William Hitt Center?

[Daryl]

A good friend of mine has been diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis). The treatment that his MD recommends is very expensive (around US$30,000 per year) and has significantly unpleasant side effects.

My friend heard about the "Hitt Center", run by William Hitt, in Tijuana, Mexico and has gone there for "alternative" treatment. Apparently the treatment involves infusing ozone into the patients blood, among other things.

This sounds very suspicious to me. A little research on the web brought up accusations that Mr Hitt had faked his medical degrees, and that he has been sued for fraud, but I was unable to substantiate these accusations.

I wonder if anyone has heard of William Hitt or the Hitt Center, or this ozone treatment. I want to understand if this is "Flim-Flam" or valid medical treatment.

Thanks.
Daryl

[Kopji]

http://www.listener.co.nz/default,862,836,1.sm
...Big problem. The trip was to meet "Dr William Hitt, a brilliant 76-year-old Nobel Prize-winning American medical doctor and researcher who provides remarkable treatment for people who suffer from allergies and asthma. In one week of treatment," writes Gray, "symptoms are reported to vanish, and after a few weeks, to a great extent they are gone forever!"

California attorney Jenelle C Prins, who has investigated Hitt, reports that "William Hitt does not have any undergraduate or medical degrees. In 1987 he was sued by the State of Texas, Case No 87 27882, for fraudulent practices. In sworn documents filed with the court, he admitted that he had no degrees of any type (except for one from what Hitt called 'a paper mill', known as Walden College)." Prins reports that the University of Colorado, where Hitt once claimed to have been awarded an MD in 1952, "has no record of him".

And what of that Nobel Prize? Hitt claims to have won the Nobel Peace Prize while a member of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. This is false, she says.

"The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War corresponded with me and stated that Hitt had never been a member. Hitt has recently changed his story to say he was a member of the Mexican delegation to the International Physicians et al, but I checked this claim as well and it is also false."

Hitt claims to have won a "prestigious Eli Lily Award and several other awards. "I called Eli Lily and spoke with a woman there who researched Hitt's claim," says Prins. "First, Eli Lilly does not give out a prize. They do, however, provide grants, but no grant was ever awarded to Hitt."

"We learnt of his falsity when one of my clients returned from treatment for Hepatitis C in Mexico," says Prins. "When she went to her regular doctor to check her viral load, her levels were higher than when she went to Mexico." Prins says that in this and several other cases, "Hitt doctored test results"...


I'd at least get a second opinion, even about the original $30k a year "treatments". There is no cure for MS.

[materia3]

There are well established, FDA approved treatments for MS and you dont have to visit Mexico to get them. They are known as "ABCs of MS Treatment."

Avonex, Betaseron, and Copaxone--the "ABCs" of MS treatment--have revolutionized the treatment of multiple sclerosis. As with the treatment of any disease, there are pros and cons to each medication. There is also an investigational new drug worn as a patch which controls MS symptoms known as PROCARIN which is made by a one special FDA approved formulating pharmacy in the U.S. I have a friend with MS who you wouldn't know has it thanks to earlier treatment with the ABCs; she is now on Procarin.

Your friend needs to establish contact with "msnet" and the MS Society and find herself a neurologist experienced in treating MS.
http://www.msnet.org/

She needs to read up on avonex, betaseron (beta interferon) and the non-interferon drug copaxone. She needs to look at Procarin down the road and discuss all these options with her neurologist. But she should forget about going to Mexico.

Ozone is toxic. It is a highly reactive form of oxygen that oxidizes everything and anything rapidly. I seriously doubt they are actually putting ozone directly into the blood and this sounds like one of any number of schemes or scams if you prefer, some of which involve pumping ozonated water into the body via enemas and similar ridiculous and untested treatments. Ozone is valuable for killing bacteria and maybe even viruses in the environment-- in water, the air and on surfaces but infusing it into the bloodstream of a living organism is like trying to kill a virus with a sledge hammer.

[Anders]

Originally posted by Kopji
[snip]...Big problem. The trip was to meet "Dr William Hitt, a brilliant 76-year-old Nobel Prize-winning American medical doctor and researcher who ... [snip]
Well, that was easy to look up, Willian Hitt has never recived a Nobel Prize from the hands of the Swedish King!
[Edited to add:]
Oops, that was already in the first response.

[ktesibios]

In sworn documents filed with the court, he admitted that he had no degrees of any type (except for one from what Hitt called 'a paper mill', known as Walden College

OT, but isn't Walden College where Mike Doonesbury and his friends went to school? ;)

[Daryl]

Thanks to everyone for the responses.

These are generally the same accusations I came up with when I searched the web. The magazine article from New Zealand referenced in the first reply by Kopji is the only source I found with some credentials. The other accusations could have been from anybody, perhaps with an axe to grind.

Howerver, I have an update of my own. My friend went to see William Hitt while he was at the clinic to receive his daily infusion, and presented him with these accusations (e.g. no degree, no Nobel prize, people leaving the clinic sicker than when they arrived). Mr Hitt promptly told him that his treatment was finished and that he should leave, which he did. Perhaps Mr. Hitt is an honorable man, and his honor was offended...

Materia3, thanks. I will make sure my friend is aware of your input on established treatments.

Daryl