Hi all. Long-time lurker and admirer of Dr
Peat, first time poster.
Would appreciate any ideas on potential healing modalities for what is essentially an issue of scarring and adhesions of
several of the cauda equina nerves within the spinal column. Long story but occurred after a laminectomy which initially seemed successful then degenerated into unbelievably painful nerve pain in one leg.
A second surgery 3 years later by a neurosurgeon, trying to address a facet joint cyst and protruding disc material, confirmed the cauda equina situation (primarily because they accidentally cut thru the dura and could see the nerve clumping and scarring within the cauda equina)
That is something that can't be approached surgically without risk of greater dysfunction including possible paralysis.
Only agreed to the first surgery because they (Pain Management Specialist) refused to prescribe pain medication and insisted on interventional facet joint and other spinal injections which did not help. I know this forum is generally very anti-opioid but trust me when I tell you they are sometimes necessary for some people to have any quality of life vs. being sedentary or even bedridden. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act many medical practices are being bought out by private equity groups because the electronic data reporting requirements make it unworkable/affordable for doctors to maintain a private practice. That is why your doctor now spends 5 minutes with you and entering info into a computer that the NIH or whoever uses to generate care algorithms that doctors must adhere to for insurance requirements. No room for nuance anymore in medicine. And the private equity groups make money on interventional techniques, not dispensing medication so many pain management practices (legit ones, not pill mills) have been closed, stranding many patients.
Second surgery was actually in the hope of correcting things to the point of not needing strong pain meds, but instead, like many patients, have now been consigned to the medical trash heap designation of "failed back surgery" and now rely on pain meds I need but would rather not take.
I would love @haidut or anyone to look into what could be a way to mitigate the situation.
There is a retired Pain Management doctor named Forest Tennant who has a website called ArachnoiditisHope.com which has many suggestions but basically calls for a three-pronged approach of pain control, inflammation reduction, and repletion of neurosteroids which he claims are depleted by the pain itself and the actual obstruction to the flow of cerebrospinal fluid between the brain and spine, because of scarring and clumping. Suggestions include whatever medical help one can get, as well as otc things such as adrenal extract, andrographis, serrapeptide, colostrum, turmeric, palmitoylethanalomide, and especially dhea and/or pregnenolone. The doses recommended for those are over the top (like 200 mg dhea twice daily!), but keep changing as I believe he relies on a lot of anecdotal info as well as whatever scientific info is available (sparse). To my knowledge he has no financial interests in the supplements he recommends and runs the website as a research foundation.
@haidut - if you were to experiment with rats having this issue, are there any Idealabs experimental substances you would most likely try on the rats? You might find this an interesting area, if you have the time.
Okay, sorry for the long dissertation. Any feedback is welcome.
Also, of course condolences to all who knew or communicated with the great Dr. Peat, whose scientific and philosophical contributions will continue to flourish and stand the test of time.
Peat, first time poster.
Would appreciate any ideas on potential healing modalities for what is essentially an issue of scarring and adhesions of
several of the cauda equina nerves within the spinal column. Long story but occurred after a laminectomy which initially seemed successful then degenerated into unbelievably painful nerve pain in one leg.
A second surgery 3 years later by a neurosurgeon, trying to address a facet joint cyst and protruding disc material, confirmed the cauda equina situation (primarily because they accidentally cut thru the dura and could see the nerve clumping and scarring within the cauda equina)
That is something that can't be approached surgically without risk of greater dysfunction including possible paralysis.
Only agreed to the first surgery because they (Pain Management Specialist) refused to prescribe pain medication and insisted on interventional facet joint and other spinal injections which did not help. I know this forum is generally very anti-opioid but trust me when I tell you they are sometimes necessary for some people to have any quality of life vs. being sedentary or even bedridden. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act many medical practices are being bought out by private equity groups because the electronic data reporting requirements make it unworkable/affordable for doctors to maintain a private practice. That is why your doctor now spends 5 minutes with you and entering info into a computer that the NIH or whoever uses to generate care algorithms that doctors must adhere to for insurance requirements. No room for nuance anymore in medicine. And the private equity groups make money on interventional techniques, not dispensing medication so many pain management practices (legit ones, not pill mills) have been closed, stranding many patients.
Second surgery was actually in the hope of correcting things to the point of not needing strong pain meds, but instead, like many patients, have now been consigned to the medical trash heap designation of "failed back surgery" and now rely on pain meds I need but would rather not take.
I would love @haidut or anyone to look into what could be a way to mitigate the situation.
There is a retired Pain Management doctor named Forest Tennant who has a website called ArachnoiditisHope.com which has many suggestions but basically calls for a three-pronged approach of pain control, inflammation reduction, and repletion of neurosteroids which he claims are depleted by the pain itself and the actual obstruction to the flow of cerebrospinal fluid between the brain and spine, because of scarring and clumping. Suggestions include whatever medical help one can get, as well as otc things such as adrenal extract, andrographis, serrapeptide, colostrum, turmeric, palmitoylethanalomide, and especially dhea and/or pregnenolone. The doses recommended for those are over the top (like 200 mg dhea twice daily!), but keep changing as I believe he relies on a lot of anecdotal info as well as whatever scientific info is available (sparse). To my knowledge he has no financial interests in the supplements he recommends and runs the website as a research foundation.
@haidut - if you were to experiment with rats having this issue, are there any Idealabs experimental substances you would most likely try on the rats? You might find this an interesting area, if you have the time.
Okay, sorry for the long dissertation. Any feedback is welcome.
Also, of course condolences to all who knew or communicated with the great Dr. Peat, whose scientific and philosophical contributions will continue to flourish and stand the test of time.
