How to approach polypharmacy in BICOM bioresonance practice
Antonina Romè, Dr.med., Izlake, Slovenia,
Introduction
Polypharmacy means the use of multiple medications (more than 6) in one patient and often leads to adverse drug interactions. (1) Such interactions are most common in medicine used for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and the nervous system, followed by the medicine used for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and metabolism, as well as for the treatment of blood diseases and blood-forming organs.
Also called polypragmasy [poly-, multiple + G. pragma, a thing] is particularly common and characteristic of the elderly (> 65 years) and psychiatric patients, as they are more likely to experience multiple disease conditions at the same time (2). Additionally, the negative effects are added by the deterioration of organ function due to aging processes (reduced metabolism in the liver, altered secretion and motility of the intestine, reduced kidney function).
The negative consequences of polypharmacy are higher risk for side effects of drugs and reduced effectiveness of drugs. We should not forget about the over-the-counter medicines and all dietary supplements that interact with medicines and are not mentioned by patients (importance of good anamnesis).
Prevention or reduction of polypharmacy is managed by experts in official medicine and pharmacy (introduction of Pharmacotherapeutic examination for safe use of medicines).
What role can BICOM bioresonance method play in polypharmacy?
I began to observe the polypharmacy when in patients over 60 years of age the usual successful dietary and bioresonance therapies did not contribute to the expected improvement. Not only that, difficulties in achieving greater and lasting success of bioresonance therapy have also occurred in younger patients, with chronic problems and ongoing chronic therapy, especially immunological drugs or so called biologics, where these have not contributed to a satisfactory effect.
In my practice I introduced a rule that the patient should bring to the first examination all of the medications and dietary supplements they are taking; not only a written list, but also medicines in physical form. The purpose was not only electroacupuncture testing of drugs and determining the level of drug load on the body but also identifying one of the following categories and systematically approaching the problem of medications in bioresonance practice:
(a) detoxifying those medications which present a body load,
(b) stimulating the body to improve the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of the medicines
(c) assisting in the unblocking of the body due to medication and promoting the effect of bioresonance or drug therapies themselves.
On the following pages, I will present specific examples from practice for all three above mentioned groups. The described system can be used as the only therapeutic approach in patients with many drugs or as one of the therapeutic steps, especially when the patient is already taking medication for a chronic problem and does not have the desired good effect or if the drug is a major blockage in the body.
I have thoroughly studied and improved the presented system in the past recent years.
The system is simple, successful and applicable. When researching the system on how to treat drugs in BICOM bioresonance practice, I used the electroacupuncture technique (EAP test), as it gave me the most accurate insight into what is happening in the body, the body’s response to the drug, the body’s response to therapy and the success of self-regulation. In your practice, you can use any test technique (EAP, tensor, kinesiology, BBC) and use the guidelines from this case studies.
Presentation of case studies from everyday practice
Group (A) Detoxifying medications which present a body load
CASE STUDY (A)
The 85-year-old gentleman came for a bioresonance examination and treatment due to allergy and an itchy rash all over his body. He used corticosteroid creams that did not improve the condition. The itching was especially bothersome at night as it deprived him of sleep. The quality of life has thus been further reduced, as he also has problems with his spine, a pacemaker is inserted and a condition after the insertion of a coronary catheter due to a stenosis of the heart vessel. He suffers from constipation. In addition and despite medication for water excretion, his legs were severely swollen (leg edema due to congestive heart failure see illustration).
He took the following medications:
glucosamine (a dietary supplement for knee pain),
Aspirin (for blood thinning),
Atoris (atorvastatin – lowering cholesterol),
Avodart (dutasteride – due to enlarged prostate),
Omnic Ocas (tamsulosin chloride – due to enlarged prostate),
Concor COR (bisoprolol – lowering heart rate, to lower blood pressure),
Prenessa (perindoprilat – to lower blood pressure),
Prenevel (indapamide, perindopril – to lower blood pressure),
Aldactone (spironolactone – for water excretion),
Edemid (furosemide – for water excretion)
A total of 10 drugs !!!
Test
The EAP test always begins with the measurement of acupuncture points on hands and feet, the values of the points are recorded either in writing in the patient’s file or in the BICOM Pilot program (see picture bellow).
The meridian on which I performed the testing is marked in red. In our case, this is the meridian of the small intestine because it deviates the most from the normal value. It also tells us that the patient as well as that meridian are in considerable YIN (poor energetic) state.
I checked the patient’s possible food intolerances with program 191 (Ai) and which medications burden him (170 Ai). The reason was mainly to relieve the bowel and the intestinal lymphatic system and to restore good lymphatic drainage.
Of the foods, wheat tested positive. All other central allergens were negative. Following medications tested positive: glucosamines, Prenevel, Prenessa, Aldactone.
NOTE: combinations of medicines are possible, therefore they should also be tested accordingly !!!
Course of treatment
The patient has introduced a wheat-free diet, which I treated in one of the first therapies with programs 963, 944, 998 (at that time Riffel Ai sequence was still unknown). He also receives instructions for proper skin care (omission of liquid soaps, use soap only on intimate and sweaty areas, limit showering with water once a day in summer and once a week in winter and immediately after showering apply a nourishing preservative-free moisturizer).
This was followed by drug relief therapies in all possible combinations of tested drugs and in all possible combinations of programs that responded most frequently in patients (most of the programs were Di or Ai). The setting of the applicators follows the instructions in the BICOM Optima manual, a resonant medicine or a combination of medicines is additionally added in the input cup:
After three weeks of therapy twice a week, itching occured only sporadically, more often at night around 1:00 (liver). He received a mixture of Bach essences before bed and at night when he woke up. During this time he also urinated more, as a result of which was the subsiding of leg edema (interestingly: most edema subsided after the BICOM therapy with Aldactone, Prg. 430.2 – liver detoxication). This was followed by two more therapies one week apart. The itching reappeared only once more. He received a total of 8 therapies – only drug relief therapies.
At the patient’s request and dermatologist’s report, the cardiologist replaced the antihypertensive therapy – Micardis (telmisartan) 40mg was introduced.
Soon after that the patient reported over the phone that he felt generally unwell. He came to the practice with a blood pressure of 90/50. We immediately discontinued the antihypertensive drug. He started measuring his blood pressure twice a day and visited his personal doctor. Aldactone was discontinued and the patient was supposed to take Micardis 1 tbl only when blood pressure increased above the normal level. His attending physician was, of course, in control of this.
Medications at the end: Aspirin Protect, Avodart (dutasteride), Concor COR (bisoprolol), Omnic Ocas (tamsulosin chloride), Micardis (telmisartan) as needed, Edemid (furosemide) 6 drugs, which is the recommended limit !!!
We were able to replace all those drugs that proved to be stressful for he patient by our test. Afterwards he visited us only occasionally, when Edemid ½ tablet was not sufficient and more extensive edema of the legs began to develop again.
Results
Despite the fact that we found poor tolerance of certain drugs, we did not discontinue them immediately, as I do not want to oppose the official doctrine. With the help of bioresonance, we relieved the body of the medication and the body itself restored the homeostasis – the itching stopped, the edema decreased and, as a result, the blood pressure also dropped. With regular blood pressure measurements it was easier to achieve a change in therapy. The attending physician got familiar with bioresonance therapy and the cooperation was constructive for the patient.
Group (B) Stimulating the body to improve the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of the medication
CASE STUDY (B)
A 65-year-old female patient with severe fibromyalgia and polyarthritis was treated with Medrol for several years and consequently developed severe Cushing syndrome. The state of pain, however, did not improve as she wished. Therefore, she received a Medrol discontinuation regimen and the introduction of Methotrexate injections. She was also prescribed preventive doses of folic acid and calcium, vitamin D and medicines to prevent osteoporosis as a consequence of Medrol. In previous attempts when she tried to discontinue with Medrol (without the introduction of Methotrexate) her health always deteriorated markedly. Therefore, she decided to get also help with BICOM bioresonance.
Test
The EAP test was markedly “lazy”. In jargon it means the energy state of the patient’s meridians was very poor. For a BICOM electroacupuncturist, such a picture represents a rather challenging work.
On several meridians, i.e. large intestine, allergies, metabolism and triple warmer, I did a full diagnosis and checked medrol, methotrexate and folic acid. In this group of patients I search for either a relief of the medication or possible improvement of the drug metabolism and consequently a better effect in the body. I check the individual drug with both A and Ai programs. What is more, I also check with all the programs related to the elimination organs by inserting the medicine into the input cup and the patient is on the input and output.
The test programs I use are a synthesis of the test programs used so far. Namely, I observed different EAP behaviours with test programs in same patient – they respond differently to different test programs:
One group of patients responds better to programs where the frequency changes and the amplitude remains constant. These are programs 191 (Ai) / 192 (A)
The second group of patients has a better response at constant frequency and amplitude (170 Ai and 171 A)
The last group of patients responds best to both variables. Therefore, I use programs 197 (Ai) and 198 (A), because in these programs both amplitude and the frequency change simultaneously.
So far, I still cannot determine which patient will respond better to which program.
Therefore, I test drugs on all three Ai programs (191, 197, 170) as well as on all three A programs (192, 198, 171) and thus exclude the possibility of a false negative test due to patient’s low response to one group of test programs whereas he could respond well to another group.
Course of treatment
With this patient, I tested methotrexate and medrol for both parameters – A and Ai – at each visit. According to the test I included the drug in the treatment regimen as follows:
Basic scheme:
Basic program
Blockage or symptomatic programs
Elimination therapies (include drug if according to the test) / patient on input and output, medicine in input cup
Drug therapy (with program Ai or A) / patient only on the output, medicine in input cup
Stabilization of the five elements (only the weakest element or meridian) (A)
The purpose of such therapies is either to relieve the body of medicine or to harmonize the body with the medicine, as it is a necessary part of classical therapy although it did not achieve the desired effect yet.
Results
Our patient as well as other patients in this category achieve an improved pain-free condition and visit our office periodically every 1, 3, or 6 months, again depending on their own ability to self-regulate (when all meridians are within the normal range). The follow-up treatment procedure follows the scheme above.
We always focus on either relieving or improving the metabolism of medications that patients are still administering, with the only difference being that the effect of the drug is now also achieved.
SOMETHING TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT: If a patient considers to get off the medicine completely first the above stable state should be achieved. Only then we might be able to safely monitor how fast and with what concentration rate we might reduce the medicine, so that patient is still symptom free and safe. I prefer to do that action together with the specialist.
Group (C) Assisting to unblock the body due to medication and promoting the effect of BICOM bioresonance therapies
CASE STUDY (C)
Anamnesis
The 56-year-old female patient comes for treatments due to severe anxiety sensations that always start as pain in the muscles and on the back between the shoulder blades. The condition worsened after a mild form of coronavirus disease. Otherwise she is healthy. She had no major surgeries. She gave birth once. She has a dental foci problem with the tooth 3.7.
The patient takes Lexaurin daily (bromazepam, used for anxiety, tension, agitation, sleep disorders, functional disorders of the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, childbirth, urinary tract caused by stress, anxiety and tension, other psychosomatic disorders, e.g. or psychogenic skin diseases, anxiety and tension in chronic organic diseases, withdrawal syndrome).
TEST
The EAP test used in my office showed a completely normal condition in this patient in contrast to many of the described anamnestic
problems. All meridian values were within normal limits. The figure shows only the values of the meridians of the hands.
In such cases, I first think of possible blockage due to the drug the patient is taking. It turns out that psychiatric drugs often represent quite strong blockages of the nervous system, so I treat them as a priority and as a blockage.
I tackle this by doing program 3133 and 133 with the medicine in the input cup. The patient lies only on the modulation mat.
fter the sequence is finished I re-check the state of the meridians. In jargon I say that we »opened« the meridian system. The patient had a disturbed meridian of the nervous system after the drug was unblocked. Thus, further diagnostics are performed on this meridian. Of course, these procedures can also be used by those testing with a tensor.
COURSE OF TREATMENT
In this patient, it was necessary to balance out the autonomic nervous system and eliminate the dental focus of the 3.7 tooth. The patient also extracted the tooth according to dentist’s advice. During our treatments, we used following programs:
3021, 960.0 – sequence Vegetative disorder
915.2, 940.2, 960.4, 900.1 – sequence Vegetative dystonia
1281 – Sabine Rauch programs: Calming down the nervous system (program may be saved under different number in other BICOM devices)
3077 – Stressed nervous system
423.5 – Nervous problems
291.7 – Dental treatment mandibula, SI related
197 – Corona+ ampule
In the first week, the patient took Lexaurin only as needed, as she also realized during the test what a vicious circle she found herself in. However, as the therapies (5 therapies in total) began to work Lexaurin was completely discontinued.
RESULTS
The patient’s condition is stable at the time of this writing.
There are two possible critical explanations for her problems:
a) The patient’s nervous system was completely blocked due to pain and medication. The body`s system found itself in a negative loop. With the steps described above, we have reached a psychophysical state where we can now treat the patient as if she had come to us before taking Lexaurin. But because she is currently stable, we appointed her for a check-up after a while or as needed.
b) Another possible explanation, however, is that the nervous system was in fact the main reason for the problems that arose. At some point, Lexaurin no longer helped either. In this case, the described approach of treating the patient with the drug helps to influence the better effect of drug therapy itself too. In the future, Lexaurin could once again have its pharmacodynamic effect if the patient opted for this type of drug treatment.
Conclusions
In Slovenia, as in many other countries, cooperation between medical health care and natural medicine is not yet well established. The physician guiding the patient in conventional medical practice should be aware that the patient also attends a bioresonance method as well as should at least know the basic definitions in regards to the bioresonance method, in order to be able to understand patients. The therapist or physician of natural methods of treatment, who guides, observes, monitors the patient, should try to cooperate with official doctors. Complications, side effects and reduced effectiveness due to polypharmacy or due to factors never observed nor described by medicine are a financial burden of the health system more than they are a relief. At the same time, many patients try to solve the problem on their own due to medical complications. However, private services are not free nor cheap for patients. Given these facts in the current state, the correct relationship is to complement both sides – medical and natural. A good direct dialogue between doctor and naturopath is needed. In my practice, we already succeed in this, although it requires the right measure of reason, communication, courage and perseverance. I wish you to be able to use the described data well and apply it in your work!
Literature
Polypharmacy in the Elderly, Dr Giuseppe Sergi, Marina De Rui, Silvia Sarti, Enzo Manzato, Drugs & Aging, July 2011, Volume 28, Issue 7, pp 509-518
Idiosyncratic adverse reactions of most frequent drug combinations – longterm use among hospitalized patients with polypharmacy, Edisa Trumic, Nurka Pranjic, Lejla Begic, Fahir Becic, Mensura Asceric, Med Arh. 2012 aug; 66(4): 243-248
Polypharmacy and inappropriate prescribing of medicines to the elderly in nursing homes, Marija Petek Šter, Eva Cedilnik Gorup, Dean Klančič, Zdrav Vestn 2009; 78: 231–40