Excess copper hurts brain, liver
Dear Dr. Gott: My 44-year-old son has Wilson’s disease and no one around here seems to know much about it. Can you discuss this issue?
Dear Reader: Wilson’s disease is a rare inherited disorder marked by a serious disruption in copper metabolism.
The disease initially causes liver inflammation that leads to cirrhosis and liver failure. Concomitant with this is progressive brain disease, marked by tremors, behavioral abnormalities, weakness, poor coordination and other signs.
The reason that the liver and brain are so affected by Wilson’s disease is that these organs are especially susceptible to the toxic effects of excess levels of copper, the hallmark of the affliction. The diagnosis is made by blood tests.
Wilson’s disease is, unfortunately, fatal unless timely, lifelong, uninterrupted treatment is begun. Penicillamine is the therapy of choice because, as a chelating agent, it avidly combines with copper and carries the mineral out of the body.
Your son’s physician (or a gastroenterologist) should be able to give you answers to your specific questions, or you can obtain further information from any standard medical textbook that is available in your local hospital’s library.
Dear Dr. Gott: I suffer from migraine headaches that have increased in intensity. The standard medication Fioricet is no longer effective.
Dear Reader: Migraine – intense periodic headaches often preceded by disturbances in vision – may vary in intensity. The reasons for this are unknown, although some patients note that their headaches are worsened by stress, fatigue and the use of food additives, such as the flavor enhancer MSG. Also, some women experience variations in the severity of their migraines depending on their menstrual cycles.
Some forms of migraine can be prevented by the daily use of beta-blockers (such as Inderal) or calcium-channel blockers (such as verapamil).
The traditional therapy for a migraine in progress has been analgesics, in particular those containing codeine. You may be interested in learning about a new product called sumatriptan. It is a self-administered injection that shows great promise in alleviating migraine.
Ask your doctor about the preventive strategies I mentioned. If they are unsuccessful, he might be willing to try sumatriptan.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Headaches.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.