RE: Â Acupuncture eases side effects of AIDS drugs

[Guest guest]

yes, this certainly backs up my clinical experience. i've done a lot of work

with HIV patients having volunteered at the local terrence higgins trust in

bristol.

digestive symptoms are by far the most common side effect of antiretroviral

meds, and i have had fantastic results in treating these with acupuncture.

treatment also has a large part to play in helping people with the emotional

issues of the illness, and in keeping people off antiretrovirals for as long as

possible.

 

jason

 

 

 

========================================

Message Received: Sep 13 2005, 07:03 PM

" Attilio D'Alberto "

Chinese Medicine

Cc:

Acupuncture eases side effects of AIDS drugs

 

Hi all,

 

Taken from: webmd.com/content/Article/109/109217.htm

July 27, 2005 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) -- Acupuncture may help relieve

bloating, cramping, and appetite loss among HIV-infected people taking

potent drug cocktails to keep the virus in check.

 

Since they feel better after acupuncture, people are more likely to take

their drugs properly, resulting in better disease control, says researcher

Elizabeth Sommers, MPH, research director of the AIDS Care Project/Pathways

to Wellness in Boston.

 

While powerful AIDS drugs are credited with helping HIV-infected people live

longer, the drugs often cause a host of digestive problems, she tells WebMD.

 

" Anything we can do to minimize side effects and maximize adherence to

treatment is important, " she says. " Acupuncture is one such way. "

 

Sommers says that acupuncture is already used to curb digestive side effects

in people taking cancer drugs.

 

Targeted Acupuncture Helps More

 

The new study, presented here at a meeting of the International AIDS

Society, included 50 HIV-infected men and women taking HIV medications.

About half had been diagnosed with full-blown AIDS.

 

At the start of the study, all of the participants complained that the drugs

caused at least two digestive side effects: Nearly 80% had gas, more than

40% had bloating, 50% had cramps, nearly 50% had appetite loss, and 10% had

actually lost weight.

 

The participants then received six weeks of acupuncture. For three weeks the

acupuncture included four sites commonly associated with improvement of

digestive symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and bowel upset. For another

three weeks they received acupuncture at four sites nearby sites not noted

for affecting digestive conditions.

 

The patients were unaware of which type of acupuncture they were receiving

at any given time.

 

But after just three weeks of acupuncture treatments, only 60% had two or

more digestive symptoms, Sommers says.

 

Both sets of acupuncture points improved digestive symptoms. However,

acupuncture at the sites targeting digestive symptoms was more effective in

controlling loss of appetite, abdominal cramps, and bloating.

 

More People Take Their Drugs After Acupuncture

 

Among the 20% of people who said they weren't taking their AIDS medications

as directed at the start of the study, half reported improvement after

acupuncture treatment, she says.

 

None of the participants complained of side effects from the acupuncture.

 

" We're very heartened by the results and are gearing up for a bigger study, "

Sommers says.

 

Pedro Chequer, MD, director of the National AIDS Program in Brazil, says he

welcomes the research.

 

" It's worth a try, " he tells WebMD. " Now we need the scientific proof it

works so we can offer it to our patients. "

 

Hal Huff, ND, a naturopathic doctor at the Canadian College of Naturopathic

Medicine in Toronto, says the results are similar to what he sees in his own

practice.

 

" We give acupuncture in conjunction with other treatments such as dietary

changes and nutritional supplements, so I can't say for certain whether it's

the acupuncture or the whole package that results in improvement, " Huff

tells WebMD. " But people report fewer digestive problems and improved

compliance with their AIDS medications. "

 

_____

 

SOURCES: 3rd IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment, Rio de

Janeiro, Brazil, July 24-27, 2005. Elizabeth Sommers, MPH, research

director, AIDS Care Project/Pathways to Wellness, Boston. Hal Huff, ND,

Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Toronto.

 

 

Warm regards,

 

Attilio D'Alberto

Doctor of (Beijing, China)

B.Sc. (Hons) T.C.M., M.A.T.C.M.

07786198900

enquiries

www.attiliodalberto.com

 

" A human being is part of the whole, called by us the Universe, a part

limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and

feelings, as something separated from the rest - - a kind of optical

illusion in his consciousness. " (Albert Einstein)