Sinusitis, Biofilms and Biocidin

[Bettylacy]

I wanted to start a new post because yes...it is the fall and it is SINUS SEASON, at least for me. I have been having 2-3 sinus infections for > than 10 years and after numerous antibiotic treatments, which mostly have gone well, I would like to get to the root of these infections rather than keep up with the same old same old. So calling all APOE4's with sinus infections. I was hoping like some of my APOe4 brothers and sisters that we would have some immunity to these awful infections but NOoooo. I finished a course of 7 days of Augmentin recently and seemed clear but now symptoms are back. In an attempt to get at the cause and not just re-start the AB tx. I decided to look into DNA sequencing. This test for actual DNA of bacteria and their resistance forms (cultures are not very proficient at this) revealed no bacteria or candida and a few obscure resistances to unfamiliar trials of AB namely Methicillin and Vancomycin. It has now been recommended by my ND to try Biocidin , https://biocidin.com. I see circular tried a few weeks back on a sinus infection. There is some evidence that Biocidin may eliminate biofilms per University of Binghamton researcher Dr. Claudia Marques, Ph. D. who found Biocidin® to be effective at eliminating both single pathogen biofilms and multi-organism biofilms. This is taken from their site. I wonder how you are doing with the Biocidin N=1 experiment circ? Now we have N=2. I'll report back soon.
Wishing everybody a hearty healthy autumn!

[circular]

Hi Bettylacy! I'm still using the Biocidin nasal spray, but I'm afraid I haven't been very consistent about the frequency. Most of the time at least once a day, sometimes twice. I have way too much going on in my life to give it good focus. I was just thinking about it this morning. I need to get more religious about it and use it at least twice a day. The way things are, that will probably mean that something else I'm being consistent about will lose my attention due to the shortage of brain BTUs these days

I think it helps some, but I plan to get another culture late this year. I would call what I have colonizations rather than infections. That may be a distinction without a difference on one level, but I don't get the acute symptoms of what people usually call a sinus infection. I have chronic bacterial colonizations resistent to many antibiotics, including MRSA. MRSA in the sinuses is growing more common among community dwellers.

I also took to using Biocidin on my toothbrush (toothpaste on top of that) morning and night. Interestingly, since starting this, my teeth don't stain as much and as fast, even with a non-abrasive toothpaste. I use a tooth powder every so often to help when it's needed, but I'm surprised how long I go now.

When I think of it, maybe a couple times a week, I throw a couple Hyperbiotics Pro-Dental probiotics in my mouth and chew them up. Supposedly these help colonize the throat and sinuses? Not sure whether I just then go and kill them with the Biocidin. I'm hoping that since studies supposedly show that Biocidin spares the healthy bacteria in the gut, that it also spares them up north. Frankly, I can't see how they can know that it would spare all healthy organisms, but I'm vague about the biology. Isn't there something about gram positive is good and gram negative bad, or the other way around, such that if Biocidin mechanistically targets the bad gram thingy it doesn't do harm to the good gram thingy? By the way, you'll have to accept my terminology on faith since I learned 'thingy' from Stavia long ago.

I'm trying to figure out how you came up with no DNA for bacteria or candida but showed some resistance. They couldn't say resistance to what? A virus maybe but they couldn't identify it? I'm just curious and confused about that. I didn't know the cultures weren't too proficient. I think those of us with symptomatic nasal colonizations/infections are pretty much guinea pigs in the functional medicine world, but for the most part I'm a willing one given the alternative, and I think over time it's helping. What I'm not (yet?) willing to do is go in with a bunch of ozone injections to my face, extractions and surgery for wisdom tooth cavitations to clean out dental infections. Nor have I gone after mercury fillings. Cripes, I won't have a face or a bank account left after all that. So I'm trying to strengthen my microbiota everywhere. Skin too, avoiding products that would kill the good guys etc. But the good guys won't break up biofilms, so I think Biocidin may be an important part of the approach. I also plan to start taking it orally. Just having a hard time focusing on that too.

Sorry, I'm not sure I'm being too helpful, but I'm sure being chatty for how late it is!

[buck3Maureen]

Hi Betty Lacy,
I may be coming in from left field with this. That is, my situation may not have anything in common with yours. But here goes--
In my mid fifties I developed chronic sinusitis overnight. Never had a sinus infection before -- then constantly going on and off of antibiotics. (my last day of health was the day I spent the night in a cabin with lots of mold).

After a while I found a study out of mayo clinic that said over 90% of sinusitis was caused by the immune system responding to mold particles in the air. As a non medically trained person I describe it as -- I was exposed to a lot of mold -- My immune system went crazy and started to produce something called "major basic protein" -- the problem is that even when the threat was gone my body now overreacts to normal air and is always producing this protein. I had lots of mucous and therefore it built up and caused infections.

A normal doctor does not know anything about this. I went to Mayo Clinic and tested positive for this protein and they prescribed itraconazole (an anti fungal) that I used topically. THe medicine kills mold spores that are present in normal air as they are breathed in and this gives your immune system a break thereby reducing the amount of mucous and thus no infections.

I used this medicine for about 10 years without getting any infections. I then found out about an auyervedic medicine called tinosporo cordifolia that you can get on amazon or buy from Life Extension called "immune modulator". This has worked just as well for the last 5 years. I don't get infections any more I take a pill in the AM and one in the PM. It tamps down the overreaction of the immune system. Much easier then trying to get a compounded prescription.
Good Luck-- I hope you find something that helps.
Maureen

[Bettylacy]

Thanks Circ and Maureen- With the regard to the "no bacteria? from circ, I will know more with the full report, but what I'm thinking is the bacterial dna is based on current sinus microbiota and the resistance genes are DNA passed down from prior generations of bacteria. So even tho those bacteria that became resistant are not present they have affected the microbiota. It's a good question and I plan to call https://microgendx.com where I did the testing. Maureen your post is very helpful. I had one episode triggered by mold that ended me up an ER about 10 years ago. That "major basic protein", sounds like a possibility for me. I've felt for a long time that anything floating around can trigger an over reactive state in my immune system. My sister and mother have had similar issues. I'll look into the itraconazole and the immune modulator. Thanks for your feedback... Circ I hope you are feeling better soon. xoxox betty

[circular]

Maureen thanks for providing my interesting morning coffee reading about tinosporo cordifolia! I found this 2012 overview:

Tinospora cordifolia: One plant, many roles

(In addition to its antimicrobial properties, I'm intrigued by its potential anti-osteoporotic and anti-arthritic properties.)

In the cited by is a 2018 paper of potential interest in the context of AD:

Tinospora cordifolia as a potential neuroregenerative candidate against glutamate induced excitotoxicity: an in vitro perspective

Conclusion

These results suggest that B-TCE may have neuroprotective and neuroregenerative potential against catastrophic consequences of glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity and could be a potential therapeutic candidate for neurodegenerative diseases.

[buck3Maureen]

Since there is some interest in this I have posted a link to a news report about the Mayo Clinic study, As you can see it is 20 years old.
In my cynical opinion since no one figured out a way to make a lot of money on treating this - the research died. Actually I have no idea. In case anyone thinks that by going to Mayo Clinic you will see a doctor that is up to date on their own research - sadly not my experience. I had to insist on a test for Major Basic Protein. They were shocked by the result.

https://www.sciehttps://www.sciencedail ... 080344.htm

The tinospora cordifolia and the intraconazole both worked for me, but I still have chronic sinusitis -- it is just a whole lot easier living with it if you don't get sinus infections.

Good Luck to all.

[SusanJ]

My immune system went crazy and started to produce something called "major basic protein" -- the problem is that even when the threat was gone my body now overreacts to normal air and is always producing this protein.

Thanks for sharing this. Like circ, I read the One Plant, Many Roles paper, and plan to look more at "major basic protein". I've felt that my joint issues have been histamine mediated, and this gives me another avenue to explore.

Maureen, glad to hear that tinospora cordifolia has helped you over the years!

[circular]

I wonder how you are doing with the Biocidin N=1 experiment circ? Now we have N=2. I'll report back soon. Wishing everybody a hearty healthy autumn!

I was doing quite well for a spell. Then I got the stomach flu which lasted about five days, and since then, while I got more religious about twice a day Biocidin, and the stomach flu is long gone, I still don't feel well. I have a return of my old 'chronic fatigue' symptoms and brain fog that I worked so hard to get out of. This could be my body still in an inflammatory state from the stomach flu, but it could also be unrelenting abnormal stress levels, and it could also be the change to colder weather, which always causes a flare in mast cell activity that includes a worsening of my hypermobility. (Every time my connective tissues get worse under changing conditions, I totally doubt the whole EDS diagnosis in favor of what Dr. Afrin, the mast cell expert, says: that hypermobile EDS in the absence of one of the CTD genes is not EDS but rather mast cells remodeling the connective tissue.)

Whatever has returned to plague me, it's just showing me that nasal Biocidin for MARCoNS is probably not going to be an 'answer'; ie, I have too many other problems that can trigger unwellness. It would be nice to finally get a clean nasal culture, but I feel no doubt that even if I ever did, I would just acquire something new. I'm a bit uncomfortable with the fact that functional medicine circles are highly (and I think, as an untrained layperson, legitimately) concerned that nasal colonizations could get to the brain through a leaky blood-brain barrier, but they don't seem concerned that there are no studies whatsoever to show whether or not Biocidin herbs, as a treatment example, are safe in the brain, and if so, for how long... that is, if any of them actually cross the BBB as well. I'm feeling very much like I have a tail and squeak a lot and run on a treadmill.

This isn't a very optimistic update, but your mileage may vary.

[slacker]

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.

[circular]

Thanks for sharing this. Like circ, I read the One Plant, Many Roles paper, and plan to look more at "major basic protein". I've felt that my joint issues have been histamine mediated, and this gives me another avenue to explore.

With no time to research it, I went ahead and ordered the Life Extension tinosporo cordifolia. In the meantime I got frustrated with my relapse this morning and threw some ketotifen down for mast cell stabilization. If I keep taking that I should have a nice confounder in the works when I start the tinosporo cordifolia , but I could care less as long as I feel better. Cause/effect can be either sorted out or imagined later