Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Hopeful Premonitions and Natural Remedies

Back in early January, a group of my musician friends put on a benefit concert for one in our ranks who was recently diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. I was torn about attending, because the concert was happening the day after Sputnik had his little Tramadol freak out, and I was nervous and concerned about leaving him alone. But I really wanted to see my sick friend and offer my support.


Then a little voice in my head piped in and told me that I should go to the concert, because maybe I would learn something there that could help Sputty. Somehow my brain was conjuring up images of being introduced to some veterinary research fellow who had devised a cutting edge laser treatment for cats with bladder tumors or something.


No sooner did I have the thought than I dismissed it as being utterly and totally ridiculous. I mean, I was going to hang out with a bunch of western swing musicians for heaven's sake... it was much more likely that I'd meet someone doing cutting edge research on Bob Wills or yodeling, than feline urinary tract disorders!


And besides, my friend was battling for her life here - this night was about her... nobody was gonna want to hear sob stories about my cat and his bladder tumor. So I decided that I'd go to the concert and try to refrain from dragging the whole world through my sick kitty tale of woe.


So CatMan and I went to the show. We got there a few minutes late, as is typical for us, and were very surprised to be greeted at the door by a very old friend who we hadn't seen in years. We weren't expecting to see her there since we know her in a totally different context. Turns out that she's now working as a therapist with an ovarian cancer support group, and was there handing out informational brochures.

Since the concert had already started, and the auditorium was pretty much full, we just stood outside and chatted with our friend. I admit that I was only paying half attention to the conversation because I was distracted by the adorable little 7 year old on stage doing an amazing rendition of this old Fats Waller chestnut.



But between bars of musical prodigy-ness, I caught a few phrases like "new research," "nutritional support,"  "keeping down inflammation" and "turmeric." Then I heard my friend say "One woman I work with still has all her tumors, but the curcumin has shrunk them down to where they're so small that they're almost not detectable."


Wait... what? Shrinking tumors? Curcumin? Suddenly my attention was snapped back into the conversation as I heard CatMan say "Gee, I wonder if it works on cats..."

OK, cue the Twilight Zone theme song....



Now, my brain is a tad bit too logical to put much stock in things like premonitions and miracle cures, but you've gotta admit, it's a bit of an odd coincidence.... me having a thought that I might get some information to help Sputnik in the most unlikely of places, and then actually getting such information, when I wasn't really even paying attention.


Anyhow, I did some research, and it turns out that curcumin is a natural compound that comes from the spice turmeric, which is the ingredient that gives curry its bright yellow color.


There is some promising research showing its effectiveness as a cox 2 inhibitor (reducing inflammation in the same way that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen do) but without the cox 1 inhibition which cause so many of the side effects of NSAIDs.  It's also metabolized through the liver rather than the kidneys, which makes it a much better option for cats, who can't tolerate most NSAIDs.


This is all very interesting news, because one of the primary treatments for dogs with bladder tumors is an NSAID called piroxicam, but it can't be used in cats because their kidneys can't tolerate it. Furthermore, while curcumin generally isn't absorbed well in either dogs or humans, because of the way it's metabolized in their livers, cats' livers work differently and allow at least some of the curcumin to pass through without metabolizing out the effectiveness.

And... as if that isn't enough, curcumin has also been shown to promote apoptosis, or the process of programmed cell death which seems to be turned off in both benign and malignant tumors, causing them to keep growing instead of dying off. In other words, curcumin tells tumor cells to die.


So I called my vet to see what he thought, and he did a bit of research and responded with a resounding "yes, try it!"


Soooo... Sputnik has been on a curcumin supplement for about a month now. We started him on a very small dose to be sure he was gonna tolerate it OK, and have worked up to a dose of 150mg/day. I've also been giving him an Omega3 fish oil supplement which is supposed to both help the absorption of the curcumin and is an anti-inflammatory in its own right.

At this point it's a bit hard to say if it's having much effect or not. If it actually is encouraging tumor cell die-off, then you'd expect him to be shedding more tumor cells, which would probably increase the irritation in his bladder, at least temporarily, and cause more frequent urination. So there hasn't been a marked change in his frequency of urination, but his symptoms certainly aren't getting any worse, which is a victory in and of itself.


One thing I have noticed is that the arthritis limp he's had in his left shoulder for over a year now has almost completely disappeared, which would seem to be evidence that he's getting at least some anti-inflammatory response.

So while I'm not yet ready to proclaim it a miracle cure...


I am feeling encouraged.


So how about you? What do you think about natural remedies? And do you think this was all pure coincidence, or do you believe in things like premonitions?

26 comments :

  1. I'm going to have to do a little research on curcumin, myself. I vaguely remembering hearing about it before, but didn't have any context to put it in. Both of my parents suffer with arthritis and have developed ulcers from the NSAIDs so they can't take them anymore. It would be great if they could find some relief somewhere else.

    I have high hopes for Sputnik. At the very least, I'm glad his shoulder is feeling better.

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    1. Hmmm... I think I saw both studies suggesting that curcumin could cure ulcers, and that it was contraindicated because it can promote bleeding, so I'd say proceed with caution and maybe ask a doctor. Good luck, and thanks for the high hopes. :-)

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  2. Very exciting! After watching Forks over Knives, I really believe that what we eat can improve our health. And if it works for people, then it probably works on animals, too - right? So glad Sputnik is feeling better :)

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    1. It's always exciting for me when I see this sort of stuff backed up by actual scientific studies like in this case. I agree that good food is the best medicine.

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  3. I absolutely believe in natural cures. I always look there before seeing a doctor. It sure seems you were meant to be there that night. Let us know how he is doing. I am pulling for you both!

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    1. I'll keep you posted! Somehow it's comforting to think that it was "meant to be." Sorta like a message from the universe to trust my gut.

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  4. I am so happy to hear about the new treatment for Sputnik.I believe very strongly in natural healing.I have been studying about herbs, growing them and using them and I hope this treatment will help your kitty.I will be doing some research on it
    I believe when you put a question(of sorts) out into the universe most of the time you will get a reply
    I love the kitties in your posts...they keep me in the funny

    Marie

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    1. I'm also investigating something called Essiac tea. It's a blend of herbs that can supposedly shrink tumors. Most of the studies I've read say there's no evidence that it works, but my former vet (former because she retired) was a holistic practitioner and she swears by it. She sent me a few links to studies showing a positive response so we may be trying it as well.

      And I gotta say - searching for kitty pictures for my posts is really one of my favorite parts of blogging!

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  5. I, too, totally believe in natural cures. I, also believe there are a lot of natural preventatives as well. Even my MD says the modern medicine is finding more and more connections to ancient and homeopathic cures as time goes on. I wish you the best of luck with the curcumin treatmen and hope the best for little Sputnik.

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    1. I think the trick with natural cures is sorting out the reality from the hype. I mean most of our medicines originally came from natural sources - like aspirin comes from willow bark - so it totally makes sense that there are others out there that we haven't discovered yet. And since I don't think you can patent a naturally occurring substance, our modern economy leaves little incentive for anyone to make the financial investments necessary to sort out what works and what doesn't.

      Thanks so much for your well wishes - I'm keepin' my fingers crossed!

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    2. You say something that I think is very important.
      "I think the trick with natural cures is sorting out the reality from the hype."
      I think that we sometimes tend to forget that natural cures are chemicals also and aren't necessarily safe or effective just because they come from nature. The hard part is sorting things out as you said.

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    3. That is such a good point. There are plenty of "natural" thinks that will kill you good and dead... arsenic comes to mind.

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    4. Whenever someone would go on about how everything natural is good, my mother would grumble "curare is natural too".

      But, on the other hand, this just means that a lot of natural chemicals (from plants) have an effect on us (harmful or beneficial) and might be useful drugs.

      I'm glad you found something that might help Sputnik. Beste wishes to him!

      Rolien

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    5. Ha! CatMan is fond of saying things like: Well, the "natural" outcome for many common diseases is death.

      Thanks for your well wishes!

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  6. This is definitely promising news. Sounds like it's working on you too, by lifting your spirits & relieving a modicum of stress over Sputty's illness.

    Many of our modern drugs originated in natural sources. And I agree there are miracle drugs that aren't much more than the old snake oil scams. But there are charlatans and crooks in every field working alongside dedicated, honest folks as well.

    I don't believe in coincidence, but on the other hand I'm not a metaphysical believing person. There is a wealth of information out there that we miss. If we aren't open (and listening) we may miss it. It's important to absorb the messages constantly bombarding us and use what information can possibly impact our lives in a positive & helpful way. For me, it's all about paying attention.

    Fingers crossed and good vibes for Sputty and you.

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    1. You're right... it is helping me too. At least it's making me feel like there's something I can do for him rather than just sitting around waiting for him to die.

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  7. I was going to make the point about all medicines originating in natural cures, and being careful not to lump all the snake oil into the 'natural so it must be good' box, but you and Connie already said it :-)

    So... premonitions? Nope. I do believe in coincidences. Human beings are 1) Really bad at judging probability, and 2) Really good at seeing patterns in random stuff. Also, unlikely things do happen, just less often than likely things (I have to quote Tim Minchin here: "People who say, 'There was a one in a million chance - it was a miracle!' significantly underestimate the total number of things that there are.")

    Your brain, obsessed with the health of your kitty, sticks a Sputnik-related thought into the middle of an internal dialogue about going to a concert. Since a less obsessed brain would not put those two things together, this strikes you as an odd thought, which makes it stand out.

    Cancer is very common and since there is no routine, reliable treatment, new developments in treatment are very interesting to all of us, so the chances of you having a conversation on this subject at any given social gathering are actually quite high.

    Put these two things together and the pattern-seeking human brain says, "Connection!!!"

    It was a coincidence, but I'm really pleased that you've found a promising new treatment for Sputty. I hope it proves effective.

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    1. Now this is exactly the sort of thing that my logical brain tells me. I'm just seeing patterns where none exist. My emotional brain on the other hand...

      Well, regardless of the source, I'm glad to have found something that at least might be making him a bit more comfortable.

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  8. Whether it was intuition or something else, it's a good thing you went to the concert. I'm pulling for Sputnik! As for natural cures and nutritional cures I swear by them. I have prevented losing a kidney, control an infection I received in a hospital and cured cancer with out pharmaceutical help. Good luck!

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    1. Wait... you cured cancer without pharmaceutical help?!? I'd love to hear more about that!

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  9. I believe fervently in natural cures and also in premonitions... they are the universe's way of making sure we're where we're meant to be to find what we need. Best to Sputnik, from Stinky ( the all-natural cat) and me.

    jesinalbuquerque

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    1. Thanks Jes,

      I'm doing my best to trust the universe... Best to you and Stinky!

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  10. in 2011, i had rotator cuff surgery. my doc knows i do not respond well with medication and am afraid to take anything. he suggested sprinkling tumeric on everything (as well as taking bromelein) and within 3 weeks post op, he said i had healed as if it was 4-6 weeks.
    my sister is undergoing chemo for the second time in 15 months for ovarian cancer. i plan on forwarding her the link to this story. not sure if she likes tumeric, but if it helps, that would be great.
    i also have a friend whose cat has cancer, i'm sending this to her too.

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    1. Wow! Your turmeric story is impressive. If your sister is interested in trying curcumin, she doesn't necessarily have to eat turmeric. In fact, I think that turmeric is only about 5% curcumin or something like that, so she might do better with a supplement - although some folks think that it's better absorbed if it's cooked in oil. But if you just google curcumin & cancer you'll be overwhelmed with information.

      Thanks for stopping by, and I'm sending my very best to you, your sister and your friend with the sick kitty.

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  11. I'm crossing my fingers for Sputnick, poor kitty :) That's really interesting about the turmeric, I always suspected that something that brightly coloured must be good for us. I'm going to include it in my diet more.

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    1. It's got me thinking about using it more too... I just put some turmeric in the chicken soup that I made last night!

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