Letter From Dr. Raines About The Testing and
Treatment of Neurotoxins
by Arthur L. Raines, M.D.
Dr. Arthur Raines met with almost 70 of our members on December 1, 2001. After an excellent presentation, he and his staff offered free testing to those present. (This was in response to the article in chronic neurotoxins in our last newsletter. Dr. Raines is the "local doctor" in the article)
Due to scheduling constrictions this meeting was arranged on short notice and only those on our email list could be notified. If you wish to be added to this local email announcement list, contact Carol. Dr. Raines has offices in Cleburne, Dallas and Fort Worth. He can be reached at 817-645-3967.
Thank you for the opportunity to present the Shoemaker Protocol for Cholesyramine Binding Therapy concept to your organization. Your members were well informed, assertive consumers of medical information who came up with some great questions.
Dr. Shoemaker has discovered neurotoxins which exist in several diseases including CFIDS/FMS, sick building syndrome, Lyme disease among others (http://www.chronicneurotoxins.com). These neurotoxins are removed using an oral, non-absorbed prescription drug, cholesyramine, which is marketed to bind bile acids in the gut, and thereby reduce the blood cholesterol. A side effect of the cholesyramine is that it binds fat-soluble neurotoxins that get into the bile circulation. The bound neurotoxins/cholesyramine is eliminated in the stool.
Diagnosis depends on a medical history of exposures , symptoms and is facilitated by a Visual Contrast Sensitivity Test. During treatment with cholesyramine, some patients developed a short-time intensification of their symptoms called Herxheimer reaction. This intensification can be blocked in some types of patients (but not CFIDS/FMS patients) by pretreating with a prescription drug, pioglitazone.
Visual Contrast Sensitivity Testing is now understood to measure and reflect optic nerve blood flow that is influenced by neurotoxins as well as other factors such as glaucoma. The Visual Contrast Sensitivity Test is valuable as a tool to diagnose and follow the progress treatment in the patient by noting improvement on the Visual Contrast Sensitivity Testing. This improvement on the Visual Contrast Sensitivity Test tends to start as early as 36 hours after starting cholesyramine binding therapy, and may occur well before symptoms improve. and may occur well before symptoms improve.
The results of Visual Contrast Sensitivity Testing in your groups are as follows:
The above approximate probablity numbers are based on research by Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker.
If you have a least 4 of the following 8 neurotoxic symptoms, I would recommend a trial of cholesyramine binding therapy, regardless of the outcome of the Visual Contract Sensitivity Test:
The cost of the cholesyramine drug is somewhere in the range of $120 per month, taking 4 doses per day: (Insurance may cover the cost.) Short term treatment of 6 weeks to 3 months should give the patient and the doctor an idea of whether the therapy is working.
Prior to cholesyramine treatment, we prepare our patients with proper hydration, fiber for the diet, magnesium, liver factor support and antioxidants to facilitate the proper functioning of the bowel, liver and biliary system.
We got lots of questions about the Herxheimer reaction. I understand that no one wants to be miserable, but short term misery would probably pay off with improved health. If you are miserable, the therapy is working! I will continue to communicate with the expert, Dr. Shoemaker, as I work with you all.
Dr. Shoemaker has identified a colonization with Staph bacteria in all of his CFIDS patients. Therefore, long term, we need to try to change your gastointestinal bacteria flora and your body chemistry, in order that you would not harbor this Staph bacteria which Dr. Shoemaker says is making a neurotoxin in your body. He also has some chronic Lyme disease who, after long courses of antibiotic treatment by other physicians, develop recurrences of symptoms similar to chronic Lyme disease or CFIDS/FMS. These patients have, by culture, proven to have the Staph bacteria colonization and represent CFIDS/FMS which has developed on top of a treated Lyme disease. Repairing the patient's digestion, body bacterial flora and chemistry so they do not harbor the Staph bacteria, combined with cholesyramine binding therapy would appear to be the proper treatment for these patients.
I invite anyone who is interested in this therapeutic approach to make an appointment in one of our offices. We have already begun to treat one of your members. We will know the results in a few weeks.
This information came from our January 2002 newsletter.
Total Tested: 67
Positive Results: 27 (Probability of successful treatment with CSM is 90% in this group.)
Borderline Results: 8 (Probability of successful treatment with CSM is 60% - 90% in this group.)
Negative Results: 32 (Probability of successful treatment with CSM is 66% in this group.)
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