dmso & down syndrome

April 12, 2004

http://www.ds-health.com/dmso.htm shown below

I found this Doc while I was snooping around, hope it helps

God Bless,

Jamie in AZ

Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO)and Down Syndrome

by Len Leshin, MD, FAAP

Dimethyl sulfoxide, or DMSO, is an industrial solvent produced during the process of making paper from trees. In 1959, researchers found that it could protect tissues from the damaging effects of freezing, and it became used in animal research. In 1963, Dr. Stanley Jacob, a researcher in a cryogenics lab, announced that it was useful to treat sprains and arthritis. Since then, this product has been promoted for a wide variety of illnesses and conditions, with almost all based merely on anecdotal evidence. Research with DMSO on humans was temporarily halted in 1965 after animals treated with DMSO were found to have developed changes in the lens of the eye. Research was gradually restarted after no evidence was found of eye changes in humans who had received DMSO previously.

DMSO has several interesting properties that may make it useful. For instance, it has the ability to penetrate tissues including intact skin, and carry along with it a variety of chemicals. It has a local analgesic affect, and inhibits certain compounds in the body called prostaglandins, thereby reducing inflammation in tissues. At the present time, the US FDA has approved only a version that is instilled into the bladder for a condition called interstitial cystitis. Current research with DMSO is targeted at head injury, spinal cord trauma, amyloidosis and scleroderma. DMSO is also currently used as a cryopreservative for bone marrow cells and stem cells.

Studies on the toxicity of DMSO in adult humans have shown no serious adverse effect when given at or below 1 g/kg body weight, with the exception of hemolysis (breaking down of red blood cells) during intravenous infusions. At doses above this, liver, kidney and intestinal damage has been noted. (Not enough studies have been done on children to determine whether that dosage is the same for them for toxicity.) The most common side effect of DMSO is the breath and body odor, which takes on a quality similar to garlic or oysters. Skin reactions are very common after application of DMSO directly to the skin. Sedation, headache, dizziness and nausea have all been described as side effects of DMSO therapy. (1,2)

In Down syndrome, the rationale given for using DMSO is as a carrier agent, in that it supposedly carries amino acids or other nutrients directly into the brain to affect cerebral metabolism. One Mexican clinic refers to this treatment as the "Weinstein-Turkel Method," based on two doctors who supposedly developed it. Interestingly enough, the only published study on this treatment doesn't mention either doctor.

In 1975, a group of doctors in Chile published a study (3) in which 31 children with Down syndrome were given DMSO and the amino acids GABA, GABOB, acetylglutamine, and arginine intramuscularly. The injections were given either daily or every other day, depending on the age of the child, for 90 days. The children then went through a "rest period" of 30 days, during which they received the amino acids orally, but no DMSO or injections of any sort. This rotation was repeated a total of 3 to 5 times, again depending on the age of the child. The children were studied with psychometric tests, physical exams and lab studies. The treated children were compared to 24 children with Down syndrome who were not given any treatments at all. It is an important point that it is almost impossible to do a blinded placebo study with DMSO because of the body odor that users invariably develop. The authors stated that the treatments improved various physical attributes of the children less than 3 years old, including the appearance of a nasal bridge, hair becoming thicker and the eyes losing their epicanthal folds. The authors also stated that the treated children had an improved developmental quotient, which included advances in motor and social skills. Complications included transient hard, non-painful nodules at the injection sites, with two reported abscesses.

This study has several methodological problems, the biggest one being that apparently the investigators were able to tell which children were treated and which weren't (that is, it was not a "blinded" study). This situation can cause a bias on the part of the investigators and may influence the results. The authors state that photos were taken, but they were not published, nor were any physical measurements of the children published. To quote the authors: "We are aware that this clinical work includes many variables, which make the exact evaluation of the experience difficult. We also believe that to attain better results it is necessary to increase the number of children treated and the length of treatment to more than two years....We plan to continue our work with DMSO-amino acids for at least two years." Unfortunately, no follow-up study was ever published.

Also in 1975, a group of researchers in Oregon, USA, published a study (4) which looked at the effects of oral DMSO (without amino acids) on a group of children diagnosed with mental retardation. The authors do not give their reasoning behind why DMSO by itself might be helpful in these cases. This study group included children with Down syndrome as well as "other types of retardation." The authors do not state how many children had Down syndrome. As with the Chilean study, the side effect of notable body odor made it impossible to set up a placebo group. Instead the authors set up a high-dose group of 34 children and a low-dose group of 33 children, with the low-dose group being just enough to give the children the characteristic odor. There was also a non-dose comparison group of 22 children. No significant side effects were reported. The authors used several different tests to measure language, motor and behavior skills; it does appear that the testers were blinded in this study. The authors state that when the testing is looked at globally, the trend was for the high-dose children to make the most gains, the low-dose children to make intermediate gains, and the non-dose children to make the fewest gains. However, this conclusion was not arrived at statistically. In fact, in language skills, the non-treated children had the most gains. And it should be stressed that the authors did not break down the results to show if children with Down syndrome had any different results from other children with mental retardation. In fact, the failure to group children by diagnosis is a major failure of this study.

Based on these two studies, treatment of children with Down syndrome with DMSO cannot be justified at this time.

References:

1. Willhite CC and Katz PI. Toxicology Update: Dimethyl sulfoxide. J Appl Toxicol 4(3): 155-160, 1984. 2. Swanson, BN. Medical use of dimethyl sulfoxide. Rev Clin Basic Pharmacol 5: 1-33, 1985. 3. Aspillaga MJ, Morizon, G, Avendano, I. Dimethyl sulfoxide therapy in severe retardation in Mongoloid children. Ann NY Acad Sci 243: 421-431, 1975. 4. Gabourie J, Becker, JW, Bateman, B, Dunn, M, Jacob, S. Oral dimethyl sulfoxide in mental retardation. Ann NY Acad Sci 243: 449-459, 1975.

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April 13, 2004

Ahhhhhhhhh Jamie.

Thanks for finding this.

All of you, please see my addendum "notes" to the article below. My additions are in this style, color and size of font.

Love,

Doc

Ian "Doc" Shillington N.D.727-738-0554Doc

Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO)and Down Syndrome

by Len Leshin, MD, FAAP

Dimethyl sulfoxide, or DMSO, is an industrial solvent (Black PR here. Sure it is used in industry but it is not just an "Industrial solvent")produced during the process of making paper from trees. In 1959, researchers found that it could protect tissues from the damaging effects of freezing, and it became used in animal research. In 1963, Dr. Stanley Jacob, a researcher in a cryogenics lab, announced that it was useful to treat sprains and arthritis. Since then, this product has been promoted for a wide variety of illnesses and conditions, with almost all based merely on anecdotal evidence (as if this is a bad thing). Research with DMSO on humans was temporarily halted in 1965 after animals treated with DMSO were found to have developed changes in the lens of the eye. (And the quality of the DMSO used???)Research was gradually restarted after no evidence was found of eye changes in humans who had received DMSO previously.

DMSO has several interesting properties that may (may??? may??? This guy is an obvious idiot who is trying to put down DMSO using semantics and making less of importances) make it useful. For instance, it has the ability to penetrate tissues including intact skin, and carry along with it a variety of chemicals. (useful??? What an understatement!!! This fact and this fact alone makes DMSO one of the greatest medical discoveries of the last millenium!!! This is why it is so successful with Glaucoma patients. You have here something which will permeate the cell wall of the eye and take along nutrients with it. I'd love to get my hands on a bone cancer case just to use this stuff. DMSO will also permeate the cell wall of the bones themselves). It has a local analgesic affect, and inhibits certain compounds in the body called prostaglandins, thereby reducing inflammation in tissues (what they're missing here is that it is a free radical fighter second to none. DMSO will remove free radical Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen atoms!!!). At the present time, the US FDA has approved only a version (this is the USP Pharmaceutical Grade and is the only Grade I recommend. DO NOT USE ANY OTHER KIND OF DMSO!!!!!!!! I hate to agree with these boys on just about anything, but this is one area where their caution is warranted.) that is instilled into the bladder for a condition called interstitial cystitis. Current research with DMSO is targeted at head injury, spinal cord trauma, amyloidosis and scleroderma. DMSO is also currently used as a cryopreservative for bone marrow cells and stem cells. (How limiting!!! I use it very successfully with cancer patients (all kinds), and any supposedly incurable diseases.)

Studies on the toxicity of DMSO in adult humans have shown no serious adverse effect when given at or below 1 g/kg body weight, with the exception of hemolysis (breaking down of red blood cells) during intravenous infusions. At doses above this, liver, kidney and intestinal damage has been noted (and where's the double blind study on that one??? LOL A little anecdotal observation maybe???). (Not enough studies have been done on children to determine whether that dosage is the same for them for toxicity.) The most common side effect of DMSO is the breath and body odor, which takes on a quality similar to garlic or oysters. Skin reactions are very common after application of DMSO directly to the skin. Sedation, headache, dizziness and nausea have all been described as side effects of DMSO therapy. (1,2) Could it be that these effects are actually the result of toxins being released rather than the direct effect of the DMSO itself??? And was this done with a double blind study??? Iiiiiii think not!!!

In Down syndrome, the rationale given for using DMSO is as a carrier agent, in that it supposedly carries amino acids or other nutrients directly into the brain to affect cerebral metabolism. One Mexican clinic refers to this treatment as the "Weinstein-Turkel Method," based on two doctors who supposedly developed it. Interestingly enough, the only published study on this treatment doesn't mention either doctor. This, I believe was the original study I found on the Sierra Clinic that has disappeared.

In 1975, a group of doctors in Chile published a study (3) in which 31 children with Down syndrome were given DMSO and the amino acids GABA, GABOB, acetylglutamine, and arginine intramuscularly. The injections were given either daily or every other day, depending on the age of the child, for 90 days. The children then went through a "rest period" of 30 days, during which they received the amino acids orally, but no DMSO or injections of any sort. This rotation was repeated a total of 3 to 5 times, again depending on the age of the child. The children were studied with psychometric tests, physical exams and lab studies. The treated children were compared to 24 children with Down syndrome who were not given any treatments at all. It is an important point that it is almost impossible to do a blinded placebo study with DMSO because of the body odor that users invariably develop No kidding LOL. The authors stated that the treatments improved various physical attributes of the children less than 3 years old, including the appearance of a nasal bridge, (this can only be done by DNA realignment!!!!!!!!!!) hair becoming thicker and the eyes losing their epicanthal folds (this can only happen with DNA realignment!!!!!!). The authors also stated that the treated children had an improved developmental quotient, which included advances in motor and social skills. Complications included transient hard, non-painful nodules at the injection sites, with two reported abscesses (that lasted how long???? Sheesh, this guy knows how to manipulate his data, I'll give him that LOL).

This study has several methodological problems, the biggest one being that apparently the investigators were able to tell which children were treated and which weren't (that is, it was not a "blinded" study) (They should have hired a seeing eye dog. Sheesh!!! Seriously folks, "if it looks like a dog, smells like a dog, barks like a dog, and wags its tail like a dog - It's a dog you imbecile) This whole concept of a blind study or a double blind study is insane. Whatever happened to good, plain old observation and being able to see what you are looking at. Yeahhhh I know it's just anecdotal then and doesn't count LOL. This situation can cause a bias on the part of the investigators and may influence the results (most of the bias I see comes from the FDA, bought and paid for by the pharmaceuticals). The authors state that photos were taken, but they were not published (this is a downright lie!!! I have personally seen these photos, and have referred to them many times in the past. Before the site was taken down, I sent many people to it where the photos were published!!! **************Lisa, I don't know if you made it there in time or not, but if you did let us know), nor were any physical measurements of the children published (Lie!!! Published on the same site). To quote the authors: "We are aware that this clinical work includes many variables, which make the exact evaluation of the experience difficult. We also believe that to attain better results it is necessary to increase the number of children treated and the length of treatment to more than two years....We plan to continue our work with DMSO-amino acids for at least two years." Unfortunately, no follow-up study was ever published. (Riiiiiiiiiiight!!!!) How convenient!!

Also in 1975, a group of researchers in Oregon, USA, published a study (4) which looked at the effects of oral DMSO (without amino acids) on a group of children diagnosed with mental retardation. The authors do not give their reasoning behind why DMSO by itself might be helpful in these cases. This study group included children with Down syndrome as well as "other types of retardation." The authors do not state how many children had Down syndrome. As with the Chilean study, the side effect of notable body odor made it impossible to set up a placebo group. Instead the authors set up a high-dose group of 34 children and a low-dose group of 33 children, with the low-dose group being just enough to give the children the characteristic odor. There was also a non-dose comparison group of 22 children. No significant side effects were reported. The authors used several different tests to measure language, motor and behavior skills; it does appear that the testers were blinded in this study (well were they or weren't they??? "appear" is not good enough for me. Again, this author plays with words like a cat plays with a mouse). The authors state that when the testing is looked at globally, the trend was for the high-dose children to make the most gains, the low-dose children to make intermediate gains, and the non-dose children to make the fewest gains. However, this conclusion was not arrived at statistically. In fact, in language skills, the non-treated children had the most gains. And it should be stressed that the authors did not break down the results to show if children with Down syndrome had any different results from other children with mental retardation. In fact, the failure to group children by diagnosis is a major failure of this study. (yeah but if you throw a lit match into a bucket of gasoline, it'll still explode)

Based on these two studies, treatment of children with Down syndrome with DMSO cannot be justified at this time.

Proves to me the exact opposite!!! In my books, the above confirms it!!!!!!! Methinks the Powers that be doth protest tooooo much LOL ;o)

References:

1. Willhite CC and Katz PI. Toxicology Update: Dimethyl sulfoxide. J Appl Toxicol 4(3): 155-160, 1984. 2. Swanson, BN. Medical use of dimethyl sulfoxide. Rev Clin Basic Pharmacol 5: 1-33, 1985. 3. Aspillaga MJ, Morizon, G, Avendano, I. Dimethyl sulfoxide therapy in severe retardation in Mongoloid children. Ann NY Acad Sci 243: 421-431, 1975. 4. Gabourie J, Becker, JW, Bateman, B, Dunn, M, Jacob, S. Oral dimethyl sulfoxide in mental retardation. Ann NY Acad Sci 243: 449-459, 1975.

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It must be as obvious to the rest of you as it is to me, that this author is the one with the blinders on and the one who nourishes a bias. It is almost funny. Thank goodness the outpoints above are so glaringly plain to see. I didn't even know about the group in Oregon, so I've got to thank him for that. I now have another string to pull here, as far as looking for more research data.

Love,

Doc