Adrenal Cortex Hormones

Certain patients with bronchial asthma can benefit, often greatly, from hypnotherapy. This report is based on a retrospective analysis of 121 asthmatic patients who were treated by hypnotherapy. Hypnotic techniques and treatment procedure are described. Of the total number, 21% had an excellent response to treatment, becoming completely free from asthma and requiring no drug therapy. A further 33% had a good response, with worthwhile decrease in frequency and severity of the attacks of asthma, or a decrease in drug requirements.

Interactions of cholinesterase inhibitors or dexamethasone with the hypnotic effect of benzodiazepines appear to be strongly dependent on the dose of the cholinesterase inhibitor used and to a lesser extent on the dose of the hypnotic. The duration of the loss of righting reflex caused by the benzodiazepines, diazepam or chlorodiazepoxide, is markedly prolonged by 500 micrograms/kg, significantly antagonized both diazepam and chlorodiazepoxide. Relatively higher doses of physostigmine have no significant effect on either diazepam or chlorodiazepoxide.

Prevention is the key to eradicating chronic bronchitis. Smoking is the prime factor involved. Quitting smoking is difficult even with modern aids such as counselling, filters, substitutes, hypnosis and acupuncture, and the success rate is only 20%. Passive smoking is also injurious. The role of atmospheric pollution is less well quantified. Other risk factors include lower social class, occupation, area of residence, housing, temperature, and childhood respiratory illness. Influenza vaccination gives 60-70% immunity.

BACKGROUND: Atopic eczema is the commonest inflammatory skin disease of childhood, affecting 15-20% of children in the UK at any one time. Adults make up about one-third of all community cases. Moderate-to-severe atopic eczema can have a profound effect on the quality of life for both sufferers and their families.

Eczema in childhood is almost always atopic eczema, a common disease with huge impact on the quality of life of the child and family. Although atopic eczema constitutes part of the atopic syndrome, avoidance of allergens is never enough for disease control. Treatment of eczema in childhood has the same components as in adults. Emollients constitute the preventive background therapy in all stages of eczema, and topical corticosteroids are still the mainstay of treatment. Infectious exacerbation may require the use of a short course of topical or systemic antimicrobials.

Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune disease with a well-established immunological basis. Treatment is based on high dose and maintenance systemic corticosteroids. We report on a patient with a recurrence of full-blown pemphigus vulgaris after a trial of alternative hypnosis therapy to replace the corticosteroids.

Fifteen patients with severe or very severe inflammatory bowel disease on corticosteroids but not responding to medication received 12 sessions of "gut-focused hypnotherapy" and were followed up for a mean duration of 5.4 years with disease severity being graded as remission, mild, moderate, severe, or very severe. Two patients (13.4%) failed to respond and required surgery. At follow-up for the remaining 13 patients, 4 (26.6%) were in complete remission, 8 (53.3%) had mild severity, and 1 (6.7%) was moderately severe. Quality of life became good or excellent in 12 (79.9%).

Difficult asthma is defined as the persistence of asthma symptoms, abnormal pulmonary function showing airway obstruction, and continued requirement for short-acting bronchodilator therapy, despite adequate treatment with inhaled corticosteroids. It calls for a thorough evaluation of the patient to look into alternate and complicating diagnoses. The authors report a case of a 9-year-old patient with difficult asthma who failed to respond to conventional therapy.