From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2003-08-09 01:50:13 UTC
Subject: Re: Devil''s Club Redux
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <7038412.1060393813712.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Okay, a few points: obviously, the ferret had medicaine so it isn't possible to separate out the effect of one thing from the other, but you did not mention any of the standard proven approaches for insulinoma for a comparison. You didn't mention surgery, or prednisone/prednisolone, or proglycem, or combinations of those things.
Do remember, too, that a few cases does not consititute proof -- not for and not against.
Things I would LIKE to see known more about in relation to this compound include: studies on the primary ingredient(s) to know not only effects but also the cautions. Pretty much everything in this world has downsides as well as upsides and that is certainly true for herbs as well. For instance, look at the circulatory hazards of licorice root or the even worse circulatory risks of ephedra. Neither is terribly safe that way. It is very important to know what conditions any med -- including an herbal one -- can create or worsen. It also is important to know what medications it may conflict with. What other ingredients are in the herbal med and what may they effect? For instance, is there a form of sugar in the compound which would raise the blood glucose levels itself, or is there anything to worry about in the compound? That is also important.
I tend to think that there may be more variation in insulinoma than people sometimes think. Some cases seem to respond better to different meds, some respond better late in the illness to added sugar in the diet than others do, some trigger A/V Heart Node Block, etc.
Personally, I can not see any mechanism through which the herbal compound would create a memory of the needed blood glucose levels. I know that isn't what was written but it is how it read to me, so that part badly confused me.
I'm not saying that the herbal prep may not work for some ferrets, but I don't feel that there is proof that it can take a place as standard approach or why it should take a place as a standard approach. I'd like to know if the Devil's Club itself, or something else in the compound may be having any effect and Id like to know physiologically how it has an effect. Plus, I want to know the downsides to avoid any possible dangers just as I can work to do with meds that have to list their downsides.
In relation to melatonin, Dr. Jerry Murray was looking at several quesitons attached to that. Of course, there is an easier way to have enough melatonin in a ferret. The body creates melatonin when it has enough darkness. If you provide enough enough hours of real darkness (not just dimness) -- and I believe that one of Dr. Murray's past posts mentioned at least 14 hours per day -- then the ferrets' bodies themselves will create a lot of melatonin. BTW, the ferrets don't need to be asleep; part of that time they can be playing, eating, drinking, whatever -- but in darkness. You'll find a lot on melatonin in his past posts in http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org by searching for MELATONIN and in the "from" line looking for AFERRETVET.