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IGF-1, Homeopathic Proving, Insulin-like Growth Factor
Proving Report Insulin-like Growth Factor-1
(IGF1)
Also see:
Proving Report
Symptoms in the
language of the prover are organized in the traditional homeopathic format (as
found in Boericke) and selected according to the following criteria:
- modalities (something which makes a symptom better or worse)
- concomitants (something occurring in conjunction with a symptom)
- timing of the symptom (periodicity, specificity of timing)
- localization (sides, extension)
- unique descriptions of a symptom (descriptive adjectives)
- intensity of the symptom
- a symptom is new or has not been experienced in the past 12 months
- a symptom occurred after taking the medication on at least two
occasions during the homeopathic drug proving
- a symptom experienced when the proving started which disappeared or
is significantly ameliorated after the administration of the proving
medication, is classified as a cured symptom
- a symptom was experienced in more than one prover
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Proving Protocol
Clinical Trial Design
Homeopathic drug provings are similar
to Phase I clinical trials outlined in the Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) and
the European Community (EC) guidelines for clinical research.
Clinical Investigators
Proving Director - David Riley, MD
Proving Supervisors - Ann Seipt, N.D., Aimee Zagon, PA-C
Proving
Coordinator - Olivia Mason, R.P.T., M.S.
Adminstrative Asst. - Anna Bell
Romero
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Methodology
Data Collecting - Diary/journal format
Study
Design - Single group with placebo run-in
Method of Binding -
Double-Blind
Controls - Intra-individual controls, placebo run-in, placebo
controls
Medications
The medication used in this homeopathic drug
proving was prepared by Botanical Laboratories, Inc. in Ferndale, Washington as
a liquid in a 6C potency.
Subject Population
There were 25 subjects: 19 women and 6 men
ranging in age from 23 to 56 years. 23 subjects received verum, 2 received
placebo. Placebo provers were IGF-07 and IGF-18 and symptoms are included in
the final report. There was one dropout from this homeopathic drug proving,
IGF-14, who felt unable to find the time to keep a journal. Two provers did not
experience symptoms, provers IGF-04 and IGF-25, and are not included in the
report.
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Subject Inclusion Criteria - each subject
- was in a general state of good health for that person according to
the proving director, proving supervisor and the subject. Laboratory tests
consisting of a CBC, Chem-20, and ESR were ordered on three separate occasions
as follows: before onset of receiving remedy at week two, on or shortly after
the last day of ingesting verum or placebo, and after the proving journal was
completed.
- agreed in advance to comply with instructions for keeping a journal.
The subject observed and described symptoms experienced from taking a
homeopathic medication.
- did not engage in any elective medical treatments (such as surgery or
dental procedures) for the duration of the homeopathic drug proving.
- did not undergo any major life changes (moving, getting married or
divorced, etc.) and continued the usual habits and patterns of daily life.
- was over the age of 18, competent, and signed the informed consent.
- was given a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
Subject Exclusion Criteria - no subject
- was in ongoing medical treatment during the homeopathic drug proving
- had surgery within the past 6 weeks
- was on prescription medication
- had taken birth control pills in the past 6 months
- was pregnant or nursing
- failed to complete the journal as instructed
- was under the age of 18 or lacking complete competence
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General Drug Proving Outline
This homeopathic drug proving
was conducted between March 28, 1997 and June 24, 1997. Subjects were recruited
by advertisement. Subjects were included according to the above criteria and
signed an informed consent upon entry into the proving. They attended at least
two training sessions about homeopathy and how to keep a homeopathic drug
proving journal upon being accepted into the homeopathic drug proving. Each
subject was given a copy of a previously conducted proving at the first
training session. A routine medical evaluation was performed on all accepted
subjects.
This homeopathic drug proving lasted 10 weeks per subject. Phase I was a
two week pre-proving observation period which established the baseline rhythm
of each subject's daily life in a diary format. Phase II was a five week
medication (placebo Run-in and verum) and journaling phase. Phase III was a
three week post-proving observation phase. This was a single-case study with
three types of control: an intra-individual control comparing the
pre-medication phase with the medication phase, a placebo run-in week, and
placebo controls. Symptoms noted during the medication phase were compared with
the pre-proving observation period.
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Medication Adminstration
The homeopathic medication was
administered one week apart in a similar fashion. The first administration of
the medication was a placebo run-in period. The medication was administered 3
times daily (10 drops sublingually or dissolved in purified water) until the
subject developed symptoms or for three days. The medication was allowed to
dissolve under the tongue and food was not eaten for 15 minutes prior to or
after taking the medication. Subjects stopped taking the medication if no
symptoms occurred after three days. They continued keeping their journal
throughout this phase of the clinical trial. Each subject reported an potential
symptoms to the proving director or supervisors as soon as possible. After one
week the subjects were given a second medication administered in a similar
fashion for seven days. The second bottle was verum or placebo according to a
randomized code known only by the sponsor.
Symptom Collection and Evaluation
Subjects noted symptoms in
their journals for five weeks and were in daily contact with the proving
director of supervisor. The symptoms experienced after the administration of
the medication were compared with baseline pre-proving observations and
evaluated according to the criteria mentioned at the beginning of this report.
All symptoms from the placebo run-in period were eliminated for all subjects.
Symptoms experienced during the randomization phase were excluded for a subject
if they were the identical to symptoms experienced during the placebo run-in
phase. Symptoms from those subjects receiving placebo after the placebo run-in
phase are included in this report and noted by the letter "P". All subjects
completed an exit interview where each symptom experienced was reviewed again
for additional clarification. All symptoms were reviewed by all of the proving
supervisors and the proving director. Some subjects experienced a relief from
chronically experienced symptoms which have been included in the final report.
There were no adverse effects noted at the time of the exit interview or during
the post-proving observation period.
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Proving Time-line
| Week |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
| Initial Interview |
x |
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| Inclusion/Exclusion
Criteria |
x |
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| Initial Evaluation |
x |
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| Subject Education |
x |
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| Phase I: Pre-proving observation |
x |
x |
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| Phase II: Placebo run-in phase |
|
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|
x |
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| Phase II: Medication/Placebo |
|
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x |
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| Data collection in Journal |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
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| Phase III: Exit Interview |
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|
x |
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| Phase III: Post-proving observation |
|
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|
x |
x |
x |
| Contact with Subject |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
| Observation for adverse effects |
|
|
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
| Symptom organization/Final Report |
|
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|
x |
x |
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Materia Medica - Insulin-like Growth Factor
Materia medicus (encyclopedia of drug effects) represents the
therapeutic indications for the tested drug as a result of the proving.
The essential characteristics (in bold) are defined as those symptoms
that occurred the most frequently in the provers.
Precise detailed toxicological studies have been conducted for the
majority of the modern drugs in use today, i.e., in practice, their overdose
effects are known. These effect could be compared to a homeopathic "proving."
Thus, according to homeopathic reasoning, it should be possible to obtain
therapeutic results using diluted, dynamized preparations of these drugs in two
situations: a) patients with symptoms similar to those notoriously caused by
the drug on healthy subjects, b) patients presenting such symptoms as adverse
effects of the drug administered at high doses.
Essential Characterisitcs
Strange, disturbing quality
to provers' dream life. Difficulty concentrating. Headache in the forehead.
Nasal congestion. Cramping abdominal pain associated with diarrhea or stool.
Constipation with ineffectual urging. Strong uterine cramping with the menses.
Premenstrual breast tenderness and swelling. Nausea. An aversion to chocolate
and sweets. An increased appetite.
Mind
Nightmares. Difficulty concentrating. Remembered
or unremembered dreams. Colorful, vivid dreams, Strange dreams. Discontented,
impatient about small matters, reproachful of himself. Irritable and weepy
premenstrually (cured symptom). Sensitive and desires to be by himself. Fear of
heart attack.
Generalities
Energy increased (cured symptom) and energy
decreased. Sluggish, weak, muscle stiffness. Sensation of heat with nausea.
Desires apples, coffee, meat, rich foods. Averse to chocolate and sweets.
Motion aggravates.
Head Pain
Localized most frequently to the forehead,
and also behind the eyes, above the root of the nose, or in the vertex. Pain
quality was pressing as from a weight or like a band. Also throbbing with ear
pressure. Dull pain behind the eye. Headache with heartburn. Headache extending
to the neck. Stitching in the left temple. On waking. Lasting two to three
days. With dizziness. Pressure ameliorates.
Eye
Blurry, Watery, Photophobic.
Nose
Congestion to the nose (cured symptom). Sneezing.
Post-nasal drip. Rawness. Pimples in the nose.
Face
Heat internally and sensation of heat of the cheeks.
Acne of the forehead.
Mouth
Apthae.
Teeth
Sensitive to cold. Sense of pressure on the molars.
Throat
Inflamed with mucus, mucus in the throat. Sore and
dry, especially at night. Sensations of scraping and scratching.
Voice
Hoarseness.
Stomach
Nausea. An increase in appetite. Burning
pain. Pain of a drawing nature. Pain ameliorated by bending. Pain with
nausea. Easily satiated (cured symptom). Nausea with diarrhea, with burping,
with heated feeling and thirst. Nausea ameliorated after eating. Heartburn, A
full sensation.
Abdomen
Cramping associated with stool or diarrhea.
Distension from gas. Gurgling. Pressing pain before stool. Forward bending
aggravates.
Rectum
Constipation with a feeling of urging, but without
movement. Flatus with stool. Burning with stool.
Stool
Frequent and scanty. Comes out in hard pieces.
Bladder
Involuntary urination with sneezing.
Urine
Pungent odor.
Genitalia, Female
Uterine cramping during the menstrual
cycle (cured symptom). Cramping before the menstrual cycle. Uterine
cramping that is pulsating. mid-cycle spotting while walking. Menses early,
late, short, or painful or with profuse bleeding.
Chest
Premenstrual breast tenderness and swelling
(cured symptom). Heart palpitation. Sensation of heaviness in the chest.
Back
Aching back pain associated with the menses. Stiffness.
Tightness in the dorsal region.
Extremities
Swelling of the feet premenstrually. Ankle
swelling, Leg stiffness. Profuse sweating of the feet. Swelling of the feet,
hands and knees during menses.
Extremity Pain
Stiffness, Aching of the hips and joints.
Cramp-like pain in the feet while sitting still.
Sleep
Restless or deep. Sleeps uncovered.
Perspiration
At night. Absent. clammy. |
Practitioner Information 
