressed menses along with head complaints.
  • Bleeding between periods.
  • Localised pain and numbness, especially in the thighs.
  • Affections of left ovary.
  • Reduction in pain when the person is  busy and moving.
  • Lack of  thirst. 

Apis is particularly suited to females who feel awkward and clumsy and keep dropping things very often.  

The efficacy of Apis has been demonstrated in the treatment of a big right ovarian cyst of almost 89 mm x 35 mm with other symptoms of menstrual irregularities and in the prevention of its recurrence. It thus helps in treating ovarian cysts without any kind of surgical intervention.

• Arsenicum Album
  Common Name: Arsenic oxide
  Symptoms: Patients who benefit from this remedy have some of the following symptoms -       
  • Burning pains in the ovarian region of the abdomen with predominant involvement of the right ovary
  • Restlessness during pain.
  • Severe exhaustion disproportionate to the energy actually spent.
  • Thirst for sips of water at short intervals.
  • Profuse bleeding during menses, with early periods.
  • Dysmenorrhoea, which increases with the slightest exertion and is better with warm fomentation.
  • Pain that radiates to the thighs.
  • Severe nausea and retching at the smell or sight of food.
  • Big pustular acne on the skin.
• Belladonna
  Common Name: Deadly nightshade
  Symptoms: Patients who benefit from this remedy have some of the following symptoms -       
  • Inflammation of the ovaries, known as ovaritis.
  • Sensation of all organs being forced downwards and protruding from the genitals.
  • Dragging pain from loins to groins.
  • Profuse bleeding during menses that is bright red in colour.
  • Foul smelling periods.
  • Along with pain in the ovarian region, throbbing pain in the breasts and painful red streaks in nipples.
  • A feeling of heaviness and hardness in breasts.
  • Hot vaginal discharge.
  • Pain which is worse with the slightest movement.
  • Right ovary affections more than left with sudden appearance of symptoms.
• Calcarea Carbonica
  Common Name: Carbonate of lime
  Symptoms: Patients who benefit from this remedy have some of the following symptoms-        
  • Health complaints due to impaired nutrition.
  • Swellings in glands such as tonsils.
  • Apprehension, anxiety, forgetfulness, confusion and aversion to work
  • Headache, abdominal colic and leucorrhoea (white discharge) before menses.
  • Heavy bleeding during periods and early periods. (Read more: Heavy periods causes)
  • Breasts become heavy, swollen and painful before periods.
  • Burning sensation in pelvic region before and after periods.
  • Menses associated with gastric complaints and colicky pain.
  • Menses associated with toothache and also vertigo.
  • Cold and clammy feet.
  • Complaints that are worse in cold weather or with the slightest mental or physical excitement.
• Graphites
  Common Name: Black lead, plumbago
  Symptoms: This remedy suits females who are stout and of fair complexion. Patients who benefit from this remedy have some of the following symptoms -              
  • Skin-related problems
  • Constipation
  • Extremely delayed periods.
  • Tearing pains in the upper abdomen.
  • Scanty bleeding during menses, which is too pale.
  • Hoarseness, runny nose and nausea before menses.
  • Hardness and heaviness of breasts.
  • Nipples become cracked, sore and have blisters.
  • Worsening of symptoms during and after menstruation.
• Lachesis Mutans
  Common Name: Bushmaster snake or surucucu
  Symptoms: This remedy suits women who are extremely religious, suspicious and superstitious. Patients who benefit from this remedy have some of the following symptoms -
  • Marked tendency to bleed easily.
  • Sensitivity to the pressure of clothes. Such women cannot bear tight clothes at all.
  • Pain and swelling in the left ovary.
  • Presence of a fibrous or hard mass in the left ovary. (Read more: Uterine fibroids treatment)
  • Very short menses.
  • Pain is reduced during menstruation.
  • Congestion of breasts along with appearance of a bluish discolouration in breast tissue
  • Such women are of talkative nature and keep jumping from one topic to another. They also have a gloomy and sad mood during mornings.
• Lycopodium Clavatum
  Common Name: Club moss
  Symptoms: Patients who benefit from this remedy typically look older than their age, have complaints in the right ovary and experience symptoms such as-           
  • Delayed menses.
  • Menses come late but last too long and bleeding is profuse.
  • Dryness and burning in vagina.
  • Pain in right ovarian region.
  • Acrid leucorrhoea.
  • Leakage of blood from vagina while passing stools.
  • Distended and bloated abdomen with a lot of gas. (Read more: Stomach gas treatment)
  • Disturbances in liver function.
  • Excessive hunger.
  • Complaints worsen in the evenings from 4 pm to 8 pm.
• Pulsatilla Pratensis
  Common Name: Windflower
  Symptoms: The efficacy of Pulsatilla was demonstrated in a research conducted on 36 patients having ovarian cysts. At the end of the trial, 30 females were completely cured of ovarian cysts and were found to have normally ovulating follicles, the rest were asymptomatic. Patients who benefit from this remedy are generally girls who are mild, gentle and yielding in nature, with changeable and indecisiveness. They have some of the following symptoms and experience -   
  • No periods or missing periods if the person gets wet, especially the feet.
  • Menses that are late and scanty.
  • Bleeding which is clotted, thick and is never the same in two cycles.
  • Chilliness during menses.
  • Nausea before and during menses
  • Pressure in the pubic region that radiates downwards.
  • Back pain and tiredness.
  • Loose motions during and after menses.
  • Lack of thirst.
  • Such women seek open air and  feel better in the open.
• Thuja Occidentalis
  Common Name: Arbor vitae
  Symptoms: This remedy is particularly beneficial for women who have fixed ideas that don’t change easily and are emotionally very disturbed. Patients who benefit from this remedy have some of the following symptoms -      
  • Warts on the body.
  • Warts in the genital area like the vulva and perineum. (Read more: Genital warts treatment)
  • Severe cutting pain in the left ovary and left inguinal region.
  • Left-sided ovaritis during every menstrual cycle.
  • Scanty bleeding during periods.
  • Feeling of movements in the abdomen.
  • Sadness and weeping on listening to music.
  • It is also effective in complaints caused due to the ill effects of vaccines.
  • Sleeplessness, stiffness in joints and swelling in glands may also be noticed.

A trial was conducted on 3 females of childbearing age suffering from polycystic ovarian disease, one of whom also had a large cyst in the left ovary and had been advised surgery. All cases, depending on the totality of symptoms, were given thuja, with different treatment durations. All of the women reported improvement in symptoms along with removal of ovarian cysts, including the large cysts. Thus, surgery and conventional medicines for hormones were avoided.

Do’s

• Take adequate rest.
• Engage in physical activity and eat healthy food and drinks.
• Maintain a schedule of taking homoeopathic medicines. Lachesis should be taken at the onset or just at the end of periods, as directed by the homoeopathic physician.
• Patients crave certain things during acute episodes of pain, and these things should be given to them at that time as the craving is only for things which help them get some relief.

Don’ts

• Many strong-smelling food items like coffee, herbal teas and spices have medicinal properties, which can interfere with the action of homoeopathic medicines. Do not take these medicines with such medicinal food substances.
• Do not lead a sedentary lifestyle.
• Homoeopathic medicines are given in minute doses which easily react with the environment. Therefore, they should not be kept exposed to direct sunlight or near strong-smelling substances.

Homoeopathic treatment can be helpful in treating chronic hormonal disorders like ovarian cysts and preventing relapse of this condition in future. Depending on each case and based on a detailed case history, constitutional homoeopathic remedies like calcarea carbonica, graphites or apis mellifica and intermediate remedies like folliculinum or ovarinum are prescribed, which aid in gradual regression of the cysts. Additionally, with the help of lifestyle changes, other problems like obesity, insulin resistance and infertility can be treated.

One can avoid heavy hormonal medicines prescribed in conventional treatment and even surgeries with just minute doses of homoeopathic medicines. In a research study, a group of females with menstrual irregularities were given pulsatilla, a leading homoeopathic medicine for menstrual irregularities and ovarian cysts along with lifestyle modifications for a certain period of time. At the end of the study, 60% of females reported improvements not only in their menstrual cycle irregularity but also in their emotions, diet, weight and fertility. 

In another research conducted with homoeopathic medicines to treat diseases like polycystic ovarian syndrome, 91% of females who had complaints of peculiar dreams reported a remarkable improvement in symptoms. This shows that besides their action on physical complaints, homoeopathic medicines also act on the mental sphere.

Homoeopathy is one of the safest medicine systems as there has been no documentation of any side effects caused by it. However, one must be sure to take these medicines only after getting a prescription from a registered homoeopathic practitioner.

Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs present in the ovary. It is caused due to an imbalance in female hormones induced by stressful or sedentary lifestyles. People with this hormonal problem are at high risk for diabetes and infertility. Homoeopathic medicine helps cure ovarian cysts in many ways and even prevents surgeries. Along with homoeopathy, one must also keep their weight under check by following a proper dietary regimen and exercise routine to get rid of ovarian cysts permanently.