Effectiveness of Homeopathic Treatment for Abnormal Uterine Bleeding: A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background: Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is a major health problem for many women. Homeopathy is one of the treatments for this disease. Objectives: This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of homeopathic Ipecacuanha (Ipecac) in the treatment of bleeding, pain, and in the quality of life in patients with AUB compared to the control group. Methods: This double blind randomized clinical trial study was performed on women aged 35-55 years with AUB in Tehran, Iran during the years 2017-2018. In this study, patients were assigned to first group: 25 patients with routine treatment (mefenamic acid capsule) + homeopathic “Ipecac” and second group: 25 patients with mefenamic acid + placebo. Pictorial Blood Loss Assessment Chart (PBAC) score, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) questionnaire, and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) were utilized to assess bleeding, pain, and quality of life, respectively. Results: This study was performed on 50 women with AUB. In this study, the two groups were similar in demographic characteristics. The results showed that despite the relative improvement in PBAC score, duration of bleeding, and depression score in the homeopathic treatment group, this decrease was not statistically significant. The homeopathic treatment group compared to the control group showed more improvement in pain score, physical symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction, and mental health. Conclusion: Considering the efficacy of homeopathic “Ipecac” in reducing pain and increasing the quality of life of women with AUB in this study, it can be suggested in AUB without the complication of this treatment.