Elevated iron and blastocystis

[Shropshire Lass]

Hi
A bit of background. I have been working on RVK’s simplified protocol since Jan. I did the 23andme test which helped with the methylation SNP’s but it also threw up a bit of a curve ball. I have hereditary haemochromatosis – thankfully picked up in the early stages of iron build up due to the genetic heads up. I am having fortnightly venesections to get my iron levels down. It will likely take about 5 months assuming we don’t have to slow treatment down at all. It depends how well I am replenishing my blood and having only had a couple of treatments so far it is too soon to tell. My ferritin level is currently 282 so not too bad.

I’ve just completed a GI stool test and discovered that I have blastocystis hominis. I know normally the priority would be to sort out the gut but I have some concerns.

I read in Amy Yasko’s book that high iron can strengthen bacteria because they use the iron and this makes the bacterial infection harder to treat. What I’m not sure of is if this just relates to body / blood borne bacteria or if it also extends to bacteria in the gut and does the same hold true for parasites. I’ve tried to research blastocystis and found that it is linked to iron deficiency anaemia in pregnant women and also that iron is a metabolite in their equivalent to mitochondria so it’s likely they also benefit from the host having high iron levels. Again the question is can the blastocystis being in my gut access the abundant iron in my body?

My worry is that if I try to treat the blasto whilst my iron levels are high am I encouraging resistance to the treatment agent? I don’t want to make things worse by rushing in. It feels to me that laying on a siege whilst offering up an all you can eat buffet might not be the best idea. I’m new to all this and don’t know if I’m just inventing problems for myself or if it’s a valid concern. I'm uneasy about treating the blasto whilst my iron levels are up but I also want to support my methylation as much as possible because I need to be making new blood cells and I worry that the blasto isn't helping in that regard.

So what should I prioritise?

Any advice or input would be gratefully received.

Many thanks.

 

[newradost]

This blasto comes in my son's test. I have done enemas with sodium chloride and I have seen rope worms. Rope is not proved by science but great symptoms easiness comes when ropes are out, so many people are convinced that they exist. We have also Metametrix DNA stool test - parasite present taxonomy unavailable. Mast cells were degranulating and very high histamine. i.e. histaminosys. So my advise - read about the rope worm, join the facebook group and do some enemas - you will find more about yourself

 

[South]

@Shropshire Lass A website that actually looks useful for blasto problems is this one:
www.badbugs.org
The three prescriptions listed on that site are hard to get in some countries though.

Another approach is described here, where someone had success using only one of the prescription anti-blasto products and added a fat-digesting enzyme to the protocol to help that one prescription to work:
http://onibasu.com/archives/fdc/60538.html

 

[Shropshire Lass]

@South
That's really helpful, thank you. I need to look into the availability of the protocol here in the UK
If anyone in the UK has managed to find a Dr willing / able to prescribe the triple drug combo to treat blasto, could you post details.

 

[PeterPositive]

Here is my experience with this problem (Blastocystis H.)

In 2012 I did a comprehensive stool analysis (Great Plains Lab/Doctor's Data) and both samples were found with a high amount of Blastocystis H. Also very low secretory IgA, which is typically expected with these parasites.

I was put on a number of protocols, which included several anti-bacterial herbs, GSE, Pau D'arco, L-Glutamine, Zinc, anti-oxidants etc... I had an improvement in symptoms (which were super-bad at the time) and in 2014 I redid the test and found no traces of Blasto. Also secretory IgA have skyrocketed from below range to slightly elevated, which overall is good.

It's likely that the protocols have worked, although there's a small chance that the test simply failed to detect the parasite. At the very least the bad guys seem to have been strongly reduced.

Talking about symptoms I have improved significantly but still struggling with SIBO and moderate dysbiosis, so I still have work to do.

I have read several articles about Lactoferrin, a naturally occurring protein that is able to steal the iron from bacteria thus starving them. I don't know if it can be used in subjects with haemochromatosis, since this means that the iron will be put back in the system.

You may ask about Lactoferrin to your doctor and see if it's a viable option. I have tried it and for me it didn't work and gave me side effects (not iron related, probably tolerance issues).

Good luck

 

[Shropshire Lass]

@PeterPositive
Thanks for sharing your experience,

I've been doing some internet trawling and time and again I keep hearing that botanical treatments often aren't effective against blasto so it's encouraging to hear that herbals and supplements helped you. Did you stick totally to non pharmaceuticals?

I don't want to use a powerful pharmaceutical combo if I can avoid it (I'm really not in great health and worry about the impact it would have on my strength) but I also can't afford to take too much time trying to deal with the Blasto experimenting with different protocols.

I'm in a quandary because I've had to halt the venesections needed to treat the haemochromatosis (HH) because it was making me so weak. I only managed two. My gut feeling (no pun intended) is that to get well enough to treat the HH I need to focus on healing my gut and sorting out my methylation. I feel like I'm against a ticking clock iron wise. My levels are not too high at the moment so I have a bit of time before running into major issues but I really need to make that time count. Do I go straight for the hard hitting Pharmaceutical treatment that is most likely to work but also most likely to knock me for six or do I go for the botanical approach which would, in normal circumstances, be my initial choice but doesn't have such I good success rates? Not expecting an answer here, I know that is my decision to make, just thinking out loud - helps with the stress.

It's all early stages I guess, but the HH is a complication I really don't need. I got so excited when I learned about methylation and got my hopes up that I had finally got to the bottom of my illness and then I got hit with the HH bombshell which is a major obstacle. Then the Blasto which seemed like good news - not that I wanted a parasite but that it explained my gut issues, but then I found out that it's one of the most resistant to treatment.

Sorry about the pity party, I shall get me s***t together soon, quit moaning and start dealing. Just a bit overwhelmed and scared at the moment.

At least I know what is going on now, I just need to figure out how best to move forward.

Good to hear you are improving. I hope that continues for you.

 

[PeterPositive]

@PeterPositive
Thanks for sharing your experience,

I've been doing some internet trawling and time and again I keep hearing that botanical treatments often aren't effective against blasto so it's encouraging to hear that herbals and supplements helped you. Did you stick totally to non pharmaceuticals?

Yes, pharmaceuticals don't seem to be more effective than herbal remedies, and can have worst side effects.
I too have noticed that the information on blasto-relaated treatments is not very encouraging. As I said my last test showed zero presence of any parasite. I hope it will be the same in one year time (or so) when I will test again.

I don't want to use a powerful pharmaceutical combo if I can avoid it (I'm really not in great health and worry about the impact it would have on my strength) but I also can't afford to take too much time trying to deal with the Blasto experimenting with different protocols.

I understand. Herbal remedies and supplements will probably take a longer time, typically several months depending on the severity of the case (over a year for me), whereas drugs are expected to act faster.

In my case I had no choice. I was too ill and too intolerant to almost anything to take antibiotics. Even herbal remedies gave me a very hard time in the first months. So it's been a very slow process. The difficult part was to leave the anxiety aside, listen to my body reactions and be patient. One step at a time.

I'm in a quandary because I've had to halt the venesections needed to treat the haemochromatosis (HH) because it was making me so weak. I only managed two. My gut feeling (no pun intended) is that to get well enough to treat the HH I need to focus on healing my gut and sorting out my methylation. I feel like I'm against a ticking clock iron wise. My levels are not too high at the moment so I have a bit of time before running into major issues but I really need to make that time count. Do I go straight for the hard hitting Pharmaceutical treatment that is most likely to work but also most likely to knock me for six or do I go for the botanical approach which would, in normal circumstances, be my initial choice but doesn't have such I good success rates? Not expecting an answer here, I know that is my decision to make, just thinking out loud - helps with the stress.

I think the best would be to consult with a physician that is able to work with both approaches (natural and pharmaceutical) and that could guide you based on your medical history, symptoms, current health state etc...
Maybe even listening to a couple of different opinions, if possible.

Sorry about the pity party, I shall get me s***t together soon, quit moaning and start dealing. Just a bit overwhelmed and scared at the moment.

No problem, been there multiple times
It is overwhelming and scary ... So it's best not to act out of impatience or anxiety but take some time to reflect, ask opinions, read etc...

On a purely personal level I have had bad luck with almost all pharmaceutical treatments in dealing with chronic issues. The herbal route is not a silver bullet either, but at least it's less damaging when it goes wrong. For where I am now with my health, I really don't need to be knocked down by more side effects or toxic ingredients.

cheers

EDIT: you may also look into Saccharomyces Boulardii, a probiotic that seems particularly efficacious against Blastocystis.
See here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20922415

 

[Shropshire Lass]

@PeterPositive
Thanks again. Yes you are right. I need to take my time, gather some info, get some advice and not make a hasty decision based on fear! Deep breaths.