This is scary! Please revisit--copied and pasted--link worked last night

by Scott Forsgren

Those of us with chronic Lyme disease are quite familiar with

much as we would like to rid ourselves of these illnessproducing

pathogens, they have become a part of our daily

struggle to regain a sense of health and wellness.

Unfortunately, these are not the only co‐infections seen in

infections are not only lesser known by patients, but seemingly

often overlooked by doctors as well. It is important for us, as

to ask our practitioners how we are being evaluated and

treated for these infections.

In 1987, Dr. Garth Nicolson, PhD was a professor at the

University of Texas at Houston when his wife, an instructor at

Baylor College of Medicine, became seriously ill and nearly

and later recovered. A few years later, their daughter, who

had served in the Gulf War, returned from active duty quite ill. Not only was she sick, but the symptoms that

she exhibited were very similar to those that Dr. Nicolson’s wife had expressed years earlier.

At that point, Dr. Nicolson had the idea that his daughter’s illness could be the result of an infection and

and other chronic intracellular infections that have the potential to cause illness and present with

overlapping signs and symptoms. In Gulf War veterans that were being evaluated, approximately 45% of

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Institute of Pathology and the Army had been doing research on the organism. Once this likely causative

agent of Gulf War Illness (GWI) had been identified in about one‐half of the GWI cases, Dr. Nicolson

Nicolson shared that “even talking about this organism was highly discouraged.” In fact, until the Gulf War,

Just years earlier in Texas, prisons emerged in which many of the inmates and guards came down with

neurodegenerative conditions at rates that were far from ordinary. In Huntsville, where three large State

prisons are found, there were about 70 cases of ALS, numerous cases of Multiple Sclerosis, and highly

nexpected numbers of Rheumatoid Arthritis cases. At that time, the term “Mystery Disease” was used to uidentify the unusual illnesses that so many seemed to have acquired.

Dr. Nicolson started testing prison guards and their family members and found that very high numbers of

been altered to cause more severe symptoms, to be more virulent, and to be more survivable than the

pigs.

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carried out on inmates in the Texas prison system for years in which humans had been used as guinea

As time progressed, these illnesses did not remain confined to the prisoners. Soon after the prisoners

unknowingly became a part in these experiments, the prison guards became ill. Their illnesses gradually

part of the surrounding Huntsville, Texas landscape.

The Texas prisoners that came down with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) later died. In the state of

Texas at the time, the state law dictated that all prisoners that died were later to be autopsied at University of

Texas at Galveston. However, that was not what was happening to the prisoners who had died as a result of

this horrific experimentation according to Dr. Nicolson. Through one of his former students who at the time

was responsible for the autopsy service at UT Galveston, Dr. Nicolson learned that none of the bodies had

been sent there. Dr. Nicolson had discovered that at least six private autopsies a week were being performed

on deceased prisoners at a US Army base. The bodies were then sent to a private crematory at a secret

location in central Texas. Additionally, prisoner records were destroyed. All of this, according to Dr.

Nicolson, violated state law.

Though much of the evidence of this experimentation had been destroyed, a document was found in the

basement of an Austin building that was viewed as the “moking gun” The document indicated that the

Texas Prison Board, Baylor College of Medicine, and the Department of Defense were all a part of the

experiments involving the Texas prisoners ‐ experiments that later resulted in the death of many of the

in an attempt to make a germ more pathogenic, immunosuppressive, resistant to heat and dryness, and to

increase its survival rate such that the germ could be used in various types of weapons. Genes which were

someone HIV, but that it may result in some of the debilitating symptoms of the HIV disease. Indicators of a

weaponized organism were evident in the prison guards in Huntsville as well as in military personnel that

were likely exposed to the infections both through military vaccinations as well as through weapons used in

the Gulf War.

The unfortunate reality according to Dr. Nicolson is that “once these things get out, you can’t put the genie

back in the bottle”. Once these germs have been released, they are airborne infections that slowly penetrate

neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases over the last several years. Those patients with weaponized

strains of these organisms are generally very sick. They may experience 60‐75 signs and symptoms and are

even at risk of their diseases becoming fatal.

suggests that vaccinations appear to be the most likely mechanism through which the veterans became

infected. Many military personnel that later became ill were far from the battlefields or had received the

vaccinations and were never deployed. However, biological weapons sprayers were known to have been

deployed by the Iraqis in the Gulf War and were used to spray the sand in Iraq and Kuwait. Gerald

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Mycoplasma – Often Overlooked In Chronic Lyme Disease

Schumacher, a Special Forces colonel in charge of biological weapons detection, blew the whistle on this after

e retired. During h the Gulf War, his group was not allowed to deploy their biological weapons detectors

which led to reports that no such weapons were detected or used.

The Iraqis received a great deal of assistance on biological warfare from the United States during the Iran‐

Iraq Conflict. Both chemical and biologic weapons were given to them from the United States. After the Gulf

War, rather than taking inventory of these weapons, they were blown up. Dr. Nicolson indicates that some of

his patients have taken videos standing next to crates with Hazardous Materials tags from the United States.

In the same videos, the crates are opened and weapons are clearly striped as having originated from the

United States and being both chemical and biological weapons.

There were clear indicators that Iraq had offensive weapons in their arsenal. In Kuwait, many people had

become quite ill. It was estimated that 25% of the population after the Gulf War had signs and symptoms

other chemical exposures and thus, there was never a clear indicator as to whether or not the Iraqi illnesses

were caused by biologic or chemical agents.

When asking Dr. Nicolson how much he personally has been harassed for bringing much of this information

to light, he shared that it has been “a horrific time”. After Dr. Nicolson exposed the Huntsville prison

experiments, the University of Texas educational system attempted to fire him from his tenured and highly

respected position. Dr. Nicolson shared that a tremendous amount of pressure was put on the University of

Texas system to “shut him up and close his laboratory”. He was threatened on an almost daily basis with

knowledge continue to be a benefit in that we understand so much more than we otherwise would about this

diagnosis to be entirely missed. A partial list of symptoms includes chronic fatigue, joint pain, intermittent

fevers, headaches, coughing, nausea, gastrointestinal problems, diarrhea, visual disturbances, memory loss,

sleep disturbances, skin rashes, joint stiffness, depression, irritability, congestion, night sweats, loss of

concentration, muscle spasms, nervousness, anxiety, chest pain, breathing irregularities, balance problems,

light sensitivity, hair loss, problems with urination, congestive heart failure, blood pressure abnormalities,

lymph node pain, chemical sensitivities, persistent coughing, eye pain, floaters in the eyes, and many others.

form can be found.

n patients with ALS, Multiple Sclerosis, Autism, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Chronic

sthma, Lyme disease, and many other chronic disease conditions.

i

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Mycoplasma – Often Overlooked In Chronic Lyme Disease

Chronic illnesses and infections commonly observed in each according to the work of Dr. Garth Nicolson, PhD

survive. Once they are inside the cells, they are not recognized by the immune system and it is difficult to

mount an effective response.

They stimulate reactive‐oxygen species (ROS) which damage cell membranes. They release toxins into the

body. Infected cells can be stimulated to undergo programmed cell death which may result in ALS or other

They are thought of as “borderline anaerobes” meaning that they generally prefer low oxygen environments.

Dr. Nicolson has found that airline employees are much more susceptible to these types of infections and that

haracteristi

s

c cs of viruses.

Gulf War veterans, the first person besides the veteran to become ill was the spouse and later, other members

une systems who can re

o

those with strong imm sist infection.

lower than in North America.

deficiencies and other illnesses, such as cancers and degenerative diseases, are at far greater risk of infection.

lacking c

Lyme disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and many other chronic illnesses lear origins.

ate of 5% compared to the 75% group mentioned earlier.

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Mycoplasma – Often Overlooked In Chronic Lyme Disease

that is more often isolated in ticks collected from the environment. The same tick that serves as the vector for

both increase.

infected, the duration and severity of their illn

heck ‐ essentially having the infection but not expressing symptoms.

hc

Incidence of Various Microbes in Patients with Lyme Disease – G. L. Nicolson

because they simply don’t test for it. He states that those that do test for it find a much higher number of

Dr. Nicolson.

almost all Lyme doctors and patients are aware of – namely that reliable tests do not exist. Dr. Nicolson

notes that once a laboratory gets a reliable test in place, the laboratory is often shutdown. There are only a

In terms of laboratory testing, Dr. Nicolson generally recommends Viral Immune Pathology, formerly known

n the past, Dr. Nicolson used Medical Diagnostic Laboratories (MDL) for testing, but later he and other

liable. A

I

physicians found that the testing was no longer re s a result, he no longer recommends MDL.

may affect the way the labs test and report this type of infection.

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Mycoplasma – Often Overlooked In Chronic Lyme Disease

was able to isolate bacteria from the joint fluid of a person with autoimmune arthritis and believed that the

infection could have been the trigger for her disease. At the time, the organisms were too small to identify

using tetracycline drugs as an effective treatment for the disease. He later found that Doxycycline and

generally regarded by the medical community as misguided and a trouble‐maker. He died in 1989 prior to

eing fully vindicated. Fortunately, his work was validated through an NIH‐sponsored study called MIRA or

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“inocycline in Rheumatoid Arthritis

antigens from the surface of the host cell and incorporate these antigens into their own membranes. This

makes it almost impossible for the body to tell the difference between good and bad, between human and

microbe, or between us and them. As a result, the immune system may begin to respond to these antigens

now incorporated into the cell walls of the bacteria and create a condition of self‐attack, or autoimmunity.

The microorganisms can produce mimicry antigens that mimic the natural host surface antigens and trigger

an immune response to these antigens which may also result in autoimmune conditions through crossreactivity.

or programmed cell death.

tends to be quite similar. The variations in the strains do not appear to be a factor in a successful treatment

response.

differences have been found but that it is not possible to easily extrapolate

environment. Various factors including drug targeting, drug clearance, and the

ability for the drug to cross into various body compartments are important considerations in treatment that

eradicated, but that once infected, treatment becomes an ongoing “management approach”. He notes that

ther antibiotic ms.

Once in these locations, nei s nor the immune system can effectively reach or kill the organis

involving severe trauma or other significant life stressor and symptoms fully reappear within weeks to

months.

Dr. Nicolson recommends that the physician adopt an initial 6‐month course of treatment with no break

followed by several 6‐week on, 2‐week off antibiotic cycles. Candidate antibiotics include: Doxycycline,

Ciprofloxacin (Cipro), Azithromycin (Zithromax), Minocycline, or Clarithromycin (Biaxin). He notes that

antibiotic combinations may be required if there is a limited response to single drug, and most patients

equire switching antibiotics at least once during their treatment. Some patients may find the addition of

lagyl to be a benefit to treatment.

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Mycoplasma – Often Overlooked In Chronic Lyme Disease

In Gulf War patients, once effectively treated, the majority of patients recovered. For civilians, six months is

the minimum recommended treatment length, and some patients require much longer treatment in order to

recover.

apy.

G

Ganciclovir may be added to the antibiotic ther

the patient generally feels much worse while on treatment, Dr. Nicolson advises using 50mg oral Benadryl

taken 30 minutes before the antibiotics. He also finds that a strained blend of 1 whole lemon, 1 cup fruit juice,

and 1 tablespoon of olive oil can be helpful.

patients. These include Raintree Myco, Raintree A‐F, and Raintree Immune Support.

and others can be beneficial in some patients. He says that many natural options help in some patients, but

that his experience has been that the antibiotic treatment results in the best outcomes. In many, recovery

requires a push and pull between conventional and alternative treatments.

leads to damage of the cell membranes. Oxidation accelerates the damage to the lipids in cell membranes

which impacts mitochondrial function. This leads to less energy in the cell and ultimately to a fatiguing of the

larger organism due to the fact that there is less energy to support necessary cellular functions.

In patients where fatigue is due to cell membrane damage, Dr. Nicolson has found NT Factor® to be highly

beneficial. NT Factor® replaces the damaged lipids and helps to restore mitochondrial function. Often,

fatigue then resolves or is reduced.

However, he notes that this is generally palliative and does not produce the same results as the antibiotic

therapy in the long‐term. He finds that the oxidative therapies “re generally more cytostatic than cytotoxic”

Hyperbaric oxygen may be helpful but similarly does not appear to be a highly effective treatment in the

longer‐term.

In other countries, IV drips with H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) have been used with some benefit, but Dr.

Nicolson notes that these therapies, while potentially effective, are highly dangerous and not advised.

In the realm of frequency medicine and Rife therapy, Dr. Nicolson believes that the frequencies that could be

therapy is an effective way to approach the problem.

In the nutritional realm, Dr. Nicolson finds that many patients with chronic infections are immunosuppressed

and that proper nutrition is vital. He cautions against smoking and drinking. He suggests avoidance of sugars

trans‐fats, and allergenic foods. He advises patients to increase their fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

ome dietary winners in supporting the immune system include cruciferous vegetables, soluble fiber‐based

oods such as prunes and bran, wheat germ, yogurt, fish, and whole grains.

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Patients are often depleted in key vitamins and minerals. Supplementation with B‐Complex, Vitamin C,

Vitamin E, and CoQ‐10 are often beneficial. Minerals are often necessary. Dr. Nicolson notes, however, that

many people have poor absorption and may require sublingual or injectable forms of these nutrients. Amino

cids, flax seed, and fish oils can a provide additional support, but the best nutrition for cell membranes is NT

Factor®

Many patients with chronic illnesses have a toxic body burden of heavy metals such as mercury, lead,

cadmium, and aluminum. Hair, stool, and urine testing is available through labs like Doctor’ Data

For patients using antibiotics, beneficial gut flora is often depressed. Supplementation with a high quality

probiotic is important, but probiotics have to be taken two hours or longer after taking antibiotics. Natural

immune support can be helpful in the form of whey proteins, transfer factors, or immune‐support products

such as Beyond Immuni‐T from Longevity Plus.

are refractory to antibiotics, biofilms are likely a major factor.

In men with chronic refractory prostatitis which is infection‐based, one often cannot be treated effectively

with antibiotics. However, when Detoxamin (EDTA) or other agents to address the biofilms are used, it then

becomes possible to treat these infections with tetracyclines. Patients quickly show functional increases and

decreases in pain other symptoms.

In chronic Lyme disease, it is often difficult to know which infections are actually responsible for the

persistence of illness. However, in general terms, chronic intracellular infections that change the metabolism

of cells and suppress mitochondrial and other functions will lead to patients remaining in a chronically ill

state. Dr. Nicolson believes that these infections must be aggressively treated. “Similar to chronic Lyme

disease, the current CDC or IDSA recommendations for short‐term treatment of chronic infections are simply

inadequate,”he says.

Dr. Nicolson has found that there is a hierarchy of symptoms that resolve relatively quickly and those that

Syndrome (IBS) often resolve quickly. Other systemic signs and symptoms can resolve in an intermediate

period of time from many weeks to many months. Symptoms associated with the central and peripheral

nervous systems such as neuropathy and pain often resolve much more slowly. Skin sensitivity and burning

symptoms are among the more difficult to resolve.

politics involved. Physicians are being persecuted by their medical boards as a result of bad information. It is

important for us to do everything within our power to get rid of harmful, erroneous information about these

result, both are politically incorrect to discuss, work on, or do anything about. Until this changes, we won’t

see any real progress.”

Professor Garth L. Nicolson is the President, Chief Scientific Officer and Research Professor at the Institute for

Molecular Medicine in Huntington Beach, California. Born in 1943 in Los Angeles, Dr. Nicolson received his

B.S. in Chemistry from University of California at Los Angeles in 1965 and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Cell

Biology from the University of California at San Diego in 1970. Professor Nicolson has published over 580

medical and scientific papers, edited 15 books, and served on the Editorial Boards of 30 medical and scientific

journals. He is also a Colonel (Honorary) of the U. S. Army Special Forces and a U. S. Navy SEAL (Honorary) for

is work on Armed Forces and veterans’ illnesses. More information on Dr. Nicolson’s work can be found on

te at

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Scott Forsgren is the editor and founder of BetterHealthGuy.com where he shares his twelve

year journey through a chronic illness only diagnosed as Lyme disease after eight years of