The antibiotic minocycline, and the compound creatine, which is produced in muscle tissue, could slow the progress of Parkinson's disease.
The compounds may help by reducing cellular stress and inflammation.
Research is still in its initial state, but a study of 200 patients with early-stage Parkinson's showed that those who were given the substances seemed to decline less rapidly than those who were given a placebo.
About 1.5 million Americans suffer from Parkinson's disease, a neurological ailment that causes tremors, stiff or frozen limbs, slow movement, and impaired balance.
For the past 15 years, I've been using Minocin (minocycline) as part of my protocol for treating patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. I first told you about its additional potential to fight Parkinson's disease four years ago.
Creatine and Minocin are intended to replace another drug, levodopa. Levodopa replaces lost dopamine (which is destroyed by Parkinson's disease), but it also makes patients more prone to involuntary twitching. Some patients have even been given a brain implant in an attempt to lessen its effects.
I have had great success in using Minocin over the years and have noted that the brand name works better than the generic drug here. Interestingly, Wyeth recently sold manufacturing rights of Minocin to Triax Pharmaceuticals.
This is somewhat of a moot point, as I rarely find the need to use antibiotics to treat rheumatoid arthritis. While they are certainly safer than prednisone, NSAIDs, methotrexate, and interferon I find that there are simpler and more effective options.
Using optimized food choices and addressing the underlying untreated emotional challenges that are almost universally present in all autoimmune diseases is a far more effective option.
So the bottom line is Minocin is only one of many natural options you can use to treat Parkinson's. Others include: