Herx what its from. Date 2006 A very long and detailed clinical evaluation of the use of Chinese herbs to mitigate toxic effects of infections.
My question is, "Do Lyme or Babesia or the other tickborne coinfections produce endotoxins?" Is that really what causes a herx?
Hubby did have one expensive test done once that showed elevated levels of endotoxins. At the time he also had elevated antibodies to Klebsiella and some other pathogenic G.I. bacteria which were believed to be the cause of his elevated blood ammonia and symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy.
Hubby did not use the Lactulose (prescription med for elevated ammonia) but I sure wish we had had the "Medicine to Subdue Toxic Heat" -- said to be 263 times more effective!!!
This was a couple of months after his IV Rocephin -- now I am curious as to what really produced those endotoxins -- he was on no antibiotics at the time of the test and had not been for a month or two.
Summary:
Bile supplements (listed here as Bear gall) look to be beneficial -- have always seemed to help hubby with fat digestion anyway. Haven't tried any of the other herbs mentioned yet. Looks like Ginseng is a good herb choice as it helps mitigate toxins by its effect on the immune system (RES). Also looks like Rhubarb (herb) is useful as well -- did help when hubby was treating for parasites.
Research Progress in the Prevention and the Treatment for Endotoxic Diseases with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
by Deng Wenlong Sichuan Provincial Institute of Chinese Materia Medica
(Proceedings of TCM Conference at West China University of Medical Science 1995)
The term "pathogenic toxin" refers to a special pathogenic factor in the theory of etiology of TCM, which is either included in the six exogenous causes of disease - wind, cold, summer heat, dampness, and fire, or dissociates itself from them. The concept of "toxin" may trace back to text Jinguiyaolue (Synopsis of Prescriptions from the Golden Chamber), which stated "diseases caused by Yang- toxin have the symptoms of flushed face with brocaded veins, sore throat, vomiting, blood, and pus."
The term "pathogenic toxin" was widely used after the time of the Jin and Yuan dynasties. Up till now, this term has had very broad connotations, but it mainly refers to the pathogenic factors which cause acute contagious and infectious diseases and their complications.
In this article we will attempt to show that the characteristics of the pathogenicity of endotoxin--chemicals released into the host from the breakdown of the cell walls of gram-negative organisms--accords closely with that of the "pathogenic toxins" in TCM, and that TCM treatments can improve the clinical course of febrile disease by reducing endotoxin in infected hosts.
The TCM differentiation of endotoxic diseases are usually placed in the category of febrile diseases caused by toxins. Endotoxic diseases not in the category of febrile disease have the signs of toxic heat directly invading Ying and Xue level (stages in the progression of infectious disease according to TCM).
For instance, septicemia is caused by toxic heat; acute pneumonic failure is caused by retention of toxic heat, dampness, and blood stasis in the lung; acute hepatic failure is caused by the movement of toxic heat and the accumulation of damp heat in the liver; acute disseminated intravascular coagulation is caused by excessive toxic heat invading Ying and Xue level,etc.
Abundant clinical tests show that the tendency and prognosis of the above diseases is closely related to the content of endotoxin in the blood, so much so that the content of endotoxin in the blood by itself can serve as a single index for the prognosis of diseases.
We have studied the significance of endotoxins in clinical and experimental febrile diseases systematically by using the Limulus test to determine the content of endotoxin in the blood of many kinds of febrile diseases (such as high fever caused by respiratory tract infection, pulmonary infection, biliary tract infection, septicemia, acute hepatic diseases, shock, etc.). The results show that the content of endotoxin in blood in most of thesediseases is high.
For instance, more than half of the patients suffering from infection with gram-negative bacteria have positive test results for the presence of endotoxin in their blood. One third of patients suffering from infections from gram-positive bacteria and virus have endotoxin measures in their blood of more than 50pg/ml.
Dynamic observation shows that the patients' clinical condition is closely related to the content of endotoxin in their blood. This indicates that endotoxin it not only the main pathogenic factor of infection from gram-negative bacteria, but also a factor which causes deterioration in the state of those infected by virus and gram-positive bacteria. In terms of infection by virus and gram-positive bacteria, the endotoxin in the blood comes from the "endotoxin pool" in the intestines.
W have studied the action of endotoxin in experimentally induced febrile diseases. By applying different dosages of endotoxin to rabbits through intravenous injection, we could duplicate the experimental febrile diseases which have the characters of the full course of Wei, Qi, Ying, Xue phases. Their appearances and objective tests of the animals are in full accord with the patients suffering from febrile diseases.
Effective therapeutic methods utilizing herbs and formulas for the treatment of febrile disease in practice have obvious curative effect, and the same methods show similar therapeutic effect for the treatment of experimentally induced febrile disease.
For instance, using the methods of "clearing heat and detoxification" can markedly control the syndrome of excessive heat in Qi level manifested as high fever; using the method of "clearing heat and detoxification," or "cooling blood and removing blood stasis" can remarkably improve the syndrome excessive heat at the Ying and Xue level with severe weakness and fever.
The TCM Treatment for Endotoxic Diseases
A) Clearing heat and detoxifying, B) tonifying Qi and detoxifying, C) and cleansing the viscera and purging toxins
are the three main therapeutic methods employed by TCM to prevent and treat endotoxic diseases.
A) Clearing Heat and Detoxifying
Research has found that many herbs that clear heat have anti- endotoxin activity. These herbs can either inactivate endotoxin directly or antagonize the actions of endotoxin, such as fever, inflammation etc. These herbs include
Coptis root (Huang lian) Dandelion herb (Pugongying), Pulsatilla root(Bai tou weng), Green chiretta (Chuan xin lian), Chinese Gentian ( Long dancao), Forsythia fruit (Lian qiao) , Honeysuckle flower (Ji yin hua), Moutan bark (Mudan pi), Ox gallstone (Niu huang), Scutellaria root (Huang qin), Scrophularia (Xuanshen ), Patrinia herb ( Baijiangcao ), Isatis root(Banlangen) , lsatis leaf (Da qing ye), etc.
Applicable formulas include
White Tiger Decoction (Bai hu Tang), Antipyretic and Antitoxic Decoction(Qing wen Bai du Yin), Pill of Six Ingredients with Magical Effects (Liu shenWan), Decoction of Gentian for Purging the Liver (Long dan Xie gan Tang), Decoction for Detoxifying and Removing Blood Stasis (Jie du Hua yu Tang), Decoction of Pulsatilla Root combination (Bai tou wen Tang), etc.
According to the heterogeneity of endotoxin and its unparalleled character of biological activities, and according to the characteristics of traditional Chinese herbs, we've designed a research system to act directly against the action of endotoxin.
For example, after culture in vitro, we use the Limulus test or the rabbit pyrogenic test to determine the change of the toxicity of endotoxin, and use the lowest effective concentration of drugs as the pharmacodynamic index.
The change of the active groups of endotoxin molecules as determined by chemical methods is taken as evidence of anti - endotoxic function. The disappearance of the antigenicity of endotoxin under the influence of traditional Chinese herbs serves as the counterevidence of anti-endotoxic action. In this way the anti-endotoxic action of herbs is determined.
Then the herb's action on the signs of fever, shock, death of rabbit or mouse caused by the attack of endotoxin after using drugs through injection or oral administration is used as evidence of the drug's practical use in the clinic. The test of the herb's sensitive spectrum against endotoxin from various bacteria is taken as a determinant of possible value in clinical practice.
Based on the above systematic mode, the direct anti-endotoxic function of more than 100 traditional Chinese herbs, formulae and their chemical components were examined. The result shows that traditional anti-endotoxin herbs, such as
Akebia (Zi cao) , Moutan bark (Mu dan pi) Honeysuckle flower(Jin yin hua), Sophora root (Ku shen), Forsythia fruit (Lian qiao), Toad venom ( Can su), Bear gall ( Xiong dan), Scutellaria root (Huang qin), Formula to Clear Toxic Heat ( Redu qing), Formula to Detoxify the Viscera(Jie du tong fi Fang)etc.
are all of value.
We've gotten a monomer from the most effective formula by analyzing its ingredients and chemical components. Under the influence of this monomer, the ultrastructure of endotoxin underwent expansion, breaking and disintegration. The toxicity and antigenicity of endotoxin then became weak and then disappeared.
The minimal concentration of the monomer to detoxify the endotoxin from 5 kinds of bacteria sources is 0.012 - imp/ml. It has obvious protective action when it is applied through intravenous injection or oral administration to high fever of rabbit or death of mouse caused by endotoxin.
The above researches provide not only the experimental basis for the method of clearing heat and detoxifying which can act directly against the toxicity of endotoxin and inactivate the endotoxin, but also gives direct evidence of the material basis for this therapeutic method of action against endotoxin.
In clinical practice, the therapeutic methods of clearing heat and detoxifying to treat acute infectious endotoxic diseases are quite good. For instance, using a Formula to Clear Toxic Heat (Redu qing) to treat 282 patients with acute infection, the effective rate is 85.8%
The Formula to Detoxify and Remove Stasis (Jie du hua yu Fang) can obviously decrease the concentration of endotoxin in blood of patients and improve the symptoms of febrile diseases significantly.
The Formula to Clear Heat from Ying Level(Liang ying tou re Fang) can lower the temperature of the patients with high fever caused by febrile diseases of the Ying level, and make the presence of endotoxin in blood become negative.
Injection of Forsythia fruit can obviously decrease the temperature and concentration of endotoxin in blood of the patients with high fever caused by trauma together with serious infection and presence of endotoxin in blood.
We've developed a new kind of patent medicine called 'Redu ping" (medicine to Subdue Toxic Heat) mainly used on the method of clearing heat and detoxifying. Its anti-endotoxic function in vitro is 263 times that of lactulose, it is similar to polymyxin B.
Through oral administration it can significantly protect against the death of mice caused by endotoxin or aminogalactose or sensitization of actinomycin O. It can also act obviously against the fever caused by endotoxin and tumor necrotic factor (TNF).
In clinical practice, it has been used to treat 51 patients with high fever caused by the presence of endotoxin in blood . The therapeutic effectiveness is quite good because it can promptly decrease the concentration of endotoxin in blood, and let the body temperature become normal within 36.1 hours.
B) Tonifying Qi and Detoxifying
This method refers to increasing the ability of the body to eliminate pathogenic toxins by using herbs and formulas that tonify Qi and strengthen the body resistance. It originates from Niejing, which records that "The organism is not disturbed by harmful environmental agents when vital energy is sufficiently strong". This aphorism sets the stage for our research on the Qi tonifying and detoxifying herbs and formulas which can increase the body' s homeostasis function, especially the function of immune system in the aspects of modern pharmacology of TCM.
It seems likely that increasing the phagocytic activity of reticuloendothelial system (RES) may increase the ability of the body to eliminate endotoxin, because the endotoxin in blood is mainly eliminated by the phagocytic function of mononuclear macrophages(which are the first barrier of immune system) and EJECTED THROUGH THE BILIARY TRACT.
Thus, we designed the following experimental procedures to research the function of herbs in these respects;
1) Using the ability of the herb or herbal compound to increase the phagocytic activity of RES as the chief condition;
2) Using a measure of the protective effects against such toxic actions as shock or death of experimental animals caused by endotoxin as the pharmacodynamic index;
3)Taking the non-specific function of anti -command anti-infection as counterevidence.
Practical methods included:
1) Observing the influence on the phagocytic function of RES in swallowing three kinds of foreign bodies (inert carbon, 32P marked staphylococcus and number 32P chicken erythrocytic) by applying drugs to various kinds of animals such as mice hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits.
2) Observing the influence on the shock and death of mice and hamsters caused by the attack of endotoxin, the fever of guinea pigs and rabbits or the drop of temperature of hamsters caused by endotoxin, and peripheral changes in white blood cells and diarrhea of mice caused by endotoxin.
3) Observing the protective action against superior mesenteric artery occlusion shock and venous infection of gram-positive and gram -negative bacteria of mice.
We carried out systematic research on more than 200 formulas, herbs, herbal chemical components and their derivatives based on the above research protocols . The result shows that formulas and herbs that tonify Qi and strengthen body resistance can significantly reinforce the phagocytic function of RES.
For instance, such herbs and formulas as
Ginseng (Ren shen), Pilose asiabell root (Dang shen), Astragalus root (Huang qi), polysaccharidum versicolor (Yun zhi) , White Jelly Fungus (Yi ner), Wulingshen and Pulse-activating Injection(Ginseng, Ophiopogon root,Schizandra fruit), injection of Ginseng and Ophiopogon, injection of Ginseng and prepared Aconite Root, Protecting Vital Qi Decoction (Bao yuan tang),etc.
all have the ability to increase the phagocytic index of RES 2-5 times, thus accelerating the clearance of endotoxin from the blood stream. The experimental animals to which the above medicines have been administered showed obvious resistance against fever, change of white blood cells, diarrhea, shock and death caused by the attack of endotoxin.
In addition, RES has strong phagocytic action against the pathogenic microorganisms (which are the source of endotoxin) as well as the pathologic biochemical by-products such as the by-products of coagulation and fibrinolytics, alexinic fragments, and immunocomplexes triggered by endotoxin inside the body.
Therefore, it is clear that the herbs and herbal formulas should have the action against non-specific infection and shock by virtue of their reinforcement of the function of RES.
This has been shown by our experiments that demonstrate that the three medicines
Pulse- activating injection, Ginseng, and Polysaccharidum versicolor
all have obvious protective action against the death of mice caused by infection of gram-negative and gram positive bacteria, and can prevent the rise of the content of endotoxin in blood and can lower the death rate in the disease of superior mesenteric artery occlusion shock of hamsters.
Moreover, the state and tendency of illness of endotoxic diseases with deficient vital Qi is closely related to the function of the mononuclear macrophage. For example, the recovery from various acute infections and septicemia depends on the RES's elimination of both the pathogenic microorganism and its toxic by-products in the blood stream.
The occurrence and development of DIC has a close relation to the Reuse's incomplete elimination of the by-products of coagulation and fibrinolytics in the blood stream, and RES failure is the cause of death in acute DIC. The occurrence of intractable shock also is related to the failure of RES.
Therefore, resuscitating the RES is the key for intractable shock to transform into reversible shock. Death from severe hepatitis and multiple system organ failure( MSOF) is likewise caused by RES failure. It is thus clear that using the formulas and herbs which tonify Qi and strengthen body resistance to reinforce the RES activity is another main therapeutic method to treat endotoxic diseases.
In clinic practice, Pulse Activating injection has a good therapeutic track record in the treatment of toxic shock, such as severe pneumonic shock, biliary shock, epidemic hemorrhagic fever and hemorrhagic shock caused by infection.
The injection can alleviate toxemia, raise the blood pressure and improve the general condition of the patients. Using Western medicine alone to treat shock, the death rate is 12.2 % while using the combination of Western medicine and Pulse-activating injection, the death rate is 4.2% .
In the treatment of infectious toxic shock (52 cases) by using the injection of Ginseng and Ophiopogon, the restoration of optimal blood pressure and the correction rate of shock are much better than in the control group treated by Western medicine.
The injections of Ginseng and Prepared Aconite Root, Shenfuqing, etc. all have the ingredient Ginseng, which can strongly increase the ability of the RES to eliminate the endotoxin inside the body. Therefore, it has obvious therapeutic effect in the treatment of various kinds of acute, chronic hepatic injury. It is thus evident that tonifying the Qi and Detoxifying is an effective method of TCM for treating endotoxic diseases.
C) Cleansing the Viscera and Purging Toxins
There exist a large amount of gram-negative bacteria in the intestines. When the body faces stress conditions such as high fever, blood loss, burns, or severe trauma, it will result in serious abnormal fermentation in the intestines, thus producing a large amount of endotoxin.
The change in the permeability of the walls of the intestine caused by lack of oxygen and blood supply will lead to the absorption of large amounts of endotoxin into the blood. This is not only the main reason that gram-negative infections cause high content of endotoxin in blood, but also the most important reason for sudden endotoxic shock in various kinds of acute abdominal and intestinal operations.
In clinical practice, the content of endotoxin increased obviously in the blood of patients with "Syndrome of Yang Ming Bowel Organs." Therefore, purgative herbs are used to get rid of the intestinal endotoxin pool, improve blood circulation, restore the barrier action of the enteric membrane, and reduce the absorption of enterogenous endotoxin.
Experiments showed that the
herb Rhubarb
and the formula Drastic Purgative Decoction (Rhubarb, Glauber's salt, Magnolia bark, and Immature Bitter Orange)
have the above function, because of their strong purgative and anti -bacterial action. Rhubarb and its formulas can treat experimental fever effectively and quickly.
In clinical practice, the method of purging off the toxins of the intestines is applied to treat acute hemorrhagic necrotic pancreatitis, intestinal obstruction, enterogenous shock, severe hepatitis, epidemic hemorrhagic fever, acute renal failure and acute respiratory disease (ARD).
For instance, Decoction to Purge the Heat (Rhubarb, Glauber's salt, Scrophularia, Licorice), when it is used to treat adult pneumonia, can achieve full antipyretic function within 24-72 hours, and lower the content of endotoxin in blood.
Research shows that Rhubarb doesn't have direct anti -endotoxic function, but it has a good therapeutic and preventive action against enterogenous endotoxin in blood. The therapeutic mechanism is that Rhubarb can prevent enterogenous endotoxin from entering the bloodstream.
Serving as antagonists against endotoxin, Rhubarb is completely different from lactulose. The method of purging off toxins in the intestines to treat enterogenous endotoxic disease therefore has a much broader meaning than the simple laxative function as understood by modern medicine.
From planetherbs.com
-------------------- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Remember Iam not a Doctor Just someone struggling like you with Tick Borne Diseases.
You must have posted this on a day when you were really sick! You need to copy/paste this to medical board ... would you believe you are in activism? ha ha
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