Helminthic Therapy wiki - User contributions [en]

User talk:Alana

2018-04-18T21:25:29Z

Mäuschen: /* Clarification on larvae sterilization */

==Alana meet Tracy==

Hi Alana, another wiki User (Tracy) wants to put a couple of questions to you about your NA and TTO protocols, so I’ve suggested that she uses the wiki to do this because it allows wiki Users to communicate with one another via the email addresses they signed up with, without actually revealing those addresses to anyone. Only the wiki software knows what these are.

I’ve sent a message to Tracy, telling her what to do to contact you this way, and you should be able to read my message to her here: http://helminthictherapywiki.org/wiki/index.php/User_talk:Tracy You can also write on her Talk page, if you want to, after hitting the “Edit” button at the top right of the page.

Once you've finished your message, add four tildes (~), which the wiki will replace with your name, as a signature, after you’ve hit the “Save page” button.

If Tracy sends you a message using your Talk page, you can reply to her on this page, after hitting the "Edit" button.

If you want to remove any messages, once they've been seen, just re-enter the page using the "Edit" button, highlight/delete the comment, and hit "Save page". [[User:John|John]] ([[User talk:John|talk]]) 03:48, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

== Clarification of Your Incubation method for TTO and NA ==

Hello.

I have read through your TTO protocol (thank you very much for creating such detailed document for the wiki) and just need a bit of clarification about your incubation protocol.

Question 1 - I understand that many use Sarah's method for incubating NA but would like to know what your practice is, please.

Question 2 -have you ever found a research paper about incubating TTO? I suspect not as you have included it in your thorough cited sources. I just wanted to double check.

I am going to attempt to incubate and process my own TTO and was hoping I could get this bit of clarification.

My background. I have been using TSO and NA and TTO to keep Crohn's Disease in remission for the past 11 years and have experimented with them to see what works best and TTO and TSO work best for me. TSO is prohibitive because of its cost and fortunately, TTO has worked very well for me. I also use NA for its systemic effect and I think it works well as an added buffer against autoimmune response activation, in general.

John Scott suggested I contact you. So here I am. Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

[[User:Tracy|Tracy]] ([[User talk:Tracy|talk]]) 19:17, 2 October 2017 (UTC)

==Testing==

I'm checking to see whether you get a notification of this message, Alana.

[[User:John|John]] ([[User talk:John|talk]]) 02:30, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

Hi John. I'm responding to your message. I received an email notification. [[User:Tracy|Tracy]] ([[User talk:Tracy|talk]]) 16:33, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

== Hello John and Tracy ==

This is just confirming that I'm now able to use this forum.
[[User:Alana|Alana]] ([[User talk:Alana|talk]]) 21:20, 13 October 2017 (UTC)

Hi Alana & John! This is wonderful.

Alana, Thank you for your input so far. Your protocol is wonderfully detailed. I am currently making a list of all the materials I will need and referencing it with the materials at the lab.
Fortunately, the bio-hackers that formed and created the lab space are keen adventurous university grad students and researchers at a local hospital, making access to reagents and other medical grade supplies possible.

It should take couple more weeks to get underway, I need to order a few things - 20 micron nylon mesh is expensive!

Hydrometer question: Can I use a hydrometer for brewing? I would like to if I can because I brew kombucha. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0735B5YND?psc=1

[[User:Tracy|Tracy]] ([[User talk:Tracy|talk]]) 21:49, 13 October 2017 (UTC)

== Chefast Hydrometer ==

Since I haven't used this brand of hydrometer before I needed to take a quick look at the protocol and be sure that this hydrometer covered the full range of densities discussed in the paper. If it did then I don't see that there should be any problems. So https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0735B5YND?psc=1 says, "Measuring specific gravity from 0.99-1.17" Sorry, but you need to be able to go up to 1.270 for the Sheather's solution. In the paper I list "Wards Natural Science Specific Gravity Hydrometer 1.00 - 2.00 model." (I also just now realized I mistakenly included one that wouldn't have worked. "150879 Specific Gravity Hydrometer, 1.00–1.20, 0.002 divisions (see graphic 2J)") [[User:Alana|Alana]] ([[User talk:Alana|talk]]) 22:08, 13 October 2017 (UTC)

I'm glad I checked. The "Wards Natural Science SGH 1.0 - 2.00 it is!
Thank you. [[User:Tracy|Tracy]] ([[User talk:Tracy|talk]]) 22:14, 13 October 2017 (UTC)

==Hydrometer selection==

Alana, would you like to remove the unsuitable hydrometer from the materials list in your protocol? If you click on the "[Edit]" button next to the heading, "Lab Equipment", you'll be able to locate the relevant text in the source code and remove it. [[User:John|John]] ([[User talk:John|talk]]) 23:07, 13 October 2017 (UTC)

==Editing MediaWiki markup==

Here are some references to help you with editing the site. The Cheatsheet covers most of the things you're likely to need, and you may be able to find examples of things you want on other pages on the site. If you hit a problem with the markup, just message me on my Talk page: http://helminthictherapywiki.org/wiki/index.php/User_talk:John

Cheatsheet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Cheatsheet 
The simplest possible guide to writing MediaWiki: https://www.sjbaker.org/wiki/index.php?title=The_simplest_possible_guide_to_writing_MediaWiki 
The Missing Manual: Editing for the first time: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Wikipedia:_The_Missing_Manual/Editing,_creating,_and_maintaining_articles/Editing_for_the_first_time 
Help:Formatting: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting 
Links: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Links 
Lists: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Lists 
Images: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Images 
Citations: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Cite 
Quote box: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/131049/whats-the-easiest-way-to-add-a-quote-box-to-mediawiki 
Tables: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Tables 

[[User:John|John]] ([[User talk:John|talk]]) 22:56, 13 October 2017 (UTC)

== Evil Hydrometer Removed! ==

Thanks John. That process went quite well. [[User:Alana|Alana]] ([[User talk:Alana|talk]]) 18:35, 14 October 2017 (UTC)

== Clarification on larvae sterilization ==

Hello, I was just reading about incubating and had a few questions.

"The larvae are forced to migrate through a 3 inch layer of activated charcoal"? 3 inches is a lot! Is that really activated charcoal and not just normal charcoal?

"they are removed by placing two layers of fabric"? like an old t-shirt? the actual incubating instructions mentioned gauze, but I guess fabric is better since it can be washed and reused and doesn't have to be cut and carefully laid each time

"The sample is washed in buffered saline solution by agitating them mechanically for twenty minutes. The larvae are extracted from the saline by pipetting them from the surface (they float in saline) and are then placed on the surface of a piece of filter paper. They are submerged and flushed ten times using a solution of Chlorohexidine 0.2% by weight."
So are they washed in saline solution, Chlorohexidine, or the buffer solution linked below, because the buffer solution looks like a huge effort to prepare! 3 inches of charcoal and flushing 10 times also sounds a bit over the top. And how can you even be sure that you pipette all of them up when you can't even see them??

Is any of that really necessary? What's the bare minimum you absolutely need to do to insure safety when giving NA to someone else, as far as supplies, process, and blood/stool tests?

[[User:Mäuschen|Mäuschen]] ([[User talk:Mäuschen|talk]]) 21:25, 18 April 2018 (UTC)

2017-01-26T05:38:05Z

Mäuschen:

==Introduction==

This simplified protocol will suit anyone with appropriate knowledge and experience of laboratory practice. Those without this background may benefit from first reading the details in the [http://www.foodsmatter.com/natural_medicine_comp_therapies/helminthic_therapy/articles/how_i_maintain_vibrant_hookworm_colony.pdf Human Hookworm Incubation] document.

==Preparation==

If you are using a donor, have them do this step if they don’t live nearby, and if it is going to take over 20 minutes to get the sample to you.

Supplies: Wide mouth container (urine container, mason jar) with screw tight lid, plastic knife, waxed disposable plates (for a work surface), gallon ziplock bag, gloves, vermiculite (with no added material), charcoal (capsules are fine) distilled water, gauze and tape/ bandage.

Take some feces from a hookworm host who has been infected for at least 6 weeks. (Eggs aren’t produced before this, and the quantity of eggs increases in the following weeks.) Place the feces in a covered container. A large amount of feces is not necessary, a few tablespoons will be plenty.

[[File:Incubation1.jpg]]

Add vermiculite (one part vermiculite to one part stool) and charcoal. I use one charcoal capsule, or two if I’m doing a big batch. The charcoal kills the smell and balances the pH. If necessary add distilled water to get to a pudding consistency. Use a knife to mash any large chunks and repeat until smooth. The charcoal will balance the pH and the vermiculite will prevent the mixture drying out. Wash outside of container with soap and water or alcohol swabs. Clean up by placing supplies in ziplock bags and into freezer overnight to kill any residual material. Now you are ready to incubate.

[[File:Incubation2.jpg]]

==Incubation==

Supplies: Glass slides, coffee filter paper, plastic spoon, wide mouth container with lid, gloves, gallon ziplock bag, waxed disposable paper plates, distilled water, pipette, microscope (capable of 100x magnification, preferably binocular compound and with a moveable stage).

Cut a strip of filter paper the size of the glass slide, leaving an area free so you can pick up the slide.

[[File:Incubation3.jpg]]

Wet the paper and put it on the slide.

[[File:Incubation4.jpg]]

Put about half a teaspoon of feces on the middle of the slide.

[[File:Incubation5.jpg]]

You can use a [https://i.sli.mg/Pgy0Vg.jpg wooden craft stick] instead of a glass slide. These sticks can be cut easily using shears so that they fit inside the container. Or you can use an old credit card, and this will hold more stool than either a stick or a slide.

Add some water to the bottom of the jar. The mature larvae will wriggle into this water. (Note: use only enough water to wet the bottom of the filter paper, because you’ll have to search through all this water later when you look for larvae!)

[[File:Incubation6.jpg]]

If you have more prepared feces, you can set up multiple jars.

Let the container sit somewhere away from light for 1-2 weeks at room temp. And keep it covered. No incubator is needed if the temp is 70F or above, and you can put it outside if the weather is warm. Just make sure no bugs can get inside. I have had the most failures due to forgetting about it and letting it dry out.

Mold may form due to the high moisture, but this doesn’t matter because it won’t affect the worms. If you use a coffee filter or cloth over the top of the container instead of a lid you will get less mold but more chance of it drying out. If you use cloth you will need to mist daily. The only problem I have with the mold is sometimes larvae get stuck to it when I’m trying to count them in the solution.

==Harvest==

After a week or two, pipette all the liquid from the bottom of the container and put this liquid into a wine glass. Let the wine glass sit for a few minutes so the larvae fall and collect at the bottom. One of the benefits of using this method is that only L3 larvae can escape from the feces and be collected in the water. If you are not ready to use the larvae immediately, they will fine in the water for several weeks.

[[File:Incubation7.jpg]]

Pipette the water from the bottom of the wine glass onto the middle of a glass slide.

[[File:Incubation8.jpg]]

Moving systematically up and down across the fluid on the slide, examine for moving larvae. If you don’t get larvae or don’t get enough larvae, add more room temp distilled water to the bottom of the container. Repeat until desired amount of larvae are obtained.

==Innoculation==

Have a bandage ready that seals on 4 sides, or use a gauze pad with tape. Test bandages first to rule out allergic reactions.

[[File:Incubation9.jpg]]

Use a pipette to gather larvae in a few drops of water on the slide, but I don’t do this while looking through the microscope. Once the liquid is on the slide, I put this under the microscope and count the larvae, then add or remove liquid as necessary and recount. If there are a lot of larvae, I suck the water up until I reduce the numbers. I only use squirming larvae. I poke them with a mechanical pencil to see if they are alive. (Requires a steady hand and practice.) Then, when I get the amount I want, I let the water from the slide drip on to a prepared bandage, or gauze pad with tape, and finally wipe the slide onto the gauze to get every last drop. Then I immediately apply this to my skin. I repeat this until I get the number of larvae I want, but can often get the whole dose on a single gauze.

[[File:Incubation10.jpg]]

Place the bandage on a hairless, convex area of skin, such as your (shaved) leg. I recommend 1-3 larvae at a time, depending on your goal dose. (Please research dosing thoroughly, ideally by reading the [https://www.facebook.com/groups/htsupport/841739895881967/ Hookworm Dosing and Response document] in the Files section of the [https://www.facebook.com/groups/htsupport/ Facebook Helminthic Therapy Support group].) I don’t recommend the upper arm because the skin here is thin, and entry spots hard to observe.

Let the bandage sit for 3 hours, tingling should start after 10-20 minutes as larvae enter the skin.

Clean up supplies by freezing them in a ziplock bag overnight before disposal.

After a few hours or days, you should be able to observe the entry spots with the naked eye or a magnifying glass. If I didn't get a tingle and rash I would suspect failure.

==Notes==
{{Columns|2}}
■ Research safety extensively before starting, and have a doctor supervise you.
■ Have a script for a course of the anthelminthic, mebendazole, filled and ready before you start experimenting.
■ If using a donor, get them tested for HIV, Hepatitis B and C as a minimum. Strongyloides blood test is also recommended especially if you are on immune suppressing drugs.
■ If using donor stool, take a peek at this to see what’s in it when you first get it. Do a fecal float and check for eggs. If you see larvae in less than 24 hours, do not use, since it may contain Strongyloides.
■ Get bloodwork done on yourself before inoculating (CBC, Hiv, Hep A+B) and afterwards (Hiv, Hep A+B, Stronglyoides).
■Do not prepare or open the jars of feces outdoors. Bathroom is recommended, as flies can lay eggs in seconds and flies will ruin the feces. Feces are their favorite food.
■ If you put your container outside to incubate, make sure the temp stays between 25C to 35C (77F and 95F).
{{Columns|/2}}

==Safety==

This paper describes some methods you can use in your lab to kill hookworm larvae.

[http://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/5929/ Techniques to kill infective larvae of human hookworm Necator americanus in the laboratory and a new material safety data sheet]

However, freezing the larvae is one of the easiest ways to kill them off at the end of incubation. Simply throw your slides, beakers, gloves etc. into a plastic bag and put them all into the freezer overnight.

==Suggestions/observations==

If anyone using this method has any questions, suggestions for improving this document, or any other observations, please post these to the [https://www.facebook.com/groups/678894952216125/ group].

NA incubation: very simple Harada-Mori method by Sarah

2017-01-26T05:36:12Z

Mäuschen:

[[File:LynJolly.jpg]]

MY STORY
Parasites as a treatment
When faced with the diagnosis of a chronic illness, an Allergy NZ member researched her options and decided to try a new experimental therapy. Lyn Jolly shares her findings and personal journey towards better health.
About eight years ago I was diagnosed with connective tissue (autoimmune) disease. Blood tests indicated lupus (SLE) and my symptoms — dry mouth and eyes, digestive problems, fatigue, and muscle aches and pains — indicated Sjogrens. This is an autoimmune problem associated with the body’s mucous membrane system being attacked.
In recent years I have consulted with two rheumatologists,
a gastroenterologist and an endocrinologist, but they could only offer me the standard treatments of steroids. There seemed to be no long term solution available that was not fraught with side effects.
This left me with trying to manage the symptoms, and how best to prepare myself for what looked to be a life-long, chronic illness that was likely to be progressive.
Environmental changes
In early 2014 a friend alerted me to
a book The Epidemic of Absence
by Moises Velasquez-Manoff — a journalist and immune disorder sufferer. In it, he details the changes in our environment in the last 500 years that the immune system is not prepared for.
He describes the hygiene hypothesis and argues that our modern obsession with eradicating germs has backfired into an explosion of disease, specifically all the new diseases that have replaced infections to undermine our health. The modern immune system is stymied by the sudden absence of its customary microbial targets. With nothing constructive
to do, it has developed numerous hypersensitivities, and turned on food and the body’s own systems. Hay fever is a modern disease, and house dust, cats, and peanuts are now common problems for children. Modern living has created a mis-match of the environment and what our body has evolved to respond to.
In the last 20 years a number of leading researchers have studied the immune system and the impact on the changes in our environment. One of the contributors they have identified to the current rates of immune disorders is biome depletion — the reduction in the diversity and some components of our gut biome. (Other factors include
a reduction in our exposure to vitamin D, modern eating habits, our levels
of chronic stress and a sedentary lifestyle).
Biome reconstitution
As a solution, Velasquez-Manoff describes helminth therapy, which is the deliberate infection of human patients with certain kinds of parasites, in low and controlled doses. Parasites have co-evolved with humans over millennia resulting in highly adapted interactions between the parasites and host immune systems to the point of co-dependency.
More recent and ongoing attention related to this experimental therapy has been under the umbrella theory of biome reconstitution. This is the re-creation and maintenance of the microbiome or the microbiota.
Research into the role that microbiome in the gut might play in the human immune system started in the late 1990s. The human body contains over 10 times more microbial cells
than human cells, although the entire microbiome only accounts for about for one to three per cent total body mass, with some weight-estimates ranging as high as 1,400 grams.
Eating yoghurt, taking probiotics containing live bacteria are examples of activities that help reconstitution of the biome. Some people drink unpasteurised milk to obtain the
live bacteria that it contains. Faecal transplants are now accepted medical treatments for some bowel disorders
in many countries including New Zealand. It is being used on an experimental basis for a range of other diseases that are thought to be caused by biome depletion.
Biome supplementation encompasses the idea of adding a wider variety of natural organisms to the ecosystem of the human body.
My personal experience
After extensive reading of what I found to be a fascinating topic, I printed off a few research papers and gave them to my GP and family members who had a medical research background. I was fortunate to have support from them, and was encouraged to give it a go. While it is not accepted medical treatment in any country, it is estimated that there are between 6,000 and 8,000 people on helminth treatment throughout the world, and knowledge is freely shared in online forums.
My first dose of hookworm was
in August 2014, and with three subsequent doses, I now have a full complement of about 150 on board. The dosage is quite individual but gradually building up to this amount is a common approach. Improvements often start at approximately five months into the treatment, and this has been my experience as well.
The improvement in my health
in the last nine months has been dramatic. The chronic fatigue and the brain fog is resolved. My temperature is now stable. My blood tests show the leukopenia (low white blood cell count) have resolved.
There has been a marked improvement in my dry mouth. My dentist has said my saliva is not too bad now, and asked me what I was taking! My dry eye is almost resolved.
My digestive problems are significantly reduced and I am much less impacted by gluten. My aches and pains are now variable, which is an improvement on the situation before when they were progressive.
The online forum advises that improvements are likely to continue
for two years and even into the third year, so I am hopeful that the residual symptoms continue to reduce. My plans for travel are now back on track!
It is important to emphasise that this is experimental therapy and people need to fully research it, understand the risks and keep their doctor informed if they wish to try it.
Lyn Jolly lives in Palmerston North with her husband Pete. Lyn works at Massey University and in her spare time loves reading, travelling and gardening. She can be contacted for further information about helminth therapy on ljolly@ vodafone.co.nz.

File:LynJolly.jpg

2017-01-19T22:42:02Z

Mäuschen:

Treating lupus and Sjogren's disease with hookworms

2017-01-19T22:41:32Z

Mäuschen: Created page with "link= MY STORY Parasites as a treatment When faced with the diagnosis of a chronic illness, an Allergy NZ member researched her options and decided to t..."

[[File:LynJolly.jpg|link=]]

MY STORY
Parasites as a treatment
When faced with the diagnosis of a chronic illness, an Allergy NZ member researched her options and decided to try a new experimental therapy. Lyn Jolly shares her findings and personal journey towards better health.
About eight years ago I was diagnosed with connective tissue (autoimmune) disease. Blood tests indicated lupus (SLE) and my symptoms — dry mouth and eyes, digestive problems, fatigue, and muscle aches and pains — indicated Sjogrens. This is an autoimmune problem associated with the body’s mucous membrane system being attacked.
In recent years I have consulted with two rheumatologists,
a gastroenterologist and an endocrinologist, but they could only offer me the standard treatments of steroids. There seemed to be no long term solution available that was not fraught with side effects.
This left me with trying to manage the symptoms, and how best to prepare myself for what looked to be a life-long, chronic illness that was likely to be progressive.
Environmental changes
In early 2014 a friend alerted me to
a book The Epidemic of Absence
by Moises Velasquez-Manoff — a journalist and immune disorder sufferer. In it, he details the changes in our environment in the last 500 years that the immune system is not prepared for.
He describes the hygiene hypothesis and argues that our modern obsession with eradicating germs has backfired into an explosion of disease, specifically all the new diseases that have replaced infections to undermine our health. The modern immune system is stymied by the sudden absence of its customary microbial targets. With nothing constructive
to do, it has developed numerous hypersensitivities, and turned on food and the body’s own systems. Hay fever is a modern disease, and house dust, cats, and peanuts are now common problems for children. Modern living has created a mis-match of the environment and what our body has evolved to respond to.
In the last 20 years a number of leading researchers have studied the immune system and the impact on the changes in our environment. One of the contributors they have identified to the current rates of immune disorders is biome depletion — the reduction in the diversity and some components of our gut biome. (Other factors include
a reduction in our exposure to vitamin D, modern eating habits, our levels
of chronic stress and a sedentary lifestyle).
Biome reconstitution
As a solution, Velasquez-Manoff describes helminth therapy, which is the deliberate infection of human patients with certain kinds of parasites, in low and controlled doses. Parasites have co-evolved with humans over millennia resulting in highly adapted interactions between the parasites and host immune systems to the point of co-dependency.
More recent and ongoing attention related to this experimental therapy has been under the umbrella theory of biome reconstitution. This is the re-creation and maintenance of the microbiome or the microbiota.
Research into the role that microbiome in the gut might play in the human immune system started in the late 1990s. The human body contains over 10 times more microbial cells
than human cells, although the entire microbiome only accounts for about for one to three per cent total body mass, with some weight-estimates ranging as high as 1,400 grams.
Eating yoghurt, taking probiotics containing live bacteria are examples of activities that help reconstitution of the biome. Some people drink unpasteurised milk to obtain the
live bacteria that it contains. Faecal transplants are now accepted medical treatments for some bowel disorders
in many countries including New Zealand. It is being used on an experimental basis for a range of other diseases that are thought to be caused by biome depletion.
Biome supplementation encompasses the idea of adding a wider variety of natural organisms to the ecosystem of the human body.
My personal experience
After extensive reading of what I found to be a fascinating topic, I printed off a few research papers and gave them to my GP and family members who had a medical research background. I was fortunate to have support from them, and was encouraged to give it a go. While it is not accepted medical treatment in any country, it is estimated that there are between 6,000 and 8,000 people on helminth treatment throughout the world, and knowledge is freely shared in online forums.
My first dose of hookworm was
in August 2014, and with three subsequent doses, I now have a full complement of about 150 on board. The dosage is quite individual but gradually building up to this amount is a common approach. Improvements often start at approximately five months into the treatment, and this has been my experience as well.
The improvement in my health
in the last nine months has been dramatic. The chronic fatigue and the brain fog is resolved. My temperature is now stable. My blood tests show the leukopenia (low white blood cell count) have resolved.
There has been a marked improvement in my dry mouth. My dentist has said my saliva is not too bad now, and asked me what I was taking! My dry eye is almost resolved.
My digestive problems are significantly reduced and I am much less impacted by gluten. My aches and pains are now variable, which is an improvement on the situation before when they were progressive.
The online forum advises that improvements are likely to continue
for two years and even into the third year, so I am hopeful that the residual symptoms continue to reduce. My plans for travel are now back on track!
It is important to emphasise that this is experimental therapy and people need to fully research it, understand the risks and keep their doctor informed if they wish to try it.
Lyn Jolly lives in Palmerston North with her husband Pete. Lyn works at Massey University and in her spare time loves reading, travelling and gardening. She can be contacted for further information about helminth therapy on ljolly@ vodafone.co.nz.