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Partner of the Month: LDN

June 2, 2020

Chronic Pain and Low Dose Naltrexone

Naltrexone is a class of drug known as an opiate antagonist.  It is licensed for use in treating opiate and alcohol dependence at doses of between 50 mg and 300 mg daily.  At these doses, the opioid receptors are blocked for an extended period, thus suppressing the cravings for opiates or alcohol.

The first clinician to record immunological effects of Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) was Dr Bernard Bihari in 1985. His primary line of research at that time was with HIV/AIDS. He was trying to improve the survival rate of seriously immune-compromised patients.

Dr Bihari knew from previous research that endorphins were significantly involved in the regulation of the immune system, it was an ingenious step to try treatment with LDN.  On finding that giving LDN daily to his patients improved their outcomes dramatically, it inspired a plethora of research on the importance of endorphins and opiate antagonists to the regulation of the immune system.

Over the next 29 years, Dr Ian Zagon championed the fundamental research into endorphins and LDN.  He published almost 300 papers on the subject and it was confirmed, without doubt, that the endorphin/opiate receptor system is involved in virtually every biological system that regulates immune response.

The Mechanism of Action of LDN

The first thing to understand about the mechanism of action is that Naltrexone – the drug in LDN – comes in a 50:50 mixture of 2 different forms (called isomers). It has recently been discovered that one form binds to immune cells, while the other variant binds to opioid receptors. Although consisting of precisely the same components, the two isomers appear to have different biological activity.

Levo-Naltrexone (the left-handed version) is an antagonist for the opiate/endorphin receptors

o          This causes increased endorphin release

o          Increased endorphins modulate the immune response

o          This reduces cell proliferation via endorphins

Dextro-Naltrexone (the right-handed version) is an antagonist for at least one, if not more, immune cells and is reported to:

o          Antagonise “TLR,” suppressing cytokine modulated immune system

o          Antagonise TLR-mediated production of NF-kB – reducing inflammation, potentially downregulating oncogenes

How LDN Works for Pain

It was found that low doses of naltrexone, at 1/10th of the dose used for opiate dependence, has beneficial effects on those suffering from many autoimmune disorders.

For chronic pain patients, the central nervous system gets overwhelmed; pain signals become out of control and drown the body’s natural pain-relieving systems. Temporary blockage of the opiate receptors prompts the body to upregulate endogenous opioids and receptors. This rebound effect restores balance to the opioid system.

The main goal of LDN is to slow or halt the progression of the disease.  When LDN normalises the immune system, it halts the further progression of autoimmune disease, relieving inflammation and pain and consequently stress, which often leads to exacerbations of a wide variety of autoimmune conditions. Aside from better pain control, benefits derived from the use of LDN include decreased fatigue, improved mood, reduced sleep disturbances, and enhanced cognitive function.

Trials and Studies

There are many clinical trials for the use of LDN for the treatment of autoimmune conditions such as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Fibromyalgia (FM), Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), Sjogren’s Syndrome, Stiff Person Syndrome, Neuropathic Corneal Pain and LDN for Cancer.  Past papers for these conditions and more are on the LDN Research Trust website.1   The list of illnesses that have shown benefit from LDN is long, but most are the result of just one thing – a dysfunctional immune system.

Sjogren’s Syndrome

Is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation of the lacrimal and salivary glands that results in dry eyes and mouth as well as fatigue and musculoskeletal pain. A case study conducted by Scott Zashin describes a 47-year-old female who had no improvement on standard therapy for five years from diagnosis. After that time, the lady sought a second opinion from Scott Zashin and she elected to try LDN therapy.  After two weeks she reported feeling “Terrific” and her lab work showed normal for ESR, CRP and ALT. After some adjustments to dosage over time, the patient noted significant benefit with her fatigue and pain.  While her symptoms improved, what was most interesting about the case was that her clinical improvement was associated with an improvement in her inflammatory markers.2

ME/CFS

Is a medical condition that limits physical and cognitive functions, and there is no known effective treatment. One retrospective open-label study concluded that a study should be initiated to confirm the feasibility of LDN to alleviate the symptoms of ME/CFS.3    In this study, 46% of the group experienced no adverse side effects, 54% reported mild and temporary adverse effects (commonly transient insomnia, vivid dreams and headaches). In comparison, almost 74% reported varying degrees of symptomatic relief during LDN therapy.

Kent Holtorf, MD, authored a chapter in “The LDN Book – How a Little-Known Generic Drug – Low Dose Naltrexone – Could Revolutionize Treatment for Autoimmune Diseases, Cancer, Autism, Depression and More”, Edited by Linda Elsegood.  In his chapter, he describes treating Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia patients with LDN.  Dr Holtorf’s treatment plan is to

  1. Stabilise the patient
  2. Enhance mitochondrial function
  3. Balance the hormones
  4. Treat the immune dysfunction
  5. Treat any infections/immune components
  6. Address any unique etiologies
  7. Adjust treatment as needed

Of all of these steps, he declares that step 4 is possibly the most important aspect of the treatment and a therapeutic trial of LDN should be considered in the majority of these patients not on narcotic pain medication.  Now that the use of uLDN (ultra Low Dose Naltrexone) is known to help increase the efficacy of opioids while weaning patients off it, LDN may possibly be used in that circumstance too.

In a peer reviewed and published analysis of over five hundred CFS and FM patients, on Dr Holtorf’s treatment plan, 94% of patients had overall improvement at the fourth visit, 75%  noted a significant overall improvement, 62% reported substantial overall improvement and the average energy level and sense of well-being for patients doubled by the fourth visit.4     Standard treatment for these conditions involves drugs with unpleasant side effects such as muscle relaxants, antidepressants, NSAIDS and some physiotherapy – these only minimally addressed the symptoms and ignored the cause entirely.

A review published by Joyce et al found that “Of 26 studies identified, four studied fatigue in children, and found that 54-94% of children recovered over the periods of follow-up. Another five studies operationally defined chronic fatigue syndrome in adults and found that less than 10% of subjects return to pre-morbid levels of functioning, and the majority remain significantly impaired”.5     Compare these results to Dr Holtorf’s analysis, and there is a clear case for his method and the use of LDN in cases of ME/CFS and FM.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)

CRPS is predominantly nerve pain that usually starts after some form of trauma.  CRPS is said to be the most painful condition known to exist and is quite common. A case study by Pradeep Chopra, MD, of a 15-year-old girl who developed CRPS after she sprained her left ankle: the pain suffered by this patient got steadily worse over a three-year period despite many tests that appeared normal, extensive physical therapy, spinal injections and medications. The pain started to mirror in her right leg, and the condition worsened to the point where she was confined to a wheelchair suffering constant pain. At the age of 18, after one attempted suicide and other complications arising such as muscle atrophy, dystonia to the left ankle and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, the patient was started on a treatment of low dose IV ketamine and LDN.  She showed a good initial response to ketamine and the ketamine was reduced and stopped after three months just leaving her on the LDN with significant improvement in pain and function.  Within a year, along with physiotherapy, she was able to get rid of her wheelchair and now walks unaided.6

Rheumatic and Arthritic Pain

Clinical research on LDN in rheumatic disease and arthritis, in general, is limited; however, one pharmacoepidemiologic study tested the hypothesis that the use of LDN reduced the use of conventional rheumatic disease medications.  In a controlled before and after study, prescriptions were looked at a year before and a year after the patients commenced LDN and the outcomes showed the differences in the drugs dispensed.  The results of the study suggested that the compliant use of LDN reduced the dispensing of several medications used in rheumatoid and seropositive arthritis, drugs such as DMARDS, NSAIDs and Opiates. In conclusion, the authors state that “The results support the hypothesis that persistent use of LDN reduces the need for medication used in the treatment of rheumatic and seropositive arthritis. Randomised clinical trials on LDN in rheumatic disease are warranted.”7

Dosing Guide – LDN and uLDN

The prescribing regimen for LDN depends on the condition being treated and of course on the individual as each can be different regarding toleration, lifestyle, other drugs prescribed etc.  In general, the guide is to start low and slowly work up from 0.1mg to 4.5 mg over a period of weeks or months.  If side effects occur, then the advice is to halve the dose and build up slowly again – this usually resolves the issue with side effects.

Because LDN is a potent opioid antagonist, the use of LDN for patients on opioid pain medication is not recommended for fear of triggering an opioid withdrawal reaction.  However, ultra Low Dose Naltrexone (uLDN) can be used in micro doses alongside opioids to help wean patients off opioids without going through withdrawal symptoms and still controlling pain. After a few weeks, patients take Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) to control the pain or use LDN alongside other medication.

The LDN Research Trust has recently released a documentary regarding Opioids and Pain Management and how LDN can assist with treatment, this documentary can be found here: https://www.ldnresearchtrust.org/ldn-documentaries-english  or on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mZX77vSY1w&t=2128s

 

Conditions where LDN could be of benefit

Go to https://www.ldnresearchtrust.org/conditions

 

The LDN Book Volume 2 Launch and Tour

Starting October 14th 2020 https://www.ldnresearchtrust.org/ldn-book-2-launch-and-tour

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  1. https://www.ldnresearchtrust.org/ldn-clinical-trials
  2. Scott Zashin, “Sjogren’s Syndrome: Clinical Benefits of Low Dose Naltrexone Therapy”, Cureus, 11, 3 (March 2019), e4225, https://doi:10.7759/cureus.4225
  3. Olli Polo, Pia Pesonen & Essi Tuominen, (2019) “Low-Dose Naltrexone in the Treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)”, Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health & Behavior, 7, 4 (2019), 207-217: https://doi:10.1080/21641846.2019.1692770
  4. Power point presentation, Kent Holtorf, MD https://www.ldnresearchtrust.org/sites/default/files/Dr%20Kent%20Holtorf%20LDN%20and%20CFS-FM_0.pdf
  5. J. Joyce, M. Hotopf and S. Wessely, “The Prognosis of Chronic Fatigue and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: a Systemic Review”, QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, 90, 3 (March 1997) 223-33. https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/90.3.223
  6. Pradeep Chopra, MD, https://www.ldnresearchtrust.org/sites/default/files/Manangement%20of%20chronic%20pain%20with%20LDN%20-%20Chopra%202017.pdf
  7. Guttorm Raknes and Lars Småbrekke, “Low Dose Naltrexone: Effects on Medication in Rheumatoid and Seropositive Arthritis. A Nationwide Register-Based Controlled Quasi-Experimental Before-After Study”, Plos One, Research Article (February 2014), https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212460

 

Emerging Theories That May Help Us Solve the COVID-19 Puzzle

April 22, 2020

Originally published at JillCarnahan.com

UPDATED 4-18-20

There is increasing evidence that COVID-19 isn’t your typical virus. Thankfully many researchers, scientists and doctors are observing trends that are changing the way we are treating it in hospitals and at home.

I should be writing this at the beginning of all my articles in the last month but due to the fact that we are all living in real time and the information coming out is changing moment by moment even the best scientist’s theories on how to combat this illness continue to evolve.  Although things could certainly change as larger studies come forth, for the moment I wanted to share with you some exciting new details that are emerging theories, which could affect future treatment development.

Current Theory and Treatment for Coronavirus

Currently COVID-19 is being treated as a dysfunction of the lower respiratory tract. It’s primary symptoms are:

  1. Fever
  2. Cough
  3. Shortness of breath

Interestingly, a large number of COVID-19 patients also report a loss of taste and smell. In mild cases of COVID-19, the virus will run its course and resolve on its own. But if this disease progresses to a critical level, patients spiral into a state of severe hypoxemia – where the body is unable to effectively deliver life-sustaining oxygen to the rest of the body. Without adequate oxygen delivery, vital organs and tissues are starved of oxygen and begin shutting down – which can eventually lead to death.

The current treatments assume that coronavirus is causing a build-up of liquid (instead of air) in the alveoli – making it difficult for oxygen to transfer through the fluid and make its way into the bloodstream. To counteract oxygen deprivation caused by this build up of fluid, COVID-19 is currently being treated as a case of acute respiratory distress, also known as ARDS. The standard treatment for ARDS is mechanical ventilation – which will force air into the alveoli in hopes of transferring oxygen into the blood.

The problem is, treating COVID-19 with ventilation isn’t working like it should. In fact, some doctors have observed that the use of ventilators may even be harming some patients. So that brings up the question – what if our current understanding of COVID-19 is wrong?

Emerging ideas on the virus…

There is mounting evidence suggesting that our initial understanding of exactly how coronavirus impacts the body may be incorrect.

Consider these mysteries of COVID-19:

  1. Patients are showing blood oxygen levels so low that they should be life-threatening, but without showing the typical signs of distress that are expected when the same levels are reached due to lung dysfunction.
  2. Doctors are saying that ventilators aren’t working as well as they should be and may even be harming some people.
  3. Many patients report a loss of taste and smell, typically associated with zinc deficiency, not respiratory disease.
  4. Researchers have noted that the pathological mechanism that causes the damage to the body remains a mystery.
  5. Twenty percent of COVID-19 patients have cardiac damage.
  6. Fatality rates, even among places with robust testing in place, are wildly different.

These discrepancies have hinted at a new culprit as well as new possible solutions. So, should we be treating COVID-19 differently? To answer that question, first let’s look at exactly how a healthy body is designed to deliver oxygen to your tissues.

How Our Cells Are Designed Carry Oxygen

As you inhale air, oxygen enters your lungs and reaches the alveoli which is lined with a layer of cells that creates the barrier between your lungs and your bloodstream. Oxygen molecules pass through this barrier and attach themselves to a protein called hemoglobin that is bound to your red blood cells. Once your red blood cells have picked up oxygen, they set off to begin delivering it to the rest of the tissues in your body.

Think of your red blood cells like little rafts that are responsible for picking up oxygen and carrying it to your tissues which rely on oxygen for survival. And think of hemoglobin like people on the raft working as a delivery crew – tasked with receiving, holding, and dropping off oxygen molecules. Without the “delivery crew” of hemoglobin proteins, the raft is useless.

It’s also important to understand a little more about the structure of hemoglobin. A vital component of hemoglobin proteins are heme groups – which are embedded in the hemoglobin and are responsible for binding and releasing oxygen molecules. These heme groups are a metal complex and contain iron as the central metal atom, with each iron molecule capable of carrying one oxygen molecule. These iron rich heme groups are critical – without them your cells are unable to transport the oxygen your tissues depend on.

This understanding the body carries oxygen has sparked speculation about how COVID-19 may be exerting it’s devastating effects by creating more reactive oxygen species causing tissue damage and hypoxia.

A New Theory on COVID-19’s Mechanism of Injury

One the most puzzling aspects of COVID-19, is that despite fitting most of the criteria under the definition of acute respiratory failure there is one glaring contradiction. With the coronavirus, there appears to be hypoxia or low oxygen saturation in the blood rather than respiratory distress as seen in classic respiratory failure. Meaning many patients present with severe hypoxia with nearly normal respiratory function. This remarkable combination is almost never seen in severe cases of ARDS.

Interestingly, it may be creating a clinical picture similar to someone suffering from severe malaria or altitude illness.

Could COVID-19 Be affecting Oxygen Carrying Capacity?

In COVID-19’s final and severe stages, the lungs are severely damaged. But new information on this virus’s cellular process in the body is revealing that the final condition of the lungs and accompanying respiratory failure may actually be more of a case of massive oxidative stress overload disrupting the capacity of hemoglobin to carry oxygen to tissues rather than an outright attack on the air sacs in the lungs.

The theory on coronavirus affecting the bloods oxygen carrying capacity is related to the fact that increased intracellular oxidative stress is at the core of all pathogenic infections.  This is often referred to as increase in reactive oxygen species or ROS.  This ROS production is at the core of much of the damage we are seeing not only to the blood’s ability to deliver oxygen to the tissues, causing severe hypoxia or low oxygen but also damaging all tissues they come in contact with.  As Integrative and functional medicine doctors, we often measure marker of oxidative stress in our patient’s urine to determine if this process is out of control.  One such marker is lipid peroxides.  According to Dr. Tom Levy the intracellular levels of Vitamin C, magnesium and glutathione largely affect the oxidative stress which could damage the tissues, one reason why you are seeing Vitamin C being used in hospitals to treat the virus.  Stay tuned as I will be writing more about Vitamin C in upcoming blog articles.

This cascade of events would explain:

  1. Why as many as one in five COVID-19 patients have cardiac damage.
  2. Why IV nutrients that target cardiovascular function are beneficial.
  3. Why many people experience a loss of taste and smell.
  4. Why anti-malarial medications are showing promising results.

This would also explain why ventilators aren’t working quite like we’d expect. Ventilators work by forcing more air into the lungs, so more oxygen can be delivered to the blood. This is helpful when there’s liquid or inflammation in the lungs, and the blood is working normally – like in pneumonia. However, if there is an issue due to the fact that oxidative stress (ROS) has altered the blood’s ability to properly carry this oxygen, then a ventilator can’t do its job. Right now, the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that COVID-19 patients are candidates for “early, invasive ventilation”. But if we’re ventilating patients who are struggling to keep their little oxygen boats afloat in the bloodstream due to massive oxidative stress, ventilation will do little good and could even cause damage.

This theory would also give us some more insight as to why certain populations may be more at risk of contracting COVID-19.

This Might Explain Why Anti-malarial Medications are Being Considered for Treatment.

Hydroxychloroquine, also known as Plaquenil, is an anti-malarial medication that is showing promise as a potential treatment for COVID-19. If coronavirus is in fact attacking red blood cells, similar to the way malaria does, then it would make sense why an anti-malarial drug would be beneficial for coronavirus patients. But how exactly could hydroxychloroquine be exerting these antiviral effects?

Research is finding that it might be due to hydroxychloroquine’s relationship with the mineral zinc. You see, hydroxychloroquine is a zinc ionophore – meaning it enhances your body’s ability to allow zinc into your cells.  When intracellular concentrations of zinc are increased, it displays broad spectrum antiviral activity in a few ways:

  1. Zinc inhibits the actions of certain proteins necessary for the completion of different phases of the virus’s life cycle – essentially halting its ability to reproduce10
  2. Zinc supports a robust immune response by aiding in the production of cytokines and the modulation of immune cells10
  3. Zinc acts as a powerful antioxidant and prooxidant – neutralizing the oxidative stress caused by toxic overload of iron that has been dumped into the blood from the burst cells

Interestingly, one of the initial symptoms reported by many coronavirus patients is a loss of taste and smell. This lack of taste and smell can be caused by a zinc deficiency. Perhaps the action of hydroxychloroquine helping zinc enter cells is part of the reason the drug has benefitted some COVID-19 patients. It’s important to note that in order for hydroxychloroquine to work, there must be adequate zinc levels available to allow into the cells – so hydroxychloroquine must be administered in conjunction with zinc to be most effective against COVID-19.

Hydroxychloroquine has shown promise (as well as a risk of severe cardiac arrhythmia in certain patients) but the way the drug functions has given us some powerful insights and may give us answers into how we can save more lives.

The Connection Between COVID-19 and Altitude Sickness

Another interesting connection is the fact that COVID-19’s clinical presentation is quite similar to another respiratory illness – high altitude pulmonary edema, also known as altitude sickness. In both COVID-19 and high altitude pulmonary edema clinical findings include:

  1. A decreased ratio of arterial oxygen levels to inspired oxygen
  2. Hypoxia (low oxygen levels) and tachypnea (abnormally rapid breathing)
  3. Low carbon dioxide levels
  4. A ground glass appearance in the lung tissues
  5. Elevated fibrinogen levels
  6. Diffuse alveolar damage

In altitude sickness, the lungs are functioning fine – there are just inadequate levels of oxygen to process to properly meet the needs of the body. Clinical findings similar to altitude sickness would make sense if COVID-19 is in fact causing a dysfunction of red blood cells through production of massive oxidative stress rather than a direct problem with the lungs.

So What Are Potential Options to Quench Oxidative Stress?

Even with all of the information that points to COVID-19 creating massive oxidative stress, there are still a lot of unknowns. The downside of this is of course the trial and error and continued research that needs to take place before we have real answers. The upside, is that this information gives us an array of new potential treatment options to consider:

High Dose Vitamin C:

High doses of vitamin C are garnering attention as a powerful way to potentially mitigate the effects of coronavirus. These ultra-high doses of vitamin C are speculated to fight the massive immune response and subsequent respiratory failure seen in coronavirus infection by:

  1. Suppressing the over-reactive inflammatory response in the lungs
  2. Minimizing the accumulation of immune cells in the tissues of the lungs
  3. Decreasing the release of cytokines (chemical messengers involved in the immune response)
  4. Slowing down the viruses ability to reproduce and spread
  5. Neutralizing the oxidative stress caused by the massive amounts of iron floating around in the bloodstream

Ideally, high dose vitamin C can be delivered intravenously, where it is more easily absorbed and utilized intracellularly. But oral vitamin C can also be beneficial if taken correctly. While regular over the counter oral vitamin C causes diarrhea, liposomal Vitamin C at frequent intervals does not, and is an effective way to increase intracellular levels. Several  New York hospitals have approved intravenous vitamin C as a therapy for the first time ever in studies being conducted on the virus.

Glutathione:

Glutathione is a potent antioxidant naturally found in most of the cells in your body. Glutathione plays a few major roles in immune function including:

  1. Functioning as a signaling molecule – helping balance inflammation levels and modulating immune system response
  2. Reducing oxidative injury by neutralizing harmful toxins
  3. Regulating cellular proliferation and apoptosis

There is a growing mountain of evidence finding that the most effective way to take glutathione may be through inhalation. Inhaled glutathione (aerosolized or nebulized) is already being used in the treatment of a variety of respiratory-related conditions and has been garnering attention as a possible treatment option for COVID-19.

Inhaled Hydrogen:

The inhalation of concentrated hydrogen gas is another potential treatment option due to its powerful antioxidant properties. Inhaling hydrogen gas has been found to:

  1. Reduce oxidative-stress induced damage
  2. Reduce cellular apoptosis
  3. Improve gas exchange in the lungs
  4. Block the production of proinflammatory mediators
  5. Inhaled hydrogen gas may be particularly effective when paired with other anti-oxidative therapies such as IV vitamin C and inhaled glutathione.

Other Antiviral Drugs:

A number of other antiviral medications are being studied for their potential to treat COVID-19. These include:

  1. Methylene Blue: Methylene Blue is a medication that has been used in the treatment of malaria due to its powerful antiviral properties – killing the virus at an impressive speed. It’s also used in the treatment of a condition known as methemoglobinemia – a condition in which individuals have too much methemoglobin which is a form of hemoglobin that is much less effective at carrying oxygen. Methylene blue works by converting methemoglobin into a type of hemoglobin that can more effectively transport oxygen.
  2. Remdesivir: Remdesivir is another antiviral drug used for Ebola. Remdesivir is showing benefit in solid studies – a small but well-conducted study on severe cases in the US, Canada, Europe, and Japan concluded that Remdesvir caused clinical improvement in 68% of patients.
  3. Favipiravir: Favipiravir is a powerful anti-viral agent that inhibits the virus from replicating and spreading. It has been approved in China and Japan for the treatment of influenza and is undergoing research to determine its potential efficacy in treating COVID-19.
  4. Hyperbaric Treatment: Hyperbaric treatment works in two ways. First, inspired oxygen concentration is increased to nearly 100%. Secondly, ambient pressure is increased to about three times higher than the air pressure we normally breathe. This combination is designed to essential “hyper oxygenate” your blood – improving oxygen delivery to your tissues. Hyperbaric treatment may be an effective adjunct therapy to help COVID-19 patients recover, especially when administered early.

Could This Bring Us One Step Closer to Finding a Cure for COVID-19?

There are still many unknowns when it comes to coronavirus. The only thing we know for certain is that we are in a race against time. I hope we will continue to search for clues and change course when wrong.

I urge my fellow clinicians and researchers to examine this virus and its mechanism of action with fresh eyes. We entered into this field knowing we were signing up for being lifetime students. This current pandemic is calling us to rise to the occasion – the world is counting on us to find the answers it needs.

In my own practice, I will continue to give my patients and readers the most up-to-date tools they need to protect themselves amidst this pandemic. Until we have a solid understanding of this virus, I will continue to seek new information to do my part in fighting back against COVID-19 and update you when we find more information to help patients get well.

Give Your Immune System the Support It Needs  

Along with continued research to identify the root cause of COVID-19, I am also working on equipping our clinic to offer treatments to support your immune system during this time. Based on our current understanding we may consider offering some of the following options.

  1. IV Vitamin C and Glutathione: A powerful combination of two of the most potent antioxidants delivered intravenously so they can be immediately used by the cells to combat oxidative damage.
  2. Inhaled Glutathione: Inhaling glutathione delivers it directly to your lung cells – replenishing their antioxidant stores that are quickly used up when fighting inflammation.
  3. Inhaled Hydrogen: Pairing inhaled hydrogen’s impressive anti-inflammatory effects with Vitamin C and glutathione makes for a robust and powerful trio of antioxidant therapies.
  4. Nasal Ozone: Ozone gas held in the sinuses helps your body more effectively uptake oxygen and activates a healthy immune response.  Ozone should not be inhaled as may damage the lungs.

And fortunately, Flatiron Functional Medicine is certainly not the only place that you may be able to receive these powerful therapies to support the immune system. Many other providers have the resources and training to deliver them as well – so please seek out a reputable and trusted clinician in your area to learn more about these options.

References:
  1. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/symptoms.html
  2. https://www.statnews.com/2020/04/08/doctors-say-ventilators-overused-for-covid-19/
  3. https://chemrxiv.org/articles/COVID-19_Disease_ORF8_and_Surface_Glycoprotein_Inhibit_Heme_Metabolism_by_Binding_to_Porphyrin/11938173
  4. https://khn.org/news/mysterious-heart-damage-not-just-lung-troubles-befalling-covid-19-patients/
  5. http://www.chemistry.wustl.edu/~edudev/LabTutorials/hemoglobin.htm
  6. https://www.esicm.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/684_author-proof.pdf
  7. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00109-008-0368-5
  8. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2762996
  9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4182877/
  10. https://www.researchgate.net/post/Is_a_combo_of_chloroquine_and_Zinc_a_cure_for_coronavirus
  11. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2018/9156285/
  12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5488004/
  13. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-4-431-68120-5_2
  14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7096066/
  15. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04264533
  16. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033062020300372?fbclid=IwAR0UMWXFiQvxpIBxCOvg8zpFQLBgq8zTUmI5LOc-HDd0G32SzeBbcv9cFz0#bb0070
  17. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3048347/
  18. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19393193
  19. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4684116/4
  20. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2249747/
  21. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/47676317_Inhaled_Hydrogen_Gas_Therapy_for_Prevention_of_Lung_Transplant-Induced_IschemiaReperfusion_Injury_in_Rats
  22. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23852510
  23. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180205195624.htm
  24. https://www.drugs.com/mtm/methylene-blue-injection.html
  25. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2007016
  26. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28769016
  27. https://www.jwatch.org/na51293/2020/04/09/favipiravir-potential-antiviral-covid-19
  28. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy

Breast Cancer Risk – Is it in your family?

October 25, 2017

The American Cancer Society estimates that over 266,120 new cases of invasive breast cancer are diagnosed within the U.S. each year. Of these new cases, approximately 40,500 patients will not survive. While extensive research efforts have been taken to counter this destructive disease, still more work in the field of oncology remains to be completed.

Recent research has begun to explore the genetic causes of breast cancer. Studies have found that when a patient’s cancer is caused by an inherited genetic mutation, he or she may have an increased risk of other cancers. Out of the 12.5% of women at risk for breast cancer in the U.S., 10% are hereditary. For these patients, treatment recommendations will likely differ based on their respective genetic makeup.

Women found to have smaller risk genetic mutations are likely to benefit from earlier mammogram screenings than those recommended for the general population. As traditional mammogram guidelines are solely based on age, most insurance plans do not provide women with screening coverage until age 35. For many women, therefore, the optimal window to detect early stages of breast cancer has already passed before they are eligible to receive screenings.

In light of these findings, some researchers argue that breast cancer screening guidelines should be modified and/or revised. Adapting new guidelines would allow physicians to detect a higher number of breast cancer cases, before they progress to more critical, life-threatening stages.

Dr. Otis Brawley, Chief Medical Officer of the American Cancer Society, explains that additional genome testing would benefit not only potential cancer patients, but also those of other diseases: “This type of genome-wide screening is being used to identify genes that are associated with increased risk of a number of diseases, including diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and heart disease.”

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1Scutti, Susan. CNN.com. Breast Cancer Genetics Revealed. 72 new mutations discovered in global study. http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/23/health/72-new-breast-cancer-mutations-study/index.html. October 23, 2017. Accessed October 24, 2017.