Helminth Therapy

I've started on this path of Helminth therapy...ringworm...parasites...to bring my immune system back into order. I'll spare repeating the details here as there's a wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helminthic_therapy) with good coverage. This includes the Hygiene Hypothesis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene_hypothesis) which basically says that we, in the modern world have all but eliminated parasitic worms from our world with medicine and cleaning over the past 50 years. While there are obvious benefits, many also see the downside of eliminating organisms that humans lived and evolved with for millennia. This is the stark rise of autoimmune diseases ranging from asthma to autism to crone's disease to acute sinusitis like I have. The immune system was kept in balance with a modest amount of these parasites living within us since the first person walked upright but now, with out them, our immune systems are attacking us.

Historically and today in 3rd world countries, autoimmune diseases were all but unknown. Small, early studies in humans and animals as well as a growing amount of anecdotal first hand experiences have shown amazing results by re-introducing therapeutic amounts of these worms. I hope to see that benefit to help solve my severe nose polyps and inflammation which has deteriorated even after two surgeries and numerous attempts with various medications. Autoimmune diseases run deep in my family with us totaling over 20 just amongst my mother, sisters and I.

The downsides and risks are minimal. Medicines were developed to eliminate them for good reason. In large numbers they do take a meaningful amount of blood on a daily basis possibly causing anemia. This, coupled with other conditions like malnutrition and disease make them life threatening in the 3rd world. However, in small therapeutic doses in conditions which are otherwise safe and healthy, there is almost no risk.

It takes time to see a benefit. Up to 11 months before a full evaluation will be conducted and few people see a benefit before 100 days. They last in your system for 5 years and there's little risk for others being accidentally infected as (put by my sponsor company) "you'd have to preserve your poo in tropical conditions for 10-14 days and then have another person walk around in it". While that sounds like a party, I don't roll that way.

Now off on my adventure.