by Mark Konlee
Japanese researchers at the Tokyo Dental College have report that the over-the-counter mouthwash, “Listerine” kills 60% of the HIV virus in 30 seconds at a 50% concentration. The researchers also found that Listerine completely killed staphylococcus aureus in a 30 second exposure as well as decreased the viability of candida albicans (1). The researchers reported that “Cool Mint Listerine had almost the same antiseptic effect against tested microorganisms.”
Eucalyptus, menthol and thymol are three of 4 active ingredients in Listerine, the other being methyl salicylate (i.e. aspirin). Thymol is an essential oil of the herb/spice “thyme.” Menthol is found in peppermint and other species of the mint family. Various species of eucalyptus have demonstrated potent anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties.
Listerine is well known to be effective against the bacteria that causes the dental disease, gingivitis. Listerine is very protective against microorganisms in the oral cavity. However, the product is not designed for oral consumption. Could the herbs, eucalyptus, peppermint and thyme consumed orally have a systemic effect against many types of viral, fungal and bacterial infections?
Research done in Mexico by Navarro V. et al found that alcohol-based extracts of eucalyptus globulus and artemesia (wormwood) had strong antomicrobial activity against staph, e-coli, pseudomonas and Candida Albicans (2)
Within the past month, one reader told me he used an alcohol extract of peppermint to successfully treat a case of shingles he had about 5 years ago.
Eucalyptus is found not only in Listerine, but in many brands of medicated cough drops. It is used in small quantities as it thought that large doses may be toxic. Eucalyptus is often used in saunas and in vaporizers and is helpful in clearing the sinuses and improving breathing through the lungs.
A former trappist monk, “Jack” told me of a report he heard from a veteran of World War I. He said that at an army barracks in Germany, there was an outbreak of meningitis and soldiers were dying of the affliction every day. One day, the army sealed off the barracks and sprayed the whole area with oil of eucalyptus and sealed all the windows. The soldiers inside were forced to breathe eucalyptus vapors all day. The veteran reported that the following day, the dying stopped and the epidemic ended.
Jack told me he believed that the vapors from the eucalyptus entered the blood of the soldiers via the lungs and killed the virus that was causing the meningitis. He also told me that he has been using 10 drops of V-Vax Eucalyptus daily for the past 10 years and has not had one single infection during this period. He said the species of eucalyptus used in V-Vax is non-toxic and comes from Australia.
I asked him about using eucalyptus for AIDS and CFIDS. He reported a case of a HIV+ man with kaposi sarcoma (KS) skin lesions who placed 20 drops of eucalyptus (V-Vax) in a capsule and swallowed it with a glass of water once a day before bedtime. After 5 days, his KS lesions began to lighten up. Then he told his doctor what he was doing and the doctor became angry and told him to stop using it and said that “eucalyptus is poison.” The frightened AIDS patient immediately stopped using the eucalyptus oil and died 3 months later while using the medications prescribed by his physician. For more information, Jack can be reached at 773-276-1747.
The case reported by Jack would not have peaked my interest if it were not for the powerful anti-HIV effects of Listerine reported by Japanese researchers. Eucalyptus is one of the active ingredients in Listerine and its effects against HIV and HHV-6A need to be investigated.
A local health food store has donated several bottles of V-VAX for research purposes. Persons with AIDS or CFIDS who have symptoms and want to try it to determine its symptomatic benefits or anti-viral effects can call me at 414-548-4333 (Box 2) or write to Keep Hope Alive.
Ref: 1. Efficacy of Listerine against MRSA, Candida Albicans and HIV, Yamanaka A et al, Bull Tokyo Dent Coll. 1994 Feb;35(1):23-6.
2. Antimicrobial evaluation of some plants used in Mexican traditional medicine...” Navarro V. et al, J Ethnopharmocol 1996 Sep;53(3):143-7
Last month, I expressed concern whether glucosamine sulfate bound to potassium chloride might be less effective as an anti-viral agent than when bound to sodium chloride. My opinion today is that I do not expect to find any difference in these two forms of glucosamine sulfate. I’m expressing this opinion on continuing good reports of symptomatic improvements coming from persons using either form. Some specifics are as follows:
Jim (Chicago). On D4T and 3TC and Naltrexone for the past two years. Viral load - 10,000; CD4 counts 700. Felt terrible. After reading the current newsletter, started on 8 capsules a day of a mixture of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. After one week, felt great. Now trying the Elderberry + peppermint drink or Formula 10-5-2 as reported in last months message. No new viral load testing done since starting on the sulfated polysaccharides.
Susan A. Using elderberry extract (Formula 10-5-2) with peppermint plus Jarrow Formulas glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate (1 of each 3 times a day). Also on NK911 and ThyMates. Continues to use Crixivan and Combovir. Viral load that was detectable in August remains non-detectable in two subsequent tests. CD4’s have now increased from 287 on 9/8/98 to 361 on 11/8/98. Requests to remain anonymous.
Steven Rahn: Interviewed in the current newsletter. Had lab test done November 17th and is awaiting results in the mail that have not arrived as of December 1st. Using NK911, alternated between Jarrow Formulas Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate and Futurebiotics. Using Formula 10-5-2 (elderberry + peppermint). Developed a very strong DTH response to DNCB in the past few weeks after adding about 1/2 teaspoon of licorice root powder twice daily (in a cup of hot water) plus started using Astragalus Jade Screen Formula (Planetary Formulas) 2 tablets twice daily.
Steve and I think that either the licorice root or the Jade Screen herbal formula or both set off the strong DTH response to DNCB. This is a very positive and encouraging development and indicates that the CD8 cytotoxic lymphocytes are being activated. Steve felt good enough in the past few weeks to start a full time job. He continues to occasionally have a problem with itching skin, possibly related to allergic reactions. His latest lab results are expected in the next few days. Ph No 209-264-7945.
Sustiva is the latest drug approved by the FDA for treating HIV/AIDS and has few side effects. Not so for Preveon according to R. B. of Florida. He had been on the drug for several months and told me his kidneys shut down. His physician placed him on a dialysis machine. He is now on Sustiva, D4T and 3TC, a combination that has had few if any side effects. Published literature on Preveon indicates that 40% of persons using it for 6 months develop impaired kidney function. A word to the wise is sufficient: AVOID PREVEON.
If you are going to use a cocktail, try
1. Sustiva, D4T and 3TC (Best choice for persons with active viral hepatitis) of if you want to include a protease inhibitor try
2. Viracept or Norvir with D4T and 3TC and don’t let some ambitious physician tinker with your protocol by throwing in more drugs. If you feel you need to do more to lower the viral load, add 1500 mg daily of glucosamine sulfate and 1000 mg of chondroitin sulfate.
How accurate is PCR viral load testing for HIV? A reader from California decided to answer this question for himself by having blood drawn at 6:30pm on 9/22/98 to be tested at the County of Los Angeles Public Health Lab and the following day at 2:30pm on 9/23/98 to be tested at Specialty Labs - about 20 hours apart. The PCR copies/ml on 9/22 was 30,837 while the 9/23 copies/ml was 95,739. For over a year I have received oral reports of wide variations in PCR test results for HIV. This raises a question on how much weight to place on a single viral load test for HIV in determining the success or failure of the patient's protocol. Suppose a patient had a previous viral load of 50,000. If he went to the first lab, he would be pleased as his viral load declined but if he went to the second lab he would be dissappointed as his viral load decreased. Now, if the patient relied on the 2nd lab results to determine his protocol was failing and changed his protocol, he might be abandoning a good protocol, expecially if the second lab test was in error. On the other hand, the first lab test could have been in error. On the basis of what I am observing in this case and in others, no one should assume that any one viral load test is an accurate number upon which a person should make a protocol change, yet many doctors and patients are doing just that.
A better basis is to broaden the base of diagnosis markers and include immune function tests like MultiTest CMI that measures the ability of the immune system to respond to a challenge and Natural Killer Cell function along with total White Blood Cell counts, Total Lymphocyte counts and %, CD4 and CD8 counts and to give equally important weight to your own honest answer to this fundamental question: How do you feel? If you feel like cow manure, then you should consider making some changes, but if you feel great, stay the course, especially if the only concern is a viral load test that shows an increase. The test may be wrong and you could be abandoning a good protocol. By the way, if you want to talk to the person who sent me the lab results with this 65,000 viral load difference, call 323-461-5223 and ask for "Tyler."
The Marc Correa protocol, available from Keep Hope Alive, is a good foundation protocol since it has been so successful. If you are not using prescription anti-HIV drugs, use a higher dose of sulfated polysaccharides - 2000 to 3000 mg daily of glucosamine sulfate and 1000 to 1500 mg of chondroitin sulfate.
Activating NK function - Naltrexone, NK911, IP6. Eat plenty of brown and wild rice and whole kernel corn as a natural source of IP6. Effects: prevents/treats cancer and many kinds of infections including fungal. Vitamin C will also activate NK function if you use it for 1 to 3 days per week in a high dose (4000 to 10,000 mg) and none for the 4 days in between. Note: if you use a high dose of vitamin C every day, it will quit working in about one week when the body produces an enzyme to inactivate it.
Improving Macrophage and Neutrophil function; Beta 1, 3 Glucan. Use a high dose for 1 day per week or take a daily dose once in the morning upon rising. Astragalus Jade Screen Formula (Planetary Formulas) - Take 2 to 4 tablets per day in the morning. If you use beta glucan and/or Jade Screen daily, then use NK911 in the evening for 3 days per week only. Note: Use small amounts of licorice root daily when using Jade Screen.
Increasing TH1 cytokines and decreasing TH2. Licorice root - 1/2 tsp in warm water as a tea twice daily. Use licorice only if you have normal or low blood pressure as it sometimes elevates blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, use DONG QUAI - one capsule twice daily or 40 drops of herbal extract twice daily. DNCB - topical application once every week or two - improves DTH responses and antigen presentation and CD8 cytotoxic lymphocyte activity. Do not use DNCB if you have seriously impaired liver function. Soil-Based Organisms help improve NK function and promote immunity against candidiasis.
Glutathione replacement: In addition to supplements published in the current newsletter (Report No 17), be sure you are getting adequate amounts of Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6 and B2 (Riboflavin). B6 is needed to convert methionine to cysteine, the rate limiting amino acid in glutathione synthesis and Riboflavin helps to regenerate reduced glutathione.(1) B12 should be taken sublingually as it is not well absorbed in persons with either AIDS or CFIDS due to a deficiency of intrinsic factor.
1. Antioxidants and Functional Foods, Ronzio, Robert; Townsend Letter - December, 1998.
Nutritional Supplements - Individual - Cod Liver oil - 2 tablespoons daily, brewers yeast tablets - 9 twice daily, rose hips - may be used daily, calcium lactate (5 caps before bedtime) magnesium malate or magnesium oxide (500 mg daily), zinc sulfate (220 mg) - one tablet daily. Vitamin E - 200 to 400 i.u daily. Vitamin C - 4000 to 10,000 mg daily for 3 days per week and none for the 4 days in between. If you use NK911, use Vitamin C on the same days.
Antivirals for HIV, HHV-6A and other pathogens: Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, Lemon Balm, Licorice root and others like eucalyptus oil and peppermint and thyme. More research is ongoing in this area. One persons with CFIDS reported that BHT added to whole lemon drink reduced her symptoms, possibly due to an effect against HHV-6. BHT - 1000 mg daily - predissolved in olive oil.
Metabolic/gastrointestinal: - diet-emphasis on raw and sprouted foods, exercise and elderberry extract. Whole lemon/olive oil drink one or more times weekly.
Les and Susan O’Neill from Cabarita Bch, Australia, report that Susan’s mother, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimers, has had a complete remission of all her symptoms (loss of short term memory, interrupted speech, thought processes, etc.) by drinking 1/3 cup of elderberry extract twice daily for 3 weeks. Susan said her mother use to phone her 6 times a day and each time forget that she had just called. Now, she phones only once a day and they have a nice rational conversation. Her doctor is stunned, says Susan. In addition, Susan said that both her parents who had sinking stools now report that they have floaters, a sign of a healthy colon with active friendly bacteria. After 3 weeks, Susan said her mother’s appearance has changed...”she looks and acts younger.” Note: Elderberries are high in anthocyanins- an anti-oxidant. Several persons have reported an anti-aging effect after using elderberry for 2 weeks or longer.
Sherry A told Keep Hope Alive that 1/2 tsp of Venus Fly-Trap herbal extract taken 3 times a day completely got rid of all symptoms of Lymes’s disease in 5 days. She said then that the treatment was stopped and symptoms returned two weeks later. Note: if this herbal extract works for Lymes, why not use it daily for 2 or 3 weeks straight and hope you get rid of it completely?
This concludes this month’s message.
Mark Konlee,
Our current goal at Keep Hope Alive is to develop a “natural cocktail” that will reduce the HIV viral load to non-detectable levels and without side effects. New research from Japan on the anti-viral effects of 45 herbal extracts leads us to information overload on combination possibilities. The lead story in the current issue of PHN (No 17) is on a combination protocol consisting of glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate and elderberry extract.
Steven Rahn. In the current issue of PHN, I published an extensive interview with Steven Rahn who has been using the triple combination therapy of glucosamine, chondroitin and elderberry since September 3rd. In the first week, his viral load for HIV dropped from 480,000 to 290,000. On October 27th, Steve called me with the results of an October 19th PCR test for HIV. His viral load declined to 220,000 while his CD4’s dropped from 14 to 12 and his CD8s dropped from 385 to 312. His WBC’s are at 2500. Steve continues to feel fine and works out every morning.
I told Steven that the results were less than I had expected. With the initial drop of 180,000 in his viral load in the first week of September, I had expected that 5 weeks later, his viral load should have reached non-detectable levels. I discussed with Steven the possibility that the first two formulations of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate might have worked more effectively because they were bound to sodium chloride instead of potassium chloride. Steve didn’t see why that should make a difference. I told him that I did not understand why it would make a difference but that we needed to find out.
To recap events as they have unfolded since September 3rd, Steve first started using a glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate complex by “Nature’s Bounty” which I had obtained for him from a local pharmacy. This brand is bound to sodium chloride and was the brand used on the test of September 9th when the viral load dropped 180,000. This was followed by a Futurebiotics brand that was also bound to sodium chloride. After this, around October 1st, he switched to the Jarrow Formulas brand of sodium-free glucosamine that was bound to potassium chloride. In order to determine if the glucosamine bound to sodium chloride is more effective that the sodium free glucosamine, Steve will start on the Futurebiotics brand on November 2nd and will continue until November 16th when another viral load test will be taken. Sometime in the 3rd week of November, we will know if the Futurebiotics brand results in a more rapid decline in the viral load than the Jarrow Formulas sodium-free glucosamine.
I suggested to Steve that he ask his physician for a prescription for Neupogen to build up his white blood cell counts (WBC’s). I also suggested that he continue his current protocol since his viral load was declining but also to add Norvir and 3TC for at least the next three months to drive down the viral load faster and to improve his DTH responses to DNCB. I told Steve that at the current rate of viral load decline, it would take another 3 months to reach non-detectable levels and I felt he needed to do more to get there faster so his T cells would come back. However, Steve told me he is in no hurry to go on Norvir and 3TC, but will ask his physician about Neupogen. He is now on the liquid B12 and an Astragalus formula (Astragalus Jade Screen by Planetary Formulas) to help increase his WBC counts. Steve can be reached at 209-264-7945 for more information.
In another case, Paul, from Massachusetts, has been using the Futurebiotics brand of Glucosamine/Chondroitin sulfate for the past two months and told me a few days ago he would get a viral load test in the first week of November. He is taking one capsule 3 times a day which gives him a daily dose of 1500 mg of glucosamine sulfate and 750 mg of chondroitin sulfate. His viral load last August was 57,000. He added elderberry extract about 2 weeks ago. He may have test results by November 13th and can be reached at 617-333-0241.
Two persons with CFIDS who are using the elderberry plus glucosamine/chondroitin combo (Jarrow Formulas) have reported a significant improvement in how they feel. However, no lab results have been done to date to determine its effects on HHV-6A or other lipid envelope viruses like EBV or CMV. So far, nearly everyone using elderberry extract have reported that they sleep more deeply and that there is a very significiant improvemnt in their gastro-intestinal (G.I.) tract. Most persons using elderberry extract are now reporting they have large diameter, floating stools, a sign of normal G.I. function. Persons with AIDS or CFIDS who have various complaints and symptoms have always reported that their stools sink and are small in diameter.
At the present time, I have found that there are 4 different methods of manufacturing glucosamine capsules. According to sources at Jarrow Formulas, both glucosamine hydrochloride and N-Acetyl-glucosamine have been stripped of the “sulfate” component in the manufacturing process. Neither of these forms are expected to have any anti-viral effect against HIV or other lipid envelope viruses like EBV, CMV and HHV-6. Published scientific research indicates that only the sulfated polysaccharides and one sulfated monosaccharide (glucosamine sulfate) have a powerful effect against lipid envelope viruses. In the current issue of PHN, I have also advised people to avoid the tablet forms of glucosamine sulfate because binding agents in the tablets may block absorption. Various sources have told me that glucosamine sulfate is converted into chondroitin sulfate after being absorbed into the body. Read labels carefully. If the word “hydrochloride” or “N-Acetyl” appears anywhere on the label, do not buy it unless you are planning to use it exclusively for arthritis or rheumatism. Remember to choose capsules instead of tablets.
One of the most important articles of scientific research that provides ground-breaking discoveries in the ongoing war against HIV was published in Biol. Pharm Bull, 21(8)829-833 in August, 1998, by Katsuhiro Yamasaki and 11 other researchers at Osaka, Japan. I obtained a copy of the complete article and it is a major find. Most of the herbs tested had an effect against HIV with 7 having especially strong anti-HIV effects. All of the herbs were reported in “latin” of which I have been able to identify the following: Lemon balm, peppermint, spearmint, basil and winter savoury. Lemon balm and certain species of mint were identified as very potent inhibitors of HIV as well as giant cell formation that the authors said indicated they were fusion inhibitors that blocked HIV gp120 from docking on to cells to spread the infection. The authors reported that “the active components in the extract samples were found to be water-soluble polar substances, not nonpolar compounds such as essential oils.” Five tables of test results were published that showed the effective dose (ED) for each herb as well as the cytotoxic dose (CD) - that is the dose that can damage cells. 7 herbal extracts were identified that destroyed HIV with as little as 16 micrograms per ml. The most potent of all the herbs tested against HIV was lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). More than a year ago, I had suggested that lemon balm needed to be investigated in the treatment of AIDS. At that time, there was no scientific research to suggest that lemon balm would have an anti-HIV effect.
Some persons have tried the GAIA Herbs brand of Lemon Balm using 20 to 40 drops 3 times daily. However, only one person has provided Keep Hope Alive with lab results after using lemon balm. That person is Marc Correa who used lemon balm on a rotation basis with other anti-viral herbs recommended in Positive Health News. Earlier today, I spoke with Marc Correa, who went from full blown AIDS in 1996 to full recovery. He said his HIV viral load is still non-detectable and his CD4’s are up to 780 and CD8s are at 1500. A copy of Marc Correa’s protocol is available by writing to Keep Hope Alive and is also published in the current index of my book on “How To Reverse Immune Dysfunction.” A note on the side effects of lemon balm: it can depress thyroid function if too much is used for too long.
Within the past week, I have tested a new improved elderberry extract by combining it with peppermint. I am calling the formula “10-5-2” as it combines 10 ounces of elderberries with 5 ounces of peppermint (or spearmint) and 2 ounces of elder flowers. It is made the same way as the pure elderberry extract reported in the current issue of Positive Health News (the alcohol-based, low-temperature, crock-pot method). So far, two persons plus myself have tried it and all are very pleased with its effects. It is more gentle on the gastrointestinal tract, tastes better and creates the healthiest stools yet - large diameter floaters even faster than the pure elderberry extract. Steven Rahn plans to add peppermint to his elderberry extract after his November 16th test. I am expecting that the improved elderberry plus peppermint formula will be even more effective against HIV and other infections of the G.I. tract than elderberry alone, but especially when used in combination with glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. I am hoping that this new foursome combination will be this years new breakthrough treatment for AIDS and CFIDS. Ask your current supplier to premix Formula 10-5-2 or check with current advertisers in PHN. This concludes this months message. Persons who wish to talk to me can call 414-548-4344 and leave a message. Choose mailbox No 2
For the first two weeks of August, Steven used the hot water and blender method of making elderberry extract and switched to the crock-pot method on August 14th. His last viral load was in April, 1998 and stood at 534,000, down from 680,000 earlier in the year. A lab on August 21st showed his viral load at 490,000. A second blood test for viral load was done on August 27th and the PCR was 480,000.
On September 3rd, he added chondroitin and glucosamine sulfate (capsules) and continued using elderberry extract. A third test was done on September 9th. The evening of September 15th, he called with the results of the September 9th test. He said he was told his viral load now stood at 290,000. Steve has not used any prescribed anti-HIV drugs during the past year. He has used NK911 for the past 11 months, Beta glucan 2 days per week and alpha lipoic acid (100 mg daily) along with vitamin supplementation. He uses DNCB topical weekly applications but has poor DTH responses and requires a 5% solution of DNCB to get a good reaction. For five days before the September 9th test, he started to take an unusually large dose of vegetarian digestive enzymes (about 6 capsules 3 times a day with meals). Whether this impacted his lower viral load is unknown. The vegetarian enzymes are believed to help break up circulating immune complexes but are not known to have an anti-HIV effect. He is trying to arrange to have a 4th test done in October. He can be reached at 209-264-7945 for more information. Steve, myself and several hundred persons who have phoned him from across the nation are waiting to see if his viral load will reach non-detectable levels with his next test.
September 24th, 1998
Mark: When were you first diagnosed with HIV?
Steve: I first tested positive in April, 1994.
Mark: What was the first treatment you tried?
Steve: DNCB. I bought a book written by Billi Goldberg and decided to use DNCB as it promotes a CD8 cytotoxic lymphocyte response to the virus.
Mark: Did you use any protease inhibitors and drug cocktails since 1994?
Steve: I tried Crixivan, AZT and 3TC in May, 1997. Within about a week, I did not like how I was feeling and could not stand taking it. I stopped the Crixivan and felt better on the AZT and 3TC. In June, something started growing on my tonsils that looked like a mushroom. Two physicians could not agree what it was. I then added Viracept along with AZT and 3TC. I stayed on it about a month and then stopped all three as I could not tolerate the side effects.
Mark: How did you get rid of the growth on the tonsils?
Steve: After I stopped the drugs, the growth on my tonsils disappeared in a few weeks.
Mark: What did you do next?
Steve: I started using antigen-specific transfer factor - the product advertised in your newsletter. I think it is called ImmuneFactor now. I used coconut, every which way - coconut oil, coconut milk and raw coconut. I had irritations in my eye and sprayed a mild colloidal silver solution into the eye which cleared up the problem. I added Naltrexone which I used for about 6 months. I also use Beta Glucan about 2 days a week. In October, 1997, I added NK911 and am continuing to use it to this day. I use 2 or 3 capsules of the NK911 for 3 days a week. I added Bio Pro Thymic Protein A and Larreastat and used them for about 2 months and then stopped. I then added olive leaf tea. A shortage of money has limited my treatment options.
Mark: Were you hospitalized anytime in the past 12 months?
Steve: Yes, in December, I was on Bactrim and added Sees-2000 and got a severe rash skin to both of them that covered my whole body. I ended up in the hospital. The doctors were worried about my condition for a while, but I recovered. My physican advised me not to use Bactrim, Septra or Sees-2000 ever again.
Mark: I remember that crisis when you called me. I never advise anyone to use Sees-2000 with Bactrim or Septra. Always use one or the other, but not both at the same time. It sounds like you had a double allergic reaction to the sulfur-based Bactrim and Sees-2000, a herb high in sulfur.
Steve: That was my second experience with Sees-2000.
Mark: You are the first person to report a skin rash from Sees-2000 when used the second time. It is hard to tell if it was the Bactrim or the Sees-2000 or both that caused the rash.
Steve: I agree.
Mark: Have you taken anything since them to prevent PCP?
Steve: No, and I haven’t broken with PCP either.
Mark: You told me your CD4 count was 140 in April, 1998 and CD8’s were 900 and you had a viral load of 534,000. Did your physician suggest an alternative treatment to prevent PCP like Pentamidine or Mepron?
Steve: No, he hasn’t. I will ask him about this when I see him at my next visit.
Mark: Pentamidine or Mepron are not known to have any major side effects. They would both be good options to use to prevent PCP until your immune system recovers. It is possible that you have not broken with PCP due to activated natural killer cell activity from the Naltrexone and NK911. I am aware of several cases where persons take supplements to stimulate NK activity and do not get PCP, even when their CD4 counts are well below 200. However, the use of Pentamidine or Mepron would be extra insurance to prevent PCP. Dr. Bihari has recommended Mepron for his AIDS patients who cannot tolerate Bactrim.
Steve: I think that is a good idea.
Mark: What was the first reaction you noticed when you started using elderberry extract in August?
Steve: I never have swollen lymph nodes and a few days after starting the elderberry, the lymph nodes in my groin swelled up.
Mark: That is a sign of immune activation. What else did you notice?
Steve: My digestive tract improved immediately. I stopped having gas. My stools became larger in diameter and started looking normal. I slept more deeply.
Mark: Did they float?
Steve: Since elderberry, I have more floaters than sinkers. My stools used to be the size of my nail thumb. Now, they are normal in size.
Mark: There is an old saying that says: small stools, large hospitals; large stools, small hospitals. Larger diameter stools means the inflammation in the colon has been reduced. Several years ago, I sent out a survey on the issue of floating stools and found that healthier people always had floaters and higher T cell counts while persons with sinkers had falling T cell counts and increasing susceptibility to infections, particularly fungal. I have had many reports of sinking stools in persons with CFIDS or chronic candidiasis who are HIV negative. Persons with irritable bowel syndrome usually have small diameter stools, sometimes as thin as a pencil. Besides elderberry, I have had reports that the amino acid L-glutamine corrects this problem. Usually about 1500 mg 3 times a day gives noticeable results in a few days. Slippery elm tea and peppermint tea combined also helps.
Steve: I went the past 2 or 3 years either feeling constipated or loose stools. Only one day since I started using elderberry have I had any thing but a totally normal stool. Now, every thing is normal size and working the way it is suppose to. I can tell you I am tinkled pink with the condition of my bowels now compared to the past 3 years and they are even better now than before I was HIV+.
Mark: That is a strong endorsement of elderberry.
Steve: I had no expectation that this would happen when I started using elderberry.
Mark: I find about half the people using elderberry for the first time get diarrhea which is usually gone is about 10 days. Did this happen to you?
Steve: No, it did not.
Mark: When making the elderberry extract, you added 2 ounces of elder flowers to the pound of elderberries, what did you notice?
Steve: It gave it a sweeter taste and a nice aroma.
Mark: The book “Indian Herbalogy of North America,” by Alma Hutchens, reports that elder flowers is beneficial for eye problems and improves kidney function. I think the flowers create a more enjoyable drink as well. Up till now, we haven’t discussed the effects of your therapy on your T cells.
Steve: Well, in April, my CD4s were 140 and CD8’s 900. The August 21st test showed my CD4’s at 32 and CD8s at 395 which concerns me. On August 27th, my CD4’s were at 14 and CD8s at 385.
Mark: It seems that while your viral load is falling, so are your T cells. Do you feel ill?
Steve: No. I haven’t felt this good in 3 years. If you look at these numbers, T cells, I should be in a hospital wired for lights and sound. The other day, the dog ran away and I chased him down the street several blocks. I couldn’t have done this before I started on the elderberry and the chondroitin/glucosamine sulfates.
Mark: What is even more amazing is that with 14 CD4 cells, you are not breaking with PCP or thrush. I’ve seen a pattern in other cases when there is rapid drop in viral load and/or a cytokine shift from TH2 to TH1, the T cells will drop along with the viral load. When the viral load drops below 1000, the T cells will reappear and shoot up like a rocket. I’ll give you an example: Remember Marc Correa?
Last July, when his viral load was over 200,000 and his CD4 count actually dropped to zero. At that time, I withheld this information from our readers. I told Marc that his T cells had migrated from his blood to his lymph system to do a house cleaning on the HIV and HHV-6 and then when the house cleaning was done, they would return to his blood stream. I published his protocol in the last two editions of Positive Health News. That is exactly what happened. While his viral load was over 200,000 and his CD4 count was zero, he said he felt like a million dollars. As you remember, he only used immune-based and nutritional therapies. When his viral load dropped below 1000, his CD4 count climbed to over 200 in a few months. Now his CD4’s are over 500 and his viral load is non-detectable.
Take the case of JP. In May, his CD4 count dropped to 2 while his viral load was steadily dropping using Norvir along with about 12 dietary supplements he was taking. Most of the supplements he used, I wrote about in my last newsletter. In July , his CD4’s were 23. Ten days after going on elderberry plus chondroitin and glucosamine sulfate and Thy-Mate, they jumped to 213 while his viral load became non-detectable. What this indicates is how fast these number can turn around when you use a protocol that works synergistically.
Steve: Would you explain more by what you mean by synergistically”
Mark: Take this example, Epivir or 3TC. No one uses 3TC by itself as viral resistance develops in about 2 weeks. Yet, hundreds of drugs cocktails formulations use 3TC. In syngerism, a drug like 3TC, that normally fails to work in about 2 weeks by itself, becomes a powerful anti-viral agent when combined with one or more other drugs or even botanicals. The success of combination therapy is to use a combination that blocks viral replication at different points of the replication cycle simultaneously.
I had one person tell me they reduced their viral load to non-detectable levels combining olive leaf extract (East Park Research) with 3TC. Another person told me their viral load became non-detectable when they used Plain Composition (Chinese herbs) with 3TC. Now, you would think that 3TC would only work when combined with other drugs. Not so. I have two examples of an effective cocktail combining 3TC, a pharmaceutical drug with two different botanicals. However, the concept of syngerism becomes more complete when you use a anti-viral cocktail with therapies that restore immune function. Then, you have the best of both worlds. A direct attack on the viral load with a non-toxic treatment reduces stress on the immune system and helps the immune-based therapies work more efficiently to restore the persons health and well being.
Mark: For the record, how much chondroitin and glucosamine sulfate are you using daily?
Steve: I am using about 1500 mg daily of glucosamine sulfate and about 1500 mg daily of chondroitin sulfate. I take one capsule of each three times a day with meals (2 capsules per meal and a total of 6 capsules daily) I first used Nature’s Bounty, then Futurebiotics. Now I am using Jarrow Formulas brand (capsules).
Mark: Did you have any side effects from the sulfated polysaccharides?
Steve: The first time I took it I felt like I had drunk a cup of coffee. At one point, I felt like fainting. This was in the first two days. I have not had any of these effects since. No nausea, no upset stomach, no other side effects at all
. Mark: One other person with AIDS told me they also felt like fainting the first time they took the full dose of chondroitin and glucosamine sulfate. For anyone taking these supplements for the first time, I would like to suggest a gradual phase in approach to eliminate these side effects. The first day, take 1/4 capsule of chondroitin sulfate 3 times a day with meals. Day 2: take 1/4 capsule of glucosamine sulfate with meals. Day 3: Take a 1/4 capsule of each with meals. Day 4: Take 1/2 capsule of each with meals. Day 5: 3/4 capsule of each. Day 6: go to full dose - one capsule of each with meals 3X.
Update: September 29th:
Mark: How are you doing?
Steve: This morning my roommate looked at me and told me my appearance has changed. He told me I look younger.
Mark: The same thing happened to JP. After 2 weeks on elderberry plus the 2 sulfated polysaccharides, he looked 10 years younger. I’ve read that elderberry will make you look younger because of its antioxidant properties. Have you noticed any other changes?
Steve: Something profound has happened to me in the past 3 weeks. I haven’t felt this good since 1995. This morning, I worked out for 1/2 hour, then to burn off my excess energy, I took to hitting a punching bag for awhile.
Mark: Has you current protocol affected your sex drive?
Steve: It sure has. I used to do it once every two weeks. Now I want to do it every day. When you are not feeling well, your sex drive goes down to conserve energy. Once your on the mend, it just bounces back.
Mark: Higher energy, good appetite, floating stools and a stronger sex drive have always been associated with a recovery from illness and with a rebounding immune system. Thank you for this interview.
Note: Steve can be reached at 209-264-7945 to learn of his latest results or check the November voice mail or internet monthly message updates or Progressive Health News (Nov.).
September 29th:
Dale is a reader who lives on the east coast and in September he tried the same triple combination therapy as Steven Rahn, but with different results. He took elderberry extract made with alcohol/water and then heated it for 4 hours in a crock pot. He used chondroitin sulfate capsules from one company and glucosamine tablets from another. His viral load was >750,000 copies on August 31st. After 15 days on this regimen (started Sept. 6th), it still was >750,000 copies as of September 21st. What went wrong? First of all, the PCR machine did not tell us how much greater than 750,000 copies his viral load was on August 31st or how much greater than 750,000 copies it was on September 21st. So, there are no absolute numbers to make relative comparisons to determine if his viral load increased or decreased. This is the first problem.
When I talked to Dale, who was very discouraged with the results, I asked him to read the ingredients on the label for the glucosamine sulfate tablets. He did and one of the ingredients was dicalcium phosphate. I told him that several years ago I read an article by Gary Martin about dicalcium phosphate being the worst possible choice for a binding agent in tablets as it inhibited absorption. Gary Martin is himself a manufacturer of dietary supplements. He reported that when he stopped adding the dicalcium phosphate as a binding agents in the tablets, his supplements began to work for his customers. James LeBeau DN, of Thiensville, WI told Keep Hope Alive he has read articles from 3 different sources that all reported that either dicalcium phosphate or tricalcium phosphate blocked the absorption of vitamins and minerals in tablets. About a year ago, I received a sample of an olive leaf extract tablet that was bound by dicalcium phosphate. Persons I talked to who used this brand said it did nothing for them. Dicalcium phosphate is known to be poorly absorbed.
On a personal note, I used the same dosage of Klammath Falls blue green algae from the same manufacturer in both the tablet and capsule form. I found a small energy increase from the tablets but a substantial energy increase from the capsules, indicating to me that the capsules were better absorbed.
If dicalcium phosphate binds to nutrients in the tablet creating a molecular size too large to pass through the gastrointestinal tract, no absorption will take place. While it is possible that other unknown factors could have contributed to the lack of results Dale had with glucosamine, the use of dicalcium phosphate in the tablet is the primary suspected cause of failure at this time, especially since 3 other sources have independently confirmed that this binding agent blocks absorption of nutrients in dietary supplements.
Conclusion: Buy capsules only when purchasing chondroitin or glucosamine sulfate. Manufacturers are not required to name the binding agents they use in tablets, although many of them will. For more information on how tomake elderberry extract in a clow cooker or crock pot, see Sept and Aug messages.
On August 13th, a local PWA, J.P., who had used an elderberry extract described as Method 2 in which the alcohol was removed with low temperature evaporation in a crock pot reported the following results after drinking 1/3 cup twice daily for 10 days. His HIV viral load dropped from 39000 to non-detectable levels. CD4’s increased from 23 to 213 and CD8’s doubled from 900 to 1800. In addition to the elderberry extract, JP added at the same time ThyMates - 3 caps twice daily and Chondroitin and Glucosamine sulfate - 1 capsule of each twice daily. Since he was not on a monotherapy and scientific literature indicates powerful anti-HIV effects from Chondroitin and Glucosamine sulfate, his dramatic results may not have resulted from the elderberry alone, but rather by the combination of all three - elderberry, chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine sulfate.
These three products block HIV replication at three different points in the replication cycle, they constitute a triple combination therapy whose effectiveness now needs to be tested. The three distinct points blocked are 1. elderberry - ribosome inactivator 2. Chondroitin sulfate - fusion inhibitor - blocking HIV gp 120 and 3. Glucosamine sulfate - HIV “tat” inhibitor. You could also add a fourth mode of attack in a reverse transcriptase inhibitor like Olive leaf extract or Epivir (3TC). This would result in an attack on HIV replication on 4 fronts simultaneously. The combination, if it works, would be low cost and has no known adverse side effects.
JP had discontinued the use of Norvir 4 weeks before starting on the elderberry and sulfated polysaccharides and was not using any prescribed anti-HIV drugs. He also had been using a number of other products to increase intracellular Glutathione levels and drive DTH responses to DNCB. He credits the Norvir with reducing his viral load from 640,000 to 39,000 over a 2 month period. He told me that he personally knew two persons who were on drug cocktails yet had high viral loads who added both chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine sulfate to their daily regimen. They took 3 capsules of each twice daily and both reported their viral loads dropping to non-detectable levels while remaining on the protease inhibitor cocktails.
Within the past week I have read several published scientific articles that claim that chondroitin sulfate(1) or carrageenan(2) block the HIV gp 120 receptor needed to fuse with a cell while glucosamine sulfate is a HIV “tat” inhibitor(3)(4). Both chrondroitin sulfate and glucosamine sulfate are sold in health food stores and pharmacies as a treatment for arthritis and are widely available without a prescription.
Sambucol: Last week, Andrea Axt, Ph.D., from Montreal, Canada, told me she knew a young girl who had used Sambucol, a standardized elderberry extract along with East Park Research Olive Leaf Extract for one year. Her viral load for HIV dropped from 17000 to 4000 while her CD4 count fluctuated between 200 and 380 over this time period. She took 1 tablespoon of Sambucol 3 times a day and 2 Olive Leaf capsules twice daily. This case is the longest single case study known where a person used elderberry extract. She used no prescription drugs for HIV during this one year period. My opinion is that if Sambucol were to be used as a treatment for AIDS, the dose would need to be doubled to 2 tablespoons 3 times a day. Andrea Axt can be reached at 514-739-4673 for more information. The cost of Sambucal per month would run over $200.
Note: Elderberry wine sold in liquor stores is not recommended as it usually has only the elderberry flavoring and not enough elderberry extract to be therapeutic. If you want to make elderberry wine, contact your local wine and beer making supply center and first get a basic book on winemaking to learn how to make your own. I used about 1/3 lb of dried elderberries to a gallon of solution which consisted of 2 quarts of water and 2 quarts of red or concord grape juice plus about 2 and 1/4 lbs of sugar and wine yeast. You will also need a hydrometer to measure specific gravity and it should be around 1.080 for a dry wine or you will need to add more sugar plus a bubbler trap to let the air out of the bottle and keep out the fruit flies or you will end up with vinegar. I would leave the yeast work on the solution with berries about 10 days instead of the usual 3 days before the first siphon is done. I left out the Camden (sulfites), did not use yeast nutrients or pectic enzymes. It takes 4 months for a really good tasting wine to develop.
The most cost effective method is to make your own elderberry extract or wine which can be done for less than $30 a month by using dried elderberries. Last month, I initially reported on 3 methods of making elderberry extract. 1. alcohol based. 2. alcohol based followed by low temperature alcohol evaporation in a crock pot and 3 - the hot water and blender method. The alcohol based method consisted of adding 1 liter of 80 proof vodka plus 2 liters of water to 1 lb of dried elderberries. After a 2 week soak, you strain the liquid from the berries and drink 1/3 cup twice daily. The initial recipe published in August, 1998 called for only a 48 hour soak that we found was not sufficient to extract the active ingredients from the elderberries.
The second method (No 2) and the one now deemed to be most effective is to take the berries and solution after the two day soak in the vodka and water and place them in a crock pot. Turn on low for 4 hours and leave the cover off. After 4 hours, all the alcohol has evaporated. Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature and keep it between 125 to 130 degrees F. Turn the crock pot off for a while if necessary to keep the temperature within this range. The temperature is kept below 130 degrees to prevent degradation of the active enzymes or lectins in the elderberry extract. After you turn off the crock pot, leave it cool off for about 2 hours. Then use a cup and strain the solution to remove the berries. A second straining through a cotton terry cloth will remove fine sand and particles. Pour filtered extract into glass jars and refrigerate until used. Use about 1/3 cup twice a day. Use it up within 2 weeks as it has no preservatives. Recently, one reader said she were going to add 1 tsp of colloidal silver to a quart of solution to preverse it and extend the shelf life.
Note: you can improve the flavor and therapeutic value of the elderberry extract by adding 2 ounces of elder flowers to the batch when you start. Elder flowers are specially beneficial to the eyes and kidneys according to the book "Indian Herbalogy of North America by Alma Hutchins"
To make an alcohol based extract in 48 hours, use a Slow Cooker or Nesco and set temperature at 130° F and leave the cover on for the four hours at low temperature. The first time, check the accuracy of the Slow Cooker’s temperature seting periodically with a candy thermometer.
Steven Rahn has used Method 2 for most of the month of August and is now awaiting his lab results from a test done on August 21st. He can be reached at 209-264-7945 to find out if his HIV viral of 534,000 has significantly dropped. Update: He added chondroitin and glucosamine sulfate on 9/3. One week later, his viral load decreased from 490,000 to 290,000.
Several more persons with HIV and some with CFIDS and one with Gulf War Syndrome are now trying the home-made elderberry extract using the crock pot method. All are reporting powerful detoxification reactions including a feeling of heat which radiates from the body shortly after consuming the drink. Several persons have also reported deeper more restful sleep.
Tom Kucinski from Chicago, who has CFIDS, has been using Nature Biotics SBO’s for the past 3 months and reports that his Natural Killer cell function has increased from 8 to 38 lytic units. He had his Interluken 6 levels tested and they were above normal and his Interluken 2 levels were below normal. These tests give him a baseline for measuring future progress. He recently started using elderberries and says they have enhanced the benefits he has been getting from the SBO’s. He can be reached at 773-975-7766 for more information.
See updated August message for the most recent information on making elderberry extract.
Volunteers are needed who have detectable HIV viral load to add one of the following that are derived from sea plants to determine their effects on HIV. They are carrageenan (red seaweed), agar and irish moss. Samples will be provided free to participants who give us their lab results. You may fax me at 414-329-0653 or leave a message at 414-548-4344 (voice mail box 2) e-mail keephope@execpc.com. I am interested in hearing from persons who use chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine sulfate alone or with their existing protocols or in combination with elderberry extract and their results.
This fascinating little book gives the legend and lore of Elder, a word that means “to light a fire” and its medicinal properties, of which 31 are listed. The legend of elder goes back thousands of years and covers many cultures in many lands. Brigitte Mars writes: “The druids considered elder a sacred tree, symbolic of birth and death. Beginnings and endings have always been associated with elder.” For centuries, crosses were made of elder. In 1656, William Cole wrote; “There is hardly a disease from head to foot but it cures.”: In 1644, a book on the “Anatomie of the Elder” by Dr. Martin Blockwich filled 230 pages on its folklore and medicinal history.
Mars cites elder as anticatarrhal (breaks up mucus), anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antiviral, calmative (promotes sleep), carminative(reduces gas), cathartic(for constipation), decongestant, diaphoretic (promotes sweating), digestive aid, Disutient (dissolves tumors), diuretic (enhances kidney function).
The book is available at health food or book stores or by calling Vital Health at 414-329-0648. This concludes this months message. The next issue of Positive Health News is expected to go to the printers within the next few weeks.
References:
1. Anti-HIV virus type 1 activity of sulfated monosaccharides: comparison with sulfated polysaccharides and other polyions, Basgasra O et al; J. Inject Dis. 1991 Dec; 164(6):1082-90
2. Sulfated polysaccharides inhibit lymphocyte to epithelial transmission of HIV-1, Pearce-Pratt R et al, Biol Reprod. 1996 Jan; 54(1):173-82
3. Interaction of HIV-1 Tat protein with heparin. Role of the backbone structure, suflation, and size. Rusnati M et al; J. Biol Chem. 1997 Apr 25; 272 (17):11313-20
4. Human milk glycoaminoglycans inhibit HIV glycoprotein gp 120 binding to its host CD4 receptor, Newburg DS et al, J. Nutr. 1995 Mar; 125 (3):419-24
In 1993, researchers Zakay, Varsano, Manor and others at the Hebrew University Medical School in Jerusalem, Israel, did a placebo-controlled double blind study of patients afflicted by influenza B using a standardized extract of Elderberry called SAMBUCOL. The researchers found that in the placebo group, 92% recovered in 6 days while in the group using the standardized elderberry extract, SAMBUCOL, 93% recovered in 2 days. In addition to influenza B, the Israel researchers found that elderberry extract inhibited replication of 9 additional strains of influenza virus. The theory behind elderberry’s effectiveness against viruses is that it stains and coats the virus, rendering it non-functional.
Last fall, a Ph.D. from Montreal, Quebec, who was in contact with the firm in Israel that had developed SAMBUCOL, indicated to me that they wanted to test the effects of SAMBUCOL on persons with HIV. At the time, I declined not to get involved in testing SAMBUCOL as my resources and time were limited and I had no preliminary information to suggest that elderberry extract would be effective against HIV. I further considered that at $12.00 a bottle and using one bottle per day as a treatment, it would be expensive. I also thought the product was too sweet and would stimulate the growth of fungal infections. However, the conversations aroused enough interest in the subject that I purchased several pounds of dried elderberries from Vital Health Products, a local health food store. I tried to make an elderberry extract that would taste good as well as be cost effective. My first attempt ended in failure as I found the taste of the product to be objectionable.
In May, I bought a book on winemaking and decided to try my hand at making dandelion wine since my yard had a plentiful supply of the yellow flowers. In reading the book on wine making, I found a recipe for making wine from dried elderberries. Since I already had the elderberries, I thought I would try turning them into wine. I used about 2/3 lb of the elderberries to two gallons of concord grape juice along with the proper amount of sugar and yeast and left out the sulfites and pectic enzymes. Around May 25th, S.N., a local person with AIDS stopped by and I showed him the wine and he asked to sample it. I had about 2 gallons and 2 quarts in all. He liked the flavor of the elderberry wine very much. I told him it takes 4 months for the best flavor to mature and the wine was only 3 weeks old. I left him alone with the wine and went shopping and returned a few hours later. The first thing I noticed when I returned was that the quart of elderberry wine was empty. I noticed he was feeling no pain and advised him to go home and sleep it off. Now, S.N. has had for months a chronic insomnia problem. He normally sleeps for 1 to 3 hours and wakes up and then has a hard time getting back to sleep. He often has to use prescription drugs to get any sleep at all. He takes no prescription drugs for HIV because they upset his stomach and rarely uses dietary supplements. He is about as non-compliant a patient as you will ever find. Before he left, he convinced me to let him take a quart of elderberry wine home with him. Since he was walking and lived nearby I agreed to do so.
The next evening he called and told me that he never had such a good night’s sleep. He also told me he drank the second bottle of elderberry wine when he got home. I asked him how long he slept. He said: 15 hours. I said 15 hours? He said “yes” and I told him that I never heard of anyone sleeping that long. At the time, a thought crossed my mind wondering what effect the elderberry wine would have on his HIV viral load. It turned out that 2 days later on May 27th, he had a viral load test. I did not learn of his lab results until around July 10th when he stopped by an showed them to me. I was surprised to find that his viral load had dropped from 280,000 to 166,000. I looked up at him and said: “Do you remember that you got drunk on 2 quarts of my elderberry wine two days before this test? Do you know what this means? His reply; No, what does it mean? I said: “the elderberry wine must have caused a drop in your HIV viral load.”
The following day I searched medical literature at the National Library of Medicine and retrieved 13 abstracts where the word elderberry was found. Four abstracts said that the elderberry has a unique protein called ribosome inactivating protein - type 2. One researcher found that elderberries had two varieties of type 2 ribosome inactivating proteins and one of these had an amino acid sequence similar to type 1 ribosome inactivating proteins found in Compound Q (Trichosanthin), a Chinese herb with known anti-HIV properties. Researchers in the Netherlands found that ribosome inactivating proteins can kill HIV infected cells without harming uninfected cells. While Compound Q has known toxicities, no reported toxicities could be found with elderberries. I thought to myself - no toxicities, low cost, could drinking elderberry wine be a legitimate treatment for HIV? How about HHV-6, CMV, EBV, herpes simplex, hepatitis B and C and other lipid envelope viruses, could elderberry inactivate them also?
In the past two weeks, I have tried several methods of extracting the purple pigments from dried elderberries and came up with three methods.
This method produces a deeper purple colored solution and is alcohol based. 1. Place 1 pound of dried elderberries in a porcelain, glass or stainless steel bowl and add one quart of Vodka (80 proof) and 2 quarts of water. Stir this mixture daily. 2. After two weeks, strain the mixture through a screen type strainer to remove the berries. 3. Then, place a large piece of white cotton terry cloth over a large funnel and strain it again. This second straining removes fine sand and fine elderberry pulp and leave a very smooth and pleasant tasting product. You should end up with 2 &1/2 quarts of elderberry extract (about a 20 day supply). Drink 1/3 cup twice daily. You can add the extract to water or mask the flavor by adding it to concord grape juice. Persons under severe viral challenge can drink 1/3 cup 3 or 4 times daily until symptoms subside then reduce the dosage. Note: The extract tastes very pleasant when mixed with concord grape juice.
To make an alcohol-free extract, you first need to use alcohol to liquefy the active ingredients in the elderberries and then use low temperature evaporation to remove the alcohol.
1. Place 1 pound of dried elderberries in a porcelain, glass or stainless steel bowl (do not use aluminum) and add one quart of Vodka (80 proof) and 2 quarts of water. Stir this mixture daily.
2. After two days or longer (maximum 14 days), place the mixture (before straining), berries and solution into a “slow cooker” or “crock pot.” Measure the distance from the top of the solution to the top of the crock pot and note the length for future reference. If using the Rival brand crock pot, set at “low.” Leave cover off and insert a candy thermometer in the solution. Check temperature every half hour until it reaches 125° F (about 1 hour with a crock pot). Then mark your clock for 3 hours hence when the all the alcohol should have evaporated.
3. With the Rival brand crock pot set on low, it took exactly 4 hours total to evaporate all the alcohol from the solution. If using a slow cooker, you might initially set the temperature to 160° F until the solution temperature reaches 125° F then reduce the temperature setting to 130° F or to a setting that keeps the solution between 125° F to 130° F. After 3 hours in this narrow temperature range, the alcohol is evaporated.
4. Add 1 and 2/3 cup of water to solution to replace the alcohol that evaporated and measure the distance to the top of the crock pot. It should be the same as when you started. Turn off heat and place cover on and let stand for 2 hours. Use a cup or small bowl to scoop out berries and solution and strain through a fine screen strainer. You may do a second straining through cotton terry cloth placed over a large funnel to remove fine sand and pulp. Your finished product will be smooth and have the deep purple color of ink. Pour into glass jars and refrigerate until used up as there are no preservatives in the product. The finished product needs to be used within 3 weeks. Adult dose: 1/3 cup twice daily. Tastes good when mixed with orange or concord grape juice.
Note: if severe diarrhea results, stop using or reduce dosage to 1 or 2 tablespoons twice daily and gradually increase until you are at the ideal maximim dose.
To make an alcohol based extract in 48 hours, use a Slow Cooker or Nesco and set temperature at 130° F and leave the cover on for the four hours at low temperature. The first time, check the accuracy of the Slow Cooker’s temperature seting periodically with a candy thermometer.
In the evening, bring one cup of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup of room temperature water and two tablespoons of dried elderberries. Let soak overnight. In the morning place in blender for 45 seconds. Strain through a fine screen strainer and divide into two daily portions.
Other Choices: Sambucol Elderberry extract (Health Food Stores) 2 tablespoons 3 times daily. Elderberry wine (home-made only) - 1/2 to 1 cup twice daily.
Side effects: When viral load is high, diarrhea will usually occur. Reduce dosage until the diarrhea slows down or stops and gradually increase dosage until you reach the desired dosage level. This type of diarrhea is a metabolic type and indicates a major detox is occurring and a die-off of viral infections. Elderberry extract will increase sweating and body temperature both of which sign of metabolic and immune activation.
Benefits: Two persons HIV+ and 2 persons with CFIDS reported either extract had a calming effect and promoted deeper more restful sleep. Jim (CFIDS) from Iowa (515-472-1989) said it caused a feverish condition, major detox of his bowels and drained his swollen lymph nodes. He said he could think clearer and a tightness in his chest lifted. One person with a severe sinus infection and sore throat and swollen tonsils said it cleared the condition 90% in 3 days and 100% by day 5. Five persons have reproted that sinking stools now float and have a larger diameter. This is an indication a healthier colon. In AIDS, floating stools with a large diameter have been consistently associated with rising T cell counts. Protease inhibitors have also produced this effect. When stools sink, it has been consistently associated with falling T cell counts. When stools are small diameter, it indicates inflammation in the colon. The effects of elderberry against HIV, HHV-6, hepatitis and other viruses remains to be determined by lab results.
In California, Steve, who is HIV+ and has a viral load over 500,000 is now only using immune-based and nutritional therapies and started on Method No 2 on August 15th.. He can be reached at 209-264-7945 after September11st to find out if there has been a change in his viral load. Update August 13th: Using the Crock Pot method, J.P. of Milwaukee reduced his HIV viral from 39,000 to non-detectable levels in 10 days. His CD4 count increased from 23 to 213 and CD8’s doubled from 900 to 1800.
More information on elderberries will be reported in the next issue of Positive Health News. For research purposes, volunteers are needed to try the elderberry extract for a variety of viral infections as an adjunct treatment to whatever therapy they are currently using, not a replacement for it. Persons can phone Steve or Jim for more information. (updated on 8/31/98)
Mark Konlee
This month’s message is on Glutathione replacement and the use of chlorophyll in the treatment of hepatitis, AIDS, CFIDS, candidiasis and other conditions of systemic and persistent chronic infections. As I am preparing this month’s message, the XII International AIDS Conference is underway in Geneva, Switzerland. Within the past week, I have upgraded my computer and software to allow me to tune in to the International AIDS conference and both see and hear recorded presentations. I plan to listen to and review most of the presentations and will report on my findings next month in the next issue of Positive Health News - now planned for the end of August. If you have access to the internet, the web site for the XII AIDS Conference is www.webcast.aids98.org/.
Now for updated news. The NIH has selected two articles from the current issue of Positive Health News to place on AIDSLINE at the National Library of Medicine (NLM). They include the article evaluating the immunological effects of various drug cocktail combinations and the one on “Restoring Antigen Presentation - the First Step on the Road to Immune Restoration.” Abstracts of both articles are now accessible through AIDSLINE. The full text of both articles can be found in the current issue of Positive Health News, Report No 16. If you have any type of persistent chronic infection that has lasted more than 3 months, I strongly urge you to read the article on “Restoring Antigen Presentation” and if you are considering using protease inhibitors or drug cocktails along with nutritional and immune-based therapies as a treatment for HIV-related immune suppression, I urge you to read my article evaluating various drug cocktail combinations for their immunological effects in preventing and remitting opportunistic infections. Your well being and survival depends on making informed choices.
Today, we are living in the age of information overload. There is no physician, (including your own personal physician), or AIDS researcher in the world and I include myself, who has the time to keep abreast of all the latest published research and findings in the arena of AIDS. There is no living person on this planet who has read and digested the more than 250,000 published scientific articles on AIDS, let alone unpublished research. The volume of information now available through the world wide web has reached mind-boggling proportions. With this has come increased confusion over an ever growing array of treatment options. In making treatment choices, the quality of information is more important than the quantity. Most published abstracts and mass media news stories on AIDS are sound bites that leave important questions unanswered like - what is an effective therapeutic dose?, what are the side effects, short term and long term?, where do you get the product? and how do you contact the author to answer other questions that arise?
Recently, I have heard that the latest carrot being offered to the HIV-infected community is a possible cure for AIDS, not by taking three drugs religiously as was proposed by Dr. David Ho at the XI Int’l AIDS Conference in Vancouver, but 5 or 6 in combination on a daily basis for 7 or 8 years. Since triple combination therapy has caused many problems, one can only imagine what 5 or 6 at one time will do. My own personal opinion is that all you may ever need to do is to combine one good protease inhibitor like Norvir with nutritional and immune-based therapies. As I reported last month, I call this a “Hybrid Protocol.” It is a lot easier to follow and there are no adverse side effects. Norvir has more immunological benefits in preventing opportunistic infections than all the other 11 current FDA approved drugs for treating AIDS. After Norvir, my second choice of protease inhibitors would be Viracept.
On a lighter note, Joe, a friend I have known for several years won’t need triple combination therapy or 5 or 6 combinations. After being HIV+ for 6 years, he has sero-converted on the Elisa and Western Blot tests and is now HIV negative. What was his protocol? It wasn’t drugs, he took none nor did he use any dietary supplements. What he did consistently was to get lots to daily exercise and drink lots of beer. He rode his bicycle an average of 5 miles each day and drank from 4 to 6 bottles of beer each day for the past 6 years.
About a year ago, I wrote an article that DRINKING BEER STOPS AIDS PROGRESSION that raised a few eyebrows. Recently, a medical assistant who has access to the medical records of several hundred AIDS patients in Wisconsin asked me why persons on drug cocktails who were heavy alcoholic drinkers had higher T cell counts than non-drinkers. I told him that beta 1, 3 glucan was in beer, but I didn’t think beta glucan was the whole story and that the herb “Hops” used to flavor beer may have anti-viral and/or immunological benefits. Also, alcohol itself will dissolve the outer envelope of lipid envelope viruses like HIV and HHV-6 and in moderation will increase ATP production that helps with antigen presentation. However, too much alcohol will deplete B vitamin and mineral reserves and that is immuno-suppressive. Beer is preferred over both wine and hard liquor as it is a rich source of B vitamins and is a source of minerals and other nutrients. A long term patient with CFIDS reported she had some health problems while she was a heavy beer drinker fro several years but added that her health really deteriorated after she stopped drinking beer.
Last month, several persons with Hepatitis C have asked me for help. Several scientific articles I have recently reviewed found that there was a direct correlation between Glutathione levels and viral activity for hepatitis B and C. As the viral load increased, Glutathione levels decreased. Researchers from Germany reported that adding NAC (N-acetyl cysteine) to HBV producing cells lines reduced hepatitis viral DNA 50 fold. One article reported that alpha lipoic acid, NAC and the amino acid L-Glutamine when used together reduced hepatitis B viral load by 60% or more. A search linking the words “Glutathione” and hepatitis turned up over 40 published scientific articles. Glutathione is need by the liver to help break down toxins. Glutathione is also needed by infected cells in order to process viral antigen. The processing and presentation of viral antigen on the cell’s membrane is the first event that must occur before an effective immune response from CD8 cytotoxic lymphocytes will occur. Antigen presentation is the first event that must occur before the immune system can actually “see” which cells are infected and then mount an effective attack against the infected cells. The cure for AIDS, the cure for CFIDS and the cure for hepatitis will only happen when every infected cell in your body can process and present viral antigen on the cells surface. As I reported in the current issue of Positive Health News, we know that two major factors play a big role in antigen processing and presentation. They are the anti-oxidant, L-Glutathione, and Adenosine Tri-Phosphate (ATP), the energy currency of the cell. If you have had any chronic infection for more than 90 days, you need to ask your physician to test your Glutathione levels. If your Glutathione levels are 50% of normal values, you can expect that your immune system is probably also operating at 50% capacity.
In current newsletter, I listed the following supplements to increase intracellular Glutathione levels. They include Alpha Lipoic Acid, NAC or L-Cysteine, selenium and cold processed whey proteins like Immunocal and Designer Protein. To this list I am adding the amino acid, L-Glutamine. In an interview with John James in ATN, Dr. Lands reported that Alpha Lipoic Acid, NAC and L-Glutamine used together will increase Glutathione levels. Other research I have read backs up her claim that L-Glutamine increases Glutathione levels. Most persons with chronic infections have damaged mucosal membranes in the intestinal tract and leaky gut syndrome. L-glutamine helps heal the intestinal tract. Dosage levels often start at 10 grams a day. For maintenance, 1000 to 2000 mg daily is sufficient. In addition to L-Glutamine, aloe vera juice and slippery elm tea also helps heal damaged mucosal membranes of the intestinal tract. Dosage recommendations for the other supplements I recommended can be found in the current newsletter. A form of cysteine found in aged garlic extract can also help raise Glutathione levels. Using moderate amounts of several supplements to increase Glutathione levels will produce the desired results faster and without the adverse effects of using extremely large amounts of just one supplement. If you are symptom-free, you may want to add 1500 to 2000 mg daily of L-Glutamine to your daily protocol. Only by monitoring Glutathione levels with lab tests will you know if what you are now doing is sufficient to restore normal Glutathione levels.
If there ever was one safe, low cost, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial substance that deserves more attention that it is getting - it is chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is one of nature’s most visible substances and it is found in your lawn grass, the leaves of most trees and abundantly in dark green vegetables like parsley, spinach, beet greens, kale, endive and other dark green vegetables. However, head lettuce, one of the most commonly eaten vegetables, has very little. Chlorophyll is also found abundantly in wheat grass, barley grass, kamut grass, spirulina, chlorella, blue-green algae and sprouts. Parsley and beet greens are the most beneficial of all vegetables for persons affected by viral hepatitis, regardless of the type. All dark green vegetables have very significant health benefits for persons affected by HIV, cancer, candidiasis or CFIDS. If you are into juicing, try about 4 ounces (1/4 cup) twice daily of freshly prepared green vegetable juices.
Persons with hepatitis or a toxic liver will find immediate relief and almost instant benefits from a daily enema using water with chlorophyll and apple cider vinegar added. Into a one quart enema bag, add 1/2 cup of liquid chlorophyll and 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar with enough water to make one quart. Mount the enema bag about 1 or 2 feet above the bathtub. Get into the bathtub, turn on the shower and give yourself an enema while lying on your back with your knees drawn toward your abdomen. Use the shutoff valve on the tube to interrupt liquid flow when the colon feels full. Hold the liquid for a few minutes, then release it and repeat the process until the quart of solution has been used up. If anyone has candidiasis, grind one clove to raw garlic in a blender and add it to the enema bag solution. This combination of ingredients in a retention enema is one of the most powerful and fastest healing treatments you will ever experience.
On the subject of soil-based organisms, one person with Gulf War Syndrome and another with CFIDS last month reported a very significant improvement in how they feel since starting on Nature’s Biotics SBO’s. Tom, who has CFIDS, says he has not felt this good in years. Tom can be reached at 773-975-7766. Tom said of everything he has tried, he has noticed that the SBO’s have had the most profound impact on his health.
On the herb Angelica, I reported last month that Angelica would help suppress excess antibody production and reduce food allergies and other inflammatory reactions. It turns out that there are two species of this herb. One is called Archangelica. The other is a Chinese herb known as “DONG QUAI” or “Angelica sinensis.” Dong Quai is the herb that suppresses the TH2 cytokine profile that is in overdrive in CFIDS, AIDS and persons afflicted with chronic candidiasis. Dong Quai, made from fresh plants, is available through GAIA herbs. Suggested dose is 40 drops 2 or 3 times daily.
Last month I reported on J.P. , a local PWA who is using a hybrid protocol of just one protease inhibitor (Norvir) along with nearly a dozen dietary supplements that support immune function and increase Glutathione levels. In the past 3 weeks his CD8 count has increased from 900 to 1700 and his viral load has dropped form 317,000 to 39,000. J.P. reports very strong reactions to DNCB at the lowest concentration of .02%. This a direct indication of strong DTH and antigen presentation indicating a rapid recovery of the immune system is now underway. J.P. reports no side effects with his hybrid protocol. I will publicly state on record now and predict that this protocol will be stunning success. While you could use 2, 3 or 4 drugs in combination therapy along with dietary supplements, I do not believe this will be necessary. I am convinced that the use of just one good protease inhibitor like Norvir along with DNCB and supplements to restore normal Glutathione levels is all that anyone will ever need to say good-bye to side effects, adverse effects and good-bye to viral resistance and good-bye to AIDS. Having staked out my position on an immunological model for treating AIDS and not just “HIV infection,” I conclude this month’s message.
If you need to contact me, you can leave a message now or call me direct at 414-329-0648 between 1 and 4 pm CST weekdays or send a fax to 414-329-0653.
Hybrid protocols combine 1, 2 or 3 good pharmaceutical drugs with several nutritional and immune-based therapies. Hybrid protocols are not limited solely to FDA-approved pharmaceutical drugs or strictly to alternative, nutritional and botanical therapies. Rather than having a fence that separates one group of treatments from another, with Hybrid protocols, everything is placed on the table creating new possibilities for combinations that will out-perform those that are limited to just one arena of medicine. The rational for using a hybrid protocol is to not only have an effective anti-viral combination, but more importantly, a combination that also rapidly restores a functional immune system. In the treatment of AIDS, a major purpose for using hybrid protocols is to obtain the benefits of protease inhibitors without the side effects, adverse effects and the eventual problems of viral resistance now strongly associated with strict drug cocktail therapy.
Hybrid protocols are not monotherapies even if only one prescribed drug is used. Hybrid protocols combine the best of both worlds - nutritional and botanical along with certain selected FDA pharmaceutical drugs that are more than strictly anti-viral treatments for HIV, but have also demonstrated strong immunological value. Of the current 11 FDA approved anti-viral drugs for treating HIV, the protease inhibitor Norvir has the most immunological value. Norvir rapidly improves antigen presentation, delayed-type hypersensitivity(DTH) and improves CD8 cytotoxic lymphocyte activity more effectively than any of the other 10 FDA-approved drug for treating AIDS. Last month, I suggested a good hybrid protocol would start with Norvir plus DNCB and build from there. Like Norvir, DNCB drives antigen presentation, DTH and CD8 cytotoxic lymphocyte activity. The combination is both logical and synergistic to help rapidly restore a functional immune system. DNCB provides a simple way to both test and drive antigen presentation. Without infected cells presenting viral antigen on the cell surface, no effective immune response is possible against HIV, HHV-6 or any other infection. By choosing combinations wisely, fewer drugs and supplements are needed. The result is more benefits, few or no side effects and a simpler daily regimen to follow.
To prevent and eliminate the problem of viral resistance, we need to accomplish three immunological effects. They are: 1. to restore and drive antigen presentation. 2. to activate CD8 cytotoxic lymphocyte activity, and 3. to improve Natural Killer cell function. Once these three factors are addressed, HIV viral load will drop to low or non-detectable levels and functional CD4 cells will begin a steady climb. With a functional immune system, there is no longer a problem of HIV viral resistance. A functional immune system has now taken over the primary role of clearing the virus from the body. In a hybrid protocol that restores a functional immune system, there is no longer any concern about opportunistic infections, cancers or lymphomas as the immune system prevents them from ever happening. Hybrid protocols that give you both strong immunological and anti-viral effects provide you the benefits of protease inhibitors without the problems associated with many drug cocktail combinations - problems that include side effects, adverse effects and viral resistance.
Two years ago, the rationale for using triple drug cocktails was to prevent viral resistance. Published reports indicate that when measuring success solely by the viral load, over 50% of the people on triple combinations are failing. In contrast to the side effects of drug cocktails, a local PWA started on a Hybrid protocol 5 weeks ago that included Norvir, weekly applications of DNCB, along with several supplements to increase Glutathione levels and ATP production. His DTH responses to DNCB have increased so significantly that now he obtains as good DTH responses from .02% DNCB as he did 5 weeks ago to 2%. In 5 weeks, his HIV viral load has dropped from 640,000 to 317,000. While his CD4 count of 20 did not change, his CD8’s increased from 600 to 900. Just as importantly, he reports no adverse effects on this protocol. He says he feels like a million dollars. The success of this protocol is measured primarily by the dramatic increase in DTH responses to DNCB that demonstrates a powerful immune response when challenged. From the standpoint of recovery from AIDS, rapid increases in DTH responses have more prognostic value in predicting the preventon of opportunistic infections and survival than either rapid decreases in HIV viral load counts or equally rapid increases in CD4 counts. Other persons who have been following Keep Hope Alive protocol recommendations and have added Norvir have reported no side effects at all. However, some who have also added the "good" nucleosides, D4T and/or 3TC, have reported peripheral neuropathy.
Two HIV+ persons within the past month have reported serious adverse effects from the prolonged use of prednisone. Prednisone is a analog of Cortisone and is used to alleviate inflammatory conditions, severe allergies and swellings. Prednisone is known to be immunosuppressive and promotes fungal infections. Prednisone must be withdrawn gradually as the sudden withdrawal of its use can be life threatening. Long term use of prednisone can destroy collagen, the intracellular cement that holds your cells together and may cause severe damage to your immune system. One person told me she has used prednisone for over 1 year to control swellings in her throat and although her viral load is non-detectable, she has serious outbreaks of herpes in the facial area. The other person told me that after two months on prednisone, his skin is degrading and his white blood cell count has dropped.
What alternatives are there to treat inflammatory conditions? Some natural non-toxic options are - Angelica, licorice root, ginger root, plant digestive enzymes, MSM, gelatin, agar, slippery elm and pectin. All nine items I mentioned have anti-inflammatory properties to help alleviate conditions of allergic reactions and inflammatory swellings. This list is not complete. Bromelin (from Pineapple) and Quercitin (from yellow onions) also have strong anti-inflammatory action. Research has shown that in allergic reactions, immunoglobulin IGE is often elevated. IGE is an antibody produced by B cells. In AIDS, CFIDS, Candidiasis and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, B cell production of antibodies is often excessive, indicating a preponderance of TH2 type cytokines and a lack of TH1 cytokines or cell-mediated immunity.
Two weeks ago, I received a call from a person with CFIDS who had severe allergies and elevated IGE levels. He reported that the herb Angelica returned IGE levels to normal and that his allergies subsided. In a follow-up to this report, I found that Dr. Quingcai Zhang MD in his book on “AIDS and Chinese Medicine” reported that both Angelica and Licorice root suppressed antibody production. Since our research shows that excessive antibody production is a major problem in AIDS, CFIDS, MCS and many other conditions, it logically follows that herbs like angelica and licorice should have significant value in normalizing immune function as well as reducing allergic and inflammatory reactions. While licorice root can sometimes raise blood pressure, angelica has few side effects. Several years ago, the People’s Republic of China conducted a study of three Chinese herbs, one of which was angelica and reported favorable results. Search the word “angelica” on AIDSLINE for more information. A search on “licorice” turned up a long term success report of an HIV+ hemophiliac.
Ginger root suppresses inflammatory PGE2 prostaglandin and plant digestive enzymes break up circulating immune complexes (CIC). MSM stimulates the production of chondroitin sulfate, an anti-inflammatory polysaccharide. MSM relieves muscle pain and aching joints. Gelatin enhances collagen production and is very valuable in conditions of skin degradation, joint inflammation and oxidative stress. The seaweed agar as well as slippery elm have strong anti-inflammatory properties and both are soothing to the gastrointestinal tract. Pectin absorbs toxins and poisons from the blood. Gelatin, agar and pectin may be dissolved in hot or boiling water. One or two tablespoons daily is suggested. If you are living with HIV, CFIDS, Candidiasis or severe allergies, try angelica or licorice (about 40 drops of a tincture 3 times daily) plus one or more of the other items I mentioned and experience for yourself the benefits of these anti-inflammatory products.
One last item. If you have elevated triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, you need a type of oil found in sardines called DHA. DHA lowers triglycerides and improves the HDL/LDL ratio. DHA is found in the brain and in the retina of the eyes and probably has an important protective and functional role in these areas. DHA is sold as a dietary supplement. MAX-DHA by Jarrow Formulas is an excellent product that should also be helpful in improving visual acuity, brain function and skin conditions like psoriasis. Another product that reduces tryglycerides is Acetyl L-Carnitine which is more bio-available that L-Carnitine and will work synergistically with DHA.
This concludes this month’s message. If you have questions about this month’s message, I can be reached at 414-329-0648 between 1 and 3 pm CST weekdays. Thank you for calling. Mark Konlee.
This month message is on “Hybrid Protocols” - combining protease inhibitors with nutritional and immune-based therapies. However, I first have some updated news.
For the past year, we have been reporting the results of Marc Correa’s protocol, that is based only on the use of nutritional and immune-based therapies. No protease inhibitors, nucleosides or other drugs were used in his self-treatment regimen. Last month, Correa called and reported that his viral load by PCR is now non-detectable. His CD8’s are up to 1675 and CD4’s are 560. His original protocol was published in Positive Health News, Report No 15 and updated in Report No 16. Since the current issue was published, Correa has added 3 scoops of Designer Protein to his daily schedule. Considering that Correa had full blown AIDS one year ago, his success is no small accomplishment. Anyone interested in a copy of his complete current protocol can send a SASE to Keep Hope Alive and request the Marc Correa Protocol.
Last month I reported on the use of Naltrexone and the amino acid - L-methionine for insomnia. Within the past month, 2 persons, HIV+, who had chronic insomnia reported immediate restoration of deep uninterrupted sleep the very first day they started using the whole lemon/olive oil drink. My most recent recommendation on using the lemon/olive oil drink is to add a one square inch piece of fresh ginger root to it when the drink is blended. The ginger root eliminates acid reflux which occurs in some persons and makes a better tasting drink. When adding fruit juice to the drink, grape juice or cranberry juice will make a more mild-flavored and less acidic drink than either orange or grapefruit juice. Besides helping you sleep better, the lemon/olive oil drink treats neuropathy, swollen lymph nodes, increases energy and well-being, lowers viral loads and increases T cell counts in most persons.
A few weeks ago, a lady who has suffered from yeast infections for the past 20 years reported profound improvement in her condition with two products - one being Nature’s Biotics soil-based organisms (SBO’s) and the other being wild oregano, sold under the brand name Oregamax. She took 3 Oregamax 3 times daily and 3 Nature Biotic’s SBO’s daily. Another person with shingles reported that in 3 days after applying oil of oregano, they were gone. An article about Oregano and a book about its wide ranging health benefits called THE CURE IS IN THE CUPBOARD by Dr. Cass Ingram MD, can be found in the current issue of Positive Health News. Both the book and Oregamax can be ordered by called 800-243-5242. Nature Biotics SBO’s can be obtained by calling 414-242-5650.
Locally, Jim, a local PWA reported restoration of strong delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses to topical applications of DiNitroChloroBenzene (DNCB) after taking supplements to increase Glutathione levels. Jim took Alpha Lipoic acid - 100 mg twice a day, 500 mg Reduced Glutathione 2X and 500 mg L-Carnitine 2X. He also took DTC known as DiethylDithioCarbamate. Four months ago, he had no response to a 2% solution of DNCB but in the past week had a response so strong to the 2% solution that he will reduce it with his next application. His most recent Glutathione levels were 85% of normal. Restoration of strong DTH responses indicates strong antigen presentation and good cell-mediated immunity which translates into immunity against opportunistic infections. Several readers with CFIDS have called to report that they are feeling better since starting on glutathione and ATP weekly injections. More information on this subject can be found in the current newsletter.
HYBRID PROTOCOLS: The concept of a hybrid protocol is to combine 1, 2 or 3 good drugs with several nutritional and immune-based therapies. Jerry, a PWA in Idaho, began on a hybrid protocol two months ago consisting on several nutritional and immune-based therapies along with the protease inhibitor Viracept and D4T plus 3TC. After two months, his doctor told him a PML infection was now in remission. His viral load is now non-detectable and his CD4’s have increased from 20 to 250. The only side effect he reported was a 10 lb weight gain in the abdomen area. Jerry can be reached at 208-378-8145. I recently read of a case on AIDSLINE where Norvir as a monotherapy kept the viral load at non-detectable levels for one year. Today, many physicians have gone from triple combination therapy to 4, 5 or even 6 drugs. However, as the side effects mount from too many drugs, major organ failures are also on the increase. The last 4 deaths in Wisconsin from persons with AIDS were not from opportunistic infections, but major organ failures caused by too many drugs. One died from heart failure, another liver failure, one pancreatitis and another adrenal failure.
To prevent these disasters and still obtain the benefits of protease inhibitors, Keep Hope Alive recommends one or two good drugs like Norvir combined with Rescriptor or D4T or 3TC along with 5 or 6 safe non-toxic immune-based and nutritional therapies. A good combination (Hybrid Protocol) would be Norvir along with DNCB and supplements to increase Glutathione levels and increase ATP production. With good antigen presentation, there will not be a problem of viral resistance. In most instances, drug failures are being incorrectly blamed on viral resistance, when the real cause of increasing viral load is most often a failure of antigen presentation. Persons who think they have failed on their current drugs should ask their physicians to test their Glutathione levels.
Increasingly, I am receiving reports that persons with high viral loads also fail to have DTH responses to DNCB and have little or no intracellular Glutathione. This subject is addressed in depth in the current issue of PHN - Restoring Antigen Presentation - the Key to Immune Restoration.
Within the past month, three persons with AIDS who had chronic insomnia have had profound improvements in their ability to get a good nights sleep by taking 500 mg of the amino acid, L-Methionine, just before retiring at night. The effects of L-Methionine in promoting deep restful sleep are similar to results being reported by persons taking the prescription drug - Naltrexone. Naltrexone is taken in the evening in a single daily 3 mg dose to increase Natural Killer (NK) cell function and several persons have reported it promotes deep restful sleep. Naltrexone is reported by Dr. Bernard Bihari MD to increase the production of the endorphin “methionine enkephalin” which activates Natural Killer cell function. Methionine enkephalin is now in controlled studies by TNI Pharmaceuticals as a treatment for AIDS and other conditions where NK function is impaired and initial results look very promising in helping to restore immune function. The adrenal glands use the sulfur-based amino acid, L-Methionine, to produce the endorphin - methionine enkephalin. Research is needed to determine if taking oral methionine will improve NK function as does Naltrexone. If oral Methionine increases endorphin production, these effects will only be observed if it is taken at bedtime. Taking it during the day will not produce this effect. L-Methionine can be purchased in health foods stores and is found in high amounts in sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese and beans. Other foods known to improve NK function are garlic and shitake mushrooms and these may be consumed at any time.
SBO’s: A reader called about a week ago to report that his father who had inoperable brain and lung tumors and had finished a treatment with chemotherapy started on soil-based organisms (Nature’s Biotics). He reported that the tumors were about half their original size when his father had finished the chemotherapy. About this time, he started on the Nature Biotics SBOs and increased dosage gradually to six capsules daily. He reports his father who could not get out of bed is now driving a car. After two months on the SBO’s his doctor examined him and told him that both the brain tumor and the lung cancer were no longer observable on the x-ray exams and that it appeared the cancer was in remission.
Lemon/Olive oil drink. A new way to improve the flavor and digestibility of the whole lemon/olive oil drink is to add a piece or fresh raw ginger root to the drink when you place it in the blender. About a 1 inch long piece of root is sufficient. You can find ginger root at your local grocery store. An article about the medicinal value of ginger root can be found in my latest newsletter.
For those of your using a cold processed whey protein like Designer Protein or Optimune, try making a shake in a blender by adding 1 heaping tablespoon of whole walnut halves to the drink or 1 teaspoon of whole flax seeds and one cup of water. You can also add some enzyme-rich fruits like kiwi or raw pineapple to help with protein digestion; or you can add peaches, bananas or berries for enhanced flavor. The purpose of adding walnuts or flaxseed is to provide a source of fresh linolenic acid and mix it with the whey protein drink. Dr. Budwig of Germany has found that adding fresh flaxseed oil to cottage cheese increased the oxygen carrying power of the blood significantly in just a few hours after ingestion and this was observable under a microscope when the hemoglobin changed from a sickly yellowish-green color to a bright red color. Since most infections including viruses and cancer thrive in an oxygen-deficient environment, this special oil/protein mixture should benefit persons affected by AIDS, CFIDS, cancer and other conditions where chronic infections persist like candidiasis. Dr. Budwig's research was based only on the use of flax oil with cottage cheese. She did not try the combination with walnuts.
Dr Budwig has reported cancer and several other conditions going into remission with this special oil/protein mixture. The Budwig formula is to mix one about one tablespoon of cold pressed flax oil with about 3/4 cup of cottage cheese and to eat this once daily. However, persons who tend to bleed easily may be unable to use flaxseed as it thins the blood. Of all nuts, walnuts have the highest amounts of linolenic acid next to flaxseed oil and taste a whole lot better. Whether walnuts also thins the blood is unknown. A suggested dose is 2 tablespoons of walnuts daily mixed with yogurt, cottage cheese or a whey protein drink. With Immunocal, just eat a handful of walnuts after consuming the drink since the manufacturer advises against mixing Immunocal in a blender. It remains to be seen if walnuts will produce results as beneficial as flaxseed oil in improving oxygenation of the blood and immune function. I would be interested in hearing from persons who try both methods of oil/protein mixtures and compare the results. If the theory that linolenic acid mixed with sulfur-rich amino acids is the key to the success of this formula, then the walnuts should work as well as the flaxseed oil. However, if there is something else in the flax oil that is not in the walnuts, then it will not produce equal results. According to Budwig's theory, the key to success is the combination - consuming both flax oil and cottage cheese at the same time. More information about Dr. Budwig's research can be found in "Fats and Oils" by Udo Erasmus (Alive Books, Vancouver, B.C.)
Today is March 1st. Within the past 24 hours, the latest issue of Positive Health News, Report No 16, came off the press. Within the next 3 or 4 days, everyone who has a prepaid subscription should receive the latest newsletter. Bulk mailing and free subscriptions mailed 3rd class will take about 10 days longer to arrive. Persons with access to our internet web page should find the newsletter on-line by March 5th. All the latest news and updated information on AIDS and CFIDS research and results will be found in this new issue of Positive Health News. Due to a limited amount of time available to me, the usual monthly message is being delayed until April 1st. If you are not on our mailing list, you may leave your name, address and phone number at the end of this message and we will send you a sample copy of Report No 16. Thank you for calling, You may now leave a short message.
Today is February 1st. Within 10 days, I expect to send to the printers the next issue of Positive Health News. An evaluation of the current 11 FDA approved drugs used in the treatment of AIDS using direct markers of immune function has convinced me that the combination of Norvir and Epivir may be the best combination for preventing and reversing a wide range of opportunistic infections. Unlike Viracept, Crixivan and Invirase, there are no cases of lymphomas or cancers to report with the use of Norvir unless AZT or DDI are used in combination with it. With the first three protease inhibitors, nearly all the lymphomas and cancers associated with combination therapy are linked to the use of DDI or AZT in combination with these protease inhibitors. In addition to lymphomas and cancers, several anecdotal reports link beer bellies, wasting syndrome, other opportunistic infections and viral resistance to the use of DDI or AZT in combination with the protease inhibitors. More information on our evaluation will be printed in the upcoming newsletter.
Now for other news. In a phone call to me a few weeks ago, Jim Harris of Chicago told me that the combination of ginger root, garlic, coconut and Naltrexone reduced his viral load from 50,000 to non-detectable levels in 5 weeks. Jim had been on Naltrexone as a monotherapy since January, 1997, and his condition stabilized. In August, his physician expressed concern as his viral load was at 50,000 and recommended triple combination therapy. Jim refused. On November 1st, he began using 3 tablespoons of coconut oil daily a well as eating some fresh raw coconut each day. About a week later, He starting using a Garlic and Ginger capsules made by Jarrow Formulas. Around the middle of December, he had lab work done and reported the following results. His viral load of 50,000 was now non-detectable, his CD4 counts had increased from 600 to 890. He also reported that his triglycerides that had been around 500 in August were now below 200, in the normal range. The amount of Garlic and Ginger root capsules was 3 or 4 with each meal for a total of 10 daily. Each of the Jarrow Formula product contained 500 mg of garlic and 200 mg of freeze dried ginger root. The freeze drying process preserves all the active enzymes of fresh raw ginger root. Jim can be reached at 708-771-9002
The day following this conversation with Jim Harris, I picked up a book on the medicinal properties of Ginger root and was surprised to learn that it had anti-bacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
In another case, Marc Correa call last month to report his White Blood Cell (WBC) count is 8000, CD8 counts are up to 2000, CD4’s 398 and his viral load is 641. His rather intensive protocol was published in the Positive Health News, Report No 15. Since publication of his protocol, Marc Correa has added 5000 mg daily of aged Kyolic garlic extract and has increased his intake of Beta 1, 3 Glucan to 1700 mg daily. He uses Chisholm Biologicals Beta Max 425 that contains 425 mg of Beta 1, 3 Glucan per capsule and takes one capsule 4 times a day. He also reports that since no traces of CMV titers can be found in his blood, he has discontinued using the antioxidant BHT.
From London, England, Barclay Adams reports on his results using Naltrexone, NK911, raw garlic, coconut oil, Complete Thymic Formula or Thy-Mates plus rotating every 30 days the following antivirals: Lemon Balm, Larreastat and Clarkia-100. He reports improved DTH responses to DNCB, a doubling of his Natural Killer Cell counts and a decrease in his viral load from 10,000 to 550. He can be reached at 011-44-171-794-1216. From the US, the best time to call is in the morning.
Finally, in three recent cases where readers following Keep Hope Alive protocols did not have appreciable drops in viral load counts while following a number of recommended protocols, the L-Glutathione levels were below normal and they could not get a good DTH response to DNCB. There is growing anecdotal evidence that increasing L-Glutathione levels and increasing ATP production in the cells improves antigen presentation which stimulates a CD8 cytotoxic lymphocyte response resulting in increased destruction of virally infected cells and drop in viral load. Both magnesium and malic acid help increase ATP production. A dietary supplement called Magnesium Malate (malic acid) contains both and is sold in health food stores. Three tablets twice daily is suggested. Malic acid is also found in apples and apple juice. Last month, Jarrow Formulas introduced a high potency Reduced Glutathione with 500 mg per capsule. One capsule once or twice daily with the Magnesium Malate should increase intracellular Glutathione levels and improve immune function. Have your physician measure L-glutathione levels to monitor your progress. Thank you for calling.
Today is January 1st, 1998. In a story carried by Reuters News Service on Dec. 28th, 1997, a Philippine legislator, Congressman Ramon Bagatsing, has asked the government to allocate funds for research on the use of coconut oil as a possible cure for the AIDS virus. The Congressman’s proposal came after an October presentation in Manila by Dr. Mary Enig Ph.D. to the Southeast Asian coconut oil producers on the effectiveness of Monolaurin as an antiviral agent for HIV and other envelope type viruses. Lauric acid, found in coconut oil, is hydrolyzed in the small intestines into Monolaurin.
Now for more news. I am aware of seven local cases where protease inhibitors, but especially Crixivan, when used in combination with AZT or DDI, has resulted in lung cancers, brain tumors, melanomas and lymphomas as well as a condition known as “beer bellies.” Of the first three protease inhibitors, Invirase, Crixivan and Norvir, Norvir (ritonavir) has, by far, the best track record in preventing opportunistic infections, providing that neither AZT or DDI are used in combination with it. In a recent local case, A PWA who had Retinitis and herpes started on a combination of Norvir, D4T and 3TC. Within 3 weeks, the Retinitis and herpes were in remission allowing him to discontinue the use of prophylasis. In another local case, a PWA who had been using DNCB topical applications for the past several years recently started on Norvir, DDC and 3TC. Within one week his DTH responses to DNCB increased allowing him to drop from the .2% to the .02% solution. The increased DTH responses indicate improved cell-mediated immunity. Last year, the same person tried Crixivan in combination with AZT, DDI and 3TC for 2 weeks and lost all DTH responses to DNCB in the first week. When Marc Correa broke with several opportunistic infections early in 1997, he was on the combination of Norvir, D4T and DDI. In light of these new observations, I am convinced that the protocol failure in Correa’s case was caused by the inclusion of the DDI with the Norvir and D4T.
Crixivan has the worst track record of all the protease inhibitors, especially when either AZT or DDI are part of the drug cocktail combo. The combination of Crixivan, AZT and 3TC has resulted in two local cases of lung cancer, another with a brain tumor and crix-a-belly, one with melanoma and three cases of lymphoma. Persons using D4T with Crixivan and 3TC are doing better than those on AZT. However, three cases of herpes outbreaks have been reported with this combination.
Of the remaining 5 FDA approved drugs for AIDS - DDC, 3TC, nevirapine, delavirdine and D4T, the question as to which combination, with Norvir, will have the most immunological benefits in preventing opportunistic infections remains to be determined. I am presently searching for anecdotal reports of drug cocktail combinations that have resulted in remissions of opportunistic infections, increases in NK function, DTH responses, CD8 cytotoxic lymphocyte activity or have promoted TH1 type cytokine activity. Any combination of these markers indicates improved cell mediated immunity to help prevent opportunistic infections. In the upcoming edition of Positive Health News, Report No 16, will be an evaluation of the immunological effects of various drug cocktail combinations. Anyone who has had either good or bad experiences with drug cocktail combinations is asked to leave a message with us so I may contact you for more information.
The last topic for this month is soil-based organisms (SBO’s) and their effects on promoting cell-mediated immunity. An article printed in the London Sunday Times on June 29th, 1997 reported on a drug being developed by Stanford Rock called SRL 172 that is derived from a soil-based organism. SRL 172 promotes a cytokine shift from TH2 to TH1. While SRL 172 is under development and not currently available, soil-based organisms are available. Last month, we tested three brands of over the counter soil based organisms and found evidence of strong immunological effects from Nature’s Biotics SBO’s. One person in Iowa used Nature’s Biotics and found that in one week his DTH responses to DNCB increased significantly. He now reports obtaining the same DTH response from the .02% DNCB solution that he earlier received from the .2%. He also reports that the DNCB patches are healing up faster than before. One local person with a chronic sinus infection reported it was gone in one week on Nature’s Biotics. A herbalist, Lilly Botchis of Fairfield, IA, told Keep Hope Alive that she personally knows about 100 people, chronically immune compromised, many with fungal infections, who have used Nature’s Biotics in the past 6 months. She said that only one person failed to obtain satisfactory results. More information on SBO’s will be published in the next issue of Positive Health News. Nature’s Biotics is available through PH Products at 414-242-5650. Thank you for calling.