• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

The Ampligen Supremacy

professor.jpg
My favorite line in the "Bourne" trilogy is given by The Professor. He appears briefly in the first installment, but it is in the second film, the Bourne Conspiracy, that Clive Owen utters the quintessential phrase of the movie. After dueling with fellow agent Jason Bourne in the countryside and lying mortally wounded from Bourne's shotgun blast, he looks at his bleeding body, and then up at Matt Damon's character and says, "Look at us. Look at what they make us give."

In that moment of humanity and pathos, when two field agents who have both been through the same trenches and heartaches connect in unspoken respect, both "The Professor" and Jason Bourne arrive at the same conclusion - that "they" have required too much of them. That the pain and trauma and incredible amount of time and life that "they" require just isn't worth the price.

At that moment, you can see on Matt Damon's face the realization - that regardless of the supposed "good" he and his fellow agent were doing...

* the remedy was worse than the disease;
* the medicine was worse than the infirmity.


I remember clearly when it dawned on me that the "remedies" I was using to fight M.E., were worse than the supposed "benefits" I was getting.

When all the medicines, foods, protein shakes, herbs, injections, pills and baths that "they" had recommended for my good with this hideous disease, was just too much - and that I had to find a better way. And it explains why I am writing the New Ampligen Diaries.

It was a typical morning. On the counter were all my vitamins, flasks, needles, herbs, tablets, supplements, and prescriptions, laid out for the day. There were the vials of B-12 and "Nexavir", the supposed Kutapressin replacement. There were my Doctor-prescribed medicines, my natural health foods, and a ton of vitamins and supplements. My body ached, so as was normal for my morning routine, while waiting for my magnesium salt infused hot bath, I asked my wife to mix up my whey protein drink in that special little blender. For years I had read that this whey protein contained the glutathione that my body lacked, and since "they" recommended it so strongly, I dutifully and habitually drank the mixture twice a day.

I hated that drink, not only because it tasted like chalk, but also because it wasn't water soluble. You had to dump these envelopes of white powder into this special mixer to blend it, or else you ended up with clumps of goo that would stick to your glass and turn to concrete within minutes. I sacrificed a lot of cups to that whey powder over the years. Plus you invariably ended up with white powder everywhere, on the sink, on your hands, in your hair - all for the sake of this "miracle" drug.

My wife was better at it than I was, so while waiting for her to carefully open the packets and gently mix the concoction that "they" insisted I drink, I opened my laptop and went to my news feeds about M.E and CFS treatments. What I saw rocked my world, and changed forever how I would view "them," and how I would survive with this disease from then on.

"Cheney Advises Against Whey Protein and Glutathione" rang the headline, louder than a shotgun blast in my ears.

"Whaaaat?" I screamed out loud. "After 15 years of promotion, dozens of published articles, a feature position on "Pro Health" and other vitamin retailers that cater to us, NOW whey protein is bad for me?"

I couldn't believe it. The money and time I'd invested in getting whey protein delivered to me, (outside the USA) was eclipsed only by the hundreds of hours spent trying to get that confounded blender to work with that hellish powder.

As if on cue, my wife came around the corner with my little elixir in hand, white whey powder dancing from her eyebrows, her nose, and covering her fingers.She looked like Al Pacino in the closing scene of Scarface.

"Guess what?" I said sarcastically to my wife, "We've been spending thousands of dollars each year apparently poisoning me with whey protein."

"Why?" she asked me sincerely.

"Because," I answered, "they told us to."

Looking at my precious wife covered in whey, that fricking little battery operated blender, superimposed over the headline seemingly mocking me on my computer screen, something came over me, and I had my "Bourne" moment.

Taking the mixture from her cute little hands, I actually repeated the words out loud: "Look at what they make us give," I said.

Today my wife and I say that line often, resonant with the knowledge that it means much more to us than dialogue from a spy thriller. It recalls to us the moment when we stopped believing in all the remedies that "they" speculated would work. It signals the time when I decided to get serious about my recovery, and put everything I had into it, for survival. Though not as dramatic as a Bourne thriller, it was every bit as serious.

For out of that "whey protein" fiasco and subsequent "they don't always know what they're talking about" revelation came a new-found respect for research, and a renewed desire to do whatever it took to get well, regardless of what "they" said.

Which is the reason that today, I have moved 10,000 kilometers across an ocean to receive the drug "Ampligen" and have committed to a full year of treatment under one of the few doctors in the world who has it, in order to get well.

I came after doing exhaustive research. I looked at everything that was out there, from Valtrex and/or Valcyte therapy, to Vistide, and other antivirals, to even stem-cell therapy and antibiotic "cocktails", and guess what I found? The drug with the most research and the most potential success turns out to be the much maligned, often controversial, immune modulator called Ampligen. I found that there were over 20 years of Journal published research reports, way more than any other therapy today, that gave me the overall impression that, this drug actually could "fix"or modulate my immune system to make me better.

I do not have a financial interest in Ampligen or Hemispherx. I am not lobbying for Hemispherx or working "against" any other drug, protocol or therapy. But so far, Ampligen is proving to work in my body as advertised, and there is lots of research to back that up. For example, from just a few of the hundreds of published studies:

Ampligen Activates NK Natural Killer Cells and Interferon Enzyme


Ampligen Protects Mice Against Coxsackie B3 Virus

Ampligen Inhibits HHV-6 Herpes Virus


Ampligen Inhibits Viral Replication of Hepatitis Virus

CFS Patients Show Long Term Improvement With Ampligen

Ampligen May Provide Long Term Immunity Against Cancer


There are literally hundreds of other references and published studies that cover the last 20+ years of Ampligen research, that to me added up to the best option for my time, money and hope. To see these just use and search Google Scholar for Ampligen. Then compare what you find with any other remedy currently in vogue today, and tell me, does the protocol you are following have this much research behind it? Is the remedy actually helping you, or is it another "whey protein" drink?

Recently there was a really interesting study published by a Doctor I really admire regarding his decades long statistical analysis of patients using long-term antibiotic therapy. I'm thankful for this study, and the new insights it brings to our treatment options. Yet I have to admit, when I read that this research portends $1000/month worth of antibiotics, plus liver tests monthly, for a period of 4-11 years, I have to stop and ask myself "The Professor's" implied question. Is the remedy worth it?

"Look what they make us give." 4 years and $50,000 minimum? To maybe get better?

No. Not for me. I'm putting my money on Ampligen. 1 year and less than $25,000.

With the added bonus of no ridiculous powder in a battery operated mixer.

Comments

Nice Kelvin,

Dr. Peterson would basically say "A-men" to what you're saying from what I hear. Not that some things don't help some people but I think many of us take things that we think should help without really getting much benefit from them - we just don't know what else to do and hope that they're helping somehow or will help at some point.

The best news, though, is Ampligen and that it's working. A heart congratulations! I know it doesn't work for everybody but think how many people have missed that drug because it's not on the markety - and yet its been out there for over 20 years! (Whew!)

(Always loved that moment in Bourne - first big role for Clive Owen?)
 
Kelvin...you can be the guinea pig and I may follow suit one day. I read this and my jaw dropped because that is how I feel about all of these "things" to try. I too took Whey, UltraClear, a never ending barrage of expensive treatments including mercury removal, chlorella, at least $100,000 in out of pocket expenses and where have I gotten? NOWHERE. With this is supposed to do that and all this bullshit and that is what it is. Somethings have helped me to feel better, but as soon as any stress comes along...boom! Up in smoke all the treatments go. Or, like when I had the mercury removed, the dentist did not use a mercury dental dam and I swallowed 2 fillings. 2 days later, I was on deaths door with my brain and body going bonkers. I was fine before that. I had to quit my job and I was nuts. Due to the very treatment or the poor dentist that I chose.

Ampligen or stem cells...I am trying to decide.
 
i have swallowed thousand of supps, herbs,gave myself excruciating shots in my thighs, and just about killed my kidneys cause i was taking so many things my poor body couldn't keep up with it all.
and it was all for nothing!!!! if i had half the money i have spent over these past 20+ years, i would be debt free :(
i would jump through hoops to try ampligen. like you said after all these years and so many positive reports, but lets face it. Until it's fda approved, most of us will never see a vial of it.

so now i am resorting to probably being put on valycyte or something kin to that, it's gonna be a hard decision. cause once again theres no guarantee.
i dont want to give up, but Geez it's getting really old.......Sigh

Kelvin, dont know how you did it. But I'mm happy your on your way,i too believe it's your best shot.
 
Sadly, it is still the drug most of us cannot have. And yet, for over twenty years, people have been saying they got their life back from it. Why has this never been approved, yet they approve horrible drugs that kill people every day?
 
I must have seen The Bourne Identity 20 times and never thought about that line that way. I will now!

Great article, Kelvin.

I see that Cort has a summary page on Ampligen, which looks interesting.

I am in the UK and too sick to travel more than a mile unaided. I couldn't leave the country for treatment (I have no carer). I'm sure loads of us are in the same position - but it's great that some pioneers are trying this stuff out. Is there anything we can do to get Ampligen approved outside the US?
 
Thanks Kelvin, I am always watching your Ampligen update and have loved all your posts. Please keep them coming. Are you allowed to say who your Dr is? I too may seriously look at spending my divorce /settlement money on Ampligen. Yes, not only have I lost my education, career, now my husband leaves because he can't cope. He even married me while I was sick - he knew me know other way. Just couldn't live with it when it came to the crunch. I just hope Ampligen could come to NZ or even Australia. Thanx once again Kelvin
 
I too have tried just about everything on the planet and here I am, sicker than ever this year. I've had a long, hard look at how long I think I've been infected (I'm XMRV positive among other things) and it goes back to about 1978. The "big crash" didn't happen till later, but the evil little footprints are there.

While "They" may be "authorities", YOU are the Final Authority. It is human nature to try things to alleviate the hellish symptoms we all experience to one degree or another as we grieve our nearly unbearable losses. (I'm very thankful I'm not sick with this in, say, ancient Egyptian times and doing a course of crocodile dung or something). However, if something isn't working, it's time to check in with the ol' body and stop if necessary. Nobody held my nose and poured wheatgrass juice down my throat - I did the pouring with my own hands, after going through all it entails: juicer, growing trays of it, etc. I think my cats were jealous. (Maybe I should have thought harder about why cats like grass to eat, hmm).

The docs that are in integrity are just as mystified as we are, and sometimes, I think, just as agonized. I won't address the ones that aren't in integrity - too many of those.

What if one of those agents in the movie got part way through training, sat down and had an honest self-evaluation and said "no thanks" after all? It was certainly an option.
 
Is it possible to go to Peterson and get Ampligen without being in the study. I am too old to be included in the study. I would have a hard time moving out there.
 
I have always thought that vitamins, minerals and supplements make a very expensive urine and toilet bowl. Thank you for your comments. In Canada, despite Ampligen being "legal" I'd have a hard time finding who has the experience and can administer it safely. They have no clue.
 
There are three doctors/clinics that I know of in the USA currently providing Ampligen: Dr. Lapp, at the Hunter-Hopkins Clinic in Charlotte NC http://www.drlapp.net/ ; Dr. Peterson at the new Whittemore Peterson Institute in Nevada: http://www.wpinstitute.org/ and Dr. Bateman at the Fatigue Consultation Clinic in Utah: http://67.20.109.243/about_dr.html Sasha, I have heard you can get in Canada, perhaps Spain, and recently in China. Grant, until Ampligen is approved, the only way I know to get it is to be part of the study. That means you stop all other antiviral and immune meds, and follow the protocol they prescribe, which is 2 400ml infusions per week. Almost everyone I've conversed with who is getting Ampligen today moved to one of these three aforementioned cities in order to get it, like I did. So the cost is not insignificant, and is more than just the drug itself. We all had to find housing, transportation, and start a completely new life in one of these new cities. But I just figured it was worth it, because everyone who had pioneered the pathway before me, (and I have spoken to many Ampligen patients) got better, and stayed better, after the treatment. Thanks for the encouraging comments friends.
 
hi kevin. i am surprised that the patients you spoke to remained well after the treatment. most of the people i have spoken to say they relapsed a few months after they stopped the drug. i have heard a couple of stories about people who stayed well, though. interesting.
best of luck and great writing!
sue
 
Yes, most of the Ampligen patients I have spoken to have remained healthy and vibrant, many who got the drug in the first trials almost 20 years ago. You are right, there are some who have had to go back for a "boost" or who relapsed- I know one gentleman after 7 years went back and got a few months more treatment; and Mary Schwietzer, the pioneer and author of the original "Ampligen Diaries" is currently back with Dr. Peterson and getting Ampligen again. She participates in these boards so you could ask her directly. It may depend on the severity of your illness, the "strain" you have, or how many other viruses are activated, I'm not sure. But I have seen with my own eyes a half dozen Ampligen patients who live normal lives, usually just running at like 95% of their pre-illness pace...which usually was pretty fast.
 

Blog entry information

Author
Kelvin Lord
Read time
6 min read
Views
1,503
Comments
12
Last update

More entries in User Blogs

  • Daily doodal dandy
    Just testing this out
  • Covid day 75
    Well since my last few updates I started to suffer from exhaustion and...
  • Pray
    If you pray, will you pray for me please? I have covid pneumonia and...

More entries from Kelvin Lord