Experience with Valproic Acid antiviral?

[nventor]

Anyone with thoughts for Valproic Acid as an antiviral? This has been proposed by a really
smart doc to me as an option for the treatment of low grade Prostate Cancer and its'
antiviral properties for my current infections. I already know I'm in over my head with this group
when it comes to my knowledge of these virus's and treatments, but would appreciate any advice or comments. I did do a search here but didn't find much.

I'm positive for Lyme, HHV-6, EBV and I've ordered the XMRV test kit today from VIP.

Regards,

 

[slayadragon]

This is not a fun drug to take. It gives a sort of leaden, lethargic kind of depression. People with bipolar tend not to stay on it, because it feels bad.

Lamictal (lamotrigine) also has antiviral effects and has a slightly positive effect on mood. Bipolar patients tend to like that one.

Doctors may be hesitant to prescribe it though, because it has a "black box" warning suggesting that it can cause fatal rashes. In truth, I think it's almost never done that when prescribed on its own (rather than in combination with the valproic acid). Starting at a really low dose and then ramping up slowly is supposed to prevent that from happening.

Lisa

 

[nventor]

Lisa,
I had originally suggested AZT, Raltegravir and Tenofovir as used by Dr Jamie Deckoff along with others but he felt that they would be way off label use and of little or no value in addressing the cancer portion of my issues.
I shall mention Lamictal and see what his comments are, he did say he would recommend XMRV testing at VIP and base his treatment accordingly.

Thanks,
roger

 

[heapsreal]

i think if some of those anticonvulsant type drugs did have antiviral properties, it would be mild at best or else they wouldnt use the antivirals that are around now. Maybe look into things that strengthen your own immune sytem, although i think u mentioned u used immunovir. Maybe a broad spectrum antibiotic like doxycyline for possible bacterial co-infections, although they can be hard to judge if working as u get a die off reaction thats similar to a crash, but if u take a day off here and there u will notice the difference. Antibiotics are also sometimes used in a pulsing fashion to help put up with bacterial die off reactions. Also most treatments take 2-3 months before noticing a big difference, so time is another treatment, thats a bugger too, lol

 

[Daffodil]

i asked about valproic acid on this board before and a couple of people responded, saying they had bad side effects (if i remember correctly).

i thought this was tried in HIV to reduce proviral loads because it reactivates latent virus, but it failed.

i asked dr. mikovits about the effect of this med on XMRV but she said no one knows yet.

 

[nventor]

Thanks everybody,
For every positive treatment or outcome you hear of in most cases an equal number of negative responses. Acceptance that there is not clarity in treatment or outcome is the hardest thing to get a handle on for me. As soon as I think I may have decided on what treatment to pursue, or should I say change my current drug regimen, something I read sounds more promising and I get stuck in confusion.

But, I'm not alone, every doc I've seen is also either equally confused or indifferent. What about the AZT protocol that Dr. Jamie Deckoff is following? I think that may be very effective, but
can you still function while doing all these drugs?

Regards everyone,
Roger

 

[Daffodil]

hi roger, i am on 3 HIV meds for XMRV (which i have yet to test positive for). i am not doing well like dr. deckoff-jones but one of my biomarkers has improved. i couldn't comment on whether you would be able to function on the drugs because i couldn't function at all before the drugs and 4.5 months later, i still cannot.

if you can function now, i am sure you will be ok on the drugs. afterall, HIV+ patients take them and most seem to do fine.

sue

 

[nventor]

Hi Sue,
Thank you for your reply, I have often read your posts and my thoughts are with you, maybe one day this will all be behind us.

Regards,
Roger

 

[Alesh]

From rxlist: "There are in vitro studies that suggest valproate stimulates the replication of the HIV and CMV viruses under certain experimental conditions. The clinical consequence, if any, is not known."

 

[nventor]

Hey Alesh,

But from one of the top viral research docs at Hopkins, I was told by him that it does have "some" arv properties, but for me this only a bonus because it definetly has been shown to slow the growth of low grade Prostate Cancer, which I do have, Gleason six. It will do me in a whole lot quicker than the HHV-6/EBV/misc, still waiting for the test kit from VIP for XMRV.

Regards,
Roger

 

[redo]

Anyone with thoughts for Valproic Acid as an antiviral? This has been proposed by a really
smart doc to me as an option for the treatment of low grade Prostate Cancer and its'
antiviral properties for my current infections. I already know I'm in over my head with this group
when it comes to my knowledge of these virus's and treatments, but would appreciate any advice or comments. I did do a search here but didn't find much.

I'm positive for Lyme, HHV-6, EBV and I've ordered the XMRV test kit today from VIP.

Regards,

If you decide to give this a go, be sure to let us know how it goes. Personally, I suspect endogenous retroviruses to be at the core of ME. Valproic acid grips right into these mechanisms. (silence epigenetic changes).

I see that it's mentioned as one of the most important HDACs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histone_deacetylase_inhibitor

 

[ramakentesh]

No one really knows why abherant epigenetic gene silencing or expression alterations occur. Some suspect virus methylase may be involved but its a long way form being conclusive other than perhaps in one or two specific types of cancer.

Valprioc acid was used recently experimentally to reduce promoter hypermethylation and increase functional expression of the norepinephrine transporter - which ofcourse has been implicated in POTS and Essential Hypertension in some patients.