Karl Robinson MD

Homeopathic Aconite may be an excellent first line of treatment in persons suffering a heart attack. It turns out there is more than one kind of heart attack. In the typical one, one of the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle becomes blocked causing that part of the heart muscle fed by that artery to become “necrotic” or dead. It causes crushing chest pain often radiating in to the left arm. Another, less known syndrome has been called “broken heart syndrome” or “achy breaky heart.”

It seems the phrase, “suffering from a broken heart,” is more than a metaphor. As reported in the Wall Street Journal, February 9, 2010, it is now known that persons who experience an extreme emotional shock can go into state of temporary heart failure called “stress cardiomyopathy.” It can mimic a heart attack with chest pain and be hard to distinguish from a typical heart attack or myocardial infarction. But in the “broken heart syndrome” the coronary arteries are not blocked as they are in a typical heart attack. Rather, it appears that the heart muscle has been “stunned” by very high levels of adrenaline (epinephrine and norepinephrine) brought on by extreme stress resulting in the left ventricle, that chamber of the heart that pumps the blood up and out of the heart to the rest of the body, being unable to pump efficiently. Cardiac output (the ability of the heart to pump blood) can drop to as low as 20% of normal. The good news is that these patients usually recover nicely within 48 to 72 hours.

This broken heart syndrome so weakens the left ventricle that it changes shape. Japanese researchers named this deformity “tako-tsubo” or “octopus trap” as it takes the shape of a vase-like pot used in Japan to trap octopuses.

Stressors known to cause broken heart syndrome can be witnessing the death or near death of a loved one, giving a speech, even a surprise party. Other stressors include: losing a lot of money suddenly, seeing one’s dog caught in a trap, getting lost driving in an unsafe part of the city at night, even feeling overwhelmed by new computer software. Whatever the cause, the event produces very high levels of adrenaline which cause the left ventricle to fail, that is, to pump very inefficiently.

Homeopathy could help. Aconitum napellus, better known simply as “Aconite,” would be an excellent first line of treatment for it has won laurels for two centuries treating the effects of extreme sudden shock and fright and the accompanying weakness that that fright provokes. A high potency such as 10M would be ideal, but if you cannot obtain it, buy some Aconite 30c and carry it with you. It should be helpful both in the usual heart attack as well as broken heart syndrome. Aconite is safe and may be the best thing you can do for yourself as you head for the Emergency Room. It should be emphasized that you must seek treatment from the nearest hospital.