Mycotoxins: etiology for Multiple Sclerosis - Letters to the Editor - Letter to the Editor
Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Nov, 2003 by Deanna Benson
Editor:My name is Deanna Benson, a 55 year-old widow. In 1991 I was diagnosed by a neurologist to have Multiple Sclerosis (MS). I had the classic symptoms which included numbness in my arms and legs, I was so numb front my waist down that I could not feel the sensation of urination. My right leg was weak and my right ankle dropped so I walked with a limp. I also had recurrent iritis in my eyes. I often stammered when I was on the phone. When I turned 49 and hit menopause, my problem became more pronounced, I was easily tired, my memory became much poorer, I experienced anxiety episodes and frequent headaches. I was also becoming more and more sluggish and constipated, my hormone replacement therapy (Provera) did not alleviate much of my menopausal symptoms and hot flashes were getting unmanageable. At that point I decided to consult with Colet Lahoz, RN, MS a licensed acupuncturist. I heard her speak at a workshop and was very impressed with her work and her perspective about healing. She combines acupuncture, herbal medicine and diet and had remarkable success in treating conditions like mine.
I consulted with her in May 1997, and as part of an intake interview I filled out the questionnaire to determine if I had a long standing, untreated condition called Candidiasis. She was able to pick up this possibility when I mentioned that I had severe sweet cravings but that every time I ate too much refined sugar, my symptoms became more pronounced, especially the fatigue. The fact that my symptoms all got magnified during damp, cloudy days also were indicative of candidiasis. I scored high on the Candida profile which indicated I was positive for systemic fungal infection. She explained that her research as well as other research done by other specialists such as Dr. A.V. Constantini (director of the WHO division on mycotoxins), has documented the link between mycotoxins (the toxins from fungi absorbed in the bloodstream) and the development of autoimmune diseases and even malignancies. Colet Lahoz claimed that she has observed this link in patients with diagnoses such as Lupus Erythematosus, Sjogrens Disease, Parkinson's Disease, and Rheumatoid Arthritis, and that putting them on the antifungal therapy reversed the autoimmune condition. I found this information very exciting and could not wait to get on the program.
The three-fold regimen I had to follow included a change in diet. She advised mc strongly to adhere to the diet strictly, especially the first three months, in order to get the best results. The diet I followed eliminated all refined sugars, even fruits for the first three months, alcoholic beverages, any food items containing yeast as an ingredient, coffee and dairy. I was allowed to have vegetables, grains, nuts, organic meat, eggs, seafood, and emphasized the importance of eating fresh foods, free from mold.
She also put me on an antifungal mix which included Caprol (liquid capryllic acid, an antifungal), liquid Bentonite, psyllium husks and seeds. I took these together twice a day as a shake. I also took acidophilus to replenish friendly bacteria in my gut.
The third part of my treatment regimen was a series of acupuncture treatments spaced about once a week. These treatments were to repair the damage caused by the longterm fungal infection which has damaged my immune function, my nervous system, and is causing the many symptoms including the MS I was experiencing.
She also advised me to learn to meditate and I used the self-hypnosis tape "Self Healing: A Meditation with Colors," a 25-minute meditation developed by Colet Lahoz.
I must say that by the 4th visit, I was beginning to feel better, the numbness in my arms and legs were the first to feel relief, and to my amazement, I could feel myself urinate again. As I began to improve, she advised me to try getting off the Provera, because hormone therapy can promote fungal overgrowth. I got off the Provera in June 1997 and have not used it since. Instead I use progesterone cream (Femarone) and Colet uses acupuncture points and Chinese herbal medicine to correct the imbalance as shown in my pulses.
By the 5th visit, I was able to report that my ankle functioned much better and I was able to walk with a more normal gait. As the weeks went by my symptoms got better and I also recognized that when I cheated on my diet or missed taking my antifungals regularly my symptoms would worsen.
By the 6th week, I reported that my recurrent vaginal itching had completely gone and that my headaches were less often and when they occurred they were less intense. Needless to say, I was very thrilled and I adhered to the program closely. I am happy to report that after three months my energy had improved to the point that I was able to work full time for the first time since 1991. The symptoms that were attributed to MS were reversed and was pronounced by my neurologist to be "in remission."
I continued the antifungal regimen, rotating antifungals every three months. After three months I was able to tolerate having fruits and I tapered my acupuncture visits to twice a month (every other week). It has been three years since I was first seen by Colet Lahoz at the East West Clinic. My MS is still "in remission" and all the other symptoms attributed to candidiasis such as fatigue, sugar craving, vaginal itching, and recurrent headaches are stable. I continue to receive acupuncture treatments once a month for preventive maintenance. I believe that I possibly still have MS but that the treatments keep it under control. When I am overextended and tired, or am sick with the flu, the old symptoms of numbness and weakness seem to recur, but as soon as I get balanced through the acupuncture treatments and I am able to sleep, the symptoms disappear.
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