Helminthic therapy and multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS)
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is a chronic physical illness affecting people of all ages and backgrounds. It involves allergic-type reactions to very low levels of chemicals in everyday products and often also sensitivity to food, medicines, moulds and electromagnetic fields. [1]
Helminthic therapy can certainly be helpful in cases of MCS, and the helminth species that has proved to be the most beneficial to people with this disorder is the human hookworm, Necator americanus (NA). The ova of the porcine whipworm, Trichuris suis (TSO), can also help in treating MCS, but generally to a somewhat lesser extent than is usual with NA.
Whichever species is used, results may take a long time to materialise (see Consistent improvement can begin anytime from 3 to 24 months) and, in the case of TSO, results may prove to be only temporary. [2]
Since MCS is one of the conditions that require a modified approach to helminth dosing, great care is needed in how it is managed. Whichever species is used, very careful attention must be paid to dosing, especially in the early stages of treatment. See Hookworm dosing and response and/or TSO: recommended dosing regimens.
The anecdotal evidence[edit | edit source]
- These first two reports are by the same person.
- "I have MCS and I get (among other things) rashes from exposure to people wearing scents, going into buildings other than my home (due to cleaning chemicals, carpets, air fresheners, etc.), and exposure to the sun… I BELIEVE I'm seeing some improvement in rashes." (Link expired)
- "... my MCS symptoms are also improved... the irritability I get after seeing fragranced students or clients is also gone." (Link expired)
- "... my bronchial tubes no longer react at all to the myriad of lesser triggers (i.e. perfumes, scented products, smoke)." (Link expired)
- "Mine was never the most severe case of MCS, but exposure to a wide variety of chemicals would produce much worse headaches than usual and leave me feeling generally a lot less well than I would otherwise have been. I had to avoid cigarette smoke, paint fumes and some plastics, I couldn't have anyone in the house who was wearing perfume, I couldn't travel in taxis with air fresheners, and I always had to use non-fragranced household products. Now, however, (since starting helminthic therapy) I no longer need to worry at all about fragrance, so can entertain 'smelly' people, use 'smelly' taxis without incident, and, recently, have even managed to do some painting on the house – the first I've done for many years – without any problem at all, and I was using absolutely bog standard, very smelly, solvent-based gloss paint!” (Reported by an NA host in Aug 2011 [3])
- "So my problems ranged from :-- chemical allergies especially pesticide and petroleum sensitivity, cold fever on exertion, no energy (running on empty feeling), reacting to nearly all foods, never confident of going out anywhere, mental confusion, ringing ears, extreme itchy ears etc, sensitive to odours etc. etc. (But, after 8 months with NA) things are radically different. That whole dysfunctional autoimmune veneer I was smothered by has gone. Imagine walking out of a fog that has been with you for decades…” (Reported in a private discussion, 2011.)
- "I suffer , or should I say, used to suffer from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and multiple chemical sensitivities. I have hookworm, follow the SCD diet, ....and seem to be doing much better." (Reported in a private discussion, Jan 2012)
- The following two reports are by the same person.
- "Her chemical sensitivity, identified by how much she can smell chemicals, has almost disappear..." (Link expired)
- “My wife suffered from allergies, food intolerances and chemical sensitivity for about 13 years and we tried many therapies. 22 months ago, she started helminthic therapy (with NA) and this is by far the best remedy we have found.” (Link expired)
- "Our two year old son was sensitive to fragrances in detergents and soaps - we noticed he would scratch excessively if we put him in clothes that had been washed with scented detergent, and his eczema would flare up. (He has had mild eczema since he was 3 or 4 months old.) Since his first dose with 5 NA about 13 weeks ago, we have seen a significant improvement! His skin is pretty much clear, just a small patch of dryness on each of his feet. He no longer seems bothered after washing his hands with scented soap (this used to make his wrists itch for hours)." (Link expired)
- "Our 2½ year old started with 5 NA in May 2013. He had eczema, mild food allergies (egg white, wheat, and peanut), and was sensitive to fragrance and some foods (dairy, potatoes). So far we have seen significant improvement in the eczema and sensitivities. We have reintroduced dairy and potatoes in small amounts with no reaction…" (Reported to a closed group, Aug 2013)
- "My environmental sensitivities seem to have greatly improved. I can now handle scented products much much better than in the past." (Reported to a closed group, Aug 2013, after 15 months with NA.)
- ☹️ “I have food intolerances and multiple chemical sensitivity and I didn't benefit from helminhic therapy… My lack of success with helminths might be due to liver issues as a root cause for my diseases (mutations in several of the genes CYP450 and some fluctuating liver numbers).” (Link expired)
- “… it is now easier to breath than since I was a kid, my snoring has gone down and I have not had any reaction to perfumes that previously had me blowing my nose profusely, it feels great!, it was worth doing NA just for that!” (Link expired)
- “While my response is incomplete, it allows me much greater freedom to interact socially, to get through the workday with considerably less, and less frequent pain, and to interact with my wife and children in a much kinder, supportive, and rewarding fashion upon returning home from work. Although imperfect, hookworms (NA) are the ONLY preventive therapy I have found for my condition, and I am very glad to have them.” (Link expired)
- “I was hyper sensitive to the world. A trace of perfume. A trace of plastic smell. I had to be so careful with foods - no man made commercial stuff. After helminths (NA) everything damped down. I was able to go out and perfumes no longer bothered me. I started eating more foods... bananas came back in which is nice; Basically I wasn't on a knife edge any more.” (Reported to a closed group, Nov 2014)
- “I have had numerous food intolerances as well as sensitivities to most chemicals for 45 years… It will be 2 years (next month) with hookworms. Improvements include reduced sensitivities to many foods and chemicals, loss of addiction to sugars and chocolates. Increased energy and reduced anxiety. It hasn't totally removed food and chemical sensitivities but tolerance has improved.” (Link expired)
- “I noticed last week I was able to enjoy music in the car, particularly "noisier music" for the first time in many years. I deal with ME/CFS and can find noise of any kind can be overstimulating and extremely unpleasant.” (From a user of NA. Link expired)
- "My chemical sensitivity is largely gone (after first using HDC and then NA). The only chemicals I'm still wary of are e numbers in packaged foods.' [4]
- "I’m running around my home and cleaning on a Sunday. And I realized that I’ve started to use chemicals that I wasn’t able to use for 10 years. I know that it may seem trivial. But a home is made up of things that are comforting. And scents are certainly a part of that. Yet for a long time, I would become sick by simply touching and breathing in certain ingredients. Especially the cleansers that contained gluten. It could put me in bed for 2 days (or more), in pain. So vinegar, baking soda, and Castile soap were my friends. Yet now it’s been 4 years since I started helminthic therapy. And I may hesitate buying something that is processed and artificially scented. But I’m able to use the Lysol wipes and Murphy oil soap if I want. And I don’t have to read the ingredients to make sure that I’ll be ok. And I certainly will not end up in bed for 2 days if use one of them." [5]