Monthly Miracles

by Michael Gerber, MD, HMD

Hyperemesis Gravidarum: Reversing Autotoxic Hormone Reactivity/Antihormone Therapeutics

There may be many conditions in which patients are allergic or toxic to their own hormones. There is no one more fond of bioidentical hormone therapy than the author. I have used progesterone therapy since 1975 when Ray Peat, PhD, in Oregon began writing about the successes of Katrina Dalton, MD, gynecologist from England with progesterone in the 1960s. However, over the years, many of my patients have responded badly to progesterone, even though they seemed to be estrogen dominant and theoretically needed it.

K2 Always Stops Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy?

Until this year I have had nearly 100% success with intramuscular administration of vitamin K2 (menatetrenone) 2 cc at 10 mg/cc for nausea and vomiting (N/V) of pregnancy in scores of patients. Thanks to Jonathan Wright, MD, for teaching this many years ago. The original papers on this date back to the 1950s, I believe. Dr. Wright recently presented this wonderful, nontoxic therapy to a gynecological journal examining nausea of pregnancy and was rejected by an editor of the journal stating, “We don’t do these kinds of therapy.” Vitamin K shots are also good for many other causes of nausea, including acute GI influenza, gastritis, GERD, and chemotherapy reactions. One of our recent sufferers from N/V of pregnancy is a commercial airline pilot and Air National Guard pilot who couldn’t fly when she couldn’t stay in the cockpit because of vomiting. The K shots rapidly cleared her N/V and she could resume flying. With N/V of pregnancy, I usually administer vitamin K2­ 2 cc daily for the first couple of days until the N/ V stops and then weekly or as needed. Sometimes one shot stops it for the whole pregnancy.

Last fall H.S., a 34-year-old mother of two, pregnant again, presented in the office with hyperemesis gravidarum. She had intractable N/V with the first two pregnancies and was having dry heaves, hovering over the toilet all day long with this pregnancy as well. I said “slam dunk”: we will give you vitamin K shots and the vomiting will end immediately. After two weeks of vitamin K shots it didn’t help her at all; she was still having dry heaves all day. Subsequently, I gave a couple of high-dose homeopathic remedies for N/V of pregnancy which tested well but didn’t help her. Then I remembered the wisdom of Lee Cowden, MD, who counseled me many years ago to look out for allergies to hormones when I was trying to help a lady with infertility. I asked H.S. how she did when I prescribed progesterone for her PMS. She said, “Oh, I hated that stuff. It made me deathly ill and nauseous.” I told her that progesterone goes up 40-fold during pregnancy and that she might be allergic to her own hormone. On checking with my BioMeridian EAV device, she indeed tested very weak to progesterone. I tested several homeopathic dilutions of progesterone and found that progesterone 30C put her in balance. Two days after starting the progesterone homeopathic drops, the N/V stopped. Ten days later, she completed a half-marathon in Las Vegas. She had no more N/V during the pregnancy and delivered a healthy, 7-pound girl. Needless to say, we were all extremely happy with this outcome.

Polycystic

Ovarian Syndrome, Dysmenorrhea, Acne

Autoreactivity to hormones seems to be present in a number of hormonal-related illnesses in my experience. Polycystic ovarian syndrome has been improved in several patients with hirsutism using homeopathic testosterone, 30C to 200C, and increasing dosage over time. Dark black hair on arms and legs and facial hair has greatly diminished.

Several patients with painful periods (“My ovaries are pounding out through my pelvis”) have been relieved with homeopathic dilutions of estradiol, usually 30C to 200C. Eczema, which blooms in one woman from day 10 through 21 of her menstrual cycle and then heals itself, was sensitive to her LH and estrone as well.

Acne has been reduced in chronic sufferers with homeopathic estradiol and testosterone. In one male with severe acne on his back and scalp and another with severe facial acne testosterone, dilutions have been very helpful. The dosages should be gradually increased every month or six weeks from 30C to 100C, 200C, IM, 10M, 50M, and then LMs 1 through 12 over years if the patient still tests as needing them.

I think that other hormone-related illnesses such as endometriosis and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis may benefit from using homeopathic dilutions of hormones which are related to the particular hormone regulating the gland or tissue. Integrating our usual, wonderful approaches for health care allows our patients to respond to these more subtle, energetic messages and helps fill in some tough therapeutic gaps in our armamentarium.