About the Marshall Protocol
The Marshall Protocol is a medical treatment being used by physicians worldwide to treat a variety of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases including (but not limited to) Sarcoidosis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Crohn’s Disease, and Rheumatoid Arthritis. While other treatments for chronic disease use palliative medications in an effort to cover up symptoms, the Marshall Protocol is a curative treatment, which addresses the root cause of the problem.
Information about the treatment can be found at the study site, marshallprotocol.com and also at autoimmunityresearch.org. The site is run by the staff of the Autoimmunity Research Foundation, a California-based non-profit agency. Over 200 health professionals are members of the site, and discussions are moderated by a group of volunteer nurses. There is no charge to use the website or the treatment and all patients are welcome to participate.
The Marshall Protocol is a phase II community-based internet study that is monitored by the FDA. The FDA has already granted orphan product designations for two of Autoimmunity Research Foundation’s six applications - Sarcoidosis, and Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS, commonly known as chronic Lyme). The Foundation continues to work with the FDA to make effective therapies available in an even wider array of chronic diagnoses.
Chronic Disease
Chronic diseases (termed Th1 illnesses), are the result of infection by an intraphagocytic, metgenomic microbiota of chronic bacterial forms that are often referred to as the Th1 pathogens. The term introphagocytic refers to the fact that these bacteria have developed the ability to remain alive and proliferate undetected inside the cytoplasm of the cells they infect. These cells include macrophages, the very cells of the immune system that the body uses to kill invading pathogens. Once inside these cells, they cause our own cells to release inflammatory cytokines (proteins that often generate pain and/or fatigue).
The term metagenomic indicates that there are a tremendous number of different species of these chronic bacterial forms. Finally, the term microbiota refers to the fact that these bacteria often sustain themselves by grouping into communities called biofilms. The bacteria inside a biofilm produce a protective matrix that allows them to more effectively evade the immune system and develop resistance to antibiotics.
Many of the Th1 pathogens are in a chronic state referred to as the L-form. L-form bacteria simply represent part of the natural life cycles of classical bacteria. Under certain conditions, they mutate from classical bacteria, losing their cell walls in the process. Although researchers have known about L-form bacteria for over a century, up until recently they have not fully understood their role in causing chronic disease. Because they lack a cell wall, many antibiotics are unable to kill them directly and they cannot be detected by standard laboratory tests.
The ability of the Th1 pathogens to proliferate in the body is directly related to the vitamin D receptor (VDR). Critically important to the body, the Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) controls the innate immune system – the body’s first line of defense against infection. It’s also responsible for turning on/off a wide array of genes and chemical pathways. One of the VDR’s myriad jobs is to control expression of several families of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), proteins that kill bacteria, viruses and fungi by a variety of mechanisms including disrupting membranes, interfering with metabolism, and targeting components of the machinery inside the cell.
Although casually referred to as a vitamin by some members of the medical community, molecular biologists have long realized that the precursor form of vitamin D (25-D) is really a secosteroid. Recent molecular modeling research (which has been confirmed by a large amount of clinical data) has shown that levels of 25-D over 20 ng/ml can bind and inactivate the VDR, which subsequently shuts down the innate immune system.
Certain species of bacteria also produce substances that can bind and inactivate the VDR in a manner similar to 25-D. Consequently, people who are infected with the Th1 pathogens and consuming vitamin D are no longer able to produce the AMPs or turn on the innate immune system. This allows their bacteria to proliferate and spread.
When the innate immune system can no longer function, people have a very hard time keeping other pathogens under control. They often find that childhood viral infections reactivate, or that they acquire Candida (pathogenic yeast) and Mycoplasma as well. Thus, every person who starts the MP has a different mix of pathogens to kill depending on what microbes they have encountered during various stages of life. A person’s unique mix of pathogens is often referred to as their “toxigenic pea soup.”
The Th1 pathogens have evolved mechanisms that allow them to both mutate and alter the expression of the genes inside the cells they infect. These effects on the genes result in changes in the cellular environment that make it easier for new pathogens to invade the cell - creating a snowball effect where, as a person acquires more pathogens, it becomes even easier for them to pick up a diverse array of other infectious agents. This process is known as successive infection.
Since the Th1 pathogens can survive in the sperm and egg, and evidence is growing that they can also pass through the placental barrier, they can be passed from parent to child – meaning that Th1 illnesses often run in families. In addition, the bacterial forms may be easily passed to an infant soon after birth, during the period before the adaptive immune systems is up and running.
Unlike its inactive counterpart, 25-D, that inactivates the VDR in healthy individuals, 1,25-D binds and activates the VDR. But in individuals who have 25-D and bacterial proteins blocking the VDR, 1,25-D is forced out of the receptor and into the surrounding environment.
Furthermore, in healthy individuals, the VDR transcribes an enzyme called CYP24. CYP24 breaks down excess 1,25-D, ensuring that the level of 1,25-D in the body stays in the normal range. But in chronically ill individuals, the VDR (which is blocked by bacterial susbstances) can no longer transcribe CYP24. The level of 1,25-D in the body becomes significantly elevated since there is no CYP24 to keep it in check.
Another enzyme called CYP27B1 normally regulates the amount of 25-D converted into 1,25-D. When more CYP27B1 is produced, conversion occurs at a greater rate. The cytokines released by the immune system in response to the Th1 pathogens activate a protein called Protein Kinase A (PKA). PKA in turn activates CYP27B1, causing more 25-D to be converted to 1,25-D.
These processes cause 1,25-D to rise to an unnaturally high level. Unfortunately, when 1,25-D reaches a certain threshold, it binds not just the VDR, but many of the body’s other nuclear receptors, displacing the metabolites that are meant to be in the receptors under normal conditions.
The nuclear receptors affected by 1,25-D are receptors that regulate the body’s hormones - the glucocorticoid receptor, and the alpha and beta thyroid receptors, the adrenal receptors, and the progesterone receptors, among others.
This means that when 1,25-D is high, it competitively displaces cortisol, T3, and other metabolites from their target nuclear receptors, causing havoc on the body’s hormonal pathways. Thus, most people with chronic disease find they have difficulty tolerating stress, changes in temperature, and a variety of other hormone-related issues. Also, when levels of 1,25-D rise above 42 ng/ml, calcium begins to be leached from the bones, a process that results in osteoporosis and osteopenia.
When 1,25-D rises due to the processes described above, it also binds a receptor called the PXR. The PXR subsequently inhibits conversion of pre-vitamin D to 25-D, causing 25-D levels to drop. This means that low levels of 25-D - the form of vitamin D measured by most doctors - is not a sign of vitamin D deficiency. Instead, low levels of 25-D are a result of the disease process.
The body also produces 1,25-D in response to sunlight on the skin and bright light in the eyes. Excessive exposure to these sources of light helps drive the disease process. Most patients on the MP must take certain precautions, described on the web site, to avoid too much sun/bright light.
The Treatment
Patients on the Marshall Protocol take a medication called Olmesartan (called Benicar in the United States), which is able to bind and activate the VDR by pushing 25-D and bacterial proteins out of the receptor. Patients also lower levels of 25-D in the body by avoiding the kinds of vitamin D present in various foods. These measures renew the body’s ability to turn on the innate immune system and produce the anti microbial peptides. The immune system is then able to kill the Th1 pathogens and is once again able to manage viral and other co-infections.
At the same time, MP patients take pulsed, low-dose antibiotics. Antibiotics taken in this manner are much more effective against bacteria in biofilms and are able to greatly weaken the Th1 pathogens so that the patient’s own immune system is then able to destroy them. The antibiotics weaken the bacteria by blocking their ribosomes, which they need to produce proteins that help them survive and reproduce. It’s important to understand that when the Th1 pathogens die, there is a temporary change in a patient’s immunopathology.
Immunopathology refers to the changes in the immune system that result from bacterial death (another term sometimes used is the Jarisch-Herxheimer or “Herx” reaction). Dying bacteria release toxins into the bloodstream, stimulate the production of inflammatory cytokines, and generate temporary hormonal imbalances. This means that once a patient begins the MP, each dose of antibiotic will cause them to feel bad for the period of time it takes their immune system to deal with the consequences of bacterial die-off.
Before starting the MP, many people may feel that they have improved through consuming vitamin D and taking steroids such as prednisone. In reality, these compounds inactivate the VDR, preventing the immune system from effectively killing the Th1 pathogens. Since it is the death of these forms of bacteria that generates an increase in painful symptoms, people may experience short-term relief when using vitamin D or prednisone as their immune system shuts down and less bacteria are killed. However, in reality, this situation allows the bacteria to spread more easily.
Applicable Illnesses
Patients on the MP have dozens of different medical conditions. As evidenced by members’ reported progress on the marshallprotocol.com website, nearly all experience a powerful immunopathological reaction after taking a dose of antibiotics.
Many patients report great improvement, while some are approaching complete recovery.
Some of the diseases patients are currently using the MP to treat include (but are not limited to):
- Sarcoidosis
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic Lyme Disease
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)
- Myasthenia gravis
- Psoriasis
- Osteoarthritis
- Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
- Uveitis
- Cardiac Arrhythmia
Here is a more complete list of diseases.
Apart from the symptoms or diagnosis indicating Th1 disease, the easiest way to find out if the Marshall Protocol may be applicable to your disease is to get a blood test and check the level of your D Metabolites. This test can detect the elevated level of 1,25D often seen in patients with chronic disease, but must be done correctly in order to be of any value.
Patients can also use a therapeutic probe to determine whether the MP can be applied to their illness. A therapeutic probe refers to a trial period during which a person tests whether or not the taking the MP medications results in immunopathology or other symptom changes.
Because patients must carefully manage their immunopathology, it takes several years to complete the MP. Severely ill patients may need 3-5 years to reach a state of remission. However, once on the MP, most patients begin to notice improvements little by little.
Patients must work with their own doctor while on the treatment, but receive guidance from the nurse moderators on the study site during the times when their doctor is not available.
Phase One Guidelines give detailed instructions regarding dosages, etc…. One must follow the guidelines carefully to avoid the risk of serious reactions from immunopathology reactions due to the bacterial killing.
Once patients interested in starting the Marshall Protocol have read as much information as possible about the treatment on this website and the study site itself, they are encouraged to ask questions about the MP at the website www.curemyth1.org. Questions are answered free of charge by patient advocates.
About Professor Trevor Marshall Ph.D.
Trevor Marshall, Ph.D., is a biomedical researcher. In 2002, Marshall published a pathogenesis for sarcoidosis followed in 2004 by the definitive paper in Autoimmunity Reviews “Sarcoidosis Succumbs to Antibiotics.” He has since written several papers and given numerous presentations that detail the pathogenesis of chronic disease. He has derived many of his findings by using molecular modeling.
Marshall is currently active on the medical conference circuit. Among his many endeavors, he was invited by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Review in March 2006 to give a presentation in their “Visiting Professor” lecture series. In 2006, he co-authored a book chapter about Vitamin D dysregulation. He will be chairing a session on vitamin D and the VDR at the upcoming 2008 International Conference on Autoimmunity in Portugal.
Marshall has hosted two conferences on “Recovering from Chronic Disease,” the first in Chicago in 2005, and most recently in Los Angeles in 2006. In 2007, Marshall was appointed Adjunct Professor in the School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology at Murdoch University in Australia.
Autoimmunity Research Foundation
The directors and members of the ARF work to:
1. educate doctors and patients about the Marshall Pathogenesis and Protocol.
2. communicate with researchers in the field of autoimmunity and Th1 disease.
3. run the MP’s study web sites, marshallprotocol.com and sarcinfo.com
4. gain FDA designation for medications used in conjunction with the MP
Notice for August 2, 2008
NEWS FLASH
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About Amy Proal
Amy Proal graduated from Georgetown University in 2005 with a degree in biology. While at Georgetown, she wrote her senior thesis on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the Marshall Protocol.
She has written for several publications and organizations including FibromyalgiaAWARE magazine, Immunesupport.com, Volta Voices magazine, and the National Policy Research Council.
Amy has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and has been on the MP since April 2005. She is thrilled with her progress and looks foward to helping people better understand the treatment that is restoring her health.
Contact Amy at amy dot proal at gmail.com.
54 Responses for "About the Marshall Protocol"
Thanks Amy, This is one of the most complete, yet easy to understand, explanations of the process that I’ve seen. Hopefully, it will cause some folk to look at the science behind the MP more carefully. Claire
Amy; This indeed is the most complete and detailed explanation of the role of “vitamin D” involvementt in the inflammatory process that I have seen, including reading much of what is available on Marshall’s site and his DVDs. Now, how can I get the scientific references which support this vitamin D story? This query to Marshall’s site went unanswered. Thanks. Bill
Hi Bill,
The following article, “The Truth About Vitamin D: 14 reasons why misunderstanding endures” has quite a few sources (nearly 100) at the end of the piece that support Marshall’s view on vitamin D.
http://bacteriality.com/2007/09/15/vitamind/
You should also read Dr. Marshall’s latest paper “Vitamin D discovery outpaces FDA decision making” that was recently published in BioEssays. Here a link to the full text:
http://TrevorMarshall.com/BioEssays-Feb08-Marshall-Preprint.pdf
By looking at the studies in the reference section of those two articles, you should be able to read most of the papers on which Marshall’s discoveries about vitamin D are based.
Best,
Amy
How is this different from the Antibiotic Protocol for minocycline which many of us have found very helpful for various forms of inflammatory diseases? I am referring to Dr. Brown’s work as explained in “The New Artrhritis Breakthrough.” Information about this can be found on roadback.org.
Hi Dena,
The Marshall Protocol is much different from the RoadBack protocol, which I am familiar with. For starters the MP uses five different antibiotics to target a much wider spectrum of bacteria then minocycline alone. These antibiotics are also taken 3 at a time in the later phases of the protocol. This means that they are better able to weaken the bacteria that cause inflammatory diseases by blocking more of their ribosomes, or proteins they use to replicate, glean energy etc.
Another great difference between the MP and the RoadBack protocol is that the MP uses a medication called Benicar to activate the receptor that controls the activity of the innate immune system - the branch of the immune system that directly kills bacteria. Without this activation, the antibiotics have much less of an effect. Some people find they cannot even kill bacteria until they use Benicar to stimulate their immune system.
Benicar also has multiple anti-inflammatory properties that allow it to palliative the inflammatory response that occurs when patients begin to kill bacteria and an immunopathological or herxheimer response is generated. This palliation allows people to better tolerate the herx and makes a big difference in keeping symptoms tolerable.
So basically, the MP allows patients to kill a much broader spectrum of bacteria while also giving their immune system a much greater capacity to get the job done. Patients on the MP also avoid vitamin D, a secosteroid that blocks the ability of the innate immune system to function up to par. Since patients on the RoadBack protocol do not limit vitamin D intake or use Benicar to activate the immune system it is unlikely that patients on the treatment will be able to target pathogens as effectively as patients on the MP. With the above measures in place, the MP allows patients to completely recover because they are able to target all of the many different species causing their symptoms.
The following article describes the MP in greater detail, explaining how Benicar and each of the antibiotics work at the molecular level. The article should make it clear where the MP differs from the Roadback Protocol.
http://bacteriality.com/2007/10/11/antibiotics/
Best,
Amy
Dear Sirs,
As I sit here trying hard not to cry after reading myself on these pages; and, also trying to remember why I am writing you; oh, yeah! That’s it. Now I remember. I was diagnosed with infectious mono and CFS about four years ago. High EBV and HSV2 titers found in my spinal fluid; and by blood.
I am currently taking 1 gram - 3 grams on valacyclovir per day (3 grams when flares occur).
However, my cognitive abilities have declined steadily over the course of the past eight months or so.
I go do see my doctor on March 20, 2008 to check in w/him.
Is there anyone at your facility that my doctor can contact?
I am very interested in finding out more. I would like to continue uphill; not decline cognitively. I am a professional-working, single mother that has a very long life ahead of her. Lastly, a 1.2 cm brain lesion was found on a regular CT; I was told the following: “well, melissa, God makes everyone special”. I never went back to get a follow up enhanced CT scan because all I could think was, “how frickin’ lame of an answer was that”. The only reason I had a CT done to begin with was because of a spider bite by my right ear and I contract a staph infection. Kripes, that was like last July, 2007 or something. The radiology report was indicative to obtain an ‘enhanced’ CT scan of my brain. Forget it. I don’t know the doctors in this small town know how to approach things like this. I think they are just scared.
Imagine how I feel?
Any advice or phone numbers in which my infectious disease doctor can reach you would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your time.
Melissa P., Twin Falls, Idaho
Hi Melissa,
Well, I can certainly understand why you are scared and upset about your health. It is scary that your doctors seem to have no idea about what is causing you cognitive decline, lesions and overall health problems.
Although it has yet to be fully accepted by mainstream medicine, the molecular modeling research of biomedical Trevor Marshall has made it clear that chronic inflammatory disease is the result of infection. I have no doubt that the reason you have so many viral co-infections, cognitive issues, and a brain lesion etc, is because you are infected with L-form bacteria.
L-form bacteria are bacteria that have mutated from classical forms of bacteria, lost their cell walls, and are able to live undetected inside the cells of the immune system. L-form bacteria also create substances that block the main receptor that controls the activity of the innate immune system. By doing this, they slowly shut down your immune system. Once a person’s innate immune system is no longer working up to par, they start to accumulate what we refer to as a “peasoup” of pathogens. Essentially the immune system is so weak that the body is easily infected by viruses, Candida etc. This is surely why you have high viral titers.
Read more about L-form bacteria here:
http://bacteriality.com/about-the-mp/
And an interview with a researcher who works with them here:
http://bacteriality.com/2007/09/09/markova-interview/
The Marshall Protocol, the treatment discussed on this site, allows patients to effectively kill L-form bacteria, and it is the only treatment to date that can target these pathogens correctly. The treatment uses a medication that activates the innate immune system along with pulsed, low-dose antibiotics to gradually kill L-form bacteria. As L-form bacteria are killed, the immune system is able to function again. As it recovers, it is once again able to deal with viral and other co-infections, so that they no longer become a problem.
Read more about the treatment here:
http://bacteriality.com/about-the-mp/
And here:
http://bacteriality.com/2007/10/11/antibiotics/
Patients on the Marshall Protocol also avoid vitamin D in food and supplements, because in reality, the substance is a secosteroid that slows the activity of the innate immune system much like the substances created by L-form bacteria. Read more about the new discoveries that have helped us understand these properties of vitamin D in this article:
http://bacteriality.com/2007/09/15/vitamind/
Also I think you will be interested in the following article which shows that people consuming high levels of vitamin D are at much greater risk for developing brain lesions. Since you are starting to develop a lesion I think it is of upmost importance that you begin to avoid vitamin D and start the Marshall Protocol. Here’s the lesion article:
http://bacteriality.com/2007/10/24/brain_lesions/
Finally, cognitive dysfunction is an incredibly common symptom in people infected with L-form bacteria. In fact, I will be presenting a presentation at the upcoming Days of Molecular Medicine Conference in Karolinska Sweden about cognitive dysfunction and chronic disease. The following article explains what I will be talking about. Some of the concepts may seem a little complicated, but overall I hope you can see that there is a tremendous connection between L-form bacteria and cognitive function.
http://bacteriality.com/2008/03/09/cognitive-dysfunction/
The good news is that you CAN turn around your health if your start the Marshall Protocol. As Dr. Marshall has stated often, we are finding that the brain has full capacity to heal. The treatment is difficult but absolutely worth it because it will allow you to recover your full health.
There are other young mothers on the MP who have been able to do the treatment and still get by. Read about one here:
http://bacteriality.com/2007/11/19/interview12/
If you have more questions about the MP, how to find a doctor etc. the best place to ask them is at the following website:
http://www.curemyth1.org (Th1 refers to diseases caused by L-form bacteria, hence the name Cure My Th1). The patient advocates on that site, who volunteer for the non-profit agency that runs the MP, will answer your questions free of charge.
Good luck!
Amy
How does one find a physician who is using this protocol? I have friends and familoy in the MPLS/St. Paul area whith severe CFS or Fibromyalgia.
Hi Cynthia,
As you seem to realize, patients must work with their own doctor, although they are also encouraged to post on the Marshall Protocol study site so that the nurse moderators on the site can give them feedback about their progress.
But your friends/family will definitely need a prescribing doctor. First off, you can request a list of doctors that have others patients on the MP in your area at this link:
http://www.marshallprotocol.com/forum11/11348.html
You may also want to get on the study site (www.marshallprotocol.com) and look for other people who live in the Minneapolis/St.Paul area and ask them who their doctor is. You can send them a private message through the website.
If those options fail, then your best bet is to convince the current doctors of your friends/family or another a doctor in your area that seems open-minded to put them on the treatment (or obviously they can do the convincing themselves).
Gina Riggio, a volunteer for Autoimmunity Research Foundation (the non-profit that runs the MP) has compiled a folder of study site information which is professionally formatted and designed to introduce the Marshall Protocol to an interested doctor.
The documents are available to download free of charge if you would like to print them and put them in your own binder. Or if you don’t have a color printer, Gina will send you the complete folder of information thorough the mail.
For details, visit this website: http://www.ginariggio.com/MP/phase1guide.html
Also, be sure that you and anyone you know who would like to start the treatment read as much as you can about the Marshall Protocol both on this website and on the Marshall Protocol study site so that you can be prepared at your doctor appointment and explain in detail why you want to do the treatment.
If you or your family, friends etc. have questions about the MP a good place to ask them is at the following website:
http://www.curemyth1.org (Th1 refers to diseases caused by L-form bacteria, hence the name Cure My Th1). The patient advocates on that site will answer about questions about the treatment and how to get started free of charge.
Good luck and let me know if I can be of any other help.
Best,
Amy
My partner has had RA for 23 years and is in a bad way. She has just started MMS. Does this do a similar job? http/www.mms-miraclemineralsupplement.com/
Thanks
Simon
Hi Simon,
The MP is not similar at all to MMS. In fact, patients on the MP do not take supplements unless they have a marked deficiency of a substance. Otherwise, supplements are avoided at all costs because they generally contain substances that may negatively affect immune function.
The Marshall Protocol is based on research showing that inflammatory diseases like RA are actually caused by L-form and biofilm bacteria. L-form bacteria are bacteria that have mutated from classical forms of bacteria, lost their cell walls, and are able to live undetected inside the cells of the immune system. Read more about them here:
http://bacteriality.com/2007/08/15/l-forms/
And an interview with a researcher who works with them here:
http://bacteriality.com/2007/09/09/markova-interview/
The Marshall Protocol uses a medication that activates the immune system along with low-dose, pulsed antibiotics to gradually kill the L-form bacteria at the heart of diseases such as RA. When all bacteria are killed, the patient regains complete health.
Read more about the Marshall Protocol here:
http://bacteriality.com/about-the-mp/
And here:
http://bacteriality.com/2007/10/11/antibiotics/
So the Marshall Protocol is not based on the idea that a person can use supplements to somehow “boost” systems of the body or artificially force the body have a certain level of a particular substance. Rather it targets the root cause of inflammatory disease, and by killing the bacteria responsible for dysregulating many of the body’s pathways, allows the body to naturally reach a state of homeostasis and wellness - no supplements needed.
I hope you look into the MP in greater detail as the MMS supplements will only “cover up” or palliate your partners symptoms but not allow her to target the root cause of her illness.
For example here is an interview with a man who used the MP to recover from RA:
http://bacteriality.com/2007/09/01/interview2/
If you have more questions about the Marshall Protocol, a good place to ask them is at the following website:
http://www.curemyth1.org (Th1 refers to diseases caused by L-form bacteria, hence the name Cure My Th1). The patient advocates on that site, who volunteer for the non-profit agency that runs the MP, will answer your questions free of charge.
Best,
Amy
Are there any doctors in the UK prescribing this regime?
Thanks
Tracey
Hi Tracey,
You can request a list of MP doctors in Europe and the UK at the following link from the Marshall Protocol study site. Here are the instructions:
http://www.marshallprotocol.com/forum11/11348.html
If none of the doctors on the list are taking new patients or none of them work near you, I recommend going to the Marshall Protocol study site and searching for other members on the treatment who live in the UK. You can them send them a private message and ask who their doctor is. Hopefully you might be able to set up an appointment with the same physician. Search for MP members in the UK at this link:
http://snipr.com/mpunitk
If after the above efforts you still can’t find a doctor, post about your situation at the following website:
http://www.curemyth1.org (Th1 refers to diseases caused by L-form bacteria, hence the name Cure My Th1). The patient advocates on that site, who volunteer for the non-profit agency that runs the Marshall Protocol, will give you further advice on how to find a doctor.
Good luck!
Amy
I have been diagnosed with Sarcoid and waiting for an appt. with the University of Washington because I refuse to go on Predisone. I have known I have had this since 1995 but went untreated, now I am nearing the fourth stage. I have been reading up on this and found MP, is there a Dr. in Wa. that will work with me?
Hi Lucille,
Good for you for refusing to go on prednisone! That decision has almost certainly slowed the progression of your disease. Prednisone and steroids work only by slowing the immune system. Since we now understand that sarcoidosis is a bacterial illness, predinsone slows the rate of bacterial death and subsequently the elevated immune response that accompanies it (immunopathology). But since the immune system is slowed, the bacteria at the heart of the disease have a field day and are able to spread to new tissues and organs.
It sounds like you understand that the MP is the only curative treatment option for sarcoidosis and I’m so glad you are looking for a doctor that will put you on the Marshall Protocol.
Here are two suggestions that should help you find an MP doctor.
First, you can request a list of doctors who are already working with MP patients in Washington state. Because they already have patients on the treatment, they should be willing to take you on as a patient as well. You can request that list at the following link:
http://www.marshallprotocol.com/forum11/11348.html
Also, I recommend that you go to the Marshall Protocol study site and click on the “members” button in the upper right hand corner. There, you are given the option of searching for information on every patient on the MP based on their location. Look for other patients in Washington state. Then send them a private message over the board asking them who their doctor is, if they can provide contact information, and if they are happy with him/her. I find that this method of contacting MP patients in you state directly is a great way to find a doctor.
If you still can’t find a doctor after taking the above steps you can try to convince you current doctor or the doctor at the Univeristy of Wa. to put you on the MP. There is information about the Marshall Protocol to present to doctors on the study site. For example, here is a packet of information that you can download, print and show to a doctor.
“Folder of MP information to present to your doctor”
http://www.marshallprotocol.com/forum11/11348.html
Good luck!
Amy
Hi Amy:
I’m in Seattle and have been on the MP for 2 1/2 years now with remarkable results. I had a less- than- helpful experience at the University of Washington before finding the MP and would like to make myself available to Lucille (above) if that is ok with you. I know of two doctors here in the Puget Sound who administer the MP whom I can highly recommend.
Regards and thanks for your work.
Martin
Hi Martin,
I’m so glad you are doing well on the MP and that have found a good doctor! I will send you Lucille’s email address. Hopefully you can then contact her and give her more information about your doctor.
Thanks for posting!
Amy
Hi Amy,
I have suffered from CFS for 18 years since the age of 11. I have many infections with the most severe being Intestinal yeast overgrowth (diagnosed through stool sample, blood ethanol post glucose challange, and liver enzymes showing patterns associated with alcohol related pathology - I have not drubk for 10 years!). I also have severe S.A.D. as part of my illness.
While the Marshall Protocol makes sense to me as you explain it I am left with a conundrum. Without exposure to bright light and sunlight on my skin I feel SUICIDAL. It was only through the realisation that a lack of sun exposure was causing my severe deppression that I am here typing to you today as I could not have survived another winter otherwise.
So I am left thiking, yes this Marshall Protocol seems to make sense, but in the context of my own illness there would seem to be no way I could implement it. I’m sure you are aware of the studies that show vitamin D from both sun exposure and supplements is a highly effective anti-depressant, particularly for seasonal forms.
What is your take on my situation?
Thanks, Matt
Hi Matt,
I also had terrible Candida overgrowth before starting the Marshall Protocol. I was constantly taking antifungal medications which would help for a few weeks (with a horrible die-off!), only to have the Candida return again. It was terrible. But since the Marshall Protocol restores immune function by using the medication Benicar to activate the main receptor that controls the activity of the immune system, I have not suffered from any symptoms of Candida since starting the treatment. It’s great!
But you seem most concerned about the sun issue. Yes, I am definitely aware of studies showing that sunlight makes people, particularly those who have some form of chronic disease, feel better. That’s because those studies directly support the Marshall Protocol disease model.
The reason that you feel better in the sun is because excessive sun exposure causes levels of both forms of vitamin D to rise substantially. The precursor form, called 25-D, is a secosteroid. When it rises to high levels, it blocks the Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) - the receptor I mentioned above that controls the activity of the innate immune system. So excessive sun exposure causes 25-D to rise to a level where it turns the VDR and subsequently innate immune function off.
Sun exposure also causes the active form of vitamin D, 1,25-D, to rise. When 1,25-D becomes too high, it binds a set of important receptors called the nuclear receptors and displaces the metabolites that are supposed to activate them from the receptors. Since these receptors transcribe natural antibiotics created by the body called antimicrobial peptides, the actions of 1,25-D on the nuclear receptors cause the production of the antimicrobial peptides to slow.
Together these two processes mean that people become severely immunosuppressed when they are getting high levels of sun. Their innate immune systems and the antimicrobial peptides are no longer working, meaning that the bacteria at the heart of their disease are able to spread with much more ease. The immune system is so weak that it hardly kills any bacteria anymore, whereas during the winter it had the strength to target many more of the pathogens.
So high levels of sunlight make you feel better because it is the DEATH of L-form bacteria that causes people to feel bad. It’s when they die that the body must deal with the toxins they once harbored, the cellular debri from the cell they once infected, and the inflammatory response by the immune system in response to their death.
So what the sun is doing is quelling this die-off reaction. You feel better, but you are not getting better.
I used to be just like you. My only relief from my CFS was the sun. When I was forced to live with my parents because my CFS essentially made me bedridden around age 21, I moved in with them at our house in Mexico City. Instead of being bedridden in my bed, I lay outside in the sun from morning ’til night until I had the darkest tan imaginable. I felt so much better that I started walking again, even doing mild exercise. I thought I was improving.
Then I went back to the US where it was still dark. Several weeks later I started to feel terrible. I went to sleep one night and woke up feeling horrible in a way I simply cannot put into words. I was even sicker then when I had been bedridden before. At that point I realized that something about the sun had actually made me much worse. Now I understand that the sun was just slowing my immune system and my rate of bacterial death, but it was only temporary palliation.
So unfortunately, mainstream doctors, who don’t understand that CFS and other inflammatory diseases have a bacterial cause mistakenly think that the feeling of “wellness” many ill patients get in the sun is a good thing. It’s actually a very bad circumstance.
You are young and you need to treat your CFS with the MP. It is the only curative option for the disease and it works. I cannot tell you how much better I feel today and I am completely confident full recovery is on the horizon. So what can you do in order to manage not being in a lot of sun?
Do you take antidepressants? Antidepressants are not contraindicated by the MP if a patient really needs to take them. I know you may not want to take an antidepressant, but if it could mentally allow you to tolerate less light exposure in order kill the bacteria making you sick, I feel it would be worth it.
Also, you can do everything in your power to not feel cooped up in the dark. At the start of the treatment I found that once it became dusk, the sun no longer affected me. So I would make sure to go outside at that time, watch the sun set, and then do something outside (maybe just sit!) for the rest of the night, just to get out of the house.
Everyone’s level of light sensitivity varies. You may not become severely light sensitive and maybe you will be able to tolerate going out during the day as long as you are covered up in dark clothing and wearing sunglasses. Sure, you might look weird, but who cares? The important thing is that mentally you feel that you are not always in the dark.
Also, sunscreen zinc oxide is able to block some of the production of vitamin D from sunlight in the skin. If you slather yourself in zinc oxide sunscreen every time you go outside you may be able to tolerate some more sun.
Those are my main suggestions. All I can say is that it’s worth trying everything in your arsenal - any drug that could help you manage your symptoms of SAD, anything so that you can get through the MP. Because you are young and have a full life ahead of you if you do get through the treatment.
Also, if you can just get through the first year and a half or two years of the MP, light sensitivity really improves. It gets easier and easier, so only the first year or so should be really tough.
You may also want to post about your situation at the following website:
http://www.curemyth1.org (Th1 refers to disease caused by L-form bacteria, hence the name, Cure my Th1). The patients advocates on that site, who answer questions for free, may be able to give you further advice.
Good luck!
Amy
Hello Amy — I’ve spent the last few hours reading your wonderfully detailed site with fascination. I suspect I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome but can’t find a physician who will deal with it.
I was looking for a link on this site on “How to find a physician who will listen”
but, not finding one, could you please advise?
What type of physician or specialist should I look for who most likely will understand CFS, and test me for it? (Once that diagnosis is made, then I’ll proceed with MP.)
Thank you for any “first step” information you can provide. I very much appreciate your and Dr. Marshall’s and everyone else’s research, and this fine, easily accessible and understandable website!
Best wishes,
Kimberly
Hi Kimberly,
I’m so glad that you can relate to the articles on this site and that you seem to realize that the Marshall Protocol is the only curative treatment for CFS.
You are in a good place to start the treatment. Most people to start the MP with CFS have been sick for 20-30 years and their bacterial load is very high. But if you haven’t even been diagnosed yet, then I would say your bacterial load is lower. Perhaps then, your immunopathology will be easier to tolerate, you may not become too light sensitive, and you may progress through the treatment faster than some of the sicker CFS patients. Of course, I don’t know the extent of your symptoms, but starting the MP as soon as possible is always a good thing.
The best way to find a physician who will put you on the Marshall Protocol is to first request, from the Marshall Protocol study site, a list of doctors in your area who already have patients on the MP. You can request the list here:
http://www.marshallprotocol.com/forum11/11348.html
If none of the doctors on the list will take you as a patient or do not practice near you, then I suggest that you look for other people on the MP who live in your area and find out who their doctors are. Go to the MP study site and click on the “members” button on the right upper part of the screen. Then click on “location.” Members of the site will then be listed depending on where they live. Scroll through the list until you find people who live near you, then send each person a private message asking them who their doctors is and if you can have his/her contact information.
If that doesn’t pan out then you will have to present to Marshall Protocol to a doctor. Do you already have a doctor? If you don’t a general practitioner might be more open to the MP than a specialist but there is no real way of telling. Perhaps you can ask around for word of an open-minded doctor in your area who is willing to try new treatment options. You can present such a doctor with the following booklet of information. You may also want to print out articles from this site for him/her to read:
“Folder of MP information for your doctor”
http://www.ginariggio.com/MP/phase1guide.html
You may also want to show a potential doctor Dr. Marshall’s latest paper on vitamin D that was published in BioEssays. Here is the link:
http://TrevorMarshall.com/BioEssays-Feb08-Marshall-Preprint.pdf
I would try to find only one doctor- one who will diagnose you and put you on the MP. There are no tests for CFS. The diagnosis is made only on the basis of symptoms. If you feel fatigued and as if you have symptoms of CFS then you already know you are chronically fatigued and that the Marshall Protocol will get you back in shape. So I would suggest looking for an MP doctor right away - someone who will already understand that concept.
So those are my suggestions. If you have more questions about how to find a doctor or want another opinion, a great site to ask questions at is:
http://www.curemyth1.org (Th1 refers to diseases caused by L-form bacteria, hence the name Cure My Th1). The patient advocates at that site, who volunteer for the non-profit organization that runs the MP, will answer you questions free of charge.
Good luck and I hope to see you on the study site in the months to come!
Amy
Amy, thank you so much for your quick and informative reply! Yes, after reading through the site, I feel very fortunate not to be as sick as so many others. In fact, I never knew CFS could make one THAT sick — it’s shocking. I’m anxious to get started. Thank you VERY much!
Kimberly
Hi,
I am a chronic prostatitis sufferer currently in China receiving interprostatic injections of antibiotics to try and kill my deep-seated pathogens. This is my second visit to China. My first visit resulted in a relapse after 3/4 weeks of returning home to the UK.
Are you currently doing any research on chronic prostatitis, which seems a disease ready-made for the Marshall protocol.
Regards
Chris Jeffries
Hi Chris,
Sorry not to respond to you question more prompty. I’ve been in Sweden for a medical conference this past week.
As far as I know, Dr. Marshall has not done any specific work on chronic prostatitis. That is because we are finding that although each chronic condition manifests with different symptoms, they all have the same underlying pathogenesis, namely infection with Lform and biofilm bacteria. Now that Dr. Marshall has established the pathogenesis, it seems to apply to people with nearly every chronic condition.
I can tell you that Gerald Domingue, a researcher who work for years at Tulane University investigating the Lforms found large numbers of the pathogens in the kidneys, urogenital organs, and in urine. If the pathogens are found in urine, there’s a pretty big chance they can also infect the prostate.
So I agree with you that the MP is a treatment ready made for chronic protatitis. The MP is a treatment ready made for any chronic condition that mainstream medicine considers to be of unknown cause that involves inflammation and pain.
Soon, Dr. Marshall and Autoimmunity Research Foundation plan to do studies that will definitively prove that Lform bacteria can exist in nearly every tissue of the body, hopefully by doing single cell DNA sequencing where pathogenic DNA can be identified.
In the meantime, people with an incredible array of chronic conditions are starting the Marhall Protocol and we essentially have an 100% response rate to the treatment. That means that people with a great variety of diseases are all experiencing immunopathology in response to the MP antibiotics and Benicar. I have little doubt that chronic protatitis will respond as well. So I encourage you to start the MP now, even if there are no definitive studies on the MP and protatitis.
Also, it is very likely that many of our male patients do suffer from protatitis along with their other chronic conditions. Some men may not be comfortable talking about it in an open forum, but I’m sure there are already men on the MP with the condition, some likely recovering. It’s been very hard for me to follow the progress of new patients on the MP since so many new people are starting each day. But I encourage you to get on the study site and look at patient’s signature lines where they list their conditions. You may very well find others with chronic protatitis. You can send such a person a private message over the board and ask them about their experience with the MP.
However, the best way to figure out if your condition will respond to the MP is to do what is referred to as a therapeutic probe. That simply means that you could start Benicar and then low dose minocycline and see if you get a rise in your protatitis symptoms (immunopathology). If you do, you are almost certainly killing bacteria in the area, and if you are killing bacteria in the area, you will almost certainly repond and recover with the MP.
I’m sorry to hear about your relapses after usiing high dose antibiotics. Unfortunately, antibiotics have negative effects on immune function along with their antibacterial properties. So if they are administered in high doses they only act as a palliative. They actually slow the rate of bacterial death, allowing the patient to feel better. But as you are well aware of, when patients stop the antibiotics the palliative effect stops and relapse is inevitable.
That’s why the MP uses very low, pulsed antibiotics. The doses are so low that the antibiotics still effectively weaken Lform bacteria but do not affect the immune system. I think you will see that you would respond very differently to low, pulsed antibiotics than the antibiotics you were administered in China.
So I highly encourage you to give the MP a try. If you have more questions about the treatment, a great place to ask them is at the following website:
http://www.curemyth1.org (Th1 refers to diseases caused by Lform bacteria, hence the name Cure My Th1). The patients advocates on the site, who volunteer for Autoimmunity Research Foundation, will answer your questions free of charge. The advocates may also be able to refer you to other patients already on the treatment who have chronic prostatitis.
Good luck and I hope to see you on the MP board in the months to come!
Best,
Amy
Hi Amy:
Right after I sent my message to you, I found this link on the Autoimmunity Research site:
http://autoimmunityresearch.org/hormones-bw.pdf
It gives me a little more insight into how 1,25-D is connected to numerous hormonal pathways in the body. But it is somewhat vague,in saying hormonal “changes” resulting from “changes” in 1,25-D.
The use of the word “changes” is not clear. Exactly what changes?!
Maybe science does not yet fully understand all these pathways and impacts…???
I assume that too much 1,25-D is a huge factor in messing things up!
Also,
I have a question re: your web page on “Cognitive dysfunction in women.”
In the “Response” section following the article, you reply to someone named
Lottis in entry number 12. You write this statement:
“As all three processes cause the amount of 1,25-D to rise to an unnaturallyhigh level, the master hormone can no longer correctly regulate the thyroid, stress and sex hormones.”
My question is:
What is the master hormone?
I am wondering if you meant to say the “master gland”…???
It is certainly known, based on research, that the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis becomes dysfunctional in CFS. The feedback loop among these
glands gets out of whack.
(Some people refer to the hypothalamus as the master gland, while others consider the pituitary to be the master gland.)
I will appreciate it if you can clarify this for me — re: master hormone.
Thanks.
Bethany
Hi Bethany,
The molecular mechanisms by which the Th1 pathogens are able to disable the body’s hormonal pathways are very clear. As patients accumulate a Th1 bacterial load, substances created by the bacteria begin to block the Vitamin D Receptor, slowing the innate immune response.
When the VDR is block by bacterial substances or 25-D it can no longer transcribe an enzyme (CYP24A1) that is supposed to keep the body’s level of 1,25-D in the correct range. At the same time, the cytokines released by the Th1 pathogens over-activate an enzyme called CYP27B1. CYP27B1 controls the amount of 25-D converted into 1,25-D. When the enzyme is produced in greater quantities, more 25-D is converted to 1,25-D. Both processes described above cause 1,25-D to become elevated in patients with chronic disease.
Unfortunately, when 1,25-D reaches a high enough level it is able to bind the body’s other nuclear receptors. The nuclear receptors are essentially the receptors that control the body’s hormonal pathways - the alpha/beta thyroid receptors, the androgen receptor, the progesterone receptor, the estrogen receptor etc. In his latest BioEassy paper, Dr. Marshall gives the exact affinities of 1,25-D for many of the nuclear receptors and shows that at high levels it is able to bind them quite easily.
When 1,25-D binds these receptors, it displaces the metabolites that are meant to be in the receptors under normal conditions, metabolites that allow the hormonal pathways to run correctly. So when 1,25-D displaces these metabolites the patient experiences hormonal havoc. Essentially every hormonal pathways is affected, especially in people who are very sick.
The MP kills the Th1 pathogens and removes 25-D from the diet which reduces blockage of the VDR and allows 1,25-D to gradually return to a normal range. As this happens, the patient’s hormonal problems generally begin to clear up. In the meantime, the immunopathological reaction can cause 1,25-D to rise at certain periods which is why IP often temporarily exacerbates hormonal problems.
I have recently changed the wording in my “About the MP” article to make the above information more clear. When I previously referred to 1,25-D as the body’s master hormone I was referring to the fact that 1,25-D is a hormone. Actually 1,25-D can function as both a hormone and a secosteroid. But by calling it the master hormone, I was referring to the fact that it is probably the most important hormone in the body because it has the ability to bind, control, and adjust all other hormonal pathways through its actions on the nuclear receptors.
Hope this helps!
Amy
Amy:
Once again, I appreciate your response. Thanks for taking the time to address each person’s question with tremendous detail.
For me, the “vitamin” D connection is the hardest part to understand about the Marshall Protocol — very complicated. Slowly but surely, I am understanding it more clearly — thanks in large part to your explanations.
Be well!
Bethany
Hi - could you tell me if the marshall protocol is available in New Zealand? thanks
Hi Sam,
Yes, people in New Zealand can definitely do the Marshall Protocol (MP). The MP is a phase II open-based internet trial. So, patients work with their own doctor who prescribes the MP meds. Then, they write a weekly progress report on the MP study site, which allows their data to be collected as part of the study.
Posting on the study site means that your progress will also be carefully monitored by nurse moderators. There is no charge for their service and you can ask them any questions about how to manage your medications and immunopathology at any time.
So, in order to start the MP you essentially need to find a doctor in your area who is willing to put you on the treatment.
You can request a list of MP doctors in New Zealand who already have patients on the Marshall Protocol at this link:
http://www.marshallprotocol.com/forum11/11348.html
Also, I recommend getting on the Marshall Protocol study site (www.marshallprotocol.com) and clicking on the “members” button on the upper right had part of the screen. There you can search for members by location. Look for other members who live in New Zealand and send them a private message over the site asking who their doctor is and what his/her contact info is etc.
Also, you can present many of the resources on this site and on the MP study site to your current doctor and convince him/her to prescribe you the MP meds. Just for starters, here is a link to an MP presentation book for doctors:
http://www.ginariggio.com/MP/phase1guide.html
If you still can’t find a doctor, then be sure to post about your situation on the following website:
http://www.curemyth1.org Th1 refers to diseases caused by L-form bacteria, hence the name Cure My Th1. You questions about doctors or any other issue related to the MP will be answered free of charge.
Good luck!
Amy
PS. Here is an interview with a man who lives in New Zealand. He used to MP to recovery from sarcoidosis, psoriasis, and severe insomnia:
http://bacteriality.com/2007/08/10/interview1/
I’ve been diagnosed with sarcoid due to symptoms of sob upon exercising. I’m taking an inhaler twice a day. It seems to help a little bit. How do you determine what stage your in.
Hi Clare,
The MP is a phase II open based internet trial monitored by the FDA. The treatment is based on the new understanding that sarcoidosis is a bacterial disease. It is caused by a wide array of chronic ideopathic bacteria, including L-form bacteria. Read more about L-form bacteria here:
http://bacteriality.com/2007/08/15/l-forms/
To date, the MP is the only curative treatment for sarcoidosis. Other treatments, like your inhalers are only masking your symptoms temporarily but not making you better. In fact, you inhalers may actually have steroids that are slowing your immune system and allowing the bacteria causing your disease to spread. So it is very important that you learn as much as possible about the Marshall Protocol, discuss it with your doctor, and start to eliminate the bacteria causing your illness.
Patients on the Marshall Protocol work with their own doctor who prescribes the necessary medications. However, they also post their symptoms in weekly progress reports on the Marshall Protocol study site where they get free 24/7 feedback from nurse moderators.
The following article describes the MP in greater detail:
http://bacteriality.com/2007/10/11/antibiotics/
The treatment is run by Autoimmunity Research Foundation. Here’s the link to their website:
http://www.autoimmunityresearch.org
The Marshall Protocol study site address is:
http://www.marshallprotocol.com Be sure to read as much information about the treatment on the study site as well as on this site.
Finally, you can ask questions about the MP, how to get started, etc at the following website:
http://www.curemyth1.org Th1 refers to diseases caused by bacteria hence the name Cure My Th1. Your questions will be answered free of charge by patient advocates.
I have to warn you that admission to the study was just closed due to the fact that too many people want to participate in the study and Autoimmunity Research Foundation does not have enough staff to accommodate the current boom in patients. However, on curemyth1.org you can ask the patient advocates how to get on a waiting list that will allow you to start the treatment when a spot opens up which may not be that far away.
Even if you can start right away I recommend you go to curemyth1.org and sign up now. This is a curative treatment and the only treatment at the moment that can truly reverse sarcoidosis. There are currently hundreds of patients with sarcoidosis recovery thanks to the MP. Interviews with some of them are available on this site.
The MP is composed of three phases. Patients in each phase take different antibiotics. The following video offers a full overview of the MP. I highly recommend you watch it. It will explain the different phases of the MP in greater detail.
http://bacteriality.com/2008/05/07/mpintro/
Good luck!
Amy
Hi - Could you tell me whether the Marshall Protocol is used in South Africa?
Hi Lu,
Patients anywhere in the world can do the Marshall Protocol as long as they find a doctor in their area who will prescribe them the necessary MP medications.
One of the MP medicines is an ARB called Benicar. I’m not sure if it’s available in South Africa, but if it’s not, you can probably find a way of importing it in from another country such as Germany or India.
The way the Marshall Protocol study works is that each patient works with their own doctor. However, they also become a member of the Marshall Protocol study site (www.marshallprotocol.com) where they start a progress report. By posting about their symptoms in the progress report, they get free advice from nurse moderators who help guide them when their doctor is not available. Also, the symptoms they report become part of the study data.
So to start the MP you must do two things. You must find a doctor in your area willing to put you on the treatment, and you must sign up to become a member of the study.
You can sign up to join the study at the following webiste:
http://www.curemyth1.org (Th1 refers to illnesses caused by bacteria, hence the name Cure My Th1). The patient advocates will give you an MP application form. At the moment, there is a waiting list to start the treatment because of the fact that so many patients want to start it but the site’s resources are limited. So make sure you fill out an application form as soon as possible so that you will get into the study as soon as possible (people are admitted off the waiting list on a regular basis).
The patient advocates can also give you more detailed advice on how to find a doctor. There is no charge for their help.
Good luck!
Amy
hi Amy
Can you tell me if everyone who does the MP has light sensitivity?
How long does it last on average?
Would be the most difficult area to deal with.
stella
Hi Stella,
Light sensitivity varies greatly from person to person. The extent to which a person becomes light sensitive seems to correlate in most cases with their bacterial load. Those people with more bacteria generally suffer from greater dysregulation of the vitamin D metabolites, which causes them to have more problems dealing with light.
In all cases though, light sensitivity does improve as a patient kills their bacteria, so that at the end of the MP the patient is no longer light sensitive.
Some people find light sensitivity hard to deal with while others don’t. If you have to work, it’s going to be a bigger issue because your environment at work may be bright and your co-workers may not be able to change the environment for you. The same goes for people who have to travel or be in school and find it very hard to block light.
But if you spend most of your time at home, it’s easier to keep light at a dimmer level. Yes, it hard not to be able to go to the beach or to have to wear glasses in the supermarket and possibly get strange looks from others, but in my opinion, recovering from your disease is worth any of the extra inconveniences that blocking light causes.
At least in my case, blocking light didn’t bother me too much as I knew that I was getting better and that mattered to me more than being in bright light.
This piece describes light sensitivity in greater detail:
http://bacteriality.com/2008/02/23/misconceptions/#8
Best,
Amy
Hello Amy !
Thanks for sharing your knowledge/experience with the benefit of MP on CFIDS. Halleluyah for you !!
I have lived under the cfids/fm label for years. I was sent Dr Marshall’s dvd recently. I am open to trying it, I just don’t want to suffer from extreme canida because it ends up making me pretty miserable and depressed, if allowed to get severelly out of hand. I am someone who has had extreme problems with vaginal candidiasis every time I did short antibiotic runs for various infections in the past. I started the MP antibiotic protocol and am already itching after four days. Has anyone ever used any oreganol, colloidal silver,antibiotic alternatives etc with the benecar to kill the bacterial overgrowth?
Thanks for your input.
May today be a good energy day for you, Amy !
Hi Krista,
Hope today is a good energy day for you too!
It’s odd that you would be dealing with symptoms of Candida when the vast majority of people with Candida who start the MP find that it clears up almost immediately because of the fact that Benicar activates the immune stem which is finally able to keep Candida under control.
I certainly know that I suffered from massive issues with Candida before I started the MP, but as soon as I started Benicar they essentially cleared up and now are completely gone.
In my opinion, what you think is Candida may actually be a species or several species of the chronic, intraphagocytic bacteria that cause
CFS. If the symptoms of what you are used to attributing to Candida have flared thanks to the MP antibiotics, then what you are experiencing is almost certainly a bacterial die-off reaction or
immunopathology - especially since these bacteria definitely cause symptoms of depression and itching.
Think about it. Your doctor may have told you that the itching, depression etc. that your suffer from is caused by Candida, but now that you are aware of Dr. Marshall’s research, you understand that
there are a vast number of bacteria causing your disease that your doctor was not previously (and may still not previously be aware of).
So I’m pretty sure that what you are experiencing is a normal bacterial die-off reaction and that unfortunately, like anyone who starts the MP, you are going to have to deal with a rise in these
symptoms of itching, depression etc as you kill the pathogens causing the issue.
I would definitely not try to palliate the response with any other sort of medication as the medications or supplement may very well have negative effects on the immune system.
When it comes down to it, even if your symptoms are related to Candida, once on the MP, a rise in symptoms signifies that you are killing the pathogen that causes the symptoms. So your rise in symptoms would then be a sign that you are killing Candida, something that you must deal with in order to recover.
Are you a member of the MP study? Do you have a progress report on the site? If so, ask the board moderators what you could possibly use to at least get some relief from the itching.
If you are not a member of the MP study I highly warn against doing the MP without being a member of study site where your progress can be monitored. Your current situation is probably just many of the issues that you will encounter as you progress through the MP. So you need the help of the trained staff who run the study to correctly manage
your reactions.
In order to get into the study, post about your reactions at http://www.curemyth1.org and you can get on a waiting list to be officially accepted into the study. There is no charge to be a member of the study.
Best,
Amy
Hello - I’ve noticed the Phase II and III trials are now closed. After we complete Phase I with our physician (if I can even find one to work with me) how do we start the next phase if the trials are closed (including the information on the boards).
- Annie
Hi Annie,
Yes, it’s unfortunate that the study is closed, but the moderators could no handle the great number of patients who all wanted to join the study at once.
Technically, you are not supposed to do phase 1 alone with your doctor. It is expected that you will become part of the study and report your progress on the study site during phase 1 as well as during the other phases.
Right now, there is a waiting list for the study and the moderators are gradually letting people into the study off the list.
You can request the list at the following website:
http://www.curemyth1.org (Th1 refers to diseases caused by bacteria, hence the name Cure My Th1). The patient advocates on the site should tell you what forms to fill out to apply to become part of the study. If you already have a doctor that is willing to put you on the MP, you will probably be admitted more quickly.
It’s important for you to officially join the study because the phase II/III guidelines are only given to study members by the moderators. You will not have access to them if you arn’t part of the study, and the guidelines must be followed very carefully so there’s no way to improvise.
So post on curemyth1 as soon as possible.
Good luck!
Amy
Hi Amy, I was diagnosed in June 2007 with atypical sarcoidosis in my lymph nodes. After 2 yrs of having swollen lymph nodes in my neck.(I also have a small node in my lower right lung.) My 7th doctor put me on daypro to help with the joint and muscle pain, my 8th doctor put me on prednisone 5mg a day. I still take the daypro b/c w/out it I couldn’t function in daily activities b/c of the pain. I no longer take the prednisone b/c of the weight gain, and I am already overweight. I have no idea what to expect and I have very little knowledge of this disease. The more I read on the internet the more terrified I am of what will happen. Until today on this site, I have found hope that I too can beat this disease. I live in the country of WV where our doctors have little knowledge of sarcoidosis, I am a working mother/wife supporting my family the best I can. I have no insurance and no way in sight of getting any. I see my pulmonary dr. every 6 mos for consultation to discuss my progress/regression and to refill prescriptions. Any advice you can give me will be greatly appreciated. I want a healthy life so I can grow old with my daughter. I am missing so much fun with her due to the pain….
Hi Sarah,
I absolutely understand why anyone not familiar with the Marshall Protocol would feel terrified about the implications of sarcoidosis - considering the fact that it is a serious bacterial illness and much of mainstream medicine is simply not aware of the latest research showing how it can be effectively treated. However, the Marshall Protocol effectively reverses the disease and you can hopefully begin the treatment soon as possible in order to get your life back.
Doing the MP does require a large commitment. You have to be willing to deal with immunopathology, avoid light to a certain extent if necessary, and of course change your diet to avoid vitamin D.
But the ability to recover and spend quality time with your children will result if you stick with it.
Read as many of the articles on this site as you can in order to become as familiar as possible with the treatment. Then, also be sure to familiarize yourself with as much information as possible on the study site itself - http://www.marshallprotocol.com. Doctor Marshall’s published papers and conference presentation abstracts/videos are also available on http://www.trevormarshall.com.
If, after that, you have more questions about the treatment (how to get started, how to find a doctor) the best place to post them is at the following website:
http://www.curemyth1.org Your questions will be answered free of charge by experienced patient advocates.
Good luck!
Amy
How do I get started?? I’ve been struggling with CFS for over 10 years and getting worse as I’ve gotten older. Doctor’s don’t know what to do with me and I am loosing everyone around me. Please help
Hi Lori,
I’m very sorry to hear about your struggle with CFS. I know how devastating the diseases can be. But the Marshall Protocol will allow you to kill the chronic bacteria causing the illness and effectively reverse your disease.
If you want to start the treatment, a good first step is to read as much information about the MP on this website and on the study site itself - http://www.marshallprotocol.com. That way you will be able to best discuss the MP with your doctor and with the study site moderators.
Next, post about your desire to start the Marshall Protocol at the following website:
http://www.curemyth1.org (Th1 refers to diseases caused by bacteria, hence the name). The patient advocates on the site will answer your questions about the MP in greater detail and there is no charge to use their services.
Unfortunately, the study is closed at the moment to new patients. However, you can fill out an application to get on the waiting list to be admitted. But don’t panic if you can’t get into the study right away. As long as you have a doctor who is willing to prescribe you the MP medications you can do the MP along with his/her guidance without being an official member of the study.
So the next step would be to educate your doctor about the MP so the he/she will put you on the treatment. There are materials to present to physicians on the study site and you can also order DVDs on the site to present to doctors that describe much of the science behind the treatment.
If you doctor does agree to put you on the MP, make sure that he/she joins the “Private Section for Medical Professionals” which is the first forum on the study site. Once a member, he/she can communicate with other doctors/researchers involved with the MP as well as get direct guidance from Dr. Marshall when necessary.
If your current doctor is not open to putting you on the treatment, then perhaps the advocates at http://www.curemyth1.org will be able to help you find a physician in your area who is.
Good luck!
Amy
I have a question? Why are there so many conflicting reports on Vitamin D3 levels? I was currently diagnosed with Bartonella spp. I am 28 years old and am getting better on the Zhang protocol. My doctor is one of the most respected doctors in the country. When I first had my tests ran for Vitamin D3…they were low. I have been supplementing and they have regained normality over the last 3 months. He stated that Vitamin D3 is a vital part of getting well and staying well. He claims that it helps hold microbes at bay. Also… I have read conflicting reports that microbes feed off Vitamin D3 and when levels drop, then you feel very bad, because Vitamin D3 acts as a hormone.
So if the MP is correct and I live in AZ…how would I stay out of the sun and still be able to function somewhat normally.
Does the MP believe in building the immune system back up? Zhang protocol sure does. I believe it is as vital as not feeding the microbes?
Can a person eradicate these microbes from a person’s DNA using the MP?
Thanks for your patience and time.
Hi Jacob,
The main reason that conflicting reports on vitamin D are emerging is because we are living during a period in history where there is a great breach between what is known by molecular biologists about vitamin D and what is still taught in medical school about vitamin D (it’s outdated).
Essentially, doctors - possibly Dr. Zhang - still visualize vitamin D largely as a vitamin when it reality molecular biologist know that it is a secosteroid transcriptional activator at the heart of innate immunity. If someone told you to supplement with a steroid would you think it was logical? Well, the vitamin D obtained from diet and supplements functions as a steroid. In order to understand how it temporary lowers inflammation and disease symptoms but makes them worse in the long run, I highly suggest you read the following article. Like other doctors, Dr. Zhang is probably mistaking immunosuppression for improvement:
http://bacteriality.com/2007/09/15/vitamind/
You may also want to take a look at Dr. Marshall’s recent paper on Vitamin D published in BioEssays:
http://TrevorMarshall.com/BioEssays-Feb08-Marshall-Preprint.pdf
Yes, the main goal of the Marshall Protocol (MP) is to strengthen the immune system. Patients take a medication (Benicar) that works by strengthening the innate immune response. I suggest that you watch the follow video, which is an overview of the MP, to learn about how the MP restores immune function in greater detail:
http://bacteriality.com/2008/05/07/mpintro/
We view Bartonella as a co-infection that generally takes hold because they immune system is not strong enough. So by restoring immune function with the MP, patients do (and have) recovered from Bartonella infections.
Also, yes. When the MP kills the chronic intraphagocytic, metagemonic bacteria at the heart of inflammatory disease their DNA is eliminated along with them. So when a person has killed a certain bacterial form, its DNA is removed from the genome.
Hope this helps!
Amy
hi there
my name is saleh, and I am disceasing in sarcodiose for 3 years or more I dont know but I dicover this discease after made X-rays to my heart as Doctor order. In Coincidence when doctors in hospital A.U.H saw a picture of X-rays she has a doubt in picuter and asked me to do another picture and advice me to make it in A.U.H its perfect and can read it.
So she told me after made the picture to make Biopsy to know which family belongs this element show on picture.
after made Biopsy she told me that I am Disease in sarcoidoise at that time I take cortizone with other drugs like metosikrate but when doctors said to me I will never can have baby until stop take this medical drugs I stop it but still go each 3 months to make test and interview with doctor there. last treatment and Picture they told me the disease stop and not exist but I still feel same Symptoms when Go up stairs or run
I think what I wrote above give you a clear story about mine.
So if you have any Idea to help me please dont hestiate to send me.
b. regards
saleh
N.B: I poor and may be I dont have lot money to get treatment.
Hi Saleh,
Thanks for writing. I’m so sorry to hear about your illness. You are right and your doctors are wrong. Unfortunately sarcoidosis never goes into remission so if you were diagnosed with the disease you still have it. This piece describes how sarcoidosis doesn’t go into remission in more detail:
http://bacteriality.com/2008/02/23/misconceptions/#14
Luckily there is a way for you to recover from your disease.
Very recent research has made it clear that sarcoidosis is a bacterial illness. Your doctor is probably not aware of the related discoveries.
Several types of bacteria cause sarcoidosis including bacteria that have adapted to live inside the cells of the immune system (where they cannot be attacked) and bacteria that live in protected colonies called biofilms. Read more about there bacteria here:
http://bacteriality.com/2007/08/15/l-forms/
http://bacteriality.com/2008/05/26/biofilm/
This site describes a phase II open based FDA monitored study trial that uses carefully chosen pulsed, low=dose antibiotics and a medication that activates the immune system (Benicar) to allow patients to gradually kill these bacteria. When patients have killed all the bacteria causing their sarcoidosis they become completely well again and do not need to take any palliative drugs or supplements. You can find interviews with several recovered patients on the right side bar of this site.
The following article describes how the MP medications effectively target the chronic bacteria that cause sarcoidosis:
http://bacteriality.com/2007/10/11/antibiotics/
I also highly recommend that you watch the following video, which explains the Marshall Protocol and the science that forms its backbone in simple terms:
http://bacteriality.com/2008/05/07/mpintro/
Once you have read as much information about the Marshall Protocol on this site and the study site itself (www.marshallprotocol.com) if you have questions about the treatment ask them at the following website:
http://www.curemyth1.org (Th1 refers to diseases caused by bacteria). The patient advocates will answer you questions free of charge.
I highly encourage you to use the Marshall Protocol to treat your disease as it is the only treatment to date that targets the root cause of sarcoidosis. Other treatment use steroids in an effort to “cover up” the problem. The steroids slow the immune response to the bacteria that cause sarcoidosis so that less are killed and the immune system’s immflammatory response to their deaths drop. However such a method offers only short-term palliative relief. In reality, because the immune system is weakened, the bacteria that cause sarcoidosis are able to spread with greater ease and make the patient sicker in the long run.
The Marshall Protocol is not very expensive. You can order Benicar for about $50 a month from Canadian pharmacies. Because the antibiotics are taken in such low doses a little bit of antibiotic goes a long way. The antibiotics are not very expensive either.
So I encourage you to look into the MP in greater detail!
Best,
Amy
Hi Amy,
My daughter has been on the MP for three years as a result of Lyme disease and is in her final phase of treatment. She has been experiencing increasingly severe attacks of menstrual pain at the outset of her periods and the various anti-inflammatories that have been prescribed as well as taking magnesium have not helped. Her GP (who is not managing her MP) has advised her to begin birth control pills. Will they negatively affect or be negatively affected by the MP treatment? Apart from high doses of codeine is there any other treatment for the menstrual cramps?
Hi Betty,
Last I checked, Dr. Marshall believes that the hormones in birth control pills do not reach high enough levels to interfere with immune function or any aspect of the MP.
I’ve taken birth control for the past two years while on the MP. While I didn’t start it because of cramps, it made me cramp-free anyway!
I started by taking Ortho-tri-cyclen-lo which did not work very well in my case and caused spotting. Then I switched to Nuvaring (a ring with hormones inserted into the vagina) and have been extremely happy with it.
My period is light and short. I have no cramps. I don’t even have to take a daily pill. I have definitely made excellent progress on the MP over the past two years and don’t think Nuvaring has had any negative effects on my recovery.
So I would encourage your daughter to try birth control in an attempt to alleviate her cramps, particularly Nuvaring.
Best,
Amy
How do I find a Dr. That can treat me?
Hi Feather,
Your first stop ought to be CureMyTh1 where a lot of your basic questions about the MP can be answered.
Sometimes finding an MP doctor is difficult, but it’s certainly not impossible.
Just so you know, with many doctors, you really have to make a case for yourself.
I have two pieces of advice:
1. Go to the members tab of the MP site and contact people on the MP in your area.. Find out who their doctors are and if they might be willing to take on a new patient.
2. Figure out exactly what is holding your would be doctor back from prescribing this important therapy. Come to your doctor’s office prepared with at least the abstracts of studies which rebut many of the most common misconceptions. Read my piece Top 14 misconceptions about the MP.
Good luck!
Best,
Amy
dear sir
I am suffring with food sensitiviti and chemical
sensitivity with choronic fatiuge syndrome.
every time i am taking food it is making me weak,like
sometime breathing trouble. thanks
Dear Sabuz,
I am so sorry to hear about your poor health.
I can’t give you medical advice. What I can tell you is that this site discusses a treatment, prescribed by doctors, for food sensitivities and CFS. The Marshall Protocol is a difficult treatment and you’d require several years to get well. Patients are seeing positive results. Try to read as much as you can about the MP. If you have questions about the treatment, please visit CureMyTh1.
Best,
Amy
Can i get Marshall Protocol in Wales Great Britain as i have all the symptoms of CFS ?
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