> From: Ida & Andre Kamphuis <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: News-Depression linked to virus
> I did read the CNN rapport about this. Amantadine is in fact an anti-virus
> med.,
> but that is, in the view of neuroresearchers, not the reason why it has
> effect in treating Parkinson. It is also a glutamate antagonist. Glutamate
> and dopamine are both neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, that are
> mutually inhibiting. So a shortage of dopamine does make glutamates to
> active. Relative low dopamine levels can cause depression, because dopamine
> has a role in the reward center in our brain. So an effectivity of
> amantdine against depression could be expected and does not prove that a
> virus has some role in causing PD
> Someone might relate this glutamate to other mails on the list today who
> mention feeling well after eating some sweets. The text that I did read
> said very explicitly that this glutamate is a rather complex molecule,
> can't pass the blood-brain barrier, and has to be produced in the CNS. If I
> read this kind of stuff, I know enough to feel I understand something of
> it, but I don't know enough neurophysiology to read it really critically.
> So at last everyone deciddes for himself what is most convincing.
> I am interested in the glutamates because much recent litterature says
> anti-glutamates are expected to be highly effective against end of dose
> dykinesia, and against craving of drug-- or alcohol addicts. I have on an
> intuitive level thought this were related phenomena.In Germany, university
> of Tuebingen, an anti glutamate has been developed and partly tried.
>
> Memantine is a derivative of the decades old anti-influenza drug
> amantadine. Memantine is used in Germany to treat Parkinson's disease,
> dementia in the elderly, and to speed the recovery of comatose patients.
> Memantine may also be useful for PWAs with HIV encephalopathy (which can
> mean anything including memory loss,confusion, difficulty speaking,
> walking, and/or concentrating).
>
> Memantine in PWAs
> While some PWAs have been using memantine, and the AIDS Clinical
> Trial Group is currently planning to study it at present there is no data
> from any clinical study in PWAs. We'll keep you posted on upcoming trials.
> Since there is no proven treatment for HIV-related neurologic problems, the
> PWA Health has decided to import memantine for any PWA with a doctor's
> prescription.
>
> The Theory Behind Memantine While the root cause of neurologic
> problems in PWAs is different from what causes Parkinson's or dementia in
> Elderly, people with these problems all lose neurons, the key brain or
> nerve cell, in much the same way.(PWAs with encephalopathy can lose up to
> 20-50% of their neurons.) How does this happen? Much of what we know comes
> from experience in Parkinson's disease. As the theory goes, too much of
> certain amino acids in the brain send signals to neurons that make them
> self-destruct. Memantine keeps to a minimum the destructive signals that
> neurons receive. These amino acids may be elevated in some PWA's too.
> What's worse, test tube and animal studies show that the HIV protein gp120
> can also send neurons self-destruct signals. But until we know to what
> extent HIV related neurologic disorders are caused by these signals, we
> can't predict how helpful memantine will be in PWAs. If the theory is
> correct, another drug being studied in PWAs for neurologic problems,
> nimodipine, may increase the effect of memantine. With a prescription you
> can get nimodipine from a pharmacy, but it is very expensive, and since it
> isn't approved for this purpose, your insurance may not want to
> pay for it.
> Want more info? We have references available. Just ask us.
>
> Dosing
> We don't know the best dose for PWAs. In other groups, doses range from
> 5-60 mg a day, depending on the condition that it is being used for. 10-30
> mg a day seems to be the standard maintenance dose in patients with
> Parkinson's disease. Since there isn't much information on the use of
> memantine in PWAs, it may make sense to start at a low dose, such as 5 mg a
> day (see below).
>
> Ida 54/14, Holland
>
Hi Ida
Thanks for all your information . It is stored on my computer . I am
extremely dubious of conventional theory especialy as the proponents
cannot cure my PD .
A few year ago I read of a study of th relationship between personality
and the duration of colds/flu . It concluded that people with a happy
personality had less colds and less severe than people with a
depressed personality . I suggest that maybe the latter were already
suffering a viral attack and maybe the cold merely added to this
ongoing viral battle .
That is why there was this correlation .??
I find your information about glutamate very interesting . I am
using very succesfully GHB as an antidyskinesia medication . GHB is
also used to treat alcohol abuse. It also treats depression and
sleep disorders. I have
not read of any correlation between GHB and glutamate . GHB was
originally used as a way of boosting the Neurotransmitter GABA . It
is now also thought to boost the dopamine .
Personaly I think they have not got a clue of what is going on the
brain .There are so many neural pathways using a variety of
transmitters in many different ways. The brains product is a balance
of so many different processes that I dont think we shall ever
really understand what is going on at the molecular level ,sufficient
to make accurate predictios of the effect of a certain chemical . PD
medications have evolved by chance observations not by the
application of theory .
I have my doubts about PD being caused by the degeneration of the
dopamine producing cells .The loss of dopamine producing cells
mighrt be caused by atrophy because the dopamine is not being used (
astronaught suffer severe atrophy of the body in space because of the
lack of use ) . Let me suggest the following scenario . A viral
attack depresses the activity in the dopamine neural pathways .
This leads to depression and maybe PD . The lack of dopamine
requirement leads to atrophy of the dopamine producing cells .
Only half my body is affected by PD and dyskinesia This is easier to
explain as a local viral attack ,than as a local degeneration of the
dopamine producing cells .
It is also easier to explain the positive effects of the antibody
GM1 ganglioside on PD using this scenario .
I do not claim the above scenario is right . I am putting it
forward as a possible explanation . Until I get cured I intend to
follow up any idea .
Ida , I tried to send this reply to your information which you very
kindly sent me the other day it was returned undelivered .
> Thanks for the very interesting info. I have been
trying many food
> supplements and one such is L-pyroglutamic acid . It seemed to
> increase dyskinesia , so I stopped taking it . I will try retaking
> it after the end of dose dyskinesia ( which I get in the late
> afternoon ) and boosting the glutamate during this period may reduce
> the glutamate during the period of the day I take L-dopa . From what
> I understand glumate boosting may help PD but it also increases
> dyskinesia .
>
So far the trial has not had a obvious effect on my dyskinesia . I
will continue for a little longer .
peace
Alastair ( [log in to unmask] )
