Natural alternative/substitute to ampyra

Ampyra is a potassium channel blocker that is shown to improve visual function, motor skills and relieve fatigue in MS patients.
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gymbuff
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Natural alternative/substitute to ampyra

Post by gymbuff »

Hi all
I was just wondering is there any natural/homeopathic alternative to ampyra showing reasonable results. Any supplements etc. that have a positive result with stiffness and spasticity? Any recommendations would be gratefully appreciated.

Gymbuff
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Lainie
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Re: Natural alternative/substitute to ampyra

Post by Lainie »

Curcumin (extract of the spice turmeric) supplements greatly help my spasticity, but I still wouldn't give up my Ampyra; I can barely walk without it.
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CureOrBust
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Re: Natural alternative/substitute to ampyra

Post by CureOrBust »

There are none that I know of that work along the same action path as Ampyra.

However, caffeine (as you can find in tea and coffee which are natural, although I take "NoDoze") should not be underestimated. I find I can exercise 20% longer on caffeine, and it would probably help my "walking speed" more than Ampyra. But Ampyra helps a lot more with muscle control and balance etc
centenarian100
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Re: Natural alternative/substitute to ampyra

Post by centenarian100 »

I have heard of L-threonine for spasticity, but it didn't do anything in my experience. Probably physical therapy would be more helpful than any supplement or drug.
THX1138
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Re: Natural alternative/substitute to ampyra

Post by THX1138 »

Magnesium is natural potassium channel blocker.
Unlike Ampyra, which is a sustained-release version of a potassium channel blocking bird poison (fampridine), the body uses magnesium as it sees fit, and magnesium is used in hundreds of reactions in the body.
Magnesium is also a natural calcium-channel blocker, again, as the body sees fit. It is in the blocking of calcium's entry into the cells that magnesium is used to relax muscles.
A doctor once told me that people with MS are magnesium wasters, meaning their bodies excrete magnesium faster than normal, causing the body to become low in the Mg. The typical Mg lab test (serum Mg) is flawed in that the "normal" range at most labs is too low and because of the fact that the body tightly regulates the Mg in the blood (less than 1% of total body Mg); otherwise the heart would stop. So, in a living person, the serum Mg level will never be greatly out of normal range, if at all. The body takes Mg from the bones and tissues to add to the blood, if needed. If the amount in the blood is starting to get too high, the body will filter some of the Mg out with the kidneys.
The underestimated problem of using serum magnesium measurements to exclude magnesium deficiency in adults; a health warning is needed for "normal" results.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20170394

Personally, I have found magnesium (particularly topical Mg) to greatly reduce spasticity and tightness. These improvements (for me, at least) have been by no means a quick fix. But they are a true fix, getting to the cause of the problem - low Mg. I am still learning and recently I have begun to learn of the need for proper, sufficient hydration in restoring Mg levels.

http://organicconnectmag.com/mark-hyman ... 19mA_ldV8E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUWL1o2hSrs

THX1138
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