C-DIFF Infection

What is C-DIFF
Clostridium difficile (klos-TRID-e-um dif-uh-SEEL), C. difficile or C. diff, is a bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon.

Illness from C. difficile most commonly affects older adults in hospitals or in long-term care facilities and typically occurs after use of antibiotic medications. C. difficile infections have become more frequent severe and difficult to treat. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/c-difficle/DS00736

 Treatments and Drugs

The first step in treating C. difficile is to stop taking the antibiotic that triggered the infection, when possible.

See: http://thehealthalert.blogspot.com/2012/09/how-antibiotics-work.html

For mild to moderate infection, doctors usually prescribe metronidazole (Flagyl) is not FDA approved for C. difficile infection but has been shown to be effective. Side effects include nausea and a bitter taste in your mouth.

Antibiotics:  Ironically the standard treatment for C. difficile is another antibiotic. These antibiotics keep C. difficile from growing, which treats diarrhea and other complications.

For more severe and recurrent cases, vancomycin (Vancocin) may be prescribed. Another oral antibiotic, fidaxomicin (Dificid). In a study the recurrence rate of C. difficile in people who took fidaxomicin was lower than among those who took vancomycin. Fidaxomicin costs considerably more than metronidazole and vancomycin. Common side effects of vancomycin and fidaxomicin include abdominal pain and nausea.

Surgery: For people with severe pain, organ failure or inflammation of the lining of the abdominal wall, surgery to remove the diseased portion of the colon may be the only option.

Recurrent Infection
Up to 20 percent of people with C. difficile get sick again, either because the initial infection never went away or because they're re-infected with a different strain of the bacteria. Treatment for recurrent disease may include:

Antibiotics: Antibiotic therapy for recurrence may involve one or more courses of a medication (typically vancomycin).

Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT): Also known as a stool transplant, though not yet approved by the FDA, clinical studies of FMT are currently underway. Research has shown FMT has a success rate higher than 90 percent for treating C. difficile infections. One small, randomized, controlled trial stopped early because the results were so positive, with a 94 percent success rate overall.

Probiotics: Probiotics are organisms, such as bacteria and yeast, which help restore a healthy balance to the intestinal tract. A yeast called Saccharomyces boulardii, in conjunction with antibiotics, might help prevent further recurrent C. difficile infections. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/c-difficile/DS00736/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs

Herbal Treatment

Check with your doctor before taking any herb to treat a Clostridium difficile infection.

Garlic has been used for more than 5,000 years as an herbal healer, according to Michael Castleman, author of "The New Healing Herbs." The antibiotic properties of garlic's primary chemical compound, called allicin, may help destroy Clostridium difficile infection. It may promote excessive wound bleeding by reducing your body's ability to produce blood platelets.

Catnip is not widely used as an herbal remedy in the United States today. Early Americans used this herb to treat depression, according to Castleman. Nepetalactone isomers, which are chemicals found in catnip, may offer antibiotic benefits. These chemicals may help control the growth and spread of Clostridium difficile, helping to relieve diarrhea and abdominal pain associated with infection.

 Chamomile is primarily known in the United States as a mild sedative and tranquilizer, and is commonly used as an alternative to over-the-counter sleep aids. Chamomile may also help treat Clostridium difficile infections. Certified nutritional consultant Phyllis Balch says “this herb may have antibacterial properties, and may be particularly effective for relieving diarrhea.

CayenneThis hot pepper also has a long history of use in herbal medicine. Capsaicin, the primary chemical compound in cayenne, may also help destroy Clostridium difficile bacteria, reducing infection. Handling fresh cayenne peppers may cause skin burns, and may irritate the mucous linings of your nose and eyes. http://www.livestrong.com/article/489748-herbal-remedies-for-c-diff/#ixzz2byGGeq2b

 
This is not medicine or medical advice. Consult your doctor before taking supplements and for all health concerns.The TONIC Nutritional Garlic Supplement has the potency of raw garlic without the odorous residue. May help restore and maintain Good Health, Naturally. Nutritional supplements may react adversely with Rx and over-the-counter drugs. Consult health care professional before taking nutritional supplements.

ALS and Tonic Herbs

What is ALS?                                                                                                                                                Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body.

A-myo-trophic comes from the Greek language. "A" means no or negative. "Myo" refers to muscle, and "Trophic" means nourishment–"No muscle nourishment." When a muscle has no nourishment, it "atrophies" or wastes away. "Lateral" identifies the areas in a person's spinal cord where portions of the nerve cells that signal and control the muscles are located. As this area degenerates it leads to scarring or hardening ("sclerosis") in the region.

Early Symptoms                                                                                                                                   As motor neurons degenerate, they can no longer send impulses to the muscle fibers that normally result in muscle movement. Early symptoms of ALS often include increasing muscle weakness, especially involving the arms and legs, speech, swallowing or breathing.

Prognosis

The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost.

 What Types of Nerves Make Your Body Work Properly?

The body has many kinds of nerves. There are those involved in the process of thinking, memory, and of detecting sensations (such as hot/cold, sharp/dull), and others for vision, hearing, and other bodily functions. The nerves that are affected when you have ALS are the motor neurons that provide voluntary movements and muscle power. The heart and the digestive system are also made of muscle but a different kind, and their movements are not under voluntary control. When your heart beats or a meal is digested, it all happens automatically.

 Cause of ALS 

Although the cause of ALS is not completely understood, the recent years have brought a wealth of new scientific understanding regarding the physiology of this disease. While there is not a cure or treatment today that halts or reverses ALS, there is one FDA approved drug, [riluzole] that modestly slows the progression of ALS as well as several other drugs in clinical trials that hold promise.

No matter what your individual course or situation may be, The ALS Association and your medical team are here to help. http://www.alsa.org/about-als/what-is-als.html

Riluzole Side Effect                                                                                                                                         Nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice; fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms; chest discomfort, dry cough, trouble breathing; cough with yellow or green mucus; stabbing chest pain, feeling short of breath. This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. http://www.drugs.com/sfx/riluzole-side-effects.html

Herbal Treatments

See: The Health Alert: Elixirs - Snake Oils - Tonics

Certain herbal treatments may nourish and enhance the integrity of the nervous system, which may in turn help ALS symptoms. Examples of nerve tonics include lemon balm, oat straw and St. John's wort. Other herbal treatments that may support the nervous system include black cohosh, blue cohosh, lavender, linden flower, valerian and motherwort.

Oat straw is an herbal treatment that may be prescribed as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of ALS. Oat straw is commonly used a restorative nerve tonic and may help treat other symptoms that may occur in conjunction with ALS, including stress, insomnia and depression.  http://www.livestrong.com/article/399284-herbal-treatment-for-als/#ixzz2bsB4K2VD

How Garlic Works:      
Compound break-down, about 15 minutes after ingesting garlic: Empties Lymph System; Stimulate and fortify Body Systems & Organs; Enters Blood System; Digestive Properties.

Allicin the “magic bullet” component penetrates the cell walls fortifying existing and new cells. When a foreign cell is penetrated, i.e. bacteria or virus, it is destroyed and flushed from the body. In fortifying the body’s systems, the immune system is strengthened against recurrence. 

This is not medicine or medical advice. Consult healthcare provider supplements may react adversely with Rx and o-t-c drugs.

The TONIC Nutrition Garlic Supplement contains the potency of raw garlic with no unpleasant taste and residue. Originally taken to prevent colds and flu The TONIC helps maintain Good Health, Naturally.