Beverly was eight months pregnant. Her hemorrhoids had begun to flareup up at the beginning of her third trimester, two months before this visit. “I feel like it’s a tone problem. My anal tissue just doesn’t seem like it can support the weight of the baby. ” She complained of pressure in the rectum. She felt like the skin would pop. She experienced a sense of fullness and tightness. These sensations were much worse after a stool and after drinking coffee . One night she could not sleep because of a twisting feeling in the rectum. She was worried that the hemorrhoids would become worse during the duration of her pregnancy and, especially, during labor. On physical examination, two hemorrhoids about 1 cm in diameter were visualized protruding from the rectum.

Case 2: Beverly after childbirth

Beverly returned to see us seven weeks later. Her labor had lasted 29 hours, during which time she suffered from severe low back pain. She now felt a twisting feeling in the rectum most of the time. The discomfort was temporarily relieved by cold applications . It was worse after a stool , at which time it throbbed . Beverly experienced some relief from elevating her legs. The pain was also worse from sitting down too long, at which time the pain became griping or clenching . This was a problem because she needed to sit down much of the time to nurse her newborn son. There was only slight bleeding (with the hemorrhoids. Examination reveal one pink, swollen external hemorrhoid approximately 1.5 cm in diameter.

Case 3: Lois

Lois was a 45 year-old patient of ours of three years standing at the time of her hemorrhoid flare-up. She had moved out of state, so we treated her hemorrhoids by phone consultation. Her hemorrhoids were terrible. “It’s like when I had the kids. They are big (and painful. They burn. The pain can be needlelike. One is the size of a grape. I feel them all the time. It’s worse lately since my mother in law is visiting and we’re doing a lot of sitting. I can feel the pain travel up my back.” She had started to take rutin and Vitamin C and had also tried witch hazel and sitz baths, but nothing was helping. The tone of desperation in her voice was clear.

Case 4: Bill

Bill was in bad shape after painting the deck outside his house. He had squatted and stooped for two days in a row and ended up with a raging case of hemorrhoids. He had experienced hemorrhoids periodically in the past, but these were the worst. He felt a raw, sore , burning pain in the rectum all the time. It was even worse after a stool . Bill experienced severe left sacroiliac pain, along with the hemorrhoids. The SI pain was sharp, and worse when he rose from sitting. He felt the hemorrhoids protruding. There was no bleeding. He could not come into the office, so there was no physical examination.

Case 1:

We gave Beverly  Sulphur 30C in a single dose. The rectum pain was substantially improved and she did not need another dose.

Case 2:

Beverly was given Aloe 200c in a single dose. Aloe is very useful for protruding hemmorhoids with a sense of pulsation in the rectum. There is often a feeling of insecurity in the rectum; a weakness and loss of power of the sphincter ani. This is much like Beverly described at her previous visit while she was still pregnant. Patients needing aloe may complain of an intense burning in the anus and rectum or an extreme soreness and tenderness. The pain is usually relieved by cold applications. A keynote of Aloe is hemorrhoids protruding like a bunch of grapes. There may also be considerable mucus in the stool. Aloe is an important remedy for dysentery, so diarrhea may also accompany the hemorrhoids.

Beverly called three days later to say her hemorrhoids were much improved. She has not needed further treatment.

Case 3:

We also prescribed Aloe for Lois. The only potency which was available to her locally was 6c. She took the Aloe 6c daily for two days, then called us two days later with a report on her condition. The hemorrhoids had diminished in size by one-half. The pain was better. The improvement had begun to diminish after she stopped taking the remedy. We instructed her to resume the Aloe 6c as needed and to call us if it stopped working, so that we could send her Aloe 30c. The hemorrhoids resolved over the next few days and Lois never needed the higher dose. That was six months ago and she has had no problems with hemorrhoids since that time.

Case 4:

Bill was given one dose of Aesculus hippocastanum 200c (Horse chestnut). Aesculus, a prominent remedy for hemorrhoids, is needed for hemorrhoid pain which radiates to the back and hips, particularly the sacroiliac. The pain is worse when the person rises from a seat, like Bill did. The remedy also fit his tendency to rectal pain which was worse after a bowel movement. Bill’s hemorrhoidal symptoms were much improved within two days. The hemorrhoids were completely gone within three days. They have not returned despite continued physical labor with squatting and bending.

These four cases illustrate the rapid and long-lasting response of patients suffering from hemorrhoids to acute homeopathic treatment.

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