Alternative medicines in the management of nephrotic syndrome

Abstract

The use of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (ACM) has significantly grown in the Western world as a consequence of the increase in chronic and functional diseases. Those patients treated with steroids, mainly maintained therapy, tend to have a higher likelihood of using alternative therapies aimed at avoiding these types of drugs. High and prolonged doses of systemic steroids received by nephrotic children make them especially likely patients to use ACM. Even though there are references on many modalities of ACM with probable utility and efficacy in proteinuria and edemas of renal diseases, in general, and nephrotic syndrome, in particular, homeopathy and herbal based medicines, plants and other natural remedies are acquiring greater relevance in Europe. In this work, we briefly summarize the homeopathic management of the nephrotic syndrome and review the action mechanism of some of the natural extracts with known beneficial effects in the kidney.