Homeopathic medicine, treatment and remedies for Autism

• Agaricus Muscarius
  Common Name: Toad stool
  Symptoms: This remedy can be helpful for addressing the following symptoms:

  • Confusion
  • Making singing sounds and frequently shouting or muttering rhymes
  • Twitching while asleep
  • Slow response or absence of response when a question is asked
  • A reluctance to work
  • Showing indifference
  • Episodes of increased cheerfulness
  • Difficulty reading
  • Incoherent talking
  • Drowsiness during daytime
  • Sudden sadness
  • Perceptual difficulties such as perceiving the relative size of objects
  • Wanting to injure oneself 
  • Yawning followed by involuntary laughter

Symptoms may get worse in open air and in cold weather. Symptoms get better on moving slowly.

• Belladonna
  Common Name: Deadly nightshade
  Symptoms: This remedy can be helpful in the treatment of the following symptoms:

  • Frequent mood swings
  • Being oblivious to one’s surroundings
  • Sleeplessness with drowsiness
  • Indifference to external stimulus
  • Aversion to talking
  • Vivid visual hallucinations; the patient sees frightful images
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Restless sleep
  • Gritting teeth and crying out during sleep

Symptoms may get aggravated in the afternoon, due to noise or touch.

• Cuprum Metallicum
  Common Name: Copper
  Symptoms: This remedy is best suited for individuals with the following symptoms:

  • Dizziness
  • Fearfulness
  • Palpitations
  • Tendency for the head to fall forward towards the chest
  • Jerking and twitching of the muscles
  • Unintentional use of words
  • Profound sleep
  • Rumbling in the stomach while sleeping
  • Clenched thumbs

Symptoms worsen on touch and before menses in women and get better on having cold water.

• Helleborus Niger
  Common Name: Snow rose
  Symptoms: This remedy is used for the treatment of the following symptoms:

  • Persistent sadness
  • A tendency to roll one’s head all the time
  • Problems in seeing and hearing
  • A tendency to respond slowly
  • Screaming suddenly, especially in sleep
  • Muscle weakness
  • Beating the head with hands
  • Fainting
  • Moaning
  • Thoughtlessness
  • Sighing involuntarily
  • A tendency to bore one’s head into the pillow

Symptoms may get worse during the evenings.

• Nux Vomica
  Common Name: Poison nut
  Symptoms: This remedy can help with the following symptoms:

  • Excessive irritability
  • Headache on exposure to bright sunshine
  • Fits while awake, which get worse upon touching the patient
  • Mental exertion
  • Short temper
  • Drowsiness after having meals
  • Great aversion to noises, light, odours, and being touched
  • Shallow respiration
  • Hypersensitivity
  • Vivid dreams
  • Inability to sleep after 3 am and feeling insufficiently rested after waking up

Symptoms tend to get worse on touching, with mental exertion and in the mornings. Symptoms get better in the evening and after resting.

• Phosphorus
  Common Name: Phosphorus
  Symptoms: The following symptoms can be managed with the help of this remedy:

  • Persistent sadness
  • Loss of excitement
  • Fearfulness
  • Hypersensitivity to external stimulus
  • Violent palpitations
  • Weak memory
  • Extreme fearfulness when alone
  • Mental exhaustion
  • Restlessness
  • Vivid dreams
  • Exhibiting unusual indifference
  • Eye fatigue
  • Hearing difficulty
  • Excessive drowsiness after having meals
  • Tendency to take short naps

Symptoms get worse upon physical and mental exertion or changes in the weather. Symptoms get better after getting some sleep and spending some time in open air.

• Saccharum Officinale
  Common Name: Cane sugar
  Symptoms: This remedy is useful for addressing the following symptoms:

  • Persistent sadness
  • Violent temper
  • Twitching of facial muscles
  • Excessive irritability
  • Indifference
  • Aversion to talking
  • Lack of interest in usual activities
  • Lack of basic problem-solving ability
  • Tendency to quarrel
  • Sleeplessness
  • Fainting attacks
• Stramonium
  Common Name: Thorn apple
  Symptoms: This remedy is indicated in case of the following symptoms:
  • Sadness in the evenings
  • Great irritation to small issues
  • Rapid movements
  • Out-of-context laughter alternating with moaning
  • Howling and groaning
  • Murmuring
  • Loss of memory
  • Mental derangement
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Fixed ideas
  • Delusions related to the relative size of objects
  • Mental alienation and inattention
  • Excessive talking and laughter
  • Fearful hallucinations
  • Dullness of senses
  • Restlessness
  • Head tends to be drawn backwards
  • Deep sleep with cries and howling
  • Restless sleep
  • Agitation while sleeping due to dreaming
  • Aversion to touch
  • Jerking movement of the limbs
  • Involuntary motions
  • Fear of darkness
  • Aversion to the sight of shimmering objects

Symptoms get worse in a dimly lit environment, while they get better in bright light and with company.

Homeopathic doctors often suggest their patients follow certain lifestyle and dietary guidelines to get the maximum benefit from the treatment. This is because the remedies are made from natural substances which are highly diluted before use and their action gets easily affected by external factors. Also, these lifestyle changes will have a positive impact on the action of the remedies and will help in achieving overall health. 

Do’s: 

• Make sure to maintain personal hygiene while on homeopathic medications.
• Keep your surroundings clean and well sanitised.
• Replace processed foods with healthy foods, which are rich in fibre. 
• Maintain a good posture.
• Lead an active lifestyle by engaging in regular mild exercises, such as yoga or jogging.
• Wear airy and comfortable clothes which allow easy ventilation.

Don’ts: 

• Reduce the intake of beverages such as coffee and tea while taking homeopathic medications. 
• Do not consume alcohol and other substances which will interfere with the working of the homeopathic drugs.
• Foods which are high in salt and sugar must also be avoided.
• Avoid the use of artificial scents such as perfumes and room fresheners.
• It is also advised to refrain from using artificial temperature control devices such as air conditioning or room heaters.

In a study conducted by the Spandan Holistic Institute of Applied Homeopathy, Mumbai, 60 children with autism were selected to test the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies. 

All the patients were first observed for a period of six months and then treated for a year with homeopathic remedies. At the end of the study, it was found that homeopathic treatment resulted in reduction of hyperactivity, behavioural dysfunction, sensory impairment as well as communication difficulty in all the patients. 

According to the National Center for Homeopathy, U.S.A., homeopathic remedies are prescribed after taking note of the disease symptoms and symptoms that are unique to a person. These symptoms may differ among children with autism in terms of intensity and frequency. Homeopathic therapy aims to treat the person as a whole and does not simply focus on a set of symptoms. Therefore, instead of providing different medications for different symptoms of autism (as done in conventional medicine), homeopathic doctors are likely to make use of one remedy which can address all the symptoms.

Children with autism are often found to be very sensitive to sensory inputs such as taste and smell. Homeopathic medicines have a pleasant taste and are therefore easy to administer in autistic children. Homeopathic medicine is also the safest form of medicine which is non-toxic and natural.

Homeopathic remedies are generally safe to consume. This is because these remedies are administered only after a careful examination of the individual’s medical history and all the aspects of their health. Therefore, these medicines are less likely to elicit an allergic reaction or side effects. However, make sure to talk to a qualified homeopathic doctor before taking any remedy.

Autism or autism spectrum disorder includes conditions characterised by behavioural changes including an inability to express or understand emotions, lack of communication skills and echolalia. Conventional treatment of autism is done through symptomatic management. Homeopathy is a holistic mode of treatment that aims to heal a person as a whole instead of just focussing on symptoms. Unlike conventional medicine where there is a pill for every symptom, in homoepathic therapy patients are given a single remedy that works for every symptom. Homeopathic remedies are derived from natural substances and are hence safe to consume. They are a great option for individuals who are looking for an alternative to conventional treatments or would like to use a complementary form of therapy along with conventional medicines.