Posted by bleauberry on February 6, 2008, at 19:04:57
In reply to Supplements that calm the immune system down?, posted by cache-monkey on February 6, 2008, at 1:07:37
Excellent question. I wish I knew the answer. I am kind of in the same boat as you. I've done lots of reading and research and am still confused. It is complicated. Basically though these are some things I've found out.
Heavy metal burden from lead, mercury, or arsenic can have paradoxical effects on the immune system...sometimes turning the volume down and sometimes turning it up. It isn't the metals themselves, but rather their effects on other enzymes, receptors, and glands. If you have or ever had amalgam fillings, those are huge red flags to be taken very seriously.
Leaky gut syndrome. Caused by candida overgrowth, parasites, food intolerances, or heavy metal burden. Tiny pieces of anything you ingest can get through small holes in the intestines that are not supposed to be there. The body sees this stuff in the bloodstream as foreign invaders and turns the immune system volume way up. Major cause of chemical sensitivity, food sensitivity, depression, brain fog.
Liver phase I too fast compared to liver phase II. Lots of unexcreted toxins re-enter the bloodstream.
Since your symptoms are extremely common, almost universal, among mercury/lead toxic people, I've learned a lot at frequent-dose-chelation group and adult-metal-chelation group at Yahoo. I am mercury and lead toxic. My mercury is from amalgams that are now gone, but mercury stays for life unless it is artificially chelated out.
Things people have found helpful:
Dr Clarkia tincture to kill parasites. Lab tests are usually inconclusive or incomplete and only show what is in the stool but not in the blood or organs. The tincture contains 3 herbs that are deadly to parasites throughout the body. One of the herbs is beneficial for healing leaky gut.
Oil of oregano. Kills bacteria, viruses, fungus including candida. Another one is grapefruit seed extract. Oil of oregano is a mysterious one. Some people have discovered their sensitivities just disappeared with it, even though it is supposedly an immune system enhancer. Maybe by killing so many bad things it allows the immune system to calm down.
Digestive enzymes, unbuffered vitamin C, and sometimes HCL. These are to fully digest everything you ingest before it has a chance to enter the bloodstream undigested.
Food intolerance lab test. About $300-$400. A food you are sensitive to will send the immune system into high gear. It is usually something you eat commonly and have no idea it is doing you any harm. The best treatment is to avoid the offending foods and beef up the digestive enzymes.
Probiotics. Filling the gut with good bacteria helps in a wide variety of things.
Liver detox lab test. Costly. The liver can be manipulated with simple things such as grapefruit juice, lechithin, niacinamide, pomegranite juice, niacin. Also, with knowledge of exactly what your liver is doing, you can predict in advance what a particular drug will do to it...slow it down, speed it up, and in doing so how that would affect your symptoms.
You and I both want some herb or supplement we can take that will just balance out the immune system and make it normal. I don't know such a substance. I guess maybe some naturopaths would say the general tonics such ginsengs, ashwagandha, reishi mushroom, and such might do that. I don't know. I had bad reations to all of those.
Sorry. Wish I had something simple and straight forward to tell you. All I know is that if your immune system is in high gear, it is so for a reason. It is under assault from something...with parasites, metals, undigested foods, or food intolerances being tops on the list of culprits.
poster:bleauberry
thread:810988
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20080110/msgs/811162.html