Episode 90: Homeopathy and Dairy Intolerance with Anjum Rahmatulla (Episode Rerun)

Why can two people with similar symptoms need completely different approaches? In this episode of the Homeopathy247 Podcast, Mary Greensmith speaks with experienced homeopath Anjum Rahmatulla about individualized prescribing and the importance of understanding the person behind the symptoms. Anjum shares two cases from her practice, including a teenager whose family described his digestive symptoms as a dairy intolerance or allergy, and a young woman experiencing teeth grinding and headaches. A Young Person With Digestive Symptoms Anjum discusses a 13 year old boy who experienced distressing bowel symptoms, including bloody and slimy stools. His family had already sought medical help before consulting her. Rather than considering the digestive problem alone, Anjum explored his wider symptom picture, personality and general characteristics. Looking Beyond Dairy Anjum asked about much more than what happened when the boy consumed dairy. She considered: His personality Energy and sociability Whether he generally felt hot or cold Food preferences Sleep Fears Other physical symptoms His general pattern of health Within her homeopathic framework, all these details helped her build what she describes as a "jigsaw" of the individual. Why Phosphorus? Anjum explains why she selected Phosphorus within traditional homeopathic prescribing. She felt the remedy picture matched several characteristics of the boy, including aspects of his personality and his tendency towards bleeding, including nosebleeds. She reports that his digestive symptoms improved gradually over several months and that his mother later said he was able to eat dairy again. This is an individual case report and cannot establish that homeopathy treated a dairy allergy or caused the reported improvement. One Diagnosis Doesn't Mean One Remedy Anjum makes an important point: another person with apparently similar digestive problems might receive an entirely different homeopathic prescription. She explains that homeopaths traditionally look at how an individual experiences symptoms rather than prescribing purely from the diagnostic label. Listening to the Patient's Own Words The second case involves a young woman experiencing teeth grinding and headaches. Anjum shares several statements from the patient about independence, exercise, dancing and how she felt emotionally. Those descriptions led Anjum towards the traditional Sepia remedy picture. For Anjum, the exact words someone uses can provide valuable clues during homeopathic case taking. Getting to Know Yourself Mary and Anjum also discuss how detailed consultations can encourage people to think more carefully about their own symptoms. What does the pain actually feel like? What improves it? What makes it worse? How do you respond emotionally? These questions can help build a detailed health history, even though homeopathic remedy matching itself has not been established as an effective method of treating medical conditions. Dairy Allergy and Dairy Intolerance Are Different A true cow's milk allergy involves an immune reaction to milk proteins and can sometimes cause serious or life threatening reactions. Lactose intolerance is different and involves difficulty digesting lactose. Anyone with a diagnosed or suspected food allergy should follow appropriate medical advice and should not deliberately reintroduce the food based on a homeopathic response alone. Homeopathy has not been established as an effective treatment for food allergy or as a way to make someone safely tolerate an allergen. Key Takeaways Anjum uses detailed individualized case taking. A diagnosis is only one part of the information she considers. Personality and general characteristics form part of traditional prescribing. Patients' own words can provide useful information. One remedy should not be assumed to suit everyone with the same complaint. A personal case experience cannot demonstrate treatment effectiveness. Dairy allergy and lactose intolerance are different conditions. Suspected food allergies need appropriate medical assessment. Visit Anjum's website here: https://www.aaraam-homeopathy.co.uk/ You can also subscribe to our podcast channels available on your favourite podcast listening app below: Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/homeopathy247-podcast/id1628767810 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/39rjXAReQ33hGceW1E50dk Follow us on our social media accounts: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homeopathy247 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeopathy247 You can also visit our website at https://homeopathy247.com/