Adding Hyssop 11/3/11

I came across the herb Hyssop after Googling natural antiviral for HIV. And as my times as I've Googled that I had never came across Hyssop before.. lol.. I found some interesting articles. One in particular from blessedmaineherbs.com.

"Hyssop is a blood nourisher, an immune system strengthener, and possesses potent antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial activity. Cornell/NCI researchers think that hyssop may be useful in the treatment of patients with AIDS.

Several years ago, a young woman was admitted to a hospital with severe AIDS symptoms. She was not expected to live. Her story, interwoven with that of hyssop follows: She had "disseminated Kaposi's sarcoma, was partially blind from disseminated CMV, and suffered from extensive oral and vaginal candidiasis, oral herpes infection, and chronic draining ulcers on her lower extremities." Her blood was found to have MAI (Mycobacterium avium intracellularae) and her urine tested positive for CMV. Doctors expected that she would soon die so they sent her home. However, follow-up of the patient 6 months later showed that her lesions had "improved significantly," her blood tests were negative for MAI, she could walk and move around more, and in general, she felt much better. Upon questioning, the patient's mother revealed that "for the previous month, the patient had been given an old Jamaican herbal remedy which was prepared in the form of a tea by boiling a mixture of leaves from hyssop officinalis, blessed thistle, and cassia augustifolia."

Researchers tested the herbs and found that crude extracts of Cassia augustifolia had minimal or no anti-HIV activity, blessed thistle extracts had only "minimal" antiviral effects, but crude extracts of hyssop inhibited HIV replication by 77 to 100%. Further analysis revealed that one of the antiviral compounds in hyssop was caffeic acid, a compound that showed strong antiviral activity.

Treatment of HIV-infected cells with caffeic acid resulted in reduced levels of p24 and p17 antigens, reduced the formation of giant clumps of infected cells, and impaired the activity of the essential retroviral enzyme RT (reverse transcriptase). Caffeic acid was previously shown to have anti-herpes activity in laboratory tests. When caffeic acid reacts with oxygen and becomes oxidized, several beneficial products may form. Researchers think that the action between oxygen and other compounds found in hyssop may also play a role in this plant's strong anti-viral activity."

My current regimen with Hyssop added 11/3/11:

Cell Forte IP-6 & Inositol Ultra Strength Powder: 3 grams in the a.m.

Vitamin C: 1000mg 3x's a day

Hyssop (Nature's Way): 1,335mg (3 capsules) 3x's a day

ROEX Oleuropein: 1 gram in a.m., 750mg middle of day, and 750mg @ night

Multi-Vitamin: 1 in the a.m.

My next lab work results will be February 20, 2012.

Lab Work Update! October 24, 2011

Lab update! My viral load went down from 49,000 to 26,449 (again, I started from 200,000 after stopping the antiviral drugs). And my T-cells went from 845 to 787 (no biggie, they always flux from 700's to high 800's).

It was exciting to see my viral load the lowest I've seen it. I've taken a small break in search of another natural antiviral to help bring down my viral load even more. The Olive Leaf does a Hell of a job though! ~ But if anyone has suggestions of another natural antiviral "that has worked for them" speak up!

I've tried Coconut Oil & Oil of Oregano. They didn't work for me. But they did work for a friend. They brought him to undetectable! He did however take a lot.. lol.. If I can remember, it was 10 capsules of Coconut Oil 3 times a day. And I'm really not sure how much Oregano Oil. Maybe 5 to 7 capsules 3 times a day. Again, not sure on the Oil of Oregano.. But it was a lot.

Good quality Oil of Oregano is expensive. And in order to see your viral load drop you need to take a good amount of it. I guess I stopped taking it because of that reason. That and taking a large amount kills your Flora. There for you would then need to take a probiotic. ~ And there's another pill added to your regimen! lol

So that's my update. My next blood work results will be in 4 months (February 20, 2012). I'll probably start researching soon to find a second natural antiviral to add to my regimen. And again, if someone has a suggestion of something that has worked for them, let me know! :)

Here is my current regimen:

Cell Forte IP-6 & Inositol Ultra Strength Powder: 3 grams in the a.m.

Vitamin C: 1000mg 3x's a day

ROEX Oleuropein: 1 gram in a.m., 500mg middle of day, and 500mg @ night

Multi-Vitamin: 1 in the a.m.

Antiviral & Immune Boosting Juicing

Besides taking supplements, I also like to juice vegetables. About 3 years ago I bought the HealthMaster from Living Well / Montel. I bought the HealthMaster because it liquifies the entire vegetable.. So you'll be getting all the Fiber, Vitamins, Minerals, Antioxidants, and Phyto-Nutrients.. 

I juice once a day every other day through the week.. This past week I juiced 1 Beet, a small bowl of Kale, and 2-3 Carrots. I then add almost a half cup of organic Apple Cider Vinegar. ACV will not only cut out the earthiness of it all, but has many good health benefits. From strengthening the immune system, to curing skin conditions such as acne... I've even read some studies that say ACV can even lower HIV viral loads!

ACV also protects against food poisoning.. I remember my grandmother telling me she knew a man growing up who would take a teaspoon of ACV before every meal. Remembering that, one night not to long ago I was out having a calamari appetizer. It tasted a little funny so I spit it right out. Then I told the waiter to bring me some vinegar as soon as he could.. I then took a teaspoon.. I've had food poisoning from seafood before.. And don't want it ever again.. It's not pretty! lol

Lemon & Ginger are also both great for cutting the earthiness out of any all vegetable juiced drinks. And both are very good for the body & conditions. There are many health benefits of lemons that have been known for centuries. Like being a strong antibacterial, antiviral, having immune-boosting powers, digestive aid, and liver cleanser. And have even read that Lemons are a potent destroyer of HIV.

As for Ginger?! It's a favorite.. It always gives what ever your juicing a little zing. And make sure you use just a small bit so all you get is just a zing! Because if you use too much, it then becomes a wee'bit spicy and burns! lol .. But adding Ginger tastes great and has many benefits. Like aiding in digestion, alleviating high blood pressure, treats nausea, and lowers LDL cholesterol.

I juice to get all my nutrients yes, but why not try and tackle HIV viral load while at it.. Some of the vegetables that have antiviral properties come from plants like Broccoli, Garlic, Tumeric Root, Mushrooms (Japanese Shiitake, White Button, Maitake, and Reishi), Spinach, Dandelion Greens, Apples, and Mangos. I'm not sure how much juice you can really get from Broccoli & mushrooms, but I snack on them on a regular basis.

I do add Kale & Spinach to my juicing every time. As for Dandelion greens (which is said to have major antiviral properties) be careful, you'll be pissing ALL day!! lol... I added it to my juicing one day & neglected to read everything about it. It has a major diuretic effect! I was frequently urinating at work all through that day.. Every 15-30 minutes!! I started to freak because I thought I was becoming a Diabetic! But when I got home I read on ALL of the side effects... And there it was "a diuretic"... (sigh) Relief..

I can't stress enough on how important juicing or just eating raw vegetables on a daily basis is. Though "you get the same benefits from raw green vegetable juice as you do from eating them whole and usually you get it faster. This is because raw vegetable juice takes less internal work to digest and is absorbed into the body almost instantly." I do know of many people who don't like them. Whether it be for the taste, or for the texture.  I would feel juicing would be best for those individuals.

Anyway, I just wanted to put this out there...

Til' my next posting, stay pozitive & peace out ;-)

After reading up a bit more on the supplement Osteo Bi-Flex I'm currently taking, I might decide to stop. There is some controversy about whether it messes with your sugar levels. And that's something I do not wanna mess with...

Years back when I was on my med's I would be at the gym & start to feel real shaky, faint, and nauseous. I got a bit scared & asked my doctor for a glucose test. Ended up I was fine... But still scared me.. And it's around that time I decided to stop my med's.. (The Glucose test sucked ass by the way!!) ~

Anyway, for some reason I decided to read up on Glucosamine a bit more and found one article saying "Glucosamine may have an effect on your blood sugar. It may decrease insulin productions and cause a change in your blood sugar level.".....

And another saying "There has been some small studies in rats showing glucosamine can impair insulin resistance. One study showed that this did not occur in diabetic rats, just the normal ones." .......

I had read other articles of people saying they had no problems. But the key thing I'm picking out is that glucosamine might impair insulin resistance... That's just something I don't wanna take a chance with.. And it was one of the main reasons why I stopped taking the med's!... (Diabetes was just one of many possible side effects listed when taking Trizivir.)

Something else I'll be changing with my regimen is the intake of NAC. In hopes to reduce my viral load, I'll be increasing to 600mg 3 times a day. I had found an article stating "A total of 1800 to 2000 mg. per day in 3 doses of 600 mg. or 4 doses of 500 mg a day of NAC on an empty stomach will benefit your immune system and suppress viral activity. Absorption rates are greater for most amino acids when taken on an empty stomach. This may be true for NAC as well. Take it on an empty stomach with either water or fruit juice (the sugar in the juice enhances absorption). It is also recommended that three times as much vitamin C should be taken at the same time to prevent these amino acids (NAC) from being oxidized in the body."

So my new regimen will be the following:

Jarrow Formulas N-A-C sustain: 1 capsule of 600mg  3x a day

ROEX Oleuropein: 1 gram in a.m., 500mg middle of day, and 500mg @ night

Cell Forte IP-6 & Inositol Ultra Strength Powder: 3 grams 2x's a day

Vitamin Shoppe Liquid Vitamin D3: 5000IU 1x a day

Vitamin C: 1000mg (2-stage, timed release) 3x's a day

Multi-vitamin

Again, I want to encourage others to comment. Share your success stories, thoughts, questions, etc...

Why My Current Supplements

In my last post I listed my full current regimen. I discussed how I recently added Osteo Bi-Flex Triple Strength and how I was going to continue taking Olive Leaf and Cell Forte IP-6 & Inositol Ultra Strength Powder. In this posting I wanted to go over the other supplements and why I decided to begin taking them.

EGCG (Green Tea)
I'll mention again that Olive Leaf has brought my viral from 200,000 to lowest of 29,000. So I'm now in search of another supplement that will help bring it down lower, if not to undetectable. When Googling "natural anti-viral" many things come up, and EGCG being one of them. I came across this repeatedly: "Studies have indicated that EGCG inhibits replication of HIV-1 by targeting several steps in the life cycle of HIV-1. In high nonphysiologic concentrations, EGCG reportedly interferes with reverse transcriptase (RT) and protease activity.".... I have also read: "no studies to date have evaluated the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetic characteristics of EGCG in individuals INFECTED by HIV-1.".. So I had decided to add it & see what happens.. 

But I'm now thinking I might finish the bottle I have & then stop. Only because I had recently added the Osteo Bi-Flex after reading Chondroitin sulfate has anti-viral effect. If I am taking both and my viral load does lower, how will I know which is causing it? So, yeah... I'll probably stop after this bottle, and then see if the Osteo Bi-Flex has any effect. If not, I'll drop it & start the EGCG.

NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine)
Moving on to the N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) supplement. My alternative medicine doctor had put me on it for oxidative stress. "Oxidative stress has emerged in recent years as a suspected component in the pathogenesis of HIV disease.". Make sure you read up on NAC, it seems to be very important. And has been shown to be immune enhancing as well as suppress HIV replication.

CoQ10
I just recently started taking CoQ10 after I read it can help combat fatigue and boost a weak immune system (particularly for those with HIV). I also read It helps boost athletic performance. And it's found that CoQ10 levels are low in people who exercise excessively. I do go to the gym 4 - 5 times a week for about an hour. I wouldn't call that excessive, but I know it's more than most people. So, being HIV+ and the amount I go to the gym I figured it was something to start taking... I'm almost done with the 1st bottle.... Do I feel any different?... Not really.. lol .. So this 1st bottle might be my last.

Vitamin C
Well, this one is a given.. I think vitamin C is the 1st thing we think of when wanting to boosting the immune. But if you were to read on what effect vitamin C has on HIV, it's pretty interesting. In high dosages (more than what can be taken orally) it's been shown to kill HIV.. Well, in too high doses you get Nausea, Vomiting, Heartburn, indigestion, Intestinal cramps, Flushing (redness of the skin), Diarrhea, etc. .. Fun! Fun! ~ So since we won't be having none of that, I only take it to keep the immune up.

At the moment i'm taking C in capsule form. But I would say if your positive, to take Buffered Vitamin C Powder (my opinion). Buffered C allows a much higher dose in an easier manner. I'd rather drink a 6oz cup of vitamin C than swallow 4 capsules... I'll be switching back to buffered powder once I finish my bottle of capsule form.

Vitamin D
My doctor had checked my vitamin D levels 8 months back & found I was a bit low. So I started taking it in liquid drop form. I was told it takes a while to build up in your system. And I guess that's true, because it took up til' now for me to reach a normal level.

They're really focusing on vitamin D right now. Every doctor I've gone to ask's if I'm taking a D supplement. And you see commercials pushing it as well. Seems vitamin D does many things. It regulates calcium and phosphorus, is essential to a healthy immune system, a potent anti-inflammatory, helps regulate blood sugar levels, helps lower blood pressure, and benefits, or helps prevent a huge list of diseases...
 
Multivitamin
I pretty much take a multivitamin to make sure I'm getting all of my vitamins and minerals. But I make sure the multivitamin I am taking has at least 200mcg of Selenium and good percentage of Beta Carotene. A few years back I took a Vitamin Deficiency Test and found I was low in Selenium, Beta-Carotene, and B-12. The test then told me the proper daily dosage to take of each supplement to correct the deficiency. It just so happens Selenium & B-12 are two major ones HIV positive people are deficient in. I highly suggest getting a Vitamin Deficiency Test...

My Current Regimen

Since being off med's I've tried many different supplements. And the one supplement that I can say has truly worked is Olive Leaf. I've changed my regimen many times, but have never taken out Olive Leaf. I've used OLE (Olive Leaf Extract) along with other natural supplements that claim to have antiviral qualities, and seems I can never get my viral below 29,000. But keep in mind OLE brought my viral load down from 200,000 to the lowest of 29,000. And has kept it around that for 4 years now. So that shows it does work...

If you were to read up on the benefits of OLE for HIV, you would see that HIV can not become resistant because of the manner in which it works. And not only can OLE reduce your viral load, it has also been shown to boost the immune system. But with using OLE, you need to make sure you buy a brand yielding 17% to 23% pharmaceutical grade Oleuropein. 17% to 23% is the highest I've come across. 

I recently found another supplement that has made a significant impact on my T-cell count. Between July 2010 & April 2011 my T-cell count dropped from 850 to 599. I began to panic and started researching. I then came across an ultra strength powder form of Cell Forte's IP-6 & Inositol. I had used IP-6 & Inositol in the past, but in a lower dose pill form. So, on April 21, 2011 I began using Cell Forte IP-6 & Inositol Ultra Strength Powder. On June 20, 2011 I went for my lab work and found my T-cells went from 599 to 845. I was ecstatic! ...So I'll be keeping IP-6 with Inositol in my regimen and hope that my numbers from my lab work was not just a fluke. (I'll be letting you know at the end of October..)

You'll see in my current regimen that I'm taking Osteo Bi-Flex Triple Strength. It's a new supplement I just added in June. I recently read that "Chondroitin sulfate has been shown to inhibit reproduction of certain viruses, such as human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, by blocking the viral ability to infect a cell. In HIV specifically, chondroitin sulfate interferes with reverse transcriptase, a protein enzyme of the virus. Glucosamine shows similar activity."

So I'm hoping that the Osteo Bi-Flex might help bring my viral load down  even lower. I am taking 1 pill more than the bottle suggests, but I feel pretty safe after reading that there aren't many side effects from higher doses.. Or I should say I haven't felt any that they've mentioned. If anything, it'll help with my aching knees.. lol

Here is my current regimen, as of April 21, 2011. Each supplement below is linked to a site that I've found (at the present time) to have the best price. I personally use Whole Foods & Vitamin Shoppe.

Osteo Bi-Flex Triple Strength: 3 capsules a day (Glucosamine: 2250mg - Chondroitin/MSM: 1875mg)

EGCG Green Tea Leaf Extract: 600mg 3x's a day

CoQ10: 1 capsule in a.m. 200mg

Vitamin C: 1000mg (2-stage, timed release) 2x's a day

ROEX Oleuropein: 1 gram in a.m., 500mg middle of day, 500mg @ night

Cell Forte IP-6 & Inositol Ultra Strength Powder: 3 grams 2x's a day

Jarrow Formulas N-A-C sustain: 1 capsule in a.m. of 600mg  

Vitamin Shoppe Liquid Vitamin D3: 5000IU 1x a day

Multi-vitamin

At the end of October will be my next lab work results. I'll then give an update, and will be curious to see if the Osteo Bi-Flex helps bring my viral load down even more.. Cross your fingers! :)