IV Glutathione

[ikulo]

I just started seeing a holistic MD and she's trying to push the IV Glutathione. I haven't found any literature that would convince me it is particularly effective with MS, though here's some anecdotal stuff regarding Parkinson's. Never mind the price tag at over $100 per shot!! ouch.

I know glutathione is beneficial, but IV in paricular? Any experiences or opinions?

[jimmylegs]

omg, i feel like i'm playing whack a mole with this glutathione issue!! lol!!

your body is supposed to make it.

wikipedia "Glutathione is not an essential nutrient (meaning it does not have to be obtained via food), since it can be synthesized in the body from the amino acids L-cysteine, L-glutamic acid, and glycine... Cysteine is the rate-limiting factor in cellular glutathione synthesis, since this amino acid is relatively rare in foodstuffs."

healthy food sources of cysteine:
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=54
"Cysteine is found in a variety of foods including poultry, yogurt, egg yolks, red peppers, garlic, onions, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, oats, and wheat germ."

wikipedia "Glutathione is synthesized in two adenosine triphosphate-dependent steps"
oh hello there, ATP - so that looks like a magnesium connection to glutathione status too...

wikipedia: "First, gamma-glutamylcysteine is synthesized from L-glutamate and cysteine via the enzyme gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase"

"Gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (EC 6.3.2.2) (glutamate cysteine ligase, GCL) is the first enzyme in the glutathione biosynthesis pathway"

Glutamate—cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GCLC

okay, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase aka GCLC. "NO-induced expression of GCLC is fully dependent on the presence of zinc."

getting too late for me to sit here and tease out the selenium connection. tired and hungry!

i wish i could have a quick-reference list of all the zinc-dependent enzymes.

links up to several older discussions on glutathione over recent years
http://www.thisisms.com/forum/general-d ... ml#p191336

[jimmylegs]

also, not keen on these treatments which involve having to make expensive appointments on a regular basis, never mind the expense of the treatment itself.

[CureOrBust]

Does she have any other MS patients on the treatment? I would also ask her for any published medical proof of its effectiveness.

[jimmylegs]

Serum Concentrations of Trace Elements in Patients with Crohn’s Disease Receiving Enteral Nutrition
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2243248/
"As shown in Fig. 3, administration of the selenium- and zinc-rich supplement significantly increased serum selenium, zinc levels and GPx activity"
Fig 3 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article ... figure/F3/

[etruscana]

GIRLFRIEND GLUTATHIONE VIA IV IS FANTASTIC, HAS GIVEN ME STABILITY AND AFTER--8 ROUNDS OF MITOXANTRONE, BETA INTER-FERON FOR 2 YEARS,, AVONEX FOR ONE, COPAXONE ALL TOGETHER 3 YEARS THIS GLUTATHIONE HAS MADE VYTHE DIFFERENCE NOT THE DRUGS. I HAVE HAD MS FOR 16 YEARS AND AM 32 HAVE NOT SEEN MY NEUROLOGIST FOR THREE AS I WAS NOT PREPARED TO DIE OF LEUKO-ENCEPHALOPATHY, THAT IS A BRAIN INFECTION OF WHICH I HAD A 1 OUT OF 300 CHANCE OF DYING HAD I TAKEN THE LATEST 'THERAPY'TYSABRI WAS NEVER AN OPTION AND UNDERSTANDING THAT SPECIALISTS ARE DRUG PUSHERS I HAVE TAKEN THE POWEWR BACK IN MY HANDS AS THE MEDICAL MODEL WHICH ALL OF US MS SHMOS ARE DEFINED BY ACCORDING TO OUR 'SPECIALISTS'PROBVIDING 'THERAPY'. I AM WALKING WITH A FRAME AND WITH INTENSIVE PHYSIOTHERAPY WITH AFOCUS ON MUSCLE MEMORY AND BIO-MECHANICSANTICIPATE I WILL BE WALKING AGAIN WITHIN 12-18 MONTHS, GLUTATHIONE HAS MADE ME STABLE AND SO YOU KNOW GLUTATHIONE OCCURS IN THE CEREBROSPINAL FLUID AND REPAIRS SOME NERVE DAMAGE BUT GUESS WHAT--MS PEOPLE DO NOT MAKE ITSO REALLY YOU ARE JUST EVENING OUT THIS DEFICIT. I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS HIGHLY ENOUGH!I HAVE BEEN ATTACK FREE FOR OVER 5 YEARS AND INTEND TO STAY SO.