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["Lynda" <lurine AT com-pair.net>]

Hmmm, very interesting.  We are currrently dealing with a mess compliments 
of how great the medical care is in the U.S.

Son #3 had gone to the river and was wearing flip flops when he came home. 
The doohickey between the toes broke and tripped him and he stepped on 
glass.  Went up into the arch of his foot and just skimmed the bone.

Off to the big city (Redding) we go since no one figure the little local ER 
(2 beds and a hallway) would be able to handle the situation.  Seems the big 
city didn't either.

Now, for folks who don't know about x-rays, they don't show glass.  The ER 
doc ordered x-rays and then sent him home saying there was no glass in his 
foot.  She also hit something when she numbed his foot.

Long story short is he kept getting told he needed to quit being a whimp, 
"people live with buckshot in them all the time."  So, I call down to the 
coast where I know the doctors (city 1/3 the size of Redding) and got him in 
and they removed several pieces of glass.

He now has Complex Region Pain Syndrome for which, it seems, there is no 
cure.

Would y'all like to know what medications they recommend for this stuff? 
Elavil (anti-depressant), and two other anti-depressants.  Seems one 
unintended "benefits" of rearranging neurons in the brain in someone who 
*is* depressed *might* help the misfiring nerves that cause CRPS.  Or might 
not.  Or might cause suicidal ideas.  Or cortizone creams might help 
because, and this makes no sense to me, once a doc causes this problem, it 
somehow ends up *sometimes* being an autoimmune issue.

So, he's 26 and he's been on crutches since June.  No one can tell him 
anything about the prognosis.  "Well, sometimes it just goes away with 
time."  "Well, sometimes it becomes a crippling disability and your leg may 
atrophy."

Which is why this sounds interesting since they've used it topically.

Lynda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "EarthNSky" <erthnsky AT gmail.com>

>  Thunder God Vine May Relieve Arthritis
>
> By Kathleen Hall
>
> <http://www.qualityhealth.com/medical-advisory-board>
>
> With a name like Thunder God Vine, you'd expect this perennial plant to 
> deliver extraordinary healing results. Chinese medicine practitioners have 
> used Thunder God Vine for hundreds of years to treat inflammation and 
> conditions caused by an overactive immune system. Since Rheumatoid 
> Arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease, some patients are optimistic 
> about the therapeutic potential of this plant.
>
> Thunder God Vine, also known as lei gong teng, is a perennial vine native 
> to China, Japan and Korea. Its official botanical name is triptergyuim 
> wilfordii. The Thunder God Vine supplement is produced from an extract 
> from the skinned root of the plant and alternative health practitioners 
> often use it topically to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis. The supplement works 
> by inhibiting the production of cytokines--a type of protein involved in 
> inflammation--and other intermediaries by blocking increased activity of 
> some pro-inflammatory genes.
>
> While there are few clinical studies of the Thunder God Vine, researchers 
> have found the supplement beneficial, but noted it was associated with 
> severe adverse effects. Results from a small study funded by the National 
> Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) 
> suggest that an oral extract of the herb may improve rheumatoid arthritis 
> symptoms in some patients.
>
> The leaves, flowers and skin of the root of the Thunder God Vine are 
> poisonous and can be life threatening. Even proper use of the skinned root 
> produces severe side effects in some patients, such as diarrhea, upset 
> stomach, hair loss, headache, menstrual changes and skin rashes. Women who 
> take Thunder God Vine supplements for more than five years risk decreased 
> bone mineral density, putting them at risk for fractures and osteoporosis. 
> It also reduces men's sperm count. Experts advise against using Thunder 
> God Vine while taking immunosuppressive drugs such as prednisone.
>
> In August 2009, NIAMS published study results comparing Thunder God Vine 
> supplements to sulfasalazine in treating Rheumatoid Arthritis. 
> Sulfasalazine is an anti-inflammatory drug. Doctors may prescribe it for 
> Rheumatoid Arthritis patients who don't respond to other medications. 
> Patients who continued treatment with Thunder God Vine for 24 weeks, and 
> who could use stable oral prednisone and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory 
> drugs, enjoyed greater benefits than patients who took sulfasalazine.
>
> Given the side effects, many healthcare practitioners hesitate 
> recommending or supporting the use of Thunder God Vine supplements to 
> relieve the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Most supplements such as 
> Thunder God Vine are not regulated and quality may be suspect so use 
> caution when purchasing these products. Be sure to tell your physician 
> about Thunder God Vine and all supplements you take. They may interact 
> with other medications or supplements.
>
> Sources
>
> http://nccam.nih.gov/health/tgvine/
>
> http://www.arthritistoday.org/treatments/supplement-guide/supplements/thunder-god-vine.php
>
> http://sciweb.nybg.org/science2/pdfs/mb/herb%20garden.pdf
>
> http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/151/4/229
>
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=PubMed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=16487688&ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum 
> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=PubMed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=16487688&ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19687490?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus 
> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19687490?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus>
>
> --
> EarthNSky Farm 34.498N 85.076W
> SISU! (Finnish--There is no single word in English that encompasses
> all that sisu means, but it combines the following ideas: guts, pep,
> determination, stubbornness, perseverance, hardiness, stamina, go, do,
> nerve, spunk, pluck, and grit.  It's like "Just Do It!"&  "Go for It!")
>
>
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