Medical conditions and their response to helminthic therapy
This page is still being developed, so please call back later to read further details as they are added.
This page aims to list the medical conditions and their response to helminthic therapy.
Main disease types[edit | edit source]
Positive effects[edit | edit source]
- Inflammatory diseases
- Autoimmune diseases
- Asthma and allergies
- Cancer
- Food intolerance
- Eczema
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) / Leaky gut
- Autism
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Neuropsychiatric diseases
- Neurodegenerative diseases
- Sepsis, Peritonitis
- COVID-19, Influenza, Bronchiolitis (VRS)
Potential negative effects[edit | edit source]
Any negative effects seen in cases where therapeutic helminths are being hosted are usually associated with the use of excessive doses or in hosts who are hypersensitive. Negative effects are also typically transient and almost always confined to the period immediately following the initial introduction of the helminths, except in a few cases involving very sensitive individuals.
- Virus: HIV, Astrovirus, Flavivirus (West Nile virus, Zika virus, and Powassan virus), Norovirus, Adenovirus
- Fungus: Cryptococcosis
Effects of helminthic therapy on preexisting infectious diseases are dependent on the particular species being hosted and the dosages used. There are generally far less issues with the four domesticated species when used at therapeutic doses. See this page for more detail.
None of the specially domesticated species used in helminthic therapy have been reported to cause cancer, but a number of non-therapeutic helminths are well known for their involvement in this disease. See the following page for more detail.
Medical specialties[edit | edit source]
- Gastroenterology: Intestinal Bowel Diseases (Crohn and Ulcerative colitis), Eosinophilic esophagitis (EE / EoE), Irritable bowel syndrome, Gastric cancer, Colitis cancer
- Rheumatology: Autoimmune diseases (Rheumatoid arthritis, Ankylosing spondylitis, Lupus, Systemic lupus erythematosus, Dermatomyositis, Giant cell arteritis), Raynaud's Disease, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Sjögren's syndrome, Septic arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Osteoporosis
Medical conditions[edit | edit source]
- SE = Scientific evidence
- CTOS = Clinical Trials and Observational Studies
- PTE = Potential therapeutic effect. No studies yet done.
- PNE = Potential negative effect (unknown with helminthic therapy)
- PS = Personal stories
- UNK = Unknown
Concerning Personal stories. While anecdotes are not widely accepted as strong evidence in modern medicine, it would seem reasonable to invoke the “parachute paradigm”[1] in this case. If, like a pilot who jumps from an aeroplane and deploys a parachute, the patient is rescued from an otherwise certain fate, and if the mechanism makes perfect sense, then the anecdote should surely be taken seriously.
- Absence seizures: PS
- Acne: PS
- Actinic keratosis: PS
- Acute coronary syndrome: PTE
- Addison’s disease: PS
- Adenocarcinoma: PTE
- Adenomyosis: PS
- Adenovirus: ❓ PNE
- Adenosarcoma: PTE
- Adhesions: PS
- Adrenal fatigue: PS
- Aging / Ageing: SE, PS
- Alcohol intolerance: PS
- Allergy: SE, CTOS, PS
- Allodynia: PS
- Alopecia: PS
- Alopecia areata: SE,PS
- Alzheimer's: SE,CTOS,AS
- American trypanosomiasis (Chagas): SE
- Anaphylaxis: SE,CTOS,PS
- Anaemia (anemia): PS
- Angioedema: PS
- Ankylosing spondylitis: SE, PS
- Anxiety: SE,PS
- Appendicitis: SE
- Appetite: PS
- Arrhythmia: PS
- Arteritis: PS
- Arthritis: SE, PS
- Arthritis, IBD-related non erosive: PS
- Asthma: SE,CTOS, PS
- Aspirin-induced asthma: PS
- Astrovirus: ❓ PNE
- Atherosclerosis: SE
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD, ADD): PS
- Autism: SE, CTOS, PS
- Autoimmune hepatitis: SE,PS
- Autoimmune kidney disease: PS
- Autoimmune pain: PS
- B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL): SE,PTE
- Balanitis: PS
- Barrett's Oesophagus: PS
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia: UNK
- Bipolar disorder: PS
- Bloating: PS
- Blood pressure-related disorders: SE,PS
- Body temperature, poor control of: PS
- Bordetella Pertussis infection: ❓ PNE
- Brain fog: PS
- Brain trauma: PTE
- Bronchiectasis: PS
- Bronchitis: PS
- Bruising: PS
- Bladder pain: SE
- Blood pressure: PS
- Body weight: SE, PS
- Bone healing ability, loss of in the elderly
- Burns: SE
- Breast cancer: PTE
- Cancer: SE,CTOS,PS
- Candida: PS
- Car sickness: PS
- Cardiovascular disease: SE
- Celiac / Coeliac disease: PS
- Cervical cancer: SE,PTE
- Chagas disease: SE
- Chemical sensitivity: PS
- Chemotherapy-induced hemorrhagic cystitis: SE
- Chikungunya virus: PTE
- Chemotherapy-induced pathologies: PTE
- Chronic cough: PS
- Chronic fatigue syndrome (EM/CFS): PS
- Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIPD): PS
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): PS
- Clostridium difficile infection: PS,PTE
- Cognition, poor: PS
- Cognitive dysfunction
- Cold sore (Herpes): PS,❓ PNE
- Colitis: PS
- Colorectal Cancer: SE,PTE,❓ PNE
- Constipation: SE, PS
- COVID-19: SE, CTOS, PS
- Cracked heels: PS
- Cramps (abdominal): PS
- Cranial arteritis; CTOS,PS
- Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease: SE
- Crohn's disease: SE,CTOS,PS
- Cryptococcosis: ❓ PNE
- Cystic fibrosis: PTE
- Dandruff: PS
- Dementia: PS
- Depression / low mood: SE,PS
- Dermatitis
- Dermatitis herpetiformis: PS
- Dermatographia: PS
- Dermatomyositis: PS
- Developmental delay: PS
- Diabetes: SE,CTOS,PS
- Diarrhea / diarrhoea: PS
- Diverticular disease (diverticulosis / diverticulitis): PS
- Dry eye syndrome (DES): PS
- Dysautonomia: PS
- Dyslipidemia: SE,PS
- Dysmenorrhoea / dysmenorrhea: PS
- Ebola: UNK
- Eczema: PS
- Ehlers–Danlos syndromes (EDS): PS
- Encephalitis
- Epilepsy: PTE
- Endolymphatic hydrops: PS
- Endometriosis: PS
- Epstein–Barr virus: CTOS,PS
- Erythromelalgia: PS
- Eosinophilic enterocolitis: PS
- Eosinophilic esophagitis (EE / EoE): PS
- Escherichia coli enteropathogenic infection: UNK
- Fatigue: PS
- Fertility: PS
- Fibromyalgia: PS
- Fibrosarcoma: PTE
- Flavivirus: ❓ PNE
- Flu: SE
- Food allergy: PS
- Food intolerance: PS
- Gastric cancer: SE,CTOS
- Gastroenteritis (norovirus,adenovirus): ❓ PNE
- Gastroenteritis (enteropathogenic Escherichia coli): UNK
- GERD (reflux): PS
- Giant cell arteritis CTOS,PS
- Giardiasis: CTOS
- Glandular fever: PS
- Glaucoma: PTE
- Gluten-related disorders
- Gout: SE
- Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD): SE,PTE
- Graves' disease
- Gluten ataxia: PS
- Gluten sensitivity
- Guillain–Barré syndrome: PTE
- Gut microbiota
- Hashimoto's thyroiditis: PS
- Hair colour change: PS
- Hair growth: PS
- Hair loss: PS
- Headaches: PS
- Heart failure: PTE
- Heavy metal accumulation: PTE
- Helicobacter pylori infection: SE,CTOS,PS
- Hemarthrosis: SE
- Hemophilic arthropathy: SE
- Hepatitis virus: UNK
- Herpes: PS,PTE,❓ PNE
- Herpes zoster: PS
- High blood pressure: PS
- Histamine intolerance: PS
- HIV: ❓ PNE
- HIV-Helminth co-infections cancer risk: ❓ PNE
- Hives: PS
- Horton's disease: CTOS,PS
- Hot flashes (hot flushes): PS
- Human T-cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1): ❓ PNE
- Huntington's disease: PTE
- Hyperactivity: PS
- Hyperemesis gravidarum
- Hypertension: SE,PS
- Hyperthyroidism: PS
- Hyperuricemia: SE
- Hypochlorhydria: PS
- Hypocortisolism
- Hypoglycemia / Hypoglycaemia: PS
- Hypothyroidism: PS
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: PTE
- Idiopathic urticaria and eczema
- IgA nephropathy: PS
- Immune disorders
- Infectious diseases: SE
- Inflammaging: SE, PS
- Inflammation: PS
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Influenza: SE
- Insect bite reactions: PS
- Insomnia: PS
- Insulin resistance
- Interstitial cystitis (IC): PS
- Interstitial lung disease (ILD): PS
- Irritability: PS
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): PS
- Joint replacement, failure of
- Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS)
- Keratosis pilaris: PS
- Kidney pathology: PS
- Kuru disease: SE
- Labyrinthitis: PS
- Lactose intolerance: PS
- Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA): PS
- Leaky gut syndrome: PS
- Leg ulcers, recalcitrant
- Leishmaniasis: ❓ PNE
- Leprosy: ❓ PNE
- Leukemia: PTE
- Lichen planus: PS
- Lichen sclerosus: PS
- Lifespan reduction
- Liver
- Liver Cancer: UNK
- Liver fibrosis: UNK
- Long Covid: PS
- Low mood: PS
- Lung Cancer: UNK
- Lupus: PS
- Lyme disease: PS
- Lymphocytic colitis: PS
- Lymphoma: PTE
- Macular degeneration / age-related macular degeneration (AMD): PTE
- Malaria: ❓ SE, PNE
- Malnutrition: PS
- Mast cell disorders (MCAS, MCAD)
- Melanoma: UNK
- Memory loss: PS
- Menstruation: PS
- Microscopic colitis: PS
- Ménière's disease: PS
- Menstruation (painful, irregular): PS
- Metabolic syndrome: SE
- Migraine: PS
- Miscarriage
- Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD): PS
- Mood
- Mold (mould) illness / sensitivity: PS
- Mononucleosis / infectious mononucleosis / glandular fever: PS
- Mouth ulcers: PS
- Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS): PS
- Multiple sclerosis (MS): PS
- Muscle mass loss in the elderly
- Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS): PS
- Myasthenia gravis: PS
- Myeloma: PTE
- Myocardial infarction: SE
- Myodesopsia (floaters)
- Myopia: PS
- Narcolepsy: PS
- Nasal congestion: PS
- Nasal polyps: PS
- Neurodegenerative diseases: SE,PS
- Neurodevelopmental disorders: SE
- Neurofibromatosis type I: PTE
- Neuropsychiatric disorders: SE,PS
- Night terror: PS
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): SE
- Non-coeliac / celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS): PS
- Norovirus (Norwalk virus, winter vomiting disease): ❓ PNE
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Obesity: SE,PS
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): PTE
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Oral health
- Organ transplantation
- Osteoarthritis: SE,PS
- Osteoporosis: SE
- Ovarian cancer: PTE
- Pain, chronic
- Palpitations: PS
- Pancolitis: PS
- Pancreatic cancer: CTOS
- Pancreatitis: PTE
- PANDAS / PANS: PS
- Papillomavirus: SE
- Parkinson's disease: PS
- Periodontitis (gum disease): PS
- Peritonitis: SE
- Pertussis: ❓ PNE
- Peripheral neuropathy: PS
- Malaria ❓ PNE
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID): UNK
- Pneumococcal pneumonia: ❓ PNE
- Pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas: SE
- Poisoning: PTE
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): PS
- Polycythemia: SE,CTOS
- Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR): PS
- Post-traumatic brain injury: PTE
- Post-stroke depression: PTE
- Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS): PS
- Powassan virus: ❓ PNE
- Preeclampsia
- Premature birth
- Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS): PS
- Primary adrenal insufficiency
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC): PS
- Prion diseases: SE
- Prostatitis: PS
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia: SE
- Psoriasis: PS
- Psoriatic arthritis (PsA): PS
- Psychosis: PTE
- Pulmonary fibrosis: SE
- Raynaud syndrome / Raynaud's phenomenon: PS
- Recklinghausen syndrome: PTE
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection: SE
- Restless legs syndrome (RLS)
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA): PS
- Rhinitis: PS
- Rhinosinusitis: UNK
- Rhinovirus: UNK
- Rosacea: PS
- Salicylate intolerance: PS
- Salmonella: ❓ PNE
- Samter's triad / Samter's syndrome: PS
- Sacroiliitis: PS
- Sarcoidosis: PS
- Sciatica: PS
- Scleroderma: PS
- Schistosomiasis: PTE
- Schizophrenia: PS,PTE
- Seborrhoeic dermatitis / seborrheic dermatitis: PS
- Sensory hypersensitivity: PS
- Sepsis
- Sexual function
- Shingles / Herpes zoster: PS
- Sickle Cell Disease: UNK
- Sinusitis: PS
- Sjogren's syndrome: PS
- Sleep
- Sleep apnea: PS
- Sleep, problems with: PS
- Sleep terror: PS
- Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO): PS
- Stomach acid
- Streptococcus pneumoniae pulmonary infection: ❓ PNE
- Stress: PS
- Stroke: SE
- Suicide
- Sweet syndrome (SS): PS
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
- T-cell large granular lymphocyte leukemia: UNK
- Temporal arteritis: CTOS,PS
- Tendinopathy (tendinitis / tendonitis): PS
- Testicular atrophy: PS
- Thyroid disease
- Tinnitus: PS
- Toxic shock syndrome (TSS): SE
- Toxoplasmosis: ❓ PNE
- Trypanosoma cruzi infection (Chagas): SE
- Transient ischemic attack: SE
- Tourette Syndrome: PTE
- Travel sickness: PS
- Trimethylaminuria (TMAU): PS
- Tuberculosis: SE,CTOS,PS,PTE,❓ PNE
- Type 1 diabetes: SE,CTOS,PS
- Type 2 diabetes: SE,CTOS,PS
- Ulcer, leg: PS
- Ulcerative colitis: PS
- Ulcerative proctitis: PS
- Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD): PS
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs): PS
- Urticaria: PS
- Vaccines
- Venous thromboembolism (VTE)
- Vertigo: PS
- Vitiligo: PS
- Warts: PS
- Weight, excess: PS
- Weight, insufficient: PS
- West Nile virus: ❓ PNE
- Whooping cough: ❓ PNE
- Winter vomiting disease (Norovirus): ❓ PNE
- Wound healing: SE
- Zika virus: ❓ PNE
- Zona: PS
Steps to take for a specific condition[edit | edit source]
The question is whether helminths offer therapeutic or preventive benefits for a particular disease.
Here are a few approaches, listed in order of ease:
- Consult the Helminthic Therapy Wiki: Browse from this page and search by keywords to find information on testimonials or existing scientific studies.
- Search for self-treaters by asking the question on the Facebook forum or within groups dedicated to the disease
- Foster collective action: If no group or association exists to unify patients for this particular disease,, one must be created. Strength lies in patient-expert collectives.
- Conduct web searches: Look through general internet sources and scientific papers.
- Investigate biological pathways: Research pathways associated with the disease that helminths are known to influence. Key terms include: Inflammation, neuro-inflammation, pro-inflammatory cytokines, Th1/Th17, IL4, IL10, IL33, Macrophages polarization M1/M2 AAM, Tregs, ILC2, LPS, TLR4, NF-κB, microbiome, SCFA, intestinal permeability, blood-brain barrier. See Mechanisms underlying helminth colonization
- Perform observational studies on self-treaters: Ex John Turton with NA [5], Vik and P'ng Locke for UC with TTO [6], [7],[8], another case with TTO [9],[10]. Remember Barry Marshall, who won the 2005 Nobel Prize for Helicobacter pylori.
- Launch prospective observational studies: Collaborate with specialists working with populations naturally colonized by helminths. For instance, regarding sepsis: are individuals with helminths spared from sepsis, as murine models suggest?
- Leverage on naturally colonized populations: Conduct epidemiological studies, cross-sectional surveys, deworming programs, etc. See Helminthic therapy clinical trials
- Conduct preclinical studies: Utilize animal models. See Helminth therapy studies in murine models: Therapeutic helminth counterparts for murine models
- Initiate Phase 1 or 2 clinical trials: Base these on feedback and data gathered from self-treaters. See Helminthic therapy clinical trials