There is also a link to subscribe to the newsletter if interested.
regards
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
Blogarama
Friday, November 07, 2008
First Four Editions of My Holistic Herpes Newsletter
I no longer have the time to blog regularly so I have started a monthly free holistic herpes newsletter instead. The first four editions are now on my site at http://www.natropractica.com/writings/index.html
There is also a link to subscribe to the newsletter if interested.
regards
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
Blogarama
There is also a link to subscribe to the newsletter if interested.
regards
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
Blogarama
Sunday, May 25, 2008
New Holistic Herpes Newsletter
I have started a new holistic herpes newsletter to broaden the message of de-stigmatizing herpes and to share insights, advice, recipes, encouragement and empowerment to our herpes community. I am especially trying to reach out to those who feel isolated or ashamed of having herpes with the message that there is support and solidarity to be found. Please do email me at holistic@natropractica.com if you'd like to receive the first edition of the newsletter and be added to the mailing list. And I would love your contributions if you are inspired to send in articles, poems, songs, laments, jokes, interviews, news, anything and everything to do with holistically living with herpes. Your contributions can of course be anonymous or under a pen-name. There are already more than 900 subscribers and the feedback from the first issue has been great so please do join us.
regards
christopher scipio
holistic viral specialist
person with herpes
Blogarama
regards
christopher scipio
holistic viral specialist
person with herpes
Blogarama
Monday, April 14, 2008
Do You Dare to be Outbreak Free?
Do You Dare to be Outbreak Free?
It has been said that often what you get in life is what you expect to get. This is the root cause of why for example so many people who are born in poverty die in poverty, or why someone who has failed several times to quit a bad habit has a hard time believing that he or she can succeed the next time. Certainly the past doesn’t equal the future- sounds reasonable enough on paper. But whom am I trying to kid? We are emotional creatures and logic often cannot stand a challenge from deeply embedded feelings.
I see this challenge affecting many of my herpes patients and it affected me for many years too. In the film “The Shawshank Redemption” there was an older prisoner who had been in jail his whole life. When he was finally paroled he was petrified of the outside world and even tried to get himself re-admitted to prison. Finally he hung himself. The character played by Tim Robbins asked why this happened and Morgan Freeman’s character replied that it was “institutionalization”.
Anytime you get used to a certain series of events occouring whether it be the daily routine in prison or regular herpes outbreaks your mind becomes convinced of the certainty of those events repeating themselves. One of the hardest things to do in the world of human behaviour is to break the pattern of these expectations. It takes a lot of imagination and daring.
To be free of outbreaks one has to believe in a future without outbreaks. One has to see it, feel it, believe it. It has to be an unshakeable conviction because your mind knows when you are just going through the motions.
It’s hard to be convinced that outbreaks don’t have to be part of the experience of a life-long herpes infection- but it’s not impossible.
One approach that I know can work is what I call “incrementalism” or taking “baby-steps”. You may not be able to get to your goal in giant strides, but you can get there one tiny step at a time. If you are having outbreaks every month if you can manage to go one month without an outbreak that is a step in the right direction and a confidence builder, then make a two month reprieve from outbreaks happen, then try for three. Even if you have an outbreak after two or three months, don’t despair you are making progress and you can build on this. If you persist and don’t fall into despair with a set-back soon you will be going longer and longer periods of time without outbreaks.
In manifesting a different future for yourself it’s important to have the full support of your lover. One of the biggest obstacles to imagining an outbreak free future is the fear of giving herpes to your partner. Please do treat your herpes and please do practice safer sex with a condom/dental dam and an anti-viral gel, this will ease your mind, but it’s not enough. I stopped having outbreaks when my girlfriend at the time told me that she wasn’t afraid of getting herpes from me. This powerful declaration set me free.
I was no longer anxious when we were having sex. I never had an outbreak in the time we were together and have only had three in the past seven years, with only one in the past three years despite having a very busy and demanding holistic viral practice which often leaves me with no sleep and little time to eat on a regular schedule. If you have a partner who is very nervous about getting herpes from you, you may want to consider getting another partner or finding a way of addressing your partner’s fears because the anxiety from a fearful partner and your own fear of infecting an uninfected person will often be enough to keep the cycle of outbreaks happening.
The last piece of advice I have to offer in this note is to stop seeing yourself as a victim. You are a human being. You have power. Use your power. You can reprogramme your mind. You can change your expectations. You can make a peaceful accommodation with the herpes virus and ask it to stay dormant. You can holistically manage your herpes with diet, holistic stress management and herbal medicine or drug therapy. You can practice safer sex to protect your lover/s and yourself.
In fact you can do almost anything you believe you can. What a human being can do is almost unlimited. What most people choose to do is disappointing. Choose differently. Dare to live outbreak free.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
It has been said that often what you get in life is what you expect to get. This is the root cause of why for example so many people who are born in poverty die in poverty, or why someone who has failed several times to quit a bad habit has a hard time believing that he or she can succeed the next time. Certainly the past doesn’t equal the future- sounds reasonable enough on paper. But whom am I trying to kid? We are emotional creatures and logic often cannot stand a challenge from deeply embedded feelings.
I see this challenge affecting many of my herpes patients and it affected me for many years too. In the film “The Shawshank Redemption” there was an older prisoner who had been in jail his whole life. When he was finally paroled he was petrified of the outside world and even tried to get himself re-admitted to prison. Finally he hung himself. The character played by Tim Robbins asked why this happened and Morgan Freeman’s character replied that it was “institutionalization”.
Anytime you get used to a certain series of events occouring whether it be the daily routine in prison or regular herpes outbreaks your mind becomes convinced of the certainty of those events repeating themselves. One of the hardest things to do in the world of human behaviour is to break the pattern of these expectations. It takes a lot of imagination and daring.
To be free of outbreaks one has to believe in a future without outbreaks. One has to see it, feel it, believe it. It has to be an unshakeable conviction because your mind knows when you are just going through the motions.
It’s hard to be convinced that outbreaks don’t have to be part of the experience of a life-long herpes infection- but it’s not impossible.
One approach that I know can work is what I call “incrementalism” or taking “baby-steps”. You may not be able to get to your goal in giant strides, but you can get there one tiny step at a time. If you are having outbreaks every month if you can manage to go one month without an outbreak that is a step in the right direction and a confidence builder, then make a two month reprieve from outbreaks happen, then try for three. Even if you have an outbreak after two or three months, don’t despair you are making progress and you can build on this. If you persist and don’t fall into despair with a set-back soon you will be going longer and longer periods of time without outbreaks.
In manifesting a different future for yourself it’s important to have the full support of your lover. One of the biggest obstacles to imagining an outbreak free future is the fear of giving herpes to your partner. Please do treat your herpes and please do practice safer sex with a condom/dental dam and an anti-viral gel, this will ease your mind, but it’s not enough. I stopped having outbreaks when my girlfriend at the time told me that she wasn’t afraid of getting herpes from me. This powerful declaration set me free.
I was no longer anxious when we were having sex. I never had an outbreak in the time we were together and have only had three in the past seven years, with only one in the past three years despite having a very busy and demanding holistic viral practice which often leaves me with no sleep and little time to eat on a regular schedule. If you have a partner who is very nervous about getting herpes from you, you may want to consider getting another partner or finding a way of addressing your partner’s fears because the anxiety from a fearful partner and your own fear of infecting an uninfected person will often be enough to keep the cycle of outbreaks happening.
The last piece of advice I have to offer in this note is to stop seeing yourself as a victim. You are a human being. You have power. Use your power. You can reprogramme your mind. You can change your expectations. You can make a peaceful accommodation with the herpes virus and ask it to stay dormant. You can holistically manage your herpes with diet, holistic stress management and herbal medicine or drug therapy. You can practice safer sex to protect your lover/s and yourself.
In fact you can do almost anything you believe you can. What a human being can do is almost unlimited. What most people choose to do is disappointing. Choose differently. Dare to live outbreak free.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Friday, April 11, 2008
90% of the Cells in Our Bodies are Viruses and other Microbes
From Discover Magazine
Your Body Is a Planet
90% of the cells within us are not ours but microbes'.
by Josie Glausiusz
We may not realize it, but each one of us is a walking ecosystem. Minuscule, eight-legged Demodex mites nestle head down inside the follicles of the eyelashes, feasting unnoticed on skin cells. Microscopic yeasts live on the tongue, teeth, and skin and in the intestine. Dormant viruses like herpes simplex may loiter for years inside nerve cells, and are in your body for life. Perhaps strangest of all are the self-replicating, viruslike pieces of DNA that infected ancient humans and still make up about 8 percent of our genome.
Most of the time we share our bodies harmoniously with the 90 trillion or so microbes. But sometimes the arrangement turns contentious, as when blood-sucking bedbugs, fleas, and lice invade, or when herpes simplex or human papillomaviruses cause surface membranes to erupt in nasty pustules or warts. Just taking antibiotics may disturb the ecosystem in our gut by killing not only disease- causing organisms but also good bacteria, like Lactobacillus acidophilus.
Living with microbes demands a biological balancing act. For the most part, though, we are blissfully oblivious to the microscopic life we carry around with us. Considering what those organisms look like, that may be a good thing.
1 Athlete’s foot fungus Trichophyton and Epidermophyton are filamentous, parasitic microbes that latch onto bare feet in communal showers. These species and their relatives can creep under the toenails and invade other areas of the skin, including the scalp and genitalia, where they trigger ringworm and jock itch.
2 Vaginal flora Beneficial bacteria—notably members of the Lactobacillus family—inhabit the vagina, secreting lactic acid and fending off hostile invaders like the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans.
3 Firmicutes and Bacteroides At least 500 species of bacteria, weighing about 3.3 pounds, live inside the human gut. The majority are from one of two phyla, the Firmicutes and the Bacteroides. They break down carbohydrates and make essential nutrients like vitamins K and B12. They also crowd out harmful bacteria. As Cynthia Sears at Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health says, “Just by mere force of numbers, the bad bugs are beat out by the good bugs.”
4 Human papillomavirus More than 100 types of human papillomavirus (HPV) can infect humans, causing a variety of warts from the common wart to plantar and flat warts. At least 30 strains of HPV are sexually transmitted, and the CDC estimates that at least 50 percent of sexually active men and women will be infected with genital HPV at some point. Of greatest concern are HPV types 16 and 18, which can cause cancers of the cervix, penis, vagina, anus, and rectum. The new vaccine Gardasil protects against the cancers caused by both HPV types.
5 Head lice Pediculus humanus capitis (the head louse) has been around for a long time: One ancient louse egg has been found attached to a strand of hair 10,000 years old. The flat, wingless insects are tiny (between one and two millimeters long—less than a tenth of an inch), suck on human blood, and cement their eggs, or nits, to our hair.
6 Dental streptococcus If you don't brush regularly, you probably have a biofilm of bacteria 300 to 500 cells thick on the surface of your teeth. The dominant species in this dental plaque are Streptococcus sanguis and S. mutans. Even if you brush diligently, these bacteria will still be there: They arrive soon after your teeth do and stay until they fall out. The bacteria ferment sugars and secrete gluey polymers that form the basis of plaque.
7 Demodex mites A little arthropod most likely lives in the follicles of your eyelashes, eating, mating, breeding, and rarely leaving—except perhaps for a sporadic nighttime walk around your face. Demodex mites—cigar-shaped, stumpy-legged parasites about 0.3 millimeter long—infest about 20 percent of people under 20. They are more likely to infect us as we age, so nearly all elderly people carry them.
8 Shingles Once you have had chicken pox, the virus, called herpes varicella-zoster, a memeber of the ehrpes family of viruses stays inside you forever, lying dormant in nerves near the spinal cord. Stress, aging, or a weakened immune system may reactivate the virus, which can then slink along nerve tracts, causing persistent pain and nasty skin rashes—a condition known as shingles. Research suggests that widespread vaccination against chicken pox, now common in the United States, may lead to a significant increase in shingles among the elderly.
9 Fossil viruses About 1/12 of our genome consists of stretches of DNA from viruses that infected our ancestors millions of years ago. According to epidemiologist Prescott Deininger of Tulane University, these and other parasitical, self-replicating pieces of DNA have evolved with us and can insert copies of themselves into our genome...
10 Staphylococcus On average, the skin supports about 1 trillion bacteria. The most common include staph, Streptococcus, and Corynebacterium, which metabolize sweat to produce body odor. Microbiologist Martin Blaser of the New York University School of Medicine sequenced the DNA of bacteria from the forearms of six people and discovered 182 separate species of bacteria. Most of those bacteria actually help to keep the skin healthy by competing with dangerous pathogens for nutrients. As Blaser explains, “I would hate to live without them.”
Blogarama
Your Body Is a Planet
90% of the cells within us are not ours but microbes'.
by Josie Glausiusz
We may not realize it, but each one of us is a walking ecosystem. Minuscule, eight-legged Demodex mites nestle head down inside the follicles of the eyelashes, feasting unnoticed on skin cells. Microscopic yeasts live on the tongue, teeth, and skin and in the intestine. Dormant viruses like herpes simplex may loiter for years inside nerve cells, and are in your body for life. Perhaps strangest of all are the self-replicating, viruslike pieces of DNA that infected ancient humans and still make up about 8 percent of our genome.
Most of the time we share our bodies harmoniously with the 90 trillion or so microbes. But sometimes the arrangement turns contentious, as when blood-sucking bedbugs, fleas, and lice invade, or when herpes simplex or human papillomaviruses cause surface membranes to erupt in nasty pustules or warts. Just taking antibiotics may disturb the ecosystem in our gut by killing not only disease- causing organisms but also good bacteria, like Lactobacillus acidophilus.
Living with microbes demands a biological balancing act. For the most part, though, we are blissfully oblivious to the microscopic life we carry around with us. Considering what those organisms look like, that may be a good thing.
1 Athlete’s foot fungus Trichophyton and Epidermophyton are filamentous, parasitic microbes that latch onto bare feet in communal showers. These species and their relatives can creep under the toenails and invade other areas of the skin, including the scalp and genitalia, where they trigger ringworm and jock itch.
2 Vaginal flora Beneficial bacteria—notably members of the Lactobacillus family—inhabit the vagina, secreting lactic acid and fending off hostile invaders like the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans.
3 Firmicutes and Bacteroides At least 500 species of bacteria, weighing about 3.3 pounds, live inside the human gut. The majority are from one of two phyla, the Firmicutes and the Bacteroides. They break down carbohydrates and make essential nutrients like vitamins K and B12. They also crowd out harmful bacteria. As Cynthia Sears at Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health says, “Just by mere force of numbers, the bad bugs are beat out by the good bugs.”
4 Human papillomavirus More than 100 types of human papillomavirus (HPV) can infect humans, causing a variety of warts from the common wart to plantar and flat warts. At least 30 strains of HPV are sexually transmitted, and the CDC estimates that at least 50 percent of sexually active men and women will be infected with genital HPV at some point. Of greatest concern are HPV types 16 and 18, which can cause cancers of the cervix, penis, vagina, anus, and rectum. The new vaccine Gardasil protects against the cancers caused by both HPV types.
5 Head lice Pediculus humanus capitis (the head louse) has been around for a long time: One ancient louse egg has been found attached to a strand of hair 10,000 years old. The flat, wingless insects are tiny (between one and two millimeters long—less than a tenth of an inch), suck on human blood, and cement their eggs, or nits, to our hair.
6 Dental streptococcus If you don't brush regularly, you probably have a biofilm of bacteria 300 to 500 cells thick on the surface of your teeth. The dominant species in this dental plaque are Streptococcus sanguis and S. mutans. Even if you brush diligently, these bacteria will still be there: They arrive soon after your teeth do and stay until they fall out. The bacteria ferment sugars and secrete gluey polymers that form the basis of plaque.
7 Demodex mites A little arthropod most likely lives in the follicles of your eyelashes, eating, mating, breeding, and rarely leaving—except perhaps for a sporadic nighttime walk around your face. Demodex mites—cigar-shaped, stumpy-legged parasites about 0.3 millimeter long—infest about 20 percent of people under 20. They are more likely to infect us as we age, so nearly all elderly people carry them.
8 Shingles Once you have had chicken pox, the virus, called herpes varicella-zoster, a memeber of the ehrpes family of viruses stays inside you forever, lying dormant in nerves near the spinal cord. Stress, aging, or a weakened immune system may reactivate the virus, which can then slink along nerve tracts, causing persistent pain and nasty skin rashes—a condition known as shingles. Research suggests that widespread vaccination against chicken pox, now common in the United States, may lead to a significant increase in shingles among the elderly.
9 Fossil viruses About 1/12 of our genome consists of stretches of DNA from viruses that infected our ancestors millions of years ago. According to epidemiologist Prescott Deininger of Tulane University, these and other parasitical, self-replicating pieces of DNA have evolved with us and can insert copies of themselves into our genome...
10 Staphylococcus On average, the skin supports about 1 trillion bacteria. The most common include staph, Streptococcus, and Corynebacterium, which metabolize sweat to produce body odor. Microbiologist Martin Blaser of the New York University School of Medicine sequenced the DNA of bacteria from the forearms of six people and discovered 182 separate species of bacteria. Most of those bacteria actually help to keep the skin healthy by competing with dangerous pathogens for nutrients. As Blaser explains, “I would hate to live without them.”
Blogarama
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Negotiation is the Path to making Peace with Herpes
Negotiation is the Path to Making Peace with Herpes
You need to make peace with your herpes. I understand the instinct to want to fight herpes, to “annihilate it” as one young man told me. I fought herpes for nine years and lost. I didn’t start winning my own personal battle with herpes until I made peace with it and with myself. You cannot win a war against herpes. Like Israel and Hezbollah or the Hutus and Tutsi or the Catholics and Protestants in Ulster you will have to find a way to peacefully co-exist. Herpes is for life, but how peaceful that life is up to you.
Negotiation is the path to herpes peace. Here are some rules of herpes diplomacy that I learned during my nine-year struggle. The same rules can apply when dealing with HPV or any other disease.
1. Treat your adversary with respect. Understand and recognize what herpes is and what’s its purpose in your body. You can review the chapter in my book entitled “The Mystical-Magical Herpes Virus” for a refresher.
2. Be willing to speak and listen openly and sincerely with the virus. There is a visualization exercise in the book to aide in this.
3. Negotiate in good faith with the virus to come up with a win-win situation for your mutual benefit. The deal I stuck with the virus was this: “I understand that you are in my body for life and I will stop projecting anger, bitterness and resentment towards you and in return I require that you conduct yourself like a well-behaved guest. If I treat my body well with the right diet and not allow myself to get too far out of balance you must agree to stay dormant”.
4. Practice Patience. Real peace agreements rarely happen overnight. Being impatient and anxious will show the virus that you are weak and desperate and will reduce your leverage in the negotiation.
5. Practice Perseverance. You must be in it for the long haul. You must have the commitment and stamina to see the peace process through. Whenever peace negotiations break down usually the situation on the ground worsens.
Peace is always better than war, especially a war you cannot win. With all the strife and suffering in this world, why not make your own body into a haven of peace?
Regards and love
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
You need to make peace with your herpes. I understand the instinct to want to fight herpes, to “annihilate it” as one young man told me. I fought herpes for nine years and lost. I didn’t start winning my own personal battle with herpes until I made peace with it and with myself. You cannot win a war against herpes. Like Israel and Hezbollah or the Hutus and Tutsi or the Catholics and Protestants in Ulster you will have to find a way to peacefully co-exist. Herpes is for life, but how peaceful that life is up to you.
Negotiation is the path to herpes peace. Here are some rules of herpes diplomacy that I learned during my nine-year struggle. The same rules can apply when dealing with HPV or any other disease.
1. Treat your adversary with respect. Understand and recognize what herpes is and what’s its purpose in your body. You can review the chapter in my book entitled “The Mystical-Magical Herpes Virus” for a refresher.
2. Be willing to speak and listen openly and sincerely with the virus. There is a visualization exercise in the book to aide in this.
3. Negotiate in good faith with the virus to come up with a win-win situation for your mutual benefit. The deal I stuck with the virus was this: “I understand that you are in my body for life and I will stop projecting anger, bitterness and resentment towards you and in return I require that you conduct yourself like a well-behaved guest. If I treat my body well with the right diet and not allow myself to get too far out of balance you must agree to stay dormant”.
4. Practice Patience. Real peace agreements rarely happen overnight. Being impatient and anxious will show the virus that you are weak and desperate and will reduce your leverage in the negotiation.
5. Practice Perseverance. You must be in it for the long haul. You must have the commitment and stamina to see the peace process through. Whenever peace negotiations break down usually the situation on the ground worsens.
Peace is always better than war, especially a war you cannot win. With all the strife and suffering in this world, why not make your own body into a haven of peace?
Regards and love
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Why Some People are Afraid of Natural Medicine
My Top-Ten List of Why Some People are Hostile to Natural Medicine
Laziness
In this quick-fix, instant-gratification society some people are too lazy and too spoiled to do the actual work required to be healthy. It’s so much easier and so tempting to simply pop some pills hoping that that will somehow deliver health.
Drug Addiction
Between Coffee, Chocolate, Green Tea, Black Tea, Cola Drinks, Yerba Mate, Cigarettes and Alcohol, some people don’t go a day without some sort of stimulant drug or alcohol. For the people already addicted to these legal drugs embracing prescription or over-the-counter drugs is the natural choice.
Racism
Herbal Medicine and most of the holistic health modalities whether it is yoga, acupuncture, tai-chi, qi-gong, meditation, etc. were developed by the non-White, Non-European peoples of this world. Some people hostile to natural medicine are simply hiding a racist attitude that if something isn’t validated by a white man in a white labcoat then somehow it’s isn’t valid. I would much rather trust in the integrity of a Akan, Ibo, Mayan, Aborigine, Cree or Tibetian Bush Doctor/Traditional Healer than I would any scientist or drug company. Ironically the same scientists and drug companies that discredit the knowledge of the indigenous peoples of the world are the same ones dispatching ethnobotanists to every remote corner of the world to learn the secrets of Bush Doctors so they can patent them.
Sheep-ism
Some people are sheep and usually will only follow and seldom lead. They are not independent thinkers, and haven’t spent the time and energy needed to challenge the information being spoon-fed to them by the corporate media and the scientific community. This society is very affluent and if you don’t ask too many questions or make any trouble there are vast rewards available to you. Unfortunately holistic health isn’t one of them. For holistic health you need to listen to you body instead of authority figures. You need to connect to nature and to some sort of spiritual core. You need to be the leader of your own life.
Snake-Oil Salesmen
As written in my article “ The Natural Health Products Hustle”, there are too many snake oil salesmen in the natural health products market making false claims and dubious products. For anyone with a natural tendency to be skeptical of natural healing this provides all the excuse they need to be hostile.
Godlessness
Some people just don’t believe. Some people don’t believe in respecting nature, in respecting their bodies, in experiencing the connectedness between all things. For unbelievers such as these they will have a challenging time suspending their negativity and disbelief towards holistic healing and thus may never benefit from it fully.
The Anti-Christ Factor
Some people do believe. What they choose to believe in are the Gods of Science and Industry. They believe in the rape and pillaging of the environment, in factory farming, in genetically modifying food, in pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Their belief system compels them to see all things natural as heresy.
Stubbornness
Like George Bush with his Iraq War and Napoleon in his Russian Campaign, some people are too stubborn to admit when they’ve made a mistake or are on the wrong side of an issue. Forsaking Natural Medicine for synthetic factory medicine was a mistake and is a mistake. There is a place in healing for high tech equipment and synthetic drugs. In my opinion those options are for emergency situations or in situations where natural therapy has failed. They just have everything ass-backwards. Natural medicine is the real medicine and Allopathic Medicine should be used as “Alternative Medicine” and treated with the degree of skepticism currently reserved for Natural Medicine by the mainstream.
Fear
Some people are afraid of nature. They are afraid of anything untamed by man. If it isn’t slickly packaged, sterile, and dead, they are afraid. If it doesn’t come with the seal of approval of the government or the scientific community they are also afraid. Their fear keeps them dis-empowered.
Factory People Need Factory Medicine?
If you have lost your individuality and become a mass-produced factory person, eating mass-produced factory food, having mass-produced factory thoughts, then perhaps only mass-produced factory medicine will resonate with you. Perhaps it’s wrong to even try to convince you to eat organically or to heal yourself holistically. Maybe you have evolved into some kind of Darwinian nightmare that can only live on synthetic pleasures.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
African Bush Doctor
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Laziness
In this quick-fix, instant-gratification society some people are too lazy and too spoiled to do the actual work required to be healthy. It’s so much easier and so tempting to simply pop some pills hoping that that will somehow deliver health.
Drug Addiction
Between Coffee, Chocolate, Green Tea, Black Tea, Cola Drinks, Yerba Mate, Cigarettes and Alcohol, some people don’t go a day without some sort of stimulant drug or alcohol. For the people already addicted to these legal drugs embracing prescription or over-the-counter drugs is the natural choice.
Racism
Herbal Medicine and most of the holistic health modalities whether it is yoga, acupuncture, tai-chi, qi-gong, meditation, etc. were developed by the non-White, Non-European peoples of this world. Some people hostile to natural medicine are simply hiding a racist attitude that if something isn’t validated by a white man in a white labcoat then somehow it’s isn’t valid. I would much rather trust in the integrity of a Akan, Ibo, Mayan, Aborigine, Cree or Tibetian Bush Doctor/Traditional Healer than I would any scientist or drug company. Ironically the same scientists and drug companies that discredit the knowledge of the indigenous peoples of the world are the same ones dispatching ethnobotanists to every remote corner of the world to learn the secrets of Bush Doctors so they can patent them.
Sheep-ism
Some people are sheep and usually will only follow and seldom lead. They are not independent thinkers, and haven’t spent the time and energy needed to challenge the information being spoon-fed to them by the corporate media and the scientific community. This society is very affluent and if you don’t ask too many questions or make any trouble there are vast rewards available to you. Unfortunately holistic health isn’t one of them. For holistic health you need to listen to you body instead of authority figures. You need to connect to nature and to some sort of spiritual core. You need to be the leader of your own life.
Snake-Oil Salesmen
As written in my article “ The Natural Health Products Hustle”, there are too many snake oil salesmen in the natural health products market making false claims and dubious products. For anyone with a natural tendency to be skeptical of natural healing this provides all the excuse they need to be hostile.
Godlessness
Some people just don’t believe. Some people don’t believe in respecting nature, in respecting their bodies, in experiencing the connectedness between all things. For unbelievers such as these they will have a challenging time suspending their negativity and disbelief towards holistic healing and thus may never benefit from it fully.
The Anti-Christ Factor
Some people do believe. What they choose to believe in are the Gods of Science and Industry. They believe in the rape and pillaging of the environment, in factory farming, in genetically modifying food, in pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Their belief system compels them to see all things natural as heresy.
Stubbornness
Like George Bush with his Iraq War and Napoleon in his Russian Campaign, some people are too stubborn to admit when they’ve made a mistake or are on the wrong side of an issue. Forsaking Natural Medicine for synthetic factory medicine was a mistake and is a mistake. There is a place in healing for high tech equipment and synthetic drugs. In my opinion those options are for emergency situations or in situations where natural therapy has failed. They just have everything ass-backwards. Natural medicine is the real medicine and Allopathic Medicine should be used as “Alternative Medicine” and treated with the degree of skepticism currently reserved for Natural Medicine by the mainstream.
Fear
Some people are afraid of nature. They are afraid of anything untamed by man. If it isn’t slickly packaged, sterile, and dead, they are afraid. If it doesn’t come with the seal of approval of the government or the scientific community they are also afraid. Their fear keeps them dis-empowered.
Factory People Need Factory Medicine?
If you have lost your individuality and become a mass-produced factory person, eating mass-produced factory food, having mass-produced factory thoughts, then perhaps only mass-produced factory medicine will resonate with you. Perhaps it’s wrong to even try to convince you to eat organically or to heal yourself holistically. Maybe you have evolved into some kind of Darwinian nightmare that can only live on synthetic pleasures.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
African Bush Doctor
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
On Herbal Medicine
On Herbal Medicine
On Herbal Medicine
In most cases getting an opinion on herbal medicine from a medical doctor is like getting an opinion on the bible from an atheist, or like getting an opinion on the talmund from an islamic cleric. It takes just as much if not more years of training and experience to become a competent herbalist as it does to become a competent physician.
Because more and more people are returning to herbal medicine because of the failure of synthetic medicine to treat their chronic health conditions, more and more medical doctors are becoming instant “experts” on herbal medicine offering their opinions to their patients without being qualified to do so. Most of their knowledge of herbal medicine comes second or third-hand since they have usually never made any herbal medicine themselves and have no clinical experience or training in practicing herbal medicine. Their training as a scientist is in complete opposition to holistic healing and the principles herbal medicine is based on.
So if you are interested in using herbal medicine to improve your health speak to an herbalist first, and if you can’t find an herbalist speak with a naturopath, but whatever you do, understand that your medical doctor is probably unqualified to speak with any authority about herbal medicine.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
On Herbal Medicine
In most cases getting an opinion on herbal medicine from a medical doctor is like getting an opinion on the bible from an atheist, or like getting an opinion on the talmund from an islamic cleric. It takes just as much if not more years of training and experience to become a competent herbalist as it does to become a competent physician.
Because more and more people are returning to herbal medicine because of the failure of synthetic medicine to treat their chronic health conditions, more and more medical doctors are becoming instant “experts” on herbal medicine offering their opinions to their patients without being qualified to do so. Most of their knowledge of herbal medicine comes second or third-hand since they have usually never made any herbal medicine themselves and have no clinical experience or training in practicing herbal medicine. Their training as a scientist is in complete opposition to holistic healing and the principles herbal medicine is based on.
So if you are interested in using herbal medicine to improve your health speak to an herbalist first, and if you can’t find an herbalist speak with a naturopath, but whatever you do, understand that your medical doctor is probably unqualified to speak with any authority about herbal medicine.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Monday, April 07, 2008
Herpes: The Great Illuminator
Herpes: The Great Illuminator
I have written before about the positive aspects of having a life-long herpes infection, and there are several, today another one has made itself known to me.
Herpes can be a great illuminator.
When you are having an outbreak or herpes-related symptoms it can bring to the surface some of your deepest, darkest fears, insecurities and neuroses.
Some of the ones that my patients tell me that come up most often are insecurities about body image, memories of past sexual abuse, fear of not being desired/being unattractive, fear of rejection, fear of infecting others, fear of ridicule and fear of being outed.
If you were struggling with your body image before having herpes, having outbreaks sends that fear right up into the stratosphere. This is the proverbial double-whammy. For some people until they make peace with their feelings about their body they will not have the virus under control. For others, until they make peace with herpes, having outbreaks will make the schism between themselves and their body way worse and there will be no reconciliation between themselves and their body until making peace with the virus first.
For those who were the victims of past sexual abuse or who were coerced into sex-work as young people, having symptoms of outbreaks can bring some ugly, terrifying or emotionally paralyzing feelings up to the surface, some of them long-buried. If the person was infected with herpes as part of the sexual abuse or exploitation, that adds another huge layer to the issue. This is the most daunting of the herpes illuminations but it is better to have this illuminated and on the surface rather than repressed. Herpes can provide an opportunity to understand and work on this issue. Holisticallly healing your herpes can help change your relationship with yourself in an empowering way which can be part of a larger programme of healing these past wounds and vice-versa.
It’s very challenging, obviously to feel attractive and desired when having regular outbreaks or symptoms, this is one of the many reasons why having a supportive, understanding partner/s is crucial for someone with herpes and why I encourage people to let go of anyone they are having an intimate relationship with who isn’t supportive and understanding.
As human beings we tend to fear rejection more than almost any other fear. The advertising industry is largely propelled by re-inforcing this fear in order to sell everything from antiperspirants to plastic-surgery. It is especially crushing to be rejected for something you have no control over like race, height, or having herpes. Twinned with this fear of rejection is a fear of ridicule. There are a number of cruel people out there (thankfully only a small minority) who have said and continue to say harsh things about people with herpes. Most people are far more loving and tolerant than this but the fear of being ridiculed like the fear of rejection can get blown up way out of proportion.
The fear of infecting others in and of itself can trigger symptoms and outbreaks.
This is a healthy fear in so far as it can be a motivation for treating your herpes and practicing safer sex but you should not allow it to become an overwhelming fear or it may get in the way of reclaiming your sex life which is a important step in living a holistically healthy life with herpes.
We could all make the fear of being outed a thing of the past by coming out of the closet and talking about herpes, educating the general public about herpes and herpes prevention and by claiming our place in the sun as a majority of the population, but because we don’t do this, we have self-imposed on ourselves the status of a dis-empowered ashamed community. I am always amazed by how far some people will go to not have to out themselves as a person with herpes. People have the right to keep their private lives private, but many of the people in the public arena who willing admit to me in private that they have herpes won’t admit it in public and this includes radio and television talk show hosts, porn stars, sex-educators, health-care workers, etc.
Until gays and lesbians started coming out of the closet in the 60’s and 70’s they had no rights or influence in this society and so it will continue to be for us until we decide to change.
No matter how well you feel that you are doing on the emotional, mental and spiritual levels in dealing with herpes it won’t be until you are tested by outbreaks and symptoms that you will know where you truly are. Herpes is the great illuminator shining a piercing light on your deepest and darkest fears and insecurities related and un-related to “the gift”.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
I have written before about the positive aspects of having a life-long herpes infection, and there are several, today another one has made itself known to me.
Herpes can be a great illuminator.
When you are having an outbreak or herpes-related symptoms it can bring to the surface some of your deepest, darkest fears, insecurities and neuroses.
Some of the ones that my patients tell me that come up most often are insecurities about body image, memories of past sexual abuse, fear of not being desired/being unattractive, fear of rejection, fear of infecting others, fear of ridicule and fear of being outed.
If you were struggling with your body image before having herpes, having outbreaks sends that fear right up into the stratosphere. This is the proverbial double-whammy. For some people until they make peace with their feelings about their body they will not have the virus under control. For others, until they make peace with herpes, having outbreaks will make the schism between themselves and their body way worse and there will be no reconciliation between themselves and their body until making peace with the virus first.
For those who were the victims of past sexual abuse or who were coerced into sex-work as young people, having symptoms of outbreaks can bring some ugly, terrifying or emotionally paralyzing feelings up to the surface, some of them long-buried. If the person was infected with herpes as part of the sexual abuse or exploitation, that adds another huge layer to the issue. This is the most daunting of the herpes illuminations but it is better to have this illuminated and on the surface rather than repressed. Herpes can provide an opportunity to understand and work on this issue. Holisticallly healing your herpes can help change your relationship with yourself in an empowering way which can be part of a larger programme of healing these past wounds and vice-versa.
It’s very challenging, obviously to feel attractive and desired when having regular outbreaks or symptoms, this is one of the many reasons why having a supportive, understanding partner/s is crucial for someone with herpes and why I encourage people to let go of anyone they are having an intimate relationship with who isn’t supportive and understanding.
As human beings we tend to fear rejection more than almost any other fear. The advertising industry is largely propelled by re-inforcing this fear in order to sell everything from antiperspirants to plastic-surgery. It is especially crushing to be rejected for something you have no control over like race, height, or having herpes. Twinned with this fear of rejection is a fear of ridicule. There are a number of cruel people out there (thankfully only a small minority) who have said and continue to say harsh things about people with herpes. Most people are far more loving and tolerant than this but the fear of being ridiculed like the fear of rejection can get blown up way out of proportion.
The fear of infecting others in and of itself can trigger symptoms and outbreaks.
This is a healthy fear in so far as it can be a motivation for treating your herpes and practicing safer sex but you should not allow it to become an overwhelming fear or it may get in the way of reclaiming your sex life which is a important step in living a holistically healthy life with herpes.
We could all make the fear of being outed a thing of the past by coming out of the closet and talking about herpes, educating the general public about herpes and herpes prevention and by claiming our place in the sun as a majority of the population, but because we don’t do this, we have self-imposed on ourselves the status of a dis-empowered ashamed community. I am always amazed by how far some people will go to not have to out themselves as a person with herpes. People have the right to keep their private lives private, but many of the people in the public arena who willing admit to me in private that they have herpes won’t admit it in public and this includes radio and television talk show hosts, porn stars, sex-educators, health-care workers, etc.
Until gays and lesbians started coming out of the closet in the 60’s and 70’s they had no rights or influence in this society and so it will continue to be for us until we decide to change.
No matter how well you feel that you are doing on the emotional, mental and spiritual levels in dealing with herpes it won’t be until you are tested by outbreaks and symptoms that you will know where you truly are. Herpes is the great illuminator shining a piercing light on your deepest and darkest fears and insecurities related and un-related to “the gift”.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Please Help Tell the Truth About Herpes
6 out of 10 people have herpes.
Not 1 out of 5
Please do help spread the truth.
One of the ways of stigmatizing herpes and misleading the public
is pretending that people who get herpes on their face are somehow
not included in herpes statistics. This is especially dangerous when the majority of new cases of herpes above and below-the-waist are from oral sex by people who get herpes on their face.
Please do help spread the truth about the real herpes statistics. Post it on your blogs, tell your friends and loved ones, talk about it at herpes support groups and on online discussions, forward it to your email list, do whatever you are inspired to do. We will all be better off if the truth about herpes is more widely known.
I am starting a holistic herpes newsletter to help tell the truth about herpes, de-bunk the many myths and de-stigmatize herpes. If you may be interested in writing about your experiences, thoughts or feelings about herpes, wish to share your herpes diet recipes, or contribute in anyway, do let me know and your submissions can be anonymous or under a pseudonym to protect your privacy if need be.
regards
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Not 1 out of 5
Please do help spread the truth.
One of the ways of stigmatizing herpes and misleading the public
is pretending that people who get herpes on their face are somehow
not included in herpes statistics. This is especially dangerous when the majority of new cases of herpes above and below-the-waist are from oral sex by people who get herpes on their face.
Please do help spread the truth about the real herpes statistics. Post it on your blogs, tell your friends and loved ones, talk about it at herpes support groups and on online discussions, forward it to your email list, do whatever you are inspired to do. We will all be better off if the truth about herpes is more widely known.
I am starting a holistic herpes newsletter to help tell the truth about herpes, de-bunk the many myths and de-stigmatize herpes. If you may be interested in writing about your experiences, thoughts or feelings about herpes, wish to share your herpes diet recipes, or contribute in anyway, do let me know and your submissions can be anonymous or under a pseudonym to protect your privacy if need be.
regards
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Saturday, October 20, 2007
A Clinical Study on the Stigma of Genital Herpes
Chronic genital herpes and disclosure…. The influence of stigma
Itnl Jf STD & AIDS, Sept 2007;18(9): 589-592 Bickford J.
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/rsm/std/2007/00000018/00000009/art00002
The objectives of this study were to assess the nature and effect of stigma
on disclosure of diagnosis to sexual partners among those with problematic
disease. Data from questionnaires and semistructured interviews were
collected and analysed. Data regarding anxiety were also collected using a
validated tool. Ethical approval was received from the Chelsea and
Westminster Healthcare National Health Service (NHS) Trust. Disclosure of
diagnosis tended to occur in the context of established relationships.
Herpes-related stigma was associated with non-disclosure of diagnosis to
sexual partners. The point prevalence of moderate to severe anxiety in this
sample was 32%. The use of suppressive medication did not affect anxiety
scores. In conclusion, the reaction to a diagnosis of genital herpes is
influenced by a socially constructed understanding and the decision to
disclose or not is influenced by this. Stigma is a barrier to disclosure of
genital herpes diagnosis. Management strategies aimed at encouraging
disclosure to partners must address perceived stigma.
Blogarama
Itnl Jf STD & AIDS, Sept 2007;18(9): 589-592 Bickford J.
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/rsm/std/2007/00000018/00000009/art00002
The objectives of this study were to assess the nature and effect of stigma
on disclosure of diagnosis to sexual partners among those with problematic
disease. Data from questionnaires and semistructured interviews were
collected and analysed. Data regarding anxiety were also collected using a
validated tool. Ethical approval was received from the Chelsea and
Westminster Healthcare National Health Service (NHS) Trust. Disclosure of
diagnosis tended to occur in the context of established relationships.
Herpes-related stigma was associated with non-disclosure of diagnosis to
sexual partners. The point prevalence of moderate to severe anxiety in this
sample was 32%. The use of suppressive medication did not affect anxiety
scores. In conclusion, the reaction to a diagnosis of genital herpes is
influenced by a socially constructed understanding and the decision to
disclose or not is influenced by this. Stigma is a barrier to disclosure of
genital herpes diagnosis. Management strategies aimed at encouraging
disclosure to partners must address perceived stigma.
Blogarama
Herpes and The DMSO Deception
Herpes and the DMSO Deception
DMSO is a Dangerous, ineffective, un-natural and illegal therapy for the treatment of herpes.
I wrote an essay over a year ago called “The Natural Health Products Hustle: False Prophets chasing Profits”, to describe my dismay at seeing all the unethical businesses jumping into the new gold rush which is the “natural health products” market. You can read that essay here- http://www.natropractica.com/Natural%20Health%20Prducts%20Hustle.htm
What mostly happens with these companies is that they over-hype the effectiveness of their products which give cynics an excuse to criticize vitamins and supplements, but rarely are the products dangerous.
DMSO (di-methyl-sulfoxide) is an exception. DMSO is not an herbal medicine, vitamin or a supplement. It is a man-made solvent derived from the pulp and paer industry. Its main use is as an industrial solvent to clean heavy equipment. DMSO does have some medicinal uses, primarily for the treatment of interstitial cystitis, and to help race horses cope with the strain on their unnatural bodies.
Only pharmaceutical grade DMSO (USP) which is 99.9 pure is safe for use with humans, and it is only legal to sell or buy it with a prescription and it is only approved for human use by the FDA for use in the treatment of interstitial cystitis (an inflammation of the bladder).
Greedy companies unconcerned about the danger of DMSO get around this law by selling industrial and veternarian grade DMSO which is only 99% pure on the internet by pretending that they are selling it as a solvent for industrial use. No legitimate company or healthcare professional is involved in the promotion of DMSO as a treatment for herpes only the convicted felon Kevin Trudeau and another dubious author with a book fancifully entitled “Never and Outbreak”.
You may think that 99% pure DMSO sounds pretty pure, but actually it isn’t. DMSO is a great sub-dermal delivery system. It penetrates through your skin, through your cell membranes and is one of the few substances that penetrates your blood-brain barrier which protects your brain. 1% impurity makes any non-pharmaceutical grade DMSO too dangerous for human use. DMSO will also carry anything on the surface of your skin right into your body with it- bacteria, viruses, and toxins. DMSO also can burn and cause severe irritation to your skin.
DMSO has never been shown to be an effective therapy for the treatment of herpes either in peer-reviewed clinical studies or in clinical practice by those treating herpes. In my 16 years of treating herpes I have never met or heard of any herpes treatment specialist advocating the use of either DMSO or DMSO and hydrogen-peroxide therapy.
It’s bad enough to promote ineffective treatments to the general public but I consider it a crime to promote the use of unsafe therapies just for the sake of taking advantage of the huge population of herpes sufferers.
But some of the blame has to be placed on the shoulders of those who are buying DMSO for herpes treatment. Herpes is a lifelong viral infection and there are no-magical quick fixes for herpes. Those who either in desperation or ignorance look for gimmick treatments on the internet are putting themselves in a bad situation. If you need help with your herpes treatment plan turn to a professional instead of a anonymous internet company.
Herpes can only be managed over the long-term by either drug therapy or a holistic protocol involving dietary, exercise and lifestyle changes, and anchored with real-herbal medicine. Treating herpes naturally isn’t complicated at all but requires patience and effort on your part.
These are some of my thoughts on herpes and the DMSO deception. Below is some additional reference material on the dangers of DMSO.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
http:://herpesnation.blogspot.com
“The major thing (outside of the fact that it is an *extremely* powerful solvent... which can carry any solute directly into the bloodstream) is that on exposure to air it forms a very high and toxic level of peroxides.
DMSO frequently causes a garlic-like body odor and taste in the mouth. Other reported side effects include stomach upset, sensitivity to light, visual disturbances, and headache. Skin irritation can develop at the site where DMSO is applied topically. Only highly purified, properly diluted DMSO should be used and the skin site as well as the applying hand should be thoroughly cleaned before application, because the solvent properties of DMSO allow contaminants to be absorbed through the skin and transported into the bloodstream. Improperly diluted DMSO can also burn the skin. Severe consequences could result if the impure industrial or veterinary grades of DMSO are used on humans.
Dr. James R. Crook, professor of medicine at the University of Alaska and a specialist in human diseases, expresses the fear that users of DMSO may be unaware of how fast the solvent and materials dissolved in it can penetrate the skin and other parts of the body. Because of the fast action, a substance which by itself might have limited or no effect could cause serious damage or death if accidentally or intentionally applied to the body in a DMSO solution.”
http://dogbert.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF4/442.html
“PRECAUTIONS
DMSO is neither a nutritional supplement nor an over-the-counter product; its use for the treatment of interstitial cystitis—performed by interstitial instillation—requires a physician with expertise in this procedure. Bladder instillation may be harmful in patients with urinary-tract malignancy. Those who receive long-term treatment with intravesical DMSO should have liver and renal function tests as well as ophthalmologic evaluation performed every six months during treatment. DMSO has been associated with lens changes in animals.
Pregnant women and nursing mothers should avoid using DMSO.
DMSO used as an industrial solvent is not medical grade.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
Adverse reactions reported in those using DMSO for treatment of interstitial cystitis include garlic-like taste, transient chemical cystitis, bladder spasm, discomfort, allergic reactions and anaphylactoid reactions. Adverse reactions for topical use include garlic-like taste, local dermatitis, nausea, vomiting, headache, burning eyes and sedation. Concomitant use of DMSO and sulindac may cause peripheral neuropathy.”
http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/dim_0098.shtml
“DIMETHYLSULFOXIDE (DMSO):
DMSO is a by-product of the paper industry and is able to carry some drugs rapidly through the skin and other tissues. There are no FDA approved uses for DMSO in food-producing animals. Approvals do exist for uses in horses and dogs. Industrial grade DMSO is widely available for various non-medical uses such as paint remover and other solvent uses. DMSO is often found stored on dairy farms or mixed with other drugs intended for use in dairy animals. Such use may lead to an increased chance of drug residues, off odor and off flavor milk.
FDA considers the use of DMSO for any veterinary purposes other than approved uses in dogs and horses to be illegal. DMSO is an unapproved new animal drug which is unsafe to use in food-producing animals.
The storage or use of DMSO is a violation of itme 16 r.”
http://www.justsaywhoa.org/DrugReport.asp
“Dimethyl sulfoxide is a by-product of wood pulping and is frequently used as solvent in a number of chemical reactions. In particular DMSO proved to be an excellent reaction solvent for SN2 alkylations: it is possible to alkylate indoles with very high yields using potassium hydroxide as the base and a similar reaction also occurs with phenols. DMSO can be reacted with methyl iodide to form a sulfoxonium ion which can be reacted with sodium hydride to form a sulfur ylide. The methyl hydrogens of DMSO are somewhat acidic in character (pKa=35) due to the stabilization of the resultant anions by the sulfoxide group.
It is important to use caution in handling dimethyl sulfoxide, due to its strong solvent power and the ease with which it penetrates the skin. It is especially important to avoid contact with the mucous membranes.
In certain conditions, dimethly sulfoxide can produce an explosive reaction when exposed to acid chlorides.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimethyl_sulfoxide
Blogarama
DMSO is a Dangerous, ineffective, un-natural and illegal therapy for the treatment of herpes.
I wrote an essay over a year ago called “The Natural Health Products Hustle: False Prophets chasing Profits”, to describe my dismay at seeing all the unethical businesses jumping into the new gold rush which is the “natural health products” market. You can read that essay here- http://www.natropractica.com/Natural%20Health%20Prducts%20Hustle.htm
What mostly happens with these companies is that they over-hype the effectiveness of their products which give cynics an excuse to criticize vitamins and supplements, but rarely are the products dangerous.
DMSO (di-methyl-sulfoxide) is an exception. DMSO is not an herbal medicine, vitamin or a supplement. It is a man-made solvent derived from the pulp and paer industry. Its main use is as an industrial solvent to clean heavy equipment. DMSO does have some medicinal uses, primarily for the treatment of interstitial cystitis, and to help race horses cope with the strain on their unnatural bodies.
Only pharmaceutical grade DMSO (USP) which is 99.9 pure is safe for use with humans, and it is only legal to sell or buy it with a prescription and it is only approved for human use by the FDA for use in the treatment of interstitial cystitis (an inflammation of the bladder).
Greedy companies unconcerned about the danger of DMSO get around this law by selling industrial and veternarian grade DMSO which is only 99% pure on the internet by pretending that they are selling it as a solvent for industrial use. No legitimate company or healthcare professional is involved in the promotion of DMSO as a treatment for herpes only the convicted felon Kevin Trudeau and another dubious author with a book fancifully entitled “Never and Outbreak”.
You may think that 99% pure DMSO sounds pretty pure, but actually it isn’t. DMSO is a great sub-dermal delivery system. It penetrates through your skin, through your cell membranes and is one of the few substances that penetrates your blood-brain barrier which protects your brain. 1% impurity makes any non-pharmaceutical grade DMSO too dangerous for human use. DMSO will also carry anything on the surface of your skin right into your body with it- bacteria, viruses, and toxins. DMSO also can burn and cause severe irritation to your skin.
DMSO has never been shown to be an effective therapy for the treatment of herpes either in peer-reviewed clinical studies or in clinical practice by those treating herpes. In my 16 years of treating herpes I have never met or heard of any herpes treatment specialist advocating the use of either DMSO or DMSO and hydrogen-peroxide therapy.
It’s bad enough to promote ineffective treatments to the general public but I consider it a crime to promote the use of unsafe therapies just for the sake of taking advantage of the huge population of herpes sufferers.
But some of the blame has to be placed on the shoulders of those who are buying DMSO for herpes treatment. Herpes is a lifelong viral infection and there are no-magical quick fixes for herpes. Those who either in desperation or ignorance look for gimmick treatments on the internet are putting themselves in a bad situation. If you need help with your herpes treatment plan turn to a professional instead of a anonymous internet company.
Herpes can only be managed over the long-term by either drug therapy or a holistic protocol involving dietary, exercise and lifestyle changes, and anchored with real-herbal medicine. Treating herpes naturally isn’t complicated at all but requires patience and effort on your part.
These are some of my thoughts on herpes and the DMSO deception. Below is some additional reference material on the dangers of DMSO.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
http:://herpesnation.blogspot.com
“The major thing (outside of the fact that it is an *extremely* powerful solvent... which can carry any solute directly into the bloodstream) is that on exposure to air it forms a very high and toxic level of peroxides.
DMSO frequently causes a garlic-like body odor and taste in the mouth. Other reported side effects include stomach upset, sensitivity to light, visual disturbances, and headache. Skin irritation can develop at the site where DMSO is applied topically. Only highly purified, properly diluted DMSO should be used and the skin site as well as the applying hand should be thoroughly cleaned before application, because the solvent properties of DMSO allow contaminants to be absorbed through the skin and transported into the bloodstream. Improperly diluted DMSO can also burn the skin. Severe consequences could result if the impure industrial or veterinary grades of DMSO are used on humans.
Dr. James R. Crook, professor of medicine at the University of Alaska and a specialist in human diseases, expresses the fear that users of DMSO may be unaware of how fast the solvent and materials dissolved in it can penetrate the skin and other parts of the body. Because of the fast action, a substance which by itself might have limited or no effect could cause serious damage or death if accidentally or intentionally applied to the body in a DMSO solution.”
http://dogbert.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF4/442.html
“PRECAUTIONS
DMSO is neither a nutritional supplement nor an over-the-counter product; its use for the treatment of interstitial cystitis—performed by interstitial instillation—requires a physician with expertise in this procedure. Bladder instillation may be harmful in patients with urinary-tract malignancy. Those who receive long-term treatment with intravesical DMSO should have liver and renal function tests as well as ophthalmologic evaluation performed every six months during treatment. DMSO has been associated with lens changes in animals.
Pregnant women and nursing mothers should avoid using DMSO.
DMSO used as an industrial solvent is not medical grade.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
Adverse reactions reported in those using DMSO for treatment of interstitial cystitis include garlic-like taste, transient chemical cystitis, bladder spasm, discomfort, allergic reactions and anaphylactoid reactions. Adverse reactions for topical use include garlic-like taste, local dermatitis, nausea, vomiting, headache, burning eyes and sedation. Concomitant use of DMSO and sulindac may cause peripheral neuropathy.”
http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/dim_0098.shtml
“DIMETHYLSULFOXIDE (DMSO):
DMSO is a by-product of the paper industry and is able to carry some drugs rapidly through the skin and other tissues. There are no FDA approved uses for DMSO in food-producing animals. Approvals do exist for uses in horses and dogs. Industrial grade DMSO is widely available for various non-medical uses such as paint remover and other solvent uses. DMSO is often found stored on dairy farms or mixed with other drugs intended for use in dairy animals. Such use may lead to an increased chance of drug residues, off odor and off flavor milk.
FDA considers the use of DMSO for any veterinary purposes other than approved uses in dogs and horses to be illegal. DMSO is an unapproved new animal drug which is unsafe to use in food-producing animals.
The storage or use of DMSO is a violation of itme 16 r.”
http://www.justsaywhoa.org/DrugReport.asp
“Dimethyl sulfoxide is a by-product of wood pulping and is frequently used as solvent in a number of chemical reactions. In particular DMSO proved to be an excellent reaction solvent for SN2 alkylations: it is possible to alkylate indoles with very high yields using potassium hydroxide as the base and a similar reaction also occurs with phenols. DMSO can be reacted with methyl iodide to form a sulfoxonium ion which can be reacted with sodium hydride to form a sulfur ylide. The methyl hydrogens of DMSO are somewhat acidic in character (pKa=35) due to the stabilization of the resultant anions by the sulfoxide group.
It is important to use caution in handling dimethyl sulfoxide, due to its strong solvent power and the ease with which it penetrates the skin. It is especially important to avoid contact with the mucous membranes.
In certain conditions, dimethly sulfoxide can produce an explosive reaction when exposed to acid chlorides.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimethyl_sulfoxide
Blogarama
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
How to have Holistically Safer Sex
A Holistic Guide to Safer Sex
Have Sex:
A happy and life-affirming sex life is your God/dess given right. Don’t feel that you have to opt out of the joys of life just because you have a life-long herpes infection. It’s not easy to feel sexy when you are having regular outbreaks, especially if you are a woman, but it’s important to feel like a whole, clean, desirable person.
I’ve written before and I’ll write it again that having herpes or hpv doesn’t make you any less attractive, or sexy or moral or clean as you were before you got herpes or hpv. Perception can be very deceptive; especially the way many people choose to see themselves. You have the power to change how you see yourself for the better. If you want sex and are not having any symptoms of an outbreak or prodrome there’s no reason in the world not to have sex. Beyond the physical pleasures, intimacy is vital in this all too cold world.
Have sex but be responsible with your sexuality.
Whether or Not to have Safer Sex:
In my opinion, it is the right and responsibility of any two or more consenting adults about to start a sexual relationship, even if it’s a casual one, to have a conversation about whether or not they wish to practice safer sex. I encourage people to have safer sex but no one has the right to tell anyone what to do with their own body. Some people like taking risks; some are down-right self-destructive and destructive to others. Some choose to smoke cigarettes or do recreational drugs. Some eat junk food. Some watch Wrestlemania.
Whatever the two or more people about to begin a sexual relationship decide it should be a mutual agreement. Don’t leave it to assumptions or reading between the lines. Don’t have your head in the sand. Don’t fantasize that God or Spirit or good luck is a substitute for a safer sex strategy. Talk about it openly and decide what level of risk is appropriate for the situation.
Know Your Partner: Get Tested
Having sex with any person who hasn’t recently been tested for sexually transmitted infections including having blood tests for herpes, hepatitis, and HPV is like playing Russian roulette. Not only would you not know what you may be exposing yourself to, but the person in question may be in the dark themselves. Some people would rather not know than know. Knowledge is empowering and in this matter not knowing is simply foolish.
Don’t be intimidated to ask. In this day in age it isn’t disloyal or rude or unromantic to ask about someone’s sexually transmitted infection status. Make sure that you have been recently tested yourself if you are not in a long-term monogamous relationship.
If you do not know your partner’s test status it’s best to assume that they have at least one sexually transmitted infection and to govern yourself accordingly. If you do not know your test results you should also assume that you have at least one sexually transmitted infection and should take the appropriate precautions to inform and protect your partner/s.
Know Your Limits: Stick to Your Comfort Zone:
A lot of people, especially women, get intimidated by their partners into engaging in sexual acts that are outside of their comfort zone. Do not allow anyone to pressure you into doing anything you are not ready, willing and able to do. It’s your body, exercise the fullness of your rights.
It’s all a matter of choice. No one is less cool or less committed to any relationship by sticking to their own sexual boundaries.
Use a Condom/Dental Dam:
Safer sex means using a condom for genital, oral and anal sex if there is a penis involved or a dental dam or saran wrap if there isn’t a penis involved. If someone is allergic to latex there are polyurethane condoms available. For oral sex there are flavoured condoms as an option.
Please don’t use a condom that contains a spermicide as these tend to irritate your mucous membranes and make the people involved more likely to get a sexually transmitted infection.
Don’t develop a false sense of security with condoms/dental dams/saran wrap. These do not cover areas of the body that can still transmit and be vulnerable to infection, using an antiviral gel on possible transmission and infection sites can help lessen this possibility. For example if a man gets herpes sores in his pubic hair area or perineum or buttocks, wearing a condom will not protect his partner; using an antiviral gel will.
Condoms can also break or slip off. Using an anti-viral gel underneath a condom will help protect in the case of a broken or slipped-off condom. Using a water-based lube or anti-viral gel outside of the condom will reduce the likelihood of the condom breaking.
The condom should go on as soon as the clothes come off if not before.
Once a man has ejaculated, he should remove the condom from his penis and remove his penis from intimate contact with his partner as condoms are very likely to slip off as the penis becomes flaccid.
If you are practicing fisting, latex gloves are recommended.
Use an Antiviral Gel:
I have been treating herpes holistically for 16 years now, starting with my own. Even during the heady days four years past when I finally was able to put together an effective protocol for controlling herpes outbreaks, I was still left with a daunting challenge.
Yes, now I knew I could greatly limit the frequency and severity of outbreaks with the virus for myself and others, in fact I could keep many people outbreak free for vast stretches of time, but that still wasn't enough of a safeguard against infecting others with this lifelong viral illness.
The fear of passing herpes on to loved ones kept myself and keeps many others reluctant to have a sex life at all, and ironically, having a happy and active sex life is one of the best ways to keep the virus dormant. Happy, sexually active people are less likely to have outbreaks.
Condoms are of course a great tool in making sex safer. But there are problems with condoms, they can break or slide off. They don't offer much help if the man's site for herpes or genital warts are in locations other than the penis, i.e. buttocks, legs, etc.
We developed our own microbiocide with Carrageenan and other substances we were already working with in the protocol and developed our own formula. Our Red Marine Algae and Carrageenan Anti-Viral Gel is edible, completely non-toxic and can act as a lubricant. It is not meant as a replacement for condoms, it's designed as a supplement to condom use to make it less likely to infect your loved ones. It's effective for genital, anal and oral sex.
You use the gel as a barrier so the best way to use it in terms of heterosexual sex is for the man to put some on his penis and then put a latex condom on the penis. Then a small amount of gel would be applied to the labia of the woman and also inside her vagina. The gel should be reapplied every 30-45 minutes. Even after being sucked or licked there is enough of a coating of the gel to be effective for 30 minutes. The gel can be used as a barrier in anal sex, oral sex, lesbian oral sex and even for kissing.
The gel must be used with a latex condom or a dental dam/saran wrap. The gel is not a contraceptive and will not prevent pregnancy.
If you are a woman, regardless of whether or not you are sexually active you should place a small amount of the gel inside your vagina three times a day every day to help prevent outbreaks and viral shedding. If you are a man and have symtpoms after sex or masturbation you should apply the gel three tmes a day to the areas where you have previously ahd sores.
To inquire about ordering the gel email me or visit http://www.antiviralgel.com
Urinate After Sex:
It is crucially important for women to urinate as soon after sex as possible. I recommend that it be within 15 minutes of completing the act. Failing to do so on a regular basis can lead to urinary track and bladder infections.
I recommend that men follow this advice as well.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Have Sex:
A happy and life-affirming sex life is your God/dess given right. Don’t feel that you have to opt out of the joys of life just because you have a life-long herpes infection. It’s not easy to feel sexy when you are having regular outbreaks, especially if you are a woman, but it’s important to feel like a whole, clean, desirable person.
I’ve written before and I’ll write it again that having herpes or hpv doesn’t make you any less attractive, or sexy or moral or clean as you were before you got herpes or hpv. Perception can be very deceptive; especially the way many people choose to see themselves. You have the power to change how you see yourself for the better. If you want sex and are not having any symptoms of an outbreak or prodrome there’s no reason in the world not to have sex. Beyond the physical pleasures, intimacy is vital in this all too cold world.
Have sex but be responsible with your sexuality.
Whether or Not to have Safer Sex:
In my opinion, it is the right and responsibility of any two or more consenting adults about to start a sexual relationship, even if it’s a casual one, to have a conversation about whether or not they wish to practice safer sex. I encourage people to have safer sex but no one has the right to tell anyone what to do with their own body. Some people like taking risks; some are down-right self-destructive and destructive to others. Some choose to smoke cigarettes or do recreational drugs. Some eat junk food. Some watch Wrestlemania.
Whatever the two or more people about to begin a sexual relationship decide it should be a mutual agreement. Don’t leave it to assumptions or reading between the lines. Don’t have your head in the sand. Don’t fantasize that God or Spirit or good luck is a substitute for a safer sex strategy. Talk about it openly and decide what level of risk is appropriate for the situation.
Know Your Partner: Get Tested
Having sex with any person who hasn’t recently been tested for sexually transmitted infections including having blood tests for herpes, hepatitis, and HPV is like playing Russian roulette. Not only would you not know what you may be exposing yourself to, but the person in question may be in the dark themselves. Some people would rather not know than know. Knowledge is empowering and in this matter not knowing is simply foolish.
Don’t be intimidated to ask. In this day in age it isn’t disloyal or rude or unromantic to ask about someone’s sexually transmitted infection status. Make sure that you have been recently tested yourself if you are not in a long-term monogamous relationship.
If you do not know your partner’s test status it’s best to assume that they have at least one sexually transmitted infection and to govern yourself accordingly. If you do not know your test results you should also assume that you have at least one sexually transmitted infection and should take the appropriate precautions to inform and protect your partner/s.
Know Your Limits: Stick to Your Comfort Zone:
A lot of people, especially women, get intimidated by their partners into engaging in sexual acts that are outside of their comfort zone. Do not allow anyone to pressure you into doing anything you are not ready, willing and able to do. It’s your body, exercise the fullness of your rights.
It’s all a matter of choice. No one is less cool or less committed to any relationship by sticking to their own sexual boundaries.
Use a Condom/Dental Dam:
Safer sex means using a condom for genital, oral and anal sex if there is a penis involved or a dental dam or saran wrap if there isn’t a penis involved. If someone is allergic to latex there are polyurethane condoms available. For oral sex there are flavoured condoms as an option.
Please don’t use a condom that contains a spermicide as these tend to irritate your mucous membranes and make the people involved more likely to get a sexually transmitted infection.
Don’t develop a false sense of security with condoms/dental dams/saran wrap. These do not cover areas of the body that can still transmit and be vulnerable to infection, using an antiviral gel on possible transmission and infection sites can help lessen this possibility. For example if a man gets herpes sores in his pubic hair area or perineum or buttocks, wearing a condom will not protect his partner; using an antiviral gel will.
Condoms can also break or slip off. Using an anti-viral gel underneath a condom will help protect in the case of a broken or slipped-off condom. Using a water-based lube or anti-viral gel outside of the condom will reduce the likelihood of the condom breaking.
The condom should go on as soon as the clothes come off if not before.
Once a man has ejaculated, he should remove the condom from his penis and remove his penis from intimate contact with his partner as condoms are very likely to slip off as the penis becomes flaccid.
If you are practicing fisting, latex gloves are recommended.
Use an Antiviral Gel:
I have been treating herpes holistically for 16 years now, starting with my own. Even during the heady days four years past when I finally was able to put together an effective protocol for controlling herpes outbreaks, I was still left with a daunting challenge.
Yes, now I knew I could greatly limit the frequency and severity of outbreaks with the virus for myself and others, in fact I could keep many people outbreak free for vast stretches of time, but that still wasn't enough of a safeguard against infecting others with this lifelong viral illness.
The fear of passing herpes on to loved ones kept myself and keeps many others reluctant to have a sex life at all, and ironically, having a happy and active sex life is one of the best ways to keep the virus dormant. Happy, sexually active people are less likely to have outbreaks.
Condoms are of course a great tool in making sex safer. But there are problems with condoms, they can break or slide off. They don't offer much help if the man's site for herpes or genital warts are in locations other than the penis, i.e. buttocks, legs, etc.
We developed our own microbiocide with Carrageenan and other substances we were already working with in the protocol and developed our own formula. Our Red Marine Algae and Carrageenan Anti-Viral Gel is edible, completely non-toxic and can act as a lubricant. It is not meant as a replacement for condoms, it's designed as a supplement to condom use to make it less likely to infect your loved ones. It's effective for genital, anal and oral sex.
You use the gel as a barrier so the best way to use it in terms of heterosexual sex is for the man to put some on his penis and then put a latex condom on the penis. Then a small amount of gel would be applied to the labia of the woman and also inside her vagina. The gel should be reapplied every 30-45 minutes. Even after being sucked or licked there is enough of a coating of the gel to be effective for 30 minutes. The gel can be used as a barrier in anal sex, oral sex, lesbian oral sex and even for kissing.
The gel must be used with a latex condom or a dental dam/saran wrap. The gel is not a contraceptive and will not prevent pregnancy.
If you are a woman, regardless of whether or not you are sexually active you should place a small amount of the gel inside your vagina three times a day every day to help prevent outbreaks and viral shedding. If you are a man and have symtpoms after sex or masturbation you should apply the gel three tmes a day to the areas where you have previously ahd sores.
To inquire about ordering the gel email me or visit http://www.antiviralgel.com
Urinate After Sex:
It is crucially important for women to urinate as soon after sex as possible. I recommend that it be within 15 minutes of completing the act. Failing to do so on a regular basis can lead to urinary track and bladder infections.
I recommend that men follow this advice as well.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Risk and Herpes
I believe that it is misleading not to disclose risk even if that risk is considered to be small.
This is why the government requires drug companies disclose side-effects even when they are rare- so that people can have the information and make their own decisions on whether or not they wish to take that risk.
There is no such thing as perfect immunity, that is a myth. Having herpes does not guarantee that you cannot auto-inoculate yourself or be re-inoculated by someone else with the same or a different strain of herpes after antibodies are formed. The consensus is that the risk is small but there is no quantitative proof of just how small. We warn people to be careful of auto-inoculating their eyes and other body parts even though the risk is small. We warn people not to share wet towels or face-cloths even though the risk is small. We warn pregnant mothers about the risk of having an outbreak during delivery even though neo-natal herpes only happens in 1 out of every 5500 births.
I also believe that it is unethical to not warn people of your herpes status before being intimate with them, no matter if it's only for casual sex or sex-for-hire.
I understand the temptation to try and downplay the risks of herpes.
It's easier to stay in the closet and not advise people of the full spectrum of risks associated with herpes but I cannot support that practice. I believe in disclosure and allowing individuals to decide what risks they are willing or not willing to take.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
This is why the government requires drug companies disclose side-effects even when they are rare- so that people can have the information and make their own decisions on whether or not they wish to take that risk.
There is no such thing as perfect immunity, that is a myth. Having herpes does not guarantee that you cannot auto-inoculate yourself or be re-inoculated by someone else with the same or a different strain of herpes after antibodies are formed. The consensus is that the risk is small but there is no quantitative proof of just how small. We warn people to be careful of auto-inoculating their eyes and other body parts even though the risk is small. We warn people not to share wet towels or face-cloths even though the risk is small. We warn pregnant mothers about the risk of having an outbreak during delivery even though neo-natal herpes only happens in 1 out of every 5500 births.
I also believe that it is unethical to not warn people of your herpes status before being intimate with them, no matter if it's only for casual sex or sex-for-hire.
I understand the temptation to try and downplay the risks of herpes.
It's easier to stay in the closet and not advise people of the full spectrum of risks associated with herpes but I cannot support that practice. I believe in disclosure and allowing individuals to decide what risks they are willing or not willing to take.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Love Can Set Your Free from Herpes
Love Can Set you Free from Herpes
The best prescription I can offer to anyone with herpes is find yourself in a relationship with someone who loves you unconditionally and isn't afraid of getting herpes from you.
Hear me well, I'm not saying someone who wants to catch herpes from you, but someone who isn't morbidly afraid of catching herpes from you.
The onus is still on you to protect your lover by managing your herpes.
The unconditional love from a non-fear based relationship will help set you free from herpes or anything else that may be ailing you.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
The best prescription I can offer to anyone with herpes is find yourself in a relationship with someone who loves you unconditionally and isn't afraid of getting herpes from you.
Hear me well, I'm not saying someone who wants to catch herpes from you, but someone who isn't morbidly afraid of catching herpes from you.
The onus is still on you to protect your lover by managing your herpes.
The unconditional love from a non-fear based relationship will help set you free from herpes or anything else that may be ailing you.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Herpes Blog
Herpes Blog
Telling it like It Is
Holistic Herpes Treatment
Empowerment
Encouragement
Inspiration
Safer Sexuality
http://herpesnation.blogspot.com
Blogarama
Telling it like It Is
Holistic Herpes Treatment
Empowerment
Encouragement
Inspiration
Safer Sexuality
http://herpesnation.blogspot.com
Blogarama
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Herpes Treatment
Natropractica- The Holistic Herpes and HPV Specialist
A Simple, Natural, Herbal Medicine-based Treatment Plan for The Herpes family of Viruses from an Herbalist/Homeopath who has specialized in the Holistic Treatment of Herpes for 17 years.
Christopher Scipio , is the most experienced holistic practitioner treating the Herpes virus.
A homeopath and herbalist who hails from a long line of Caribbean natural healers, Scipio has during the last 15 years developed a very successful natural protocol in treating the Herpes family of viruses, which also include Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Epstein Barr, Shingles and HPV.
Scipio’s approach features a four step program which includes diet, appropriate exercise, supplements and individual herbal remedies which he creates himself. Although he has achieved remarkable results with this protocol, Scipio is the first to admit that he is not offering a magic bullet.
“We may not have a cure in our lifetime and I’m not really focussed on that. Rather my emphasis is on improving the quality of daily life for those people who are suffering from herpes or the related family of viruses. The resultant strengthening of the body’s immune system also insures that it is able to fight off anything else that it might be exposed to, and my safer sex protocol and antiviral gel ensures that the risk of infecting others is minimized.”
http://www.natropractica.com
http://herpesnation.blogspot.com
http://www.herpesbook.comBlogarama
A Simple, Natural, Herbal Medicine-based Treatment Plan for The Herpes family of Viruses from an Herbalist/Homeopath who has specialized in the Holistic Treatment of Herpes for 17 years.
Christopher Scipio , is the most experienced holistic practitioner treating the Herpes virus.
A homeopath and herbalist who hails from a long line of Caribbean natural healers, Scipio has during the last 15 years developed a very successful natural protocol in treating the Herpes family of viruses, which also include Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Epstein Barr, Shingles and HPV.
Scipio’s approach features a four step program which includes diet, appropriate exercise, supplements and individual herbal remedies which he creates himself. Although he has achieved remarkable results with this protocol, Scipio is the first to admit that he is not offering a magic bullet.
“We may not have a cure in our lifetime and I’m not really focussed on that. Rather my emphasis is on improving the quality of daily life for those people who are suffering from herpes or the related family of viruses. The resultant strengthening of the body’s immune system also insures that it is able to fight off anything else that it might be exposed to, and my safer sex protocol and antiviral gel ensures that the risk of infecting others is minimized.”
http://www.natropractica.com
http://herpesnation.blogspot.com
http://www.herpesbook.comBlogarama
Friday, August 03, 2007
What Most People are Afraid of Isn't Herpes
What most people are afraid of or hostile to isn't really herpes at all, but "the others". Our society is still very intolerant of anyone identified as "the others". Sometimes the others are a different race, sometimes they are people with mental illnesses or visible handicaps, sometimes they are people who make different sexual choices, often they are those who choose to believe in a different religion, sometimes it's those who believe in natural medicine rather than drugs. This time around its people with herpes. Intolerance is an epidemic disease that does far more damage than any medical disease. Being black I know what it's like being on the receiving end of intolerance, being a black man with herpes gives me a double dose of it.
Many people with herpes are afraid to disclose their herpes status even to lovers because of fear of being identified as "the others".
Don't let the haters of this world bring you down. Love yourself, love this world, love life itself.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
Many people with herpes are afraid to disclose their herpes status even to lovers because of fear of being identified as "the others".
Don't let the haters of this world bring you down. Love yourself, love this world, love life itself.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Herpes: The GReat Illuminator
Herpes: The Great Illuminator
I have written before about the positive aspects of having a life-long herpes infection, and there are several, today another one has made itself known to me.
Herpes can be a great illuminator.
When you are having an outbreak or herpes-related symptoms it can bring to the surface some of your deepest, darkest fears, insecurities and neuroses.
Some of the ones that my patients tell me that come up most often are insecurities about body image, memories of past sexual abuse, fear of not being desired/being unattractive, fear of rejection, fear of infecting others, fear of ridicule and fear of being outed.
If you were struggling with your body image before having herpes, having outbreaks sends that fear right up into the stratosphere. This is the proverbial double-whammy. For some people until they make peace with their feelings about their body they will not have the virus under control. For others, until they make peace with herpes, having outbreaks will make the schism between themselves and their body way worse and there will be no reconciliation between themselves and their body until making peace with the virus first.
For those who were the victims of past sexual abuse or who were coerced into sex-work as young people, having symptoms of outbreaks can bring some ugly, terrifying or emotionally paralyzing feelings up to the surface, some of them long-buried. If the person was infected with herpes as part of the sexual abuse or exploitation, that adds another huge layer to the issue. This is the most daunting of the herpes illuminations but it is better to have this illuminated and on the surface rather than repressed. Herpes can provide an opportunity to understand and work on this issue. Holisticallly healing your herpes can help change your relationship with yourself in an empowering way which can be part of a larger programme of healing these past wounds and vice-versa.
It’s very challenging, obviously to feel attractive and desired when having regular outbreaks or symptoms, this is one of the many reasons why having a supportive, understanding partner/s is crucial for someone with herpes and why I encourage people to let go of anyone they are having an intimate relationship with who isn’t supportive and understanding.
As human beings we tend to fear rejection more than almost any other fear. The advertising industry is largely propelled by re-inforcing this fear in order to sell everything from antiperspirants to plastic-surgery. It is especially crushing to be rejected for something you have no control over like race, height, or having herpes. Twinned with this fear of rejection is a fear of ridicule. There are a number of cruel people out there (thankfully only a small minority) who have said and continue to say harsh things about people with herpes. Most people are far more loving and tolerant than this but the fear of being ridiculed like the fear of rejection can get blown up way out of proportion.
The fear of infecting others in and of itself can trigger symptoms and outbreaks.
This is a healthy fear in so far as it can be a motivation for treating your herpes and practicing safer sex but you should not allow it to become an overwhelming fear or it may get in the way of reclaiming your sex life which is a important step in living a holistically healthy life with herpes.
We could all make the fear of being outed a thing of the past by coming out of the closet and talking about herpes, educating the general public about herpes and herpes prevention and by claiming our place in the sun as a majority of the population, but because we don’t do this, we have self-imposed on ourselves the status of a dis-empowered ashamed community. I am always amazed by how far some people will go to not have to out themselves as a person with herpes. People have the right to keep their private lives private, but many of the people in the public arena who willing admit to me in private that they have herpes won’t admit it in public and this includes radio and television talk show hosts, porn stars, sex-educators, health-care workers, etc.
Until gays and lesbians started coming out of the closet in the 60’s and 70’s they had no rights or influence in this society and so it will continue to be for us until we decide to change.
No matter how well you feel that you are doing on the emotional, mental and spiritual levels in dealing with herpes it won’t be until you are tested by outbreaks and symptoms that you will know where you truly are. Herpes is the great illuminator shining a piercing light on your deepest and darkest fears and insecurities related and un-related to “the gift”.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.herpesnation.com
Blogarama
I have written before about the positive aspects of having a life-long herpes infection, and there are several, today another one has made itself known to me.
Herpes can be a great illuminator.
When you are having an outbreak or herpes-related symptoms it can bring to the surface some of your deepest, darkest fears, insecurities and neuroses.
Some of the ones that my patients tell me that come up most often are insecurities about body image, memories of past sexual abuse, fear of not being desired/being unattractive, fear of rejection, fear of infecting others, fear of ridicule and fear of being outed.
If you were struggling with your body image before having herpes, having outbreaks sends that fear right up into the stratosphere. This is the proverbial double-whammy. For some people until they make peace with their feelings about their body they will not have the virus under control. For others, until they make peace with herpes, having outbreaks will make the schism between themselves and their body way worse and there will be no reconciliation between themselves and their body until making peace with the virus first.
For those who were the victims of past sexual abuse or who were coerced into sex-work as young people, having symptoms of outbreaks can bring some ugly, terrifying or emotionally paralyzing feelings up to the surface, some of them long-buried. If the person was infected with herpes as part of the sexual abuse or exploitation, that adds another huge layer to the issue. This is the most daunting of the herpes illuminations but it is better to have this illuminated and on the surface rather than repressed. Herpes can provide an opportunity to understand and work on this issue. Holisticallly healing your herpes can help change your relationship with yourself in an empowering way which can be part of a larger programme of healing these past wounds and vice-versa.
It’s very challenging, obviously to feel attractive and desired when having regular outbreaks or symptoms, this is one of the many reasons why having a supportive, understanding partner/s is crucial for someone with herpes and why I encourage people to let go of anyone they are having an intimate relationship with who isn’t supportive and understanding.
As human beings we tend to fear rejection more than almost any other fear. The advertising industry is largely propelled by re-inforcing this fear in order to sell everything from antiperspirants to plastic-surgery. It is especially crushing to be rejected for something you have no control over like race, height, or having herpes. Twinned with this fear of rejection is a fear of ridicule. There are a number of cruel people out there (thankfully only a small minority) who have said and continue to say harsh things about people with herpes. Most people are far more loving and tolerant than this but the fear of being ridiculed like the fear of rejection can get blown up way out of proportion.
The fear of infecting others in and of itself can trigger symptoms and outbreaks.
This is a healthy fear in so far as it can be a motivation for treating your herpes and practicing safer sex but you should not allow it to become an overwhelming fear or it may get in the way of reclaiming your sex life which is a important step in living a holistically healthy life with herpes.
We could all make the fear of being outed a thing of the past by coming out of the closet and talking about herpes, educating the general public about herpes and herpes prevention and by claiming our place in the sun as a majority of the population, but because we don’t do this, we have self-imposed on ourselves the status of a dis-empowered ashamed community. I am always amazed by how far some people will go to not have to out themselves as a person with herpes. People have the right to keep their private lives private, but many of the people in the public arena who willing admit to me in private that they have herpes won’t admit it in public and this includes radio and television talk show hosts, porn stars, sex-educators, health-care workers, etc.
Until gays and lesbians started coming out of the closet in the 60’s and 70’s they had no rights or influence in this society and so it will continue to be for us until we decide to change.
No matter how well you feel that you are doing on the emotional, mental and spiritual levels in dealing with herpes it won’t be until you are tested by outbreaks and symptoms that you will know where you truly are. Herpes is the great illuminator shining a piercing light on your deepest and darkest fears and insecurities related and un-related to “the gift”.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.herpesnation.com
Blogarama
Another Reason to Avoid Prescription Drugs Whenever Possible
Drinking water contains traces of nine drugs, new study finds
The Vancouver Sun 2004
Sarah Staples
CanWest News Service
Saturday, November 13, 2004
The federal government's first study of pharmaceuticals in drinking water will confirm traces of common painkillers, anti-cholesterol drugs and the antidepressant Prozac are ending up in the treated water that Canadians drink, CanWest News Service has learned.
A study by researchers from the National Water Research Institute for Health and Environment Canada, designed to gauge how efficiently plants removed traces of drugs from drinking water, found nine different drugs in water samples taken near 20 drinking water treatment plants across southern Ontario.
The drugs were mainly from a class known as "acidic pharmaceuticals," and included the painkillers ibuprofen and neproxin, and gemfibrozil, a cholesterol-lowering medication. Concentrations were in the parts per trillion -- comparable to one cent in $10 billion. "Barely detectable" levels of Prozac were also found.
The worst contamination came from treatment plants located near rivers or downstream from sewage treatment plants, as opposed to those plants sourcing water from lakes or groundwater.
The study has been submitted to the British scientific journal Water Research and is expected to be published sometime in the New Year.
While the amounts are well below prescription doses, experts from the NWRI say confirmation of even scant levels of a burgeoning assortment of drugs in Canada's drinking water is a troubling find warranting further investigation.
"It's kind of a brand new ball game and we don't know enough," said Jim Maguire, director of the institute's aquatic ecosystem protection research branch.
Residues of hormones are well known to disrupt the reproductive abilities of amphibians and fish. There is also suspicion that antibiotic residues working their way up the food chain may promote resistance to the drugs, while many other medications could harm fetuses, and people who are ill or infirm.
The effects of pesticides are better understood and regulated in Canada than personal care products, such as lotions and cosmetics, or prescription pharmaceuticals, said Maguire.
"You need to know how long lasting [the contamination is], and if it's being continually reintroduced -- but there's no country in the world that has enough information," he said. "We're kind of like where we were 25 years ago with PCBs and dioxides."
The government study is the first official acknowledgement of long-standing suspicions voiced by Canada's water-quality experts.
Transcripts obtained by CanWest News Service of a Health Canada-sponsored international workshop in 2002 show government chemists voicing serious concern over the possible negative effects of trace pharmaceuticals, at a time when U.S. and European studies were starting to reveal antibiotics and chemotherapeutics, drugs for epilepsy and depression, anti-inflammatory drugs, veterinary drugs, fragrances such as musk, and hormones in treated sewage runoff and tap water.
Informal private testing carried out last year on behalf of media outlets revealed residues of gemfibrozil and the anticonvulsant drug carbamazepine in tap water from towns and cities across Canada.
The federal government isn't testing for the full range of drugs that could be in Canada's potable water supply, preferring initially to limit its search to "acidic" drugs because they are easiest to spot using existing pesticide analysis techniques, said Kent Burnison, an NWRI microbiologist who co-wrote the study.
Ontario's water was surveyed not because of any special concern over its safety, but because samples had to be taken near NWRI's laboratory to preserve their integrity, he said.
The United States and Europe -- which acknowledged pharmaceutical accumulation several years before Canada began studying the phenomenon -- have already begun releasing the first disturbing results of experiments to understand the impact of drugs in the water on fish and wildlife.
In October, for example, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Department of Environmental Protection, revealed 42 to 79 per cent of the male smallmouth bass from a section of the Potomac River known to harbour nicotine-related chemicals and caffeine traces have started producing eggs.
Studies in Colorado waterways recently encountered more examples of "intersex" males, as well as female fish that are having trouble reproducing.
The working hypothesis is that leftover estrogen from chicken droppings or human hormones, not traditional pollutants from agriculture or mining, are disrupting the fish's reproduction.
In Europe and Japan, scientists are turning their attention to devising ways of cleaning drinking water using new, hypersensitive nano-scale filtration materials.
Burnison's lab is in the midst of a multi-year study of the environmental impacts of the drugs found so far in Canada's drinking water.
With a growing and aging population of baby boomers who will rely increasingly on medication, water experts fear the problem may only get worse.
"You may prove that individual pharmaceuticals aren't doing that much [to the environment], but when you've got a 100 or more compounds together, what is the synergistic effect?" he said.
"Is it one plus one equals two, or does it equal three and four?"
FOUND IN THE WATER
Detectable levels of many common drugs have been found in Canadian drinking water.
- Analgesics ibuprofen and neproxin.
- Antidepressant Prozac.
- Anti-cholesterol medication gemfibrozil.
- Anticonvulsant drug carbamazepine.
- Traces of nicotine, caffeine and estrogen are detectable in some wildlife.
Blogarama
The Vancouver Sun 2004
Sarah Staples
CanWest News Service
Saturday, November 13, 2004
The federal government's first study of pharmaceuticals in drinking water will confirm traces of common painkillers, anti-cholesterol drugs and the antidepressant Prozac are ending up in the treated water that Canadians drink, CanWest News Service has learned.
A study by researchers from the National Water Research Institute for Health and Environment Canada, designed to gauge how efficiently plants removed traces of drugs from drinking water, found nine different drugs in water samples taken near 20 drinking water treatment plants across southern Ontario.
The drugs were mainly from a class known as "acidic pharmaceuticals," and included the painkillers ibuprofen and neproxin, and gemfibrozil, a cholesterol-lowering medication. Concentrations were in the parts per trillion -- comparable to one cent in $10 billion. "Barely detectable" levels of Prozac were also found.
The worst contamination came from treatment plants located near rivers or downstream from sewage treatment plants, as opposed to those plants sourcing water from lakes or groundwater.
The study has been submitted to the British scientific journal Water Research and is expected to be published sometime in the New Year.
While the amounts are well below prescription doses, experts from the NWRI say confirmation of even scant levels of a burgeoning assortment of drugs in Canada's drinking water is a troubling find warranting further investigation.
"It's kind of a brand new ball game and we don't know enough," said Jim Maguire, director of the institute's aquatic ecosystem protection research branch.
Residues of hormones are well known to disrupt the reproductive abilities of amphibians and fish. There is also suspicion that antibiotic residues working their way up the food chain may promote resistance to the drugs, while many other medications could harm fetuses, and people who are ill or infirm.
The effects of pesticides are better understood and regulated in Canada than personal care products, such as lotions and cosmetics, or prescription pharmaceuticals, said Maguire.
"You need to know how long lasting [the contamination is], and if it's being continually reintroduced -- but there's no country in the world that has enough information," he said. "We're kind of like where we were 25 years ago with PCBs and dioxides."
The government study is the first official acknowledgement of long-standing suspicions voiced by Canada's water-quality experts.
Transcripts obtained by CanWest News Service of a Health Canada-sponsored international workshop in 2002 show government chemists voicing serious concern over the possible negative effects of trace pharmaceuticals, at a time when U.S. and European studies were starting to reveal antibiotics and chemotherapeutics, drugs for epilepsy and depression, anti-inflammatory drugs, veterinary drugs, fragrances such as musk, and hormones in treated sewage runoff and tap water.
Informal private testing carried out last year on behalf of media outlets revealed residues of gemfibrozil and the anticonvulsant drug carbamazepine in tap water from towns and cities across Canada.
The federal government isn't testing for the full range of drugs that could be in Canada's potable water supply, preferring initially to limit its search to "acidic" drugs because they are easiest to spot using existing pesticide analysis techniques, said Kent Burnison, an NWRI microbiologist who co-wrote the study.
Ontario's water was surveyed not because of any special concern over its safety, but because samples had to be taken near NWRI's laboratory to preserve their integrity, he said.
The United States and Europe -- which acknowledged pharmaceutical accumulation several years before Canada began studying the phenomenon -- have already begun releasing the first disturbing results of experiments to understand the impact of drugs in the water on fish and wildlife.
In October, for example, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Department of Environmental Protection, revealed 42 to 79 per cent of the male smallmouth bass from a section of the Potomac River known to harbour nicotine-related chemicals and caffeine traces have started producing eggs.
Studies in Colorado waterways recently encountered more examples of "intersex" males, as well as female fish that are having trouble reproducing.
The working hypothesis is that leftover estrogen from chicken droppings or human hormones, not traditional pollutants from agriculture or mining, are disrupting the fish's reproduction.
In Europe and Japan, scientists are turning their attention to devising ways of cleaning drinking water using new, hypersensitive nano-scale filtration materials.
Burnison's lab is in the midst of a multi-year study of the environmental impacts of the drugs found so far in Canada's drinking water.
With a growing and aging population of baby boomers who will rely increasingly on medication, water experts fear the problem may only get worse.
"You may prove that individual pharmaceuticals aren't doing that much [to the environment], but when you've got a 100 or more compounds together, what is the synergistic effect?" he said.
"Is it one plus one equals two, or does it equal three and four?"
FOUND IN THE WATER
Detectable levels of many common drugs have been found in Canadian drinking water.
- Analgesics ibuprofen and neproxin.
- Antidepressant Prozac.
- Anti-cholesterol medication gemfibrozil.
- Anticonvulsant drug carbamazepine.
- Traces of nicotine, caffeine and estrogen are detectable in some wildlife.
Blogarama
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Why I am not ashamed to Have Herpes
Why I am not Ashamed to have Herpes
Why Should I be?
I will not allow myself to be ridiculed, stigmatized or disrespected by others for having a disease. Disease is a natural part of life whether you are human, animal or plant. Nobody is exempt from disease, almost no one will live their full life without getting at least one sexually transmitted disease. These are the facts.
Some people are afraid of diseases and those who have them, that is an ancient, primal fear and one I understand well, but it doesn't excuse anyone from mean-spirited, ignorant behaviour towards those with diseases.
When I was a kid we made fun of "retarded" and "handicapped" people. i am deeply ashamed of that now, but children can be quite brutal. adults need to hold themselves to a much higher standard.
Those who make sick jokes about herpes are not only aping the same mentality as those who make racist or sexist jokes but they are also exposing their own lack of courage. It's much easier to ridicule the things you are afraid of rather than having the courage to face those fears. They are creating a stigma that causes millions of people with herpes unnecessary grief.
At least 60% of the population has herpes above or below the waist.
70% of the population will get hpv as genital warts or cervical dysplasia. 80% will get chlamydia at least once- most women will get it more than once.
All animals with backbones get herpes including cats, horses, elephants and salmon. Most animals without a backbone get herpes including worms.
Having herpes doesn't make me less moral, less attractive, less ethical, less worthy of respect, less sexy or less of a great catch, so why would I be ashamed to have herpes?
I am not afraid of my body. I know that sometimes I will get sick.. I know that my faculties will decline as I age and that i am destined to die. This is the beauty of life- the contrast and balance between health and disease, between happiness and sorrow, summer and winter, fullness and emptiness, life and death.
I am a natural person, I am not shamed or at war with any part of my body, including the herpes virus. I am at peace with the virus, my body and my place in this world as a person with a lifelong herpes infection.
I am most definitely not ashamed.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
herpes treatment specialist
http://www.herpesnation.com
http://herpesnation.blogspot.com
Blogarama
Why Should I be?
I will not allow myself to be ridiculed, stigmatized or disrespected by others for having a disease. Disease is a natural part of life whether you are human, animal or plant. Nobody is exempt from disease, almost no one will live their full life without getting at least one sexually transmitted disease. These are the facts.
Some people are afraid of diseases and those who have them, that is an ancient, primal fear and one I understand well, but it doesn't excuse anyone from mean-spirited, ignorant behaviour towards those with diseases.
When I was a kid we made fun of "retarded" and "handicapped" people. i am deeply ashamed of that now, but children can be quite brutal. adults need to hold themselves to a much higher standard.
Those who make sick jokes about herpes are not only aping the same mentality as those who make racist or sexist jokes but they are also exposing their own lack of courage. It's much easier to ridicule the things you are afraid of rather than having the courage to face those fears. They are creating a stigma that causes millions of people with herpes unnecessary grief.
At least 60% of the population has herpes above or below the waist.
70% of the population will get hpv as genital warts or cervical dysplasia. 80% will get chlamydia at least once- most women will get it more than once.
All animals with backbones get herpes including cats, horses, elephants and salmon. Most animals without a backbone get herpes including worms.
Having herpes doesn't make me less moral, less attractive, less ethical, less worthy of respect, less sexy or less of a great catch, so why would I be ashamed to have herpes?
I am not afraid of my body. I know that sometimes I will get sick.. I know that my faculties will decline as I age and that i am destined to die. This is the beauty of life- the contrast and balance between health and disease, between happiness and sorrow, summer and winter, fullness and emptiness, life and death.
I am a natural person, I am not shamed or at war with any part of my body, including the herpes virus. I am at peace with the virus, my body and my place in this world as a person with a lifelong herpes infection.
I am most definitely not ashamed.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
herpes treatment specialist
http://www.herpesnation.com
http://herpesnation.blogspot.com
Blogarama
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
How Easy is it to get Herpes from Oral Sex?
1. There is no such thing as genital herpes or oral herpes, these are old and useless terms from back in the days when we didn't know better. There are 8 different kinds of herpes viruses, herpes simplex 1 and 2, chicken-pox, the epstein-barr virus and 4 others. With herpes simplex there is simply type 1 and type 2. Type 1 prefers being on your face but It can be anywhere you have skin including your genitals. Because of the popularity of oral sex many people who have genital herpes have type 1 not type 2. Type 2 herpes prefers to be in your genital area but can also be on your face, although this is rare, and yes your would likely in this situation only have a primary outbreak and may never again see symptoms.
A number of people have both type 1 and type 2 herpes at the same time.
The only way to tell if the herpes you have on your genitals is type 1 or type 2 is to have it diagnosed with a type-specific blood test or swab. So just because you have herpes on your genitals don't assume that it is type 2.
Some information claims that type 1 infections of the genitals don't produce many outbreaks. This is a myth. No two people get herpes the same way and there are many factors which will determine how many outbreaks you get and how severe they will be.
So of you have type 2 herpes on the genitals and someone performs oral sex on you there is a slim chance that they will get type 2 herpes of the mouth. If you have type 1 on your genitals there is a much better chance that someone will get type 1 of the mouth from you if they don't already have a type 1 of the mouth infection.
If you have type 1 herpes of the face-and please don't be in denial by labeling it as "cold sores", please be aware that there is a substantial risk of you infecting others when you perform oral sex on them and that the risk exists whether you are having symptoms you can notice or not. Just because you are not having an "outbreak" doesn't mean you are not contagious. If you have ever had a cold sore in your life, it means you have a life-long herpes infection no matter how long it's been since you have had an outbreak. You should avoid intimate contact with anyone when having any itching, tingling, burning or numbness anywhere on your face.
There are no clear numbers on what the actual statistical risk is. I encourage everyone to consider lowering the risk by avoiding intimate contact during any possible symptom of the virus being active (itching, tingling, burning, or numb sensations anywhere below the waist),treating their herpes daily with real herbal medicine from a herbalist or drug therapy and practicing safer sex with a condom/saran wrap and an anti-viral gel such as the one I make, http://www.antiviralgel.com.
Also keep in mind that according to statistics it is three times easier for a man to give herpes to a woman than for a woman to give it to a man, and that herpes infections are higher in the African-American and Hispanic populations than it is in the Caucasian population. I am Black myself, so I always want to encourage my brothers and sisters of colour to help get the message out in our communities about herpes awareness and the need to practice safer sexuality.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://herpesnation.blogspot.com
Blogarama
A number of people have both type 1 and type 2 herpes at the same time.
The only way to tell if the herpes you have on your genitals is type 1 or type 2 is to have it diagnosed with a type-specific blood test or swab. So just because you have herpes on your genitals don't assume that it is type 2.
Some information claims that type 1 infections of the genitals don't produce many outbreaks. This is a myth. No two people get herpes the same way and there are many factors which will determine how many outbreaks you get and how severe they will be.
So of you have type 2 herpes on the genitals and someone performs oral sex on you there is a slim chance that they will get type 2 herpes of the mouth. If you have type 1 on your genitals there is a much better chance that someone will get type 1 of the mouth from you if they don't already have a type 1 of the mouth infection.
If you have type 1 herpes of the face-and please don't be in denial by labeling it as "cold sores", please be aware that there is a substantial risk of you infecting others when you perform oral sex on them and that the risk exists whether you are having symptoms you can notice or not. Just because you are not having an "outbreak" doesn't mean you are not contagious. If you have ever had a cold sore in your life, it means you have a life-long herpes infection no matter how long it's been since you have had an outbreak. You should avoid intimate contact with anyone when having any itching, tingling, burning or numbness anywhere on your face.
There are no clear numbers on what the actual statistical risk is. I encourage everyone to consider lowering the risk by avoiding intimate contact during any possible symptom of the virus being active (itching, tingling, burning, or numb sensations anywhere below the waist),treating their herpes daily with real herbal medicine from a herbalist or drug therapy and practicing safer sex with a condom/saran wrap and an anti-viral gel such as the one I make, http://www.antiviralgel.com.
Also keep in mind that according to statistics it is three times easier for a man to give herpes to a woman than for a woman to give it to a man, and that herpes infections are higher in the African-American and Hispanic populations than it is in the Caucasian population. I am Black myself, so I always want to encourage my brothers and sisters of colour to help get the message out in our communities about herpes awareness and the need to practice safer sexuality.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://herpesnation.blogspot.com
Blogarama
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Soome Recent Reviews of My Herpes Book
Raw and real. A credible, courageous and compassionate introduction to the unique and multi-faceted healing journey called herpes. Whether reading for prevention or viral management, "Making Peace With Herpes" offers holistic salve to truthseekers. Christopher Scipio's non-ordinary message and methods are congruent and sorely needed. I heartily recommend both this supportive book and its author's generous complementary work. Potent medicine for empowering more conscious living and loving.
Shallah Ray Montaine
Vancouver, BC
July '07
"Written with compassion & brawn, Scipio's is the first book I have read that truly approaches herpes from a holistic stance. Making Peace with herpes walks you through vitamins, guided meditations and real life experiences on a path to wellness. This book is about emotional intelligence: rediscovering truth, the earth & our sacred selves. A must read irregardless of your herpes status."
A. Bacon, Sex Educator
A MUST read for anyone struggling with the virus. This is not your standard medical type book, filled only with cold hard facts. The author speaks to you directly with compassion and understanding. You will come to understand that it IS possible to manage this condition and come to peace with it. You will also come to understand how to control the 'triggers' and, most importantly, how to keep your partner safe.
Anonymous, IT Technician
This is a book most especially for those who want an alternative to western medicine and an approach that will be truly holistic, addressing emotional and social issues surrounding HSV 1 & 2, as well as medical ones. It is warm and caring and full of wisdom. I'm grateful to Christopher Scipio for helping me understand this virus and learning how to deal with it without shame and as part of being a human being despite misplaced social stigma.
W. W. L. Au
I bought this book because I was looking for other answers than those provided by medical sites. It definitely provides information on statistics and forms of transmission as well as ways of protecting others. But more importantly it offers a spiritual/emotional approach to dealing with the often devastating news as well as the lifetime "companion". The author's personal experience is something we can all relate to and it is comforting to know that one is not alone. Actually knowing that we are a majority is in a way empowering. There are no quick fixes for this and our emotional and psychological health is extremely important when dealing with this virus. Christopher Scipio makes a good point to touch on this throughout the book. I am one of those people who does not buy into the big drug companies and quick fixes, so am drawn to holistic medicine.
C. Devine
The New Holistic Herpes Treatment Book
By Holistic Viral Specialist, Christopher Scipio. A must read for anyone with herpes. Effective, Empowering, Inspiring. Optional Self-Hypnosis CDs maximize the effectiveness of the book.
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
Shallah Ray Montaine
Vancouver, BC
July '07
"Written with compassion & brawn, Scipio's is the first book I have read that truly approaches herpes from a holistic stance. Making Peace with herpes walks you through vitamins, guided meditations and real life experiences on a path to wellness. This book is about emotional intelligence: rediscovering truth, the earth & our sacred selves. A must read irregardless of your herpes status."
A. Bacon, Sex Educator
A MUST read for anyone struggling with the virus. This is not your standard medical type book, filled only with cold hard facts. The author speaks to you directly with compassion and understanding. You will come to understand that it IS possible to manage this condition and come to peace with it. You will also come to understand how to control the 'triggers' and, most importantly, how to keep your partner safe.
Anonymous, IT Technician
This is a book most especially for those who want an alternative to western medicine and an approach that will be truly holistic, addressing emotional and social issues surrounding HSV 1 & 2, as well as medical ones. It is warm and caring and full of wisdom. I'm grateful to Christopher Scipio for helping me understand this virus and learning how to deal with it without shame and as part of being a human being despite misplaced social stigma.
W. W. L. Au
I bought this book because I was looking for other answers than those provided by medical sites. It definitely provides information on statistics and forms of transmission as well as ways of protecting others. But more importantly it offers a spiritual/emotional approach to dealing with the often devastating news as well as the lifetime "companion". The author's personal experience is something we can all relate to and it is comforting to know that one is not alone. Actually knowing that we are a majority is in a way empowering. There are no quick fixes for this and our emotional and psychological health is extremely important when dealing with this virus. Christopher Scipio makes a good point to touch on this throughout the book. I am one of those people who does not buy into the big drug companies and quick fixes, so am drawn to holistic medicine.
C. Devine
The New Holistic Herpes Treatment Book
By Holistic Viral Specialist, Christopher Scipio. A must read for anyone with herpes. Effective, Empowering, Inspiring. Optional Self-Hypnosis CDs maximize the effectiveness of the book.
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
Friday, July 13, 2007
Factory Medicine is for Factory People
Factory Medicine is for Factory People
Are You mass-produced, or are You one of a kind? If your body is Your hardware and Your mind Your software, what kind of operating system do You have running?
Are You a product of mass-production, with Your morals, ethics, world-view, self-awareness, habits and loyalties programmed into You by outside influences? Or are You an independent thinker with a healthy sense of skepticism? Do You believe the hype they are trying to feed You?
What do You eat? How do You eat? How much of Your diet is mass-produced factory food arriving in a box, bag or can with dead energy and depleted nutrients?
Or do You make time to cook most of the time and make meals full of Your own intent? Even if You don't cook, eating food made by someone who loves You or a chef that loves to cook is a very different experience than eating mass-produced factory food.
The same can be said for medicine. Someone I greatly admire, a master herbalist once said that "maybe factory people are best served by factory medicine". This was said at an herbal medicine conference and created some controversy, but it certainly captured my attention.
I think my esteemed colleague is probably right. Maybe if You are living a mass-produced factory lifestyle then maybe mass-produced drugs and supplements are best for You. Maybe You are too alienated from the natural world for holistic medicine to resonate as strongly with You as it would for someone who is more connected to themselves and nature. Maybe You wouldn't be ready to take charge of Your own healing and have the highly individualistic and demanding experience of tuning into Your own body. Maybe You wouldn't be willing to give up your bad habits and make the changes and distinctions needed for living a healthier lifestyle.
The ironic thing is that science is slowly catching up to what healers have known for eons, that the presence of a human being and his or her intent makes all the difference in the world. Quantum physics theorizes that that the mere presence of an observer changes how particles behave. Human involvement in any process makes a positive impact whether it be cooking or the making of medicine or anything else.
We usually value hand-made, personally-made things far more than the mass produced. Hand made cars such as rolls royces or ferraris are valued the most. Hand-made one-of-a-kind designer couture clothing is far more expensive than their mass-produced ready-to-wear lines in stores. An original painting, sculpture or persian rug is far more expensive than factory reproductions. A home designed by an architect specifically for You and the site You've chosen and the life You lead will give You a home much different than a pre-fab factory house.
Don't get me wrong, I love mass-produced things. My macintosh computers are mass-produced as is my volkswagen jetta tdi and my clothes and almost everything else I own, and I appreciate them and appreciate consistency and quality control in mass-production. But I don't depend on those things for my health or healing. When it comes to my food and medicine I run away from sterile, dead mass-production as much as possible.
There are no quick-fix gimmicks in holistic medicine and many of its modalities are ancient and low-tech.
Instead of that flashy pill You're seeing over and over again on TV there are healing teas You can make in Your own kitchen, yoga You can do on Your own home, healing plants You can grown in Your garden, seaweeds You can soak your feet in, and so much more.
Who convinced You that your great-grandparents were wrong? That the natural medicine they believed in and relied on for 30,000 years or longer is now something to ridicule or ignore? Something to exile to the fringe , to dismiss, to deny? Maybe it's the same people who promised You better health and instead gave You a long list of harmful side-effects, massively expensive medical bills and a lack of caring.
If You are a factory person ready to go wherever the medical industrial complex wants to blindly lead You to, then factory medicine is likely the best fit for You.
If You are not a product of mass-production, if You are interested in cooking some or all of Your own meals, eating better, supporting organic farmers when You can, exercising, stretching and tapping into Your own unlimited healing potential then the ancient low-tech world of natural medicine has more than a life-time of wonders for You to discover.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Are You mass-produced, or are You one of a kind? If your body is Your hardware and Your mind Your software, what kind of operating system do You have running?
Are You a product of mass-production, with Your morals, ethics, world-view, self-awareness, habits and loyalties programmed into You by outside influences? Or are You an independent thinker with a healthy sense of skepticism? Do You believe the hype they are trying to feed You?
What do You eat? How do You eat? How much of Your diet is mass-produced factory food arriving in a box, bag or can with dead energy and depleted nutrients?
Or do You make time to cook most of the time and make meals full of Your own intent? Even if You don't cook, eating food made by someone who loves You or a chef that loves to cook is a very different experience than eating mass-produced factory food.
The same can be said for medicine. Someone I greatly admire, a master herbalist once said that "maybe factory people are best served by factory medicine". This was said at an herbal medicine conference and created some controversy, but it certainly captured my attention.
I think my esteemed colleague is probably right. Maybe if You are living a mass-produced factory lifestyle then maybe mass-produced drugs and supplements are best for You. Maybe You are too alienated from the natural world for holistic medicine to resonate as strongly with You as it would for someone who is more connected to themselves and nature. Maybe You wouldn't be ready to take charge of Your own healing and have the highly individualistic and demanding experience of tuning into Your own body. Maybe You wouldn't be willing to give up your bad habits and make the changes and distinctions needed for living a healthier lifestyle.
The ironic thing is that science is slowly catching up to what healers have known for eons, that the presence of a human being and his or her intent makes all the difference in the world. Quantum physics theorizes that that the mere presence of an observer changes how particles behave. Human involvement in any process makes a positive impact whether it be cooking or the making of medicine or anything else.
We usually value hand-made, personally-made things far more than the mass produced. Hand made cars such as rolls royces or ferraris are valued the most. Hand-made one-of-a-kind designer couture clothing is far more expensive than their mass-produced ready-to-wear lines in stores. An original painting, sculpture or persian rug is far more expensive than factory reproductions. A home designed by an architect specifically for You and the site You've chosen and the life You lead will give You a home much different than a pre-fab factory house.
Don't get me wrong, I love mass-produced things. My macintosh computers are mass-produced as is my volkswagen jetta tdi and my clothes and almost everything else I own, and I appreciate them and appreciate consistency and quality control in mass-production. But I don't depend on those things for my health or healing. When it comes to my food and medicine I run away from sterile, dead mass-production as much as possible.
There are no quick-fix gimmicks in holistic medicine and many of its modalities are ancient and low-tech.
Instead of that flashy pill You're seeing over and over again on TV there are healing teas You can make in Your own kitchen, yoga You can do on Your own home, healing plants You can grown in Your garden, seaweeds You can soak your feet in, and so much more.
Who convinced You that your great-grandparents were wrong? That the natural medicine they believed in and relied on for 30,000 years or longer is now something to ridicule or ignore? Something to exile to the fringe , to dismiss, to deny? Maybe it's the same people who promised You better health and instead gave You a long list of harmful side-effects, massively expensive medical bills and a lack of caring.
If You are a factory person ready to go wherever the medical industrial complex wants to blindly lead You to, then factory medicine is likely the best fit for You.
If You are not a product of mass-production, if You are interested in cooking some or all of Your own meals, eating better, supporting organic farmers when You can, exercising, stretching and tapping into Your own unlimited healing potential then the ancient low-tech world of natural medicine has more than a life-time of wonders for You to discover.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Go Back into the World and Love
Are you loving others? or has herpes made you shut down and go into hiding? People out there need your love. To withhold your love and sex from others because of being ashamed of having herpes not only robs you of the experience of being loved but robs others of the chance of being loved by you. Love always opens up , real love doesn't close down. Open your heart and mind and get back into the world and love.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesnation.com
Blogarama
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesnation.com
Blogarama
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Herpes and Natural Childbirth
Herpes and Natural Childbirth
There's a lot of misinformation being circulated about the risk of a mother infecting her infant during natural childbirth. Neonatal herpes infection is a serious and sometimes fatal problem, but it is also a rare one. There is less than a 1 in 5000 chance of it happening. Through the use of Natural Medicine. hypnotherapy and valtrex during the last month of pregnancy almost any woman who wants a safe natural childbirth can have one.
The medical system pressures women to have c-sections which are less healthy for their babies, so that the risk of malpractice suits are lowered and so doctor's don't have to miss their regularly scheduled golf games to deal with the unpredictability of when a baby is ready to come into this world.
There are also effective Natural methods to help a man greatly reduce the chances of infecting his uninfected female partner during her pregnancy or during their attempts at conceiving a child.
I am the guest of a radio show hosted by hypnobabies- an organization that helps women have holistic natural childbirths with the aide of hypnotherapy. The show airs air on Friday, July 13th at 9 AM Pacific Time, and again on Saturday July 14th at 1 PM Pacific Time on
http://www.healthylife.net.
It will then be archived at the same web address for about 2 months, starting a few days after the first air date, so that listeners can hear it at any time that is convenient for them.
regards
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Blogarama
Monday, July 09, 2007
Herpes: The 1 Million Pound Gorilla in the Room
I asked the following question to my online herpes support group:
POLL QUESTION: Herpes: The One Million Pound Gorilla in the Room
I woke up today still astonished by how a disease like herpes which affects at least 60% of the population above or below the waist and that is spreading like a California wildfire can be virtually ignored by the media. You don't hear about it in the news, you don't see it mentioned in movies, television shows or on mainstream radio. People with herpes are invisible and silent for the most part. Would you be willing to help humanize herpes by telling your own personal herpes story on a dvd, website or in a book?
CHOICES AND RESULTS
- yes votes, 77.78%
- no votes, 22.22%
This is very encouraging to me because the more of us willing to come forward to put a human face on this disease the better a climate of understanding and tolerance we can create for our selves but more importantly for our brothers and sisters who will be getting herpes in the future. We will also help some people protect themelves from ever getting this lifelong gift.
If you are at all motivated to share your story please do write to me and let me know who you are. info at natropractica dotcom
Let's tear down the walls of this collective ghetto of shame.
regards
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic herpes treatment specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
POLL QUESTION: Herpes: The One Million Pound Gorilla in the Room
I woke up today still astonished by how a disease like herpes which affects at least 60% of the population above or below the waist and that is spreading like a California wildfire can be virtually ignored by the media. You don't hear about it in the news, you don't see it mentioned in movies, television shows or on mainstream radio. People with herpes are invisible and silent for the most part. Would you be willing to help humanize herpes by telling your own personal herpes story on a dvd, website or in a book?
CHOICES AND RESULTS
- yes votes, 77.78%
- no votes, 22.22%
This is very encouraging to me because the more of us willing to come forward to put a human face on this disease the better a climate of understanding and tolerance we can create for our selves but more importantly for our brothers and sisters who will be getting herpes in the future. We will also help some people protect themelves from ever getting this lifelong gift.
If you are at all motivated to share your story please do write to me and let me know who you are. info at natropractica dotcom
Let's tear down the walls of this collective ghetto of shame.
regards
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic herpes treatment specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Thursday, June 28, 2007
There is No Magical Quick-Fix for Herpes
Most of the true treasures of this world lay in the depths of things.
If you were to content yourself with superficial things-think of what you'd be missing.
If you only swam on the surface of the water you'd miss the wonders below. If you only ate the skin of fruits and vegetables you'd be in a sorry state. If all you ever read of a book was it's first few pages, or if all you ever wanted to see in a film were the trailer, well you'd certainly be missing the big picture.
There are no quick fixes for herpes.
The virus lives deep within you in the core of your nerves cells. It has access to all the thoughts and feelings that course through your body. When you are in equilibrium the virus is likely dormant-when you are out of balance, angry, scared, anxious, ashamed the virus is likely going to be active.
To truly manage your herpes in a holistic way you have to take a deep personal inventory. What are your triggers? Are you at peace with the virus' permanent presence in your body? Have you been successful in rejecting the superficial and mean-spirited stigma placed on people with herpes and regained all the self-esteem and confidence you lost when you found out you had herpes? Are you living a life of integrity by informing your potential lovers beforehand of your herpes status and doing your best to manage your herpes so that your are less likely to infect others? What are you willing to start doing to manage your herpes better? What are you willing to stop doing to manage your herpes better? Are you fixated on the negative aspects of having herpes or are you looking at the brighter side of things?
Once a unflinching personal inventory is taken it's possible to see the whole picture of having herpes. There are no completely negative or completely positive experiences in life. Herpes doesn't have to be a completely negative experience. There are positive aspects to having herpes.
Herpes can act like a barometer which sends you an warning when you have become too far out of balance.
Having herpes can be like a litmus test to show you who really cares about you. If after telling someone you have herpes they are less interested in pursuing a romantic and sexual relationship with you they didn't care enough about you to begin with. If after telling someone who is a friend or family member that you have herpes and you feel their lack of support-then you more clearly see where you stood with them all along.
Having herpes challenges your personal integrity. It challenges you to tell an uncomfortable truth to lovers for their own protection and challenges you to take measures to protect the health of others.
If you have never experienced what it is like to be scorned or being prejudiced against because of something out of your control, herpes helps you experience that reality so that you can sympathize better with other discriminated against people in our society.
Having herpes is a cold slap of humility in our all too arrogant existence as human beings on this planet. We have been taught by some of our religions and philosophies that we are the dominant force on the planet when in reality microbes have always been dominant and continue to be dominant. As I have said in other writing we are a sideshow-most of the real action in this world happens on a microscopic level. We are a home to hundreds if not thousands of viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa. We could not digest food without the hundreds of bacteria in our mouths and intestines. We are colonized by microbes. Most are beneficial or neutral some are harmful. Maybe with more humility we would be less likely to abuse the plants, animals and environment around us and see the bigger picture.
Staying in healthy balance with your own thoughts and emotions including making peace with the herpes virus is the most important step in managing herpes in a healthy holistic way. Herbal medicine, drug therapy, supplements, yoga, hypnosis, etc can all help, but going deep within and creating peace and harmony in your life is the key.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/ Herbalist
Holistic Herpes Treatment Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesnation.com
Blogarama
If you were to content yourself with superficial things-think of what you'd be missing.
If you only swam on the surface of the water you'd miss the wonders below. If you only ate the skin of fruits and vegetables you'd be in a sorry state. If all you ever read of a book was it's first few pages, or if all you ever wanted to see in a film were the trailer, well you'd certainly be missing the big picture.
There are no quick fixes for herpes.
The virus lives deep within you in the core of your nerves cells. It has access to all the thoughts and feelings that course through your body. When you are in equilibrium the virus is likely dormant-when you are out of balance, angry, scared, anxious, ashamed the virus is likely going to be active.
To truly manage your herpes in a holistic way you have to take a deep personal inventory. What are your triggers? Are you at peace with the virus' permanent presence in your body? Have you been successful in rejecting the superficial and mean-spirited stigma placed on people with herpes and regained all the self-esteem and confidence you lost when you found out you had herpes? Are you living a life of integrity by informing your potential lovers beforehand of your herpes status and doing your best to manage your herpes so that your are less likely to infect others? What are you willing to start doing to manage your herpes better? What are you willing to stop doing to manage your herpes better? Are you fixated on the negative aspects of having herpes or are you looking at the brighter side of things?
Once a unflinching personal inventory is taken it's possible to see the whole picture of having herpes. There are no completely negative or completely positive experiences in life. Herpes doesn't have to be a completely negative experience. There are positive aspects to having herpes.
Herpes can act like a barometer which sends you an warning when you have become too far out of balance.
Having herpes can be like a litmus test to show you who really cares about you. If after telling someone you have herpes they are less interested in pursuing a romantic and sexual relationship with you they didn't care enough about you to begin with. If after telling someone who is a friend or family member that you have herpes and you feel their lack of support-then you more clearly see where you stood with them all along.
Having herpes challenges your personal integrity. It challenges you to tell an uncomfortable truth to lovers for their own protection and challenges you to take measures to protect the health of others.
If you have never experienced what it is like to be scorned or being prejudiced against because of something out of your control, herpes helps you experience that reality so that you can sympathize better with other discriminated against people in our society.
Having herpes is a cold slap of humility in our all too arrogant existence as human beings on this planet. We have been taught by some of our religions and philosophies that we are the dominant force on the planet when in reality microbes have always been dominant and continue to be dominant. As I have said in other writing we are a sideshow-most of the real action in this world happens on a microscopic level. We are a home to hundreds if not thousands of viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa. We could not digest food without the hundreds of bacteria in our mouths and intestines. We are colonized by microbes. Most are beneficial or neutral some are harmful. Maybe with more humility we would be less likely to abuse the plants, animals and environment around us and see the bigger picture.
Staying in healthy balance with your own thoughts and emotions including making peace with the herpes virus is the most important step in managing herpes in a healthy holistic way. Herbal medicine, drug therapy, supplements, yoga, hypnosis, etc can all help, but going deep within and creating peace and harmony in your life is the key.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/ Herbalist
Holistic Herpes Treatment Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesnation.com
Blogarama
Monday, June 25, 2007
Herpes Support Group- Online
Herpes Nation
A HolisticOnline Herpes Support Community
Encouragement, Empowerment, Inspiration, Advice
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/herpesnation
Blogarama
A HolisticOnline Herpes Support Community
Encouragement, Empowerment, Inspiration, Advice
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/herpesnation
Blogarama
Sunday, June 24, 2007
90% of the cells in our body are viruses and other microbes
From Discover Magazine
Your Body Is a Planet
90% of the cells within us are not ours but microbes'.
by Josie Glausiusz
We may not realize it, but each one of us is a walking ecosystem. Minuscule, eight-legged Demodex mites nestle head down inside the follicles of the eyelashes, feasting unnoticed on skin cells. Microscopic yeasts live on the tongue, teeth, and skin and in the intestine. Dormant viruses like herpes simplex may loiter for years inside nerve cells, and are in your body for life. Perhaps strangest of all are the self-replicating, viruslike pieces of DNA that infected ancient humans and still make up about 8 percent of our genome.
Most of the time we share our bodies harmoniously with the 90 trillion or so microbes. But sometimes the arrangement turns contentious, as when blood-sucking bedbugs, fleas, and lice invade, or when herpes simplex or human papillomaviruses cause surface membranes to erupt in nasty pustules or warts. Just taking antibiotics may disturb the ecosystem in our gut by killing not only disease- causing organisms but also good bacteria, like Lactobacillus acidophilus.
Living with microbes demands a biological balancing act. For the most part, though, we are blissfully oblivious to the microscopic life we carry around with us. Considering what those organisms look like, that may be a good thing.
1 Athlete’s foot fungus Trichophyton and Epidermophyton are filamentous, parasitic microbes that latch onto bare feet in communal showers. These species and their relatives can creep under the toenails and invade other areas of the skin, including the scalp and genitalia, where they trigger ringworm and jock itch.
2 Vaginal flora Beneficial bacteria—notably members of the Lactobacillus family—inhabit the vagina, secreting lactic acid and fending off hostile invaders like the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans.
3 Firmicutes and Bacteroides At least 500 species of bacteria, weighing about 3.3 pounds, live inside the human gut. The majority are from one of two phyla, the Firmicutes and the Bacteroides. They break down carbohydrates and make essential nutrients like vitamins K and B12. They also crowd out harmful bacteria. As Cynthia Sears at Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health says, “Just by mere force of numbers, the bad bugs are beat out by the good bugs.”
4 Human papillomavirus More than 100 types of human papillomavirus (HPV) can infect humans, causing a variety of warts from the common wart to plantar and flat warts. At least 30 strains of HPV are sexually transmitted, and the CDC estimates that at least 50 percent of sexually active men and women will be infected with genital HPV at some point. Of greatest concern are HPV types 16 and 18, which can cause cancers of the cervix, penis, vagina, anus, and rectum. The new vaccine Gardasil protects against the cancers caused by both HPV types.
5 Head lice Pediculus humanus capitis (the head louse) has been around for a long time: One ancient louse egg has been found attached to a strand of hair 10,000 years old. The flat, wingless insects are tiny (between one and two millimeters long—less than a tenth of an inch), suck on human blood, and cement their eggs, or nits, to our hair.
6 Dental streptococcus If you don't brush regularly, you probably have a biofilm of bacteria 300 to 500 cells thick on the surface of your teeth. The dominant species in this dental plaque are Streptococcus sanguis and S. mutans. Even if you brush diligently, these bacteria will still be there: They arrive soon after your teeth do and stay until they fall out. The bacteria ferment sugars and secrete gluey polymers that form the basis of plaque.
7 Demodex mites A little arthropod most likely lives in the follicles of your eyelashes, eating, mating, breeding, and rarely leaving—except perhaps for a sporadic nighttime walk around your face. Demodex mites—cigar-shaped, stumpy-legged parasites about 0.3 millimeter long—infest about 20 percent of people under 20. They are more likely to infect us as we age, so nearly all elderly people carry them.
8 Shingles Once you have had chicken pox, the virus, called herpes varicella-zoster, a memeber of the ehrpes family of viruses stays inside you forever, lying dormant in nerves near the spinal cord. Stress, aging, or a weakened immune system may reactivate the virus, which can then slink along nerve tracts, causing persistent pain and nasty skin rashes—a condition known as shingles. Research suggests that widespread vaccination against chicken pox, now common in the United States, may lead to a significant increase in shingles among the elderly.
9 Fossil viruses About 1/12 of our genome consists of stretches of DNA from viruses that infected our ancestors millions of years ago. According to epidemiologist Prescott Deininger of Tulane University, these and other parasitical, self-replicating pieces of DNA have evolved with us and can insert copies of themselves into our genome...
10 Staphylococcus On average, the skin supports about 1 trillion bacteria. The most common include staph, Streptococcus, and Corynebacterium, which metabolize sweat to produce body odor. Microbiologist Martin Blaser of the New York University School of Medicine sequenced the DNA of bacteria from the forearms of six people and discovered 182 separate species of bacteria. Most of those bacteria actually help to keep the skin healthy by competing with dangerous pathogens for nutrients. As Blaser explains, “I would hate to live without them.”
Blogarama
Your Body Is a Planet
90% of the cells within us are not ours but microbes'.
by Josie Glausiusz
We may not realize it, but each one of us is a walking ecosystem. Minuscule, eight-legged Demodex mites nestle head down inside the follicles of the eyelashes, feasting unnoticed on skin cells. Microscopic yeasts live on the tongue, teeth, and skin and in the intestine. Dormant viruses like herpes simplex may loiter for years inside nerve cells, and are in your body for life. Perhaps strangest of all are the self-replicating, viruslike pieces of DNA that infected ancient humans and still make up about 8 percent of our genome.
Most of the time we share our bodies harmoniously with the 90 trillion or so microbes. But sometimes the arrangement turns contentious, as when blood-sucking bedbugs, fleas, and lice invade, or when herpes simplex or human papillomaviruses cause surface membranes to erupt in nasty pustules or warts. Just taking antibiotics may disturb the ecosystem in our gut by killing not only disease- causing organisms but also good bacteria, like Lactobacillus acidophilus.
Living with microbes demands a biological balancing act. For the most part, though, we are blissfully oblivious to the microscopic life we carry around with us. Considering what those organisms look like, that may be a good thing.
1 Athlete’s foot fungus Trichophyton and Epidermophyton are filamentous, parasitic microbes that latch onto bare feet in communal showers. These species and their relatives can creep under the toenails and invade other areas of the skin, including the scalp and genitalia, where they trigger ringworm and jock itch.
2 Vaginal flora Beneficial bacteria—notably members of the Lactobacillus family—inhabit the vagina, secreting lactic acid and fending off hostile invaders like the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans.
3 Firmicutes and Bacteroides At least 500 species of bacteria, weighing about 3.3 pounds, live inside the human gut. The majority are from one of two phyla, the Firmicutes and the Bacteroides. They break down carbohydrates and make essential nutrients like vitamins K and B12. They also crowd out harmful bacteria. As Cynthia Sears at Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health says, “Just by mere force of numbers, the bad bugs are beat out by the good bugs.”
4 Human papillomavirus More than 100 types of human papillomavirus (HPV) can infect humans, causing a variety of warts from the common wart to plantar and flat warts. At least 30 strains of HPV are sexually transmitted, and the CDC estimates that at least 50 percent of sexually active men and women will be infected with genital HPV at some point. Of greatest concern are HPV types 16 and 18, which can cause cancers of the cervix, penis, vagina, anus, and rectum. The new vaccine Gardasil protects against the cancers caused by both HPV types.
5 Head lice Pediculus humanus capitis (the head louse) has been around for a long time: One ancient louse egg has been found attached to a strand of hair 10,000 years old. The flat, wingless insects are tiny (between one and two millimeters long—less than a tenth of an inch), suck on human blood, and cement their eggs, or nits, to our hair.
6 Dental streptococcus If you don't brush regularly, you probably have a biofilm of bacteria 300 to 500 cells thick on the surface of your teeth. The dominant species in this dental plaque are Streptococcus sanguis and S. mutans. Even if you brush diligently, these bacteria will still be there: They arrive soon after your teeth do and stay until they fall out. The bacteria ferment sugars and secrete gluey polymers that form the basis of plaque.
7 Demodex mites A little arthropod most likely lives in the follicles of your eyelashes, eating, mating, breeding, and rarely leaving—except perhaps for a sporadic nighttime walk around your face. Demodex mites—cigar-shaped, stumpy-legged parasites about 0.3 millimeter long—infest about 20 percent of people under 20. They are more likely to infect us as we age, so nearly all elderly people carry them.
8 Shingles Once you have had chicken pox, the virus, called herpes varicella-zoster, a memeber of the ehrpes family of viruses stays inside you forever, lying dormant in nerves near the spinal cord. Stress, aging, or a weakened immune system may reactivate the virus, which can then slink along nerve tracts, causing persistent pain and nasty skin rashes—a condition known as shingles. Research suggests that widespread vaccination against chicken pox, now common in the United States, may lead to a significant increase in shingles among the elderly.
9 Fossil viruses About 1/12 of our genome consists of stretches of DNA from viruses that infected our ancestors millions of years ago. According to epidemiologist Prescott Deininger of Tulane University, these and other parasitical, self-replicating pieces of DNA have evolved with us and can insert copies of themselves into our genome...
10 Staphylococcus On average, the skin supports about 1 trillion bacteria. The most common include staph, Streptococcus, and Corynebacterium, which metabolize sweat to produce body odor. Microbiologist Martin Blaser of the New York University School of Medicine sequenced the DNA of bacteria from the forearms of six people and discovered 182 separate species of bacteria. Most of those bacteria actually help to keep the skin healthy by competing with dangerous pathogens for nutrients. As Blaser explains, “I would hate to live without them.”
Blogarama
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Please Don't Be Your Own Worse Herpes Enemy
It has been said by others that there are no incurable diseases, only incurable people.
If you are struggling with persistent herpes symptoms- how much are you beng an obstacle to your own healing?
Which of your thoughts, beliefs, actions may be getting in your way? Is your inaction or unwillingness to change an obstacle?
We all to some degree limit ourselves. What are you doing to challenge your own limitations?
Self-sabotage is part of human nature. We all have a comfort zone, for many being ill is more comfortable than being healthy. If you believe yourself to be a victim or somehow unworthy, then you may also believe that health isn't your right.
If you haven't made peace with herpes in your heart and head then you have been unwilling to lay the foundation for overcoming herpes.
Self-criticism isn't the most comfrotable thing to do. But exanding your comfort zone is empowering. Being able to take an unflinching inventory of yourself is emancipating.
Please don't be your own worse herpes enemy.
christopher scipio
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesnation.com
Blogarama
If you are struggling with persistent herpes symptoms- how much are you beng an obstacle to your own healing?
Which of your thoughts, beliefs, actions may be getting in your way? Is your inaction or unwillingness to change an obstacle?
We all to some degree limit ourselves. What are you doing to challenge your own limitations?
Self-sabotage is part of human nature. We all have a comfort zone, for many being ill is more comfortable than being healthy. If you believe yourself to be a victim or somehow unworthy, then you may also believe that health isn't your right.
If you haven't made peace with herpes in your heart and head then you have been unwilling to lay the foundation for overcoming herpes.
Self-criticism isn't the most comfrotable thing to do. But exanding your comfort zone is empowering. Being able to take an unflinching inventory of yourself is emancipating.
Please don't be your own worse herpes enemy.
christopher scipio
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesnation.com
Blogarama
Monday, June 18, 2007
Why You Sould make Your Own Herbal Medicine or get it from a Herbalist
Real Herbal Medicine and Why You Should Get Yours from an Herbalist
We need plants, they don’t need us. They give us oxygen, building materials, food and medicine. We give them little except disrespect and destruction. They would be better off if we were not around. They will still be here long after we are no longer around.
Plants are living, evolving, complex life forms and are not just a package of chemicals for our exploitation as scientists would like us to believe. They are the true masters of chemistry and can produce medicines far past our ability to even conceive.
When we turn to plants for healing the energy and vitality of the plant/s in the plant medicine is just as important if not more so than the chemicals we wish to extract. Failing to even acknowledge the energetics of herbal medicine is one of the many failures of the cold, superficial approach of the drug companies. It’s no wonder that plant medicine produces so few side-effects and virtually no deaths while synthetic drugs kills hundreds of thousands of people annually- and I’m not speaking of deaths from improper use, this is the number of people killed by proper use of pharmaceutical drugs.
When you buy so-called herbal medicine or natural medicine from the internet or health food stores or wherever, you are likely buying products brutally mass-produced on industrial machines that are the equivalent of the Kraft Dinners of plant medicine. You are receiving an impersonally made product rather than a medicine made by a professional medicine-maker. Herbal medicine has always been made and should be made either by a herbalist or by yourself. When you take the healer out of the medicine-making process you de-humanize the medicine. You end up getting cold, sterile, dead products made with the same manufacturing processes as a pharmaceutical drug with the same mentality as a pharmaceutical drug- namely to make a product with the least amount of expense, that is sterile and uniform, has no relationship to nature and that maximizes the companies profit.
If you want a product that in no way tastes like, smells like, looks like or feels like the plant/s it came from and likely has had it’s molecules re-arranged to protect the companies position in the marketplace go ahead, but don’t fool yourself into believing that you are taking real herbal medicine.
If you’d like more of my thoughts on this read my article “The natural health products hustle” at http://www.natropractica.com/hustle.html
Is your herbal medicine in a liquid form? We evolved from the sea, as did all life on this planet. You body is more than 80% liquid. The planet is 70% liquid. Plants are mostly liquid. Real herbal medicine is liquid. The tradition for the past 30,000 years or more is to make herbal medicine in the form of teas, decoctions and tinctures. The reason for this is that these forms preserve the energy and chemistry of the plants the best and liquid medicine like liquid foods are the easiest things for your body to assimilate. If you prefer capsules or pills to liquid remedies it’s because you don’t have enough respect for the plants you are turning to for help to be willing to experience their taste, aroma and energy. In that case maybe your should stick to those little coloured pills from the drug companies.
Do you know who made your herbal medicine?. Who made your medicine and how it was made is just if not more important than what is in the medicine. For the best in plant medicine your medicine should be made by a herbalist or by you. Someone who will make your medicine with integrity and with the right thoughts and intentions. Someone who will only use healthy, ethically harvested plants. Someone who will not compromise on quality to make more money. If you would like to read more of my thoughts on this read my article “Why I love making my own remedies” at http://www.natropractica.com/Why%20I%20Love%20Making%20My%20Own%20Remedies.htm
Do you know where your medicine was made and what kind of energy it absorbed while being made?
When you take your herbal medicine can you feel, smell, taste or see anything of the plant/s used to make that medicine?
How does the medicine make you feel when you put it in your body? Does it make you feel connected or disconnected to the plants? Does it make you feel connected or disconnected to the person who made it? Does it make you feel connected or disconnected in general?
You can read more about how I make my own remedies here
http://www.natropractica.com/remedies.html
Unless you can answer yes to all of the above questions you are not taking real herbal medicine. Herbal medicine has been the main healing modality for human beings since the beginning and even today it continues to be the main source of medicine for 70% of the world’s population. More and more people in the richest countries of world are rejecting pharmaceutical drugs and their dangerous side-effects and returning to herbal medicine. If you wish to get the best that plant medicine has to offer get your herbal medicine from a herbalist or learn how to make it yourself.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
African Bush Doctor
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
We need plants, they don’t need us. They give us oxygen, building materials, food and medicine. We give them little except disrespect and destruction. They would be better off if we were not around. They will still be here long after we are no longer around.
Plants are living, evolving, complex life forms and are not just a package of chemicals for our exploitation as scientists would like us to believe. They are the true masters of chemistry and can produce medicines far past our ability to even conceive.
When we turn to plants for healing the energy and vitality of the plant/s in the plant medicine is just as important if not more so than the chemicals we wish to extract. Failing to even acknowledge the energetics of herbal medicine is one of the many failures of the cold, superficial approach of the drug companies. It’s no wonder that plant medicine produces so few side-effects and virtually no deaths while synthetic drugs kills hundreds of thousands of people annually- and I’m not speaking of deaths from improper use, this is the number of people killed by proper use of pharmaceutical drugs.
When you buy so-called herbal medicine or natural medicine from the internet or health food stores or wherever, you are likely buying products brutally mass-produced on industrial machines that are the equivalent of the Kraft Dinners of plant medicine. You are receiving an impersonally made product rather than a medicine made by a professional medicine-maker. Herbal medicine has always been made and should be made either by a herbalist or by yourself. When you take the healer out of the medicine-making process you de-humanize the medicine. You end up getting cold, sterile, dead products made with the same manufacturing processes as a pharmaceutical drug with the same mentality as a pharmaceutical drug- namely to make a product with the least amount of expense, that is sterile and uniform, has no relationship to nature and that maximizes the companies profit.
If you want a product that in no way tastes like, smells like, looks like or feels like the plant/s it came from and likely has had it’s molecules re-arranged to protect the companies position in the marketplace go ahead, but don’t fool yourself into believing that you are taking real herbal medicine.
If you’d like more of my thoughts on this read my article “The natural health products hustle” at http://www.natropractica.com/hustle.html
Is your herbal medicine in a liquid form? We evolved from the sea, as did all life on this planet. You body is more than 80% liquid. The planet is 70% liquid. Plants are mostly liquid. Real herbal medicine is liquid. The tradition for the past 30,000 years or more is to make herbal medicine in the form of teas, decoctions and tinctures. The reason for this is that these forms preserve the energy and chemistry of the plants the best and liquid medicine like liquid foods are the easiest things for your body to assimilate. If you prefer capsules or pills to liquid remedies it’s because you don’t have enough respect for the plants you are turning to for help to be willing to experience their taste, aroma and energy. In that case maybe your should stick to those little coloured pills from the drug companies.
Do you know who made your herbal medicine?. Who made your medicine and how it was made is just if not more important than what is in the medicine. For the best in plant medicine your medicine should be made by a herbalist or by you. Someone who will make your medicine with integrity and with the right thoughts and intentions. Someone who will only use healthy, ethically harvested plants. Someone who will not compromise on quality to make more money. If you would like to read more of my thoughts on this read my article “Why I love making my own remedies” at http://www.natropractica.com/Why%20I%20Love%20Making%20My%20Own%20Remedies.htm
Do you know where your medicine was made and what kind of energy it absorbed while being made?
When you take your herbal medicine can you feel, smell, taste or see anything of the plant/s used to make that medicine?
How does the medicine make you feel when you put it in your body? Does it make you feel connected or disconnected to the plants? Does it make you feel connected or disconnected to the person who made it? Does it make you feel connected or disconnected in general?
You can read more about how I make my own remedies here
http://www.natropractica.com/remedies.html
Unless you can answer yes to all of the above questions you are not taking real herbal medicine. Herbal medicine has been the main healing modality for human beings since the beginning and even today it continues to be the main source of medicine for 70% of the world’s population. More and more people in the richest countries of world are rejecting pharmaceutical drugs and their dangerous side-effects and returning to herbal medicine. If you wish to get the best that plant medicine has to offer get your herbal medicine from a herbalist or learn how to make it yourself.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
African Bush Doctor
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Holistically Healing Herpes
A Common Sense Primer on How Treat Herpes Naturally
The virus is going to be in your body for life, and believe it or not, it greatly prefers to stay dormant, much like it's cousin the chicken-pox virus that is also a member of the herpes family of viruses and also in your body for life.
1. Forgive the person who gave you herpes. Even if you were deceived and put at risk without your consent holding on the anger and resentment not only aggravates your health but it also binds your psychologically to a negative event which you are powerless to change.
2. Forgive yourself for having herpes. Many people with herpes feel dirty, ashamed, ostracized and compromised by having what is for most people a simple skin infection no worse than a moderate case of eczema. Accept that you have herpes and that you’ll likely have it for the rest of your life and understand that having herpes doesn’t make you less moral, less ethical, less attractive, less worthy in any way than before you became infected.
3. Get out of the closet. Most of the stigma around herpes is self-imposed by those of us-including myself who have herpes. Tell your close friends and family members that you have herpes. Reach out for support and understanding the same way you would if you had a non-sexually transmitted disease. Most often they way others will react to you is a reflection of how you feel about and project yourself. The more you are at peace with your herpes the more likely it will be that you will find support and understanding in the community around you. Sixty percent of the adult population has herpes 1 or 2 so you are a member of the majority not some obscure minority.
4. Work on your triggers. Herpes only re-activates itself when you trigger it with stress, too much sun exposure, bad dietary choices, and unprotected sex with someone else with herpes, a Candida yeast problem, too little sleep or too much partying. Herpes is like a seed in a desert. It will stay asleep indefinitely if the signal to germinate isn't given.
5. Make peace with the virus. Either through prayer, or creative visualizations, or meditations, or affirmations or any combination of the former-make a peaceful accommodation with the virus. Let go of anger and resentment and angst. If you maintain balance and peace in your mind and body herpes will become a relative non-factor in your life.
For diet- avoid caffeine in all forms including chocolate, coffee, green tea, black tea. Avoid nicotine and excessive alcohol consumption. Avoids all nuts and seeds except for hemp seeds and flax seeds. Avoids raisins, carob, and gelatin and cereal grains. Eat a low-sugar diet with only moderate amounts of whole grain bread and whole grain pasta.
* Reach for the foods rich in omega fatty acids such as hemp and flax seeds. Salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel. Avocadoes and olives. Eat organic yoghurt daily with at least 2.5% milk fat. Eat lots of garlic or take a garlic supplement. Eat brewers yeast or take a selenium supplement.
* Take up yoga or tai-chi or qi-gong. Punch a punching bag or play some tennis, racquetball or squash.
• Avoid L-lysine. Long-term use of L-lysine can actually impair your immune system. Get your lysine from your diet rather than a pill.
• Avoid magical quick-fixes for herpes such as dmso and hydrogen peroxide, nonoxydol-9, etc. There are no quick-fixes for herpes.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Herpes Treatment Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesnation.com
Blogarama
The virus is going to be in your body for life, and believe it or not, it greatly prefers to stay dormant, much like it's cousin the chicken-pox virus that is also a member of the herpes family of viruses and also in your body for life.
1. Forgive the person who gave you herpes. Even if you were deceived and put at risk without your consent holding on the anger and resentment not only aggravates your health but it also binds your psychologically to a negative event which you are powerless to change.
2. Forgive yourself for having herpes. Many people with herpes feel dirty, ashamed, ostracized and compromised by having what is for most people a simple skin infection no worse than a moderate case of eczema. Accept that you have herpes and that you’ll likely have it for the rest of your life and understand that having herpes doesn’t make you less moral, less ethical, less attractive, less worthy in any way than before you became infected.
3. Get out of the closet. Most of the stigma around herpes is self-imposed by those of us-including myself who have herpes. Tell your close friends and family members that you have herpes. Reach out for support and understanding the same way you would if you had a non-sexually transmitted disease. Most often they way others will react to you is a reflection of how you feel about and project yourself. The more you are at peace with your herpes the more likely it will be that you will find support and understanding in the community around you. Sixty percent of the adult population has herpes 1 or 2 so you are a member of the majority not some obscure minority.
4. Work on your triggers. Herpes only re-activates itself when you trigger it with stress, too much sun exposure, bad dietary choices, and unprotected sex with someone else with herpes, a Candida yeast problem, too little sleep or too much partying. Herpes is like a seed in a desert. It will stay asleep indefinitely if the signal to germinate isn't given.
5. Make peace with the virus. Either through prayer, or creative visualizations, or meditations, or affirmations or any combination of the former-make a peaceful accommodation with the virus. Let go of anger and resentment and angst. If you maintain balance and peace in your mind and body herpes will become a relative non-factor in your life.
For diet- avoid caffeine in all forms including chocolate, coffee, green tea, black tea. Avoid nicotine and excessive alcohol consumption. Avoids all nuts and seeds except for hemp seeds and flax seeds. Avoids raisins, carob, and gelatin and cereal grains. Eat a low-sugar diet with only moderate amounts of whole grain bread and whole grain pasta.
* Reach for the foods rich in omega fatty acids such as hemp and flax seeds. Salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel. Avocadoes and olives. Eat organic yoghurt daily with at least 2.5% milk fat. Eat lots of garlic or take a garlic supplement. Eat brewers yeast or take a selenium supplement.
* Take up yoga or tai-chi or qi-gong. Punch a punching bag or play some tennis, racquetball or squash.
• Avoid L-lysine. Long-term use of L-lysine can actually impair your immune system. Get your lysine from your diet rather than a pill.
• Avoid magical quick-fixes for herpes such as dmso and hydrogen peroxide, nonoxydol-9, etc. There are no quick-fixes for herpes.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Herpes Treatment Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesnation.com
Blogarama
Friday, June 15, 2007
My Herpes Interview with Monday Magazine
You Need to Know
It’s a tricky topic, but let’s talk
By RINGO WILDE
Monday Magazine, June 8-14, 2006
I know it’s not something you’re burning to talk about, Darlings—or
maybe you are burning with it, which is all the more reason to broach
the delicate subject of (ahem) herpes. You know. The gift that keeps on
giving. Even if you’re not currently affected, it pays to know what you
could be up against next time you rub up against someone who is. I
recently e-mailed with Vancouver naturopath Christopher Scipio, who has
just published a book called Making Peace With Herpes, which he wrote
because he figured it just wasn’t talked about enough. Here’s what he
had to say:
Ringo Wilde: How big a concern is herpes in British Columbia these days?
Christopher Scipio: Herpes is a huge concern . . . what I and my other
colleagues in the health profession are seeing is an increase of herpes
infection amongst the 15 to 25 population, largely due to the
popularity of oral sex and the failure of all of us to get the message
out to young people that herpes can be transmitted through oral sex
whether or not sores are visible genitally or on the lips.
RW: Who is mostly affected?
CS: Herpes is an equal opportunity disease. Many children get it by
being kissed by adults with cold sores. Herpes affects every income
level in every culture. It affects rural populations at the same rate
as urban areas.
RW: Why is there a stigma about herpes?
CS: Because the government and media are controlled by social and
religous conservatives who wish to demonize sexuality by trying to put
forward the absurd argument that sexually transmitted diseases are
God’s punishment for immorality. Not only is this an unloving and
ignorant attitude, but it also doesn’t represent the reality of
sexually transmitted infections. I, like most of my patients, got my
herpes in a monogamous relationship. Many others got their herpes as
children by being kissed by their parents.
By refusing to provide adequate sex education to the public, all these
sex-negative people are accomplishing is helping to spread sexually
transmitted diseases by denying people the information they need to
practice safer sexuality and creating a climate where some people are
afraid to admit that they have a sexually tranmitted disease. The fact
is that you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who has had six or
more sex partners who hasn’t had a sexually transmitted infection,
whether they know it or not.
RW: What can people do to control outbreaks?
CS: The first thing to do is to eat an appropriate diet. If you are
having regular outbreaks, refrain from caffeine (coffee, choclate,
black tea, green tea, yerba mate, cola drinks) and nuts and seeds
(except hemp and flax) until your immune system has become strong
enough to keep the virus dormant. Secondly, take up yoga, tai chi or qi
gong. Thirdly, take a chelated zinc supplement, selenium, and a garlic
supplement daily. If you are a woman whose outbreaks occour during
menstruation you will need a liquid hormone-balancing formula that
includes don quai, black cohosh and chaste tree berries.
Everyone with regular outbreaks needs to do the inner work necessary to
forgive themselves, forgive the person who infected them, and to make
peace with the virus and accept that it will be in their body for life.
Lastly, it is helpful for many people with regular outbreaks to either
do suppressive drug therapy or to take herbal formulas to build their
immune system . . . Suppressive drug therapy does not in any way build
your immune system, has potential negative side-effects, and once you
stop taking the drug therapy your outbreaks will likely resume as
severe as before.
RW: How can those with herpes meet others with herpes for relationships
and/or support?
CS: Every major city and many smaller towns have herpes support groups
and these can be found doing a Google search . . . There are many
dating sites like antopia.com and positivesingles.com, but I recommend
that people with herpes avoid the urge to only date others with herpes.
There is no need to ghettoize yourself into thinking that you are
unworthy of dating uninfected persons. Love is bigger than herpes.
RW: Are there natural treatments as well as drugs?
CS: Herpes has been around for about 140 millions years and infects
every animal without a backbone and most animals with a backbone
including cats, elephants and even race horses. There has only been
drug therapy for herpes for about 20 years, in contrast herpes has been
treated for more than 2,000 years through herbal medicine. There are
powerful Chinese, African and Amazonian herbs for controlling herpes
that I and many other herbalists work with, but there are powerful
natural antivirals that can help with herpes without side-effects
growing in gardens and in the wild all over B.C.. The lemon balm in
gardens, the red seaweeds on clean beaches, the reishi and other
medicinal mushrooms growing in the spring and fall, have all been
proven to be effective for herpes . . . we are surrounded by the most
powerful medicines in the world.
RW: What else should readers know?
CS: Know that “cold sores” are herpes simplex type 1, very contagious
and should not be confused as anything other than herpes of the face
and mouth—and are no less of a public health issue than so-called
genital herpes. Know that more than 60 percent of the sexually active
population has herpes, 70 percent may have HPV and 80 percent have had
chlamydia, and many women have had it more than once. Know that
sexually transmitted infections are part of the reality of being a
human being in 2006, and that they can be prevented and treated and
need not be kept a dirty secret. Know that we are all better off if
these things are discussed openly in the media and in our schools. Know
that there is nothing to fear except fear itself.
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
It’s a tricky topic, but let’s talk
By RINGO WILDE
Monday Magazine, June 8-14, 2006
I know it’s not something you’re burning to talk about, Darlings—or
maybe you are burning with it, which is all the more reason to broach
the delicate subject of (ahem) herpes. You know. The gift that keeps on
giving. Even if you’re not currently affected, it pays to know what you
could be up against next time you rub up against someone who is. I
recently e-mailed with Vancouver naturopath Christopher Scipio, who has
just published a book called Making Peace With Herpes, which he wrote
because he figured it just wasn’t talked about enough. Here’s what he
had to say:
Ringo Wilde: How big a concern is herpes in British Columbia these days?
Christopher Scipio: Herpes is a huge concern . . . what I and my other
colleagues in the health profession are seeing is an increase of herpes
infection amongst the 15 to 25 population, largely due to the
popularity of oral sex and the failure of all of us to get the message
out to young people that herpes can be transmitted through oral sex
whether or not sores are visible genitally or on the lips.
RW: Who is mostly affected?
CS: Herpes is an equal opportunity disease. Many children get it by
being kissed by adults with cold sores. Herpes affects every income
level in every culture. It affects rural populations at the same rate
as urban areas.
RW: Why is there a stigma about herpes?
CS: Because the government and media are controlled by social and
religous conservatives who wish to demonize sexuality by trying to put
forward the absurd argument that sexually transmitted diseases are
God’s punishment for immorality. Not only is this an unloving and
ignorant attitude, but it also doesn’t represent the reality of
sexually transmitted infections. I, like most of my patients, got my
herpes in a monogamous relationship. Many others got their herpes as
children by being kissed by their parents.
By refusing to provide adequate sex education to the public, all these
sex-negative people are accomplishing is helping to spread sexually
transmitted diseases by denying people the information they need to
practice safer sexuality and creating a climate where some people are
afraid to admit that they have a sexually tranmitted disease. The fact
is that you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who has had six or
more sex partners who hasn’t had a sexually transmitted infection,
whether they know it or not.
RW: What can people do to control outbreaks?
CS: The first thing to do is to eat an appropriate diet. If you are
having regular outbreaks, refrain from caffeine (coffee, choclate,
black tea, green tea, yerba mate, cola drinks) and nuts and seeds
(except hemp and flax) until your immune system has become strong
enough to keep the virus dormant. Secondly, take up yoga, tai chi or qi
gong. Thirdly, take a chelated zinc supplement, selenium, and a garlic
supplement daily. If you are a woman whose outbreaks occour during
menstruation you will need a liquid hormone-balancing formula that
includes don quai, black cohosh and chaste tree berries.
Everyone with regular outbreaks needs to do the inner work necessary to
forgive themselves, forgive the person who infected them, and to make
peace with the virus and accept that it will be in their body for life.
Lastly, it is helpful for many people with regular outbreaks to either
do suppressive drug therapy or to take herbal formulas to build their
immune system . . . Suppressive drug therapy does not in any way build
your immune system, has potential negative side-effects, and once you
stop taking the drug therapy your outbreaks will likely resume as
severe as before.
RW: How can those with herpes meet others with herpes for relationships
and/or support?
CS: Every major city and many smaller towns have herpes support groups
and these can be found doing a Google search . . . There are many
dating sites like antopia.com and positivesingles.com, but I recommend
that people with herpes avoid the urge to only date others with herpes.
There is no need to ghettoize yourself into thinking that you are
unworthy of dating uninfected persons. Love is bigger than herpes.
RW: Are there natural treatments as well as drugs?
CS: Herpes has been around for about 140 millions years and infects
every animal without a backbone and most animals with a backbone
including cats, elephants and even race horses. There has only been
drug therapy for herpes for about 20 years, in contrast herpes has been
treated for more than 2,000 years through herbal medicine. There are
powerful Chinese, African and Amazonian herbs for controlling herpes
that I and many other herbalists work with, but there are powerful
natural antivirals that can help with herpes without side-effects
growing in gardens and in the wild all over B.C.. The lemon balm in
gardens, the red seaweeds on clean beaches, the reishi and other
medicinal mushrooms growing in the spring and fall, have all been
proven to be effective for herpes . . . we are surrounded by the most
powerful medicines in the world.
RW: What else should readers know?
CS: Know that “cold sores” are herpes simplex type 1, very contagious
and should not be confused as anything other than herpes of the face
and mouth—and are no less of a public health issue than so-called
genital herpes. Know that more than 60 percent of the sexually active
population has herpes, 70 percent may have HPV and 80 percent have had
chlamydia, and many women have had it more than once. Know that
sexually transmitted infections are part of the reality of being a
human being in 2006, and that they can be prevented and treated and
need not be kept a dirty secret. Know that we are all better off if
these things are discussed openly in the media and in our schools. Know
that there is nothing to fear except fear itself.
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Let's Fight the Demonization of "Genital Herpes"
The Demonization of Genital Herpes
Those of us who have so-called “genital herpes” are caught between a rock and a hard place. On one hand we are ostracized by the minority of the population (about 40%) who don’t currently have herpes simplex in their body, which is bad enough, but more cruelly we are often isolated by our fellow members of the herpes community who have so-called cold sores (heroes simplex 1 of the mouth and face). Frankly the lack of support form the majority of population who has cold sores bothers me far more than the stigma placed on me by unsympathetic members of the uninfected population. After-all they don’t know what it feels like to have herpes so I can cut them some slack. But for those of you who have cold sores and continue pretending that you don’t have herpes and who distance yourselves from those who have their outbreaks genitally rather than facially- shame on you. If it wasn’t for your unwillingness to come to terms with the reality of your herpes infection, the herpes community would be a more united majority of the population far more empowered to boldly go out into the community and reject the unjust and irrational stigma placed on people with herpes.
Sixty percent of the population has herpes. We are living in a herpes nation. There is no reason for us to be a despised minority. If we were more united and more out of the closet we would be in a so much better position to inspire understanding and support from those who do not have herpes. We would be better able to educate young people on herpes prevention and herpes awareness. We would be better able to reach out to the people with herpes who have had their self-esteem devastated.
So-called cold sores are herpes. I have had too many people in my clinic and through the Internet say to me, “I don’t have herpes, I’ve never had an STD, but I do get these cold sores on my lips”.
Herpes is herpes whether you get your outbreaks above the waist or below the waist. It’s true that people with type 1 herpes of the mouth and face often have fewer outbreaks than people with herpes type 2 of the genitals, but it is also true that herpes of the mouth and face is just as contagious if not more so than genital herpes. It is also true that many people with type 1 herpes of the mouth and face shed virus without symptoms and are giving many people type 1 herpes on their genitals from oral sex. It is also true that herpes of the mouth and face can spread to parts of the body that genital herpes rarely ever spreads to including the nostrils and into the brain, the hands and fingers, down the esophagus and into the stomach, into the eyes, and elsewhere.
For those who don’t have herpes and give people with herpes a rough time, I really have no words for you. If you believe that having genital herpes is an indication of promiscuity or moral deficiency then you are probably too far-gone for anything I say here to reach you. And for the record I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with promiscuity. I got my herpes in the context of a monogamous relationship but I wouldn’t feel bad about myself if I had been infected by herpes through promiscuity. How you got herpes is irrelevant. Herpes is a virus. Viruses have different strategies for gaining access to our bodies. A virus that chooses sex as it’s preferred method of infection is less scary to me than an airborne virus that indiscriminately devastates huge populations in a matter of days.
Jesus said “let he is who is without sin cast the first stone”. I say let he or she who is without a virus cast the first stone. Between the Chicken-Pox virus (a member of the herpes family), the Epstein-Barr virus (another member of the herpes family), the HPV virus (genital warts and cervical dysplasia) and Herpes Simplex there is virtually no adult reading this article who doesn’t currently have a virus in their body and except for the HPV virus, these viruses are lifelong infections and that’s without even discussing bacteria, fungi, yeast, and protozoa .
Herpes has been around since the time of the dinosaurs and affects almost every single mammal including cats and elephants. In fact cats and elephants are dying of herpes. I know that cats can be randy but I have never heard of anyone accusing elephants of being promiscuous. If anyone has ever seen an elephant orgy let me know so that I can print a retraction.
When someone has the integrity and courage to tell you that they have herpes they are making themselves vulnerable to you. How you react can often either crush them or help set them free from a prison of shame. I believe that most people are intelligent and compassionate. Please treat people with herpes with the compassion and understanding we deserve. We are the same people we were before we got herpes. We are no less moral, no less attractive, just as good in bed, just as good of a friend or son or daughter or brother or sister as we were before we got herpes. When someone tells you they have herpes if you treat them unsympathetically it only discourages them for telling others about their herpes in the future, which isn’t a good situation for anyone. When someone tells you they have herpes it’s an opportunity and challenge to you to show that you are not prejudiced and mean-spirited. It is a chance for us all to create more love and understanding.
For those of us who have genital herpes - don’t buy into the lies and myths that make you ashamed and marginalized. You can choose not to let herpes define you and dominate your life. No one can take away your power and dignity except for yourself.
When someone gives you a bad time for having herpes instead of dwelling too long in anger or sadness, just “forgive them for they know not what they do”. Embrace all the beauty and love around you and if there isn’t enough beauty and love, create it. You are a human being equipped with infinite potential for loving and appreciating the wonders of this world.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Herpes Treatment Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesnation.com
Blogarama
Those of us who have so-called “genital herpes” are caught between a rock and a hard place. On one hand we are ostracized by the minority of the population (about 40%) who don’t currently have herpes simplex in their body, which is bad enough, but more cruelly we are often isolated by our fellow members of the herpes community who have so-called cold sores (heroes simplex 1 of the mouth and face). Frankly the lack of support form the majority of population who has cold sores bothers me far more than the stigma placed on me by unsympathetic members of the uninfected population. After-all they don’t know what it feels like to have herpes so I can cut them some slack. But for those of you who have cold sores and continue pretending that you don’t have herpes and who distance yourselves from those who have their outbreaks genitally rather than facially- shame on you. If it wasn’t for your unwillingness to come to terms with the reality of your herpes infection, the herpes community would be a more united majority of the population far more empowered to boldly go out into the community and reject the unjust and irrational stigma placed on people with herpes.
Sixty percent of the population has herpes. We are living in a herpes nation. There is no reason for us to be a despised minority. If we were more united and more out of the closet we would be in a so much better position to inspire understanding and support from those who do not have herpes. We would be better able to educate young people on herpes prevention and herpes awareness. We would be better able to reach out to the people with herpes who have had their self-esteem devastated.
So-called cold sores are herpes. I have had too many people in my clinic and through the Internet say to me, “I don’t have herpes, I’ve never had an STD, but I do get these cold sores on my lips”.
Herpes is herpes whether you get your outbreaks above the waist or below the waist. It’s true that people with type 1 herpes of the mouth and face often have fewer outbreaks than people with herpes type 2 of the genitals, but it is also true that herpes of the mouth and face is just as contagious if not more so than genital herpes. It is also true that many people with type 1 herpes of the mouth and face shed virus without symptoms and are giving many people type 1 herpes on their genitals from oral sex. It is also true that herpes of the mouth and face can spread to parts of the body that genital herpes rarely ever spreads to including the nostrils and into the brain, the hands and fingers, down the esophagus and into the stomach, into the eyes, and elsewhere.
For those who don’t have herpes and give people with herpes a rough time, I really have no words for you. If you believe that having genital herpes is an indication of promiscuity or moral deficiency then you are probably too far-gone for anything I say here to reach you. And for the record I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with promiscuity. I got my herpes in the context of a monogamous relationship but I wouldn’t feel bad about myself if I had been infected by herpes through promiscuity. How you got herpes is irrelevant. Herpes is a virus. Viruses have different strategies for gaining access to our bodies. A virus that chooses sex as it’s preferred method of infection is less scary to me than an airborne virus that indiscriminately devastates huge populations in a matter of days.
Jesus said “let he is who is without sin cast the first stone”. I say let he or she who is without a virus cast the first stone. Between the Chicken-Pox virus (a member of the herpes family), the Epstein-Barr virus (another member of the herpes family), the HPV virus (genital warts and cervical dysplasia) and Herpes Simplex there is virtually no adult reading this article who doesn’t currently have a virus in their body and except for the HPV virus, these viruses are lifelong infections and that’s without even discussing bacteria, fungi, yeast, and protozoa .
Herpes has been around since the time of the dinosaurs and affects almost every single mammal including cats and elephants. In fact cats and elephants are dying of herpes. I know that cats can be randy but I have never heard of anyone accusing elephants of being promiscuous. If anyone has ever seen an elephant orgy let me know so that I can print a retraction.
When someone has the integrity and courage to tell you that they have herpes they are making themselves vulnerable to you. How you react can often either crush them or help set them free from a prison of shame. I believe that most people are intelligent and compassionate. Please treat people with herpes with the compassion and understanding we deserve. We are the same people we were before we got herpes. We are no less moral, no less attractive, just as good in bed, just as good of a friend or son or daughter or brother or sister as we were before we got herpes. When someone tells you they have herpes if you treat them unsympathetically it only discourages them for telling others about their herpes in the future, which isn’t a good situation for anyone. When someone tells you they have herpes it’s an opportunity and challenge to you to show that you are not prejudiced and mean-spirited. It is a chance for us all to create more love and understanding.
For those of us who have genital herpes - don’t buy into the lies and myths that make you ashamed and marginalized. You can choose not to let herpes define you and dominate your life. No one can take away your power and dignity except for yourself.
When someone gives you a bad time for having herpes instead of dwelling too long in anger or sadness, just “forgive them for they know not what they do”. Embrace all the beauty and love around you and if there isn’t enough beauty and love, create it. You are a human being equipped with infinite potential for loving and appreciating the wonders of this world.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Herpes Treatment Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesnation.com
Blogarama
Saturday, June 09, 2007
A Prescription for Love
A Prescription for Love.
For anyone who is struggling with their herpes, and even for those who are not struggling, here's my prescription for Love.
Love is the universal agent of healing. Everything good and positive and sustainable in this world comes from love. The best prescription for herpes is a daily mega-dose of love.
Do you love yourself? Has having herpes made you love yourself less? If others try to trash you for having herpes- love yourself so hard and so well that the hate and ignorance from the outside world cannot penetrate the golden light of love around you.
Are you loving others? or has herpes made you shut down and go into hiding? People out there need your love. To withhold your love and sex from others because of being ashamed of having herpes not only robs you of the experience of being loved but robs others of the chance of being loved by you. Love always opens up , real love doesn't close down. Open your heart and mind and get back into the world and love.
Do you love your life? Life is such a precious short gift. It's a crying shame to waste any of it feeling anything but happy and grateful for life. No matter who you are or how you live there's always something to love about your life, everyday.
Do you love your body? Are you giving it the things it needs to manage herpes? Are you eating and drinking for health first or to satisfy cravings and addictions (i.e. coffee and chocolate).
Do you project Loving energy? Are you a shining beacon of love and beauty in this cold dark world. Love will keep you safe in the storm and feed you when you are hungry.
Have you learned how to make peace with the virus? Without peace can love really set down it's roots?
Blogarama
For anyone who is struggling with their herpes, and even for those who are not struggling, here's my prescription for Love.
Love is the universal agent of healing. Everything good and positive and sustainable in this world comes from love. The best prescription for herpes is a daily mega-dose of love.
Do you love yourself? Has having herpes made you love yourself less? If others try to trash you for having herpes- love yourself so hard and so well that the hate and ignorance from the outside world cannot penetrate the golden light of love around you.
Are you loving others? or has herpes made you shut down and go into hiding? People out there need your love. To withhold your love and sex from others because of being ashamed of having herpes not only robs you of the experience of being loved but robs others of the chance of being loved by you. Love always opens up , real love doesn't close down. Open your heart and mind and get back into the world and love.
Do you love your life? Life is such a precious short gift. It's a crying shame to waste any of it feeling anything but happy and grateful for life. No matter who you are or how you live there's always something to love about your life, everyday.
Do you love your body? Are you giving it the things it needs to manage herpes? Are you eating and drinking for health first or to satisfy cravings and addictions (i.e. coffee and chocolate).
Do you project Loving energy? Are you a shining beacon of love and beauty in this cold dark world. Love will keep you safe in the storm and feed you when you are hungry.
Have you learned how to make peace with the virus? Without peace can love really set down it's roots?
Blogarama
Friday, June 08, 2007
Just Who Are We Calling a Virus?
Just Who Are We Calling a Virus?
We are the virus. We are the epidemic.
Up until fairly recently we (human beings) were a relatively benign presence on the earth. We lived in harmony with the earth. We didn’t have much choice. Our survival depended on it.
Then our “intelligence”, arrogance and greed mutated us into the worst plague the earth has ever seen. We are making the planet sick and if we don’t change our ways soon the earth will die.
At last count we are making 40,000 or more species of plants and animals extinct every year, ironically destroying the very sources of medicines which may cure the diseases that plague us.
A virus cannot live independent of its host. A malignant virus wantonly reproduces until it exhausts all of its host’s resources until the host dies.
The way herpes and hpv treats us compares favourably with how we treat our environment.
Again ironically, one of the few therapies available to the ecosystem to try and fight the plague of human civilization is to use lethal viruses and other pathogens to reduce our numbers to manageable levels.
The earth hasn’t employed this treatment against us as yet. I believe it’s because nature is still hoping to make peace with us and live in balance with us. But if we continue to ravage our host Gaia, our mother, She will have no choice but to purge herself of us in the near future. Either that or we will destroy the planet.
Herbal medicine and all forms of natural healing is a key component in us living in harmony with the earth. When you treat yourself with natural medicine not only are you helping yourself make peace with the disease in your body, but you are also reconnecting yourself with the plants in your medicine and the viral forces of the planet which are embodied in the plants. It is an antidote to the impersonal, synthetic, mass-produced industrial drugs from the same collective mentality that is raping and plundering the planet. Natural medicine is an act of self-love and an act of respect for nature. It is an act of harmonization. Drug therapy is almost always an act of alienation.
Sometimes drug therapy is necessary and life-saving. Just as some harvesting of the planet’s resources will always be necessary. But whenever possible nature should be the therapy of choice.
The next time you think about herpes of any other virus, ask yourself who is the real virus?
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.herpesnation.com
Blogarama
We are the virus. We are the epidemic.
Up until fairly recently we (human beings) were a relatively benign presence on the earth. We lived in harmony with the earth. We didn’t have much choice. Our survival depended on it.
Then our “intelligence”, arrogance and greed mutated us into the worst plague the earth has ever seen. We are making the planet sick and if we don’t change our ways soon the earth will die.
At last count we are making 40,000 or more species of plants and animals extinct every year, ironically destroying the very sources of medicines which may cure the diseases that plague us.
A virus cannot live independent of its host. A malignant virus wantonly reproduces until it exhausts all of its host’s resources until the host dies.
The way herpes and hpv treats us compares favourably with how we treat our environment.
Again ironically, one of the few therapies available to the ecosystem to try and fight the plague of human civilization is to use lethal viruses and other pathogens to reduce our numbers to manageable levels.
The earth hasn’t employed this treatment against us as yet. I believe it’s because nature is still hoping to make peace with us and live in balance with us. But if we continue to ravage our host Gaia, our mother, She will have no choice but to purge herself of us in the near future. Either that or we will destroy the planet.
Herbal medicine and all forms of natural healing is a key component in us living in harmony with the earth. When you treat yourself with natural medicine not only are you helping yourself make peace with the disease in your body, but you are also reconnecting yourself with the plants in your medicine and the viral forces of the planet which are embodied in the plants. It is an antidote to the impersonal, synthetic, mass-produced industrial drugs from the same collective mentality that is raping and plundering the planet. Natural medicine is an act of self-love and an act of respect for nature. It is an act of harmonization. Drug therapy is almost always an act of alienation.
Sometimes drug therapy is necessary and life-saving. Just as some harvesting of the planet’s resources will always be necessary. But whenever possible nature should be the therapy of choice.
The next time you think about herpes of any other virus, ask yourself who is the real virus?
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.herpesnation.com
Blogarama
Monday, June 04, 2007
Herpes/Her-Peace
Herpes /Her-Peace
In my experience as a clinician it became apparent almost immediately that herpes is a very different disease for women than it is for men. It is easier for a woman to be infected with herpes than it is for a man. Women tend to experience more severe symptoms than men. Women are more likely to feel stigmatized by having herpes since we still live in a culture where many people (including many women) expect women to be purer than men. We embrace bad boys, we tend to punish “bad women”. My three years of research with sex workers proved this point over and over again to me.
Women are more in touch with the forces of the universe than men are. Women tend to be the ones in any culture that maintain balance and hold families together. Women give birth to life and nurture life, too many men destroy life- human life, animal life, plant life.
In many societies it has been the women that have preserved the healing knowledge of the local plants. This is true in my African-Caribbean culture.
If you are a woman who has herpes it’s vitally important that you use your feminine instincts to make peace with the virus, reject any notion of yourself being dirty or compromised by having herpes, and reach out to your community for support and love. Some people ridicule the notion of making peace with herpes and write to me asking me how to make war on the virus. I always tell them that one of the fundamental rules of the art of war is to never fight a war that you cannot win. Some people are inclined to be negative, they prefer to be angry and resentful and bitter- towards the virus, towards the person who gave it to them, towards life, even towards me for even suggesting that making peace with herpes is possible. They prefer to say no when they can say yes. These people never do well with managing their herpes holistically. These people rarely experience the fullness of health and happiness.
Herpes lives in the base ganglion of your nervous system. If you have type two herpes it’s right there in the sacral region of your spine. Herpes is tapped into every major nervous system in your body. Herpes can feel when you are unbalanced and negative and will respond by activating itself and it can sense when you are balanced and at peace and will tend to stay dormant.
I have only had one outbreak in the past four plus years because I am at peace with the virus in my body and with my body and with my life and with my community. I live a positive life. I enjoy this gift of being alive. I am happy. I don’t need to take any supplements or remedies any longer to control my herpes. The peace and balance in my life has proven to be the most effective medicine ever.
Without peace and balance herpes will be the least of your problems. You will be more vulnerable to cancer and heart disease and everything else.
There’s too much trouble in this world already. I encourage you to make your own life into an oasis of love and harmony. Sound too easy? You are a human being with virtually unlimited power and potential. You can make almost anything you want to happen happen, if you believe and if you do the work.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
In my experience as a clinician it became apparent almost immediately that herpes is a very different disease for women than it is for men. It is easier for a woman to be infected with herpes than it is for a man. Women tend to experience more severe symptoms than men. Women are more likely to feel stigmatized by having herpes since we still live in a culture where many people (including many women) expect women to be purer than men. We embrace bad boys, we tend to punish “bad women”. My three years of research with sex workers proved this point over and over again to me.
Women are more in touch with the forces of the universe than men are. Women tend to be the ones in any culture that maintain balance and hold families together. Women give birth to life and nurture life, too many men destroy life- human life, animal life, plant life.
In many societies it has been the women that have preserved the healing knowledge of the local plants. This is true in my African-Caribbean culture.
If you are a woman who has herpes it’s vitally important that you use your feminine instincts to make peace with the virus, reject any notion of yourself being dirty or compromised by having herpes, and reach out to your community for support and love. Some people ridicule the notion of making peace with herpes and write to me asking me how to make war on the virus. I always tell them that one of the fundamental rules of the art of war is to never fight a war that you cannot win. Some people are inclined to be negative, they prefer to be angry and resentful and bitter- towards the virus, towards the person who gave it to them, towards life, even towards me for even suggesting that making peace with herpes is possible. They prefer to say no when they can say yes. These people never do well with managing their herpes holistically. These people rarely experience the fullness of health and happiness.
Herpes lives in the base ganglion of your nervous system. If you have type two herpes it’s right there in the sacral region of your spine. Herpes is tapped into every major nervous system in your body. Herpes can feel when you are unbalanced and negative and will respond by activating itself and it can sense when you are balanced and at peace and will tend to stay dormant.
I have only had one outbreak in the past four plus years because I am at peace with the virus in my body and with my body and with my life and with my community. I live a positive life. I enjoy this gift of being alive. I am happy. I don’t need to take any supplements or remedies any longer to control my herpes. The peace and balance in my life has proven to be the most effective medicine ever.
Without peace and balance herpes will be the least of your problems. You will be more vulnerable to cancer and heart disease and everything else.
There’s too much trouble in this world already. I encourage you to make your own life into an oasis of love and harmony. Sound too easy? You are a human being with virtually unlimited power and potential. You can make almost anything you want to happen happen, if you believe and if you do the work.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Saturday, June 02, 2007
How to Have Holistic Safer Sex
A Holistic Guide to Safer Sex
Have Sex:
A happy and life-affirming sex life is your God/dess given right. Don’t feel that you have to opt out of the joys of life just because you have a life-long herpes infection. It’s not easy to feel sexy when you are having regular outbreaks, especially if you are a woman, but it’s important to feel like a whole, clean, desirable person.
I’ve written before and I’ll write it again that having herpes or hpv doesn’t make you any less attractive, or sexy or moral or clean as you were before you got herpes or hpv. Perception can be very deceptive; especially the way many people choose to see themselves. You have the power to change how you see yourself for the better. If you want sex and are not having any symptoms of an outbreak or prodrome there’s no reason in the world not to have sex. Beyond the physical pleasures, intimacy is vital in this all too cold world.
Have sex but be responsible with your sexuality.
Whether or Not to have Safer Sex:
In my opinion, it is the right and responsibility of any two or more consenting adults about to start a sexual relationship, even if it’s a casual one, to have a conversation about whether or not they wish to practice safer sex. I encourage people to have safer sex but no one has the right to tell anyone what to do with their own body. Some people like taking risks; some are down-right self-destructive and destructive to others. Some choose to smoke cigarettes or do recreational drugs. Some eat junk food. Some watch Wrestlemania.
Whatever the two or more people about to begin a sexual relationship decide it should be a mutual agreement. Don’t leave it to assumptions or reading between the lines. Don’t have your head in the sand. Don’t fantasize that God or Spirit or good luck is a substitute for a safer sex strategy. Talk about it openly and decide what level of risk is appropriate for the situation.
Know Your Partner: Get Tested
Having sex with any person who hasn’t recently been tested for sexually transmitted infections including having blood tests for herpes, hepatitis, and HPV is like playing Russian roulette. Not only would you not know what you may be exposing yourself to, but the person in question may be in the dark themselves. Some people would rather not know than know. Knowledge is empowering and in this matter not knowing is simply foolish.
Don’t be intimidated to ask. In this day in age it isn’t disloyal or rude or unromantic to ask about someone’s sexually transmitted infection status. Make sure that you have been recently tested yourself if you are not in a long-term monogamous relationship.
If you do not know your partner’s test status it’s best to assume that they have at least one sexually transmitted infection and to govern yourself accordingly. If you do not know your test results you should also assume that you have at least one sexually transmitted infection and should take the appropriate precautions to inform and protect your partner/s.
Know Your Limits: Stick to Your Comfort Zone:
A lot of people, especially women, get intimidated by their partners into engaging in sexual acts that are outside of their comfort zone. Do not allow anyone to pressure you into doing anything you are not ready, willing and able to do. It’s your body, exercise the fullness of your rights.
It’s all a matter of choice. No one is less cool or less committed to any relationship by sticking to their own sexual boundaries.
Use a Condom/Dental Dam:
Safer sex means using a condom for genital, oral and anal sex if there is a penis involved or a dental dam or saran wrap if there isn’t a penis involved. If someone is allergic to latex there are polyurethane condoms available. For oral sex there are flavoured condoms as an option.
Please don’t use a condom that contains a spermicide as these tend to irritate your mucous membranes and make the people involved more likely to get a sexually transmitted infection.
Don’t develop a false sense of security with condoms/dental dams/saran wrap. These do not cover areas of the body that can still transmit and be vulnerable to infection, using an antiviral gel on possible transmission and infection sites can help lessen this possibility. For example if a man gets herpes sores in his pubic hair area or perineum or buttocks, wearing a condom will not protect his partner; using an antiviral gel will.
Condoms can also break or slip off. Using an anti-viral gel underneath a condom will help protect in the case of a broken or slipped-off condom. Using a water-based lube or anti-viral gel outside of the condom will reduce the likelihood of the condom breaking.
The condom should go on as soon as the clothes come off if not before.
Once a man has ejaculated, he should remove the condom from his penis and remove his penis from intimate contact with his partner as condoms are very likely to slip off as the penis becomes flaccid.
If you are practicing fisting, latex gloves are recommended.
Use an Antiviral Gel:
I have been treating herpes holistically for 16 years now, starting with my own. Even during the heady days four years past when I finally was able to put together an effective protocol for controlling herpes outbreaks, I was still left with a daunting challenge.
Yes, now I knew I could greatly limit the frequency and severity of outbreaks with the virus for myself and others, in fact I could keep many people outbreak free for vast stretches of time, but that still wasn't enough of a safeguard against infecting others with this lifelong viral illness.
The fear of passing herpes on to loved ones kept myself and keeps many others reluctant to have a sex life at all, and ironically, having a happy and active sex life is one of the best ways to keep the virus dormant. Happy, sexually active people are less likely to have outbreaks.
Condoms are of course a great tool in making sex safer. But there are problems with condoms, they can break or slide off. They don't offer much help if the man's site for herpes or genital warts are in locations other than the penis, i.e. buttocks, legs, etc.
We developed our own microbiocide with Carrageenan and other substances we were already working with in the protocol and developed our own formula. Our Red Marine Algae and Carrageenan Anti-Viral Gel is edible, completely non-toxic and can act as a lubricant. It is not meant as a replacement for condoms, it's designed as a supplement to condom use to make it less likely to infect your loved ones. It's effective for genital, anal and oral sex.
You use the gel as a barrier so the best way to use it in terms of heterosexual sex is for the man to put some on his penis and then put a latex condom on the penis. Then a small amount of gel would be applied to the labia of the woman and also inside her vagina. The gel should be reapplied every 30-45 minutes. Even after being sucked or licked there is enough of a coating of the gel to be effective for 30 minutes. The gel can be used as a barrier in anal sex, oral sex, lesbian oral sex and even for kissing.
The gel must be used with a latex condom or a dental dam/saran wrap. The gel is not a contraceptive and will not prevent pregnancy.
If you are a woman, regardless of whether or not you are sexually active you should place a small amount of the gel inside your vagina three times a day every day to help prevent outbreaks and viral shedding. If you are a man and have symtpoms after sex or masturbation you should apply the gel three tmes a day to the areas where you have previously ahd sores.
To inquire about ordering the gel email me or visit http://www.antiviralgel.com
Urinate After Sex:
It is crucially important for women to urinate as soon after sex as possible. I recommend that it be within 15 minutes of completing the act. Failing to do so on a regular basis can lead to urinary track and bladder infections.
I recommend that men follow this advice as well.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Have Sex:
A happy and life-affirming sex life is your God/dess given right. Don’t feel that you have to opt out of the joys of life just because you have a life-long herpes infection. It’s not easy to feel sexy when you are having regular outbreaks, especially if you are a woman, but it’s important to feel like a whole, clean, desirable person.
I’ve written before and I’ll write it again that having herpes or hpv doesn’t make you any less attractive, or sexy or moral or clean as you were before you got herpes or hpv. Perception can be very deceptive; especially the way many people choose to see themselves. You have the power to change how you see yourself for the better. If you want sex and are not having any symptoms of an outbreak or prodrome there’s no reason in the world not to have sex. Beyond the physical pleasures, intimacy is vital in this all too cold world.
Have sex but be responsible with your sexuality.
Whether or Not to have Safer Sex:
In my opinion, it is the right and responsibility of any two or more consenting adults about to start a sexual relationship, even if it’s a casual one, to have a conversation about whether or not they wish to practice safer sex. I encourage people to have safer sex but no one has the right to tell anyone what to do with their own body. Some people like taking risks; some are down-right self-destructive and destructive to others. Some choose to smoke cigarettes or do recreational drugs. Some eat junk food. Some watch Wrestlemania.
Whatever the two or more people about to begin a sexual relationship decide it should be a mutual agreement. Don’t leave it to assumptions or reading between the lines. Don’t have your head in the sand. Don’t fantasize that God or Spirit or good luck is a substitute for a safer sex strategy. Talk about it openly and decide what level of risk is appropriate for the situation.
Know Your Partner: Get Tested
Having sex with any person who hasn’t recently been tested for sexually transmitted infections including having blood tests for herpes, hepatitis, and HPV is like playing Russian roulette. Not only would you not know what you may be exposing yourself to, but the person in question may be in the dark themselves. Some people would rather not know than know. Knowledge is empowering and in this matter not knowing is simply foolish.
Don’t be intimidated to ask. In this day in age it isn’t disloyal or rude or unromantic to ask about someone’s sexually transmitted infection status. Make sure that you have been recently tested yourself if you are not in a long-term monogamous relationship.
If you do not know your partner’s test status it’s best to assume that they have at least one sexually transmitted infection and to govern yourself accordingly. If you do not know your test results you should also assume that you have at least one sexually transmitted infection and should take the appropriate precautions to inform and protect your partner/s.
Know Your Limits: Stick to Your Comfort Zone:
A lot of people, especially women, get intimidated by their partners into engaging in sexual acts that are outside of their comfort zone. Do not allow anyone to pressure you into doing anything you are not ready, willing and able to do. It’s your body, exercise the fullness of your rights.
It’s all a matter of choice. No one is less cool or less committed to any relationship by sticking to their own sexual boundaries.
Use a Condom/Dental Dam:
Safer sex means using a condom for genital, oral and anal sex if there is a penis involved or a dental dam or saran wrap if there isn’t a penis involved. If someone is allergic to latex there are polyurethane condoms available. For oral sex there are flavoured condoms as an option.
Please don’t use a condom that contains a spermicide as these tend to irritate your mucous membranes and make the people involved more likely to get a sexually transmitted infection.
Don’t develop a false sense of security with condoms/dental dams/saran wrap. These do not cover areas of the body that can still transmit and be vulnerable to infection, using an antiviral gel on possible transmission and infection sites can help lessen this possibility. For example if a man gets herpes sores in his pubic hair area or perineum or buttocks, wearing a condom will not protect his partner; using an antiviral gel will.
Condoms can also break or slip off. Using an anti-viral gel underneath a condom will help protect in the case of a broken or slipped-off condom. Using a water-based lube or anti-viral gel outside of the condom will reduce the likelihood of the condom breaking.
The condom should go on as soon as the clothes come off if not before.
Once a man has ejaculated, he should remove the condom from his penis and remove his penis from intimate contact with his partner as condoms are very likely to slip off as the penis becomes flaccid.
If you are practicing fisting, latex gloves are recommended.
Use an Antiviral Gel:
I have been treating herpes holistically for 16 years now, starting with my own. Even during the heady days four years past when I finally was able to put together an effective protocol for controlling herpes outbreaks, I was still left with a daunting challenge.
Yes, now I knew I could greatly limit the frequency and severity of outbreaks with the virus for myself and others, in fact I could keep many people outbreak free for vast stretches of time, but that still wasn't enough of a safeguard against infecting others with this lifelong viral illness.
The fear of passing herpes on to loved ones kept myself and keeps many others reluctant to have a sex life at all, and ironically, having a happy and active sex life is one of the best ways to keep the virus dormant. Happy, sexually active people are less likely to have outbreaks.
Condoms are of course a great tool in making sex safer. But there are problems with condoms, they can break or slide off. They don't offer much help if the man's site for herpes or genital warts are in locations other than the penis, i.e. buttocks, legs, etc.
We developed our own microbiocide with Carrageenan and other substances we were already working with in the protocol and developed our own formula. Our Red Marine Algae and Carrageenan Anti-Viral Gel is edible, completely non-toxic and can act as a lubricant. It is not meant as a replacement for condoms, it's designed as a supplement to condom use to make it less likely to infect your loved ones. It's effective for genital, anal and oral sex.
You use the gel as a barrier so the best way to use it in terms of heterosexual sex is for the man to put some on his penis and then put a latex condom on the penis. Then a small amount of gel would be applied to the labia of the woman and also inside her vagina. The gel should be reapplied every 30-45 minutes. Even after being sucked or licked there is enough of a coating of the gel to be effective for 30 minutes. The gel can be used as a barrier in anal sex, oral sex, lesbian oral sex and even for kissing.
The gel must be used with a latex condom or a dental dam/saran wrap. The gel is not a contraceptive and will not prevent pregnancy.
If you are a woman, regardless of whether or not you are sexually active you should place a small amount of the gel inside your vagina three times a day every day to help prevent outbreaks and viral shedding. If you are a man and have symtpoms after sex or masturbation you should apply the gel three tmes a day to the areas where you have previously ahd sores.
To inquire about ordering the gel email me or visit http://www.antiviralgel.com
Urinate After Sex:
It is crucially important for women to urinate as soon after sex as possible. I recommend that it be within 15 minutes of completing the act. Failing to do so on a regular basis can lead to urinary track and bladder infections.
I recommend that men follow this advice as well.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Friday, June 01, 2007
Don't Let Herpes Make You into a Victim
Don’t Let Herpes Make You Into A Victim
We live in an affluent, highly privileged society. We spoil and indulge ourselves shamelessly. We consume way more than our fair share of the planet’s resources. We drug ourselves with coffee, cigarettes, alcohol and comfort foods. We distract ourselves with junk culture coming from our televisions, radios and print media. In the midst of all this the temptation is there to want to identify ourselves as a victim so we can have an excuse to feel sorry for ourselves.
There are many real victims out there: children who are being sexually abused, women who are the target of men’s rage, seniors being targeted by con artists or mistreated in nursing homes. For those of us with herpes there is no need to buy into to the victim role and feel sorry for ourselves.
Herpes is a minor sexually transmitted skin disease. It’s easily managed and you can effectively protect your intimate partner/s from being infected. Between herpes, HPV and Chlamydia alone there’s probably no one you know who has had more than six sex partners who hasn’t caught a sexually transmitted disease, so having herpes isn’t unusual- you haven’t been singled out by God for punishment, you are simply dealing with the reality of life in the 21st century, we are hosts for a variety of microorganisms, some of them sexually transmitted.
I don’t expect anyone to throw a “I’ve just been diagnosed with herpes “ party, but why all the doom and gloom? Must we really buy into this false stigma? Is it all that bad?
No it isn’t all that bad. Get down on your hands and knees and be grateful that you don’t have a real illness like my patients with M.S. and Cancer and HIV. Make peace with that little red virus inside of you and go on with you life. Love and laugh and enjoy the blessings of being in a wealthy, peaceful, abundant society. Face whatever challenges life throws at you with dignity and courage.
MY feeling is that we with herpes have no right to behave like victims. I reserve that right for the women in Africa who have endured genital mutilation, for the people starving all over the world, for the children scavenging for scraps to sell in garbage dumps, for the families destroyed by war and its aftermath. They’d all trade their fates for a simple herpes infection any day of the week.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic herpes treatment specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
We live in an affluent, highly privileged society. We spoil and indulge ourselves shamelessly. We consume way more than our fair share of the planet’s resources. We drug ourselves with coffee, cigarettes, alcohol and comfort foods. We distract ourselves with junk culture coming from our televisions, radios and print media. In the midst of all this the temptation is there to want to identify ourselves as a victim so we can have an excuse to feel sorry for ourselves.
There are many real victims out there: children who are being sexually abused, women who are the target of men’s rage, seniors being targeted by con artists or mistreated in nursing homes. For those of us with herpes there is no need to buy into to the victim role and feel sorry for ourselves.
Herpes is a minor sexually transmitted skin disease. It’s easily managed and you can effectively protect your intimate partner/s from being infected. Between herpes, HPV and Chlamydia alone there’s probably no one you know who has had more than six sex partners who hasn’t caught a sexually transmitted disease, so having herpes isn’t unusual- you haven’t been singled out by God for punishment, you are simply dealing with the reality of life in the 21st century, we are hosts for a variety of microorganisms, some of them sexually transmitted.
I don’t expect anyone to throw a “I’ve just been diagnosed with herpes “ party, but why all the doom and gloom? Must we really buy into this false stigma? Is it all that bad?
No it isn’t all that bad. Get down on your hands and knees and be grateful that you don’t have a real illness like my patients with M.S. and Cancer and HIV. Make peace with that little red virus inside of you and go on with you life. Love and laugh and enjoy the blessings of being in a wealthy, peaceful, abundant society. Face whatever challenges life throws at you with dignity and courage.
MY feeling is that we with herpes have no right to behave like victims. I reserve that right for the women in Africa who have endured genital mutilation, for the people starving all over the world, for the children scavenging for scraps to sell in garbage dumps, for the families destroyed by war and its aftermath. They’d all trade their fates for a simple herpes infection any day of the week.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic herpes treatment specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Why You Doctor May be the Last Person You wish to Speak with about Herpes
Why Your Doctor May Be the Last Person You Want to Speak with About Herpes
1. Most doctors are uninterested and unsympathetic to persons with herpes: Doctors are busy seeing lots of patients making lots of money. Herpes is a disease very few doctor’s have taken an interest in. There is no glamour involved with herpes like with cancer or heart disease. There are no big charities or foundations with millions or billions for research, and it’s incurable. Other than writing a prescription for an acyclovir-based drug there’s not much else seeing a doctor can do for persons with herpes. Very few doctors are going to invest the time and compassion in discussing the mental and emotional aspects of having herpes. Very few doctors will want to discuss having safer sexuality with you.
2. Many doctors and even a surprising number of dermatologists are not that competent at diagnosing herpes: Most doctors cannot accurately diagnose herpes sore just by visual inspection. I was mis-diagnosed for two years by a series of doctors who not only visually inspected my sores but also took swabs and gave me false negatives. Herpes can appear in a wide variety of forms on the skin form the typical colony of pin-prick sized liquid-headed lesions, to a single small pimple, a single-large pimple, a tear or slit in the skin like a fissure, to various rashes, to impersonations of ingrown hairs and skin-tags. If you suspect you have herpes insist on a type-specific blood test. The Western-Blot test is the most accurate one out, but there are others. You local chapter of planned parenthood can help you get a test if your doctor is reluctant.
3. Many doctors are surprisingly uninformed about herpes: I spend a lot of my time correcting bad information given to my patients by their doctors. Some doctors are even still telling people that they cannot spread herpes to others when they are not having an outbreak. Many doctors also exaggerate the hype about asymptomatic shedding and overstate the effectiveness of drug therapy for herpes in order to aid the drug companies in their marketing efforts.
4. Most doctors give the public mis-information about the effectiveness of natural therapies for herpes: The medical profession in alliance with the drug companies have been discouraging the general public from seeking natural treatment for herpes by repeating the lie that there are no effective natural treatments for herpes. Drug companies don’t want to spend the money to study natural therapies because they cannot patent such therapies and although governments won’t spend the money because they don’t want to validate safe, natural, inexpensive therapies which would compete with the expensive and highly-profitable drug therapies despite the fact that the drug therapies cause negative side-effects, Even in this climate, there still have been dozens upon dozens of studies which demonstrate the merit of natural therapies for herpes including simple things like doing Hatha yoga regularly. Melissa Officinalis, Olive leaf, Garlic, Lomatium Dissectum, Prunella Vulgaris, Lauricidin and many other natural substances have been shown to be effective in clinical studies. I have seen over 170 clinical studies about natural treatments for herpes. The scientific communities and the medical establish play games with the public by trying to invalidate these studies by saying that the sample size was too small for their liking or that because they were conducted overseas they are somehow invalid. It’s amazing that there have been any studies done at all since no one stands to make money from them.
Don’t expect an unbiased opinion on natural medicine from your doctor. I have written before that asking a doctor to comment on natural medicine is like asking an atheist to comment on the bible, or asking a Muslim cleric to comment on the Talmud.
We don’t need clinical studies to prove that natural medicine works. Natural practitioners have hundreds of years of clinical results with their patients to prove the effectiveness of their methods. If you treat patients and can the results yourself over and over again that is the most concrete way of evaluating natural medicine in my opinion. People can quibble over the results of studies but no one can tell my patients they haven’t gotten better if they have.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
1. Most doctors are uninterested and unsympathetic to persons with herpes: Doctors are busy seeing lots of patients making lots of money. Herpes is a disease very few doctor’s have taken an interest in. There is no glamour involved with herpes like with cancer or heart disease. There are no big charities or foundations with millions or billions for research, and it’s incurable. Other than writing a prescription for an acyclovir-based drug there’s not much else seeing a doctor can do for persons with herpes. Very few doctors are going to invest the time and compassion in discussing the mental and emotional aspects of having herpes. Very few doctors will want to discuss having safer sexuality with you.
2. Many doctors and even a surprising number of dermatologists are not that competent at diagnosing herpes: Most doctors cannot accurately diagnose herpes sore just by visual inspection. I was mis-diagnosed for two years by a series of doctors who not only visually inspected my sores but also took swabs and gave me false negatives. Herpes can appear in a wide variety of forms on the skin form the typical colony of pin-prick sized liquid-headed lesions, to a single small pimple, a single-large pimple, a tear or slit in the skin like a fissure, to various rashes, to impersonations of ingrown hairs and skin-tags. If you suspect you have herpes insist on a type-specific blood test. The Western-Blot test is the most accurate one out, but there are others. You local chapter of planned parenthood can help you get a test if your doctor is reluctant.
3. Many doctors are surprisingly uninformed about herpes: I spend a lot of my time correcting bad information given to my patients by their doctors. Some doctors are even still telling people that they cannot spread herpes to others when they are not having an outbreak. Many doctors also exaggerate the hype about asymptomatic shedding and overstate the effectiveness of drug therapy for herpes in order to aid the drug companies in their marketing efforts.
4. Most doctors give the public mis-information about the effectiveness of natural therapies for herpes: The medical profession in alliance with the drug companies have been discouraging the general public from seeking natural treatment for herpes by repeating the lie that there are no effective natural treatments for herpes. Drug companies don’t want to spend the money to study natural therapies because they cannot patent such therapies and although governments won’t spend the money because they don’t want to validate safe, natural, inexpensive therapies which would compete with the expensive and highly-profitable drug therapies despite the fact that the drug therapies cause negative side-effects, Even in this climate, there still have been dozens upon dozens of studies which demonstrate the merit of natural therapies for herpes including simple things like doing Hatha yoga regularly. Melissa Officinalis, Olive leaf, Garlic, Lomatium Dissectum, Prunella Vulgaris, Lauricidin and many other natural substances have been shown to be effective in clinical studies. I have seen over 170 clinical studies about natural treatments for herpes. The scientific communities and the medical establish play games with the public by trying to invalidate these studies by saying that the sample size was too small for their liking or that because they were conducted overseas they are somehow invalid. It’s amazing that there have been any studies done at all since no one stands to make money from them.
Don’t expect an unbiased opinion on natural medicine from your doctor. I have written before that asking a doctor to comment on natural medicine is like asking an atheist to comment on the bible, or asking a Muslim cleric to comment on the Talmud.
We don’t need clinical studies to prove that natural medicine works. Natural practitioners have hundreds of years of clinical results with their patients to prove the effectiveness of their methods. If you treat patients and can the results yourself over and over again that is the most concrete way of evaluating natural medicine in my opinion. People can quibble over the results of studies but no one can tell my patients they haven’t gotten better if they have.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Some Natural Herpes Treatment Keynotes
Herpes needs to be addressed on many levels- herpes is largely an emotion driven disease. How you feel about having herpes, how well you handle stress and how much support and understanding you have from your inner circle, about your herpes, can determine how well you fare with the disease. Herpes also can change quite significantly during the course of someone's history so any long term holistic management startegy would would have to be flexible enough to deal with the evolutionary nature of the presenting symptoms. No two people experience herpes the same way so it's unempowering to spend too much time and energy comparing yourself to how others are doing. If you are committed to incrementally improving each day and not allowing set-backs to devastate you, you will be able to end the cycle of regular outbreaks.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.herpesnation.com
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.herpesnation.com
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Monday, February 19, 2007
The Natropractica Herpes and HPV Self-Hypnosis Cds
The Natropractica Herpes & HPV Self-Hypnosis CDs
Several months ago I commissioned hynotherapist Karen Miller to create a self-hypnosis programme based on my herpes and HPV protocols and my book “Making Peace with Herpes”, and be used in conjunction with my remedies for those who need remedies.
The physical symptoms of having herpes and hpv are the easiest to deal with, it’s the shame, guilt, anxiety and depression that often comes with having these diseases that is the more challenging aspect.
I had previously been encouraging my patients to do yoga and visualizations exercizes daily. This isn’t the easiest habit to get into if you are not used to slowing down in the morning and working on yourself before you start your busy day, but it’s crucial for the management of herpes and HPV and for your overall holistic health. I am offering the self-hynosis programme to my patients to make it easier for them to do their inner work.
Please do not start this self-hypnosis programme if you are not absolutely committed to following the programme and also doing your daily 20 minute home yoga practice.
Please do not request these CDs unless you have read my book first.
For those of you who are currently taking my remedies the Self-Hypnosis CDs are free by request when you order your next refill. If you have previously ordered my remedies or are a new patient the Self-Hypnosis CDs cost $60.00 (usd) plus $5.00 postage.
Regards and Love
Christopher Scipio-
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.antiviralgel.com
http://herpesnation.blogspot.com
Blogarama
Several months ago I commissioned hynotherapist Karen Miller to create a self-hypnosis programme based on my herpes and HPV protocols and my book “Making Peace with Herpes”, and be used in conjunction with my remedies for those who need remedies.
The physical symptoms of having herpes and hpv are the easiest to deal with, it’s the shame, guilt, anxiety and depression that often comes with having these diseases that is the more challenging aspect.
I had previously been encouraging my patients to do yoga and visualizations exercizes daily. This isn’t the easiest habit to get into if you are not used to slowing down in the morning and working on yourself before you start your busy day, but it’s crucial for the management of herpes and HPV and for your overall holistic health. I am offering the self-hynosis programme to my patients to make it easier for them to do their inner work.
Please do not start this self-hypnosis programme if you are not absolutely committed to following the programme and also doing your daily 20 minute home yoga practice.
Please do not request these CDs unless you have read my book first.
For those of you who are currently taking my remedies the Self-Hypnosis CDs are free by request when you order your next refill. If you have previously ordered my remedies or are a new patient the Self-Hypnosis CDs cost $60.00 (usd) plus $5.00 postage.
Regards and Love
Christopher Scipio-
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.antiviralgel.com
http://herpesnation.blogspot.com
Blogarama
Monday, January 08, 2007
Nobody Else in the World has Herpes the Same Way You Do
Nobody Else in The Whole Wide World Has Herpes The Same Way You Do
I have said it millions of times, I have written it dozens of times, but I think it bears repeating here because maybe I’m not getting the message out as best I can, so here we go: Nobody else in the whole wide world has herpes the same way you do.
Many people write me all the time confused and frustrated because their herpes symptoms are not following the stereotype of how herpes is supposed to be. People have heard that you are supposed to have fewer outbreaks the longer you have herpes. This is simply misleading and inaccurate. There are many factors that can make your herpes symptoms worsen at any point and time- you could have unprotected sex with someone else with herpes, you could get a secondary infection like HPV or bacterial vaginitis, you could impair your immune system with substance abuse, if you are a woman over 35 your hormone imbalance could worsen herpes symptoms, etc, etc.
Herpes is an individual experience. It’s almost useless to compare your symptoms with anyone else’s. Sure you could hunt down herpes photos online, but herpes sores can take on a variety of forms, they can look like a cluster of pin-prick sized lesions, they can look like solitary pimples, they can look like fissures, they can look like patches of rough skin, they can look like ingrown hairs. Many MD’s cannot diagnose herpes accurately by visual inspection and must rely on blood tests or swabs, and so would you.
Your diet, race, sex, age, lifestyle, emotional health, spiritual practices, sexual habits, exercise routine, genes, the virulence of the strain or strains you are infected with, and the environment around you will all affect your herpes symptoms.
So instead of comparing yourself to others with herpes, your time and energy would be better spent getting to know your own herpes better. Pay attention to your body and understand what triggers your symptoms. Make peace with your virus and do the inner work necessary to keep the virus dormant. Practice safer sex with a condom/dental dam and a red marine algae antiviral gel. Strengthen your immune system and live a holistically healthy lifestyle.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://herpesnation.blogspot.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
I have said it millions of times, I have written it dozens of times, but I think it bears repeating here because maybe I’m not getting the message out as best I can, so here we go: Nobody else in the whole wide world has herpes the same way you do.
Many people write me all the time confused and frustrated because their herpes symptoms are not following the stereotype of how herpes is supposed to be. People have heard that you are supposed to have fewer outbreaks the longer you have herpes. This is simply misleading and inaccurate. There are many factors that can make your herpes symptoms worsen at any point and time- you could have unprotected sex with someone else with herpes, you could get a secondary infection like HPV or bacterial vaginitis, you could impair your immune system with substance abuse, if you are a woman over 35 your hormone imbalance could worsen herpes symptoms, etc, etc.
Herpes is an individual experience. It’s almost useless to compare your symptoms with anyone else’s. Sure you could hunt down herpes photos online, but herpes sores can take on a variety of forms, they can look like a cluster of pin-prick sized lesions, they can look like solitary pimples, they can look like fissures, they can look like patches of rough skin, they can look like ingrown hairs. Many MD’s cannot diagnose herpes accurately by visual inspection and must rely on blood tests or swabs, and so would you.
Your diet, race, sex, age, lifestyle, emotional health, spiritual practices, sexual habits, exercise routine, genes, the virulence of the strain or strains you are infected with, and the environment around you will all affect your herpes symptoms.
So instead of comparing yourself to others with herpes, your time and energy would be better spent getting to know your own herpes better. Pay attention to your body and understand what triggers your symptoms. Make peace with your virus and do the inner work necessary to keep the virus dormant. Practice safer sex with a condom/dental dam and a red marine algae antiviral gel. Strengthen your immune system and live a holistically healthy lifestyle.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://herpesnation.blogspot.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
Sunday, December 31, 2006
A Herpes Free New Year
A Herpes and HPV Free New Year
This year my fondest wish for you is to have a year where Herpes and HPV are a non-factor in your life. A year in which you spend no more time worrying about Herpes or HPV than you would worrying about how many different children have played the role of Annie in Little Orphan Annie on Broadway.
It's it largely up to you. If you are willing to make peace with the Herpes or HPV virus and take a fearless personal inventory of your life you will be able to identify the habits and lifestyle choices that are triggering your outbreaks. You have the power to make progressive changes without being dependant on a prescription drug. No matter what your past history is with Herpes or HPV you can change your situation now.
What a person can do is almost unlimited, what most people choose to do is largely disappointing.
Choose to control your herpes infection instead of having your lifelong herpes infection control you.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
This year my fondest wish for you is to have a year where Herpes and HPV are a non-factor in your life. A year in which you spend no more time worrying about Herpes or HPV than you would worrying about how many different children have played the role of Annie in Little Orphan Annie on Broadway.
It's it largely up to you. If you are willing to make peace with the Herpes or HPV virus and take a fearless personal inventory of your life you will be able to identify the habits and lifestyle choices that are triggering your outbreaks. You have the power to make progressive changes without being dependant on a prescription drug. No matter what your past history is with Herpes or HPV you can change your situation now.
What a person can do is almost unlimited, what most people choose to do is largely disappointing.
Choose to control your herpes infection instead of having your lifelong herpes infection control you.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
A Holistic Guide to Safer Sex
A Holistic Guide to Safer Sex
Have Sex:
A happy and life-affirming sex life is your God/dess given right. Don’t feel that you have to opt out of the joys of life just because you have a life-long herpes infection. It’s not easy to feel sexy when you are having regular outbreaks, especially if you are a woman, but it’s important to feel like a whole, clean, desirable person.
I’ve written before and I’ll write it again that having herpes or hpv doesn’t make you any less attractive, or sexy or moral or clean as you were before you got herpes or hpv. Perception can be very deceptive; especially the way many people choose to see themselves. You have the power to change how you see yourself for the better. If you want sex and are not having any symptoms of an outbreak or prodrome there’s no reason in the world not to have sex. Beyond the physical pleasures, intimacy is vital in this all too cold world.
Have sex but be responsible with your sexuality.
Whether or Not to have Safer Sex:
In my opinion, it is the right and responsibility of any two or more consenting adults about to start a sexual relationship, even if it’s a casual one, to have a conversation about whether or not they wish to practice safer sex. I encourage people to have safer sex but no one has the right to tell anyone what to do with their own body. Some people like taking risks; some are down-right self-destructive and destructive to others. Some choose to smoke cigarettes or do recreational drugs. Some eat junk food. Some watch Wrestlemania.
Whatever the two or more people about to begin a sexual relationship decide it should be a mutual agreement. Don’t leave it to assumptions or reading between the lines. Don’t have your head in the sand. Don’t fantasize that God or Spirit or good luck is a substitute for a safer sex strategy. Talk about it openly and decide what level of risk is appropriate for the situation.
Know Your Partner: Get Tested
Having sex with any person who hasn’t recently been tested for sexually transmitted infections including having blood tests for herpes, hepatitis, and HPV is like playing Russian roulette. Not only would you not know what you may be exposing yourself to, but the person in question may be in the dark themselves. Some people would rather not know than know. Knowledge is empowering and in this matter not knowing is simply foolish.
Don’t be intimidated to ask. In this day in age it isn’t disloyal or rude or unromantic to ask about someone’s sexually transmitted infection status. Make sure that you have been recently tested yourself if you are not in a long-term monogamous relationship.
If you do not know your partner’s test status it’s best to assume that they have at least one sexually transmitted infection and to govern yourself accordingly. If you do not know your test results you should also assume that you have at least one sexually transmitted infection and should take the appropriate precautions to inform and protect your partner/s.
Know Your Limits: Stick to Your Comfort Zone:
A lot of people, especially women, get intimidated by their partners into engaging in sexual acts that are outside of their comfort zone. Do not allow anyone to pressure you into doing anything you are not ready, willing and able to do. It’s your body, exercise the fullness of your rights.
It’s all a matter of choice. No one is less cool or less committed to any relationship by sticking to their own sexual boundaries.
Use a Condom/Dental Dam:
Safer sex means using a condom for genital, oral and anal sex if there is a penis involved or a dental dam or saran wrap if there isn’t a penis involved. If someone is allergic to latex there are polyurethane condoms available. For oral sex there are flavoured condoms as an option.
Please don’t use a condom that contains a spermicide as these tend to irritate your mucous membranes and make the people involved more likely to get a sexually transmitted infection.
Don’t develop a false sense of security with condoms/dental dams/saran wrap. These do not cover areas of the body that can still transmit and be vulnerable to infection, using an antiviral gel on possible transmission and infection sites can help lessen this possibility. For example if a man gets herpes sores in his pubic hair area or perineum or buttocks, wearing a condom will not protect his partner; using an antiviral gel will.
Condoms can also break or slip off. Using an anti-viral gel underneath a condom will help protect in the case of a broken or slipped-off condom. Using a water-based lube or anti-viral gel outside of the condom will reduce the likelihood of the condom breaking.
The condom should go on as soon as the clothes come off if not before.
Once a man has ejaculated, he should remove the condom from his penis and remove his penis from intimate contact with his partner as condoms are very likely to slip off as the penis becomes flaccid.
If you are practicing fisting, latex gloves are recommended.
Use an Antiviral Gel:
I have been treating herpes holistically for 16 years now, starting with my own. Even during the heady days four years past when I finally was able to put together an effective protocol for controlling herpes outbreaks, I was still left with a daunting challenge.
Yes, now I knew I could greatly limit the frequency and severity of outbreaks with the virus for myself and others, in fact I could keep many people outbreak free for vast stretches of time, but that still wasn't enough of a safeguard against infecting others with this lifelong viral illness.
The fear of passing herpes on to loved ones kept myself and keeps many others reluctant to have a sex life at all, and ironically, having a happy and active sex life is one of the best ways to keep the virus dormant. Happy, sexually active people are less likely to have outbreaks.
Condoms are of course a great tool in making sex safer. But there are problems with condoms, they can break or slide off. They don't offer much help if the man's site for herpes or genital warts are in locations other than the penis, i.e. buttocks, legs, etc.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation spent twenty-five million dollars researching natural microbiocides to find natural barriers that would protect women in the third world from HIV. What they discovered is that Carrageenan, a natural component of some red and brown seaweeds, is an effective barrier which inhibits the ability of HPV, herpes and other STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections) from replicating on the surface of the skin and inhibits their ability to adhere to the skin. We developed our own microbiocide with Carrageenan and other substances we were already working with in the protocol and developed our own formula. Our Red Marine Algae and Carrageenan Anti-Viral Gel is edible, completely non-toxic and can act as a lubricant. It is not meant as a replacement for condoms, it's designed as a supplement to condom use to make it less likely to infect your loved ones. It's effective for genital, anal and oral sex.
You use the gel as a barrier so the best way to use it in terms of heterosexual sex is for the man to put some on his penis and then put a latex condom on the penis. Then a small amount of gel would be applied to the labia of the woman and also inside her vagina. The gel should be reapplied every 30-45 minutes. Even after being sucked or licked there is enough of a coating of the gel to be effective for 30 minutes. The gel can be used as a barrier in anal sex, oral sex, lesbian oral sex and even for kissing.
The gel must be used with a latex condom or a dental dam/saran wrap. The gel is not a contraceptive and will not prevent pregnancy.
If you are a woman, regardless of whether or not you are sexually active you should place a small amount of the gel inside your vagina three times a day every day to help prevent outbreaks and viral shedding. If you are a man and have symtpoms after sex or masturbation you should apply the gel three tmes a day to the areas where you have previously ahd sores.
To inquire about ordering the gel email me or visit http://www.antiviralgel.com
Urinate After Sex:
It is crucially important for women to urinate as soon after sex as possible. I recommend that it be within 15 minutes of completing the act. Failing to do so on a regular basis can lead to urinary track and bladder infections.
I recommend that men follow this advice as well.
Blogarama
Have Sex:
A happy and life-affirming sex life is your God/dess given right. Don’t feel that you have to opt out of the joys of life just because you have a life-long herpes infection. It’s not easy to feel sexy when you are having regular outbreaks, especially if you are a woman, but it’s important to feel like a whole, clean, desirable person.
I’ve written before and I’ll write it again that having herpes or hpv doesn’t make you any less attractive, or sexy or moral or clean as you were before you got herpes or hpv. Perception can be very deceptive; especially the way many people choose to see themselves. You have the power to change how you see yourself for the better. If you want sex and are not having any symptoms of an outbreak or prodrome there’s no reason in the world not to have sex. Beyond the physical pleasures, intimacy is vital in this all too cold world.
Have sex but be responsible with your sexuality.
Whether or Not to have Safer Sex:
In my opinion, it is the right and responsibility of any two or more consenting adults about to start a sexual relationship, even if it’s a casual one, to have a conversation about whether or not they wish to practice safer sex. I encourage people to have safer sex but no one has the right to tell anyone what to do with their own body. Some people like taking risks; some are down-right self-destructive and destructive to others. Some choose to smoke cigarettes or do recreational drugs. Some eat junk food. Some watch Wrestlemania.
Whatever the two or more people about to begin a sexual relationship decide it should be a mutual agreement. Don’t leave it to assumptions or reading between the lines. Don’t have your head in the sand. Don’t fantasize that God or Spirit or good luck is a substitute for a safer sex strategy. Talk about it openly and decide what level of risk is appropriate for the situation.
Know Your Partner: Get Tested
Having sex with any person who hasn’t recently been tested for sexually transmitted infections including having blood tests for herpes, hepatitis, and HPV is like playing Russian roulette. Not only would you not know what you may be exposing yourself to, but the person in question may be in the dark themselves. Some people would rather not know than know. Knowledge is empowering and in this matter not knowing is simply foolish.
Don’t be intimidated to ask. In this day in age it isn’t disloyal or rude or unromantic to ask about someone’s sexually transmitted infection status. Make sure that you have been recently tested yourself if you are not in a long-term monogamous relationship.
If you do not know your partner’s test status it’s best to assume that they have at least one sexually transmitted infection and to govern yourself accordingly. If you do not know your test results you should also assume that you have at least one sexually transmitted infection and should take the appropriate precautions to inform and protect your partner/s.
Know Your Limits: Stick to Your Comfort Zone:
A lot of people, especially women, get intimidated by their partners into engaging in sexual acts that are outside of their comfort zone. Do not allow anyone to pressure you into doing anything you are not ready, willing and able to do. It’s your body, exercise the fullness of your rights.
It’s all a matter of choice. No one is less cool or less committed to any relationship by sticking to their own sexual boundaries.
Use a Condom/Dental Dam:
Safer sex means using a condom for genital, oral and anal sex if there is a penis involved or a dental dam or saran wrap if there isn’t a penis involved. If someone is allergic to latex there are polyurethane condoms available. For oral sex there are flavoured condoms as an option.
Please don’t use a condom that contains a spermicide as these tend to irritate your mucous membranes and make the people involved more likely to get a sexually transmitted infection.
Don’t develop a false sense of security with condoms/dental dams/saran wrap. These do not cover areas of the body that can still transmit and be vulnerable to infection, using an antiviral gel on possible transmission and infection sites can help lessen this possibility. For example if a man gets herpes sores in his pubic hair area or perineum or buttocks, wearing a condom will not protect his partner; using an antiviral gel will.
Condoms can also break or slip off. Using an anti-viral gel underneath a condom will help protect in the case of a broken or slipped-off condom. Using a water-based lube or anti-viral gel outside of the condom will reduce the likelihood of the condom breaking.
The condom should go on as soon as the clothes come off if not before.
Once a man has ejaculated, he should remove the condom from his penis and remove his penis from intimate contact with his partner as condoms are very likely to slip off as the penis becomes flaccid.
If you are practicing fisting, latex gloves are recommended.
Use an Antiviral Gel:
I have been treating herpes holistically for 16 years now, starting with my own. Even during the heady days four years past when I finally was able to put together an effective protocol for controlling herpes outbreaks, I was still left with a daunting challenge.
Yes, now I knew I could greatly limit the frequency and severity of outbreaks with the virus for myself and others, in fact I could keep many people outbreak free for vast stretches of time, but that still wasn't enough of a safeguard against infecting others with this lifelong viral illness.
The fear of passing herpes on to loved ones kept myself and keeps many others reluctant to have a sex life at all, and ironically, having a happy and active sex life is one of the best ways to keep the virus dormant. Happy, sexually active people are less likely to have outbreaks.
Condoms are of course a great tool in making sex safer. But there are problems with condoms, they can break or slide off. They don't offer much help if the man's site for herpes or genital warts are in locations other than the penis, i.e. buttocks, legs, etc.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation spent twenty-five million dollars researching natural microbiocides to find natural barriers that would protect women in the third world from HIV. What they discovered is that Carrageenan, a natural component of some red and brown seaweeds, is an effective barrier which inhibits the ability of HPV, herpes and other STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections) from replicating on the surface of the skin and inhibits their ability to adhere to the skin. We developed our own microbiocide with Carrageenan and other substances we were already working with in the protocol and developed our own formula. Our Red Marine Algae and Carrageenan Anti-Viral Gel is edible, completely non-toxic and can act as a lubricant. It is not meant as a replacement for condoms, it's designed as a supplement to condom use to make it less likely to infect your loved ones. It's effective for genital, anal and oral sex.
You use the gel as a barrier so the best way to use it in terms of heterosexual sex is for the man to put some on his penis and then put a latex condom on the penis. Then a small amount of gel would be applied to the labia of the woman and also inside her vagina. The gel should be reapplied every 30-45 minutes. Even after being sucked or licked there is enough of a coating of the gel to be effective for 30 minutes. The gel can be used as a barrier in anal sex, oral sex, lesbian oral sex and even for kissing.
The gel must be used with a latex condom or a dental dam/saran wrap. The gel is not a contraceptive and will not prevent pregnancy.
If you are a woman, regardless of whether or not you are sexually active you should place a small amount of the gel inside your vagina three times a day every day to help prevent outbreaks and viral shedding. If you are a man and have symtpoms after sex or masturbation you should apply the gel three tmes a day to the areas where you have previously ahd sores.
To inquire about ordering the gel email me or visit http://www.antiviralgel.com
Urinate After Sex:
It is crucially important for women to urinate as soon after sex as possible. I recommend that it be within 15 minutes of completing the act. Failing to do so on a regular basis can lead to urinary track and bladder infections.
I recommend that men follow this advice as well.
Blogarama
Monday, November 06, 2006
Just Who Are We Calling A Virus?
Just Who Are We Calling a Virus?
We are the virus. We are the epidemic.
Up until fairly recently we (human beings) were a relatively benign presence on the earth. We lived in harmony with the earth. We didn’t have much choice. Our survival depended on it.
Then our “intelligence”, arrogance and greed mutated us into the worst plague the earth has ever seen. We are making the planet sick and if we don’t change our ways soon the earth will die.
At last count we are making 40,000 or more species of plants and animals extinct every year, ironically destroying the very sources of medicines which may cure the diseases that plague us.
A virus cannot live independent of its host. A malignant virus wantonly reproduces until it exhausts all of its host’s resources until the host dies.
The way herpes and hpv treats us compares favourably with how we treat our environment.
Again ironically, one of the few therapies available to the ecosystem to try and fight the plague of human civilization is to use lethal viruses and other pathogens to reduce our numbers to manageable levels.
The earth hasn’t employed this treatment against us as yet. I believe it’s because nature is still hoping to make peace with us and live in balance with us. But if we continue to ravage our host Gaia, our mother, She will have no choice but to purge herself of us in the near future. Either that or we will destroy the planet.
Herbal medicine and all forms of natural healing is a key component in us living in harmony with the earth. When you treat yourself with natural medicine not only are you helping yourself make peace with the disease in your body, but you are also reconnecting yourself with the plants in your medicine and the viral forces of the planet which are embodied in the plants. It is an antidote to the impersonal, synthetic, mass-produced industrial drugs from the same collective mentality that is raping and plundering the planet. Natural medicine is an act of self-love and an act of respect for nature. It is an act of harmonization. Drug therapy is almost always an act of alienation.
Sometimes drug therapy is necessary and life-saving. Just as some harvesting of the planet’s resources will always be necessary. But whenever possible nature should be the therapy of choice.
The next time you think about herpes of any other virus, ask yourself who is the real virus?
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
www.natropractica.com
www.herpesbook.com
www.herpesnation.com
Blogarama
We are the virus. We are the epidemic.
Up until fairly recently we (human beings) were a relatively benign presence on the earth. We lived in harmony with the earth. We didn’t have much choice. Our survival depended on it.
Then our “intelligence”, arrogance and greed mutated us into the worst plague the earth has ever seen. We are making the planet sick and if we don’t change our ways soon the earth will die.
At last count we are making 40,000 or more species of plants and animals extinct every year, ironically destroying the very sources of medicines which may cure the diseases that plague us.
A virus cannot live independent of its host. A malignant virus wantonly reproduces until it exhausts all of its host’s resources until the host dies.
The way herpes and hpv treats us compares favourably with how we treat our environment.
Again ironically, one of the few therapies available to the ecosystem to try and fight the plague of human civilization is to use lethal viruses and other pathogens to reduce our numbers to manageable levels.
The earth hasn’t employed this treatment against us as yet. I believe it’s because nature is still hoping to make peace with us and live in balance with us. But if we continue to ravage our host Gaia, our mother, She will have no choice but to purge herself of us in the near future. Either that or we will destroy the planet.
Herbal medicine and all forms of natural healing is a key component in us living in harmony with the earth. When you treat yourself with natural medicine not only are you helping yourself make peace with the disease in your body, but you are also reconnecting yourself with the plants in your medicine and the viral forces of the planet which are embodied in the plants. It is an antidote to the impersonal, synthetic, mass-produced industrial drugs from the same collective mentality that is raping and plundering the planet. Natural medicine is an act of self-love and an act of respect for nature. It is an act of harmonization. Drug therapy is almost always an act of alienation.
Sometimes drug therapy is necessary and life-saving. Just as some harvesting of the planet’s resources will always be necessary. But whenever possible nature should be the therapy of choice.
The next time you think about herpes of any other virus, ask yourself who is the real virus?
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
www.natropractica.com
www.herpesbook.com
www.herpesnation.com
Blogarama
Sunday, November 05, 2006
The Wisdom of the Body
The Wisdom of the Body
The Mind if well-disciplined can be a good follower, but is a terrible leader.
Deep wisdom lives in your body, in your gut.
Trust your gut instinct, listen to your gut, work on a gut level.
You cannot fool your body.
The body knows when you are sincere or not, when you are committed or not.
Don't try to tell your body that you wish to make peace with your virus if your don't because your body will see right through you.
Don't kid yourself into thinking that you no longer feel dirty or ashamed of being infected with your virus if it isn't true.
Don't pretend to be serious about ended your outbreaks and at the same time be unwilling to do the things you need to do like giving up coffee, doing yoga and dialoguing with the virus.
Your body is observing you carefully and knows your intentions before your mind does.
Christopher Scipio
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
The Mind if well-disciplined can be a good follower, but is a terrible leader.
Deep wisdom lives in your body, in your gut.
Trust your gut instinct, listen to your gut, work on a gut level.
You cannot fool your body.
The body knows when you are sincere or not, when you are committed or not.
Don't try to tell your body that you wish to make peace with your virus if your don't because your body will see right through you.
Don't kid yourself into thinking that you no longer feel dirty or ashamed of being infected with your virus if it isn't true.
Don't pretend to be serious about ended your outbreaks and at the same time be unwilling to do the things you need to do like giving up coffee, doing yoga and dialoguing with the virus.
Your body is observing you carefully and knows your intentions before your mind does.
Christopher Scipio
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Making Peace with the Virus
Making peace with the virus...
Many people with herpes would ridicule even thinking about that possibility.
But even if you could win a battle against the herpes virus- which you can't anyways, there is no need for hostilities.
The virus is going to be in your body for life, and believe it or not , it greatly prefers to stay dormant , much like it's cousin the chicken-pox virus.
Herpes only re-activates itself when you trigger it with stress, too much sun exposure, bad dietary choices, unprotected sex with someone else with herpes, a candida yeast problem, too little sleep or too much partying.
Herpes is like a seed in a desert. Ht will stay asleep indefinately if the signal to germinate isn't given.
so if you make a peaceful accomodation with virus and not trigger it with anger, shame, frustration or the above-mentioned triggers , herpes can quickly become a non-factor in your life and in your health.
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.antiviralgel.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
Many people with herpes would ridicule even thinking about that possibility.
But even if you could win a battle against the herpes virus- which you can't anyways, there is no need for hostilities.
The virus is going to be in your body for life, and believe it or not , it greatly prefers to stay dormant , much like it's cousin the chicken-pox virus.
Herpes only re-activates itself when you trigger it with stress, too much sun exposure, bad dietary choices, unprotected sex with someone else with herpes, a candida yeast problem, too little sleep or too much partying.
Herpes is like a seed in a desert. Ht will stay asleep indefinately if the signal to germinate isn't given.
so if you make a peaceful accomodation with virus and not trigger it with anger, shame, frustration or the above-mentioned triggers , herpes can quickly become a non-factor in your life and in your health.
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.antiviralgel.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
Friday, November 03, 2006
A Red Marine Algae Sex Gel
A Red Marine Algae Sex Gel
My name is Christopher Scipio and I am a Holistic Herpes and HPV Specialist. I have been a Homeopath and Herbalist for 20 years, but it wasn't until I contracted Herpes myself in 1990 and had a bad reaction to Valtrex that I started developing a Holistic Protocol for Herpes and HPV. Even during the heady days four years past when I finally was satisfied with the results my patients were achieving with the protocol, I was still left with a daunting challenge.
Even if you greatly limit the frequency and severity of your outbreaks, even if you are outbreak free for vast stretches of time, that still isn't enough of a safeguard against infecting others with this lifelong viral illness.
The fear of passing Herpes on to loved ones kept myself and keeps many others reluctant to have a sex life at all and having a happy and active sex life is a crucial step for people who have herpes and hpv reclaiming their lives and not feeling like lepers or outcasts.
Condoms are of course a great tool in making sex safer. But there are problems with condoms-they can break or slide off. They don't offer much help if the man's site for Herpes or genital warts are in locations other than the penis, i.e. buttocks, legs, etc. Dentals dams and saran wrap cannot protect if the site of the viral shedding isn't the vagina or the mouth.
I had been working with seaweed gels as part of my holistic herpes and hpv protocol for a couple of years before learning research that was done on the effect of carrageenan and other components of Red Marine Algae and other Seaweeds on Herpes and HPV.
You can do a web search for "red marine algae and herpes" to read about research that has been conducted, and also "carrageenan and HIV", "seaweeds and antiviral", "seaweeds and hpv", "carrageenan and hpv" and "carrageenan and herpes"
My Red Marine Algae Sex Gel is the only completely natural carrageenan containing lube on the market and the only one made by a herbalist who is a holistic herpes and hpv specialist. My gel is also the only one that is made by hand from seaweeds that have been ethically hand harvested either by myself or select colleagues who are all phds in phycology (the science of seaweeds). You may have heard of companies selling red marine algae capsules and lubes made from carrageenan. What you may not know is that much of the the carrageenan in the commercial market is from commercial harvesters that use huge vacuums to suck up all the life on a given beach, destroying habitat and harvesting seaweed of questionable value. This carrageenan is sold for as low as 50 cents per pound which can make 14 quarts or more of carrageenan gel.
My gel is also the only one avaiable in the world that is preservative-free and custom-made for each person based on their situation.
The Red Marine Algae Sex Gel is made by me with a propietary mix of 11 Red Marine Algae, other Seaweeds, Lemon Balm and Olive Leaf. Carrageenan is not the only important element of the seaweeds in the gel. Fucoidan and many other compounds are essential.
The gel must be used with a latex condom or dental dam. The gel is not designed to treat any disease nor is it a contraceptive. Because the gel does not contain preservatives it must be stored in a fridge between use.
In keeping with my principle of providing personal rather than impersonal herbal medicine,
you must have a consultation with me by phone or internet
to ensure that I understand your needs and compound the appropriate formula for your individual situation, to ensure you have an opportunity to ask me questions directly, to ensure we discuss safer sexuality,
and so I can follow-up with you to maintain continuity of care. The cost of the consultation is a one-time only fee of $24.00.
Email Me to Book a Consultation.
If after the consultation I determine that The Red Marine Algae gel is not appropriate for you either because you are not adequately treating your herpes or hpv, or that you are not informing your sex partners of your STI status beforehand, I reserve the right to refuse to provide the gel to you and will issue you a full and immediate refund.
If after the consultation I determine that the Red Marine Algae Sex Gel is appropriate for you and you still wish to have me make the gel for you, the cost of the gel $24.95 for 60ml.Blogarama
My name is Christopher Scipio and I am a Holistic Herpes and HPV Specialist. I have been a Homeopath and Herbalist for 20 years, but it wasn't until I contracted Herpes myself in 1990 and had a bad reaction to Valtrex that I started developing a Holistic Protocol for Herpes and HPV. Even during the heady days four years past when I finally was satisfied with the results my patients were achieving with the protocol, I was still left with a daunting challenge.
Even if you greatly limit the frequency and severity of your outbreaks, even if you are outbreak free for vast stretches of time, that still isn't enough of a safeguard against infecting others with this lifelong viral illness.
The fear of passing Herpes on to loved ones kept myself and keeps many others reluctant to have a sex life at all and having a happy and active sex life is a crucial step for people who have herpes and hpv reclaiming their lives and not feeling like lepers or outcasts.
Condoms are of course a great tool in making sex safer. But there are problems with condoms-they can break or slide off. They don't offer much help if the man's site for Herpes or genital warts are in locations other than the penis, i.e. buttocks, legs, etc. Dentals dams and saran wrap cannot protect if the site of the viral shedding isn't the vagina or the mouth.
I had been working with seaweed gels as part of my holistic herpes and hpv protocol for a couple of years before learning research that was done on the effect of carrageenan and other components of Red Marine Algae and other Seaweeds on Herpes and HPV.
You can do a web search for "red marine algae and herpes" to read about research that has been conducted, and also "carrageenan and HIV", "seaweeds and antiviral", "seaweeds and hpv", "carrageenan and hpv" and "carrageenan and herpes"
My Red Marine Algae Sex Gel is the only completely natural carrageenan containing lube on the market and the only one made by a herbalist who is a holistic herpes and hpv specialist. My gel is also the only one that is made by hand from seaweeds that have been ethically hand harvested either by myself or select colleagues who are all phds in phycology (the science of seaweeds). You may have heard of companies selling red marine algae capsules and lubes made from carrageenan. What you may not know is that much of the the carrageenan in the commercial market is from commercial harvesters that use huge vacuums to suck up all the life on a given beach, destroying habitat and harvesting seaweed of questionable value. This carrageenan is sold for as low as 50 cents per pound which can make 14 quarts or more of carrageenan gel.
My gel is also the only one avaiable in the world that is preservative-free and custom-made for each person based on their situation.
The Red Marine Algae Sex Gel is made by me with a propietary mix of 11 Red Marine Algae, other Seaweeds, Lemon Balm and Olive Leaf. Carrageenan is not the only important element of the seaweeds in the gel. Fucoidan and many other compounds are essential.
The gel must be used with a latex condom or dental dam. The gel is not designed to treat any disease nor is it a contraceptive. Because the gel does not contain preservatives it must be stored in a fridge between use.
In keeping with my principle of providing personal rather than impersonal herbal medicine,
you must have a consultation with me by phone or internet
to ensure that I understand your needs and compound the appropriate formula for your individual situation, to ensure you have an opportunity to ask me questions directly, to ensure we discuss safer sexuality,
and so I can follow-up with you to maintain continuity of care. The cost of the consultation is a one-time only fee of $24.00.
Email Me to Book a Consultation.
If after the consultation I determine that The Red Marine Algae gel is not appropriate for you either because you are not adequately treating your herpes or hpv, or that you are not informing your sex partners of your STI status beforehand, I reserve the right to refuse to provide the gel to you and will issue you a full and immediate refund.
If after the consultation I determine that the Red Marine Algae Sex Gel is appropriate for you and you still wish to have me make the gel for you, the cost of the gel $24.95 for 60ml.Blogarama
Some Clinical Studies on Seaweeds and Viruses
Some Clinical Studies on the Effects of
Red Marine Algae and Other Seaweeds On Viruses
Some Unaffiliated Studies on Red Marine Algae and Other Seaweeds
This is a Partial Collection of Studies, There are Many More. I have always used Red marine Algae and Other Seaweeds as the foundation of my Antiviral gels and I know also inlcude these seaweeds in my men's and women's immune formulas.
My Red Marine Algae Sex Gel is now included as part of every sexually active woman's monthly protocol, and is available by request for all my male patients at no additional charge. http://www.antiviralgel.com
Clin Diagn Lab Immunol. 1997 July; 4 (4): 465–468
Vaginal formulations of carrageenan protect mice from herpes simplex virus infection.
V R Zacharopoulos and D M Phillips
Population Council, New York, New York 10021, USA.
This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.
Abstract
The observations from the present study indicate that vaginal formulations of the sulfated polysaccharide carrageenan are highly effective in protecting mice from herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection. Test formulations were placed in the vaginas of progestin-treated mice prior to inoculation with HSV-2. Infection was determined by the presence of inflammation in the genital region and death. At a dose of virus that infected half of the control animals, 1% solutions of either lambda, kappa, or iota carrageenan prevented infection of almost all of the animals. Concentrations as low as 0.05% protected a large majority of the mice. At a dose of virus that infected all of the control mice, 1% solutions of carrageenans protected 85% of the inoculated mice. Other sulfated polysaccharides were less effective or showed no efficacy in preventing HSV-2 infection. These findings suggest that a vaginal formulation of carrageenan may be effective in blocking sexual transmission of HSV-2 in women.
Carrageenan Is a Potent Inhibitor of Papillomavirus Infection
Christopher B. Buck1, Cynthia D. Thompson1, Jeffrey N. Roberts1, Martin Muller2, Douglas R. Lowy1, John T. Schiller1*
1 Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America, 2 Forschungsschwerpunkt fur Angewandte Tumorvirologie,
Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany
Certain sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) types are causally associated with the development of
cervical cancer. Our recent development of high-titer HPV pseudoviruses has made it possible to perform high-
throughput in vitro screens to identify HPV infection inhibitors. Comparison of a variety of compounds revealed that
carrageenan, a type of sulfated polysaccharide extracted from red algae, is an extremely potent infection inhibitor for a broad range of sexually transmitted HPVs. Although carrageenan can inhibit herpes simplex viruses and some strains of HIV in vitro, genital HPVs are about a thousand-fold more susceptible, with 50% inhibitory doses in the low ng/ml range. Carrageenan acts primarily by preventing the binding of HPV virions to cells. This finding is consistent with the fact that carrageenan resembles heparan sulfate, an HPV cell-attachment factor. However, carrageenan is three orders of magnitude more potent than heparin, a form of cell-free heparan sulfate that has been regarded as a highly effective model HPV inhibitor. Carrageenan can also block HPV infection through a second, postattachment heparan sulfate–independent effect. Carrageenan is in widespread commercial use as a thickener in a variety of cosmetic and food products, ranging from sexual lubricants to infant feeding formulas. Some of these products block HPV infectivity
in vitro, even when diluted a million-fold. Clinical trials are needed to determine whether carrageenan-based products are effective as topical microbicides against genital HPVs.
Citation: Buck CB, Thompson CD, Roberts JN, Muller M, Lowy DR, et al. (2006) Carrageenan is a potent inhibitor of papillomavirus infection. PLoS Pathog 2(7): e69. DOI: 10.
1371/journal.ppat.0020069
Antiherpetic activity and mode of action of natural carrageenans of diverse structural types.
Carlucci MJ, Ciancia M, Matulewicz MC, Cerezo AS, Damonte EB.
Departamento de Quimica Biologica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Argentina.
The lambda-carrageenan 1T1, the kappa/iota-carrageenan 1C1 and the mu/nu-type 1C3, isolated from the red seaweed Gigartina skottsbergii, proved to be potent and selective inhibitors of herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2. The antiviral IC50 values determined by virus yield inhibition assay in different cell lines ranged from 0.4 to 3.3 microg/ml, and no cytotoxic effects, measured by trypan blue exclusion on stationary or proliferating cells, tetrazolium salt method or cell protein synthesis, were observed. Time of addition and attachment studies suggested that the main target for antiviral action of the three carrageenans was virus adsorption, whereas no effect on virus internalization, or early or late protein synthesis was detected. However, the lambda-carrageenan 1T1 was still significantly inhibitory when added any time after adsorption. The pretreatment of virions with the carrageenans showed that 1C1 and 1C3 lacked direct inactivating effect at concentrations near the antiviral IC50 but 1T1 exerted virucidal action. The cyclization of 1T1 to afford the derivative 1T1T1 maintained the antiviral activity but eliminated the virucidal properties. Thus, the structure of 1T1 seems to be responsible for its differential behavior from 1C1 and 1C3, probably allowing a more stable binding to HSV, leading to virion inactivation. In contrast, 1C1 and 1C3 fail to bind with high affinity to virus alone, but are able to interfere with the interaction between HSV particles and the cell.
PMID: 10517311 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Antiviral properties of fucoidan fractions from Leathesia difformis.
Feldman SC, Reynaldi S, Stortz CA, Cerezo AS, Damont EB.
Departamento de Quimica Organica-CIHIDECAR, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Argentina.
Three fractions of fucoidans isolated from the brown seaweed Leathesia difformis (Ee, Ec and Ea) were found to be selective antiviral agents against herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2 and human cytomegalovirus. Fraction Ea was the most active, with IC50 values in the range 0.5-1.9 microg/ml without affecting cell viability at concentrations up to 400 microg/ml. The antiherpetic activity of Ea was assessed by three different methods, plaque reduction, inhibition of virus yield and prevention of HSV-2 induced shut-off of cell protein synthesis, demonstrating that the inhibitory effect was independent of the antiviral assay and the multiplicity of infection. The mode of action of Ea could be ascribed to an inhibitory action on virus adsorption. The fucoidans did not inhibit the blood coagulation process even at concentrations exceeding more than 100 times the IC50 value.
PMID: 11962540 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Anti-herpes simplex virus activity of sulfated galactans from the red seaweeds Gymnogongrus griffithsiae and Cryptonemia crenulata.
Talarico LB, Zibetti RG, Faria PC, Scolaro LA, Duarte ME, Noseda MD, Pujol CA,Damonte EB.
Laboratorio de Virologia, Departamento de Quimica Biologica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellon 2, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
This study presents the chemical composition and antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2) of sulfated galactan crude extracts and main fractions obtained from two red seaweeds collected in Brazil, Gymnogongrus griffithsiae and Cryptonemia crenulata. Most of the eighteen tested products, including homogeneous kappa/iota/nu carrageenan and DL-galactan hybrid, exhibited antiherpetic activity with inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50) values in the range 0.5-5.6 microg/ml, as determined in a virus plaque reduction assay in Vero cells. The galactans lacked cytotoxic effects and showed a broad spectrum of antiviral activity against HSV-1 and HSV-2. No direct virus inactivation was observed after virion treatment with the galactans. The mode of action of these compounds could be mainly ascribed to an inhibitory effect on virus adsorption. Most importantly, a significant protection against a murine vaginal infection with HSV-2 was afforded by topical treatment with the sulfated galactans. Copyright 2004 Elsevier B.V.
PMID: 15178011 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
1: Chemotherapy. 1996 Jan-Feb;42(1):57-64. Links
Herpes simplex virus-inhibitory sulfated xylogalactans from the red seaweed Nothogenia fastigiata.
Damonte EB, Matulewicz MC, Cerezo AS, Coto CE.
Departamento de Quimica Biologica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Two sulfated xylogalactans (F1 and F7), isolated from the red seaweed Nothogenia fastigiata, achieved a dose-dependent inhibition of the replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in Vero cells, with 50% effective doses in the range of 15.0-32.6 micrograms/ml, and without affecting cell viability at concentrations up to 200 micrograms/ml. The presence of sulfate groups in the molecule was essential for the antiviral properties of these polysaccharides. F7 afforded significant inhibition in HSV-1 yield if added to the cell cultures simultaneously with virus inoculum, but had no effect when it was added after 1 h of infection. Analysis of the early events of the viral replicative cycle showed that the anti-HSV effect of F7 was due to a specific inhibition of virus attachment to the host cell whereas virus internalization was not impaired.
PMID: 8751267 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE
Evaluation of Antiviral Activity of Virucept Red Marine Algae against Herpes Simplex Viruses (HSV)
Y. GONG(1), R. ROBERTS(2), I. GADAWSKI(1), D. CHEUNG(1), T. TAM(1), AND S.L. SACKS(1)
(1) Viridae Clinical Sciences, Inc. and The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.
(2) Bryant Nutrients, 4133 Greenwell St., Baton Rouge, LA 70805, USA
The antiviral effect of Virucept Red Marine Algae (Virucept) against HSV was evaluated in cultured Vero cells using plague reduction assay. The crude extracts containing polysaccharide were prepared by ethanol precipitation. Pre-treatment of cells with the Virucept extracts showed a strong inhibitory effect against both HSV type 1 and 3 with the 90% effective concentrations (EC90) ~0.1% for HSV-1 and 0.01% for HSV-2, respectively. Strong inhibition was also observed even after removing the extracts by washing with PBS on pre-treated cells. Similar activities were examined on HSV Acyclovir-or Forscanet-resistant strains. Approximately 66% inhibition was observed on cells that were already infected with HSV-1. Approximately 20-36% inhibition at a concentration of 0.5% was seen on HSV-2 and Acyclovir-or Forscarnet-resistant HSV infected cells. Our data indicate that the extracts from Virucept Red Marine Algae can be further developed as a vaginal microbicide for preventing HSV infection.
Inhibition of Herpesvirus Replication by Marine Algae Extracts
E. FRANK DEIG, DOUGLAS W. EHRESMANN, MELVIN T. HATCH, AND
DELIMAR J. RIEDLINGER
Naval Biomedical Research Laboratory, School of Public Health,
University of California, Berkeley, California 94720
Received for publication 8 August 1974.
Extracts from two species of marine red algae, Cryptosyphonia
woodii and Farlowia mollis, specifically inhibited herpes simplex
virus replicaton in vitro.
American Society for Microbiology, Vol. 6, No. 4, Copyright 1974
Antiviral Activity of Extracts from Marine Algae
JAMES T. RICHARDS, EARL R. KERN, LOWELL A. GLASGOW, JAMES C.
OVERALL, JR., E. FRANK DEIGN, AND MELVIN T. HATCH
Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah College of Medicine, Salt
Lake City, Utah 84132, and Naval Biosciences Laboratory, School of
Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720
Received for publication 2 March 1978
Extracts of two species of marine algae, Constantinea simplex and
Farlowia mollis, were tested for antiviral activity in tissue culture and
in experimental infections of mice. Treatment of confluent mouse embryo
fibroblast cell monolayers with either compound before viral inoculation
was effective in inhibiting the replication of herpes simplex virus type 1
and type 2, vaccinia virus, and vesicular stomatitis virus, but not
encephalomyocarditis virus, Semiliki Forest virus, or murine
cytomegalovirus. Prophylactic administration of these extracts was
effective in reducing final mortality or prolonging the mean day of death
of animals inoculated by the intraperitoneal, intracerebral, or intranasal
routes with herpes simplex virus type 2. When therapy was initiated
after viral inoculation or at a site other than that of viral inoculation, no
significant effect on mortality or on mean day of death was observed.
Neither preparation was effective in mice inoculated intraperitoneally
with encepthalomyocarditis virus, Semliki Forest virus, or murine
cytomegalovirus or in animals infected intravaginally with herpes
simplex virus type 2. The prophylactic but not therapeutic antiviral
activity of these preparations seriously limits their potential use in
human herpes simplex virus infections.
American Society for Microbiology, Vol. 14, No. 4, Copyright 1978
Further Studies on the Chemical Composition and an Initial In Vivo
Evaluation of Antiviral Material in Extracts of Macroscopic Marine Algae.
M. T. Hatch, D. W. Ehresmann, E. F. Deig, and N. A. Vedros
Naval Biosciences Laboratory, School of Public Health, University of
California, Berkeley, California 94720
Previous studies have demonstrated that the antiviral material in extracts
of 8 related species of Rhodophyta is a structural polysaccharide. The
present study extends our knowledge of chemical and biological properties
of the active material. The observation that concanavalin A (Con A)
formed an insoluable complex with antiviral molecules resulted in
development of a rapid in vitro titration procedure. Although purified
active fractions had polysaccharides containing 20% sulfate in ester form,
the material differed from other algal sulfated polysaccarides in that it
was specific for herpesvirus whereas carrageenins had a wide antiviral
spectrum. The reaction between Con A and the anti-herpesvirus
polysaccharide indicated the presence of alpha-D-glycosyl and sterically
related residues. Purified fractions were also tested for activity in cell
cultures and in mice subsequently infected with herpesvirus type 1 and 2.
Significant protection occurred when the material was administered to
mice prior to, or at the same time as virus.
Antiviral carbohydrates from marine red algae
Michael Neushul
Department of Biological Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara,
93106, USA and Neushul Mariculature Incorporated, 475 Kellogg Way,
Goleta, CA, 93117, USA
It is possible that heparin-like sulfated polysaccharides from red algae,
or fractions thereof, might be found to be low-cost, broad-spectrum
antiviral agents. The prevailing view among virologists has been that
sulfated polysaccharides inhibit viral action by acting only at the sufraces
of cells. This perception now is changing with the finding that both the
herpes virus (containing DNA) and human immunodeficiency virus
(containing RNA) are inhibited by sulfated polysaccharides that act
within the cell as well as external to it. Aqueous extracts of many
red algae are active against retroviruses. Carrageenan, a common cell
wall polysaccharide from red algae, is co-internalized into infected cells
with the Herpes simplex virus (HSV), inhibiting the virus. Carrageenan
also interferes with fusion (syncytium formation) between cells infected
with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and inhibits the specific
retroviral enzyme reverse transcriptase.
Blogarama
Red Marine Algae and Other Seaweeds On Viruses
Some Unaffiliated Studies on Red Marine Algae and Other Seaweeds
This is a Partial Collection of Studies, There are Many More. I have always used Red marine Algae and Other Seaweeds as the foundation of my Antiviral gels and I know also inlcude these seaweeds in my men's and women's immune formulas.
My Red Marine Algae Sex Gel is now included as part of every sexually active woman's monthly protocol, and is available by request for all my male patients at no additional charge. http://www.antiviralgel.com
Clin Diagn Lab Immunol. 1997 July; 4 (4): 465–468
Vaginal formulations of carrageenan protect mice from herpes simplex virus infection.
V R Zacharopoulos and D M Phillips
Population Council, New York, New York 10021, USA.
This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.
Abstract
The observations from the present study indicate that vaginal formulations of the sulfated polysaccharide carrageenan are highly effective in protecting mice from herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection. Test formulations were placed in the vaginas of progestin-treated mice prior to inoculation with HSV-2. Infection was determined by the presence of inflammation in the genital region and death. At a dose of virus that infected half of the control animals, 1% solutions of either lambda, kappa, or iota carrageenan prevented infection of almost all of the animals. Concentrations as low as 0.05% protected a large majority of the mice. At a dose of virus that infected all of the control mice, 1% solutions of carrageenans protected 85% of the inoculated mice. Other sulfated polysaccharides were less effective or showed no efficacy in preventing HSV-2 infection. These findings suggest that a vaginal formulation of carrageenan may be effective in blocking sexual transmission of HSV-2 in women.
Carrageenan Is a Potent Inhibitor of Papillomavirus Infection
Christopher B. Buck1, Cynthia D. Thompson1, Jeffrey N. Roberts1, Martin Muller2, Douglas R. Lowy1, John T. Schiller1*
1 Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America, 2 Forschungsschwerpunkt fur Angewandte Tumorvirologie,
Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany
Certain sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) types are causally associated with the development of
cervical cancer. Our recent development of high-titer HPV pseudoviruses has made it possible to perform high-
throughput in vitro screens to identify HPV infection inhibitors. Comparison of a variety of compounds revealed that
carrageenan, a type of sulfated polysaccharide extracted from red algae, is an extremely potent infection inhibitor for a broad range of sexually transmitted HPVs. Although carrageenan can inhibit herpes simplex viruses and some strains of HIV in vitro, genital HPVs are about a thousand-fold more susceptible, with 50% inhibitory doses in the low ng/ml range. Carrageenan acts primarily by preventing the binding of HPV virions to cells. This finding is consistent with the fact that carrageenan resembles heparan sulfate, an HPV cell-attachment factor. However, carrageenan is three orders of magnitude more potent than heparin, a form of cell-free heparan sulfate that has been regarded as a highly effective model HPV inhibitor. Carrageenan can also block HPV infection through a second, postattachment heparan sulfate–independent effect. Carrageenan is in widespread commercial use as a thickener in a variety of cosmetic and food products, ranging from sexual lubricants to infant feeding formulas. Some of these products block HPV infectivity
in vitro, even when diluted a million-fold. Clinical trials are needed to determine whether carrageenan-based products are effective as topical microbicides against genital HPVs.
Citation: Buck CB, Thompson CD, Roberts JN, Muller M, Lowy DR, et al. (2006) Carrageenan is a potent inhibitor of papillomavirus infection. PLoS Pathog 2(7): e69. DOI: 10.
1371/journal.ppat.0020069
Antiherpetic activity and mode of action of natural carrageenans of diverse structural types.
Carlucci MJ, Ciancia M, Matulewicz MC, Cerezo AS, Damonte EB.
Departamento de Quimica Biologica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Argentina.
The lambda-carrageenan 1T1, the kappa/iota-carrageenan 1C1 and the mu/nu-type 1C3, isolated from the red seaweed Gigartina skottsbergii, proved to be potent and selective inhibitors of herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2. The antiviral IC50 values determined by virus yield inhibition assay in different cell lines ranged from 0.4 to 3.3 microg/ml, and no cytotoxic effects, measured by trypan blue exclusion on stationary or proliferating cells, tetrazolium salt method or cell protein synthesis, were observed. Time of addition and attachment studies suggested that the main target for antiviral action of the three carrageenans was virus adsorption, whereas no effect on virus internalization, or early or late protein synthesis was detected. However, the lambda-carrageenan 1T1 was still significantly inhibitory when added any time after adsorption. The pretreatment of virions with the carrageenans showed that 1C1 and 1C3 lacked direct inactivating effect at concentrations near the antiviral IC50 but 1T1 exerted virucidal action. The cyclization of 1T1 to afford the derivative 1T1T1 maintained the antiviral activity but eliminated the virucidal properties. Thus, the structure of 1T1 seems to be responsible for its differential behavior from 1C1 and 1C3, probably allowing a more stable binding to HSV, leading to virion inactivation. In contrast, 1C1 and 1C3 fail to bind with high affinity to virus alone, but are able to interfere with the interaction between HSV particles and the cell.
PMID: 10517311 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Antiviral properties of fucoidan fractions from Leathesia difformis.
Feldman SC, Reynaldi S, Stortz CA, Cerezo AS, Damont EB.
Departamento de Quimica Organica-CIHIDECAR, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Argentina.
Three fractions of fucoidans isolated from the brown seaweed Leathesia difformis (Ee, Ec and Ea) were found to be selective antiviral agents against herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2 and human cytomegalovirus. Fraction Ea was the most active, with IC50 values in the range 0.5-1.9 microg/ml without affecting cell viability at concentrations up to 400 microg/ml. The antiherpetic activity of Ea was assessed by three different methods, plaque reduction, inhibition of virus yield and prevention of HSV-2 induced shut-off of cell protein synthesis, demonstrating that the inhibitory effect was independent of the antiviral assay and the multiplicity of infection. The mode of action of Ea could be ascribed to an inhibitory action on virus adsorption. The fucoidans did not inhibit the blood coagulation process even at concentrations exceeding more than 100 times the IC50 value.
PMID: 11962540 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Anti-herpes simplex virus activity of sulfated galactans from the red seaweeds Gymnogongrus griffithsiae and Cryptonemia crenulata.
Talarico LB, Zibetti RG, Faria PC, Scolaro LA, Duarte ME, Noseda MD, Pujol CA,Damonte EB.
Laboratorio de Virologia, Departamento de Quimica Biologica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellon 2, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
This study presents the chemical composition and antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2) of sulfated galactan crude extracts and main fractions obtained from two red seaweeds collected in Brazil, Gymnogongrus griffithsiae and Cryptonemia crenulata. Most of the eighteen tested products, including homogeneous kappa/iota/nu carrageenan and DL-galactan hybrid, exhibited antiherpetic activity with inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50) values in the range 0.5-5.6 microg/ml, as determined in a virus plaque reduction assay in Vero cells. The galactans lacked cytotoxic effects and showed a broad spectrum of antiviral activity against HSV-1 and HSV-2. No direct virus inactivation was observed after virion treatment with the galactans. The mode of action of these compounds could be mainly ascribed to an inhibitory effect on virus adsorption. Most importantly, a significant protection against a murine vaginal infection with HSV-2 was afforded by topical treatment with the sulfated galactans. Copyright 2004 Elsevier B.V.
PMID: 15178011 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
1: Chemotherapy. 1996 Jan-Feb;42(1):57-64. Links
Herpes simplex virus-inhibitory sulfated xylogalactans from the red seaweed Nothogenia fastigiata.
Damonte EB, Matulewicz MC, Cerezo AS, Coto CE.
Departamento de Quimica Biologica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Two sulfated xylogalactans (F1 and F7), isolated from the red seaweed Nothogenia fastigiata, achieved a dose-dependent inhibition of the replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in Vero cells, with 50% effective doses in the range of 15.0-32.6 micrograms/ml, and without affecting cell viability at concentrations up to 200 micrograms/ml. The presence of sulfate groups in the molecule was essential for the antiviral properties of these polysaccharides. F7 afforded significant inhibition in HSV-1 yield if added to the cell cultures simultaneously with virus inoculum, but had no effect when it was added after 1 h of infection. Analysis of the early events of the viral replicative cycle showed that the anti-HSV effect of F7 was due to a specific inhibition of virus attachment to the host cell whereas virus internalization was not impaired.
PMID: 8751267 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE
Evaluation of Antiviral Activity of Virucept Red Marine Algae against Herpes Simplex Viruses (HSV)
Y. GONG(1), R. ROBERTS(2), I. GADAWSKI(1), D. CHEUNG(1), T. TAM(1), AND S.L. SACKS(1)
(1) Viridae Clinical Sciences, Inc. and The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.
(2) Bryant Nutrients, 4133 Greenwell St., Baton Rouge, LA 70805, USA
The antiviral effect of Virucept Red Marine Algae (Virucept) against HSV was evaluated in cultured Vero cells using plague reduction assay. The crude extracts containing polysaccharide were prepared by ethanol precipitation. Pre-treatment of cells with the Virucept extracts showed a strong inhibitory effect against both HSV type 1 and 3 with the 90% effective concentrations (EC90) ~0.1% for HSV-1 and 0.01% for HSV-2, respectively. Strong inhibition was also observed even after removing the extracts by washing with PBS on pre-treated cells. Similar activities were examined on HSV Acyclovir-or Forscanet-resistant strains. Approximately 66% inhibition was observed on cells that were already infected with HSV-1. Approximately 20-36% inhibition at a concentration of 0.5% was seen on HSV-2 and Acyclovir-or Forscarnet-resistant HSV infected cells. Our data indicate that the extracts from Virucept Red Marine Algae can be further developed as a vaginal microbicide for preventing HSV infection.
Inhibition of Herpesvirus Replication by Marine Algae Extracts
E. FRANK DEIG, DOUGLAS W. EHRESMANN, MELVIN T. HATCH, AND
DELIMAR J. RIEDLINGER
Naval Biomedical Research Laboratory, School of Public Health,
University of California, Berkeley, California 94720
Received for publication 8 August 1974.
Extracts from two species of marine red algae, Cryptosyphonia
woodii and Farlowia mollis, specifically inhibited herpes simplex
virus replicaton in vitro.
American Society for Microbiology, Vol. 6, No. 4, Copyright 1974
Antiviral Activity of Extracts from Marine Algae
JAMES T. RICHARDS, EARL R. KERN, LOWELL A. GLASGOW, JAMES C.
OVERALL, JR., E. FRANK DEIGN, AND MELVIN T. HATCH
Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah College of Medicine, Salt
Lake City, Utah 84132, and Naval Biosciences Laboratory, School of
Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720
Received for publication 2 March 1978
Extracts of two species of marine algae, Constantinea simplex and
Farlowia mollis, were tested for antiviral activity in tissue culture and
in experimental infections of mice. Treatment of confluent mouse embryo
fibroblast cell monolayers with either compound before viral inoculation
was effective in inhibiting the replication of herpes simplex virus type 1
and type 2, vaccinia virus, and vesicular stomatitis virus, but not
encephalomyocarditis virus, Semiliki Forest virus, or murine
cytomegalovirus. Prophylactic administration of these extracts was
effective in reducing final mortality or prolonging the mean day of death
of animals inoculated by the intraperitoneal, intracerebral, or intranasal
routes with herpes simplex virus type 2. When therapy was initiated
after viral inoculation or at a site other than that of viral inoculation, no
significant effect on mortality or on mean day of death was observed.
Neither preparation was effective in mice inoculated intraperitoneally
with encepthalomyocarditis virus, Semliki Forest virus, or murine
cytomegalovirus or in animals infected intravaginally with herpes
simplex virus type 2. The prophylactic but not therapeutic antiviral
activity of these preparations seriously limits their potential use in
human herpes simplex virus infections.
American Society for Microbiology, Vol. 14, No. 4, Copyright 1978
Further Studies on the Chemical Composition and an Initial In Vivo
Evaluation of Antiviral Material in Extracts of Macroscopic Marine Algae.
M. T. Hatch, D. W. Ehresmann, E. F. Deig, and N. A. Vedros
Naval Biosciences Laboratory, School of Public Health, University of
California, Berkeley, California 94720
Previous studies have demonstrated that the antiviral material in extracts
of 8 related species of Rhodophyta is a structural polysaccharide. The
present study extends our knowledge of chemical and biological properties
of the active material. The observation that concanavalin A (Con A)
formed an insoluable complex with antiviral molecules resulted in
development of a rapid in vitro titration procedure. Although purified
active fractions had polysaccharides containing 20% sulfate in ester form,
the material differed from other algal sulfated polysaccarides in that it
was specific for herpesvirus whereas carrageenins had a wide antiviral
spectrum. The reaction between Con A and the anti-herpesvirus
polysaccharide indicated the presence of alpha-D-glycosyl and sterically
related residues. Purified fractions were also tested for activity in cell
cultures and in mice subsequently infected with herpesvirus type 1 and 2.
Significant protection occurred when the material was administered to
mice prior to, or at the same time as virus.
Antiviral carbohydrates from marine red algae
Michael Neushul
Department of Biological Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara,
93106, USA and Neushul Mariculature Incorporated, 475 Kellogg Way,
Goleta, CA, 93117, USA
It is possible that heparin-like sulfated polysaccharides from red algae,
or fractions thereof, might be found to be low-cost, broad-spectrum
antiviral agents. The prevailing view among virologists has been that
sulfated polysaccharides inhibit viral action by acting only at the sufraces
of cells. This perception now is changing with the finding that both the
herpes virus (containing DNA) and human immunodeficiency virus
(containing RNA) are inhibited by sulfated polysaccharides that act
within the cell as well as external to it. Aqueous extracts of many
red algae are active against retroviruses. Carrageenan, a common cell
wall polysaccharide from red algae, is co-internalized into infected cells
with the Herpes simplex virus (HSV), inhibiting the virus. Carrageenan
also interferes with fusion (syncytium formation) between cells infected
with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and inhibits the specific
retroviral enzyme reverse transcriptase.
Blogarama
Herpes Treatment - A Holistic Roadmap
A New Holistic Treatment Protocol for Herpes, Cold Sores and HPV
Written by: christopher scipio
Natropractica
Treating Herpes Safely, Naturally, Effectively
Part One:
A New Holistic Approach to the Treatment of Herpes and Cold Sores
800,000 people or more will contract Genital and Oral Herpes (Herpes 1 and 2) this year in North America alone. It's estimated that 60% of the population has Herpes. A majority of the people with the disease are unaware that they carry the virus- making them much more likely to pass it on to others. With so many people affected by this epidemic, it's a wonder that Herpes doesn't get more media attention. It's been labeled an incurable disease which left untreated can have serious consequences such as the death of a infant born to a mother having an outbreak during delivery and vastly increasing one's chances of getting AIDS and other opportunistic infections.
The sad fact is that there's still a pervasive wall of shame and silence over this disease. People are much more likely to publicly declare their HIV positive status than admit to having Herpes. There are numerous charities and foundations with their high-profile celebrity spokespersons leading the very public campaign of AIDS awareness and research. There's an ever-increasing amount of sympathy and support for AIDS victims from the general public. But I challenge you to name a public spokesperson for Herpes? Better yet, can anyone even name one single Herpes charity? I'm sure they exist, but their public profiles are next to nonexistent. Have you ever seen a telethon to raise money for Herpes research? It's inconceivable to me why Herpes is treated as such a "dirty" disease. Is it the modern leprosy? I have worked with many Herpes sufferers who do not tell their lovers of their status for fear of being rejected. I'm not sure what the answer would be to gaining more support and sympathy for the sufferers of Herpes, but it's something we could all work on.
The Acyclovir family of drugs-including Valtrex and Famvir, has been the long standing therapy prescribed by doctors for the treatment of Herpes 1 and 2. Although the drug has proven itself to be somewhat effective in the reduction of the duration and severity of outbreaks when used topically and in the suppression of some outbreaks when taken orally, this effectiveness can come with a steep price.
Acyclovir does not cure Herpes, and must be taken indefinitely. Like many other drugs there are serious possible side-effects, including kidney dysfunction, toxicity in the nervous system, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea seizures, confusion and tremors, severe headaches. Beyond these perhaps the biggest problem with taking these drugs for Herpes is the creation of drug-resistant strains of the virus that will make treating people in the future much more difficult.
I have been using natural remedies to help people suffering with Herpes for fourteen years now. One of the principle natural tools used in controlling Herpes has been L-lysine-an amino acid that has been proven to reduce the frequency of outbreak in some people. Unfortunately L-lysine has now been shown to have it's own serious side-effect. Since it's main action is to inhibit arginine in the cellular environment, the long term effect of taking L-lysine is the lowering of the body's immune function. Which is a less than a desirable outcome.
Part Two:
A Comprehensive Programme for Managing Herpes Safely and Effectively
Fifteen years ago I contracted Herpes myself in the context of a monogamous relationship. Being open-minded and desperate I tried drug therapy and immediately got migraine headaches for the first time in my life. It was clear that I had to find a natural way of managing the disease for myself since I was going to have it for the rest of my life and I needed a way of being able to resume my sex life without the dread of the likelihood of passing it on to others. In the next two years I tried every natural therapy available at the time. Frustrated from the lack of consistent and lasting results from most of the touted natural remedies for Herpes I started developing my own treatment programme based on my family’s multi-generational background as herbalists.
What I found through my experience is that Herpes needs to be addressed on many levels- obviously nutrition and lifestyle changes/adjustments but that also the deep shame and many psychological effects of the disease are equally if not more important to treat than outbreaks. Herpes also can change quite significantly during the course of someone's history with the disease so any protocol would have to be flexible enough to deal with the evolutionary nature of the presenting symptoms.
I also don't believe in the validity of suppressive therapy for Herpes. I think suppression inevitably leads to the disease expressing itself in other ways-ways that may be more devastating than conventional outbreaks- so the protocol is not designed to suppress outbreaks altogether but rather to lengthen the period of time between outbreaks and to shorten their duration and greatly lessen their severity. Some people have had their average duration of outbreaks reduced from 12-16 days to 1 to 2 days. Some people have been able to prevent most outbreaks from re-occouring
The protocol does not cure the disease and does not stop all symptoms from appearing. Even those who have been able to stop most of their outbreaks have experienced some mild infrequent outbreaks. many less than one per year. Some far less than that.
After taking someone's case the protocol is adjusted depending on many factors including the strain of the virus, the frequency, location and duration of outbreaks. The relative health of the client’s self-esteem and the relative level of stressors. Whether the client is male or female, length of time with the disease , etc , etc, etc. For most the protocol involves both internal and topical remedies. For all it involves combination therapy- I learned a great deal from studying how other natual practitioners were treating HIV , especially people who had both HIV and Herpes or who had drug-resistant HIV. In North American many people with HIV also have Herpes. Many of the same substances that are effective for HIV are also effective for Herpes.
All of the substances in the protocol are from botanical sources. Many of the substances I grow or wildcraft myself. Most of the substances I tincture or homeopathically prepare myself. Melissa Officinalis is the cornerstone of the protocol. Lomatium Dissectum and Olive Leaf and Prunella Vulgaris are part of the remedy for everyone. There are also two patented substances- one from a Marine Biologist and Bio-Chemist and one from a MD that are frequently prescribed herbally as part of the protocol. The most common homeopathic remedies prescribed in the protocol are Rhus-tox, Mezereum and Rananuculus, but there are over two dozen homeopathic remedies that I use depending on the symptom picture and another dozen or so herbal substances. Again the protocol is a combination therapy. Some of these substances are used internally , some externally.
I am not big on the use of L-lysine. I never found it particularly effective and now research is showing the long term use of L-lysine can actually lower your immune function. L-lysine is not part of the
protocol.
For the most severe cases, A referral to a Hypnotherapist is part of the protocol. Hypnosis has been clinically proven to be very effective in the treatment of Herpes particularly when combined with other therapies.
Lastly, I counsel people to make peace with the disease. To not treat the virus as some ghastly invader. But to somehow dialogue with the virus and reach some kind of accommodation. The virus is an intelligent, motivated organism quite capable of surviving. The virus is just one of many many micro organisms homesteading in our bodies. I encourage people whenever possible to make an agreement with the virus to allow the virus to stay if the virus agrees to cause as little disruption of the host's life as possible. And above all else to not be ashamed of having Herpes. To have the courage to speak about the disease and not feel like a leper.
Email me at hsvclinic at aol dot com to book a consultation or to ask questions.
More information on my work and my background can be found on my sites http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.antiviralgel.com
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
Blogarama
Written by: christopher scipio
Natropractica
Treating Herpes Safely, Naturally, Effectively
Part One:
A New Holistic Approach to the Treatment of Herpes and Cold Sores
800,000 people or more will contract Genital and Oral Herpes (Herpes 1 and 2) this year in North America alone. It's estimated that 60% of the population has Herpes. A majority of the people with the disease are unaware that they carry the virus- making them much more likely to pass it on to others. With so many people affected by this epidemic, it's a wonder that Herpes doesn't get more media attention. It's been labeled an incurable disease which left untreated can have serious consequences such as the death of a infant born to a mother having an outbreak during delivery and vastly increasing one's chances of getting AIDS and other opportunistic infections.
The sad fact is that there's still a pervasive wall of shame and silence over this disease. People are much more likely to publicly declare their HIV positive status than admit to having Herpes. There are numerous charities and foundations with their high-profile celebrity spokespersons leading the very public campaign of AIDS awareness and research. There's an ever-increasing amount of sympathy and support for AIDS victims from the general public. But I challenge you to name a public spokesperson for Herpes? Better yet, can anyone even name one single Herpes charity? I'm sure they exist, but their public profiles are next to nonexistent. Have you ever seen a telethon to raise money for Herpes research? It's inconceivable to me why Herpes is treated as such a "dirty" disease. Is it the modern leprosy? I have worked with many Herpes sufferers who do not tell their lovers of their status for fear of being rejected. I'm not sure what the answer would be to gaining more support and sympathy for the sufferers of Herpes, but it's something we could all work on.
The Acyclovir family of drugs-including Valtrex and Famvir, has been the long standing therapy prescribed by doctors for the treatment of Herpes 1 and 2. Although the drug has proven itself to be somewhat effective in the reduction of the duration and severity of outbreaks when used topically and in the suppression of some outbreaks when taken orally, this effectiveness can come with a steep price.
Acyclovir does not cure Herpes, and must be taken indefinitely. Like many other drugs there are serious possible side-effects, including kidney dysfunction, toxicity in the nervous system, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea seizures, confusion and tremors, severe headaches. Beyond these perhaps the biggest problem with taking these drugs for Herpes is the creation of drug-resistant strains of the virus that will make treating people in the future much more difficult.
I have been using natural remedies to help people suffering with Herpes for fourteen years now. One of the principle natural tools used in controlling Herpes has been L-lysine-an amino acid that has been proven to reduce the frequency of outbreak in some people. Unfortunately L-lysine has now been shown to have it's own serious side-effect. Since it's main action is to inhibit arginine in the cellular environment, the long term effect of taking L-lysine is the lowering of the body's immune function. Which is a less than a desirable outcome.
Part Two:
A Comprehensive Programme for Managing Herpes Safely and Effectively
Fifteen years ago I contracted Herpes myself in the context of a monogamous relationship. Being open-minded and desperate I tried drug therapy and immediately got migraine headaches for the first time in my life. It was clear that I had to find a natural way of managing the disease for myself since I was going to have it for the rest of my life and I needed a way of being able to resume my sex life without the dread of the likelihood of passing it on to others. In the next two years I tried every natural therapy available at the time. Frustrated from the lack of consistent and lasting results from most of the touted natural remedies for Herpes I started developing my own treatment programme based on my family’s multi-generational background as herbalists.
What I found through my experience is that Herpes needs to be addressed on many levels- obviously nutrition and lifestyle changes/adjustments but that also the deep shame and many psychological effects of the disease are equally if not more important to treat than outbreaks. Herpes also can change quite significantly during the course of someone's history with the disease so any protocol would have to be flexible enough to deal with the evolutionary nature of the presenting symptoms.
I also don't believe in the validity of suppressive therapy for Herpes. I think suppression inevitably leads to the disease expressing itself in other ways-ways that may be more devastating than conventional outbreaks- so the protocol is not designed to suppress outbreaks altogether but rather to lengthen the period of time between outbreaks and to shorten their duration and greatly lessen their severity. Some people have had their average duration of outbreaks reduced from 12-16 days to 1 to 2 days. Some people have been able to prevent most outbreaks from re-occouring
The protocol does not cure the disease and does not stop all symptoms from appearing. Even those who have been able to stop most of their outbreaks have experienced some mild infrequent outbreaks. many less than one per year. Some far less than that.
After taking someone's case the protocol is adjusted depending on many factors including the strain of the virus, the frequency, location and duration of outbreaks. The relative health of the client’s self-esteem and the relative level of stressors. Whether the client is male or female, length of time with the disease , etc , etc, etc. For most the protocol involves both internal and topical remedies. For all it involves combination therapy- I learned a great deal from studying how other natual practitioners were treating HIV , especially people who had both HIV and Herpes or who had drug-resistant HIV. In North American many people with HIV also have Herpes. Many of the same substances that are effective for HIV are also effective for Herpes.
All of the substances in the protocol are from botanical sources. Many of the substances I grow or wildcraft myself. Most of the substances I tincture or homeopathically prepare myself. Melissa Officinalis is the cornerstone of the protocol. Lomatium Dissectum and Olive Leaf and Prunella Vulgaris are part of the remedy for everyone. There are also two patented substances- one from a Marine Biologist and Bio-Chemist and one from a MD that are frequently prescribed herbally as part of the protocol. The most common homeopathic remedies prescribed in the protocol are Rhus-tox, Mezereum and Rananuculus, but there are over two dozen homeopathic remedies that I use depending on the symptom picture and another dozen or so herbal substances. Again the protocol is a combination therapy. Some of these substances are used internally , some externally.
I am not big on the use of L-lysine. I never found it particularly effective and now research is showing the long term use of L-lysine can actually lower your immune function. L-lysine is not part of the
protocol.
For the most severe cases, A referral to a Hypnotherapist is part of the protocol. Hypnosis has been clinically proven to be very effective in the treatment of Herpes particularly when combined with other therapies.
Lastly, I counsel people to make peace with the disease. To not treat the virus as some ghastly invader. But to somehow dialogue with the virus and reach some kind of accommodation. The virus is an intelligent, motivated organism quite capable of surviving. The virus is just one of many many micro organisms homesteading in our bodies. I encourage people whenever possible to make an agreement with the virus to allow the virus to stay if the virus agrees to cause as little disruption of the host's life as possible. And above all else to not be ashamed of having Herpes. To have the courage to speak about the disease and not feel like a leper.
Email me at hsvclinic at aol dot com to book a consultation or to ask questions.
More information on my work and my background can be found on my sites http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.antiviralgel.com
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
Blogarama
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
An Endorsement of My Book by Dr. Ryan Drum
Herbalist Scipio has produced a valuable work which admirably fills the aching void for an authentic treatise on Herpes Simplex viral infestations and the tragedies of their human hosts.
As a thirty-year-plus herpes infestee, I salute Scipio's upbeat, enthusiastic analyses of the Herpes Experience. His personal emotional authenticity is staggeringly lucid.
More than just a grandiose whine, his text offers genuine successful therapeutic suggestions to Herpes infestees.
I recommend Making Peace With Herpes to all Herpes Infestees.
Ryan Drum, PHD, MH, AHG
Making Peace with herpes is at
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
As a thirty-year-plus herpes infestee, I salute Scipio's upbeat, enthusiastic analyses of the Herpes Experience. His personal emotional authenticity is staggeringly lucid.
More than just a grandiose whine, his text offers genuine successful therapeutic suggestions to Herpes infestees.
I recommend Making Peace With Herpes to all Herpes Infestees.
Ryan Drum, PHD, MH, AHG
Making Peace with herpes is at
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Negotiation is the Path to Making Peace with Herpes
Negotiation is the Path to Making Peace with Herpes
You need to make peace with your herpes. I understand the instinct to want to fight herpes, to “annihilate it” as one young man told me. I fought herpes for nine years and lost. I didn’t start winning my own personal battle with herpes until I made peace with it and with myself. You cannot win a war against herpes. Like Israel and Hezbollah or the Hutus and Tutsi or the Catholics and Protestants in Ulster you will have to find a way to peacefully co-exist. Herpes is for life, but how peaceful that life is up to you.
Negotiation is the path to herpes peace. Here are some rules of herpes diplomacy that I learned during my nine-year struggle. The same rules can apply when dealing with HPV or any other disease.
1. Treat your adversary with respect. Understand and recognize what herpes is and what’s its purpose in your body. You can review the chapter in my book entitled “The Mystical-Magical Herpes Virus” for a refresher.
2. Be willing to speak and listen openly and sincerely with the virus. There is a visualization exercise in the book to aide in this.
3. Negotiate in good faith with the virus to come up with a win-win situation for your mutual benefit. The deal I stuck with the virus was this: “I understand that you are in my body for life and I will stop projecting anger, bitterness and resentment towards you and in return I require that you conduct yourself like a well-behaved guest. If I treat my body well with the right diet and not allow myself to get too far out of balance you must agree to stay dormant”.
4. Practice Patience. Real peace agreements rarely happen overnight. Being impatient and anxious will show the virus that you are weak and desperate and will reduce your leverage in the negotiation.
5. Practice Perseverance. You must be in it for the long haul. You must have the commitment and stamina to see the peace process through. Whenever peace negotiations break down usually the situation on the ground worsens.
Peace is always better than war, especially a war you cannot win. With all the strife and suffering in this world, why not make your own body into a haven of peace?
Regards and love
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
Blogarama
You need to make peace with your herpes. I understand the instinct to want to fight herpes, to “annihilate it” as one young man told me. I fought herpes for nine years and lost. I didn’t start winning my own personal battle with herpes until I made peace with it and with myself. You cannot win a war against herpes. Like Israel and Hezbollah or the Hutus and Tutsi or the Catholics and Protestants in Ulster you will have to find a way to peacefully co-exist. Herpes is for life, but how peaceful that life is up to you.
Negotiation is the path to herpes peace. Here are some rules of herpes diplomacy that I learned during my nine-year struggle. The same rules can apply when dealing with HPV or any other disease.
1. Treat your adversary with respect. Understand and recognize what herpes is and what’s its purpose in your body. You can review the chapter in my book entitled “The Mystical-Magical Herpes Virus” for a refresher.
2. Be willing to speak and listen openly and sincerely with the virus. There is a visualization exercise in the book to aide in this.
3. Negotiate in good faith with the virus to come up with a win-win situation for your mutual benefit. The deal I stuck with the virus was this: “I understand that you are in my body for life and I will stop projecting anger, bitterness and resentment towards you and in return I require that you conduct yourself like a well-behaved guest. If I treat my body well with the right diet and not allow myself to get too far out of balance you must agree to stay dormant”.
4. Practice Patience. Real peace agreements rarely happen overnight. Being impatient and anxious will show the virus that you are weak and desperate and will reduce your leverage in the negotiation.
5. Practice Perseverance. You must be in it for the long haul. You must have the commitment and stamina to see the peace process through. Whenever peace negotiations break down usually the situation on the ground worsens.
Peace is always better than war, especially a war you cannot win. With all the strife and suffering in this world, why not make your own body into a haven of peace?
Regards and love
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
Blogarama
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Herpes: The Great Illuminator
Herpes: The Great Illuminator
I have written before about the positive aspects of having a life-long herpes infection, and there are several, today another one has made itself known to me.
Herpes can be a great illuminator.
When you are having an outbreak or herpes-related symptoms it can bring to the surface some of your deepest, darkest fears, insecurities and neuroses.
Some of the ones that my patients tell me that come up most often are insecurities about body image, memories of past sexual abuse, fear of not being desired/being unattractive, fear of rejection, fear of infecting others, fear of ridicule and fear of being outed.
If you were struggling with your body image before having herpes, having outbreaks sends that fear right up into the stratosphere. This is the proverbial double-whammy. For some people until they make peace with their feelings about their body they will not have the virus under control. For others, until they make peace with herpes, having outbreaks will make the schism between themselves and their body way worse and there will be no reconciliation between themselves and their body until making peace with the virus first.
For those who were the victims of past sexual abuse or who were coerced into sex-work as young people, having symptoms of outbreaks can bring some ugly, terrifying or emotionally paralyzing feelings up to the surface, some of them long-buried. If the person was infected with herpes as part of the sexual abuse or exploitation, that adds another huge layer to the issue. This is the most daunting of the herpes illuminations but it is better to have this illuminated and on the surface rather than repressed. Herpes can provide an opportunity to understand and work on this issue. Holisticallly healing your herpes can help change your relationship with yourself in an empowering way which can be part of a larger programme of healing these past wounds and vice-versa.
It’s very challenging, obviously to feel attractive and desired when having regular outbreaks or symptoms, this is one of the many reasons why having a supportive, understanding partner/s is crucial for someone with herpes and why I encourage people to let go of anyone they are having an intimate relationship with who isn’t supportive and understanding.
As human beings we tend to fear rejection more than almost any other fear. The advertising industry is largely propelled by re-inforcing this fear in order to sell everything from antiperspirants to plastic-surgery. It is especially crushing to be rejected for something you have no control over like race, height, or having herpes. Twinned with this fear of rejection is a fear of ridicule. There are a number of cruel people out there (thankfully only a small minority) who have said and continue to say harsh things about people with herpes. Most people are far more loving and tolerant than this but the fear of being ridiculed like the fear of rejection can get blown up way out of proportion.
The fear of infecting others in and of itself can trigger symptoms and outbreaks.
This is a healthy fear in so far as it can be a motivation for treating your herpes and practicing safer sex but you should not allow it to become an overwhelming fear or it may get in the way of reclaiming your sex life which is a important step in living a holistically healthy life with herpes.
We could all make the fear of being outed a thing of the past by coming out of the closet and talking about herpes, educating the general public about herpes and herpes prevention and by claiming our place in the sun as a majority of the population, but because we don’t do this, we have self-imposed on ourselves the status of a dis-empowered ashamed community. I am always amazed by how far some people will go to not have to out themselves as a person with herpes. People have the right to keep their private lives private, but many of the people in the public arena who willing admit to me in private that they have herpes won’t admit it in public and this includes radio and television talk show hosts, porn stars, sex-educators, health-care workers, etc.
Until gays and lesbians started coming out of the closet in the 60’s and 70’s they had no rights or influence in this society and so it will continue to be for us until we decide to change.
No matter how well you feel that you are doing on the emotional, mental and spiritual levels in dealing with herpes it won’t be until you are tested by outbreaks and symptoms that you will know where you truly are. Herpes is the great illuminator shining a piercing light on your deepest and darkest fears and insecurities related and un-related to “the gift”.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.herpesnation.com,
Blogarama
I have written before about the positive aspects of having a life-long herpes infection, and there are several, today another one has made itself known to me.
Herpes can be a great illuminator.
When you are having an outbreak or herpes-related symptoms it can bring to the surface some of your deepest, darkest fears, insecurities and neuroses.
Some of the ones that my patients tell me that come up most often are insecurities about body image, memories of past sexual abuse, fear of not being desired/being unattractive, fear of rejection, fear of infecting others, fear of ridicule and fear of being outed.
If you were struggling with your body image before having herpes, having outbreaks sends that fear right up into the stratosphere. This is the proverbial double-whammy. For some people until they make peace with their feelings about their body they will not have the virus under control. For others, until they make peace with herpes, having outbreaks will make the schism between themselves and their body way worse and there will be no reconciliation between themselves and their body until making peace with the virus first.
For those who were the victims of past sexual abuse or who were coerced into sex-work as young people, having symptoms of outbreaks can bring some ugly, terrifying or emotionally paralyzing feelings up to the surface, some of them long-buried. If the person was infected with herpes as part of the sexual abuse or exploitation, that adds another huge layer to the issue. This is the most daunting of the herpes illuminations but it is better to have this illuminated and on the surface rather than repressed. Herpes can provide an opportunity to understand and work on this issue. Holisticallly healing your herpes can help change your relationship with yourself in an empowering way which can be part of a larger programme of healing these past wounds and vice-versa.
It’s very challenging, obviously to feel attractive and desired when having regular outbreaks or symptoms, this is one of the many reasons why having a supportive, understanding partner/s is crucial for someone with herpes and why I encourage people to let go of anyone they are having an intimate relationship with who isn’t supportive and understanding.
As human beings we tend to fear rejection more than almost any other fear. The advertising industry is largely propelled by re-inforcing this fear in order to sell everything from antiperspirants to plastic-surgery. It is especially crushing to be rejected for something you have no control over like race, height, or having herpes. Twinned with this fear of rejection is a fear of ridicule. There are a number of cruel people out there (thankfully only a small minority) who have said and continue to say harsh things about people with herpes. Most people are far more loving and tolerant than this but the fear of being ridiculed like the fear of rejection can get blown up way out of proportion.
The fear of infecting others in and of itself can trigger symptoms and outbreaks.
This is a healthy fear in so far as it can be a motivation for treating your herpes and practicing safer sex but you should not allow it to become an overwhelming fear or it may get in the way of reclaiming your sex life which is a important step in living a holistically healthy life with herpes.
We could all make the fear of being outed a thing of the past by coming out of the closet and talking about herpes, educating the general public about herpes and herpes prevention and by claiming our place in the sun as a majority of the population, but because we don’t do this, we have self-imposed on ourselves the status of a dis-empowered ashamed community. I am always amazed by how far some people will go to not have to out themselves as a person with herpes. People have the right to keep their private lives private, but many of the people in the public arena who willing admit to me in private that they have herpes won’t admit it in public and this includes radio and television talk show hosts, porn stars, sex-educators, health-care workers, etc.
Until gays and lesbians started coming out of the closet in the 60’s and 70’s they had no rights or influence in this society and so it will continue to be for us until we decide to change.
No matter how well you feel that you are doing on the emotional, mental and spiritual levels in dealing with herpes it won’t be until you are tested by outbreaks and symptoms that you will know where you truly are. Herpes is the great illuminator shining a piercing light on your deepest and darkest fears and insecurities related and un-related to “the gift”.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.herpesnation.com,
Blogarama
Monday, August 14, 2006
Herpes Infection Frequent in Young Girls (full text)
Herpes Infections Frequent in Young Girls
By Anne Harding
Mon Jul 31, 12:01 PM ET
Infections with the virus that causes genital herpes are common among teen girls, a new study shows.
While none of the young women in the study had oral or genital herpes symptoms, some of those who tested positive for the virus were shedding it in their vaginal area, meaning it would be possible for them to transmit the infection to others, Dr. Kenneth H. Fife of the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis and colleagues report.
"It was something that we sort of expected to find based on the incidence of other sexually transmitted infections in this population," Fife told Reuters Health in an interview.
A national survey of the US population conducted between 1988 and 1994 found that more than one in five people over 12 had blood tests that showed evidence for infection with herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV 2), the virus typically responsible for genital herpes, Fife and his team note in their report in the July issue of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. This represents a 30 percent increase from 1976-1980. There is also evidence that genital infections with HSV 1, which normally causes cold sores around the mouth, are on the rise, they add.
To examine the incidence and prevalence of both strains of the virus among adolescent women, Fife and his team analyzed data from a study in which a group of young women were followed closely to determine if they contracted any sexually transmitted infections. Their analysis included results of blood and genital specimen tests obtained every three months from100 women aged 14 to 18.
At the study's outset, they found, 59.6 percent of the women tested positive for HSV 1, while 13.5 percent carried HSV 2. During the follow-up period, from 1999 to 2004, four of the study participants contracted new HSV 1 infections, while seven acquired HSV 2.
Among the women who developed new HSV 2 infections, none had symptoms of genital herpes, but three were shedding the virus in their vaginal area.
It is likely that at least some of the new HSV 1 infections that occurred among women in the study were genital, given that genital HSV 1 infections are quite common in young adults, the researchers note.
They conclude, "HSV infections are common in adolescent women." They point out that efforts to reduce these infections "need to target children before adolescence."
SOURCE: Sexually Transmitted Diseases, July 2006.
Blogarama
By Anne Harding
Mon Jul 31, 12:01 PM ET
Infections with the virus that causes genital herpes are common among teen girls, a new study shows.
While none of the young women in the study had oral or genital herpes symptoms, some of those who tested positive for the virus were shedding it in their vaginal area, meaning it would be possible for them to transmit the infection to others, Dr. Kenneth H. Fife of the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis and colleagues report.
"It was something that we sort of expected to find based on the incidence of other sexually transmitted infections in this population," Fife told Reuters Health in an interview.
A national survey of the US population conducted between 1988 and 1994 found that more than one in five people over 12 had blood tests that showed evidence for infection with herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV 2), the virus typically responsible for genital herpes, Fife and his team note in their report in the July issue of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. This represents a 30 percent increase from 1976-1980. There is also evidence that genital infections with HSV 1, which normally causes cold sores around the mouth, are on the rise, they add.
To examine the incidence and prevalence of both strains of the virus among adolescent women, Fife and his team analyzed data from a study in which a group of young women were followed closely to determine if they contracted any sexually transmitted infections. Their analysis included results of blood and genital specimen tests obtained every three months from100 women aged 14 to 18.
At the study's outset, they found, 59.6 percent of the women tested positive for HSV 1, while 13.5 percent carried HSV 2. During the follow-up period, from 1999 to 2004, four of the study participants contracted new HSV 1 infections, while seven acquired HSV 2.
Among the women who developed new HSV 2 infections, none had symptoms of genital herpes, but three were shedding the virus in their vaginal area.
It is likely that at least some of the new HSV 1 infections that occurred among women in the study were genital, given that genital HSV 1 infections are quite common in young adults, the researchers note.
They conclude, "HSV infections are common in adolescent women." They point out that efforts to reduce these infections "need to target children before adolescence."
SOURCE: Sexually Transmitted Diseases, July 2006.
Blogarama
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Why Treating Your Herpes Naturally is a Better Option
My Pitch On Why You Should Treat Their Herpes Holistically
There are only three ways of managing herpes. You can manage your herpes through drug therapy or holistic therapy anchored with herbal medicine or you can decide to not treat your herpes at all. Drug Therapy is expensive, has side effects detrimental to your health, and does nothing to build up your immune system or improve your overall health. Not treating your herpes is unethical since you will be endangering others by not treating a life-long contagious viral infection not to mention that it increases your chances of becoming infected with HIV, HPV and other viral illnesses. Holistic therapy has no disadvantages so it would seem to me to be the obvious choice.
1. Holistic Therapy is just as effective if not more effective than drug therapy.
2. Holistic Therapy builds your immune system and helps you protect yourself against other sexually transmitted infections and immune related illnesses such as cancer-which drug therapy does not do.
3. Holistic Therapy helps you better cope with the emotional and psychological impact of having herpes which drug therapy doesn't even pretend to do.
4. Holistic Therapy is steeped in the ancient traditions of holistic and traditional healing from all world cultures- so it's getting back to your roots and re-connecting with nature in a satisfying and uplifting way.
5. Holsitic Therapy helps you to grow and become a better human being- who can ever claim that drug therapy ever accomplishes that!
Holistic Therapy for herpes is based on four simple ways of supporting your immune system and yourself as a whole person. The first way is through eating an appropriate diet for herpes. The second is making some changes to your exercize routines and adding some creatiev visualizations to give yourself mental and emotional support. Thirdly there are a few simple supplements that help your immune system with herpes, they are inexpensive and easy to find, they are- garlic, zinc picolinate, selenium- preferably from brewer's yeast, hemp seeds (not hemp protein) and lauricidin- only if you have frequent outbreaks, and only buy from http://www.lauricidin.com (I have no financial connection to Dr. Kabara so my advice is unbiased). Lastly Holistic therapy requires real herbal medicine. You can make remedies yourself at home very inexpensively which I encourage people to try. You can get the remedies from me that I make from scratch like my grandmother did and my family has for generations, or you can get your medicine from your local qualified herbalist, but please do not buy quick fix gimmick solutions, you cannot manage herpes with l-lysine, you cannot manage herpes with dmso and hydrogen peroxide (in fact it's dangerous and illegal to do so), you cannot manage herpes with topical creams, gel, or essential oils.
This is a pitch for those who haven't given holistic healing a chance, to explore it especially the message of making peace with the virus and not treating it like some cockroach you want to exterminate. Again I encourage people to make their own remedies or seek out a traditional herbalist. I have a book on my holistic herpes protocol which I encourage you to look at at http://www.herpesbook.com, radio interviews where I discuss in detail how to manage your herpes naturally at http://www.natropractica.com. I am also happy to email you information on the appropriate elements of a holistic herpes management plan and to offer you a free telephone consultation with me.
I am one of the most experienced practitioners in North America treating the herpes virus holistically.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic herpes treatment specialist
Blogarama
There are only three ways of managing herpes. You can manage your herpes through drug therapy or holistic therapy anchored with herbal medicine or you can decide to not treat your herpes at all. Drug Therapy is expensive, has side effects detrimental to your health, and does nothing to build up your immune system or improve your overall health. Not treating your herpes is unethical since you will be endangering others by not treating a life-long contagious viral infection not to mention that it increases your chances of becoming infected with HIV, HPV and other viral illnesses. Holistic therapy has no disadvantages so it would seem to me to be the obvious choice.
1. Holistic Therapy is just as effective if not more effective than drug therapy.
2. Holistic Therapy builds your immune system and helps you protect yourself against other sexually transmitted infections and immune related illnesses such as cancer-which drug therapy does not do.
3. Holistic Therapy helps you better cope with the emotional and psychological impact of having herpes which drug therapy doesn't even pretend to do.
4. Holistic Therapy is steeped in the ancient traditions of holistic and traditional healing from all world cultures- so it's getting back to your roots and re-connecting with nature in a satisfying and uplifting way.
5. Holsitic Therapy helps you to grow and become a better human being- who can ever claim that drug therapy ever accomplishes that!
Holistic Therapy for herpes is based on four simple ways of supporting your immune system and yourself as a whole person. The first way is through eating an appropriate diet for herpes. The second is making some changes to your exercize routines and adding some creatiev visualizations to give yourself mental and emotional support. Thirdly there are a few simple supplements that help your immune system with herpes, they are inexpensive and easy to find, they are- garlic, zinc picolinate, selenium- preferably from brewer's yeast, hemp seeds (not hemp protein) and lauricidin- only if you have frequent outbreaks, and only buy from http://www.lauricidin.com (I have no financial connection to Dr. Kabara so my advice is unbiased). Lastly Holistic therapy requires real herbal medicine. You can make remedies yourself at home very inexpensively which I encourage people to try. You can get the remedies from me that I make from scratch like my grandmother did and my family has for generations, or you can get your medicine from your local qualified herbalist, but please do not buy quick fix gimmick solutions, you cannot manage herpes with l-lysine, you cannot manage herpes with dmso and hydrogen peroxide (in fact it's dangerous and illegal to do so), you cannot manage herpes with topical creams, gel, or essential oils.
This is a pitch for those who haven't given holistic healing a chance, to explore it especially the message of making peace with the virus and not treating it like some cockroach you want to exterminate. Again I encourage people to make their own remedies or seek out a traditional herbalist. I have a book on my holistic herpes protocol which I encourage you to look at at http://www.herpesbook.com, radio interviews where I discuss in detail how to manage your herpes naturally at http://www.natropractica.com. I am also happy to email you information on the appropriate elements of a holistic herpes management plan and to offer you a free telephone consultation with me.
I am one of the most experienced practitioners in North America treating the herpes virus holistically.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic herpes treatment specialist
Blogarama
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
What Most People are Afriad of Isn't Herpes
What most people are afraid of or hostile to isn't really herpes at all, but "the others". Our society is still very intolerant of anyone identified as "the others". Sometimes the others are a different race, sometimes they are people with mental illnesses or visible handicaps, sometimes they are people who make different sexual choices, often they are those who choose to believe in a different religion, sometimes it's those who believe in natural medicine rather than drugs. This time around its people with herpes. Intolerance is an epidemic disease that does far more damage than any medical disease. Being black I know what it's like being on the receiving end of intolerance, being a black man with herpes gives me a double dose of it.
Many people with herpes are afraid to disclose their herpes status even to lovers because of fear of being identified as "the others".
Don't let the haters of this world bring you down. Love yourself, love this world, love life itself.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
Many people with herpes are afraid to disclose their herpes status even to lovers because of fear of being identified as "the others".
Don't let the haters of this world bring you down. Love yourself, love this world, love life itself.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
Herpes Infections are Frequent in Young Girls
At the study's outset, they found, 59.6 percent of the women tested positive for HSV 1, while 13.5 percent carried HSV 2. During the follow-up period, from 1999 to 2004, four of the study participants contracted new HSV 1 infections, while seven acquired HSV 2.
Blogarama
Blogarama
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
My Herpes Interview with Monday Magazine
You Need to Know
It’s a tricky topic, but let’s talk
By RINGO WILDE
Monday Magazine, June 8-14, 2006
I know it’s not something you’re burning to talk about, Darlings—or
maybe you are burning with it, which is all the more reason to broach
the delicate subject of (ahem) herpes. You know. The gift that keeps on
giving. Even if you’re not currently affected, it pays to know what you
could be up against next time you rub up against someone who is. I
recently e-mailed with Vancouver naturopath Christopher Scipio, who has
just published a book called Making Peace With Herpes, which he wrote
because he figured it just wasn’t talked about enough. Here’s what he
had to say:
Ringo Wilde: How big a concern is herpes in British Columbia these days?
Christopher Scipio: Herpes is a huge concern . . . what I and my other
colleagues in the health profession are seeing is an increase of herpes
infection amongst the 15 to 25 population, largely due to the
popularity of oral sex and the failure of all of us to get the message
out to young people that herpes can be transmitted through oral sex
whether or not sores are visible genitally or on the lips.
RW: Who is mostly affected?
CS: Herpes is an equal opportunity disease. Many children get it by
being kissed by adults with cold sores. Herpes affects every income
level in every culture. It affects rural populations at the same rate
as urban areas.
RW: Why is there a stigma about herpes?
CS: Because the government and media are controlled by social and
religous conservatives who wish to demonize sexuality by trying to put
forward the absurd argument that sexually transmitted diseases are
God’s punishment for immorality. Not only is this an unloving and
ignorant attitude, but it also doesn’t represent the reality of
sexually transmitted infections. I, like most of my patients, got my
herpes in a monogamous relationship. Many others got their herpes as
children by being kissed by their parents.
By refusing to provide adequate sex education to the public, all these
sex-negative people are accomplishing is helping to spread sexually
transmitted diseases by denying people the information they need to
practice safer sexuality and creating a climate where some people are
afraid to admit that they have a sexually tranmitted disease. The fact
is that you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who has had six or
more sex partners who hasn’t had a sexually transmitted infection,
whether they know it or not.
RW: What can people do to control outbreaks?
CS: The first thing to do is to eat an appropriate diet. If you are
having regular outbreaks, refrain from caffeine (coffee, choclate,
black tea, green tea, yerba mate, cola drinks) and nuts and seeds
(except hemp and flax) until your immune system has become strong
enough to keep the virus dormant. Secondly, take up yoga, tai chi or qi
gong. Thirdly, take a chelated zinc supplement, selenium, and a garlic
supplement daily. If you are a woman whose outbreaks occour during
menstruation you will need a liquid hormone-balancing formula that
includes don quai, black cohosh and chaste tree berries.
Everyone with regular outbreaks needs to do the inner work necessary to
forgive themselves, forgive the person who infected them, and to make
peace with the virus and accept that it will be in their body for life.
Lastly, it is helpful for many people with regular outbreaks to either
do suppressive drug therapy or to take herbal formulas to build their
immune system . . . Suppressive drug therapy does not in any way build
your immune system, has potential negative side-effects, and once you
stop taking the drug therapy your outbreaks will likely resume as
severe as before.
RW: How can those with herpes meet others with herpes for relationships
and/or support?
CS: Every major city and many smaller towns have herpes support groups
and these can be found doing a Google search . . . There are many
dating sites like antopia.com and positivesingles.com, but I recommend
that people with herpes avoid the urge to only date others with herpes.
There is no need to ghettoize yourself into thinking that you are
unworthy of dating uninfected persons. Love is bigger than herpes.
RW: Are there natural treatments as well as drugs?
CS: Herpes has been around for about 140 millions years and infects
every animal without a backbone and most animals with a backbone
including cats, elephants and even race horses. There has only been
drug therapy for herpes for about 20 years, in contrast herpes has been
treated for more than 2,000 years through herbal medicine. There are
powerful Chinese, African and Amazonian herbs for controlling herpes
that I and many other herbalists work with, but there are powerful
natural antivirals that can help with herpes without side-effects
growing in gardens and in the wild all over B.C.. The lemon balm in
gardens, the red seaweeds on clean beaches, the reishi and other
medicinal mushrooms growing in the spring and fall, have all been
proven to be effective for herpes . . . we are surrounded by the most
powerful medicines in the world.
RW: What else should readers know?
CS: Know that “cold sores” are herpes simplex type 1, very contagious
and should not be confused as anything other than herpes of the face
and mouth—and are no less of a public health issue than so-called
genital herpes. Know that more than 60 percent of the sexually active
population has herpes, 70 percent may have HPV and 80 percent have had
chlamydia, and many women have had it more than once. Know that
sexually transmitted infections are part of the reality of being a
human being in 2006, and that they can be prevented and treated and
need not be kept a dirty secret. Know that we are all better off if
these things are discussed openly in the media and in our schools. Know
that there is nothing to fear except fear itself. M
ringowilde@yahoo.ca
Blogarama
It’s a tricky topic, but let’s talk
By RINGO WILDE
Monday Magazine, June 8-14, 2006
I know it’s not something you’re burning to talk about, Darlings—or
maybe you are burning with it, which is all the more reason to broach
the delicate subject of (ahem) herpes. You know. The gift that keeps on
giving. Even if you’re not currently affected, it pays to know what you
could be up against next time you rub up against someone who is. I
recently e-mailed with Vancouver naturopath Christopher Scipio, who has
just published a book called Making Peace With Herpes, which he wrote
because he figured it just wasn’t talked about enough. Here’s what he
had to say:
Ringo Wilde: How big a concern is herpes in British Columbia these days?
Christopher Scipio: Herpes is a huge concern . . . what I and my other
colleagues in the health profession are seeing is an increase of herpes
infection amongst the 15 to 25 population, largely due to the
popularity of oral sex and the failure of all of us to get the message
out to young people that herpes can be transmitted through oral sex
whether or not sores are visible genitally or on the lips.
RW: Who is mostly affected?
CS: Herpes is an equal opportunity disease. Many children get it by
being kissed by adults with cold sores. Herpes affects every income
level in every culture. It affects rural populations at the same rate
as urban areas.
RW: Why is there a stigma about herpes?
CS: Because the government and media are controlled by social and
religous conservatives who wish to demonize sexuality by trying to put
forward the absurd argument that sexually transmitted diseases are
God’s punishment for immorality. Not only is this an unloving and
ignorant attitude, but it also doesn’t represent the reality of
sexually transmitted infections. I, like most of my patients, got my
herpes in a monogamous relationship. Many others got their herpes as
children by being kissed by their parents.
By refusing to provide adequate sex education to the public, all these
sex-negative people are accomplishing is helping to spread sexually
transmitted diseases by denying people the information they need to
practice safer sexuality and creating a climate where some people are
afraid to admit that they have a sexually tranmitted disease. The fact
is that you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who has had six or
more sex partners who hasn’t had a sexually transmitted infection,
whether they know it or not.
RW: What can people do to control outbreaks?
CS: The first thing to do is to eat an appropriate diet. If you are
having regular outbreaks, refrain from caffeine (coffee, choclate,
black tea, green tea, yerba mate, cola drinks) and nuts and seeds
(except hemp and flax) until your immune system has become strong
enough to keep the virus dormant. Secondly, take up yoga, tai chi or qi
gong. Thirdly, take a chelated zinc supplement, selenium, and a garlic
supplement daily. If you are a woman whose outbreaks occour during
menstruation you will need a liquid hormone-balancing formula that
includes don quai, black cohosh and chaste tree berries.
Everyone with regular outbreaks needs to do the inner work necessary to
forgive themselves, forgive the person who infected them, and to make
peace with the virus and accept that it will be in their body for life.
Lastly, it is helpful for many people with regular outbreaks to either
do suppressive drug therapy or to take herbal formulas to build their
immune system . . . Suppressive drug therapy does not in any way build
your immune system, has potential negative side-effects, and once you
stop taking the drug therapy your outbreaks will likely resume as
severe as before.
RW: How can those with herpes meet others with herpes for relationships
and/or support?
CS: Every major city and many smaller towns have herpes support groups
and these can be found doing a Google search . . . There are many
dating sites like antopia.com and positivesingles.com, but I recommend
that people with herpes avoid the urge to only date others with herpes.
There is no need to ghettoize yourself into thinking that you are
unworthy of dating uninfected persons. Love is bigger than herpes.
RW: Are there natural treatments as well as drugs?
CS: Herpes has been around for about 140 millions years and infects
every animal without a backbone and most animals with a backbone
including cats, elephants and even race horses. There has only been
drug therapy for herpes for about 20 years, in contrast herpes has been
treated for more than 2,000 years through herbal medicine. There are
powerful Chinese, African and Amazonian herbs for controlling herpes
that I and many other herbalists work with, but there are powerful
natural antivirals that can help with herpes without side-effects
growing in gardens and in the wild all over B.C.. The lemon balm in
gardens, the red seaweeds on clean beaches, the reishi and other
medicinal mushrooms growing in the spring and fall, have all been
proven to be effective for herpes . . . we are surrounded by the most
powerful medicines in the world.
RW: What else should readers know?
CS: Know that “cold sores” are herpes simplex type 1, very contagious
and should not be confused as anything other than herpes of the face
and mouth—and are no less of a public health issue than so-called
genital herpes. Know that more than 60 percent of the sexually active
population has herpes, 70 percent may have HPV and 80 percent have had
chlamydia, and many women have had it more than once. Know that
sexually transmitted infections are part of the reality of being a
human being in 2006, and that they can be prevented and treated and
need not be kept a dirty secret. Know that we are all better off if
these things are discussed openly in the media and in our schools. Know
that there is nothing to fear except fear itself. M
ringowilde@yahoo.ca
Blogarama
Saturday, July 15, 2006
My Interview with Holistic Health Nation
The first part of my radio interview with Daryl Kulak of Holistic Health Nation is up on his site at http://www.holistichealthnation.com.
The show mostly focuses on contrasting the difference in treating herpes with drug therapy and treating herpes with an individualized holistic treatment plan.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
The show mostly focuses on contrasting the difference in treating herpes with drug therapy and treating herpes with an individualized holistic treatment plan.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
Friday, July 14, 2006
Herpes and the DMSO Deception
Herpes and the DMSO Deception
DMSO is a Dangerous, ineffective, un-natural and illegal therapy for the treatment of herpes.
I wrote an essay over a year ago called “The Natural Health Products Hustle: False Prophets chasing Profits”, to describe my dismay at seeing all the unethical businesses jumping into the new gold rush which is the “natural health products” market. You can read that essay here- http://www.natropractica.com/Natural%20Health%20Prducts%20Hustle.htm
What mostly happens with these companies is that they over-hype the effectiveness of their products which give cynics an excuse to criticize vitamins and supplements, but rarely are the products dangerous.
DMSO (di-methyl-sulfoxide) is an exception. DMSO is not an herbal medicine, vitamin or a supplement. It is a man-made solvent derived from the pulp and paer industry. Its main use is as an industrial solvent to clean heavy equipment. DMSO does have some medicinal uses, primarily for the treatment of interstitial cystitis, and to help race horses cope with the strain on their unnatural bodies.
Only pharmaceutical grade DMSO (USP) which is 99.9 pure is safe for use with humans, and it is only legal to sell or buy it with a prescription and it is only approved for human use by the FDA for use in the treatment of interstitial cystitis (an inflammation of the bladder).
Greedy companies unconcerned about the danger of DMSO get around this law by selling industrial and veternarian grade DMSO which is only 99% pure on the internet by pretending that they are selling it as a solvent for industrial use. No legitimate company or healthcare professional is involved in the promotion of DMSO as a treatment for herpes only the convicted felon Kevin Trudeau and another dubious author with a book fancifully entitled “Never and Outbreak”.
You may think that 99% pure DMSO sounds pretty pure, but actually it isn’t. DMSO is a great sub-dermal delivery system. It penetrates through your skin, through your cell membranes and is one of the few substances that penetrates your blood-brain barrier which protects your brain. 1% impurity makes any non-pharmaceutical grade DMSO too dangerous for human use. DMSO will also carry anything on the surface of your skin right into your body with it- bacteria, viruses, and toxins. DMSO also can burn and cause severe irritation to your skin.
DMSO has never been shown to be an effective therapy for the treatment of herpes either in peer-reviewed clinical studies or in clinical practice by those treating herpes. In my 16 years of treating herpes I have never met or heard of any herpes treatment specialist advocating the use of either DMSO or DMSO and hydrogen-peroxide therapy.
It’s bad enough to promote ineffective treatments to the general public but I consider it a crime to promote the use of unsafe therapies just for the sake of taking advantage of the huge population of herpes sufferers.
But some of the blame has to be placed on the shoulders of those who are buying DMSO for herpes treatment. Herpes is a lifelong viral infection and there are no-magical quick fixes for herpes. Those who either in desperation or ignorance look for gimmick treatments on the internet are putting themselves in a bad situation. If you need help with your herpes treatment plan turn to a professional instead of a anonymous internet company.
Herpes can only be managed over the long-term by either drug therapy or a holistic protocol involving dietary, exercise and lifestyle changes, and anchored with real-herbal medicine. Treating herpes naturally isn’t complicated at all but requires patience and effort on your part.
These are some of my thoughts on herpes and the DMSO deception. Below is some additional reference material on the dangers of DMSO.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
http:://herpesnation.blogspot.com
“The major thing (outside of the fact that it is an *extremely* powerful solvent... which can carry any solute directly into the bloodstream) is that on exposure to air it forms a very high and toxic level of peroxides.
DMSO frequently causes a garlic-like body odor and taste in the mouth. Other reported side effects include stomach upset, sensitivity to light, visual disturbances, and headache. Skin irritation can develop at the site where DMSO is applied topically. Only highly purified, properly diluted DMSO should be used and the skin site as well as the applying hand should be thoroughly cleaned before application, because the solvent properties of DMSO allow contaminants to be absorbed through the skin and transported into the bloodstream. Improperly diluted DMSO can also burn the skin. Severe consequences could result if the impure industrial or veterinary grades of DMSO are used on humans.
Dr. James R. Crook, professor of medicine at the University of Alaska and a specialist in human diseases, expresses the fear that users of DMSO may be unaware of how fast the solvent and materials dissolved in it can penetrate the skin and other parts of the body. Because of the fast action, a substance which by itself might have limited or no effect could cause serious damage or death if accidentally or intentionally applied to the body in a DMSO solution.”
http://dogbert.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF4/442.html
“PRECAUTIONS
DMSO is neither a nutritional supplement nor an over-the-counter product; its use for the treatment of interstitial cystitis—performed by interstitial instillation—requires a physician with expertise in this procedure. Bladder instillation may be harmful in patients with urinary-tract malignancy. Those who receive long-term treatment with intravesical DMSO should have liver and renal function tests as well as ophthalmologic evaluation performed every six months during treatment. DMSO has been associated with lens changes in animals.
Pregnant women and nursing mothers should avoid using DMSO.
DMSO used as an industrial solvent is not medical grade.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
Adverse reactions reported in those using DMSO for treatment of interstitial cystitis include garlic-like taste, transient chemical cystitis, bladder spasm, discomfort, allergic reactions and anaphylactoid reactions. Adverse reactions for topical use include garlic-like taste, local dermatitis, nausea, vomiting, headache, burning eyes and sedation. Concomitant use of DMSO and sulindac may cause peripheral neuropathy.”
http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/dim_0098.shtml
“DIMETHYLSULFOXIDE (DMSO):
DMSO is a by-product of the paper industry and is able to carry some drugs rapidly through the skin and other tissues. There are no FDA approved uses for DMSO in food-producing animals. Approvals do exist for uses in horses and dogs. Industrial grade DMSO is widely available for various non-medical uses such as paint remover and other solvent uses. DMSO is often found stored on dairy farms or mixed with other drugs intended for use in dairy animals. Such use may lead to an increased chance of drug residues, off odor and off flavor milk.
FDA considers the use of DMSO for any veterinary purposes other than approved uses in dogs and horses to be illegal. DMSO is an unapproved new animal drug which is unsafe to use in food-producing animals.
The storage or use of DMSO is a violation of itme 16 r.”
http://www.justsaywhoa.org/DrugReport.asp
“Dimethyl sulfoxide is a by-product of wood pulping and is frequently used as solvent in a number of chemical reactions. In particular DMSO proved to be an excellent reaction solvent for SN2 alkylations: it is possible to alkylate indoles with very high yields using potassium hydroxide as the base and a similar reaction also occurs with phenols. DMSO can be reacted with methyl iodide to form a sulfoxonium ion which can be reacted with sodium hydride to form a sulfur ylide. The methyl hydrogens of DMSO are somewhat acidic in character (pKa=35) due to the stabilization of the resultant anions by the sulfoxide group.
It is important to use caution in handling dimethyl sulfoxide, due to its strong solvent power and the ease with which it penetrates the skin. It is especially important to avoid contact with the mucous membranes.
In certain conditions, dimethly sulfoxide can produce an explosive reaction when exposed to acid chlorides.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimethyl_sulfoxide
Blogarama
DMSO is a Dangerous, ineffective, un-natural and illegal therapy for the treatment of herpes.
I wrote an essay over a year ago called “The Natural Health Products Hustle: False Prophets chasing Profits”, to describe my dismay at seeing all the unethical businesses jumping into the new gold rush which is the “natural health products” market. You can read that essay here- http://www.natropractica.com/Natural%20Health%20Prducts%20Hustle.htm
What mostly happens with these companies is that they over-hype the effectiveness of their products which give cynics an excuse to criticize vitamins and supplements, but rarely are the products dangerous.
DMSO (di-methyl-sulfoxide) is an exception. DMSO is not an herbal medicine, vitamin or a supplement. It is a man-made solvent derived from the pulp and paer industry. Its main use is as an industrial solvent to clean heavy equipment. DMSO does have some medicinal uses, primarily for the treatment of interstitial cystitis, and to help race horses cope with the strain on their unnatural bodies.
Only pharmaceutical grade DMSO (USP) which is 99.9 pure is safe for use with humans, and it is only legal to sell or buy it with a prescription and it is only approved for human use by the FDA for use in the treatment of interstitial cystitis (an inflammation of the bladder).
Greedy companies unconcerned about the danger of DMSO get around this law by selling industrial and veternarian grade DMSO which is only 99% pure on the internet by pretending that they are selling it as a solvent for industrial use. No legitimate company or healthcare professional is involved in the promotion of DMSO as a treatment for herpes only the convicted felon Kevin Trudeau and another dubious author with a book fancifully entitled “Never and Outbreak”.
You may think that 99% pure DMSO sounds pretty pure, but actually it isn’t. DMSO is a great sub-dermal delivery system. It penetrates through your skin, through your cell membranes and is one of the few substances that penetrates your blood-brain barrier which protects your brain. 1% impurity makes any non-pharmaceutical grade DMSO too dangerous for human use. DMSO will also carry anything on the surface of your skin right into your body with it- bacteria, viruses, and toxins. DMSO also can burn and cause severe irritation to your skin.
DMSO has never been shown to be an effective therapy for the treatment of herpes either in peer-reviewed clinical studies or in clinical practice by those treating herpes. In my 16 years of treating herpes I have never met or heard of any herpes treatment specialist advocating the use of either DMSO or DMSO and hydrogen-peroxide therapy.
It’s bad enough to promote ineffective treatments to the general public but I consider it a crime to promote the use of unsafe therapies just for the sake of taking advantage of the huge population of herpes sufferers.
But some of the blame has to be placed on the shoulders of those who are buying DMSO for herpes treatment. Herpes is a lifelong viral infection and there are no-magical quick fixes for herpes. Those who either in desperation or ignorance look for gimmick treatments on the internet are putting themselves in a bad situation. If you need help with your herpes treatment plan turn to a professional instead of a anonymous internet company.
Herpes can only be managed over the long-term by either drug therapy or a holistic protocol involving dietary, exercise and lifestyle changes, and anchored with real-herbal medicine. Treating herpes naturally isn’t complicated at all but requires patience and effort on your part.
These are some of my thoughts on herpes and the DMSO deception. Below is some additional reference material on the dangers of DMSO.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
http://www.herpesbook.com
http:://herpesnation.blogspot.com
“The major thing (outside of the fact that it is an *extremely* powerful solvent... which can carry any solute directly into the bloodstream) is that on exposure to air it forms a very high and toxic level of peroxides.
DMSO frequently causes a garlic-like body odor and taste in the mouth. Other reported side effects include stomach upset, sensitivity to light, visual disturbances, and headache. Skin irritation can develop at the site where DMSO is applied topically. Only highly purified, properly diluted DMSO should be used and the skin site as well as the applying hand should be thoroughly cleaned before application, because the solvent properties of DMSO allow contaminants to be absorbed through the skin and transported into the bloodstream. Improperly diluted DMSO can also burn the skin. Severe consequences could result if the impure industrial or veterinary grades of DMSO are used on humans.
Dr. James R. Crook, professor of medicine at the University of Alaska and a specialist in human diseases, expresses the fear that users of DMSO may be unaware of how fast the solvent and materials dissolved in it can penetrate the skin and other parts of the body. Because of the fast action, a substance which by itself might have limited or no effect could cause serious damage or death if accidentally or intentionally applied to the body in a DMSO solution.”
http://dogbert.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF4/442.html
“PRECAUTIONS
DMSO is neither a nutritional supplement nor an over-the-counter product; its use for the treatment of interstitial cystitis—performed by interstitial instillation—requires a physician with expertise in this procedure. Bladder instillation may be harmful in patients with urinary-tract malignancy. Those who receive long-term treatment with intravesical DMSO should have liver and renal function tests as well as ophthalmologic evaluation performed every six months during treatment. DMSO has been associated with lens changes in animals.
Pregnant women and nursing mothers should avoid using DMSO.
DMSO used as an industrial solvent is not medical grade.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
Adverse reactions reported in those using DMSO for treatment of interstitial cystitis include garlic-like taste, transient chemical cystitis, bladder spasm, discomfort, allergic reactions and anaphylactoid reactions. Adverse reactions for topical use include garlic-like taste, local dermatitis, nausea, vomiting, headache, burning eyes and sedation. Concomitant use of DMSO and sulindac may cause peripheral neuropathy.”
http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/dim_0098.shtml
“DIMETHYLSULFOXIDE (DMSO):
DMSO is a by-product of the paper industry and is able to carry some drugs rapidly through the skin and other tissues. There are no FDA approved uses for DMSO in food-producing animals. Approvals do exist for uses in horses and dogs. Industrial grade DMSO is widely available for various non-medical uses such as paint remover and other solvent uses. DMSO is often found stored on dairy farms or mixed with other drugs intended for use in dairy animals. Such use may lead to an increased chance of drug residues, off odor and off flavor milk.
FDA considers the use of DMSO for any veterinary purposes other than approved uses in dogs and horses to be illegal. DMSO is an unapproved new animal drug which is unsafe to use in food-producing animals.
The storage or use of DMSO is a violation of itme 16 r.”
http://www.justsaywhoa.org/DrugReport.asp
“Dimethyl sulfoxide is a by-product of wood pulping and is frequently used as solvent in a number of chemical reactions. In particular DMSO proved to be an excellent reaction solvent for SN2 alkylations: it is possible to alkylate indoles with very high yields using potassium hydroxide as the base and a similar reaction also occurs with phenols. DMSO can be reacted with methyl iodide to form a sulfoxonium ion which can be reacted with sodium hydride to form a sulfur ylide. The methyl hydrogens of DMSO are somewhat acidic in character (pKa=35) due to the stabilization of the resultant anions by the sulfoxide group.
It is important to use caution in handling dimethyl sulfoxide, due to its strong solvent power and the ease with which it penetrates the skin. It is especially important to avoid contact with the mucous membranes.
In certain conditions, dimethly sulfoxide can produce an explosive reaction when exposed to acid chlorides.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimethyl_sulfoxide
Blogarama
Friday, July 07, 2006
Love Can set you free from Herpes
Love Can Set you Free from Herpes
The best prescription I can offer to anyone with herpes is find yourself in a relationship with someone who loves you unconditionally and isn't afraid of getting herpes from you.
Hear me well, I'm not saying someone who wants to catch herpes from you, but someone who isn't morbidly afraid of catching herpes from you.
The onus is still on you to protect your lover by managing your herpes.
The unconditional love from a non-fear based relationship will help set you free from herpes or anything else that may be ailing you.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
The best prescription I can offer to anyone with herpes is find yourself in a relationship with someone who loves you unconditionally and isn't afraid of getting herpes from you.
Hear me well, I'm not saying someone who wants to catch herpes from you, but someone who isn't morbidly afraid of catching herpes from you.
The onus is still on you to protect your lover by managing your herpes.
The unconditional love from a non-fear based relationship will help set you free from herpes or anything else that may be ailing you.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Friday, June 23, 2006
Friday, June 16, 2006
The Hidden Dangers of Caffeine
Adrenalin is what gives athletes that winning burst of energy and
Good Samaritans the ability to rescue people by lifting cars.
Adrenalin is also the source of our "fight-or-flight" response,
which enabled our prehistoric ancestors to escape from saber-toothed
tigers and other predators.
By stimulating your adrenal glands to produce adrenalin,
caffeine puts your body in this "fight-or-flight" state, which is
useless while you're just sitting at your desk. When this adrenal
high wears off later, you feel the drop in terms of fatigue,
irritability, headache or confusion.
At this point, you may reach for another "hit" of caffeine, followed
by another, and another and maybe even one more. If you constantly
keep your body on a caffeine high, you're constantly keeping your
body in "flight-or-flight" mode.
Cherniske explains your body's "perspective" of this constant state:
"Imagine you lived in a country that was always under threat of
attack. No matter where you went, there was a perpetual state of
alert. Not only that, but your defenses were constantly being
depleted and weakened.
Does that sound stressful? Caffeine produces the same
effect on your body, like fighting a war on multiple fronts at the
same time." Cherniske calls your body's constant state of alert
"caffeine-ism," which is characterized by fatigue, anxiety, mood
swings, sleep disturbance, irritability and depression.
After prolonged "caffeine-ism," your body enters a state of adrenal
exhaustion. Your caffeine consumption has simply pushed your adrenal
glands so much that they've burned out. Ralph T. Golan, ND, describes
this unfortunate state in his book, Herbal Defense: "Caffeine forces
your glands to secrete when they don't have much left to give, and
they have to keep digging deeper and deeper, making you more and more
tired over time. And over the years, it takes more and more coffee to
get the same result.
Some people reach the point of drinking half a dozen or more cups of
coffee to get the same result and it's barely keeping them awake.
That's severe adrenal depletion."
In other words, caffeine affects your body just like any drug. You
start taking it slowly, but as your body develops a tolerance to it,
you need more and more to feel the same effects. Eventually, your
body reaches a point where it can't be without it; otherwise, you
will start to experience withdrawal symptoms.
You may think that you don't drink nearly enough to become addicted
to it, but you probably already are. "Careful research conducted by
the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine shows that low to moderate caffeine
intake (as little as one 14-ounce mug per day) can quickly produce
withdrawal symptoms," writes Cherniske.
Yes, caffeine is a drug, even though it's something that you
ingested in your beloved chocolate bars and colas since early
childhood.
Instead of reaching for your morning cup of coffee, you can do your
body a big favor by eating a healthy breakfast instead. A good
breakfast, maintained by a healthy lunch, will keep you energetic all
day. You can read News Target's page on breakfast to learn to
distinguish between the good and bad breakfast foods, but whatever
you do, don't wash it down with a cup of coffee.
Kathleen Sales, CBT, CCHT, EFT
International Energy Therapist
ANCIENT WISDOM ~ A Healing Place
www.ahealingmind.com
Blogarama
Good Samaritans the ability to rescue people by lifting cars.
Adrenalin is also the source of our "fight-or-flight" response,
which enabled our prehistoric ancestors to escape from saber-toothed
tigers and other predators.
By stimulating your adrenal glands to produce adrenalin,
caffeine puts your body in this "fight-or-flight" state, which is
useless while you're just sitting at your desk. When this adrenal
high wears off later, you feel the drop in terms of fatigue,
irritability, headache or confusion.
At this point, you may reach for another "hit" of caffeine, followed
by another, and another and maybe even one more. If you constantly
keep your body on a caffeine high, you're constantly keeping your
body in "flight-or-flight" mode.
Cherniske explains your body's "perspective" of this constant state:
"Imagine you lived in a country that was always under threat of
attack. No matter where you went, there was a perpetual state of
alert. Not only that, but your defenses were constantly being
depleted and weakened.
Does that sound stressful? Caffeine produces the same
effect on your body, like fighting a war on multiple fronts at the
same time." Cherniske calls your body's constant state of alert
"caffeine-ism," which is characterized by fatigue, anxiety, mood
swings, sleep disturbance, irritability and depression.
After prolonged "caffeine-ism," your body enters a state of adrenal
exhaustion. Your caffeine consumption has simply pushed your adrenal
glands so much that they've burned out. Ralph T. Golan, ND, describes
this unfortunate state in his book, Herbal Defense: "Caffeine forces
your glands to secrete when they don't have much left to give, and
they have to keep digging deeper and deeper, making you more and more
tired over time. And over the years, it takes more and more coffee to
get the same result.
Some people reach the point of drinking half a dozen or more cups of
coffee to get the same result and it's barely keeping them awake.
That's severe adrenal depletion."
In other words, caffeine affects your body just like any drug. You
start taking it slowly, but as your body develops a tolerance to it,
you need more and more to feel the same effects. Eventually, your
body reaches a point where it can't be without it; otherwise, you
will start to experience withdrawal symptoms.
You may think that you don't drink nearly enough to become addicted
to it, but you probably already are. "Careful research conducted by
the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine shows that low to moderate caffeine
intake (as little as one 14-ounce mug per day) can quickly produce
withdrawal symptoms," writes Cherniske.
Yes, caffeine is a drug, even though it's something that you
ingested in your beloved chocolate bars and colas since early
childhood.
Instead of reaching for your morning cup of coffee, you can do your
body a big favor by eating a healthy breakfast instead. A good
breakfast, maintained by a healthy lunch, will keep you energetic all
day. You can read News Target's page on breakfast to learn to
distinguish between the good and bad breakfast foods, but whatever
you do, don't wash it down with a cup of coffee.
Kathleen Sales, CBT, CCHT, EFT
International Energy Therapist
ANCIENT WISDOM ~ A Healing Place
www.ahealingmind.com
Blogarama
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Herpes Heroes
Herpes Heroes
The is only a one letter difference between the words herpes and heroes, and the letters p and o are only one letter apart, which means that no two words can be closer than herpes and heroes.
The world needs more herpes heroes both for those of us with “the gift” and for those lucky 40% of the population who don’t have herpes.
A herpes hero is someone who willingly forgoes their privacy to publicly be identified as a person with herpes and speaks out in order to educate, encourage and enlighten others. A herpes hero helps put human faces on this often-faceless worldwide pandemic.
Not all herpes heroes will choose to take their message to the media, most herpes heroes are making a difference on a much more personal level. They have come out of the closet and have discussed herpes with friends and loved ones and have been like ripples in the water of their own communities.
Why do we need herpes heroes?
Those of us with herpes need herpes heroes because too many of us are living ashamed and stigmatized by the disease. Having herpes heroes lets us know we are not alone, not in the minority. We are 6 out of every 10 people. We are our own nation. But we are a nation without visibility, respect or power.
In this society you are only respected when you stand up for who you are and what you believe in. Herpes heroes believe that it is wrong for people with herpes to be made to feel stigmatized, ashamed and disrespected.
Both the infected and uninfected need herpes heroes to speak out and dispel the misinformation about herpes and speak the truth about this misunderstood disease, especially to the youth. We need herpes heroes to also help promote safer sex. We need herpes heroes to encourage anyone who thinks they don’t have herpes and who has had six sex partners or more to get a blood test for herpes since 70% or more of people with herpes don’t know they have it. We cannot rely on governments, the medical profession, drug companies, or the media to get the message out.
I am not suggesting that everyone who has herpes needs to become an activist and make their herpes status public. Every community needs it leaders. We need a small number of brave people who care to step up and make a difference.
There are no major charities raising money for herpes awareness. There are no celebrities famous or not so famous, willing to admit they have herpes and put a human face on the disease. So it’s up to few of us to do more. Each one teach one, each one reach one.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
Blogarama
The is only a one letter difference between the words herpes and heroes, and the letters p and o are only one letter apart, which means that no two words can be closer than herpes and heroes.
The world needs more herpes heroes both for those of us with “the gift” and for those lucky 40% of the population who don’t have herpes.
A herpes hero is someone who willingly forgoes their privacy to publicly be identified as a person with herpes and speaks out in order to educate, encourage and enlighten others. A herpes hero helps put human faces on this often-faceless worldwide pandemic.
Not all herpes heroes will choose to take their message to the media, most herpes heroes are making a difference on a much more personal level. They have come out of the closet and have discussed herpes with friends and loved ones and have been like ripples in the water of their own communities.
Why do we need herpes heroes?
Those of us with herpes need herpes heroes because too many of us are living ashamed and stigmatized by the disease. Having herpes heroes lets us know we are not alone, not in the minority. We are 6 out of every 10 people. We are our own nation. But we are a nation without visibility, respect or power.
In this society you are only respected when you stand up for who you are and what you believe in. Herpes heroes believe that it is wrong for people with herpes to be made to feel stigmatized, ashamed and disrespected.
Both the infected and uninfected need herpes heroes to speak out and dispel the misinformation about herpes and speak the truth about this misunderstood disease, especially to the youth. We need herpes heroes to also help promote safer sex. We need herpes heroes to encourage anyone who thinks they don’t have herpes and who has had six sex partners or more to get a blood test for herpes since 70% or more of people with herpes don’t know they have it. We cannot rely on governments, the medical profession, drug companies, or the media to get the message out.
I am not suggesting that everyone who has herpes needs to become an activist and make their herpes status public. Every community needs it leaders. We need a small number of brave people who care to step up and make a difference.
There are no major charities raising money for herpes awareness. There are no celebrities famous or not so famous, willing to admit they have herpes and put a human face on the disease. So it’s up to few of us to do more. Each one teach one, each one reach one.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
Blogarama
Monday, June 12, 2006
Overcoming Touch Deprivation
Overcoming Touch Deprivation.
From the time you were a newborn how well you thrived depended in large part by how much you were lovingly touched.
I was born two months premature in Trinidad in 1965. I was only 4 pounds and had to be in an incubator for my first few weeks of life. The doctors told my mom not to get attached to me because I only had a ten percent chance of surviving. My mother didn’t believe them
And touched and loved me and willed me to live. And live I did. I grew into being a 6’3”, 200 pound man in almost perfect health. Such is the power of love, such is the power of touch.
We tend to get touched less and less as we get older, although our primal need for touch never diminishes. Touch deprivation is a significant form of sensory deprivation. Most of us wouldn’t dream of going weeks or months without opening our eyes, or keeping our ears plugged, yet many of my patients tell me that they haven’t been massaged or held for weeks or months.
Our world is becoming too formal, too stiff, too emotionally cold.
For the sake of your physical, emotionally, mental and spiritual health, give your self more permission to touch and be touched. You can never overdose on loving touch.
Don’t limit touch to sex. Don’t limit touch to just your partner and family. Reach out and touch more people.
Close your eyes sometimes and experience your world through touch.
Your skin is your biggest organ- use it. Get more skin to skin contact.
Everyone can heal and be healed through touch.
Be a great healer and lover by experiencing the miracle of touch as often as you can.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
From the time you were a newborn how well you thrived depended in large part by how much you were lovingly touched.
I was born two months premature in Trinidad in 1965. I was only 4 pounds and had to be in an incubator for my first few weeks of life. The doctors told my mom not to get attached to me because I only had a ten percent chance of surviving. My mother didn’t believe them
And touched and loved me and willed me to live. And live I did. I grew into being a 6’3”, 200 pound man in almost perfect health. Such is the power of love, such is the power of touch.
We tend to get touched less and less as we get older, although our primal need for touch never diminishes. Touch deprivation is a significant form of sensory deprivation. Most of us wouldn’t dream of going weeks or months without opening our eyes, or keeping our ears plugged, yet many of my patients tell me that they haven’t been massaged or held for weeks or months.
Our world is becoming too formal, too stiff, too emotionally cold.
For the sake of your physical, emotionally, mental and spiritual health, give your self more permission to touch and be touched. You can never overdose on loving touch.
Don’t limit touch to sex. Don’t limit touch to just your partner and family. Reach out and touch more people.
Close your eyes sometimes and experience your world through touch.
Your skin is your biggest organ- use it. Get more skin to skin contact.
Everyone can heal and be healed through touch.
Be a great healer and lover by experiencing the miracle of touch as often as you can.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral Specialist
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Making Peace with Herpes Broadcast
This is a 90 min radio interview about my new book "Making Peace with Herpes: A Holistic Guide to Overcoming the Stigma and Freeing Yourself from Outbreaks" and my personal experience with and career treating herpes herpes holistically.
The range of topics to be discussed include how to have safer sex with herpes, how to love and date with herpes, how to treat herpes holistically, how to deal with the "stigma" of a life-long herpes infection, how to tell others about your herpes and most importantly how to make peace with herpes.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Blogarama
The range of topics to be discussed include how to have safer sex with herpes, how to love and date with herpes, how to treat herpes holistically, how to deal with the "stigma" of a life-long herpes infection, how to tell others about your herpes and most importantly how to make peace with herpes.
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.herpesbook.com
http://www.natropractica.com
Blogarama
Blogarama
Saturday, June 10, 2006
It's All a Matter of Allowing
It's All A Matter of Allowing
Your healing is already in place.
You are already healed, always.
It's all just a matter of allowing yourself to experience the healing.
Suspend your disbelief and resistance
and you will be healed.
Allow yourself to access all that is available to you.
Allow yourself to be who you are
All that you are.
Surrender,
Let go,
and the Ocean of Love and Mercy
all around you
will do the rest.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral and Immune Specialist
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
Blogarama
Your healing is already in place.
You are already healed, always.
It's all just a matter of allowing yourself to experience the healing.
Suspend your disbelief and resistance
and you will be healed.
Allow yourself to access all that is available to you.
Allow yourself to be who you are
All that you are.
Surrender,
Let go,
and the Ocean of Love and Mercy
all around you
will do the rest.
Christopher Scipio
Homeopath/Herbalist
Holistic Viral and Immune Specialist
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
Blogarama
There's Room Enough for Herpes
There's Room Enough for Herpes
There's room enough
in your
heart
mind
and body
for you to make a peaceful accommodation
with the herpes virus in your body
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
Blogarama
There's room enough
in your
heart
mind
and body
for you to make a peaceful accommodation
with the herpes virus in your body
christopher scipio
homeopath/herbalist
holistic viral specialist
http://www.herpesbook.com
Blogarama
Blogarama
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