Treating patients suffering from (ME/CFS) with sodium dicholoracetate

[Remy]

Twenty-two consecutive patients suffering from refractory myalgic encephalitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) were treated with an innovative nutriceutical containing sodium dichloroacetate in a proof-of-principle, pilot, open-label prospective cohort trial. Ten patients experienced significant improvement of their health condition with reduction to almost half of their score in the fatigue severity scale. In twelve patients treatment failed to exert any beneficial effect. In the latter patients several other diseases have commonly been revealed by extensive biological and imaging investigations. These preliminary findings sustain the hypothetical role of mitochondrial hypo-metabolism due to inhibition of the activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase in the pathogenesis of primary ME/CFS, and suggest a possible benefit of nutriceutical treatment by sodium dichloroacetate.

Full text here: http://www.medical-hypotheses.com/article/S0306-9877(18)30105-1/fulltext#s0040

 

[nanobug]

I've been taking dichloroacetate (333mg BID) for roughly two weeks now. This thing appears to work. In addition, and in particular, I also supplement with fursultiamine, nicotinamide riboside and ubiquinol. These four things, among the plethora of stuff that I take, appear to have the most effect.

 

[Not dead yet!]

refractory myalgic encephalitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)

I have a problem with the word "refractory" in this study, since no approved treatment exists. It gives the impression that people have gone to a doctor and gotten the FDA-approved, usually effective, treatment, and it failed. We know that can't be true, but an average Joe reading it might be led to assume that we have such a treatment. I'm completely ignoring PACE/GET since that was widely disparaged, and for good reason.

However, I'm picky about such words and the study may have something in it. With the usual caveats that double blind would be better... here's more science on it: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5067498/

I'd say its time hasn't come yet for ME/CFS not because it isn't effective, but because the way it's sourced now is shady. Even if it did what it's assumed to do (from the above article: "inhibition of mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase")... the prices are exorbitant and I can only find it in places I don't trust. Not suggesting that anyone make it at home, but it can't be that expensive to make, not expensive to the point that it costs about a $1.50 a pill. Looks to me like a possible cashing in on cancer treatment desperation, which I don't approve of.

However, life is life and it's reasonable to take a risk if you can do it financially with a reasonable assurance that you won't get hurt.