Doxycycline (3 weeks) --- Actos (Pioglitazone) 5 days --- Questran (2-4 weeks)
Did you know? The retina of the eye is a microcosm of the brain. It contains many of the cell types and neurotransmitters found in the brain.
Quotes: 1998, from CFIDS site
Possible test for MCS and CFS. $9 simple and cheap,
at http://www.neurotoxins.com/ -- Dr. Ritchie C. Shoemaker, author of "Desperation Medicine", has had success in treating sick building syndrome, chronic Lyme disease, and Pfiesteria and ciguatera poisoning by using the drug Questran (cholestyramine) which binds toxins in the body.
Comments:
Website is no longer in operation.
Changed to
ChronicNeurotoxins.com, June, 2002.
Chronically ill patients successfully treated by Dr. Shoemaker and others using our treatment protocol had many previous diagnoses, including Depression, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Sick Building Syndrome, Bell's Palsy, learning disability, endometriosis, sensory-neural deafness, low vision, Chronic Soft Tissue Injury (usually from an automobile accident) and Post-Lyme Disease . The diagnosing physicians did not realize that their illness was caused by biotoxins. ...
How We Can Help You
Standard medical diagnostic tests are usually normal in patients who have these biotoxin-induced illnesses, which makes it difficult to diagnose and treat. We have a simple tool that assists in diagnosis by showing evidence of a neurological deficit. That screening tool is the visual contrast sensitivity test (VCS).
A positive VCS test, in the presence of biotoxin exposure potential, and a symptom complex involving multiple systems, and in the absence of other historical, medical or treatment conditions that likely explain the symptoms, provide a basis for making a diagnosis of Probable Biotoxin-Mediated Illness.
Users of this website can take a screening version of the VCS test and complete questionnaires on exposure potential, symptoms and medical history. When biotoxins are suspected, users can purchase a package that includes the treatment protocol and three additional vision tests that can be used to monitor recovery during treatment.
Patients can request treatment by taking the protocol and the associated research articles to their local physician or to Dr. Shoemaker.
The Mold Clinic was run by Dr. Ritchie C. Shoemaker, a nationally known physician, who has treated more than 5,000 biotoxin illness patients in over 30 years of medical practice and is the author of several books and scientific articles including “Mold Warriors”, published in 2005. (www.moldwarriors.com)
Never take Questran in its dry form.
Always mix it with water or other liquids before taking it. For Questran, use 2 to 6 ounces of liquid per packet or level scoopful; for Questran Light, use 2 to 3 ounces. Soups or fruits with a high moisture content, such as applesauce or crushed pineapple, can be used in place of beverages. ...
The use of this medication may produce or worsen constipation and aggravate hemorrhoids. If this happens, inform your doctor. To prevent constipation, the doctor may increase your dosage very slowly, and ask you to drink more fluids, take more fiber, or take a stool softener. If severe constipation develops anyway, the doctor may switch to a different drug.
The prolonged use of Questran may change acidity in the bloodstream, especially in younger and smaller individuals in whom the doses are relatively higher.
Questran (cholestyramine) is a drug which absorbs bile acids in the intestines. There are two forms of Questran: the standard form, which contains cholestyramine and sucrose, and Questran Light, which contains cholestyramine and aspartame (aspartame is an artificial sweetener).
Questran is used to treat diarrhea, as excess bile acid in the intestines can lead to loose stools. In particular, patients who have had their gallbladders removed may find that they have bile-related diarrhea, as bile is normally stored in the gallbladder.
[IBS patients often have problems with diarrhea and often have their gall bladders removed.]
Login page
By logging into your account, you will be able to:
- Take the Preliminary Exams, Parts A & B
- Purchase and take the VCS Exam
- Obtain Treatment Protocols
- View your results and update your information
- Gain access to more resources
- and much more!
Step 1: Take the preliminary tests.
These are FREE, available from a Link on the site.
The preliminary test consists of a series of questions that assess symptoms, exposure potential, and medical history. Results from the preliminary test help us to assess your potential for biotoxin-induced illness.
Please be sure to carefully complete the entire questionnaire.
Take your time because it is very important that we have accurate data. Your results are recorded and will be available for you to print. Your results file will be retained indefinitely, and will contain all preliminary test and VCS test results.
Step 2: Take the VCS Test.
The second test is the Visual Contrast Sensitivity (VCS) test. In order to take the VCS test, you must have purchased one or both of the following packages:
Package 1: $8.95.
- This creates an individual file for your symptoms, exposure and includes 1 VCS test for $8.95. You will get a "positive" or "negative" response immediately after completing the test. The results will later be available for you to print.
Package 2: $49.95
- In addition to Package 1, this package includes 2 more (3 total) VCS tests and the treatment protocols. After completing a consent form, you can open our treatment protocol file, and print it for you and your physician. The 2 additional VCS tests are required by the treatment protocol and used to monitor improvement with therapy.
Most people with chronic biotoxin-induced illness respond to treatment rapidly, usually within 2-4 weeks, but some require longer therapy. This occurs more frequently in cases with a long duration of illness, and in cases of tick-borne disease that have not yet had antibiotic treatment sufficient to kill the organisms.
If long-term therapy is needed or you wish to monitor your progress more frequently, you will be given the option of purchasing a package of 10 VCS tests for $59.95 after purchasing Package 2.
... Email us with additional questions.
We answer emails as quickly as we can, but we receive many email inquiries. Please look for answers to your questions on our site before emailing. Please limit your emails to essential questions. At times, Alex, our webmaster, or Shannon, must refer questions to Dr. Shoemaker. Please be patient in waiting for a reply. At times, it takes more than a week to receive a reply.
Protocol, 6 to 8 weeks
A. When Lyme or tick-borne disease is indicated in Dr. Shoemaker’s opinion, the following protocol is used. First, rule out other biotoxin exposures, such as indoor air or outdoor fungal mycotoxins, Ciguatoxins (seafood), Brevetoxins (marine red tides), Pfiesteria toxins (estuaries), cyanobacteria toxins (fresh water), or Brown Recluse or another poisonous spider bite, by taking a thorough neurotoxic history. Symptoms from these toxic exposures can look like Lyme but won’t get better with antibiotics. Second, verify as well as possible that the patient has had a tick bite or a good potential for such. Question the patient about ticks and rashes, and obtain laboratory tests for exposure to Borrelia, Ehrlichia, Babesia or other potentially co-infecting organisms if possible, remembering that those tests may have a high false-negative rate.
Doxycycline, 100 mg, 2 x day for 3 weeks [If allergic, Amoxicillin, 250 mg, 3 x day, 3 weeks; or Cefuroxime axetil (Ceftin), 250 mg, 2 x day, 3 weeks]. Note : the doses used here are quite different than what you may read elsewhere.
1.
Pioglitazone, 45 mg daily for 5 days.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a699016.html
---- related to troglitazone and rosiglitazone
Pioglitazone is a prescription drug of the class thiazolidinedione with hypoglycemic (antihyperglycemic, antidiabetic) action. Pioglitazone is marketed as trademarks Actos in the USA and Glustin in Europe by pharmaceutical companies Takeda and Eli Lilly.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioglitazone
2.
Cholestyramine, 9 gram, 2 to 4 weeks or longer.
http://health.howstuffworks.com/define-cholestyramine.htm
Cholestyramine is usually taken before meals. Measure each dose of the medication carefully and then add it to two to six ounces of water, milk, fruit juice, or another noncarbonated beverage. To avoid swallowing air while taking the medication, drink the mixture slowly. The powder can also be mixed with applesauce, cereal, crushed pineapple, or soup. You should never take cholestyramine dry because you might accidentally inhale the powder, and that could irritate your throat and lungs.
Cholestyramine interferes with the absorption of a number of other medications, including phenylbutazone, thiazide diuretics (water pills), digoxin, penicillins, tetracycline, oral vancomycin, phenobarbital, folic acid, iron, thyroid hormones, cephalexin, clindamycin, and trimethoprim, as well as with the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). The effectiveness of these medications, therefore, will be decreased by cholestyramine. To avoid this interaction, take the other medications one hour before or four to eight hours after a dose of cholestyramine.
I Objective
II No other drug study participation currently or prev 28 days.
III Voluntary participation.
IV take Pioglitazone first to reduce side effects
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