Individualized Homeopathic Treatment in Women with Recurrent Cystitis: A Retrospective Case Series

Background: Approximately 13% of women develop recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI) in their lifetime. Most clinicians are faced with repeated and long-term administration of broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents. This leads, however, to increased presence of drug-resistant bacteria and the disruption of normal levels of intestinal and vaginal flora and might lead to persistent infections and/or damage of the urinary tract. A new strategy is therefore warranted.

Methods:

Design: Case series of all patients treated with individualised homeopathy (iHOM) for rUTI at the Institute of Complementary Medicine, IKOM, at the University of Bern, Switzerland.

Subjects: Four females, aged 30–79.

Observation time: November 2013 to August 2018.

Analysis: Frequency of UTI and of antibiotic (AB) treatment were documented in the patients’ files. Additionally, treatment outcomes were assessed retrospectively in a validated questionnaire on Impact on Daily Living (ORIDL).

Results: The frequency of UTI and the need for AB reduced from at least monthly to less than 3 times a year. Three of the four women had no cystitis and related intake of AB for more than 2 years. In two of these patients, a relapse of symptoms could be treated efficiently with a repetition of the same homeopathic remedy. The subjective outcome assessments of all patients was reported positive. Three patients appraised major improvement for the main complaint.

Discussion: The treatment options for rUTI are limited and not always successful. Within this case series a new approach, iHOM, results in a positive outcome, both objectively (by reducing the frequency of UTI and the amount of AB courses) and subjectively as per patients’ assessments.

Conclusion: The evolution of the disease in the analysed patients suggests that iHOM might be a reasonable approach for the treatment of rUTI. It should be further investigated with prospective open-label and controlled studies.

Keywords: Urinary tract infections, antibiotic resistance

No conflict of interest has been declared by the author(s).