Has anyone seen any information on the hormone found in pregnent women at
>high doses during their 3rd trimester? A friend was saying she had seen a
>news article about the success it had when it was administered in pill form
>to a MS patient?
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I read this article:
HORMONE TO HELP MS #1410
Television News Service/Medical Breakthroughs
ŠIvanhoe Broadcast News, Inc. 1999
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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system that
strikes one in every 1,000 people. It's twice as common among women as men
and can lead to blindness and paralysis. There is no known cause or cure.
However, doctors in Los Angeles believe pregnant women may hold the key to
slowing down this disease.
Pat Sullivan has MS. "I had weakness in my legs. It was hard to walk. I would
fall and stumble quite a bit," she says. Ironically, the key to stopping the
progression of Pat's disease may be her doctor, Rhonda Voskuhl, M.D., of UCLA
Medical Center, who is in her last trimester of pregnancy.
During this time, women carry a hormone that is found to make MS better. "The
patients know. If you ask them they'll tell you that they get better during
pregnancy. The MS does very well," says Dr. Voskuhl.
In the third trimester, the hormone estriol is at high levels. Dr. Voskuhl
gave it to pregnant mice with MS. They regained strength in their legs and
appeared to feel much better.
MS strikes when white blood cells escape from blood vessels in the brain and
attack nerves. Doctors say estriol stops those cells from escaping.
Pat says, "I would be very happy if my disability would stay exactly where it
is right now and not get any worse." Doctors say estriol won't offer Pat a
cure -- just peace of mind knowing a disease that can only get worse, won't.
If this study proves estriol works, MS patients would take an estriol pill
every day. Women are already using it in Europe for hormone replacement
therapy. Side effects are similar to those associated with birth control
pills.
If you would like more information, please contact:
Ricki Clutch
Dept. of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine
Reed Neurological Research Center, Rm A145
710 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90095
(310) 825-7313