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"The most extensive of all the morbid mental conditions which reflect themselves so disastrously in the human system is the state of fear. It has many degrees of gradation, from the state of extreme alarm, fright, and terror, down to the slightest shade of apprehension of intending evil. But all along the line it is the same thing–a paralyzing impression upon the centers of life which can produce, through the agency of the nervous system, a vast variety of morbid symptoms in every tissue of the body."
Dr. William Holcomb (Omkar, 1998)
There is an old saying that "The doctor who has himself for a patient is a fool." I truly learned the meaning of this axiom very recently. While the medical professionals I was dealing with were convinced I was "dying of AIDS," I knew other factors were at work.
The following is an account of my ordeal with a special emphasis on the causes at work in my immune dysfunction. Make no mistake about it: Stress can kill you and its deleterious effects on the immune system have been well documented all the way back to Dr. Hans Seyle’s seminal work on the subject in the 1930s. A stinging critique of current "AIDS science" will be given. Although I’ve been an AIDS dissident for many years, it took getting a positive ELISA and Western Blot test, along with an opportunistic infection, to really see how HIV+s are treated by the "experts." Finally, some words of advice to the dissident community, large parts of which think nothing of a positive HIV antibody test result and take no preventive nutritional measures to deal with it. Although testing positive is not a sign of infection with a retrovirus known as HIV, it CAN mean a stressed immune system (in the absence of other factors which are known to cause false positives on the tests). There have been more than a few cases recently of some prominent AIDS dissidents dying of various opportunistic infections and this is tragic as these people did not need to die, but failing to take adequate preventive measures with one’s health, regardless of one’s HIV status, cannot be ignored and the consequences can be grim.
IN THE BEGINNING
In the Spring of 2002, something very strange happened to me. I began to be stalked by a long-time, elderly client who, for some reason, became obsessed with me. I had worked with the man for about a year, helping him deal with his advancing diabetes and kidney problems. He found out where I lived, walked past my apartment several times a day, stopping to sit across the street and stare at my windows for hours. Then he began showing up unannounced at my front door to visit me. I quickly told the man that visits between us were to take place at the office, not my home, and for him not to do it again. I also demanded that he stop coming around my house.
When things went unchanged, I called the police who informed me that the man was not doing anything illegal as sitting on a fire hydrant on a sidewalk, even if it was in front of my apartment, was each person’s right. A visit from the officer to the man stopped the pattern for about two weeks, then it began again. One evening, I confronted the man during one of his strolls and he informed me he was praying for me. I said that was nice, but that he could pray for me just as easily in a church or in his own apartment.
Despite this encounter, the stalking continued for several months and I did my best to ignore it, although this was difficult to do. The man was obviously unstable and there was a deep fear that he might try to hurt me.
The next thing that happened was that I was sued by a client I’d seen a few times in the past. It was obvious to me that the gentleman was looking for one thing: money. Ordinarily, I would not have worried too much about such nonsensical accusations, but there was a twist here: The man suing me had his brother acting as the attorney and I knew his services were free to the client. I knew he could drag out the proceeding for a long time, draining me of my limited resources.
I retained an attorney, paid the retainer, and asked for advice. The lawyer told me to leave the state, that it would be near impossible for the man to continue chasing me across the country and that he would have to drop the case. The lawyer also advised me to get all of my money out of the state and shift it to somewhere else. This was to prevent a possible freezing of my account due to the civil litigation.
Even though I thought this was a rather drastic measure to take, I took the advice and, in record time, I sold my stuff and arranged to move away after a nine year residence. I also wired the money to a close friend in the state I was heading to, asking him to set up an account for me which I would sign off on when I arrived. He agreed.
It was the last I was to see of that money for a long time.
After settling in to the new state, I received a letter from my attorney asking for another retainer as it was obvious that the man who sued me was not going to drop it. So much for his earlier advice about moving. I went through a tremendous amount of trauma being run out of a place I’d established myself in, and it all meant nothing. I dropped this attorney and quickly found another one who did resolve the issue within seven weeks.
During this time, I kept trying to get the money back from my "friend." In his excuses, he came up with one bizarre story after another as to why he couldn’t return my money. He even implied that I was the reason for his problems. He claimed that government agencies had frozen his bank accounts and that I was somehow involved in it. In the meantime, I was out tens of thousands of dollars which no amount of negotiating could get back.
Each day, I wondered, "Why won’t he give me the money? Should I believe these stories? What if he’s lying and intends to steal it? How could someone who is my friend do such a terrible thing to me?’ My friends told me I would have to sue him, but I had a hard time with this as I’d known and trusted the man for about eight years.
The civil suit against me wrapped up in March of 2003 with me paying a small fine. Considering what the man was suing me for, this was a great victory, but it did not make me too happy as I was paying for something that I felt I did not have to. My new lawyer told me, however, that if I did not settle the suit with a small settlement, that the man could drag on the suit for months, draining me of even more money. So, I swallowed my pride and agreed to the payoff, even though I was in complete disagreement with it.
Believe it or not, a visit to a psychic let me know what to do about my missing funds. The Iranian woman began turning over cards and asked if someone owed me money. I said yes. She asked for his name and I told her. She then said to me, "You know what? He’s a fucking liar! This man is the devil and has no intention of giving you the money back. You need to get a lawyer and get one quick. I can also tell you that his days of freedom are numbered as there are several agencies out to nail him and they will eventually."
I retained an attorney and left his office in disbelief. Eventually, I did recover the money, but it took a lot longer than I thought it would. Nevertheless, what might have been a tremendous loss to me turned out well.
Around this time, I unfortunately got sick. I came down with tonsillitis and food poisoning at the same time and promptly lost eight pounds. When I went to the doctor, he prescribed for me amoxicillin, a drug I’d taken before with no problems. After a few days on the drug, my throat improved and I began to eat again. Then, on the 5th day of the drug, I noticed a rash on my back. It almost looked like poison ivy even though it did not itch. Over the next few days, the rash spread to my arms, my chest, my legs, my feet, and my face. In short, I had become allergic to amoxicillin and all penicillins and was in the midst of a drug reaction. I called the doctor and told him what was happening and he had me come in for a prescription for Prednisone. At this point, I was hesitant as Prednisone works by shutting down the immune system and here I was, recovering from an infection that left me very weak. Still, if I did nothing, I could look forward to another five days of looking like a lobster and itching everywhere. I opted for the Prednisone.
This was another mistake.
Prednisone is known for its numerous side effects. It usually makes people feel euphoric, but some people it affects in the opposite way, making them depressed. By the second day, I was suicidal. The allergic reaction was diminishing, but I also experienced two of Prednisone’s other side effects: myopathy and lack of sleep. I did not fall asleep, no matter how many sleeping pills I took, for three whole days. This also had me very concerned as I knew that lack of sleep is the quickest thing that will weaken one’s immune system–and I was taking a drug that shuts down the immune system in the first place.
In the middle of all this, I got word from back East that my mother, sick for many years with rheumatoid arthritis, had slipped into a coma and was not expected to make it. I had to drop everything in the midst of my Prednisone reaction and head home for the funeral. On top of all this, because of my sickness, I was unable to work and since I was new to the area, I had no practice yet to generate income. In short, I was going broke and the bulk of my assets had been stolen from me by a person I thought was my "friend."
Right before I left for the funeral, I called my father and told him that I needed to see a doctor when I got there as I knew something was wrong with me. I was incredibly weak. I was running low-grade fevers. And I was coughing–a lot. The cough had no mucous, but was intense. After I arrived, I saw a nurse practitioner who told me I had bronchitis and she prescribed Avelox to me–a drug I also happened to react to. She switched me off to Zithromax, but I reacted to that as well.
Nevertheless, nothing seemed to help me. There were times over the next several months where I felt fine, but returning to my usual life of tennis, weight lifting, and working would bring on the symptoms again within 1-2 weeks. I was on an endless array of antibiotics which left me drained and nauseous–and still feverish and coughing. I should point out here that, despite all of my training and knowledge and the myriad of articles I’d written, including several on the effects of stress on the body and the immune system, I did absolutely nothing to compensate for the extreme stress I was under for months. No antioxidants. No B complex. No Siberian Ginseng. Nothing. I’d even stopped cooking for myself, preferring to eat out. This meant no fresh food, no organ meats, no vegetables, etc.
Since I knew my health was going down the drain, I chose to leave the state I’d moved to and return home to my family in Virginia. I figured, "If things get worse, at least I won’t be alone." Added to this was the constant fear that I would never get my money back, the bitterness over being betrayed, and the civil suit that was filed against me. I actually began blaming myself for the theft of my money. In short, the entire situation had consumed me and I could not let go of my bitterness, grief, and despair. My friends, however, stood by me and told me that I needed to get counseling and to put things in perspective. Despite my losses and pain, I still had a number of things going for me: A supportive family, great friends, and the strong possibility that I would get my money back from the embezzler. I, however, could not see what I had going for me and concentrated all the time on what I’d lost.
While in Virginia, I began seeing an acupuncturist, but this only brought marginal improvement. I finally went and saw a pulmonologist who, again, suggested bronchitis. He ordered a chest x-ray which revealed a pair of clean lungs. He then asked that I have a CAT scan of my lungs "Because x-rays don’t show everything." The earliest time I could get the scan done, however, was two weeks later and I’d already made plans to go back to where I’d lived originally to help out a friend who asked me for assistance.
I should also point out that a few months before I moved, I was in an accident which left me with a moderate concussion to the occipital region of my skull. The concussion was just one more thing I had to deal with and full recovery from it did not happen until three months later. Also, I’d developed an array of other health problems that I did not understand: impotence, digestive troubles, spontaneous nose bleeds, bronchitis, sinusitis, and otitis media. All of that plus the coughing, the fevers, and the fatigue. Eventually, these problems dissipated, but life was more difficult when I had to deal with them. It was also a sign that my body was falling apart.
Upon arriving back, my breathing worsened. I was unable to walk up a flight of stairs without my heart pounding and leaving me breathless. I was also losing weight. The clothes that fit me snugly before, now were hanging off of me.
I went to a medical clinic and had a number of tests done–all which revealed nothing, except for one, my blood oxygen reading. Normal readings are between 94 and 100, but mine was 81. The physician I saw arranged for me to see a pulmonologist in a few days and said he’d call me with the results of my tests.
Over the next two days, however, my breathing got even worse. I was gasping for air and my heart felt like it was going to explode. This, it turns out, was where all my calories and lean tissue had gone. My heart was trying to get more oxygen to my body, so it beat faster and faster trying to do this. Unfortunately, my lungs were so affected that I could never take in enough oxygen to meet the demands of my body. In any event, my resting pulse was 140 bpm when normally it should be between 70 and 80.
I finally went back to the clinic and said that something had to be done now as I felt as if I were suffocating (which I was). The doctor arranged for me to be checked into the hospital connected with the clinic and by the end of the day I was in the respiratory ward of the hospital and on oxygen.
A battery of tests followed, including a CAT scan. The pulmonologist came into my room and said, "Well we know what’s wrong with you. You have pneumonia. Your right lung is totally infiltrated with it and your left lung is starting to show signs of infection. I’ve scheduled you for a bronchoscopy tomorrow so we can find out what organism is causing it."
I was shocked. Here I was a health professional who’d worked with people with emphysema and asthma. I’d been to several doctors who all misdiagnosed me. And here I was with pneumonia which had been developing for almost an entire year. Further, the fact that I even got pneumonia was a sign that my immune system was not working right.
The day after the bronchoscopy, the pulmonologist came to my room and said what I least expected to hear: "You have pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, PCP. Are you HIV positive?" I was shocked. How could I get an opportunistic infection like PCP? What was happening to me? How had I sunk so low?
Blood was drawn for the HIV test, which came back positive for HIV antibodies. At this point, I was put on a very high dose of Bactrim, along with Prednisone. I almost refused the Prednisone after what happened to me before. Besides, I could not help but wonder, "Why are they giving me a drug which suppresses the immune system when I’m fighting for my life against a raging infection?" The doctor explained that Prednisone was standard in severe pneumonia because it helped reduce inflammation and open up the lungs, an explanation I was unable to verify with other doctors. It may be standard in autoimmune pneumonia, but not for general pneumonias.
I was in the hospital for the next eight days, most of them on oxygen, but the doctors were amazed at how quickly I was recovering and decided to send me home. I’d also contacted a friend and asked him to bring me a high potency multi-vitamin/mineral formula and some DHEA, as well as a paper by Alfred Hassig, PhD, and his colleagues posted at www.virusmyth.net. I’d read the paper some time ago and remembered it as it was one of the few dissident AIDS publications that actually gave instructions in how to rebuild one’s immune system and prevent further infections which I knew I was at risk for at the time. I got the printed paper and began studying it, planning my recovery tactics.
A few days before I got the paper, though, I had a breakthrough. I realized that, even if I overcame the PCP, how long would it be before I succumbed to something else? It was time to make an important decision: Did I want to live? Or did I want to die? The months leading up to the hospital were filled with self-hatred, bitterness, resentment, and non-stop worrying about my future. "Do I love myself enough to forgive myself and move forward?" And in one moment, I burst out crying as I turned back to myself and said, "Yes. I want to live. I’m not ready to die."
THE AIDS BRIGADE
Before I left the hospital, a steady stream of physicians came to talk with me about my medicine and my recovery. Each physician emphasized to me that, in order to rebuild my immunity, I had to begin taking "cocktail drug therapy" for HIV. Since I’d written extensively about AIDS in the past, I knew this was coming, and I knew what my answer had to be.
Here is how one conversation went:
DR.: You need to start HAART [highly active anti-retroviral therapy] right away or its just a matter of time before you get sick with something else and end up back in the hospital.
ME: You know, doctor, I’ve given lectures on nutrition for local AIDS foundations so I’m not some idiot. I’ve seen what happens to many people on HAART and all of the terrible side-effects most of them encounter: "Buffalo humps" from lypodystrophy, nausea, constant diarrhea, liver failure, kidney stones, strokes. Not only that, but AZT, one of the drugs used in HAART (or one of its analogues like d4T), is a known carcinogen with several documented toxic effects [1-7] that was deemed too dangerous to administer after its creation in the 1960s. Why aren’t you telling me about any of the side effects? I have a right to know since its my life and my body."
DR.: [Looking stunned] Look, I’ve seen people improve greatly on these drugs. There may be a few minor side effects, but they’re worth it for the effect the drugs have on the virus.
ME: How can you call liver failure, heart attacks, and chronic diarrhea "minor side effects?" How can cancer be a "minor side effect"?
DR.: [Looking exasperated] Look. You’re dying of AIDS. Your T-cell count is only 54 and you just had an opportunistic infection. There’s also some thrush in your mouth which is another opportunistic infection. If you don’t start HAART, you’re going to die in a few months.
ME: You didn’t answer my questions. And I know for a fact that T-cell counts are meaningless when it comes to determining one’s health status. I’ve worked with people with no T-cells who were healthy, and people with 900 T-cells who were in the hospital with opportunistic infections. It is a totally meaningless measurement and low T-cell counts can be caused by lots of conditions, including excessive stress.
I then recounted to him everything I’d been through in the last year. The physician totally ignored these emotional factors and kept pressuring me to take the HAART regime. I then pointed out that at the time I came down with the PCP, April of 2003, I was HIV negative. I’d had an HIV test done at the end of October which was negative. In other words, I got the PCP at a time when I was HIV negative and the only factors that were working against me were my considerable personal traumas and my lack of nutritional intervention to deal with those traumas. This was ignored, too. I also pointed out that I was not in any of the high risk groups for HIV infection. I was not a drug user. I did not use "poppers" (inhalant drug popular in some parts of the gay community). I also did not swallow semen and I was also not passive in anal intercourse so my risk of exposure was minimal. This was all ignored, too.
DR: Look. You cant afford not to take these drugs. They’ve been proven to help people and extend life.
ME: Doctor, every person I know who took those drugs is now dead. I’ve worked with many HIV+s who have never taken any HAART, they cleaned up their lives and began living better and eating well. Some of them have been positive for 15 years with no health problems. How come you’re not telling me how to rebuild myself? You’d do that for other pneumonia patients who were HIV negative. Why not me? And those patients you’ve seen improve. Did they clinically improve? Or did their T-cell counts and Viral Load measurements improve?
DR: Those people are non-progressors. They have benign forms of the virus in them.
ME: Can you prove that? Do you have genetic sequences to show this?
DR: No response.
ME: Did those people on HAART clinically improve?
DR: No response.
DR: Look. I think you’re in denial. You don’t want to admit that you’re dying and looking for excuses.
ME: I’m not denying anything. I know I’m weak right now and I know what I have to do to fully recover. Where we’re differing is how to go about this. I have contacts too, you know, who have successfully worked with immune dysfunction using natural approaches and I know they’ll help me. Furthermore, I’m a nutritionist who should have taken more precautions last year, but I did not. Its almost as if I forgot everything I learned about keeping the immune system healthy. And I know what I went through brought me to this point. I appreciate your concern, but I’m choosing my own way to deal with this. Also, I’m not taking Bactrim for the rest of my life which you’ve suggested. Bactrim is a very toxic drug that inhibits folic acid synthesis, which white blood cells need to divide. You’re recommending a drug that will hurt my immune system in the long run so I cannot take it.
DR: I’d like you to speak with our infectious disease specialist. She can better answer your questions about HAART. She’s very intelligent.
ME: Great. How many lives has she saved from AIDS?
DR: What?
ME: How many people has she saved from dying of AIDS?
DR: Well I’m not sure.
ME: That’s because she’s saved no one. She doesn’t sound too intelligent to me, especially since she will not change her failed approach to dealing with immune dysfunction.
After this meeting, the doctor wished me well and again urged me to see the infectious disease specialist. Also, before I left the office, he checked my retinas and said I had two small lesions in my left eye. He then casually remarked how I might have CMV retinitis or toxoplasmosis and that I should see an opthamologist to be sure its nothing serious.
I remember leaving his office thinking, "There is no way in hell I’m coming back here. What kind of a healer tells someone they’re going to die? He’s treating me as if I’m already dead!" I finally understood what it is like for other HIV+s, but with a difference: How many of them know what I know? Not very many, I’m afraid. And that lack of knowledge is costing them their lives and their ability to stay healthy. I realized it was the same scenario for people diagnosed with cancer, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, or any chronic and hard to treat condition.
In short, I felt as if I were dealing with the members of some bizarre medico-religious cult with a new deity called HIV. No matter what evidence and proof was brought forward to dispute their claims or their treatment approaches, HIV was king of the universe and they would stop at nothing in trying to eradicate it, even if people on their drugs died of liver failure or cancer. Or if babies born to AZT-treated HIV+ mothers (to prevent HIV transmission) ended up with extra fingers, misshapen heads, etc. (8). All that mattered was "stopping the deadly virus" and they were justified in making people suffer to do that. To question them in any way was to invite the wrath of the AIDS Inquisition. When dealing with doctors and AIDS experts, despite being well-meaning (for the most part), you are in reality dealing with a group of medically-trained, professionally licensed murderers. The whole scenario is absolutely disgusting.
Recovering my health lay elsewhere and I knew I had a long road ahead of me given my weakened state and the fact that I’d lost about 17 pounds in just four weeks. I was so ashamed: I used to have a buff, muscular body and here I was now with practically no muscle mass anywhere. Whatever is causing it, pneumonia doesn’t mess around. It goes right for your jugular in a hurry when it overtakes you. No wonder its one of the leading causes of death in the USA.
REBUILDING THE BODY
On the day of my release, Pablo, a good friend, came to help me get back home. We took a detour to a local health food store so I could stock up on the products listed in Dr. Hassig’s article (9). I picked up:
L-glutamine To help recover my muscle mass and to stimulate growth hormone release.
A herbal antioxidant To get control of the excessive oxidative stress in my body and deal with the rampant free radicals.
DHEA To lower cortisol levels and stimulate the cell-mediated immune response which closes down when cortisol is elevated from excessive stress.
Padma Basic A Tibetan herbal formula heavily recommended by Hassig and his group. Padma Basic is a potent antioxidant compound and has been shown to help those with chronic hepatitis (10) and immune problems.
Whey Protein Powder To help boost glutathione levels.
N-Acetyl Cysteine To help boost glutathione levels.
Cod Liver Oil 3 tbsp a day for the omega-3 fatty acids and extra vitamins A and D. All of which stimulate the immune system.
Arginine/Lysine To help with immune function.
High Potency multi-vitamin To cover what I may have missed.
Multi-Mineral Formula To insure a good intake of selenium, zinc, and manganese which are all involved in controlling oxidative stress.
I also went to the grocery and health food stores and stocked up on high calorie, nutrient-dense foods for me to consume to help get my weight up and super nourish my body. Foods like organic beef, lamb, beef heart, beef liver, avocados, assorted raw nuts, a variety of vegetables, yogurt, butter, raw milk cheeses, olive oil, coconut milk, eggs, etc. filled my cart. I also began making home made soups again using beef and pork bones. I added fresh vegetables, lentils, and whole grains like millet and brown rice. Pork may have a spotty reputation in some holistic circles with some claiming it causes cancer, but in Chinese medicine, pork broth is always recommended to those with cancer as it helps to build up yin. Pork soup is also recommended for those who are weak and need to build their strength and that was certainly me.
Despite being incredibly weak, I forced myself to cook my food once again. I basically sat around all day and ate and slept. My friend Pablo also kept visiting me to help out with household chores and shopping. He also began bodywork on me, using advanced Polarity techniques to help me recover.
Around this time, I contacted Roberto Giraldo, MD, of New York. Roberto was a good friend and AIDS dissident who I’d known for years with extensive experience in treating immune disorders. He is also the author of the excellent book AIDS and Stressors (now out of print) and maintains a website with several of his papers on AIDS posted which I highly recommend reading. His site is www.RobertoGiraldo.com. I emailed him and told him what had happened to me and called him the next day. Of course, the first thing he asked me was why hadn’t I contacted him sooner? To be honest, I just did not think about it.
Roberto asked me to tell him in detail what I was taking and eating. He quickly offered some suggestions: 6 grams of vitamin C each day; 600 mg of B complex each day; more vitamin A; betacarotene; vitamin E; and a combination antioxidant. He thought my diet was fine. He then asked me a crucial question: "What do you have to live for, Steve?" Confused, I asked him why was he asking me that. He said that in order to survive and overcome illness, any illness, the person involved needs to KNOW that their life has a purpose and that there is a reason to live. I answered I had numerous reasons to live and that I was going to make it. "Good!" he exclaimed.
Roberto also advised me not to isolate myself and to keep in constant contact with my friends for social and personal support. He also advised me to put the demons in my past to rest and to move forward. All sound advice which I took.
While recovery was frustrating at times due to some unanticipated food sensitivities and the fact that my lungs were so damaged, in about one month’s time I’d put on about eight pounds and my energy was slowly returning. I felt so good that I started back to the gym and, slowly, began working out to help rebuild my body and regain my strength. I also began seeing an acupuncturist highly recommended to me by Pablo and she assisted in my recovery as well.
Since pneumonia takes about eight weeks to really recover from, the rebuilding is still going on now, but I know now what caused my illness and what I should have done to prevent it. I also began researching alternative AIDS information on oxidative stress and what to do about it. I also became increasingly angry at the AIDS establishment and what it was doing to patients who did not need more drugs in them–they needed nutrition and an examination of their attitudes to ferret out the inner skeletons that were dragging them down. I knew all of this information as I’d written about it in my AIDS book (11), but I’d frankly forgotten most of it as I had not worked with an AIDS client for years.
SHATTERING THE MYTHS
HIV Antibody Testing
It is widely held by the establishment that the ELISA and Western Blot tests used to detect HIV antibodies in someone’s blood are 99.9% accurate. An analysis, however, of the medical literature reveals tens of other conditions which are known to cause false positive test results (12). Things like multiple pregnancies, flu vaccinations, autoimmune disorders, malaria, and hepatitis B are just a few of the things known to cause false positive reactions. Additionally, most people do not know that there is no standard of interpretation of a test result and that one could be HIV positive in one country, but HIV negative in another with different testing criteria (13). For example, if you test positive in the USA because your test came out positive for just one of HIV’s supposedly unique proteins and then you went to France or Africa and had the same test done, you would be negative because in these countries three and two proteins are required to designate someone as "HIV positive."
Furthermore, the molecular proteins said to be unique to HIV (which is what the ELISA and Western Blot tests are looking for) have been shown to be found in other organisms so there is nothing unique about them. Furthermore, an exhaustive study by Australian researchers has clearly shown that there is no gold standard with regards to HIV antibody testing (14) and that a positive test result may mean a cross-reaction with a harmless protein present in one’s cells. Some dissident scientists, however, barring the things which are known to cause false positives, feel that a positive HIV test result is a sign that someone’s immune system has been stressed from various factors to a critical point and that these people need to take better care of themselves (15-17). We will return to this idea later in the article as it is a tenet I happen to agree with.
Regardless, the next time you here about the supposed accuracy of HIV testing, know it is completely false.
AZT & Protease Inhibitors
Several of AZT’s known side effects were already mentioned with appropriate references. People, including HIV+s, think that AZT helps "fight HIV" by preferentially killing cells infected by it. This was the rationale behind its approval by the FDA in the 1980s for use in AIDS patients. The claim, however, that AZT killed HIV in the body was disputed by a number of researchers (18-22) and Eleni Elelopolus and her colleagues from the Royal Perth Hospital in Australia recently published an exhaustive analysis of AZT and showed conclusively that AZT cannot work in the body as is claimed because it does not convert into its active form in cells (23). Other studies have shown that AZT monotherapy accelerates takers to death (24). Despite these problems, AZT continues to be prescribed by doctors. AZT was originally developed as a chemotherapeutic drug for cancer patients and it works by terminating DNA synthesis in replicating cells by mimicking one of the nucleotides–thymidine. The cell gets "tricked" into thinking the AZT compound is the real nucleotide and incorporates it into the replication process. But since the AZT is not the real thing, the replication terminates and the cell dies.
Protease inhibitors are a newer class of drugs quick approved by the FDA in the mid 1990s. They were hailed as nothing short of miraculous in controlling AIDS and eradicating HIV. HIV+s rushed to take them. Some people did, indeed, improve on these drugs, but it was not entirely sure how or why. Establishment scientists claimed it was because the inhibitors were attacking HIV, but later on, it became apparent that the drugs had a range of activity against yeasts and other microbes and these people may have had infections with these pathogens and responded well to the drugs.
Additionally, it has been shown that the drugs are synthetic antioxidants, something which people with immune dysfunction desperately need (25). The people that did initially respond most likely needed the antioxidant therapy and so improved. Of course, the placebo effect could also have been at work. If the doctor says, "This will help you," and the patient believes it will, they improve–but only temporarily as the drugs are notorious for their side effects, effects which you can read for yourself in any advertisement in gay magazines for them.
Despite the miraculous stories in the media, the fact remains that many people cannot take the inhibitors due to toxic side effects which include physical deformities (26), nausea, chronic diarrhea, kidney stones, liver failure, heart attacks, strokes, and fatigue.
Furthermore, media stories of "improvement" are not what they appear to be. Scientists will use what are called "surrogate markers" as indicators of health in HIV+s. These markers are based on T-cell counts and viral load measurements. If the T-cells go up after someone takes the drug and the viral load goes down, it is interpreted as something good. If the opposite happens, its something bad. "Good" results are reported to the media as patient improvements and vice versa. Whether or not the patient clinically improved, however, is another story and there have been several instances where a leading AIDS researcher was gung ho for the drugs, claiming they help patients improve, when actually the patients’ health either remained the same or worsened (27). Likewise, claims that AIDS "worsened" when a patient stopped taking the drugs are also based on numerical measurements which have no reflection in how a patient is actually feeling and doing.
Patients who stop therapy are warned that HIV will then develop mutations to the drugs, making it harder to treat, but there is not one shred of evidence to prove any of these bizarre claims that HIV can seemingly mutate at will in people. Despite HIV researchers claiming that HIV is the simplest of retroviral structures, there seems to be no end to its supposed pathogenic powers in the eyes of AIDS experts.
Despite the claims of benefits, two recent studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed increased mortality from protease inhibitor use (28). So much for claims of their efficacy in helping people with HIV or AIDS.
Lastly, it should be pointed out here that studies have shown that one of the things long-term healthy HIV+s have in common with each other is that they’ve never taken "HIV drugs" (29-30).
HIV is Transmitted Sexually
The public has been terrified into thinking that just one unprotected sexual encounter with an HIV+ person could kill them with AIDS. The studies, however, do not support these grandiose conclusions. In a long study conducted on male HIV+ hemophiliacs and their wives or partners, it was determined by Nancy Padian and her colleagues that NO seroconversions occurred in the women, despite the fact that they and their husbands were having unprotected vaginal and anal sex for years (31). Padian estimated it took one in 1,000 unprotected sexual encounters to transmit HIV, but even this number is unsupported by her own study as none of the women in the study became positive, despite having frequent unprotected sex with their HIV+ husbands.
Though there are other myths that I could bring up here, this would require a book. I would refer readers to the website www.virusmyth.net to read summary critiques, most of them previously published in medical journals, on such diverse myths as AIDS in Africa, whether or not HIV really exists as an independent retrovirus (several vocal dissident scientists say there is no proof), and phony CD4 and viral load measurements. For now, its imperative to discuss what CAN bring one’s immune system down. The answers will surprise you.
IF ITS NOT HIV? WHAT COULD IT BE?
The answer is oxidative stress. The term refers to a condition where the antioxidant capabilities of the body are exceeded by a multitude of stressors of various types. Its important to understand what is meant by "stressors." This is not the flippant remark, "I had a stressful day at work today." No–it goes far beyond that. Stressors can be psychological/emotional, chemical (from drugs or harmful chemical substances), physical (like excessive exercise or exposure to radiation), environmental (like pollution), or nutritional (malnutrition, for example). Stressors generate free radicals, unstable molecules which damage normal cells. The body maintains a sophisticated system to control free radical reactions, using several nutrients and phytochemical compounds, as well as certain enzymes. When the stressors exceed the body’s ability to neutralize them, damage occurs internally. If not stopped, chronic diseases like Parkinson’s and AIDS can take hold.
Summary studies on the effects of stress on the body and its immune system are best studied by a close reading of Roberto Giraldo’s work, posted at his site, www.robertogiraldo.com. The best paper to read is "Co-Factors Cause AIDS" wherein he discusses, with numerous references, the deleterious effects of various stressors on the immune system. Other papers to study would be those by Alfred Hassig, many of which were published in medical journals. The key one to look at would be"Stress-Induced Suppression" which was published in the journal Medical Hypotheses a few years ago. The work of the Perth Group, led by Eleni Eleopolus would also be worth reading. All of these papers can be found at www.virusmyth.net
Since the emotional and psychological factors were most at work in my case, these are the ones I want to focus on now.
STRESS, IMMUNITY, AND CORTISOL
It has been known for a long time the effects of chronic stress and psychological and emotional traumas on the immune system. Dr. Hans Seyle’s seminal work in the 1930s on stress began the subject and his work has been continued by several researchers (32). In each case, the body’s response to chronic stressors is predictable and easily mapped in both humans and animals. Matt Irwin, MD, has authored an excellent round-up paper on this subject called "AIDS and the Voodoo Hex," posted at www.virusmyth.net. The paper is long, but fascinating, and discusses in one place all of the major studies done on the effects of belief and stress on the immune system. I urge all readers to peruse the paper closely.
Irwin explains:
Studies of both animals and humans have shown that severe, chronic stress results in a syndrome remarkably similar to AIDS, and some of the proposed mechanisms are easily reproduced in animal and test tube models.
The effects of stress are mediated at least in part by the hormones cortisol and epinephrine, which cause a state of immunodeficiency characterized by a reduction of the number of T-cells. The CD-4, helper T-cells, are selectively depleted, exactly as is seen in people diagnosed HIV+.
Severe stress has also been linked to increased incidences of specific illnesses and symptoms that are officially considered "AIDS defining conditions," including pneumonia, tuberculosis, dementia, wasting, and death. Stress has been demonstrated in both animals and humans to cause brain damage and neuronal atrophy, resulting in a dementia that mirrors "HIV dementia," with the same changes in the brain that are often observed in people who die of AIDS. (33)
Basically, what happens in this: When confronted with chronic, unmanageable stress (like the kind I was going through with my lawsuit, the theft of my money, my moving, my mother dying, the depression, and the health problems I faced at the time), especially stressors that the victim has no control over (thus increasing the sense of helplessness and hopelessness), the adrenal hormone cortisol gets released in high amounts. What then happens is the CD-4 T-cells leave the blood and migrate to the bone marrow. The CD-4 cells are part of what is called "cell-mediated immunity" and is our first line of defense against invading pathogens. With them out of the blood, however, a person becomes more susceptible to illness. The higher level of cortisol also stimulates the antibody response, but this kicks in later than the cell-mediated response, leaving more time for infecting pathogens to gain the upper hand. Something else happens: as cortisol levels go up, DHEA levels go down and DHEA, another adrenal hormone, is responsible for stimulating cell-mediated immunity and for releasing immune chemicals called cytokines which enhance the cell-mediated response (34). This is why Hassig and his group so emphasized DHEA supplementation in their protocols and why I included it in my recovery protocol.
In short, as long as cortisol remains elevated, the active immune response suffers. This, added to the growing oxidation occurring for a person with other factors at work (such as poor nutrition, a lack of antioxidant nutrients, drugs, etc.) make for a potent recipe for disease, including AIDS.
Think for a moment what it must be like for someone to be told that they are HIV+. The images of impending doom and a horrible death in a hospital, fighting one infection after another, will undoubtedly loom through their heads. Additionally, is the social isolation that can occur in that person when they are given the news. These people have been given a death sentence based on a test result of dubious reliability. Nevertheless, dying from AIDS can be a self-fulfilling prophecy because the person believes it will be so. I consider myself lucky to have learned the "other side" of AIDS as I never once accepted the idea that I would die from AIDS. Unfortunately, not everyone is so fortunate as me.
Several studies have shown that people diagnosed HIV+ have chronically elevated cortisol levels (35) and lower antioxidant levels, even if they are currently healthy, in comparison to evenly matched HIV negative individuals (36). This, of course, emphasizes the need for those HIV+ to take extra antioxidants, eat a good diet of whole foods, and remove as much physical, psychological and emotional stress in their lives as possible.
Despite what some dissidents think, a positive HIV result, barring the factors that can cause false positives, is a sign that one is weaker. Why? Dissident scientists contend that when one’s immune system is overwhelmed by oxidative stress, cells will release substances which are detected on HIV tests. The substances get released in response to chronic stressors of various types and this is a marker of immune weakness and requires constant attention. So, instead of a cocktail of poisonous drugs, HIV+s need a "cocktail" of antioxidants and should take harmful substances like drugs and stress out of their bodies and environments. Of course, deal with any opportunistic infections that may be present, but the emphasis should be on building up the body by lowering cortisol, eliminating stressors, and boosting DHEA levels.
Major antioxidants include vitamins A, C, and E; the minerals zinc and selenium; betacarotene; n-acetyl cysteine or whey protein powder as these stimulate glutathione production in the body and this tripeptide is THE major antioxidant used by the liver; alpha lipoic acid which has antioxidant properties and helps regenerate glutathione; CoQ10; and various phytochemicals from certain herbs like milk thistle, curry, green tea, and rosemary. Of course, a good diet is essential as well and coming to grips with one’s past and one’s upbringing which, depending on the person, may have been filled with religious conditioning that being gay is "sinful" or "wrong."
Lastly, HIV+s should not waste their time getting CD4 and "viral load" measurements done. The CD4 count does not necessarily mean what the AIDS orthodoxy think it means. It can mean, however, that the person receiving the test might have other factors at work such a high cortisol level or another infection known to depress CD4 numbers, mononucleosis, for example. "Viral load" measurements are based on a complicated mathematical process using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The method and theory were developed by Dr. David Ho and published in the journal Nature in 1995 (37). The theory, as well as the use of PCR to "count" viruses has been thoroughly disputed and disproven by orthodox and dissident AIDS researchers alike (38-39). There have also been a number of studies published of HIV negative people taking viral load tests and the test coming back positive for HIV of varying levels. How this is possible in someone who is HIV NEGATIVE is never addressed (40). Why PCR continues to be used by physicians dealing with HIV+ individuals is a mystery.
Far better tests would be a measure of antioxidant levels, hormonal testing of cortisol and DHEA levels, and an erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) reading. ESR is a marker for bodily inflammation and inflammation usually means one thing: infection. Even if the person is not manifesting an illness, an elevated ESR can mean trouble is coming and preventive measures must be stepped up.
CONCLUSION
Recovery from near death is a great gift. Although I had allowed myself to sink to a very low level, I made the decision to live and stuck to it. I also now know the value of preventive medicine and the need for me to stay more on top of my well being. Antioxidant supplements and antioxidant-rich foods now fill my diet and I know I will be the better for it. My hope is that readers will take a second look at being diagnosed with a, supposedly, fatal disease and do something about it, rather than wait to die as expected by various experts.
Thanks are in order to Pablo, Monica, Michele, and Donna for being faithful friends. My family for standing by me during a traumatic time in my life. Roberto Giraldo, MD and Matt Irwin, MD, for their help and encouragement. Peter Duesberg, Alfred Hassig, and the Perth Group for forging ahead with their research in spite of incredible opposition.
Stephen Byrnes is the author of over 100 articles, book reviews, and papers published around the world. He is also the author of four books: Diet and Heart Disease, Digestion Made Simple, Overcoming AIDS with Natural Medicine, and The Lazy Person’s Whole Foods Cookbook. His website is www.powerhealth.net Email: drbyr✧✧✧@hotm✧✧✧.c✧✧.
NOTES:
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3. Rosenthal GJ and Kowoloenko M. Immunotoxicologic Manifestations of AIDS Therapeutics. In DEAN JH, LUSTER MI, MUNSON AE and KIMBER I. Immunotoxicology and Immunopharmacology. Second Edition. New York: Raven Press, 1994: 249-265.
4. Yarochan R, Mitsuya H, Myers CE, et al. Clinical Pharmacology of 3’-azido-1’, 3’-dideoxythymidine (Zidovudine) and Related Dideoxynucleosides. NEJM 1989; 321:726-739.
5. Khoo SH & Wilkins EGL. Review: Controversies in Anti-Retroviral Therapy of Adults. J Antimicrob Chemother 1995; 35:245-262.
6. Pluda JM, Yarochan R, Jaffe ES, et al. Development of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in a Cohort of Patients with Severe Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection on Long-Term Antiretroviral Therapy. Ann Intern Med 1990; 113:276-282.
7. Cohen SS. Antiretroviral Therapy for AIDS. NEJM 1987; 317:629.
8. Kumar R. Zidovudine Use in pregnancy: a report on 104 cases and birth defects. J of AIDS 7(10):1034-1039.
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10. Brzosko, W and Ianowski, A. Padma 28 and chronic hepatitis infection. Swiss J of Holistic Med 1992;4 (suppl. 1): 13-14.
11. Byrnes, S Overcoming AIDS with Natural Medicine; 1997. Available off of www.powerhealth.net
12. Johnson C. Factors known to cause false positive and HIV antibody test results. Continuum, vol 4:3, 5. Posted online at www.virusmyth.net
13. Turner, V HIV Positive? Depends on where you live. Posted at www.virusmyth.net/aids/data/vtwtests.htm
14. Papadopolous-Eleopolus E, et al. Is a positive western blot proof of HIV infection? BioTechnology, vol 11, 1993.
15. Giraldo, R et al. Treating and preventing AIDS: A Guide to Basic Principles for Effective, Nontoxic, and Inexpensive Alternatives. Lecture given in February 2003 , posted at www.robertogiraldo.com
16. Papadopolus-Eleopolus, E. Reappraisal of AIDS: Is the oxidation caused by the risk factors the primary cause? Med Hypoth 25:151-162, 1988.
17. Hassig, A, et al. 15 Years of AIDS. Posted at www.virusmyth.net
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24. Lancet, 343:871; 1993.
25. Hassig, A. 15 Years of AIDS. Posted at www.virusmyth.net
26. Pictures of such deformities can be found at www.virusmyth.net in the "Protease Inhibitor" section.
27. Rasnick D. Non-infectious HIV is pathogenic: A report on the Gordon Conference, 1997. Continuum, 4:6:22-25; 1997. Posted at www.virusmyth.net
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29. Munoz, A et al. Long-term survivors with HIV-1 infection. J of AIDS and Human Retrovirology 8(5):496-505, 1995.
30. Panatelo, G et al. Studies in subjects with long-term non-progressive HIV infection. NEJM, 332:209, 1995.
31. Padian, N et al. Heterosexual transmission of HIV in northern California: results of a ten-year study. Am J of Epidem, 146(4): 350-357; 1997.
32.Benson H. The nocebo effect: History and physiology. Prev Med 26;612-5; 1997. (B) Binik YM Psychosocial predictors of sudden death: a review and critique. Soc Sci Med, 20(7); 667-680; 1985. C. Camphina- Bacote J. Voodoo illness. Persp in Psych Care 28(1); 11-17; 1992.
33. Irwin, Matt. AIDS and the Voodoo Hex, posted at www.virusmyth.net 2002.
34. Hassig, A et al. Stress induced suppression of the cellular immune reactions. Med Hypoth,46:551-555; 1996.
35. Azar, ST and Melby JC. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function in non-AIDS patients with advanced HIV infection. Am J MEd Sci, May:305 (5): 321-325; 1993. (B) Coodley GO, et al. Endocrine function in the HIV wasting syndrome. J AIDS, 7:46-51; 1994. C. Membreno, L et al. Adrenocortical function in acquired immune deficiency syndrome. J Clin Endoc Metab; 65(3): 482-487; 1987.
36. Passi, S. Progressive increase of oxidative stress in advancing human immunodeficiency. Continuum, 5:4. Posted online at http://www.garynull.com/documents/continuum/
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37. Ho D et al. Rapid turnover of plasma virions and CD4 lymphocytes in HIV-1 infection. Nature 373:123-126; 1995.
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― bamcquern, Wednesday, 4 July 2012 00:52 (thirteen years ago)
one month passes...