Local Doctor Uses Snail Venom To Stop Pain Man-Made Venom Inserted Into Patients' Spines POSTED: 4:45 pm EDT September 27, 2006 UPDATED: 6:16 pm EDT September 27, 2006 (http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzz?targetUrl=http://www.newsnet5.com/health/9948443/detail.html&headline=Local%20Doctor%20Uses%20Snail%20Venom%20To%20Stop%20P ain) (http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzz?targetUrl=http://www.newsnet5.com/health/9948443/detail.html&headline=Local%20Doctor%20Uses%20Snail%20Venom%20To%20Sto p%20Pain) (http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzz?targetUrl=http://www.newsnet5.com/health/9948443/detail.html&headline=Local%20Doctor%20Uses%20Snail%20Venom%20To% 20Stop%20Pain) (http://del.icio.us/post?title=Local%20Doctor%20Uses%20Snail%20Venom%20To%20Stop%20Pain&url=http://www.newsnet5.com/health/9948443/detai l.html) (http://del.icio.us/post?title=Local%20Doctor%20Uses%20Snail%20Venom%20To%20Stop%20Pain&url=http://www.newsnet5.com/health/9948443/detail.html) (http://del.icio.us/post?title=Local%20Doctor%20Uses%20Snail%20Venom%20To%20Stop%20Pain&url=http://www.newsnet5.com/health/9948443/detail.html) (http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&title=Local%20Doctor%20Uses%20Snail%20Venom%20To% 20Stop%20Pain&url=http://www.newsnet5.com/health/9948443/detail.html) (http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&title=Local%20Doctor%20Uses%20Snail%20Venom%20To% 20Stop%20Pain&url=http://www.newsnet5.com/health/9948443/detail.html) (http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&title=Local%20Doctor%20Uses%20Snail%20Venom%20To% 20Stop%20Pain&url=http://www.newsnet5.com/health/9948443/detail.html) (http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http://www.newsnet5.com/health/9948443/deta il.html&t=Local%20Doctor%20Uses%20Snail%20Venom%20To%20Stop%20Pain&src=sc&po s=top&from_posted=1) (http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http://www.newsnet5.com/health/9948443/detail.html&t=Local%20Doctor%20Uses%20Snail%20Venom%2 0To%20Stop%20Pain&src=sc&pos=top&from_posted=1) (http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http://www.newsnet5.com/health/9948443/detail.html&t=Local%20Doct or%20Uses%20Snail%20Venom%20To%20Stop%20Pain&src=sc&pos=top&from_posted=1) (http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.newsnet5.com/health/9948443/detail. html&title=Local%20Doctor%20Uses%20Snail%20Venom%20To%20Stop%20Pain) (http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.newsnet5.com/health/9948443/detail.html&t itle=Local%20Doctor%20Uses%20Snail%20Venom%20To%20Stop%20Pain) (http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.newsnet5.com/health/9948443/detail.html&title=L ocal%20Doctor%20Uses%20Snail%20Venom%20To%20Stop%20Pain) (http://www.newsnet5.com/rss/) (http://www.newsnet5.com/rss/) (http://www.newsnet5.com/rss/) (javascript:popUp('/print/9948443/detail.html','width=460,height=400,scrollbars');) (javascript:popUp('/print/9948443/detail.html','width=460,height=400,scrollbars');) (javascript:popUp('/print/9948443/detail.html','width=460,height=400,scrollbars');) (javascript:popUp("http://cf.newsnet5.com/nn5/sh/toafriend/index.cfm?page=http://www.newsnet5.com/health/9948443/detail.htm l","width=450,height=250");) (javascript:popUp("http://cf.newsnet5.com/nn5/sh/toafriend/index.cfm?page=http://www.newsnet5.com/health/9948443/detail.ht ml","width=450,height=250");) (javascript:popUp("http://cf.newsnet5.com/nn5/sh/toafriend/index.cfm?page=http://www.newsnet5.com/health/9948443/detail.h tml","width=450,height=250");) WILLOUGHBY HILLS, Ohio -- Living with pain can sometimes be unbearable, so what can be done when pills and other medications aren't enough? NewsChannel5's Alicia Scicolone reported that one local doctor may have the answer, and it comes from an unusual source: snails. Dr. Emad Mikhail, of Great Lakes Pain Management in Willoughby Hills, is the first and only doctor in Ohio to use a man-made version of snail venom to help treat patients with chronic pain. Multiple sclerosis patient Vincina Carlo lived on the strongest narcotic pain medication out there, and on the strongest doses allowed. Still, she suffered for years. "It was unbelievable. I couldn't walk. I couldn't do anything. There was no purpose to anything," said Carlo. That was until she found out about a cutting-edge technique using venom from a sea predator called the cone snail. The snail uses its venom to paralyze its prey. The idea with the new procedure is that once the pain starts, the venom stops it in its tracks. Mikhail uses the man-made version of the venom, known as Prialt, in his treatment. "It actually blocks the pain at the level of the spinal cord," said Mikhail. The relief comes with help from a small catheter inserted into the spine. The catheter is hooked up to a pump in the patient's stomach. "We program this pump to deliver this medication to the spinal cord through small doses," said Mikhail. Those controlled doses help make Carlo pain-free. "The minute he injected the medicine, it was an instant stopping of the pain," she said. "There was nothing like it I could describe to you in this world. It just stopped. I couldn't believe it. My life started over again." Prialt was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. For more information, you can contact Mikhail at Great Lakes Pain Management. The number is 440-306-2358.
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