Sinusitis, Biofilms and Biocidin

[circular]

I'm feeling very much like I have a tail and squeak a lot and run on a treadmill.

Thanks for sharing circ. I'm the rodent on the treadmill next to you.

Ha! I thought there was something familiar about my cage mate!

[SusanJ]

I got frustrated with my relapse this morning

I hear you sister circ. Still battling to tame histamine after this summer's round of antibiotics, before which, I was doing really well. Hope whatever you take will help you to feel better!

[circular]

I got frustrated with my relapse this morning

I hear you sister circ. Still battling to tame histamine after this summer's round of antibiotics, before which, I was doing really well. Hope whatever you take will help you to feel better!

Oh shoot, do you think the abx caused the prohistamine cycle or the reason you took them? I’m sorry you’ve relapsed. Do you take any mast cell stabilizers? This morning I found this paper about stabilizing mast cells in autoimmune conditions. It only makes passing mention of RA but is quite well written in terms of putting the notion into therapeutic context. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/iji/2015/452095/

[SusanJ]

do you think the abx caused the prohistamine cycle

Yep, the antibiotics whacked my gut. It's interesting because my gut is doing pretty well in terms of tolerating foods after a lot of gut repair, probiotics, eating very clean/healthy. Like no excess gas, normal BMs but I am still sensitive to high histamine foods - runny nose, sneezing and sometimes headaches - and my joints are very stiff every friggin' morning. So going back to basics for further healing. And thanks for the article. I'll see if I can pick anything else up for the arsenal.

I was taking quercetin, but had gone off of it for a while because I was doing so well. Haven't resumed it - it does interfere with the metabolism of estrogen so not sure it's a good long-term choice.

And like you, I've also ordered the Life Extension product. Think we were both seeing the same possibilities in it's action. It might be another boost to help put me back on the right track. Will share any results once I've taken it for a while.

[circular]

do you think the abx caused the prohistamine cycle

Yep, the antibiotics whacked my gut. It's interesting because my gut is doing pretty well in terms of tolerating foods after a lot of gut repair, probiotics, eating very clean/healthy. Like no excess gas, normal BMs but I am still sensitive to high histamine foods - runny nose, sneezing and sometimes headaches - and my joints are very stiff every friggin' morning. So going back to basics for further healing. And thanks for the article. I'll see if I can pick anything else up for the arsenal.

I was taking quercetin, but had gone off of it for a while because I was doing so well. Haven't resumed it - it does interfere with the metabolism of estrogen so not sure it's a good long-term choice.

And like you, I've also ordered the Life Extension product. Think we were both seeing the same possibilities in it's action. It might be another boost to help put me back on the right track. Will share any results once I've taken it for a while.

I find my gut is the least affected by histamine/MCAS. I think I'd have to say I'm always sensitive to high histamine foods as far as runny nose and stuffiness, so I just minimize them. I don't think I've ever tolerated them, but I haven't really tried DAO supplements due to the being another supplement.

Where are you with the lectin notion at present?

[SusanJ]

Dunno about the Gundry view of lectins, but I do think there is something to the idea of traditional preparation of some classes of foods like legumes. I appreciate Sarah Ballantyne's more nuanced view of problem foods, beyond just lectins, and she clearly quotes her research sources so one can read more.

I don't eat grains (no gluten since 2009), except for a little rice or corn once in a great while, sometimes refried beans but haven't had lentils in ages. For me, it's the lure of a plate of Mexican food now and then. I've tried eliminating nightshades and can't say that I've had a clear sign to avoid them.

I do think there is something to the idea that the immune system gets switched on for some of us - like this major basic protein thingie - and it just seems to take a heroic effort to turn it back off. Will just keep fighting the good fight.

[Bettylacy]

Appreciating the conversation and contributions. Circ hope you are feeling better. SusanJ. Thanks for the tip about Quercitin and Estrogen. I didn’t know their was any effect. Maureen with the article Susan J sent is there anything Tinosporo Cordifolia doesn’t do? Its also the cheapest supplement on the market on par with Lithium orotate and neuroprotective along with increasing more immune down regulation and adaptation.

First you maybe wondering why I did not get a MarCons test. I am getting ready to go on a trip and I needed answers quickly so I did a DNA sequencing test via https://microgendx.com which seems very closely related to MarCons and gave me a prelim report in 24 hrs and final report 72 hrs. MarCons testing takes much longer.
Results shows- drum roll: + fungi 63% Pithomyces chartarum; 20% Malassezia restricts and 8% of another.( I’m not sure if these are pathogenic). It also showed staph epidermidis 73%, corynebacterium 23% and staph Pasteuri 2%. All these bacteria are part of normal flora and not pathogenic. I have + Resistant bacterial strains for Methicillin and Aminoglycoside. So I’m thinking this may qualify me for Marcons +. Ie 2 Antibiotics resistant + fungi present. When talking with an ENT doctor, she said fungi is everywhere and tossed the DNA results aside and ordered Allergy testing and CT scan of my sinuses. She suspects more of an allergic condition. That might be a factor, although I’ve not had allergic sx that I know of. But I have had these nagging sinus infections for last 12 years that occur mostly in spring and fall, a time when there is a lot of stuff and fluff floating around in the air.
I’d like to get tested for Major Basic Protein and also interested in getting a Melanocyte Stim. Hormone test (MSH) this is usually low with +Marcons.
Here’s an article showing MBP is related to fungal sinusitis. Doesn’t look like lab Corp does these tests.

Here’s an interesting article showing relationships between fungal sinusitis and MBP .
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11112892# MBP is associated with fungal sinusitis.

The following is taken from https://www.richmondent.com/sinus-aller ... sinusitis/
In 1999, a widely publicized Mayo clinic study demonstrated that 96% of patients with chronic sinusitis have fungal elements in the sinus mucous, and proposed that most cases of chronic sinusitis were caused by the release of major basic protein from the eosinophilic white blood cells, damaging the sinus tissue while trying to eradicate the fungus.  Subsequent studies failed to replicate the initial Mayo clinic findings and later proved that almost all sinuses – healthy or not – have traces of fungi. Interesting that sounds familiar to the amyloid beta story development.

Most commonly caused by the fungus Candida albicans, yeast infections can be red, itchy and painful. In healthy individuals, yeast infections occur during treatment with antibiotics and steroids.  The truth is, our bodies are never sterile. For example, our digestive tract normally holds about 2 to 5 pounds of normal bacteria, which we need to break down the food we eat.  Even in the healthy nose, there is a balanced ecosystem of harmless bacteria and fungi, called a microbiome.  Unfortunately, antibiotics kill both commensal bacteria (healthy ones) and pathogenic bacteria (those that cause disease). However, fungi are not sensitive to the antibiotics that kill bacteria, and can quickly multiply in the absence of competition. When antibiotics are taken by mouth, a yeast infection can occur in any dark, moist part of the body – including the sinuses, the mouth (thrush), the vagina, and the ear canal.

There’s more on biofilms too.

Overall I am mending and do feel better as I continue on the biocidin and various supplements. I’ll check back in as I step forward with new directions.

[circular]

Overall I am mending and do feel better as I continue on the biocidin and various supplements. I’ll check back in as I step forward with new directions.

Glad you are improving Bettylacy! Are you using Biocidin nasal spray or using it internally? Do keep us posted. I think this is all about lifelong management rather than eradication. Most of us with these issues are simply going to be vulnerable to things in the air.

I've been using the Biocidin religiously twice a day since this thread started, and instead of being better I'm worse. It seems clear the Biocidin nasal spray isn't preventing a flare, so I don't think I will continue using it. I may, however, get more religious now about the drops for internal use.

I've been sitting with an unused bottle of the Life Extension 'Immune Modulator with Tinofend' and think I will try that now, without the interference of the Biocidin. I'm so triggery lately I'm a little nervous. I tend to do better with single component supplements than with herbs full of a panoply of chemicals. Maybe will wait until the weekend when I can veg if needed.

I just went back to look at the Tinospora cordifolia: One plant, many roles paper again. I came across a commentary on it that was published two years later:

Remarks on 'Tinospora cordifolia: One plant, many roles'

Then there's a more recent, 2017, paper reviewing the literature. It suggests that most of the support for the immunomodulatory effects of Tinospora comes from cultural use and that little has been done scientifically in the way of animal studies, let alone human ones. That's not enough to stop me from trying it, but it's probably good to be aware of:

Tinospora species: An overview of their modulating effects on the immune system.

WebMD gives a thumbs half up to the application of Tinospora cordifolia for allergies:

Possibly Effective for

Allergies (hay fever). A particular extract of Tinospora cordifolia (Tinofend, Verdure Sciences) seems to significantly decrease sneezing and nasal itching, discharge, and stuffy nose after about 2 months of treatment. [Emphasis added]

Safety hasn't been studied beyond eight weeks.

[SusanJ]

I'm so triggery lately I'm a little nervous.

FYI, I tried it for a week, and it did help calm my morning stuffy nose and histamine response. The downside is it gave me tremendous gas, that I had to stop after a week. I'm guessing because the GI track also releases histamine as a part of digestion, the tinospora was adversely effecting that release, too. I might try it again in the future after I feel my gut is stable.

[circular]

I'm so triggery lately I'm a little nervous.

FYI, I tried it for a week, and it did help calm my morning stuffy nose and histamine response. The downside is it gave me tremendous gas, that I had to stop after a week. I'm guessing because the GI track also releases histamine as a part of digestion, the tinospora was adversely effecting that release, too. I might try it again in the future after I feel my gut is stable.

I wonder if the gas was just part of an overall re-balancing in a good way? What if one more week of use and the gas died down? If the tinospora does help modulate the immune system and histamine, it should eventually bring your gut histamine to a functional level, but WebMD indicates it may take two months for the process to work through. Or can you lower your dose?

Similarly I've had to wonder whether Biocidin was causing dieoff in my sinuses and thus the relapse of major sinus congestion/brain fog.

To stay on it or not to stay on it