Intravenous Vitamin C May be Beneficial in Treatment of Shingles

Intravenously administered ascorbic acid may have beneficial effects on herpes zoster-associated pain, lesions and accompanying complaintsThis according to a German study published in the April 2012 issue of the Medical Science Monitor. 

Not only the acute symptoms of herpes zoster can be diminished by high-dose vitamin C. Even long-term sequelae, like painful postherpetic neuralgia, may be mitigated or even fully avoided. 

 

Martin Schencking, Claudia Vollbracht, Gabriele Weiss, Jennifer Lebert, Andreas Biller, Birgitt Goyvaerts, and Karin Kraft

Intravenous Vitamin C in the treatment of shingles: Results of a multicenter prospective cohort study
Med Sci Monit 2012; 18 (4): CR 215-224 

 

ABSTRACT

Background: Vitamin C is an immune-relevant micronutrient, which is depleted in viral infections and this deficiency seems to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of herpes infections and in the development of postherpetic neuralgia. The objective of this observational multicenter study was to evaluate the utilization, safety and efficacy of intravenously administrated vitamin C in patients with shingles.

Material/Methods: Between April 2009 and December 2010 16 general practitioners recorded data of 67 participants with symptomatic herpes zoster who received vitamin C intravenously (Pascorbin® 7.5 g/50 ml) for approximately 2 weeks in addition to standard treatment. The assessment of pain (VAS) and the dermatologic symptoms of shingles such as hemorrhagic lesions and the number of efflorescences were investigated in a follow-up observation phase of up to 12 weeks.

Results: Mean declines of pain scores (VAS), number of affected dermatomes and efflorescences, and the presence of hemorrhagic vesicles between the baseline and follow-up assessments at 2 and 12 weeks were statistically significant. Overall, 6.4% of the participants experienced post-herpetic neuralgia. Common complaints such as general fatigue and impaired concentration also improved during the study. The effects and the tolerability of the treatment were evaluated positively by the physicians. The risk of developing PHN was reduced.

Conclusions: The data presented here provide evidence that concomitant use of intravenously administered ascorbic acid may have beneficial effects on herpes zoster-associated pain, dermatologic findings and accompanying common complaints. To confirm our findings, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical studies are necessary.

 

Peppermint Helps to Relieve Irritable Bowel Syndrome

University of Adelaide researchers have shown how peppermint helps to relieve Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which affects up to 20% of the population.

In a paper published in the international journal Pain in 2011, researchers from the University’s Nerve-Gut Research Laboratory explain how peppermint activates an “anti-pain” channel in the colon, soothing inflammatory pain in the gastrointestinal tract.

Dr Stuart Brierley says while peppermint has been commonly prescribed by naturopaths for many years, there has been no clinical evidence until now to demonstrate why it is so effective in relieving pain.

“Our research shows that peppermint acts through a specific anti-pain channel called TRPM8 to reduce pain sensing fibres, particularly those activated by mustard and chilli. This is potentially the first step in determining a new type of mainstream clinical treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS),” he says.

IBS is a gastrointestinal disorder, causing abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea and/or constipation. It affects about 20% of Australians and costs millions of dollars each year in lost productivity, work absenteeism and health care.

“This is a debilitating condition and affects many people on a daily basis, particularly women who are twice as likely to experience Irritable Bowel Syndrome,” Dr Brierley says.

“Some people find their symptoms appear after consuming fatty and spicy foods, coffee and alcohol, but it is more complex than that. There appears to be a definite link between IBS and a former bout of gastroenteritis, which leaves nerve pain fibres in a heightened state, altering mechanisms in the gut wall and resulting in ongoing pain.”

Dr Brierley says the recent floods in Queensland and Victoria could result in a spike of gastroenteritis cases in Australia due to the contamination of some water supplies in affected regions.

He said case studies in Europe and Canada showed that many people who contracted gastroenteritis from contaminated water supplies went on to experience IBS symptoms that persisted for at least eight years.

There is no cure for IBS and it often comes and goes over a person’s lifetime.

Apart from gastroenteritis and food intolerance, IBS can be brought on by food poisoning, stress, a reaction to antibiotics, and in some cases is genetic.

Dr Brierley is one of 25 researchers who work at the University of Adelaide’s Nerve-Gut Research Laboratory, hoping to find cures and treatments for a range of intestinal diseases.

 

Reference

Harrington AM, Hughes PA, Martin CM, Yang J, Castro J, Isaacs NJ, Blackshaw LA, Brierley SM. A novel role for TRPM8 in visceral afferent function. Pain 2011; 152 (7): 1459-1468.

 

Vitamin D Relieves Joint, Muscle Pain For Breast Cancer Patients

Assistant Professor Antonella Luisa Rastelli, M.D.

Washington University doctors have found that high-dose vitamin D helps relieve joint and muscle pain in breast cancer patients taking estrogen-lowering drugs. Known as aromatase inhibitors, the drugs are prescribed to treat breast tumors fueled by the hormone estrogen. They are less toxic than chemotherapy, but many patients experience severe musculoskeletal discomfort, including pain and stiffness in the hands, knees, hips, lower back, shoulders and feet.

 

 

Antonella L. Rastelli, Marie E. Taylor, Feng Ga, Roeina Armamento-Villareal, Shohreh Jamalabadi-Majidi, Nicola Napoli and Matthew J. Ellis
Vitamin D and aromatase inhibitor-induced musculoskeletal symptoms (AIMSS): a phase II, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial
Breast Cancer Res Treat 2011; 129 (1): 107-16.

Abstract

A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized phase II trial was performed to determine whether High Dose Vitamin D2 supplementation (HDD) in women receiving adjuvant anastrozole improves aromatase inhibitor-induced musculoskeletalsymptoms (AIMSS) and bone loss. Patients with early breast cancer and AIMSS were stratified according to their baseline 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25OHD) level. Stratum A (20-29 ng/ml) received either HDD 50,000 IU capsules weekly for 8 weeks then monthly for 4 months or placebo. Stratum B (10-19 ng/ml) received either HDD for 16 weeks and then monthly for 2 months, or placebo. AIMSS was assessed by the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF), the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), and the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) at baseline, 2, 4, and 6 months. Bone Mineral Density (BMD) was measured at baseline and at 6 months. The primary endpoint of the study was the change-from-baselinemusculoskeletal pain. The secondary endpoint was the percent change in BMD at 6 months. Sixty women were enrolled. Baseline characteristics were comparable between the groups. At 2 months, FIQ pain (P = 0.0045), BPI worst-pain (P = 0.04), BPI average-pain (P = 0.0067), BPI pain-severity (P = 0.04), and BPI interference (P = 0.034) scores were better in the HDD than placebo group. The positive effect of HDD on AIMSS was stronger across all time points in Stratum B than Stratum A (FIQ pain, P = 0.04; BPI average, P = 0.03; BPI severity, P = 0.03; BPI interference, P = 0.04). BMD at the femoral neck decreased in the placebo and did not change in the HDD group (P = 0.06). Weekly HDD improves AIMSS and may have a positive effect on bone health. Vitamin D supplementation strategies for breast cancer patients on AI should be further investigated.