"Mannitol, a 6-carbon sugar, is widely used in head injury management, though it has never been subjected to a randomised control trial against placebo and the methods and timing of administration vary widely. It is an osmotic diuretic and can have significant beneficial effects on ICP, cerebral blood flow and brain metabolism. Mannitol has two main mechanisms of action. Immediately after bolus administration it expands circulating volume, decreases blood viscosity and therefore increases cerebral blood flow and cerebral oxygen delivery.
"Its osmotic properties take effect in 15-30 minutes when it sets up an osmotic gradient and draws water out of neurons. However after prolonged administration (continuous infusion) mannitol molecules move across into the cerebral interstitial space and may exacerbate cerebral oedema and raise ICP. Mannitol itself directly contributes to this breakdown of the blood brain barrier.
"Mannitol is therefore best used by bolus administration where an acute reduction in ICP is necessary. For example the patient with signs of impending herniation (unilateral dilated pupil / extensor posturing) or with an expanding mass lesion may benfit from mannitol to acutely reduce ICP during the time necessary for CT scanning and/or operation.
"Mannitol is wholly excreted in the urine and causes a rise in serum urine and osmolality. Patients with poor renal perfusion (shock), sepsis, receiving nephrotoxic drugs or with a serum osmolality over 320mOsm are at risk of acute tubular necrosis. Hypolaemia should be avoided with the infusion of isotonic fluids as necessary."
Long term reverse effect is somewhat disconcerting for those of us on long-term Alka Seltzer Gold...?
-------------------- For medical advice related to Lyme disease, please see an ILADS physician. Posts: 1494 | From Getting there... | Registered: Aug 2006
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phyl6648
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 28522
posted
Alka Seltzer Gold not (COLD) has helped me with chemical, food sensitives and herxing symptoms . Can't remember but seems it helped with anxiety. Not sure why of if this was just a coincidence.
Posts: 1058 | From VA | Registered: Oct 2010
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canbravelyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9785
posted
This is the thing � the damn stuff works so well � as much as I'm willing to entertain the "it's alkalizing our bodies" slightly woo-woo stuff, but I just don't buy it's an explanation for the rapid and dramatic assistance that the stuff affords us.
But Mannitol � here's this stuff that's known to rapidly reduce brain inflammation...?
-------------------- For medical advice related to Lyme disease, please see an ILADS physician. Posts: 1494 | From Getting there... | Registered: Aug 2006
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Carol in PA
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 5338
posted
From what I read here, Mannitol reduces brain inflammation when given by intravenous administration.
This would be a much larger amount than you would get in a food item like Alka Seltzer Gold.
If you're interested in finding out if the Mannitol that you eat would affect the brain, you need to find out how much of it is absorbed through the intestines during digestion, and how quickly it is filtered out of the blood by the kidneys or neutralized by the liver.
Although you've been here a long time, I'm not familiar with your history or treatment. Have you looked into Berberine?
Also, have you tried Cayenne?
Posts: 6947 | From Lancaster, PA | Registered: Feb 2004
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canbravelyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9785
posted
Hi Carol,
Thanks for asking. I've actually been on this board since 2004...became disabled in 2003.
I became much worse under the care of someone in Canada who was not ILADS, then Dr. S. in California turned this around. Then I was a patient of Dr. Weiss, a brilliant LL Neuro who passed away tragically last year.
Now I'm a patient of Dr. H. in NY, so I have his assistance with supplements; what a relief!
Of course I've taken many things over the years. But this Alka Seltzer Gold is one of the best for symptom management that I've tried � I never would have believed it!
-------------------- For medical advice related to Lyme disease, please see an ILADS physician. Posts: 1494 | From Getting there... | Registered: Aug 2006
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