Let me preface this by stating that we all have parasites. Some are actually quite useful while others are certainly not. Either way, if we have a strong immune system, our body should be able to handle the good and the bad ones to an extent (sometimes while traveling we can be exposed to certain parasites such as Giardia which need treatment regardless).
When your immune system is compromised or if you create an opportunistic environment (think diet, unresolved medical issues, etc.) parasites will flourish and begin to cause damage. This post is about my story with healing from parasites. I include testing methods, facts, and cleansing recommendations throughout and at the end of this post. Reminder: This is not meant to serve as medical advice.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
The symptoms of parasites can be tricky as many other ailments and imbalances share the same symptoms.
Deficiencies: Parasites literally feed off you. This can cause deficiencies in iron and/or cause anemia. It can also cause you to have very low levels of vitamins including Bs.
Digestion: Food cravings, constant hunger or loss of appetite, gas, bloating, distention of the abdomen or new food allergies.
Skin: Eczema, unexplained rashes and hives, itching of eyes, nose and especially anus (anus itching can be a clear sign of pinworms (1))
Body: Sexual dysfunction, chronic headaches/migraines, joint pain, teeth grinding (teeth grinding is a well-known and clear sign and symptom of parasite infection!), vision problems
Mood: Anxiety, nervousness, mood swings, memory issues, insomnia, fatigue, brain fog
The first time I heard about the symptoms of parasite infections was through an acupuncturist I was working with. Up until that point, I had done so many elimination diets, cut out so many foods, and took so many supplements to heal my gut, yet saw absolutely no improvement. The over a dozen comprehensive stool tests I had done, which are great for getting a detailed look at the gut’s microbiome but not so great at detecting parasites*, were always negative for parasites. Upon hearing this history, my acupuncturist was not convinced and suggested I go see New York’s top parasite specialist, Dr. Cahill.
* I have put tapeworms in stool test kits for analysis from labs such as Genova, DDC, and NYU only to have them all come back negative for parasites. How is his possible you ask? Parasites secret an enzyme that allows them to digest themselves when exposed to air, so if the sample is not analyzed within approximately 15-minutes of elimination, this poses a threat to accurate results. (1) Secondly, parasites can live in the lungs, small intestines, liver, etc. making them undetectable in a stool test. This poses a huge issue in diagnosing parasites.
Sitting in Dr. Cahill's office, I realized how much of his life the man dedicated to parasites. His personal office housed dozens upon dozens of framed diplomas and certificates hung crooked on the walls. The minimal lighting spotlighted the dust that floated in the air while Dr. Cahill spoke. His speech was quiet and slow, monotone and serious. “Parasites can cause all the symptoms you have. The numbness, tingling, crawling nerve sensation. The pain. The gut issues. The headaches. All of it.", he told me. "They can also be passed back and forth between you and your spouse or even any pets you may have. ”
Dr. Cahill suggested he test me, which involved sticking a tube with a camera and light up my colon so he could collect samples from areas that looked irritated. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, and the thought of it all frankly, grossed me out. Up until that point, I thought having a parasite was singular, as in having just one, but now I understood such was not the case.
Dr. Cahill called a week later and told me I had Entomeba Hystoletica and needed to go on extremely strong antibiotics. I was concerned about taking such high doses, but apparently it was very needed in my case. In fact, my lead doctor decided the best course of action was to give me Flagyl with the addition of Paromomycin for two weeks. I took these alongside Dysbiocide, an all-natural anti-parasite supplement, for an added benefit.
A few weeks post-treatment, my gut started feeling a little better. It wasn't great, but it was moving in the right direction and even my stool looked more "normal". Some of my energy came back and I was in a little less pain. I wondered if it was the parasites after all that was causing all this turmoil in my body.
Unfortunately, two months later things started going downhill again. When I went back to Dr. Cahill for a second check, he told me I was in the clear and had no detectable parasites. I asked him why I would feel a little relief after taking the parasite medication only to feel worse a few months later, but he didn’t have an answer for me and didn’t want to help any further. At this point, I decided to see a Dr. Klinghardt trained practitioner for some further testing.
Before I go into that, let me give a little background on Dr. Klinghardt's testing method called ART muscle testing. For accuracy, the ART test utilizes discs that contain the frequencies of dozens upon dozens of parasites, pathogens, viruses and more. Using these frequencies, and the energy of your own body, you can pinpoint exactly which pathogen is affecting you. It’s really fascinating to watch.
The testing shed a massive light onto what was going on in my body, one of which being a massive parasitic infection. The practitioner wrote out a protocol for me to take over the course of 6-weeks, including extremely strong compounded doses of oregano oil and artemisia, Praziquantel, Ivermectin, Albendazole, Nitazoxanide, and Mebendazole (all parasite medications). She also stressed the importance of cutting out sugar (parasites and other pathogens like Lyme and cancer feed off sugar), getting weekly colonics and doing enemas while on this protocol.
Well, around that time is when I was diagnosed with late-stage neurological Lyme + 5 co-infections and many other conditions, so the focus shifted a little. Under the care of Dr. Thomas Szulc, I was given a protocol/treatment plan consisting of four months of detox, antimicrobials (for Lyme) and lipid therapy alongside herbal supplements for parasites (I took Hannah's Wormwood Kit and VRM 1, 2 and 3). This still wasn’t enough for the parasites, so we had to try something else. Dr. Szulc only uses pharmaceutical medication if the patient absolutely desperately needs and tests well for them, and guess who absolutely desperately needed parasite drugs? That would be me.
He wrote me (and my husband) a script for Albendazol that we would take for 4-weeks. This is super important: If you have pets or live with a partner/spouse, it is imperative they do the parasite protocol alongside you. (If I had a pet, my doctor would have put the animal on meds too!) Pets transfer parasites and eggs very easily and the parasite eggs can latch onto your hands or under your nails. If you aren't careful, you re-injest these eggs. (2)
Over the next four weeks I was doing coffee enemas and colonics to make sure I was getting rid of anything being killed, and taking binders and lots of probiotics. Binders are crucial as when parasites die off they release viruses and other toxins which cause you to feel even worse. Binders help clean up the mess.
After going to the bathroom one day during this cleanse, there it was...a foot-long tapeworm. I screamed. I literally screamed at the top of my lungs and ran out of the bathroom. I was disgusted and did not want to go back in there. What if it was MOVING?! I grabbed my phone, held my breathe (I don't know what this did) and dramatically made my way back into the bathroom to take a photo, flushed and ran back out jumping and squirming. This happened one other time while on the meds.
After the cleanse I thought I would start to feel a difference in my gut issues since I passed two whole tape worms but instead, I needed more detox IVs because the toxicity in my body went back up. Again, when they are killed, parasites release toxins and viruses that your body then has to deal with on top of everything else. If you cannot handle that on your own, you may need detox support.
Two months later and I was still a mess. I was still seeing them in my stool! The tapeworms were sporadic, but almost daily I saw small inch long worms and often saw a mucus looking blob, with either a brown or bloody strand in it (sorry, gross, but if you’re on a health journey like this you will be used to this by now).
I ended up going to a Nigerian parasite specialist I heard about through other patients who also saw my doctor. VERY long story short, after this acclaimed yet very unknown to the general public parasite specialist checked my stool, urine, AND saliva under a microscope, he called to tell me I had an extremely high parasitic infection of helminths (not protozoas which are invisible to the naked eye) and candida. "I work with patients in Europe, Africa and the US. This is a heavy duty infection." he told me.
He continued with my protocol. "These herbal teas you have to drink taste...like...SHIT, but you have to take them for TENNNNNN DAAAAAAAAYS" he dramatically shouted across the phone. I didn't know if I should laugh or cry, but I laughed and prepared myself for the absolute worst, most vile and disgusting herbal tea I have ever consumed. Just opening the bottle (which was about 1 gallon worth) caused a stench that you could smell from 10-feet away. There were about 15 different herbs in there from artemisia to shilajit.
I used disposable cups for the teas because the smell would not even wash off my regular glasses and it took half-hour for the flavor to leave my mouth. I had to do this three times a day and no joke, I would plug my nose with a hair pin, down the shot, then rinse my mouth with juice, brush my teeth and chew gum. Upon taking the tea each time throughout the day, I would also get an instant headache.
During these ten days I was a total mess especially with my anxiety which was apparently because of the parasites dying off. This was also the first time my face started to really swell, especially around my eyes which is a sign of liver/kidney and lymphatic disfunction. My body was swollen and inflamed causing extreme amounts of pain, fatigue and psychological symptoms.
Now, the size of the things that came out of me...I cannot even begin to describe. I was shook. I am shook for life as to what was living inside me for who knows how long. (I won't post pictures of these things, which I do have). The parasite killing tea made me crash so badly, that I never even got to the candida or viral teas and a month later I had to do another set of detox IVs to rid my body of the debris leftover from those parasites, which were still not fully cleared!**
** I do know people who had excellent results from the teas and it was a game-changer for their stomach issues.
I was still having so many symptoms, but also having extreme nausea daily. My stomach and colon were spasming so intensely that I caved and took pharma anti-spasm and anti-nausea meds. I had no choice because I couldn’t even take a sip of water without wanting to puke.
To really try and get these suckers out, my doctor put me on Dr. Klinghardt's parasite protocol with multiple different medications (this was a month before heading out to Sophia Institute so I wanted to do their protocol prior to going). I took four different meds over a four week period, along with binders repeating two of the meds in the cycle.
I did one cycle of the above for 4-weeks and that nearly killed me. I became extremely sick, got chronic strep throat and was cripplingly weak. I honestly do not know how I managed to get on a plane and get myself to Sophia Institute. That was last August, 2017. Here is the kicker: I STILL have parasites in my body. It has gotten to the point where not seeing something in my stool would have me screaming. Screaming for joy. I've also gotten over my initial shock, screaming and squirming about the things and am totally used to it. (Got a photo? Send it my way. I'll be happy to verify it for you.) But, please understand, my case is very complex. I still have candida which is something parasites feed off of and heavy metals, which often go hand-in-hand with candida; it's all a vicious cycle really. So I can kill, kill, kill, but they are still getting fed, fed, fed.
The important thing about parasites is understanding their life cycle and "living situation". When you throw medicine at them constantly, they just go into hiding and no-matter what or how much you throw at them, they just will not die. They can also lie dormant and live deep in your tissues (another reason why stool testing is not very accurate) from lungs to liver to colon, so you must get them out and to do so, you have to trick them. Basically, you take medicine, then take a break, then take it again, then take a break, then another one, then a break, and repeat this in many cycles.
There is also supposedly a connection to parasites and the full moon so be sure to pay attention to the lunar calendar while on your cleanse. I have not been able to find full scientific evidence on this but I will tell you from experience, I notice the difference during full moon time; My gut issues get significantly worse as does my body pain and cognitive issues. Think about it...if the full moon can effect the tides and animal behaviors, then you better believe it could effect the living things inside of us. (3)
Parasites are no joke and they can wreck havoc on your system. You also have to make sure your doctor is parasite literate as there is a science to treating them and understanding them. I cannot tell you how many doctors (my primary care doctor, infectious disease doctor and two top NYC GI doctors scoffed at me when I told them about my parasite issue) are unaware of how difficult it really is to eradicate parasites. I suggest going to a parasite literate functional doctor for this (not all functional docs know much about parasites) or find yourself a well educated conventional doctor. Though Dr. Cahill spent his life studying parasites and knows so much about them as a species, I later found out that he is notorious for telling his patients they are parasite free after doing his one round of antibiotics.
Some people have amazing success with herbs, but don't think that taking a bottle of wormwood one time is going to rid you of parasites. If you decide to do an herbal protocol on your own, which I do not suggest doing without supervision from a doctor, be sure to purchase excellent quality herbs.
Update as of 2021:
I am no-longer testing for parasitic infections and haven’t for a long time. YAY!
TIPS FOR PARASITE CLEANSING
Here are some of my tips from what I learned after extensive research, protocols and speaking to doctors:
1. You must take quality herbs, if you go that route. I had success with these:
Hannah's Kit: http://www.hannasherbshop.com/shop/hanna/kits-specialty/wormwood-kit-formerly-para-cleanse-kit.html
Dysbiocide: https://www.pureformulas.com/dysbiocide-120-capsules-by-biotics-research.html
VRM 1, 2, 3: https://revelationhealth.com/products/systemic-formulas-491-vrm1-large
Make sure you are taking excellent probiotics.
Be sure to take the right dosage for you. I took much more than stated on the bottle, as instructed by my doctor.
2. Binders are also very necessary. Speak to your doctor about which are best for you. I have used charcoal, Zeobind, chlorella, Biosil etc. (chlorella was always in the mix). I have tried diatomaceous earth and it made me feel awful and extremely constipated despite taking high-dose oxygenated magnesium alongside it so I nixed that.
3. Diet
Most of you are not eating dairy, gluten or sugar, but if you are, stop while doing a parasite cleanse. Parasites feed off sugar and yeast and bad bacteria and stuff like sugar feeds yeast and bad bacteria. Also, limit your fruit intake. (Some doctors will even tell you no fruit during this time.) While on the teas for ten days I ate fruit day one (to draw them out) and then no fruit for the remainder of the cleanse.
In addition, no pork (pigs eat everything, even the nicely raised one, so pork is often highly parasite infested), fish, or alcohol.
You shouldn't be drinking tap water anyway but a friendly reminder not to drink tap water at restaurants either and avoid ice at ALL COSTS (unless you are making the ice at home with clean, purified water).
Friendly anti-parasite foods: pumpkin seeds, garlic, coconut oil.
4. Drainage pathways must open prior to beginning cleanse
5. Eliminate!
Colonics and enemas are a must. You have to move that stuff out, especially anything dying off.
Parasites are only in the colon during the last part of their life cycle, during other times, they are in the biofilm in various other places in the body
Further reading
https://blog.paleohacks.com/signs-you-have-a-parasite-and-what-to-do-about-it/#
http://www.debugyourhealth.com/parasites-in-humans/
https://www.betterhealthguy.com/klinghardt-parasites
https://wholistichealthboss.com/full-moons-effects-on-your-health/
https://www.betterhealthguy.com/klinghardt-pearls
https://myersdetox.com/transcript-183-how-toxic-metals-promote-parasites-with-dr-dietrich-klinghardt/
https://www.holistichelp.net/intestinal-parasites.html
Don't forget, I am not a doctor! It's all here in the Disclaimer.