Medical conditions and their response to helminthic therapy

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This page is still being developed, so please call back later to read further details as they are added.

This page aims to list the medical conditions and their response to helminthic therapy.

Main disease types[edit | edit source]

Positive effects[edit | edit source]

Inflammatory diseases
Autoimmune diseases
Asthma and allergies
Cancer
Food intolerance
Eczema
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) / Leaky gut
Autism
Neurodevelopmental disorders
Neuropsychiatric diseases
Neurodegenerative diseases
Sepsis, Peritonitis
COVID-19, Influenza, Bronchiolitis (VRS)

Potential negative effects[edit | edit source]

Any negative effects seen in cases where therapeutic helminths are being hosted are usually associated with the use of excessive doses or in hosts who are hypersensitive. Negative effects are also typically transient and almost always confined to the period immediately following the initial introduction of the helminths, except in a few cases involving very sensitive individuals.

Virus: HIV, Astrovirus, Flavivirus (West Nile virus, Zika virus, and Powassan virus), Norovirus, Adenovirus
Fungus: Cryptococcosis

Effects of helminthic therapy on preexisting infectious diseases are dependent on the particular species being hosted and the dosages used. There are generally far less issues with the four domesticated species when used at therapeutic doses. See this page for more detail.

Helminthic therapy and infectious diseases

None of the specially domesticated species used in helminthic therapy have been reported to cause cancer, but a number of non-therapeutic helminths are well known for their involvement in this disease. See the following page for more detail.

Helminthic therapy and cancer

Medical specialties[edit | edit source]

Gastroenterology: Intestinal Bowel Diseases (Crohn and Ulcerative colitis), Eosinophilic esophagitis (EE / EoE), Irritable bowel syndrome, Gastric cancer, Colitis cancer
Rheumatology: Autoimmune diseases (Rheumatoid arthritis, Ankylosing spondylitis, Lupus, Systemic lupus erythematosus, Dermatomyositis, Giant cell arteritis), Raynaud's Disease, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Sjögren's syndrome, Septic arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Osteoporosis

Medical conditions[edit | edit source]

SE = Scientific evidence
CTOS = Clinical Trials and Observational Studies
PTE = Potential therapeutic effect. No studies yet done.
PNE = Potential negative effect (unknown with helminthic therapy)
PS = Personal stories
UNK = Unknown

Concerning Personal stories. While anecdotes are not widely accepted as strong evidence in modern medicine, it would seem reasonable to invoke the “parachute paradigm”[1] in this case. If, like a pilot who jumps from an aeroplane and deploys a parachute, the patient is rescued from an otherwise certain fate, and if the mechanism makes perfect sense, then the anecdote should surely be taken seriously.

Absence seizures: PS
Acne: PS
Actinic keratosis: PS
Acute coronary syndrome: PTE
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS): SE
Acute lung injury (ALI): SE
Addison’s disease: PS
Adenocarcinoma: PTE
Adenomyosis: PS
Adenovirus: ❓ PNE
Adenosarcoma: PTE
Adhesions: PS
Adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder: PTE
Adrenal fatigue: PS
Aging / Ageing: SE, PS
Alcohol intolerance: PS
Allergy: SE, CTOS, PS
Allodynia: PS
Alopecia: PS
Alopecia areata: SE,PS
Alzheimer's: SE,CTOS,AS
American trypanosomiasis (Chagas): SE
Anaphylaxis: SE,CTOS,PS
Anaemia (anemia): PS
Angioedema: PS
Ankylosing spondylitis: SE, PS
Anxiety: SE,PS
Appendicitis: SE
Appetite: PS
Arrhythmia: PS
Arterial Stiffness: PTE
Arteriosclerosis: PTE
Arteritis: PS
Asthma: SE,CTOS,PS
Arthritis: SE, PS
Arthritis, IBD-related non erosive: PS
Aspirin-induced asthma: PS
Astrovirus: ❓ PNE
Atherosclerosis: SE
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD, ADD): PS
Autism: SE, CTOS, PS
Autoimmune hepatitis: SE,PS
Autoimmune kidney disease: PS
Autoimmune pain: PS
B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL): SE,PTE
Balanitis: PS
Barrett's Oesophagus: PS
Behçet’s disease: PS
Benign prostatic hyperplasia: UNK
Bipolar disorder: PS
Bloating: PS
Blood pressure-related disorders: SE,PS
Body temperature, poor control of: PS
Bordetella Pertussis infection: ❓ PNE
Brain fog: PS
Brain trauma: PTE
Bronchiectasis: PS
Bronchitis: PS
Bruising: PS
Bladder pain: SE
Blood pressure: PS
Body weight: SE, PS
Bone healing ability, loss of in the elderly
Burns: SE
Breast cancer: PTE
Cancer: SE,CTOS,PS
Candida: PS
Car sickness: PS
Cardiovascular disease: SE
Cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome: SE
Celiac / Coeliac disease: PS
Cervical cancer: SE,PTE
Chagas disease: SE
Chemical sensitivity: PS
Chemotherapy-induced hemorrhagic cystitis: SE
Chikungunya virus: PTE
Chemotherapy-induced pathologies: PTE
Chronic cough: PS
Chronic fatigue syndrome (EM/CFS): PS
Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP): PS
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): PS
Chronic wounds: SE
Clostridium difficile infection: PS,PTE
Cognition, poor: PS
Cognitive dysfunction
Cold sore (Herpes): PS,❓ PNE
Colitis: PS
Colorectal Cancer: SE,PTE,❓ PNE
Constipation: SE, PS
Contact dermatitis: SE,PS
COVID-19: SE, CTOS, PS
Cracked heels: PS
Cramps (abdominal): PS
Cranial arteritis: CTOS,PS
Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease: SE
Crohn's disease: SE,CTOS,PS
Cryptococcosis: ❓ PNE
Cystic fibrosis: PTE
Dandruff: PS
Dementia: PS
Dengue: UNK
Depression / low mood: SE,PS
Dermatitis
Dermatitis herpetiformis: PS
Dermatographia: PS
Dermatomyositis: PS
Desmoid tumors: UNK
Developmental delay: PS
Diabetes: SE,CTOS,PS
Diarrhea / diarrhoea: PS
Diverticular disease (diverticulosis / diverticulitis): PS
Dry eye syndrome (DES): PS
Dysautonomia: PS
Dyslipidemia: SE,PS
Dysmenorrhoea / dysmenorrhea: PS
Ebola: UNK
Eczema: PS
Ehlers–Danlos syndromes (EDS): PS
Encephalitis
Epilepsy: PTE
Endolymphatic hydrops: PS
Endometriosis: PS
Epstein–Barr virus: CTOS,PS
Erythromelalgia: PS
Eosinophilic enterocolitis: PS
Eosinophilic esophagitis (EE / EoE): PS
Escherichia coli enteropathogenic infection: UNK
Fatigue: PS
Fertility: PS
Fibromyalgia: PS
Fibrosarcoma: PTE
Flavivirus: ❓ PNE
Flu: SE
Food allergy: PS
Food intolerance: PS
Frozen shoulder: PTE
Gastric cancer: SE,CTOS
Gastric ulcer: SE,PS
Gastroenteritis (norovirus,adenovirus): ❓ PNE
Gastroenteritis (enteropathogenic Escherichia coli): UNK
GERD (reflux): PS
Giant cell arteritis: CTOS,PS
Giardiasis: CTOS
Glandular fever: PS
Glaucoma: PTE
Glioma: UNK
Gluten-related disorders
Gout: SE
Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD): SE,PTE
Graves' disease
Gluten ataxia: PS
Gluten sensitivity
Guillain–Barré syndrome: PTE
Gulf War Illness: PTE
Gut microbiota
Hashimoto's thyroiditis: PS
Hair colour change: PS
Hair growth: PS
Hair loss: PS
Headaches: PS
Heart failure: PTE
Heavy metal accumulation: PTE
Helicobacter pylori infection: SE,CTOS,PS
Hemarthrosis: SE
Hemophilic arthropathy: SE
Henoch-Schönlein purpura: UNK
Hepatitis virus: UNK
Herpes: PS,PTE,❓ PNE
Herpes zoster: PS
High blood pressure: PS
Histamine intolerance: PS
HIV: ❓ PNE
HIV-Helminth co-infections cancer risk: ❓ PNE
Hives: PS
Horton's disease: CTOS,PS
Hot flashes (hot flushes): PS
Human T-cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1): ❓ PNE
Huntington's disease: PTE
Hyperactivity: PS
Hyperemesis gravidarum
Hypertension: SE,PS
Hyperthyroidism: PS
Hyperuricemia: SE
Hypochlorhydria: PS
Hypocortisolism
Hypoglycemia / Hypoglycaemia: PS
Hypothyroidism: PS
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: PTE
Idiopathic urticaria and eczema
IgA nephropathy: PS
Immune disorders
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) / Immune thrombocytopenia: SE
Infectious diseases: SE
Inflammaging: SE, PS
Inflammation: PS
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
Influenza: SE
Insect bite reactions: PS
Insomnia: PS
Insulin resistance
Interstitial cystitis (IC): PS
Interstitial lung disease (ILD): PS
Irritability: PS
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): PS
Joint replacement, failure of
Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS)
Keratosis pilaris: PS
Kidney pathology: PS
Kuru disease: SE
Labyrinthitis: PS
Lactose intolerance: PS
Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA): PS
Leaky gut syndrome: PS
Leg ulcers, recalcitrant
Leishmaniasis: ❓ PNE
Leprosy: ❓ PNE
Leukemia: PTE
Lewis-Sumner syndrome (LSS): PS
Lichen planus: PS
Lichen sclerosus: PS
Lifespan reduction
Liver
Liver Cancer: UNK
Liver fibrosis: UNK
Long Covid: PS
Low mood: PS
Lung Cancer: UNK
Lupus: SE,PS
Lyme disease: PS
Lymphocytic colitis: PS
Lymphoma: PTE
Macular degeneration / age-related macular degeneration (AMD): PTE
Malaria: ❓ SE, PNE
Malnutrition: PS
Mast cell disorders (MCAS, MCAD)
Melanoma: UNK
Memory loss: PS
Menstruation: PS
Microscopic colitis: PS
Ménière's disease: PS
Menstruation (painful, irregular): PS
Metabolic syndrome: SE
Migraine: PS
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI): SE
Miscarriage
Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD): PS
Mood
Mold (mould) illness / sensitivity: PS
Mononucleosis / infectious mononucleosis / glandular fever: PS
Mouth ulcers: PS
Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS): PS
Multiple sclerosis (MS): PS
Muscle mass loss in the elderly
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS): PS
Myasthenia gravis: PS
Myeloma: PTE
Myocardial infarction: SE
Myodesopsia (floaters)
Myopia: PS
Narcolepsy: PS
Nasal congestion: PS
Nasal polyps: PS
Neuroblastoma: UNK
Neurodegenerative diseases: SE,PS
Neurodevelopmental disorders: SE
Neurofibromatosis type I: PTE
Neuropathic pain: PTE
Neuropsychiatric disorders: SE,PS
Night terror: PS
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): SE
Non-coeliac / celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS): PS
Norovirus (Norwalk virus, winter vomiting disease): ❓ PNE
Nutritional deficiencies
Obesity: SE,PS
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): PTE
Obstructive sleep apnea
Oral health
Organ transplantation
Osteoarthritis: SE,PS
Osteoporosis: SE
Ovarian cancer: PTE
Pain, chronic
Palpitations: PS
Pancolitis: PS
Pancreatic cancer: CTOS
Pancreatitis: PTE
PANDAS / PANS: PS
Papillomavirus: SE
Parkinson's disease: PS
Periodontitis (gum disease): PS
Peritonitis: SE
Pertussis: ❓ PNE
Peripheral neuropathy: PS
Malaria ❓ PNE
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID): UNK
Pneumocystis pneumonia: SE
Pneumocystosis: SE
Pneumococcal pneumonia: ❓ PNE
Pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas: SE
Poisoning: PTE
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): PS
Polycythemia: SE,CTOS
Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR): PS
Post-traumatic brain injury: PTE
Post-stroke depression: PTE
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS): PS
Powassan virus: ❓ PNE
Preeclampsia
Premature birth
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS): PS
Primary adrenal insufficiency
Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC): PS
Prion diseases: SE
Prostatitis: PS
Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia: SE
Psoriasis: PS
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA): PS
Psychosis: PTE
Pulmonary fibrosis: SE
Radiation-Induced Salivary Gland Hypofunction: PTE
Radiogenic xerostomia: PTE
Raynaud syndrome / Raynaud's phenomenon: PS
Recklinghausen syndrome: PTE
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection: SE
Restless legs syndrome (RLS)
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA): SE,CTOS,PS
Rhinitis: PS
Rhinosinusitis: UNK
Rhinovirus: UNK
Rosacea: PS
Salicylate intolerance: PS
Salmonella: ❓ PNE
Samter's triad / Samter's syndrome: PS
Sacroiliitis: PS
Sarcoidosis: PS
Sciatica: PS
Scleroderma: PS
Schistosomiasis: PTE
Schizophrenia: PS,PTE
Seborrhoeic dermatitis / seborrheic dermatitis: PS
Sensory hypersensitivity: PS
Sepsis
Seronegative rheumatoid arthritis (SNRA): PS
Sexual function
Shingles / Herpes zoster: PS
Sickle Cell Disease: UNK
Sinusitis: PS
Sjogren's syndrome: PS
Sleep
Sleep apnea: PS
Sleep, problems with: PS
Sleep terror: PS
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO): PS
Still's Disease: PTE
Stomach acid
Streptococcus pneumoniae pulmonary infection: ❓ PNE
Stress: PS
Stroke: SE
Suicide
Sweet syndrome (SS): PS
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
Systemic vasculitis: CTOS,PS
T-cell large granular lymphocyte leukemia: UNK
Temporal arteritis: CTOS,PS
Tendinopathy (tendinitis / tendonitis): PS
Testicular atrophy: PS
Thyroid disease
Tinnitus: PS
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS): SE
Toxoplasmosis: ❓ PNE
Trypanosoma cruzi infection (Chagas): SE
Transient ischemic attack: SE
Tourette Syndrome: PTE
Travel sickness: PS
Trimethylaminuria (TMAU): PS
Tuberculosis: SE,CTOS,PS,PTE,❓ PNE
Type 1 diabetes: SE,CTOS,PS
Type 2 diabetes: SE,CTOS,PS
Ulcer, leg: PS
Ulcerative colitis: PS
Ulcerative proctitis: PS
Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD): PS
Urinary tract infections (UTIs): PS
Urticaria: PS
Vaccines
Venous thromboembolism (VTE)
Vertigo: PS
Vitiligo: PS
Warts: PS
Weight, excess: PS
Weight, insufficient: PS
West Nile virus: ❓ PNE
Whooping cough: ❓ PNE
Winter vomiting disease (Norovirus): ❓ PNE
Wound healing: SE
Zika virus: ❓ PNE
Zona: PS

Steps to take for a specific condition[edit | edit source]

To establish whether helminths might offer therapeutic or preventive benefits for a particular disease.

Here are a few approaches, listed in order of convenience.

Consult the Helminthic Therapy Wiki. Browse from this page and search by keywords to find testimonials or existing scientific studies.

Consult self-treaters Ask questions in the Facebook Helminthic Therapy Support group or within groups dedicated to the disease.

Foster collective action. If no group or association already exists for patients with this particular disease, create one.

Conduct web searches. Check general internet sources and scientific papers.

Example for Google Scholar: "(diabete OR diabetes OR diabetic OR insulin) AND (helminths OR helminth OR nippostrongylus OR polygyrus OR Heligmosomoides OR Hymenolepis OR "Necator Americanus" OR Hookworm OR Hookworms)"

Investigate biological pathways. Research pathways associated with the disease that helminths are known to influence. Key terms include: inflammation, neuro-inflammation, pro-inflammatory cytokines, Th1/Th17, IL4, IL10, IL33, macrophages polarization M1/M2 AAM, Tregs, ILC2, LPS, TLR4, NF-κB, microbiome, SCFA, intestinal permeability, blood-brain barrier. See Mechanisms underlying helminth colonization.

Conduct socio-medical studies. Analyze data from existing self-treaters. (See for example [2], [3] and [4])

Perform observational studies on self-treaters. Examples:
- John Turton with NA [5]
- Vik and P'ng Loke with TTO for colitis [6], [7],[8],
- another case with TTO at the University of Aarhus (Denmark) [9],[10].
- a Korean case with TSO Therapy using trichuris suis ova in a patient with crohn's disease -- PDF (Korean)
- a funny paper on T1D "It's time to mow the GRAS in type 1 diabetes" [11]
- Remember Barry Marshall, who won the 2005 Nobel Prize after testing a treatment for Helicobacter pylori on himself.

Launch prospective observational studies. Collaborate with specialists working with populations naturally colonized by helminths. For instance, regarding sepsis, are individuals with helminths more resisant to this condition, as murine models suggest?

Leverage naturally colonized populations. Conduct epidemiological studies, cross-sectional surveys, deworming programs, etc. See Helminthic therapy clinical trials and observational studies.

Conduct preclinical studies. Utilize animal models. See Helminth therapy studies in murine models: Therapeutic helminth counterparts for murine models.

Initiate Phase 1 or 2 clinical trials. Base these on feedback and data gathered from self-treaters. See Helminthic therapy clinical trials and observational studies.