What is Cholestyramine and where can I get ?

While Cholestyramine is not a cure-all for Lymes, individuals have responded positively to treatment, and like me, it’s offered hope and help for sufferers of chronic Lyme symptoms.

Cholestyramine (Questran, Questran Light, Cholybar) is a cholesterol medication with broad biotoxins binding abilities.
Ask your doctor! It’s a common medication that has been around for over 50 years.

Ritchie Shoemaker, MD, pioneered the use of CSM for biotoxin removal. Although CSM is primary used to lower cholesterol levels, he petitioned the FDA for an exception for the use of CSM to treat patients exposed to biotoxins. The FDA determined that an exception was not required since dosing was similar to that for approved uses. Since then, CSM has rapidly gained acceptance among specialists treating biotoxin related illnesses.

The risks of using CSM are fairly low. Since the drug does not enter the bloodstream there is little chance for drug interactions. However, CSM must be taken several hours away from other medications or it may bind them as well. CSM will also bind ‘good’ fats and minerals so if extended therapy is indicated, supplementation should be considered.

Once a diagnosis has been made, the next step is to begin treatment. The very general steps are as follows (Please note that each individual is different and their treatment protocol must be tailored to their needs. The following information is not intended as medical advice, but only as a general overview of what to expect during treatment.).:

1. Begin cholestyramine (CSM) or Questran treatment. We have found that CSM powder works best. Many patients experience an intensification of all or some symptoms with CSM therapy. If Lyme disease is diagnosed, treatment with Actos is considered, since the mobilization of the Lyme biotoxin is especially hard to endure for many patients. Actos helps to prevent the cytokine storm and prevent TNF and MMP9 from increasing. Actos is not risk free, so with this, or any other information on this website, please consult your care provider.
2. Treat hormonal imbalances.
3. Treat underlying infections. These include: multiply antibiotic resistant coagulase negative staphylococcus (MARCONS) which is very often present in the nasal cultures of biotoxin patients, re-activated viruses, yeast, Lyme (Bb) and co-infections, and mycoplasma.
4. Monitor progress with bloodwork and repeated follow-ups using on-line BIRS© tests.

For more information, click here for the source

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I’m in no way affiliated with Doctors Shoemaker or Burrascano, nor the medicines mentioned on this website. I myself have Lymes and am a web developer and researcher who just thought that I could use my skills to get the word out that there is hope for those of you who are suffering with the many symptoms associated with lyme.

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There is hope…

My story is similar to many that I’ve read. I grew up in New Jersey which has one of the higher rates of contracted Lyme disease in the US. Surprisingly enough I managed to dodge that bullet until going on vacation to Switzerland where 2 days into my trip I found a deer tick attached to my left hand side.

A week later, with the characteristic bull’s eye staring back at me in the mirror – I  burst into tears. This explains the high fever and flu symptoms I was feeling. But more than that, I panicked. Living in NJ, everyone knows somebody who has contracted Lyme. I’ve heard the horror stories of aching joints, fuzzy thinking, etc. And now was I going to BE that person that always had some nagging ailment? Determined not to be, I got to the doctor as soon as I could and was put on a 2 week dosage of Amoxicillin and was told I would be fine.

Good, I thought, I’ll be OK since I got antibiotics in me so quickly. I recovered from the flu symptoms after a few weeks and soon felt back to normal. About a year later, I started to feel extremely fatigued with generally weird symptoms. After the symptoms began to get too hard to ignore, I told my mother how I was feeling. Completely forgetting that I even had the tick bite, I didn’t associate how I was feeling at all with Lyme. Hearing the same symptoms I was expressing, from many of her friends, my mother was the one who made the connection.
She said that she heard success stories with this medicine called Cholestyramine that was used for high cholesterol levels and that my doctor from home (I was living in the UK at this time) recommended I try it. I was very dubious at first. This was in 2004 when the research was at a very early stage. I searched on Google for the connection between Cholestyramine and Lyme but found nothing except some research papers. Mom asked me to try it. My symptoms were getting bad enough that I couldn’t ignore them, so I did. If nothing else, I thought, my cholesterol levels will be better!

I took the medicine, faithfully, with a milkshake for 2 weeks. My energy level and muscle aches did improve. But I was still not convinced that it had anything to do with this cholesterol medicine. This cycle continued for three more years. Every fall I would call home weary of strange illnesses and just plain weary. My mom would call up my doctor and send me the Cholestyramine in the mail and call me to make sure I took it. And every year I felt better after taking it. But still, I  wasn’t convinced that it just wasn’t my symptoms running their course.

This past fall was different. It’s been 5 years since I first found the tick bite. Again, Lyme was in the back of my mind and I was happily getting on with life. And then the weird symptoms started again. But this time I couldn’t ignore them because I couldn’t get through the day without going to bed.  If I went out for a day, I’d have to rest 4 to make up for it. My brain has become so foggy that some days it feels like I’m losing my mind. For me the cognitive impairments that Lyme causes is the hardest to accept. I know that I can go to bed and rest if I’m feeling physically ill. But living with a brain fog was just too much. So again I called up my mother, and she faithfully reminded me that I should be taking the Cholestyramine. This time, I didn’t hesitate. Armed with my fruit smoothies, I blended up the powder into the smoothie and chugged it down. I’ve heard from others who take the medicine that if you’re experiencing strong Lyme symptoms, the “die off” period from the medicine makes you feel even worse. They weren’t kidding! For about a week I felt nauseous, dizzy, and it seemed it multiplied my original symptoms. But about 5 days after taking the medicine, my head felt clearer. I should have taken the medicine longer – blaming my busy schedule, I stopped once my symptoms were manageable again. I’m told it takes a good 3 weeks of taking the powder 2-3 times a day to really kick the toxins out of your body. So that’s what I’m doing now. I’m on day 4 of my 3 week process and already my head is feeling clearer.

So that’s my story so far. For me, this medicine has been a lifeline and I’m encouraged with the results I’ve had already.

I encourage readers to share their stories here – successes or failures with different treatment products.

I’m in no way affiliated with Dr. Shoemaker or the variations of the medicines mentioned on this website. I’m a web developer and researcher and just thought that I could use my skills to get the word out that there is hope for those of you who are suffering with the many symptoms associated with lymes.