MUSCLE BUILDING SUPPLEMENTS

One of the most important things that you can do to deal with muscular dystrophy is to take muscle building supplements.    The most widely accepted muscle building supplement is creatine,  Creatine is a natural substance in the body, it also comes from some protein rich foods such as meat or fish.

Creatine is typically used to improve strength, increase lean muscle mass and help the muscles recover after exercise.  It is widely used by athletes from high school to professional sports.  It is estimated that approximately 50% of college and professional athletes use creatine.

Not everyone responds well to creatine, it is not tolerated by everyone and may not work for every person.  So I would suggest that if you try creatine…. research side effects and start at a low dosage of one gram and build up from there.  Also, purchase only high quality German  creatine, otherwise your wasting your money.

It is recommended that you drink at least a pint of water when taking creatine….water helps the muscles absorb the creatine.

I have found that taking HMB – Hydroxyi-Methybutyrate-Monohydrate works well.  HMB is a natural compound that is found in the body, it is created in the body from leucine.  Studies have shown HMB to decease muscle damage after exercising.  A good time to take HMB is after a strenuous exercise.

Creatine or HMB should be taken as part of a total supplement program including L- Arginine, and L-Glutamine.  If you are younger than 40, HMB may not be as effective as creatine.

PROPER SUPPLEMENTATION OF VITAMINS AND MINERALS

There are a number of good reasons to take vitamin and mineral supplements.   Perhaps best known are the lack of vitamins and minerals in the processed and fast foods we eat.  We have really busy lives and have a tendency to eat fast and easy meals.   Another is that current agricultural techniques leave the soil depleted of important minerals, causing the foods that are grown to be deficient of important minerals.

Upon discovering that I have muscular dystrophy, I knew that I had to do something or else I was going to have major problems.  Since the doctors had indicated that there were no know treatments or cures for Facioscapulohumeral (FSHD) muscular dystrophy.   I decided to so get as fit as possible by eating nutritious foods and researching possible solutions.

Then I began a supplement program to get my body in good condition.  Muscular dystrophy depletes a number of vitamins and minerals from your body, so taking vitamins is important.

A good vitamin and mineral supplement was the first order of business.  Most vitamins on the market, especially the ones in the stores are synthetic vitamins.  Synthetic vitamins that are not absorbed by the body well, then there are differences in the quantity of the vitamins in the supplements.  So, you don’t know if you’re getting enough of the necessary vitamins and minerals.

There are a number of producers that provide a high quality product.  There are a number of sources for information on which are the best vitamins and mineral supplements to take.  One of the best is sites is www.consumerlab.com.   They test vitamins and herbs by brand and report the results of their tests.  I would strongly recommend that you subscribe to use as guide to your supplementation.

Your vitamin and mineral supplement should contain at a minimum 100% of the recommends daily dose of the following vitamins and minerals A, C, E, B6, B12, magnesium, calcium, zinc, and selenium.

As I do into more posts, I am going to bring out a number of supplements that have helped me deal the FSHD.

FSH, FSHMD, FSHD, FACIOHUMEROSCPULAR

This post is about FSH called  faciohumeroscapular) (FSHMD, FSHD or FSH), and it also known as Landouzy-Dejerine, This is a common form of muscular dystrophy impacting approximately 7 out of every 100,000 people.  This form of muscular dystrophy in inherited from one of the parents and effects the skeletal muscles of the face (facio), upper arms (humeral) and the scapula (scapula)

The disease was discovered in 1884 by French physicians Louis Landouzy and Joseph Dejerine. In their research paper of 1886, Landouzy and Dejerine drew attention to the fact that this form of muscular dystrophy ran in family groups.   Although, there are cases where there is no family history of muscular dystrophy.

Symptoms usually develop in early childhood.  Approximately, 95% of the individuals have symptoms are that are apparent starting in their teen years.  This disease advances with progressive weakness to the face, shoulders and upper arms.  It also may impact other skeletal muscles.

FSH is characterized at first by weakness in the facial and shoulder muscles.  Then over a period it can spread to other muscle groups.   Muscle weakness in the pelvis and hips can make it difficult to climb stairs or walk for extended distances.

The person in the picture above is a classic example of FSH.  Note that the weak shoulder muscles tend to make the shoulder blades protrude from the back, a common sign known as scapular winging.  Due to the weakness in muscles of the shoulders and upper arms it can be difficult to raise the arms over the head or throw a ball.

TYPES OF MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY

There are currently thirty types of muscular dystrophy.  Here is a list of the most common types and who they impact.

Duchenne (DMD) – the most common and severe form of MD among children, DMD accounts for more than 50% of all cases. DMD appears typically in boys between ages 3 and 5 and progresses rapidly. Most people with DMD are unable to walk by age 12 and may later need a respirator to breathe. They usually die in their late teens or early 20’s from heart trouble, respiratory complications, or infection.

Becker MD – Appears primarily in males between ages 11 and 25. Some people may never need to use a wheelchair, while others lose the ability to walk during their teens, mid-30’s, or later.

Myotonic MD – The most common adult form,  myotonic MD appears in two forms, type 1 and type 2.  Myotonic MD affects both men and women between ages 20 and 30.

Congenital MD – This form of MD appears at birth or by age 2. Congenital means “present from birth.” Congenital MD affects both boys and girls, who often require support to sit or stand and may never learn to walk. Some patients die in infancy, but others live into adulthood with only mild disability.

Emery-Dreifuss MD- Symptoms usually begin by age 10 in boys and can appear in patients up to their mid-20’s. People with this form often develop heart problems by age 30, and they may die in mid-adulthood from progressive pulmonary or cardiac failure.

Facioscapulohumeral (FSHD) – FSHD refers to the areas affected: the face (facio), the shoulders (scapulo), and the upper arms (humeral).  FSHD affects teen boys and girls typically but may occur as late as age 40. Most individuals have a normal life span, but symptoms can vary from mild to severely disabling.

Limb-girdle MD – This form of MD can appear in childhood but most often appears in adolescence or young adulthood. Limb-girdle can progress quickly or slowly, but most patients become severely disabled.  This form impact the limb-girdle area with progressive muscle damage.  It may impact the ability to walk within 20 years of developing the disease.

Distal MD – Distal MDs refer to a group of diseases that affect the muscles of the forearms, hands, lower legs, and feet.  This form typically appears between ages 40 and 60. Distal MD is less severe and progresses more slowly than other forms of MD, but it can spread to other muscles. Patients may eventually need a ventilator.

Oculopharyngeal MD – This form occurs in both men and women, and it can be mild or severe. This form of MD typically appears in a person’s 40’s or 50’s. Some people will eventually lose their ability to walk.   This form is common among Americans of French-Canadian descent,  and Hispanics from the Southwestern U.S.

SUMMARY: 

Each form of muscular dystrophy can impact people differently.  It is important to get a confirmed diagnosis, if you exhibit any of the symptoms.  In addition, there are other medical issues that can cause similar symptoms.

MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY

Muscular dystrophy is an inherited muscle disease which is characterized by weakness and atrophy in various muscle groups.   There are thirty different types of muscular dystrophy, with symptoms that range in rom mild to extremely severe.  The different types also manifest at different ages and impact different parts of the body. I will go into more detail on each type and the implications in separate posts.

The most common forms of muscular dystrophy in children are Duchenne and Becker, approximately 1 in every 7,000 males.  The most common adult form of muscular dystrophy is Myotonic type 1, which affects approximately 1 in 8000 adults.  The incidence of muscular dystrophy (MD) in the United States varies, because different kinds of MD are rarer than others.

There are a number of tests that can be run to make an accurate diagnosis.  Also, other family members can be tested to see if they have the muscular dystrophy gene.

There are solutions on the horizon that will conquer this disease, the foremost  is stem cell therapy.  Actually, there are a number of companies that are performing stem cell therapy outside the United States.  I would urge caution before paying money to anyone, as there have not been any proven therapies or cures.  I will dedicate a future posts to these potential treatments and cures.

Currently, according to contemporary medicine muscular dystrophy cannot be cured, but there are various treatments which can help.

WELCOME WORLD

Thank you for visiting my blog!  The purpose of my blog is to give you Hope that Muscular Dystrophy can be managed and even one day cured.   This blog is dedicated to help the people that have muscular dystrophy, their families and the caretakers.

I have done thousands of hours of research trying to find solutions.  So, I am going to give practical solutions to problems related to muscular dystrophy.

A treatment for muscular dystrophy will be developed that cures muscular dystrophy.    Muscular dystrophy will be diagnosed, treated and the patient will be cured of any reoccurring symptoms.

Currently, the great hope for a cure is stem cell therapy.  Also, there are also a number of other potential treatments and cures in the wings.   I will go into great detail in future posts about new developments for treatments and potential cures.  The concept is to help you live a full, happier and better life!

I welcome any comments and suggestions as I will be posting as often as possible. .