I've benefited so much from the Biospecifics forum that I want to build enthusiasm now around this site. I have also given up on the Biospecifics site due to the spam and will use this site from now on. Please excuse my long story. Fortunately, my job requires travel so I can take full advantage of the resources made available by this group regardless of geography. I hope that by sharing we all can benefit in some way. About 3 years ago (at age 40) I noticed a small nodule on my ring finger that had developed slowly over about 12 months. I brought it to my General Practioner's attention during a routine physical. He told me it was "Viking's Disease" and showed me a medical book with a photo that described it. I didn't think too much of it at time since my family was from Northern Europe and the nodule didn't bother me. He also prescribed a Statin for my cholesterol. I don't know if there was a connection but the nodule seemed to grow quickly into a chord and then into a slight contraction within three months. I then couldn't lay my hand flat on a table. I quit the statins, which my GP didn't think was necessary. It was classic DC from what I could read. I saw a hand specialist who recommended surgery when it had contracted further. Thanks to the forum, I visited Dr. Eaton. In 30 minutes he perforated and snapped the cord and I was mobile the next day with no contraction. I can remember his comment that I had "quite a cord." He also took a look at my foot since I had traveled so far and I had noticed a lump. He told me that the very small lump on the instep of one foot was LD and recommended steroid injections from a foot specialist. I visited a podiatrist who took an X-RAY. He recommended biopsy and taking away a large portion around of the lump at the same time. I also visited a local orthopedic foot specialist, who said that X-Rays will not help since it's a soft tissue problem. He had an Intern who said the cause for some people had a connection to alcoholism. The Doctor gave me the steroid injections. Looking back, avoiding the biopsy was a much better choice. I won't touch my feet until the last possible moment. Both the lump on my foot and DC on my hand have grown slowly but steadily since. It could be a coincidence again, but I remember one period of rapid growth occurred 12 months after visiting Dr. Eaton when I passed a kidney stone and needed IV pain medication. My small nodule on the side of my foot seemed to spread under my foot in just a few weeks, and my pinky finger began to contract. This may go anecdotally to my experience with the statin cholesterol medication and Intern's comment that liver-impacting meds and behavior may contribute to faster growth. I visited Dr. LERMUSIAUX in Paris 14 months after Dr Eaton since my contraction had clearly returned. He performed NA on my ring finger and for the first time on my pinky finger. He also performed NA on my foot.

Welcome born2run and thank you for your story! I haven't heard from David for a while but I am curious, too, about his long term experience with cryo. We keep fingers (and toes) crossed for your NAC trial and please let us know how it worked out. It might take a while, 3 - 6 months or so, to show effect. I think I myself will also embark on NAC for a try.

Wolfgang

Hi Marjorie, good to have you around!

NAC, or rather N-acetylcysteine (because NAC is also used as abbreviation for a variety of other things), is an antioxidant drug that was originally developed to treat other diseases, mainly chronic lung diseases. It has been in use for decades with usually very little side effects (to my knowledge). It can be administered for a long time, some patients need to take it forever. For more details see e.g. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/m..._4/ai_n16083808

Recently it has been found out in lab experiments that NAC also reduces the tumor growth factor TGF beta1, which is important in growing Dupuytren tumors. In 2006 clinical experiments started at University of Erlangen to treat Dupuytren patients (see also our web site under "Other therapies"). Results have not been published yet but seem to be promising. I haven't seen any statistics yet, nor have I heard about what the right dose would be (for other diseases 600 mg/day are common).

If NAC proves effective then it might be a good means to slow down disease progression or even to reduce the size of the nodules or cords. It is too early too tell but I personally believe it might be worth a try because the risk is low and it's cheap.

I copied a post from the BioS forum into this foum, under "Other therapies", because I liked it. Whoever wrote it was ahead of reseach.

Wolfgang

Quote:

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Hi Wolfgang,
What is NAC please?
Thanks

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Marjorie, NAC won't work instantly because it just reduces the growth rate of new Dupuytren cells. Usually old cells die and new cells grow. If you reduce the rate by which new cells are created the nodule will shrink. But to become noticable a lot of old cells have to die. In short, don't expect it to work within a month, it might take 3 - 6 months before it effects (if it does). But NAC as an antioxidant might do you good anyway, so nothing is lost.

Good luck!
Wolfgang