NEW NUTRITION THERAPY TREATS ADDICTS

An Abbotsford chiropractor is opening the first clinic in Canada to
pioneer a new way to treat alcoholics and addicts with nutritional therapy.

Dr. Helen Fadden is starting the privately funded IV clinic this week
offering mega-doses of amino acids and nutritional supplements to
prevent withdrawal symptoms and relapses.

She told the Abbotsford News that similar clinics operating in the
U.S. have helped people to enjoy a 75 per cent success rate in
preventing relapses.

The medical community, however, is skeptical.

Frank Fung, director of mental health services for the Fraser Health
Authority (East), said physicians, with expertise in addictions, are
critical of the notion that nutrition deficits are linked to
addiction relapses.

Fung said there is no good verifiable scientific evidence that
mega-vitamin therapy is successful in treating addictions.

More troubling, he said, is the bigger issue that the alcoholic or
addict may delay getting proper treatment in favour of this program,
which may lead to indirect harm.

Fadden, however, disagrees.

Just because it isn't mainstream, doesn't mean it doesn't work, she said.

The chiropractor, who recently earned an addictionologist
certificate, explained that substance abuse alters the bio-chemistry
in the brain of addicts and alcoholics.

For this reason it is helpful for people with addictions, Fadden
said, to undergo treatment to boost the neurotransmitters of the
brain, as well as attend counselling, Alcoholic Anonymous or
Narcotics Anonymous programs.

Fadden said certain amino acids, vitamins and minerals are effective
in decreasing the withdrawal symptoms classically experienced by
substance abusers when they quit the drug of their choice.

After an alcoholic or addict quits using mind-altering substances,
they often suffer chronic abstinence symptoms such as: craving or
drug hunger," anxiety, fatigue and depression which often lead to a
return to the addiction.

Gloria Wolfson, director of UCFV School of Social Work and Human
Services, said the therapy is based on poor science, and may, in
fact, be preying on people who don't know any better.

I have to think that if this was credible, it would have been picked
up by the scientific and medical community."

Wolfson said she would label this as fringe therapy."

To her, nutritional therapy to treat addiction is simply bad science
until proven otherwise through double blind studies that are
published in peer review scientific journals.

Dr. James Braly, medical director of Lifestream, U.S.A., said the
nutritional IV therapy has a 75 to 80 per cent success rate for the
first two years, compared to the abysmal" relapse rate of 80 per cent
when clients use traditional addiction treatments.

Fung did not elaborate on the success or failure rates for the
addiction services currently offered through the Fraser Health
Authority, but was pragmatic.

Recovery is expected, but relapses are allowed," Fung said.

He said addiction counsellors are compassionate and understanding
about potential relapses because addiction is like a disease.

Similar to a diabetic who has his or her disease generally under
control, a person may experience an occasional flare-up requiring
hospitalization, Fung said. Likewise, people shouldn't have
unrealistic expectations about overcoming addictions.

Braly, who was recently in Abbotsford, said scientific research
verifies the interrelation of neurotransmitters and addiction.

Why settle for failure, when the natural treatment of amino acids
works, he asks.

Amino acid supplements boost the body's own neurotransmitters,
sharply increasing the success rate in relapse prevention, he said.

Because IV nutritional treatment for addictions is new in Canada,
Fadden is planning to apply for a federal research grant, so that the
experiences of her clients may be subject to scientific research on
the bio-chemical nature of addiction and nutritional treatment.

I would like to see this program go right across Canada," she said.

Fadden said clients require their doctors to refer them to her clinic
and must be clean and sober for at least five to seven days prior to
entering the program.

A registered nurse at her chiropractic office in Clearbrook will
supervise the IV program and pharmacist James Petruic of Pharmasave
in Chilliwack will mix the compounds.

Clients undergo IV supplements for about four hours a day for the
first six days at a cost of $1,000 a day.

For the next six months, clients take oral nutritional supplements at
a cost of about $100 a month and should participate in lifestyle
education, AA or NA and counselling.