The Marshall Protocol and other treatments

[Kitty76]

Hi everyone, It's been over 6 months now since my mother and I had the flu  and since then we have both suffered with muscular problems and tiredness. My doctor has now diagnosed us both with Fibromyalgia / Chronic Fatigue we're in the process of trying to decide what our next step will be, our doctor wants us to try his diet plan combined with Herbal Life products Fomula 1, Formula 5, NRG, Multivitamin complex, Flora Fibre, tang Kuei as well as Vitamin D, and Fish Oil  for the next 3 months but we're not sure whether to go with that or try something else . What I want to ask is has anyone here done or still doing the Marshall Protocol and if so what is your opinion on it? Do you think it's working? Also what other things is anyone trying with some sort of success?
Thanks in advance
Hugs Kathy

[PlateletGal]

You may want to check out the Health Pages and read the various treatments (recommended by the experts) for CFS. I've learned that if you have a CFS diagnosis, the more you learn and read... the better. There isn't a standard treatment for CFS. The physicians that I pay attention to are the ones who successfully treated their own diseases:

Dr. Mark Shaw ~ author of "Beat Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome"  ---- Dr. Shaw was diagnosed with fibro / CFS. He recognizes bacterial infections in CFS patients... you may want to read his article, "What Causes Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome".

Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum ~ author of "From Fatigued to Fantastic" ---- graduated from college in only 3 years and was diagnosed with CFS. He uses supplements, medications and treats yeast and also mycoplasma infections in CFS & fibro patients.

Dr. Garth Nicolson (who was recently here... check out the Health Pages!) ---- treated his own CFS like symptoms. He is the founder of The Institute for Molecular Medicine.... here's his very impressive bio: http://www.immed.org/reachus.htm

David A. Jernigan. Ph.D. ---- successfully treated his bacterial infection (lyme disease) without using antibiotics. Dr. Jernigan is the author of "Beating Lyme Disease". His formulas are also treating mycoplasma, viral and other pathogens seen in chronically ill patients (including CFS).

Dr. Trevor Marshall --- had he listened to his physicians, he probably wouldn't be alive today. He had sarcoidosis and successfully treated his own condition with his protocol. He realized that the bacteria in sarcoidosis was similiar to the bacteria in CFS patients.

So these are the physicians who I pay attention to ! I've found that since they were ill themselves, they are passionate about helping others and since they successfully treated their own condition.... I'm listening to them and I've had so much success as a result. Thank God my own specialist prescribed these pathogen killing treatments for me !

Happy reading and Happy Thanksgiving !!!

[PlateletGal]

I've had success with the Marshall Protocol and now Dr. David Jernigan's protocol (I switched only because Jernigan's does not use antibiotics). The vitamin D issue discussed on the MP site is VERY controversial, but keep in mind that there are other antibiotic protocols (even natural ones) that have been successful at treating CFS and even autoimmune diseases.

I frequently communicate with people on these pathogen killing treatments and ALL of them report that they are getting better. Of course the herxing symptoms can be difficult at times, but people are seeing signs of progess along the way. These treatments can take years... and can increase your symptoms. But consider this.... this is because your body is killing the pathogens that are making you so ill. So we are having the same herxing symptoms that lyme patients go through. This tells me that I obviously need to be on this treatment !  Already my tachycardia is gone.. my blood pressure is stable, allergies and intolerance to gluten is gone. And I recently took my FIRST trip out of town in years... I even drove ! And guess what ? I didn't crash ! ; ^ )

"herxing" ---  

The Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction (referred to as "Herx" often) is believed to be a reaction caused by organisms (bacteria) dying off and releasing toxins into the body faster than the body may comfortably handle it.

success stories from people who have been on these "pathogen zapping" protocols and the science behind it:

http://www.immed.org/illness/fatigue_illness_research.html ---- infections found in CFS & fibromyalgia patients  (Prof. Garth Nicolson, Ph.D)

http://www.rain-tree.com/myco.htm --- stealth pathogens (Leslie Taylor, N.D.)

http://www.roadback.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/community.sub/subgroup_id/36.html --- success stories (includes fibromyalgia and some autoimmune diseases)

http://www.marshallprotocol.com/forum2/7287.html --- Marshall Protocol success stories

[RobinHood70]

While I've never tried the Marshall Protocol, I did review it a while back and what I read left a LOT of doubts in my mind.  It seems to be a rather wonky protocol and there's absolutely no support for it in any reputable medical journal or anywhere else that I found at the time.  In fact, quite the opposite, several of them found problems with it.  It's possible that that's changed since I last looked, but a quick glance at Wikipedia, at least, seems to indicate that that's still the general consensus.

I'd also be incredibly wary of *anybody*, doctor or no, who wants you to try "his" plan which involves buying hundreds of dollars of supplements per month.  Can we say "kickback" boys & girls?

These are just my opinions and my findings, but honestly, something sounds awfully fishy here.