Multiple Sclerosis: A Revival of Hope
http://tldp.com/issue/11_00/ms.htm

by Jonathan V. Wright, MD©

reprinted from Nutrition and Healing newsletter

October 1999


Imagine watching a woman with multiple sclerosis of many years duration
(who had previously needed a "walker" to help her get around) walking
unaided several times around a room at good speed, and with no balance
problems. Imagine listening to her say she’s sleeping better, her energy is
much improved, and that she’s able to think more clearly. She attributes
her dramatic improvement to the natural amino acid derivative she’s been
using for the previous two to three weeks. Imagine hearing another woman,
much more seriously afflicted, report that she’s able to feed herself
again, and that her friends and relatives had all noticed her speech is
easier to understand. Both of these improvements occurred within a month of
starting the "new" natural amino acid derivative.

Your editor has seen and listened to both these women in just the last
month. One of your editor's colleagues at Tahoma Clinic, Dr. George
Gillson, MD, PhD, reports that at first checkback (approximately six weeks
of treatment) for 19 individuals with multiple sclerosis, eleven noted
dramatic improvement, three reported one or more significant improvements
in symptoms, (including reduced numbness, better motor control, improved
speech, much better sleeping, and more energy), one had no change, and four
had no change associated with poor absorption of the natural amino acid
derivative, poor patch adhesion, or an interfering drug.

The nurse responsible for the revival of the use of the natural amino acid
derivative (a now mostly symptom-free MS sufferer herself) has collected
verbal reports from over 200 individuals diagnosed with "MS" who've used
the natural amino acid derivative: 72% report at least one significant
improvement in symptoms, and some many more.


The Natural Amino Acid Derivative

The natural amino acid derivative is histamine, a very small and simple
molecule made by every human (and animal) body from the naturally occurring
(and conditionally essential) amino acid histidine. Yes, that's the same
histamine that most of us are told is the "bad guy" of the allergy world,
against which we're all urged to swallow the latest patent (and
prescription-only, until the patent expires) "antihistamine" medication.
Apparently, individuals with MS either don't make enough histamine in their
own bodies, or just need more. Perhaps both. No one knows for certain.

Isn't it premature to be writing about symptom improvement in MS based on
verbal reports of only 200+ individuals, and only 10 reporting back so far
to Tahoma Clinic? Results achieved with...of all things...histamine? Isn't
it all too new ....and perhaps wacky....to get our hopes up? Please refer
back to title of this report (A Revival of Hope), and then let's travel
back in time to St. Joseph's Hospital, in Tacoma, Washington. The year is
1950; the reporter is Miriam Zeller Gross, who published the article from
which the following paragraphs are excerpted from McCall's Magazine for
December of that year.

"At St. Joseph's Hospital, multiple sclerosis is being arrested in one
victim in six. Others get blessed relief. Many leave their beds for the
first time in years. One man unable to move so much as a toe for seven
years walked again within a week after leaving the hospital.....two
patients....had been diagnosed as totally blind...Today both enjoy normal
vision. Most of the 100 patients with whom I talked at the Clinic told
stories that hold the drama of people suddenly reprieved from a death sentence.

Take Mrs. Alice Meinert. This young mother was stricken shortly after New
Year's Day in 1947. By May, she could not get out of bed. For a year she
grew steadily worse. Her father heard about the Clinic in Tacoma (not
Tahoma Clinic, which was founded in 1973--ed.). He urged that his daughter
be sent there. But the attending physician pooh-poohed the idea, and acting
on his advice, Mrs. Meinert's husband refused.

The father took legal action and gained custody of his daughter – a step
accomplished through the farseeing wisdom of Judge Chester A. Batchelor of
the King County Court, Seattle.

Four days after she reached the Tacoma clinic, Mrs. Meinert took her first
steps in more than a year. One week later she walked from the house to the
street and got into an automobile unaided.....her condition has improved
steadily. She does her own housework, looks after her child, and appears in
every way to be a well, happy woman."


Dr. Hinton Jonez

In 1946, Hinton Jonez, MD a Tacoma general practitioner, was invited by the
Sisters of St. Joseph's Hospital to open an MS clinic in a hospital wing.
The Sisters had observed improvements in several individuals with MS
hospitalized at St. Joseph's under Dr. Jonez’ care. The had observed that
the mainstay of Dr. Jonez' treatment was injectable histamine, and knew
that injectable histamine could cause adverse effects, including severe
headaches or stomach aches with considerable cramping if injected at the
wrong dose or speed of administration. There were even reports of deaths
from too much histamine injected too rapidly. But Dr. Jonez' patients had
had no such adverse effects, and all had improved, so the Sisters were
happy when Dr. Jonez volunteered to open a clinic at St. Joseph's dedicated
to the treatment of MS.

Dr. Jonez had learned of injectable histamine treatment for MS at a meeting
of the American College of Allergy (now called the American College of
Allergy and Immunology) from the then-well-known Bayard T. Horton, MD, of
the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota). According to Dr. Jonez, when
discussing allergy and allergy treatment over dinner, Dr. Horton had told
him and a group of physicians: "Take multiple sclerosis. There is good
reason to believe it is an allergic condition."1 According to Dr. Jonez,
Dr. Horton had explained that histamine gives new life to MS victims much
as fresh fighting troops revive an exhausted army. "It's too early to say
much" Dr. Horton told Dr. Jonez "but we believe we are on the right track."2


Histamine for Allergies?

Some fifty or more years after Dr. Horton's time, we've all been thoroughly
convinced by the patent medicine companies propaganda ("advertising") that
patented and formerly patented "antihistamines" are the best way to combat
allergy. Such was not the case in the 1940s. Dr. Jonez explains3:

"Let me review some 1946 medical history.....the antihistamine drugs were
big news that year....pharmaceutical houses worked night and day to rush
the latest and most potent antihistaminic drug to doctors and
druggists....while most doctors dosed their patients with antihistamines,
Dr. Horton did the exact opposite. He administered histamine. And he was
getting results. Both allergic conditions and an impressive array of
illnesses were yielding to Dr. Horton's histamine treatment.

Mysterious, intolerable headaches disappeared. So did the symptoms of
Meniere's disease, characterized by progressive deafness, previously
relieved by highly delicate surgery. A host of bizarre eye and ear
conditions heretofore thought incurable had also responded to histamine.

Horton's method was in a sense fighting fire with fire, and based on the
same line of reasoning as giving cowpox vaccinations to fight
smallpox....Instead of suppressing the action of histamine by
antihistaminics, he used histamine against histamine."

If these successes were achieved by a respected staff member of the Mayo
Clinic in the 1940s, why isn't histamine commonly in use today against
allergic diseases? The answers lie in the nature of histamine itself, and
in the nature of American medicine.

Histamine is a very "unstable" molecule; it "breaks down" very rapidly.
When given orally, it can cause considerable stomach upset and cramping;
when given too rapidly or in too great a quantity by injection it can (as
noted above) give very unpleasant effects. A few people had actually died
after being injected with too much histamine too fast. But administering it
properly, Dr. Horton reported that he had given thousands of injections
without a single ill effect. So why didn't physicians learn and apply Dr.
Horton's methods as Dr. Jonez did?

Histamine's biggest handicap is (and was) that as a molecule produced in
human bodies it isn't patentable. Patent medicine (sometimes called
"pharmaceutical") companies would not work "night and day" to rush
histamine...or news of its latest uses...to doctors and druggists. And in
the 1940s, as now, the vast majority of physicians got most of their "new
treatment" information from patent medicine companies.


Dr. Jonez First “Case”

Mrs. Johnston had suffered from MS for five years. She was bedridden,
unable to move her legs..She was going blind…and had difficulty swallowing.

Dr. Jonez describes her response to histamine treatment:

"[Histamine*] was given slowly, carefully. All the elaborate precautions
Horton outlined were observed. He had said that histamine had an
unwarranted bad reputation because doctors...gave [it] too rapidly, or used
contaminated equipment. They failed to realize that the fault lay in their
own ineptness.....

A rosy glow spread over Mrs. Johnston's face, then down her neck and
gradually down the arms. “I feel better already” she said. As the days went
by, there was no doubt she was getting better…she could swallow with ease
for the first time in months. And to the amazement of her eye specialist,
her vision was back to normal…Less than six months after her first dose of
histamine, she was walking. Sensation had fully returned to the legs that
had appeared hopelessly paralyzed. It began the evening her husband
telephoned in great excitement: ‘She can wiggle her toes!’…. The progress
was steady. Soon she gave away the wheelchair.”4

Dr. Jonez goes on to explain that the natural course of MS can include
unexplained “spontaneous” remissions, sometimes of long duration. As this
was his first case, he couldn’t be certain that the histamine injections
had caused Mrs. Johnston’s improvement. However, five years later, after
administering some 150,000 doses and observing the results, he wrote:
“…histamine is the medication of first choice in multiple sclerosis.”5


Dr. Jonez’ Clinic at St. Joseph’s

After obtaining space at St. Joseph’s, and with the help of the sisters,
Dr. Jonez added several features to the basic histamine treatment. As Dr.
Horton had told Dr. Jonez that MS was caused by allergy, and since Dr.
Jonez’ use of Dr. Horton’s histamine treatment for MS had been successful
in many cases, it’s understandable that Dr. Jonez wrote (in a “professional
report”): “At our clinic, complete allergy management is the basis of
therapy. On all of our patients, allergy histories are taken and scratch
tests [the best tests available at that time – ed.] are made for
sensitivities to foods, epidermals, molds, fungi, pollens, and
miscellaneous allergens.”6 On the basis of these tests, diets and allergy
desensitization programs were individualized for each MS patient. Dr. Jonez
emphasized the importance of allergy control as well as histamine
treatment: “Almost without exception, our chronic, progressive [MS
patients] suffered from food allergies.”7 He recounts the case of a
patient: “…who was out of his wheelchair three times and back again because
he thought a small order of salmon and spinach wouldn’t make any difference.”8

Physical therapy was another important part of Dr. Jonez’ program. The
Sisters of St. Joseph’s helped him to make sure physical therapy was done
adequately and appropriately for each patient. For patients whose muscles
were twisted and contorted with MS spasm, Dr. Jonez prescribed injections
of a powerful muscle relaxant to aid in muscle manipulation.

After five years, Dr. Jonez’ multiple sclerosis program was so successful
that the Sisters decided to erect a new clinic building, to house what
would be named St. Joseph Hospital Clinic for Demyelinating Diseases. The
official “groundbreaking” occurred on December 8, 1951, with opening
scheduled for August 15, 1952. Unfortunately, Dr. Horton died, the Sisters
could not find one physician on St. Joseph’s staff willing to continue his
program, and Dr. Jonez’ clinic and program at St. Joseph’s in Tacoma came
to an end.


Other Natural Treatments for MS

At the same time Dr. Jonez was working at St. Joseph’s, another pioneer in
effective natural MS treatment, Dr. Roy Swank, was developing his MS diet
while on the faculty of the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center. Dr
Swank’s diet is high in “unsaturated fatty acids,” which have been found to
aid MS when supplemented alone. Others (including Dr. Jonez) were exploring
the use of injectable vitamin B12, as well as injectable adenosine
monophosphate (AMP), a natural substance made within every cell of our
bodies. During the intervening years, your editor (as well as others) have
found that a large proportion of individuals with MS have significant
impairments of digestion and assimilation, and that a unique herbal
combination can have a significant effect in MS treatment. I have, as well
as other Tahoma Clinic physicians, observed DHEA to be a small help for
some individuals with MS. All of these valuable natural treatments and
aspects of MS will follow the description of the “improved histamine,”
Procarin, the invaluable contribution of Elaine DeLack, RN.


Elaine DeLack, MS, and Procarin9

Elaine developed her first symptoms of MS in 1985 while living in Montana.
While pregnant with her son, she developed intermittent difficulty moving
her left leg. After delivery, she had variable difficulty moving her left
arm and hand. In 1987, an MRI (magnetic resonance image) showed what
appeared to be MS lesions in her central nervous system; a second MRI
showed more lesions, and the “official diagnosis” of MS was made in 1988.

She continued to worsen until “making dinner was a chore.” Finally, she had
her self-described “wake-up call”: a fall while carrying her son, who
required stitches for his cuts. She knew she needed more help. She received
a telephone call from a caring woman who advised her to call Raymond Bjork,
MD, a Montana physician, who advised her to try injections of vitamin B12
and adenosine monophosphate (AMP). She tried taking vitamin B12 by mouth;
it didn’t help.

She moved with her family to the Seattle area in 1990. She decided to take
vitamin B12 by injection, along with AMP. She reports “it really helped,”
and that she could put herself into remission with these natural substance
injections.

In 1993, she finished work for her RN, which she had started in Montana
before taking “time out” to care for her children. While working at her
first job at a nursing home, she tried to convince the attending physicians
to use injections of vitamin B12 and AMP for MS patients. Only one
physician would listen; he had the injections given to one of the nursing
home residents suffering from MS, who strengthened and went home. Despite
this, none of the other physicians would consent to try the injections for
their MS patients, telling Elaine “there isn’t enough research.”

So in 1994, she enrolled in a research methods course at the Bothell campus
of the University of Washington, determined to find and develop research on
injectable vitamin B12 and AMP. She found research showing that histamine
stimulated the production of the “intrinsic factor” by the stomach. She
knew that vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed without “intrinsic factor,” and
she recalled that vitamin B12 had not worked for her when she swallowed it,
but had been very helpful for her when she injected it. She felt she had
found key information. After that, it seemed that in her research
“everything led to histamine.”

She started giving herself histamine by injection and with transdermal
patches, but found the effects too transient. Further research led her to
other natural substances which would slow the body’s breakdown of
histamine. She found a combination which helped her eliminate all her own
MS symptoms. After first working with Judy Richardson, R.Ph., who helped
develop the delivery system, she located George Ballasiotes, R.Ph., and Jim
Seymour, R.Ph., at Key Pharmacy, in Kent, Washington, who helped compound
and distribute the histamine combination (which she named “Procarin”) more
widely. She obtained a “use patent” for the Procarin; in the course of the
patent research she discovered the work of Dr. Jonez. After she obtained
her “use patent,” she formed a company, and raised money for feasibility
studies.

Once again, she was frustrated by the unwillingness of many doctors to
consider using the Procarin. Even when nothing else was working for their
MS patients, they refused to try. Finally, she located Dr. Daniel Nehls, a
Tacoma neurosurgeon, who conducted a pilot study with encouraging results.


Tahoma Clinic Gets Involved

In the 1980s, I read Dr. Jonez’ book and professional paper, and spoke to a
former patient of his, still “in remission.” Dr. Jonez’ book “rang true,”
and his former patient was convincing, so we tried injectable histamine at
Tahoma Clinic intermittently in the mid-1980s. Unfortunately, we had no
inpatient facility available for the slow, continuous infusions mentioned
by Dr. Jonez. Our patients didn’t have enough results from the histamine
infusions to continue, so we put the project “on the shelf.” (We were
having better results with the allergy work advocated by Dr. Jonez, and
other items.)

This summer, George and Jim from Key Pharmacy told Tahoma Clinic physicians
about their work with Elaine and Procarin, and about Dr. Nehls’ pilot
study. Fortunately, we were aware of Dr. Jonez’ prior histamine work.
Having worked with natural medicine since 1973, we knew that Procarin had a
very low potential for adverse effects, and that the potential benefits for
MS patients were enormous. We started to work with it right away.

We designed standardized, simple to mark questionnaires to be filled out
“before” and “after” Procarin use, so we could keep track of any changes,
for better or worse. A few individuals with MS were kind enough to keep
daily journals; the following is excerpted from one of these,10 a woman who
started to apply Procarin patches twice daily on July 16, 1999:

July 16: No reaction, no improvement

July 18: Getting out of wheelchair improving, less fatigue.

Able to feed myself, no tremors, able better to support myself in bathroom.
Bladder control improvement. Balance improving, to stand longer,
comprehension improvement. Didn’t need to take afternoon nap.

July 19: Over-all I’m feeling better, thinking clearer. Talked to relatives
on the phone & they note a difference in speech and conversation

July 20: Getting out of wheelchair even better, can stand for longer
periods of time, went to P.T., & she noticed how much stronger I was. Less
swelling in ankles. Still feeling better.

July 21: Feeling stronger, more energy, thinking clearer. Swelling still
less in ankles.Standing longer. Less fatigue. Generally feeling stronger.

July 22: Starting to build muscles in my legs (probably from standing?)

July 23: Starting to get a better appetite. Feeling less fatigue and
feeling stronger.

July 24: Same.

July 25: Less numbness in hands and arms. Still don’t take afternoon naps.

July 26: Noticed improvement in legs – getting stronger. Can make “baby
steps.” Not very much, but improving.

July 27: Went to my P.T. and actually walked with help 20 feet twice. Can
move my left leg forward, but can’t on my right side. Was transferring from
wheelchair to P.T. table by myself.

July 28: Can stand up longer (hanging onto something). Arms continue to get
stronger.

July 29: Same.

July 30: Just keep feeling stronger. Can stand with help longer.

July 31: Just over-all feeling better.

August 1: Stayed up late with a relative last night. Was not as tired.
Didn’t have to take a nap. Actually took 3 small steps hanging onto a bar.

August 2: Building muscles in arms and legs. Can stand up straighter if I
am hanging onto something or someone. Can look into my husband’s eyes again!

August 3: Have less swelling in my feet and ankles, but more in my right
foot. Have more energy to do things around the house.

August 4: Building muscles in arms and legs.

August 5: Feeling stronger. A slight rash on my face. Have had it before.
Comes and goes.

August 6: Same.

August 7: Felt stronger. Still rash on my face.

August 8: Fatigued. Exercised a little more than I should have.

August 9: Rash still present.

August 10: Starting to itch at several sites across chest and back. Still
feeling stronger. I only seem to start itching after the second patch comes
off.

August 11: Used cortisone cream on the sites that itched last night and
that helped. Used it also on my face. Rash on my face is practically gone.
I am also getting out of my wheelchair better and standing up straighter.

August 12: Took my first steps today!! Yeah! I had to hold onto a bar in
our bathroom, but I took 3 steps. Then I yelled for my husband and made 3
steps forward and 3 back. Actually picked my feet up off the ground.
Feeling stronger.

August 13: Still can take a few steps. The rash on my face is a lot better.

August 14: I noticed when I have the patches on, I don’t itch. The 8 hours
I have the patch off, I seem to start itching where the previous patches
have been.

August 15: Still generally feeling better every day. Getting stronger and
can exercise longer.

August 16: Didn’t itch at all last night. I have also been eating better.
More fish and poultry. I have always eaten fruits and vegetables, just more
now.

August 17: Same.

August 18: I have been waking up around 2 AM for the last few nights very
hot and sweaty. Almost like having “hot flashes.” Went to have my hair done
and normally I am exhausted by the time we get home. I wasn’t [exhausted]
today. I have new hair growth that is not coming in gray, but my natural
hair color.

August 19: Able to do more exercises.

August 20: Same.

August 21: Basically the same. Got up early and could do it. Getting out a
lot more and feeling like I can.

August 22: Not really feeling tired after yesterday’s adventure.

August 23: Same.

August 24: Still exercising. Feeling stronger.

August 25: Same; still less swelling in my ankles.

(As noted above, of the first ten “return visits” to Tahoma Clinic by
Procarin-aided MS, seven showed at least one significant improvement. Three
did not; it may be co-incidental, but all three non-responders were taking
Baclofen, a “muscle spasm blocking” patent medication. But whether the
Baclofen interfered with Procarin or not, Procarin is not expected to help
100%.)


How Does Procarin (and Histamine) Work Against MS?

Dr. Jonez was convinced that MS was a manifestation of allergy. As noted
above, his opinion was based on the work of Mayo Clinic physician Bayard T.
Horton, MD, as well as on the opinion of Foster Kennedy, MD, Professor of
Neurology at Cornell University Medical School, whom Jonez describes as
“one of the great neurologists of our day.”11 He quotes Dr. Kennedy: “I
have finally reached the conclusion that multiple sclerosis cannot be
explained on any other basis [but allergy].”12 Jonez adopted and extended
Horton’s histamine treatment for allergy, focusing it on MS with
considerable success (as well as safety). As noted above, he also
recommended complete allergy evaluation and treatment, with histamine a
major tool.

However, Jonez also points out that histamine is a potent blood vessel
dilator. He quotes two other histamine-employing MS researchers, who wrote
that the basic therapy for MS “calls for continued vasodilation of the
vessels of the nervous system, as well as for the prevention of spasm. Both
these measures should be enforced for 24 hours a day. A [histamine]-free
interval of even a few minutes would suffice for an attack.”13 According to
this theory, histamine reverses the blood vessel spasm (of unknown cause)
associated with MS, restoring normal blood flow to the affected tissue,
thus promoting healing.

Elaine DeLack has a different point of view.14 Based on her research (she
cites the Journal of Neuroscience Research; Archives of Neurology;
Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior; Journal of Laboratory and Clinical
Medicine; Annals of Neurology; Journal of Neurochemistry) she writes: “I
believe that MS is a result of an infectious agent, very possibly a
provirus, that attacks [histamine] producing cell bodies in the central
nervous system…. Proviruses, or slow viruses, sit dormant in a cell until a
stressor causes them to become active, and they begin to trick the cell
into reproducing [the virus]. The [histamine] producing cells become busy
making the virus rather than [histamine] and a person starts to experience
symptoms of MS due to the lack of [histamine] being produced. Eventually
the [histamine]-producing cell body becomes so full of the virus that it
explodes dumping the virus and the cell contents (which we call enzymes
that the cell is normally intended to make), into the blood and spinal
fluid. This results in an increased level of [histamine], which in turn
stimulates the making of the component that maintains the myelin. This
results in a decrease of MS symptoms and a person goes into remission. But
many of the dumped viruses from the damaged [histamine] producing cells are
able to invade more [histamine] producing cells. The virus in these newly
invaded cells remain dormant until once again a stressor triggers the virus
to become active and the above cycle is repeated. This is what I believe
happens during the Remissive-Relapsing stage of MS. Once the [histamine]
producing cells have been depleted to the point that the body can no longer
produce enough [histamine] to maintain the myelin as well as the many other
functions it is involved in, the MS symptoms begin to worsen steadily. This
I believe is the stage that is called Secondary Progressive MS. I believe
that Chronic Progressive MS happens when a person experiences a severe
attack on these [histamine] producing cells and because of the number of
[histamine] producing cells being destroyed, the person experiences a rapid
steady decline with no remissions – all due to the deficient level of
[histamine].”

No one knows whether Dr. Jonez’ theories or Elaine DeLack’s theories of how
histamine works against MS are true in the whole or in part. Ultimately,
this is very important, but for MS sufferers, the most important questions
are: Can histamine (as Procarin) lessen my symptoms? Is it safe? Although
more work is needed, it appears that the answer is yes.


Procarin (and Histamine): Facts and Observations

It’s obvious that Procarin (histamine and natural substances which slow
histamine breakdown and release) isn’t a cure for MS, but a replacement
therapy, much like insulin for type 1 diabetes, or natural hormone
replacement therapy. As such it needs to be used continuously and
indefinitely (when effective) to maintain symptom relief.

Dr. Jonez wrote: “Our best results were obtained among those able to take
the largest amounts of histamine. Blondes and redheads are watched with
particular care. They seldom tolerate as heavy doses of histamine as those
with darker coloring.”15 He also wrote: “histamine must be given constantly
and in tolerance doses.”16 He concluded a professional paper as follows:
“After treating over 1500 patients…it is our opinion that much can be done
for sufferers of multiple sclerosis. Early diagnosis and treatment result
in a great possibility of bringing about a remission and the retarding or
arresting of the disease…. Treatment as outlined does not cure, but it does
arrest symptoms a great many times…. By this regimen we have made
ambulatory or wheelchair cases out of bedfast ones. Also, we have taken
wheelchair cases and made them ambulatory. Still others become symptom-free
and remained so without an exacerbation up to periods of over five years.”17

Elaine DeLack notes a paradox: The effect of the histamine in Procarin is
completely negated by “H2 blocker” patent medications (medications which
block the action of histamine at “H2” receptors). These include Zantac,
Tagamet, and other “acid-blocker” medications. However, “antihistamines”
found in “cold remedies” (such as Benadryl) do not interfere with the
histamine in Procarin, and in fact can be used to treat the occasional skin
rash associated with its use. Elaine and her husband Marvin have also noted
an apparent association between lack of response to Procarin and
“heat-insensitive” MS; most individuals with MS are very sensitive to heat,
and report their symptoms worsen with “heat stress.”

The “patch” technology for Procarin is still evolving. Instructions for use
must be followed carefully for the Procarin to be absorbed properly and do
its job. Individualization of both patches and dose is sometimes necessary.

Presently, the prevailing price for one month’s supply of Procarin is $249.
However, as more and more of the over-1000 compounding pharmacies start
offering it, the price may well decline.


Other Worthwhile “Natural” MS Therapies: Diet

Dr. Roy Swank, now-retired Professor of Neurology at the University of
Oregon Health Sciences Center, recommended a diet low in saturated fat (20
grams daily or less) with added “unsaturated” fatty acids including cod
liver oil and vegetable oils. The “Swank Diet” eliminated margarine,
“shortenings,” and hydrogenated (partially or otherwise) vegetable oils.
Very long-term follow-up (in some cases over 30 years) showed that
individuals who followed the diet closely had significantly less
deterioration as compared with those who didn’t follow the diet. Notably,
the death rate was 31% among those who had followed the diet, and 80% among
those who hadn’t. Individuals with the least disability at the start of the
study did best: 95% of that group remained only mildly disabled for
approximately 30 years.18,19 Given these statistics, the “Swank Diet”
(modified to eliminate all food additives, preservatives, colorings, and
artificial flavorings, all “refined flour” and sugar, and completely
individualized for food allergy) is always recommended for MS sufferers at
Tahoma Clinic.


Food Allergy

As noted above, Dr. Jonez believed and observed that food allergy could
have a significant impact on MS. Dr. Jonez certainly wasn’t alone. One
study reported that in fifteen individuals with MS, symptoms could be
completely controlled or improved by avoidance of allergenic foods, house
dust, or tobacco.20 Other researchers reported that 31% of 49 MS sufferers
improved when they avoided allergenic foods. When they re-introduced these
foods, symptoms frequently worsened.22 Both myself and my colleague Alan R.
Gaby, MD, (former co-editor of this newsletter) have worked with
individuals whose MS was greatly improved by food allergy avoidance.23


Impairment of Digestion and Assimilation

Even if the very best, individualized diet is strictly followed, it won’t
help as much as it might if it isn’t optimally digested and absorbed. At
Tahoma Clinic, individuals with MS are always evaluated for digestive
impairment. A large majority are found to have either gastric
hypochlorhydria (low production of stomach acid) and/or “pancreatic
exocrine insufficiency” (lack of sufficient pancreatic digestive enzymes to
optimally digest food fiber, fats and oils, or proteins). Stomach tests are
performed as “gastric analysis by radiotelemetry.”24 Pancreatic function is
assessed in a much more “low-tech” fashion, by direct microscopic
observation of a specially-stained stool specimen, along with a
“steatocrit” (a determination of the percent undigested fat in a stool
specimen). Supplementation of betaine hydrochloride with pepsin with meals
and/or pancreatic enzymes (“pancreatin”) after meals is recommended for any
individual whose tests are abnormal.

At least one research paper has reported poor digestion and absorption in a
large proportion of individuals with MS. Quoting from the abstract to this
paper: “Malabsorption tests were studied in 52 patients with multiple
sclerosis. The stools were examined microscopically for fat and undigested
meat fibers and were found to be abnormal in 41.6 and 40.9% respectively
[pancreatic exocrine insufficiency – ed]. Abnormally low five hour
excretion of d-xylose [another test of malabsorption – ed] was demonstrated
in 26.6% of cases. Malabsorption of vitamin B12 was found in 11.9% of
cases….25 Unfortunately, no one has published data on the prevalence of
gastric hypochlorhydria in MS; in practice, Tahoma Clinic has found well
over 50%.


Essential Fatty Acids

Dr. Swank’s diet emphasized high levels of essential fatty acids. A
“meta-analysis” (combined statistical evaluation) of three MS research
trials (not done by Dr. Swank) concluded that supplementation of essential
fatty acids (in this case, sunflower oil) was associated with longer
remissions and less severe exacerbations (worsenings).26 Instead of
routinely recommending sunflower oil, we prefer to monitor “red cell
membrane essential fatty acids” (a blood test), and recommend “omega-3,”
“omega-6,” and “omega-9” unsaturated fatty acids in quantities to keep the
“omega-3/omega-6 ratio” tipped in favor of the “omega-3” oils. Although
this is done for MS on purely theoretical grounds (at this time) the reason
is that omega-3 fatty acids are thought to generally suppress inflammation
and an over-active immune system, while the omega-6 fatty acids generally
are thought to do the opposite.


Injectable Vitamin B12

As noted above, Elaine DeLack’s personal experience was that ingested
vitamin B12 didn’t help her symptoms; injectable vitamin B12 did help. Dr
Jonez reported that injectable vitamin B12 helped his patients with MS. An
early report in the AMA Journal told of improvement in neurologic function
in individuals with MS receiving vitamin B12 injections.27 Much more
recently, Japanese researchers reported more frequent improvements in both
visual and brainstem auditory evoked potentials in individuals with MS
receiving vitamin B12 injections (the methylcobalamin form of vitamin B12)
during the treatment period than during the pretreatment period.28 Perhaps
the positive responses to injectable vitamin B12 may be explained by one
researcher’s statement that “…vitamin B12 is required for the formation of
myelin” [myelin is the “nerve insulation” destroyed in MS sufferers –
ed].29 At Tahoma Clinic, self-injection (or injection by a family member)
of vitamin B12 is always recommended; the large majority who try it report
it helpful.


Injectable Adenosine Monophosphate

Adenosine monophosphate (AMP) is an immediate precursor of adenosine
triphosphate (ATP), an important “energy molecule” in every cell in our
bodies. Since most (nearly 90% by one estimate) AMP is transformed into
ATP, and AMP is considerably less expensive, AMP is usually used. However,
Dr. Jonez was given a supply of injectable ATP (by the Anhauser-Busch
company!) and wrote: “…we used [injectable ATP] on 224 patients…. The most
noticeable improvement has been in bladder symptoms. The patients have been
relieved of incontinence, urgency and frequency of urination, and most
patients have spoken of being able to enjoy more refreshing sleep. Several
have gained better muscle co-ordination and balance in walking. Several
have discarded their canes….”30

In one study, sixteen individuals with severe MS disability were give AMP
injections for six to ten months. Very significant improvements were noted
in endurance and bladder malfunction.31 In another study of 26 MS afflicted
individuals, two were reported to have had “complete and lasting relief of
all symptoms and signs,” eleven were reported to have “moderate but
definite and useful improvement,” four had “slight but definite
improvement,” eight had “slight but variable improvement but not
maintained,” and one had no change.32 An intriguing interconnection:
Examination of a table of “biochemical pathways” reveals that AMP is a
precursor of histidine and histamine, as well as ATP.

When given intravenously, AMP can easily cause tranisent faintness, chest
constriction, and shortness of breath. For this reason, at Tahoma Clinic we
recommend intramuscular injection, which rarely causes these unwanted effects.


Adaptrin (Padma 28)

Adaptrin is an herbal mixture originating in Tibet. Previously known as
“Padma-28,” it was suppressed by the Food and Drug Administration (despite
no complaints or safety concerns). It is now available through a different
supplier who wisely makes no statements about what it might be used for. In
Padma 28/Adaptrin, twenty-two ingredients are combined in a specific order.

In a study of 100 individuals with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis,
some were randomly assigned to treatment with Padma 28 (2 tablets 3 times
daily) for one year, and others to a control group treated only
symptomatically; 44% of those taking Padma 28 experienced improvement,
including improved general condition, increased muscular strength, or
improvement or disappearance of disorders affecting sphincters. Decrease in
paresis33 (paralysis/spasticity) was observed in 36%. In those with
initially abnormal visual evoked potentials, 41% had improvement or
normalization. Patients with both recurrent attacks and slowly progressive
multiple sclerosis both improved, although the frequency of improvement was
higher (55%) in the former group than in the latter (33%). No side effects
were reported. None of the patients in the control group improved; 40% had
deterioration in their condition.33


DHEA

Although there have been as yet no publications concerning DHEA treatment
of MS, Tahoma Clinic physicians have found it useful. DHEA levels are
always measured prior to treatment, and are very frequently found low in
individuals with MS. Supplementing with physiologic quantities of DHEA
frequently results in reports of increased strength in individuals
supplemented with DHEA.


In Conclusion

Elaine DeLack’s revival of Jonez’ (and Horton’s) histamine treatment of MS
and her improvement of it as Procarin is a very significant breakthrough in
the care of MS-afflicted individuals. Procarin has made effective histamine
treatment easily possible on an outpatient, at-home basis, with enormously
more convenience and considerably less cost than in-hospital, continuous
intravenous or intramuscular histamine treatment. Combined with a
“natural-food” Swank diet individually modified for food allergy, detection
of and compensation for defects of digestion and assimilation, essential
fatty acid supplementation, injectable vitamin B12 and adenosine
monophosphate (AMP), and supplementation of Adaptrin and DHEA, Procarin
gives us not only a revival of hope, but a much improved chance of making a
very real improvement in symptoms of individuals suffering from multiple
sclerosis.




References

1. Jonez HD, My Fight to Conquer Multiple Sclerosis, Julian Meissner, New
York, 1952, page 24

2. ibid, page 25

3. ibid, pages 21-22

4. ibid, page 34

5. ibid, page 48

6. Jonez HD, Management of Multiple Sclerosis, Postgrad Med 1952;11(5):415-421

7. Jonez HD, My Fight To Conquer Multiple Sclerosis, op cit, page 50

8. ibid, page 51

9. This section, personal communication, Elaine DeLack, September 1999

10. Data on file, Tahoma Clinic

11. Jonez HD, My Fight To Conquer Multiple Sclerosis, op. cit., page 25

12. ibid, page 26

13. Jonez HD, Management of Multiple Sclerosis, op. cit. Page 420, citing
Brickner RM and Franklin CR, Visible retinal artery spasm associated with
multiple sclerosis, Arch Neurol Psych 1944;51:573, and Franklin CR and
Brickner RM, Vasospasm associated with multiple sclerosis, Arch Neurol
Psych 1947;48:125

14. DeLack E, unpublished paper

15. Jonez HD, My Fight To Conquer Multiple Sclerosis, op cit, pages 42-43

16. ibid, page 47

17. Jonez HD, Management of multiple sclerosis, op cit, page 421

18. Swank RL et al. Effect of low saturated fat diet in early and late
cases of multiple sclerosis, Lancet 1990;336:37-39

19. Swank RL Multiple sclerosis: fat-oil relationship. Nutrition,
1991;7:368-376

20. Meyer MG et al. Is multiple sclerosis a manifestation of idioblaptic
allergy? Psych Quarterly 1954;28:57-71

22. Ehrenthal OF et al. Role of food allergy in multiple sclerosis.
Neurology 1952; 2:412-426

23. Wright JV Gaby AR. Multiple sclerosis and Multiple sclerosis
commentary, Nutrition and Healing Newsletter 1997;4(9):1-7 [Publishers
Management Corporation, Box 84909, Phoenix, Arizona, 85071 USA.

24. Andres MR Bingham JR. Tubeless gastric analysis with a
radio-telemetering pill [Heidelberg capsule]. Can Med Assoc J 1970;102:1087

25. Gupta JK et al. Multiple sclerosis and malabsorption. Am J Gastroent
1977;68:560-565

26. Dworkin RH. Linoleic acid and multiple sclerosis: a re-analysis of
three double-blind trials. Neurology 1984;34:1441-1445

27. Anonymous. Vitamin B12 in multiple sclerosis. JAMA 1950; 143:1272

28. Kira J Tobimatsu S Goto I. Vitamin B12 metabolism and massive dose
methyl vitamin B12 therapy in Japanese patients with multiple sclerosis.
Int Med 1994;33:82-86

29. Sandyk R Awerebuch GI. Vitamin B12 and its relationship to age of onset
of multiple sclerosis Int J Neuroscience 1993;71:93-99

30. Jonez HD My fight to conquer multiple sclerosis, op cit, page 213

31. Lowry ML Moore RW Caillet R. Adenosine-5-monophosphate in the treatment
of multiple sclerosis. Am J Med Sci 1953;226:73-83

32. Shapiro A. Effects of muscle adenylic acid in multiple sclerosis. Ann
NY Acad Sci 1954;58:633-644

33. Korwin-Piotrowska T et al. Experience of Padma 28 in multiple
sclerosis. Phytother Res 1992;6:133-136