Vanderbilt Protocol

[niecy]

I am sorry that you may be coming out of remission Melissa, hopefully you can get it under control again very soon. Thanks for your response, and I look forward to hearing again from you, when you have time to share your experience.

Thanks Niecy



I hope that I didn't offend anyone by my statement that Melissa and Jason were the only two that had responded about what to expect while on the protocol, I guess I get a little impatient at times. I only made the post last night at around midnight. I really don't know what I was thinking, most people have either been working or sleeping since that time. Guess I need to learn some manners Niecy

Originally Posted by MELISSAJ

I will write you all tonight. To be honest, I believe I am coming out of remission, but it could be a diet connection. It is truly all consuming. I have been self treating through my NP shrink who prescribed the meds through dr. H's protocol. I went to CA and it was basically a very expensive bust. I was already on a good protocol and they didn't read the charts and changed things and I got very sick.

So, after seeing the naturopath in November, I went off all meds. I'll tell you what he said about herbs and cleansing tonight. I have to run.

I love you all

M

Fabulous! What's a np shrink? naturopathic? what do you mean diet connection? Are you saying you haven't had a good diet? Are you allergic?

Okay, Mellis....I'll forego the instant gratification and await your report.

xoxo
Kritts
[/quote]

[tcmgpt13]

Hi Niecy,

I think we all have a foot in our mouth at one time or another. Guess if we laugh about it as they used to say in the Chinese clinic I went to when learning about TCM "it is best ting." One of the most important things I ever learned from someone whom I respected very much was that one hundred years from now no one will probably remember the things which happen from day to day. I have used this viewpoint often in my life in deciding whether or not to get upset about something. Usually when I look at things in this way I find that what I thought was important is really not that important in the larger scheme of things. Anyway, impatience to share experiences is not that terrible a thing IMHO and I think it is normal to hope for a quick response to the questions we all pose here at one time or another.

It may be that part of the reason not many have responded about the Vanderbilt protocol is because not that many are on this particular protocol. I am not sure how many doctors are aware of it or even agree with it. Just as the lyme protocol is controversial. Not many doctors follow that either, some through fear and others through ignorance or disagreement with it. I believe Western medicine is slow to respond to new ways of looking at treatments for chronic disease including lyme, chlamydia pneumonia, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and morgellons, amongst others.

I hope this protocol will work for you as it has for others. Good luck to all who are using it. I hope too that updates will continue from those who are using it.

best, tcm

[niecy]

TCM, that was a very kind thing to say, thank you, Niecy

Originally Posted by tcmgpt13

Hi Niecy,

I think we all have a foot in our mouth at one time or another. Guess if we laugh about it as they used to say in the Chinese clinic I went to when learning about TCM "it is best ting." One of the most important things I ever learned from someone whom I respected very much was that one hundred years from now no one will probably remember the things which happen from day to day. I have used this viewpoint often in my life in deciding whether or not to get upset about something. Usually when I look at things in this way I find that what I thought was important is really not that important in the larger scheme of things. Anyway, impatience to share experiences is not that terrible a thing IMHO and I think it is normal to hope for a quick response to the questions we all pose here at one time or another.

It may be that part of the reason not many have responded about the Vanderbilt protocol is because not that many are on this particular protocol. I am not sure how many doctors are aware of it or even agree with it. Just as the lyme protocol is controversial. Not many doctors follow that either, some through fear and others through ignorance or disagreement with it. I believe Western medicine is slow to respond to new ways of looking at treatments for chronic disease including lyme, chlamydia pneumonia, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and morgellons, amongst others.

I hope this protocol will work for you as it has for others. Good luck to all who are using it. I hope too that updates will continue from those who are using it.

best, tcm

[MELISSAJ]

Hello there my friends. I want to share a few things with you all. I remember when I first fell ill. It was unlike any ill I had previously felt in my 39 years of life. I felt like I was surrounded by a cloud of radioactive dust that met fleas, ticks, mites and lice...the worst nightmare of my life. After going into the most severe sink or swim phase of my life, I came across this site and some wise words from a person named Bubba. The jaded NYer in me thought, run for the hills or your life.

Fortunately or unfortunately, however one looks at it, Bubba knew what i had and in the end, the work that she and others did when faced with this new illness, saved my life. I posted numerous times that I believed them to be much better than me because this is not my cup of tea. I told everyone that when I get better, I love you all, but I'll be seeing you. I was very naive and idealistic!!

Anyway, I spent countless hours googling. I found research on the 25 page of googling symptoms that I cross referenced to this site. My prayers were answered day by day. I was so specific in my prayer request and Bubba called and reassured me. You all held my hand. We have to remember how bad it was so that we can reach out to the newbies. This disease is very multi faceted and we are all in different phases.

After several weeks and thousands of dollars, I began Dr. H's protocol which I found from a site in Red Bank, NJ, something about a living hell. I still have all the text copied into a Word doc. I was able to cross reference this site and the info to this man's hell dating back to 92 in NY and NJ. There was also a man who blogged his nightmare. I was so scared after reading the 1ooth page where his brother dropped off new underwear at his doorstep and ran. There was no way that I could be connected to this lunacy....I was and am.

Dr. H's protocol for me was z-pack 2xs daily, mepron 750 2 t 2xs daily, diflucan and flagly weekly. I took a few other items...the strongest food grade acidopholis., ALA, chromium, grapefruit seed extract, sovereign silver, sambucol and vitamin gummy bears from whole foods. I was in a major anorexic stage not by choice. I lost most of my weight before getting my results back and starting meds. A local MD put me on 2 10 day cycles of doxycycline and I forced him to give my 3 day stromectol. I had already taken several doses from the feed store. I continued to get sick. Bubba sent me DSP and ecovie after I had spent 1000 dollars on products advertised to work for this..scabies, etc. I thought I was in a sci fi movie. I wish the cameras were rolling. I shed glass, lint, dog and cat hair, glitter, salt, pepper, clay, gravel, it was the most bizarre experience of my life.

You will pass the gory weird phase with meds and immune boosting activities. I am a put up your dukes and fight for your life kind of gal. You can call me anytime for encouraging words. I will help you get through this. Bubba spent hours over the course of my crisis walking me through this. I will do the same. If you need more, look at my original posts. You'll see how bad i was....I'm better. It's all relative.

PM me if you need a shoulder or a few dukes to help you fight this disease.

Lots of love,
Melissa

[MELISSAJ]

NP shrink = my nurse practitioner shrink. We talk and I don't take meds and we laugh at the fact that I was the only one who really knew that I didn't have any mental illness. The top psychiatrist in NY told me that since NO MEDS worked for me and I have to get back to work, I should get shock treatment...

I packed up andmoved to FL from NYC. I was pregnant and 911 occurred 4 days later. I'm fine. I just had undiagnosed Lymes which I believe morphed into this fromsome other pathogen..right.

Also, I felt so much better that I have been eating carbs. Whole Foods gluten free bread, rice, etc. I'm not eating donuts or anything, but I believe that the carbs turn to sugar and the .....have a food figgggghttttt.. who knows. I'm not a mad scientist....just a former CPA for the biggest firm in the world taking care of 2 small boys on one income in the moistest climate north of the rain forest while fighting some foreign invader and trying to keep my sense of humor.

I don't have allergies, but the CA office discovered Jared to be celiac diseased. I need to buy stock in Whole Foods.

I'm out of remission. It's official. I just started getting cysts again...smaller and not as unsightly, but unhealing for weeks. It's back to the drawing board. It was a wonderful 4 months. It could also be some towels in the linen closet that could have mold and i'm not aware of it.

Noah had a 4 day high fever w/o symptoms. He complained of his anus itching. Jared said that it must be pin worms...it's not funny that my 5 and 7 y/o know what these words are....they watched me research last year 23 hours a day. I could not stop. I had to know what was killing me.

Are they sick? Let's think no and believe their bodies are creating the immunity that docs will want to patent for a vacine in the future. Let's dream big!! AIDS babies do that...many African prostitutes seem to be immune to AIDS. We will uncover the truth.

i love you all

Melissa

[niecy]

Originally Posted by MELISSAJ

NP shrink = my nurse practitioner shrink. We talk and I don't take meds and we laugh at the fact that I was the only one who really knew that I didn't have any mental illness. The top psychiatrist in NY told me that since NO MEDS worked for me and I have to get back to work, I should get shock treatment...

I packed up andmoved to FL from NYC. I was pregnant and 911 occurred 4 days later. I'm fine. I just had undiagnosed Lymes which I believe morphed into this fromsome other pathogen..right.

Also, I felt so much better that I have been eating carbs. Whole Foods gluten free bread, rice, etc. I'm not eating donuts or anything, but I believe that the carbs turn to sugar and the .....have a food figgggghttttt.. who knows. I'm not a mad scientist....just a former CPA for the biggest firm in the world taking care of 2 small boys on one income in the moistest climate north of the rain forest while fighting some foreign invader and trying to keep my sense of humor.

I don't have allergies, but the CA office discovered Jared to be celiac diseased. I need to buy stock in Whole Foods.

I'm out of remission. It's official. I just started getting cysts again...smaller and not as unsightly, but unhealing for weeks. It's back to the drawing board. It was a wonderful 4 months. It could also be some towels in the linen closet that could have mold and i'm not aware of it.

Noah had a 4 day high fever w/o symptoms. He complained of his anus itching. Jared said that it must be pin worms...it's not funny that my 5 and 7 y/o know what these words are....they watched me research last year 23 hours a day. I could not stop. I had to know what was killing me.

Are they sick? Let's think no and believe their bodies are creating the immunity that docs will want to patent for a vacine in the future. Let's dream big!! AIDS babies do that...many African prostitutes seem to be immune to AIDS. We will uncover the truth.

i love you all

Melissa

[Jason]

Thanks for your very kind words niecy

Originally Posted by niecy

Thank you again Jason, you are so kind.

The meds I am on are: Penicillamine, Doxycycline, Azithromycin, Flagyl, and Diflucan.

I printed the CPN handbook, and have it in a binder for a refference.

You, and Melissa are the only people who have responded that have been on this protocol. Although I did only post it late last night . Jonsi has told me that she has not taken any antibiotics for her illness, she uses natural treatment.

I am already getting strange headaches, and the floaters in my eyes seem worse today...........

I guess that I will tough it out, I am dreading the herxing, but something's gotta give. I have to get to feeling better, even if that means that I have to feel worse first.

Thanks again Jason, and I truly hope that Franky realizes what an asset you are to this forum. You are always helpful, and never make any remarks that could make someone feel like you think they are silly for asking a question, or making a post. Some people just don't have the communication skills that others have . That says alot for your character.


Niecy

[Jason]

Hi Niecy,

There are many people on this forum taking antibiotics that you probably wont even have realised, maybe not on the Vanderbilt protocol. It is quite common for lyme docs to just treat with a couple of antibiotics used to kill what they believe is causing the trouble (guided by blood tests and clinical diagnosis)

On the other hand if the doctor believes you are infected with chlamydia pneumonia then they will normally use the Vanderbilt protocol.

The likes of Bubba and LC and a few others that were on the Vanderbilt protocol have left this forum so maybe it is a little more difficult to get more responses. All i can say is it can't do you any harm to see if it works, if it doesn't then you can stop taking the medications - no loss. The most important thing to do is take the probiotics and if you have diflucan that will also help any yeast problems. Look at it as a holistic approach don't just rely on the antibiotics to make you better, some well known lyme doctors state that if you do the following it increases your chances of recovering/remission:

* exercise if you can (excess body heat kills the spirochetes and also assists with killing coinfections)
* stick to a healthy low suger diet (high protein, high fibre and low in fat, low in carbs, preferably no simple carbohydrates)
* minimal alcohol (preferably none)
* take supplements (to help repair the body)
* take immune boosting supplements
* drink lots of bottled or filtered water to detox body
* have adequate amount of sleep to ensure your body recovers
* minimal caffeine (preferably none)

Key supplements Dr Burrascano states that are required are probiotics (as much as possible yoghurt, acidophilus, kefir), good multivitamin, co-q10 200/300 mg day, alpha lipoic acid 300mg x2 day, vitamin b complex 50mg day vitamin b6 50mg day can be added if neuropathy symptoms are severe, magnesium preferably not the mag mixed with calcium less absorption 1 tablet 2x day, essential fatty acids from fish oils.

Other optional supplements include green tea for increased antioxidant levels and milk thistle to help with liver function and also immune boosting supplements found in health stores are beneficial one he states is Reishi Max.

The key is for the antibiotics to help kill the pathogens but your immune system will need to also do a lot of the killing as well. Resting and taking supplements and detoxing the body will help you rid your body of the toxins the die off creates, it is a long road but the rewards will be there at the end.

Like Melissa said in relation to remission nobody knows how long this lasts as it is inevitable that stressful situations in life and other triggers can cause this to come back all i can say is once you feel better to just keep maintaining your body for life, may not be with antibiotics but their is plenty of natural remedies out there and also activities like meditation and yoga etc to keep your body balanced.

Good luck!

[MELISSAJ]

Niecy and Jason, I wanted to mention one thing. One of my problems is that I am fighting the fact that I have this over a year later and work so hard at keeping the boys busy and not feeling weird. We bike ride, swim, run, play tennis, go to the drive in, lots of outdoor activities, etc. I have made our social circle very small because I know that I am not as well as I should be, but I am having a hard time going on another wild goose chase to find the right MD. I have spent so much money that we don't have and I learned more from all of you and the 'net. When it is your health that is deteriorating, you fight for your life.

I will see my NP and my naturopath in the next 2 weeks. The NP says take the meds and the naturopath says go on a 21 day fast. It may be just the 3 of us, but I work REAL hard at being a REAL family. My dad is old school Italian and nourishing the boys and clothing the boys properly is my benchmark for okay. Does that make sense?

So, to wrap it up, just like most of our parents, our needs and illnesses go to the back burner and you keep going. Unfortunately, it is a catch 22. Am I tending to all my needs right now? No, I felt much better so I was LIVING. I drank a glass of red wine with my organic mesclun salad with goat cheese, I have been drinking coffee again and doing stupid things that I thought I could get away with....remind me to tell you a funny story in a PM one day regarding milk for Jared!!

Anyway, I am like a circus performer juggling 10 bowling pins on fire and a few drop. My boys are happy, most people think that I'm fine. My house is clean, the boys are fed, but I'm not taking care of me properly even if by taking care of them, I feel alive.

I need to write everything down and go back to the drawing board. I probably have some increased bacterial levels due to increased sugar. Also, the a/c guy told me to get a mold specialist in here and an attorney. I'm so sick of fighting and I just want to live, but it looks like another fight is around the corner.

[MELISSAJ]

I am going to go through all my files and organize my data in an outline format. I will keep it in my office for reference.
I wanted to mention that the MDs in CA prescribed nicomide tablets. It's funny because a few years back when 4 of my finger nails looked like frankenstein's, a friend who is in the beauty industry said it was systemic and to get nicomide!! The derm. said not....He did prescribe the nicomide and penlac nail polish much later and it went right away. I had been back and forth to them for a year before they prescribed the right thing.

Anyway, nicomide is an Rx vitamin . So, at the time, it was brand new and still in the research phase. It is now used for certain types of acne!!! It is for people who have low levels of nicotinamide, zinc or folic acid.

I had already been real real sick for 6 mths prior to getting to CA. I was taking mega doses of vitamin c, coQ10, oregano and olive leaf extract, omega 3, probiotics, etc. After 12 times to the local MDs, I walked into Whole Foods emaciated and told them to help me. They got me better enough to keep fighting.

I even went to a local island herbalist who gave me peppermint tea and wormwood tea. I was the type who only went to MDs who graduated from Ivy Leagues or did their residency at Johns Hopkins or U Penn, Mount Sinai, etc and here i was in the middle of the ghetto getting wormwood in a bag while my kids waited in the car with the doors locked in the fire lane....the good old times,,,,they'll be in therapy until the grave

There is a great site for inexpensive good quality herbs and supplements. It is VitaCost.com I like their product selection for the prices.

I'm truly on the fence regarding which way to go - natural or traditional. The meds got me out of crisis, but I'm unsure if I could have accomplished that without them. I know if I am self controlled and methodical, I can follow a natural protocol and overcome this set back.

I'm off to drink lemon and cayenne water and go for a bike ride. I'll let you know.