Management of Hepatitis B with Siddha Medicine: A Case Report

Hepatitis B is a viral disease that causes acute and chronic liver diseases. The Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infects more than 300 million people worldwide, and over 686 billion people die every year due to its consequences. Present case is of a 59-year-old male patient with positive Hepatitis B envelope Antigen (HBeAg) and a remarkably high viral load of HBV Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) presented as a previously diagnosed case of chronic hepatitis. He came to the Outpatient Department (OPD) Siddha Clinical Research Unit (SCRU) with complaints of loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort, malaise and constipation. Based on his symptoms, supported by blood investigation reports and Siddha parameters, internal medicines such as Elathy Chooranam, Silasatthu Parpam, Ayabringaraaja Karppam, Saanthachandrodaya Maathirai, Keezhanelli Maathirai, and Nilavembu Kudineer were prescribed. The effects of the treatment modalities were monitored during follow-up with routine blood examinations. After six months of treatment, the HBV viral load reduced from 203,000,000 IU/mL to 125.89 IU/mL, and HBeAg became non reactive. The reported case had a prospective follow-up for six months and was found to be free of all clinical symptoms. It is evident that Siddha medicine shows a decrease in the level of HBV DNA viral load, delays the hepatocyte damage caused by the HBV, and has proved to have no side-effects at a lower cost. Since this study was based on a single case, further randomised controlled clinical trials need to be conducted with a larger population.