After six months interacting with them I agree with Dainty and fall into the second category- it is run like a cult. I completed six months of the official Marshall Protocol but then modified it due to the problems listed below and because when I added specific supplements to block more pathways my cycle duration decreased by half and I could dose daily instead of every other day; cutting my treatment time by half. I don't believe that it works in its current state for three reasons. First, if you visit their forum at
www.marshallprotocol.com and look at the long term patients a large number of them are still sick after three years of bacteriostatic treatment. If the protocol worked this should not happen.
Second, if you read
Faherty's 2008 "Staying Alive" research article page 175 table 1 shows that Dr. Marshall's method, which originated in 2003 before this newer information was available, failed to address all the immunological apoptotic pathways that L-form bacteria block namely PI3/AkT, NF-kB, and Caspase-3. The only one he addresses is the 25D receptor with benecar which curiously isn't listed. This allows immunity to continue to be low and slows the treatment response. When all the pathways are addressed with supplements response speeds double. When I brought this to his attention he refused to modify his treatment and banned me from his support forum because I disclosed these problems to the others there and he was afraid that they would stop following his recommendations.
Third, the protocol is pro-inflamatory because it is low omega-3 fatty acid (which are banned as supplements in any form). This raises pain levels which they treat with unnecessary four hour Benecar dosing. This makes no sense because flax oil and chia seed supplement has no vitamin D but ample omega 3.
Dr. Marshall's stance on supplements makes no sense. He bans all of them categorically rather than testing them to assess the duration of any immune surpressing effects. For example, tumeric is a useful supplment which has a surpressing effect that lasts only one hour so if it is taken with the minocycline dose mino's suppression overlaps the tumeric and it can be used without losing any bacterial killing time.
However, the theory that cell wall deficient bacteria are chronically infecting cells that were predisposed to infection due to lowered immunity from excess vitamin D and viral infection is still one that deserves research. Dr. Marshall's observations regarding a therapeutic probe of vitamin D avoidance, high levels of vitamin 1,25D despite low intake, and cyclic aggravation of immunopathology symptoms (formerly termed herx reactions) following bacteriostatic drugs strongly suggests that this infection is occurring. I am on this protocol and have measured consistant increases in hypothermic body temperature from 96.5F to 98F within ten minutes of taking benecar. This effect is profound. I know of no other theory that can explain the pattern.
I think the next step is to modify the protocol to block every pathway by reversing their ban on standardized herbal supplements and using precise dosing. I am currently doing this and have been able to double the treatment cycling and dosing speed. I expect to know if it works in two months when I complete dosing with minocycline, zithromax and clindamyacin.
Also for Dainty, the waxing and waning of symptoms is only when you are on the medication. Off of it your immune system is too suppressed for them to appear. Concerning the need for vitamin D (which really is a secosteroid and not an essential vitamin) you don't need it for strong bones because the body makes it regardless of sunlight exposure. I had my dentist compare my dental xrays after 1 year of light avoidance and there was no bone loss. If you have lost bone you probably need to address it dietarily with a good multimineral supplement (I recommend Country Life Total Mins Iron Free), green leafy vegetables and avoiding things that leach calcium from bones (diet soda, mega protein overdoses, etc).
