Ä [178] Fidonet: ALTMED (1:352/111) ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ALTMED Ä Msg : 28 of 30 From : Bob Paddock 1:2601/553 Wed 09 Mar 94 20:28 To : All Subj : capsicum ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Date: 12-22-92 (11:54) From: BOB PADDOCK To: WAYNE BRIGGS Subj: Topical Pain Medication ___------------------------------------------------------------------------ WB> Many folks may know this already; but some may not. There is an WB>over the counter pain medication made with extract from hot peppers. It WB>is available in two strengths, 0.025% or 0.075%, Capsicum Oleoresin. Date: 12-24-92 (12:59) From: BOB PADDOCK To: STEVE AMBROSINI Subj: Shingles ___------------------------------------------------------------------------ SA>My father recently has been diagnosed with Shingles. He is >about 70 years in age and other is in good health. I >had been diagnosed about 2 years ago. I apparently caught >mine early enough (in a preliminary rash stage) and >medication minimized my pains and now have no signs of it. >Any other suggestions? There was a write up in "Discover" Magazine, August 1991 page 48-52 "Some Like It Hot; The substance that sets your mouth on fire each time you bite into a chili pepper can also put out the flames of pain.", by Richard McCourt. "When you stop to think about it, it's really quite odd that a substance that can hurt so much can be so enjoyable when you put it in your mouth. Stranger yet, the same chemical that is so burningly tasty on the tongue and stinging in the eye may also be capable of putting out the flames of pain in hitherto difficult-to-treat conditions - from the distressing complications of shingles to the foot pain of diabetes to the misery of arthritis. "So far, more than 150,000 people in this country have rubbed creams of chemically purified capsaicin on their bodies as a way of relieving chronic, debilitating pain. The creams, are called Zostrix [0.025 percent capsaicin] and Axasin [0.075 percent. Both are marketed by GenDerm, a Chicago pharmaceutical company.], are rather simple concoctions: a fluffy, whitish capsaicin powder extracted from a mixture of potent peppers is added to an emulsion of oil and water that disappears when rubbed in like vanishing cream. The tricky part, says Lloyd Matheson a pharmaceutical chemist at the University of Iowa who originally developed the creams, is handling the fly away capsaicin powder. "Zostrix was introduced in 1987 to treat the severe burning pain of postherpetic neuralgia, a complication of shingles." This hot pepper extract is also carried by, don't fall out of your chair, Bicycle Shops! It probably is NOT chemically purified in this state. It is sold under the brand name "HALT" you spray it in dogs eyes when they start chasing you down the road. It cost about $4 for a 1.5 Oz can at a strength of 0.35%. Mix it with vanishing cream and you end up with basically the same stuff you get from the drug store. !!!! DO NOT GET THIS STUFF IN YOUR EYES, IT WON'T HURT YOU, BUT YOU WISH YOU WERE DEAD TILL YOU GET IT CRIED OUT!!!! !!!! --- Maximus 2.01wb * Origin: Matric Limited: (814) 437-5647 Franklin, PA HST/DS (1:2601/553)