Thank you for your comment, Dirk! Assuming that you might require 500 - 1000 mg NAC/day to get an effect that would mean 1.5 - 3 g Vit C/day. That's probably much more than your body can process. Maybe just some additional Vit C can reduce the risk for kidney stones? But I am not sure whether such an increased risk really exists. If you google for side effects of NAC you find e.g.

http://www.fortnet.org/fapg/nacfaq.htm (not for Dupuytren but side effects ought to be the same)
They don't mention kidney stones and do not recommend to take Vit C at all (though they do recommend other vitamins)

Another web site http://ssl.thebody.com/content/art4754.html reports on patients taking up to 11 g NAC/day (a very extreme amount!) and does not mention kidney stones as side effect. They do mention stomach upset and diarrhea as observed side effects.

I am not an expert on NAC so I can only speculate. But if there would be a high risk for kidney stones I would think that pharmaceutical companies producing NAC would mention that and I haven't found this risk mentioned in any of the lists that I looked at (that doesn't exclude that others report it).

I didn't find a web site of Hyperhealth Natural Health & Nutrition to check their latest statements, they are maybe more into selling their CD. But I found a similar comment on http://www.worldhealth.net/p/aadr-cystei...steine-nac.html : "People with diabetes mellitus and allergies to eggs, milk, or wheat should not take supplementary cysteine. People taking the drug may experience severe headaches when taking NAC. Cysteine supplements must be taken with vitamin C to prevent cysteine being converted to cystine, which may form kidney or bladder stones. People with kidney or liver disease should consult their doctor before taking supplementary cysteine."

Cliical studies don't mention this risk. It might just be a hypothetical one. Personally I don't believe that there is a high risk for getting kidney stones because NAC has been in use for decades and it would have been observed clinically if it is a real risk. But that's my own take and not even a very educated one. But it was good that you pointed it out, it's always good to be cautious.

Wolfgang

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Hi Wolfgang. My info. came from my local chemist's print out on NAC. From a CD-ROM (Hyperhealth Natural Health & Nutrition). It implies some people get kidney stones from the cysteine. They recommend at least 3 times the quantity of VitC to NAC. ie. 200mg NAC with 600mg of VitC. The symptoms Marjorie has mentioned also follows the possible NAC side effect (in some people) to remove mucous layers in the intestines. I'm still going to try NAC & believe your survey will help in deciding if NAC will be useful for Dup. sufferers despite side effects Regards Dirk

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I'm trying this and am in the process of filling out the .doc.

What dose is suggested?

I am currently taking 500 mg morning and 500 mg at night: i.e. 1000 mg a day. The label on the bottle I got suggests 500 to 1500 mg a day (that's) 1 to 3 capsules (without mentioning what one might be taking the stuff for).

The label suggests taking on empty stomach and likewise says take 3 times as much vitamin C. I am continuing with the same amount of vitamin C I have been taking for years: 1000 mg time release with breakfast.

I have been taking on empty stomach with water and have experienced no problems. In fact, since I started taking it, my digestive system seems to be working better.

I got held up filling out the survey because I didn't know the angles and the joint names - still don't. As far as I can recall it, my history is something like this :

A doctor first diagnosed my dupuytren's in 1970 when I was 23 years old. At that time I developed a couple of palmar nodules. The disease progressed slowly until around 1980, when it spread to the little finger of my right hand.

Around 1985, I had my first surgery: angle of contraction of little finger was about 90 degrees. The surgeon (a general plastic surgeon, did not do a good job: the incision was messy and there was a lot more swelling than with subsequent surgeries performed by a skilled surgeon whose specialty was hands. There was some temporary improvement in the angle of contraction. I bought a spring splint and attempted to straighten the finger by fairly intense and prolonged stretching, which I now believe may have had a further negative effect. The finger quickly contracted again and the ring finger of the same hand became involved.

As the disease progressed rapidly during the late 80's I subsequently had 2 or 3 more surgeries on the right hand and the little finger and palm of the left hand. These surgeries were more successful: little finger of right hand was eventuallyamputated, ring finger is contractedat about 20 degrees, but appears to have no dupuytren's tissue, middle finger has been contracted at about 25 degrees after first band was removed) by a second band. There has been no noticeable change in my right hand in the last 15 years.

After the surgery on the little finger of my left hand, I soon developed a band in the index finger, which contracted the middle joint to about 30 degrees. It stablized there until several months ago. The other 2 fingers have remained free of the disease.

Several months ago I suddenly developed a neuropathic condition in my left hand. I lost strength in the ends of all my fingers: I could not grip things between finger and thumb, did not have enough strength to operated a finger nail clipper. I aslo lost coordination: fingers would not go where I was attempting to put them. Strength of my grip when using my entire hand was not affected.

I now have most of the strength back in my fingers: it started returning slowly after I started devising and doing strengthening exercises. But during this recovery period, the duputyren's in the index finger got worse. When I measured it near the beginning of June, the angle was 60 degrees.

I started taking NAC on June 6 after reading about it on this forum. I have not checked the contraction angle since, but I don't think it is any worse.

I don't have any opinion about whether the NAC has had any effect. Most days I take 1000 mg. Some days only 500 mg.

My goal is to stop the progression until the autumn when I am hoping that my surgeon will start doing NA.

I sent my surgeon an email at the beginning of June and got a reply that he was going to the hand centre in Florida to evaluate the technique. If satisfied, he will then offer it.