Bill's pure dimethylfumarate thread

[jiml]

I agree as well its good to read your updates

Can you just remind me why you are taking amino acid supplements, when the DMF alone was doing a good job of keeping to clear and mobile?

[Kat]

I always enjoy your updates and admit that I don't understand the what/how etc of it but I find it interesting.

[Caroline]

I agree as well its good to read your updates

Can you just remind me why you are taking amino acid supplements, when the DMF alone was doing a good job of keeping to clear and mobile?

He uses it for pushing up the lymphocytes.

[Bill]

Thank you, Fred. You have a very helpful and fun site.

Hi Jim,

The supplements reduce my side effects from taking DMF. Beyond that, they might protect lymphocytes (reducing apoptosis?), but they might also reduce the efficacy of DMF, so I will have to work out whether I can have my cake and eat it.

Thank you, Kat. I don't understand what I am doing either. Finding things that might help is confusing and elusive.

Cheers

[Bill]

Hi all,

Time for another update. The counts look good, but it has not been plain sailing. I have been dosing every second day, with a couple of doses missed (taken with a three day interval instead). Also, I have supplemented with NAC (~1 gram), glutamine (~4 grams) and creatine (~4 grams), an hour prior to taking DMF, and do not supplement at other times with these agents.



As can be seen, my approach is keeping the counts good, so what went wrong? A few days before Christmas an eyebrow became itchy and sharply painful in one spot. Initially I thought it a spider bite, but realised by Christmas Eve that it was shingles. At this point I had stopped taking DMF as a precaution for infections (especially viral infections). Unfortunately I did not start anti-virals until Boxing Day, so it has not been fun. Given the blood test result I think the infection has more likely resulted from a loss of memory cells rather than from a general immunosuppression. I will be seeking anti-viral medication very promptly should I think I need it in future. I will resume taking DMF very shortly. I hope that its neuro-protective effects will expedite my recovery.

Cheers

[JohnB]

Ooo. That's unpleasant. I hope it is under control soon. I know a few people that have had shingles and it was quite debilitating.  They didn't get the opportunity to have anti viral though. 


Keep up the good work Bill 

[Fred]

I hope you get it sorted soon Bill, I've not had shingles but did have chicken pox in my early 30s and it was very nasty.

Good luck.

[Bill]

Hi John,

If I ever get an inkling of shingles again I will drop everything and get an anti-viral script. Quick treatment is essential, and a shingles vaccination is probably an excellent idea. I have had quite a bit of sensory loss around the eye, forehead and nose (first branch of the trigeminal nerve apparently). It is weird and a little unpleasant. I don't need analgesics, but I do take antihistamines to kill the itch and help me sleep. Many months to recover I would think.

Cheers

[Bill]

Thanks Fred. Chicken pox is an awful thing when you are older. One of my nieces had it in her thirties and it was pretty horrid for her.

Cheers

[jiml]

Hi Bill good to see your bloods so good, I'm assuming your psoriasis is kept under control with your dosing regime ...your final lymphocyte count has shot well up above your usual numbers is that the period you had stopped the DMF

I hope the shingles clears soon and you can get back to the DMF soon