Guest guest Posted September 30, 2002 Report Share Posted September 30, 2002 , Thank you so much! I thought the work I had done on this paper was lost for good. I will tell you what I was thinking ASAP. I am currently working on a big paper which is due in the AM. Thanks again for sending this. Tracey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 30, 2002 Report Share Posted September 30, 2002 No problem, > , > Thank you so much! I thought the work I had done on this paper was lost for > good. > I will tell you what I was thinking ASAP. I am currently working on a big > paper which is due in the AM. > Thanks again for sending this. > Tracey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 1, 2002 Report Share Posted October 1, 2002 Hi Suasan and others, Before I blurt out my thoughts I would like to empathise that I am speaking only hypothetically. I have no proof of any of this. First of all for those of you who are interested I like to refer you to an article by a Dr. Mack who is a gastroenterologist in Canada. The reason why this article is so important is that he emphasizes the importance of adequate testing for this organism. As many of you already know, my daughter was diagnosed with an amoebic infection about 3yrs ago. The amoeba was Dientamoeba fragilis a said to be " harmless " organism that lives in the colon thriving upon the normal flora. Well for some reason since started having seizures I have been toying with that this organism may have some direct or indirect way of causing the seizures. If you read Dr. Hulda 's work, she states that all seizures are caused by parasites. I do not agree with that but I cannot discount the idea that some percentage of seizures may be caused by parasites. Now, we are not talking the obvious parasites that can be seen with the naked eye such as ascaris etc. But the parasites that are often even missed by labs such as Dientamoeba fragilis. If you read Dr. Mack's work it is explained why these organism often go undetected. However, I was fortunate enough to actually receive a DX with this organism, and thus have the " privelege " of actually taking this organism into consideration while trying to find a cause for my child's seizures. Many people may not have this oportunity because error in labs in detecting the organism, or just plain ignorance on the pediatricians or neurologists behalf to not check or nonchalantly say " that could not be so. What I have thought about may be totally out there, and may have no validity to it at all. But there are about 15% of all epilepsy cases who are classified as refractive (do not respond to meds). Well of these 15% ~35% respond well to the keto diet. What if these children are actually are infected with the organism and the organism is what is causing the seizures? Amoebas have been around before man. This particular amoeba gets no respect by the medical field because their text has taught them that it is harmless and while most people go asymptomatic, few suffer from no more than diarrhea. Prior to the keto diet, biblical healers or faith healers often used fasting for the " cure " of seizures. Why did fasting work? If you think about our bodies, we are multicelular organisms. We have plenty of storage. If we don't eat for a couple of days we can survive. What about these organisms such as DF, the are unicellular and have no storage. Dpriving them of food even for a couple of days would end their life, right? With the keto diet, the initial fasting would either kill these one celled organisms or put them " on their death bed " , thinking about the primary source of fuel whether for us or any organisms we are talking carbohydrates=sugars. The keto diet does not permit many carbs, we can convert fat to carbs but the process takes a while. I also thought about the acidic state the keto diet evokes. Can these organisms live in a slight acid enviroment? I know some amoebas can because they have the ability to live in the vaginal canal but can all amoebas survive this condition? Oh well, now since I have spilled my guts, I am sure many of you can give input on the matter. Again, this may be all just paranoid stuff I am configuring in my head. It may be totally coincidental that had this organism and started having seizures there after. But I think I would be a fool to discount the posibility. I have mentioned a couple of things to the doctor, not to the extent as I have described it here, but the response I get is " that is not possible " . Sofar, no one has actually checked into it, they just blew it off without any thought. Back early eighteen hundreds there was a proffessor by the name of Semmelweiss, who told the doctors that the reason why there were so many infant deaths is because the doctors would go straight from an autopsy to deliever the babies. The proffessor was banned from teaching and said to be a quack. Well years later after Semmelweiss' death his theory was recognized as being valied. Now I am not saying that this is the case here but what if it were and these idiot doctor's are not seeing it or do not want to see it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 1, 2002 Report Share Posted October 1, 2002 Tracey, You're not off base at all, and not all of what you say is really hypothetical. What has not happened is the linking of one side of medicine to the other, a common occurrence due to the over-specialization of medicine and territorialism found in academia. In the paper I am writing, there is clear evidence that bacteria and parasites can cause disruption in the metabolism of certain amino acid which can lead to a greater susceptibility for seizure activity. And this only scratches the surface. The more I research the longer the paper. It will turn into a book very quickly. An example is the degradation of phenylalanine and tyrosine by certain bacteria. When you disrupt the 2 precursors to the production of a number of neurotransmitters and hormones, like DOPA, Dopamine, Norepinephrine, Epinephrine, Melanin and Thyroid hormones, there is evidence that seizure activity can occur. There is another bacteria that produces a chemical called Tricarballylate which binds so tightly to magnesium that it can induce a magnesium deficiency which in turn can lower the seizure threshold in susceptible individuals. And that is only the start. Also, I agree with you on the assessment that Dr. may be overdoing it with the claim that all seizures are caused by these organisms. That is an incredible over simplification and is why she is not taken seriously by many in the neurological field. To those of you who have sent me e-mails recently, Now that wife had our baby (2nd), I can get back to answering all those questions. In health, Mark Schauss www.carbonbased.com Re: Fw: [ ] Re: Fw:A bizzarre theory -Tracey Hi Suasan and others, Before I blurt out my thoughts I would like to empathise that I am speaking only hypothetically. I have no proof of any of this. First of all for those of you who are interested I like to refer you to an article by a Dr. Mack who is a gastroenterologist in Canada. The reason why this article is so important is that he emphasizes the importance of adequate testing for this organism. As many of you already know, my daughter was diagnosed with an amoebic infection about 3yrs ago. The amoeba was Dientamoeba fragilis a said to be " harmless " organism that lives in the colon thriving upon the normal flora. Well for some reason since started having seizures I have been toying with that this organism may have some direct or indirect way of causing the seizures. If you read Dr. Hulda 's work, she states that all seizures are caused by parasites. I do not agree with that but I cannot discount the idea that some percentage of seizures may be caused by parasites. Now, we are not talking the obvious parasites that can be seen with the naked eye such as ascaris etc. But the parasites that are often even missed by labs such as Dientamoeba fragilis. If you read Dr. Mack's work it is explained why these organism often go undetected. However, I was fortunate enough to actually receive a DX with this organism, and thus have the " privelege " of actually taking this organism into consideration while trying to find a cause for my child's seizures. Many people may not have this oportunity because error in labs in detecting the organism, or just plain ignorance on the pediatricians or neurologists behalf to not check or nonchalantly say " that could not be so. What I have thought about may be totally out there, and may have no validity to it at all. But there are about 15% of all epilepsy cases who are classified as refractive (do not respond to meds). Well of these 15% ~35% respond well to the keto diet. What if these children are actually are infected with the organism and the organism is what is causing the seizures? Amoebas have been around before man. This particular amoeba gets no respect by the medical field because their text has taught them that it is harmless and while most people go asymptomatic, few suffer from no more than diarrhea. Prior to the keto diet, biblical healers or faith healers often used fasting for the " cure " of seizures. Why did fasting work? If you think about our bodies, we are multicelular organisms. We have plenty of storage. If we don't eat for a couple of days we can survive. What about these organisms such as DF, the are unicellular and have no storage. Dpriving them of food even for a couple of days would end their life, right? With the keto diet, the initial fasting would either kill these one celled organisms or put them " on their death bed " , thinking about the primary source of fuel whether for us or any organisms we are talking carbohydrates=sugars. The keto diet does not permit many carbs, we can convert fat to carbs but the process takes a while. I also thought about the acidic state the keto diet evokes. Can these organisms live in a slight acid enviroment? I know some amoebas can because they have the ability to live in the vaginal canal but can all amoebas survive this condition? Oh well, now since I have spilled my guts, I am sure many of you can give input on the matter. Again, this may be all just paranoid stuff I am configuring in my head. It may be totally coincidental that had this organism and started having seizures there after. But I think I would be a fool to discount the posibility. I have mentioned a couple of things to the doctor, not to the extent as I have described it here, but the response I get is " that is not possible " . Sofar, no one has actually checked into it, they just blew it off without any thought. Back early eighteen hundreds there was a proffessor by the name of Semmelweiss, who told the doctors that the reason why there were so many infant deaths is because the doctors would go straight from an autopsy to deliever the babies. The proffessor was banned from teaching and said to be a quack. Well years later after Semmelweiss' death his theory was recognized as being valied. Now I am not saying that this is the case here but what if it were and these idiot doctor's are not seeing it or do not want to see it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 1, 2002 Report Share Posted October 1, 2002 Mark, I am glad to hear that someone else thinks that I am not that far off. I often wonder about my own psychological well being! Stress can drive a person crazy. Tracey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 2, 2002 Report Share Posted October 2, 2002 Thanks Charlie's mom, I will resume my vitamin regiment, which I had abandoned, this AM. You are sweet for thinking about that. I think a lot of times woman because we are care takers of others we ignore our own need for nuturing. Tracey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 2, 2002 Report Share Posted October 2, 2002 Oh, I meant to tell you all. We are starting the keto diet. is being admitted into the hospital Oct. 14. Say a little prayer for us, please. Tracey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2002 Report Share Posted October 10, 2002 Carrol, Thank you, I will let you all know how we are doing at the end of the week when we return from the hospital. Tracey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2002 Report Share Posted October 10, 2002 Dear Tracey, You're on my calendar! Please let us know how it all goes. We're pulling for you and . You have certainly shed the blood, sweat and tears to help your sweet daughter. I hope this gives you some resolution and peace! Best wishes, Carrol Traceygrubbs@... wrote:Oh, I meant to tell you all. We are starting the keto diet. is being admitted into the hospital Oct. 14. Say a little prayer for us, please. Tracey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 18, 2002 Report Share Posted October 18, 2002 Dear , This is the one I was looking for! Thank you so much for finding it and passing it on! I'm copying it and putting it in a file so that I can have all of this great research next time I'm looking for it. Best wishes, Carrol richard & susan hill <rich.sue.hill@...> wrote:This the one??? Yes please - post anything else you've got!!! Hill Re: [ ] Re: Fw:A bizzarre theory = WORD doc to email Dientamoeba fragilis (Df) My primary interest in this organisms stem from the enormous amount of controversy this organism has generated through the years. Many doctors refuse to believe that Df is an actual pathogen. Thus, many patients are leaving their doctor's offices in distress because their illness was categorized as a psychosomatic condition and often the patient is placed on anti depressants. Df may be asymptomatic for some patients, thus, it is believed that Df is harmless. However, just as some people suffer with hay fever and others don't, the effect of Df is depending on the individual host response to the parasite. There are numerous illnesses linked to this condition that I think are being taken to lightly, and I am sure those who suffer from this illness would agree with this statement. Let's first discuss what Df is and then I will go into detail of how it affects the host. I have provided pictures of the organism so you can relate to what I am referring to. Df is currently bunched into the category of protozoa under flagellates. If you go back to what we have learned in general biology, flagellates have flagella. Well, Df lacks flagella or any other means of mobility so it is obvious that it is wrongfully classified. As a matter of fact, researchers are unsure of how this organism actually enters the host. Some speculate that it uses the eggs of enterobius vermicularis (pinworms) as its means of entry. It has been observed that Df is often found concomitant with Entamoeba histolytica infections, so future evidence may lead to more conclusive information on this. Df morphological features are simple in structure. The organism is round and it can have either one or two nucleuses. Research has indicated that more than 60% of these organisms actually do have two nucleuses, thus it is often referred to as a multinucleate organism, as the name indicates Dientamoeba fragilis. The fragilis by the way refers to the organism being very fragile, primarily because it is an anaerobe and exposure to oxygen will kill the organism in no time. Now that we know a little bit about the actual organism, we will discuss how and where it affects its host. Df lives primarily in the colon (large intestine), where it thrives on normal flora (good bacteria of the colon). As we have learned from Dr. Dial, normal flora is very essential in the colon. It is responsible for assisting the digestion process and reabsorbtion of vital nutrients such as vitamins. Since Df depletes the bacteria that are responsible for this process it is obvious that it causes the host some deficiencies. I am just speculating, but I assume if the waste material excreted by the organism actually gets reabsorbed to some degree it cannot be considered very healthy for its host either. However, we shall stick to the facts. It has been found that some, although not all; individuals suffer from the following symptoms: Amoebic dysentery (diarrhea) with alternating constipation Stomach cramps Excessive bloating Weakness and fatigue -probably due to lack of nutrients, (sorry, I am speculating again) Anorexia Weight loss Nausea and vomiting Flatulence (gas) Headache Fever Malaise (excessive fatigue) Irritability Depression (This does not surprise me. I think If I had to run around all day with cramps, gas, and numerous other symptoms and only to go to a doctor that tells me it's all in my head, I think I would get depressed too). As I mentioned, not many doctors are buying into the fact that Df is a pathogen, so treatment (if diagnosed) is often taken lightly. Many doctors are under the impression that the body will rid itself of the infection. The actual diagnosis of Df is not an easy process. It is recommended that a three-day stool culture be submitted. The first day should be a purged BM (bowel movement) meaning the stool and parasite is forced with the aid of a laxative. The second and third day are collected from normal bowel movement. Since the organism is not aerotolerant it is necessary to preserve the stool sample immediately after defecation. Polyvinyl alcohol fixative, sodium acetate acid-formalin fixative, or Schaundim fixative are all adequate preservatives. It is important that the speciment is observed by a lab tech that is experienced in detecting this organism because it is easily overlooked by the untrained eye. Df stains very lightly, thus it blends in with the fecal material. Once a proper diagnosis is established it is important to use the correct meds to rid the body of the parasite. I have spoke with a doctor who specializes in digestive Health in Australia, who says that the treatment of choice for him is actually two medications in combination. (Not so fragile after all) I do not recall the two exact medicines he said would cure this ailment but I do have a list of the drugs that have been used to for treatment. Metronidazole (Flagyl) Tetracycline Iodoquinol (Yodoxin) Paromomycin (Humatin) It is also very important to maintain good sanitary measures since reinfection can occur. It is also crucial to find a doctor who can provide guidance in treating for the infection. Many people have tried desperately to treat the illness with herbal remedies such as Vermex, and other homeopathic remedies such as a mixture of wormwood, Black walnut, and cloves. These remedies may be good for some parasitic infections but do not affect Df. Also some doctors that want to help but know little about the condition will recommend taking supplements of bacteria (yes actual capsules containing bacteria) their reasoning is to replenish the normal flora found in the colon. However, the replacement bacteria only provide more nourishment for the Df causing them to multiply even more. So finding a professional who is knowledgeable about Df is a must. During my research into this amoeboid parasite I have been fortunate enough to talk to a few well-educated people about this parasite. One was a physician who specializes in digestive health, and the other was a lady who unfortunately suffered from this infection for seven long years before actually getting a proper diagnosis. She has made her business to not only educate herself on this parasite but also share the information she has learned with other people. If you are interested she has a website where she has posted case histories of the many people who have suffered from this infection, included in these people is a neurologist here in the US (? Name) whose three-year-old son was infected. To hear/ read some of these people's stories breaks my heart. They struggled not only with the infection but also with the fact that the medical profession just blew them off. Basically told them take two Aspirin and call me in the morning, oh that's the past, now it's take Prozac and don't call me. This leads me back to a bold statement made by an instructor (I will not mention any names) but I shall quote his words " a good parasite will not kill its host. " I have to laugh when I think about this, first of all, is there such thing as a " good " parasite? The only " good " parasite that I can think of is maybe a medicinal leach. The other part is, yes, there has been cases where parasites have actually killed the host. But even in those cases where the parasites does not actually kill the host but it can make a host wish they were dead because of the ill effects they cause. There are a lot of gaps in the medical profession and a whole lot of closed-minded doctors. I think it is important to keep an open mind to new findings, especially in the medical profession, in order to be a true help to the public. Reference: 1. An Introduction to Microbiology 2. www.cdc.gov 3. www.emedicine.com a website posted by R Mack, MD 4. Dr. Borody's website, which by the way has great info. 5. www.udel.edu/medtech/dlehman/mt372/D-fragilis.html 6. Microbes and People by Neeraja Sankaran 2000 I have also used information that I have read some where along the line but do not remember the author. 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