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The number one page that draws people to my
www.alternative-doctor.com website is the one on parasites.
Despite the ugly creepy notion of other animals living in you and
living off you (as food), wise individuals feel the need to know
about the risks and the treatment options.
Unfortunately, parasites are not taken seriously enough in the
West. Doctors are remiss in considering the problem is a concern
only in Third World countries. So much so that one hospital
pathologist sent me a very nasty e-mail accusing me of making
money by exaggerating the problem –she never found many parasites
in samples referred to her lab, she sneered. I pointed out that I
was not selling anything and didn’t take any commissions – but
suggested she was rather overpaid, since she was clearly missing
diagnosis after diagnosis. I never heard from her again.
The fact is that hospital labs are notoriously inept at picking
up parasites – a mixture of laziness, bad technique and in-bred
culture that doesn’t think there is anything to find anyway. You
need to deal with a reputable lab with someone good at screening
samples.
So how common is this problem?
That’s where you are going to be shocked. Dr William P. Stuppy, a
Harvard trained gastroenterologist and pathologist gave a paper at
the 2006 Annual Scientific Meeting of The American College of
Gastroenterology with some worrying figures. For people with
abdominal complaints, even mild, or just fatigue, sleeplessness
and vague rashes, he was finding parasites. Lots of ‘em.
In fact he found that among 672 patients, they shared a total of
2210 parasite infections. That means some individuals had 2 or
more parasites.
The critters he found were as follows:
Cryptosporidium parvum 243
Amoeba histolytica 213
Helicobacter pylori 212
Giardia lamblia 163
Clostridium difficile 114 (related to gangrene and botulism)
Blastocystis hominis 41
Ascaris lumbricoides, a common and vicious roundworm 64
Taenia soleum, the pork tapeworm 32
Trichinella spiralis, the pork tissue worm that literally crawls
through you, 23
It is interesting that Cryptosporidium is the commonest and
affects 1/3rd of patients. 5% had the pork tapeworm, which can be
pretty gruesome. The first sign some patients have of its presence
is a wriggling strap that flops from the anus.
The important point of the study is that it shows that nasty
parasites are a common cause in anyone with gastrointestinal
complaints that check out negative on endoscopy and all the usual
tests. I would add fatigue of all kinds, including Lyme’s and
fibromyalgia. I used to find lots of these animals in my allergy
practice back in the UK. An individual can become allergic to
the parasites they are carrying, making the picture sometimes
very complex.
Stuppy used a very simple saliva test, for estimating parasites
load. This technique, run by Diagnos-Techs lab, in Washington,
gives an accurate measure of IgG and IgA antibodies against these
varied organisms (www.diagnostechs.com). It’s non-invasive and
does not even require an office visit. These tests are available
through your care provider and are relatively cheap, compared to
blood work and stool samples – though these may also be
recommended to establish a fuller diagnosis. Just remember my
caution about hospital labs and their skills with a microscope!
You would be better to send your samples to a good lab and I
recommend:
Institute of Parasitic Diseases
Diagnostic Laboratory
3530 E. Indian School Road, Suite 3
Phoenix, Arizona 85018
602-955-4211
The Director at the Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Dr. Omar
M. Amin, was a Professor of Parasitic Epidemiology at the
University of Wisconsin and currently is Professor of Parasitology
at Arizona State University. He has over 100 major articles published
in journals in human parasitic infection.
Other labs you might like to consider
are:
Genova Diagnostics (formerly Great Smokies Laboratory)
63 Zillicoa Street
Asheville, NC 28801
USA
828 253-0621
The Center for the Improvement of Human Functioning
3100 North HIllside Ave.
Wichita, Kansas 67219
800-447-7276
Medical Diagnostic Laboratory
3250 Westchester Ave.
Bronx, New York 10461
212-828-1500
What to do?
The first thing I teach patients is that “treatment” is not about
killing parasites; that comes into it but proper treatment is
about terrain. If you are a walk-in territory for parasites, you
had better fix yourself up so they have a rough time and cannot
easily survive. The single biggest item I ever found for terrain
problems (applies to Candida too) was heavy metal toxicity.
Mercury is the worst offender, of course, but there are others:
arsenic, lead (big problem), aluminum and chromium, to name a few.
Then comes xenobiotic chemicals, such as benzene, phthalates,
toluene and xylene. So parasites are really a mixed message –
you’ve got them but you’ve also got other problems too.
You need to fix these terrain problems. We’ll unfold the personal
pollution story in this newsletter, as we go along. You’ll become
expert at it. Meantime get some Chlorella and I urge you to
consider “Beyond Chelation” from www.Longevityplus.com. It
chelates heavy metals but has many other health benefits, such
as prevention of cardiovascular disasters. It thins the blood
and prevents clotting as well as heparin or warfarin but without
the hazards.
Meanwhile there are a number of recognized holistic alternatives
for cleansing parasites. My own favorite is “Natural Cleanse” from
Ancient Herbal remedies in the UK. 60 capsules costs £GBP22.95
(around $USD40).
Ingredients: Green Hull Black Walnut (husks), (Juglans regia L.)
Cloves (flower) (Eugenia caryophyllata), Pumpkin Seed (Cucurbita
pepo L.), Gentian Root (Gentiana Lutea L.), Hyssop (leaves) (Hyssopus
officinalis L.), Black Seed (Nigella sativa), Wild Peppermint
Leaves (Mentha x piperita), Thyme Leaf (Thymus Vulgaris L.),
Fennel Seed (Foeniculum vulgare), Grapefruit Seed (Citrus paradise
Macf.), Oregano (Origanum vulgare).
Natural Cleanse is a 500-year old remedy, well tried and tested to
work against parasites. It also has strong anti-fungal properties
and is used to assist with the elimination of moulds, fungi and
yeasts, including Candida albicans. Acting as a scavenger in the
bloodstream, Natural Cleanse uses taste, texture and heat to
create an inhospitable environment for parasites to exist. This
explains its broad spectrum application for the many different
parasite groups. Natural Cleanse is recommended over a minimum
four month period in order to catch parasites in all their stages
of development. It is a safe program for adults, children and
animals.
To order Natural Cleanse go to www.resourcesforlife.net
You may need colostrum and probiotics, as part of a campaign
against dysbiosis; remember I referred to its immune properties
briefly in the last issue. Dr Stuppy recommends Saccharomyces
boulardii (250 mgm) and colostrum (960 mgm), by mouth, twice
a day, for two weeks. This shifted the organism Clostridium
difficile which, as its name implies, is a dog to get rid of.
Specific therapy
In his definitive study Dr Stuppy found one treatment, above all
others, was over 98% effective against all the above listed
pathogens. That was Alinia (generic nitazoxanide). In fact his hit
rate was as follows:
Cryptosporidium parvum, reduced by 99%,
Amoeba histolytica, down by 100%,
Giadria lamblia, 98%
Blastocystis hominis, 96%
Ascaris lumbricoides, 90% (difficult one, that)
Clostridium difficile, down 100%,
T. solium, 100%
T. spiralis, 100%
In other words it is highly effective in treating/eradicating
gastrointestinal pathogens; this includes parasites, helminths,
protozoa, and pathologic bacteria.
Alinia is available on prescription in the US (around $18 a
capsule) but I feel bound to point out you can get the generic
compound (nitazoxanide) in Mexico far cheaper!
The dosage Dr Stuppy used was 1 gram, twice daily, for two weeks.
This is heavy medication.
I’d like to recommend my subscribers use it rather differently, as
a “worming pill”, just like we do for cats and dogs. Take 1 gram,
twice a day, for 3 days. Repeat every 6 months. But don’t forget
to fix the terrain, otherwise it will all come back!
In conclusion, I would recommend
parasite testing for the following:
Inflammatory bowel disease
Chronic loose stool or constipation
Fat, grain, and food intolerance
School & pool associated GI problems
Chronic abdominal discomfort/pain
Chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia
Excessive eating pattern/Anorexia
Post travel loose stool/diarrhea
Sudden changes in bowel habits
Bloating, maldigestion, heartburn
Excess gas and flatulence
Chronic skin conditions
Hyperactivity
Poor sleeping habits
Frequent travel within US and/or overseas
Frequent eating outside the home
The sexually promiscuous
Food handlers - to protect others
Institutionalized individuals
Uniformed services
Dormitory Residents - common quarters
Children that go to daycare centers
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