Raj,
  It's interesting that testosterone is linked to Parkinson's.  I read a
report recently that said testosterone in women contributes to sexual
arousal.  I wonder if anyone has studied testosterone level in either sex
compared with their vulnerability to Parkinson's.   -Geo.






Ervin McCarthy <[log in to unmask]>
06/09/2002 07:02 PM
Please respond to Parkinson's Information Exchange Network


        To:     [log in to unmask]
        cc:
        Subject:        Re: Raj/glutathione


Raj, in answer to your question after a two-week layoff of Sinemet I have
decided today to give Sinemet another try.  I was feeling bad enough and
desperate enough to try again.  Keep me briefed on apomorphine.  Have you
heard of any successes on tremors?Best of Luck.

Ervin McCarthy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brightline" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2002 6:46 PM
Subject: Re: Raj/glutathione


> Ervin:
>     Thanks for sharing your experience with gluathione injection.
>     You tell me glutathione did not work for you and so was sinemet.
What
> are you taking now?
>     I ran into apomorphine the other day as a substitute for l-dopa and
I
> posted an article from BMJ a couple of days ago.          However, I am
told
> that the effect of apomorphine doesn't last long and it is being used in
> France to minimise the "off" effect of sinemet.
>
> Another chain of thought:
>     Are these observations trying to tell us something?
>     1.  I understand that in addition to having se beneficial effect on
PD
> symptoms, apomorphine is also very effective in erectile disfunction
> problems and it is coming out as a competitor for viagra with a
different
> trade name.
>     2. This brings up some thing else.  If you remember last month or
so,
> Murray Charters(?) posted a web site for us to watch.   One of the
articles
> stated that taking 3-6 mg viagra every day (this is a far lower dose
than
> 50 - 100 mg / use one takes for erectile disfunction) retarded the
> progression of PD.  (I have to trace that article and read it again
> carefully).
>     3.  A week or so ago, the news release from NIH stated that in about
30%
> (?) of male PD patients, when given testosterone to eliminate
testosterone
> deficiency, the symptoms of PD faded away. [I am sure testasterone is
made
> by the female body also; some how female patients were not included in
the
> test, if I remember right.]
>      4.  I am taking glutathione orally for the past 10 days or so.  [I
am
> not yet convinced in the absence of any data that iv injection of
Glutathine
> is necesary.]  My energy level is very high and am very active.  I can
work
> on the computer for several hours everyday with out suffering any pain
in
my
> right shoulder, as I use to.  My stiffness and pain in the calf musle is
> highly reduced, but not eliminated. Glutathione is an anti-aging
> antioxident.
>     I am wondering if all these agents work via similar or related
> mechanisms.
>
>         Raj
>     [log in to unmask]
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ervin McCarthy" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2002 8:10 PM
> Subject: Re: Raj/glutathione
>
>
> > Raj:
> > Being you mentioned Dr. Perlmutter, I was a patient of his during the
> winter
> > months that I spent in Florida.  He seemed to be very knowledgeable
Dr.
> > three months ago I started on Glutathione here in Michigan.  I took
the
> > intravenous injections twice a week for six weeks without a positive
> effect.
> > I guess I'm one of the unfortunate ones.
> > It sounds like your taking good care of yourself, by your regimen.
Keep
> up
> > the good work.
> >
> > Ervin McCarthy
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Brightline" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Tuesday, June 04, 2002 4:33 PM
> > Subject: Raj/glutathione
> >
> >
> > > Hi! Ervin & Rayilyn:
> > >     I have never tried Sinemet, eventhough I have a prescrition for
it.
> I
> > > am sure it will be of help, based on the nearly 30 years of
experience
> > with
> > > levodopa.  However, I am still reluctant to try it due to its mile
long
> > list
> > > of side effects, (however low freqnuency of occurrence they might
be)
> and
> > am
> > > keeping it handy as a last resort.  I may not be surprised if for
some
> > > people it does not work.  Even in the NPF info it states that L-dopa
has
> > > been shown to be harmful to dopamine producing cells in vitro and in
> vivio
> > > in animal studies.  It states that L-dopa may or may not be
beneficial!
> > > But, both Dr. AH Rajput and Dr. Jancovics believe, however, it is
not
> > > harmful to humans.  This is supported by the fact that since the
> > > introduction of L-dopa or sinemet, people with PD have been living
> longer.
> > >     In the article by Dr. Perlmuter, it says that both dopmine and
> > > glutathione are low in PD patients.  For some reason L-dopa
application
> > has
> > > caught up and the fate of glutatione deficiency has been left
hanging
in
> > the
> > > air.  I have been taking glutathione - reduced for the last week or
so.
> I
> > > definitely feel some improvement in my condition, good enough to
> postpone
> > > taking sinement.  I do not know how to quantitate my results. I am
not
> > sure
> > > how long this beneficial effect will last.  I would like to know
your
> > > experience with Glutathione.  One should not expect miracles, since
> > whatever
> > > is lost is lost for ever.  I only hope this will slow down the
> prgression
> > of
> > > PD, as evidencd by decrease in and not total elimnation of the
symptoms
> of
> > > PD.
> > >
> > >     First thing in the morning I take a cup of greentea with a
> tablespoon
> > of
> > > honey with  no milk or sugar.   Some times I include about 25-50 mg
of
> > > caffeine pill along with my tea.
> > >     I am taking glutathione along with phosphatydilserine, B6, B12,
> > Folate,
> > > Vitamin E and about 1/3 pill of multivitamain (senior edition with
less
> > > amount of iron) every day in the morning just before breakfast.
> > >     My breakfast consists of bran flakes, about  12 fresh almonds, a
> pinch
> > > of peeled pumpkin seeds (for my prostate problems), and a spoon full
of
> > > powdered flax seed; this also includes one cup of a fruit juice
cocktail
> > > (1:1 mix of orange and tomato juices with a small amount of blue
berry
> > > juice).
> > >     (I am a little bit uncertain about the benefit of blue berry or
bb
> > juice
> > > for PD patients, since aluminum sulfate is used as a fertlizer for
blue
> > > berry plants.  Aluminum has been implicated in PD and in
Alzheimer's.
> > Does
> > > anybody know the aluminum content of blue berries? So do I with
regard
> to
> > > commercial yogurts.  In 1960s and 70s,  the preservative in
commercial
> > > yogurt called MSG or monosodium glutamate [also earlier used in
Chinese
> > > cooking] has been a contentious issue since in animal studies this
> caused
> > > serious nervous system disorders.  Some yogurt products still state
1-2%
> > MG
> > > on their stickers.  I often wonder is MG is the same as MSG!)  Sorry
for
> > > being paranoid.  It is better to be careful, than feeling sorry
later.
> > >
> > >     For lunch and supper, I take pretty much anything, except that I
> make
> > > sure to take a good dose of fresh vegetables and fruits.
> > >     Of course, I also include at least 20-30 min of exercise every
> > morning.
> > >
> > >     There is no guarantee that what might seem to work for me may
work
> for
> > > everybody, since as you well know, PD is a personalized disease,
often
> > with
> > > comomn symptoms that show up at variable rate and similarly, the
resonse
> > to
> > > any drug is also variable between individals.  YOU SHOULD DEFINIELY
> > CONSULT
> > > WITH YOR DOCTOR ON ANYTHING YOU TAKE OR DO FOR YOUR PD.
> > >
> > > QUESTION:
> > >     If both dopamine and glutathione are low in PD patients, I would
ask
> > > myself if it would make sense to take glutathione in addition to
> sinemet.
> > >     BUT, I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER FOR THIS QUESTION.  SO PLEASE DO
NOT
> TRY.
> > > SOME TIMES, THERE COULD BE UNFORSEEN HARMFUL EFFECTS IF TWO DRUGS
ARE
> > > COMBINED.
> > >     GOOD EXAMPLE:  A CLINICAL TRIAL WAS STOPPED HALFWAY IN ENGLAND
> > RECENTLY
> > > SINCE IT INCREASED MORTALITY RATE AMONG THE GROUP OF PD PATIENTS
THAT
> WERE
> > > GIVEN L-DOPA (SINEMET?) AND SELGELINE!
> > >
> > >
> > >     Raj
> > > [log in to unmask]
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Ervin McCarthy" <[log in to unmask]>
> > > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > > Sent: Tuesday, June 04, 2002 9:33 PM
> > > Subject: Re: Raj/glutathione
> > >
> > >
> > > > Rayilyn, I have gotten the same results from Sinemet on three
> occasions.
> > > I
> > > > was curious if anyone else had the same results.  Now I know.
Thank
> > you.
> > > > Ervin McCarthy
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "Rayilyn Brown" <[log in to unmask]>
> > > > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > > > Sent: Monday, June 03, 2002 9:39 PM
> > > > Subject: Re: Raj/glutathione
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > Raj,  Thanks for the info on glutathione...that it is a small
> > molecule.
> > > > I'm
> > > > > going to try the oral glutathione first, before intravenous.
> Sinemet
> > > > never
> > > > > helped me much and after a year made dystonia in my feet
unbearable.
> > > > I''ve
> > > > > tried it again 3 times with same result. Rayilyn
> > > > >
> > > >
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