Homotoxicology, the theory of disease developed by Dr. Hans-Heinrich Reckeweg (1905-1985), understands illness as the human body’s defense against toxic substances (homotoxins) that threaten to overwhelm the intercellular matrix. According to this therapeutic model, the type and severity of an illness are determined by the duration and intensity of toxin loading in relationship to the body’s inherent capacity for detoxification. Clogging of the matrix obstructs the movement of nutrients from blood vessels into cells, disrupting the body’s steady state and hindering important biological processes. The resulting disturbances, which eventually manifest as illness, are the body’s attempt to restore a state of biochemical balance. For Reckeweg, restoring this balance was the ultimate goal of all medical treatment.

Excretion Phase
The excretion phase covers all the hyper-secretions (endocrine) and hyper-excretions of the body in different organs and tissues. As those secretions and excretions are increased in comparison to the normal standards in the population, they should perhaps be seen as a first stage of disease. Of course the presence of homotoxins is a dormant danger, and elimination and detoxification is needed, but in normal conditions detoxifying organs and excretion systems will eliminate them without any significant clinical signs and symptoms manifesting, as this is merely an amplification of a physiological process. In this case, although there is a certain charge of intoxication, by the normal way of living, the body almost passively deals with it without really causing any clinical manifestations typical of defensive reactions. Thus, the elimination of toxins goes over as a normal increased excretion process, and the patient has no other clinical complaints at all.

Inflammation Phase
Once homotoxins manage to reach extra-cellular and/or intracellular levels, the body will begin to mount some form of a local defense reaction to counter the ‘intoxication’ status. The appearance of this local ‘inflammatory’ reaction is the reason for which in acute inflammations the patient is considered to be in an ‘inflammation phase’. Thus, obviously all acute inflammations are classified within this phase. Important is the fact that we must see this first inflammatory reaction as a welcomed, natural and physiological attempt of the organism to try to do away with the toxins. Furthermore, the activation of phagocytes and phagocytosis should be seen as the first reactive step of detoxification. All of the classical characteristics of inflammation might be present: swelling, redness, pain, temperature increase, and loss of function in the affected tissue. Inflammation could be seen as a ‘cleaning’ process of the matrix. The cell is not involved yet, although the inflammatory processes can passively damage the cell (e.g. free radicals released by “frustrated or over-zealous” neutrophils).

Deposition Phase
This phase is an expression of the body`s incapacity to eliminate (excrete) homotoxins and in which predominate events within the extra-cellular matrix and regulation disorders. It is reached when the body has to temporarily store (deposit) toxins. This may occur for a number of reasons:

• The inflammatory process (previous phase) was not adequately activated or was blocked/suppressed (e.g. by anti-inflammatory drugs).
• The excretion mechanisms are either hypo-functional or the toxic load excessive. Therefore, if inflammation pathways are blocked or the amount of homotoxins get out of hand, the organism will choose a process of (temporary) storage or deposition of the homotoxins. Clinically, this phase is a relatively silent process with very few clinical signs and symptoms, but a quite dangerous process. It is only a question of time before the homotoxins will impregnate into the cell or from outside the cell interfere with and have many effects on normal cellular functions.

Impregnation Phase
Once the homotoxins begin to “impregnate” in the ECM or within the cells or have intracellular effects, diseases of the impregnation phases appear. Homotoxins practically become part of the structural components of the connective tissue and the matrix. Some toxins (e.g. viruses) may also directly penetrate cells within the connective tissues and/or cells of the parenchyma. Toxins that will reach this stage will begin to induce functional changes in both the matrix and in cells, such as blocking enzymes, metabolic pathways, compromising mitochondrial respiratory chain, etc. We see less efficient functioning of the cell and the reactions of the organism towards the homotoxins are often not purposeful anymore, and a minimal load of a specific homotoxin produces an overreaction of the organism’s defence mechanisms (asthma, hay fever, migraine, gastric ulcer,…). Histologically, some changes in structural components begin to become evident. Clinically, the appearance of signs and symptoms are indicative of cellular damages.

Impregnation phases can be reached in a very short time span. It depends on the characteristics of the homotoxins. Most viruses will try to get into a host cell and proliferate rapidly, and although the organism will try to develop a specific defense (Immunoglobulins) and eliminate the infected cells (T-cell activity and NK-cell induced elimination), the acute situation is an impregnation phase due to the intra-cellular presence of the homotoxins (viruses). Even if afterwards there is a full restoration of the tissue and the lost cells are replaced, the viral condition remains an impregnation phase for the time the virus is present, if the virus gets incorporated into the genetic material of the cell host. In post viral syndromes this situation might last for a long time, even for years.  

Degeneration Phase
  The natural defense system is no longer able to eliminate or excrete toxins from the cells and/or the matrix. Intracellular structures, including genetic components, cellular membranes, groups and systems of cells become increasingly and seriously damaged. In this phase predominate cellular damages. The progressing intoxication causes complete functional loss of the affected cells, till they die. In the long term we see tissue loss and a limited function of the whole affected tissue. By definition, degeneration phases accommodate chronic degenerative diseases, most of them irreversible in time.  

Dedifferentiation Phase
  The dedifferentiation phases accommodate all diseases in which abnormal cell proliferation (tissue growth) is the main characteristic. Cells loose their specificity and dedifferentiate to omnipotent cells (inversed embryological specificity) that can easily also loose their restrain control and begin to migrate to other locations in the body (metastases). In this phase of complete degeneration, the body becomes also increasingly influenced by endogenous homotoxins, that is from toxins generated within the body through cellular destructions. All malignant tumors, cancers, are classified here.  

Antihomotoxic (Modern Homeopathic) medicines

The homeopathic combination medications, developed by Reckeweg on the basis of homotoxicology were designed to restore health by eliminating homotoxins. Reckeweg dubbed them antihomotoxic medicines, but they are now also known colloquially as modern homeopathic medications. Recent research on the intercellular matrix has already confirmed important aspects of Reckeweg’s hypothesis. The almost revolutionary results of studies of antihomotoxic medicines substantiate Reckeweg’s entire approach to therapy.

How they work

• Classical detoxification: flushing toxins out of the matrix of connective tissue in which cells and organs are embedded
• Improving the functioning of individual organs
• Strengthening the immune system

Are they effective?
Many scientific studies have confirmed that antihomotoxic medicines:

• Achieve the desired therapeutic improvement
• Are as effective as standard allopathic treatments

Are suitable for classification as primary, insurance-reimbursable therapies.
Additional studies of this type are currently in progress.

You can request this chart on the Disease Evolution manual via email as it is rather large to place here.

Disease Evolutions

The patient’s pathological status progresses (evolves) on the DET towards more serious conditions, too often for iatrogenic reasons. Progression in the patient’s signs and symptoms from the left to the right on the table or from the top to the bottom or even a combination of both is a condition of worsening, and is called a “Disease Evolution”. The inhibition or suppression of natural biological defense mechanisms (e.g. the indiscriminate use of anti-inflammatory drugs) is frequently responsible for the progressive involvement of the body in other pathologies. When toxins are inhibited from being excreted, they will not only impregnate locally, but will easily also be transferred to other tissues, even to great distances far from the original focal point:

• In a linear progression, i.e. to other tissues of similar embryological origin. E.g. Angina (lymphodermal) C Polyarthritis (cavodermal) Nephritis (nephrodermal).
• In a disordered progression, skipping phases and entering tissues of different embryological origins locally and/or at a distance. Here, the disease tends to evolve negatively in the ontogenetic and phylogenetic sense.

Evolution/Phase Changes

The patient`s disease position on the DET is subject to migrate or shift from one phase to another and from one embryological tissue to another. The possible directions are four, but with two predictable outcomes:

• Progressive – from Left to Right and/or from Top to Bottom (Disease Evolution)
• Regressive – from Right to Left and/or from Bottom to Top (Health Recovery

Health Recovery

A regression in the patient`s pathology with the relative signs and symptoms (and actually with the re-appearance of old signs and symptoms) from the right to the left on the table, or from the bottom to the top or even a combination of both is an indication of an ameliorating process, and is called “Health Recovery”. In these cases, the disease tends to evolve positively in the ontogenetic and phylogenetic sense.

Regulation/Compensation Division

Between the 3rd (Deposition) and 4th (Impregnation) phase there is the so called Regulation/Compensation Division. It is an artificial dividing line between the two phases that refers to the demarcation point that separates the pure accumulation of toxins and the actual event of their integration or bindings with the structural components of the matrix (proteoglycans, glycoproteins glycosaminoglycans). This boundary is very important physiologically, pathologically, and clinically, and thus therapeutically, because it is the separating line between the phases in which simple excretion of toxins is still possible, from the Impregnation phase in which simple excretion becomes no longer achievable, at least spontaneously. This line also refers to the differences in the body`s reactions to the intoxication by the homotoxins. At the left side of this line, the body will show regulation abilities. At the right side, the regulation abilities are progressively lost and we see compensation as the main strategy of the body in dealing with the homotoxins. We could state that the Regulation/Compensation Division may represent a dangerous point of no return, as on the right side of this line cell damages begin to occur. We will start to see degenerative processes of tissues. Degenerations eventually become irreversible and cell death inevitable, the reason for which we must adapt completely different therapeutic strategies in order to try to limit the progressive damages. Different therapeutic approaches are necessary to deal with deregulations at the left side of the division, where the prognosis is more favorable.

Therapeutic Considerations/Consequences

The DET phase location of the patient’s pathological state or clinical diagnosis is, in Homotoxicology, the most important consideration for establishing a correct therapeutic approach. In addition, homotoxicological treatments are based fundamentally on 3 pillars:

• 1st – Drainage & Detoxification
• 2nd – Immunomodulation (Regulation Therapy)
• 3rd – Organ & Cell Support

Thus, the utilization of the 1st or the 1st & 2nd or all 3 pillars will depend essentially upon the DET phase in which the patient’s disease is situated. Now, if we focus our attention on the Left side of the DET division, we will realize that the homotoxins are basically still in the extra-cellular compartments, site from which they can exhibit their effects. This means that the homotoxicological intervention at this point may require only the use of the first 2 pillars of treatment, that is:

• 1st – Drainage & Detoxification
• 2nd – Immunomodulation (Regulation Therapy)
• 3rd – Organ & Cell Support

Pathological processes that have passed the DET Division and are thus located on the Right, have homotoxins that are affecting the cells themselves, either because they have penetrated into the cells, and/or are negatively influencing the cellular functions from the ECM. Now obviously cells, tissues and organs require external support in order to better deal with the toxins. Homotoxicologically, this is achieved through the addition of the third pillar of the therapeutic regimen:

• 3rd – Organ & Cell Support
• Additional Phase Considerations:
  By phase, we can state that the following pillars in homotoxicological treatments are to be considered seriously:
• Excretion phase:
  Drainage and Detoxification can accelerate the physiological processes, and reduce the likelihood of recurrences.
• Inflammation phase:
  Immunomodulation is needed. In mild and acute conditions, drainage and detoxification may be optional, but becomes mandatory if recurrences occur.
• Deposition phase:
  Drainage and Detoxification are mandatory. If the Health Recovery process induces a pronounced inflammatory response, than Immunomodulation should ideally be added.
• Impregnation, Degeneration and Dedifferentiation phases:
  These phases require all of our efforts with the 3 pillars of homotoxicological treatments in order to prevent as much as possible further cellular damages, and hopefully stimulate those still active natural healing processes directed to re-establishing physiological functions and relative health, if the intra-cellular damages have not become completely irreversible.