Man finds extreme healing eating parasitic worms

[Celebration]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/12/09/worms.health/?hpt=T2

One day in 2004, a 29-year-old man with a terrible stomach problem stepped off a plane from the United States in Thailand. He wasn't there for the sights, or the food, or the beaches. He had traveled thousands of miles for worms -- parasitic worms whose eggs he intended to swallow by the thousands.

His doctor back home had told him his idea was crazy, that infesting himself with parasitic worms wouldn't do anything to help his ulcerative colitis, and in fact could make him very sick. The gastroenterologist had told the man if he pursued this course of treatment, he would refuse to be his doctor anymore.

"You'll be on your own," the man remembers the doctor telling him.

...........................(snip)..................

This month, the man's experience treating himself with parasitic worms was published in a medical journal. Depending on who's telling the story, his journey is one of a brilliant, empowered patient who found an amazingly effective treatment for himself and possibly others who suffer the same debilitating disease -- or the dangerous tale of an irresponsible medical rebel who could have killed himself and, by telling his story, might be inspiring others to do the same thing. As with any experimental treatment, you should not try this at home.

[ZombieHorde]

1. Interesting, hopefully serious research will be on this subject. nt

[silverweb]

2. I read about this treatment some time last year.

A doctor here who was doing research with worms for treatment/cure of colitis. Fascinating stuff. I'll try to find it again later tonight or tomorrow.

[housewolf]

3. I heard a story on NPR last year sometime about someone with severe allergies

who went to Asia to muck around in septic ponds in order to infect himself with hookworks

He claimed he was doing it to cure his allergies, and said that it worked

I don't know... I don't think I could do either of these treatments... but I don't have their problems, either, so... ?????

It's just anectodotal with no scientific evidence, but so are many other cures that actually do work for various things

[DeSwiss]

4. K&R

- I've heard about this and posted a thread on it earlier this year. There was also a great RadioLab program on the subject -----> http://www.radiolab.org/2009/sep/07/">here

Hookworms: A Cheap Treatment for Autoimmune Diseases?

Daily Finance | By LAUREN COOPER | Posted 6:00 AM 05/30/10



If you're one of the millions who suffer from allergies, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis or other autoimmune diseases, Jasper Lawrence's innovative treatment may be more of a test of your courage than a stress on your wallet: A parasite infection.

According to Lawrence, hookworms and whipworms -- parasitic worms, or helminths, that take up residence in the intestine -- induce a subdued inflammatory response more effectively than modern medicines can. "They persuade the immune system to leave them alone," he said in an interview with DailyFinance, and thereby regulate the immune system, causing these illnesses to go into remission.

Restoring the Natural Equilibrium
After treating more than 180 people, including himself, by infecting them with these tiny creatures, British-born Lawrence is even more convinced of the science. While purposely contracting an infection runs counter to common sense, Lawrence insists that he's only restoring the natural equilibrium. As he sees it, before the introduction of toilets and anti-bacterial soap, the normal state of affairs for the human immune system was fighting off repeated parasitic infestations.

"A variety of intestinal parasites used to be almost universal and throughout a person's life, and that situation prevailed for as long as humans have been humans," says Lawrence. "The ape and any of the proto-humans in the fossil records all were infected with parasites, so our immune system has evolved to account for this immunomodulatory effect on inflammation."

http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/hookworms-a-cheap-treatment-for-autoimmune-diseases/19486156/">MORE

[struggle4progress]

5. ... Dr. Stephen Hanauer ... a member of the board of trustees of the American College

of Gastroenterology ... chief of gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at the University of Chicago, warned ... We don't make medical recommendations based on a single case report" ...

He says New York University was "irresponsible" for putting out a press release about the study, and criticized media outlets such as CNN for reporting on it.

"It's ridiculous and incredibly inappropriate," he says. "You're driving people to go on the internet and buy these worms, and these are potentially pathogenic organisms. These eggs can invade the systems of people who are immune suppressed and cause infections." ...

Man finds extreme healing eating parasitic worms
By Elizabeth Cohen, CNN Senior Medical Correspondent
December 9, 2010 3:14 p.m. EST
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/12/09/worms.health/?hpt=T2

[trotsky]

6. You don't understand. It has all the great hallmarks for alt-medders.

1. Debilitating, not-fully-understood disease. Check.
2. Science doesn't have a cure. Check. (Leave aside for the moment that the scientific process figured out the worm connection and mechanism - that needs to be ignored.)
3. Brave sufferer is "forced" to take dangerous big pharma meds with lethal side effects. Check.
4. Brave suffered flips the bird to the establishment and takes things into their own hands. Check.
5. Risky treatment appears to work. Huge check.

I'd rather let the pharmaceuticals isolate whatever chemical or enzyme the worms make that kicks up the mucous production than intentionally infect myself with a potentially deadly parasite. But that's just me.

[Celebration]

7. deadly parasite?

Hookworms?

Well the downside is if you go to the dentist and take laughing gas, in all likelihood the hookworms would die.

I think I would put up the side effects and problems of having hookworms up against the side effects of drugs any day of the week.

[trotsky]

8. 2002 Statistics

World mortality totals:

From WolframAlpha

Potentially dangerous side effects: anemia, termination of pregnancy. Go for it. Recommend it to everyone you meet.

[Celebration]

12. Remicade

Noone would choose hookworms for their own sake. However, they might choose hookworms given some of the alternatives, eg:

Serious and sometimes fatal infections may occur during treatment with Remicade. Contact your doctor right away if you have signs of infection such as: fever, cough, sweating, tired feeling, or if you feel short of breath.

Some infections are more likely to occur in certain areas of the world. Tell your doctor where you live and where you have recently traveled or plan to travel to during treatment.

Remicade can lower the blood cells that help your body fight infections. This can make it easier for you to bleed from an injury or get sick from being around others who are ill. To be sure your blood cells do not get too low, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. It is important that you not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

Do not receive a "live" vaccine while you are being treated with Remicade.

Using Remicade may increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer such as lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes) or autoimmune disorders (such as a lupus-like syndrome). This risk may be greater in children and young adults. Talk to your doctor about your specific risk.

http://www.drugs.com/remicade.html

[trotsky]

13. Excellent subject change when you're backed up against the wall.

Well played!

[mistertrickster]

9. Because of the "for-profit" nature of drug production, it WON'T be researched.

There's no money in roundworm eggs for BigPharma.

So research won't happen.

No research, no established treatment.

We have seven drugs on the market for erectile dysfunction (big money makers), and we haven't had a new anti-malarial in decades.

That's the "unseen hand of the marketplace" at work.

[trotsky]

10. Total nonsense.

According to your logic here, aspirin shouldn't exist. Since chewing willow bark is free, why should big pharma have made aspirin?

Because pharmaceuticals identified the chemical responsible for the effect, isolated it, came up with a new formulation that was FAR more friendly to our stomachs, and now we have aspirin. Ta da.

Wouldn't it be safer to do the same thing with these worms? Identify the chemical(s), isolate/purify, maybe improve the effect, and get the benefits without the risks of putting a parasite in your body?

The world is not black and white. Pharmaceuticals are NOT pure evil. (Nor are they pure good, before you launch the standard attack of accusing me of being a paid shill.)

[mistertrickster]

11. You have a point. If they can make money on it, they will.

And that MIGHT mean that we have a new treatment using the process you identify.

On the other hand, BigPharma might find more profit in yet another hard-on drug.

So my post wasn't "total nonsense." It was "partial nonsense."

:)

[BuddhaGirl]

14. +1

:thumbsup: