I just thought it would be of interest since there is a cross-over with this herb & treatment of babesia.
I will post more when I have a chance... There are alot of facets & cross-references to this concept of using artemesia.
Maybe other people here can add to this? Also, there are specifics in using artemesia that I'm not sure if people/doctors recognize.
Like interactions with other supplements, drugs - which supplements enhance it's use - why people need to take breaks from using artemesia - side effects of the various compounds (they all have different properties) - usage with drugs, etc.
It's a pretty exhaustive topic & very worthwhile - IMHO...
Traditional Chinese medicine commands a unique position among all traditional medicines because of its 5000 years of history. Our own interest in natural products from traditional Chinese medicine was triggered in the 1990s, by artemisinin-type sesquiterpene lactones from Artemisia annua L. As demonstrated in recent years, this class of compounds has activity against malaria, cancer cells, and schistosomiasis.
Interestingly, the bioactivity of artemisinin and its semisynthetic derivative artesunate is even broader and includes the inhibition of certain viruses, such as human cytomegalovirus and other members of the Herpesviridae family (e.g., herpes simplex virus type 1 and Epstein-Barr virus), hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and bovine viral diarrhea virus.
Analysis of the complete profile of the pharmacological activities and molecular modes of action of artemisinin and artesunate and their performance in clinical trials will further elucidate the full antimicrobial potential of these versatile pharmacological tools from nature.
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My note-
Some people feel that it will prove to be helpful for XMRV as well.
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sparkle7
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FYI - Dr. Cs protocol (from a message board for CFS)
50 mg Artesunate PO (orally) on T, Th, and Sat, and Wormwood Elixir (iHerb) at 1/2 teaspoon in water swish and spit on M, W, F.
No problems so far, he reports good antiviral activity, and good effects on redox problems as well as abolition of diastolic dysfunction--in conjunction with CSFs and Gut mods (unspecified).
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This may need to be modified for babesia treatment.
Some people also like to stop for a while to left the liver detox. Dr. C does testing for liver issues while people are on this protocol but so far - there have not been any problems as reported by people on the message board.
I thought the "swish & spit" part of the protocol was interesting. I haven't tried any of this, yet.
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sparkle7
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I also read in a doctor who I can't mention here's book that vitamin A increases the beneficial activities of artesunate.
There are also studies that butyrate also increases the beneficial activity of artemesia in breast cancer. I'll post the study when I get a chance.
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GiGi
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sparkle7
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FYI -
Sweet annie (Artemisia annua) is also known as Chinese wormwood or sweet wormwood. Although it is in the same genus as both wormwood (absinthe, Artemisia absinthium) and mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), each of these herbs have different uses and should not be confused.
For more than 1,500 years, sweet annie tea was used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat fevers, although the herb fell out of favor for a few centuries (1; 2; 3; 4). In 1970, a TCM handbook from the 5th Century was discovered and stimulated interest in sweet annie. Although originally used to treat fevers, sweet annie was not used specifically for malaria.
Sweet annie's main active constituent is artemisinin, which has shown rapid antimalarial activity in humans, especially when used as an adjuvant with standard antimalarial drugs (5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13). Derivatives of artemisinin, including arteether, artemether, artemotil, artenimol, artesunate, and dihydroartemisinin, are also currently being used to treat drug-resistant and non-drug resistant malaria (1; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 21; 22; 23; 24). Although much clinical research has been dedicated to artemisinin and its derivatives, only a few clinical studies are currently available that use Artemisia annua to treat malaria (25; 26).
Considered a weed by some, the plant can be grown in many climates, and a simple and effective preparation of Artemisia annua could be a much-needed, inexpensive, convenient weapon against malaria (27). In addition to its promise in treating malaria, preliminary evidence indicates that sweet annie may have potential as an antineoplastic (18; 28; 29; 30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35) and an antiviral (36). However, high quality clinical trials are needed in these areas before sweet annie can be recommended.
Synergistic cytotoxicity of artemisinin and sodium butyrate on human cancer cells. Singh NP, Lai HC.
BACKGROUND: Butyric acid is a short chain fatty acid produced by large bowel bacterial flora. It serves as an antiinflammatory agent and nutrient for normal colon cells. Butyric acid has also been shown to induce apoptosis in colon and many other cancer cells.
Artemisinin is a compound extracted from the wormwood Artemisia annua L. It has been shown to selectively kill cancer cells in vitro and to be effective in treating animal and human cancer.
We and others have found that the artemisinin analog, dihydroartemisinin (DHA), kills cancer cells by apoptosis. In the present study, the efficacy of a combined treatment of DHA and butyric acid at low doses in killing cancer cells was investigated.
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CONCLUSION: DHA in combination with butyric acid acts synergistically at low doses. The combination may provide a less toxic, inexpensive and effective cancer chemotherapy.
sparkle7
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Artesunate suppositories
Artesunate suppositories are used for the treatment of malaria. Artesunate is an antimalarial water-soluble derivative of dihydroartemisinin.
Artemisinins are sesquiterpene lactones isolated from Artemisia annua, a Chinese traditional medicine.
The risk of death from severe malaria is largely dependent on the time lag between the onset of symptoms and treatment. Rapid access to effective treatment is therefore essential. For many patients, readily available oral drugs cannot be taken because of their symptoms (e.g. vomiting, convulsions, coma), and hospitals providing alternative, non-oral treatment are often inaccessible.
The drug artesunate, given in suppository form, provides a potential solution to this problem: it can be made available in remote areas and thus can be given at the onset of symptoms.
Artesunate is one of a number of artemisinin derivatives discovered and developed by Chinese scientists and registered in China in the 1980s. Since the 1990s, UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) supported studies to assess the properties of the drug.
There were already indications that artesunate, given rectally, was effective in severe malaria. Significant work with artemisinin suppositories in severe malaria was conducted in Viet Nam in the early 1990s, [1,2,3] and clinical trials of rectal artesunate followed by mefloquine treatment in moderately severe malaria were conducted in Thailand.[4,5]
A major placebo-controlled clincal trial published in 2009 found "If patients with severe malaria cannot be treated orally and access to injections will take several hours, a single inexpensive artesunate suppository at the time of referral substantially reduces the risk of death or permanent disability." [6]
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Comparison of artemisinin suppositories with intravenous artesunate and intravenous quinine in the treatment of cerebral malaria
Tran Tinh Hien1, Keith Arnold2, Ha Vinh1, Bui Minh Cuong1, Nguyen Hoan Phu1, Tran Thi Hong Chau1, Nguyen Thi Mong Hoa1, Ly Van Chuong1, Nguyen Thi Hoang Mai1, Nguyen Ngoc Vinh1, Tran Thi My Trang1
Received 29 August 1991; received in revised form 3 October 1991; accepted 3 October 1991.
Abstract
Seventy-nine comatose cerebral malaria patients given standard supportive treatment were randomized to receive specific antimalarial chemotherapy of intravenous quinine, intravenous artesunate, or artemisinin suppositories.
Artesunate and artemisinin reduced peripheral asexual parasitaemia significantly more rapidly than quinine (90% clearance time 16 h, 18�9 h and 34�5 h respectively), but did not significantly reduce the duration of coma or mortality.
The rapid lowering of peripheral parasitaemia may not ameliorate complications already present.
These results demonstrate that artemisinin suppositories are as effective as artesunate and quinine given intravenously, and have economic and practical advantages for the treatment of severe malaria in areas remote from major medical centres.
However, large numbers of patients will need to be studied if differences in mortality between the 3 treatment groups are to be demonstrated.
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sparkle7
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The first patient I saw in Germany with an enormous parasite was Italian. He had a bulging brain tumor. He had been the regional director for East Africa for PanAm and was also on the first flight to Chernobyl after that incident.
He was the last surviving member of the relief team that went to Chernobyl and all the others had died of brain tumors. His name was Julian and his condition was very advanced.
The parasites were huge and I watched one of them for many hours to try to understand its behavior. I asked Julian's wife if I could have a look at her blood and she had the same type of parasite but had not been on the mission to Chernobyl.
Later, there was another patient, Annegret, a member of the German equestrian Olympic team, very tall, and rather remarkable looking.
She had ovarian cancer and a terminal prognosis. I found the same kind of parasite and looked at her and said, "These parasites speak Swahili, have you been to Nairobi?" She said, "I lived in Mombasa for 12 years."
I became more and more interested and found that this particular one is famous for hanging out in the genitalia between midnight and 2 am, but then they leave and look for food elsewhere.
You can see them in ultrasounds, but only during those hours. Her MRIs and CT scans were clear, but the cancer markers were off the charts.
She had lymphatic swelling so I called the Foeldi Clinic. They said this was metastatic lymphedema and I said, "Okay, but why is it sometimes the right leg and sometimes the left." Dr. Foeldi was very courteous and said, "Dr. Naiman, you are right, she should go to the School of Tropical Medicine in Wurzburg, not our clinic."
If someone has cancer, they don't usually believe they have a parasite infection, but when I tried to engage Dr. Lai, one of the two researchers from UW who reported on Qing Hao, he also could not believe that a parasite was contributing to what they believed to be cancer.
However, what he told me was that Artemisinin only works sometimes, not in every case. Yes, of course, because not all cancers are parasitic but some are.
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GiGi
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Sparkle, if you run into the source for artemisinin suppositories, please post. So far I am making them myself (not for me!). I have not had time to really search yet and I know they are out there somewhere.
Thank you.
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sparkle7
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The parent plant that the active compound comes from is called artemesia annua L.
There are other forms of the herb wormwood such as Artemisia absinthium (absinth sagewort or common wormwood) but they do not contain the active artemisinin compound. Even subspecies of Artemesia annua may contain different concentrations of artemisinin. The subspecia that gives the highest yield (~0.4%) is found in southwestern China and Vietnam.
Various analogs of artemisinin have been developed and targeted towards treating malaria and the research on their absorption, stability and toxicity have been based on dosages and forms for this illness. New derivatives may be developed that may prove to be more efficacious for use against cancer cells.
Several semi-synthetic derivatives of artemisinin have been developed in efforts to increase absorption, stability, and reduce toxicity. Although there are several other derivatives available, only the three forms that are presently being used by physicians will be discussed: artemisinin, artesunate and artemether.
All three of the forms are broken down at various rates in the body into several metabolites, the principle one being dihydroartemisinin (DHA). All three forms are absorbed fairly quickly after oral intake, but each reaches a peak concentration and has effects that last different lengths of time. All three forms will go through the blood brain barrier to some degree, but the fat-soluble form has superior absorption into the brain.
[Note: While reviewing some clinical studies on absorption of the various forms it quickly became apparent that the figures for absorption and the length of time the compounds are active in the blood stream vary considerably depending upon which literature is read. Sources are provided for the reader to be able to review the various statements.]
Artemisinin is the active natural extract from the herb. It is not at all water-soluble and has poorer absorption than some other forms. It is quickly absorbed and reaches its peak concentration in the blood within 40 minutes. This form is broken down very quickly into its metabolites in the liver and excreted somewhat quickly, but still has some metabolic effects for as long as four hours. Human studies have shown this form to have a somewhat poor and erratic absorption, although it is the preferred form of some doctors. (see: www.Subud-health.org/page37-malariaindepth.html)
Artemisinin is often given in a suppository form with children with malaria, which extends its activity before being metabolized, although rectal absorption of this compound is still somewhat poor. In suppository form it is first dissolved in fatty substances in the body or proteins and then absorbed into the body.
Artemisinin is the form that is being marketed through herbal sources. Unfortunately, some of the herbal sources that have been tested have been found to have very low activity, only 5% to 10%.
A 500 mg capsule that has only 5% to 10% activity will only provide 25 to 50 mg of active compound, which may be too low to obtain any results. A 100 mg capsule with 100% activity will be far more effective.
Artesunate is a semi-synthetic form that is more water-soluble. This form tends to break down easily when being stored in hot climates, which is certainly a consideration for treating malaria. All the artemisinin compounds are light-sensitive; they decompose when exposed to light.
One study found that when the pH (acid or alkaline state) of the stomach was more acid the rate of conversion of oral artesunate into its metabolite dihydroartemisinin was increased. This study indicated that some portion of the DHA that is formed within minutes in an acidic stomach environment is absorbed directly. The remaining amount of the parent compound artesunate that makes it to the blood stream will be converted to DHA and other metabolites more slowly in the more alkaline environment of the blood plasma. (see: study at: www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2210/1/12)
One study reported that the absorption of artesunate is about 61%, and it has the shortest activity period in the body of the three forms.
Some sources claim that artesunate is the most active form, but this has not been proven.
Artemether is a semi-synthetic, more fat-soluble form that is the longest lasting in the blood stream. Due to the fat-soluble nature of this compound, it passes more readily through the blood brain barrier. It is also metabolized fairly rapidly to dihydroartemisinin (DHA), and blood tests show that after 6 hours the DHA metabolite has higher plasma concentrations than the parent compound artemether. (see:: www.arenco.be/docu11.htm)
Dr. Lai speculates that longer acting compounds such as artemether may be better for cancer treatment. Taking the drug two times a day, 12 hours apart, keeps some in the blood stream all the time. He points out that artemisinin derivatives were originally developed to treat malaria.
The malaria parasite is cyclical and the dosing schedules that were developed to blast the parasites are different than what is needed for controlling the cancer cell. The cancer cells in a tumor do not divide all at the same time; therefore he believes it is best to have some of the compound in the blood stream for longer periods of time.
Various Oral Dosages Used
The exact best dosage schedule has yet to be determined. Physicians report mostly using artemisinin derivatives in the amount of 1 to 2 mgs per kilogram of body weight, once or twice a day. A kilogram is 2.2 lbs. Using the doctor suggested formula of 1 mg/kg of body weight, a 160 lb. person would weigh 72.7 kgs and might be prescribed 70 mg of artemisinin derivatives.
Some people have used higher dosages to obtain their results. The woman with a stage-IV breast cancer who was back to work in four months, used 3 to 4 mg/kg of body weight as her daily dosage for a short time. The woman in Africa with the tongue tumor also used a higher amount for a week. Higher dosages may be neurotoxic after long-term use or may cause heart problems (read toxicity info below).
Dr. Singh has suggested that a person of 65 kg (145 lb.) might take a combination of a 100 mg capsule of artemisinin, a 60 mg capsule of artesunate and a 40 mg capsule of artemether once a day at bedtime with a glass of milk. He also writes that the correct dosage for a specific person needs to be determined on an individual basis.
Although Dr. Singh personally believes that taking all three forms of artemisinin at the same time once a day is the most effective treatment protocol, at present there is no substantiating research to verify this viewpoint.
As mentioned above, Dr. Lai believes it is preferable to use only the long-lasting form of artemether and take it twice a day.
It can be stated that people have obtained significant results using various forms and various dosages, and that the final determination on how these derivatives are most effective has not been determined yet.
On an Empty Stomach
The research professors and the physicians are all in agreement that these derivatives need to be taken on an empty stomach away from food, so that it will not interact with the iron in the food. In the evening this would mean at least two or more hours after the last meal.
Dr. Singh has suggested taking it with a glass of milk and Dr. Rowen in his article says that he has his patients take it with cod liver oil and conjugated linoleic acid. The artemether form is fat-soluble and the artesunate is partly fat-soluble, so taking it with fatty acids will probably assist its absorption.
Intestinal Absorption & Resistance
One study found that simultaneous consumption of concentrated grapefruit juice increased the absorption of artemisinin derivatives. Although this may seem like an inexpensive way to increase the dose of these compounds, it may deter the effectiveness of the therapy in a different way.
Grapefruit juice contains antioxidants that may slow down the free radical action of the artemisinin compounds in the cancer cell. Dr. Lai suggests just taking more derivatives rather than relying on the unknown action of grapefruit juice.
Piperine is a compound from black pepper that has been added to many supplements to increase their absorption. It is not known at this time if simultaneous consumption of supplements of piperine would increase the absorption of artemisinin derivatives.
Decreasing absorption of artemisinin derivatives may be a problem for the longer-term use required for treatment of cancer.
In treating malaria the artemisinin derivatives are given for a short four or five day course. In these short treatments no absorption resistance has been observed to occur.
Recent information has come to light that indicates that the intestine builds up resistance to absorbing oral artemisinin compounds very quickly, within several days.
Resistance is demonstrated by a drop to >30% of the original rate of absorption. Research indicates that this resistance can be overcome very quickly by discontinuing use of the artemisinin compounds for several days to a week; when resumed, their absorption will be at the previous higher level. (Ashton, et al., Artemisinin pharmacokinetics is time-dependent during repeated oral administration in healthy male adults, Drug Metabolism and Disposition 26 {1998} 25-27.)
Dr. Lai pointed out that this intestinal resistance and subsequent lowered absorption rate may be the basis of the plateau that many people reach on these compounds. After an initial quick response, many people seem to stabilize without a complete remission.
Suppository Usage
As mentioned above, artemisinin does come in aqueous (water soluble) suppositories, but it has been shown to have somewhat poor absorption in that medium also. It may be available now, or might become available in other forms such as the fat-soluble artemether form which might be more bioavailable as a suppository than the artemisinin extract is.
Utilization of suppositories might become one way of overcoming the newly recognized intestinal absorption difficulties that develop rather quickly to oral use. Physicians may find that it is beneficial to have patients take a "drug holiday" from the oral form and switch to the suppository form. Perhaps repeated cycling of the oral doses with the suppositories will keep the intestinal resistance from becoming established.
Physicians who try various cyclical dosing schedules are encouraged to contact the library with their results.
Intramuscular Injection Application
Although some descriptions of malaria treatment mention using artemether for injections, artesunate is presently the preferred form for intramuscular injections. It has been shown to be less neurotoxic by injection than the oil soluble form artemether. (see: www.mahidol.ac.th/abstracts/annual2000/0299.htm)
Dr. Singh has developed an instruction page for doctors considering intramuscular artesunate injections. This information can be faxed to physicians requesting it.
Cancer Treatment Paradox: NO ANTIOXIDANTS
The use of significant and sometimes massive amounts of antioxidants has become part of the mainstay of alternative cancer therapies. Antioxidants have helped many cancer patients buffer the undesirable effects of chemotherapy and radiation, which creates great quantities of free radicals that cause damage to healthy tissue.
Various research has also established certain antioxidants as protectors in the body against the formation of cancer. Antioxidants continue to gain increased recognition and importance in nutritional support for the cancer patient.
Supplemental antioxidants may be contraindicated with the use of artemisinin though. The nature of the action of artemisinin compounds in the body is the creation of free radicals through interaction with iron in the cancer cell. Anything that protects against that free radical damage may be counterproductive to the effectiveness of the action of the artemisinin derivatives.
Future reports from physicians may clarify this area of concern as to which kinds of nutritional supplements can be taken at the same times as these derivatives.
Toxicity Potential
From an extensive document (34 pages) that answers a long list of questions asked by doctors in their consideration of the safety of using either artesunate or artemether to treat malaria, the question of toxicity was answered with the following statement: "Both the compounds are safe in general practice. There has been no evidence of significant toxicity in over 4000 patients entered into clinical studies. Although artemisinin compounds seem very safe, animal studies suggest that there may be a long-lived toxic metabolite, so the possibility of cumulative toxicity (especially if the drugs are misused, given as prophylaxis or patients are retreated frequently) cannot be excluded.
There are also sufficient data to conclude that children also tolerate the drug very well, that no serious adverse effects have been observed and that the therapeutic response resembles that of adults with similar levels of immunity." (page 10 from: www.malaria-ipca.com/malfaqsd.html)
Artemether may be the most neurotoxic form because it passes through the blood brain barrier more effectively. Animal research has shown neurotoxic results with massive doses (150 mg/kg/day versus the 1 -2 mg/kg/day used for humans with cancer).
The neurotoxic results were increased when the artemether was given as pellets coated in oil, providing a fairly constant intake. This study indicated that oral administration of artemether once a day was relatively safe whereas a constant oral intake might carry a greater potential for neurotoxicity.
(www.mahidol.ac.th/abstracts/annual2000/0299.htm) These dosages used in animals to create toxicity would be equivalent to 9,750 mg in humans for a 145 lb. human, far beyond what is actually being used with cancer patients. However, intramuscular artemether has higher neurotoxicity than oral dosing.
Neurotoxicity is seen after repeated intramuscular administration of artemether at relatively high doses (20 mg/kg/day for 8 days), whereas no effect was observed after oral administration, even at higher dosages. (Classen et al. Differential effects of orally versus parenterally administered qinghaosu derivative artemether in dogs. Exp. Toxic. Pathol. 51 {1999} 507-516.)
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sparkle7
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Maybe Forrest Health? They have a suppository with the Chinese herb (Qinghaosu 40mg) but it's for the prostate & has other ingredients.
I did a search & couldn't find any. I guess we have to make them for ourselves if we want to try it that way.
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sparkle7
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From the results obtained in this study, it can be inferred that the administration of different doses and most especially, 6.00 mg kg-l artemisinin to male wistar rats caused significant increase in serum aspartate amino transferase, alkaline phosphatase and alanine amino transferase activities.
These effects are indicative of liver problems. Folic acid gave complete relief to the metabolic disorders only at low doses of artemisinin while it effected partial or no relief at much higher doses.
The administration of folic acid alongside that of artemisinin in the treatment of malaria is therefore beneficial and advisable.
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sparkle7
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In addition to antimalarial effects, artemisinin was found to have promise in treating the parasitic diseases schistosomiasis and clonorchiasis (common in China and Africa, affecting over 200 million people each year) caused by trematodes (blood flukes).
Artemether is now being used for prophylaxis against schistosomiasis; in combination therapy with praziquantel it is used to treat the disease (22). Ching-hao is included in effective treatments for leptospirosis, a bacterial disease that usually infects humans from animal waste contaminating water supplies.
It has been shown in laboratory studies to inhibit Toxoplasma gondii, an organism that mainly affects persons with compromised immunity, acquired from pets or from eating contaminated meat, and Leishmania major, a protozoa that infects the macrophages.
As described earlier, Qing-hao was indicated in ancient times for topical treatment of skin parasites. In post-revolutionary China, an antiseptic fumigant was developed using the combination of moxa leaves plus atractylodes (cangzhu).
This combination, burned to produce a cleansing smoke, was reported to serve as protection from viruses and bacteria in hospitals; both herbs contributed to the action (4).
Recent investigations of the chemical constituents of Qing-hao and other Artemisia species have focused on antifungal activity. An oil produced from the herb after its artemisinin was removed, called huanghua oil (yellow flower oil; huanghuahao is another name for ching-hao) was shown to be strongly anti-fungal for all skin fungi tested (26).
IMMUNOLOGICAL EFFECTS
Qing-hao appears to regulate T-cell responses and antibody production to inhibit autoimmune reactions (13), with artemisinin being the main active component.
Artesunate, which has the same functions as artemisinin, was evaluated in laboratory animal studies and found to suppress allergic contact dermatitis and enhance specific suppressor T-cell activity (24).
Clinically, both Qing-hao and artemisinin have been used in the treatment of systemic lupus since 1979, with claimed positive effects in recent trials (12). The dose of artemisinin that has been used clinically for lupus has ranged from 0.2-0.6 grams per day; this corresponds to a dose of Qing-hao of about 20-30 grams, the same as used to treat malaria.
Treatment time is typically about 3 months. Qing-hao has also been applied in treatment of discoid lupus and was deemed successful (25).
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Amanda
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"Artesunate, which has the same functions as artemisinin, was evaluated in laboratory animal studies and found to suppress allergic contact dermatitis and enhance specific suppressor T-cell activity (24)."
IT enhances suppresor T-Cells? That is the LAST thing many of us need!
-------------------- "few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example" - Mark Twain Posts: 1008 | From US | Registered: Dec 2007
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Neurotoxic???? I already have that, dead neurons all over the place. Guess it would not be good to stay on this at a high dose for very long.
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sparkle7
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Interest in regulatory T cells has been heightened by evidence from experimental mouse models demonstrating that the immunosuppressive potential of these cells can be harnessed therapeutically to treat autoimmune diseases and facilitate transplantation tolerance or specifically eliminated to potentiate cancer immunotherapy.
- also -
"Qing-hao appears to regulate T-cell responses and antibody production to inhibit autoimmune reactions (13), with artemisinin being the main active component. "
(my note - There is a relationship between Lyme & co-infections & auto-immune disease - artemesia appears to be a "regulator". This may be beneficial to some...? Especially, in the context of an allergic reaction applied externally.)
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Artemether may be the most neurotoxic form because it passes through the blood brain barrier more effectively.
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These dosages used in animals to create toxicity would be equivalent to 9,750 mg in humans for a 145 lb. human, far beyond what is actually being used with cancer patients.
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(my note - The different forms of artemesia have different properties - most people don't use Artemether to treat babesia. From what I read - it's an oil based compound which it different than other derivatives of artemesia.)
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Amanda
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thank you Sparkle, for posting all this info.
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sparkle7
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I hope more people will look this over & post their experiences.
This herb has so many beneficial qualities - especially for us with Lyme or related illnesses.
It's a large topic & I'll continue to post things here. One thing I'd like to explore is supplementation with iron. I haven't gotten to that, yet.
These things are important to know if we are using this herb. It seems that there are varying opinions by people/doctors/scientists who use this herb. It's good to know all of the facets of treatment so we can be better informed on how to use this.
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sparkle7
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To function properly, the immune system must discriminate between self and non-self. When self/non-self discrimination fails, the immune system destroys cells and tissues of the body and as a result causes autoimmune diseases.
Regulatory T cells actively suppress activation of the immune system and prevent pathological self-reactivity, i.e. autoimmune disease. The critical role regulatory T cells play within the immune system is evidenced by the severe autoimmune syndrome that results from a genetic deficiency in regulatory T cells.
The molecular mechanism by which regulatory T cells exert their suppressor/regulatory activity has not been definitively characterized and is the subject of intense research.
In vitro experiments have given mixed results regarding the requirement of cell-to-cell contact with the cell being suppressed. The immunosuppressive cytokines TGF-beta and Interleukin 10 (IL-10) have also been implicated in regulatory T cell function.
An important question in the field of immunology is how the immunosuppressive activity of regulatory T cells is modulated during the course of an ongoing immune response.
While the immunosuppressive function of regulatory T cells prevents the development of autoimmune disease, it is not desirable during immune responses to infectious microorganisms.
Current hypotheses suggest that upon encounter with infectious microorganisms the activity of regulatory T cells may be downregulated, either directly or indirectly, by other cells to facilitate elimination of the infection.
Experimental evidence from mouse models suggests that some pathogens may have evolved to manipulate regulatory T cells to immunosuppress the host and so potentiate their own survival.
For example, regulatory T cell activity has been reported to increase in several infectious contexts, such as retroviral infections (the most well known of which is HIV), mycobacterial infections (like tuberculosis), and various parasitic infections including Leishmania and malaria.
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If artemesia helps with modulating this - it could be helpful for people with Lyme & co-infections.
Experiments into why Artemisia works as an anti-malaria agent led to its tests as an anticancer drug. The key turned out to be a shared characteristic of the malaria parasite and dividing cancer cells: high iron concentrations.
When Artemisia, or any of its derivatives, meets iron, a chemical reaction ensues, spawning charged atoms that chemists call free radicals. In malaria, the free radicals attack and bind with cell membranes, breaking them apart and killing the single-cell parasite.
Cells need iron to replicate DNA when they divide, Lai says. And since cancer is characterized by out-of-control cell division, cancer cells have much higher iron concentrations than do normal cells.
On their surfaces, cancer cells also have more so-called transferrin receptors, cellular pathways that allow iron to enter, than healthy cells. In the case of breast cancer, the cells have five to 15 times more transferrin receptors on their surface than normal breast cells, Lai says.
The thrust of the strategy, according to Lai, is to pump up cancer cells with even more iron and then introduce Artemisia to kill them selectively. In the experiments, Lai subjected sets of both breast cancer cells and normal breast cells to either a compound known as holotransferrin, which binds with transferrin receptors to transport iron into cells and thus further increases the cells iron concentrations; a water-soluble form of Artemisia; or a combination of both compounds.
Cells exposed to just one of the compounds showed no appreciable effect, Lai reports. But the response by cancer cells when hit with first holotransferrin, then Artemisia, was dramatic, he says.
After eight hours, three-fourths of the cancer cells were obliterated, 16 hours later, nearly all the cancer cells were dead. Just as importantly, he says, the vast majority of normal breast cells did not die, showing the safety of the treatment.
This success is particularly noteworthy in that breast cancer cells that were resistant to v radiation were utilized in the experiment, Lai adds. So that means this approach might work for cancer resistant to conventional therapy.
As might be expected, more aggressive cancers such as, pancreatic and acute leukemia, which have rapid cell division and thus higher iron concentrations, respond even better.
He says: In a separate study, the therapy eliminated leukemia cells in the test tube within eight hours. The next step, according to Lai, is further animal testing, followed by human trials.
First, the patient would be given iron supplements to raise iron concentrations in his or her cancer cells, he says, and then the compound would be given in pill form.
While human tests are still years away, the treatment could revolutionize the way cancer, especially aggressive, fast-growing one, is approached if it lives up to its early promise, he adds.
The fascinating thing is that this was something the Chinese used thousands of years ago, Lai says. "We simply found a different application." The application is logical. There's a wealth of research linking iron and cancer:
One study, for example, showed that three times as much iron could be extracted from malignant breast tissue as from benign tissue. Elevated iron storage was found in 88% of the breast cancer patients studied.
Given this shared characteristic of malaria and cancer cells, why did it take so long to think of it? That, Lai says, is a mystery; Maybe people just don't think of simple ideas.
There are 3 common artemeia derivatives, with distinct properties. Artesunate is water soluble and may be the most active and least toxic, but it has the shortest life within the body.
Artemether is is oil or lipid soluble and has the longest half-life and the highest toxicity, but that is related to the high dosages, which are not necessary.
Its advantage is its ability to cross the blood brain barrier to reach cancers of the brain and nervous system. Artemisinin is the active parent compound of the plant. It has an intermediate half-life, is very safe and also crosses the blood brain barrier.
The first 2 are slightly altered synthetic derivatives of artemesinin. Dr. Narenda Singh, Professor pf Bioengineering at the University of Washington reports the best treatment may be a combination based on a lab experiment.
He suggests equal parts of artemisinin and artemether to provide .5 to 2 mg/Kg of weight for each form, taken once daily before bed(away from any residual iron left in the stomach from the evening meal).
Dr. Hoang reports that he has been using 500mg of oral artemesinin taken twice a day by itself with marked success.
The product is best taken on an empty stomach with some natural fat to aid absorption. Any Iron present from other foods may neutralise the peroxides.
Milk is a food with minimal iron content. Whole milk, cottage cheese or yogurt have ample fat to aid absorption. Dr. Rowen feels that cod liver oil and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) will assist absorption and provide additional therapeutic benefit from omega-3 fats and vitamin D.
Dr. Singh has tested some artemesinin products and found only 10-20% of the anticancer activity against cultured cancer cells. Allergy Research Group (800-545-9960) has a high grade artemisinin confirmed by independent lab analysis.
According to Lai, it is believed to work because when artemisinin or any of its derivatives comes into contact with iron, a chemical reaction ensues, spawning charged atoms that chemists call free radicals.
Cells need iron to replicate DNA when they divide, and since cancer is characterized by out-of-control cell division, cancer cells have much higher iron concentrations than do normal cells. What Lai did was to pump up cancer cells with even more iron and then introduce artemisinin to selectively kill them.
Lai theorizes that more aggressive cancers such as pancreatic and acute leukemia -- which are characterized by more rapid cell division and thus higher iron concentrations -- may respond even better.
Artemesinin acts like a bomb. It has two oxygen atoms that break apart in the presence of iron. The malaria parasite inhabits a person's red blood cells, which are rich in iron. When an artemisinin molecule encounters the parasite, it explodes, releasing lethal toxins that destroy the parasite.
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sparkle7
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Artemisia annua contains artemisinin, a compound that has known antimalarial effect by suppressing Plasmodium's ablility to use host erythrocyte protein (13).
Artesunate, a semisynthetic derivative of artemisinin has an endoperoxide bridge that reacts with iron in heme to form singlet oxygen and free radicals. In addition to antimalarial effects, artemisinin also effectively induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of Leishmani donovani promastigotes (8).
It has been shown to have an antiproliferative effect on medullary thyroid carcinoma cells (2). and induce apoptosis in a lung cancer cell line by modulating p38 and calcium signaling (14).
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posted
I weigh 173 pounds and take 300 mg artemisinin 3 out of seven days per week for past 9 weeks. I am prone to tinnitus from before tick bite and artemisinin like bactrim, zithro, and flagyl causes this symptom and/or makes it worse for me. Also there is some mood lowering for lack of a better word. I have a history of melanoma in situ in 1995 so if it finds and kills any nascent melanoma prone melanocytes that would be a side effect to love in my case. ( I actually did notice one mole shrink in size during this time). Art also makes me yawn a lot. My Babesia symptoms are less frequent and severe than they were pre- Art treatment. Art should not be taken alone, I am taking it with bactrim ds for Babs/Bart, and also take doxycycline 6-7 days per week and zithro 6/7 days per week as well (with occasional flagyl pulses.)
Doxy makes some of the Art side effects more profound but this may be in part due to anti-malarial activity of doxycycline.
Beachinit
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sparkle7
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I can't really make any recommendations about treatments. It's an individual thing for each of us to decide. I posted all this info so people can be more knowledgeable about how this herb works & decide if they want to try it. Also, so there is information about how various doctors & scientists are recommending how to use it.
I have read that hearing problems are a side effect of taking too much artemesia. So, just be cautious about this. I don't know about the antibiotics in combination with this herb. I don't know if they will make side effects worse or not.
I am not taking abx at this time. So, I don't have any personal information to share.
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Amanda
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I have been taking Dr. Zhangs artimiseae for over two years now, off and on.
I notice it really does seem to make a difference if I take a 3-4 day break.
But I am alos feeling like this isn't really working. I notice it makes my neck hurt more an hour after I take it. But here I am, 2 and a half years later, and I still have problems.
I have tried artimisinin, which didn't do anything.
I'll add I was taking 1 tablspoon of Merpon 2 x a day and zith along with Dr. Zhang. We switched to LArium, and had a big herx from that, but its been several weeks and nothing more.
Anyway, just my experience
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sparkle7
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There isn't alot of info about using artemesia for babesia. From what I read, Dr. Z recommends taking it for 9 months. Other things I've read (by a doctor who I'm not supposed to mention here) say it's not effective by itself over time but I've also read that the abx aren't either... People can relapse with babesia even after 18 months of stopping "successful" treatment.
Some people seem to get better but some people don't. I just wanted to try to understand better how artemesia works. Maybe we need to try the artesunate rather than the artemesinin?
I don't know if it's a cure but it's worth looking into. I hope people will post their experiences with it so we can all learn.
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sparkle7
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Dr. Z dosages with regular artemesia caps & art2...
Original Artemisia Capsule contains active ingredient artesunate and every capsule has 33.33 mg of artesunate. One-day take three capsules makes daily dose of 100 mg, which is recommended anti-malaria dose.
When used for anti-malaria, one-week treatment course is enough. But we have seen that even three months long treatment course still can't totally eradicate the babesia in some patients.
Therefore we developed this new Artemisia 2 Capsule. Its active ingredient is Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), a derivertive of artemisinin. It is a front line anti-malaria agent and has been effectively used for millions of malaria cases.
It is much stronger than artemisinin and also has less adverse reactions. The recomemnded anti-malaria dose is 60 mg per day and its efficacy equvalent to 100 mg of artesunate.
Now the Artemisia 2 Capsule contains 40 mg of DHA in each capsule, one day three capsules makes the daily dose of 120 mg of DHA. Therefore it is the double strength of anti-malaria dosage.
For those patients have not respond to the Artemisia Capsule three capsules per day protocol, this new Artemisia 2 Capsule may help to increase the respond rate.
At beginning the Herxheimer's reaction strength may also increase.
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Note the different between Dr. C (CFS doctor) & Dr. Z dosages. I don't know if Dr. Z recommends taking breaks in the treatment with artemesia derivatives.
Maybe someone who is doing this protocol can comment...?
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sparkle7
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Anyone?
Any comments about treating with artemesia or derivatives? Has anyone tried the topical treatment with artemesia. I have seen there's a gel available.
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17hens
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Sparkle7, You are a MANIAC!! Do you still have fingers?? Signed, Amazed
-------------------- "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalms 73:26
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sparkle7
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Thanks 17hens... I just copy & paste.
THIS IS SO IMPORTANT - I don't know why more people are not into all of this...?
He has found no type of cancer unresponsive to artemisinin derivatives in his studies. Dr. Hoang recommends treatment for two years. Cancer could be like the malaria parasite. If just one cell remains, it can find its way back. Thus, as in malaria, although the parasite is cleared in a few days, prolonged treatment best prevents relapse.
This treatment is said to be non-toxic, so you can continue taking it indefinitely with no expected side effects, though it does depend on the form of Artemesia one uses. There are three common Artemesia derivatives - Artesunate is water soluble and may be the most active and the least toxic, but it has the shortest life within the body.
Artemether is oil or lipid soluble and has the longest half-life. It also has the most toxicity (but this is related to rather high dosages, which are not necessary. Its big advantage is that it can cross the blood-brain barrier to reach cancers in the nervous system. Artemisinin is the active parent compound of the plant. It has an intermediate half-life, is very safe, and also can cross the blood-brain barrier.
The first two are slightly altered semi-synthetic derivatives of artemisinin, the concentrated and purified active agent. Dr. Singh reports that a combination of the forms may be the very best treatment due to these different properties (based on a lab experiment). Thus, he feels the best preparation will contain artemisinin and artemether to provide a dose of 0.5-2 mg/Kg of each form once daily before bed (away from any residual iron left in the stomach from the evening meal).
Dr. Hoang used 500 mg twice daily of oral artemisinin with good success. The product is best taken on an empty stomach with some natural fat to enhance absorption. Any iron present from residual food may neutralize the peroxides. Milk is one of the few foods with minimal iron. Whole milk, cottage cheese, or yogurt have ample fat to enhance absorption.
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sparkle7
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Wikipedia -
The proposed mechanism of action of artemisinin involves cleavage of endoperoxide bridges by iron producing free radicals (hypervalent iron-oxo species, epoxides, aldehydes, and dicarbonyl compounds) which damage biological macromolecules causing oxidative stress in the cells of the parasite.[citation needed]
Malaria is caused by the Apicomplexan, Plasmodium falciparum, which largely resides in red blood cells and itself contains iron-rich heme-groups (in the from of hemozoin).[11]
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sparkle7
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Artemisia Annua is a lactone compound which contains two (2) oxygen atoms linked together; this is called an endoperoxide bridge which is essential for its anti-abnormal growth cell activity.
All cells require iron in order to divide and function, but rapidly dividing abnormal cells require significantly higher iron concentrations to survive than normal, healthy cells do. Since cancer is characterized by out-of-control cellular division, cancer cells have exceedingly higher iron concentrations than do normal cells.
When Artemisia Annua or its derivatives come into contact with iron, a chemical reaction takes place which creates newly formed charged particals (ions) called free radicals. These powerful free radicals attack and bind with cellular membranes, killing these cells (which are primarily abnormal growth cells) by causing them micromolecular damage.
It should also be noted that, compared to normal cells, abnormal growth cells sequester relatively large amounts of iron mainly in the form of holotransferrin.
Artemisia Annua has been shown to cause rapid, as well as extensive, damage and death in abnormal growth cells while exhibiting relatively low toxicity in healthy, normal cells (2).
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So, would it make sense to boost iron to have the cells sequester more so the artemesia can target it? I believe that malaria (similar to babesia) does store extra iron. I'll have to keep posting. I believe that this theory is being used by some doctors in regards to babesia.
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sparkle7
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I haven't seen anything written about this phenomenon. When I learned about the Jarish Herxheimer reaction the literature indicated that it was limited to an exclusive club of microbes. It was associated with syphilis, leptospirosis, relapsing fever, rate bite fever, Lyme disease, anthrax and very few other infections. The reaction was related to two things: 1) the infection was disseminated and 2) the germ antigens, released when the germ was killed, caused an exaggerated immunological response associated with an unusually exuberant cytokine response.
Now the term Herxheimer reaction seems to be associated with a whole host of other infections. My clinical experience confirms that when patients are placed on anti-Babesia therapy they experience massive Herxheimer reactions. The sweating increases. Pain and fatigue increase. Even cognitive dysfunction- brain fog and memory loss increases substantially. These reactions can be much more intense than those associated with initial anti-Borrelia (Lyme) therapies.
Let's take a look. We are told that Babesia is associated with specific symptoms. These include: recurrent chills and sweats- the sweats are frequently drenching, neck pain and air hunger. We are told that it is a clinical diagnosis and that lab tests are inaccurate and cannot be relied upon. Babesia is a malaria like parasite, and resides in red blood cells. Malaria is associated with a parasitic infection of the red blood cells associated with hemolysis, rupture of the red blood cells. The afflicted individuals experience sever chills, sweats and fevers and are frequently very ill. It is diagnosed when the parasites are observed in the red cells under the microscope. The blood smears for Babesia are generally negative. We are told it is because the parasites infest a very small percent of red blood cells.
PCR tests, antibody tests and a wide variety of special diagnostic assays searching out confirmation of Babesia are usually negative. There is no evidence of ruptured red blood cells. Occasionally antibodies for a Babesia strain may be present. This indicates exposure to the organism- not active infection. If IgM antibodies are present active infection is more likely. For the most part there is no confirmation whatsoever. The standard wisdom (mainstream medicine) is that Babesia is generally a self limited infection which is cleared by the immune system.
Let me play Devil's advocate. Lyme can cause sweats, flu symptoms, breathing problems and pains of all sorts. The same symptoms frequently clear when only Lyme therapy is given. Is Babesia really present at all? Or is a case of the emperor without any clothes. If we have invisible "Bartonella like organisms," perhaps we should have "Babesia like organisms." or Babesia syndrome associated with Lyme disease. Perhaps the anti-Babesia therapy is really killing a form of Lyme via some unsuspected mechanism. If the Babesia organisms are rare and hard to find then why does killing them cause a Herx reaction? Is there any precedent for the treatment of parasitic (piroplastic) infection associated with a described Herxheimer response? I believe it is important to question all the assumptions of what has now become the new orthodoxy of Lyme literate dogma.
Let's put this argument aside. When I treat patients for Babesia they do have dramatic Herx reactions. The reactions can be disabling and cause serious setbacks. Patients may Herx with a single dose of Artemesia or Malarone. Frequently Mepron cannot be tolerated due to excessive Herxing. The dose of anti-Babesia therapy must be gradually ramped up based on individual tolerances. One can start with Artemesia/Artemesin or Malarone/Mepron. When the second agent is added it must be done gradually. The clinical response is that the sweating and associated symptoms increase for a period of time and then gradually wane and disappear. It works.
For now I do believe in chronic, persistent Babesiosis, despite the lack of supporting evidence, as part of the Lyme disease complex; but my mind is open to other possibilities. Posted by Lyme report: Montgomery County, MD at 6:41 PM
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sparkle7
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Haley
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Sparkle - Thanks for all this information. I have tried to read through some of it but I am super brain dead at the moment.
I understand that Artemisinin needs iron to work. I don't understand if we should or should not take iron supplements with this drug. I have low Ferritin and I was told that maybe I should not take Art. However it seems that I also read somewhere in your links that you should NOT take iron supplements with this.
I'm confused do know if we should or should not take iron with this?
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sparkle7
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Yes... I know Haley. I'm trying to figure all of this out, too.
I think that we should probably take the iron at a separate time from the artemesia. Like take some iron in the am & then do the artemesia at night... I'm not a doctor so this is just an idea.
It would seem that boosting the iron would help to target the artemesia at the bad guys. Then, you have to do some clean up & take something to get rid of excess free radicals - like an anti-oxidant.
Since I do dowsing - I'm getting one day on for the artemesia & one or more days off. On the days off one could supplement with iron & anti-oxidants... Just a guess. This is why I'm leaning towards Dr C's (CFS doctor) protocol.
I also need a binder since I've been having some intestinal discomfort. I've been using Dr. Schulze's #2 intestinal formula.
In my case, I don't know if I have babesia for sure. I don't have typical symptoms. If it is XMRV or something else - I'm covered. I have been feeling a bit better since I've been taking artemesia. It did make me worse initially. I guess it's a sort of herx.
Nothing else really helped me since I've been ill & that's 15 years worth of experimenting...
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sparkle7
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(from a website that sells products... I don't know about the product but this may be useful info)
excerpt-
On the other hand, when iron is carried through the body by lactoferrin, as it is meant to be, greater than 95% of it is assimilable. The lactoferrin carries the iron directly to the specific receptor sites in the body where iron is meant to be absorbed and utilized.
And because it is attached to lactoferrin, the iron cannot be absorbed and utilized by the bacteria, viruses, yeasts and other harmful parasites that require it for their metabolism. These harmful organisms are simply unable to capture and utilize iron in the presence of lactoferrin!
----
I'm also taking apolactoferrin. I don't take it every day but I rotate it with the other stuff... I don't know if it's going to help but I figured I'd give it a try since I'm supplementing with iron.
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Haley
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Thank you. This information is really helpful!
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sparkle7
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Just remember that everyone is unique. I'm not a doctor. Some of this iron supplementation is tricky. Please study it further before you do anything or consult with a doctor.
Lactoferrin enhances iron absorption, and at the same time protects the body from the negative, oxidative effects of excess iron. It can decrease or eliminate the side effects of nausea and constipation caused by iron supplementation. Recent research suggests that lactoferrin may also have beneficial effects in regulating the immune system, as well as anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and viral, and antioxidant effects.
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sparkle7
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sparkle7
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up
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sparkle7
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I'm bringing this up because I always see questions here about atremesia... I spent alot of time studying it. Just want to share this.
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annxyzz
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This is great info- esp considering that art hits a variety of pathogens .
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Catgirl
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Right on Sparkle! Great info!
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