Self-medicating with Electro Colloidal Silver for Lyme Disease
This article is not to be construed as medical
advice. It is simply an account of my experience self-medicating with low ppm (parts
per million) electro-colloidal silver. Visit my otherwebsite for more info: Silver Works |
I had been sick for years before my illness was properly diagnosed. I had a whole
gammit of symptoms from headaches to rashes, insomnia, tinnitus, TMJ, backaches,
arthritis, hair loss, night sweats, word choice confusion, memory loss, frequent sinus
infections, frozen shoulder, locking joints, vague pain, bone aches, toothaches (without
dental problems), Parkinson type tremors, depression and more. I experienced
remarkable improvement on oral & IV meds for Lyme for 26 months but plateaued at about
90% recovery.
At that point, I stopped taking abx and began self-medicating ("at my own risk")
low doses of store-bought 5ppm colloidal silver. That caused mild Jarisch Herximer
symptoms (rash, fever, headache, etc. due to effects of toxins from dead bacteria)
indicating that the Lyme bacteria was indeed being killed off. I began to improve
further with stubborn neuro symptoms and joint aches previously uneresponsive to
antibiotics subsiding at last.
At Christmas, 1996, my brother-in-law said, "Whatever you're doin, Nance, keep it
up!" I was like a different person, feeling better and more active than I had been in
about 15 years! I'm now about 98% better, a very significant gain over what the
anitbiotics had done for me. (Not to mention what they did to me!) I
also benefitted from added protection against common infections: colds, viruses and sinus
infections for instance. My allergist is amazed that I have not had one sinus
infection over the past year+ after routinely having had 3-4 a year (requiring
antibiotics) since the late 1980's. (He does not know about my secret! Maybe
next year I'll tell him!)
I started making my own with an affordable homemade generator my husband put together
after about 2 mo. of using the storebought stuff that was $20 for 4 oz. Now I'm
making it for pennies. I used it pretty steadily for about 10 months, attaining about
95-98% restored health. Oct. 97 was my 1 year anniversary off antibiotics for Lyme
disease. I decided I would only take CS when I feel a little achy or
"off." I feel better within a few days.
Relapse!
(New: Update, 12/2/97)
I did slack off on the silver for about 2 months (Aug. through Oct., 1997) since I was
feeling terrific and wanted to see what would happen. Not surprisingly, considering
the stubborn nature of the Lyme bacteria and it's incredible ability to endure deep within
body tissue with poor circulation, I ended up with a genuine relapse in November, just
before Thanksgiving. This was the first distinct relapse I had experienced since
February, 1997. I revisited bone & muscle pain, buzzing ears, blurred vision
& cognitive difficulties, and irritability, all common later stage Lyme
symtoms. I'm happy to say that after a few short days on a therapeutic dose of
homemade silver, I'm back to 98% health. (For the skeptics, I will update my
condition after a good 2 months of evaluation.)
I'm hoping to continue self medicating in order to stay off antibiotics for Lyme
indefinitely, Lord willing. Sure, the ideal would be to not need any medication, but
as of yet, there is no known cure for late stage Lyme disease. This is as good as it
gets! And I'm not complaining!
I have not had any side effects from CS other than the mild "herxes" and
occasional candida flare ups, although some claim CS keeps candida in check. It didn't for
me, but that's just another indicator that it really does kill bacteria (in this case,
normal flora, though!)!
Research and References
I found no studies specific to colloidal silver that are deemed "proof" of
it's safety or effectiveness. Were that to be the case, it'd likely need FDA approval as a
prescription medication only used for certain diseases as approved by FDA. I much
prefer my freedom to sensibly self-medicate with this mineral found naturally in
mushrooms, water and other things we consume. If someone's concerned about
getting too many free radicals, you may as well stop breathing, too. (The
oxygen we breathe is a free radical!) What I do is take vitamin E, and I drink
plenty of fluids to help eliminate silver, although it is largely excreted through the GI
tract.
I also advise reading full articles, not just vague, misleading internet abstracts on
colloidal silver and other silver products. All of the "scare" articles
pertain to other silver solutions, not colloidal silver, which has been around for
years. Studies on silver proteins (of much greater particle concentration) and
silver salts (i.e., silver nitrate, silver sulfate) do not accurately depict true nature
of electro-colloidal silver. Both have much more silver in them and are much more
concentrated than the solution I use. It is those products that, though
effective, are associated with argyria, or blue-gray staining of the skin and organs due
to excessive use and accumulation of such high-dosed solutions, especially when used over
a long period of time.
Remember: you are already getting some silver in foods and drinks you use. The
concentration of silver in a weak electro-colloidal solution is similar to that:
3-10 parts per million! Please get and read the article below and you will find that
at this dilution, the amount of silver one would get taking reasonable amounts of weak CS
falls within the acceptable range for daily intake (referred daily dose). This is a
good article as well as copies of web info sited below would be to discuss with your
physician.*
Bear in mind, even the confirmed cases of argyria (due to highly concentrated silver
salts and silver proteins) are rare. A very good review of studies on silver salts and
silver proteins to help get things in perspective is: *"Silver Product for Medical
Indications: Risk-Benefit Assessment." (Man C. Fung, MD; Debra L. Bowen, MD, Clinical
Toxicology, 34,(1), 119-126, 1996. Now don't just settle for an abstract; get the
whole article and read it carefully. (A good place to call would be your local hospital
library or a college or university library that has a medical program). There's
actually some useful implications in it for CS users, regarding "referenced daily
dose" and potential usefulness of antioxidents among other points of interest that
you can glean from this "scientific" review of literature on silver salts and
proteins.
A handy little booklet on CS is: Colloidal Silver, the Natural Antibiotic Alternative,
by Zane Baranowski, CN. [To view excerpts online, click here: http://www.elixa.com/silver/zaneuse.htm
(Uses) and
http://www.elixa.com/silver/zanesize.htm
(particle size).] There are many references at the end, too, demonstrating the
historical use of colloidal silver as an antibacterial. I've seen this offered online
($3.50) ( http://www.ameriflex-inc.com/botap.html)
in doing a search of "Zane Baranowski" and I got a copy from a local health
products store.
To subscribe to the silver-list (free emails by it's various participants with no
advertisements), mailto:silver-list-request[at]eskimo.com
and put "Subscribe" in the subject area of your e-mail form.
There's no need to spend a lot of money to try colloidal silver out. I've purchased 4
oz. of 5 ppm for $15-20 through a food coop. But after a few weeks of trying that out (2-4
tsp/day), I started making my own at an initial cost of about $30 for parts, and a 3 lab
tests at $20 each to determine purity and ppm. (Mine tested at 8.38 ppm processed
one hour with a drop of baking soda solution and 350 ml distilled water, using the
homemade device and a 24 volt ac to dc converter rather than 3 nine-volt batteries.)
Web Links:
(New: Update, 12/2/97)
Below are a few of many websites on colloidal silver. Most are commercial sites but
they are listed here because of useful information offered. I do not endorse any
product or protocol whatsoever.
SOTA Instruments Inc. - "A Closer
Look At Colloidal Silver" by Peter A. Lind
Colloidal Silver: A Closer Look
Colloidal Silver Information
Page.
COLLOIDAL SILVER
Alpha Robey Colloidal Silver Generators and
Colloidal Silver News
New Information on Silver
Treatment for Lyme Disease
Lawrence Nowell's Personal
Lyme/Silver Testimony
Lyme Disease and AIDS Treatment
Protocol
Bodyweight and Dosage of CS
Colloidal
Silver: Risk Without Benefit a doctor's comments on some misleading colloidal silver
ads and Silver Product for Medical Indications: Risk-Benefit Assessment. This is a partial
review of the article, not the article itself, pointing to warnings implied in the article
which are based on studies of pharmaceutical preparations of large particle, highly
concentrated silver salts and accidental exposure to high concentrations of silver.
A quote from that review provides another reference:
On October 1996, the FDA proposed to ban the use of colloidal silver or silver salts in
over-the-counter products. [Federal Register 61:53685-53688, 1996] To access the full text
of this announcement, search the Federal Register [home
page] for "colloidal silver."
Or click the reference below from that site to view a proposed ruling from Oct., 1996:
Although colloidal silver has not as of yet cured me of borreliosis (Lyme
disease), it has enabled me to stay off of antibiotics for over a year already, with no
observable side effects to date, sustaining 98% improvement, beyond what 26 months'
continual potent oral and IV antibiotics had done. Also, while improving, I did not
suffer undesirable side effects associated with conventional antibiotics.
Historical literature supports the notion that silver solutions have antimicrobial
properties and silver is a component of pharmaceutical products still manufactured
today. (Read the literature referred to above). It is believed that,
unlike antibiotics, silver smothers Lyme bacteria (see the Revive webpages), thus not
enabling "mutant" strains from developing. Even so, Lyme disease remains
difficult to treat because of the bacteria's ability to survive in body tissue with little
oxygen (areas difficult to reach by any medication depending on circulation for
distribution.)
Although there is little documentation regarding use of colloidal silver for
treatment/cure of Lyme disease, I have personally benefitted immensely from taking it in
moderation to the point that I would rather treat my infection this way than on potent
antibiotics which do foster mutant strains and have caused numerous undesirable side
effects, including risk of liver and kidney damage.
I would like to see more scientific studies done on weak colloidal silver and its
effects on the human body and pathogens. However, colloidal silver has a relatively
short shelf life. Therefore, with no strong interest on the part of
pharmaceutical researchers, it is unlikely that significant studies will be done on
it. However, the tables may turn as researchers grapple to find antimicrobials that
do not cause resistance and are effective despite increasing resistance to our current
antibiotics. This certainly could be good news for us globally as antibiotics are
now losing their grip on tuberculosis, polio, hepatitis, pneumonia and other threatening
contagious infections.
If you know any scientists or healthcare providers interested in
studying weak electrocolloidal silver, please ask them to write to the silver-list. (Put "Subscribe"
in ths subject area.)
Nancy Berntsen, Revised Dec. 15, 1997
Colloidal Silver
