> Holistic Healing > Homeopathic Remedies

Homeopathy and Milk Intolerance
by author Steve Olsen, CCH

Present day milk intolerance and milk allergy is the result of denatured milk that has been heat-treated (pasteurized). The fat content of milk, which naturally separates and rises to the top, has been processed to cause fat to emulsify (homogenization). This leads to a variety of symptoms, including ear infections, frequent colds, colic, chronic diarrhea, constipation, asthma, heartburn, stomach pain, skin reactions, headaches and irritability.

The usual medical course of action is to refrain from drinking processed milk and eating processed foods that contain whey, casein or lactose. Substitutes include: almond milk, rice milk and soy milk. But is this the best solution? According to homeopathy, the alternative course is to find the cause of the milk sensitivity and a medicine to cure it. For every disease there is an external exciting cause and an internal maintaining cause. Exciting causes include weather changes, emotional stress, allergenic foods and mildly toxic substances, to name a few. In homeopathic treatment we encourage the patient to avoid the exciting cause until we have found a medicine to cure the inner maintaining cause.

Internal maintaining causes include genetic tendencies and constitutional susceptibility. The susceptibility is made up over time as the person interacts with their environment. It can be permanently affected in a negative manner by emotional crisis, continuous mental strain, the overuse of allopathic drugs, vaccinations and strong environmental toxins.

As a person gets older the interaction between internal susceptibilities and external environment becomes more fixed and a pattern of symptoms develops that a qualified homeopath will be able to recognize.

It’s this pattern of symptoms that defines the maintaining cause. This is essential if relief is to be found. Just removing the exciting cause, although helpful, will not lead to a real cure. A real cure is achieved when one can drink milk again. However, since processed milk is always depleted of enzymes, it’s advisable to eat a cultured product such as kefir or yogurt.

The task of finding the pattern of symptoms that determines the maintaining cause involves an interview that can last from one to two hours in length.

The Next Step

In any one instance of a person with a milk sensitivity, there is the possibility of a cure. This is because the defence systems of the body are not fixed in stone. They are more like soft plastic and can be encouraged to go in a new direction to overcome a constitutional maintaining cause. This claim may seem impossible, but after treating many thousands of patients over the past 12 years, I can say that my experience has confirmed this conclusion.

Homeopathy has been in existence now for over 200 years and it has consistently demonstrated success in treating various food sensitivities, including those to milk. Homeopathic medicines have the ability to interface with the intelligence of healing systems of the body. It’s as if they can speak the same language. Each correct remedy, called the simillimum, is a powerful catalyst to the innate healing powers of the body.

There are over 75 homeopathic medicines listed for milk intolerance. For example Aethusa can be used for alactasia, (congenital absence of lactase). The child has colic, weight loss and vomits up milk in a projectile manner. Apis, a homeopathic medicine made from the honey bee could be used for the anaphylaxis (an extreme reaction to an allergen) type of allergy to milk. In this case there would be urticaria, difficulty breathing, swelling, redness, itchy skin, intolerance to heat and other symptoms of shock.

Magnesia muriaticum is another remedy for milk sensitivity. The people who need it will not be able to digest milk. They easily develop headaches, liver complaints and various other chronic syndromes. Emotionally they are very affected by arguments and criticism. They will yield to find a compromise. They are the great peace makers. Often in the past these people have experienced abandonment and so they often feel degrees of sadness or isolation. On waking they can feel unrefreshed and irritable.

Sulphur is another homeopathic medicine that can be used to treat this condition. These people have an over-developed ego, they can be selfish, have little regard for others, or do a lot for others but want to be recognized as special. They get diarrhea that gets them out of bed in the morning, sour regurgitation from milk, bloating and burning pains in the abdomen. They can be great thinkers, but often too lazy to finish the project that was started. They feel they are too important and often too concerned with their own thoughts to stop and help clean up, or say they will help, but then procrastinate.

If you think milk sensitivity may be a contributing factor to your ill health, then consider the possibility of consulting a qualified homeopath for a thorough evaluation.

Look for homeopaths with CCH or DHANP credentials. They are certified at a high standard.

Steve Olsen has been practising homeopathy for the past 12 years. His office is in Maple Ridge, BC.

Source: alive #219, January 2001