Aspergillosis

[hopefulRAsufferer]

There have been a lot of changes for me since my last post. I’m currently still seeing my doc in California for the RA but have stopped the AP (almost a year now) and have been taking “Transfer Factor Plasmyc” since (contains all 14 strains of mycoplasma antibodies). My RA seems to be well controlled with that and a change to a Paleo diet/yoga fitness regime.

The main reason for stopping the AP was an increasing problem with an “allergic cough”. I have now found out that it is ABPA (Allergic BronchioPulmonary Aspergillosis). I am now trying to treat that as it has been bothering me since just after I started the AP. After a lot of blood work and other tests, my new doc here in Calgary tells me that I have a very high candida count (+4, highest on chart) and that we have to heal my gut. I had been on a very good probiotic and a no sugar, gluten or dairy diet for many years but it didn’t prevent the candida. Not sure what else I could have done on that front.

Does anyone else have ABPA or high candida? Were you able to stay on the AP therapy? Going to see my doc in California next week and hoping my blood work shows good things where RA is concerned. A little worried that I will have to start the AP again and what that would mean for treatment of the candida and ABPA.

[Maz]

@hopefulRAsufferer wrote:

A little worried that I will have to start the AP again and what that would mean for treatment of the candida and ABPA.

Hi Hopeful,

There is research out there that minocycline in combo with diflucan actually works synergistically against candida albicans to help break up its biofilms, in vitro, at any rate.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20707818

How is your doc treating you for the aspergillosis?

One natural treatment that may help both the aspergillosis and candida is a really good compounded curcumin. I’m taking one called Enhansa, but there are probably others that are equally as good up in Canada. Needs to be bio-available as it’s not absorbed well in the gut:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergillosis

“Several experimental animal models have tested curcumin (turmeric) on lung fibrosis and these studies demonstrate that curcumin attenuates (lessens) lung injury and fibrosis caused by radiation, chemotherapeutic drugs, and toxicants.[citation needed] The growing amount of data from pharmacological and animal studies also supports the notion that curcumin plays a protective role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute lung injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and allergic asthma, its therapeutic action being on the prevention or modulation of inflammation and oxidative stress.“

You may already be using a good quality curcumin, but it not there is quite a bit of research out there demonstrating the effects of it on candida and many other infections and disease processes. Worth researching. 😉

I think with this type of mix – RA, ABPA and candida – this is the sort of combo I’d personally be looking to do: low dose, pulsed mino pulsed with diflucan and starting low and slow with a good quality curcumin (can cause a massive yeast herx). Interestingly, Diflucan and curcumin also work synergistically against C. albicans as curcumin seems to be inhibiting resistance:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21539505

Would also be doing everything I could to promote gluathione in my body as healthy lungs are full of this – the body’s master detoxifier. So, would be adding IV glutatione pushes and, in-between, taking the oral supp, NAC, a precursor to glutathione.

[spfister]

Hi hopefulRAsufferer:

I was just posting and your post popped out at me. I have RA also and they keep finding aspergillosis in my sputum also. I believe its ABPA also. Also my AB Doctor and I wondered if taking minocycline could be contributing to this fungal problem.

I have had long standing lung problems asthma, and brochialectasis also. I think I will take Maz advice and try to get a prescription for diflucan from my AB doctor and continue the minocycline. But anyway just stopped in to say that I am battling some of the same things you are. Please let me know what you find that is of help to you!

Also Maz where do you get glutithion pushes, not familiar with that.
I also am going to try the Enhansa Curcumin for the antifungal effect.

Also how is the Transfer Factor Plasmy working for you is that prescribed by a Md?

Blessings,

Shari

[lrobertson]

I am sorry you are going through this fungal problem! i hope that it clears up soon. I couldn’t help but focus in on the supplement you are taking….”Transfer Factor Plasmyc” since (contains all 14 strains of mycoplasma antibodies).” so you are saying that this supplement is controlling your RA? Has anyone else tried this? Do you know how it works? i know Transfer Factor products are very high quality, and you have me wondering if it might help my RA. any additional info would be appreciated! Blessings, Laura

[Maz]

@spfister wrote:

Also Maz where do you get glutithion pushes, not familiar with that.
I also am going to try the Enhansa Curcumin for the antifungal effect.

Shari, if you decide to try Enhansa, perhaps your doctor will phone you a script through to the Lee Silsby Pharmacy, I was told that 90 or 95% of insurance carriers are covering it with just a $10 co-pay – mine did. If not done through insurance, 90 x 600mg caps are about $80 plus shipping/handling. As mentioned, one needs to go really low and slow starting this, as herxing can be quite intense, especially when there is a candida issue. They also make Enhansa in 150mg caps and I do wish I had started on this lower dose, in retrospect. My doc wants me to work up to 600mg x 3 daily, but the herx was very strong and I have stopped, right now, at 1 600mg cap. I decided to try it after asking my doc what I could do to drop my last two daily Advil. He suggested the Enhansa, but did warn that it could cause a big herx…it did! However, I am now off my last two Advil for the past 2.5 weeks and take no other pain medication! The first time I haven’t needed some type of anti-inflammatory in 6.5 years! YAY! 😀

I get my Glutathione IV pushes from my integrative LLMD. These can be ordered from Infuserve America (http://infuserveamerica.com/index_files/dmsagshglutathione.htm) and probably other pharmacies, but require a nurse or do to do the IV push, which is basically as simple as doing a blood draw, but the medication needs to be shot slowly into the vein…takes about 10 mins to slowly push the glutathione in. Great for helping to knock out flares, for detoxing and also is chelative, I’ve found. Glutathione is manufactured in the liver and is found in rich amounts in the lungs when healthy, but is greatly depleted in those who are chronically ill. Many insurance companies are also covering IV glutathione pushes, but would need to check ahead with them.

They use NAC via IV for kids with cystic fibrosis and for lung fibrosis…NAC is a precursor to glutathione and is administered in the ER when folks have aspirin overdose, because it is so great at detoxing the liver. NAC can be taken orally as a daily supplement, too, to help protect the lungs. When my Dad was passing away from lung fibrosis, he mentioned NAC to his pulmonologist and the doc whispered conspiratorially that he should use it for it’s lung benefits, but that it wasn’t something traditional docs used. 🙄 Sadly, I often wonder if my Dad may have been greatly helped if his docs up in Canada could have done either IV glutathione pushes or IV NAC for him.

Btw, just as a word of caution as some folk may be unaware of this, but one of the black box warnings on the TNF-blockers is not to use them if you have aspergillosis (among other infections):

http://www.drugs.com/pro/humira.html

“SERIOUS INFECTIONS

Patients treated with Humira are at increased risk for developing serious infections that may lead to hospitalization or death [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)]. Most patients who developed these infections were taking concomitant immunosuppressants such as methotrexate or corticosteroids.

Discontinue Humira if a patient develops a serious infection or sepsis.

Reported infections include:

[hopefulRAsufferer]

Thanks so much to all of you who posted a comment! This site is such a fantastic resource/support system.

Maz your suggestions are great! I will try to see if I can get the compounded curcumin here and hopefully start that on a low dose. I am already on diflucan for the yeast and a very restrictive diet (paleo for almost 2 years). I will be doing another stool sample in a month or so and hoping that the yeast numbers improve. I can’t help feeling that they won’t have too much since I didn’t herx at all!

As for the Transfer Factor Plasmyc I started that right when I stopped the mino a year ago. My RA specialist in California didn’t want me to stop the AP but said if I took the TFP he would feel comfortable with recommending going that route. We have been watching the blood and how I feel and so far it has been very good but I do worry that it isn’t enough. Hoping my appointment next week shows positive progress and no joint deterioration. I don’t believe you need a RX for the TFP but I don’t know where it can be purchase as I just get it at my doc’s office. From what he told me there are 14 strains of mycoplasma and they expose cows to those strains. Next, they take the antibodies found in the cow’s milk (if I remember correctly) and spin it down to just get the antibodies. So when we take the antibodies, eventually our body makes them too. I may not be relaying this perfectly but I’m sure a search about Transfer Factor Plasmyc would help. I do not have pain as I used to (greatly improved with the diet change as well as AP and now TFP) and haven’t had to take any pain killers at all. Yoga has been a very helpful tool as well.

Shari, I have had asthma all my life but an “allergic cough” started about 5 years ago (about 1 year after mino…not sure if there is a connection or not). I wasn’t diagnosed with it until last month even though I suspected something was wrong with my lungs for years! My original doc here in Canada did nothing to investigate my “allergic cough” when I complained about it repeatedly. I finally got fed up and switched to a new doc recently. After he did extensive testing & reviewed my previous chest xrays from years ago along with sputum/IGE results he said he suspected ABPA. He then referred me to a lung specialist to confirm the diagnosis. The lung specialist was very skeptical about what my doc thought it was (because he is an “alternative MD” and into “kooky” stuff 😡 ) but when he did a CT scan he saw that I have brochialectasis and agreed that I have ABPA. I am waiting for the lung specialist to get this info to my doc here and will then start treatment. Not sure what my doc will recommend but the curcumin is likely to be something he suggests. (The lung doc wants me to do an anti-fungal medication and if my doc wants me to I will.) Hope that made some sense! Good luck with your ABPA/RA and your recovery!

[Woods1977]

Hi everyone…

The topic of transfer factor is totally new to me… Never heard of it so I found this article. Not sure if it’s something I’m going to try at this point, but thought it might be of some interest to several people on this board!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4023587

[spfister]

hopefulRAsufferer

After I took Humira for about 4 years. I started getting infections in the lungs that antibiotics were not helping. I had had asthma since I was a teenager. Well after getting some very strange things is my lungs after taking Humira like pseudomanas, aspergillus and other strange things, my Pulminologist said I shouldn’t ever take Humira again. I was diagnosed with bronchialectasis at that time. I was very ill down to 93 pounds and struggled for a long time to get well. The Humira worked well in that it took all my pain away but what a price to pay!

I have been on anti-fungal meds prescribed by my pulminologist on serveral different occasions V-Fend, intraconazole, and amphetericin. I am now on my own also using some essential oils that have a blend of oils that are potent against virus bacteria and fungus. The oils are “cptg” certified pure therapeutic grade. Cinnamon and clove are two or the main oils in the blend either a drop in water and drink it or apply to bottoms of feet. You can Google how these oils help with fungal infections. I can PM on the two brands I use if you want. I believe these oils are” Gods medicine.” 😉

Maz:

I did already order the curcumin that you recommended already and next time I will check with my Dr to prescribe it using my insurance. Thanks for the info!
I went and saw Dr K in Woodbury that was recommended by The Road Back. He spent an hour with me and was very kind and he wanted to do the IV Cleocin after I tried it by mouth first and increasing my mioncycline to 200 mg 3 x a week. He has many patients from The Road Back and is most understanding in trying to help.

Blessings,
Shari

[spfister]

Maz :

I also am taking a NAC supplement now from your recommendation, it a Dr Murray brand he formulated with bromelain in it

“Natural Support for Lung, Bronchial & Sinus Health” I do see an improvement in that it works good on making phlegm thin so it’s a good expectorant and seems to work better than mucinex. So hopefully the NAC is going to help with the bronchialectasis! Maybe hopefulRAsufferer you want to try something like this for your lungs. Hope you find health and get on the right track for your body!!

Shari

[Maz]

@spfister wrote:

Maz:

I did already order the curcumin that you recommended already and next time I will check with my Dr to prescribe it using my insurance. Thanks for the info!
I went and saw Dr K in Woodbury that was recommended by The Road Back. He spent an hour with me and was very kind and he wanted to do the IV Cleocin after I tried it by mouth first and increasing my mioncycline to 200 mg 3 x a week. He has many patients from The Road Back and is most understanding in trying to help.

Shari, your feedback on Dr. K is very important – great info! – and I have added notes to his contact info for others looking for AP docs in Minnesota. Thank you!

Re: the Enhansa, please know that I’m just a fellow patient so not able to recommend anything to anyone, just share my personal experience of what has worked for me. I’m at a stage now where I have been on abx therapy for 6.5 years and just working on some fine tuning. I hope it also works for you, but we are all so unique that it would be wrong of me to make any broad, sweeping statements about what every individual should try or do. I know you will understand this, but just thought I should add this so that others can do their own research and make informed decisions for themselves. 😉

Thanks again!

[spfister]

Thanks Maz:

I understand about the being able to really recommend anything, but actually three different people mentioned curcumin to me last week so then the light bulb in my head went off “why don’t I try curcumin?” So am hearing about it everywhere including Dr Oz show lol. So true what works for one doesn’t always work for another. But hopefully we experiment with some things that pretty natural and somethings is helpful.

And also my Dr K in Woodbury was one that mentioned it to me during my last visit, he spent a lot of time talking to me about an anti inflammation diet.

Shari

[Maz]

@spfister wrote:

But hopefully we experiment with some things that pretty natural and somethings is helpful.

So true, Shari…it’s all about figuring out what works and sincerely hope it works out for you, too. 🙂

[Author]

Posts