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Funk's Regimen


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#1 FunkOdyssey

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Posted 13 January 2009 - 06:03 PM


Current regimen (08/04/2010):

VITAL STATS
Age: 29
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 200lbs
BP: 110/70
Fasting Glucose: 80
25(OH)D: 64ng/mL (probably lower now since I reduced Vit D intake, have to retest)

DIET

Here's what I eat on a typical day:

Breakfast (7:30am)
1 cup wild blueberries
1/3 cup of oatmeal
4 extra-large organic cage-free chicken eggs, very lightly fried sunny side up (low heat, still runny)

Snack (10:30am)
Raw organic almonds, cashews and pecan mix
30g Trutein (40% whey, 40% casein, 20% egg) w/ 10 drops of JarrowSil (4mg stabilized silicon)

Lunch (1:00pm)
Jaipur Vegetables (Indian food, comes in a box from Trader Joe's)
Organic uncured beef hot dogs

Snack (4:00pm)
Raw organic almonds, cashews and pecan mix
30g Trutein w/ 10 drops of JarrowSil (4mg stabilized silicon)

Dinner (7:30pm)
Whatever I can get my hands on

Bedtime (11:00pm)
30g Trutein


SUPPLEMENTS

As needed-
Modafinil - 50-100mg

Upon Awakening (7:00am)-
Thyroid-S (dessicated thyroid): 1 grain
Amoxicillin - 2g
Probenecid - 500mg
Tinidazole - 500mg
Olympian Labs Grape Seed Extract - 240mg
Nature's Way SJW (WS 5570 / Perika) - 300mg
Mushroom Science Reishi Gano 161 - 1200mg

Breakfast (8:00am)-
Carlson B-Compleet w/ 250mg C: 1 tablet
Country Life Ultra Omegas Fish Oil: 250mg DHA, 100mg EPA
Doctor's Best Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM: 750mg/600mg/500mg
Doctor's Best Hyaluronic Acid: 50mg
Jarrow Q-absorb CoQ10: 30mg
Jarrow Saccharomyces Boulardii: 5 billion CFU
VSL#3: 450 billion CFU

Lunch (1:00pm)-
NOW Vitamin D: 2000iu
NOW Vitamin A: 2857iu (10k twice weekly)
LEF Advanced K2 Complex: 1 gelcap
Jarrow FamilE: 1 gelcap
Jarrow CarotenALL: 1 gelcap
Source Naturals Copper Sebecate: 3mg
Source Naturals Magnesium Malate: 70mg
Healthy Origins Seleno Excell: 200mcg
NOW Potassium w/ Iodine: 225mcg iodine

Mid-Afternoon (3:00pm)-
Amoxicillin - 2g
Probenecid - 500mg
Tinidazole - 500mg
Olympian Labs Grape Seed Extract - 240mg
Nature's Way SJW (WS 5570 / Perika) - 300mg

Pre-Dinner (7:00pm)-
Thyroid-S (dessicated thyroid): 1 grain
Mushroom Science Reishi Gano 161 - 1200mg
Theralac: 30 billion CFU

Dinner (8:00pm)-
Carlson B-Compleet w/ 250mg C: 1 tablet
Country Life Ultra Omegas Fish Oil: 250mg DHA, 100mg EPA
Doctor's Best Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM: 750mg/600mg/500mg
Doctor's Best Hyaluronic Acid: 50mg
Jarrow Q-absorb CoQ10: 30mg
Jarrow Saccharomyces Boulardii: 5 billion CFU

Bedtime (11:00pm)-
NOW Magnesium Citrate: 333mg
Allergy Research Zinc Citrate: 25mg
Doctor's Best Lithium Orotate: 5mg
Amoxicillin - 2g
Probenecid - 500mg
Tinidazole - 500mg
Olympian Labs Grape Seed Extract - 240mg
Nature's Way SJW (WS 5570 / Perika) - 300mg
Jarrow Ashwagandha (Sensoril) - 225mg

EXERCISE

Lift weights 4x weekly, Mon-Tues-Thur-Fri, generally three sets of 8-10 reps, alternating between two routines:

Day 1 (Back, Bi's, Calves, Abs)
Deadlift
Cable Rows
Pull-ups
Dumbbell curls
Calf raises
Ab crunch machine thing

Day 2 (Legs, Chest, Shoulders, Tri's)
Leg Press
Leg Extension
Leg Curl
Overhead Press
Cable Crossover
Dips

Edited by FunkOdyssey, 05 August 2010 - 12:24 AM.

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#2 mitkat

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Posted 13 January 2009 - 06:09 PM

Yes, I have the morning off and was catching up on multiple member's regimens and was wondering how the keto diet was going for you in regards to your lyme. Very very interesting Funk, I have questions:

Carlson B-Compleet - your reasons placing it above AOR Advanced B Complex? Cost, Carlson's actual product over another formula, or are you getting away from taking too much benfotiamine entirely? I see you're also supping with Pyridoxamine and P-5-P individually - is this purely anti-glycation or am I missing something in regards to how you're treating Lyme?

LEF Advanced K2 Complex...I was looking into this also, seems to be the best overall K2 supp if you're looking for MK-4 and MK-7!

Great regimen...damn! ;)

Edited by mitkat, 13 January 2009 - 07:03 PM.


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#3 FunkOdyssey

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Posted 13 January 2009 - 07:19 PM

Yes, I have the morning off and was catching up on multiple member's regimens and was wondering how the keto diet was going for you in regards to your lyme. Very very interesting Funk, I have questions:

Carlson B-Compleet - your reasons placing it above AOR Advanced B Complex? Cost, Carlson's actual product over another formula, or are you getting away from taking too much benfotiamine entirely? I see you're also supping with Pyridoxamine and P-5-P individually - is this purely anti-glycation or am I missing something in regards to how you're treating Lyme?

LEF Advanced K2 Complex...I was looking into this also, seems to be the best overall K2 supp if you're looking for MK-4 and MK-7!

Great regimen...damn! :)


Thanks mitkat for the interest. I didn't like the AOR Advanced B Complex because I like to space out the b-vitamins throughout the day because they're water-soluble, I want to take a dose of P5P and Pyridoxamine with each meal, and if I took the AOR B Complex more than once a day I would get too much folic acid. The Carlson B-Compleet with C has very reasonable and balanced doses of the B vitamins (probably just to allow room for the Vit C they put in there, but inadvertently or not, its a good product).

The pyridoxamine and P5P are part of the "side order of anti-aging", doesn't have anything to do with Lyme. ;)

#4 ajnast4r

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Posted 13 January 2009 - 07:39 PM

excellent regimen. i think you know this already, but that seems like an awful lot of retinol.

those probiotics should be taken with food... helps to carry and distribute them more evenly throughout the digestive tract.

turmeric extract (full spectrum like new chapter or gaia) made a huge difference in my inflammation levels... im not sure exactly why, but it was significantly better than any NSAIDS i tried. really calmed down the flare-ups from the EB.

im glad im not the only one who gets a laugh out of the soup ;)

Edited by ajnast4r, 13 January 2009 - 07:43 PM.


#5 FunkOdyssey

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Posted 13 January 2009 - 08:18 PM

excellent regimen. i think you know this already, but that seems like an awful lot of retinol.

those probiotics should be taken with food... helps to carry and distribute them more evenly throughout the digestive tract.

turmeric extract (full spectrum like new chapter or gaia) made a huge difference in my inflammation levels... im not sure exactly why, but it was significantly better than any NSAIDS i tried. really calmed down the flare-ups from the EB.

im glad im not the only one who gets a laugh out of the soup ;)


About the retinol, Lyme induces Vit A deficiency and I have also subscribed to the Weston Price school of fat-soluble vitamin theory, which supports higher preformed Vit A intake when balanced with adequate D and K. I do plan to eventually reduce to 10,000iu daily -- I'm going to use 20,000iu for 2-3 months.

I can't take the probiotics at any other time of day or they would be in close proximity to tetracycline. I also am of the opinion that taking them on an empty stomach with water to speed their passage through the stomach helps more of them survive the acid exposure.

Thanks for the turmeric extract tip, I may look into that. And yes, The Soup is awesome. :)

Edited by FunkOdyssey, 13 January 2009 - 08:45 PM.


#6 Jacovis

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Posted 16 January 2009 - 11:16 AM

I probably don't think they are necessary given your extensive regimen, but there is some talk that medicinal mushrooms may help Lyme Disease...



http://www.chronicly...usrhooms-reishi

Resources and Product Information

Websites:

1. http://www.fungi.com – This website has a wealth of information on medicinal mushrooms ranging from books on the subject, articles, products for sale, scientific documentation, and much, much more. Visit this website first.

2. http://tinyurl.com/3yqu5x – Article on the benefits of Maitake mushrooms.

3. http://www.drugs.com/npp/maitake.html (yes, even drugs.com talks about the benefits of mushrooms) – Interesting facts, trivia, and science about Maitake mushrooms.

4. http://tinyurl.com/37psjf - article on the immune enhancing properties of Maitake mushrooms.

Products:

1. Host Defense by New Chapter. This product is at the top of the list of medicinal mushroom products. It is widely distributed and sold in the United States. It contains over 15 medicinal mushrooms. The product is available through most health food stores and online supplement stores.

2. EpiCor by Vitamin Research Products. EpiCor, which contains primarily beta glucan from mushroom sources, has specifically helped numerous Lyme Disease sufferers according to user reports. EpiCor can be purchased from many online sources, including http://tinyurl.com/32l8s3.



3. AHCC (Active Hexose Correlated Compound) by Source Naturals. According to Source Naturals, “AHCC is a proprietary compound produced by cultivation and enzymatic modification of several species of mushroom mycelia, including shiitake, grown in rice bran extract. Considered a superfood supplement in Japan, AHCC has been researched extensively for its immune-enhancement properties. According to human and animal research, AHCC may significantly increase Natural Killer (NK) Cell activity. AHCC may also increase macrophage activity, enhance cytokine production, and support the healthy functioning of the liver as well as act as an antioxidant.” Because this product is manufactured by Source Naturals, it is widely available through most health food stores and online supplement stores. Another supplement containing AHCC is ImmPower, made by The Harmony Company, available at http://theharmonyco.com. According to a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor (LLMD) in Minnesota, ImmPower has led to significant improvement in several Lyme Disease patients.

4. Ridoxolan Plus by Aloha Medicinals, Inc. According to their website, this product is formulated specifically for Lyme Disease. This product contains primarily Cordyceps, a type of mushroom, and also several other herbal and nutritional ingredients. You can purchase this product from http://www.alohamedicinals.com. The website is fairly useful with FAQ’s for most of their products. A note of caution: I was unable to verify the veracity of the claim that this supplement can target Lyme Disease specifically.

5. Coriolus-MRL by Mycology Research Laboratories. This is a supplement containing raw, bulk powder of Coriolus versicolor in the form of both mycelium (vegetative branching of the mushroom) and primordia (young fruit body of the mushroom). Mycology Research Laboratories, http://www.mycologyresearch.com, manufactures numerous mushroom supplements, but Coriolus-MRL is preferred for Lyme Disease because, according to some sources, it may help support CD-57 cell function, which is known to be deficient in Lyme Disease sufferers. This can be purchased from http://www.delicatebalance.biz in the product section entitled “Microbial Balancers.” To learn more about CD-57 cell function in Lyme Disease, download article 104 at
http://www.lymebook.com/articlelibrary.

6. Maitake and Shiitake mushrooms at your grocery store! Don’t forget to integrate mushrooms into your diet to gain their benefits in holistic form.

#7 FunkOdyssey

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Posted 16 January 2009 - 04:26 PM

Thanks visionary. I did try high doses of EpiCor and AHCC, 2g of each, for a period of time during the summer. I didn't notice any obvious effects from them and they are super expensive. I understand their function to be essentially "pissing off" the immune system because the mushrooms look like antigenic material, and I can see how this would be useful in a situation like cancer where your immune system may be oblivious to the threat. Right now though, I surely have many lysed bacteria and their antigenic material floating around based on the severity of my herxheimer reactions, I think my immune system is getting all of the genuine antigenic stimulation it needs.

In the future I will incorporate Low Dose Naltrexone to maintain progress and remission achieved with antibiotics. I've already made a change to the regimen since I posted it, taking 1g of taurine 4x daily rather than 2g at bedtime. I had forgotten it was an anti-glycation agent and I recently learned more about its neuroprotective properties and role in the immune system.
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#8 pycnogenol

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Posted 16 January 2009 - 07:15 PM

Hi Funk,

What are your most recent liver function lab test results on this regimen?

Does your regimen elevate your liver enzymes? Or is it in the normal range?

Please post your ALT/AST results. Thanks. - pycnogenol

Edited by pycnogenol, 16 January 2009 - 07:20 PM.


#9 FunkOdyssey

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Posted 16 January 2009 - 07:38 PM

I'm going for a blood test today and I'll put the results up next week. While I was on zithromax and mepron last month, and most of the same supplements, ALT and AST were both in the middle of the normal range. Diflucan is known to be hard on the liver so this new test will be interesting.

#10 FunkOdyssey

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Posted 19 January 2009 - 05:47 PM

I'd like to take this opportunity to whine about the scheduling complexity and difficulty of taking an antibiotic 4x daily that has to be taken at least one hour before and at least 3 hours after food as well as any supplements containing calcium or magnesium. Check out the straight-jacket this imposes upon my schedule (currently backed down to 1000mg tetracycline to reduce severity of dangerous cardiac herxheimer symptoms):

8:00am Awaken, 250mg tetracycline
9:00am Eat breakfast
9:30am Finish breakfast, take supps
12:30pm 250mg tetracycline
1:30pm Eat lunch
2:00pm Finish lunch, take supps
5:30pm 250mg tetracycline
6:30pm Eat dinner
7:00pm Finish dinner, take supps
10:00pm 250mg tetracycline
11:30pm Bedtime supps
12:00am Sleep

I'm thinking Lyme is good preparation for a military career. :)

#11 Dmitri

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Posted 20 January 2009 - 05:02 AM

Nice regimen though I'm surprised you're taking Quercetin, research says it decreases the effectiveness of certain antibiotics? I hope you researched this well enough to know whether or not the medication you are taking will be affected by Quercetin? Good luck fighting the disease, certain individuals have symptoms even after treatment is over, let’s pray you're not one of those who develop chronic Lyme disease.

Edited by Michael, 02 January 2010 - 04:56 PM.
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#12 FunkOdyssey

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Posted 20 January 2009 - 05:25 AM

Quercetin may interfere with quinolones, which I will not be using because they are evil and they don't kill Lyme anyway. I already have chronic Lyme, in fact I've had it since I was a little kid based on medical history. To say it is well-entrenched would be an understatement. My mother has it too, we recently discovered after 22 years of misdiagnoses by 14 different doctors. We used to live in a rural woodsy area when I was very young, and either we both were bit by infected ticks or she gave it to me congenitally. I'm both IgM and IgG positive on the Western Blot.

If you look at my history on the forum you'll see I spent my first few years here messing with nootropics, thinking I had ADD, thinking I had adrenal fatigue, thinking I had food allergies, etc. Wasted alot of time and alot of money to figure this out.

#13 Dmitri

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Posted 20 January 2009 - 05:37 AM

Quercetin may interfere with quinolones, which I will not be using because they are evil and they don't kill Lyme anyway. I already have chronic Lyme, in fact I've had it since I was a little kid based on medical history.


That's terrible, I assumed you had caught it recently since you mentioned beating the disease; has anyone ever recovered from Chronic Lyme Disease?

Edited by Michael, 02 January 2010 - 04:57 PM.
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#14 rwac

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Posted 20 January 2009 - 06:17 AM

Funk, I'd be interested in knowing why you take certain supplements.
Which of these are Lyme specific ?

Ubiquinol
Grape Seed Extract
Green Tea Extract
Quercetin
Curcumin (Immune system, anti-Alzheimer's ?)
Selenium (Stimulate Glutathione ? Lyme is not a virus though.)
Toco-Sorb (Do you feel you need those extra Tocotrienols, ie, FamilE isnt enough ?)

Edited by rwac, 20 January 2009 - 06:19 AM.


#15 niner

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Posted 20 January 2009 - 06:17 AM

Nice stack, Funk; thanks for filling us in on it. How's your mom doing? Do you have her on a regimen that looks anything like this? I hope you knock it out. One minor suggestion: You don't need to spread out the vitamin D. I take mine all bunched with my other lipids, along with my highest lipid meal. Vitamin D's half life is approximately forever. I have a friend who takes about the same number of IU/day as I do, but he takes it once every two weeks.

#16 ajnast4r

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Posted 20 January 2009 - 07:13 AM

If you look at my history on the forum you'll see I spent my first few years here messing with nootropics, thinking I had ADD, thinking I had adrenal fatigue, thinking I had food allergies, etc. Wasted alot of time and alot of money to figure this out.


same here

#17 rwac

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Posted 20 January 2009 - 08:04 AM

If you look at my history on the forum you'll see I spent my first few years here messing with nootropics, thinking I had ADD, thinking I had adrenal fatigue, thinking I had food allergies, etc. Wasted alot of time and alot of money to figure this out.


same here


I guess I'm lucky. I spent only a few months before Funk pointed out that I might have Lyme.

#18 sentinel

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Posted 20 January 2009 - 03:29 PM

Quercetin may interfere with quinolones, which I will not be using because they are evil and they don't kill Lyme anyway. I already have chronic Lyme, in fact I've had it since I was a little kid based on medical history. To say it is well-entrenched would be an understatement. My mother has it too, we recently discovered after 22 years of misdiagnoses by 14 different doctors. We used to live in a rural woodsy area when I was very young, and either we both were bit by infected ticks or she gave it to me congenitally. I'm both IgM and IgG positive on the Western Blot.

If you look at my history on the forum you'll see I spent my first few years here messing with nootropics, thinking I had ADD, thinking I had adrenal fatigue, thinking I had food allergies, etc. Wasted alot of time and alot of money to figure this out.


Hey chap, it's only wasted time if you Don't figure it out ;-) and the knowledge gained has benefited both yourself and others.

Hugging aside, good regime. No whey supplementation?

#19 caston

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Posted 20 January 2009 - 03:57 PM

When I was ten years old I went on a hay ride on a school camp. A day or so later back at home I discovered a tick buried into my stomach. I think my mum killed it with a needle that she heated on the stove.

Should I get tested for lymes disease? What does the test involve?

#20 FunkOdyssey

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Posted 20 January 2009 - 04:13 PM

Nice stack, Funk; thanks for filling us in on it. How's your mom doing? Do you have her on a regimen that looks anything like this? I hope you knock it out. One minor suggestion: You don't need to spread out the vitamin D. I take mine all bunched with my other lipids, along with my highest lipid meal. Vitamin D's half life is approximately forever. I have a friend who takes about the same number of IU/day as I do, but he takes it once every two weeks.


I know, I'm taking it this way because I have 2000iu and 1000iu gelcaps on hand and I like to spread things out. If I was ordering Vit D right now I'd get a 5000iu gelcap and take it with dinner.

I'm still working on my mom's regimen. It won't be quite as comprehensive because I don't want to overwhelm her with pills. It's also complicated because she is on 14 (fourteen!) different prescriptions, she was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Sjogren's Syndrome, Lupus, Panic Disorder, Depression, Leukopenia, Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (one hematologist gave her FIVE bone marrows chasing the blood abnormalities, all normal, she might sue that guy). It was left to little old me to figure this out. Her case of Lyme is so severe she cannot tolerate even a 100mg doxycycline capsule, we had to have 25mg capsules specially compounded. Still, at least we're finally on the right track.

I have the same blood abnormalities, and they did a bone marrow on me too when I was only eight years old which was normal. Platelets have been below normal forever, until a recent blood test after a month of tetracycline when they were normal for the first time in my life. Its obvious to me that if the bone marrow is normal and your blood counts are low, there is peripheral destruction going on, of which the most likely cause is infection. Apparently the concept of infection is beyond the scope of hematology's narrow beam of focus.

That's terrible, I assumed you had caught it recently since you mentioned beating the disease; has anyone ever recovered from Chronic Lyme Disease?

Once you've been infected with borellia burgdorferi you do not ever completely get rid of it, however this is not unlike many of the viruses you've been infected with over the years, which you'll never be rid of either. 8-12% of people living in an endemic area seem to test positive, and the vast majority show no symptoms. The goal of treatment is to eliminate the majority of the infection, restore the upper hand to the immune system so it can keep the bacteria in check, and become one of those asymptomatic carriers that lives out the rest of their days happily. You could argue that those of us that do develop symptoms early on are lucky, because many of those asymptomatic carriers will develop alzheimer's later in life.

Many people do recover even after suffering for decades, however it does take much longer and symptoms that result from permanent damage to the brain and other tissues may never resolve completely. I am confident that I will recover completely but I don't think my mother will. There is no set protocol or length of time for treatment in chronic or late-stage Lyme, stories abound of people that were treated for two years without substantial improvement followed by an abrupt resolution of symptoms in the third year.

Funk, I'd be interested in knowing why you take certain supplements.
Which of these are Lyme specific ?

Ubiquinol
Grape Seed Extract
Green Tea Extract
Quercetin
Curcumin (Immune system, anti-Alzheimer's ?)
Selenium (Stimulate Glutathione ? Lyme is not a virus though.)
Toco-Sorb (Do you feel you need those extra Tocotrienols, ie, FamilE isnt enough ?)


Ubiquinol - heart biopsy seems to indicate reduced CoQ10 in muscle tissue of Lyme patients, reported by a famous Lyme doc (Burrascano), don't have a reference.
Grape Seed Extract - protect circulatory system from inflammation, neuroprotective, stimulates immune system
Green Tea Extract - I haven't investigated this with regard to Lyme, it simply does so many good things and is so cheap, it is in every regimen I'm involved with
Quercetin - Anti-viral, maintains strength of immune system under conditions of extreme stress (see the study with pro cyclists or PM me and I"ll find it)
Curcumin - Neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, remove beta-amyloid. Lyme definitely produces beta-amyloid plaque, however I don't know for sure whether this is a problem at a young age, that's an educated guess I'm making (I think it is possible especially when dementia-like symptoms are present).
Selenium - positive correlation between selenium intake and immune function:

J Am Diet Assoc. 2008 Dec;108(12):2005-12.Click here to read Links
Nutrient intake and immune function of elderly subjects.
Wardwell L, Chapman-Novakofski K, Herrel S, Woods J.

Southern Illinois University School of Law, Carbondale, IL, USA.

OBJECTIVE: Food intake, aging, and immune function share complex influences. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine relationships between nutrient intakes from food and dietary supplements and a biomarker of immune function. DESIGN: Data were collected from participants in a cross-sectional study as well as baseline data from a longitudinal study (n=89). Subjects completed 24-hour food recalls, including supplement intake. Polyclonal mitogen phytohemmagluttin (PHA) was the immune function stimulator used. Height and weight were used to calculate body mass index. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Descriptive, bivariate correlation, Spearman's rho for nonparametric data, t tests, and stepwise regression with nutrient intakes as independent variables and T-cell proliferation as dependent variables. RESULTS: Significant positive correlations (P< or =0.05) were found between PHA-induced proliferation and intake of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosahexaenoic acid (EPA), sodium, and selenium, although intakes of DHA plus EPA were inadequate when compared to recommended intakes. A significant negative correlation with total vitamin A, with many vitamin A levels being above the upper limit of safety. Regression analyses found these nutrients to be variables significant in explaining the variance in PHA (P=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Selenium, sodium, DHA, EPA, and vitamin A intake from diet and supplements were associated with PHA-induced proliferative responses. Clients may be counseled to have adequate selenium, EPA, DHA intake, and vitamin A, but avoid excess vitamin A.


Toco-sorb: FamilE is probably fine, however because lipid peroxidation is elevated in Lyme Disease and deficiency of Vitamin E is induced I went the extra-mile with Toco-sorb. Plus I think tocotrienols are sexy.

Hugging aside, good regime. No whey supplementation?


I take 30-60g of whey protein daily, the 30g is in my breakfast oatmeal w/ wild blueberries, and sometimes another 30g at lunchtime depending on whether I think the protein content of my lunch is adequate. Thanks for the hug. :)

Should I get tested for lymes disease? What does the test involve?


The best single test is a western blot with all bands reported, however I don't know if Lyme is present in Australia. You would need to do some research to determine that.

Edited by FunkOdyssey, 20 January 2009 - 04:18 PM.


#21 youandme

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Posted 20 January 2009 - 10:02 PM

All my best with your fight Funk !

Taking Bif Infantis (Align) will induce T-Reg cells.
Is your thinking in taking this to prevent Autoimmune Disease occurring by turning down the T Helper Cells ?

Also Noticed no Niacin...just curious to know your thoughts.

off topic: Ive started taking LDN again..it seems to have stopped the spasms I was getting...I think ! or it could have been that the attack just finished on its own..
I found dosing makes a big difference 4.5mg too much for me..now taking 3.5mg

Cheers

#22 FunkOdyssey

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Posted 20 January 2009 - 11:22 PM

The B. infantis in Align is in my regimen for general digestive health and as a safety precaution while on antibiotics. I like specific probiotic strains that have been tested in clinical trials and done good things in humans. I am not taking it for the purpose of preventing autoimmune disease -- I take antibiotics for that. :)

There is 100mg of niacinamide in the b-complex I take which is already a substantial amount. The uncertainty surrounding SIRT1 and the role of niacinamide has paralyzed my decision-making, so I don't see myself making any changes without further information.

I'm collecting research right now to convince my strictly evidence-based Lyme doc of LDN's value. I have one study that documents a nearly two-fold increase in circulating beta-endorphin in an MS trial, and I'm gathering other studies on the effects beta-endorphin has on the immune system.

Zhongguo Yi Xue Ke Xue Yuan Xue Bao. 1997 Oct;19(5):353-6.
[beta-Endorphin enhances IL-2 and IFN-gamma gene expression in human blood mononuclear cells]
[Article in Chinese]

Lin J, Shen Y, Gao Y, Li L.

Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, CAMS, Beijing.

The effect of beta-endorphin (beta-END) stimulation of cytokines production by PHA-induced human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was studied by reverse transcription in combination with polymerase chain reaction (RT/PCR), slot blotting and hybridization to detect and measure messenger RNA (mRNA). beta-END significantly and dose dependently enhanced IFN-gamma and IL-2 mRNA expression of T cells and naloxone (Nal) reversed the effect of beta-END on IL-2 mRNA expression. The results further demonstrate the important link between the neural system and the immune system.

PMID: 10453520


IFN-gamma's effects:

* Increase antigen presentation of macrophages.
* Activate and increase lysosome activity in macrophages
* Suppress Th2 cell activity.
* Cause normal cells to increase expression of class I MHC molecules
* Promotes adhesion and binding required for leukocyte migration
* Promotes NK cell activity

IL-2:

* necessary for the development of T cell immunologic memory
* necessary during T cell development in the thymus for the maturation of regulatory T cells (T-regs)
* reduces self-reactive T-cells
* facilitates production of immunoglobulins made by B cells
* induces the differentiation and proliferation of natural killer cells

#23 rwac

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Posted 20 January 2009 - 11:46 PM

Funk, Thanks a lot!

I'll be looking to steal bits of your regimen for my own use.

About Toco-sorb, I totally think tocotrienols are cool, too.
But FamilE has 2/3rd the tocotrienols of toco-sorb.
I personally consider FamilE better bang for the buck.

Also, I just started taking some Lipoic acid that I had lying around.
I wonder if my former sensitivity to vitamins has something to do with a badly weakened BBB.

#24 youandme

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Posted 21 January 2009 - 12:10 AM

The B. infantis in Align is in my regimen for general digestive health and as a safety precaution while on antibiotics. ... There is 100mg of niacinamide in the b-complex I take ... I'm collecting research right now to convince my strictly evidence-based Lyme doc of LDN's value.


Funk
Thanks for that reply..
Im taking 100mg Niacin as my 'Chols' started going the wrong way..will see if it's enough.

LDN, Ive searched as you are/have been for understanding of exactly what it does to our immune system.
The evidence you posted is promising....my experience with LDN is showing that dosing is important.
I still would like to see more studies..Im sure I read that (sorry no ref) LDN amplifies all T-Cells to differentiate so thats good and bad..
Some of my symptoms improve with LDN, some get worse...I have systemic AI's ..I find it difficult to understand what LDN is doing unless we have the science.

Im hoping for me taking Bif Infantis (Natren Lifestart2) with LDN will work together to promote more Active T-Reg's.

Cheers

Edited by Michael, 02 January 2010 - 05:01 PM.
Trim quotes


#25 FunkOdyssey

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Posted 21 January 2009 - 04:11 PM

How do you feel when you are on antibiotics? Have you ever been tested for Lyme, mycoplasma, chlamydia pneumoniae? I am 100% convinced that the vast majority of autoimmune patients are chronically infected with intracellular pathogens that may not be easily detectable with current technology. Response to empiric trials of broad spectrum antibiotics with good penetration into tissues and cells (tetracyclines, macrolides, etc) is of greatest diagnostic value IMHO.

Edited by FunkOdyssey, 21 January 2009 - 04:14 PM.


#26 sdxl

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Posted 22 January 2009 - 05:11 AM

Im hoping for me taking Bif Infantis (Natren Lifestart2) with LDN will work together to promote more Active T-Reg's.

I can't find anything on Bifidobacterium infantis NLS found in Natren's Life Start products, in contrast to the 35624 strain found in Align. This doesn't mean that it's a bad strain, it's simply hard to tell without decent studies.

#27 youandme

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Posted 23 January 2009 - 06:13 AM

sdxl

You are correct...note that I said "Im Hoping" !

We in Australia do not have access to the studied 'Align'
Natrem Lifestart with Bif Infantis is the closest we can get.

Who knows it might be better than Align !

Yeah I agree with you..we need more and more studies in this area.
T-Reg inducing Probiotics could be very big in terms of sales if proven.

Im hoping for me taking Bif Infantis (Natren Lifestart2) with LDN will work together to promote more Active T-Reg's.

I can't find anything on Bifidobacterium infantis NLS found in Natren's Life Start products, in contrast to the 35624 strain found in Align. This doesn't mean that it's a bad strain, it's simply hard to tell without decent studies.



#28 youandme

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Posted 23 January 2009 - 06:27 AM

Funk
Well I tried 'doxy' for 5 months (200mg x2 per day)
The thing is I never once got a herx reaction...it was though I was not taking any AB's...I take that to be a sign that I may not have intracelluar invaders.
I never felt any better either..nor did any of my symptoms improve.

Hell I could be wrong..perhaps they are especially tough buggers !
Ive never had a lyme test though..and you can get it in Australia for any readers who are wondering...it is possible to get Lyme Disease in Australia..no doubt about it.

on another note:
I found out today that 'Hydrogen Breath Tests' are available to check malabsorbption or and Intolerance to Maltose/Lactose/Fructose/Fructans....

Now the reason I mention is that my Gastro specialist mentioned his belief that Fructose/Fructan issues are a major cause of IBS and possibly many other organ issues.

I had no idea until today that a simple breath test can help identify if one has a problem either with absorption or intolerance to.

One issue is malabsorbption caused by bad bacteria infesting the lower gut.
Im going to investigate and likely will get these tests done.

Only yesterday I had an ice cream with strawberry topping..and was then sick for the rest of the day..same thing occurs with sweets made with maltodextrin.

Funk I only mention this as many think that problems such as autoimmune symptoms first manifest in the gut...this may or may not be applicable to you but perhaps others that read this.

Apologies for digressing a bit..but hey is it not freakin amazing what you learn as you dig around.

How do you feel when you are on antibiotics? Have you ever been tested for Lyme, mycoplasma, chlamydia pneumoniae? I am 100% convinced that the vast majority of autoimmune patients are chronically infected with intracellular pathogens that may not be easily detectable with current technology. Response to empiric trials of broad spectrum antibiotics with good penetration into tissues and cells (tetracyclines, macrolides, etc) is of greatest diagnostic value IMHO.



#29 youandme

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Posted 23 January 2009 - 10:06 AM

Adding to the Autoimmune / Bacteria mix. Found this...

Hypothyroidism Tied to Excess Small Intestinal Bacteria - Treatment -> Rifaximin
http://canadiancpd.m...le/567600_print

I have Autoimmune Hypothyroidism...so of course I wonder...the Hydro Breath Tests may help diagnose if this is the case with me.

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#30 FunkOdyssey

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Posted 23 January 2009 - 03:57 PM

I think you have the causality relationship backwards. Low thyroid hormone results in sluggish bowel movement with increased intestinal transit time, which are conditions that support small intestine bacterial overgrowth. The food is hanging around longer and bacteria have more time to ferment it and multiply. The article says as much:

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Dec 17 - A history of hypothyroidism is associated with a significantly increased risk of development of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), according to Italian researchers.

In the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Dr. Antonio Gasbarrini of the Catholic University of the Scared Heart, Rome and colleagues note that thyroid hormones may influence gut motility, and hence the likelihood of SIBO.

To investigate further, the researchers studied 50 patients with a history of overt hypothyroidism due to autoimmune thyroiditis, and 40 controls.

A hydrogen glucose breath test indicated SIBO in 27 of the patients (54%) versus 2 (5%) of the controls. Symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, flatulence and bloating were significantly more prevalent in the SIBO Group. After treating these patients with 1200 mg rifaximin for a week, there was a significant improvement in the symptoms.

The treatment did not significantly change thyroid hormone plasma levels, indicating, say the investigators, that "carbohydrate fermenting bacteria do not interfere with thyroid hormone levels."

Nevertheless, they conclude that "further studies are needed to characterize the bacteria species involved in SIBO, and clarify their metabolic functions and their relationship with intestinal motility."


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