My cousin with ME/CFS also took VSL#3 and kefir (among other things), yet seemed to find improvement in test results which translated to a great improvement in his ME/CFS.
I used dr. K. deMeirleir's Protea Biopharma Neurotoxic Metabolite Test Kit which aims to detect the presence of abnormal metabolites in the urine. It is a simple DIY kit that costs £25-35. These metabolites are related to the production of hydrogen sulphide (H2S), which is present in the body in small amounts under normal conditions and has certain physiological roles. An excess can be very detrimental, causing neurotoxic symptoms like photo-sensitivity, overload phenomenon and other symptoms of ME/CFS. Over-production of H2S is related to gut dysbiosis - too many bad bugs and not enough beneficial ones. DeMeirleir has concluded that a large proportion of people with ME/CFS present with such dysbiosis. My sample demonstrates a strong positive for H2S. My Comprehensive Digestive and Stool Analysis showed no significant pathogens, though a high index of dysbiosis was present with 0% L. acidophilous (after 12 years of taking Natren, VSL#3, kefir and others), and low bifidus. I do not eat any sugars or grains. My cousin with ME/CFS also took VSL#3 and kefir (among other things), yet seemed to find improvement in test results which translated to a great improvement in his ME/CFS.
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Dr. Logan on H2S, Fiber and the Gut
by CORT on JULY 2, 2009 Dr. Logan is a board certified naturopathic physician who graduated magna cum laude from the State University of New York. An invited faculty member at the Harvard School of Continuing Medical Education and published researcher he is the author of “The Brain Diet” and the co-author with Dr. Alison Bested of a recently updated book on chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) – “Hope and Help for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.” He was willing to follow up a substantial comment he made to the “H2S Creator Speaks” blog with this full interview. Questions asked by Cort are underlined. This is an excellent article that really gets into specifics, addressing the gut/probiotic issue specifically for those with ME/CFS. _____________________________________________________________ A good number of chronic fatigue syndrome patients do experience gut pain but gut pain has never been considered the main or even a main symptom of the disease. It’s easy to see how something like there irritable bowel syndrome could emanate from the gut but given the sometimes enormous debility found in this disease shouldn’t we be in a lot more gut pain than we are if this disease is indeed centered in the gut? The gut is after all a very sensitive area is it not – it doesn’t take much to make gut problems very obvious to the person suffering from them. Indeed gut pain is not chief among the constellation of CFS symptoms. Yet the vast majority of CFS patients do experience some degree of gut related symptoms and indeed there are many other gastrointestinal (GI) signs and symptoms in CFS that are not pain-specific. For example, alternating constipation, diarrhea, bloating and so-called functional dyspepsia (upper GI discomfort soon after meals) may not involve significant pain per se, however they indicate that not all is right in the GI tract. It is also true that there may be issues with certain gut bacteria that, while producing no overt gut symptoms, they are still capable of provoking a body-wide immune response and intestinal permeability. From animal studies, we know that even a tiny amount of undesirable bacteria in the gut, at levels not even high enough to cause an overt immune response, can activate brain areas involved in emotions and ultimately influence behavior itself. While we are a long way from confirming that CFS is centered in the gut, early suggestions indicate that gut microbes may be the tail wagging the dog. On another very basic note – if we are all producing enough hydrogen sulfide gas this disease shouldn’t we all be belching and otherwise releasing enormous amounts of rotten egg smelling gas? No, not necessarily. It would only take miniscule amounts of H2S gaining access through the gut wall to cause fatigue and a host of other brain and body-wide symptoms. Small amounts of H2S can cause cognitive difficulties, and of particular interest to CFS symptoms, problems with tuning out unwanted environmental stimuli…the sort of “tired but wired” symptoms of CFS. Normally we can clear H2S quite efficiently, breaking it down with enzymatic activity and releasing it through the lungs. Yet there are many unknowns about H2S, including the amount of gut H2S the normal person can tolerate. In addition to the emerging work from Dr K DeMeirleir indicating that there are elevated H2S-producing gut flora in CFS, it may also be the case that in CFS there is a deficit in H2S disposal. A common remedy for bacterial overgrowth in the gastrointestinal system involves antibiotics. Yet antibiotics, paradoxically, are sometimes blamed for setting the stage for bacterial overgrowth in the first place. Many people are not surprisingly skeptical about taking antibiotics because of this. How do you go about ensuring that you’re not just making the problem worse? Indeed, there have been studies showing that antibiotics have reduced small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and improves a variety of symptoms (including brain-related symptoms) in CFS and fibromyalgia. Yet, these are very small studies of small duration. What happens when the antibiotics are stopped and the patients are followed in the long term? We do not know. Given that antibiotics and overuse of acid-blocking medications set the stage for SIBO, I would be inclined to worry about using antibiotics as a means of clearing SIBO. I would be more inclined to use probiotics and enteric-coated peppermint oil. There are quite a few different kinds of probiotics on the market that feature different kinds of bacteria. Are there certain kinds of bacteria that may be more helpful for the kinds of gastrointestinal issues that chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) patients face? Yes, the benefits appear to be strain-specific. If it is for symptoms that resemble that of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) then I would suggest 2 strains of bacteria that have been shown to be helpful for gut-related symptoms – Align (Bifidobacteria infantis 35624) and LactoFlamX (Lactobacillus plantarum 299V). In our University of Toronto study, we used a probiotic made by the Japanese company Yakult. The strain, Lactobacillus casei Shirota had been found previously to improve mental outlook in healthy volunteers who had the lowest baseline mood scores. It also lowers propionate production in the gut. Recently propionate has been the focus of research in autism; once it gains entry to the brain, it can alter behavior. It is too early to tell, however I feel that bifidobacteria strains such as Align will become the probiotic of choice for CFS. Align has been shown to reduce inflammation systemically, beyond the gut. It also does not contribute to the lactate load in the gut. What was not really emphasized in the reporting of Dr K DeMeirleir’s research is that his team also found elevated lactate producing bacteria and certain Lactobacilli are major manufacturers of D and L lactate. If I understand you correctly its possible that strains of Lactobaccilus bacteria that are frequently found in probiotic preparations could exacerbate lactic acid production. Apparently Lactobaccillus acidophilus turns sugars into lactic acid. Yes, but not all Lactobacillus strains produce the undesirable D-Lactate (for example, the well-researched Lactobacillus GG does not produce D-Lactate, but most strains of Lactobacillus have not been investigated for D-Lactate production. Its time to map that out properly). It’s generally true that L.acidophilus does turn sugars into lactic acid, but not all Lactobacillus strains produce the D-Lactate; the L-Lactate can be cleared with a fair amount of ease by most. Do you recommend staying away from the traditional formulations (L acidophilus)? Most probiotics marketed under the umbrella term “acidophilus” have not been researched for health outcomes (let alone stability!) and we have no idea of their D-Lactate potential. It is known from studies in short bowel syndrome that unspecified strains of L. acidophilus can be major promoters of D-Lactate. Kefir has a different bacterial makeup than yogurt. I did read that kefir grains make it deeper into the gut. What about kefir? Great question! There have been two studies that have looked at D-Lactate production in fermented milk, commercial yogurts and kefir. Interestingly the kefir did not form D-Lactate, yogurt had high concentrations of D-Lactate (over 40%). When you get to the store shelf there are probiotics that don’t need refrigeration, that do need refrigeration, that have X million or even billion bacteria ‘at the time of bottling’, that are in liquid or capsule form, etc. Dr. De Meirleir some years ago stated he was simply looking for a probiotics that was strong enough to fit ME/CFS patients needs. I noticed that Prohealth recently advertised a product that has over 50 billion bifidobacteria organisms in one capsule (at over a dollar a capsule). Do you have any advice to offer on specific types of probiotics for chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) patients? Until the research shows otherwise I would choose Align for the reasons cited above. There are very good clinical studies to support the product in IBS. If you do take probiotics are there any supplements that can help boost probiotics effects? In recent years so-called prebiotics have been touted for boosting levels of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria in the gut. It is quite clear that prebiotics (inulin, chicory root, fructo-olligosaccharides) can increase both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria, however it remains unknown if they are also promoting undesirable bacteria as well. There have been hints that they can. There are now two causes of concern for CFS patients and prebiotics – i. prebiotics have been shown to promote intestinal permeability, irritate the gut lining (this is a massive problem, especially when considering the new studies from Dr Michael Maes who documnented intestinal permeability in CFS) ii. prebiotics can increase the amount of lactate produced in the gut (now that we know there is already excess lactate production and/or inadequate lactate clearance, this is an obvious caveat). On a personal level your conjecture that fiber induced fermentation in the gut could be associated with increased anxiety and aggression was intriguing since I’ve always felt that ’edginess’ is a key factor in my version of ME/CFS. But how do fiber induced problems in the gut translate into central nervous system problems? A study by Dr. Shungu has suggested increased lactate production in the brain may be occurring in ME/CFS patients; could this have anything to do with lactate production in the gut? When too much fermentable fiber shows up in the large intestine there is a massive uptick in the production of D-lactate. Since, in CFS, we now know there is already over-production of D-lactate the blanket statements to eat more fiber may not be well suited to CFS. For example, animal studies show that excessive D-lactate production, due to excess fermentable carbohydrates showing up in the distant portion s of the gut, can increase aggressive an anxious behavior. It completely throws them off. The same phenomenon has been written up numerous times in cases of short bowel syndrome. These are individuals who have had a portion of the small intestine removed, they are more prone to the over-fermentation of fiber-rich carbohydrates in the large intestine and an excess amount of D-lactate is produced. They can experience brain fog, lowered mood state, hypothamic dysfunction and anxiety when transient elevations in D-lactate occur. Since we know that CFS patients have both bacterial overgrowth and excess D-lactate production (and/or lack of D-lactate clearance) a similar situation may be occurring. Ultimately, excess prebiotics and even excess Lactobacillus strains may worsen the situation in short bowel syndrome, and perhaps CFS as well. I was very interested in Dr Shungu’s work as well. It certainly suggests that if excess lactate is making it to the brain (and we already know that systemic lactate can cause anxiety in adults with no history of anxiety) it can have multiple implications. Obviously, we have just begun to scratch the surface of this research, however in moving forward we should be very selective of the stains we use for CFS clinical trials. Your statement that ‘fiber restricted’ diets can be helpful in this disease is a little jarring to hear given all the emphasis these days on high-fiber diets. You also noted that a fiber restricted diet cut the production of hydrogen and methane gas by more than half in one study. What is a restricted fiber diet look like? Are certain types of fiber worse than others? Yes, while most adults and children in developed nations may need more fiber, those of us with CFS may actually be adding fuel to the fire. An elemental (liquid food) diet has been shown to help eradicate small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and gut excess H2S production. At this point we need more concrete studies although the soluble fiber in oats, barley, rye and root vegetables will be more likely to fuel fermentation and increase lactate production. You noted that excessive fermentation in the large intestine can lead to the overproduction of lactic acid yet fermented lactic acid producing vegetable products such as sauerkraut, pickles and miso (as well as yogurt) are also sometimes recommended for gut issues. Do you recommend against using those products? No, generally these would be good choices if not in excess. There is a difference between foods that have been fermented, and foods that are awaiting fermentation by our own bacteria. Still, excessive dairy sugars arriving in the lower gut may be an issue and dairy has been associated with problems in short bowel syndrome with excess D-lactate production. If someone goes on a fiber-restricted diet how soon should they know if it is working for them? Within a few weeks What tests can patients take to assess the status of their small intestine with regards to bacterial overgrowth, hydrogen sulfide gas production, leaky gut and fiber problems? In addition to Dr K DeM’s exciting new H2S urine test, there is also a test for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth…it is called the lactulose-hydrogen breath test. Similar tests are available for assessment of intestinal permeability. In North America, Genova Diagnostics does the small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and intestinal permeability tests. There are blood tests for D-lactate; however, by the time a CFS patient sets up the testing the lactate may return to normal. That test is unique in that it is all about timing. Hopefully we will see some clinical investigations in CFS with patients consuming prebiotics and/or decent portions of fermentable carbohydrates and then evaluating both blood and urine lactate in the hours that follow. A study by Dr. Burnett several years ago suggested that chronic fatigue syndrome patients often suffer from ‘reduced gastric emptying’ it seems to refer to food products remaining in the gastrointestinal system for longer than normal. Would this contribute to fermentation and bacterial overgrowth problems ? It would certainly contribute to the upper gut symptoms after a meal. It also hints that there are electrical problems on GI tract in general. If there are any problems along the line, it can lead to stasis. We need more work in this area. What may be happening is similar to the folks with short bowel syndrome (although CFS patients may have a structurally intact small intestine, the SIBO may make it a functionally poor portion of the organ) where food material may be passing through the small intestine and then literally get “dumped” into the large intestine. When this happens with fructose, for those who do not absorb fructose well and it speeds through the upper gut, there is massive fermentation and mood related symptoms! One of the beneficial aspects of enteric-coated peppermint oil is that it helps regulate peristalsis. This is almost certainly why most of the dozen plus trials of ECPO (alone or combined with caraway seed oil) in IBS and functional dyspepsia have shown good results. Can one to some extent assess one’s bowel health simply by noting the consistency and quality of one’s bowel movements? That is could you say that someone who has one regular well formed bowel movement a day which was not accompanied by gas probably did not have problems with fermentation/hydrogen sulfide gas production? A regular, well-formed bowel movement will not exclude a potential problem with gut flora alterations. I would be much more inclined to work with the tests available. While these breath test and intestinal permeability tests are imperfect (and the new H2S test requires outside validation), they would tell us much more than bowel movements when it comes to the internal consequences of undesirable bacteria. I’ve always noticed that abstaining from food is helpful for me for short periods. On the converse many ME/CFS patients experience a considerable letdown 10 minutes or so after they eat. It seems that food does make a difference but this is occurring long before, one would think, food reaches the gut. Do you have any idea what’s going on here? A period of fasting may be lessening the load of lactate, propionate and H2S…but is not going to be the Rx here. I am not sure about the quick exacerbation of symptoms. I have heard from a number of patients that symptoms are worsened within an hour, and this may be indicative of the small intestinal bacteria having a feast in the upper gut. The ensuing increased intestinal permeability allows unwanted material to pass through the gut wall and fire up the flames of low-grade inflammation. For more on this topic I would urge visitors to your blog to further investigate the work of Dr Michael Maes and colleagues who have been doing great work in CFS, gut flora and intestinal permeability. Are there any books you recommend on irritable bowel syndrome or the gastrointestinal system for ME/CFS patients? I have yet to find one that is specifically suited to the needs and complexities of CFS. The problem is that CFS patients don’t have IBS per se, and the approaches don’t always apply. The findings in the CFS-GI connection (Drs K DeM, Maes in Europe, Dr Bested in Canada) are so new that a well-rounded gut-specific resource is still some distance away – hopefully soon, but we really need clinical trials to validate specific avenues of approach. As exciting as these gut findings have been, it is important to underscore that we are still on the bridge between hypotheses and true clinical guidance in CFS. Thanks Cort for your dedication and hard work to the amazing, resilient community of medical underdogs, the CFS patients. Dr. Logan’s website contains articles, his books, recommended supplements and ‘power foods’, links and more. Additional Follow-Up Comments by Alan Logan July 6, 2009 at 4:42 am Fructose and Powerfoods Yes, the powerfoods section listed on my website is directed at brain health for the general population and is definitely not a CFS-oriented list. I would concur that too much fructose can cause problems. Dr Max Ledochowski has authored 4 or 5 studies on what happens when fructose escapes absorption from the small intestine and gets dumped into the colon…depressive symptoms, brain fog and much lower blood tryptophan levels. Correcting this via a low-fructose diet has been shown to improve mood etc. Interestingly, only about 1/2 of those with fructose malabsorption present with the overt gut symptoms. Diet and Fruits My only concern with removal of all fruits is that we also take away much needed dietary antioxidants from the deeply colored berries. Blueberry and bilberry actually have anti-microbial properties that may be to the advanatge of CFS patients and cherries have significant anti-inflammatory activity…CFS patients are under increased oxidative stress, have lower levels of antioxidants due to the high demand, and in most studies, dietary antioxidants win vs. those from supplements. Consideration of some very small servings of berries is still warranted in my opinion. The other concern with nuts, yes, absolutely no doubt they can be a source of sensitivity. Candida and yeast can’t be ruled out of this emerging equation of gut flora. Over the years the Candida story has been, in my opinion, over-played. Still, there was a study in the journal Family Practice in 2001 which showed that in adults with “unexplained medical conditions” (symptoms typically over-lapped with CFS) Nystatin was helpful. There were significant improvements in anxiety, cognition, depressive symptoms and insomnia. Recently Dr Evengard’s team in Sweden found that Candida levels are much higher in stool during the early stages of CFS and are lower when patients are “in remission”. Since we know that stress and antibiotics can increase Candida in the gut, it possible that once established, it becomes a secondary contributing factor. Probiotics The dose used in the Sullivan probiotic study was 10 to the 8th power CFU twice daily…this was not a particularly high dose. The VSL#3 mentioned has a massive 450 billion CFU per sachet…and it is the kitchen sink of a variety of different strains. It may help some, however I know of cases where anxiety increased after taking the product, it may be a D-lactate connection. Gut Ph and D-Lactate – As Cort knows, we had this interview before the full text of the Dr K D paper on D-Lactate bacteria and CFS was released. Within the paper they note that alkaline therapy might be a future Rx in CFS. It would seem to make sense…we have high levels of acid-producing bacteria so it would appear rational to increase the pH and make it more alkaline. However, the gut is a complex environment and a study by Jiang in Digestive Diseases and Sciences (1997) showed that raising the gut pH in the alkaline direction increases D-lactate production. In the same study they also showed that if you really want to lower D-Lactate production, add Bifidobacteria to the mix. Bottom line, we have much to learn about gut pH. It has been shown since the 1920s that oral alkaline solutions can encourage small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and subsequent intestinal permeability (Arnold. Am J Hygiene 1928). Since CFS patients have both SIBO and intestinal permability, it is highly doubtful that alkaline solutions will be the answer. No financial ties I should have said that I have no financial ties to Align or any other probiotic company. Thanks for all the comments and feedback. Food Matters asked seven experts a simple question: “What foods do you avoid?” Here are some of their eye-opening responses:
Canned Tomatoes An endocrinologist won’t go near canned tomatoes -- the cans are lined with a resin containing BPA, and tomatoes are especially dangerous because their acid breaks the BPA down in dangerous amounts. Conventional Beef Conventional cattle are fed grain, corn and soy to make them fat, even though studies show that grass-fed beef higher in important vitamins, minerals and heart-healthy, anti-inflammatory fats. Microwave Popcorn Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) lines microwave popcorn bags, and when they are heated the compound, which has been linked to infertility, leaches onto the food. Conventional Potatoes Non-organic potatoes are heavily sprayed with herbicides, pesticides and fungicides -- many potato growers don’t eat the potatoes they sell, but instead and grow their own separate plots without all the chemicals. Farmed Salmon Farmed salmon are stuffed into pens and fed chicken feathers and pellets. A scientific study on fish contamination showed high levels of carcinogens such as DDT and PCBs. Conventional Milk Dairy cows are fed growth hormones to maximize milk production, which results in increased incidence of udder infection and pus in the milk. Conventional Apples, [Applesauce, Applejuice] Apples are heavily and frequently doused with pesticides -- pesticides that have been linked to Parkinson’s. I am sharing this email I received with you incase you are interested. I am not affiliated with Michael Mohoric in any way, except that I sign up for his monthly free healing sessions. I am going to sign up for this new offering (for $99) to see if it helps with my sleep issues: currently I'm taking codeine 30-45 mg, doxepin 10 mg and clonazepam up to 2 mg, yet on every second day I'm still not falling asleep until after the sun rises. The distance healings require nothing from the participant (this factor really appeals presently), are scheduled at my regular sleep time, and I have found his free sessions helpful in the past, so here goes .... The e-mail from Michael: It is very difficult to achieve optimal health if you are not sleeping well. Unfortunately in today's world insomnia is very prevalent. I attribute a major cause of sleep problems to our tremendous exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) that are produced by modern technology. A few of the sources for EMF include cell phones, cell phone towers, Wi-fi, and Blue tooth. We have a personal energy field in and around us. This energy field is recognized by many different ancient cultures and called by different names. In Western culture it is commonly known as the aura. When you have a strong energy field then you are healthy and can combat stress and illness easily. This is what practices like Qigong, Tai Chi and other methods are designed to do is help build a strong energy field. The energy sessions can greatly help you build a strong energy field or aura. Though some scientists say EMF is harmless many sensitive people know differently. When we are being continually bombarded by external EMF it can negatively affect our own energy field. This is why so many people feel much calmer in nature when they are away from the buzz of all the electromagnetic pollution. I believe the disturbances caused by EMF are a major contributor to insomnia and other dis-eases. "michael thanks for your healing sessions. As i said in the start I had not had good sleep in 20 years. but on the last session of the month on wed. I slept good and every night since it got better. I can not ever remember when I got 3 nights sleep in a row. In fact this morning I woke at 6 am. got up and then laid back down and slept 2 more hours. Iv never gone back to bed and slept. even though I was exhausted from lack of sleep I could not sleep once waking. my normal sleep 1=3 hrs not enough but now with your sessions I seem to be on a pattern of good sleep again.. thank you so much I now feel I can get on with my life.. thank you thank you" ART Scientists are taking a serious look at the possible harmful effects of long exposure that EMF can cause. One study in a peer-reviewed scientific journal (J.Aust.Coll.nutr.& Env.Med, 2007; Vol.26, No.2 ) shows evidence EMF may make the cell membrane hard & difficult for heavy metals and toxins to be excreted by the cells & difficult for nutrition to enter the cell. Dr. Carlo co-authored the study and headed the largest safety research project on cell phones in the late 1990's states "These findings tie in with other studies showing adverse cell-membrane responses and disruptions of normal cell physiology." The authors speculate increased EMF may be a factor in the increase of autism. 20 years ago only 1 in 10,000 children was diagnosed with autism and gov't statistics in 2002 show 1 in 150 children may be afflicted with autism. This is a startling statistic. Nowadays it is very difficult to get away from EMF pollution. Some cities are blanketing their city with Wi-fi signals and cell phone towers. The monthly healing program can go a long way in helping your system to neutralize the negative effects of EMF and help to restore your health, vitality and well being. The energy sessions help your body to come into balance so that it can heal itself. A great majority of people in the energy sessions see significant results but like any modality it won't work for everyone. Everyone has given permission to share their stories. How to Join the Healing Program Receive 4 weekly sessions of energy healing for only $99. Add your family members and pets living at home for only $39 or $138 for an entire household. This energy work can help to clear and balance the acupuncture meridians and chakras to assist the body and mind to heal itself. Most people know, who have worked with me before, that the energy works on many levels, mental, physical, emotional and spiritual. My main interest is helping people to clear out energy blockages so that they can realize their highest potential. Clearing the energy field can help people to become more intuitive, creative, healthy and more aware. With so many unusual things happening at this time, an expanded state of awareness is one of the most important things that one can achieve. The main sessions are on Wednesday nights, more details below. In addition to the main energy sessions there are unscheduled energy adjustments every day and you get that energy when your energy system is ready for more energy. You can receive this energy anytime day or night. There is a continuous energy flow throughout the month and not just on Wednesday nights. Energy starts going out to people when they sign up and often people report they can notice the effects right away. Dan from Michigan writes , "Have I told you before that I often sense, feel or see changes before the actual day and time you are transmitting energy. It starts after the initial contact is made by you and I." Please email me if you decide to join the session. Let me know how you are going to pay, and I will confirm that I have you on my list and I will send instructions on how to enhance the sessions. If you do not hear back from me within 24 hours, please write again as sometimes email gets lost. The first major session will begin Wed. and continue for three consecutive Wednesday's afterwards. The energy sessions go from 7- 8pm, Pacific or Los Angeles time (10-11pm New York time). In order to participate in the program I need to receive funds around the first session. You can pay by most credit cards by going to the purchase page. You can also pay by check. Send to; Michael Mohoric PO Box 6548 Laguna Niguel, Ca.92607 HOW TO PURCHASE Credit cards are processed by Paypal. It is a very secure way to pay with your credit card with millions of people using it for internet transactions. You do not need a PayPal account to pay this way. To pay by credit card click on the purchase button on my website: QigongEnergyHealing.com If you have a problem logging on to my website, you can also pay directly through my Paypal account by clicking on this link that will take you directly to my secure Paypal account. The $99 price does not include any other family members or pets. If you want to include your pets and family members then the additional cost will be $39 to include all your pets and family members living at home. The total cost to include everyone in your home would be $138. All the family members at home will a get the same energetic support for a month for $138. You need to get permission from any adults that will be included. Pets respond beautifully to energy work. Review of Program Cost: $99 Add $39 ($138 total) to include all family members and pets living in your house. You need to get permission from any adults to work on them. Payment needs to be made around the start of the first session by credit card or mailed checks. Dates and times. All sessions start at 7pm, Pacific ( Los Angeles, Ca.) Time and last about 1 hour. Dates-All on consecutive Wednesdays starting Session 1. Wed. 6/1 7pm-8pm Pacific or Ca. Time Session 2. Wed. 6/8 7pm Session 3. Wed. 6/15 7pm Session 4. Wed. 6/22 7pm This is not an automatic billing program and if you want to do more sessions you need to sign up again. www.QigongEnergyHealing.com Disclaimer: I, Michael Mohoric, am not a medical doctor and do not practice medicine. I do not diagnose, heal, cure, prevent or treat disease. I assist people in correcting energetic imbalances in their bio-field that assists the body to release its innate healing ability. When the energy of the body is balanced and moving correctly, the body's innate natural energy heals itself. All healing is self-healing. I recommend that clients continue to see their regular medical doctors and follow their advice and my work is a complement to regular allopathic medicine. My spiritual energy work is not a substitute for conventional medical diagnosis or treatment for any medical or psychological condition. For such issues, you should seek the proper licensed physician or healthcare professional. I am a minister and my work is spiritually based and I believe all healing is spiritual in nature. I do not make any promises, warranties or guarantees about results of my work or of the energy sessions. To sign up for the newsletter, please go to the website. To demonstrate how low ME/CFS funding is compared to other illnesses... Table Published: February 14, 2011 This table displays the annual support level for various research, condition, and disease categories based on grants, contracts, and other funding mechanisms used across the National Institutes of Health (NIH). At the request of Congress, the NIH embarked on a process to provide better consistency and transparency in the reporting of its funded research. This new process, implemented in 2008 through the Research, Condition, and Disease Categorization (RCDC) system, uses sophisticated text data mining (categorizing and clustering using words and multiword phrases) in conjunction with NIH-wide definitions used to match projects to categories. The definitions are a list of terms and concepts selected by NIH scientific experts to define a research category. The research category levels represent the NIH’s best estimates based on the category definitions. The NIH does not expressly budget by category. The annual estimates reflect amounts that change as a result of science, actual research projects funded, and the NIH budget. The research categories are not mutually exclusive. Individual research projects can be included in multiple categories so amounts depicted within each column of this table do not add up to 100 percent of NIH-funded research. Consistent with the Administration’s emphasis on transparency, two separate columns are used to distinguish FY 2009 and FY 2010 actual support funded from American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) accounts from projects funded by regular NIH appropriations. The FY2007 data were produced from a reporting process historically used by NIH. The technical elements of the previous reporting process did not have the ability to produce uniform results and led to wide variability in the way research categories were coded. This process caused inconsistencies in reporting data. RCDC use of data mining improves the consistency and eliminates the wide variability in defining the research categories reported. The table shows historical data for FY2007 and data produced with the new RCDC methodology for FY2007 through FY2010. The FY 2011-2012 estimates are based on RCDC actual data. Total Number of Research/Disease Areas: 229 ME/CFS figures are in the second panel: it is ranked as one of the LOWEST funded illnesses in the US, coming in at $6 (I am assuming per diagnosed person, as this is not really clear; yet, just by taking the figures comparatively, we see how low ME/CFS funding really is). via ProHealth.com
by Kent Holtorf, MD May 25, 2011 Dr. Kent Holtorf, founder of the non-profit National Academy of Hypothyroidism, directs the Holtorf Medical Group in Torrance, Foster City, Pasadena, and Sacramento, CA, Kansas City and Minneapolis. Dr. Holtorf specializes in researching and employing "innovative evidence-based therapies for hard-to-treat and poorly understood illnesses: hypothyroidism, complex endocrine dysfunction, chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia and chronic infectious diseases including Lyme and chronic viral illness." As noted below, Dr. Holtorf was intrigued to find that the only patients in his practice who tested XMRV-positive were chronic Lyme patients, and has been supervising some of them on anti-retroviral regimens. An upcoming newsletter will feature his Q&A with representative patient(s) from this group. _________________________________ Numerous studies have demonstrated a high incidence of chronic infections in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. These include viral infections of Epstein-barr (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), human herpes virus-6, (HHV-6), and bacterial infections such as mycoplasma, Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP) and Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease). There is controversy regarding the presence of active infection in these conditions because physicians, including infectious disease specialists, do not understand that the standard way to diagnose acute infections - an elevation of IgG and IgM antibodies - is not a sensitive means of detecting chronic infections in these patients (1-21). With an acute [new] infection, the body will start producing IgM antibodies against that infection and then start producing IgG antibodies after a few weeks so there is an elevation of both IgG and IgM antibodies. Chronic reactivating infections, such as those mentioned above, do not stimulate IgM antibodies, as they are not new infections but rather intracellular reactivating infections. So most doctors, again including infectious disease specialists, will tell patients who have elevated IgG antibodies that they had an old infection or previous exposure and that there is no evidence of, or they do not have, an active infection - because that is what they learned in medical school. This standard way of detecting active infections has clearly been shown to be inaccurate and misses the overwhelming majority of patients with active infections (1-21). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing [which can generate thousands of copies of a DNA sequence from one or a few copies] is much more sensitive in a research setting than in the clinical setting, because if the blood sits for more than a few hours, the infectious organism’s DNA degrades and often goes undetected. So in a clinical setting, PCR is a specific test (if it is positive you know you have an active infection), but suffers from low sensitivity (often negative despite an active chronic infection). Additionally limiting sensitivity is the fact these infections are not concentrated in the blood or serum but rather in the tissues, especially nerves, brain and the white blood cells. Physicians must have a high incidence of suspicion and look for elevated IgG or early antigen (EA) antibodies along with other signs of chronic infections including low natural killer cell activity, high RNase-L activity, high ACE (> 35), coagulation activation, high tumor necrosis factor (TNF), low melanocyte stimulation hormone (MSH), high interleukin-6 (IL-6), low WBC [white blood cell levels], increased 1,25 vitamin D/25 vitamin D ratio, and elevated or decreased total IgA, IgM or IgG levels. Chronic infections are almost always present in: • Those whose symptoms started very acutely, especially with an infection, • Those whose symptoms were ever associated with swollen lymph nodes or sore throat, • And those with significant cognitive dysfunction or flu-like symptoms. It must be remembered that in order to have the highest probability of successful treatment, a multi-system approach should be initiated. (See Dr. Holtorf’s handout, “New Standard for the Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia.”). HERPES VIRUSES (Epstein-Barr, Cytomegalovirus and HHV-6) EBV, CMV and HHV-6 cause or contribute to the symptoms of a large percentage of CFS and FM patients. As stated previously, the presence of active infections correlates with an elevated IgG antibody, despite the lack of IgM antibodies (10-21). These infections are generally not acute, but rather intracellular reactivation of an old infection. An elevation of IgM antibodies is typically not seen with active infections of EBV, CMV, HHV-6 (10-21). Due to the immune dysfunction seen in CFS, in addition to a lack of IgM antibody formation, there may also be a lack of IgG antibodies present despite the presence of an active infection in CFS patients(22,17,23). This has also been demonstrated to be the case with AIDS patients, as demonstrated in the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine entitled “Absence of detectable IgM antibodies during cytomegalovirus disease in patients with AIDS”(22). It has also been shown that the presence of anti-thyroid antibodies in CFS patients has a significant correlation with active HHV-6 infection (24). » A study published in Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica entitled “Multiple co-infections (Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, human herpes virus-6) in blood of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients: Association with Signs and Symptoms” found: • 52% of CFS patients had active mycoplamsa infection, • 30.5% had active HHV-6 infection, • And 7.5% had Chlamydia pneumoniae infections, • Versus only 6%, 9% and 1% of controls, respectively. They conclude, “The results indicate that a large subset of CFS patients show evidence of bacterial and/or viral infection(s), and these infections may contribute to the severity of signs and symptoms found in these patients (25).” » A study entitled “A Chronic Illness Characterized by Fatigue, Neurological and Immunological Disorders, and Active Human Herpes virus Type 6 Infection” published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found 70% of patients with CFS had active HHV-6 infection through the use of primary cell cultures and confirmation using assays of monoclonal antibodies specific for HHV-6 proteins and by PCR. Again, an elevation of IgM antibodies is generally not seen (26). As summarized below, when specialized testing is used to detect active vs. past infection of HHV-6, the overwhelming number of studies demonstrate a high incidence of active herpes virus infections. These reactivation infections often do not illicit an IgG and especially not an IgM response, so standard serologic testing is specific but not sensitive for such infections. As mentioned before, PCR testing in a research setting is much more reliable, sensitive and useful than in the clinical setting when the blood is usually not processed for 12 to 48 hours. » Wagner et al, found that 61% of CFS patients who had elevated IgG antibodies, and 81% with immune deficiency, had confirmed active HHV-6 infection, vs. only 19% of those patients who did not(15). This is regardless of whether or not IgM antibodies were elevated. Above in Figure 1 is a summary of studies that have looked at the incidence of active HHV-6 infection in CFS/FM patients vs. controls, with 83% of the studies demonstrating a large portion of CFS/FM patients have an active HHV-6 infection. » A study by Lerner [A. Martin Lerner at the Treatment Center for CFS] found that treating patients with 6 months of Valtrex resulted in a significant improvement in symptoms (46). » In a separate study, Lerner et al found that in CFS patients with elevated IgG antibody against CMV, treatment with the intravenous antiviral ganciclovir, which has a more broad spectrum coverage than Valtrex and anti-CMV activity, resulted in 72% of patients returning to their premorbid health states (total resolution of symptoms) (47). » A randomized, placebo controlled study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases demonstrated that in CFS patients with elevated IgG antibodies against CMV, a combination of oral Valtrex and intravenous ganciclovir resulted in dramatic improvements with almost complete resolution of symptoms (27). » Montoya et al. at Stanford University [Infectious Disease Clinic] treated chronic fatigue syndrome patients with 6 months of valganciclovir (Valcyte) if they had elevated IgG tests for HHV-6 and EBV and had at least 4 of the following symptoms: impaired cognitive functioning, slowed processing speed, sleep disturbance, short-term memory deficit, fatigue and symptoms consistent with depression. Nine of the twelve treated patients (75%) “experienced near resolution of their symptoms, allowing them all to return to the workforce or full time activities.” In the nine patients with a symptomatic response to treatment, EBV VCA IgG and HHV-6 IgG titers significantly dropped. (21) » Lerner et al collected data on 142 CFS patients treated with antivirals. They found that long-term antiviral therapy was effective unless other untreated coinfections were present.(53) » We [Holtorf Medical Group] have found that an effective treatment protocol requires the use of an anti-infectious treatment in a significant portion of CFS patients (and the majority of severely affected). While no single treatment is universally beneficial, we have found that a variety of anti-infectious and immune-modulatory therapies can be very effective. These include Valcyte, Isoprinosine, Kutapressin, gamma globulin (IM or IV), antiviral nutraceuticals, species specific transfer factor, antibiotics, anti-retrovirals, anti-parasitics and low dose naltrexone. There are a number of markers that indicate that there is an underlying chronic infection as a cause or contributor to the illness. These include: • Flu-like symptoms or symptoms started with a flu-like illness; • Elevated IgG or EA against Epstein-Barr virus, Cytomegalovirus and/or HHV-6; • Low Natural Killer cell activity or number; • High reverse T3 or low free T3/reverse T3 ratio; • Low CD57; • High eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF); • High RNase-L activity; • High ACE (> 35); • Coagulation activation (high D-dimer, thrombin-prothombin complex, high prothrombin fragment 1 & 2, PAI-1 or soluble fragment monomer); • High tumor necrosis factor (TNF), IL-6 or NFKB; • Low melanocyte stimulation hormone (MSH); • Low WBC; • Increased 1,25 vitamin D/25 vitamin D ratio; • High C4a or C3a; • And/or elevated or decreased IgA, IgM or IgG levels; • Positive XMRV antibody or culture test. This study contributes more confirmatory evidence that IgM antibodies are not typically elevated in chronic reactivating infections, so most patients are incorrectly told they do not have an active infection based on such testing. This study also demonstrated the lack of sensitivity of standard PCR testing. There is also evidence that CFS may be due to the above discussed infections with “stealth adaptation” (28-38). This is primarily due to the deletion of the genes coding for the major antigenic components normally targeted by the cellular immune system. “Stealth viral adaptation” results in replication that is less efficient than conventional viruses, but has a distinct advantage over conventional viruses in not having to confront the body’s cellular immune defense mechanisms. The virus can, therefore, evade the immune system and create persistent ongoing infections in spite of an individual’s intact immune system (28-38). A number of studies have also shown dramatic improvement in patients with interferon treatments, especially those with low Natural Killer cell function (39,40,41). While ganciclovir and interferon may be effective, their toxicity precludes their use and there are less toxic means of eradicating these infections. MYCOPLASMA Numerous studies have demonstrated a high incidence of active Mycoplasma infection in CFS and FM (1,44-52). [Mycoplasma are unique fungus-like bacteria that lack a cell wall and aren’t affected by many common antibiotics that keep bacteria from multiplying by interfering with their cell wall formation.] » Nijs et al. published a study in the journal Immunology and Medical Microbiology entitled “High Prevalence of Mycoplasma Infections Among European Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients,” which demonstrated that 68% of CFS patients had an active mycoplasma infection as diagnosed with specialized polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing where the red and white cells were immediately lysed and centrifuged to concentrate and collect the DNA (1). Being predominantly intracellular, there is typically not a significant serologic antibody response or just an isolated IgG response with this number of other intracellular infections, so IgG and especially IgM antibodies are almost always in the normal range despite the presence of an active infection (1-9). This study and others discussed below demonstrated that IGM antibodies are not helpful in the diagnosis of an active infection in CFS and FM. Nijs et al. stated, “Mycoplasma detection based on antibody testing is characterized by a very high specificity [if IGG and IGM positive], but extremely low sensitivity [active infection almost always present without elevated IgG and IgM an¬tibodies] renders it useless as a diagnostic tool (1).” » A study by Dylewski et al. in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrates that in immune compromised patients, such as this patient, active infections correlate with elevations in IgG antibodies without elevations of IgM antibody, and that a lack of elevation of IgM is not useful in these patients as a way to rule-out active infection. A high clinical suspicion must be maintained and implementation of anti-infective treatment should be based on elevated IgG levels (9). » A study entitled “Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Mycoplasmal Infections in Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Relationship to Gulf War Illness,” published in Biomedical Therapy investigated the presence of active mycoplasmal infection by forensic PCR in patients with CFS and/or FM vs. controls. They found that 63% of CFS/FM patients had active mycoplasmal species infection compared to 9% of normals, and more specifically the incidence of active Mycoplasma fermentans infection was 50% in CFS/FM patients vs. 0% of controls (2). » A study published in the International Journal of Medicine Biology Environment tested the blood of 565 CFS and/or FM patients vs. 71 healthy controls. They found 53.1% of patients were positive for mycoplasmal infection vs. only 7 out of 71 controls - and 24.6% of patients had an M. fermentans infection, vs. 2.8% of normals (42). » A study published in the International Journal of Occupational Medicine, Immunology and Toxicology found that through specialized testing: • More than half of Gulf War Syndrome/CFS patients had active mycoplasma infections that would not have been detected by standard serological IgG and IgM testing, • And that 78% of the patients completely recovered with appropriate treatment. • Additionally, all of recovered patients who were subsequently retested no longer had evidence of infection (7). » A study and review published in the Antimicrobics and Infectious Disease Newsletter discussed the high incidence of mycoplasma infections in CFS. • They discuss the fact that the culturing procedures and serological testing are insensitive for detecting intracellular infections due to the fact that there is usually a lack of hormonal response with these infections resulting in “normal” antibody titers or an isolated elevation of IgG antibodies with a lack of IgM antibodies (8). • Sophisticated PCR testing found multiple species of mycoplasma in the majority of CFS patients. • They found of the 87 Gulf War illness-chronic fatigue syndrome patients treated with antibiotics, most relapsed after the first 6 week trial and most felt worse, but after up to 6 cycles of 6 weeks of therapy approximately 80% of these patients recovered and were able to return to their normal functional capacity. This was not a placebo controlled trial, but they discuss the fact that it is unlikely a placebo effect that most patients felt worse during treatment. They conclude stating that in order to be successful in the treatment of Gulf War Illness-chronic fatigue syndrome, a comprehensive treatment approach must be used that addresses the numerous physiological abnormalities, including chronic infections (8). » A study by Nasralla et al. published in the European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Disease entitled “Multiple Mycoplasmal Infections Detected in Blood of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Syndrome Patients” investigated the presence of different mycoplasmal species in blood samples from mycoplasma positive patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and/or Fibromyalgia. They found that the majority of patients had multiple species of mycoplasmal infections, with: • 59% of patients having active M. pneumoniae infections, • 48% having active M. fermentans infection, • 31% having an active M. hominis, • And 20% having M. penetrans (43). XMRV (Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-Related Virus) I was skeptical about XMRV at first and thought it was most likely an opportunistic infection. One reason was that Quest did a pilot study in our office and we found that all the patients who were positive were the chronic Lyme patients. [Quest Diagnostics Clinical Trials in Valencia, CA - See their poster, "A Sensitive Real-time Assay for the Detection and Quantification of XMRV," presented at the recent 2011 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston.] Thus my thinking was that Lyme must the primary infection with XMRV being secondary or opportunistic. Now I think that was too simplistic and think the evidence is showing that having XMRV is a reason that Lyme may not be cleared in some or many patients and may need to be treated. Our initial treatment with anti-retrovirals has been encouraging. I have been using Isentress [raltegravir] and then adding Viread [tenofovir]. Also using GcMAF ["vitamin D-binding protein," thought to activate immune macrophage response to infectious micro-organisms] in some. [ProHealth note: As a means of sharing the findings of these anti-retroviral treatments, Dr. Holtorf has indicated he will construct a brief Q&A with one or more of the chronic Lyme patients in his care who may wish to volunteer their experience and observations regarding the therapy. To be included in a future newsletter.] _____ References 1. Jo Nijs J et al. High prevalence of Mycoplasma infections among European chronic fatigue syndrome patients. Examination of four Mycoplasma species in blood of chronic fatigue syndrome patients. FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology. Volume 34, Issue 3, 15 November 2002, Pages 209-214. 2. Garth L. Nicolson, Marwan Nasralla, Joerg Haier and Nancy L. Nicolson. Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Mycoplasmal Infections in Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndromes: Relationship to Gulf War Illness. Biomed. Therapy 1998; 16: 266-271 3. Baseman JB, Tully JG. Mycoplasmas: Sophisticated, reemerging, and burdened by their Notoriety. Emerg Infect Dis 1997 (3): 21-32. 4. Lo S-C, Dawson MS, Newton PB III. Association of the virus-like infectious agent originally reported in patients with AIDS with acute fatal disease in previously healthy non-AIDS patients. Am J Trop Med Hyg 1989 (40): 399-409. 5. Lo SC, Wear DJ, Shih WK, Wang RYH, Newton PB, Rodriguez JF. Fatal systemic infections of non-human primates by Mycoplasma fermentans (incognitus strain). Clin Infect Dis 1993 (17) (Suppl 1): S283-288. 6. Lo SC, Buchholz CL, Wear DJ, Hohm RC, Marty AM. Histopathology and doxycycline treatment in a previously healthy non-AIDS patient systemically infected by Mycoplasma fermentans (incognitus strain). Mod Pathol 1991 (6): 750-754. 7. Nicolson G, Nicolson N. diagnosis and treatment of Mycoplamal Infections in Persian Gulf War Illness-CFIDS Patients. International Journal of Occupational Medicine, Immunology and Toxicology 1996;5:69-78. 8. Nasrala M et al. The Pathogenesis and Treatment of Mycoplasmal Infections. Antimicrobics and Infectious Disease Newsletter 1999;17(!!);81-88 9. Dylewski J et al. Absence of detectable IgM antibody during cytomegalovirus disease in patients with AIDS. New England Journal of Medicine 1985:309:493. 10. Carruthers et al. Myalgic Encepalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Clinical Working Case Definition, Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols. Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.Vol 11(1) 2003. 11. Ablashi DV, Zompetta C, Lease C, Josephs SF, Balachandran N, Komaroff AL, Krueger GRF, Henry B, Luka J and Salahuddin SZ. Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Canada Disease Weekly Report 1991; 175E:33-40. 12. Zorenzenon M, Rukh G Botta GA et al. Active HHV-6 infection in chronic fatigue syndrome patients from Italy: New data. J Chron Fatigue Syndr 1996;2(4):3-12. 13. Knox KK, Brewer JH, and Carrigan DR. Persistent active human herpesvirus six (HHV-6) infections in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. J Chron Fatigue Syndr 1999;5:245-246. 14. Brewer JH, Know KK and Carrigan DR. Longitudinal study of chronic active human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) viremia in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Abstract. IDSA. 37th Annual Meeting. Nov. 18-21, 1999. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 15. Wagner et al. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A critical Evaluation of Testing for Active Human Herpesvi¬rus-6 Infection. Review of Data of 107 cases. Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndorme;2(4) 1996. 16. 15 Krueger GRF, Ablashi DV and Gallo RC: Persis¬tent herpesvirus infections . Current techniques in diag¬nosis. J Virol Methods 21 : 1- 326,1988. 17. Gerhard Rf et al. Clinical Correlates of Infection with Human Herpesvirus-6. In vivo 1994;8:457-86. 18. Ablashi DV et al. Human Herpes virus and chronic fa¬tigue syndrome. Canad Dis Weekly Rep 1991;17S1:33-40. 19. Albashi DV et al. human B lymphotropic virus (hu¬man herpesvirus-6). J Virol Methods 1988;21:29-48. 20. Josephs SF et al HHV-6 reactivation in chronic fa¬tigue syndrome. Lancet 1991;1346-7 21. Montoya et al. Use of valganciclovir (Valcyte) in pa¬tients with elevated antibody titers against Human Her¬pesvirus-6 (HHV-6) and Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) who were experiencing central nervous system dysfunction including long-standing fatigue. Journal of Clinical Vi¬rology 2006;37:S33-38 22. Dylewski J, Chou S, Merigan TC. Absence of detect¬able 1gM antibody during cytomegalovirus disease in patients with AIDS. N Engl J Med 1985; 309: 493. 23. Krueger GRF et al. Overview of immunopathology of chronic active herpesvirus infection. J Virol Methods 1988;21:11-18 24. Krueger GRF, Klueppelberg U, Hoffmann A, Ablashi DV. Clinical corre¬lates of infection with human her¬pesvirus-6. In Vivo 1994; 8:457-86. 25. Nicolson GL, Gan R, Haier J. Multiple co-infections (Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, human herpes virus-6) in blood of chronic fatigue syndrome patients: association with signs and symptoms. APMIS. 2003 May; 111(5): 557-66. 26. Buchwald D. et al. A Chronic Illness Characterized by Fatigue, Neurological and Immunological Disorders, and Active Human Herpesvirus Type 6 Infection published in the Annals of Internal Medicine 1992;116:103-113. 27. Lerner AM, Zervos M and Chang CH et al. A small, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the use of antivi¬ral therapy for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2001;32:1657-58. 28. Martin W.J. Viral infection in CFS patients. in “The Clinical and Scientific Basis of Myalgic Encephalomy¬elitis Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.” Byron M. Hyde Edi¬tor. Nightingdale Research Foundation Press. Ottawa Canada pp 325-327, 1992. 29. Martin W.J. Detection of viral related sequences in CFS patients using the polymerase chain reaction.in “The Clinical and Scientific Basis of Myalgic Encepha¬lomyelitis Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.” Byron M. Hyde Editor. Nightingdale Research Foundation Press. Ot¬tawa Canada pp 278-283, 1992. 30. Martin WJ, Zeng LC, Ahmed K, Roy M. Cytomega¬lovirus-related sequences in an atypical cytopathic virus repeatedly isolated from a patient with the chronic fa¬tigue syndrome. Am. J. Path. 145: 441-452, 1994. 31. Martin W.J. Stealth viruses as neuropathogens. Col¬lege of American Pathologist’s publication “CAP Today” 8 67-70, 1994 32. Martin WJ. Stealth virus isolated from an autistic child. J. Aut. Dev. Dis. 25:223-224,1995 33. Martin WJ, Ahmed KN, Zeng LC, Olsen J-C, Seward JG, Seehrai JS. African green monkey origin of the atyp¬ical cytopathic ‘stealth virus’ isolated from a patient with chronic fatigue syndrome. Clin. Diag. Virol. 4: 93-103, 1995. 34. Martin WJ. Severe stealth virus encephalopathy fol¬lowing chronic fatigue syndrome-like illness: Clinical and histopathological features. Pathobiology 64:1-8, 1996. 35. Martin WJ. Stealth viral encephalopathy: Report of a fatal case complicated by cerebral vasculitis. Pathobiol¬ogy 64:59-63, 1996. 36. Martin WJ. Simian cytomegalovirus-related stealth virus isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with bipolar psychosis and acute encephalopathy. Patho¬biology 64:64-66, 1996. 10. Gollard RP, Mayr A, Rice DA, Martin WJ. Herpesvirus-related sequences in salivary gland tumors. J. Exp. Clin. Can. Res. 15: 1-4, 1996. 37. Martin WJ. Genetic instability and fragmentation of a stealth viral genome. Pathobiology 64:9-17, 1996. 12. Martin WJ, Glass RT. Acute encephalopathy induced in cats with a stealth virus isolated from a patient with chronic fatigue syndrome. Pathobiology 63: 115-118, 1995. 38. Martin WJ. Detection of RNA sequences in cultures of a stealth virus isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of a health care worker with chronic fatigue syndrome. Pathobiology (IN PRESS) NOT 39. See DM, Tilles JG.Immunol Invest. alpha-Inter¬feron treatment of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.1996 Jan-Mar;25(1-2):153-64. 40. Brook MG, Bannister BA, Weir WR. Interferon-al¬pha therapy for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. J Infect Dis. 1993 Sep;168(3):791-2. 41. J K S Chia. The role of enterovirus in chronic fatigue syndrome. J. of clin Path 2005;March 14:1126-1132. 42. Marwan Y. Nasralla, Jörg Haier, Nancy L. Nicolson Garth L. Nicolson. Examination of Mycoplasmas in Blood of 565 Chronic Illness Patietns by Polymerase Chain Reaction.. International Journal Medicine Biol¬ogy Environment 2000; 28(1):15-23. 43. Nasralla M, Haier J, Nicolson GL. Multiple mycoplas¬mal infections detected in blood of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and/or fibromyalgia syndrome. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 1999 Dec;18(12):859-65. 44. Gerhard K. M. Endresen. Mycoplasma blood infec¬tion in chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia syndromes. Rheumatology International Issue: Volume 23, Number 5 September 2003: 211 – 215 45. Marwan Nasralla, Ph.D., Joerg Haier, M.D., Ph.D. and Garth L. Nicolson, Ph.D. Mycoplasmal Infections in Blood from Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, International CFS Conference, Sydney, Australia, 1998. 46. Lerner AM, Beqaj SH, and Deeter RG et al. A six-month trial of valacyclovir in the Epstein-Barr virus subset of chronic fatigue syndrome: improvement in left ventricular function. Drugs of Today. 2002;38:549-561. 47. Lerner AM, Zervos M and Dworkin HJ et al. New cardiomyopathy: A pilot study of intravenous ganciclo¬vir in a subset of the chronic fatigue syndrome. Infec¬tious Diseases In Clinical Practice 1997;6:110-117. 48. Vojdani A, Choppa PC, Tagle C, Andrin R, Samimi B, Lapp CW. Detection of Mycoplasma genus and Mycoplasma fermentans by PCR in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 1998 Dec;22(4):355-65 49. Vojdani, Aristo, and Al Robert Franco. Multiplex PCRF for the Detection of Mycoplasma fermentans, M. hominis, and M. penetrans in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Gulf War Syndrome. Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Vol. T, No. ¾, 1999, pp. 187-197; 50. Vojdani, A, Franco A. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Advance in Epidemiologic, Clinical, and Basic Science Research. 1999, pp. 187-197. The Haworth Press, Inc., 1999 51. Choppa PC, Vojdani A, Tagle C, Andrin R, Magtoto L. Multiplex PCR for the detection of Mycoplasma fer¬mentans, M. hominis and M. penetrans in cell cultures and blood samples of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Mol Cell Probes 1998 Oct;12(5):301-8 52. Nicolson G, Nasralla M, Franco R, DeMeirleir K et al. Role of Mycoplamsal Infections in Fatigue Illness: Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Syndromes, Gulf War Illness and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 2000;6(3/4):23-39. ____ Note: This material has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is general information, should not be construed as medical advice, and is not meant as medical advice or to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure any illness, condition or disease. It is very important that you make no change in your healthcare plan or health support regimen without researching and discussing it in collaboration with your professional healthcare team. Posted By Dr. Mercola | May 24 2011
The 130-page document linked below explains in detail why the American Cancer Society may be far more interested in accumulating cash than curing any disease. The ACS has close ties to the mammography industry, the cancer drug industry, and the pesticide industry. It is riddled with conflict of interest. And in fact, according to the report, the ACS has a reckless, if not criminal record on cancer prevention. Over and over again, they have promoted drugs and screening while ignoring environmental causes. The report states, in part: "The ACS ... [has] long continued to devote virtually exclusive priority to research on diagnosis and treatment of cancer, with indifference to prevention, other than faulty personal lifestyle, commonly known as 'blame the victim,' ... Not surprisingly, the incidence of cancer over past decades has escalated". Sources: Prevent Cancer (pdf) Dr. Mercola's Comments: The American Cancer Society (ACS) is: "[A] nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service." That sounds all well and good, and a lot of people put their faith in this organization and dutifully participate in its highly publicized National Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign each year, which includes the widespread promotion of mammography screening. Little do they realize that the ACS is doing precious little to combat cancer, at best, and may actually hinder real progress, at worst… Rampant Conflicts of Interest In the report titled AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY—More Interested In Accumulating Wealth Than Saving Lives, Dr. Samuel S. Epstein, chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, plainly lays to bare the many conflicts of interest that hamper the effectiveness of this organization. For example, the ACS has close financial ties to both makers of mammography equipment and cancer drugs. But that's just for starters. Other conflicts of interest include ties to, and financial support from, the pesticide-, petrochemical-, biotech-, cosmetics-, and junk food industries—the very industries whose products are the primary contributors to cancer! Once you realize that these conflicts of interest are there, it becomes quite easy to understand why the ACS never addresses the environmental components of cancer, and why information about avoidable toxic exposures are so conspicuously absent from their National Breast Cancer Awareness campaigns. "This is no accident," Dr. Epstein writes. "Zeneca Pharmaceuticals--a spin-off of Imperial Chemical Industries is one of the world's largest manufacturers of chlorinated and other industrial chemicals, including those incriminated as causes of breast cancer. Zeneca has also been the sole multimillion-dollar funder of the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month since its inception in 1984, besides the sole manufacturer of Tamoxifen, the world's top-selling anticancer and breast cancer "prevention" drug, with $400 million in annual sales. Furthermore, Zeneca recently assumed direct management of 11 cancer centers in U.S. hospitals. Zeneca owns a 50 percent stake in these centers known collectively as Salick Health Care." It's no small irony that Tamoxifen has been found to cause cancer and increase risk of death, while several top-notch preventive strategies and many safe and effective cancer treatments are ignored. The ACS, along with the National Cancer Institute, virtually exclusively focus on cancer research and the diagnosis and the chemical treatment of cancer. Preventive strategies, such as avoiding chemical exposures, receive virtually no consideration at all. "Giant corporations, which profited handsomely while they polluted air, water, the workplace, and food with a wide range of carcinogens, remain greatly comforted by the silence of the ACS. This silence reflected a complex of mindsets fixated on diagnosis, treatment, and basic genetic research, together with ignorance, indifference, and even hostility to prevention." "Not surprisingly, the incidence of cancer over past decades has escalated, approximately parallel to its increased funding," Dr. Epstein writes. Many also do not realize that when they donate money to the American Cancer Society, the majority of it may never go further than the bank accounts of its numerous well-paid executives. Cancer Recommendations Based on Profit, Not Superior Science and Results The two major cancer "prevention" strategies that the ACS continuously pushes, regardless of what the science says, are:
Follow the money! "Indeed, despite promises to the public to do everything to "wipe out cancer in your lifetime," the ACS has failed to make its voice heard in Congress and the regulatory arena," Dr. Epstein writes. "Instead, the ACS has consistently rejected or ignored opportunities and requests from Congress, regulatory agencies, unions, environmental and consumer organizations to provide scientific evidence critical to efforts to legislate and occupational, environmental, and personal product carcinogens." The Two Myths of Cancer Dr. Epstein also points out two glaring myths perpetuated by the American Cancer Society:
This despite the fact that we know far more about these influences today than ever before in history—in fact, there is evidence suggesting that cancer is a recent man-made disease caused primarily by toxic overload. Cancer is on the Rise, and Toxic Chemicals are MAJOR Factors According to the latest statistics compiled by the American Heart Association, cancer surpasses heart disease as the top killer among Americans between the ages of 45 to 74. The odds are very high that you or someone you know has cancer or has died from it. Environmental/lifestyle factors are increasingly being pinpointed as the culprits, such as: Pesticide- and other chemical exposures Pharmaceutical drugs Processed and artificial foods (plus the chemicals in the packaging) Wireless technologies, dirty electricity, and medical diagnostic radiation exposure Obesity Stress Poor sleeping habits Lack of sunshine exposure and use of sunscreens Genetics have more or less been ruled out as a primary factor, although diet, lifestyle and toxic exposures have been found to turn genes on or off that contribute to the development and malignancy of cancer. Still, focusing on research into the genetic underpinnings of cancer along with screening methods that can also cause harm cleverly avoids the obvious, which is finding the underlying contributing factors so that people can avoid them! The "problem" with that solution is that it would put tremendous financial strain on all the industries that support the ACS… American Cancer Society has Financial Interests in Mammography The health risks of mammography have been discussed since the early 1990's when Dr. Epstein began speaking out about them. As for how these misguided mammography guidelines came about, Epstein has previously said: "They were conscious, chosen, politically expedient acts by a small group of people for the sake of their own power, prestige and financial gain, resulting in suffering and death for millions of women. They fit the classification of "crimes against humanity."" As Dr. Epstein points out in his report, ACS' role in the promotion of mammography is far from altruistic as the Society has numerous ties to the mammography industry, which includes but is not limited to:
In 2009, revised mammogram guidelines were issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF); a group of health experts that makes preventive health care recommendations based on their review of published research. They found that the benefits of mammogram screening do not outweigh the risks for women under the age of 50. Therefore, they recommend that women wait to get regular screenings until the age of 50, and only get one every other year thereafter. The ACS did not modify their recommendations however, and still recommend yearly mammograms starting at 40. There ARE Safer Screening Options Many still believe that mammography is the only breast cancer screening method out there. This is highly unfortunate, and I urge you to educate yourself and your female friends and family members on this matter. The reason you may not have heard about this option is because it's not financially tied to the ACS or any other public health agency. It's called thermographic breast screening, and works by measuring the radiation of infrared heat from your body and translating this information into anatomical images. Thermography uses no mechanical pressure or ionizing radiation—the two factors that can contribute to the creation of breast cancer. It detects the potential for cancer by imaging the early stages of angiogenesis -- the formation of a direct supply of blood to cancer cells, which is a necessary step before they can grow into tumors of size. This early diagnostic power is yet another major benefit of thermography. Breast Cancer Prevention Tips "The verdict is unassailable. The ACS bears a major decades' long responsibility for losing the winnable war against cancer," Dr. Epstein writes. Reforming the ACS is, in principle, relatively easy and directly achievable. Boycott the ACS. Instead, give your charitable contributions to public interest and environmental groups involved in cancer prevention. Such a boycott is well overdue and will send the only message this "charity" can no longer ignore." I agree. It's profoundly sad that one of the so-called leaders against cancer simply will not spread the word about the many ways women can help prevent breast cancer in the first place, and ignores research into safer alternative screening methods and treatment of cancer, choosing instead to protect the financial interests of the biggest contributors to the toxic overload that's at the root of this growing problem. Cancer Advancements that Need to Become Mainstream Knowledge In the last 30 years the global cancer burden has doubled, and is estimated to nearly triple by 2030. We must begin to take cancer prevention seriously. Three cancer advancements in particular merit special mention. These advancements have not yet been accepted by conventional medicine, and they must be. Number 1: Radically Reduce Your Sugar Intake—Normalizing your insulin levels is one of the most powerful physical actions you can take to lower your risk of cancer. Unfortunately, very few oncologists appreciate or apply this knowledge today. The Cancer Centers of America is one of the few exceptions, where strict dietary measures are included in their cancer treatment program. Chronic insulin resistance will cause major damage in your body. The most recognized of these is diabetes, but that is far from the only one. As Ron Rosedale, M.D. said in one of my most popular articles, Insulin and Its Metabolic Effects: "It doesn't matter what disease you are talking about, whether you are talking about a common cold or cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis or cancer, the root is always going to be at the molecular and cellular level, and I will tell you that insulin is going to have its hand in it, if not totally control it." The good news is that controlling your insulin levels is relatively straightforward. First, limit your intake of processed foods, grains and sugars/fructose as much as possible to prevent your insulin levels from becoming elevated in the first place. Number 2: Vitamin D—There's overwhelming evidence pointing to the fact that vitamin D deficiency plays a crucial role in cancer development. Researchers within this field have estimated that about 30 percent of cancer deaths could be prevented each year simply by optimizing the vitamin D levels in the general population. Countless people around the world have an increased risk of cancer because their vitamin D levels are too low due to utter lack of sun exposure... On a personal level, you can decrease your risk of cancer by MORE THAN HALF simply by optimizing your vitamin D levels with sun exposure. And if you are being treated for cancer it is likely that higher blood levels—probably around 80-90 ng/ml—would be beneficial. The health benefits of optimizing your levels, either by safe sun exposure (ideally), a safe tanning bed, or oral supplementation as a last resort, simply cannot be overstated. In terms of protecting against cancer, vitamin D has been found to offer protection in a number of ways, including:
Number 3: Exercise—If you are like most people, when you think of reducing your risk of cancer, exercise doesn't immediately come to mind. However, there is some fairly compelling evidence that exercise can slash your risk of cancer. One of the primary ways exercise lowers your risk for cancer is by reducing elevated insulin levels, which creates a low sugar environment that discourages the growth and spread of cancer cells. Controlling your insulin levels and optimizing your vitamin D level are two of the most powerful steps you can take to reduce your cancer risk. For example, physically active adults experience about half the incidence of colon cancer as their sedentary counterparts, and women who exercise regularly can reduce their breast cancer risk by 20 to 30 percent compared to those who are inactive. Additionally, exercise improves the circulation of immune cells in your blood. Your immune system is your first line of defense against everything from minor illnesses like a cold right up to devastating, life-threatening diseases like cancer. The trick about exercise, though, is understanding how to use it as a precise tool. This ensures you are getting enough to achieve the benefit, not too much to cause injury, and the right variety to balance your entire physical structure and maintain strength and flexibility, and aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels. This is why it is helpful to view exercise like a drug that needs to be carefully prescribed to achieve its maximum benefit. It's important to include a large variety of techniques in your exercise routine, such as strength training, aerobics, core-building activities, and stretching. Most important of all, however, is to make sure you include high-intensity, burst-type exercise, such as Peak 8. Peak 8 are exercises performed once or twice a week, in which you raise your heart rate up to your anaerobic threshold for 20 to 30 seconds, and then you recover for 90 seconds. These exercises activate your super-fast twitch muscle fibers, which can increase your body's natural production of human growth hormone. For detailed instructions, please see this previous article. Additionally it is likely that integrating exercise with intermittent fasting will greatly catalyze the potential of exercise to reduce your risk of cancer and stimulate widespread healing and rejuvenation. Additional Anti-Cancer Strategies Additional lifestyle guidelines that will help protect you against cancer include:
Vaccinations are an important consideration for everyone, especially those with ME/CFS. Some severely disabling cases of ME/CFS started with vaccinations (like Lynn Gilderdale's, who was 100% bedridden for almost two decades before finally committing suicide). Vaccinations disrupt the normal functioning of the immune system; an issue that people with ME/CFS already face. They are also implicated in Autism, a neuro-immune disease (like ME/CFS). I cannot tell you what to do regarding your personal choices, though I can tell you to research the issue of vaccination thoroughly before making a decision. And, as always, follow the money and the belief system behind the motivation of vaccine proponents.
-ME/CFS Assist American prosecutors are attempting to extradite a Danish scientist. Poul Thorsen has been charged with 13 counts of wire fraud and nine counts of money laundering; a federal grand jury alleges that Thorsen stole over $1 million from autism research funding between February 2004 and June 2008. Thorsen is said to have used the proceeds to buy a home in Atlanta, two cars and a Harley Davidson. He is said to have stolen the money while serving as the 'principal investigator' for a program that studied the relationship between autism and exposure to vaccines. The Copenhagen Post reports: "... [O]ver the four-year period he submitted over a dozen false invoices from the CDC for research expenses to Aarhus University, where he held a faculty position, instructing them to transfer the funds to a CDC account, which was in fact his personal account ... Thorsen's research on autism is widely known in academic circles, where he was until this week a highly respected figure. A paper of his on the subject, which is known as 'The Danish Study', is quoted extensively to refute the autism vaccine connection." Another prominent name in vaccine medicine, Dr. Paul Offit, well-known shill for the vaccine industry, has also been called out for making false and unsubstantiated statements about CBS News Investigative Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson and her report looking into the ties between vaccine supporters and the vaccine industry. On April 18, 2011, the California Orange County Register issued a retraction of an August 4, 2008 article containing disparaging statements made by Dr. Offit about Attkisson. According to Adventures in Autism: "Upon further review, it appears that a number of Dr. Offit's statements, as quoted in the OC Register article, were unsubstantiated and/or false. Attkisson had previously reported on the vaccine industry ties of Dr. Offit and others in a CBS Evening News report 'How Independent Are Vaccine Defenders?'" The unsubstantiated statements included a claim that Attkisson "lied", and a claim that CBS News sent a "mean spirited and vituperative" email. Offit also told the OC Register that he provided CBS News "the details of his relationship ... with pharmaceutical company Merck", but documents provided by CBS News indicate Offit did not disclose all of his financial relationships with Merck. Sources: Atlanta Journal Constitution April 14, 2011 WKAR Atlanta April 13, 2011 The Copenhagen Post April 15, 2011 Dr. Mercola's Comments: When two of the biggest names in vaccine research and support turn out to be guilty of fraud, major deception, lying and making unsubstantiated statements, it really calls into question the validity of their work on the vaccine front … and that's putting it mildly. Yet, this news has only been quietly shared by a handful of media outlets. Countless American parents are putting their trust, and their child's lives, in the hands of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) every time they vaccinate their children. Yet two of the CDC's "go-to guys" have now been caught red-handed lying and, in the case of Dr. Poul Thorsen, committing outright fraud. This includes:
Dr. Poul Thorsen is most widely known for a 2003 study known as the "Danish Study," which reported there was a 20-fold increase in autism in Denmark after mercury-based preservatives like thimerosal were banned from vaccines. The research team therefore concluded that mercury-containing vaccines were safe. But the study was actually a masterfully done example of lying by omission, because at the same time the apparent autism increase took place a new law had been put into place in Denmark that required autism cases to be reported on the national level. There was also a new clinic dedicated to autism treatment opened. These two factors were likely the driving forces behind the sudden increase in reported autism cases, but the researchers failed to disclose them. Despite the obvious ramifications of these omitted "details," the CDC has relied on the Danish Study to "prove" their case that MMR vaccine and mercury are safe for your kids. Adding fodder to the fire, an investigation by Aarhus University (where Thorsen held a faculty position) and the CDC uncovered that Thorsen had not only falsified documents but was also receiving salaries from two universities (which is a violation of the universities' rules). Then in 2009 Thorsen disappeared amidst serious fraud charges and with nearly $2 million that was supposedly used for research. Now a federal grand jury in Atlanta has indicted Thorsen and charged him with 13 counts of wire fraud, 9 counts of money laundering and stealing more than $1 million in grant money from the CDC over a four-year period. It turns out that Thorsen was reportedly submitting fraudulent invoices with fabricated expenses to the CDC, and using the money to purchase cars, a motorcycle, a home and cashier's checks. The Copenhagen Post reported: "Thorsen helped two Danish government agencies obtain research grants, which amounted to $11 million between 2000 and 2009, whilst he was working as a visiting scientist at the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the 1990s. He returned to Denmark as the 'principal investigator' for the programme, which studied the relationship between autism and exposure to vaccines, allegedly putting him in charge of the administration of the funding. It is alleged that over the four-year period he submitted over a dozen false invoices from the CDC for research expenses to Aarhus University, where he held a faculty position, instructing them to transfer the funds to a CDC account, which was in fact his personal account. Thorsen's research on autism is widely known in academic circles, where he was until this week a highly respected figure." CDC Gives Nearly $15 Million to Thorsen's Research Center Thorsen's research center, the North Atlantic Epidemiology Alliances (NANEA), has received $14.6 million from the CDC since 2002, according to the Huffington Post. Many of the resulting "research" studies from NANEA have been used to support supposed vaccine safety. As the Huffington Post stated: "Questions about Thorsens's scientific integrity may finally force CDC to rethink the vaccine protocols since most of the other key pro vaccine studies cited by CDC rely on the findings of Thorsen's research group. These include oft referenced research articles published by the Journal of the American Medical Association, the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the New England Journal of Medicine and others. The validity of all these studies is now in question." However, this measure of common sense seems lost on the CDC, who stated in regard to Thorsen's research: "Dr. Thorsen was one of many co-authors on these research projects. All of these were subject to extensive peer review and we have no reason to suspect that there are any issues related to the integrity of the science." Paul Offit also Called Out for Lying Dr. Paul Offit is another pro-vaccine big-wig, the same man who has notoriously stated that infants can tolerate 10,000 vaccines at once. In 2008, veteran CBS journalist Sharyl Attkisson wrote an article detailing Offit's many ties to the vaccine industry, and noting that Offit failed to inform CBS about exactly how much money he and his employer, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, are paid by Merck, the manufacturer and marketer of numerous vaccines, including Gardasil, hepatitis B, chicken pox, shingles, MMR, and the rotavirus vaccine that Dr. Offit helped invent. In response, Offit gave Attkisson's article a scathing review and his rebuttal was posted in the Orange County (OC) Register shortly after Attkisson's report ran in the CBS Evening News. Now the OC Register has issued a retraction of Offit's rebuttal, stating: "An OC Register article dated Aug. 4, 2008 entitled "Dr. Paul Offit Responds" contained several disparaging statements that Dr. Offit of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia made about CBS News Investigative Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson and her report. Upon further review, it appears that a number of Dr. Offit's statements, as quoted in the OC Register article, were unsubstantiated and/or false … Unsubstantiated statements include: Offit's claim that Attkisson "lied"; and Offit's claim that CBS News sent a "mean spirited and vituperative" email "over the signature of Sharyl Attkisson" stating "You're clearly hiding something." In fact, the OC Register has no evidence to support those claims. Further, Offit told the OC Register that he provided CBS News "the details of his relationship, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's relationship, with pharmaceutical company Merck." However, documents provided by CBS News indicate Offit did not disclose his financial relationships with Merck, including a $1.5 million Hilleman chair he sits in that is co-sponsored by Merck." A Pattern of False Accusations Offit seems to have a pattern of falsely accusing people of lying. Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), sued Offit in 2009 for defamation and also named reporter Amy Wallace and Conde Nast after Offit said "She lies" in an article published by Wired magazine without providing any evidence supporting his baseless accusation. Fisher asked the Fourth Circuit federal court in Virginia for a jury trial and $1 million in damages but Judge Claude Hilton dismissed the lawsuit primarily on the grounds that both Fisher and Offit are public figures and that, in his opinion, Offit said "she lies" in the heat of spirited public debate. In Hilton's opinion, Offit's accusation was protected under the First Amendment right to free speech. Attorney Jonathan Emord filed an excellent brief opposing the motion to dismiss that argued there is good evidence that Offit knew exactly what he was doing when he falsely accused Fisher of lying and that libel per se is not protected by the First Amendment. Fisher stated: "I was not able to get my day in court in front of a jury of my peers to defend myself against Offit's false accusations. But I am very glad a respected veteran journalist, who Offit tried to defame, has had the public record set straight. It is never too late to ask for justice or get the record corrected when bullies like Offit engage in a smear campaign against people who disagree with him. It is ironic that in my libel case, the judge said Offit has a right to defame public figures in the spirit of free speech when Offit's real goal is to censor free speech about vaccine risks by demonizing anyone who criticizes vaccine safety." Offit Named "Vaccine Denialist of the Decade" Case in point, Offit's new book "Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All" attempts to discredit some of the highest profile names that dared to question vaccine safety, including Jim Carrey, Jenny McCarthy, and Barbara Loe Fisher. As the Age of Autism reported, the book: " … Deride[s] those who have any concerns whatsoever about the safety of the current vaccine schedule. There is plenty of sympathy for parents of children who have died of infectious diseases, but perfunctory dismissal in cases where parents blame vaccines." Their intriguing article from December 2010 names Offit as the "Denialist of the Decade" and points out numerous questionable omissions and other curiosities from Offit's book, such as not mentioning the fact that the U.S. government concluded childhood vaccines contributed to symptoms of autism in 9-year-old Hannah Poling. According to Age of Autism: "Anyone concerned about any of these things fits Offit's definition of anti-vaccine, because vaccines don't cause any of them, because Paul Offit says so ... Yet Offit himself yields an amazing amount of ground by describing unsafe vaccines -- including early polio shots and a rotavirus vaccine that was the immediate predecessor of his own. His technique is to situate all this as historical, part of the triumphant march of progress into the bright sunshine of vaccine safety." They make an interesting point in that Offit actually describes historical instances where vaccines were dangerous, yet fails to realize the connection that the same safety issues could be ongoing today. Offit wrote: "When Barbara Loe Fisher burst onto the scene, several vaccines had serious side effects, every year causing allergic reactions, paralysis, or death. Public health officials and doctors didn't hide these problems. But they didn't do anything to correct them, either. And most parents had no idea they existed." Despite this acknowledgement, he states that a study involving vaccinated and unvaccinated children to gauge which group is ultimately healthier would be "an entirely unethical experiment." Mainstream Media Message: Silence Vaccine Critics, Protect Proponents There also appears to be a pattern of censorship in the mainstream press, which has barely featured the news about Dr. Thorsen's fraud charges and has not carried stories exposing Dr. Ofitt's lies, yet has widely circulated criticism against Dr. Andrew Wakefield, who has investigated the connection between developmental disorders and bowel disease, and early exposure to vaccines. There are tens, if not hundreds of billions of dollars of profits involved in the vaccine industry, and as a consequence there's major pressure to suppress scientific evidence documenting vaccine risks, such as the findings Dr. Wakefield uncovered. Even Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has tried to censor what the media reports in regard to vaccines. As Age of Autism reported, Sebelius stated: "There are groups out there that insist that vaccines are responsible for a variety of problems, despite all scientific evidence to the contrary. We (the office of Secretary of Health and Human Services) have reached out to media outlets to try to get them not to give the views of these people equal weight in their reporting." There is immense pressure to keep negative press -- like the fact Age of Autism reports that Dr. Offit earned at least $29 million, and perhaps as much as $55 million, as part of a $182-million sale by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia of its worldwide royalty interest in the Merck Rotateq vaccine that Offit helped invent … or the fact that a key player in the autism research the CDC uses to support vaccine safety has been accused of criminal activity -- quiet. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) -- to whom the vaccine industry gives millions for conferences, grants, medical education classes and even to help build their headquarters -- even sent a letter to CBS containing misinformation about NVIC in an attempt to strong arm the network into taking down our Times Square billboard message, which encourages everyone to make informed vaccine choices. Always Remember This When Seeking the Truth The truth is, questionable ethical practices have long been associated with the pharmaceutical (including vaccines) industry. Numerous times in the past 50 years they (and their paid shills) have been accused of falsifying drug study results, paying bribes, covering up or omitting side effects and deaths, and denying responsibility when drugs are pulled off the market or vaccines end up permanently injuring or killing people. This begs the question, with a track record like this, how can you believe anything they say? Unfortunately, it is often naïve to trust blindly, even when a prominent figure has earned the respect of his peers and comes complete with a laundry list of credentials (as was the case with Thorsen). Instead, if you want to stand even a chance of getting the truth, you also have to consider the hidden motivations behind their recommendations and research.
Remember the words of German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer who, 200 years ago, said all truth goes through three stages:
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." The good news is that many issues -- including the right to transparency in vaccine research and safety, and the right to vaccine choice -- are in the Violent Opposition / Fighting phase. As you can see, we know what comes next! via Annette Whittemore of WPI
The Invest in ME Conference just ended a few hours ago. This conference brought new and exciting research to ME that is soon to be published. Dr. David Bell discussed how the patients that he saw as children are now adults around 40 years old. Several have cancer, while others are still severley ill, but the majority are coping and say they are well but are actually still living with CFS. Dr. Demeirlier continues his important XMRV research in Belgium and around the EU, finding many of the sickest patients positive for the retrovirus. Dr. Mikovits showed more "footprints" of XMRV infection from the patient's immune system data and described how XMRV seems to act more like HTLV than HIV. Dr. Bieger, a delightful immunologist from Germany, is doing exciting work with XMRV and EBV. The rest will have to wait until the conference DVD is completed. |
AuthorI have lived with ME/CFS for fourteen years, nine of them totally bed-bound. I post about ME/CFS and related health and advocacy issues such as vaccination, EMFs, radiation and GM foods from the perspective of a holistic practitioner interested in healing our bodies, relationships, societies and mother Earth. My approach integrates science and spirit and includes the best of alternative and allopathc healing modalities and research. Archives
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