| Lost password
567 users onlineYou are not loggend in.  Login
Curcumin treatment for DC
 1 2 3
 1 2 3
10/12/2004 23:02
Nypon 
10/12/2004 23:02
Nypon 
Curcumin treatment for DC

Many drugs have been tried for DC, but few have shown any benefit. Most of the drugs that have been proven to have some benefit fall into two categories:

1. Xanthine oxidase inhibitors such as colchicine and allopurinol (1, 2, 3, 4)

2. TGF-beta inhibitors such as tamoxifen, 5-fluorouracil, and pentoxifylline (5, 6, 7)

These drugs are only available by prescription, and can have unpleasant side effects. As an alternative, there are natural substances that have the same kind of biological activity. Natural xanthine oxidase inhibitors include pycnogenol (8), quercitin (9), folic acid (10), acetyl-l-carnitine (11), and curcumin (12, 13). Some of these XO inhibitors have other effects that are probably not good for DC patients. For example, pycnogenol stabilizes collagen (14), making it harder for the body to break down, and quercitin can stimulate TGF-beta production (15).

I've only found one natural TGF-beta inhibitor, curcumin (16). (Does anyone know of any other natural TGF-beta inhibitors?) DC is a fibrotic disease characterized by abnormally high TGF-beta levels (26). High TGF-beta levels are characteristic of many other fibrotic diseases (22, 23, 24, 25). Curcumin has been found to have benefit for several of these diseases, including pulmonary fibrosis (17), fibrosis in liver cells (18), glomerulosclerosis (19), and keloid scars (20). A clinical trial of curcumin in people with cystic fibrosis is in the planning stages. One clinical trial found that curcumin is "not toxic to humans up to 8,000 mg/day when taken by mouth for 3 months" (21).

Curcumin is unique in that it is both a xanthine oxidase inhibitor and a TGF-beta inhibitor. It is non-toxic even in large doses taken for long periods of time. It seems to have promise for treating DC. No drug company will sponsor clinical trials for it, since curcumin is a natural substance that cannot be patented. The DC community does not have a powerful and well funded organization like the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which is paying for the clinical trial for curcumin in CF patients. So it may be a long time, if ever, until clinical trials are done for curcumin in DC patients. I don't want to wait. I've started taking curcumin at a dose of 900 mg of 95% curcuminoid extract of turmeric with 5 mg bioperine twice a day. (Curcumin without bioperine is not absorbed well by the body.) I may increase the dose later. I do not expect it to be a miracle cure. I will be happy if it slows the progress of the disease. Even if it completely stops the proliferation of myofibroblasts and the production of new collagen, the nodules and cords will remain for a long time, perhaps months or even years. The natural processes for breaking down the accumulated collagen are slow. Perhaps curcumin's best use will be as a follow-up to NA or collagenase treatment to prevent reoccurence of the disease.

I'll post follow-ups on my experience with curcumin from time to time. I encourage other people to try it too.


References

1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2825907&dopt=Abstract
2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=1616255
3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=8048212
4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=1568169
5) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11922728
6) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=10777424
7) http://www.raft.ac.uk/research/dupuytrens.html
8) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11087530
9) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14750029
10) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11839091
11) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=8255367
12) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=8055654
13) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=9225611
14) http://www.quantumhealth.com/news/articleskin.html
15) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=7780149
16) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15200418
17) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12890714
18) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11829122
19) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14728887
20) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12813346
21) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11712783&dopt=Abstract
22) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1712697&dopt=Abstract
23) http://ajp.amjpathol.org/cgi/content/full/160/5/1705
24) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=9600433
25) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8164441&dopt=Abstract
26) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=8683048

10/12/2004 23:04
Nypon 
10/12/2004 23:04
Nypon 
References

Please note that the numbers in paretheses in the previous post refer to the references listed at the end of the post.

10/12/2004 23:31
Tom M

not registered

10/12/2004 23:31
Tom M

not registered

Follow-up

Interesting post. Please keep us updated on how this works for you.

10/12/2004 23:14
steve 
10/12/2004 23:14
steve 
Dosage

I'm taking colchicine and acetyl l carnitine and have found some stabilization in the disease progression which had been rapid for me. What is the dose most of the clinical studies have found efficacious with cucumin?

10/12/2004 23:40
Nypon 
10/12/2004 23:40
Nypon 
Dosage

One clinical trial started with a dose of 500 mg/day, and then increased to 1,000, 2,000, 4,000, 8,000, and finally 12,000 mg/day (1). The patients objected to 12,000 mg/day because of the bulky volume of the drug, rather than to any side effects. This was a phase I trial where the goal was to see what dosage was safe rather than what dosage was effective.

In a clinical trial testing curcumin's effect on rheuatoid arthritis, 1,200 mg/day was found to reduce stiffness and joint swelling as well as phenylbutazone, with fewer side effects. Something to consider for those of us with arthritis who have stopped taking glucosamine/chondroitin...

I'm going to start with 900 mg twice a day (1,800 mg total per day). I may increase the dose in a few weeks.

10/19/2004 23:56
toM

not registered

10/19/2004 23:56
toM

not registered

Additional Info

For those of you interested. Turmeric, the herb from which curcumin is extracted, may be beneficial for the treatment/prevention of multiple sclerosis and alzheimers.

10/19/2004 23:58
michael lusk

not registered

10/19/2004 23:58
michael lusk

not registered

Where does one obtain curcamin & bioperine?


Thanks, MML

10/20/2004 23:32
Marilyn

not registered

10/20/2004 23:32
Marilyn

not registered

Topical Verapamil

Has anyone tried topical Verapamil?

10/20/2004 23:24
George Barbarow

not registered

10/20/2004 23:24
George Barbarow

not registered

Topical Verapamil

I used Verapamil for about six months withno noticeable change !

10/20/2004 23:31
Nypon 
10/20/2004 23:31
Nypon 
Where to get curcumin + bioperine

Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric, but it is only a small percentage of the content of turmeric. You'd have to take a very large amount of turmeric to get enough curcumin to be effective. Look for a turmeric extract that contains 95% curcuminoids. Here are three different brands that you can order over the internet:

http://www.lef.org/newshop/items/item00552.html
http://www.vitacost.com/Store/Products/ProductDescription.cfm?SKUNumber=0237
http://www.loweringcholesterol.net/supplement-facts/curcumin-500

 1 2 3
 1 2 3
anti-inflammatory   Alzheimer   Fibroblast-populated   contraction   uids=8164441&dopt=Abstract   uids=11712783&dopt=Abstract   jneuroinflammation   loweringcholesterol   Curcumin   dupuytren%20s%20contracture%20uppsala   TGF-beta   cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list   disease   uids=2825907&dopt=Abstract   glomerulosclerosis   cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list   turmeric   collagen   fibro-proliferative   uids=1712697&dopt=Abstract