MS Study - you may be interested

Question

I just wrote to the study coordinator for a study being held in Portland, Or.  They are still looking for test subjects and a few of you might be interested.  I could do the low fat part, but the vegan diet would take me out of the running.  I have to have my butter and ice cream.

The contact person for this is listed on the NMSS website or if you want more info drop me a PM and I'll send you the contact information. 

Anyway, here is the information that was sent to me via email today:

"We are still enrolling and enroll on a rolling basis. The upcoming 10-day diet trainings are August 12th-21st, 2011 and September 30th - October 9th, 2011. We hold screening visits in Portland 2-3 weeks before each training program. For August the screening dates are July 25th-27th, and for October the screening dates are Sept 12th-14th. You have a 50/50 chance of attending the 10-day diet training at the beginning of the study and a 50/50 chance of attending the diet training at the end of the study. Fortunately, we currently have enough funding for the study to pay for the cost of travel (flight and hotel). If enrolled, you would only be responsible for food, and whatever else you wanted to buy on your trips.

 

The diet that we are investigating is a very low-fat vegan diet. I’ve attached our consent form, which outlines the study. No need to return the consent at this time. Just review the consent and eligibility.

 

Also, please consider our eligibility criteria outlined below:

·         diagnosis of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis with symptom duration of less than 15 years

·         change to MRI in the past 2 years or a relapse in the past 2 years

·         stable on a therapy (such as Avonex, Copaxone, Rebif, or Betaseron) for at least 6 months 

          OR no disease modifying therapy (such as Avonex, Copaxone, Rebif, or Betaseron)

·         must not be taking Tysabri or Gilenya

·         not pregnant or breastfeeding"

Lulu54 · Answer

bump to get this back  to page 1 in case someone else out there is interested .

Lulu54 · Answer

That is very exciting - I sure hope it works out for you.

S- I don't believe they will fly you from France or England to the states. It involves multiple visits.

Auspiciousme · Answer

Hello there, thank you so much for the info. I called her up and applied....hope I get in! I live about 1.5 hours from Santa Rosa...and I can take 10days off in Aug to go through the taining.....I would love to do it...Wish me luck!

shermay · Answer

I would be more than willing to be a vegan if I thought it would help me.

Can you send me more information - I have listened to the video, and would really love to give it a try.

I fit the basic criteria, so I would love to take on this trial.

Debs

Lulu54 · Answer

Auspicousme- check your PM for the contact information.  I'm sure courtney would be happ to discuss this with you.

Let me know if it works out.
Lu

Auspiciousme · Answer

Hello Lulu,
I just came across this...and I would love to try it if I qualify.  I have been diagnosed for 4years now.  I have been taking Copaxone for over a year and I am stable on it.  I am not pregnant.  I am a firm believer that diet could effect/reverse MS and I would love to prove it!!  In fact I am familiar with Dr. McDugall's website and program and was thinking about doing it on my own but couldn't afford it...How can I apply for this?  
Please let me know.  Thank you very much for the information.

Lulu54 · Answer

I took a further look at this study and the doctor who is running the diet part and also funding the study - he was a student of Dr. Swank and it is an even more stringent diet than Swank's.  

The website includes a one hour talk on MS - 

http://www.drmcdougall.com/health.html

There is a listing of food items that fit into this diet on this website as well.

shoshin · Answer

I could be vegan for a year if I put my mind to it. It's eating out and traveling that are the main challenges for me. Unfortunately, like Alex, there's no way I would meet the eligibility criteria as no neuro now seems to think I have RRMS. Plus my MRI never budges. 

Ess: the trick with a vegan diet is to ditch the fake stuff and eat things that never had or don't need meat.

I really hope the study works out, though, as it's an important thing to find out. Diet studies are hard to get funded and difficult to do (and really, since you can't monitor what large numbers of people eat over a long period of time, do you ever really know?) If we knew a vegan diet would definitely help MS, I bet a lot of us would be more motivated. I think Swank thought it worked best early on and with RRMS, though.

sho

Lulu54 · Answer

check for a PM from me with the contact information.  

This would be such a great adventure - all those trips to Portland, a diet boot camp, and all those frequent flyer miles.  To say nothing of helping to look at diet as a contributing factor (or not!).

Be sure and let us know if you decide to apply - I would love to follow your progress.
L

HVAC · Answer

Sounds great if you fit the Criteria.

gypcwmn · Answer

I would love to do it.

Lulu54 · Answer

I heard back from her today when I told her that I could do the control but there is no way I can go vegan.  I told her that all I can picture is Christmas cookies made with butter and my regular dish of ice cream as my reward for doing the injections!  And I'm not giving those up.

If anyone at all is tempted by this, please let me know.  There are so many theories about diet  and MS - we have people through here quite often talking about it.  It will be interesting to see what they turn up, but first they have to find 56 people willing to be vegan for a year.

essdipity · Answer

This study does sound interesting and it is certainly harmless. But I too just couldn't do a vegan diet, no matter how good it might be for me. I find Tofurkey gross, and the other 'imitation' meat stuff just as bad. But that's just me.

ess