The vicious cycle of cachexia (or wasting disease) occurs when cancer cells consume blood glucose and produce a lactic acid by-product. This acid is then sent to the liver to be converted back into glucose that once again goes back to feed the cancer. This process is called gluconeogenesis and consumes enormous amounts of energy and it may eventually cause the body to start “eating” its own muscles in order to feed the cancer cells.
One of the most frightening symptoms of advanced cancer is “cachexia”, or severe, unintentional weight-loss. According to the National Cancer Institute, “It is estimated that half of all cancer patients experience cachexia, the rapid loss of weight along with fatigue, weakness, and loss of appetite. Cachexia is a serious problem among many patients who have advanced cancer.”
Dr. Harold Dvorak, former chief of pathology at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, states “In a sense, nobody dies of cancer. They die of something else – pneumonia, or failure of one or more organs. Cachexia accelerates that process of infection and the build-up of metabolic poisons, this process causes death much faster than the tumor would.”
The work of Dr Joseph Gold and Hydrazine Sulfate- Dr. Joseph Gold was a research scientist for NASA, a United States Air Force officer, and a medical doctor. After completing his distinguished military career, he embarked on a mission with one goal in mind, to answer the question: “Is there a chemical way to inhibit gluconeogenesis and stop cachexia?” In 1969, Dr. Gold heard a speech by biochemist Paul Ray explaining that hydrazine sulfate could shut down the enzyme necessary for the production of glucose from lactic acid by-product. He immediately tested hydrazine sulfate on mice and found that it did indeed inhibit gluconeogenesis, thus reversing the deadly cachexia cycle. Hydrazine sulfate is not recommended as a primary cancer treatment, but it can stop the deadly cycle of cachexia and wasting.
Joseph Gold, M.D., is the director of the Syracuse Cancer Research Institute and the developer of hydrazine sulfate as an anticancer drug. Read his own report in the first link for more information on this therapy. Also, only a doctor can contact the clinic and obtain hydrazine sulfate for a patient.
Warnings: Hydrazine Sulfate is an MAOI (Momoamine Oxidase Inhibitor). What that means is that it will inhibit an enzyme that breaks down monoamines (serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine). These are the chemicals in the brain that make us happy. MAO inhibitors are often prescribed as antidepressants. However, MAOs have another job in the body: they metabolize tyramine, which is an amino acid. When taking an MAO inhibitor such as hydrazine sulfate, tyramine is not broken down, so eating foods that contain tyramine can raise your blood pressure and heart beat dramatically and cause severe headaches. This can be a very dangerous condition, especially for someone battling cancer. Most of the foods containing tayramine are not on the cancer diet plan anyways so you should be avoiding them to begin with, but they are listed below. Foods containing tyramine are mainly aged, fermented, or pickled foods, such as most cheeses (except cottage cheese, cream cheese, and fresh Mozzarella), as well as lunch meats, hot dogs, yogurt, wines and beers.
Here is a partial list of foods that contain tyramine, however it is not a complete list so caution should be taken. If a headache should arise, a food containing tyramine may have been ingested and you should eliminate those foods from your diet.
- Barley grass, and all barley supplements,
- Dry and fermented sausage (bologna, salami, pepperoni, corned beef,
- pickled herring and salted dried fish,
- beef or chicken liver,
- broad beans and pods (lima, fava beans, lentils, snow peas, and soy beans),
- meat extracts, meat tenderizer, MSG (Accent),
- yeast extracts/brewer’s yeast,
- beer and ale, red wine (chianti, burgundy, sherry, vermouth),
- fruits such as oranges, tangerines, lemon, grapefruit, bananas, avocados,
- figs and dates,
- dried fruits such as raisins,
- red plums, raspberries, pineapples,
- any overripe fruits
- cultured dairy products (buttermilk, yogurt, and sour cream),
- caffeinated beverages (coffee, tea, and cola drinks),
- white wine, port wines, distilled spirits,
- soy sauce,
- tofu and tempeh,
- peanuts, almonds,
- pumpkin seeds.
- In general, any high protein food that has undergone aging should be avoided.
- over-the-counter cold or allergy remedy should also be avoided.”
Contraindications– “Hydrazine sulphate is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor and the following should not be used during hydrazine therapy:
- barbiturates and tranquilizers (e.g. Thorazine, Compazine, Xanax, Valium, Dalmane, Ativan, Restoril, Halcion, Nembutal and Seconal, to name but a few)
- tranquilizers or sedatives in doses greater than 100 mg per day, this is especially true for benzodiazephines and phenothiazines which should be avoided.
- agents which suppress the central nervous system such as morphine.
- alcoholic beverages
- antiemetics that are used to treat nausea and vomiting
- foods with tyramine that are listed above.
- Vitamin B6
- vitamin c in doses above 250 mg (from all sources)
- Hydrazine sulphate should be taken in exact doses. Overdosing can do more harm than good.
Additional Resources-Read all information related to this therapy