Q: Has anyone ever even heard of this therapy?
Drugs for treatment of multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases:
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"
Cost= $5.00 per month
I also found the following which should be of interest here:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0006300261904498
"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"
5 mg of benadryl equals 1 ml of the adult liquid or 2ml of the childrens liquid.