Grouppe Kurosawa: HIV - Letters From Blanche Vol. 4, Part 4 (print)

Letters From Blanche
Vol. 4, Part 4

BC
Yes. That's what I'm saying. Extraction removes the abiding gluck from the Quercetin. As soon as I figure out which version to add it to, I will. I really don't want four damned compounds floating around and I'm running out of containers to mix stuff up in. Any ideas on the dosage here? – Blanche

Blanche,
You add DMSO to the final solution at a concentration of 5%. So, if you make 100 cc or 100 milliliters of cream, you add 5 mils of ultrapure DMSO. This enhances the uptake of the active ingredients into the skin.

Steve

Blanche,
Either oil would be fine. Kukui oil is an oil and is greasy. Goes with the territory.

BC
Good, 'cuz Emu Oil doesn't cost a lot. Emus are not killed to make the oil but are for their meat. The oil is a byproduct. Personal ethics may be at play here. Me, I'll use dead Emus – Blanche

Blanche,
That's OK because the kukui nuts are killed humanly also.

Blanche,
The more concentrated, the better. You are going to have to do a trial extraction. Do five grams in 2-3 oz of 99% isopropyl. Since Quercetin is powerful, this should be enough. Time will tell.

BC
The extraction is in the works. I'll check it late tomorrow morning. -- Blanche

BC
You are of course correct about Calamine. One of its "sales points" is that it dries lesions. I had to add Noxema to apply Calamine over larger areas because it was drying before I could get it spread! I wound up with whitish streaks and bare strips of skin. Not going according to plan.

What about mineral oil? It's light but I don't know if it passes the skin barrier easily or not. Also, I have successfully used an emulsifier (in my case Benefiber, a guar gum fiber supplement available at any grocery store). This doesn't really stop the greasies but does make a little oil go farther and somewhat reduces greasy feel.

That's it from Blanche's Wacky Ideas Department -- Blanche

BC
Made up some Quercetin last night and added about 1/2 tsp to my "Blitz" cream. As I said in a previous email I'm running out of mixing containers. Oddly enough, it seems to dry things more quickly; this may not be a good thing. I will try some in the original mixture (lotsa PS/X and no Calamine) and see what happens.

Had another Night From Hell. The Shingles are responding wonderfully to the topical, shrinking and becoming more shallow as I watch. They do not itch. The miscellaneous ant feet itching appears to be fading also.

I am, however, still losing skin. It rubs off in little ropy bunches that must add up to another Blanche by now. My dust mites are probably ecstatic. The redness and oozing is back in armpits and groin and these are the main places where the skin rubs off also. I have open sores on my stomach which look vaguely like Shingles but do not behave like them. They rub off and then grow back. It's the Tasmanian Crud, I tell you.

I am sick and tired of this and have no idea what is causing it. Obviously it is not dryness 'cuz we've fixed that. All my skin feels wonderfully moist now. I'm almost certain it has nothing to do with Shingles. My best guess is still something like Candida, but the topicals we have used to date have had absolutely no effect on them. Neither has any commercial topical product. Last night in the wee small hours a series of allergy-looking bumps ran down my left thigh from the crotch almost to the knee. My skin is no longer my friend.

Today I decided I can't fix something if I don't know what I'm fixing, so as soon as Stanley gets back from grocery shopping, we're grabbing Grandma and her trusty car and dragging my poor suffering ass to Urgent

Care at CIGNA. I'll probably have to go through a lot of bullshit, but hopefully when the smoke settles I'll know the face of my enemy.

I also want some oral medication to stop both the pain and the itching and help calm me down. I'm getting quite depressed about the whole thing and don't dare use more melatonin. It's dragged on since May and I'm outta rope here. Something radical needs to be done NOW . If the good doctors at CIGNA won't give me what I want I'm going over the net. If that doesn't work I'm going to the Street. I am not suffering any more. A few more nights like the last one will have me playing Hunt the Carotid.

Strange how a person can handle pain but crumples over unremitting annoyance, isn't it? -- Blanche

Blanche,
Maybe you are allergic to dust mites. Allergic reactions to dust mites are horrible. They cause respiratory problems and skin inflammation. You check the net in general and I'll look at PUBMED for topical dust mite allergic reactions.

Onward...

Steve

Dear Dr. Steve:
Antihistamines don't seem to affect this, so that would indicate another problem. It is interesting, however, to note this always happens AT NIGHT, often toward morning. The extra skin and itching, as well as the weeping, is far less common during the day. It happens after I've been in bed for some time. Perhaps I should add a dust mite allergy test to the stuff I want to cover today.

Leaving at 1pm to go sit around a medical center. What fun! -- Blanche

Blanche,
In view of your other skin problems, I think this is a classic example of atopic dermatitis. Your broken skin can allow yeast, bacteria, allergens such as dust mites, etc. to enter the skin and cause further inflammation. It’s a vicious cycle. I am in the process of checking out the literature on ceramide deficiency in the skin, and it appears so far this is the problem. Some people simply don't make enough ceramide in their skin. There are genetic factors involved or maybe they don't have enough niacin in their diets. Believe me, the RDA for niacin isn't going to stop atopic dermatitis.

Your problem with the topical is the alcohol. By Monday, this problem may be solved. You can make extremely concentrated topical in 99% or 70% isopropyl and the X Factor that I sent you is in water. This should enable you to work on the worst skin areas without the sting of the alcohol. Also, it is quite clear in the literature that the ceramide in the skin is a natural anti-microbiological agent. You might want to add some water extracted EGCG to the mix as well. Kukui oil, added in some amounts to whatever lotion you use (Noxema) will help everything penetrate deeper into the skin. Just a suggestion.

Steve

Dear Dr. Steve:
Goody!

I was wondering whether this could explain the missing CD4s. Desensitized, huh? Sounds like being deprogrammed from a cult! -- Blanche

BC
Here's what you find out when you have a pair of professional eyeballs examine your poor little body.

1. Shingles, of course. We knew that; the buggers are unmistakable. Doc says they appear to be healing nicely but gave me a scrip for Acyclovir to finish them off.

2. Shedding oozing stuff is indeed Candida, (c. Albicans). She took one look and said "fungus." As in yeast, asked I? Yep. As in Candida? I inquired further. "Exactly," pronounced the good doctor. I was 99% sure of this but there's that niggling doubt...

Prescribed a topical. Something -azole, of course. I also have Nizoral I got from Mexico. I got 30 days supply and used the first package, which is all I was supposed to do. 10 days and I'm cured. The redness and oozing cleared up considerably and then returned just this past week. Time to hit it again. I just wasn't sure if I was right or if the nerve pressure on my back was doing weird things. It does that.

3. Teeny tiny pills "for the itch." These are supposedly better than over-the-counter stuff like Benadryl. Doc says the weird itching is probably from a buildup of fungus on the skin, even where it isn't obvious. We'll see.

4. Percocets, 325mg. Yay! Hard drugs for Blanche! Doc took one look at my lower back and agreed without a single quibble that pain medication was definitely in order. There's 20 of the little blue guys, which should get me many good nights' sleep, by which time the acyclovir et. al. should have done the job. I took one when we got home just a bit ago (4pm Phoenix time) and am waiting to bliss out. I never do drugs and they hit me like bricks.

It's highly likely that the Candida got a foothold because of the constant openings in my skin. I don't know about dust mites; I've never had an allergy in my life, although there is a family history of both migraines and asthma. I can eat anything, wear anything. At least up 'til now. Doc says further than a lot of the itching and slowness to heal is caused by stress. No shit said I; I haven't had many decent nights' sleep since May!

I'm looking forward to getting the stuff for ceramide production on Monday. If I can get my skin healthy enough perhaps it will be ready to fight off the next onslaught.

Incidentally, all the stuff the good doctor prescribed was generic, which is covered by my insurance (it doesn't cover any name brands). Total cost was about $54. Now I wish I hadn't been so stubborn all this time. Sometimes throwing drugs at something is still the best choice.

Maybe I'm on the mend. Keep yer fingers crossed. – Blanche

BC
Ahhhhh.

Last night, I slept. Actually slept. Had to get up & go potty a couple of times (old ladies do that), but toddled back to bed afterwards and drifted right back off.

The Shingles of course hadn't been giving me much trouble for days. "Blitz Cream" rules! Incidentally, I did add some Quercetin to that and it makes it dry much faster. Since Blitz already has Calamine I'm probably cutting the ceramide production very short, but since as you may remember I was getting too greasy anyway I really don't mind. I use it like body putty: filling in the lesions. Note that although it dries on the skin it stays very supple and flexible in the lesions, so perhaps the benefits are still being realized. The little ant feet appear to be gone.

The one problem I couldn't cure was the damp itching where the skin was rubbing off in ropy sections. This is the Candida; it's official now. I should have trusted my instincts since they are often right. I'm a very good guesser. Another side issue was the stiffness and dried gluck on my lower back.

The topical may or may not be effective for the Candida; I tried some OTC stuff earlier and it didn't do squat. I do, however, have oral mediation I also got earlier. I did one round of doses and the problems cleared up; I thought that part was over. They came back and I wasn't sure I was on the right track. Silly me. Now I'll use them (there are

two "rounds" left) and I'm using it until the itching et. al. is gone. That's actually two treatments but it's Blitz Time. Stand Back!

I've still got two very strange places to deal with: my right elbow and the area on either side of my backbone just below where the cheeks start to fold. I can't see either; the elbow is "over the horizon" and the tushy is in an entirely different solar system. I could ask Stanley but he's not really good at descriptions so that would probably be futile. I'm forced to Braille. I think these areas will benefit most from the original recipe of PS/X/Noxema, and I am trying to otherwise leave them alone. Guess I need mittens. Or maybe boxing gloves. Pick, pick, pick; Blanche is a bad girl.

Looking forward to getting the topical stuff Monday. -- Blanche

Blanche,
I haven't had time to respond to your email from yesterday. The Candida got a foothold in your skin because of the damaged barrier function in your skin, and your crappy immune system. Hopefully the new topical that you will make, sans much of the alcohol, will restore the barrier function to normal. Also, your immune system is not back to normal yet so this contributes to the problem. You can kill the Candida with drugs until hell freezes over. You must repair the barrier function in those raw areas before you'll get lasting relief. I think the new reduced alcohol formula, however you mix it, will help tremendously.

Sounds like you are finally on the mend. Excellent.

Steve

BC
Naturally we'll need to fix the barrier function of my skin. It's still nice to be able to kill off what's been eating me even if it is a temporary measure.

Also, don't discount the effects of stress. Being up half the night itching and burning and whimpering cannot be good for systemic health. I think that being able to sleep -- simply sleep -- will make a lot of difference in the current skin problems and also in the long-term fight against HIV.

So, until we can fix the barrier function of my skin, I'll kill Candida 'til Hell freezes. Brrrrrr. – Blanche

Blanche,
I wasn't suggesting that anti-fungal drugs were bad. Not at all. It's like people who have to purchase expensive dandruff shampoo because of the fungi on their scalp. These drugs work, but the problem will never go away unless the skin barrier function is repaired with renewed ceramide synthesis.

Yes, stress is definitely a factor in your problems and those of so many other people. Anything that we can do to reduce your stress will contribute to a restoration of your immune response.

Tomorrow will be a better day.

Steve

All hail yer Cheeseship!
Got the stuff you sent me. If I understand correctly the liquid in “X” in 70% isopropyl.

-- How strong is it?

-- How much serine would I use per oz of carrier?

-- How much palmitic acid per oz?

****If you can give me the approximate amounts to get the same proportions as I have in the Blitz Cream, that would be good. I'm gonna need to make up a bunch of small batches to see which seems to work best.****

Shingles are healing well. Some lesions are disappearing but others will obviously take a long time to do so. They are also healing; they just have a loooooong way to go. Candida is also clearing nicely; I'm not molting as badly as last week. This is good.

Overall itching has reduced to an occasional annoyance. I'm just about ready to tackle the stamina issue. Stanley caught me naked the other day and said, "You have lost every bit of your muscle tone." That will need to be fixed asap. First I have to get something to wear under my shirt that I can tuck in and let hang down to my tailbone. The waistband of my pants is interacting in an unpleasant fashion with the remaining lesions on my lower back.

Now impatience enters the arena. I feel like everything should just dry up and go away and let me get on with my life. Instead it's healing in its own good time -- not fast enough!

So, Big Cheese: Please give me a starting point with the goodies you sent me, also Quercetin and EGCG. Do bear in mind that I get too greasy very easily so must keep the topical down a bit. I'll go from there – Blanche

Blanche,
The “X” is 20 grams in about 3 ounces of water. You don't need a huge amount of the other stuff in your lotion but you need to make it concentrated so you can use less of it. It has to be dissolved in 99% isopropyl, although 70% might work. My recommendation is to dissolve 30 grams, 3 rounded tablespoons, of PA and 3 caps of serine in 3 ounches of alcohol. This will give you a concentrated stock.

Dissolve the EGCG and Quercetin in alcohol, again 99%, and allow to settle overnight. Pour off the liquids and dump the crap. Combine the two extraction liquids and keep in the fridge. A water extraction of EGCG would work but it’s not going to be stable in water. It is stable in 99% isoprop. I would extract 5 grams of EGCG and 5 grams of Quercetin, separately, in 2 ounches of alcohol. The idea is to get it concentrated so you don't have to add much alcohol to your cream base.

You are going to have to figure out how much to add to the Noxema. Glad you are doing better.

Steve

Blanche,
I want you to do me a favor. When you make the new topical with the reduced amount of alcohol in it, I want you to apply some to your vaginal wall. No, I am not crazy or a sex fiend. I want to know if the topical increases oil flow in the mucosa, just like in the skin. It turns out that ceramide is a major anti-biotic in the skin and women have tons of problems with vaginal infections of all kinds, esp. those that use nasty spermacides which are really detergents. Of course, you CANNOT use Noxema as a base. Castor oil would be best. Maybe women who have constant problems with infections have problems making ceramide.

Keep in mind that you will have to use a dose that is much lower than what you would use on your outer skin. The niacin alone will tingle your sexual feelings, but that's not what I am interested in. I want to know about rehydration of the mucosal membrane.

I'd do it myself but I don't have a vagina.

Steve

BC
You SURE you're not a perv? And here I was avoiding putting this stuff on my Bippy. I am currently extracting stuff for the next batch of Blitz Cream and can use the extracts in whatever carrier I choose for personal places. What do you suggest for proportions? This is not somewhere I would like to use my normal saturation bombing technique.

I've got several different lotions etc. I can use. Perhaps just the Vitamin E oil might be a good choice; the Vitamin E would help defuse any chemical problems with the PS/X. Of course that will make me a little greasy anyway, no matter what my ceramide is doing.

I realize you don't have a vagina, but you could shove it up your nose. Mucosa are mucosa. Just kidding. Of course there's always... no, guess not.

I am evil. – Blanche

Blanche,
I don't have time to be a perv. And I wouldn't know how to be one anyway, being a bionerd and all. Maybe there's some place you can go to learn. Hmmm

My choice is any non-reactive oil like vitamin E oil, castor oil, etc. It has to be real oil and not some man made synthetic gunk. The alcohol extracts dissolve great in it and it goes into the skin beautifully. It seems that Noxema and all the camphor, etc. was irritating the cancer lesions causing unnecessary inflammation. Inflammation in cancer lesions is good if it’s intense and can be controlled. Her lesions look much better now.

Just came back from the beauty supply shop where I buy my bottles. I told them about the topical that induces ceramide synthesis and turns dry skin to oily. Needless to say, they loved the idea. They claimed dry skin was a pervasive disease among both men and women. I would hardly consider dry skin to be a disease, but I got the point. They must know because some of the skin products they sell cost a fortune. Ever walk through some of those high end stores. "Its got some kind of ingredient from sea kelp and you want me to pay $50 for it?" You know people bitch about paying $20 for a flu shot but they will spend $100 on skin creams. Something is wrong here...

May The Force be with you as you lube yourself up. Remember, EGCG can be added to knock off the remaining herpes lesions.

BC
Pervert University? I don't think so...

Using EGCG in everything already. Since you told me how to extract it with alcohol I've been throwing it into everything I make. The main problem with water extracted EGCG was that it stained everything. Even after it was strained it kept getting darker -- in the jar, on my skin, on my clothes. The isopropyl based stuff is stable. Quercetin seemed to dry my stuff out, but mine already had Calamine in it. I was wondering what would happen in a less drying mixture. Should I put any in this vaginal stuff?

Yes, Noxema contains a lot of volatiles all on its own and can be irritating. My reasoning is that menthol is a mild analgesic and the other volatiles (camphor and eucalyptus) have their own medicinal histories. Since I've always had reasonably tough, nonreactive skin that's what I use.

I did mention that this might not be the correct choice for everybody and only recommended a carrier that was thick enough to handle the runny-ness of the alcohol-based additives; I didn't want the stuff running all over, especially over open lesions. Others may not mind; I do.

Note that the castor bean is poisonous. Too much castor oil absorbed into the skin might not be a good idea. Then again perhaps it doesn't matter; the stuff isn't that dangerous. I would still be inclined to use a less dangerous carrier. I still recommend Emu oil for a general carrier 'cuz it penetrates the skin barrier very effectively.

Bwaaa-ha-ha-ha – Blanche

Blanche,
EMU oil and kukui oil remain as alternate choices.

Steve

BC
So far I'm no more moist than normal. At nearly 60, that's not very. I'm not using much because the Candida in that area has my skin coming off in rolls anyway. I always appear to be damp & molting. I may have to wait 'til that clears to see what's what.

My lower back continues to heal nicely. The Blitz Cream helped a lot. Soon I hope to be able to wear pants and behave like something vaguely human. My legs are still awful-looking but that's more cosmetic, although the skin does pull somewhat. Everything is drying and lesions are fading and disappearing. On my legs there are some that will be with me for a long time to come, but everything else is feeling much better.

Did you ever get the Inosine? The track & confirm at the P.O. is not tracking nor confirming anything.

The weather is cooling off some here and I'm ready to BOOGIE -- Blanche

Blanche,
BOOGIE, baby. You go girl.

Anna is doing well too. I think she is breathing easier now. Her lesions are changing for the better.

I want you to describe to me, in some detail, what happened to your elbow when you applied the topical. I understand the elbow was a real problem. You mentioned that old skin came off eventually to be replaced by new skin. It occurred to me yesterday that rehydrating the skin was one thing, but inducing the death, literally, of old cells was something else entirely. In your own Blanche style, walk me through what happened. Start in the beginning. What did the elbow look like, what was the skin like, and what specifically happened over time as you applied the new topical.

Steve

BC
Please understand I can only see the elbow in the mirror and that I really need new glasses. It's all rather vague back there. Much of this description is based on Braille. Also bear in mind that this is based on the original formula of topical only and that I stopped using this is general because it made my skin too greasy. Worked too well, one might say.

The elbow was covered almost from the beginning in a thick layer of what felt like callus. It reduced somewhat when the original Shingles faded but came back later. I have never had a clue what it might be. I applied the original formula to it and the area softened considerably almost immediately. It was a pleasure to be able to flex and straighten my elbow joint again; for the longest time I could not extend the joint without discomfort. The skin would hurt and crack.

It's confession time. I'm a picker. I woke up more than once in the middle of the night picking at the poor elbow. I suspect that some of the crusty stuff was scabbing. Sometimes (in the mirror) the elbow looked scabbed; other times it just looked lumpy and weird.

I'm not sure I can answer your question. I don't know whether or not the cream bumped off the old crusty stuff or just aided in its removal. I still have a minimal layer of hard dry skin on that elbow, but it is a "normal" problem rather than the weirdness I had before.

Alas, I no longer have the original recipe made up. I could perhaps dig through old email and see if I can reconstruct it, but the thick mess on the elbow is gone so I doubt that would help. I do still have a thin layer of inflexible stuff on that elbow, but it is minimal and discolored and circles the elbow joint proper. I believe this is scabbing and just needs to be kept lubricated and otherwise left alone to go away. I'm currently using Tea Tree Oil because I keep picking the damned thing and that leaves lesions that don't especially like isopropyl alcohol. Ouch! The Tea Tree is very lubricating and does not sting.

I should also note that, on either side of my tailbone just at the point where the buttocks start to "fold," I had a similar buildup of crusty hard lumpy whatever. I did not choose to use the PS/X on that because it was quite close to my rectum, which was already itching from the Candida. I didn't want any more joy in the butt. When I went to the clinic I was given some Econazole cream (for the Candida). This does not appear to do diddly squat for the Candida, which blithely ignores any application. Oral meds do far better. However, the cream did considerably reduce the buildup of stiff inflexible lumpy stuff on either side of my tailbone. Perhaps it has been only incredibly dry and abused skin all along and only needs moisture and time to heal.

I'm glad you can use the lifetime supply of Inosine. They had a sale and this was before I realized the protocol would change periodically. Staring at what represents quite a bit of wasted money was very depressing; I'm glad it can be used.

I wish I could be more specific but using the topical as a cell death inducer had not entered my feeble little mind at the time I was using it. Apologies. -- Blanche

Blanche,
You did answer my question. Ceramide is a death lipid that is involved in ALL forms of programmed cell death. It occurred to me that the problem with many forms of troubled skin is that Ceramide is not being made. So, old cells are never completely removed and build up. It is involved in much more than hydration of the skin.

Thanks.

BC
This means that so many of the symptoms of aging skin are also attributable to a lack of Ceramide in the skin. Now all we have to do is figure out how to control the creation of Ceramide so that skin remains moist but does not turn into a grease pit and we'll be rich and famous!

... and we'll have great skin. – Blanche

Blanche,
Ceramide is a remarkable molecule. The biochemical pathways that control what happens to ceramide are so complex that the information would make your teeth hurt. For cancer, we want to direct the synthesis of certain ceramide based lipids. For other skin problems, we don't want this to happen. Right now we are on the right track. I will tell you that if we ever commercialize this, you and the Stanley Monster will get a piece of it. I already have other women testing it in different concentrations for different purposes.

Time will tell. Isn't science fun?

Dear BC:
Things are moving along pretty well here, I guess. The deep lesions from the Shingles are taking Forever to heal, but they are indeed doing so. It's one of those Ping-Pong attitudes: They're not changing; I'm gonna have holes forever. They're making good progress; I should be in good shape soon. They're healing but the scars are never going away. Ping-Pong. The truth seems to be that they are sloooowly getting better. Two buzzards on a branch, caption: "Patience hell; I'm gonna kill something!"

The Candida is not clearing as quickly as I had hoped. The topical I got from the doc (Econozole) was, I swear, feeding the shit. It was getting worse the more I used the stuff, so I quit. I know there are rats that live on Warfarin now; this sounds like more of the same. I had some oral medication but it ran out and it takes the better part of a month to get more. It comes from Mexico, y'see.

In the meantime I seem to have reached a holding pattern with the Candida: I can't get rid of it and it's not getting any better, but not getting any worse either. I tried the Blitz Cream on it and whooo! PS/X and isopropyl, as well as the stuff in the Noxema. What a rush! I should probably note here that it is NOT vaginal yeast. It's in my legpits and down the inside of each thigh a bit (couple inches). It runs around the top of both legs toward the hip bones. Sometimes it oozes. Mostly it flakes or the skin comes off in rolls. Oh yuck.

I'm afraid I may have to get some high-potency (and high-dollar) stuff to be rid of this. I swear this is the same problem Stanley has had forever, although not nearly so bad because he has an immune system. Soaking in the same bathtub he showers in has probably led to contamination because of the open Shingles lesions. It may require both of us getting treated simultaneously to rid the house of the Curse of the Yeast. That or I can bake everything, including us. There must be a better way.

Note that I also have this (mildly) in the armpits. Have been using Blitz Cream there because I can handle it. The personals require a more gentle approach, I'm afraid. However, I'm telling you this because yesterday the hole from the old cyst began leaking again. Whitish stuff; no marked odor, so this is fresh. It started out a little thick and then

turned runny. We're only talking maybe a quarter teaspoon if that total, but I put a bandaid-cottonball-tea tree stuff bandage on it. We'll see if any more stuff expresses. Please note I was not using any topical on the cyst opening proper; just in the armpit. I have no idea what this means.

That's where I am at the moment. Any handy cures for Candida lounging around? -- Blanche

Blanche,
I, the infamous Dr. Steve, have solved your Candida albicans yeast problem. As it turns out, sheep dip kills all kinds of fungi. So find a sheep ranch, pay the owner a few bucks and get in the trough. Simple.

If you want to take the easy way out, here it is. MELATONIN, topically applied baby. Melatonin has never been called a fungicide, but this could work.

This is my reasoning. Resveratrol is a natural fungicide, but I can't find much info on how it works. May not work on pathogenic fungi.

So, being a lover of women, I looked to see if estrogen had a role in Candida growth. BINGO. There are 90 papers written on the relationship between estrogen and Candida growth, alone. Many yeast have a crude estrogen receptor which promotes their growth and enhances their virulence. If the receptor is akin to the normal estrogen receptor alpha, it is a calcium/calmodulin dependent receptor. Calmodulin is a calcium binding protein that activates many enzymes and receptors. Melatonin blocks estrogen binding to the alpha receptor by binding to calmodulin, powerfully so, and inducing a conformation change which basically neutralizes it.

Next, I looked to see if calmodulin and the enzymes it regulates are important for Candida growth. DOUBLE BINGO. Calmodulin regulates the growth and virulence of a host of enzymes including a biggie called calcineurin. If calmodulin is blocked, the yeast die.

Next, I looked to see if melatonin affected the immune response against Candida. Again, right on the money. Melatonin, by a host of different biochemical pathways, activates white blood cells to take up the yeast and destroy them.

Now, melatonin is soluble in water and it will cross membranes on its down. I suggest you dissolve some in hot distilled water, very concentrated, and mix it in different amounts with some Aloe Vera gel or Noxema. It has to be a water based gel. Try different concentrations of your stock melatonin solution with the gel and slap the stuff on your raw suffering skin.

Make notes and report in, Number Two.

God, I'm good....

BC:
Sheep dip? Well, it's better than baking, I guess. Melatonin sounds even better, however.

***???***Also, is there any point in trying to increase my oral melatonin? I am down to 6mg at bedtime because my skin was getting too sensitive at higher doses. No cortisol at all is not good, I guess. I'll brew up some melatonin and try it with various carriers.

I should note that Blanche's Blitz Cream works fairly well in the armpit area but is just too uncomfortable with the isopropyl and such to use in the old drawers. I haven't been very consistent with the armpit thing because the main irritation was much, much lower and I was concentrating on that. I will try to apply the Blitz at least once a day in the armpits and see if the Candida croaks. We can have a race with the melatonin in the crotch. Wow!

Or I could just bake myself. Or find somebody with a sheep dip. Can I go to the pound and use the flea & tick dip? -- Blanche

Blanche,

Nothing you'd do would surprise me in the least. Leave the oral dose as is. You don't need high doses of melatonin all over your body. You need it strategically placed. There is no alcohol in this formulation. Once the yeast is dead, we can worry about reestablishing the barrier function.

Steve

BC
Cool – Blanche

Dear BC:
Not much to report yet, but here's where I am:

Extracted 21mg (7caps) of Melatonin in about 1oz hot water (just off the boil). Note that Melatonin comes in very small doses, so I felt 20-odd mg should be a good start. It never separated so I used everything.

Mixed about half in 99% aloe Vera and the other half in Noxema, nothing else. Put the aloe on the left and the other on the right. The aloe mix stung a bit; that is probably due to more breaks in the skin on that side, I would imagine. The Noxema mix didn't really bother me at all.

Nothing dramatic happened overnight. The areas seem a tad drier and less flaky than before, but as I said it's a bit too soon to make any judgments. This may be wishful thinking on my part.

Note that Blitz Cream in the armpits does not appear to have any effect, although it does a wonderful job of helping with healing the Shingles lesions on my legs. I'd like to use it on my lower back but the Blitz hurts too much (isopropyl) and I chicken out. I'm using the Tea Tree Oil mix on the lower back, which is keeping it moist and flexible (thankfully!) but does not appear to be helping with healing as much as the Blitz. Since I can't see my lower back it's kinda hard to tell.

Film at eleven – Blanche

Blanche,
Patience, my lovely. Melatonin is hardly a toxic drug that works overnight and the solution you are using is very dilute. Just keep using it and make notes.

Steve

Dear BC:
Wasn't really expecting results yet; just wanted you to know the starting point on all this. Incidentally, the Aloe Vera stings on the right side, too. The Noxema doesn't bother me anywhere, so appears to be the best choice for me.

I'll let you know when something actually happens. – Blanche

Dear BC:
Apparently, Candida likes melatonin. A lot. There was no change at first, then the redness seemed to be spreading.

When I got up this morning (Sunday) I had turned brilliant blood red and lumpy all over my labia, around both legs and halfway down my thighs. I suspect it has traveled farther back (like it's now on my rectum, which burns and itches, also bleeding) but of course I can't really see this. It had seemed to be creeping farther down and around but I wasn't sure. Now it's official.

Have discontinued treatment with prejudice. Note that I have used plain Noxema in same areas before with no ill effects. That pretty well narrows things down, I'd say.

Just got out of an apple cider vinegar soak, the first in quite a while. It always seems to help; I guess Candida doesn't like the pH balance. It has not been necessary for some time, however, until now. It was that or go to the hospital. I was scratching all my skin smack off while bitching about the burning. Argggh. The bright redness is already gone and the burning has stopped. Also the bumps have disappeared. Life is good.

Note that the Econazole (generic Candida topical) seems to do the same thing although not quite so emphatically; it feeds rather than discourages the Candida. I apparently have mutant fungus. Goody.

Also note that Blitz Cream is doing a semi-adequate job of fighting the Candida in my left armpit, but is not doing so well on the right. Don't ask me.

Currently I plan to keep soaking my personals until the big guns arrive from sunny Mexico. Then I'm gonna nuke 'em. -- Blanche

Blanche,
Oh well, it was worth a try. You win some, you lose some. As long as we don't lose you, we are ahead of the game.

Dear Big Cheese:
I have wonderful news. My Candida appears to be clearing.

I kinda gave up on topicals for the stupid stuff, which appeared to be totally intransigent. This may be a version of something Stanley has lived with chronically, although it seldom bothers him. It hit me, of course, like a ton of bricks because my CD4s were out to lunch. I have been waiting for heavy-duty drugs from Mexico which I hoped would blast the damned yeast outta the picture.

Well, Your Cheeseship, keep yer fingers crossed; it appears the infection is going away on its own! If I'm really lucky this is my own Candida and not some mutant after all, and it will stop misbehaving entirely! I'm really excited. For one thing, I'm past sick and tired of not being able to wear pants because I'm always sore from scratching too

enthusiastically. I walk like a duck. But the main source of excitement is that this is not being handled by drugs, either internal or topical. It appears that it is my own dear immune system that is putting the kabosh on the Candida. Whoopee! Frodo lives.

I won't be able to get another blood test until January, dammit, but there is now a good chance that when that test is given my numbers will be on the way to recovering from the pitiful specimens they have been since I went off the "heavies" in April.

The major change in subjective "feel" -- and the clearing Candida -- seem to coincide with eliminating the Curcumin and adding Quercetin. (I'm now taking 5 grams/day each EGCG and Quercetin, in coconut milk).

Plus all the supplements, of course, but that hasn't changed appreciably, except for one little thing -- I'm now up to 1 grams/day of the niacinamide (orally). Next week I'll add another 500mg/day and keep escalating so long as I see no adverse side effects. This is really exciting. I'm weak as a kitten from sitting around in a muu-muu all this time (couldn't wear pants, remember?) but my attitude is improving (I've been cheerful enough but not my normal manic self) and I'm ready to start thinking about going back to school in the Spring. I also need to resume my Tai Chi and get back into meditation, both of which I was too miserable to care about until recently.

I remember you mentioned that the antiretrovirals themselves can cause immune problems which may take time to go away. This may have been a major component of my suffering over the past months, and may be fading as a factor as my "natural" defenses come back online. This is great!

Wish I could afford to pay for my own blood test; I'm soooo curious! -- Blanche

Blanche,
Good news. Does this mean you are going to mellow out and be boring?

The problem with Curcumin hit me suddenly when I got my hands on a paper, thanks to Anna, that linked Curcumin to melanoma death. This is great if you have melanoma, but the mechanism they described sent chills down my spine. If true, this would kill activated T cells, which is what we are dealing with in HIV infections. Bad news.

Yes your immune system is definitely rebounding. The presence of constant Candida vaginal infections in women has been linked to poor immune systems for a long time.

Niacin is important for many biochemical pathways. It also forms ceramide in the presence of PA and serine. Ceramide is a death pathway and no doubt contributes to the death of virally infected cells. Also, keep the melatonin at about 6 mgs or so a night. Isn't that the dose you are now taking?

I feel like Dr. Frankenstein. You, of course, are the monster. But a good monster, a giant mouse if you will.

Keep me posted. I don't think anything in your protocol needs to be changed.

The Big Cheese.

BC:
Look out! It's the Mouse That Ate Chicago!

Yes, 6mg/bedtime for melatonin.

You have no idea how sick and tired I was of being sick and tired. This is wonderful. I had a mental hiccup about Curcumin all that time ago, but woman's intuition isn't much on which to base treatment protocols, now is it? I'm never sure if I'm psychic or just psychotic.

I'll try not to get boring. I do still have a vague histaminic itch that may be caused by soaking in apple cider vinegar. It may take a week or so for that effect to fade; we'll see. Meanwhile I still need topicals for that itch.

I still have some Shingles spots that don't like isopropyl alcohol very much, but they are becoming fewer and farther between. I'm going to be making up a new batch of Blitz Cream shortly, probably by the end of the week. Any suggestions for proportions or contents, aside from the PS/X? Note that everything is indeed healing, but healing scabs carry their own flavor of itches, so I still need to keep something on my legs. My arms are basically clear, although scarred (that's next on my personal agenda; curing the uglies) and my lower back is coming along as well as can be expected for serious lesions in such a flexible spot. It's healing.

I'm also considering adding an antihistamine to a topical so that I don't have to keep taking pills and messing up my cell-mediated immune response into the bargain. I was thinking of the liquid-filled caps they sell for various cold/flu symptoms. There are some that are almost purely antihistamine and I thought squeezing a couple of those into a topical might obviate the need for oral medication. It would also avoid any more darned isopropyl. Alas, when Stanley went to Walgreens they had been on sale so were all out. I'll keep this in mind, though. Any thoughts you have on that would be appreciated. -- Blanche

Mouse2
The best anti-histamine is EGCG. It inhibits the enzyme that makes histamine. Extract it in water and use it immediately in aloe vera or Noxema. It’s going to go bad fast so you are going to have to make it up fast. Maybe if you get it incorporated into the Noxema quickly, it will stabilize. Besides, those creams have anti-oxidant preservatives in them which might help. Oral anti-histamines are not formulated to enter the skin. Give it a try.

Blanche,
I want to make certain that you have copies of your AIDS tests. We never need to show them to anyone, but we must have documented proof, squirreled away somewhere, that what you are experiencing is real. Lets face it, you are 60, stress prone, had shingles, Candida (thrush), and a cd4 count of 20 and an HIV count over 100,000. You should be dead babe. But you don't have AIDS, and you aren't sick. Maybe the fact that you are stress prone (high levels of hydrocortisone in the blood) and took copious supplements that I recommended are the reasons. In one of the AIDS essays on the GK web site, I talked about a woman who was given a glucocorticoid on her death bed and walked out of the hospital three days later. In a strange way, your strong personality and the stress in your life may have kept you alive, along with the supplements. Interesting idea...

Dear Big Cheese:
Interesting comments about stress. I have read that stress is a killer for the HIV+. I've also read that calm, accepting HIV+ patients often contract AIDS and die. Go figure. Fighters live longer!

I don't get copies of my tests. The nurse calls me and gives me my numbers. The last two tests I had to twist her arm to get even those; the doctor wanted to tell me I was dead in person, but I was too busy getting well to bother with him. This is an HMO and they want to do all my thinking for me...

I believe I am legally entitled to those results. I can throw a fit and demand hard copy if you think that's a good idea, but I think we should discuss just what figures we're looking for first. CD4s and viral titer are easy. Anything else? I don't want to wind up in the position of making the strident demand of the month here -- Blanche

Mouse2
It’s true, the people accepting of their so-called fate die on time.

No, everything is fine. You do have a right to the tests, but we don't need to make an issue out of anything. Its just that your case and that of Adam are so amazing people aren't going to want to believe it. I don't care at all. They can try the protocol themselves. By the way, I took Adam off Curcumin also and replaced it with Quercetin. The proper combo is EGCG and Quercetin plus all the rest.

You are going to be fine. Stanley can begin breathing again. This will be a good holiday for you...finally. The Sword of Damocles is NO LONGER hanging over your head. If Adams count can climb to 1150 and viral drop titer down to 5000, so can yours. And you don't even have hepatitis B.

Cool...

BC
Nah. All I've got's a strangely aggressive attitude. Nasty woman. I think part of the problem, as I said in another email, was that the antiretrovirals had depressed my immune system. That plus the Curcumin thing. Next year the Boston Marathon...

Blanche

Blanche Dearest,
I have 480 emails between you and I. If you didn't save our emails, I did. I want you to begin writing a chronology of your experience DEALING with me. You are a great writer and hysterically funny. You will give people hope. You are a walking contradiction of what people think about HIV infections. With HIV infected people, hope is paramount. I can't figure out how to transfer all 480 email messages to you so your memory can be refreshed in writing your diary/chronology. Any ideas?

Steve

PS How is the candida infection going?

Everything will be confidential, of course. No email addresses or real identities will be revealed. I have this HIV

treatment protocol worked out now and the word has to get out ASAP.

All Hail Yer Cheeseship:
I've got what I believe are all the emails transferred into a Word file. I also have them as emails. They will need to be edited because they contain information that shouldn't go over the net (like our email addresses, for instance). I have 506 of them, but some of those may be between me and Anna or just "Here; look at this site" or somesuch. Not all are appropriate for publication by any means. I simply kept everything because that seemed safest.

Once we decide on format and basic content, I can edit this stuff down so that the average reader won't be bored and restricted personal information has been deleted. Give me an idea of what you're looking for and I'll go from there.

Do remember that as of my last blood test I am still pretty much officially dead. A good test would make everything much more impressive, don't you think? That's January, so we should plan on having whatever we're gonna use in final format by then, I'd say.

The Candida is much improved. Well, I'm much improved; the Candida is going hasta-la-gone-gone. It may require drugs to get entirely rid of it, because it's probably a mutant. However, my little immune system is doing a wonderful job of containing and reducing the infection – with no help from any drugs.

Life is good -- Blanche

Blanche,
I recognize that you are not out of the proverbial woods yet, but so what? Your story is amazing, and people will want to read it. Delete what is too personal and use your great writing skills to tell a story, humor, sadness, comments on doctors and HMOs, intact. Seriously, you are the first person who went off meds, fought opportunistic diseases and survived. And remember, your CD4 count and HIV count should indicate that you are dead. You aren't even sick, at least AIDS sick. This is important stuff. It could also be a big source of money for you and Stanley later. Maybe you could turn it into a book. That’s up to you. Just don't misjudge how important your story is. We will put it on the web site for everyone to read. The fact that you are still fighting the HIV infection, not aids, will encourage people to come back to the web site to read about your progress. Its great drama and you are a wonderful, funny writer.

Keep in mind that anything that appears on our web site falls under our copyright. Don't worry, we aren't going to sell the story or anything.

This is going to be fun. You are going to become a cult figure.

Steve

I can just picture people trying to figure out who this "nasty woman" Blanche really is.

BC:
I was just doing some preliminary editing (changing my name to Blanche throughout and removing email addresses, that sort of thing). I agree that there is a lot of stuff in here that would be inappropriate, boring or proprietary and probably doesn't need to be included.

There's also information on several inappropriate treatments (juice as a mix for the Kocktail, for instance). These should definitely be removed, because anybody scanning the file would get the absolutely wrong impression. Any inadequate (or just plain wrong, like the melatonin topical -- oops!) attempts at treatment should either be deleted entirely or prominently flagged as errors. We don't want people thinking, "oh, that worked for Blanche; I'll try it..."

This is gonna take a good deal of time to do right, so do be patient. Once I've got it pared down to where it's worth discussing, I can send it to you and we'll hash it out from there – Blanche

Blanche,
Yes it will take time to do it right. I don't want anyone to get confused about what works or doesn't, but I want people to understand that this was a joint venture between you and I. Mouse 2 and the Big Cheese, so to speak. I do not want people to get the idea that I woke up one morning with the secret to life and death. This was a discovery process between the two of us. Adams results follow yours, he being the first, but Adam simply did what I told him to do. Our email exchange is actually entertaining.

Looking forward to it.