02/03/2010: Rebel from Somewhere, Usa: "I was wondering, if Ted or someone out there, maybe Joyce could tell me the best way to self diagnose? If you are looking at symptoms, most of the time it can be one of many diseases.

Here on Earth Clinic, it is often very easy to find multiple cures for multiple diseases. When it comes to self diagnosis there is not much. So, how would you know if you have correctly diagnosed yourself without expensive medical testing?

Like all the people Ted treats, how does he know what to treat them for? Does he diagnose them or do they get medical test done somewhere. This seems to be a weak link in the natural medicine field OR a field I have not studied or learned about.

Best example would be a RASH. Possible causes are diabetes, candida, nano, mites, hives, contact derm, eczema Ect. I think you get the point.

Are there at home tests, like a candida test?

Because if we are treating something that has been wrongly diagnosed, that could be why we get alot of the Nays on here.

Thanx!"

02/06/2010: Joyce from Joelton, Tn replies: "Hello Rebel from Somewhere USA,

Good question, but no quick and easy answer. The quick answer is to quote another famous answer "The attorney who defends himself is a fool". Some doctors I know say the same about the doctor who treats himself or his family. There may be some truth to this, but my addition to that fellow's saying, is "Assess the results of the diagnosis no matter if it is from self or another person". Keep in mind that your doctor is only making an educated guess when he diagnoses anyone and according to the statisticians (I believe this one was published in the last 2 years) in at least 50% of cases the diagnosis is incorrect and even when the diagnosis was correct, the treatment following was not correct. Doctors and other health care providers have received some extensive training in assessing how the person looks, but probably the most important thing I learned from an instructor was "If you only have 10 or 15 minutes to see a patient, spend most of those minutes listening to the patient". The patient may not know the medical lingo or the proper names for parts of his anatomy but they usually have a pretty good idea of why he/she is there.

I recall the young man who came in and told me "My gallbladder is stopped up". Ok - to clarify what he meant, I asked "What symptoms are you having that makes you think your gallbladder is stopped up?". His reply "I can't pass my water", made the problem clear. He knew exactly what the problem was, but as I smiled as I told him, "If I understand you correctly. you need to urinate or pee and you can't". With a relieved smile, he answered "Yes". I then told him that for future reference, he was blaming the wrong bladder, because it was his urinary bladder that was causing his discomfort, which we could solve immediately with a catheter and run a few tests on the urine obtained to see if we could find what caused the problem.

Sometimes assessing the environment solves the problem. Like the time I was called to the floor because a patient was having trouble breathing. After standing beside the patient a few minutes, this was in the winter and electric heat (which means hot and dry) all the doors and windows closed and the temperature must have been at least 85 or more and very dry. I started having trouble breathing myself. After checking him over and assessing the room, I asked one of the others to open a window so the incoming air would be aimed toward the ceiling, not the patients. Fortunately, I guessed right and the patient and I both started breathing better and I left with asking them to keep the room temperature between 70 & 75%. I recall a 6 month old, overweight after being hospitalized for 1 month for intractable diarrhea, and sent home still having diarrhea and his mother told me that the doctor who treated him in the hospital was wanting to put him on drugs to lower his cholesterol. She also said that he told her the baby might be retarded. I almost laughed when I told her I wouldn't worry about that if I was his mother. After observing him closely for at least 20 or 30 minutes, I told her that I saw nothing to indicate that he was retarded, but that he might be a hyperactive little fellow that was going to keep her busy. My assessment of him was size for age, except for over weight. skin color good and normal, no rashes or lesions, active, aware of what was going on around him, development good for his age, sitting alone on the floor, playing. Adding up history I was given intractable diarrhea more than 1 month, appetite good, no problem eating, stools (bowel movements) very loose to watery & mostly yellow. After assessing what I knew and not coming up with any answers, I began questioning the mother about allergies in herself, husband and their families. She knew of none except for asthma and allergies in the paternal grandfather. I then told her that we were going to try to peg the problem, that I thought it was going to probably be a milk allergy. We discussed how she would have to be diligent about not giving him anything with milk in it from table food, like creamed potatos, not put milk in eggs she scrambled for him and sent her home with a few days supply of a soy bean formula instructing her to return in 1 week for followup. one week. I also told her to use her own judgement on the cholesterol medication the doctor wanted to give him, but knowing some of the side effects of these drugs I would never consider putting one of my own in infancy on it. The following week the 1st words I heard after entering the building was, "His mother called that she won't be here today, but his diarrhea stopped about noon the day after you saw him and he is fine."

I recall 2 other babies I saw with completely different symptoms, but still the same basic problem of milk allergy problem. One was a 6 weeks old infant who looked failure to thrive and was barely her birth weight. Mother brought her in for check & to start vaccinations. Again I listened to the mother, asked about feeding problems, did she choke easily while nursing the bottle, etc. Mother denied problems saying she nursed like she was starving to death. While mother was gone to car to get her bottle, I thought again of allergy and asked the nurse if we had a ready to go bottle of soy formula. We did and little hungry girl had finished the bottle before mother returned, no problems with feeding. Mother and I had a talk about milk allergies and that the reason I saw her little one was because she looked like a failure to thrive infant, however her heart and lungs sounded good, and because she didn't look dehydrated I didn't think it was lack of TLC and care. Mother almost cried when I told her that. She said everybody looked at her baby and asked what was wrong with her and often made her feel terrible like she didn't take care of her. We discussed the game plan between her nurse, mother and myself. Send her home with a week's supply of Sobee formula, since the clinic was going to be closed for 2 days, she was to bring the baby back to the clinic Monday morning so the nurse could weigh her. If she hadn't gained at least 2 or 3 ounces the nurse was to arrange to send her through the system for evaluation immediately. If she had gained weight continue with the Sobee formula but delay her vaccinations for a few weeks while she caught up to where she should have been. Another good guess.

The 3rd one was an l8 months old with repeated respiratory infections/ear infections. This fellow looked like he should grow into being a football player if we could keep him alive long enough to make the team. After assessing him from head to toe, talking with the mother, I went to confer with the regular nurse practitioner who knew them better than I. When asked what I thought, my reply was this kid is sick enough to be in the hospital, but I think if we send him over there they are going to miss the problem and he'll keep on having this over and over. When I asked how much we could rely on the mother, if we let him go home, she was very comfortable with that. We then discussed that I suspected a milk allergy was triggering the congestion that was causing the infections and if the mother was reliable, I thought he needed some antibiotics to get rid of the infection, but he needed to be off all milk, and once his chest cleared up he needed some antihistamines. Another lucky guess. So you see, even when the basic problem is the same, the symptoms can be quite different. You know you hit the right diagnosis when the therapy corrects the problem.

To add another one from my own family - one of my nieces was hospitalized around 6 or 7 years old with what the doctors initially thought was "galloping arthritis" of rheumatic fever. They later changed the diagnosis to allergic to johnson grass, which she was surrounded by where she lived. This same niece started having blackout spells between age 12-13 years. Her initial internist gave up and sent her to Vanderbilt, where the neurologist sent her back to him after an extensive workup including eeg's, with a diagnosis of "idiopathic epilepsy". When her mother asked what that was, the internists reply was, "something arising from inside was causing her to black out and we don't know what the hell is causing it". She was given Dilantin, and the assurance from the neurologist that after a few weeks on this medicine, she would not have any more blackouts. Several weeks later, she had developed a dark mustache (which her male classmates probably envied) and darker hair on her arms and legs and was blacking out twice as often. We were smart enough to wean her off the (neither of us had any medical training at that time) Dilantin which seems to increase rather than decrease her problem. After checking out and reading just about every book I could carry home from the library, her mother and I spent the weekend reading about allergies and the problems they cause. One profound sentence from one doctor was "There is no system in the body an allergy can't hit and no disease that it cannot mimic". Mother started playing detective recording everything that she ate, drank or chewed, times of each and time of any blackouts. Her mother's detective work gave the correct diagnosis of blackouts caused by allergic reaction to ingestion of chocolate covered nuts or chocolate covered cherries, both of which she loved.

I remember a coworker discussing her 5YO granddaughter's frequent urinary tract infections, barely get one cleared up before the next one started. I suggested that there was an allergy to something causing congestion (fancy medical term is stasis) and that the best way to find it was to have parents or caretakers play detective with everything that she ate, drank or took. A few months later she elatedly told me they had found it and she was no longer having UTI's. I was floored when she told me the culprit was Flintstone vitamins - those cutsey little mutlicolored dinosaurs, etc. Then she expressed concern over her not being able to take vitamins now. After thinking over why she was having the problem with them, the logical thing was that it was not the vitamins, but the chemicals used to flavor and color them, so she took the suggestion to go to a pharmacist or vitamin store and inquired if they had a uncolored, unflavored children's vitamin to see if she had any problem with the vitamins. She later reported that they were available and she was taking them without problems.

Hopefully you now know how difficult some diagnosis can be, but in trying to pin down the problem yourself, asks yourself some of the same questions a nurse or doctor would ask you. When did it start? If it's a rash, what might have triggered it? What parts of your body are involved? All over, arms, legs, face or wherver? If it's generalized ask first about things you have changed recently that might have caused it: laundry detergent? lotion? bath soap? etc? Of course a generalized rash can also be a result of a day at the lake & contact with poison ivy or oak, or other offending plants.

If you are really keen on getting sharper on what to look for, I recently found an interesting site on line that discussed the (believe it was the Chinese) diagnosing by assessing symptoms and examination of the tongue. Just type in diagnosing disease by the tongue, and see if you can find it. I remember the textbook we had in the FNC program was "Physical Assessment" by Bates. Medical textbooks usually have a hefty price, but if you can't find it on Amazon or local bookstore, go to the nearest medical college and I'm sure they will probably have one. I can also remember a good article on line (believe it was a cosmotology thing) about assessing one's health by looking at the nails. I am sure that whoever wrote that article had also been gleaning information from some medical texts. Just try typing "self diagnostic tips" in a search window and see what you can find. You might be able to pull up the Chinese tongue diagnosis by typing in something like "diagnosis by assessing the tongue". In the meantime, remember that most trivial ailments usually solve the problem for you by getting better without treatment in 5 to 7 days.

Remember also that you can make a trivial passing ailment worse by treating as even aspirin and acetoaminophen have some serious risks involved. You should also remember that fever is one of the body's defense mechanisms and you don't kill your soldiers for doing their job. If that fever doesn't go above l04 F leave it alone except for keeping fluids going in small amounts frequently. If a fever goes higher a freezer bag of ice enclosed in a washcloth placed in each armpit and across each groin will drop that fever more comfortably and safer than the aspirin or other medication. Most of all remember that your best doctor is your immune system and you keep it in prime condition by giving your body the nutrients it needs to work with. You can't run your automobile's engine on kerosene or water and you cannot expect your body to run properly by feeding it junk food. You don't even have to worry about learning a lot of nutrition - our Creator made it simple for us by giving us color vision and growing a variety of different colored foods.

So just remember to keep looking for those beautiful fruits and vegetables, eating them as fresh as possible, even raw - and serve the different colorful ones at each meal. The closer you eat them to the way our Creator grows them, the healthier you will be. Fresh frozen fruits & vegetables are probably much healthier than the canned variety as long as you stick to the ones that have not been preseasoned (more highly processed) than the simple ones with just the fruits/vegetables and maybe a little salt. So feed yourself and your loved ones the foods to keep your immune systems in high gear, and you won't be having to diagnose a lot of problems. Eating healthier may be a little more expensive, but look at the time, as well as money saved, in not becoming a standard fixture at the doctor's office or the pharmacy. As I told a niece when she told me that whole grain breads cost more than the bleached flour bread, "Yep, until you add in the cost of the doctor bills and medications you buy to correct the problems caused by the lack of nutrients that your body requires."

02/09/2010: Rebel from Somewhere, Usa replies: "Thank you, Joyce! Interesting information.

It seems everyone every where is battling skin conditions these days and they nor thier dematologist are able to diagnoise it.

I am ( Knock on wood ) having some great improvement with the urine therapy on my own rash, I have had over 4 years. I thought it was several differant diseases.

This is all the things I have done and it has not gone away yet. I drank 1/4 Teaspoon Borax in liter of water 5 days on 2 days off for 6 weeks. I used a borax peroxide mixture to spray on the rash. Countless fungus and hydrocortazone creams. Covered myself in Nu-Stock for 4 days. Use clove oil internally and externally as well as coconut oil. I used the ph alkaline baking soda remedy. Oh and don't forget the mini beet protocol!

I am sure there has been more, I just can't remember what they were now. After I read about the UT, I figured I had nothing to lose. So the external application is working better than anything else. I know, my whole family is grossed out by it, but the say they can see a great improvement. This is all that counts, if it works it works!

I just hope to continue to get better results and hope this will be a cure and not just a treatment. I am truly amazed at how light the rash has gotten and the skin is returning to smooth. I could always fell the bumps there and some feel as though they are gone now.

I have began to change my diet some also. Being overweight has been my greatest challange in my lifetime. I have lost weight on numerous occasions , but alway seem to put back on more.

There is a workout program on tv, that I am considering ordering. It builds strength as well as looses stubborn belly fat.

My late chiropractor, who passed away this January. Always told me that you can prevent and avoid alot of body injuries, exspecially in the back, if you tighten up your ABS.

My goal is to look and feel better than I did in high school. I have feel off the band wagon before because of Stress. This time, I will try not to re-invent the wheel, but rather just take this life one day at a time. Let the past be the past and everyday be a new journey. We can never change the past, but we can determine our future.

I made so many mistakes as a young man in this world and have alot of regrets. It is now time for me to help my family and other people to avoid those mistakes that I made.

I will be posting a ten point plan for health on here in the coming days. It will be a plan I will try my best to follow.

Thanx again!"

02/09/2010: Bessie from Calgary, Alberta, Canada replies: "Wow! Thank you, Joyce, for such an informative article. I'll print it out and definitely will use your valuable tips!"

02/09/2010: Bee from Anon, Usa replies: "Thank you so much for sharing this, Joyce. I hope it can help someone- your stories reminded me of my problems when I was young. As a baby I had colic and tubes in my ears 5 separate times and chronic ear infections. At times my mom said the doctor would put me on soy formula and I'd get better and then they'd put me back on milk and the problem would return. It wasn't until I was 12 or 13 that I was finally diagnosed as lactose intolerant- by my pediatrician- a great doctor who I have never been able to replace (sadly he is retired now). I also never knew of the relationship between dairy and ear infections- but it makes soooo much sense now- looking back. Even today if I have just a latte with dairy my ears get a little cloggy and my stomach almost instantly lets me know it's not happy!

This website has been amazing and while I've read about health and nutrition for years- I still feel I'm only beginning to start my journey to help heal myself. I feel like I cannot afford not to- and with eating healthy, it is expensive, but I can't afford the alternative. I've had bad experiences with doctors lately and they are little or no help- none of the ones I see have any knowledge of things you can find here. Either that or they just choose to ignore it. I wish everyone good luck on finding the solution to whatever problems that brought them here. I personally have found some simple remedies to be extremely effective and I'm still working things out and learning what works for my body and how I react. Thank you for all who contribute!"

02/10/2010: Joyce from Joelton, Tn replies: "Hello Bee from Anon, USA

Sorry you lost that good old doctor, because it is difficult to find another one these days. These days, all too often the doctors are like my son's. When he called in that he was sick and needed to see him, his doctor instructed him to go to one of those walk-in clinics instead of coming to his office.

My good old doctor that saw my children through their numerous ear and other respiratory problems, was also a practical and down to earth doctor. However, he never connected their recurrent infections with allergies. It took adopting a little dog with allergies to clue me in on that. The first fall we had the little fellow who looked to be rat terrier/beagle mix, he developed a terrible cough that had me about to carry him to the vet when he started getting better. The next spring the little fellow starting his coughing, respiratory bit again. My aha moment said, same as last fall so what is blooming out there now that might be triggering this. I had never noticed the unattractive blooms on the big elm trees in our yard until I went looking for anything blooming and that was the only thing I could find to connect it to. So you can say I learned from a little adopted dog to keep benadryl elixir on hand year round and start him and my children on it when the elm trees bloomed (looked more like a non-colorful nondescript fuzz to me) and keep them on it until the trees leafed out good before stopping it. In the fall the golden rods blooming alerted me to restart the benadryl and keep them on it until the first killing frost. This also helped me with diagnosing the basic problem with patients after I entered the medical field. When those problems occur mostly every spring and fall you can bet it is from allergies to something out there. You can also bet I told their parents to keep benadryl or other antihistamine and watch for mother nature to signal when to start and stop giving it to them.

My good old doctor was better at diagnosing some allergies though. I remember when I went to him and discussed the problem with my colicky, nearly constant crying 3rd. son. This son always ate like he was starving, although he did gain weight. He would nurse & seem content but usually 30 minutes or less after nursing he would be awake & crying. Thinking my milk supply was insufficient, I switched him from breast to whole milk formula. Same old problem, so we then went to a canned evaporated milk formula. Ditto again. After one day of no relief on this one, we went to a skim, powdered milk formula. Same old problem. Ater listening to my sad tale of woe of lack of sleep and a miserable child who was getting as little sleep as I was, my good old doc looked at me and asked "Is he still on skim milk?" and after I nodded yes, he then asked "What are you doing for the constipation?" My reply to that was "What constipation? It is closer to diarrhea than constipation-plenty of slightly formed mushy stools". I can still hear him saying "If he is not constipated on skim milk you can bet your bottom dollar, he is allergic to milk" and advised me to get a soy preparation formula. Got some of that stinky stuff on the way home, mixed it very quickly and fed my crying uncomfortable waif who emptied the 8 ounce bottle in no time at all and promptly went to sleep. Thirteen hours later, for the first time ever, I woke a sleeping baby up to make sure he was alright. Wow, it was like I had swapped a constantly crying, colicky baby for a happy new one that actually made both of us very happy with our getting more sleep.

You aren't the only one learning from EC (and other sites) as I pick up some hints from them myself. I have tested the inhalation H202, oil pulling (personally used EVOO) with results of pulling out something that may have been mercury from multiple fillings from the looks of it. A second round of oil pulling opened a small slit in my gum over the area where most of the silvery colored stuff (whatever it was) came from. Continued oil pulling brought a piece of bone protruding through the gum in this area. After a few attempts to catch it with tweezers failed I just left it alone for a few months, but sure got tired of that bone irritating my tongue whenever my dentures weren't in. After about 6 to 9 months of this, I finally succeeded in breaking this darned thing loose and carrying a needle holder forceps to my daughter and requesting her to close it on that piece of bone so I could pull it out myself. She did and proceeded to remove it for me, declaring it looked like a tooth. I thanked my daughter and told her that she was much better looking and better extractor than my last dentist. After washing the thing off, it appeared to be piece of a root from one of the last molars that was extracted in August 2002. Now everyone will know why I said I couldn't tell you how or why oil pulling works, but it definitely does work somehow or other.

So, fellow ECers, keep on sharing those successes you have, and we can all keep learning from one another."

05/19/2013: Sania from Faisalabad, Pakistan: "I'm 30 years old unmarried girl having gout 7.4. Plz tell me remedies. I'm anaemic tooo and I have also fibroid in uterus. So pls tell me remedies for all which u have used and u r cured"

07/05/2012: Robyn from Melbourne, Australia: "Lisa hello, on googling the place you went to - wow! A lot of negative posts, calling it a scam etc. I dont believe everything I read on the internet and these weren't people who had actually had treatment yet.

I did some yoga stretches, sore of course, but extreme pain!!! Feels like poison. I cant use a sauna, I cant take any heat - I assume my adrenals, so I just take coriander, sodium thiosulphate, chlorella, wheat grass, lots of greens. It could also be calcium in my tissues. But how would I know? My hair analysis says both."

07/05/2012: Lisa from Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa replies: "Hi Robyn, Yes, I have seen the negative posts that you speak of. Personally, I don't pay much attention and it bothers me that none of them have actually had stem cell therapy done but bad mouth it. If you go on the actual site that is www.ascaac.com you will see video available of those who have been treated for a variety of issues. I can only speak for myself and my success. Still, I can personally say I have had interaction with these doctors that are mentioned and they have been kind, caring and honest with me.

I'm sorry to hear you keep bumping into road blocks. I still say, don't give up! I know it can be discouraging but keep working to move forward. Let me know when you get that earthing mat!

Peace to you, Lisa"

06/30/2012: Lisa from Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa replies: "Hi Robyn, I have seen you post many times in the past. Sorry to hear you are in so much pain all the time. I use different emf protection. There is actually quite a lot available today. I wear a q-link all of the time except going to bed as an emf protector. I don't need to wear it to bed because I have an earthing pad in my bed which grounds you thereby giving you emf protection. I also use an earthing pad under my feet while on the computer which protects you from all the emfs being emitted from that as well. I was convinced of their efficacy while at a Longevity Now Conference over a year ago. David Wolfe actually demonstrated them on stage and using a trifield meter which measures emfs. It was crazy what you witnessed! I bought 4 of them right then and there, that's how convincing the evidence was! Many beds still have box springs under them which is one of the worst things for your body because the metal magnifies the emfs and other electrical currents around you.

Anyway, the company offers quite a few products that may interest you and I was able to find the Australian distributor info for you:

http://www.barefoothealing.com.au/barefoot-health/earthing-substitutes.

These are the same products I use.

As for the q-link, here is the website:

http://www.qlinkproducts.com/Scripts/default.asp?idAff=18183

You will find information about how it works, testimonials from some pretty impressive people, and the products. I have been wearing a q-link for about 12 years now. I have noticed there are a lot more products available now since I purchased my q-link. I wear the silver retro pendant which back then was the only silver one they offered.

Hope this info helps you. I wish you the best in your quest, Lisa"

07/02/2012: Robyn from Melbourne, Australia replies: "Lisa, thank you. I looked up the silver pulser etc you talked of. I had a doc that used an electronic regenesis machine on me at a HUGE cost. I was in extraordinary pain after each session, couldnt get up off the floor. And from then on I've had MCS. And one of the bad cases. I can't go into most buildings. It might be best if I left anything with a current out of my repertoire. I've been in touch with the stem cell people but I don't know how I'd be able to be accommodated much less make the trip there. Housing for MCS people is elusive. I'm trying to heal myself because just trying to avoid all chemicals is not possible. But healing has become just as elusive. I still don't know what is my biggest enemy. I have got the metal toxicities down, no way to really test if I've got the viral count down, or if I really have candida, have tried to clean out my inner and help my liver but the pain is as bad as ever and since I can't go near people my life is has no point until I saw your comments about stem cells."

07/03/2012: Lisa from Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa replies: "Hi Robyn, Sorry to hear you are still suffering so much. Whom did you contact for stem cell therapy? Don't give up on that thought. I too wondered how that miracle was ever going to happen!

Also, did you check into the EMF protection that I had given you the links for? I really think that might be a key to helping you. I thought of you when I saw the earthing sleeping bag because I think I remember you saying that you can't sleep indoors due to all your sensitivities. Also, the Q link because you can wear it everywhere. The earthing pads are also fairly affordable and can be moved around. I use them in my bed and under my feet when I am using the computer. Don't give up! There are answers... I know sometimes it appears to be monumental- I know I felt that way in the end with my hips but my answer finally came. I wish you the best, Lisa"

07/04/2012: Robyn from Melbourne, Australia replies: "Lisa, thank you - yes ordered a grounding or earthing mat to start with. Contacted medra - I think thats the one you went to, Hope hospital China and found one here in Oz - just experimental at the moment but they've been very prompt at replying called adultstemcellfoundation."

07/04/2012: Lisa from Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa replies: "Hi Robyn, I'm very glad you have ordered the earthing mats. I will be very curious to see if they help you at all. Did you have the chance to read any of the information regarding earthing? I was fortunate to hear a couple of the doctors speak on this subject. Also, does it help to just lie down on the grass?

As for the stem cell therapy, I went to ASCAAC in Ecuador. They now have clinics in the Grand Cayman Islands and Trinidad where a few of my friends have gone. You can google them and find their website. When you say the one in Oz is only experimental, does that mean they are not treating people?

Anyway, let me know how the earthing mat works out. I know you have done so much work at trying to find an answer as I have watched your posts for a long time so I hesitate to ask but, have you looked into enzymes? Wishing you the best, Lisa"

07/04/2012: Robyn from Melbourne, Australia replies: "Lisa thank you. Yes I take enzymes. This naturopath got me concerned. Enzymes and dhea both of which I am lacking are considered stimulatory and harmful for a dysfunctional adrenal gland. um?? It might be more harmful not to have any. The reason I am paying attention is my mcs is so bad & supplements can be too much for mcs people."

04/10/2012: Crazymomma from Luvsmyfamily, Usa replies: "I was diagnosed with H. Pylori and it was recommended to take 1 oz. of colloidal silver daily for at least 6 weeks. I also have learned H. Pylori needs an acidic ph to live in. So I am drinking b. S. In water throughout the day as well. (and apple cider vinegar and lemon juice). I am sure my doses of coffee and chocolate does not help, but not ready to give that up yet!

I have found through the internet that H. Pylori is linked to many health issues: deficiencies in B12 and magnesium, eye issues, ulcers and polyps in the stomach as well as cancer, tinnitus in the ears... Tiredness and a general feeling of "not feeling well and healthy".

In the past, I believe it is the H. Pylori that has caused my skin issues, which are not prevelant anymore as I am working at resolving this bacteria. I would get rashes, bumps and itchy spots. Adjusting my breads and yeasty foods has helped with this as well as working toward balanced p.h.

Also, if we are being depleted of various vitamins and minerals from this bacteria, the depletion of those vitamins and minerals seem to cause a host of other problems. H. Pylori is a bacteria and causes a low grade infection in the body. Not sure what gets rid of it, or how to keep it away, but will continue to work at trying to eradicate it:) The more balanced my ph becomes, the better I do feel. (Also, I feel hesitant in the antibiotic course of treatment, since so many have struggled with eradicating it with antibiotic after antibiotic).

Basically, I took the biggest health issues in my life and tried studying online if there was any relationships with H. Pylori. It seems that most of my health issues have roots to the H. Pylori. It is quite interesting! And No, I do not have the normal stomach issues that most people have, but yet, I still have H. Pylori."

04/10/2012: Mike from Montreal, Quebec replies: "I wish to clarify a big misconception about the H. Pylori bacteria requiring an acidic environment to flourish.

Based on blood test, I am a confirmed case of being infected with this bacteria and yet I have probably taken more stomach acid as a supplement than the vast majority of people on this site.

I have closely monitored my condition and found no related symptoms whatsoever as reported on the internet from the devastation effect of this bacteria.

There is really no single supplement that you can take to make your illness go way as I have learned the hard way over the years.

When I started taking HCL Betaine my condition significantly improved but occasionally I kept getting gallstone attacks. I have found that HCL Betaine would work only in very specific cases as I had to rely on other types of supplement to correct the balance of my digestive problems.

In spite of this I think I have finally established a sort of knock out punch against what I would consider the vast majority of harmful pathogens I have encountered in the last 2 years.

But first let me describe what a 100% HEALTHY digestive system should be like. This should become a real marker for determining what real progress is being made while attempting to cure your digestive problems on your own.

First, at any time during day or night your stomach should not feel anything whatsoever. Even the slightest long term continuous dull pain no matter how weak would be a reason for concerned.

Next, the appearance of your stools must be exactly as the one prescribed by many health professionals on the internet and absolutely no excuses whatsoever!! In other words, no diarrhea, no constipation and the color must always be normal brown.

Third, your weight must always be constant and tend to remain constant for long period of years. In other words, no big fluctuations whatsoever for the long term.

Any deviation from the above is a sign that harmful pathogens are settling inside your body and will end up making your life miserable until you can get rid of them permanently.

I see so many on this site who use the word candida very freely for describing the main source of their illness. That is a misconception because there are more than several hundreds of species of pathogens that live inside your body. Your illness may be the result of a many different types of bacterias, fungi and viruses that are attacking your body all at the same time.

All these pathogens can be controlled by your own natural body's defense mechanism.

The trick here is to identify those supplements that mimics as close as possible your body's own natural defense mechanism.

What are the most effective natural mechanism against harmful pathogens that your body has in place?

(1) STOMACH ACID

(2) BILE

(3) ORGANIC SULFUR

Since I have been supplementing my body with all of the above, it seems that I may have finally reached the highest peak in curing my illness.

(1) Stomach acid in the form of HCL Betaine controls all pathogens that enter through my mouth. I don't have to follow a ridiculous diet that deprives my body from the desperately needed nutrients just in an attempt to kill off the candida. HCL betaine contains chlorine something that the body can easily tolerate while at the same time being very deadly to all harmful pathogens.

(2) Bile which I am supplementing using Lecithin in liquid and granulated form. Bile is another fluid that controls pathogens in the body and a deficiency of this vital fluid has always led to gallstone issues and gallbladder infection. Instead of following the rather very unpleasant olive oil and apple juice protocol, Lecithin which bile is primarily made up of, is all you need to dissolve the cholesterol that causes gallstone issues and gallbladder infection.

Lecithin is very unique in that it immediately dissolve on contact cholesterol and fat deposit in the liver that would make it much easier for the body to get rid of. THERE ARE NO SUBSTITUTES! Olive oil does not even come close to it since it is nothing more but a vegetable fat that only increases bile flow but does nothing to dissolve excessive fat and cholesterol in the body.

(3) Organic sulfur supplemented by MSM which also act as a very powerful substance against pathogens as I have just recently discovered. MSM actually provides a sulfur coating on the stomach that prevents pathogens from attaching itself to it and thus causing damage to your whole digestive system. I had just recently been experiencing dull pain all around my stomach area. Although the pain was not that severe it was a cause for main concern since it was non-stop. I took 1 tablespoon of MSM in pure orange juice to make it more effective with Vitamin C and the dull pain almost immediately went away. Dull pain that last for more than several days could be a sign of ulcers taking shape or even a more serious disease developing so that is why I had to take immediate action to correct this situation.

Since I have been focusing only on these three supplements, (a) my stools are now always perfectly normal, (b) I have far more energy than I ever had during the past 2 years and (c) no physical sensation whatsoever inside my entire digestive system day or night.

Anyone who is suffering from constant digestive issues and has been for so many years should not compromise the body's need for nutrients in an attempting to "die off" the pathogens in the body. BIG MISTAKE !!!

Your immune system depends entirely on what you feed your body with. You cannot afford to deprive it on what it needs to protect you against the harmful effect of pathogens.

I now realize that it's all about replenishing the vital ingredients that your body uses everyday to keep you alive and healthy. So far I have identify 3 main supplements that have cured many of the illnesses I have been suffering for many years.

Of course there may be more than 3 vital supplements that you can identify but as far as my body is concerned, these represent the essentials ones for a full and unconditional complete restoration of my health."

04/11/2012: Lisa from Jacksonville replies: "Hi, I too had h. Pylori and candida. I noticed improvements when I stayed strictly on the candida diet. The antifungals were very severe on my intestines. I felt that I passed a true progress point after 10 months. For some it's even less time. It's been almost 2 years now and I don't miss the junk food. Apple cider vinegar is great. Read the candida section and follow it. I got rid of the h. Pylori with mastic gum, colloidal silver and manuka honey 3 x a day on an empty stomach. you will get better!"

04/13/2012: Anita from Bethlehem, Pa replies: "Question: lecithin is soy; what about ox bile capsules?"

03/11/2011: Lotusland from Vancouver Bc, Canada replies: "I am suggesting this because I have had great personal success with it, as have others: Serrapeptase. This stuff 'eats' inflammation and pain, and will clear out any dead tissue in the body - meaning arterial/coronary plaque, cysts, endometriosis, COPD, edema, scar tissue... Its uses are quite extensive. Surprised that I haven't seen it quoted extensively on this site."

02/28/2011: Lauren from Orlando, Fl replies: "Dear lanie: While reading yr post, I couldn't help but remember myself in a similar situation when I was diagnosed with hypothyroid about a year ago. I too had extreme difficulty breathing to the point where I couldn't walk across my hallway. I swear this is the most frightening thing I have ever experienced. My doctors couldn't give me answers so I sought them myself. What I found was that this is normal with this type of illness because of insufficient oxygen to go around. The good news is that once you start treatment, and yr thyroid levels get back to normal which can take a few months, yr breathing would be fine, at least for me it was not a hundred percent, but way better than what it was without treatment. Hope this helps.

Also, read all the thyroid posts right here on EC. There's a wealth of info at yr fingertips so make use of it. What I find about this disorder is that the more educated you are about it, the more chance you have of living a normal life. God bless,"

02/28/2011: Lanie from Angeles City, Philippines replies: "Thank you Lauren for your feedback. I still couldn't find the right thing to do to ease me out of my thyroid and sinusitis even just temporarily. I'm already feeling so helpless now. I am restless and easily gets tired all the time.. Pls help....."

02/11/2011: C from Cochrane, Wi replies: "I was hoping for help from bill from san fernando.thanks"

02/11/2011: Bill from San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines replies: "Hi C... There is not much I can recommend for you other than to avoid a self-damaging diet and to break bad habits. This will depend on your own will power and determenation to get well. All we can really do is lend encouragement and help support you.

Here is the diet I would recommend, which is an anti-candida diet and which is very similar to an anti-cancer diet designed mainly to gently detox your body and boost your immune system. Basically it is an elimination diet. :

Diet

1. Absolutely NO SUGAR. No ifs or buts here -- if you really want to get rid of yeast etc -- it starts here, this is a must!! You can use Stevia as a natural sweetner instead.

2. No junk food allowed.

3. No vegetable oil in the diet. Vegetable oil oxidizes fairly quickly on the shelf and very rapidly at high heat. Most vegetable oils are also now made from an unnatural chemical process. Better to use virgin coconut oil for cooking -- this is a very stable oil that is very good for you. When I had candida and started taking coconut oil, my bad constipation and bloating issues disappeared in about two weeks. VCO is very healthy for your body and intestines. I only cook with VCO now and VCO has actually helped me to lose weight.

4. No soda pop. Apart from the sugar, soda drinks also contain carbonic and phosophoric acids and use high fructose corn oil -- all of which acidifies and weakens your body and encourages yeast, fungus and other pathogens in the body.

5. No Sweeteners allowed -- no aspartame, sucralose or saccharine. These particularly are what cause cravings due to nerve damage which can lead to hormonal imbalances and unnatural cravings.

6. Eat only white meat like chicken or fish in small amounts and avoid all red meats.

7. No baking products like bread, cakes pastries etc. In the 70s or 80s the FDA, in their wisdom, allowed the use of bromide and bromates in bread-making and baking instead of iodine. Bromine weakens the immune system and also encourages pathogen growth.

8. Include using a handful of chopped coriander leaf in a salad three times a week and drink green tea every day. Ted from Bangkok has said that doing this for a month will remove most heavy metals successfully from your body.

9. No canned products in the diet. Bisphenol A -- or BPA -- is contained in all plastic linings of canned products and is very bad for you. Upsets hormone balance and weakens the immune system.

10. No Calcium which means no dairy products -- no milk, cheese, yoghurt, cream etc. Avoid calcium fortified foods. Excess calcium encourages acidity and thereby aids the spread of candida.

11. No Monosodium Glutamate(MSG) allowed. This means that all soy products made from a chemical process -- including soy sauce, tofu etc are not allowed. Avoid all products with added MSG. But any soy products made from the natural fermentation process are OK and allowed in small amounts only.

12. Avoid distilled water and tap-water. Distilled water is "dead water" -- it completely lacks any important body minerals that natural spring-water contains. Tap-water nowadays -- due to water shortages -- is now re-cycled and chemically processed from sewage(especially in cities), so Lord only knows what evil goodies tap-water contains. Enough said I think. Drink fresh mineral or spring water or create your own mineral water instead.

12. Try and avoid all (chemically) processed food if you can. Read food labels. Try and eat foods that are made from natural processes without excess heating or use of chemicals/pesticides.

14. When you eat food, don't always rush and over-stuff yourself, as this leads to poor, inefficient digestion and acid intestines. There is always a lag from when you feel hungry to when you are satisfied but if you eat too fast, this is not good for you. Eat your food slower and drink plenty of water at mealtimes for proper digestion. The Chinese -- and Okinawans -- normally eat until they feel 70-80% full, then they stop. This is also good simple dietary practice.

A good place to start with your problems would be to try and remove the yeast/fungus from your body. Here is the protocol or remedy I would follow which is mostly based on Ted from Bangkok's principles and advice:

Anti-Candida Remedy

The minimum you should be doing with this remedy is both alkalizing and using all the remedies that directly attack and remove the yeast. This remedy is also not a lightning cure, it will take time. And never forget that you will always be able to get helpful advice and support from the EC forum."

11/28/2011: Samantha from Bridgeport, Ct: "Hi everyone, I am trying to figure out how to treat HBP and arrythmia together. I've been taking molasses to regulate the heart rhythm somewhat, but it has little effect on lowering BP. I've been thinking about adding some other ingredients to the mixture. From what I have read so far, I am leaning towards magnesium and cayenne pepper as a cure for my condition. The only thing that concerns me is the compatibility of the three. Does anyone know if it is safe to take molasses, magnesium, and cayenne pepper at the same time?"

11/29/2011: Mmsg from Somewhere, Europe replies: "Samantha, molasses HAS magnesium in it, so a bit more doesn't seem to be incompatible to me. I do take a bit of cayenne in my molasses drink with no undesired effects. So all in all, it would seem safe to mix the 3."

05/21/2009: T from Maryland, USA: "Hookworms as treatment for allergies, asthma, and autoimmune diseases...

This is one of those things that will bring an automatic resistance from most people (understandably!), but once again we see that nature holds the keys. If you can get past the squeamish factor, this really is intriguing:

-----------

http://wjz.com/watercooler/hookworm.treatment.therapy.2.1015550.html

Capsulated version of the story in case the link later disappears:

In the developed world, there has been a steady increase in allergies, inflammatory bowel diseases and autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 Diabetes and multiple sclerosis. Some wonder if we're too clean for our own good.

...[Dr. Boushey] talks about a theory called the "Hygiene Hypothesis" and wonders if there is something about getting down and dirty early in life that's beneficial to a developing immune system. For proof, Dr. Boushey said look no further than the human body, which is jam-packed with microbes. He explains how our bodies are kind of like Muni buses, crammed with the organisms, saying "there are more bacterial cells in us than there are 'us' cells in us." Dr. Boushey said co-existing with these microscopic creatures may help maintain a healthy immune system. With that in mind, a growing number of Americans are choosing to co-exist with creatures often found in the human gut and dirt.

Jasper Lawrence is one of them. He used to suffer from debilitating allergies and asthma which he says wrecked his life. On a visit home to England, his aunt commented on his appearance. Lawrence had gained weight thanks to the medications he needed to take. He felt fatigued and sick. Then Lawrence saw a documentary that changed his life. The documentary was on helminthic therapy. The therapy involves infecting humans with hookworms or helminths. Once the hookworm sets up shop in the human, the creature secretes a chemical that appears to dampen down the immune response and alleviate allergies and asthmas.

Lawrence tried to secure helminths through a doctor and on websites but to no luck. He finally decided to get infected the old-fashioned way. He would walk barefoot across the open fields of Western Africa, where, thanks to no modern sanitation, he would hopefully pick up some hookworm larvae. He was successful, explaining that you know when a hookworm gets into you. "When a person first gets infected," Lawrence explained, "You get an itch at the site where they first enter the skin. You may cough. And feel fatigued and experience a little diarrhea."

Once he was home, his allergies and asthma disappeared. He then got the idea to help others, by providing the hookworms over the internet.

...One beneficiary is 36-year-old Todd Troutman who works in the high tech field. Before he tried hookworms, Troutman suffered from severe allergies and asthma since early childhood. His allergy attacks were so severe, he moved to environments where there were few trees and grasses.

Troutman found Jasper's story on the web and contacted him through his company. To infect himself, Todd applied a band aid on his arm. On the gauze was hookworm larvae. They then entered his body through his skin. He said his allergies and asthma have finally gone away. But, he cautions, you can accidentally kill the hookworms, and then the problems flare up again. He once had oral surgery, and the anesthesia apparently killed the helminths.

As for the cold hard evidence that this therapy works? Researchers at the University of Nottingham conducted a study in 2006. The study involved 30 participants who suffered from severe chronic allergies.

Half of the volunteers were infected with 10 hookworms. Tests showed their t-cells began to produce much lower levels of the chemicals associated with an inflammatory response. The volunteers also raved about the allergy symptoms disappearing.

...Dr. Boushey believes these helminths may be secreting a chemical that dampens down the immune system response, so the immune system chills out. If that's true, helminthic therapy may have applications for other immune system disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and even inflammatory bowel diseases. However, until he sees more rigorous studies, Dr. Boushey reminds us that hookworms are parasites, and they can cause problems, like anemia. The other concern: that the therapy is experimental and not regulated by the FDA.

That doesn't bother Todd. He has no regrets about the treatment.

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I found Jasper's site:

http://autoimmunetherapies.com/

FAQ: http://autoimmunetherapies.com/helminthic_therapy_FAQ.html

Here is another article on an earlier researcher of this same therapy (link is to the New York Times site but was very long, so I TinyURL'd it):

http://tinyurl.com/pgdlyc

"There's a lot of evidence that allergy is just the immune system going a little over the top," he said. "The worms are just turning down the volume."

Based on his results, Dr. Maizels said Pritchard's work looked promising. "I think it's quite likely the hookworms will have a similar effect on the human immune system," he said.

Some scientists say Dr. Pritchard is walking a fine ethical line by infecting patients with a parasite known to risk hosts' health. Peter Hotez, a microbiologist at George Washington University who is developing a hookworm vaccine, said the parasite was among the primary causes of stunted growth and malnutrition in developing countries.

"If a kid is infected with 25 hookworms, he's being robbed of his daily iron requirement, and because the worms suppress the immune system, they can increase the host's susceptibility to diseases like AIDS and malaria," Dr. Hotez said. "So in its current form, I think this therapy is too risky."

Still, he supports Dr. Pritchard's work from the perspective of proof of concept, saying, "The real question is could you isolate the molecules the worms are using to suppress the immune system and use them for therapeutic purposes?"

Because of the potential side effects, Dr. Pritchard does not envision thousands of patients lined up at clinics to receive parasites along with flu shots.

"The worst-case scenario would be to cause damage," he said. "I'm nervous about deliberate infection, but I feel that my hypothesis should be tested rigorously."

His long-term goal, he added, is to figure out exactly how the worms turn down the immune-system radar, so he can borrow the tactics to develop alternatives to immune-suppressant and allergy-fighting drugs. "We're looking at the molecular mechanisms the worms are using, and we're hoping to find molecules that veer the immune response away from allergy," he said.

A new class of drugs that mimics worms' effects on the immune system could also potentially treat Crohn's disease, arthritis and other autoimmune conditions.

Though he eventually hopes to eliminate hookworms entirely from his allergy treatment, Dr. Pritchard has few qualms about venturing where no parasite researcher has gone before.

"I gave myself 50 worms, and I felt it," he recounted. "I had stomach pains and diarrhea. But with 10 worms, we've ascertained a dose that does not cause symptoms. The patients are happy. They've kept their worms, and I get an e-mail a day from people all over the world who want to be infected."

[QUESTION]  09/15/2009: Angelclare from Valencia, California: "I'm considering the inhalation therapy for my many problems. I know that I have Cytomeglavirus, Human Herpes 6 Virus, and Epstein-Barre Virus. Right now I am having trouble breathing, a lot of shortness of breath when I speak, and wound up in the ER with Atrial Fibrillation.

Would the H2O2 kill these viruses? Thanks for any input. I know that I used to feel better when I used DMG, which I think oxygenates the blood. I do feel oxygen starved."