What’s more, over the
past 16 years I've received numerous anecdotal accounts from readers suffering
from fibromyalgia who had serendipitously decided to use colloidal silver for a
minor infection such as a cold or flu, and then found their fibromyalgia
symptoms were dramatically reduced as a result.
Below you’ll discover
what a number of fibromyalgia victims have said about the results they’ve
achieved with colloidal silver, along with some important information on the
underlying causes of fibromyalgia and how colloidal silver usage can fit into a
successful nutritional intervention program for this painful disease…
Hi, Steve Barwick here, for www.TheSilverEdge.com...
According to Dr. Kent Holtorf, M.D., of the Holtorf Medical
Group, colloidal silver is one of the few natural treatments that have been
found by cutting edge medical practitioners to be significantly effective
against fibromyalgia.
He states:
“The
effectiveness of oligodynamic silver’s antimicrobial action at extremely low
doses in combination with its potential immune stimulating actions, makes it an
ideal naturally occurring substance in the treatment of chronic fatigue
syndrome and fibromyalgia.”
In his report titled “Safety and Efficacy of Intravenous
Oligodynamic Silver,” Dr. Holtorf goes on to state:
“Hundreds of thousands
of doses of oral colloidal silver and thousands of doses of intravenous colloidal
silver are given every month in the United States.
This is usually done
to treat acute and chronic infections including those associated with chronic
fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM).
The effectiveness of
the use of oral and intravenous colloidal silver in the treatment of chronic
fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia was presented at the 38th Annual Meeting of
the American Academy of Environmental Medicine in October 2003.
The extremely low
level of colloidal silver used at 23 parts per million (ppm) has been shown to have little
or no potential for toxicity while having the significant potential
for clinical benefit.”
No Significant
Clinical Research
While Dr. Holtorf’s statement is promising, the fact remains
that with the exception of the medical conference he cited, there has been very
little significant clinical research conducted on the use of colloidal silver
for fibromyalgia.
Indeed, most of the information on the use of colloidal
silver as a nutritional intervention for fibromyalgia has been anecdotal in nature, meaning reports
from people who have used colloidal silver themselves and have found it to
reduce their fibromyalgia symptoms -- sometimes quite dramatically.
And it’s largely because of these numerous anecdotal reports
from fibromyalgia victims that many natural health advocates have come to routinely
recommend colloidal silver as a nutritional remedy for fibromyalgia.
For example, according to natural health journalist Tony
Isaacs, writing on the NaturalNews.com website:
“Fibromyalgia…is
characterized by widespread chronic pain involving multiple ‘tender points’ in
the upper neck, back, shoulders, and hips.
Treatments, such as
painkillers, antidepressants, muscle relaxants, and the injections of
anesthetics are rarely effective.
However, many may find
relief from nature and alternatives as opposed to mainstream drugs and
treatments.
A natural alternative which may heal fibromyalgia is to take plenty of colloidal silver -- start off with 2-4 ounces per day and maintain at least an ounce a day until you achieve satisfactory results.”
A natural alternative which may heal fibromyalgia is to take plenty of colloidal silver -- start off with 2-4 ounces per day and maintain at least an ounce a day until you achieve satisfactory results.”
Real-Life Accounts
Over the past 16 years since I first wrote The Ultimate Colloidal
Silver Manual, dozens of people have written or called to tell me that
they’ve found dramatic relief from their fibromyalgia symptoms after using
colloidal silver orally.
My theory is that fibromyalgia is much like chronic fatigue
syndrome in nature – that is to say, it is often connected to a hidden
underlying infection, such as a mycoplasmas infection or an underlying viral
infection such as Epstein Barr or Cytomegalovirus.
Some researchers have also connected fibromyalgia with
systemic Candida yeast infections. And some researchers have connected it with
Hepatitis C infections, as well as Chlamydia
pneumonia infections.
This may well be why so many fibromyalgia victims seem to
obtain positive long-term results from using colloidal silver: i.e., its inherent infection-fighting
qualities appear to help mitigate the underlying infection that fibromyalgia
victims suffer from, thus dramatically reducing the painful symptoms of the
disease.
I’ll discuss that idea in more depth, in just a moment. But first here are some excerpts from
testimonials I've received from readers who have successfully used colloidal
silver for fibromyalgia:
"I’m
an RN with a BSN from a large university. My father is a retired dentist.
We
are a medical family. So the biggest hurdle for me was to let myself experiment
with colloidal silver and give it a chance.
...I’m
also a two-time cancer survivor, and had (notice the past tense) fibromyalgia
after the initial chemotherapy round in 1995.
I
purchased your manual, then the Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver Generator, just
prior to the second round of cancer/chemo.
Once
I finished chemo, I treated myself for fibromyalgia as per the manual. I am
convinced the fibromyalgia has at least regressed.
I
still have sleep issues that go along with the fibromyalgia diagnosis, but I no
longer have the deep aches and pains that affected my daily life before
this."
-- C.R., Highland, Utah
Here’s another example:
"I
have fibromyalgia and I take silver every day.
I
feel so much... better. Less fatigue, less pain, more memory and no depression,
my irritable bowel syndrome has been helped as well."
-- Cindy S.
And another example:
"I
just purchased my Colloidal Silver Generator about a month ago.
I
have fibromyalgia and some other health issues. Since I have been taking my
home made CS [colloidal silver] my pain has gone away."
-- Christina M.
This fibromyalgia victim says she takes two ounces of
colloidal silver per day and no longer suffers from the usual aches that
characterize the disease:
"Hello,
we have been a fan of colloidal silver for about a year. I have Hep C and
Fibromyalgia and the achys that go with them.
I
have found that if I take a few oz's of colloidal silver a day I don't ache
anymore. Now we make it for ourselves. Good stuff!"
-- Terri R.
And this fibromyalgia victim says her fibromyalgia symptoms
come roaring back “big time” when she fails to take her colloidal silver:
"...I
also have fibromyalgia and can see a big difference when I forget to use my colloidal
silver...all the pain comes back big time.
I
have had FM for about 15 years and have felt so much better and have been able
to continue to work...all thanks to colloidal silver.
I
have made an extra quart when a neighbor was sick and she used it and got well
in a very short time....she said she could almost feel it working!
Up
‘til then she had been sick for days and not getting any better.....AMAZING
STUFF!"
--
Mary K.
Here’s a fibromyalgia victim who says she takes one shot
glass full of colloidal silver a “few times a day” to stop her fibromyalgia
aches:
"We
make our own colloidal silver now. We bought the Micro-generator. It makes the
10 ppm.
I
have many health issues but I use it for Fibromyalgia aches...also for colds
etc. etc.
I
take a shot glass full a few times a day. My immune system is very bad…One day
I woke up and realized that I wasn't achy anymore!!!!"
-- Terri R.
These anecdotal accounts are all from the Testimonials page at TheSilverEdge.com,
where you can find dozens and dozens more anecdotal accounts demonstrating the
many ways people have successfully used colloidal silver as a nutritional
intervention against a wide array of infectious illnesses and disease.
As you can see, a lot
of people are claiming to have found dramatic relief from their fibromyalgia
symptoms by taking a little bit of colloidal silver daily -- a few ounces a
day, at most, it appears from the testimonials.
Many of these individuals make their own colloidal silver
(for just pennies per batch!) with a high-quality Micro-Particle Colloidal
Silver Generator from The Silver Edge.
Is Fibromyalgia Caused
By An Underlying Infection?
As I mentioned earlier, in my personal layman's opinion, I believe
in many cases of fibromyalgia there's an underlying viral or bacterial trigger,
i.e., either a virus like Epstein Barr or Cytomegalovirus, or a “stealth pathogen”
such as mycoplasma. Or even a systemic fungal infection such as Candida yeast.
Such pathogens can cause ongoing inflammation in the joints
and around the muscle tissues and in the nerve sheaths throughout the body, which
can lead to the wide constellation of painful symptoms experienced by
fibromyalgia victims.
The Road Back Foundation, a group that advocates the use of
antibiotic drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis and related pain conditions,
agrees that underlying infections might well be the cause of fibromyalgia as
well, stating:
“The connection of
fibromyalgia to infections is well documented in the literature, especially in
relation to Lyme disease, mycoplasma, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Hepatitis C,
Parvovirus B19, HIV, and Epstein-Barr.
It is believed as many
as 25-40% of long-term Lyme patients develop fibromyalgia-like symptoms,
particularly pain and fatigue; as many as 25% of HIV patients, 57% of Rheumatoid
Arthritis patients and 24% of Psoriatic Arthritis patients also have fibromyalgia
symptoms.”
In other words, people with known infections such as Lyme
disease, HIV, Epstein-Barr and others often experience fibromyalgia-like
symptoms along with the other symptoms of the disease they’re suffering from.
This has convinced many researchers that classic
fibromyalgia by itself may well be caused by an underlying infection, which in
turn might be causing inflammation and other cellular damage in the nerves,
muscles and tissues of the victim, resulting in the broad array of pain
symptoms experienced as fibromyalgia.
Other Causes of
Fibromyalgia
But do all
fibromyalgia victims have an underlying infection? Not necessarily. According to Dr. Garth Nicholson, Ph.D.:
"Are chronic,
systemic infections the answer to all fibromyalgia and other pain disorders? Of
course not!
While underlying
infections are likely to be an appropriate explanation for a rather large
subset of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia syndrome patients,
certainly not every patient will have the same chronic infections.
Some patients may have
chemical exposures or other environmental problems as the underlying reason for
their chronic signs and symptoms.”
So while underlying infections are “likely to be an
appropriate explanation for a rather large subset” of fibromyalgia victims, other
causes can include chemical exposures or exposures to environmental toxins or
perhaps even environmental allergens.
Nevertheless, Dr. Nicholson says that through the use of
DNA/PCR testing (a sophisticated lab test that can verify otherwise
difficult-to-find hidden infections) he’s found mycoplasma infections in
approximately 50% of patients with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and
arthritis.
He states:
"The
identification of mycoplasma infections in the leukocyte blood fractions of a
rather large subset of chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia syndrome and
arthritis patients suggests that mycoplasmas, and probably other chronic
infections as well, may be an important source of morbidity in these patients.”
Fibromyalgia
researcher D.L. Goldenberg has also found a connection between infectious
microorganisms and fibromyalgia pain. He
states:
“Infectious agents are capable of activating inflammatory
cytokines which may in turn cause severe myalgias, fatigue, and neurocognitive
disturbances...
The potential role of a microbial agent as a
trigger to fibromyalgia remains tenable.
For example, antibodies to Chlamydia
pneumoniae have been found in 78.3% of FM patients tested.”
Treating Non-Infectious Cases With Colloidal Silver?
That’s quite an interesting statement. The fact that
infectious microorganisms are capable of “activating inflammatory cytokines
which may in turn cause severe myalgias, fatigue, and neurocognitive
disturbances” may well help explain why so many fibromyalgia victims find
benefit from taking colloidal silver.
Indeed, recent clinical research has demonstrated that
silver nanoparticles are potent inhibitors of the inflammatory response caused
by cytokines.
For example, in the study
“Silver Nanoparticles Interactions With the Immune System: Implications for
Health and Disease,” it was demonstrated that silver nanoparticles have
dramatic anti-inflammatory properties, and that these properties are a direct
result of the inhibition of excessive cytokine production.
Said the researchers:
“It has been shown in vivo that
silver nanoparticles decrease inflammation through cytokine modulation.
…silver nanoparticles…were found
to strongly inhibit cytokine production, for example, of INF- γ, IL-6, IL-8,
IL-11, TNF-α and more weakly IL-5.
…The lack of amplification of the inflammatory cytokine cascade is important in providing a permissive environment for wound repair and tissue regeneration to proceed.
…The lack of amplification of the inflammatory cytokine cascade is important in providing a permissive environment for wound repair and tissue regeneration to proceed.
These results have given an
insight into the actions of silver and provided a novel therapeutic direction
for wound treatment in clinical practice.”
In other words, the study authors believe that silver
nanoparticles can improve wound healing because of their ability to modulate
the cytokine cascade, which is to say, to prevent excessive cytokine
expression in the human body which would otherwise lead to inflammation and
pain and slower healing.
If it is true that silver inhibits excessive cytokine
production in wound healing, would it not also be true in the case of
underlying infections in which the infectious microorganism – whether
bacterial, viral or fungal – is “activating inflammatory cytokines” and as a
result causing “severe myalgias, fatigue, and neurocognitive disturbances”?
In another study published in the
journal International Immunopharmacology, in 2007, researchers also
found that silver appears to reduce cytokine-provoked inflammation to such a
degree, they actually recommended it as a treatment against inflammation.
According to the study authors:
“…new research...indicates that
silver goes further than this and modifies cytokines – the enzymes involved in cell
growth and movement – leading to reduced inflammation and an increased
rate of healing.
…MIT-based medical scientist Rutledge Ellis-Behnke regards the Hong Kong group’s research as groundbreaking, saying: “Silver has been used for over a thousand years in traditional Chinese medicine for wound healing, but this is the first time that a hint of the true mechanism has been shown.”
…MIT-based medical scientist Rutledge Ellis-Behnke regards the Hong Kong group’s research as groundbreaking, saying: “Silver has been used for over a thousand years in traditional Chinese medicine for wound healing, but this is the first time that a hint of the true mechanism has been shown.”
The authors of the study concluded that "These
experimental data suggest that nanosilver could be used to treat immunologic
and inflammatory diseases."
The bottom line is that this may well be the basis for the
profound relief experienced by some fibromyalgia victims after experimenting
with colloidal silver usage.
All of this leads me to believe that many people who have
used colloidal silver and later witnessed a profound regression in fibromyalgia
symptoms may very well have had a hidden underlying infection they were unaware
of, and the colloidal silver either worked to remove the infection, or at least
suppressed the inflammatory activity of the pathogen by reducing the excessive
cytokine activity it would normally trigger.
Treating Non-Infectious Cases With Colloidal Silver?
However, Dr. Aundrea
Adams, Ph.D., CTN, points out that colloidal silver is often wonderful for
relieving pain on its own, whether or not an infection exists.
Indeed, she says
that colloidal silver can heal pain because of silver’s innate quality as a
“superconductor” of electrical current, including the electrical current that
flows through the human body, and which pain often disrupts. She states:
“Many people are skeptical of claims that colloidal silver can
take away pain and accelerate healing. Nevertheless, these impressive
attributes are firmly grounded in medical science.
Pain is caused by an interruption of the electrical current that
normally flows throughout the body at 50 to 70 millivolts. At the point of
injury, the current drops towards zero millivolts.
This lack of electrical energy also impedes healing. Silver is a
superconductor that bridges the electrical gap and restores healthy current
flow.
You can prove this to yourself by placing a silver coin on a burn
and experiencing instant pain relief.
In clinical trials at an FDA-approved laboratory, even
silver-coated bandages were proven to have analgesic and regenerative
properties.”
-- Dr. Aundrea Adams, Ph.D, CTN
In other words,
sometimes colloidal silver works to relieve chronic pain simply because it can
help restore proper electrical flow in the body.
This means that even
if a case of fibromyalgia is not
caused by an underlying infection, colloidal silver might still help relieve
the pain by acting as a conductor of electrical current in the body!
Are Large Doses Necessary?
Most colloidal
silver users with fibromyalgia say they’ve found relief with just a few ounces
a day, taken orally.
However, some
victims of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, Lyme disease, Multiple
Sclerosis or related chronic degenerative diseases feel they need to take extremely
large daily amounts of colloidal silver in order to obtain relief.
This is often
because they’ve read anecdotal accounts on the internet in which victims of
mycoplasmas infections or related chronic degenerative diseases such as
Multiple Sclerosis or Lyme Disease have stated that they didn’t obtain relief from
their symptoms until they began taking eight, 10, 12, or even 16 ounces of
colloidal silver per day on a regular
basis.
But that’s one
heckuva load of silver on the kidneys and liver – one which I’d never recommend anyone to take, for any reason, for long periods of
time. Why?
Because as I’ve
written numerous times (here and here and here and here, for example), taking large daily amounts of colloidal silver for long
periods of time can lead to a condition called argyria.
Argyria is a
condition caused when excessive levels of silver are ingested on an ongoing
basis, and the body’s normal channels of elimination become overwhelmed.
As a result, the
excess silver cannot be effectively removed from the body, and ends up getting
stored in the organs and tissues, and later pushed out to the skin. It then
becomes tarnished upon exposure to light, permanently staining the skin blue or
gray.
Colloidal Silver Is Only Part of the Solution
That’s why, for
cases of fibromyalgia or other related chronic degenerative diseases such as Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome, Lyme disease, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis
and others that are suspected of being caused by underlying infections, it’s often
important to use more than one
nutritional intervention in order to help the body repair the damage being done
by the offending pathogen, and help the immune system stop the spread of the
infection.
Colloidal silver can
be an important part of that
nutritional intervention, but should not be the only part, and should never
be used to excess.
Indeed, when you
bring other nutritional supplements into the picture, you can often reduce
colloidal silver usage to a tiny fraction
of the excessive amounts some people have advocated, and still obtain
remarkably successful results.
As a long-time
victim of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia myself, I discovered that
only small amounts of colloidal silver are necessary, once you learn about the
other powerful and effective nutrient substances that can be used to heal the
body, restore peak immune system function and eradicate problematic
symptoms.
Among the
nutritional supplements I’ve found to be extremely helpful in addition to
colloidal silver are:
· D-Ribose, to help restore cellular function often damaged by viruses or other
pathogens
· Pregnenolone, to help restore hormonal function often
damaged by viruses or other pathogens
· Beta-1,3-1,6-glucan, to help restore peak
immune system function
· Vinpocetine, to help restore peak brain function and eliminate “brain fog”
·
Methylcobalamin, to help repair nervous system
damage
There are other
helpful nutritional supplements as well, but those are a great start.
The bottom line is
that being solely dependent upon
colloidal silver for relief from fibromyalgia or related chronic degenerative
conditions can lead to excessive usage, which in turn can lead to argyria or
other complications.
But by using
colloidal silver responsibly, as one small part of a much broader nutritional
supplement regimen designed to help the body repair and heal itself, you gain
all of the benefits of colloidal silver usage, but without the very real risks
of excessive usage.
In that light, you might want to read my article An
Open Letter to Victims of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which discusses my own
personal multi-pronged nutritional protocol for combating the viruses and other
pathogens that are so often associated with both chronic fatigue syndrome and
fibromyalgia.
You might also want to read my article on Colloidal Silver and
Mycoplasmas Infections, which also discusses a broad nutritional protocol
for helping the body repair itself and overcome the underlying infections that
can cause the painful array of symptoms so often associated with chronic
fatigue, fibromyalgia, and similar chronic degenerative diseases.
To learn more about colloidal
silver in general and how it’s used nutritionally by people to aid the body
in defeating a multitude of infectious conditions, just click the link in this
sentence.
Meanwhile, I’ll be back next week with another great article
on colloidal silver…
Yours for the safe, sane and responsible
use of colloidal silver,
Steve Barwick, author
The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual
The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual
Helpful Links:
Important Note and
Disclaimer: The contents of this Ezine have not been
evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Information conveyed herein is from sources deemed to be accurate and
reliable, but no guarantee can be made in regards to the accuracy and
reliability thereof. The author, Steve
Barwick, is a natural health journalist with over 30 years of experience
writing professionally about natural health topics. He is not
a doctor. Therefore, nothing stated in
this Ezine should be construed as prescriptive in nature, nor is any part of
this Ezine meant to be considered a substitute for professional medical
advice. Nothing reported herein is
intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The author is simply reporting in
journalistic fashion what he has learned during the past 17 years of journalistic
research into colloidal silver and its usage.
Therefore, the information and data presented should be considered for
informational purposes only, and approached with caution. Readers should verify for themselves, and to
their own satisfaction, from other knowledgeable sources such as their doctor, the
accuracy and reliability of all reports, ideas, conclusions, comments and
opinions stated herein. All important
health care decisions should be made under the guidance and direction of a
legitimate, knowledgeable and experienced health care professional. Readers are solely responsible for their
choices. The author and publisher
disclaim responsibility and/or liability for any loss or hardship that may be
incurred as a result of the use or application of any information included in
this Ezine.
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2012 | Life & Health Research Group, LLC | PO Box 1239 | Peoria AZ
85380-1239 | All rights reserved
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