Firstly let me state that Cari has never claimed to have found a cure for Multiple Sclerosis !
What she does claim, is to have found a treatment which can help overcome/reduce the symptoms of the demyelination caused by diseases such as M.S.
At the present moment many Health Boards in Scotland,as well as Scotia Pharmaceuticals, are conducting their own trials into her claims.
Here's a copy of the letter that Scotia Pharmaceuticals have been sending to doctors who have made enquiries about Cari's Treament.
(The copy that I've obtained was dated 14th March,1996)
Thank you for your request for further information on the purported treatment for MS, which you would like to consider for your patient.
As you may know, the regimen has received substantial publicity recently, and understandably many patients beleive that they would like to try it.
At present Scotia is organising a double blind randomised study to evaluate whether the claims for the treatment can be substantiated. The trial will be conducted in a teaching hospital neurology setting and may not be complete for
two years, so that evidence so far is purely anecdotal.
As multiple sclerosis is not a licensed indication for the combination, you can only prescribe the regimen on your own judgement and responsibility on a "compassionate" basis. To enable you to consider whether you wish to do this or not, the details of the combination are :
Lofepramine 70mg b.d.
L- phenylaline 500mg b.d. ( in the UK, source from Lamberts healthcare)
B12 injection 1000 u.g. every two weeks
We understand that a number of patients taking this regimen have reported marked adrenergic symptoms - palpitations, flushing and so on, which would suggest caution, particularly in patients with cardio-vascular problems. Again it must be emphasised that these reports are anecdotal and may be incomplete.
While formal evaluation can only be properly undertaken in randomised studies, it can also be helpful to accumulate case reports. We would be interested to hear whether your patient appears to respond or not and whether there are any problems that arise.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Graham Cooper- Associate Medical Director
A few personal observations regarding this "treatment" :
Lofepramine can cause prostate problems in some men, these problems do not occur
immediately. An alternative anti-depressant, which does not cause prostate enlargement,
was recommended to me by Cari Loder. It's called Venlaflaxine, it's marketed
in the UK as Effexor. The only side effect it has had with me is delayed orgasm.
The frequency of B12 injections (they sting) can be as often as one every seven
days,or as long as one every month. Generally speaking you "know"
yourself if you need a B12 injection. There is not (according to a bio-chemist)
any risk involved in the high frequency injections as your body excretes any
unused B12,it does NOT accumulate.
Also with regard to the "treatment" you should initially have a ten
week 'loading' course of B12 injections. ie one injection per week for the first
ten weeks.
L-phenylalinine is available from Lamberts healthcare by mail order in the UK.their
telephone number is : 01892 552119
Their address is : 1 Lamberts Road,
Tunbridge Wells,
Kent, TN2 3EQ
(They will get in touch with your doctor to make sure it is OK to sell it to you !)
To download a text version of this page Click Here.
Send
me an e-mail
