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I haven't tried it or seen any articles / literature on it. I would be

interested to read about it if you know of any.

hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Has anyone on this list tried hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for

Mitochondrial Disease? I have met one mom who's daughter did great

but would like to hear from others who have tried this therapy.

Thanks,

Deister

ldeister@...

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Hi , at the last Mito conference one of the docs (can't remember

who off hand) said not to try HBOT. Some patients have tried it

with no success. I know supplemental O2 (inhaled) also can cause

cell death although some people must be on it to survive. All the

Mito doc's i've heard have said for us not to use supplemental 02

unless absolutely necessary because of this.

bug

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thanks for your responses, I have forwarded them all to my friend.

- I've included some of the info gathered so far. Did the doc at the

conference say not to try it because of the cost, I've never heard of

hbot causing harm to cells but I'm not that familiar with

Mitochondrial Disease, my daughter has Cerebral Palsy which has

responded really well to HBOT.

here are some of the posts/links collected so far:

http://www.hbot4u.com/brain70.html

--------------------

From http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?

ntid=21506&ntpid=5

Little Grace beats very tough odds

Ingersoll Wisconsin State Journal

Grace Kenitz, 5, has an extremely rare cell disease that has nearly

claimed her life countless times.

But last week, she started kindergarten at Chavez Elementary School

on Madison's Southwest side.

It's the first time she's been to school, and 15 classmates in

Hansen's kindergarten class all help take care of her. " Last

week we have a moment when we were eating a snack and she said, 'yum,

yum,' and that was just a wonderful moment, " Hansen said Thursday.

Kindergartner Abigail Serio, 6, helped push Grace in a swing during

recess. Abigail said she likes Grace " because she's new and it's fun

helping her, so she'll learn some more. "

Kenitz, Grace's mother, said Grace's failure to thrive as an

infant mystified doctors, until at age 1 she finally was diagnosed at

the Buffalo Children and Women's Hospital with mitochondrial

cytochrome C reductase deficiency, which means her cells lack an

enzyme responsible for converting food to useable energy. Deprived of

fuel, Grace's bodily systems began shutting down, her mother said.

" Doctors told us there were only four cases in the world they could

find, and all had died before age 2, and Grace was 1, " Kenitz said.

" She was in hospitals all but 20 days of her first year and a half. "

Grace was plagued by near- constant seizures. She went blind at 9

months. At 3 years of age, she weighed only 10 pounds and was fed

through a feeding tube. She couldn't walk or talk and would stop

breathing while she slept.

When Grace was about 2, her mother read about hyperbaric oxygen

therapy, a still controversial therapy touted by adherents as helpful

for strokes, wound healing, cerebral palsy, brain injuries, near

drowning, crush injuries and other maladies. It offered hope, Kenitz

said.

So Kenitz pulled Grace out of St. 's Hospital and took her by

ambulance to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or

HBOT. The practice of oxygenating human cells was originally devised

to treat decompression sickness in deep sea divers.

In a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, a person breathes 100 percent oxygen

at pressures greater than normal. That increases the concentration of

oxygen in cells and tissues with insufficient blood flow, in the hope

of awakening them. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which

regulates manufacture and marketing of HBOT chambers, has approved

the devices for treating 13 conditions.

" After 45 treatments, she started waking up, moving her fingers,

sitting up, " Kenitz said. " Most remarkable, she was seeing. She

started reaching for things and tracking them. She's a little bit

far-sighted, but she can go over to the tiniest bit of paper and pick

it up. She's off all medications. She feeds herself. "

Seizures are rare, and Grace now walks with a walker. She speaks

about 10 words, including " puppy. "

Kenitz became an advocate for HBOT, ran an HBOT clinic in Florida for

a while and now is director of the International Hyperbarics

Association, a non-profit advocacy group headquartered in Hacienda

Heights, Calif.

Today, Grace has had more than 400 HBOT treatments. Her family owes

about $80,000 for the treatments and has about $300,000 in hospital

bills, but future HBOT treatments will be free because a physician

gave Kenitz a $20,000 portable hyperbaric oxygen chamber. Grace now

has one- hour HBOT sessions during the week and two sessions per day

on the weekend. " She plays in it, " Kenitz said. " It's big enough for

two adults to play cards in. "

Kenitz added, " The reason Grace is starting kindergarten is

hyperbarics. . . . She is thriving. Doctors won't say she's cured,

but how else do you explain it? "

" She's not cured, but there's been a significant improvement, " said

Dr. Yaffe, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Dean Clinic who

installed Grace's abdominal feeding tube years ago. " A hyperbaric

chamber is not yet an approved method of treating her disease.

Conventional medicine does not see (HBOT) as an advantage, but

(Kenitz) would like it to be seen as part of mainstream Western

medicine. It's seen as helping, but we need studies to know whether

this is really effective treatment. "

Dr. Harch, president of the International Hyperbaric Medical

Association, said, " In the past eight years, studies have shown that

the site of action of HBOT oxygen in patients with chronic wounds is

at a DNA level. It stimulates the DNA. We suspect hyperbaric oxygen

may be acting at the DNA level in Grace's condition. "

At Chavez, Grace has quite a team working with her: her kindergarten

teacher, a special education teacher, a physical therapist,

occupational therapist, speech and language teacher and a vision

specialist.

" I think it's fantastic, " said Grace's grandfather, Mathews,

who was at the school Thursday.

" About five years ago, they gave us no chance she would live, so to

think she's started her first day of school, it's like Christmas to a

kid, or your wedding day, or the day you have your first baby. "

From: " dubblmom "

Date: Tue Dec 9, 2003 2:49 pm

Subject: Re: Grace Kenitz

ADVERTISEMENT

We've just returned from treatment in Florida where we heard

incredible stories about this little girl - I believe they call

her " Amazing Grace " as well they should. However, from the little I

know of this family's situation, it is my understanding that her

mother has made astronomical sacrifices - personal and financial - in

order to see her daughter receive HBOT. I actually spoke with

Grace's mom and she told me that even though many of Grace's

physicians didn't give her a chance, when she saw the early

improvements in her daughter, she vowed not to leave Neubauer's until

Grace was cured. I know that she is currently imbroiled in a fight

with Wisconsin Medicaid in order to get this treatment reimbursed

(which surely leads one to ask what more on God's green Earth these

bureaucrats need to see to determine if this is an " effective "

treatment?). As a Wisconsin resident, I pray she succeeds. I'm sure

that Grace's mom would say that the sacrifices she's made are worth

it but, ultimately, I am struck by the irony of this story - stories

like these make me want HBOT for my son even more yet, when I look a

little deeper, I am struck by how truly sad it is that this family

has had to struggle in so many ways in order to get this life-

saving/altering treatment for their daughter. Where is the justice?

Lynn

>

> Hi , at the last Mito conference one of the docs (can't

remember

> who off hand) said not to try HBOT. Some patients have tried it

> with no success. I know supplemental O2 (inhaled) also can cause

> cell death although some people must be on it to survive. All the

> Mito doc's i've heard have said for us not to use supplemental 02

> unless absolutely necessary because of this.

>

> bug

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As I recall, they said there hasn't been any testing with regards to

Mito and that Mito patients are " very vulnerable " to trying

experimental treatments. I think it was Dr. Shoffner from Atlanta,

but don't quote me on it. I know one of the concerns is that

patients with Mito are fragile metabolically speaking. Adding more

oxygen to one's system could potentially be toxic because the system

just couldn't handle it.

bug

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,

Dr. Shoffner told me he knew some parents who chose that therapy for

their child, and the child was permanently injured by it. I have done

over 40 sessions myself without damage, but I don't know at this point

whether I actually have a mitochondrial disease.

Tim

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Has anyone on this list tried hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for

Mitochondrial Disease? I have met one mom who's daughter did great

but would like to hear from others who have tried this therapy.

Thanks,

Deister

ldeister@...

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Adding oxygen to the system causes an increase of free radicals and free

radicals cause damage to the mitochondria. I know I can't afford to damage

anymore mitochondria. Most of the recommended supplements are anti-oxidents

to try to protect from this damage, therefore slowing progressions.

laurie

>

> Reply-To:

> Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 18:33:27 -0000

> To:

> Subject: Re: hyperbaric oxygen therapy

>

>

> As I recall, they said there hasn't been any testing with regards to

> Mito and that Mito patients are " very vulnerable " to trying

> experimental treatments. I think it was Dr. Shoffner from Atlanta,

> but don't quote me on it. I know one of the concerns is that

> patients with Mito are fragile metabolically speaking. Adding more

> oxygen to one's system could potentially be toxic because the system

> just couldn't handle it.

>

> bug

>

>

>

>

>

> Medical advice, information, opinions, data and statements contained herein

> are not necessarily those of the list moderators. The author of this e mail is

> entirely responsible for its content. List members are reminded of their

> responsibility to evaluate the content of the postings and consult with their

> physicians regarding changes in their own treatment.

>

> Personal attacks are not permitted on the list and anyone who sends one is

> automatically moderated or removed depending on the severity of the attack.

>

>

>

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

>

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  • 8 months later...

Louise, No I have not heard of the HBO. Thank you for sharing and

letting us know about it. Ingrid

> BlankTo All Listmembers,

>

> Does anyone have experience with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for

healing post radiation or post reconstructive surgery?

>

> Louise

>

>

>

> http://www2.curative.com/Cuebic/Curative/me.get?

web.websections.show&CURATIVE_1215#skin

>

> Radiation Tissue Damage: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is the Gold

Standard of Care in reconstructive surgery involving radiated bone or

soft tissue. In proper coordination with surgical treatment, HBO has

reoriented the approach to the repair of radiation damaged tissue. It

has been shown to stimulate growth of functioning capillaries,

fibroblastic proliferation, and collagen synthesis in the irradiated

bone and soft tissue. Improved healing rates and reduced complication

rates are seen in a coordinated reconstructive program using

adjunctive HBO.

>

> Skin Grafts, Flaps and Replants: Following ischemia or vascular

repair in cases where there has been decreased microcirculation, HBO

has been demonstrated to maximize the viability and final functional

level of the compromised nerve and muscle tissue.

>

>

>

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