Helminthic therapy and allergy

    From Helminthic Therapy wiki

    Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, are various conditions caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment.

    All forms of allergy can respond well to helminthic therapy.

    There is a page dedicated to asthma, which is a form of allergy, and whose articles should also be consulted for a complete overview.

    The scientific evidence[edit | edit source]

    See also

    Clinical Trials and observational studies[edit | edit source]

    See Helminthic therapy clinical trials / Allergy

    See Helminthic therapy clinical trials / Asthma

    Media Coverage[edit | edit source]

    See more: Helminthic therapy in the media

    The anecdotal evidence[edit | edit source]

    Below, are over 60 reports from individuals who have used helminths to treat their allergies, the vast majority of whom have experienced remission.

    The first three reports are more detailed than the quotes that follow them.

    • "... probably 1/4 of my coworkers are experiencing some degree of seasonal allergy troubles. And I have experienced almost nothing. I've sneezed a few times and that is it. What really did it for me was that I would normally be wiped out this time of year, but all weekend I was out and about doing all kinds of stuff with plenty of energy. This is such a radical difference over what had been a declining condition that I really can't be skeptical anymore. I never thought I would use language this absolute to describe the results of this therapy. I have no choice but to say "I have been cured." (Link expired)
    • "... a dramatic improvement..." (Link expired)
    • "... my hay fever and allergies are 100 percent gone!" (Link expired)
    • "He is playing baseball this summer. An impossibility before since he is allergic to grasses, trees and flowers." (Link expired)
    • "... its been just over three years since receiving hookworm therapy and... my MS and allergies are still in complete remission!" (Link expired)
    • “Before helminths, I had a latex allergy and allergies to all the immunochemically similar foods (bananas, avocados, melons, etc.)... However, now I don't really worry about latex or bananas at all.” (Link expired)
    • "Now, at nearly two years since I began helminthic therapy I am nasally more normal than at any time in my life." [2]
    • * "... I increased my infestation level until my asthma and hay fever were cured." [3]
    • "... free of asthma and allergies for the first time in twelve years." (Link expired)
    • "But the big thing I’ve noticed is … I haven’t had hay fever so far this year. By this time last year I’d visited a doctor about my puffy eyes and fatigue. For the last couple of years I’ve had episodes in which my eyes swell up at the same time I’m hit with a hay fever attack. I lost a few days work as I essentially lay down and slept through the episodes… Anyway, this year, nothing. No hay fever… no puffy eyes..." [4]
    • "(My son) started HT for asthma/allergies. (He) has been at a camp this week and has spent the large majority of the time outdoors, playing games etc. in a grassy field. He was covered with grass last night and said, "Mom, I don't itch!" [5]
    • ☹️ "... over a 2 year period I have had two doses a total of 85. Unfortunately I did not benefit at all from the doses. I did have a significant response at the site of infestation. Huge raised red lump and blisters on both of the 35 & 50 doses." (Link expired)
    • "Since my teenage years I have suffered with hay fever, dog allergy and a constantly blocked and running nose and sneezing fits. Now I can BREATH! My allergic issues have not completely disappeared but improved massively. Hookworm and kefir have made a huge difference. It has worked for me and I would recommend that anyone looking to alleviate allergic conditions give it a go and give it time." [6]
    • "I'm a gal who has been allergic to the world since I was born (I was born with a head-to-toe body rash) and today I'm allergic to animals, pollens, dust, corn, wheat, fish, chocolate, bee stings, and maybe lactose. I had my first dose of worms on 4 November 2012 and my second dose at the beginning of this month. I have been eating things lately that would have made my skin explode, even just a month ago. It is very early but my asthma is vastly improved and so is my skin. I even ate a bit of corn yesterday and woke up with regular eyes, not swollen. Oh I ate gluten this weekend. Bread. Unimaginable! I've been so afraid of everything because of my violent reactions. It's like the world is becoming a more friendly place for me. I could get used to this fast. Think of all of the things I have yet to explore, and to eat." (Reported in a private message, Feb 2013)
    • "I've also seen marked improvements in my allergies. While I still have symptoms they are 100% better than they were. Before the worms, I always had a stuffed or runny nose. People were always asking if I had a cold. Since my first dose, I've seldom had a stuffy nose. It's so great to be able to breathe! I seem to be less reactive to other allergy and asthma triggers as well." [7]
    • "This spring, i had a good top off of hookworm… so they were fired up and ready to go when the allergens filled the air. i marveled at how well i was breathing. in years past my asthma and sinus allergies have been so bad i had to stay indoors huddled next to an air filter. not anymore. worms are great medicine." [8]
    • "Almost a full year since inoculation (I've had 4 total), I can say with certainty now that helminthic therapy has been a life-changing success for me… I used to have allergies year round and couldn't breathe properly (which meant poor sleep). Nowadays I don't even remember the last time my nose was too stuffy to sleep well (I haven't taken any antihistamines in a while), and my family has mentioned that they don't hear me snoring anymore… I have never experienced a single side effect (other than the skin rash) from any of my inoculations, so I was always worried that it wasn't working out. The improvements have been so gradual and slow that I didn't notice them, so it's good that I didn't give up despite the road bumps along the way." [9]
    • "Also as a nice plus of this treatment I saw my spring allergies that I have been dealing with for 7 years since I moved into my new home completely gone…" [10]
    • "My pollen and cat allergies improved 90% with HW" [11]
    • “Another fantastic thing that these little guys did for me was my allergies are basically gone.. Before the parasites I could not be around cats for more then 10 min and my breathing would get so bad I would need my inhaler and sometimes I have had to go to the hospital for my breathing.. I have been doing experiments with my neighbors cats and I have been able to be their for 5 hours! So I'm hoping with more Hookworms things will only get better. Now I do not need inhalers or anything.. They are truly a miracle for me..” (Link expired)
    • “So I've gotten a total of... 5 inoculations. Every 6 months or so I do it. I didnt feel any relief until 8-10 months into the therapy. I almost lost hope. The improvement was very gradual. I still have very minor congestion, and sometimes my eyes do itch, but it doesnt come close to the misery I felt before this therapy. I would say that my allergies are about 75% in remission. Foods I couldnt eat before now don't bother me. Including: almonds, all fruits, and a few other things I forgot I was allergic to. I still do feel a SLIGHT reaction from fruits. But I can eat a whole apple and only get some tingling now. Strawberries dont make my insides feel like exploding. All in all it has been a major blessing for me. I highly recommend it.” [12]
    • ☹️ "My husband infected with 20 hookworms, then 20 a year later. Depression for him, which he's never had, began in year 2. The worms didn't help his walnut allergy. He became increasingly depressed and started on an antidepressant which helped a little. In April, he killed them and immediately felt better and quit the antidepressant." (Reported in a private discussion, Aug 2012)
    • “I've always been one of those snufflers that have a constantly runny nose which turned into proper allergic eye scratching wheezy misery when exposed to all the usual triggers - dust, pollen, pets etc… (After inoculating with hookworms) my nose has totally dried up - I'm no longer a mouth breather! This years pollen season has been a breeze. I haven't once reached for the usual steroid nasal spray or antihistamines. All in all it's been a huge success for me…” [13]
    • “I inoculated with my first dose of HW in September 2013. My third dose was in around April 2014. Sometime in July 2014 , 98% of my allergic reactions (hives on body –urtacaria- as well as swelling in my face - angioedema) went away. So I stopped taking the daily antihistimines I had been taking. Since then I have had only infrequent and mild break-outs… This is a big relief for me, as my face was swelling up and I was getting hives daily and weekly for two years… and now they seem to be in remission.” [14]
    • “In the last few months, HDC have apparently stopped my 'seasonal' allergies, which were getting bad enough that I'd wake up daily with a sore tonsil on the side I slept, and developed a chronic case of bronchitis.” [15]
    • “I've been taking it (HDC) for 3-4 months and I've barely sneezed so far this allergy season (usually peaks late May to mid June for me).” [16]
    • “I’ve had severe hay fever ever since I can remember (I'm now mid-40s) and a few years ago I heard about a hookworm therapy trial taking place at Nottingham University, in the UK, for people with hay fever or asthma. I managed to get myself on the trial and ended up being 'infected' with 10 hookworms… and when the next summer came I was amazed to see the results: I felt myself starting to get hay fever and then it just stopped before the craziness kicked in. I kept feeling myself starting to react and then, before the reaction could go into overdrive, the symptoms just stopped. I was utterly amazed and managed to actually enjoy the whole summer for the first time I could ever remember.” (Link expired)
    • “I'm getting very excited about my dust mite allergy daughter. In the last 6 weeks+ she has been showing tiny progressive signs of improvement. She started forgetting to take one of her daily allergy medications - there seemed to be no increase in allergy activity... two weeks later she began forgetting to take her nasal spray... no negative impact!! This is coming from a kid who would beg me to let her have extra doses of everything because nothing was working. She was miserable a couple of months ago, now it looks like the miraculous is happening right under our noses. I'm sure this last dose (of hookworms) will finish the job that is well started.” [17]
    • “I had a lifelong allergy to cat dander (among other substances), and after 145 HW, that's gone.” [18]
    • “For the last 2 weeks my son has been able to stroke and even hug the dogs without getting a severe allergic reaction… I’m finding it hard to comprehend actually that my son is able to hug and stroke the dogs - without washing his hands and still not get - swelling eyes, wheezing and rashes - by just hosting 5 hookworms!! Plus he hasn’t needed to use anti-histamines for weeks now. Wow! If he does over-do it with the dogs - like sitting stroking the dogs watching TV + hugging and kissing them (which was unheard of pre HW's) then he does sneeze and rub his eyes - but not the severe reaction he used to get... he is very happy! We were actually in a situation where I was considering having to get rid of the dogs, it was that bad - which was an unbearable thought for all of us especially my son - he said NO WAY!!” [19]
    • “The first time i took just 30 hdc, my pollen and dust mite allergies--which manifested daily at all times of year as histamine reactions--disappeared pretty much for good. This is technically scientifically impossible, but its true.” [20]
    • “The big improvement has been in my allergies. I hardly noticed them this summer. I had an occasional sneeze but not the constant sneezing, with itchy, watery eyes. Also, I got stung by a wasp which would have required administration of epinephrine and an ER visit in the past. I barely got a mark. I needed no medication.” [21]
    • ☹️ “I have tried hookworm. They didn't work for me and I have just started HDC.” [22]
    • “Two years ago, one of our 12 y/o twins suffered a sudden onset of extreme and debilitating allergies to dust mite and cat dander. Associated asthmatic episodes, severe vocal chord dysfunction, chronic and debilitating hay fever, that was barely touched by prednisone, various antihistamines, nasonex etc... Her condition initially hospitalised her - at times for up to a week, where they would struggle to stabilise her with pred, nebs and antihistamines - once back at home and on a host of drugs she still couldn't go to school full time… Then came 2 doses of Necator americanus (NA), first 10 and then 20… Today, she regularly rides her bike 14 kms to school, even in cold weather. Rarely looks hay feverish - though sometimes has a few days of struggle. She plays saxophone (something she would never have contemplated starting 2 years ago!) and is hardly recognisable in comparison to the person who had to fight so hard for air 2 years ago. Her recovery has been nothing short of miraculous and the only thing that it can be attributed to is the NA…” [23]
    • “… after 3 inoculations totaling 85 NA (25/25/35 at 6 month intervals) I am allergy and asthma free for the first time in about 20 years! … No horrible allergies and asthma that usually end up with bronchitis and once even pneumonia. I am so happy! The third inoculation was the tipping point. I did not see any signs of relief before that.” [24]
    • "I've been on 30 HDC per month (for the last 9 months) and it has made an astounding difference for my allergies, and chronic sinusitis & rhinitis!! This is the first year in MANY that I haven't had to get a steroid (Kenelog) shot for my springtime allergies, and I haven't been absolutely miserable - at all!" [25]
    • “My hay fever used to be so bad I would wake up gasping for breath in the middle of the night for months every spring - while I was taking a daily OTC allergy med. It was frightening. After inoculation (with NA), I breathe freely every spring with no allergy medication whatsoever. This result has lasted 3 years.” [26]
    • “I have my eyes back! it has been 17 months since my dose (25 NA) and my eyes look normal again. I am not suffering from seasonal allergies anymore and my intensely swollen eyes (for years) look like they used to. I am also able to eat more food without issues now.” [27]
    • “I am almost exactly 6 months post first time inoculation with NA (treating asthma, eczema, dust mite and multiple other allergies, IBS and the auto-immune skin blistering condition, pemphigus). I am nearly completely symptom free for the first time in years. No more sandpaper dry eyes, dry mouth, incessant post nasal drip, constant cough, joint pain and bone tiredness. My energy is up, better than it has been in 10 years. I can breathe again. I'm off the inhalers, off the drops, off the pills. I went into this with guarded expectations. This is better than I could have dreamed of.” [28]
    • “Today, seven months after innoculating with 7 NA, my severe allergies and eczema are finally in a manageable state. It's full on Spring where I am and I realized I forgot to take my allergy meds today! I Even went outside and enjoyed the maple blooms and I'm allergic to them!! I can finally say I think the worm treatment has changed my life. I'm amazed and grateful.” [29]
    • “I've had mine (NA) for over 7 years w/ periodic boosters along the way. My allergies (to pets) are gone.” [30]
    • “I purchased 25 NA for my asthma, hay fever, and eczema. NOTHING doctors have given me has helped my itching eyes, save steroid drops which I only get when eyes infected. It's year-round, relentless, crazy-making. I dreaded spring. I would cry thinking about what more my eyes would go through with the pollen counts. But the change in my symptoms is remarkable. I have not taken one allergy pill this season yet, and I barely have to use eye drops. Not saying my eyes don't have a slight itch every once in a while, but I can stop myself instantly. Before I would rub and scratch them raw. I am simply over the moon. My mom and sister have never seen me so unconcerned about my health.... 62 years of terrible suffering, and this is the first time I feel what normal might feel like.” [31]
    • “Before: Allergies to virtually everything that blows, asthma that required two different handheld inhalers several times a day, prednisone daily, ibuprofen max dose daily just to feel relatively fair. Now, 2-1/2 years later: No inhalers needed at all except very rarely (once or twice a year for the past two years), no prednisone, no Allegra, ibuprofen only rarely. I would say my allergy and asthma symptoms are 90% relieved since starting HWT.” [32]
    • “My daughter (age 16) suffers from terrible allergies. She is allergic to all grasses, most trees, dogs , cats and dust mites. She gets asthmatic symptoms and needs an inhaler. We live in an area that has mild climate year round. So constant blooming of something. We tried allergy shots for 2+ years with no symptomatic relief. Also the pharma meds we’re starting not to work too. Eight weeks ago she inoculated with 5NA. She is at this time much relieved. I would estimate by about 70% or more. She has a clear nose and has not needed her inhaler for over a month. Last night she spent the night at a friends house who had a cat. She was fine. In my opinion this can be a real option for people with allergies.” [33]
    • “I use HT for arthritis but my terrible allergies magically disappeared. Bonus!” [34]
    • “I have severe pollen allergies and associated oral allergy syndrome. I've been doing helminth therapy with Necator americanus (human hookworm) for 2 years and it's completely resolved all my allergies, so long as I maintain a population of them in my gut.” [35]
    • “I didn't get any benefit for my Oral Allergy Syndrome but hay fever was eliminated.” [36]
    • “I’m 17 and when Mum suggesting inoculating to me I was very VERY hesitant because the whole idea sounded super gross, but really it’s absolutely no dramas and it’s helped my allergies beyond belief. I cannot recommend helminths highly enough.” [37]
    • “I had doses of NA in July and October last year, and one in May this year, trying to resolve my extreme hay fever (2 months each year indoors). This year, my hay-fever was the mildest ever; just an occasional sneeze but no need to hide indoors. Cutting grass no longer bothers me at all. I love this new state of health and did not actually expect results so soon.” [38]
    • “I am using NA for very bad pollen and sawdust allergies, as well as multiple chemical sensitivity. I can say that, being a very heavy year for allergies, I am able to live my daily life whereas previous years I would be so fatigued I spent over 14+ hours in bed a day. My sinuses seem to be clearer, and my allergy symptoms are way less.” [39]
    • “About a year ago I started off with 5 NA, then went to 15 and now have about 30. I used to be highly allergic to cats. I could tell someone had cats simply by my itchy eyes as soon as I entered their house. That has disappeared. My sister has 2 cats and my last visit was uneventful.” [40]
    • ☹️ "When I used NA a few years ago for my allergies I was hoping that they'd cure me and I could be free of this crap once and for all… After two years, there was no improvement, so I was pretty disappointed." [41]
    • "I have been taking 30 HDC every 3 weeks since February (i.e., 5 months) and have had NO HAY FEVER for the entire season. I have also barely reacted to a single insect bite, just a single one on my arm, in all that time. Bite hives have been ruining summers for me until now." [42]
    • "I had no allergies (except black hair dye) until soon after the birth of my second child. Weird! I developed what seemed like chronic severe hayfever which I tolerated for 3 years for lack of a better option. Then suddenly one morning I woke to a swollen painful red face which after a week had me in A&E with a full body rash. Every time I had one of these flares Dr's prescribed prednisone and corticosteroids neither of which worked and they actually admitted it seemed to be making it worse. After seeing a naturopath and cutting out Dairy/gluten/sugar/walnuts/almonds I finally got some relief. I started the worms around this time too, after seeing the documentary on 'Sunday'. I have had 3 doses of NA - 3, 5 and 10. I'm sure it's working because around 3 months (after each dose) my sinuses stuff up again. I keep to the strict diet and haven't had a proper flare up all year!" [43]
    • "I started my first dose of 5 NA 5 weeks ago (and) I've had great improvement in severe allergy symptoms (rhinitis, plugged ears, itchy throat, asthma and eczema) while landscaping outdoors." [44]
    • "I'm taking 40 HDC/week, and while it hasnt removed my nasal allergies completely, it has greatly reduced the medicine I need. I'm off flonase, nasacort and zyrtec. Now I only take 2 sprays of azelastine daily + one allegra." [45]
    • "I’ve been using NA (for 18 months). I definitely noticed this last spring and summer literally no need for any antihistamines. I would normally have such bad sneezing fits I’d regularly bleed as well as wake myself up in the night itching the roof of my mouth with my tongue. During the summer of my first dose I didn’t notice any allergen impacts however the following was amazing. I used to always use Flonase and I believe I used it all of twice in the early season but think I was just being apprehensive." [46]
    • "I have been using 5 NA monthly exclusively (for the past 12 months). On the first few doses, I didn't really notice an immediate improvement, and I did have some allergy flares for a week after each inoculation where my runny nose got a lot worse. (After 8 months) things somehow got a lot better. The dust mite allergy that I had for years went from a debilitating condition to a minor nuisance… I’m going to stick with the current dosing routine until my allergies stop for good." [47]
    • "I noticed after my first 4 or 5 doses of TSO that I no longer had uncontrollable sneezing fits from cottonwood trees. Prior to starting with helminths, symptoms included exceptionally itchy eyes, running nose and uncontrollable sneezing fits. One year the sneezing was so severe that I cracked a rib and dislocated two others adjacent to it. Major quality of life improvement with TSO on board." [48]

    Also see:

    Selecting a suitable helminth species to treat allergies[edit | edit source]

    To identify the best helminth species to treat each type of allergy (contact, food, or seasonal/ environmental) see this list.

    How to obtain and use these organisms, as well as what to expect from the treatment, is all explained in detail elswhere on this site. The best place to begin is here: Introduction to helminthic therapy.

    See also[edit | edit source]

    The reintroduction to the digestive tract of a controlled number of specially domesticated, mutualistic helminths (intestinal worms) in the form of microscopic eggs or larvae to reconstitute a depleted biome to treat or prevent chronic inflammation, autoimmune disease and other immune-related disorders, including allergy.

    The reintroduction to the digestive tract of a controlled number of specially domesticated, mutualistic helminths (intestinal worms) in the form of microscopic eggs or larvae to reconstitute a depleted biome to treat or prevent chronic inflammation, autoimmune disease and other immune-related disorders, including allergy.

    the ova (eggs) of the human whipworm, Trichuris trichiura

    An intestinal worm which grows large enough to be seen with the naked eye when mature but which is microscopic when administered in helminthic therapy. Wikipedia:Helminths

    the ova (eggs) of the porcine (pig) whipworm, Trichuris suis

    An organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits at the host’s expense. (The organisms used in helminthic therapy are, strictly speaking, not parasites, but mutualists, because they have a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with their hosts.)

    An intestinal worm which grows large enough to be seen with the naked eye when mature but which is microscopic when administered in helminthic therapy. Wikipedia:Helminths

    the human hookworm, Necator americanus

    a change which is a result or consequence of an action or other cause.

    the ability to produce a desired or intended result.

    A helminth that lives in the small intestine. Necator americanus (NA) is the only hookworm species used in helminthic therapy. Its microscopic larvae are applied periodically to the skin.

    The species of human hookworm used in helminthic therapy. Its microscopic larvae are applied periodically to the skin.

    Multiple sclerosis (also known as disseminated sclerosis) is a chronic, typically progressive disease involving damage to the sheaths of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, whose symptoms may include numbness, impairment of speech and of muscular coordination, blurred vision and severe fatigue.

    helminthic therapy

    A helminth that lives in the small intestine. Necator americanus (NA) is the only hookworm species used in helminthic therapy. Its microscopic larvae are applied periodically to the skin.

    The introduction of an infectious agent into an organism. Helminth inoculation

    a secondary, typically undesirable, effect of a drug or medical treatment.

    hookworm, usually referring to the human hookworm, Necator americanus

    An organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits at the host’s expense. (The organisms used in helminthic therapy are, strictly speaking, not parasites, but mutualists, because they have a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with their hosts.)

    A helminth that lives in the small intestine. Necator americanus (NA) is the only hookworm species used in helminthic therapy. Its microscopic larvae are applied periodically to the skin.

    A helminth that lives in the small intestine. Necator americanus (NA) is the only hookworm species used in helminthic therapy. Its microscopic larvae are applied periodically to the skin.

    Hymenolepis diminuta cysticercoids (Hi-men-o-lep'is dim-a-nu-ta sis-ti-sur-koid) - the larval cysts of the rat tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta

    Irritable bowel syndrome is a widespread condition involving recurrent abdominal pain and diarrhoea or constipation. Wikipedia:Irritable Bowel Syndrome

    The reintroduction to the digestive tract of a controlled number of specially domesticated, mutualistic helminths (intestinal worms) in the form of microscopic eggs or larvae to reconstitute a depleted biome to treat or prevent chronic inflammation, autoimmune disease and other immune-related disorders, including allergy.

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