I was looking for Babesia the old fashioned way with a microscope and was shocked to see what appears to be a briskly simmering Vivax Malaria case instead.
The symptoms of these so called 'benign Malarias' are so similar to Babesia, and not severe enough to send one to the hospital or even a doctor most of the time. They have the same ring forms in red blood cells as Babesia. The difference is they also have other stages such as trophozoites, gametocites, schizonts merozoites, and in the case of P. Vivax and P. Ovale hypnozoites that reside in the liver. If you see these it is not Babesia, or it is a mixed infection of both.
What difference does it make in treatment? It is true that Malaria is orders of magnitude EASIER to get rid of than Babesia, so Babesia treatment should wipe out any Malaria... except for one important difference:
If the Malaria happens to be Vivax (likely in the Southern US) or Ovale (less likely), you have will have Hypnozoites in your liver that can only be wiped out by one (potentially dangerous) drug called Primaquine.
If the liver stage hypnozoites are not treated immediately after the blood stage forms they will just keep re-infecting your blood.... And your Malaria (or your Babesia if the two are being confused) will just keep coming back.
For someone fighting Babesia finding out it was really a close cousin... Malaria would actually be very good news since the latter is much easier to get rid of once you know what it is.
...Just a musing about an old disease that I think may be getting overlooked as a curable source of some of our misery. If something curable is causing part of our symptoms it would be nice to have that part gone.
I have had this from the beginning and it is totally predictable. My life is planned around it completely. Once day in bed, the next maybe a trip to the grocery store or pharmacy, next day in bed. I have tried to research it and come up with nothing.
Are you a doctor or scientist? Do you think it is worth being tested for malaria? Also babesia meds have given a little relief, but I am not finished yet.
Thanks for bringing this up.
Frances
I know that in Pennsylvania they thought.. or it was reported there were cases of Babesiosis.. but of course the health dept there didn't want to admit it.. and they then RE-Diagnosed the Babesiosis cases to Maleria instead.
This might have been a political thing called Cover Your Back Side..
But I find it hard to understand why they would do that??
My momma had Maleria as a child.. and she was from the deep south. Every year she would have a "re-occurance" of the symptoms. She would be VERY ill and in bed for days.. then it was over and back to normal. ??
I was told.. now keep in mind these are the ducks and this was YEARS ago.. but they said the reason I had an orange colored ring in both iris's (the colored section of my eyes).. was because my mom had Maleria years ago.... long before I was born... and the orange ring was passed along to me.
??? Huh?
Man .. the things I believed back then.. DUH!
I don't know all the technical things associated with it.. but it always seemed "fishy" to me.
One of the BIG problems with babesiosis and the CDC reporting system is that.. for example.. the procedure here for getting a case documented.. which I had to spend days to find out cause NO ONE KNEW..
If a patient is tested at ANY lab and tests positive.. then the patient has to go back to the doctor and have another tube of blood drawn.. and that new tube is sent.. WITH the lab report .. to the State Health Lab in that state.
Since Maryland has no state lab.. they then have to figure out what to do.. and I KNOW they don't know.. so things are delayed..
Anyhow.. they then must contact the CDC.. and send the sample to them with their forms and the original report.
Then the CDC lab that supposedly specializes in Babesioisis.. I am NOT happy with that gang of "people"... takes the sample and looks at it to see if they can find Babesiosis.
Well ding dongs.. the sample by then.. days later... is not of high quality and is basically no good. And when they can't find anything in it.. they report back that it was a negaitive.
That dis counts the case report.
This is happening.. believe it or not.
Soooooooo.. any info YOU have would be wonderful! Please keep sharing. I AM interested.
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If you get the choice to sit it out or dance...
Yes, I remember that thread, I read it with interest. It describes the kind of Malaria everyone is familiar with, Plasmodium Falciparum. That is the kind that makes people violently ill and sometimes kills them. Those cases usually get treated (and thus reported) because the people are so ill.
The other 3 kinds of Malaria... P. Malariae, P. Vivax, and P. Ovale cause milder illness much like Babesia does. They are the ones that don't make people sick enough to be hospitalized and that nobody looks for.
Look at the map on page 2 of this publication by UNICEF:
http://www.unicef.org/prescriber/eng_p18.pdf
The light green shaded area in Mexico and the Southern US is where Malaria occurs naturally, but was 50 years ago mostly wiped out because it would be spotted in any routine blood work (they used microscopes alot back then) and treated. Now blood work is mostly automated and nobody would even know what Malaria looked like if they did happen to look at your blood for some reason.
Do you see the problem with KEEPING a disease out of an area where it naturally occurs if you STOP LOOKING for it for 30 years or so?
The only reason it would even matter if we are being treated already for Babesia is that the most likely form of Malaria to encounter in the Southern US is P. Vivax, because it has a liver dwelling stage that will keep re-infecting you no matter how many gallons of Mepron you drink.
The liver stage are called Hypnozoites, and can go dormant for years, or re-infect your blood the instant you stop your Mepron, Artemisinin, or whatever you are taking.
C.O.L.: Primaquine is a drug that can kill the liver stage (hypnoziotes), so they don't re-infect your blood. It can also kill people with a certain genetic enzyme disorder, so this must be tested first. (This is not a drug to self medicate with just in case anyone is so inclined.)
Good luck getting anyone to test for it in the USA. The usual method to test is to look at a blood smear very carefully and very thoroughly. This also is best done right when you are having a flare up, or the organisms might be scarce in your blood and not seen.
There are also home Malaria test kits available overseas that work like a strep screen kits your Dr. uses (for strep throat).
There aren't any such tests available in the US that are FDA approved or that your Dr. would be likely to able to use, since of course there aren't any such loathsome third world diseases in the US. Such diseases know instinctively out of respect to not infect US since we are Americans.
I found these available for $10 per test, postpaid to anywhere in the world:
http://www.anytestkits.com/malaria-test-kit.htm
I ordered a couple just out of curiosity. (I used one of those single use credit card numbers, out of respect for the fact that I was ordering from Africa from a company I do not know.) I'll let you know if they look useful. They may be like the blood smears, only registering a positive during a flare up.
PLEASE note I am not encouraging everyone to hound their Doctors for Malaria testing... this is just discussion for the present.
If one lives in an area that was or is the domain of these 'lesser malarias' and has re-orrurrent unresolved problems this might be an area to look at. (JO3, are you listening?)
We are getting ready to treat Chris for the third time with mepron and tetra for babs.
He is from the southwest and spent a lot of time on the west coast of Mexico years ago.
Your thoughts?
At this point I have alot more questions than I have answers. I do not know if Malaria shows up on the tests done for Babesia or not... that is a very good question. They seem to be close cousins and look similar in your blood in the 'ring stage'. Possibly they would cross-react, but possibly you would get a negative Babesia test, but be sick with 'Babesia' symptoms... and really have Malaria. I don't know... nobody seems to be even considering this in the US at least.
We had our first LLMD visit a couple of days ago. The Austin one by the way. She is really sharp IMO, very discerning, very helpful, and possessing a good diagnostic sense. I highly recommend her, and the report a while back about astronomical fees is total nonsense by the way.
But even she was not mentally prepared to be thinking about Malaria as a co-infection, even when shown pictures of the various stages in my blood cells. (I'm sure she is not used to patients bringing in microscope pictures!) Babesia is on the radar, Malaria is not.
The potential importance of this is that about 70% of my worst symptoms... the bad head stuff... disappeared when I took some artemisinin to pound it down. I have my brain back! (mostly)
Go to the 'test and teach' page if you want to become a pathologist in an African country.
I was tested for Malaria before I was tested for Babesiosis because my symptoms were so Malaria-like. And, I have spent some time in Central & South America. During my last trip to SA I came home deathly ill and no MD could figure out what I had. It took 3 months & some Z-Packs to start to feel human again.
My IDMD is not sure if I have Malaria or Babs but, is treating as if I have either one. It has been "suggested" that the way a tick transmits Babesiosis is by first feeding on a species that is infected with a form of Malaria. It is thought that the Malaria can change slightly while in the tick and can be then transmitted to the next victim as what we call Babesiosis.
There are many host carriers of Malaria in our animal kingdom here in the US. Also, we do have Malaria carrying mosquitos.
This theory was being studiied but the funding wasn't there so, I don't know what has become of the data. I met a biologist who worked briefly on this using rabbits as the subjects. Apparently, many animals can carry Malaria and not present symptoms of the disease.
Just food for thought.
Bc
quote:Primaquine Phosphate
Originally posted by TheCrimeOfLyme:
whats primaquine?
What are primaquine tablets?
What should my health care professional know before I take primaquine?
How should I take this medicine?
What if I miss a dose?
What drug(s) may interact with primaquine?
What side effects may I notice from taking primaquine?
What should I watch for while taking primaquine?
Where can I keep my medicine?
What are primaquine tablets? (Back to top)
PRIMAQUINE is an antimalarial agent. Primaquine treats attacks of malaria; it may be used alone or together with another medicine. Primaquine, together with an antibiotic is used to treat Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Generic primaquine tablets are available.
What should my health care professional know before I take primaquine? (Back to top)
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
*anemia or other blood disorders
*glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency
*methemoglobin reductase deficiency
*rheumatoid arthritis
*systemic lupus erythematosus
*an unusual or allergic reaction to primaquine, iodoquinol, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
*pregnant or trying to get pregnant
*breast-feeding
How should I take this medicine? (Back to top)
Take primaquine tablets by mouth. Follow the directions on the prescription label. Swallow tablets whole with a drink of water. Do not crush or chew these tablets.
If primaquine upsets your stomach take it with food or milk. Take your doses at regular intervals. Do not take your medicine more often than directed.
What if I miss a dose? (Back to top)
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose. Do not take double or extra doses.
What drug(s) may interact with primaquine? (Back to top)
*quinacrine
Tell your prescriber or health care professional about all other medicines you are taking, including non-prescription medicines, nutritional supplements, or herbal products. Also tell your prescriber or health care professional if you are a frequent user of drinks with caffeine or alcohol, if you smoke, or if you use illegal drugs. These may affect the way your medicine works. Check with your health care professional before stopping or starting any of your medicines.
What side effects may I notice from taking primaquine? (Back to top)
Side effects that you should report to your prescriber or health care professional as soon as possible:
*back, leg, or stomach pains
*bluish fingernails, lips, or skin
*dark urine
*difficulty breathing
*dizziness or lightheadedness
*fever and sore throat
*loss of appetite
*pale skin
*unusual tiredness or weakness
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your prescriber or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
*stomach pain or cramps
*nausea, vomiting
What should I watch for while taking primaquine? (Back to top)
Tell your prescriber or health care professional if your symptoms do not improve in 2 to 3 days. If you are taking primaquine for a long time, visit your prescriber or health care professional for regular checks on your progress.
If your urine becomes a dark color, tell your prescriber or health care professional as soon as you can.
Check with your pharmacist before you visit a new area where there are malaria-carrying mosquitoes. You may need to take a different antimalarial medicine.
You may get drowsy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs mental alertness until you know how primaquine affects you.
Where can I keep my medicine? (Back to top)
Keep out of the reach of children in a container that small children cannot open.
Store at room temperature between 15 and 30 degrees C (59 and 86 degrees F). Protect from light. Keep container tightly closed. Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.
Riamet and Coartem are the same. Both are made by Novartis.
Take care.
*if used after heavy metal/chemical/dental infection load has been reduced.
[This message has been edited by GiGi (edited 27 January 2005).]
I grew up in Houston. Mosquito capital of the Southwest.
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oops!
Lymetutu
The site describes how it kills malaria in the blood stream but does not mention how it kills it in the liver.
Does anyone know if this drug works on all stages of malaria, (and babesia)?
KH
The intended disease for Riamet is P. Falciparum Malaria, the deadly one. It has a liver stage INITIALLY but not one that persists.
From the text below this picture: http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/ImageLibrary/Malaria_il.htm
(Of note, in P. vivax and P. ovale a dormant stage [hypnozoites] can persist in the liver and cause relapses by invading the bloodstream weeks, or even years later.)
Babesia is much simpler, unless there is more to its life cycle than is known (always possible):
All Babesia has is ring forms that divide within the red blood cells and sometimes form the telltale cross shape. There are no (known) liver forms.
So it would seem Riamet would work on Babesia because Babesia only exists in the form that Riamet was designed to attack when it is used on Malaria.
It would also seem Riamet would leave behind dormant liver hypnoziotes of P. Vivax and P. Ovale Malarias, to cause trouble later.
You are correct, James H, Riamet works provided the body is not overloaded with metal deposits and other microorganisms (parasites, fungi, etc.) that prevent the whole body from responding as it should. So most the time other cleanup work is necessary before Riamet can be effective.
Take care.
I was made aware of an online pharmacy called 7daypharmacy.com that carries Riamet and you do not need a perscription.
I am a little wary to say the least about ordering this via an online pharmacy. Does anyone have any experience with this or other online pharmacies? I want to be assured of authenticity of the product before putting it in my body.
I would appreciate anyones comments.
Thank you,
KH
My Uncle (her youngerst child) has Parkinsons. They say the two are related someway genetically. My Uncle also had/has migrains.
L
Malaria meds in general are toxic and some can be lethal if taken in too high a dose, for too long, or by the wrong person.
Riamet, taken as directed, is probably one of the less toxic.
Primaquine... reportedly well tolerated by most people... but look up the word 'hemolysis' and understand what it means for you if you happen to have a certain enzyme defect.
Methloquine... you won't be able to drive for 3 weeks after taking this one.
I think some others can cause suicidal thoughts etc. Chloroquine?
Overall not a real pleasant group of medicines.
[This message has been edited by James H (edited 28 January 2005).]