Monthly Archives: August 2010

Burn Pain – Limited in Animals by IV Minocycline

Minocycline is an IV tetracycline antibiotic known to inhibit glial cell changes at spinal cord level post injury and hence reduce post-injury nerve pain. In the rat model it reduces post burn pains.

Posted in neuropathic, pain mechanisms, Pathophysiology, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Post Herpetic Neuralgia – Capsaicin Patch Mediocre Results

Though study of high potency 8% capsaicin patches reached statistical significance (p=0.044), they did not show a clinical difference from control patches. (dropped pain scores 0.39/10 more than control)

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Chronic Pain May be A Cytokine Inflammation Disease

Cytokines are small chemicals released by immune system to help fight infection. They make one achy and tired, as some feel after they have had a vaccine shot. I have written how many  diseases (chronic pain, diabets, alzheimer’s) are going … Continue reading

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Quick Rating of Fibromyalgia Severity

The Fibromyalgia Impact questionnaire now appears as a series of Visual Scales that makes progress easy to follow.

Posted in Fibromyalgia | 1 Comment

Fibromyalgia Sleep Disorder Treatment Success Highlights Narcoleptiform Sleep Disorder

High proportion of cases of Fibromyalgia (FM) and Chronic fatigue subjects had sleep studies and HLA body marker abnormalities suggestive of narcolepsy and responded to Sodium Oxybutate

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High Brain Insula Glutamate Confirms Fibromyalgia Central Hypersensitivity Idea

The idea sufferers of Fibromyaglia have pain amplifying circuits got confirmation with finding of high glutamate (pain transmitter) in insula of the brain. It’s like the brain is on fire…

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Sick Muscle Mitochondria Seen in Fibromylagia Cases

Mitochondria are the energy furnaces in the cell. When they don’t work you run out of “gas” and the cells get sick. Degenerating mitochondrial, low levels of mitochondrial supporting CoEnzyme Q10 (tissues not blood) and overwork excessive oxidation are seen … Continue reading

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Mortality in Fibromyalgia

There is some good new and bad news in a recent study

Posted in Fibromyalgia, psychology | Leave a comment

Fibromyalgia – Simple Home Treatment

Stand up with one leg bent up. Position two mirror over the bend up leg so its reflection looks like you have both legs up. This gives patient an amazing sensation of weightlessness. Hold position for 30 seconds and stop … Continue reading

Posted in Fibromyalgia, Mechanical aids | 1 Comment

Naltrexone Low Dose May Benefit MS – But Not Really Much

Sorry, Naltrexone works so-so in MS at 4.5 mg/day (about 1/10 a 50 mg pill)

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Preventing Neuroma Nerve Formation By Pruning Cut Nerves Onto Other Nerves

Certain operations are fraught with neuroma issues – the classic being phantom limb. Measures to prevent that have not been entirely successful – – but who would have thought about End-to-Side Neurorraphy “pruning” cut nerves to intact ones.

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Taking Progesterone Can Prevent Spinal injury Damage – What About Nerve Damage From Any Surgery? – And Maybe If It Does at All…!

Last year at the CPS meeting, there was a poster presentation on how progesterone can prevent post injury nerve damage. When asked if men should take it at time of surgery, the student answered yes… There are more reports of … Continue reading

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Prior Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis and Now Told You have an Irritable Bowel – That’s a Bum Rap- Signs of Inflammation Persist

After remission of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, persistent symptoms often continue and are denigrated as Irritable Bowel Syndrome implying  that these cases have somehow now gone psychological. Now fecal calprotectin levels – reflecting pus inflammation in the bowel –  have been … Continue reading

Posted in Abdominal pain | 1 Comment

If Fibromyalgia is a Mast Cell Skin Disease, Would Tanning Help? – No but..

Finding Mast Cell accumulations up to 15 times normal in the skin of Fibromyalgia (FM) subjects has raised the question whether FM is a skin condition causing a tenderness there. This has sparked my interest in dermatological treatments. A trial … Continue reading

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Sacral Insufficiency Fractures – Hard to Make – a Possible Examination Technique

One elderly lady, I recently saw, fell and multiple fractured her left humerus. Was seen, put in a sling, kept briefly in hospital and discharged. Because she could not walk, she was reassessed and found to have a pubic ramus … Continue reading

Posted in Back Pain, osteoporosis | Leave a comment

Sodium Hyaluronate Injection For Supraspinatus Tendinitis Rotator Cuff

Both Hyaluronate Injection and physiotherapy work for isolated simple supraspinatus tendonitis though the former would be easier – but more expensive…

Posted in Drugs, Injection, shoulder | 1 Comment

Midazolam Augmentation of Lumbar Steroid Injections – Use, in Just Mechanical Back Pain

Recent article demonstrated that a combination of steroid and midazolam worked well for post herpetic neuralgia: Miracle Treatment – Low Back Post Herpetic (Post Shingles)Neuralgia Treated With Epidural Steroid and Spinal Midazolam Without Local Can Give Significant Relief For Over … Continue reading

Posted in Back Pain, Drugs, Injection | 1 Comment

Is Fibromyalgia a Mast Cell Disease – like some “somatization diseases” such as migraine, TMJ, irritable bowel, and interstitial cystitis

Sorry – trying to change fonts has duplicated some areas… It is become increasingly clear that so-called “somatization” “psychosomatic” diseases are associated with abnormal concentrations of mast cells – guardians of  peripheral sensitization and also carriers of allergy reactions such as hives. … Continue reading

Posted in Abdominal pain, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, Interstial Cystitis/Gynecologic, mast cell disease | 8 Comments

Confirmed – Botox works for Trigeminal Neuralgia – Given Into Trigger Zone

Cases of Surgery failed drug resistant Trigeminal neuralgia were treated with Botox to trigger zones and not only resulted in relief, but also relative cure in some case

Posted in Botox, Trigeminal Neuralgia | 3 Comments

Confirmed – IV Vitamin C During Acute Shingles Has Effect

Recent blognote was written showing significant decreases in acute shingles pain with Vitamin C: Helping Prevent and Treat Post Shingles Pain / Post Herpetic Neuralgia – Can It Be as Simple as Vitamin C to Help?  Now two further cases … Continue reading

Posted in Drugs, IV therapy, post herpetic neuralgia | Leave a comment

Growth Hormone Deficiency Common in Fibromyalgia But Where is Evidence That Rx Helps That Much?

A recent abstract (not article) was published finding that baseline growth hormone and peak growth hormone levels (after insulin reaction provocation) were diminished in Fibromyalgia ,but prior article attempts of growth hormone supplementation looked disappointing to me.

Posted in Drugs, Fibromyalgia | 1 Comment

MRI Imaging Often Useless in Chronic Pain – Leading to the “There’s Nothing Unusual on MRI so Your Pain is all in Your Head”

You never fully appreciate how poor a certain procedure is until a better one comes out and belittles the old one. Most MRI articles spend time telling you what they can do -not what they can’t do… how poor MRIs  … Continue reading

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Actonel Improves Osteoporosis Back Pain Without Fracture – on 5 mg/day

In Osteoporosis, not only did Risedronate 5 mg/day cut back pain to 1/3 in 4 months, it cut the disability rating in half – despite the fact there were no fractures.

Posted in Back Pain, osteoporosis | Leave a comment

Immunoglobulin Helps Multifocal Diabetic Neuropathy

There seems to be two distinct types of Diabetic Neuropathy (DM) – Multifocal and Symmetrical. The former “showed a marked improvement in severe pain”; the symmetrical did not.

Posted in neuropathic | 2 Comments