Skin patches are costly type of lattes

I read with interest, but concern The Herald’s front page article (“Nurse, heal thyself,” June 23) on Ms. Elaine DeLack’s development of Prokarin, its use by MS patients and her frustrations with the medical establishment. I am part of that “establishment.” I am a board certified, MS fellowship-trained neurologist in practice in Everett since 981. I see general neurology patients, but also have a large MS practice.

I am aware that we have no cure for multiple sclerosis and cannot treat some of its symptoms, including fatigue, effectively. But we do have effective drugs (which have been shown to be so in long-term, placebo-controlled clinical trials) that modify the course of MS. For a product whose active ingredients are histamine and caffeine to supplant such therapies is outrageous.

I realize that patients with chronic disease will consider many products that are rumored to help. Moreover, I share with my colleagues concern that patients will abandon treatments that actually modify the course of MS in favor of a patch applied twice daily containing histamine and caffeine. The cost of Prokarin treatments monthly being in excess of $200 represents a poor value. While it might make some patients feel better for a time, it has no role in treating MS.

If I have MS patients using Prokarin, they didn’t get it from me. You could buy lots of lattes for $200, couldn’t you?

Granite Falls