Disease modifying therapies, which contain interferon, have been widely used to treat multiple sclerosis. However, recent studies have scientifically proven that they do not lessen disability. So what does that mean about the other treatments that are available? Are they safe and effective? What are they doing to your body when you take them?
I am disappointed with the scientific field, for producing false hope in individuals with MS. The disease modifying drugs which contain Betaseron have been used since 1993 and are now known to not prevent disability. So people have been using these drugs for about 20 years and are only now becoming aware of the fact they may not work? That just pisses me off.
Here's a link about interferon based drugs being ineffective against disability.
I remember trying Avonex and the flu like symptoms that came with it were unbelievable. My body obviously knew to reject it. I only took it for a few weeks because I had 2 relapses while I was on it.
Shortly thereafter, I tried Rebif...I was told the side effects were more tolerable, and they were...I used it for almost 7 weeks. During that time I had 3 relapses. I turned to my neurologist Dr. Lava while I was in the hospital and said, "The Rebif is making me sicker isn't it?"
"It appears it is making you worse," he replied.
I never tried Tysarbi because the rebound effect frightened me. I was relapsing often, and I was scared that if I went on Tysarbi and then had to stop taking it, I could get sicker. The thought of developing more lesions when I already had about 30, scared the shit out of me. What could those lesions do to me? To be honest I wasn't scared of the PML. I wanted the MS symptoms to stop and when this drug first came out there was no information about the JC virus. I figured if I died from PML I wouldn't suffer anymore. However the fear of suffering the rebound effect was enough to make me never try it.
I had used Copaxone for years and I must admit...I felt as though it did help. After years of taking it, I couldn't handle the side effects any longer. I got sick of injecting myself, the welts were horrible, the cost of the drug is astronomical, the side effects felt terrible and I was still getting relapses.
Medical research has shown Copaxone has medical benefits in slowing down the number of relapses for MS, but they don't understand why.
Did you know the main ingredients in Copaxone are 4 amino acids? They are: glutamic acid, lysine, alanine and tyrosine.
Why inject yourself with an over priced drug with severe side effects, when you can buy these amino acids at most vitamin stores or online, take them orally, save money, and most importantly be safe and feel good? This is why I advocate protein in forms of chicken and whey, and have suggested taking amino acids in previous post titled, A Secret to Defeating MS.
You must be thinking why didn't my doctor, who I trust, tell me this?
He didn't tell you this because he went to medical college for Western medicine. He is not an Eastern medicine doctor which studied homoeopathic remedies in college. In fact, he can't tell you this without risking a lawsuit because his insurance only protects him from the school of thought he got a degree in.
I recently saw my gynecologist because my periods have been irregular and I wanted to make sure everything was okay with my lady parts. He tried to prescribe my progesterone. I said, "I told you doctor I will only use natural remedies. I will start eating yams and use a natural cream made from yams, but I will not take your prescription."
He replied, "I am not licensed to prescribe a natural remedy, my insurance won't protect me."
I thanked him for his honesty and realized that the next time I need a doctor I will seek out a homeopathic one.
In my post yesterday (Latest Research has "Cured" Mice from MS) I discussed the newest scientific research which indicates that beta-amyloid cells are responsible for "curing" mice with MS. There is a connection between glutamine (glutamic acid) and beta amyloid cells. Here's a link which discusses this connection.
So your probably wondering why Copaxone has such severe side effects?
Most side effects are caused by a glutamine overdose or an allergy to glutamine. It depends on the side effect you are experiencing...you could even be having an allergic reaction to the inactive ingredient Mannitol.
How can you avoid these painful injections and unwanted side effects?
Take glutamine, which is the what glutamaic acid is derived from. If you take the glutamine in the form of a vitamin, you will have the flexibility of ingesting the amino acid orally, and taking the amount your body can tolerate without side effects.
I also want to point out this link from The New York Times which states, "At the same time, they acknowledge certain weaknesses of their own study, in particular the problem that people who take no medicine are also likely to be among those who are the least ill and therefore least likely to become disabled in any case."
I find the above paragraph very amusing...because I haven't taken an MS therapy drug in years! I had an EDSS score of 5.5 while I was using drug modifying therapies and over 40 lesions. Now I take NOTHING and I am free of MS symptoms. I do believe people like myself would benefit from not taking the medicine because they are not putting toxic, foreign substances into their body.
I know the vitamins I have suggested cost money and you may be receiving disability and have trouble affording them...but you really need to, in order to make a full recovery. Here's a link to my previous post, Vitamins that Fight Disease.
Vitamins are not magic pills! You must adopt a healthy life style as I have mentioned in my previous posts in order to repair the damage from multiple sclerosis. This will not happen overnight because it takes time to remove the impurities, toxins and free radicals in your body.
Do I think you should stop taking your disease modifying drug....
I cannot answer that for you.
However, I have informed you of how I approach this disease, what I do, and shown you the medical research so you can make the best decision for you.
If you feel what you are taking is not working for you, then why continue?
A previous post titled, How I Defeated Multiple Sclerosis.
I am disappointed with the scientific field, for producing false hope in individuals with MS. The disease modifying drugs which contain Betaseron have been used since 1993 and are now known to not prevent disability. So people have been using these drugs for about 20 years and are only now becoming aware of the fact they may not work? That just pisses me off.
Here's a link about interferon based drugs being ineffective against disability.
I remember trying Avonex and the flu like symptoms that came with it were unbelievable. My body obviously knew to reject it. I only took it for a few weeks because I had 2 relapses while I was on it.
Shortly thereafter, I tried Rebif...I was told the side effects were more tolerable, and they were...I used it for almost 7 weeks. During that time I had 3 relapses. I turned to my neurologist Dr. Lava while I was in the hospital and said, "The Rebif is making me sicker isn't it?"
"It appears it is making you worse," he replied.
I never tried Tysarbi because the rebound effect frightened me. I was relapsing often, and I was scared that if I went on Tysarbi and then had to stop taking it, I could get sicker. The thought of developing more lesions when I already had about 30, scared the shit out of me. What could those lesions do to me? To be honest I wasn't scared of the PML. I wanted the MS symptoms to stop and when this drug first came out there was no information about the JC virus. I figured if I died from PML I wouldn't suffer anymore. However the fear of suffering the rebound effect was enough to make me never try it.
I had used Copaxone for years and I must admit...I felt as though it did help. After years of taking it, I couldn't handle the side effects any longer. I got sick of injecting myself, the welts were horrible, the cost of the drug is astronomical, the side effects felt terrible and I was still getting relapses.
Medical research has shown Copaxone has medical benefits in slowing down the number of relapses for MS, but they don't understand why.
Did you know the main ingredients in Copaxone are 4 amino acids? They are: glutamic acid, lysine, alanine and tyrosine.
Why inject yourself with an over priced drug with severe side effects, when you can buy these amino acids at most vitamin stores or online, take them orally, save money, and most importantly be safe and feel good? This is why I advocate protein in forms of chicken and whey, and have suggested taking amino acids in previous post titled, A Secret to Defeating MS.
You must be thinking why didn't my doctor, who I trust, tell me this?
He didn't tell you this because he went to medical college for Western medicine. He is not an Eastern medicine doctor which studied homoeopathic remedies in college. In fact, he can't tell you this without risking a lawsuit because his insurance only protects him from the school of thought he got a degree in.
I recently saw my gynecologist because my periods have been irregular and I wanted to make sure everything was okay with my lady parts. He tried to prescribe my progesterone. I said, "I told you doctor I will only use natural remedies. I will start eating yams and use a natural cream made from yams, but I will not take your prescription."
He replied, "I am not licensed to prescribe a natural remedy, my insurance won't protect me."
I thanked him for his honesty and realized that the next time I need a doctor I will seek out a homeopathic one.
In my post yesterday (Latest Research has "Cured" Mice from MS) I discussed the newest scientific research which indicates that beta-amyloid cells are responsible for "curing" mice with MS. There is a connection between glutamine (glutamic acid) and beta amyloid cells. Here's a link which discusses this connection.
So your probably wondering why Copaxone has such severe side effects?
Most side effects are caused by a glutamine overdose or an allergy to glutamine. It depends on the side effect you are experiencing...you could even be having an allergic reaction to the inactive ingredient Mannitol.
How can you avoid these painful injections and unwanted side effects?
Take glutamine, which is the what glutamaic acid is derived from. If you take the glutamine in the form of a vitamin, you will have the flexibility of ingesting the amino acid orally, and taking the amount your body can tolerate without side effects.
I also want to point out this link from The New York Times which states, "At the same time, they acknowledge certain weaknesses of their own study, in particular the problem that people who take no medicine are also likely to be among those who are the least ill and therefore least likely to become disabled in any case."
I find the above paragraph very amusing...because I haven't taken an MS therapy drug in years! I had an EDSS score of 5.5 while I was using drug modifying therapies and over 40 lesions. Now I take NOTHING and I am free of MS symptoms. I do believe people like myself would benefit from not taking the medicine because they are not putting toxic, foreign substances into their body.
I know the vitamins I have suggested cost money and you may be receiving disability and have trouble affording them...but you really need to, in order to make a full recovery. Here's a link to my previous post, Vitamins that Fight Disease.
Vitamins are not magic pills! You must adopt a healthy life style as I have mentioned in my previous posts in order to repair the damage from multiple sclerosis. This will not happen overnight because it takes time to remove the impurities, toxins and free radicals in your body.
Do I think you should stop taking your disease modifying drug....
I cannot answer that for you.
However, I have informed you of how I approach this disease, what I do, and shown you the medical research so you can make the best decision for you.
If you feel what you are taking is not working for you, then why continue?
A previous post titled, How I Defeated Multiple Sclerosis.
Rosary,
ReplyDeleteOH MY GOODNESS! I LOVE your information!!! I'm wondering if you'd be interested in being a guest blogger for MSrelief.com?! Personally I am known for being anti-pharmaceutical by nature but my MS has gotten worse every time I've gone off! I didn't have the information (I take responsibility for that)that you are sharing!
I'll get in touch with you!
~Linda
Hi Linda :) Almost nobody knows these methods I'm sharing...almost every diet that's recommended for MS doesn't include meat. I'm a huge advocate of protein, mainly poultry, whey and eggs, for the amino acids found in these foods. I would definitely be interested in being a guest blogger at MSrelief...I've always believed in empowering people with information so they can make the best choice for themselves.
Deletecobalt.blue.rs@gmail.com and you can find me on FB as well :)
An interesting post but I want to point out two things:
ReplyDelete1. I understand anger/frustration at the medical field but they are doing their best- a research scientist works long hours and gets little pay compared to other fields. They allso don't have the funding they should because it's one of thw first things governments cut. This is a personal point for me as that is what I'm working toward and I know what I'm getting into.
2. Homeopathy and supplements are different- homeopathy is the idea that you dilute something to such a degree that it isnt there and supplements are actually just vitamins/minerals in pill form. So supplements can be a good thing (though you can get sick from too much of the vitamins that are fat soluble)
Also, i have never had my doctors suggest meds first- I had awful painful acne from 8uears old and was told to just spend more time in the sun, wash my face properly and have vitin A rich food. It was only until I was about 14 that they would give me pills (and that was after special face/shower treatments. Same with how my mental health started becoming a problen and my other health issues. When i first got diagnosed with cfs/me I was enrolled in a funded gym scheme to try and help me pain (well, some of it- the pain of muscle deterioation was helped but the other pain not so much. It hurts but i go as much as i can or that type of pain will add to my neuralgic pain and i cant imagine that)
Just want to instill some faith in the medical work, they are trying and there will be answers (thwy have found a big link in lupus for example :) )
Hi Dicelta :) In response to your post...I'm glad to hear that you a wonderful doctor. Most people including myself, have found that doctors treat the symptom and not the person as a whole.
DeleteAlso I'm going to disagree with you about supplements...I don't find they are diluted, but rather come in varying forms and strengths. Liquid is always better because the body can absorb the smaller molecules more easily.
You are right about some medications,(for example Copaxone is made from amino acids) that are made from vitamins, but there are numerous of other kinds of medications that are synthetically modified with horrible side effects.
Exercise is vitally important if you want to feel good and I know how bad it can hurt. I go to the YMCA, where there's a sliding fee scale, trust, respect and much help always available :)
I'm not downing Western Medicine, God knows I'm truly greatful for certain surgeries I have had (such as gamma knife), which has really helped me. However, I feel Western Medicine should be used as a last resort and not the first.
I have was diagnosed with MS in summer of 99 - and have never used any of the DMDs for a variety of reasons based on their own information.
ReplyDeleteOther than having more lesions I am no more disabled now then I was then (I lost the ability to work despite still having good strength and am fully ambulatory).
My biggest issue with meds was no measure for evaluating they were NOT working. I did not want a cure - just wanted to not waste my time.
I will be seeing an MS specialist I saw early in my MS history - and the only one who respected my option to not take the meds - I am very curious about her evaluation about my condition and my (non)treatment choice.
Seems there is a need for clarity re how you are using terms. At one point you do mention homeopathy that does involve diluting the item in order to use it as medicine - and the more dilute it is the more poten the medicine is (like arnica montana pills) BUT you then move to describe a nutritional approach (see the yam/yam cream comment). One does not use whole foods as homeopathic treatment.
ReplyDeleteI have dabbled in use of different disciplines for different issues - and have found pretty it to for the practicioner to not be enthusiasitic about another type of care - like when I was going for accupuncture and had first learned about homeopathy - the doctor (trained in both easter and western medicine) thought IT was junk medicine!
Hello :) I'm sorry..I re-read my comment I posted and said "doesn't involove diluting." Is that what you were referring to?
DeleteI'm delighted to hear your disease has not progressed. Most people I don't think realize these drugs won't help improve their EDSS scale. So I haveoften felt, what's the point in them? When I tried them, they made me more sick and were very stressful.
Also I have been using the "natural" approach for a couple of years now and I have never felt better :) I tried accupuncture many years ago as well...didn't work for me either! But everyone is different..what may not work for some, works for others and I'm sure this depends on what they are using it for.
Let me try again - and hopefully without the typos of my earlier post -
ReplyDeletethis is where I saw you reference homeopathy:
"I told you doctor I will only take homeopathic remedies. I will start eating yams and use a natural cream made from yams, but I will not take your prescription."
then another reader made this comment ( a correct one in terms of homeopathy)
"2. Homeopathy and supplements are different- homeopathy is the idea that you dilute something to such a degree that it isnt there"
and you answered about "doesn't involve diluting"
Homeopathy has at its base the idea of using so very little as to seem the item used is no longer there. Potency of a homeopathic medicine is measured by how diluted it is. These are ready to use OTC meds and more information can be found here http://nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/content/what-is-homeopathy
So I am not sure if homeopathy should have been mentioned (which is not a 'natural' approach but is not as unnatural as standard western medicine) - it seems from this post your process is more along the nutrion as medicine line (which would include using or avoiding certain foods and could also include supplements)