AboutJacqueline Jacques, ND Expertise I can answer any question related to conditions treated by naturopathic medicine and how they might be approached. These would include (but are not limited to) allergies, arthritis, depression/anxiety, autoimmune diseases, irritable bowel, PMS, menopause, hormone dysfunction, chemical sensitivity, headache, and chronic pain. I am also happy to discuss naturopathic therpaies including herbal/botanical medicine, medical nutrition, diet therapy, detoxification, manipulation, hydrotherapy, and natural hormone replacement. I would also welcome questions on naturopathic philosophy, licensure, scope of practice and education
Experience I am a licensed Naturopathic Doctor (ND) with ten years of experience. The focus of my work has been in women's health, obesity and pain, but I have treated all conditions. I currently see private patients, consult in the natural products industry, formulate product for a medical nutrition company, write for several publications, and speak across North America. I additionaly serve on the medical advisory board of several companies and non-profit organizations.
Organizations California Naturopathic Doctors Association (member and past board member)
American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (member)
National Nutritional Foods Association (member)
Obesity Actional Coalition (Medical Advisory Board)
Samueli Canter for Integrative Medicine at University of California, Irvine (Board Member)
Publications Nutrition and the MD, Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Bariatric Times, Today's Dietitian, Integrative Health Retailer
Education/Credentials Lewis and Clark College
National College of Naturopathic Medicine
Awards and Honors Health Professional of the Year (2004) - Bariatric Support Centers International
Question QUESTION: My 22year old son has had alopecia areata for 3 years. He has tried every treatment imaginable from traditional to homeopathic, including acupuncture. These include anthralin, minoxidil, cortizone shots, DNCB at UCLA, and Calosol. He initially lost 80% of scalp hair, both eyebrows, most body and face hair. He regrew about 70% of his hair and recently lost about 10-15% of the regrowth. We have never tried a cleanse and enzymes like Wobenzym N. Might this be useful? We have heard that immunosuppressive drugs like Raptiva have had success in clinical trials, but at what cost to a person's overall health? If you could recommend a course of action beginning with a cleanse and
the incorporation of enzymes, that might lead us in a new direction. He is in college and has gained 25 lbs. from stess-eating. We feel he needs to lose the weight in order to benefit from any topical treatment he might resume. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
ANSWER: Lori,
Alopecia areata is a frustrating condition because both the cause and the treatment remain a bit of a mystery. I have never heard of enzymes like Wobenzyme being used for this purpose, and I am not sure why they would help. If your son feels he has exhausted immunotherapy, then I would consider the following.
First, Raptive is still experimental in alopecia - it is approved for psoriasis - so I would wait on that. If he was going to try another drug, Protopic might be a better choice. This is a topical cream (not an injection like Raptiva) and has been shown to be effective in alopecia that is not total. It is relatively safe.
I do not know of any consistently effective alternative remedy. Because of the underlying immune dysfunction, elimination of allergies and immune support with herbs and nutrition is often used. Other conditions can occur with alopecia areata (thyroid disease, lupus, diabetes, anemia, colitis) and these conditions also need to be addressed. If your son has not had a complete health work up, this is important.
There have a been a few studies of natural treatments with this condition. One study on hypnotherapy was small (28 people) but did show total hair regrowth in 9 participants. Hypnotherapy is obviously very safe - there is no down side to trying it.
There was also this study with essential oils which showed some but not total improvement of the condition:
Hay IC, Jamieson M, Ormerod AD. Randomized trial of aromatherapy. Successful treatment for alopecia areata. Arch Dermatol. 134.11 (1998): 1349-1352.
Per weight gain. First, this is very common in college - and more common if your son has been using steroids as part of his treatment (Cortisone). Still, excess weight is a stress on the body and is not good for overall health. Typically young people with less than 50 pounds to lose can do well in a structured weight management program. There are commercial program such as Weight Watchers that have a great track record as well as on-line support. I like medically managed programs. These can be found at most major medical centers, managed care facilities and community hospitals. You might check your health insurance and see what programs they support. It is great for people to do thee programs when they are young, so they learn the healthy eating habits they need to maintain their weight for life.
Please let me know if you need additional information.
In Health,
Dr. Jacques
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QUESTION: Thank you, Dr. Jacques, for your response. However both Elidel and Protopic carry black box warnings by the FDA concerning the risk of cancer and lymphoma. Being that he would be using this topical for a considerable amount of time, I do not wish to subject him to this kind of risk, even if some dermotologists prescribe it and say it is relatively safe. As for Wobenzym, it has been extensively researched and is often used for inflammation. Since alopecia is thought to be an inflammatory disease, I reasoned that it might be a viable and safe option. What abut Ayurveda? Can you direct me to someone who has had success in treating alopecia by this means? Any other suggestions would be appreciated. I am not convinced that hypnotherapy would be the answer, and I know of no reputable hynotherapists who have treated alopecia. Again suggestions are welcome. We live in the San Fernando Valley, California. Thank you again.
Answer Lori,
I wish I could point you to someone who has had a lot of success with this condition with a specific treatment. Most Naturopathic care is very personalized with each practitioner often using different treatments for similar conditions. Systems of traditional medicine like Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine also offer viable health techniques that can treat a variety of problems. But unlike some of the other things you mention like enzymes, Ayurveda, and detox, hypnotherapy has actually be studied to be an effective treatment. You might check out the American Psychotherapy and Medical Hypnotherapy Society (http://apmha.com/aboutAPMHA.htm). These are trained, reputable, licensed medical professionals who practice hypnotherapy. I think one reason people find this uncomfortable is that it seems to imply that a condition like alopecia is more mental than physical. But it is highly connected to stress and immunity - both of which are profoundly impacted by our mind.
Outside of this, here are some other places you can seek a referral:
1) California Naturopathic Doctor's Association (www.calnd.org)
2) California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine (http://www.ayurveda-caam.org/)
3) California State Oriental Medical Association (http://www.csomaonline.org/)
Please let me know if I can assist with anything else.
