Acupuncture / Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Acupuncture is placebo. Chinese herbal medicineis mostly placebo. There are a few things with useful medicinal properties and others which are harmful. TCM is mostly harmless, but is not the place to find effective treatment for GBS.

GBS is self-limiting. Many people afflicted with it will make good recoveries with no treatment at all. This why some people think placebos are effective when they are not. The danger with such treatments is that they may encourage a patient to forego real medical treatment when it can make a difference in the outcome. It is known that earlier treatment (meaning IvIg or plasma exchange) generally leads to better recoveries.

Axonal damage takes a long time to heal, and the recovery will likely not be complete. Almost four years on I still have residuals in my legs associated with nerve damage. I expect it is permanent.

I’ll add that four months is not a long time for recovery from GBS (and similar conditions). I did outpatient therapy for six months after coming home from the hospital, and continued to use a cane for several months after that. It was more than a year before I felt my upper body and arm strength were normal, and about three years when I concluded that my legs were about as good as they were going to get. One to three years to reach maximum recovery is typical.

It’s true that IvIg is “off-label” when used for GBS, nevertheless it’s use for that purpose is generally accepted by neurologists.

http://www.nufactor.com/FA-IG_001.aspx

JDB, I’d suggest you read GH’s posts from the past. You can learn plenty. I know I sure have.

Click on “GH”.

If you are willing to concede that GBS and CIDP are conditions which are closely enough related for the answer to be relevant, then here is the answer.

Yes, I went to China (back in 2000-2009, so maybe things have changed) where I sought treatment and opinions. Yes, I was studied and poked and prodded at more than one major Chinese (Western) University Teaching Hospital and at one or two, or more, TCM Hospitals. Result? “Yes, we know of cases such as yours. Deadly? No. Progressive? Usually. Treatment? none! Well, you might try IVIG.”

Not a single one of these doctors in China offered acupuncture or herbals or any kind of treatment other than “Try IVIG.”

As for B-Vitamins- It might be considered well known that B-Vitamins are sometimes considered for nerve trouble. For example, From WebMD: “Nutritional deficiencies. Deficiencies of certain nutrients, including vitamins B6 and B12, may produce symptoms of nerve pain and nerve damage, including weakness or burning sensations. Nutritional deficiencies that cause nerve damage may also result from excessive alcohol ingestion or develop after gastric surgery.”

I am not aware of any reliable source stating supplementation with B-vitamins for the damage caused by either GBS or CIDP was successful. However, my family doctor once said- “Try a B-complex.”

If your neurologist has stated that you have axonal damage, you may no longer be in the GBS acute phase of disease. You may have moved on to the more chronic CIDP phase. Axonal damage should sound loud, alarm sirens for a fast, effective treatment. Not the months or years provided by a herbal solution. Muscle wasted due to axonal damage is probablyy muscle lost which will likely never recover.

Let “us” know how your TCM, including acupuncture, work out.

Both Western meds and TCMs are known to have side effects. Good grief, what doesn’t? This morning I received my Mayo Clinic Health letter. In it was an article about Cholesterol-lowering supplements. Not your subject, directly, I know.

First, the link to the letter: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/cholesterol-lowering-supplements/art-20113591/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=heart-healthy&pg=2

Second, to my point, taken from the letter: “Red yeast Red yeast is fermented rice that’s cultivated using a species of red mold. The Chinese have used it for centuries for medicinal purposes, as well as to flavor, color and preserve foods and beverages.

Benefits: Some products containing red yeast rice have monacolin K, which is the same cholesterol-lowering ingredient (emphasis is mine, the same ingredient!) found in the drug lovastatin (Mevacor, Altoprev).
Possible side effects: There is no way of knowing how much monacolin K is present in products containing red yeast rice. Some products also contain citrinin, a toxin that has been linked to kidney failure. Side effects of lovastatin, such as muscle pain and liver toxicity, may also apply to red yeast rice.”

In fact, for a few years the import of red rice yeast was prohibited. “Court Reverses FDA Decision to Ban Import of Red Yeast Rice Product CholestinT June 17, 1998: Boulder, CO”

The problem is, that without USP (USP Verified dietary supplements are products that have been voluntarily submitted to the USP Dietary Supplement Verification Program and have successfully met the program’s stringent testing and auditing criteria) you will never really know, you can only accept on faith, that the providers of your “meds” are reliable and that’s a big risk. One example from recent Chinese history- Melatonin added to Milk, yes even baby formula, to raise the apparent protein levels.

Of course, some Chinese supplements are well known and Government controlled, same as in this country. And the anti-cancer properties of certain mushrooms seem to be well accepted in the US and in Japan. I just read an NIH study yesterday regarding the Coriolus mushroom.

I tried acupuncture as an alternative but so little difference. It did seem to stop some for the firing and burning but my CIDP which is in my lower legs and feet is also being treated with IVIG treatments – 4 hour drip every 5 weeks. I’ve been treating my CIDP with IVIG treatments since October of 2009. I thought I’d try acupuncture because going to treatments is getting old. I was diagnosed with a servere case of GBS in 2004, totally paralyzed except not intubated. Spent 100 days in the hospitals and the outpatient rehab. I had a set back in October of 2009 after gall bladder surgery so I didn’t make the 5 year window and was diagnosed with CIDP. I would like to seek alternative methods of treatments because my out of pocket cost for IVIG that insurance doesn’t cover is too much for me.

However they do not have any actual anatomical structure. Although to date many research projects on the meridian system have been carried out, at the time of writing, none have so far been able to find a total anatomical description.
https://clinic-tcm.com

lamoosh, there is no structure because there is nothing there.

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2016/11/17/acupuncture-getting-the-point/

Thanks for the blog link.

I tried acupuncture with a fellow who was an MD, in addition to TCM training. I went for several weeks, but stopped after no improvement.

I should mention that I endeavor to try everything that my doc suggests. It all goes into my medical record for future reference.

I’m 11 years out with CIDP. I was able to continue teaching at my university until this year.