Blastocystis & Dientamoeba

[Shine]

Hello.

I am starting my journey on the Bredesen protocol. As part of my tests I found out that I have the parasites Dientamoeba & Blastocystis. I do not have any overt gut discomfort and generally don’t experience stomach upset etc. From my research it looks like the medical community are divided as to whether these 2 parasites need to be treated at all.


I was wondering anyone else has been in this situation and what you decided to do & what Bredesen doctors have recommended in the past.

I’m very confused as to whether it is worth treating these parasites without overt gut symptoms when on the protocol. Or whether I should just leave them alone given I would need to take 4 different antibiotics for 10 days to treat them. My concern is that I don’t know what is worse for cognition- the parasites or the disruption to my gut flora if i treat them?

Thanks, Sharon

[Sara]

Greetings Sharon and welcome to the apoe4.info site! We are pleased that you have joined us and shared your very valid concern. While we wait to see if anyone with relevant experience can provide an answer to your question I wanted to direct you toward our Primer which has a substantial amount of educational information you may find helpful on your journey to good health.

[slacker]

Hello.

I am starting my journey on the Bredesen protocol. As part of my tests I found out that I have the parasites Dientamoeba & Blastocystis.

Hi Sharon and welcome;

I did a search of these 2 parasites on our website and wiki without any hits. Several of us have taken the Bredesen training; I don't remember these being mentioned. I appreciate that it's hard to accept the idea of taking treatment when you don't notice any problems. Hopefully another ApoE4.info member will have some insight on this conundrum.

[Julie G]

Hi and welcome, Sharon! My GI issues are slightly different, but we're basically facing the same dilemma...

I'm dealing with long term (treatment resistant) h.Pylori and a newly discovered case of cryptosporidium. My FMP wanted me to do a complex round of antimicrobials that I failed to complete due to an allergic response to one or more of the products. He now wants me to do a few weeks of the antibiotic Alinia and then pulse (a week on/week off) for several more weeks to ensure complete treatment.

Like you, I don't have any overt GI issues... but I do have a history of ulcers, GERD, etc. and I have ongoing (again treatment resistant) SIBO. I suspect that the SIBO (all good bacteria, just in the wrong place) is a result of ongoing GI motility issues secondary to a connective tissue disorder, not related to the h.Pylori or cryptosporidium.

Given that backdrop, I'm facing the same quandary. Is treatment really necessary and is the "cure" worse than the ailment. Half the world has SIBO and does just fine and cryptosporidium usually takes care of itself. I was feeling sick at the time of the stool testing, but not now.

You don't mention your APOE status, but it may be relevant to your decision. A recent study found that E4 carriers of the Tsimane tribe who had a heavy parasite burden performed BETTER on cognitive testing than other APOE genotypes with parasites. The authors suggest that our pro-inflammatory gene may help us adapt to parasites and other pathogens better than other APOE genotypes. Who knows? We MAY better preserve our cognition by not treating and giving our overly active immune systems something to chew on...

[Shine]

[color=#0080FfF]

Hello.

I did a search of these 2 parasites on our website and wiki without any hits

.

Thanks for responding slacker. Here is a little info on the parasites:

Badbugs

http://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/c ... +infection

https://centrefordigestivediseases.com/parasites/

[Shine]

badbugs.org

Sorry still getting used to posting on this site!

[Shine]

Several of us have taken the Bredesen training; I don't remember these being mentioned.

[/quote]

Are you able to tell me which/if any parasites Bredesen highlights in the training?

Thanks, Sharon

[NF52]

badbugs.org
Sorry still getting used to posting on this site!

Hi Sharon!
No apologies needed! You're on a faster learning curve than lots of us took, and offering new info in the process!
Here's something that might help when you have those "how the heck do I do this?" moments: How-To Guide
It's from our wiki, and has lots of screen shots and step=by-step directions, as well as suggestions on how to get the most out of the site.

[slacker]

Are you able to tell me which/if any parasites Bredesen highlights in the training?

I don't remember parasites being discussed in any detail at the 2nd training, prior to IFM involvement. Doesn't mean they aren't important. Others who have taken the training may chime in.

[Julie G]

I don't recall him speaking specifically about parasites either... other than in the context of finding ALL drivers of cognitive decline. In non-E4 carriers, parasites do appear to contribute to dementia. Dr. Bredesen finds the opposite E4 response notable. He's communicated with the authors of that paper and is watching that story closely. He suspects this is further confirmation of what he's been observing; that more non-E4 carriers experience cognitive decline with CIRS.