Contraindications
Safety always comes first. Before the first treatment, a thorough discussion is needed about your health condition, prescribed medications, dietary supplements and any previous reactions to leech therapy.
Hirudotherapy is not performed when there is an increased risk of bleeding, infection or impaired wound healing, or when treatment would be inappropriate due to a health condition.
We do not perform hirudotherapy in cases of:
- use of antithrombotic medications, including anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents;
- haemophilia, blood-clotting disorders and other blood diseases;
- leukaemia, Kahler’s disease or multiple myeloma, lymphoma and other haemato-oncological diseases;
- oncological diseases;
- anaemia or a significantly altered blood count;
- internal bleeding, an active gastric or duodenal ulcer and acute gastritis;
- very low blood pressure, especially below 90/60 mmHg;
- a markedly weakened immune system, for example during chemotherapy or in other severely immunocompromised conditions;
- serious systemic diseases, advanced kidney impairment or dialysis;
- arterial insufficiency and diabetic neuropathy;
- active infections, meningitis or tuberculosis;
- a known allergic or hypersensitivity reaction to leeches or their secretion;
- problems with wound healing, especially with poorly controlled diabetes, marked obesity or long-term corticosteroid treatment;
- a marked tendency towards keloid or hypertrophic scarring.
Additional safety criteria
As part of my safety protocol, I also do not perform hirudotherapy on people with an implanted cardiac pacemaker, a spinal cord electrical stimulator, a stoma or an implanted catheter.
I likewise do not carry out treatments in cases of scoliosis, severe depressive distress or during treatment with antidepressants.
Medications that must be disclosed
Before treatment, always list all medications, including over-the-counter ones, as well as dietary supplements.
Antithrombotic medications include in particular:
- anticoagulants: warfarin, acenocoumarol, dabigatran, apixaban, rivaroxaban, edoxaban, heparins and fondaparinux;
- antiplatelet agents: acetylsalicylic acid or aspirin, clopidogrel, prasugrel, ticagrelor and dipyridamole.
Be sure to also mention pain and anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, naproxen or diclofenac, as well as dietary supplements, for example fish oil, ginkgo biloba or vitamin E.
Do not discontinue medications, reduce dosages or substitute them on your own initiative.
Preparing for the treatment
On the day of the treatment, avoid intense physical activity such as the gym, running, cycling, swimming or other more demanding sports activities.
Before the treatment and afterwards, for as long as the application sites are still bleeding, do not consume alcohol, marijuana or other psychoactive substances.
After the treatment, keep the application sites clean and protected. Until the skin has fully closed, avoid bathing, the sauna and swimming in pools or natural waters.
