Antioxidant therapy

[Guest guest]

Tull,

You asked in your post if the information about the antioxiant therapy as

discovered by the Manchester Royal Infirmary Pancreatitis Study group could=

be discussed again for the benefit of our new members who don't know about =

this program.

As you know, I've been a follower of this therapy for over two years now, a=

nd

since I take the antioxidants daily and have for over two years, and they'r=

e

such a regular part of my CP maintenance routine, I forget that others may =

not be aware of this research. I am including the information from their

website for everyone's benefit:

Drug Watch: Antioxidant Therapy for Recurrent Pancreatitis

There is little to offer patients with recurrent pancreatitis in way of tre=

atment.

These patients suffer considerable pain, and about the only measure that wi=

ll

guarantee long-term pain relief is near-total pancreatectomy - which carrie=

s

the penalties of malabsorption and brittle diabetes. Though the number of

patients with chronic pancreatitis will be small across the UK, there may b=

e

pockets of relatively high prevalence, largely in deprived areas. These

patients will consume significant amounts of health service resources - eve=

n

more if near-total pancreatectomy is carried out. Any therapy which can be =

shown to be effective in chronic pancreatitis will therefore have an impact=

on

healthcare provision.

Causes of pancreatitis

There is accumulating evidence that oxidant stress resulting from an excess=

of pro-oxidant over antioxidant has a key role in acute oedematous

pancreatitis as well as painful exacerbations of chronic disease. Cytokines=

like

platelet activation factor (PAF) have also been shown to be involved with

development of the acute disease in animal models, but it is likely that th=

e

prime insult which triggers pancreatitis is oxidant stress.

Antioxidant therapy?

From this, it would seem likely that therapy with antioxidants should help =

to

prevent pancreatitis - especially recurrent pancreatitis. A randomised,

controlled, double-blind, double dummy, crossover study from the

Manchester Royal Infirmary has shown this to be the case. Twenty patients

with chronic pancreatitis (8 idiopathic, 7 alcoholic and 5 idiopathic acute=

)

entered the study in which micronutrient antioxidant therapy was compared

with placebo, each for a 20-week period. Patients took six tablets of selen=

ium

Ace (Wassen International) and eight tablets of methionine ( Medical

Ltd) in divided doses, giving a daily total of:

* 600 µg organic selenium

* 9000 IU beta-carotene

* 0.54 g vitamin C

* 270 IU vitamin E

* 2 g methionine

Results

This was a thorough and detailed study. The bare-bones of the results were =

that while six patients had an attack while on placebo, not one had an atta=

ck

while on active medication. Pain scores were significantly lower on active =

treatment than on placebo and at baseline. The blood concentrations of a

free radical 'marker' - the percentage molar ratio of 9,11-linoleic acid to=

9,12-linoleic acid - were elevated at baseline and in patients on placebo, =

but

was normalised by active treatment.

Benefits and costs

Treatment would entail a maximum cost of about £15 a month (1990 prices),

with possibly a 50% reduction after six months. This financial outlay is sm=

all

compared with the cost in terms of the mortality, morbidity, narcotic use, =

malnutrition and brittle diabetes of near-total pancreatectomy.

Reference:

S Uden et al. Antioxidant therapy for recurrent pancreatitis: placebo contr=

olled

trial. Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics 1990 4: 357-71.

Questions to be Answered

Q: What need is met by this therapy?

A: Treatment of patients with chronic or recurrent acute pancreatitis.

Q: What happens now?

A: Patients are treated with analgesics, or may go on to near-total

pancreatectomy resulting in malabsorption and diabetes.

Q: Is quality improved?

A: Yes - patients on this treatment do not have pain.

Q: What does the treatment cost?

A: Less than £15 per month per patient.

Q: Can cost savings be made?

A: Yes - though not quantified, the cost of treatment with antioxidants is =

likely

to be much less than present treatments.

Advice to Health Authorities and GPFHs

* Will increase quality and effectiveness.

* May result in reduced costs.

* Worth considering in specification.

I would like to note that when I, too, run out of antioxidants I do notice =

an

increase in pain. They are not a cure, by any means, but the difference in=

my

pain levels is very distinct when I'm taking them regularly, as opposed to =

when I don't.

The antioxidants can be purchased from a British pharmaceutical site called=

Pharmanord, whose webpage I will post below, and they are sold in a one pil=

l

form called " Antox " , which is very convenient. I purchased them from

Pharmanord in the UK for several months, but have found that I can purchase=

all of them in separate form through my local health food store, so now I d=

o

that instead. It means taking more pills, 9 as opposed to 1, but the price=

s my

health food store charges are comparable in cost with having them shipped

from the UK, and quicker. Shipment was taking as many as 2-3 weeks, by

the time they went through customs.

I do take the quantities listed above. Selenium's highest quantitiy is 200=

mcg., so I take 2 of those. Methionine is only sold in 100 mg., so I take =

4 of

those. I've been able to match the other dosages in 1 pill each. I buy th=

e

Solgar brand for the Beta Carotene and Methionine, as they are the purest

and contain no artifical fillers or additives. The correct quantities of V=

it. C,

Vitamin E and the remaining 200 mcg's of Selenium are in the Diabetes

Health supplemental Antioxidants that I take daily, so this way I get every=

thing

that I need. My monthly cost for all is approximately $42.

If anyone would like any further information about this, please feel free t=

o

contact me.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SC & SE Regional Rep.

PAI, Intl.

Note: All comments or advice are my personal opinion only, and should not =

be substituted for professional medical consultation.