Visit the Microscopic Colitis Foundation Website
Hi Tex,
Just thought I'd pass a couple of things along.
A while back, I ran across something that stated that there are a particularly high no. of receptor sites for Vitamin D in the substantia nigra area of the brain. What do you make of that, considering how many of us have been malabsorbing for so long before remission?
The other thing was that last night, when visiting the local drugstore chain, I met a lady, age 61 yrs, who told me that she had been diagnosed with dystonia after having symptoms for a few years. Interestingly, she told me that it was Dr. Jankovitz (sp) at Baylor Movement Disorders and Parkinson's Clinic in Houston who had diagnosed her immediately the first time he saw her. She thinks he's great, and loves Dr. Ondo as well. She said that Dr. J. said she was the only person he'd seen with dystonia who responded to Valium, so guess she's fortunate in that this med. enables her to get around pretty well. (I'm not suggesting Valium for PD, of course. In the first place, it could drop one's bp, and in the second place, not do a thing for the symptoms of PD.) I wonder why it works so well with her??
This is what was really interesting to me -- she said that this inherited disease is located in the same part of the brain as PD. Oddly enough, her father had PD. Her sister has schizophrenia.
I do know that, although the death of substantia nigra cells are responsible for true PD sxs, that that's not the only area of the brain affected by the disease -- it's fairly global throughout the brain, apparently just more focused in the s.n cells.
By the way, I have yet another friend whose husband has PD, and they are very pleased with Dr. Ondo as well.
Yours, Luce
Tex, Neuro dx, Vit D
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Hi Luce,
Hmmmmmm. I did a quick search on that and found this article, which mentions the particularly high number of receptor sites for Vitamin D in the substantia nigra area. The main point of the article, though, is that vitamin D insufficiency is associated with Parkinson's disease. Hmmmmm. That suggests that vitamin D may be important for normal functions of these cells. I wasn't aware of that connection. The question is whether vitamin D insufficiency is a cause, or possibly a result, of having Parkinson's.
http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/1 ... ns.disease
Consider the implications of this statement, (from another article about the same research project):
Well, basically, Parkinson's disease is caused by the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra area of the brain, but the effects of that can obviously extend to virtually any part of the body.
You know, as important as vitamin D appears to be, it seems incredible that it has been pretty much ignored by mainstream medicine, for so many years.
Thanks for the info.
Wayne
Hmmmmmm. I did a quick search on that and found this article, which mentions the particularly high number of receptor sites for Vitamin D in the substantia nigra area. The main point of the article, though, is that vitamin D insufficiency is associated with Parkinson's disease. Hmmmmm. That suggests that vitamin D may be important for normal functions of these cells. I wasn't aware of that connection. The question is whether vitamin D insufficiency is a cause, or possibly a result, of having Parkinson's.
http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/1 ... ns.disease
Consider the implications of this statement, (from another article about the same research project):
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic ... deficiencyWhen it binds to a receptor protein on a cell, vitamin D activates or turns off as many as 800 genes, depending on the challenge the cell is facing, says endocrinologist Robert Heaney of Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. These challenges range from fending off bacteria to rebuilding tissues.
Well, basically, Parkinson's disease is caused by the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra area of the brain, but the effects of that can obviously extend to virtually any part of the body.
You know, as important as vitamin D appears to be, it seems incredible that it has been pretty much ignored by mainstream medicine, for so many years.
Thanks for the info.
Wayne
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.