What do you know or have you experienced with collodial silver treatment? Have you tried Germslayer?
Is this better than the traditional antibiotics? Are there any disadvantages or danger to the Germslayer or silver treatments?
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Well, you don't want to use the homemade stuff and turn blue, that's for sure!!
Bringing this up for others to reply to!!!
In my opinion, the silver would be less effective than abx.
Posted by Pinelady (Member # 18524) on :
I do think it does something to hinder the
borrelia. Some thinks it may render them less
mobile. My LLMD said I could take it with my meds
if I wanted. I did homemade for 5 mths. before I
found why I was sick and got to a LLMD. By then I
lost my ins. and was paying out of pocket so I
quit. But if I could afford it I would still be
doing it. I was drinking more than a gallon a week and it tested at 200ppm.
Posted by Marnie (Member # 773) on :
Truth is...silver does indeed impact biofilm.
But it scares me to death because we have NO WAY TO ELIMINATE silver.
This is not true of mercury...or lead...which we do have the means to eliminate.
Posted by aMomWithHope (Member # 19255) on :
I've always been concerned about the use of silver due to the heavy metal toxicity that many Lyme patients seem to have, i.e., wouldn't using silver be adding to the load?
Always wondered how those who use it feel about this issue?
On the other hand, I've read on this board that many people have had success with its use.
Posted by Jason21 (Member # 16393) on :
I use Angstrom Minerals silver, which is NOT collodial silver. It is a much smaller particle of silver which is more absorbable by the body and will not turn you blue.
I just take a sip every morning and night. It seemed to cause a slight Herx reaction, so that makes me think it helps.
If you don't mind me asking: What was your goal in taking it? Relief of a particular symptom? Attacking Lyme, Bart, and/or Babs?
You mention that the Minerals silver has a much smaller particle making it more absorbable by the body. Does that make it less likely to add to the heavy metal load that many Lyme patients have? I know many people here recommend nanosilver, which may be the same as what you use.
I've heard many people here as well as many friends of mine who tend to use alternative meds have had success with its use, so I'm very curious......I've avoided it with my child because of the uncertainty of its adding to the heavy metal load.
Would love to learn more.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
mom with hope:
I wish I knew the answers to your questions about the nanosilver, etc. Hopefully, someone will come along to answer that!! I would like to know too!
I do know that Susan is asking for her mother who is going to be seeing an LLMD who uses silver. I think he also uses abx though.
Posted by abigail (Member # 14936) on :
I am a medical transcriptionist, and the other day I typed on a man with refractory osteomyelitis. The doc put a "silver sponge" in the wound. By the way, I've used Invive colloidal silver which has a letter endorsing the product by Willy Burdorfuri (I know I spelled that wrong but it is my day off.) He was the guy that discovered the Lyme spirochete. Anyway, it is very, very, very, very expensive, but the herx is definitly from Hell.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Silver kept me out of a wheelchair when I had no other option for treatment.
Silver drops have helped my eyes tremendously.
I also spoke by phone with Willy Burdorfer about silver and he said he's use colloidal silver over abx for lyme any day.
Yes, the type matters. If you make your own the water source is very important so you don't turn blue/grey.
As Marnie reminds me, the reason I did not continue it is that we don't have a good way to eliminate silver. So, I use it very sparingly only at times when nothing else seems to work.
Jason's link seems interesting. I think there is much more to study with this and I'd not toss the idea out but I'd also not swallow tons of the stuff every day. -
Posted by minerva (Member # 20410) on :
i was going to try it because so many books recommend using it for a non ABX way of treating but i kept thinking about my boss.
she was very healthy but took it because she was working long hours and didn't want to get sick. she took more then most people take for a cold but a lot less then is recommended for lyme.
collidial silver stays suspended in the blood which means it does not get eliminated in anyway...with one exception when women have a period. every cycle she got horribly sick and was in serious pain. it took months to diagnose her with silver poisoning.
she treated it for years before she got better. i don't remember what they did for her but i remember saying it wasn't pleasent.
i looked on the net to see if there were similar stories but not much. she is only one person and it has helped folks. when you witness someone suffer it stays with you. i just thought i would share this one story and my concern,
Posted by aMomWithHope (Member # 19255) on :
Those who've replied on here and have taken it, did you do so to eliminate a particular symptom, and it helped? Or was it taken to attack the Lyme and thus reduced the symptoms?
In the larger picture, it probably doesn't matter why, but I'm just curious. The friends that I have that use it, don't have Lyme but use it for immediate relief of symptoms such as a sore throat coming on or symptoms of a sinus infection, etc.
So, I guess what I need to learn or research more is how does silver act on the body, i.e., antiviral, antiparasitic, antibacterial, toxin removal? Anyone know?
Do you all use it as a nasal spray, drops, what form--I'm not familiar with how it comes.
That is interesting that Burgdorfer recommends it over abx, and I need to research this further.
Any ideas why he prefers silver over abx, i.e., does it attack a particular form of Lyme better, or is it more that he feels the side effects of silver are less than the long-term use of abx?
I just don't what to add a problem--heavy metal load--to my child's health.
Posted by aMomWithHope (Member # 19255) on :
BTW, Abigail, I am a medical transcriptionist as well--had to quit my job to take care of my child.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Some of the advantages of silver? Abx can be very hard on the liver, even creating hepatitis if liver protection is not employed. Abx also create fungal infections. Both liver support and anti-fungal methods help but are not perfect.
Silver also is antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral. All that is usually going on for a lyme patient. Silver has some advantages over abx.
I wonder if, timed correctly, DMSA, chlorella or other heavy metal detox methods would pull silver out after it has done its job?
I sure had a positive experience with it. Some LLMDs have experience with it. You might ask here (as just a start): http://germslayer.net/llmd.html
Liver support would still be needed, though. That can never be left behind.
Concerns I have are that most "silver protocols" severely underestimate the complexity of lyme (the Germslayer 60-day protocol is NOT enough in terms of time or in support measures - or covering all the bases) . . . and the prices are shockingly unfair considering how inexpensive it is to make.
I know they have overhead but I think all the silver prices are way out of line. But, then, pharmaceutical prices are, too.
One note of caution: I've had trouble with a product called "Mild Silver Protein" - it is VERY strong. We are talking here about drops for a dose, not teaspoons. This product tasted "chemical" to me and induced seizures (which I already had - this just lowered the threshold).
I did very well with Source Naturals Colloidal Silver years ago, though. VERY well. But, again, the price was prohibitive so my experience was short-term. -
[ 11-14-2009, 12:59 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
Silver in health care: antimicrobial effects and safety in use.
Lansdown AB.
Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK
Silver has a long and intriguing history as an antibiotic in human health care. It has been developed for use in water purification, wound care, bone prostheses, reconstructive orthopaedic surgery, cardiac devices, catheters and surgical appliances.
. . .
Silver metabolism is modulated by induction and binding to metallothioneins. This complex mitigates the cellular toxicity of silver and contributes to tissue repair. . . .
. . . Their production is dependent on availability of the dietary minerals, as zinc, copper and selenium, and the amino acids histidine and cysteine. . . . -
Posted by aMomWithHope (Member # 19255) on :
Thanks for the links, Keebler.
Silver seems to have many positive properties.
I will definitely research this further.
Posted by JR (Member # 16898) on :
quote:Originally posted by susanschn: What do you know or have you experienced with collodial silver treatment? Have you tried Germslayer?
Is this better than the traditional antibiotics? Are there any disadvantages or danger to the Germslayer or silver treatments?
Prior to 1938, colloidal silver was used as a germicide and disinfectant. Physicians used it as an eyedrop for ophthalmic problems, for various infections, and sometimes internally for diseases such as tropical sprue, epilepsy, gonorrhea, and the common cold. However, with the development of more effective, safer, and less toxic modern antibiotics in the mid-20th century, medical use of colloidal silver ceased.
Current applications
From approximately 1990, there has been a resurgence of the promotion of colloidal silver as an alternative medicine treatment, marketed with claims that it can prevent or treat numerous diseases. In vitro evidence of an antimicrobial effect of colloidal silver is mixed; some studies have found it to lack any antibacterial effect, while others have reported an effect attributed to silver ions which coexist in the colloid with an ionic silver concentration of 30 ppm being enough to kill staph. There are no clinical trials showing that any preparation of colloidal silver is effective in vivo.
Colloidal silver products are legally available at health food stores in the United States and Australia and are marketed over the Internet as a dietary supplement. It is illegal in the U.S. and Australia for marketers to make claims of medical effectiveness for colloidal silver, but some websites still list its use for the prevention of colds and flu, and the treatment of more serious conditions such as diabetes, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis, among other diseases. There is no medical evidence that colloidal silver is effective for any of these claimed indications. Silver is not an essential mineral in humans; there is no dietary requirement for silver, and no such thing as a silver ``deficiency''.
Currently, there are no evidence-based medical uses for ingested colloidal silver. There are no clinical studies in humans demonstrating effectiveness, and several reports of toxicity. The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has issued an advisory indicating that the marketing claims made about colloidal silver are scientifically unsupported, and that the silver content of marketed supplements varies widely and can pose risks to the consumer.
Posted by Jason21 (Member # 16393) on :
momwithhope,
I think others, especially Keebler, have answered your questions. Silver is a natural antibiotic.
Anstrom silver particles are thousands of times smaller than collodial silver. Here's a brief description I pulled from a website:
Colloidal minerals which are of Micron size were formulated to be more effective. But the truth of the matter is that these are still too large for our cells to assimilate properly. If you shine a laser light through colloidal mineral liquid you can see the mineral particles floating in it. Absorption of colloidals is 3-5% at the very best because even if they enter the bloodstream, cellular absorption is poor. These minerals remain in the blood and the body has to dispose of them by dumping them into the heart valves, arteries, pancreas, or other organs.
Angstrom-sized minerals are 100% assimilable at the cellular level - they are absorbed into the bloodstream from the upper stomach, being naturally ionised and totally soluble. Once in the bloodstream, because they are 10,000 times smaller than the micron-sized colloidal minerals, they can be absorbed and used by the cells.
I take it for LD. I found out about Angstrom silver from a local guy who has a Phd in Molecular Sciences and who runs a health supplement store. He seems pretty reputable and will send out new supplements for lab testing before he will sell them in his store.
I have been using Anstrom Silver for several months with no ill effects. I have not tried any other silver products.
I also think I have seen a benefit from Solaray's Siliverin and Lipotropic 1000 Plus. These supposedly help the liver and the body get rid of harmful bacteria and toxins. I think they have helped to reduce the severity and length of my Herx reactions.
I had elevated liver enzymes due to LD, but they have returned to normal now.
Posted by aMomWithHope (Member # 19255) on :
Thanks again, everyone.
I'm happy to hear that it is helpful to many people.
I will research further and most definitely appreciate the links and article excerpts as well as first-hand experiences that have been posted.
Posted by emla999/Lyme (Member # 12606) on :
Recently, a borrelia burgdorferi kill time test was performed on the colloidal silver product ACS 200. This study was performed at the Department of Microbiology, Brigham Young University.
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