Chronic Disease Group discussion
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Why Can't I Get Better? Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease
Dr. Horowitz's Wisdom
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Chapter 8: Discussion and Summary
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I have been told since I have a homozygous MTHFR mutation to be very cautious when it comes to chelation as my body does not detox well. Slow and low is the right path so far for me.
I currently detox by taking an epsom salt bath 2-3x per week, lemon water, glutathione, along with a shelf of supplements from my ND. My husband and I are seriously considering buying an infrared sauna.
Oh wow, I should take that test (the Cyrex). I definitely have chemical sensitivities. I have allergic contact dermatitis and allergies to various preservatives found in a lot of cosmetics. I had to be patch tested by a dermatologist to find this out. I wonder if and how it's linked to the Lyme. Maybe my immune system hit a certain threshold.I have a C677T heterozygous mutation. I take methyl B folate and methyl B12 and a supplement called HistDao.
My doctor wants me to do these detox IDs that involve some chelation but I'm feeling a little nervous. It's called the Garcia Protocol.
I can't do sauna because the heat flares my rosacea. I've seen portable saunas if you are interested in ine of those. There's a picture of one in this post by a blogger I know. She does Paleo/AIP recipes also. http://lemonsnlyme.wordpress.com/2014...
Oh, and thanks again for your great chapter notes. Weirdly, I had a histamine reaction to a glutathione IV. I wonder what else was in there. I got dizzy and had to rest. No idea. My body is wacky!
Discussion Questions:
1. How do you detox? When you detox, have you experienced any improvement in symptoms?
2. Do you currently take Glutathione? If not, will you consider it after reading this chapter?
3. As you continue reading through Dr. Horowitz's book, how do you feel about his MSIDS approach?
Summary:
• As we saw in Chapter 7, heavy metals can greatly add to the complexity of MSIDS and is crucial to address toxicity and detoxification for patients. The common heavy metals that humans are exposed to are mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium, and aluminum.
• The effects of neurotoxins on individuals depends on these four variable: the patient’s total load of toxins, their nutritional status, immune function, and the status of their detoxification pathways.
• These toxins are in our environment from our food supply, air and rain water to the flame retardant chemicals processed into our couches and clothing. These toxins have spread worldwide and can be found in the breast milk of women in California to Eskimo women living far the sources of these toxins.
• These environmental toxins are so important because their effects can mimic just about every medical condition found. Symptoms range from tinnitus, headaches, fibromyalgia symptoms, fatigue with chronic fatigue syndrome, memory loss, psychiatric symptoms with mood swings, panic attacks, and learning disorders.
• Integrating detoxification may be critical in treating chronic illnesses of the twenty-first-century.
• We also create our own toxins internally that can cause devastating neurological symptoms. Quinolinic acid is one of these is involved with degeneration in diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, ALS, Huntington's disease, MS, and Alzheimer’s disease. Lyme patients also have been known to show increased levels of quinolinic acid possibly playing a role in cognition and mood disorders.
• Although all of us are exposed not all of us with experience problems with toxins for a variety of reasons. Sometimes its genetics, total load of toxins or ability to detoxify that can determine whether a person experiences medical problems from their toxin exposures.
• Toxins increase oxidative stress, which can further drive cytokine production and inflammation, and penetrate into the nerves of the brain resulting in neurological dysfunction.
• Dr. Horowitz pays close attention to how toxins absorbed by a mother can affect her fetus in utero. Studies are now finding an association between a mother’s mercury levels and the child’s increased risk for impulsivity and hyperactivity.
• Removing heavy metals, also known as chelation, should be individualized and based on the patient’s levels of heavy metals. Dr. H does not use IV chelation, but oral DMSA with EDTA suppositories if high levels of lead are present. DMSA should be started in a low dose to test for tolerance. Patients can experience a range of responses, but even if no clinical shift in symptoms occurs it is still valuable to chelate.
• There are four main ways to remove unwanted chemicals and toxic substances from the body: sweating them out through the skin; clearing them out of the colon; transforming them in the liver to less toxic substances; and eliminating them through our kidneys.
• Glutathione has been shown to help the liver detoxify and decrease Jarisch-Herxheimer reactions. “The metabolic function of glutathione include DNA synthesis and repair, protein synthesis, and the synthesis of prostaglandins, a type of chemical messenger involved in regulating inflammation, sensitizing neurons to pain, causing constriction or dilation in vascular smooth muscle cells, and controlling hormone regulation and cell growth.” P.228
• Detoxification through infrared saunas, nutritional fiber, probiotic supplementation, occasional colon cleanses, drinking 2-3 liters of water daily, and using a high-quality protein combined with essential amino acids, herbs and supplements.