Primary biliary cirrhosis or PBC is a progressive disease of the liver caused by a buildup of bile within the liver (cholestasis) that results in damage to the small bile ducts that drain bile from the liver. Over time, this pressure build-up destroys the bile ducts leading to liver cell damage. As the disease progresses and enough liver cells die, cirrhosis and liver failure occur.

Bile is manufactured in the liver and then transported through the bile ducts to the gallbladder and intestine where it helps digest fats and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). When bile cannot be drained from the liver, it causes inflammation that leads to cell death. Scar tissue gradually replaces the areas of damaged liver and then the Gallbladder and liver cannot perform necessary functions.

The cause of Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is still unknown. It is most likely an autoimmune disease, where the body’s immune system attacks its own cells (the bile ducts are under attack and are destroyed).

Risk factors for primary biliary cirrhosis

• There may be a genetic component to the development of primary biliary cirrhosis since a person with the disease is likely to have a family member also afflicted.
• Women are nine times more likely than men to develop Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). It most often develops in the middle age (between the ages of 40 to 60).
• The disease is seen more often in white, northern Europeans, compared to African and Caucasians.

Up to a quarter of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis are asymptomatic, meaning they do not have symptoms at the time of diagnosis and the disease is found incidentally because of abnormal liver blood tests.

The most common initial symptoms are fatigue or a sense of being abnormally tired and, skin that itches. Because of the intense itching and scratching, the skin may become darkened and discolored in some areas. The patient may complain of dry mouth and eyes.

Because there may be liver inflammation, some patients may experience right upper quadrant abdominal pain, where the liver is located.

As the liver damage progress, the symptoms of cirrhosis may develop. These include muscle wasting, ascites (swelling of the abdomen due to fluid accumulation), leg swelling, jaundice (yellow coloration of the skin), and confusion.

The diagnosis of Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is considered when the doctor suspects that there might be liver inflammation based upon the history and physical examination. Initially there may be few symptoms like itching or fatigue to help guide further testing.

The diagnosis may be made incidentally when abnormal liver functions be found on routine blood tests drawn for another reason. Liver function tests include AST (aspartate aminotransferase), ALT (alanine aminotransferase), GGT (gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase), alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin. Blood levels tend to become elevated in liver disease and they may rise in specific patterns depending upon the underlying cause of inflammation.

Once the diagnosis is suspected, a blood test to check for antimitochondrial antibody (AMA) is usually done. This is positive in over 90% of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.

Other blood tests may be considered including a complete blood count (CBC) and cholesterol levels.

Imaging of the abdomen by ultrasound, CT scan or MRI is often considered to look for structural changes in the liver and to search for tumors.

A liver biopsy may help confirm the diagnosis, liver biopsy also useful to help stage the disease and deciding its severity at the time of diagnosis.

Allopathic treatment for primary biliary cirrhosis

In allopathy the only “cure” for primary biliary cirrhosis is liver transplant, but it is only considered as a treatment option if other less aggressive treatments have failed, and the patient develops liver failure, while Homeopathy has many medicines having good results in primary biliary cirrhosis.

Allopathic drug “Ursodiol (Actigal) or ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)” is the first line treatment for primary biliary cirrhosis. It helps the liver transport bile into the gallbladder and intestine, in an attempt to prevent cholestasis.

Depending upon the severity of the disease, immune suppression drugs may be prescribed, including methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall), cyclosporine and prednisone.

Itching may be intense and difficult to control. Antihistamines like diphenhydramine (Benadryl) may be helpful but other drugs may be considered including cholestyramine (Questran, Questran Light), which helps bind bile and decrease the itching associated with elevated bilirubin levels in the blood.

Complications of Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) will need to be cared for. These include cirrhosis, portal hypertension, gastrointestinal bleeding, osteoporosis, and vitamin deficiencies.

During and after the allopathic treatment the complications of primary biliary cirrhosis develop as the ability of the liver to function decreases. Cirrhosis describes liver scarring and failure. As we know that the liver is responsible for helping to digest food, producing proteins, blood clotting factors, and enzymes that help digest food.

Some complications include the following:

Ascites: Fluid collection within the abdomen that occurs because the liver cannot produce enough albumin, a protein that helps keep fluid within the blood vessels. Ascites fluid is prone to infection and a condition called spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (peritoneum=sac that contains the abdominal organs + itis=inflammation)

Edema: Swelling of the legs may occur, again because of decreased albumin levels in the body

Easy bruising or bleeding: The liver is responsible for producing blood clotting factors. Without an adequate supply, there is an increased risk of bleeding. Patients may have a low platelet count because of an enlarged spleen causing easy bruising.

Hepatic encephalopathy: The liver also helps remove waste products from the bloodstream. Ammonia is the chemical waste product of protein metabolism, and the body requires a healthy liver to metabolize it. If ammonia levels rise, confusion and lethargy (encephalopathy) may occur.

Portal hypertension: An increase in pressure within the liver can cause blood flow issues leading to portal hypertension. This may backup blood flow from other organs, causing splenomegaly (enlarged spleen), and varices (varicose veins), especially in the esophagus and stomach that can predispose to bleeding.

Osteoporosis: PBC is also complicated by osteoporosis, difficulty in absorbing nutrients, such as fat-soluble vitamin D and calcium, from the intestine.

Cancer: Some studies show patients with PBC are at an increased risk for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Homeopathic treatment for primary biliary cirrhosis

Since the cause of the disease is not known, it is not possible to prevent PBC. Allopathic drugs just slow down the progression of the disease and control just the symptoms, While Homeopathic medication has best results, cure the disease and the root cause of the disease too.

Some of those medicines are as under:

Cardus Marianus

The action of Cardus Marianus is centered in the liver, and portal system, treating soreness, pain, jaundice. Has specific relation to the vascular system. Abuse of alcoholic beverages, especially beer. Varicose veins and ulcers. Diseases of miners, associated with asthma. Dropsical conditions depending on liver disease, and when due to pelvic congestion and hepatic disease. Disturbs sugar metabolism. Influenza when liver is affected. Debility. Hemorrhages, especially connected with hepatic disease, dropsical accumulation of water in abdomen (ascites).

The next field is bleeding consequent to liver damage, liver pain and sensitiveness, feel fatigued or tired and have bouts of nausea and vomiting due to liver cirrhosis. Taste bitter. Aversion to salt meat. Appetite small; tongue furred; nausea; retching; vomiting of green, acid fluid. Spleen disease. Gallstone with enlarged liver.

Liver pain left lobe very sensitive. Fullness and soreness, with moist skin. Stools bright yellow. Swelling of gallbladder with painful tenderness. Hyperemia of liver, with jaundice. Hemorrhagic piles, prolapse or rectum, burning pain in anus and rectum, hard and knotting, clayey stools. Profuse diarrhea due to rectal cancer.

Urine cloudy; golden-colored. Skin itching on lying down at night. Varicose ulcers. Eruption on lower part of sternum.

Pain in hip-joint, spreading through buttocks and down thigh; worse from stooping. Difficult rising. Weakness felt in feet, especially after sitting.

Conium Maculatum

Soreness about the root of tongue. Terrible nausea, acrid heartburn and eructation. Painful spasms of the stomach. Amelioration from eating and aggravation a few hours after meals; painful spot the level of the sternum. Severe aching in and around the liver. Chronic jaundice, and pains in right hypochondrium. Sensitive, bruised, swollen, knife-like pains. Painful tightness.

Stool frequent urging; hard, with tenesmus. Tremulous weakness after every stool. Heat and burning in rectum during stool. Yellow skin, with papular eruption; yellow fingernails. Glands enlarged and indurated. Flying stitches through the glands. Tumors, piercing pains; worse, at night. Chronic ulcers with fetid discharge. Sweat as soon as one sleeps, or even when closing eyes. Night and morning sweat, with offensive odor, and smarting in skin.

Myrica Cerifera

Marked action on the liver, with jaundice and mucous membranes. Persistent sleeplessness. Jaundice. Tongue furred, with bad taste in mouth, and nausea. Tenacious, thick, nauseous secretion. Taste bitter and nauseous, with offensive breath. Complete loss appetite. Weak, sinking feeling in the epigastrium, approaching nausea; increased after eating; relieved by rapid walking.

Dull hepatic pain. Complete jaundice, with bronze-yellow skin. Scanty, yellow, frothy urine. Constant discharge of flatus when walking. Urging to stool, with no other results than the expulsion of a great amount of flatus. Loose, light-colored stool; ash-colored and destitute of bile. Urine dark, frothy, scanty, high-colored, biliary.

Podophyllinum

Is especially adapted to bilious temperament. It affects chiefly the duodenum, small intestines, liver, and rectum. Gastro-enteritis with colicky pain and bilious vomiting. Pendulous abdomen after confinement; prolapsus uteri; painless cholera morbus. Torpidity of the liver; portal engorgement with a tendency to hemorrhoids, hypogastric pain, fullness of superficial veins, jaundice.

Headache, dull pressure, with heated face and bitter taste; alternating with diarrhea. Rolling of head from side to side, moaning and vomiting and eyelids half closed. Perspiration on head during sleep. Tongue broad, large, moist. Foul, putrid taste. Burning sensation of tongue. Thirst for large quantities of cold water. Vomiting of hot, frothy mucus. Heartburn; gagging or empty retching.

Abdomen distended, heat and emptiness. Can lie comfortably only on stomach. Liver region painful, better rubbing part. Rumbling and shifting of flatus in ascending colon.

Stool – watery with jelly-like mucus, painless, profuse. Gushing and offensive. Diarrhea of long standing; early in morning; during teething, with hot, glowing cheeks while being bathed or washed; in hot weather after acid fruits. Morning, painless diarrhea when not due to venous stasis or intestinal ulceration. Green, watery, fetid, profuse, gushing. Prolapse of rectum before or with stool. Constipation; clay-colored, hard, dry, difficult. Constipation alternating with diarrhea. Internal and external piles.

Pain between shoulders, under right scapula, in loins and lumbar region. Pain in right inguinal region; shoots down inner thigh to knees. Paralytic weakness on left side.

Fever – chill in morning, with pain in hypochondria, and knees, ankles, wrists, Great loquacity during fever. Profuse sweat.

Berberis Vulgaris

Hepatic, and rheumatic affections, particularly with urinary, hemorrhoidal and menstrual complaints. Chronic gout. Pain in kidneys, hematuria. Gallstones, and vesical catarrh. It has marked action on the liver, promoting the flow of bile.

Catarrh of the gallbladder with constipation and yellow complexion. Stitching pain in kidneys, liver, spleen, stomach, groins, Poupart’s ligament. Sticking deep in ilium. Constant urging to stool. Diarrhea painless, clay-colored, burning, and smarting in anus and perineum. Tearing around anus. Anal fistula.

Chelidonium Majus

A prominent liver remedy, covering many of the direct reflex symptoms of diseased conditions of that organ. The jaundiced skin, and especially the constant pain under inferior angle of right scapula, are certain indications. Paralytic drawing and lameness in single parts. The great general lethargy and indisposition to make any effort is also marked. Ailments brought on or renewed by change of weather. Serous effusions. Hydrocele. Bilious complication during gestation.

Tongue yellow, with imprint of teeth; large and flabby. Taste bitter, pasty. Bad odor from mouth. Prefers hot food and drink. Nausea, vomiting; better, very hot water. Pain through stomach to back and right shoulder-blade. Gastralgia. Eating relieves temporarily, especially when accompanied with hepatic symptoms.

Abdomen: Jaundice due to hepatic and gall-bladder obstruction. Gall-colic. Distention. Fermentation and sluggish bowels. Constriction across, as by a string. Liver enlarged. Gallstones.

Urine profuse, foaming, yellow urine, and dark, turbid. Constipation; stools hard, round balls, like sheep’s dung, bright yellow, pasty; clay-colored, stools float in water; alternation of diarrhea and constipation. Burning and itching of anus.

Dry heat of skin; itches, yellow. Painful red pimples and pustules. Old, spreading, offensive ulcers. Wilted skin. Sallow, cold, clammy.

Pain in nape. Stiff neck, head drawn to left. Fixed pain under inner and lower angle of right scapula (liver?). Pain at lower angle of left scapula (spleen?). Pain in arms, shoulders, hands, tips of fingers. Icy coldness of tips of fingers; wrists sore, tearing in metacarpal bones. Whole flesh sore to touch. Rheumatic pain in hips, thighs, heels. Feels paralyzed. Paresis of the lower limbs with rigidity of muscles.

Lycopodium

Corresponds to Grau ogle’s carbo-nitrogenous constitution, the non-eliminative lithaemic. Ailments gradually developing, functional power weakening, with failures of the digestive powers, liver is seriously disturbed. Atony. Malnutrition. Mild temperaments of lymphatic constitution, with catarrhal tendencies; skin shows yellowish spots, earthy complexion, uric acid diathesis, etc.

Dyspepsia, food tastes sour or bitter. Sour eructation. Bulimia, with much bloating. After eating, pressure in stomach. Eating ever so little creates fullness. Night hunger. Hiccough. Intellectually keen, but of weak, muscular power.

Deep-seated, progressive, chronic diseases. Carcinoma. Emaciation. Morning sickness. Ascites. Lack of vital heat (weak immune system); has poor circulation, cold extremities. Pains come and go suddenly. Sensitive to noise and odors. Cirrhosis of Liver, liver atrophied due to long-standing cirrhosis. Hepatitis.

Hernia. Liver sensitive. Brown spots on abdomen. Dropsy, due to hepatic disease. Hepatitis, atrophic from of nutmeg liver. Diarrhea. Inactive intestinal canal. Ineffectual urging. Stool hard, difficult, small, incomplete. Hemorrhoid; very painful to touch, aching.

Arsenic Album

A profoundly acting remedy on every organ and tissue. Its clear-cut characteristic symptoms and correspondence to many severe types of disease make its homeopathic employment constant and certain.

Liver Cirrhosis with fatigue as the main symptom. The patient feels totally exhausted from doing a little labor. Cannot bear the sight or smell of food. Great thirst; drinks much, but little at a time. Nausea, retching, vomiting, after eating or drinking. Anxiety in pit of stomach. Burning pain. Craves acids and coffee. Heartburn: gulping up of acid and bitter substances which seem to excoriate the throat. Long-lasting eructation. Vomiting of blood, bile, green mucus, or brown-black mixed with blood. Stomach extremely irritable; seems raw, as if torn. Gastralgia from slightest food or drink. Dyspepsia from vinegar, acids, ice-cream, ice-water, tobacco. Terrible fear and dyspnea, with gastralgia; also faintness, icy coldness, great exhaustion. Malignant symptoms. Everything swallowed seems to lodge in the esophagus, which seems as if closed and nothing would pass. Ill effects of vegetable diet, melons, and watery fruits generally. Craves milk.

Gnawing, burning abdominal pains; relieved by heat. Liver and spleen enlarged and painful. Ascites and anasarca. Abdomen swollen and painful. Pain as from a wound in abdomen on coughing.

Rectum painful, spasmodic protrusion of rectum. Tenesmus. Burning pain and pressure in rectum and anus.

Stool small, offensive, dark, with much prostration. Worse at night, and after eating and drinking; from chilling stomach, alcoholic abuse, spoiled meat. Dysentery dark, bloody, very offensive. Cholera, with intense agony, prostration, and burning thirst. Body cold as ice. Hemorrhoid burn, relieved by heat. Skin excoriated about anus.

Urine scanty, burning, involuntary. Bladder as if paralyzed. Albuminous. Epithelial cells; cylindrical clots of fibrin and globules of pus and blood. After urinating, feeling of weakness in abdomen. Bright’s disease. Diabetes.

Nux Vomica

Nux Vomica is greatest of polychrest. Liver Cirrhosis of long-term alcoholic abuse, chronic acidity and constipation. Sour mouth taste, and nausea. Flatulence and pyrosis. Sour, bitter eructation. Nausea and vomiting, with retching. Ravenous hunger, especially about a day before an attack of dyspepsia. Region of stomach very sensitive to pressure. Epigastrium bloated, with pressure s of a stone, loves fats and tolerates them well. Dyspepsia from strong tea and/or coffee. Difficult belching of gas. Wants to vomit but cannot. soreness or stitching pain in liver region.

Inclination to take highly spicy diet, stimulants (tea, coffee, alcoholic drinks and fat etc). Anger and irritable nature, being sensitive to external impressions like noise and odor and also, a sensitivity to cold air.

Bruised soreness of abdomen. Flatulent distension, with spasmodic colic. Colic from uncovering. Liver engorged, with stitches and soreness. Colic, with upward pressure, causing short breath, and desire for stool. Weakness of abdominal ring region. Strangulated hernia. Forcing in lower abdomen towards genitals. Umbilical hernia of infants.

Constipation, with frequent ineffectual urging, incomplete and unsatisfactory. Constriction of rectum. Irregular, peristaltic action. Alternate constipation and diarrhea-after abuse of purgatives. Itching, blind hemorrhoids; after drastic drugs. Diarrhea after a debauch. Scanty stool, with much urging. Diarrhea, with jaundice.

Phosphorus

Phosphorus is a destructive metabolism. Causes yellow atrophy of the liver and sub-acute hepatitis, jaundice in patients with Cirrhosis of Liver, stool very offensive, vomiting of blood, desire for cold drinks, juices and ice creams.

Hunger soon after eating. Sour taste and sour eructation after every meal. Belching large quantities of wind, after eating. Throws up ingests by the mouthfuls. Vomiting: water is thrown up as soon as it gets warm in the stomach. Postoperative vomiting. Cardiac opening seems contracted, too narrow; the food scarcely swallowed, comes up again. Pain in stomach; relieved by cold food, ices. Region of stomach painful to touch, or on walking. Inflammation of stomach, with burning extending to throat and bowels. Bad effects of eating too much salt.

Abdomen feels cold. Sharp, cutting pains. A very weak, empty, gone sensation felt in whole abdominal cavity. Liver congested. Acute hepatitis. Fatty degeneration. Jaundice. Pancreatic disease. Large, yellow spots on abdomen.

Stool: Very fetid stools and flatus. Long, narrow, hard, like a dog’s and difficult to expel. Desire for stool on lying especially on left side. Painless, copious debilitating diarrhea. Green mucus with grains like sago. Involuntary; seems as if anus remained open. Great weakness after stool. Discharge of blood from rectum, during stool. White, hard stools. Bleeding hemorrhoid.

Urine: Hematuria, especially in acute Bright’s disease. Turbid, brown, with red sediment.

Apocynum Cannabinum

Increases secretions of mucous and serous membranes and acts on cellular tissue, reducing edema and dropsy.

Nausea, with drowsiness. Thirst on walking. Excessive vomiting. Food or water is immediately ejected. Dull, heavy, sick feeling. Oppression in epigastrium and chest, impeding breathing. Sensation of sinking in stomach. Abdomen bloated. Ascites.

Stool watery, flatulent, with soreness in anus; worse after eating. Feeling as if sphincter were open and stools ran right out.

Urinary bladder much distended. Turbid, hot urine, with thick mucus and burning in urethra, after urinating. Little expulsive power. Dribbling. Strangury. Renal Dropsy.

Quassia Amara

Acts on gastric organs as a tonic. Seems to possess marked action on eyes, producing amblyopia and cataract. Pain in right intercostal muscles above the liver. Pressure and stitches in liver, and sympathetically in spleen.

Stomach: Atonic dyspepsia, with gas and acidity. Heartburn and gastralgia. Regurgitation of food. Abdomen feels empty and retracted. Dyspepsia after infectious diseases; especially grip, dysentery. Tongue dry or with brown sticky coating. Cirrhosis of liver with ascites.

Urinary: Excessive desire-impossible to retain urine; copious micturition day and night. As soon as the child wakes up the bed is drenched.

Inclination to yawn and stretch. Sensation of coldness over back. Prostration, with hunger. Cold extremities, with sensation of internal coldness.

Since the cause of the disease is not known, it is not possible to prevent PBC. Allopathic drugs just slow down the progression of the disease and control the symptoms; While Homeopathic medication has best results.

P. S: This article is only for doctors having good knowledge about Homeopathy and allopathy, for learning purpose(s).

For proper consultation and treatment, please visit our clinic.

None of above-mentioned medicine(s) is/are the full/complete treatment but just hints for treatment; every patient has his/her own constitutional medicine.

To order medicine by courier, please send your details at WhatsApp– +923119884588

Dr. Sayyad Qaisar Ahmed (MD {Ukraine}, DHMS), Abdominal Surgeries, Oncological surgeries, Gastroenterologist, Specialist Homeopathic Medicines.

  Senior research officer at Dnepropetrovsk state medical academy Ukraine.

Location:  Al-Haytham clinic, Umer Farooq Chowk Risalpur Sadder (0923631023, 03119884588), K.P.K, Pakistan.

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