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Guai-Aid Warning

1/15/2020

1 Comment

 
GuaiAid brand guaifenesin is now the center of anguish. As far as I can tell it is entirely short-acting. If it is “medium-acting” as some are claiming, let’s see the proof and the approval of data from the Federal Drug Administration. It should have to withstand all the rigors other products have had to face to prove the duration of their action.

I have seen a high failure rate in patients attempting to use only short-acting products (including Guai-Aid) no matter who makes them. This has been demonstrated by my examination of patients (mapping) enough times for me to feel secure in saying that the failure rate using Guai-Aid is unacceptably high.
  
That’s why I begin all of my patients on extended release guaifenesin tablets. These work smoothly over twelve hours. Extended release tablets can be safely cut with a pill cutter, but only do it once. A 600 mg. tablet can thus yield the beginner's dose of 300 mg. twice a day. A 1200 mg. tablet can be cut to yield two 600 mg. doses (but do not cut a 1200 mg. tablet to make 300 mg. doses.) 

All extended release white guaifenesin tablets will reverse fibromyalgia if taken at the proper dosage and as long as a patient is not blocked by salicylates. Currently the best price is available through amazon.com on bulk bottles (#500) of the Guardian 600 mg. tablets. We expect to see more brands on the market soon because the patent has expired on Mucinex.

We have previously warned patients not to use Mucinex because of the specific blue dye they use, which can inhibit energy production.

Fibropharmacy sells extended release tablets as well as capsules (300mg and 600mg) that have proven to be effective. (DO NOT PURCHASE THE CAPLETS. THESE ARE GUAI AID). The drawback with the capsules is their price but if patients wish to use a capsule these are still acceptable.

To those from whatever group claims pure success, I can say “you’re wrong”. To leaders of whatever group who squash discussions or observations about failures, I repeat “you’re wrong”. I’ve learned from sixty years treating patients and hard study, but equally from patient inputs and their personal observations. We have no axe to grind. We own or sell nothing. We own no pharmacies or stock in drug companies. We get no kick-backs.

The preceding is my position and on my honor I will uphold it until the end of my professional life.

Unfortunately, those who mistakenly splinter the protocol may well succeed in the end. Claudia and I have only a short run left and some of these individuals and support groups may well be in control. They will either help save fibromyalgia patients or guide them into an unacceptably high rate of failure.

-R. Paul St. Amand, M.D.
1 Comment

Important News about guaifenesin products from dr. st. amand

7/1/2015

9 Comments

 
A new problem popped up in my examining room in January. Three patients came together one morning. Each had been improving, but not this time: all three were very slightly worse as their maps confirmed. None had changed products that could have invoked guaifenesin blocking.

But each had made one change since the last visit: all three had switched short-acting guaifenesin from Marina Del Rey Pharmacy’s 400 mg to the blue-dyed Costco brand. We switched them back to the white ones and all three resumed clearing. I've seen several similar cases since.

I searched the medical literature and I think I have the answer. For those who want to dig deeper, look up Blue dye number 1. You’ll come across a paper “FDA Public Health Advisory: Subject: Reports of Blue Discoloration and Death in Patients Receiving Enteral Feedings Tinted With the Dye, FD&C Blue No. 1”. It went on to state that Blue 1 “can be a mitochondrial toxin” and “…there could be underlying patient-related factor(s) that allow significant absorption of Blue 1 in some enterally fed patients”.

Enteral feedings are something done through tubal inserts, but the paper also points out that the concentration or amount of blue dye given these patients was not unusual or higher than that given persons who had no side effects. In other words, there seemed to be a predisposition in those adversely affected. Stating it another way, some people given blue dye 1 will react differently from others. In some, it will actually get into mitochondria and impede formation of energy, the very benefit we’re trying to obtain with our protocol.

What I've witnessed these past four months is that some patients stop in their tracks and just don’t improve. Others actually go slightly backwards and may even create small new lesions. That suggests individual susceptibility to impede energy production likely due to their particular genetic makeup. It’s also probable that some of those taking larger amounts of blue-dyed medication might be affected but have no problem with a lesser amount.

Since I have no way of predicting which people will stop improving, go in reverse, or continue forging ahead, it seems prudent to advise discontinuation of the far cheaper blue, short-acting guaifenesin. This finding might well explain why we have a small but distinct percentage of patients who fail to improve when they are taking Mucinex.

Those of you who need short-acting guaifenesin should replace any dyed tablet with a pure white one. Perhaps you can locate one on the Internet or purchase it from the Marina Del Rey Pharmacy. Sorry about the extra cost, but what choice do we have?

R. Paul St. Amand, M.D.
9 Comments

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