EP is a community where members connect through shared life experiences-- like MS--and so much more. You are not defined by any one thing, so be your true self and find others just like you at
Experience Project.
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 12:50 pm Post subject: Mega D
Wow! this is a lot of information.
I like the idea that perhaps there is some kind of ratio between light/dark cycles and the stimulation of the pineal gland. I know for a fact that in animal breeding light/dark cycles are extremely important for breeding, especially rodent breeding. The reproductive hormones are under the control of the pineal gland. For example, most research rodent facilities keep their animals under 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. Any changes in this cycle have detrimental effects on the breeding of the animals. If there is too much ligth or too much dark the breeding efficiency decreases due to a sluggish pineal gland. Maybe we should adopt the 12/12 hours cycle like at the equator where MS is practically inexistent. I am stretching here but ...
I enjoy the brainstorming sessions and yes no more autopsy studies.
...He had hypothesized that nighttime illumination, by interrupting the body's mainly nocturnal production of the hormone melatonin, might increase the risk of breast cancer. Animal experiments and surveys of people over the past 2 decades supported that hypothesis without proving it, says Stevens, currently at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington.
"Now, a watershed study has provided the first strong experimental support," Stevens says.
A woman's blood provides better sustenance for breast cancer just after she's been exposed to bright light than when she's been in steady darkness, researchers led by David E. Blask of the Bassett Research Institute in Cooperstown, N.Y., report.
"Light at night is now clearly a risk factor for breast cancer," Blask says. "Breast tumors are awake during the day, and melatonin puts them to sleep at night." Add artificial light to the night environment, and "cancer cells become insomniacs," he says.
doesn't sound like UV is a factor then, unless all those participants had full spectrum lighting everywhere they went!
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 6:32 pm Post subject: Mega D
Interesting paper about light/dark cycle and melatonin and breast cancer. It would be interesting to do a similar epidemiological study for MS. Do people with long daily light exposure (working night shift) are more at risk of developing MS? Maybe the association of latitude and MS is not due to lack of UV light in the winter but too much or long light exposure in the summer, in most Northern and Southern latitudes.
I don't think taking melatonin would help because if I recall, the pineal gland is stimulated by light exposure and melatonin feedback. Too much melatonin by supplement may reduce the production of endogenous melatonin by the pineal gland and cause it to atrophy. The 12/12 will be hard to do as we live with so much artificial ligths all around for long periods. Anyway, I like the exchange of ideas.
revisiting the recent back pain issue, it is thoroughly gone.
i have been back on my d3 for the last week with no recurring pain issues. this week the daily regimen has included:
2-4x acidophilus capsules
1x 800 IU natural ratio vitamin E
1x 1000 mg vitamin C
1x B100 complex
1x liver cleanse capsule
1x multivitamin/multimineral capsule including 5000 IU retinol
1x D3-calcium-magnesium-zinc capsule (200 IU D3 - corrected from 1000IU, must have been tired when i posted this before, sorry - balanced with the rest)
3x 1000 D3 (said 1x before - i corrected myself)
2 tsp liquid iron supplement
i had a bit of extra zinc in there for the first few days but it has run out now and i'm more counting on the multi. will probably ramp the D3 up a bit more again, but in september after some bloodwork.
have been slacking on my lecithin granules and my omega 3-6-9 oil.
Last edited by jimmylegs on Fri Sep 14, 2007 7:19 pm; edited 1 time in total
started investigating some cancer stuff and am on a big vitamin A kick for that right now. not sure exactly why i skipped vitamin A for MS in the first place, but i've started going back to that now, here's the first abstract:
Mult Scler. 2002 Dec;8(6):452-8. Links
Retinol measurements and retinoid receptor gene expression in patients with multiple sclerosis.Royal W 3rd, Gartner S, Gajewski CD.
Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA. wroyal@msm.edu
Treatment with interferon (IFN)-beta1a has been associated with decreased disease activity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). In several biological systems, type 1 IFNs and retinoids have been demonstrated to have synergistic effects. In these studies, we measured blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) retinol levels and naïve and memory T-helper cell subset percentages in samples from a group of patients with MS. We also examined retinol receptor expression in peripheral blood cells from MS patients with or without a history of prior treatment with IFN-beta1a. The mean plasma retinol level for untreated relapsing-remitting (RR) MS patients was lower than for patients with noninflammatory neurological disease. Among IFN-beta1a-treated RR patients, mean levels were slightly higher than for RR patients not on treatment Lower plasma retinol levels among the MS patents studied were associated with higher CSF retinol index measurements--a measure that was calculated to correct for nonspecific leakage of retinol from blood into CSF. Far the MS samples examined, there was a borderline statstically significant direct correlation between CSF retinol index measurements and CSF memory T-helper cell percentages. Examination of peripheral blood from untreated RR patents for retinoid receptor mRNA expression revealed the expression of the retinoic add receptor (RAR)-alpha, RAR-gamma, and retinoic X receptor (RXR)-alpha receptor subtypes. For RR patients on IFN-beta1a therapy, expression of the some RAR subtypes was noted as well as expression of RXR-beta and RXR-gamma. These studies suggest an association between plasma retinol levels and clincal disease activity in patents with MS and that treatment with IFN-beta1a may be associated with activation of specific retnoid receptor subtypes.
okay so i went to talk to a new (to me) pharmacist about vitamin A the other day, and he diverted the convo straight onto magnesium.
this takes me back to the whole zinc thing i was mentioning when we started the light/sleep discussion. so zinc. all tied in there with magnesium. i told the pharmacist i had had some hopes for magnesium, but after taking it regularly with my D3 and calcium and zinc pill for such a long time, with only a mild effect at first, i had started to lose interest. he said, you have to take another dose of magnesium by itself. so i looked into that and it seemed pretty smart. so yesterday i stocked up on a few supplies and as of now, per day, i'm at:
1x multivitamin (including 5000IU retinol and beta carotene and a bunch of other stuff) capsule
1x B-100 complex caplet
4x 500mg ester-C capsule
3x 1000IU D3 tablet
1x cal-mag-zinc-D3 tablet
taking a break from vitamin E this week, but for this bottle i'm on 1x 800IU per day
1x 1200mg lecithin gelcap
2x 1200mg omega 3-6-9 gelcap
2x acidophilus capsule
4x 50mg zinc (added the last week and this, getting ready for mg) tablet
1x immune blend capsule
ALSO i've been skipping my liquid iron thing - it's so nasty!!! and i ran out of liver cleanse capsules. might grab some milk thistle something-or-other next time i run out of some ingredient
i am on day two of my extra mg and k plan, and my throat does seem to be functioning a LOT better. the sensation of spit going down the wrong way when i swallow is lessened, and i am coughing and clearing my throat much less, and when i do so it actually works and i have some peace for a while. compared to two days ago when i was barking like crazy, chest pain, difficulty breathing, to the point of going to the clinic on tuesday and a chest x-ray wednesday morning. it was bad - on monday night and tuesday i felt like i might not live til the end of 2007.
doesn't seem so bleak now. i checked some more research to reassure myself that i wouldn't be imagining it, and i checked with the family to see what they think, do i seem the same as monday to them? but they think i sound way better. and i'm not contemplating death any more :S
could be coincidence, or just a short flare-up of some kind, but i'll keep the extra mg and k up for a week, and see how it all pans out.
i'm also keeping an eye on the forearm spasticity and any jimmy in the legs, hoping this could provide added benefit in those areas.
Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:27 pm Post subject: MRI spine update
kind of interesting. i think there actually is some good change there, despite the recent final opinion. plus i have the actual images, and C3-C7 look better now to me, on screen. not to mention the l'hermitte's is gone!
AND, my neuro informed me today that i have carpal tunnel (you do this test where you hold your hands in front of your chest, elbows out to the sides, fingers hanging down to the floor, then press the backs of your hands together from the wrist to fingertips, so the wrists are pressed to 90 degrees or whatever your wrists can do. if your hands go to sleep, you have CTS). so maybe i'll be able to clear up some more of this nagging numbness left over in my hands. we shall see! i'm going to go the B6-B2 route for now; will add 100mg each per day to the current Bcomplex, just because Bs have worked so well for me in the past - even though they might not work for everyone in the world.
the hemangioma thing is new, they showed up on my skin in the last year too. after a quick hunt around, i intend to throw some iron at them (i have been lax on the iron supplements... i'm glad i have some marks on the outside, so i can see if it diligent iron supplementation does anything! ugh time to behave :S i'll go take some of my icky iron liquid...
Quote:
January 26, 2006
MRI total spine.
Sagittal T1, axial T2, coronoal myelographic images have been done through the total spine.
Post gadolinium T1 sequences were repeated.
On the T2 sequences, note is made of increased signal in the cord, this is mostly in the cervical area. The increased signal in the cord extends from approximately C3 down to C7.
In the cervical area were the highest concentrations of increased signal being at approximately at the C3-4 and C6 levels.
At the D4 level, note is also made of a small area of increased signal as well as in the region of the superior aspect of the conus at approximately D12.
In addition, note is made of some bulging discs at the C4-5, C5-6, and C6-7 levels.
The bulge is greatest at the C4-5 level. There is no indentation of the cord, but the thecal sac is almost totally obliterated anteriorly. The neural foramen are within normal limits.
Quote:
September 21, 2007
MRI of entire spine.
Provided clinical information: 36 yo female. Clinically definite multiple sclerosis.
Follow up to previous from January 2006.
Reference study: MRI of entire spine from January 26, 2006.
Protocol: Sagittal T2 restore, sagittal TSE T1, sagittal flair and axial T2-weighted sequences through the cervical thoracic and lumbar spines.
FINDINGS: Normal appearances of the craniocervical junction, no Chiari malformation.
There is an ill-defined focal area of increased T2 signal within the posterior cervical cord at the C3 level, with further areas of signal change in the anterior cord at the C5-C6 level, and possibly also the C4-C5 level.
There is no focal lesions seen within the thoracic cord. There is a further small area of increased T2 and FLAIR signal just above the conus at T12 level.
The cord ends at L1.
There is a number of small hemangiomas in the L5-L4 and S2 vertebral bodies.
Opinion: no significant change compared to previous.
recap: VERY bad throat early september, magnesium recommendation mid-september, stopped all supps and added mg for a few days and it was magic, considered that i could have been overdoing something else not underdoing mg, steeled myself to re-introduce the rest of the regimen, and now i've added almost everything back into the mix with the magnesium (and potassium).
exceptions:
-800IU vitamin E and the immune blend.
-went a little lower on the multivitamin (the "1x" is divided into three pills per day for that brand, so maybe i only took 2 some days).
new stuff:
-finally started back in with the iron liquid about three days ago, so added 50mg zinc per day to go with it.
-also i had taken the 200mg zinc just for a few days, as i started putting everything back with the magnesium - most of the time between last vitamin post and the other day when i started the iron, my only zinc supp was in my D3 pill and my multi.
verdict so far:
the throat is really continuing to improve.
not perfect, i do feel like the tiniest bit of liquid could be sneaking down the airway when i swallow - i do still have to clear it now and then - but SOOO MUCH BETTER!
this coming week:
will re-introduce the immune pill and vitamin E daily
we'll see if it keeps working. on thursday my doc suggested referral to throat specialist, so will follow through with that too, don't suppose it can do any harm
checkin in, still all good, added the E and immune pill this week, but i slacked a bit on taking stuff over the weekend.
throat's still doing well. not perfect, but it's holding at WAY better. i'm still kind of tired over all, but i did make it out to see a friend's band on saturday eve, and for a ~1-hr+ hike (read stroll, but into a deep ravine and out again) on sunday.
i took mostly all my monday supps and i'm half way through tuesday's batch. my legs went a little jimmy the last few days so i took iron (with a matching zinc boost) twice recently - first time was fine, but last night i did it again after dinner, and woke up today with stomach cramps. i will let you know if my suspicions regarding the iron's responsibility turn out to be correct! maybe fe's not the thing to take with a meal...!
seem to be all better in the guts now. was definitely a passing phenom. not sure what i did, but iron does seem the most likely culprit. nobody else that ate the same food had a prob!
am continuing to take as many of my supps as i can get through in a day. can't report anything particular on the carpal tunnel yet!
nothing major yet for results in the b-vitamin department, but it's been nowhere near 90 days, and also i've only been on 100mg per day of B6 and B2, and i have found studies that used more like 300/d for 90d for carpal tunnel without adverse effects. i suspect i'm low in B6 but thought i had better check before i spend much more time megadosing it. so, i figured why not check everything. got a huge requisition from my doc, and on nov 1st i started what will be a 2-week supplement washout before i go for the blood work.
done the washout now, going to the hospital on monday for bloodwork.
what freakin ride the last 2 weeks have been. i crashed hard at first and my throat acted up right away. it took me a few days to realize i was starving, then i started eating more - lots of liverwurst and fish and kale and spinach and eggs in there - and started to equalize; the throat calmed down again.
so, feeling pretty okay. curious to see what the results turn up!
so i lied about going for bloodwork on monday. i just finally did it this aft. i have been off the supplements for 1 month now and have gone quite a ways downhill, even started to walk funny again.
i am starting to consider getting some high dose injections on an intermittent basis, rather than be forever dependent on taking a bajillion pills each day!
interesting thing. after the bloodwork, i thought meh, supplements are a pain and i didn't start up again. plus i do have to go stock up, and why go halfway, so i said. i've been a lazy ass this semester.
finally, couple days ago, the throat was ticking me off enough that i said fine, two magnesium for you, and SURE ENOUGH, next day, improvement.
coincidence, i thought. maybe last time AND this time, the magnesium throat fixes were both coincidences.
then, lying in bed this morning, i felt a sensation in my throat. i had forgotten about it, but that same weird sensation also happened last time when my throat was fixing up after a magnesium dose. an odd little throb, like if you tap 5 or 6 times fast, on your neck, right on the voicebox - imagine if you felt that just on the inside. so i think that is one too many coincidences.
somehow, i can only conclude that i have a magnesium-limited throat. strange.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Forum FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
