nutraceutical Ribraxx/ increase nk activity??

[heapsreal]

Today at my doctors he gave me 2 pages of info on a product/supplement called ribraxx. Its said to help improve NK activity etc etc and said i should look into it. It seems to be something quite new for my doctor and he doesnt have any experience with patients using this.

Does anyone know much about this??
The website seems to be only available to practioners prescribing this although it doesnt sound like a prescription type med it, only seems available from certain practioners.
Does anyone know a price?
Is there an online place to order this from without going through a doctor?
Has anyone found it helpful?

Ribraxx consist of arabinoxylan MGN-3, compound extracted from rice bran that has been enzymatically broken down by shiitake mushroom extract. It is rich in polysaccharides and proteoglycans. Scientific studies show a boosting of natural killer cell activity.
The above is of the pamphlet i have.

cheers!!!

 

[ukxmrv]

I had a look at this product a couple of times over the last 10 years when people have mentioned it. At least the rice bran extract claims anyway (rather then any particular brand). Never been able to find any good research on it. Maybe there is something more recent?

http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Cancer/mgn3.html

The only report of a properly designed human trial I could locate was published in 2006 by British researchers who concluded that BioBran did not show effectiveness against chronic fatigue syndrome. The study involved 64 patients who received either BioBran or a placebo. Both groups improved to a similar extent, which meant that BioBran showed no specific therapeutic effect [14]. This report, one of the few journal reports not written or co-authored by Ghoneum, highlights the fact that proper evaluation of alleged therapeutic interventions usually requires comparison with a control group

 

[alex3619]

Hi ukxmrv, I would like to add it requires comparison with a properly matched control group, and the patient group needs to be thoroughly investigated too. Having said that if CFS is a heterogenous group then its possible there may be subgroups who benefit. I suspect that when we can definitively specify subgroups a lot of old research may need to be re-examined.

Bye, Alex

 

[adreno]

http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...al-killer-cell-stimulant-biobran-mgn-3-in-cfs

 

[heapsreal]

The quack watch i think is referring to its claims as a cancer cure, which maybe stretching it abit, but if it increases nk activity then i think cfs/me can obtain benefits. The think that raises a red flag for me is that they dont mention a price, probably find it costs more then ampligen??

cheers!!!

 

[ThatBloke]

Heapsreal, did you try Ribraxx yet? And did it help at all?

My doc has recommended it too I have found it is a practitioner only product, from naturopaths, some of whom will sell it to you if your doctor has advised it. Apparently it costs $150 for 30 sachets and the recommended dose for severe cases is two or three sachets a day! That would be $300 to $450 a month -- if my ME addled brain is doing the math right.

Similar products from iHerb containing RBAC or Arabinoxylan still cost about half to two thirds of that, so still expensive for those of us with ever-dwindling ME-impaired bank accounts.

So I was hoping to find someone else who tried it before I cough up that much money!

As a stimulator of NK cells, and stimulator of B cells and T cells, it seems like Ribraxx does the opposite of the apparently successful (in preliminary trials) Rituximab, which supresses B cells. (I think, I'm no expert though!).

So once again with ME and its treatment I am left wondering ..

 

[heapsreal]

Heapsreal, did you try Ribraxx yet? And did it help at all?

My doc has recommended it too I have found it is a practitioner only product, from naturopaths, some of whom will sell it to you if your doctor has advised it. Apparently it costs $150 for 30 sachets and the recommended dose for severe cases is two or three sachets a day! That would be $300 to $450 a month -- if my ME addled brain is doing the math right.

Similar products from iHerb containing RBAC or Arabinoxylan still cost about half to two thirds of that, so still expensive for those of us with ever-dwindling ME-impaired bank accounts.

So I was hoping to find someone else who tried it before I cough up that much money!

As a stimulator of NK cells, and stimulator of B cells and T cells, it seems like Ribraxx does the opposite of the apparently successful (in preliminary trials) Rituximab, which supresses B cells. (I think, I'm no expert though!).

So once again with ME and its treatment I am left wondering ..

I think we might see the same doc. I got a price from the Terry White Chemist and it was like $230 for 30 sachets, so the price of $150 is better but out of my league price wise.

I have ordered immunovir for my immune system but its over a month since i ordered it, in the process of chasing it up. In the mean time im using a herbal supp with astragalus, shiitake mushroom and olive leaf http://www.martinandpleasance.com/brands/ki/about-ki-immune-defence-and-energy-formula/, havent been on it that long but have used it in the past and it has helped prevent me from getting winter colds, cant say it was anything dramatic with cfs symptoms.

I have searched for something that improves nk function, besides immunovir. Most things seem to be related to mushroom extracts like AHCC etc.

cheers!
Mate

 

[ThatBloke]

Well, I got sucked into paying $200 for two weeks' worth of Ribraxx. Local naturopath got it in for me, eventually, but the prices was way higher than originally quoted. I should have just got the stuff from iHerb.com, different brand name but contains the key ingredient RBAC (rice bran arabinoxylan compound) and much much cheaper.

Been taking the Ribraxx a couple of days so far - and doing worse! But have had a major stress event in my life, got pissed off and over exerted trying to clean the front porch of the house, and my sleep disturbed by fighting cats and partner's restless leg syndrome (what a combination, the insomniac and the all-night twitcher, doh!) so not really a fair test so far.And it is supposed to take 10 days for the Ribraxx to fully kick in, supposedly.

Will keep you posted...

 

[heapsreal]

Well, I got sucked into paying $200 for two weeks' worth of Ribraxx. Local naturopath got it in for me, eventually, but the prices was way higher than originally quoted. I should have just got the stuff from iHerb.com, different brand name but contains the key ingredient RBAC (rice bran arabinoxylan compound) and much much cheaper.

Been taking the Ribraxx a couple of days so far - and doing worse! But have had a major stress event in my life, got pissed off and over exerted trying to clean the front porch of the house, and my sleep disturbed by fighting cats and partner's restless leg syndrome (what a combination, the insomniac and the all-night twitcher, doh!) so not really a fair test so far.And it is supposed to take 10 days for the Ribraxx to fully kick in, supposedly.

Will keep you posted...

Whats the name of the iherb equivalent?
cheers!!

 

[RustyJ]

That doctor certainly has been busy. He advised me to take it also. Sent me me a script. So does that mean it's on PBS? It would have to be pretty good for me to fork out so much a month. Is there any evidence of this.?

 

[RustyJ]

Is this the same: http://www.iherb.com/Fungi-Perfecti-Host-Defense-Reishi-120-NP-Caps/21453

 

[nanonug]

For those looking to improve low NK cell activity, there might be a reason (a bad one) why it might be low: Prostaglandin D2 suppresses human NK cell function via signaling through D prostanoid receptor. If I am correct in my hypothesis that ME/CFS is nothing more than undiagnosed Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), then low NK cell activity is simply a consequence/symptom of MCAS.

 

[ThatBloke]

Well, one week on the Ribraxx now, taking 1 gram twice daily.
Result so far: inconclusive.

I got sicker the first few days, then "better", back to about how I was before starting the Ribraxx, ie my usual exhausted self sitting on the couch.

However, I have had major stress in my life this week, a family member's health problems precipitating both stress and the necessity for me to leave the house on various errands etc, all of which normally exacerbates my MECFS symptoms. So not really a fair test of the Ribraxx, although maybe I would be worse if I had not been taking it. Impossible to tell. And one week is not a full test. I have enough left for another week so will let you know.

But certainly no remarkable improvement that I can report so far. However, of course, if your doc has recommended it for you, you should try it yourself. My body is not your body so reaction may be totally different.

If you search iHerb for RBAC or Arabinoxylan or Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound you will find cheaper alternatives. Look for somethign that has 1 gram of RBAC per dose.

This one http://www.iherb.com/Source-Naturals-NK-3-Immune-30-Capsules/8388 is $40 for 15 doses, so much cheaper than the Ribraxx brought locally.
You have to watch out, these and others like them require you to take more than one pill at a time to get the needed one gram of RBAC for one dose, so two bottles of these pills costing $80 would be equivalent to the $200 Ribraxx, still expensive but not as expensive.

RustiJ the Fungi Perfect Host does not appear to list RBAC among its ingredients so I think not. Look for a product that will give you one gram of RBAC per dose, and take two to three doses per day.

Dunno if the fact Doc Gary gives it to you on a prescription form makes it eligible for PBS, I never even thought of that. He has given me scripts for herbal supplements before and always wondered why. Might be worth asking a pharmacist. Please let me know if it is PBS elegible.

Onward through the fog.

 

[ThatBloke]

Two weeks on Ribraxx now, and that is the end of my supply.
Conclusion: Undecided. It maybe helped a bit but not sure.

I got sicker the first few days I took it, then a bit better. But I did have unusual stress and exertion in my life. The second week, I did feel like there was a small improvement in how I felt. However, I had experienced a similar feeling in the two weeks prior to taking the Ribraxx. So I will see in the next two weeks with no Ribraxx if I continue to feel that little bit of improvement, or if I feel worse without the Ribraxx.

So far, I am undecided on this stuff, but sufficiently encouraged, ie big enough "maybe", that I think I will get some of the the cheaper Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound pills from iHerb and give it a try for one month and see how that goes.

 

[heapsreal]

Thanks for the update. Its hard to know i suppose with only using it 2 weeks but its so expensive to use unless you know your getting very noticeable effects from it. Let us know how u go with the iherb version.

cheers!!

 

[heapsreal]

Bumping this thread as was a recent thread where this was mentioned.

A couple of questions on this.

Anyone currently using it or similar product?

iherb have a brand called daiwa health development but gee its still expensive to use it at 4 caps a day as recommended. 50 caps for $46 so a bottle will last 12 days, ouch,

So anyone know of any cheaper sources?