Thanks!

Chris
 

I want to treat these but just started some ne lyme abx ...... s gues that will be the next round.

robi
 

I'm also interested in replies to this. I called his office and as of last week they told me he is not taking new patients (in person or by phone consult), but you can have your doctor call and consult with him.

There is a lot of info by him on the Stealth Virus Group on Yahoo (inactive since 2004, but you can search through old posts). It looks like he's constantly researching and updating his approaches, so some of this info may be old.

Robi, how do you know you have a coag neg staph infection? Did you do the deep aerobic culture testing he recommends? From what I've read he considers this a significant source of chronic neurotoxins and a common obstacle to people getting better (maybe even a higher priority than your Lyme abx). The MSH is interesting also (never heard of any other doctors looking into this); did your LLMD test for this?
 

They stuck a q tip thing up my nose .... like way up.... Well past finger reach .... Is this the right test?

The test was done a guy who didn't belive in Lyme but I cvinced him to do the test.

robi
 

I can give your more detail on his protocol if you want.

Lymeonysnicket
 

Someone referred his name, along with some others.

Got his information packet and was totally turned off.

THEN I found out his pricing and decided not to even try him. It's not that he's terribly expensive, I just don't agree with some of the stuff you are paying for and buying BEFORE you even see him.

My husband laughed so hard when I told him about this guy's protocol. He and I decided it wasn't worth our time or money.

We don't like anything that resembles an informercial.

Got more feedback from others and decided I had made a good choice.

But I have seen posts from two or three others saying he is an ok doctor.

[This message has been edited by JillF (edited 17 April 2005).]
 

I thought this was pretty suspect as I had just been diagnosed with Babesia and chronic Lyme, for this R.S. suggested a few weeks antibiotics and a few weeks Mepron!!!

Luckily I had read about the length of time you needed to treat Lyme for and Babesia so ignored his advice. I did take cholysteramine which helped (I'm sure I do have neurotoxins but from the Babesia and Lyme most likely!).

I don't know of any LLMD's that believe in such a short treatment protocol for Lyme though they do use cholysteramine to aid the removal of neurotoxins.

I would definately not go to him for Lyme advice.

Emma

 

"Attached is the Shoemaker Protocol for Lyme:

Lyme Antibiotic, Actos & Cholestyramine Treatment
Dr. Ritchie C. Shoemaker, 05-FEB-02

When Lyme or tick-borne disease is indicated in Dr. Shoemaker's
opinion, the following protocol is used. First, rule out other
biotoxin exposures, such as indoor air or outdoor fungal mycotoxins,
Ciguatoxins (seafood), Brevetoxins (marine red tides), Pfiesteria
toxins (estuaries), cyanobacteria toxins (fresh water), or Brown
Recluse or another poisonous spider bite, by taking a thorough
neurotoxic history. Symptoms from these toxic exposures can look like
Lyme but won't get better with antibiotics. Second, verify as well
as possible that the patient has had a tick bite or a good potential
for such. Question the patient about ticks and rashes, and obtain
laboratory tests for exposure to Borrelia, Ehrlichia, Babesia or
other potentially co-infecting organisms if possible, remembering
that those tests may have a high false-negative rate.

Doxycycline, 100 mg, 2 x day for 3 weeks [If allergic, Amoxicillin,
250 mg, 3 x day, 3 weeks; or Cefuroxime axetil (Ceftin), 250 mg, 2 x
day, 3 weeks]. Note : the doses used here are quite different than
what you may read elsewhere.

Then, Actos (pioglitazone; if not available take Avandia, 4 mg x
2/day) to upregulate peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma
(PPARg) which in turn downregulates production of pro-inflammatory
cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa), taken once
daily with or without food for 5 days prior to beginning
cholestyramine (CSM). See Actos instructions in treatment protocol
available on website: 1) Protocol for Prevention of Intensification
Reaction (Herxheimer-like reaction) by Actos in Chronic Lyme Patients
Beginning Cholestyramine; 2) Actos information sheet (soon available
on website).

Begin cholestyramine (CSM) on day 6 of Actos, and continue CSM for 3
weeks; continue Actos for 4 more days (total of 10 days Actos). See
CSM instructions in treatment protocol available on website: 1) What
to expect from cholestyramine; 2) Information on cholestyramine; 3)
cholestyramine protocol.

Physician evaluation after 3 weeks of CSM, Note: most patients are
seen frequently during the first several weeks of Actos/CSM protocol;
this MD review is the minimum. Don't skip getting a VCS test done!
It is your "compass" to find your way home.

If vision and symptom are improving as Lyme patients normally will,
continue CSM alone until symptoms abate or reach a plateau.

If no improvement or worse, consider alternative diagnoses or
complications of Lyme beyond neurotoxins alone. Discontinue CSM, and:

A. Get deep nasal (body, not vestibule) culture for Coagulase
Negative Staphylococcus (CNS), and blood tests for Leptin and alpha-
Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone (MSH); the culture must be grown for
at least 5 days; don't let the lab say "normal flora" as CNS is still
regarded as "benign" by most infectious disease physicians. Make
sure the lab runs the Leptin and MSH assays properly - special blood
drawing tubes are necessary and aren't a "routine" test for most labs.

B. While waiting for Part A test results, consider:

- i.v. ceftriaxone (Rocephin), 2 gm, 1 x day (PICC line catheter), 28
days.

If i.v. Rocephin not available:

- Biaxin (clarithromycin), 500 mg, 2 x day, 4 weeks; or Roxithromycin
(foreign use) or other macrolide antibiotic.

After completing antibiotic regime, CSM per protocol for 3 weeks.
When test results are available, if culture for CNS (produces delta
toxin) is positive, leptin is high and MSH is low, begin:

- Rifampin, 2-300 tablets mg with food in morning, 4 weeks (it turns
saliva, tears and other secretions red - is not blood!), plus;

- sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (Bactrim DS - make sure you are not
allergic to sulfur), 1 tablet, 2 x day, 4 weeks, plus;

- Muciprocin (Bactroban cream), apply to swab at one end of Q-tip,
coat front and deep nostril thoroughly, repeat with other swab or
other end of Q-tip in the other nostril, 3 x day, 4 weeks.

- Take Actos per protocol if an intensification reaction occurs, and
it often will, making some patients think that their problem is still
Lyme. (We think that the cytokines made in response to the
neurotoxins of Lyme or the antibiotics used to treat Lyme may alter
the normal defenses of the mucus membranes of the nose, permitting a
slow-growing, opportunistic organism, resistant to nearly all
commonly used antibiotic, like CNS, possibly growing with an unusual
fungus, to take over a "niche" in the nose.)

[Treatment for CNS is evolving; we are conducting studies. You may
wish to sign up on the website for a phone consultation with Dr.
Shoemaker, particularly if you have the MSH problem (not uncommon)
which indicates a hypothalamic abnormality.]

After completing antibiotic regime, CSM per protocol for 3 weeks.

If still ill, and symptoms include sweats, shortness of breath and
cough, and unexplained hematuria, without red cells in urine, get
polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for Babesia (tick-borne
protozoan). If positive, begin:

- Atovaquone (Mepron), 750 mg (1 teaspoon), with food, 2 x day, 6
weeks (2 bottles); continue CSM.

After completing antibiotic regime, CSM per protocol for 3 weeks."

 

A time-series study of sick building syndrome: chronic, biotoxin-
associated illness from exposure to water-damaged buildings

Ritchie C. Shoemaker a, b, and Dennis E. House b
a Chronic Fatigue Center, 500 Market Street, Suite 103, Pocomoke City,
MD 21851, United States
b Center for Research on Biotoxin-Associated Illness, 500 Market
Street, Suite102, Pocomoke City, MD 21851, United States
Received 6 April 2004; revised 30 July 2004; accepted 30 July 2004.
Available online 13 September 2004.
Abstract

The human health risk for chronic illnesses involving multiple body
systems following inhalation exposure to the indoor environments of
water-damaged buildings (WDBs) has remained poorly characterized and
the subject of intense controversy. The current study assessed the
hypothesis that exposure to the indoor environments of WDBs with
visible microbial colonization was associated with illness. The study
used a cross-sectional design with assessments at five time points,
and the interventions of cholestyramine (CSM) therapy, exposure
avoidance following therapy, and reexposure to the buildings after
illness resolution. The methodological approach included oral
administration of questionnaires, medical examinations, laboratory
analyses, pulmonary function testing, and measurements of visual
function. Of the 21 study volunteers, 19 completed assessment at each
of the five time points. Data at Time Point 1 indicated multiple
symptoms involving at least four organ systems in all study
participants, a restrictive respiratory condition in four
participants, and abnormally low visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) in
18 participants. Serum leptin levels were abnormally high and alpha
melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH) levels were abnormally low.
Assessments at Time Point 2, following 2 weeks of CSM therapy,
indicated a highly significant improvement in health status.

Improvement was maintained at Time Point 3, which followed exposure
avoidance without therapy. Reexposure to the WDBs resulted in illness
reacquisition in all participants within 1 to 7 days. Following
another round of CSM therapy, assessments at Time Point 5 indicated a
highly significant improvement in health status. The group-mean number
of symptoms decreased from 14.9�0.8 S.E.M. at Time Point 1 to 1.2�0.3
S.E.M., and the VCS deficit of approximately 50% at Time Point 1 was
fully resolved. Leptin and MSH levels showed statistically significant
improvement. The results indicated that CSM was an effective
therapeutic agent, that VCS was a sensitive and specific indicator of
neurologic function, and that illness involved systemic and
hypothalamic processes. Although the results supported the general
hypothesis that illness was associated with exposure to the WDBs, this
conclusion was tempered by several study limitations. Exposure to
specific agents was not demonstrated, study participants were not
randomly selected, and double-blinding procedures were not used.

Additional human and animal studies are needed to confirm this
conclusion, investigate the role of complex mixtures of bacteria,
fungi, mycotoxins, endotoxins, and antigens in illness causation, and
characterize modes of action. Such data will improve the assessment of
human health risk from chronic exposure to WDBs.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T9X-4D9RB4D-1&_user=10&_handle=B-WA-A-W-WW-MsSAYWA-UUA-AAUDBVVAUD-AAUVEWVEUD-YBVCABBDA-WW-U&_fmt=summary&_coverDate=09%2F 13%2F2004&_rdoc=22&_orig=browse&_srch=%23toc%235126%239999%23999999999%2399999!&_cdi=5126&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=0ed38b42fdef48c5bff4b76978 55616f