Letters From Blanche
12.10.2004

Note on names: As my relationship with Dr. Martin developed, the names we used went through a bit of a change. I started out with my real name, then was dubbed Blanche, and often am referred to these days as Mouse #2. Dr. Martin morphed into Dr. Steve and then The Big Cheese. I have tried to be consistent within this material; he’s Dr. Steve and I’m Blanche. If one of the other salutations crops up, don’t be surprised; this is a formidable editing job!

Dear Dr. Martin:
Who are you guys? As a “super-intelligent freak who does not work and play well with others,” I gotta love ya!

I always pretty much ignored my health; if it works... Now, here I am, HIV-positive, and having to pay attention in case some part drops off in the road. Argggh! I found out about my HIV by nearly dropping dead; sometimes if you ignore it, it will not go away. Viral load 170,000+, CD4's: Curly, Moe, Larry (and I think Moe was feeling poorly). When I was discharged from the hospital, I was told to go home and put my affairs in order. Now, viral load undetectable, CD4's in the 5-600's. I got here mainly by carefully ignoring my doctor's advice.

Currently taking both NRTI (Combivir) and Protease inhibitor (Viracept); think they suck. Not sure I've got the chutzpa to quit, but am playing with the idea. Where do I find a doctor who will prescribe the, well, prescription drugs I need? Again, not sure I'm up for this, but certainly cannot make a move when I'm three cans short of a six-pack.

I must confess I have merely scanned your article at this point; since I never even took chemistry, for Pete's sake, it will take time to wade through it with proper comprehension. I'm game.

Anyway, consider this a subscription to your newsletter. Gotta go; lots to read – (Blanche)

Dear Blanche:
Yes, you definitely sound different. That's good caz normal people worry me.

Stay on the drugs even if they suck. Go to the essay entitled The Day AIDS Ceased to be Fatal. It should inspire you. You sound pretty healthy right now.

We have another aids essay in the works that is for people like you, HIV positive but no AIDS. It should be posted with references in about one month.

Good luck.

Dear Dr. Steve:
Read the essay; verrrry interesting. Luckily, at this point I am trying to, would you believe _lose_ weight. My ATP recovery rate is improving daily, it seems (lots of pep talks to mitochondria, also liver; visualize cheerleaders chanting "cori cycle... cori cycle"). At this point, I'm not as concerned about AIDS as the fact that the cure is almost as bad as the disease, and am trying to fight the side effects of the drugs.

What I want for xmas is a retrofitted Delta-32 mutation. In the absence of same, I'm using magick (okay, creative visualization) to zap wandering HIV and increase CD4's. Now I'm going after the lymphatic system. Still wading through the current offerings on your website, and looking forward to more – (Blanche)

Dear Blanche:
DO NOT try to lose weight. Also what is an ATP recovery rate?

Dear Dr. Steve:
Weight: I am about 20# over my ideal weight (and I don't mean my ideal anorexic weight). Do I really need this fat I'm carrying around? I thought wasting referred more to protein (muscle) mass. Also, I very well intend to keep some fat reserve, in case the Virus From Hell takes an attitude. Wrong again? ATP recovery rate: what my doctor called my energy problem; I've also heard that term used by others, but damned if I can remember who/where. Perhaps ATP re-uptake would be a better term. I think it has to do with my liver not being a team player and having trouble re-converting ADP into ATP. Also, my mitochondria are _not_ paying their rent.

No luck on the Delta-32 retrofit, huh? Darn.

Dear Blanche:
You are definitely a character. Wasting applies to fat as well as protein. Anyway, go to the lef.org web site and purchase alpha lipoic acid and acetyl-l-carnitine. They are powerful anti-oxidants and they definitely retard mitochondrial aging. Find some coconut oil, it is a saturated fat, and use it liberally in your diet. Coconut oil contains a high concentration of a 12 chain fat called lauric acid. Lauric acid does not accumulate in the veins like larger fat molecules. It is however rapidly converted by the mitochondria into ATP. The reason that movie theaters don't use coconut oil any longer is because the grain oil lobby scared them with this "all saturated fats are bad." This is crap. Coconut milk is also good, especially if you like Thai food.

Dear Dr. Steve:
Thanks for the info.

Already taking ALA , also CLA, as well as more mundane anti-oxidants like Vitamins C and E. Can take acetyl-l-Carnitine. How much? What the world needs now s a one-pill HIV/AIDS/Drug side effect treatment (not including, rather obviously, drugs like NRTI's, NNRTI's, Protease inhibitors; I mean over-the counter stuff). I'm only taking two scrips for the HIV, but need a pill organizer because of the bloody supplements.

Does coconut oil taste like coconut? My life partner cannot abide the taste of coconut; this could make using it in my diet a little convoluted. Perhaps a convoluted coconut oil capsule?

Your website, and these emails, have been a great help to me. I have long been aware that the "medicate, slice and dice" approach to HIV treatment (indeed, to all health issues) was based on the profit motive rather than maximum benefit to the patient. It is unfortunate that the motivation for clinical testing is the almighty dollar; otherwise there would be supportive test results for things like alpha lipoic acid, no?

On my wish list: A database covering all treatments for HIV/AIDS/drug side effects. Something like: "this helps with this but causes problems over here." – (Blanche)

Dear Dr. Steve:
I may be in a bit of trouble, and wonder if you have any advice. It seems the State of Arizona is going to interrupt my medications.

In order to get my medication through ADAP (Aids Drug Assistance Program), I have to prove I am ineligible for any other assistance. Here in Arizona that is AHCCCS (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System) administered through DES .

All I need from DES is an official letter of rejection, but that seems to be an impossibility. The original rejection must have gone astray, and I am having zero luck getting anything done about it. There is absolutely no possibility of paying for my meds myself; they cost twice as much as I make on Disability.

Since I appear to have moved to a third-world country in my sleep, is there any advice you can give me for fighting these little buggers until, hopefully, my situation is resolved? I have an undetectable viral load and my CD4's run from 500-700 copies.

I did have a viral "bloom" a while back. I am tested every three months and it went 80...60... 1500+... undetectable. I am told this is not unusual. I am on (or was, anyway) Viracept and Combivir, and have been on this, the original regimen, for five years. I was originally diagnosed while happily croaking from PCP , viral load 172,000+, CD4's Curly, Moe, Larry (Moe was doing poorly).

I have no problems with the meds I am (was?) taking, and my biggest problems were dealing with side effects (lazy mitochondria, etc). Now I'm in biiiiig trouble.

Any advice on how to stay alive while the bureaucratic wheels do their exceedingly fine grinding? -- (Blanche)

Blanche,
You're lucky. Your email almost got deleted by our spam detector.

In a week or so, we'll send you our updated protocol for taking out the HIV infection in the asymptomatic phase of the infection cycle. You can do this yourself.

We have no information or interest in prescription drugs and we know nothing about government rules regarding their administration. But you can treat this disease yourself. You decide if the protocol seems reasonable or not.

Dear Dr. Steve:
Didn't mean to bore you with my health saga. I just wanted you to be aware that conventional treatment appears to no longer be an option for me. This means that I can stop thinking about trying alternative treatments and just do it. Looking forward to receiving the updated protocol. I am, as you note, currently asymptomatic, but that will change once I run out of meds, so this is definitely the time to act. Thanks for all your help. -- (Blanche)

Dear Blanche:
OK, then let’s act. Go the Net and purchase curcumin. It is the yellow dye in curry powder. It is not a spice. Shop around because you get it cheap in 500 mg capsules. Then purchase 70% EGCG polyphenols from green tea. Dr. Hoffman’s web site sells it. I think I spelled the guys name right.

You are also going to purchase coconut milk, the stuff used in Thai cooking. Make certain when you open the can that it partially solidified. That the saturated fat lauric acid which is only found in coconut oil. You are going to put 5 grams of curcumin (if it bothers you use less each time)into the homogenized milk (put in a blender and add the curcumin if you want) and boil it on the stove (not microwave) until the curcumin dissolves into the milk. Curcumin is a wonderful natural drug but it isn't soluble in water. It is soluble in coconut milk. This kocktail tastes good unlike the EGCG.

Your infection right now is in your intestines. This is the site of all early infections. Both curcumin and EGCG are known for killing and prevents gastrointestinal cancers. We are going to use that protocol to

shut down viral synthesis in your intestines. Both curcumin and EGCG are active against virally infected cells. Interestingly, curcumin can shut down all the biochemical pathways that are capable of activating the HIV gene.

The coconut milk will take the trapped curcumin and deliver it directly to the lymphatic system in your intestines. This is where your HIV infection lies. Coconut milk also contains lauric acid, which, as a free fatty acid, will kill all envelope viruses like HIV. So this protocol serves many purposes. EGCG can not only block viral binding to the CD4 receptor, it can inhibit the proteasome complex which will cause HIV infected cells to die.

Take 5 grams curcumin twice a day and 1 gram EGCG twice a day.

You'll be fine.

In the future, contact me at smartin@grouppekurosawa.com. I want you to keep a diary of what you are doing and your reactions to treatment, as in how do you feel, do you sleep, sweat at night, anything. The info will be important to others.

Let the games begin.
Stephen Martin

Dear Dr. Steve:
Okay, I'm ready. One comment and a few brief questions first.

Comment:
Your email says: “Your infection right now is in your intestines. This is the site of all early infections.” I don't think I can be considered to be in the early infection stage. I was diagnosed with HIV five years ago when the buggers nearly killed me. PCP , MAC , the whole nine yards. The doctors claimed I had about 12 hours to live when I got to the hospital. The HIV was definitely out of control and the opportunists were measuring for curtains everywhere. This is definitely an established infection. I have been on chemical junk for five years (Viracept, Combivir) and have done well. I want my ducks lined up before that changes.

Questions:
1. Does an established infection change the protocol?

2. Is starting your protocol before the drugs run out a good idea? A bad one?

3. How much coconut milk?

Thanks for all your help – (Blanche)

Blanche:
I admire your sense of humor.

1/2 cup of coconut milk is fine.

There is a lot more to the protocol, naturally, but we'll adjust it for your condition.

You can take it with the meds. We are going to add things one at a time so you don't have an adverse reaction. Even people who are asymptomatic have an established infection. Your infection has been controlled so you are in good shape. This is the time to attack the infection head on.

A few points.

Protease inhibitors, in our opinion, only work because they inhibit the proteasome of the infected cell, thereby killing it. We wrote about green tea polyphenols as a treatment for HIV. We meant it. EGCG has dramatic effects on different parameters of HIV growth. And it is also a powerful proteasome inhibitor. Read the essay for more details.

After successful drug therapy, the AICD or activation induced cell death continues to occur and the CD4 count never returns to normal. These drugs are very toxic and no doubt create free radicals in the lymphocytes. When the viral protein TAT is being secreted, it induces AICD but it is dependent on the free radical superoxide. This AICD can be completely shut down by using NAC or n-acetylcysteine, a very common antioxidant that you can buy anywhere. Start taking 5 grams a day, 1 gram at 5 spaced intervals

during the day.

Two. Purchase Inosine off the Net. Most health food stores don't carry it yet but they will. Inosine has no toxicity. Weight lifters use it to control the inflammation they induce in their bodies. It is a surprisingly

powerful inhibitor of the inflammatory hormones, TNF, Il-1 AND Il-6. These hormones drive the viral synthesis and tear up the body. Protease inhibitors also induce a decrease in their synthesis. Take 5 grams a day.

Three. Diet. Very important. You cannot eat any soy products nor can you drink red wine. Soy contains genistein and wine contains resveratrol. Both these compounds cause cells to pause at the g2/m interface in the cell cycle and this allows infected cells to make more virus. No corn, soy or safflower oil. No whole milk, cheese, butter or red meat. Lean pork, chicken and turkey without the skin is fine. We want to stay away from arachidonic acid, a fatty acid that enhances HIV growth. Every little thing we do counts.

Four. EGCG is best taken in the coconut milk with the curcumin. The concoction tastes terrible, but it is necessary. EGCG can be consumed as tea, but its bioavailability is enhanced if it goes into the lymph with

the curcumin.

Five. No mega doses of vitamin c. You can take the supplements alpha lipoic acid, and acetyl-l-carnitine as well. They are anti-HIV and enhance the effects of n-acetylcysteine.

Take 5 grams of curcumin and at least 2 grams of 70% EGCG polyphenols a day. You can take more if you wish. They aren't toxic and in your case they certainly won't hurt.

SIX . This is the big one. Stress drives the HIV infection as it does cancer growth. There are real biological reasons for this. There are actually many ways to control HIV but mental attitude is a big one. Stress causes an increase in hydrocortisone in the blood and this can inhibit cell mediated immunity. The virus uses stress and the viral protein VPR to escape from immune surveillance. VPR activates the hydrocortisone receptor causing it to inhibit immune responsiveness. The common sleep aid melatonin will block the hydrocortisone receptor and induce a cell mediated immune response. It is a powerful little natural drug. It will also interfere with the synthesis of hydrocortisone in the adrenal glands. It is a true anti-stress hormone. And, interestingly, there is a directly correlation between a lack of melatonin secretion and disease progression. Stress hormones can inhibit the synthesis of melatonin and this naturally induces a faster disease progression.

Take 3 mg melatonin at 10pm , 6 mg at 6am and 3 mg at 2pm . You will sleep good and feel more refreshed during the day. Knocking down stress is a huge part of the battle plan.

Start with the anti-oxidants first such as NAC, alpha lipoic acid, and acetyl-l-carnitine. 5 grams, 2 grams, 2 grams, respectively.

Next, go to the Inosine. Any reactions with your drugs?

Next, go to the melatonin. Shouldn't be any problems.

Next, go to the curcumin/EGCG combo in coconut milk.

Record everything. If you were meant to die, you would already be dead.

I am here for any questions.

Steve

Dr. Steve:
You are a real trip!

Already taking ALA and melatonin, although not in the amounts you indicate. Should I just increase these first or go ahead and add NAC and possibly Inosine? I have had no reaction to the first two in these doses: ALA 100mg/day melatonin 3mg/day. Not currently taking l-carnitine although I have in the

past, with no ill effects. Also taking CLA 3G/day. Note that I have a cast-iron stomach; even the Viracept only made me sick for the first week, and it's better than ipecac for most folks.

You will be glad to know that I almost never stress. I am an incurable optimist and disgustingly cheerful in the face of adversity. People often think I'm clueless because I'm too upbeat to understand what's actually

happening. Ha! As if being depressed would help. I also do a lot of visualization. Also Tai Chi.

Dear Blanche:
Yes, Dr. Steve is definitely different. Anyway, stress is a huge issue so I am glad you are mellow. You are going to be just fine.

I forgot. You have to buy some cheap Epsom salts, magnesium sulfate, and take a level teaspoon every day in OJ or something. We are all drastically deficient in magnesium and it is a real medical problem. In a low magnesium condition, neutrophils, the major white blood cell in the body, gets overactivated (due to excessive calcium uptake) and starts spewing out dangerous free radicals like superoxide. And it won't stop. Superoxide will activate the HIV gene in a second. If you take too much Epsom salts, you will get diarrhea so modulate your intake until that doesn't happen.

You have to take more supplements than you have in the past, but you'll be in good shape.

Keep good notes about your conditions and what you went through in the past. You could become a best selling author. Everyone loves a good story.

Steve

Copyright © 2004, Stephen Martin, Ph.D
Chief Scientist, Grouppe Kurosawa
All Rights Reserved
http://grouppekurosawa.com