I am a new member to this forum but have been following it and doing a LOT of research for about five years. I was diagnosed then with DD by a prominent hand surgeon at Duke Medical Center (not Dr. Goldner). I had DD in both hands (curvature in middle and ring finger on left hand) and both feet and was told that there was nothing I could do to make it better or worse, and he would see me back in "a few" years for the open hand surgery. (He did mention the possibility of Collagenase being approved by then but doubted it.)
I then went to a plastic surgeon who practices conventional and alternative medicine. She put me on an enzyme therapy(serrapeptase, nattokinase, COQ10),told me to gently massage the nodules but NOT to stretch them. (She showed me a stretching technique like the one on Dr. Eaton's website) She also suggested that I eat less red meat.(I was actually on the Atkins diet when diagnosed.) I can not tell you how much better I became. I almost forgot that I had DD. The nodules in my hands and feet became smaller, softer,NO pain, and could straighten my fingers. I was doing GREAT and ready to show the first doctor "which finger"I could now straighten. Then six months ago I sustained a freakish injury to the ring finger on my left hand and had to have my rings cut off. In that amount of time the DD has come back with a vengeance.(Only to that finger, so I am definitely a believer in trauma being a big factor). 45%curvature, huge nodule, and lots of pain!
After much research I got in touch with Dr. Eaton at the Hand Center, emailed pictures of my hand, he quickly responded that I was an excellent candidate for the procedure and thought it would have a great outcome. I was on the phone with his office, made an appointment for Dec. 18th, and was discusssing travel with his secretary. She asked me where I would be coming from. When I told her, I just laughed and said, "Yeah, 15 minutes from Duke Medical Center, wouldn't you think I could have it done here?" She said that she thought there was a surgeon at Duke doing NA, Dr. Richard Goldner,(koodos to a very qualified hand surgeon for opening his mind to this!) He went to Jupiter to learn the procedure from Dr. Eaton. He has only been doing the surgery since January 07 and his office says he has done about 50 to 60 NAs with great success. I now have a consultation appointment with him in two weeks. His office was great as well, and he responded to the emailed pics very quickly.It seems like fate the way it happened, but I also feel like Dr. Eaton is probably the best in the country. I HATE flying but was ready to go! But now to know I am 15 minutes away from a very qualified hand surgeon doing this procedure I can't decide. My family is split down the middle (NOT helping). I keep thinking if I do have any complications I'm 15 minutes away from the doctor! Has anyone been to Dr Goldner or heard of him performing NA?
Is this a no brainer and just go to Duke?
Thanks for any thoughts!

CeeGee, I would be interested in the amount of those supplements you were taking. Did you make any other lifestyle changes? Here are pictures of my hand. http://www.kineoptics.com/stuff.html

How exactly were you massaging your nodules? With anything?

Thanks!

Greetings from Cambridge, England where I have just joined this website.

It may be helpful to relate that 4yrs ago my bilateral DC (with large Garrod's knucklepads) was declared long-established and very aggressive by two very experienced UK hand surgeons, both of whom advised against early surgery cos of strong possibility of repeat attacks and more surgery ... Wait for the collagenase medication trials to finish, said one. Just put off radical surgery as long as possible, said the other. In Paris, the well-known mapper Raoul Tubiana suggested surgery plus tissue grafts to try and slow down repeat attacks. I had much to think about.

By chance and still thinking some 2yrs later, and nursing a nuisancy toe-joint pain, I resorted to Serrapeptase as an anti-inflammatory which is gentle on the stomach lining. Good with the pain as it was, I also perceived unexpected processes at work in the palms of both hands--something was happening! My hands and fingers were loosening up a little. So I've been taking 40mg p.d of Serrapeptase ever since; and the hands get better, fingers slowly straightening, palmar bumps reducing from an extensive full-palm spread, shrinking down to the usual folds where presumably it all started. The dense knuckle pads on RH have reduced more than on LH.

Thinks: With palpable improvement, should I carry on with self-medication and hope/wait for the reduced cords to perhaps snap so that the Serrapeptase will dissolve fragments of dead tissue--apparently that's all it removes enzymatically? Have discussed my use of Serrapeptase with only a few regular UK medics, and always mentioning its German and Japanese state-medicine testing for arterial plaque reduction and the like. One UK senior hospital anaesthetist/pain specialist is supportive of my pleasant discovery--no reservations at all, and I asked him frankly. A couple of general practice doctors (who can't know everything) stare impassively with non-committal tombstone faces through my (non-zealous!) explanations--by their total silence, lack of acknowledgement, they make me feel like a crank of some sort as they decline to engage.

Question? Are there any known adverse side-effects to longterm use of Serrapeptase in German and Japanese state medicine? To say the least, I am pleased to see my hands improving.

Good wishes to all -

Paul

Paul, in them mean time I searched several medical databases. The vast majority of publications about serrapeptase is from the Far East, mainly Japan.

My personal concern with taking serrapeptase would be: if orally taken serrapeptase efficiently dissolves Dupuytren cords (= mainly collagene) what stops it dissolving the collagene in my joints?

Regarding occasional severe side effects see e.g. Sasaki S. et al. "Serrapeptase-induced lung injury manifesting as acute eosiniphilic pneumonia" Nihon Kokyuki Gakkai Zasshi. 2000 Jul;38(7):540-4. ---
Abstract: "An 84-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of fever, cough, and hemoptysis. The patient had acute respiratory failure (PaO2 < 40 mmHg) on admission, with diffuse interstitial infiltration and bilateral pleural effusion. ... A diagnosis of acute eosinophilic pneumonia was established, and the patient made a rapid recovery after corticosteroids were administered. When the DLST (drug lymphocyte stimulation test) was performed after the corticosteroid therapy was stopped, it was positive for serrapeptase, which had been prescribed for chronic cystitis for 3 months before the onset of the pneumonia. ..."

Edited at 18.01.08 09:24

Serratiopeptidase is the laboratory name.

I take 40mg each day, buying trade products such as Serrazyme or Serrapeptase (larger and smaller tablets/capsules are offered for sale, and 20-40mg daily seems to suit me). Apparently the enzyme action is derived from/replicated from silkworm life-cycle juices which enable dissolving of the cocoon's dead tissue as the creature metamorphoses, liberates itself and continues the species ... It is noted that the enzyme does not dissolve living tissue, and has been used instead of surgery to break down cysts and bursitis debris swellings, and for women non-malignant breast lumps which cause worries, and incipient fibrose uterine tissue. And general post-surgery/post accident thick scar tissue, etc. Dr Ray Sahelian MD in his U.S. web pages suggests 20mg each day until we have more data on longterm usage of serratiopeptidase.

Has anyone else experienced DC relief/remission using this product? I happened on it by chance from a massage therapist and lymph-drainage practitioner working in state medicine in Lowestoft, in eastern England. Her MD colleagues apparently suggest it in place of well-known non-steroidal anti-inflammatories which so often give patients an upset stomach. This anti-inflammatory is fine for most people, I hear, with no interference with other medications ... Hope this info helps. I read somewhere that a well-known German cardiologist was using this enzyme long ago.

Paul