HSI e-Alert - Root of Relief

[Guest guest]

" HSI - Jenny Thompson " <hsiresearch

HSI e-Alert - Root of Relief

Mon, 26 Jun 2006 06:50:00 -0400

 

 

Dear Reader,

 

" Please, need information on Shingles. What can we do for the pain of

shingles? Please help. "

 

The tone of that request - from an HSI member named Theresa - reveals

just how painful and debilitating a case of the shingles can be.

Fortunately there are natural therapies Theresa can use to help reduce

shingles pain and shorten the healing period.

 

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Priming the pump

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On the topic of shingles, HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., can relate.

He says, " I had it for a week and about died. "

 

In the e-Alert " Rain on My Parade " (5/12/04), Dr. Spreen mentioned

that B-12 is an effective treatment for shingles. When I asked him to

elaborate he explained: " The key is that the virus inhabits the nerve

root, activating during some onset of stress. B-12 goes to the nerve

sheath, directly, as a nutrient, and is the best attack I know. "

 

But Dr. Spreen's B-12 regimen is a little more involved than just

popping a few sub-lingual B-12 tabs. To begin with, he suggests that

as soon as a case of shingles is diagnosed, the patient should take 1

mg (1000 mcg, or 1cc) of B-12 by intramuscular injection per day for a

week, then once each week until symptoms are completely gone.

 

Intramuscular injection may not seem too appealing, but Dr. Spreen

notes that it's not as bad as it sounds: " It's easy to teach a person

to inject themselves, especially since it's cheap and they have quite

an incentive if they have shingles. At first, the injections are

pretty important (as I've seen nothing else work as well or as fast).

They cause crusting to occur much faster.

 

" It is possible to use sub-lingual B-12, which allows for the use of

methyl-B-12 form, which is the most powerful, and nearly impossible to

get by the intramuscular route, but I like starting with a few shots

to 'prime the pump'. 1-2 mg of the sub-lingual form daily should work

pretty well after that. "

 

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Flower power

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In addition to vitamin B-12, Dr. Spreen offers these suggestions: " To

shorten the duration of shingles, I'd add alpha-lipoic acid, several

hundred milligrams per day, along with vitamin C (of course), at least

1000 milligrams three times/day. Anything to enhance the immune system

will shorten the misery. "

 

The misery may also be shortened by a topical application of geranium oil.

 

A case of shingles may last less than 10 days, but it's the

post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) that can hang on and cause considerable

pain for long periods. In a study published in The American Journal of

Medicine, researchers divided 30 adults suffering PHN into four

groups. One group received topical treatments of geranium oil, while

two groups received a mix of geranium oil and mineral oil (at ratios

of 1 to 1 and 1 to 10), and a fourth group received only mineral oil.

 

All of the subjects who received any amount of geranium oil reported

pain reduction, and those who received treatments containing 100

percent geranium oil experienced the greatest pain relief. The placebo

group reported little or no relief. Some subjects experienced a slight

irritation from the geranium oil, but these irritations subsided

within an hour or so.

 

Dr. Spreen tells me that he's never heard of using geranium oil to

address shingles, but says, " I like the idea of anything topical and

non-toxic. If there's anything to it, washing the area first with a

non-chemical soap, then applying some DMSO before the geranium oil

would cause it to absorb deeper into the area (though there's a

garlicky taste to put up with for awhile). "

 

Conventional treatment for shingles is limited to anti-viral

medications that sometimes take days to work, and often don't work at

all. And while Theresa and others may find pain relief and faster

healing through Dr. Spreen's vitamin regimen or by using geranium oil,

they should talk to their doctor or naturopathic healthcare

professional before beginning any natural or over-the-counter treatments.

 

******************************************

 

....and another thing

 

Fooling Mother Nature can sometimes make you feel better. But there's

often a price to pay.

 

In the e-Alert " The Other Pause " (4/28/05), I told you about the

growing use of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) to treat

symptoms of andropause (the male counterpart of menopause).

 

As men grow older, their testosterone levels drop a little more than

one percent each year after the age of 40. This change can trigger

moodiness, memory loss, a decline in sex drive, and a lack of energy,

strength and endurance. Taken together, these conditions sometimes

cause men to experience a gradual passivity and disinterest in life.

 

Several years ago the FDA approved TRT for the treatment of low

testosterone production called hypogonadism. Since then, many doctors

have exercised the option of off-label usage to prescribe the therapy

for other andropause symptoms. The upside: Many men who use TRT report

a boost of energy and libido. The downside: some studies have shown

that TRT may raise prostate cancer risk.

 

A recent study from the University of California has confirmed that

risk. And although it's a small observational study of only 20 men, it

points up the fact that doctors and their older male patients must be

very cautious with this therapy.

 

As reported in the Journal of Urology, seven of the subjects were

diagnosed with prostate cancer within the first year of treatment,

four more were diagnosed the following year, and the rest were

diagnosed over the course of eight years.

 

One of the researchers, Franklin D Gaylis, M.D., told Reuters Health

that men who consider using TRT should receive " careful, informed

consultation regarding the risks and benefits of such a treatment. "

And this is especially true of any man who has a family history of

prostate cancer.

 

To Your Good Health,

 

Jenny Thompson

 

 

Sources:

 

" Temporary Relief of Postherpetic Neuralgia Pain with Topical Geranium Oil " The

American Journal of Medicine " Vol. 115, No. 7, November 2003, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

" Geranium Oil Effective for Post-Shingles Pain " Darin Ingels, N.D., Healthnotes

Newswire, 12/18/03, pccnaturalmarkets.com

" Testosterone Treatment Linked with Prostate Cancer " Will Boggs, M.D., Reuters

Health, 8/12/05, reutershealth.com