Treatment Protocol Working on my own biofilm protocol

[TJ_Fitz]

I first heard of biofilms just a few years ago. Lately I'd been pondering the possibility that I have some sort of chronic but stealthy infection that is keeping me unwell. I've done quite a lot of looking in that direction (including Lyme testing from a reputable lab) with no results.

My most recent flop came from my latest dental appointment. Many years ago, I'd had a dry socket from a wisdom tooth extraction that was never treated (just closed up on its own), and I though I might have developed a cavitation infection. The panoramic X-rays showed otherwise: lots of solid, healthy bone tissue. Good news, no doubt, but still disappointing to once again NOT have an answer.

I had begun considering the possibility that I simply have something broken in my endogenous anti-inflammatory response. I had lunch yesterday with some friends from my old job, and one of them also had ME/CFS, but she didn't seem to have it anymore, and she had lost 30 lbs to boot! Turns out that she'd had a mycoplasm infection growing in her sinus cavity and around the root of a tooth, and her doctors estimated it had been there 10-20 years. She had a couple of surgeries that cleaned it out, and she's doing much better now, apparently fully recovered.

I don't believe in coincidences in these matters, and felt like hearing about this was a sign that I needed to look into the possibility that I have some chronic biofilm infection somewhere in my body. I don't know where it could be, or what kind of organisms may comprise it, so I'm trying to put together a protocol of herbs and supplements that could work throughout the body on bacteria, fungi, and viruses, as it's possible to have all kinds of pathogens lumped together in a single colony.

If you know of some good sources of information on treating biofilm infections, please reply and share! I'm going to assemble my research in this spreadsheet, which is viewable by anyone:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12OeAphM4U89IFskJOj3Xr4dzAwT6WmjX9lpgsM4v3Gs/

 

[Tammy7]

I'm trying to put together a protocol of herbs and supplements that could work throughout the body on bacteria, fungi, and viruses, as it's possible to have all kinds of pathogens lumped together in a single colony.

Cats Claw.........
Licorice root
Lemon Balm
Monolaurin
Olive leaf
L-lysine
Chaga Mushroom
Reishi Mushroom
Silver Hydrosol
Elderberry
Zinc sulfate

For Biofilm................high Vit. C doses and garlic are two that I am familiar with.

 

[Forebearance]

Have you checked out Dr. Brewer's protocol?
i wish you the best with this challenge!

 

[TJ_Fitz]

Have you checked out Dr. Brewer's protocol?
i wish you the best with this challenge!

I just found and scanned through this thread on our forum:
https://www.healthrising.org/forums/threads/is-anyone-doing-dr-joseph-brewers-protocol.3916/

I wouldn't be surprised if I had a significant fungal infections hiding out somewhere in my body. Like many of us here, I'm quite sensitive to mold, as well as a variety of strong fragrances, chemical fumes, and paper/cardboard dust (which is just another method for delivering toxic chemicals into our very sensitive lung tissue). Moving from very damp eastern NC to very dry Utah has made a significant difference for me.

Honestly, I'd prefer to steer clear of prescription drugs as much as possible, as that requires the involvement of a physician. I have an excellent physician (a nurse practitioner who is herself in recovery from ME/CFS), but I like to do as much as I can do for myself independently. I'm not in the desperate straits I was in a decade ago, so I can afford that luxury.

 

[TJ_Fitz]

Here's what I've done so far. I started on nattokinase, serrapeptase, astragalus, andrographis extract, and ashwagandha last Monday. I am experiencing a mild bit of "healing crisis", but it's bearable. I'd already been taking a quality curcumin supplement, which I highly recommend for inflammation. I also already take licorice root and Siberian ginseng on an as-needed basis for adrenal support (also excellent supplements to use). I haven't purchased any form of nanoparticle silver supplement yet, but I think that is going to be a powerful weapon in this fight. I feel like the andrographis is also an exceptionally powerful herb. It's terribly bitter (why isn't this stuff in capsules instead of tablets???), but it just feels intuitively good for me.

I don't seem to have much in the way of nasal inflammation, but my recovered friend (mentioned in the first post) thinks I have something in one of sinuses. She has a gift of feeling energies in a body, and found an angry sort of energy in the area of my right maxillary sinus. Perhaps I need to figure out how to get some of these herbs into a neti pot solution! That may be a good use for a silver solution...

 

[Forebearance]

I've been using Sovereign Silver colloidal silver spray up my nostrils for years, and also XClear spray.
Before I began using the aerosolized Nystatin, I started using a Himalayan Salt Inhaler. That made a noticeable difference. I'd say it's the next best thing to Nystatin that I've tried. So I'm still doing all those things.

I've heard reports from people about using something called BEG spray, but I haven't used it personally.

 

[Tammy7]

I wouldn't be surprised if I had a significant fungal infections hiding out somewhere in my body

Chaga and Reishi mushroom if you suspect fungal infection. Fungus fighting fungus! Also..........you said you were taking Licorice root for your adrenals..............It is also a very good anti-viral as well as anti-bacterial.

 

[TJ_Fitz]

I've decided that I'm going to treat this situation as a fungal problem for now, but I feel like I should be working on getting fungal (candida?) colonies out of my gut more than anywhere else. I still think that the sinus thing is an issue, but it feels like a less important one for now. I remember years ago trying to self-treat for candida, and learning about how the colonies can literally dig into the wall of the intestine like a root in the ground, creating a serious case of "leaky gut". I knew nothing about biofilms then, so what I did wasn't effective. Hopefully it goes better this time around.

Most of last week, I took two each of nattokinase and serrapeptase twice daily, and it was just TOO MUCH!!! I work full-time (big progress from 10 years ago when I was not working at all!), and as much as I'd like to get this over with ASAP, I have to be able to function in daily living, and I just wasn't able to function well enough at that dose. On Friday, I skipped both enzymes entirely. Friday night/Saturday morning, I slept 12 hours, and felt much, much better throughout the day on Saturday. I resumed the one each, twice daily dose on Saturday, didn't sleep well last night, and today (Sunday) I don't feel well again: muscle weakness, brain fog, and general malaise. I'm going to take one each, once daily this week, morning only, so I don't have to deal with the fallout while trying to rest. I think that will allow for better sleep and recovery between "battles", as well as help me retain a needed level of functional capacity.

With the fungal/candida target in mind, I've ordered a bottle of "Raw Candida Cleanse" from Garden of Life. It contains lysozyme, cellulase, and hemicellulase. I think this will break up the physical biofilm structure even more, and help the other things I'm taking penetrate even deeper, but after the reaction to last week's increased dose, this supplement frankly scares me a little! I'll have to be very careful with it. I may also order their "Fungal Defense" product. I'm not ready to try silver supplements just yet, and I still need to do my research on the long list of possible supplements I can use, those suggested here and those I've found in other research.

Thanks all for your suggestions and feedback. I'll continue updating you when interesting things happen.

 

[Forebearance]

For what it's worth, I spent years taking Virastop and Candidase, both excellent enzyme products.
They were so strong for me that I could only take one every other day (if remember correctly).

After about 5-7 years my stomach started to hurt when I took them, even though I was drinking a tall glass of water with them, so I decided it was time to stop.

 

[TJ_Fitz]

I've never heard of Virastop. Looks like it's now called Enzyme Defense: https://www.iherb.com/pr/enzymedica-enzyme-defense-formerly-virastop-120-capsules/3609

I did well on the new dosage until Monday. Tuesday I left work early, mentally burned out. Yesterday was a little better, and I stuck out the whole day. I was laying in bed last night when it dawned on me that I might need to cut back more. I skipped serrapeptase and nattokinase today. I might just try alternating them, one of each every other day. I really wish I could just take a few weeks off work to push through this at full throttle.

Raw Candida Cleanse supplement came yesterday, but I haven't taken any yet.

 

[TJ_Fitz]

I guess the real limiting factor in how quickly I can push through cleaning up this stuff is how quickly I can detoxify and eliminate the toxic byproducts of the little critters. Clearly, what I'm taking now is having an impact on the pathogens (judging by my symptoms), so now I need to focus on improving my body's ability to quickly eliminate mycotoxins and other poisonous stuff.

I'm already taking standardized silymarin. Does anyone have recommendations for other supplements to help with this process?

 

[Forebearance]

Good job, TJ_in_UT. I'm sure you will figure out a dosage schedule that works for you!
You can tell when you've gotten it right when the supplements make you feel better, not worse.
You are exactly right that a person can only go as fast as s/he can detox the junk that is created by killing things.

I take milk thistle also. I'm about to try a new therapy called Lymph Enhancement Therapy. It uses something called a Lymph Star machine. I think it might help me to flush things out of my body. It's supposed to be gentle and painless. Fingers crossed.

I've heard that some people use a far infrared sauna to help with detox. Of course there's drinking a lot of water and eating or taking a lot of soluble fiber. On the more far-out side, there are coffee enemas. I haven't tried those personally. There is a liver flush that involves drinking a tall glass of water with a spoonful of olive oil and a spoonful of apple cider vinegar in it. (I prefer to eat something with natural fat in it and drink the water with just acv in it.) There is dandelion tea, which is supposed to be good for the liver.

There are all the supplements in the simplified methylation protocol. Some people find that they detox better when they are taking enough vitamin B-12, hydroxycobalamin, and folate.

You can take vitamin C and magnesium to keep the digestive system moving along. It is a good idea to be having at least 3 bowel movements a day if you are detoxing.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head! Maybe other people will remember more things that help with detox.

 

[TJ_Fitz]

I've done quite a bit more research over the weekend on fungal infections/biofilms, and specifically on Candida albicans, its behavior in the intestines, and what makes it troublesome ("virulence"). I've added some important treatment considerations in light of the new information:

(1) inhibit attachment/adhesion to epithelial tissues,
(2) inhibit conversation from yeast form to hyphal form, and
(3) promote reversion from hyphal form to yeast form.

I've also recognized the importance of boosting glutathione production to support the detoxification. NAC is an excellent supplement to boost glutathione production, and is also disruptive to existing biofilms.

I've been amazed at the plethora of reliable, scientific information available! I've just had to figure out the right questions to ask to find it.

 

[TJ_Fitz]

It's been a few weeks, so I figured that an update was in order.

Honestly, I'm still trying to figure out what supplements are doing what. Some supplements, like nattokinase, serrapeptase, and Flora Cleanse (cellulase and hemicellulase), are obviously causing unpleasant reactions. I've decided to put them on the shelf for now. For other supplements, like ALA, NAC, Japanese knotweed, and andrographis, what they're doing for (or to) me is less clear. I don't think the Cowplant (Gymnema sylvestre) is causing die-off reactions, and based on what I know about it, it doesn't seem like it should be, but I'm even being cautious with it.

What IS clear is that the MOST HELPFUL thing I can do is to stay regular, i.e. keep things moving! I need three good BM's per day to feel my best. I believe there are a few good reasons why proper elimination should be a #1 priority: first, some of the overgrowth can be physically swept out of the GI tract with regular BMs; second, the toxic waste products of the yeast don't linger in your gut (and therefore have less time to get into circulation); third, all the toxins filtered out of your blood by your liver are dumped (in a somewhat less toxic form) into your intestines, dissolved in the gall, and so depend on the movement of matter through your intestines to ultimately be eliminated; and lastly, a stagnant, toxic gut is a perfect environment for fungus to thrive and overgrow, but keeping things moving keeps those bugs from getting attached easily.

So far, the only things I've tried so far that I can recommend without reservation are silymarin/milk thistle, and if you're constipated, ground flaxseed. It contains about 2.2 g insoluble fiber and about 1.1 g soluble fiber per tablespoon. Insoluble fiber is what helps thing to move through more quickly, and acts as a sort of push broom for your gut, while soluble fiber actually has a tendency to slow things down a bit but adds bulk to stool and may help feed the beneficial microbes in your gut. Flaxseed also provides healthy lignans and anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats.

I definitely DON'T recommend trying to "starve" the candida. It can eat anything you can eat, and more, and if it isn't getting what is needs from what you eat, it can trigger you own cells to self-destruct so the yeast can then feed on the remains of the dead cells -- an unpleasant and inflammatory process, no doubt. I also think that a direct attack against the candida is unwise if you are still weak and sickly. This organism has the ability to respond to what threatens it in ways that make life unpleasant for you. I believe that convincing it to stand down to yeast form is the best offensive route, so Cowplant is probably going to be the most valuable herb in the arsenal, if you want a relatively painless removal process.

 

[TJ_Fitz]

It's been a couple of months now. For me, this experiment seems to have been a bust. Everything I've done to kill or contain the candida makes me feel worse. Even a single dose of Cowplant leaves me feeling ill for a couple days (I don't know how that's even possible). Having regular BMs is the only thing left that helps. Since that's just a normal bodily function, it doesn't really count as a protocol, so this experiment is over, at least for now.

 

[TJ_Fitz]

I've recently started the Wahl's Protocol diet. I think this has been a good move for me. I've been gluten-free and egg-free before, but I've never gone off dairy, and I can already see that I'm better off staying away from it. I would often have a mini flare-up in the afternoon if I had yogurt for breakfast, and now I seem to feel better in the afternoons.

I'm pretty sure that the Wahl's Protocol is a good move for me, but I feel like it's going to take a few months before I see significant differences because of it, other than eliminating those acute flares from dairy. It seems like a protocol that is geared toward long-term improvement. So I've been wondering what else I can do, and I've been feeling like I need to pick up the anti-candida treatments again. I started back on cowplant last Wednesday (13 Dec 2017) and have been tolerating it well, so I took serrapeptase, nattokinase, NAC, andrographis, and baker's yeast today. I'm probably going to feel pretty rough in a few hours as all that stuff starts working, but maybe I'll tolerate those supplements better now also, and be better able to detox from the die-off.

 

[Tammy7]

I've recently started the Wahl's Protocol diet. I think this has been a good move for me. I've been gluten-free and egg-free before, but I've never gone off dairy, and I can already see that I'm better off staying away from it. I would often have a mini flare-up in the afternoon if I had yogurt for breakfast, and now I seem to feel better in the afternoons.

I've also been gluten free, egg-free,..........also dairy free for at least a couple of years now. I notice that when I start cheating too much..........I definitely start feeling aches and pains.......and more sluggish. I cheated big time a couple of weeks ago.......and allowed myself a desert that was basically eggs and dairy. I was up all night throwing up with stomach cramps.

I encourage you to stick with the diet. It really does make a difference.

Tip: I would stay away from bakers yeast. Curious why you are taking that?

 

[TJ_Fitz]

I seem to be tolerating the anti-candida supplements better now than I did the last time around, perhaps because I'm starting at a lower level of systemic inflammation(?). But I'm still feeling a "down" from taking them.

I've also been gluten free, egg-free,..........also dairy free for at least a couple of years now. I notice that when I start cheating too much..........I definitely start feeling aches and pains.......and more sluggish. I cheated big time a couple of weeks ago.......and allowed myself a desert that was basically eggs and dairy. I was up all night throwing up with stomach cramps.

I encourage you to stick with the diet. It really does make a difference.

Tip: I would stay away from bakers yeast. Curious why you are taking that?

Oh, that is an awful reaction! At least it leaves you without any doubt. ;-)

It seems that I misspoke. What I'm taking is S. boulardii, not baker's yeast (S. cerevisiae). Boulardii inhibits the adhesion of C. albicans to the lining of the gut, so taking it can help prevent the establishment of new Candida growths, and I hope that it helps to detach existing ones.
https://academic.oup.com/femsyr/article/9/8/1312/520904
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1574-6968.2010.02037.x/full

 

[pbyr]

Lactoferrin - or lactoferrin with xylitol. Lactoferrin is the only product that helped and did an excellent job. Lactoferrin is naturally produced and one of its job is preventing biofilm formation. Caution must be taken when using, take it slow.

 

[TJ_Fitz]

Lactoferrin - or lactoferrin with xylitol. Lactoferrin is the only product that helped and did an excellent job. Lactoferrin is naturally produced and one of its job is preventing biofilm formation. Caution must be taken when using, take it slow.

I came across this when I was originally doing my research but never did try it. I'll have to consider it!