gerinc
02-16-2002, 06:47 PM
Can Tonic water with its quinine have health benefit? A Medline search turned out that quinine may help in the treatment of muscle spasm (Waldmann HJ (1994) Centrally acting skeletal muscle relaxants and associated drugs. J Pain Symptom Manage 9:434-41.) First I learned about such drug effect from an excellent review (Brasic JR Should people with nocturnal leg cramps drink tonic water and bitter lemon ? Psychological Reports 84:355-367). While the Tonic water has some effect against leg cramps, patients with kidney or liver failure and quinine hypersensitivity should stay away from the beverage.
Searching our newsgroup data base I found Dr Young comment on Dr Boggs posting on a related drug quinacrine. The star drug of World War II turned out effective against mad cow disease. In 1992 quinacrine received a discontinued US status. Quinine known by the Westerners for 350 years, the FDA has no guts to discontinue it. We live in the rat-race where only new and expensive drugs receive research, and an artificial placebo effect placed around every less than seven years old drugs.
I would like to ask Dr. Young what is the difference and overlapping between spasticity, spasm, and cramps. I hope that the quinine molecule does not know the answer and effective in broad range of problems.
I like to share my own anecdotal story on Tonic. Although I don't have SCI stiff neck (likely from thyroid problems) bothers me for years. Two cups of Tonic at bedtime helped me to relax muscles otherwise would stay stiff. However I had to maintained alertness not to fall back in my stretching, hot shower posture guarding routine; the tonic only an additional help not a cure. An added benefit that quinine: helped with my digestive problems.
Quinine is discovered in the Amazonian cinchona tree's bark. According to oral tradition a Jesuit lost in the Jungle of the Amazon and contracted malaria. As he collapsed he was very thirsty from his fever. He found a paddle he drunk it even it was very bitter. He woke up next morning relieved thanks to the quinine extract from the tree next to him.
Searching our newsgroup data base I found Dr Young comment on Dr Boggs posting on a related drug quinacrine. The star drug of World War II turned out effective against mad cow disease. In 1992 quinacrine received a discontinued US status. Quinine known by the Westerners for 350 years, the FDA has no guts to discontinue it. We live in the rat-race where only new and expensive drugs receive research, and an artificial placebo effect placed around every less than seven years old drugs.
I would like to ask Dr. Young what is the difference and overlapping between spasticity, spasm, and cramps. I hope that the quinine molecule does not know the answer and effective in broad range of problems.
I like to share my own anecdotal story on Tonic. Although I don't have SCI stiff neck (likely from thyroid problems) bothers me for years. Two cups of Tonic at bedtime helped me to relax muscles otherwise would stay stiff. However I had to maintained alertness not to fall back in my stretching, hot shower posture guarding routine; the tonic only an additional help not a cure. An added benefit that quinine: helped with my digestive problems.
Quinine is discovered in the Amazonian cinchona tree's bark. According to oral tradition a Jesuit lost in the Jungle of the Amazon and contracted malaria. As he collapsed he was very thirsty from his fever. He found a paddle he drunk it even it was very bitter. He woke up next morning relieved thanks to the quinine extract from the tree next to him.