Procarin - a Controversial New Treatment for MS

There's a controversial treatment for multiple sclerorsis. It's a skin patch, invented by a woman who HAS the disease.<br><br>A MOM AND A NURSE...NOW A RESEARCHER, 43-YEAR OLD ELAINE DELACK IS

Monday, April 15th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

There's a controversial treatment for multiple sclerorsis. It's a skin patch, invented by a woman who HAS the disease.

A MOM AND A NURSE...NOW A RESEARCHER, 43-YEAR OLD ELAINE DELACK IS FIGHTING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS...AND FIGHTING TO TELL OTHERS - ABOUT WHAT'S WORKING FOR HER.

EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY OF HER HOME IS TURNED INTO AN OFFICE ...TO MARKET...HER OWN TREATMENT TO HELP ALLEVIATE THE SYMPTOMS OF MS. CALLED PROCARIN....IT'S A COMBINATION OF HISTAMINE -- AND CAFFEINE....DELIVERED BY A SIMPLE SKIN PATCH.

IT WAS NIGHT AND DAY-- IN 24-HOURS MY FATIGUE WAS GONE AND WITHIN 4-MONTHS I WAS SYMPTOM-FREE.

AND SHE STILL IS --4-YEARS LATER. BUT HER TREATMENT -- FLIES IN THE FACE OF THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY'S THEORY ON THE CAUSE OF MS.

ELAINE BELIEVES MS IS A FORM OF ALLERGIC REACTION...THAT CAN BE HELPED BY HISTAMINE..ALREADY KNOWN TO HELP PROTECT NERVES. SO SHE SAYS, PROCARIN CAN EASE NEUROLOGICAL SYMPTOMS LIKE POOR COORDINATION, BLURRY VISION AND FATIGUE.

AFTER CONDUCTING A SMALL STUDY ON PROCARIN-- RESEARCHER TODD RICHARDS CALLED IT "PROMISING..."
THERE WAS A 37-PERCENT IMPROVEMENT IN FATIGUE-- IN ALMOST ALL OF THE PATIENTS.
BUT -- THAT WAS ONLY 20 PEOPLE-- AND DOCTORS WANT STUDIES ...INVOLVING HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF PATIENTS. .

ONE OF THE CONCERNS ABOUT PROCARIN AND MANY OF THESE OTHER ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES -- IS THAT PATIENTS -- EVEN IN A PLACEBO-CONDUCTED TRIAL WILL HAVE ABOUT A 30-PERCENT RESPONSE RATE TO A COMPLETELY INERT PLACEBO.

...THAT MEANS..JUST BELIEVING IN A TREATMENT CAN MAKE SEEM TO HELP..
ONE THING IS FOR SURE...ELAINE DELACK BELIEVES...AND PLANS TO KEEP ON FIGHTING FOR PROCARIN.

Procarin does not need to be approved by the FDA because histamine is a naturally-occurring chemical.

A month's supply of the cream costs between 200 AND 250-dollars.