DR. THEO'S PANACEA

By Frederic Golden

If you caught Dr. Jason Theodosakis on PrimeTime Live last week, you saw him working out and scrambling over rocks like a dedicated exercise buff. In fact, Theodosakis, 34, a Tucson, Arizona, physician specializing in preventive and sports medicine, regards himself as a medical miracle. Only a few years ago, he was so lame from arthritis that he had to use crutches and occasionally even a wheelchair.

Theodosakis' TV appearance was part of the media blitz marking publication of his book, The Arthritis Cure (St. Martin's Press; $22.95). With 16 million Americans suffering from the crippling pain of osteoarthritis, it's not surprising that a personable young doctor promising a "cure" would get his minutes of fame. Or that his book's initial printing of 100,000 copies would vanish from the shelves within days.

But how much truth is behind the hype? Dubious arthritis "remedies" in the past have included copper bracelets, bee venom and fish oil. What distinguishes this latest panacea is its mix of generally accepted measures--exercise, balanced diet, weight control, stress reduction--with uncritical advocacy of two over-the-counter dietary supplements available at pharmacies and health-food stores.

Long known to science, these twin medical "miracles"-- glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate--are compounds that occur naturally in the cartilage cushioning the joints. In the body, glucosamine stimulates production of the building blocks of cartilage, while chondroitin sulfate blocks the action of enzymes that break down old cartilage. But can capsules taken orally do the same thing? Some European doctors are convinced they can, and have been using the supplements since the early 1980s to treat osteoarthritis, the common form of arthritis caused by wear and tear (not to be confused with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease). In the U.S. the use of supplements has been limited mostly to treating arthritic dogs and horses.

Enter Dr. Theo, as he likes to call himself. Frustrated by the failure of conventional therapies--ice packs, anti-inflammatory agents and surgery--to relieve his own osteoarthritis, he began looking for alternatives. After only two weeks on the supplements, taken in "synergistic" combination, he felt so much better that he quit anti-inflammatories entirely and started spreading the word among his family and patients. Some pet owners have even begun dosing themselves with pills prescribed for their aging dogs.

Arthritis experts are dubious. "A pure crock," snorts Dr. Gerald Weissmann, head of N.Y.U. Medical Center's rheumatology division. Other doctors point out that it's impossible to separate the effects of the supplements from those of the other steps in Dr. Theo's program. And many are harshly critical of the book's title--noting that there is no known "cure" for osteoarthritis.

There is enough smoke here to merit a closer look, however, and double-blind controlled studies are under way. Meantime, because of a 1994 law that permits supplements to be touted as beneficial without FDA review, thousands of arthritis sufferers will buy Dr. Theo's miracle pills whether they work or not.

--By Frederic Golden