Monthly Archives: June 2014

Why Chronic Depression Can Be Aggravated By a Hidden Toxoplasmosis Infection

miners

For people diagnosed with Lyme disease that feel stuck in a dark pit of hopelessness and depression
by Greg Lee

Imagine you are part of a rescue team that is working to rescue miners that are trapped in a mine collapse. You are your colleagues are racing against time to rescue the survivors before their air runs out. Using sensitive listening technology, you determined there are sounds which indicate possible survivors. Your rescue team works diligently, quickly, and safely to clear a path through blocked tunnels while reinforcing walls to prevent further collapse.

How is being trapped in an underground mine similar to hopelessness and depression in a person diagnosed with Lyme disease?

Just like being trapped in an underground mine, people with Lyme disease can feel hopeless and deeply depressed
Over a two year period, Fred went to several different Lyme literate specialists. He took medications for treating Lyme disease, Babesia, Bartonella, biofilms, viruses, and Candida. He also took antidepressants, sleep medications, allergy medications, and steroids. Despite years of medications, he still suffered with insomnia, disabling joint pain, and fatigue. However, the emotional mood swings were the most difficult to endure.

Fred would often feel like he was at the bottom of a dark emotional pit
After struggling with the same symptoms for years, he felt afraid he would never get better. Medications for Babesia dramatically increased his anxiety and hopelessness. He tried saunas, IV magnesium, and lymphatic drainage to get rid of toxins which reduced his symptoms temporarily. However, the depression and hopelessness persisted. In desperation, he went to an alternative Lyme practitioner and got a big surprise.

Fred tested positive for a protozoa infection called Toxoplasmosis
Results from an electrodermal scan that checked for over four hundred possible infections showed toxoplasmosis as the biggest stressor on his system. Symptoms of a toxoplasmosis infection include: flu-like symptoms with swollen lymph glands or muscle aches and pains that last for a month or more. Severe toxoplasmosis, can cause damage to the brain, eyes, or other organs. Severe cases can develop from an acute toxoplasma infection or a latent infection that is being reactivated. People with weakened immune systems are more at risk. Occasionally, healthy people may have eye damage from toxoplasmosis which can include reduced vision, blurred vision, pain (often with bright light), redness of the eye, and sometimes tearing. A small percentage of infected newborns may have serious eye or brain damage at birth. Most have no symptoms at birth, and may develop symptoms later in life¹. Anti-malarial medications are effective at killing off toxoplasmosis.

Anti-toxoplasmosis medications can have dramatic side-effects
Anti-malarial medications like Mepron (atovaquone) which are used for treatment of toxoplasmosis can produce side-effects of erythema rashes, gastrointestinal discomfort, headaches, insomnia, fever, and liver function test abnormalities². Other anti-malarial remedies, Deraprim (pyrimethamine) and artemisinin are also used to treat toxoplasmosis. Unfortunately, Mepron³, Deraprim, and artemisinin resistant strains of toxoplasmosis are common. Drug resistance genes have also been transferred from malaria parasites to toxoplasma protozoa in lab experiments. Toxoplasmosis can dramatically affect brain chemistry and a person’s emotions.

Toxoplasmosis has been correlated with depression and suicide
Toxoplasmosis is estimated to infect a third of all humans on earth and is increasing. This infection has been linked with depression, violent suicides, and schizophrenia. Over 60 million people, which is around 22% of the population in the United States, are carriers of it. Toxoplasmosis is transmitted by eating infected food, drinking contaminated water, organ transplant, blood transfusion, passed from an infected mother to an unborn child, or possibly from ticks. In different animal studies, this infection can stimulate the production of inflammatory compounds called cytokines including: interferon (IFN-gamma), Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-12, IL-23, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha¹, IL-1, and granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)¹¹. Some of these cytokines can penetrate into the brain and can change a person’s mood. The cytokines IL-6 and TNF have been linked to a depletion of tryptophan and seritonin which may produce increased levels of anxiety, impulsiveness, and rapid changes in emotion¹².

What else besides medications can help to relieve dark depression and hopelessness caused by toxoplasmosis?

These five strategies help to reduce depression caused by a drug-resistant toxoplasmosis infection
These five strategies can help to reduce the anxiety, depression, and muscle pains from a toxoplasmosis infection. These strategies have demonstrated in lab and animal experiments the ability to inhibit toxoplasmosis and the inflammatory compounds that can affect mood swings. These strategies can be used simultaneously to promote a rapid shift in physical and emotional discomfort.

Strategy #1: Liposomal Anti-toxoplasmosis Remedies
Liposomes are very small particles which have a medication or a natural remedy in the center are surrounded by a fat called a lipid. Liposomal medications have been shown to more effective at fighting other protozoa infections¹³. Liposomal herbal remedies may be an effective alternative for reducing symptoms caused by drug-resistant toxoplasmosis. Fred received a liposomal mixture containing myrrh¹, sophora¹, artemisia¹, harmine which is an extract of syrian rue¹, astragalus and scutellaria¹ which helped to reduce emotional mood swings and muscle aches and pains.

Liposomal medications have also been shown to target tissues in the brain more effectively in animal studies¹. Other herbs were added to the liposomal mixture to help reduce brain inflammation caused by IL-6 or TNF included: licorice², cordyceps mushroom²¹, and coptis²². In addition to liposomal herbs, probiotics can help protect against toxoplasmosis.

Strategy #2: Probiotics and Prebiotics
Probiotics are the healthy bacteria in the gut which help to digest food, train the immune system, and resist pathogens²³. In one rat study, a combination of Bifidobacterium animalis and fructooligosaccharides enabled rats to survive a toxoplasmosis infection. All the rats who didn’t receive the probiotic perished². Fructooligosaccharide is a sweetener that feeds probiotic bacteria, also known as a prebiotic. Supplements can also help fight a toxoplasmosis infection.

Strategy #3: Supplements
In animal and lab studies, several supplements have enhanced the immune response to toxoplasmosis including: zinc, melatonin², lactoferrin inhibits the development of intracellular parasites², and silver nanoparticles alone or combined with chitosan decreased the mean number of parasites in the liver and spleen². Fred was given a silver nanoparticle solution to take sublingually every day to promote penetration into his nervous system. This silver solution was also imprinted with electrical frequencies that have anti-toxoplasmosis properties. He reported die off reactions in the first several weeks of taking the remedy. Microcurrent treatment can also help with reducing parasites and brain inflammation.

Strategy #4: Frequency Specific Microcurrent
Frequency Specific Microcurrent uses very low power, millionth of an amp, electrical currents to reduce single cell parasites and their toxins². In addition, frequencies can also be used to reduce inflammation in many different areas of the brain including the forebrain where the amygdala, thalamus, and hippocampus are. These structures are associated with emotional changes, depression, and anxiety. Fred’s anxiety decreased significantly after receiving Frequency Specific Microcurrent treatments. Laser delivered remedies can also relieve recurring toxoplasmosis emotions.

Strategy #5: Laser Delivered Anti-toxoplasmosis Remedies
Shining a 660 nm laser through a glass vial containing a homeopathic toxoplasmosis remedy or essential oil into the ear or into painful muscles can relieve persistent symptoms². Fred felt an immediate shift in his muscle aches with the laser delivered homeopathic toxoplasmosis remedy. Shinning the laser through a vial of myrrh essential oil into the ear and next clove essential oil helped to relieve brain fog and feelings of dissociation. “My brain feels normal!” remarked Fred. A combination of multiple anti-toxoplasmosis remedies and treatments can help dramatically reduce anxiety, depression, and painful muscles aches.

Employing multiple strategies for reducing toxoplasmosis and brain inflammation helps to relieve painful emotions
Similar to rescuing a group of trapped miners, a combination of liposomal herbs, probiotics, supplements, Frequency Specific Microcurrent, and laser delivered remedies can help relieve the underlying inflammation and debilitating emotions produced by a drug resistant toxoplasmosis infection. These strategies helped Fred to reduce his anxiety and depression by over 80%. Since several of these strategies require specialized training and may produce Herxheimer reactions, work with a Lyme literate acupuncturist to develop a safe and effective strategy for relieving persistent toxoplasmosis anxiety, depression, and muscle pains.

– Greg

P.S. Do you have experiences where toxoplasmosis treatments or remedies helped to relieve chronic anxiety or depression? Tell us about it.

>> Next step: Come to our evening lecture: Getting Rid of Lyme Disease in Frederick, Maryland on Monday July 7th at 6pm to learn more about treatments, essential oils, herbs, and homeopathic remedies for toxoplasmosis, Lyme disease, drug resistant arthritis, managing weight issues caused by toxins, reducing brain overwhelm, Epstein-Barr virus, adenovirus, brucellosis, bartonella, Babesia, mold, parasites, abnormal fatigue, inflammation, and pain. https://goodbyelyme.com/events/get_rid_lyme

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