Some really interesting thought ideas on treatments.
MattH
Posted by yanivnaced (Member # 13212) on :
Thanks for posting that link. Very interesting what Dr.F says about plant based diet.
Posted by nspiker (Member # 22824) on :
That was really interesting - the most information that's been detailed regarding the F. blood smear and treatment.
Thank you for posting the video!
Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :
Incredible discussion.
I am blown away that he agrees a plant based whole foods diet is critical to remission -
But then later he says he likes Big Macs! Good Lord!
Posted by lululymemom (Member # 26405) on :
I think it's great that a plant based diet is being acknowledged at last.. Very interesting interview!
Posted by yanivnaced (Member # 13212) on :
Does anybody know the exact plant based diet he is talking about? I think he said no animal products (including dairy) and no wheat products but that's all I heard. He also mentioned a book called 'the china study' which I ordered - I think it talks about that.
Posted by nomoremuscles (Member # 9560) on :
The reference to The China Study was actually a bit disappointing to me. I have no trouble with plant-based diets, but that book, it seems, is pretty weak in providing evidence for its claims.
I enjoyed listening to Dr. F very much, and it was seductive to hear the claims made for this diet being so helpful (by the way, I think his patients say he has backed away from plant-based recommendations and now only insists on low-fat diets of any sort). But the problem I have is that Lymies, as well as the ALS, MS, CFS, patients he talks about, have tried EVERY diet known to man, and there have been few, if any, miraculous cures or remissions. ?? So why here?
Dr. F doesn't use any special meds, nothing different than any other LLMD's, so, to me, there is a giant disconnect when talking about these across the board success rates. Why are his patients all getting better when so many others aren't? Something just doesn't add up. I wish it did. But the more I think about it, the less I am buying into it.
I am certainly not discounting any of it, but I am a bit skeptical. Still, I must say it is encouraging to hear him talk about this bug he is seeing. I only hope he is right ... and the way out of the forest is within sight.
Posted by nspiker (Member # 22824) on :
Dr. F. recommends a low fat diet, because he said the protozoa like to feed on fat and cholesterol He's also big on low arginine.
He said it wasn't so much wheat or gluten, but something in the wheat that is contra-indicated.
He's ok with low fat meats and protein.
Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :
When you read things through, even when you WANT to believe it, there are contradictions.
In the China Study, the author says cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes are "developed" nations diseases based upon diets high in animal protein and refined processed foods.
He says in undeveloped nations whose populations depend primarily on whole foods with plant based protein, these disease are not what is killing people. People in these rural areas of the world are dying of parasites, virus' and bacteria. That is what we are infected with, so a plant based diet is not the CURE.
I do believe though, that a plant based diet is more healthful.
He is referring to this recently identified pathogen as a protozoa. Babesia is a protozoa. I know it is different but I have to eat a LOT of fat with mepron so I wonder if that is counterproductive. Maybe some of the other anti-malarial drugs would work better.
What is he using to kill this protozoa?
Posted by nspiker (Member # 22824) on :
I too am on Mepron, and have had the same thought regarding low fat. It's hared to be low fat while you're on Mepron!
I know he likes both mino/doxy and plaquenil, or biaxin plaquenil.
The protozoa is the main culprit, but it is encased in a sticky biofilm that houses bacteria, hemobartonella, heavy metals, fungus and others.
He said that he has not been able to eradicate this protozoa, just reduce it's presence, which is a bummer!
Currently I'm trying detoxamin to disolve biofilm and heavy metals in the hope of getting to the protozoa. My F. test showed few and rare protozoa and hemobartonella, so the Mepron has definitely worked to reduce the population.
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
If I heard right, I think Dr. F was saying that fat is what the protazoa uses to create the biofilm. So he recommends a low-fat diet in order to cut down on the raw materials needed by the protazoa to build the biofilm, thus helping to curtail the development of more biofilm.
I don't think he was saying the diet was a cure for anything - he was saying he recommends it to his patients to follow during treatment primarily to reduce biofilm buildup.
Posted by nspiker (Member # 22824) on :
I spoke with the lab yesterday, and they said that the protozoa feed on cholesterol and fat.
That is why Dr. F. mentioned that they are running cholesterol and triglyceride tests, because of the correlation between high cholesterol and it's impact on the protozoa.
The biofilm contains everything needed for these communities to exist, including food.
Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :
Does anyone know the symptoms of this protozoa? Does it have a name?
Posted by nomoremuscles (Member # 9560) on :
I think he's calling it FL1953.
As far as symptoms, I believe Dr. F says this bug is responsible for everything from MS to ALS to CFS to chronic Lyme. Pretty much all autoimmune diseases. In the interview, he says that it appears this bug is responsible for immune suppression, and when the bug is beaten down to manageable levels, everything else, the Lyme, bartonella, etc., seems to clear on it's own.
He was definitely saying that fat from our diets is used by the bug to construct the biofilm, and that, he has come to believe, implementation of a low-fat diet makes the biggest change in his patients in terms of recovery. For some patients it is all that's needed (this is a big part of what made me skeptical).
He also said that he believes the amino acid arginine is feeding this bug too. He said that he thought that gluten is not our problem when eating bread, pasta, various wheat products, but rather their high arginine content -- that was, he said, what caused the reaction in patients. He said he believed this to be so because many patients do not test high for gliadins, yet still have problems with wheat products.
Posted by lululymemom (Member # 26405) on :
Thanks for quoting that, normoremuscles.. This could be very important information and I, for one, will keep this in mind.
Posted by MattH (Member # 30846) on :
Does this suggest a change in the priority of testing?
1) Western Blot 2) CD57 3) Fry Labs FL1953 to check for Protozoa?
If Dr F treats for the protozoa first, based on the his test, does this means the abx waits until the protozoa and perhaps parasites is first?
My LLMD said that we treats and has progress heavy metals start moving detoxing also. I wonder if this is the case with Dr. F's approach.
What does the test cost?
All the Best, MattH
Posted by nomoremuscles (Member # 9560) on :
He said that his first line was minocycline, then, I think, zith or biaxin, along with plaq.
Others have said -- and this is from memory -- that he also uses malarone and mepron.
Pretty standard stuff.
So overall, it is not a whole lot different than other LLMD's. This is what threw me. He painted a pretty rosy picture of patient outcomes -- I am having trouble understanding how his patients get better using the same meds that so many of us have used under the care of other LLMD's with much less wonderful outcomes.
??
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
how do you reduce the arginine?
Posted by MattH (Member # 30846) on :
nomoremuscles,
I think the discussion, not his actual quote, was he would start his patients on tretacycline. He also said that he uses minocycline and that people tolerate it well. However I am going to go back and have a second listen.
MattH
Posted by MichaelTampa (Member # 24868) on :
Foods high in arginine are flesh of mammals and many nuts/seeds (pumpkin, sesame, almonds, brazil, pistachios, to a lesser extent cashews).
Posted by jl123 (Member # 15594) on :
Am I hearing this man saying he has only successfully treated 2 patients? j
Posted by MichaelTampa (Member # 24868) on :
No, I don't think he's saying that. I think he was referring to those who stayed in some group, relating to testing for the FL1953 protozoa and then receiving some treatment. He just very recently discovered that protozoa, so this would limit that group.
Posted by Cold Feet (Member # 9882) on :
nomoremuscles, thanks for sharing this. You da man.
Posted by hadlyme (Member # 6364) on :
McDougal Diet is what he recommends.
No Arginine or the good ratio from lysine to Arginine. Try to stay away from Nightshades also.
Same type of treatment. I started out with Biaxin/plaq.. didn't stomach it.. then went to zith and malerone as I knew from my first treatment that this combo worked for me... then we've done doxy/plaq too...
Diet has made me feel better... but I'm one of them that want my protein from meats but watch that I eat lean beef/chicken.
Please don't think of this FL1953 as a different type of disease... I had been told that I have babs... and this protozoan that he's seeing is NO different in symptoms or treatment as babs.
We all sit in here talking about babs this, bart that... and you hear us talking about the co infections almost MORE than the lyme itself.... I truly feel we're just looking at another type of co infection, or this is a stand alone type of infection that some of us got from some other type of bug. I never did have a tick bite, so he makes sense to me... Also.. My dad and aunt died of ALS... so there is something in our DNA in our family that can't fight a bug bite!!
Test runs right around 499.
He was talking about 2 patients that had Morgellons that stayed with him.. it was pretty clear that he was talking about 4 morgellon patients, 2 stayed in treatment.
I've been seeing him for 2 years. I feel pretty good... just have some weird little symptoms still hanging on, so I know I'm not in a true remission yet. (I did have a 8-9yr remission before).
I do feel, and agree with Dr. H and Dr. F in that the lyme community is now starting to get away from the word 'lyme' and calling it more the Multiple thing that Dr. H came up with and now with Dr F in calling this something else.
We've been calling all these Vector borne diseases lyme for a long time now... like calling all tissues 'kleenex'..... I feel we're only touching the surface in what we all could be carrying in our bodies... Wouldn't that make sense in why there are so many of us NOT getting better from a typical lyme treatment course? I believe there's more to this sickness than we thought...
Posted by MichaelTampa (Member # 24868) on :
Gosh, what's so bad about the nightshades? Something to do with this protozoa, or more whatever the regular reasons for being down on nightshades are? Tomato (spaghetti sauce, salsa) sure makes giving up the fat a lot easier!