Unusual therapy success for stroke victim

• Tweet

OKLAHOMA CITY, June 13 (UPI) -- An Oklahoma man who suffered a stroke three years ago responded to an unconventional use of an anti-inflammatory drug he received last year, his doctor says.

In November, Bill Williams of Midwest City, Okla., was Dr. Edward Tobinick's first stroke patient to try a shot of Enbrel, a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating rheumatoid arthritis. Tobinick developed a patented process of administering the anti-inflammatory drug and has been using it off-label on Alzheimer's patients for years, and for back pain and sciatica patients for a decade, The (Oklahoma City) Oklahoman said.

Before the shot, Williams had no sensation in his face and couldn't move his right arm very well, recite the alphabet, easily walk or dial the phone, said his wife, Dana Williams, and documented in a video taken by Tobinick's staff. Soon after the treatment, Williams sang "Happy Birthday." He placed his right arm around his wife and the two danced.

For the first time in three years he told his wife, "I love you," The Oklahoman said.

"We have only seen good come of it," Dana Williams said.

Bill Williams received a second injection 22 days later after the first. Tobinick said his patient's speech seemed clearer and he could move his right wrist better.

In an interview with The Oklahoman, Williams said he feels different now:

"I feel alive."