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Teixeira MZ
100 Rev Assoc Med Bras 2017; 63(2):100-108
POINT OF VIEW
Therapeutic use of the rebound effect of modern drugs:
“New homeopathic medicines”
Marcus Zulian Teixeira1*
1MD, PhD, Postdoctoral Student of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP). Coordinator of the Elective Discipline Fundamentals of Homeopathy
(MCM0773), FMUSP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Summary
Study conducted at the Department of
Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculdade de
Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo
(FMUSP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Article received: 7/4/2016
Accepted for publication: 7/9/2016
*Correspondence:
Departamento de Ginecologia e
Obstetrícia, HC-FMUSP
Address: Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar,
255, 10º andar, sala 10.166
São Paulo, SP – Brazil
Postal code: 05403-000
The homeopathic treatment is based on the principle of therapeutic similitude,
employing medicines that cause certain disorders to treat similar manifestations,
stimulating a reaction of the organism against its own ailments. The occurrence
of this secondary reaction of the organism, opposite in nature to the primary
action of the medicines, is evidenced in the study of the rebound (paradoxical)
effect of several classes of modern drugs. In this work, in addition to substantiate
the principle of similitude before the experimental and clinical pharmacology,
we suggest a proposal to employ hundreds of conventional drugs according to
homeopathic method, applying the therapeutic similitude between the adverse
events of medicines and the clinical manifestations of patients. Describing existing
lines of research and a specific method for the therapeutic use of the rebound
effect of modern drugs ), we hope
to minimize prejudices related to the homeopathy and contribute to a broadening
of the healing art.
Keywords: homeopathy, pharmacology, pharmacodynamic action of homeopathic
remedy, law of similars, rebound effect, new homeopathic remedy.
Introduction
The homeopathic model for the treatment of disease is
based on four assumptions: (i) the principle of healing by
similars; (ii) pathogenetic experimentation of medicines in
health humans; (iii) use of ultra-diluted (dynamized) med-
icines; and (iv) prescription of individualized medicines.
Although great importance is attributed to dynamized
medication (produced through the dilution and serial agi-
tations of the substances), incorporated secondarily to the
therapy in order to minimize possible initial symptomatic
aggravations derived from the application of the principle
of healing by similars, the first two assumptions are the
foundation of the homeopathic episteme, with individual-
ized homeopathic medicine (chosen according to the total-
ity of characteristic signs and symptoms) holding the inher-
ent condition for awakening the organism’s healing reaction.1
In Ancient Greece, Hippocrates taught that diseases
could be treated by the principles of “contraries” (con-
traria contrariis curantur) or “similars” (similia similibus cu-
rantur), recommendations which were followed by sev-
eral exponents of subsequent medical schools.2
At present, the “principle of contraries” is applied to
a large part of conventional therapy, which uses medicines
with primary action against (anti-) the signs and symptoms
of diseases (palliative or antipathic drugs) in order to min-
imize or neutralize their manifestations. On the other hand,
the “principle of similars” is used by homeopathic therapy,
which uses medicines that cause similar signs and symp-
toms (homeo) to diseases in order to stimulate a secondary
action or reaction by the organism against its own disorders.
Since 1998, we have been scientifically grounding the
principle of therapeutic similarity through the systematic
study of the “rebound effect” of modern drugs (“paradoxical
reaction” of the organism), 2-12 showing the manifestation of
this secondary and opposite reaction of the organism
after the primary action of numerous classes of drugs. At
the end of 2013, we published a review on the rebound effect
of drugs in this journal, 13 showing the extent of the phe-
nomenon and alerting health professionals about the serious
consequences that this unknown adverse event can cause.
In the last decade, exponents of modern pharmacol-
ogy have suggested a therapeutic strategy entitled “para-