Honvan tablets

The doctors at the All India Institute had prescribed Honvan tablets to be taken by Shri Nathji for the cancer. At first HH Priya Nath had been reluctant to give them to Shri Nathji because of Shri Nathji’s opposition to the diagnosis of cancer. However Priya Nath had been very afraid that if he did not give the medicine at all, the disease might flare up insidiously. It would be criminal on his part to withhold the medication prescribed by the doctors who had carried out the operation. He turned to Shri Nathji and asked him what he should do. And the answer came in Shri Nathji’s dictum:

“Let there be DAVAA as well as DUAA! Let there be Medicine and Prayer together.”

And it was thus that HH  Priya Nath gave Shri Nathji three tablets of Honvan every day for one week and then tapered the dose down to two tablets, and then to one tablet.

Again and again, Shri Nathji asserts there is no cancer in his body. Priya Nath, however, cannot give up his worrying, knowing of the propensity of Shri Nathji to undergo any amount of suffering for the sake of humanity.

Later HH Priya Nathji discovers that Shi Nathji’s Blood Pressure has risen. It had always been 150/80, which was considered very good for his age, but after it rose to 180/80. HH Priya Nath would ever afterwards blame himself for not giving Shri Nathji diuretics which had been prescribed along with the Honvan Tablet. He had been afraid of giving the diuretics lest they have some adverse effect on Shri Nathji.

Then one visit to Dr. Wadhwa of the All India Institute. The Doctor is pleasantly surprised on examining Shri Nathji and marvels at his state of good health on just one tablet of Honvan per day. He advises cutting the dose down to half-a-tablet. He says that the dose is innocuous and is like taking no medicine at all!

It later years. the diagnosis of the cancer was proven wrong by Shri Nathji’s blooming health, and Shri Nathji and Priya Nath resolve never to go to the AIIMS again. But Shri Nathji agrees to take the half tablet of Honvan daily as Dr. Wadhwa had advised, and continues doing so for many years, merely to keep his word to the doctor. In later days, Priya Nath continues to have misgivings about the tablet, as he thinks it is leading to water accumulation in the body and possible clotting of the blood, as stated in the various medical books he has read.

 But Shri Nathji didn’t had any cancer. The fact was that even the doctors had been astonished at this remarkable good health of Shri Nathji on the half tablet of Honvan which was like no medicine at all.

Honvan Tablets are for Prostate cancer. Their active Ingredient is Fosfestrol tetrasodium. It is manufactured by Baxter Oncology. A company which is leading in the development of new cancer treatments and medical products.

Fosfestrol tetrasodium is an inactive synthetic oestrogen (female sex hormone) which is converted in the body to an active oestrogen, diethylstilbestrol, which is used in the treatment of prostate cancer. Now Prostate cancer grows more rapidly under the influence of the male sex hormones (androgens). Oestrogen can lower blood levels of androgens, counteract their effects at the tumour site and cause the tumour to reduce in size. Fosfestrol relieves the urinary symptoms, such as poor flow, by shrinking the tumour.

This drug is not free of side effects and should be used in caution in patients with a history of  Diabetes, Disease involving the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease) Disease of the blood vessels in and around the brain (cerebrovascular disease), Disorders that increase the risk of blood clots in the blood vessels (thromboembolic disorders), High blood pressure (hypertension), Liver diseases and People over the age of 75 years

The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect. Abdominal cramps,  Impotence, Skin rashes, Visual disturbances, Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice),  Abnormal enlargement of breasts in men (gynaecomastia), Fever (pyrexia), Retention of water in the body tissues (fluid retention), High blood calcium level (hypercalcaemia),  Dizziness, Bone pain, Loss of appetite, Blood clots in the blood vessels (thrombosis) that may detach and travel in the circulation to another area of the body (thromboembolism) and Nausea and vomiting.

This drug has always been popular for treatment of Prostate cancer.