Antioxidants and Patient Driven Research
"The twentieth century has endowed us with technology that allows access to scientific and technical tools from the comfort of our homes. Several factors make it worthwhile for us to pursue this avenue of inquisition and not wait passively for formal structures to supply the important research. First, business and professional structures in this country make pursuit of knowledge in the antioxidant arena unattractive. Second, the Boston Cure website already provides a backdrop for information exchange. And finally, the desperation of patients with questionable response from traditional medicine opens the door for business opportunities under the guise of nutrition making antioxidant products commercially available some of which are already targeted toward the MS market. Although The FDA tracks and alerts the public to dangerous substances, these alerts are based on severe adverse reactions more deadly than MS flares. Therefore an MS patient taking a ‘nutritional’ substance may be worsened by the protocol but have no place to air such an event /alert.
Both of us have worked professionally in hospital environments and are acutely aware of disasters that can result even when procedures are done in accordance with good medical and scientific methodology. In addition, the availability of antioxidant substances on grocery store shelves suggests a level of ‘safety’ that may be questionable.
Our solution to this scenario is a call to common sense and application of basic science to an organized collection of information from interested patients. We have identified a partial list of parameters necessary for such an endeavor:
. background information regarding known mechanisms, interactions, and safety of candidate products. The cited publications fast track such activity.
. patient charting of time, date, and amount of candidates and other drugs to support a database.
. patient charting of other adverse medical incidents (flu, allergic reactions, etc.) that influence results.
. identification of common nutrient dosing methodology. Our approach was to start with the lowest possible antioxidant dose, diligently monitor neurological status, and maintain a reasonable amount until physiological response indicated a change. This technique would add a level of complexity to analysis beyond commonly accepted practice.
. identification of result reporting methods. Currently both use activity level as an indicator but this approach is not rigorous enough for organized study. Woodrose has developed a personal semi-objective test and has graphed results daily for over 2 years but the approach would require major improvement to achieve universality.
. documentation to trap unusual physiological reactions. Both of us have had reactions to commonly identified products. We believe these reactions are useful diagnostic tools for delineating active mechanisms.
. inclusion of personal physicians. Both of our personal physicians are informed of our activities and their advice adopted.
Requirements leading to statistical worth in an effort of this type are unknown. Also unidentified are applicable quality control methods. Contributions addressing these issues are futuristic and any progress supports next century science.
While not yet conclusive, we both feel there is benefit to the inclusion of antioxidants in the diet of MS patients. For the two of us the educational exercises have resulted in a comprehension that now allows common and diverse mechanisms active in our cases to be sketched, a benefit in its own right. It is our hope that sharing our thoughts with other readers will foster entrepreneurial ideas that benefit all."
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