Is Parkinson's Disease an Autoimmune Disorder? journals.lww.com/neurotoday...
So I've been digging into Ashwagandha healthunlocked.com/cure-par... and have been learning you should not take Ashwagandha if you have an autoimmune disease. So the experts say. I have Hashimoto's, so I am taking a break from the Ashwagandha.
They also say the same thing about Ceylon Cinnamon (not to take if you have an autoimmune condition), but on that one I have seen conflicting reports so I am sticking with the cinnamon.
BUT THE POINT OF THIS POST IS: If Parkinson's ITSELF is an autoimmune disease, then we all may need to be careful of supplements that stimulate the immune system (this is why I previously cut out my beloved Zeolite).
Something to think about.
Bolt
I don't know that PD is definitely an autoimmune disease. My understanding is that the body is not producing normal amounts of dopamine. Years ago I was diagnosed with Lupus then with MS. Both are considered autoimmune diseases. I used the medications prescribed but also did self-medicating with AHT: Autohemotherapy. AHT has been used as an adjunct treatment for both diseases. Now I have PD and am doing AHT again.
Thank you for sharing kaypeeoh. That is really tough, Lupus, MS, and then PD. Good luck with the AHT treatment. I hope it helps.
So how you making out in general with these conditions together? You sound like you are quite active and doin ok...
For MS my understanding is abnormal monocytes will cross the BBB and attack myelin, the covering over nerves. AHT induces monocytes that will recognize the abnormal cells and destroy them. AHT can react to any abnormal cells in the blood: bacteria, virus, fungus and even cancer cells. For PD I wonder if alphasynuclein is treated as a foreign invader.
My approach is to look upstream and ask why. Did you handle something toxic on a regular basis that could have triggered these seemingly unrelated autoimmune diseases?
Parkinson's is beginning to look like an autoimmune disease too and anti-NMDA receptor antibody and neuroinflammation looks like the smoking gun.
These articles only scratch the surface of the link between autoimmune disease and NDDs.
Lupus [Anti-NMDA receptor antibody]
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/250...
PD [Anti-NMDA receptor antibody] pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/183...
MS [Anti-NMDA receptor antibody]
nature.com/articles/nature0...
ALS [Anti-NMDA receptor antibody] pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/245...
ALZ [Anti-NMDA receptor antibody] pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/245...
I'm hopeful that we can all work together to change the trajectory of our individual illnesses, and modify the way they are treated and prevented in future generations.
SE
Higher free D-aspartate and N-methyl-D-aspartate levels prevent striatal depotentiation and anticipate L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia 2011 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/183...
"Current long-term treatment of Parkinson's disease is inadequate, and improved symptomatic and neuroprotective therapies are needed. Recent interest has focused on the use of antagonists of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtype of glutamate receptor in Parkinson's disease. Abnormally increased activity of the subthalamic nucleus is postulated to play a central pathophysiological role in the signs of Parkinson's disease, and NMDA antagonists may provide a means of decreasing this activity selectively. Like dopaminergic agonists, NMDA antagonists can reverse the akinesia and rigidity associated with monoamine depletion or neuroleptic-induced catalepsy. Very low doses of NMDA antagonists markedly potentiate the therapeutic effects of dopaminergic agonists. There is evidence that the beneficial effects of anticholinergic drugs and amantadine may be mediated, in part, by NMDA receptor blockade. Moreover, NMDA antagonists provide profound protection of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra in the MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) and methamphetamine models of Parkinson's disease. The clinical use of NMDA antagonists may prove useful in Parkinson's disease to treat symptoms and retard disease progression."
Memantine is a safer choice than amantadine, from my personal research. But please validate for yourself.
SE
Do you have an opinion on Huperzine A
Do you have an opinion or info on Huperzine A? It’s an over the counter NMDA antagonist.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/115...
Good find! I was trying to find a natural Memantine product.
I have been reading about it and watching videos on it and it looks good! I think I posted about it? I look forward to your opinion. We are adding L-Serine to my Dads protocol.
Good luck. I hope it helps. What dosage of L-Serine? I see in the trial they are using 15 grams twice a day. That's a lot. I found the $82 a kilo, which at 30 grams a day would be 33 day's worth.