Have you heard of this treatment?

I found the following while investigating the benificial effects that 5 mg of benadryl every 4 to 6 hours has had on my condition (mitochondrial dysfunction).  



"Institution: Stanford University

Summary

Researchers in Dr. Lawrence Steinman's laboratory at Stanford have developed a new strategy for treating or preventing autoimmune diseases with antihistamines. Using the EAE mouse model for multiple sclerosis (MS), the inventors have shown that the disease course and severity can be ameliorated with daily administration of antihistamine. This approach has the potential for treating MS with less side-effects and more convenient dosing than current therapeutic interventions.

Stage of Research

EAE mice treated daily with anti-histamine receptor 1 have decreased disease severity and delayed onset of the disease compared to controls. Also, treatment with antihistamine receptor 1 leads to significant changes in the serum IgG recognition of some healthy brain antigenic targets.

Advantage

Safe - antihistamines are established drugs with less severe side effects than current MS treatments e.g., interferon-beta, glatiramer acetate, high-dose IV immunoglobulins, monoclonal antibodies against a-4 integrin and steroids)

Convenient - oral administration is easier for patients costs to produce and store these compounds are lower than existing treatments

http://www.ctsaip.org/create-pdf.cfm?id=5893

I have been putting this info out on the web for a bit now, following is feedback from a diagnosed MS patient:



"My wife, who was diagnosed with MS in 2006, has been taking 5 mg of Benadryl every four hours for about three weeks now. She has experienced a dramatic increase in energy, an end to persistent conjunctivitis (redness of the eyes), and has not needed to apply her metronidazole cream for rosacea. She has also been able to stop taking Tramadol three times daily for back pain. The pain is still there, but it is more easily treated with the occasional NSAID or 5 mg of Valium. Here is a link to a patent application .pdf covering this treatment in greater detail. It is very technical, but it might be interesting to physicians and others with a scientific background. My wife takes slightly less than half a teaspoon of generic children's Benadryl (diphenhydramine) every four hours."



My personal experience and the following study lead me to believe many of the benificial effects of low dose benadryl stem from the fact that certain antihistamines in low doses inhibit apoptosis.



http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0006300261904498



specifically here:

"1. It is shown that a number of antihistamine drugs which prevent liver injury inhibit mitochondrial swelling at concentrations at which they do not affect electron transport or oxidative phosphorylation"

[astrodave]

Be aware if you have autoimmune hypothyroid this treatment may (should) increase thyroid function.  talk to your doctor.

[natg36]

Hi I have some kind of autoimmune disease that the doctors can't diagnose.I take antihistamine for hay fever and found it alleviated my symptoms.I found this helpful, so will mention it to my doctor to see if it may help in my diagnosis.can allergies create the same symptoms as an autoimmune disease?

[AdamsMommy419]

My son who has Autoimmune Pancreatitis takes 2 tsps of Atarax ( histamine) daily. The only thing i have noticed this med does is help with his insomnia. It doesn't seem to affect his pain tolerance at all. the way i feel though is try anything to see if it brings relief, while it hasn't been beneficial to his pain, it has been towards his sleep cycle. he has gone from sleeping 2-3 hrs nightly to finally sleeping for 6-8 hrs. The only advice i can give is keep searching...til you get a answer that fits! Took us 20 months and alot of doctors til i finally got one who " Listened" and " Looked at all the logs" i had started keeping of him and everything about his day to day life. I would also advise you to keep a log...List any pain, symptoms, what you eat, regular temp checks.....anything and everything you feel might be helpful in diagnosis whatever might be ailing you!!  Good luck!