Parkinson's Disease

[Soren]

Hi Soren

Thanks for your update and great your mother's Dr is on board, very encouraging.

I am curious as to when was your mother was diagnosed with PD and leading up to her diagnosis was she suffering from chronic stress?
And was there a significant stressful event that took place around 6-7 years before her diagnosis, such as a divorce, death etc?

She was diagnosed about a year and a half ago. However she had symptoms for about 8 years before she was actually diagnosed, she has had very slow progression. She was most definitely suffering from chronic stress for many years before and during her symptoms. She also likely had chronic lyme disease before developing PD (perhaps this contributed to her pathology).

I would say her stress was mostly psychological rather than physiological, she very easily gets stressed out by very small things. Not things that one should not be stressed about, but I feel that she has always had an inability to let go, compartmentalize and de-stress. She can't switch off in other words. If I have stressful things in my life I find it very easy to take the time to forget about all of them and de-stress, she does not. So what should be acute stress becomes chronic. Her diet has always been relatively healthy compared to the average western diet. I do not believe any specific stressful event had an impact in her developing PD.

 

[haidut]

Just an update to anyone who is interested.

My mother's doctor read my paper and agreed with everything I presented!! PD not being genetic but a disease down to environmental factors, likely the result of chronic stress, malfunctioning energy metabolism, everything (with the exception of fish oil, yea I know ). He actually agreed with me 100% that PUFAs are bad and that Fish Oil is a PUFA but that it is different. When I pointed out to him that many of the fish oil supplements that we buy have gone rancid from being out in high temperatures he also agreed and suggested that was likely why most of the fish oils were seen to be bad because they were rancid before they were ingested. I stupidly forgot to mention that even if you have fish oil that has not been turned rancid, once ingested the human body is hot enough that it will turn rancid anyway . But no matter, my mother is listening to my advice on this and not taking fish oils.

He also agreed with the simple treatments I recommended to improve her PD symptoms; aspirin, lower estrogen, eliminate PUFAs, red light, methylene blue. He was just cautious on pursuing all these things at once due to the risk of the damage that can be done from too many anti-oxidants. So we have begun implementing these things piecemeal, starting with B-vitamins.

One of the things I referenced in the paper are the studies that show deficiency in certain B-vitamins are involved in the pathology and symptoms of PD. My mother's doctor did some tests that I think were meant to show the biological activity of B-vitamins in her cells and sure enough she was found to be deficient in many of them. To clarify I do not think this was a blood test. I am led to believe that it was more sophisticated although I am not sure on the details and will have to update that when I know.

He said that she was deficient in Thiamine, B12, B3.

He recommended that she get a vitamin B12 shot once a week. Now I am somewhat nervous about this and maybe it is something @haidut could help answer. I have read that excess b12 might contribute to cancer. However, if one has a deficiency surely it is safe and advisable to supplement it. Also I am unsure as to what is the best source and method of delivery for Thiamine when it comes to PD. In my paper I referenced a study where patients given thiamine and it helped reverse the symptoms of PD "Injection of high doses of thiamine was effective in reversing the symptoms, suggesting that the abnormalities in thiamine-dependent processes could be overcome by diffusion-mediated transport at supranormal thiamine concentrations.". However, I do not know what form the Thiamine was in or how high the dose was. I believe that @haidut mentioned it in a podcast with Danny and that it was 100mg but I cannot be sure.

Hope you all find this update interesting, look forward to any feedback and I'll continue to keep you posted with progress as much as I can.

This doctor is rare find. I suggest you treat him well. A bottle of booze usually goes a long way with doctors but it is not Peaty
I posted a study showing that oral allithiamine is as effective as the same dose IV thiamine Hcl. So, this allows one to avoid getting IV or injections as these can trigger a stress response if done on a weekly basis. A typical thiamine Hcl dose given IV or through injection at hospitals is 100mg. This means 100mg oral allithiamine should match the effects. Here is the post where I mention the dose. It looks like 100mg oral allithiamine just twice a week should be able to do the job.
Thiamine (B1) reverses Parkinson disease in humans

 

[moss]

She was diagnosed about a year and a half ago. However she had symptoms for about 8 years before she was actually diagnosed, she has had very slow progression. She was most definitely suffering from chronic stress for many years before and during her symptoms. She also likely had chronic lyme disease before developing PD (perhaps this contributed to her pathology).

I would say her stress was mostly psychological rather than physiological, she very easily gets stressed out by very small things. Not things that one should not be stressed about, but I feel that she has always had an inability to let go, compartmentalize and de-stress. She can't switch off in other words. If I have stressful things in my life I find it very easy to take the time to forget about all of them and de-stress, she does not. So what should be acute stress becomes chronic. Her diet has always been relatively healthy compared to the average western diet. I do not believe any specific stressful event had an impact in her developing PD.

Apologies Soren! I re-read your excellent paper and you do make mention of your mother's chronic stress.

I ask about a significant 'stressful event' because I know of a couple of people with PDs (not known to each other) who both thought physiologically and psychologically things shifted and were possibly attributed from a significant shock/trauma. Interesting you mention your mother 'gets stressed out about the little things and cannot switch off'. I would say that was similar for these two as well. And the Specialist who was working with one of the clients (one of the clients is no longer alive) at the time thought this was a one of the potential triggers and the gut. Doing anything and everything to keep the rubbish disposal system working as efficiently as poss.
Great work you are doing and I agree with haidut - keep the Dr happy!
Well done and I look forward to your updates and hope your mother is able to find some relief.

 

[skycop00]

Really nice job!!

 

[Jan]

Soren, Parkinson's has affected 5 of my family members. When I did 23andMe testing and ran my raw data through Promethease, a genetic mutation came up that causes low uric acid levels and increases the risk of Parkinson's (uric acid is neuroprotective in normal amounts). For over 30 years I'd had low uric acid on blood tests and kept asking my doctors why. They said just to be thankful I would never get gout and didn't seem to think it was a problem.

When I found out about the implications of low uric acid, I noticed the Michael J. Fox Foundation had just funded a study on using inosine to increase uric acid. But I found that molybdenum will also do that, and it's much less expensive. So I started taking small doses every day and when I was retested, sure enough my uric acid was in normal range for the first time. The mild tremor I'd had was gone and I'm so thankful that I caught this in time to hopefully avoid getting Parkinson's. This is one of the articles published about it:
Inosine to Increase Urate in Parkinson Disease

I'm sure there are many causes, but this is becoming a major research topic. You may recall studies saying that coffee was protective against PD. That's because caffeine is a xanthine which is metabolized into uric acid.

Jan

 

[heartnhands]

Soren, Parkinson's has affected 5 of my family members. When I did 23andMe testing and ran my raw data through Promethease, a genetic mutation came up that causes low uric acid levels and increases the risk of Parkinson's (uric acid is neuroprotective in normal amounts). For over 30 years I'd had low uric acid on blood tests and kept asking my doctors why. They said just to be thankful I would never get gout and didn't seem to think it was a problem.

When I found out about the implications of low uric acid, I noticed the Michael J. Fox Foundation had just funded a study on using inosine to increase uric acid. But I found that molybdenum will also do that, and it's much less expensive. So I started taking small doses every day and when I was retested, sure enough my uric acid was in normal range for the first time. The mild tremor I'd had was gone and I'm so thankful that I caught this in time to hopefully avoid getting Parkinson's. This is one of the articles published about it:
Inosine to Increase Urate in Parkinson Disease

I'm sure there are many causes, but this is becoming a major research topic. You may recall studies saying that coffee was protective against PD. That's because caffeine is a xanthine which is metabolized into uric acid.

Jan

Congratulations and keep reporting on your progress.

 

[Soren]

Soren, Parkinson's has affected 5 of my family members. When I did 23andMe testing and ran my raw data through Promethease, a genetic mutation came up that causes low uric acid levels and increases the risk of Parkinson's (uric acid is neuroprotective in normal amounts). For over 30 years I'd had low uric acid on blood tests and kept asking my doctors why. They said just to be thankful I would never get gout and didn't seem to think it was a problem.

When I found out about the implications of low uric acid, I noticed the Michael J. Fox Foundation had just funded a study on using inosine to increase uric acid. But I found that molybdenum will also do that, and it's much less expensive. So I started taking small doses every day and when I was retested, sure enough my uric acid was in normal range for the first time. The mild tremor I'd had was gone and I'm so thankful that I caught this in time to hopefully avoid getting Parkinson's. This is one of the articles published about it:
Inosine to Increase Urate in Parkinson Disease

I'm sure there are many causes, but this is becoming a major research topic. You may recall studies saying that coffee was protective against PD. That's because caffeine is a xanthine which is metabolized into uric acid.

Jan

Thanks for this Jan. The uric acid angle is very interesting.

 

[BobH]

My doctor said he didn't think some minor, very occasional tremors of the head were Parkinson's-- just some sort of postural tremor. No problem with gait or speech or hands.
Assuming he's correct (I haven't pursued it with a neurologist), would it be smart to start taking thiamine and tyrosine anyway? It seems clear that they both
help with PD symptoms, and even reverse the disease. Would they be likely to prevent the development of the disease?

 

[ecstatichamster]

My doctor said he didn't think some minor, very occasional tremors of the head were Parkinson's-- just some sort of postural tremor. No problem with gait or speech or hands.
Assuming he's correct (I haven't pursued it with a neurologist), would it be smart to start taking thiamine and tyrosine anyway? It seems clear that they both
help with PD symptoms, and even reverse the disease. Would they be likely to prevent the development of the disease?

Are they on one side more than the other?

 

[BobH]

Are they on one side more than the other?

No, it's just an almost imperceptible bobbing of the head.

 

[Peata]

For over 30 years I'd had low uric acid on blood tests and kept asking my doctors why. They said just to be thankful I would never get gout and didn't seem to think it was a problem.

Ugh, I can just hear doctors saying that.

my uric acid was in normal range for the first time. The mild tremor I'd had was gone and I'm so thankful that I caught this in time to hopefully avoid getting Parkinson's.

That's amazing. So glad for you, Jan. I think your report and @Soren paper will help others.

caffeine is a xanthine which is metabolized into uric acid.

That's interesting as I've often reported feeling better when I take a little Dramamine, which has 8-Chlorotheophylline, a stimulant which is in the xanthine class and similar to caffeine. I like the idea that the xanthines are extra-terrestrial.

 

[Jan]

This is a good fact sheet on the different types of tremors:
Tremor Fact Sheet

Jan

 

[BobH]

This is a good fact sheet on the different types of tremors:
Tremor Fact Sheet

Jan

Thanks, Jan. Couldn't get to that page, but did find others on essential tremor.

 

[Philomath]

He was just cautious on pursuing all these things at once due to the risk of the damage that can be done from too many anti-oxidants.

Thank you for this Soren! I just sent it to my father in law who has Parkinson's & MS. I also sent it to my mom, who has Alzheimer's because it's similar metabolically.

Regarding the quote above, I had a college friend who had a research paper on Alzheimer treatment recently published. I asked if he was aware of things like methylene Blue and aspirin as treatments and he too considered them "anti-oxidants". These doctors! They consider MB an antioxidant and uric acid, a major antioxidant, as a detrimental gout causing agent

 

[Giraffe]

additions

I thought this study might interest you:

High doses of riboflavin and the elimination of dietary red meat promote the recovery of some motor functions in Parkinson's disease patients

 

[Sucrates]

Very interesting Soren. I've recently done a podcast on endotoxin and dementia. I have since found some other links that might support the link also.

Biocast Episode 011 Endotoxin and Dementia | Resonant FM

Protective effects of a phosphatidylcholine-enriched diet in lipopolysaccharide-induced experimental neuroinflammation in the rat. - PubMed - NCBI

Tea Polyphenols in Parkinson's Disease. - PubMed - NCBI

Green tea polyphenols block endotoxin-induced tumor necrosis factor-production and lethality in a murine model. - PubMed - NCBI

Effects of tea polyphenols on hepatic fibrosis in rats with alcoholic liver disease. - PubMed - NCBI


http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4633&context=etd
Green tea polyphenols prevent Parkinson's disease: in vitro and in vivo studies

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899900714001853
Protective effect of hesperidin in a model of Parkinson's disease induced by 6-hydroxydopamine in aged mice

Sesamol and naringenin reverse the effect of rotenone-induced PD rat model. - PubMed - NCBI

Neuroprotective properties of the natural phenolic antioxidants curcumin and naringenin but not quercetin and fisetin in a 6-OHDA model of Parkinso... - PubMed - NCBI

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2015/314560/
Protective Mechanisms of Flavonoids in Parkinson’s Disease

 

[Soren]

I thought this study might interest you:

High doses of riboflavin and the elimination of dietary red meat promote the recovery of some motor functions in Parkinson's disease patients

Thanks for this Giraffe. Fascinating study. I think as some other studies that have been posted have shown, B vitamins because of their influence on energy metabolism are very important when it comes to PD.

I never knew that Buenas Aries had such a high problem with Parkinson's disease, the red meat correlation is definitely interesting. I know that correlation is not causation, but the paper offers some well thought out theories as theories as to why the red meat might be a contributing factor to PD.

One of the most fascinating correlations I saw for Parkinson's disease was between Spanish Flu and WWI. During WWI many soldiers contracted Spanish Flu. Shortly after the way PD rates in former soldiers shot up. The theory being that the chronic increase in Nitric Oxide levels caused by the flu led to PD.

 

[Soren]

Very interesting Soren. I've recently done a podcast on endotoxin and dementia. I have since found some other links that might support the link also.

Biocast Episode 011 Endotoxin and Dementia | Resonant FM

Protective effects of a phosphatidylcholine-enriched diet in lipopolysaccharide-induced experimental neuroinflammation in the rat. - PubMed - NCBI

Tea Polyphenols in Parkinson's Disease. - PubMed - NCBI

Green tea polyphenols block endotoxin-induced tumor necrosis factor-production and lethality in a murine model. - PubMed - NCBI

Effects of tea polyphenols on hepatic fibrosis in rats with alcoholic liver disease. - PubMed - NCBI


http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4633&context=etd
Green tea polyphenols prevent Parkinson's disease: in vitro and in vivo studies

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899900714001853
Protective effect of hesperidin in a model of Parkinson's disease induced by 6-hydroxydopamine in aged mice

Sesamol and naringenin reverse the effect of rotenone-induced PD rat model. - PubMed - NCBI

Neuroprotective properties of the natural phenolic antioxidants curcumin and naringenin but not quercetin and fisetin in a 6-OHDA model of Parkinso... - PubMed - NCBI

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2015/314560/
Protective Mechanisms of Flavonoids in Parkinson’s Disease

Hi Sucrates, thanks so much for taking the time to post all these studies, I really appreciate it! I look forward to listening to your podcast on endotoxin and hopefully give you some feedback when I get a chance.

 

[Soren]

Haven't posted in a while but have done some more research with regards to Serotonin and its possible role in PD. I am beginning to think that it is a major factor in the pathology of the disease. For example, I found that thiamine which has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of PD symptoms has been shown to help with the expulsion of serotonin from the brain..Effect of Thiamine deficiency on brain serotonin turnover.

"These results suggest that acute thiamine deficiency, induced by PT, both increases brain 5-HT synthesis and impairs 5-HIAA efflux from the brain. There is a close correlation between neurological manifestations and changes in brain 5-HT metabolism in acute thiamine deficiency."

Other B-vitamins such as Riboflavin have been shown to help with serotonin degradation, it could be the beneficial effects of b-vitamins on PD are due to the fact that it helps restore energy metabolism through the reduction of serotonin.

Further evidence that Serotonin might be a primary cause of PD is the fact that dopamine seems to help to oppose serotonin in the brain, given the fact that the mainstream view of PD is due to reduction of dopamine in the brain, it could be that the high serotonin levels are what cause this reduction in dopamine and thereby PD.

Furthermore given that PD is likely due to a chronic stress, I think it is logical to conclude that chronically high levels of serotonin could be the chronic causative stress factor.

On the back of this I believe that brain serotonin might be a primary cause of PD, and plan to test serotonin antagonists and dopamine agonists such as lisuride, Metergoline, theanine, and others.

Would welcome anyone's feedback, thoughts or contributions.

By the way @Sucrates your podcast was extremely instrumental in forming this opinion, many thanks!

 

[Sucrates]

Thanks for the feedback @Soren . I think it's quite possible serotonin is involved but haven't tried to hash out all the details. I did see some studies on PD and methysergide(UML 491) from the 1970's in PD that were negative but these agents seem to act in quite complex ways even if they're generally referred to as receptor x antagonist/agonist. B1 and B2 both have effects on endotoxin induced inflammation also. Perhaps allithiamine might be interesting too. Interesting link, from what I've read I'm wondering if 5-HIAA in itself isn't pretty harmful, it's difficult to say for certain from what I've read.
Endotoxin Antagonists - Part III (Article) | Resonant FM on Patreon