mycoplasma testing

[m.]

[user=1619]MMW[/user] wrote:

Dear M,

After we left the island of Kwajelein, we moved to Hawaii for several months.

[MMW]

Thanks,

My symptoms are a page long.  Just a few main ones are,  I have had a choking feeling on the front part of my throat  for one year straight.  Then it left and I had tongue tingling senstations and swellings, inside cheek problems, corner of the mouth sores and cracked lips for months.  Then it left and went back into the choking again.  There is a chest sensation also and breathing in makes me want to cough sometime.  I have had other female problems too. The chest sensation now migrates to the the back of my head (brain stem area) and reaches down my spine.   I have shooting pain in my eyes and head.  I go in and out of what might be hypo thyroidism.  Recently, I have hand swelling after I wake up everyday.   I have had all kinds of strange skin problems.   The list goes on.    Of course every dr wants to blame it on acid reflux.   I am anti antiacid taking, in philosophy,  because I know how bad they are for you.  AND I KNOW these problems are not antiacid related or anxiety related like some drs want to say.

The biggest thing is I am always getting sick.   I get everything that comes along.  I never have the energy level, brain capacity and stamina to live normally.  I am always knocked down by my symptoms that get worse, come and go,  etc. 

That is the oddest thing.  These symptoms seem to go in dormition for a short time and I think I am going to be alright  and then they all flare up again and I am worse than before.

Sorry, didn't want to make this so long.  Just don't know how to explain it all.

Marianne  

[MMW]

yes and it was and then I moved to the states a few weeks later and things really stange started happening.   I at first blamed in on the Metranidozole.  It was a very harsh drug and I did not handle it well at all.   I thought I was going to seizure on it.   I was given it in very high doses.   But that was after only one course of metranidozole.   Before that I was treated for a positive test on h pylori with Clarithromycin.

I understand Mycoplasma will come back and needs to be long term treated. (If that is what I got)

I ended up with all kinds of digestive problems as well.   After ancolonoscopy (clean) and endocsopy I tried a colon cleanse for 5 days on bentonite clay.   I did eliminate something that was about 7 inches long.   Gross I know but these are facts.  I felt better after this, digestive wise, but for a while only.

MMW

[m.]

Take this for what it's worth, but try not to guess *too* much, and balance that with some good quality testing. Often, what's wrong is more than one thing.

Treating for parasites and/or bacteria infections can leave the gut a imbalanced mess. A good GI test will give you the info to know what to treat, and a follow up test will let you know if what you're doing is working.

Look at as much as you can and can afford, even if it is piecemeal.

Good luck!

[richie]

Hi

I dont know for sure the cause of my scleroderma –but the chemical exposure I had to burning solvents in the Air force is a prime suspect —it is well documented as silica being a primary cause of scleroderma in many cases –I would even say the documentation on silica and scleroderma is far far stronger than the documentation on mycoplasma and scleroderma—-As to the actions of minocycline on specifically scleroderma folks –I feel it acts as a regulator of collagen production rather than anything else —Perhaps this explains why a large majority  of scleroderma folks do not herx –cause pathogens are not being killed as they most likely dont exist —Minocycline does nothng to the chemical toxins in the system –rather it treats the immune reaction to it !!!–I certainly agree that there is no one factor or cause in scleroderma —-And it is a complex question with no definite answers –I just have a suspicion that mycoplasma causes are in the minority compared to environmental causes -Strictly speaking of scleroderma —Next discussion –lumpers and splitters that enters into the picture !!!you know my opinion on that one !!!!!

Best-

richie

[Maz]

[user=16]richie[/user] wrote:

Minocycline does nothng to the chemical toxins in the system –rather it treats the immune reaction to it !!!–I certainly agree that there is no one factor or cause in scleroderma —-And it is a complex question with no definite answers –I just have a suspicion that mycoplasma causes are in the minority compared to environmental causes -Strictly speaking of scleroderma —Next discussion –lumpers and splitters that enters into the picture !!!you know my opinion on that one !!!!!

Hi Richie,

No doubt mino is immune-modulatory, however, I wonder if there is anything you can do to rid your body of these toxic exposures? Have you looked into this? You're probably right that your stint in the Air Force exposed you to some nasty stuff and that it compromised your immune system BIG time. However, I can't help but think it is only part of the answer….a much bigger puzzle…otherwise, why aren't there huge numbers of Air Force guys coming down with scleroderma? And why are young kids coming down with it who haven't had anywhere near the same degree of toxic exposure? Appears the same questions apply to your toxic exposures as they do to mycoplasma….only Brown's explanation of “bacterial allergy” and a compromised immune system seem pretty rational and realistic, all in all.

What I am saying is that I wholeheartedly agree your toxic exposures most likely played a part in your illness….but I'm additionally thinking that these exposures could well have compromised your system (possibly even altering your DNA or flipping a genetic switch) so much that it left you unable to respond as the general population might to mycoplasma or other infection(s) that might otherwise have been totally innocuous to you. Every infection we get in life remains with us for life…a tiny piece of it. Strep is a good example and Brown described this in the book in relation to rheumatic fever (in spite of throat cultures turning up sterile soon after initial strep infection). Or chicken pox that remains and may emerge later as shingles. So, not only does one have environmental toxic exposures, but we are all carrying around an environmetal pathogen load for life. Compromise the immune system and any one of these latent infections can have a field day…much as they have discovered with shingles, reiter's or TB re-emerging while on TNF-blocking drugs. So why wouldn't your toxic exposures be the equivalent of that type of immune suppression?

As far as I have been able to figure out…and it's limited at best…it's a molotof cocktail (sorry for the gasoline/incendiary pun) of components that all converge into the perfect storm, which just reveals itself differently in each individual. For this reason, I can't be a splitter or a lumper…I sit on the fence, somewhere in-between. 😕

Nice chatting, Richie. 🙂

Peace, Maz

[richie]

Hi

-One of the main reasons most Air Force folk dont have problems is because I was a firefighter and part of the training was walking straight thru about 1500 gallons of all kinds of burning solvents –fuel etc –way back when the Air force figured they could accomplish two things –disposal of all this waste solvents etc and train firemen –we went through all this burning gunk with protective gear but no breathing apparatus -the best guess was that this damaged my immune system –

Always good chatting with you !!!!!

richie

[Maz]

[user=16]richie[/user] wrote:

we went through all this burning gunk with protective gear but no breathing apparatus -the best guess was that this damaged my immune system –

Yes, no doubt much like the emergency services folk who dealt with the fallout of 911, no doubt, and all the health issues they are now facing, years later. 🙁 And, then there are the Gulf war vets who also dealt with the oil fires and vaccinations and possible exposure to bio-warfare, as per Garth Nicholson. I think you're probably right on the money that this had something to do with damaging your immune system…and making it less able to fend off latent infections. 😉 (Had to get that last bit in!).

Peace, Maz

PS You're a  tough guy, Richie…you've been to hell and back in more ways than one and still come back to tell your story and inspire others. Thanks.  

[Lakes]

Hi Richie! 

As a newly diagnosed sclerodermian in full-research mode, I am fascinated by your theory that sclero is not caused by mycoplasma even though it responds to AP. I had read that it can be caused by environmental agents and wondered if my intense pesticide exposure many years ago was a contributing factor. Then when I started reading about AP and mycoplasma I  just assumed that both causes were true – that one exacerbated the other to cause the damage, or that one of the agents (environmental cause?) weakened our system to let the other one (mycoplasma?) do it's dirty deeds.

If mycoplasma is not the underlying cause of scleroderma, what property of the antibiotic do you think is actually causing the remissions?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[carries]

Hi! I too have that choking feeling? Did you ever end up getting a lyme test? What parasites did they test you for? How are you feeling lately. I got sick after a visit to the Virgin Islands.

[Joe M]

[user=1619]MMW[/user] wrote:

BLASTOCYSTIC HOMINIS.  I was treated for this parasite with Metatroniazole(sp ?).  Shortly later all my symtems got even worse. 

But what is so odd, not one dr here on the mainland USA has ever heard of this parasite.  I also found it interesting that there is strain called Mycoplasma “HOMINIS”.   Maybe Bastocysitc Homins and Mycoplasma Hominis  are the same thing.  

Marianne

Here is some info on blastocystic hominis

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/blastocystishominis/

From the little I understood after reading the PDx-lab section, it doesn't sound like it is a mycobacteria, but as I said I didn't understand much if any of it.

[MMW]

Hi Carrie,

Do you know if the Virgin Islands sits on a coral reef?    Did you scuba dive?

I discovered something about a bacteria that one can get from coral, fish tank cleaning, or marine encounters.

http://www.medicinenet.com/mycobacterium_marinum/article.htm

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1105126-overview

This bacteria is called mycobacterium.   I thought it was the same as mycoplasma. Dr. C.V. at the TARCI who was testing my blood for mycoplasma said they are different things.

When we lived in Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, the drs and everyone said if you scrape your knee or have any open wound, clean it with peroxide for 15 minutes.  They said that the coral dust or bacteria from the reef we lived on could cause an infection.   Off course, after living there for 3 years, who wouldn't have a scrape to clean out.   I remember scuba diving and got a small gash in my knee.  Cleaned it out good though.   My husband and daughter also had to be treated for a skin infection there. 

I never put all this together with my symptoms until I recently read the above articles.   This mycobacterium can get in your blood and be hard to get rid off. 

What is ironic,  in the end I tested positive for two strains of mycoPLASMA.  I don't know how to be tested for mycobacterium.

What do you think?

MMW

 

[MMW]

Thanks Joe for the site on blast. hominis,

I read it several times a very long time ago.

It looks like they updated info on it and it was good to read it again.

It is funny how my dr. in the states(mainland) never offered to retest me for this infection that I was treated for in Hawaii, despite how many times I brought it up to him.

At this point, I am doing AP, so I have all testing on hold.

MMW

[carries]

Hi! I didnt do any scuba diving. I do remember though getting bit by lots of bugs out there. To the point where i was so grossed out and couldnt sleep at night. The condo i stayed at had no air conditioner so the windows were open and the bugs due to the heat where everywhere.

[MMW]

Hi Carries,

I think I read on here somewhere that you can get lyme's and bacteria's from bug bites and not just from ticks.  We know that malaria comes from misquitos.

I know of a friend who was in Afganastan and got bit by a camel spider.  He had to be on antibiotics for a whole month right after. 

So it is something to consider…..the bugs carrying the disease that is.

MMW

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