The pain associated with Trigeminal Neuralgia is so severe that it has been christened "the suicide disease;" because the pain can be triggered by any number of external stimuli (or even nothing at all), patients experience frequent misdiagnosis; treatments can range from noninvasive medication, to alternative acupuncture, to drastic surgeries. Given all these facts about TN, it is difficult to envision a solution as easy as altering the saturated fat in your diet. Personally, I'm not one to buy into "miracle diets," whether they simply lead to magical weight loss or the cure for cancer, and because no formal study has been conducted that links a decreased saturated fat intake to reduced neuralgia pain, I'm equally reluctant to suggest diet change as a legitimate cure for neuralgia.
However, I have to admit that the mystery and diversity of neuralgia cases- including the myriad triggers and variable responses to treatment- has made it nearly impossible to develop a unified and consistent approach to neuralgia anyway. If some patients respond as well to medication as some do to surgery, then wouldn't it be worthwhile to test a treatment that, even if it doesn't cure your condition, will only make you healthier? Reducing the saturated fat in one's diet would be a basic (and easily reversible) step to take for curing neuralgia, and it would certainly yield an enormous ROI for those who experience results.
So, to the debate: what are the effects of saturated fat on patients suffering neuralgia? Again, no direct correlation between saturated fat and nerve pain has been established, but Mayo Clinic doctors have stated that saturated fats can reduce the body's ability to repair damaged nerves. Patients at MD Junction say they can at least control their pain if they keep their intake of saturated fats below 10 grams/day. According to those who have experienced results, the pain does not decrease until 1.5-2 weeks after beginning a low-saturated fats diet.
At the Trigeminal Neuralgia Association's National Conference in 2004, Frank Sherwood (not a doctor) presented a paper on the validity of the low-saturated fat diet for TN. The paper primarily discussed the case-study of an 82-year old TN patient (the presentation can be found at http://www.franksherwood.com/mytalk.htm). The patient was diagnosed with typical TN after a root canal, and controlled the pain for seven years with medication (mainly Tegretol), one successful glycerol injection, and then nearly nine years of varied, unfulfilling treatment options. Finally, in preparation for surgery, the patient followed the American Heart Association diet, which reduces saturated fat to 20%, and her pain was dramatically reduced. Of course, the internet is full of testimonials for "miracle diets," and the one pseudo-study conducted in conjunction with Sherwood's presentation is not very conclusive (50% of 22 patients reported "substantial improvement" in a questionnaire), but even if the diet-as-treatment is not substantiated, the health benefits of consuming less saturated fat are medically supported.
Saturated fat is the main dietary cause of high blood cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association. It is found mostly in foods from animals (red meat, whole milk, cheese, butter) and plants (coconut, coconut oil, tropical oils). Also, unfortunately you would want to minimize your intake of sweets: chocolate, candy, ice cream, cakes, cookies. In general, good foods to eat are: seafood, beans, rice, pasta, vegetables, fruit, and very small amounts of lean poultry (chicken, turkey). The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat intake to less than 7% of total daily calories. For example, a sedentary female age 31-50 (who should be consuming approximately 2000 calories a day) should be consuming less than 16 g saturated fat. Of course, when checking labels for saturated fat content, be sure to note the "serving size." The chocolate bar you are about to polish off could actually constitute two serving sizes, and thus contain twice the saturated fat content listed on the label.
Overall, although still not convinced by testimonials, if suffering from TN I would certainly be willing to experiment with a low-saturated fat diet for a month or two. Counting the grams of fat in my food is a small concession to make if it definitely improves my health and possibly cures my disease.
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Any updates on your condition after starting the diet? I would love to learn more of what happened?
ReplyDeleteAfter my presentation at the TNA Conference I used the Internet to find patients interested in the diet. When a patient has talked to a doctor, neurologist, or neurosurgeon they have no reason to believe going to Weight Watchers is going to stop their pain. This left the uninformed, desperate, and a few willing to change the way they are going to eat for the rest of their life. In spite of these obstacles 60 patients have reported success including some with failed surgeries. This is what I am currently posting on the Internet:
ReplyDeleteI am a patient advocate with the Trigeminal Neuralgia Association. I would like to bring attention to a recently discovered diet for stopping TN pain. Patients in 10 countries became pain free by dramatically reducing the saturated fat in their diet. Dr. Narayan Verma, at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, presented the results of a 14-year study establishing the efficacy of this therapy. Dr. Verma is professor of neurology at a medical college, in private practice, listed in Who’s Who, and authored 70 peer-reviewed papers. Failed percutaneous procedures, radiation, or the MVD surgery do not necessarily reduce the diet’s effectiveness. It takes less than a month to know if the diet is effective. For a 10-page report with diet instructions, the amount of saturated fat in 140 foods, and recipes, email a Post Office mailing address to (frank@sokolitz.com). The report is free to any country. The American Heart Association recommends this diet.