Anyone feel like a cocktail?

I know it's early, but you might want to consider a Myers Cocktail anyway--especially if you're struggling with a chronic health issue.

In the early 60s, a doctor right here in Baltimore named John Myers began treating patients with a mix of vitamins and minerals, which he gave intravenously. Over the years, Dr. Myers used his "cocktail" as an immune system booster, while also treating chronic conditions such as depression, fatigue, fibromyalgia, and asthma.

The Myers mix includes very high doses of vitamin C, B complex, magnesium, calcium, and other nutrients.

Back in the day, the IV cocktail was about as far from mainstream medicine as you could get. And it still is, except for the fact that today it's much more common for patients to approach a treatment like this with an open mind. It's also much easier to find doctors (mostly naturopaths) who will administer the IV.

After reading a Vancouver Sun article about Dr. Myers' protocol--referred to as "rocket fuel" by some patients who enjoy a physical and mental boost from their IV session –-I checked in with HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D.

It's no surprise, really, that our "Nutrition Physician" is not only familiar with the Myers approach, he also used it in his own practice.

Dr. Spreen: "Forget poor digestion, malabsorption, or first-pass liver filtration--you're getting the straight stuff, and I can't picture it getting much better than that."

"People loved it. I can't say how much was placebo effect or not, of course, but I sure can't think if ANY downside (other than the hassle/needle/cost, of course). I have no doubt it did a huge amount of benefit.

"I have to say that I got very similar comments from patients just from the use of quick (tiny) shots of vitamin B-12, alone or with folic acid, so a lot of the positive 'feelings' may have been the B-12. However, some said that cravings decreased after the IV's."

Cravings?

This is an interesting and unexpected side effect of the Myers Cocktail--in some patients it actually reduces cravings for sweets. Some patients even find their desire for alcohol and cigarettes reduced.

Dr. Spreen: "For seriously bad cravings (nicotine, alcohol, drugs) I used very high-dose niacin. It was very effective at doses starting at 1000 mg 3x/day. Plus, at that dose and frequency the flush sensation lessened almost completely once the tissues saturated with it (about a week for most)."

The recipe for the Myers Cocktail is likely to vary slightly from doctor to doctor. For instance, some include glutathione, a powerful antioxidant, while others, like Dr. Spreen, will opt for higher doses of vitamin C.

Naturally, many conventional doctors dismiss this sort of therapy as untested. And compared to the very expensive, large-scale clinical trials that drug companies can afford, there isn't much in the way of randomized, placebo- controlled trial evidence so far.

But case studies and individual results tell a different story.

For instance, treating cancer with the use of mega-dose vitamin C given by IV injection (also known as intravenous ascorbic acid--IAA) is strongly supported by animal research and case studies. You can read about several of them in the e-Alert "Diamonds in the Rough" (7/3/06).

And if you think you might want to try IAA or a Myers Cocktail for yourself, you can locate naturopathic doctors, state by state, with the "Find a Doc" feature on the HSI website.

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