Strongyloides / positive test! Ivermectin??????

[FernRhizome]

I just tested positive, unexpectedly for Strongloides, a parasite that one can have for decades. The treatment is Ivermectin, which can impact the central nervous system.

Does anyone have experience with this drug? Has anyone else tested positive for this parasite?

The IVERMECTIN treatment can be dangerous in dogs with a genetic defect, a mutation within the MDR1 gene.

 

[MargeM]

FernRhizome,
I haven't heard of this and have no experience with the drug, but I just wanted to say I'm sorry for the diagnosis. I read up on it a little and sounds like it could be quite challenging. I wondered if you have had bad past experience with cortisol or steroid drugs due to this. Do you believe that having a retrovirus makes one more susceptible to this?

 

[FernRhizome]

Thanks for your thoughts Marge. I have no idea, but maybe. The eosinophils combat the parasite usually and are sometimes high, mine aren't maybe that's because of the retrovirus in the white blood cells—which includes eosinophils....it's a quick treatment, just two days...but may make me sick for longer.....risky but might help the very very bad gut stuff I've had for 18 years which keeps me mostly on liquid nutrition....~Fern

 

[maryb]

Dr_Wrig_ht in the UK tests for these parasites and Ivermectin has been part of his treatment for some time, hopefully one of his patients will see this thread and tell you of their experience.

 

[clive powney]

Hi,

I have used ivermectin and had no issues with it. As per the above comment - Dr w uses this quite regularly with his patients

 

[Jenny]

Yes, I was a patient of Dr W and did a course of ivermectin. Didn't help me at all, but had no problems with it. It's supposed to be a very safe drug.

Jenny

 

[FernRhizome]

Thanks Jenny & Clive:
Had you both tested positive for Strongyloides first? Did the antibodies go down after the treatment? Did you have symptoms from the Storngyloides? Clive did you get better? ~Fern

 

[Jenny]

Hi Fern - I was diagnosed with these worms with dark-field microscopy. But I didn't have much confidence in this diagnostic technique.

My symptoms were all the typical ME symptoms and didn't change.

Jenny

 

[Min]

I have answered you on another board. I tested positive for the nematode lung worms cryptostrongylus pulmoni (as co-infections to Lyme, they may be contracted by the same tick bite) by live blood microscopy, and had no adverse effects at all to Ivermectin. My breathlessness and itching stopped.

 

[August59]

I don't have a lot of experience with ivermectin in humans, but it has been used in animals for many, many years. Was originally a canine and equine med for various worms (heartworms and etc...) and has expanded to be used in probably 90% of mammals that are treated. The only thing that I have ever seen as a negative was a couple of canine purebreed species (Collies was one) that showed a sensitivity to it and dose had to be calculated very specific.

It sounds like Dr. Wright is really using it effectively. It is a tried and true drug that will probably work well for you and don't think you should worry about it too much. Good Luck!

 

[Leitwolf]

Hi

I would just like to contradict Marge on this one point: Congratulations to your diagnosis! I mean, if you have been suffering for a long time, battling and losing against an unknown enemy, a reasonable diagnosis AND an opportunity for health is certainly not something to feel sorry about. I have always been upset when a silly doctor congratulated me on not finding anything, just as if health was defined by the lack of knowledge.

I have been tested positive antibodys on ascaris, but the doc told me that would not mean anything. I am pretty sure there are some worms in me, still I do not get ahead on this issue. One problem is, the test is not very specific, it could be a number different species. The other problem my docs are simply unwilling to follow this path.

What I wanted to ask you: what kind of a positive test was that? IgG? Something else?

thx

 

[FernRhizome]

Leitwolf: It was an antibody ELIZA test.....I am astonished how many infectious disease docs never tested me for strongyloides when it is one of the most common parasites outside the US and in some parts of the US.....what is wrong with them??? It should be a standard suspicion with an easy blood test to look for antibodies....~Fern

 

[clive powney]

Fern,

I had a bit of a peak in energy for a few weeks , but as per usual things rollercoastered. It wasn't strongyloides that I was tested positive for. From memory, someone on onbe of the other forums had a massive improvement in symptoms

 

[pictureofhealth]

My experience in the UK was the same as Jenny's (above). I was a Dr Wright private patient. There was only a 'dark field microscopy' diagnosis, which is not recognised by the NHS, so no idea if I did actually have the infection.
I did have some improvement with Ivermectin, but not remotely curative. Cost of Ivermectin via UK GP is extortionate, so most of us got it from an internet pharmacy.

 

[FernRhizome]

For those of you who tried Ivermectin and didn't find it helped much did you get a second dose a couple of weeks later? Apparently it has to have two separate treatments and sometimes more. And if the Strongyloides has spread beyond the gut it may not be treatable without more intense iv treatments....

 

[Leitwolf]

Btw.. I checked my blood on the microscope. I have found quite a number suspicious objects:

http://s736.photobucket.com/albums/xx10/Oliver25/Blut Wurm/

Feel free to comment ;-)

 

[pictureofhealth]

For those of you who tried Ivermectin and didn't find it helped much did you get a second dose a couple of weeks later? Apparently it has to have two separate treatments and sometimes more. And if the Strongyloides has spread beyond the gut it may not be treatable without more intense iv treatments....

Hi Fern, yes I did. I think I took x3 lots over several weeks/months in the end (as prescribed by Dr W), but can't remember full details. I was not offered I/V version.

As I say, it did help, but not remotely curative, at least not on its own. Maybe it needs to be taken in conjuntion with something else? - only research will tell.

Dr W did say there was ongoing research into this at the Universities of ?Texas and ?New York, a couple of years ago or more now, but published results never seemed to materialise. Does anyone happen to know whether the results of these studies have been published yet?

Also, this parasite might be another one of those infections that co exist quite happily in humans until something else derails the immune system, at which point they might become a problem - not sure.

 

[Jenny]

Yes I took a second dose of invermectin. Again - no effect.

Jenny