On 27 Aug 2000, at 9:13, Ann Gibbons wrote:
> My sister-in-law gave me some research papers on the above subject, and I
> wondered if anyone on the List was familiar with this treatment. A + T
> stands for acetazolamide plus thiamine. The treatment purports to strengthen
> the glucose metabolism of brain cells rather than destroying them. It
> supposedly offers great improvement to PD symptoms.
>
> Question: Is this snake oil? Is it valid? I have a great deal of information
> on it, but don't want to clutter the List if it has no value.
>
> (Murray -- I already looked. Couldn't find too much information on it
> pertaining to PD.)
> Ann Gibbons   cgJoe 66/3

Hi Ann and all,
I couldn't find much pertaining to Parkinson's and this therapy either...

First thing about any *research paper* is: Is the author credible?
Has it been peer reviewed?  Published in a recognized scientific journal?
And... peer reviewed paper or not... this is a prescription drug and must
be prescribed by a consulting professional presumably to treat the
*things* for which it is approved.

I did discover a reference to A + T therapy... but for Schizophrenia...
http://www.thorne.com/townsend/nov/null.html (Townsend Papers)
Acetazolamide and thiamine: an ancillary therapy for chronic mental
illness. Sacks W; Esser AH; Feitel B; Abbott K.
Psychiatry Research, 1989 Jun, 28(3):279-88.
Treatment of chronic schizophrenic patients with the drug acetazolamide,
plus thiamine, was shown to be effective on a number of assessment scales.
No untoward effects were seen for this therapy.

Dr. W. Sacks, at some time, recorded his observations on a cassette tape...

Learn about your health problems and those of your relatives and friends,
by ordering cassette... Yeah, right...
#78-Enzyme Activation Therapy in Mental Illness, William Sacks, Ph.D.
A review of extensive investigations showing that glucose and lactate,
normally in equilibrium, are thrown out of balance in mental patients
due to a deficiency of pyruvate dehydrogenase, a brain enzyme complex.
According to Dr. Sacks, the results of acetazolamide (Diamox) and thiamine
therapy have been remarkable.
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/wmind/tapes.htm

I looked in PubMed...
Psychiatry Res 1989 Jun;28(3):279-88
Acetazolamide and thiamine: an ancillary therapy for chronic mental illness.
Sacks W, Esser AH, Feitel B, Abbott K
Cerebral Metabolism Laboratory, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric
Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962
Twenty-four chronic schizophrenic patients were treated successfully with
the addition of acetazolamide and thiamine (A + T) to their unchanged
existing therapies in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study.
Therapeutic effects were measured by the Scale for the Assessment of Positive
Symptoms and the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms. Overall, 50%
of the patients showed improvement on all assessment scales. No untoward
effects occurred in these patients or in patients in previous studies who
have been treated continuously with A + T therapy for as long as 3 years.
Publication Types:
Clinical trial
Controlled clinical trial
PMID: 2669002, UI: 89345856

Acetazolamide (Diamox) is a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor produced
by United Pharma, Switzerland...
http://www.upltd.com/Acetazolamide.html

My Physicians Desk Reference says "Diamox controls fluid secretion.
It is used in the treatment of glaucoma (excessive pressure in the
eyes), epilepsy (for both brief and unlocalized seizures), and
fluid retention due to congestive heart failure or drugs.
It is also used to prevent or relieve the symptoms of acute
mountain sickness in climbers attempting a rapid climb and those
who feel sick even though they are making a gradual climb."

You can check the Nurses PDR Fact Sheet online...
http://www.nursespdr.com/members/database/ndrhtml/acetazolamide.html

You can look it up in The Parkinsn's List Drug Database
under Acetazolamide, Diamox... An interaction with PD meds is indicated here...
http://www.parkinsons-information-exchange-network-online.com/drugdb/002.html

You can look up the monograph for Acetazolamide on the RxList...
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/aceta.htm
Be sure to use the tool bar at the top of the page
and scan the Warnings and Contraindications...

Thiamine is Vitamin B1 and does not require a prescription...

The makers of one B1 supplement quote many studies....
http://www.primalnutrition.com/nutrient_pages/nut_thiamineb1.htm

There is interesting reading on Drug-nutrient interactions at...
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/4726/interact.html
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/4726/guides.html

At least one multi-vitamin interacts with acetazolamide...
M.V.I.®-12 (MULTIVITAMIN INFUSION)Rhône-Poulenc Rorer
Multivitamins - Vitamin Supplement
Precautions: Drug Interactions: M.V.I.-12 is not physically
compatible with acetazolamide 500 mg
http://www.rxmed.com/monographs/mvi-12.html

It all makes for an interesting read... but I doubt it applies to
most of us...

Best regards ........ murray

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