By Michael Biamonte, C.C.N.

EBV is considered an opportunistic infection. An opportunistic infection is one that awaits a failure in your immune system to take hold and make you ill. The “failure” is not a temporary one but one more chronic, lasting weeks or months. This type of “failure” is caused mostly by a combination of drugs, poor diet, stress, damp climate or other viral or bacterial disease. These can also cause the illness to come back if you recover. EBV is a member of the Herpes family, although it does not cause the sores, as would the more well known forms of Herpes. 90% of adults have come in contact with EBV. EBV causes “mono” once called the “kissing disease”. It lives in the salivary glands and in the B-Lymphocytes, which are a type of white blood cell. The virus causes the cells that produce antibodies to attack tissue cells that results in autoimmune disease; autoimmune means to attack oneself.

Swollen lymph nodes, fevers, chills, weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath, sore throats, influenza, pneumonia, chronic candidiasis are all possible symptoms of EBV. EBV is the virus largely credited with causing chronic fatigue. Everyone with EBV has chronic fatigue; not everyone with chronic fatigue has EBV. Chronic fatigue can be caused by low thyroid or adrenal function, copper toxicity, other viral conditions, hypoglycemia, parasites, nutrient deficiency etc.

The common course goes like this. Someone had mono many years ago. They had swollen glands, sore throats, swelling or enlargement in the liver or spleen, flu?like symptoms etc. The mono reduced, they recovered and went on with life. Years later, due to any of the previously mentioned circumstances, the EBV that caused the mono reactivates. The person then begins to experience some or all of the mono symptoms again to a greater or lesser degree. These symptoms now appear in cycles, every few weeks or months. Eventually hypoglycemia begins, memory and concentration become poor. Fatigue is obvious. Allergies may then begin as the immune system weakens. Chronic Candida in any form may begin. The weakening in the immune system will allow Candida to overgrow and spread. This is a case of EBV causing Candida. Thyroid hormone may start to decrease, anemia may appear and the immune system may start to really fail. At this point, allergy skin tests may fail to respond to the inability of the body to produce any real immunoglobulin production; blood cortisol levels may decrease showing adrenal exhaustion. (Cortisol is an adrenal hormone.) This is now full-blown EBV. Encephalitis, myocarditis, pneumonitis, pancreatitis, diabetes, hypothyroidism, transverse myelitis may occur. These “itis” illnesses are examples of the inflammation EBV can produce in the body. The end stage of EBV is associated cancers, originally associated with EBV’s discovery. This cycle can take many years and is not predictable.

EBV growth is within the soft lining of the throat and transmitted by saliva. It can be found in 100% of those who are immuno-suppressed, but even if exposed to the virus, a healthy person has a harder time getting it.

To correctly treat EBV or any opportunistic infection, we must first use non?toxic germicides to eliminate or reduce the virus. Many times the approach first used is to stimulate T?cells, white blood cells and interferon. This is unwise as these cells are diseased and are carriers of the infection. Stimulating these cells can cause a rampant spread of the infection. In the case of the opportunistic infection, we must bypass the body’s own immune system because it has already failed. Stimulating can cause a spreading of the infection as mentioned. So we must reduce or eliminate the infection using the modern protocol. The modern protocol consists of around 30 remedies. Some would be familiar to you, others would not be. They are non?toxic so they can be taken for long periods of time to eliminate large amounts of the infection without altering the natural flora or causing damage (side effects) to glands or organs.

In “Phase I” we want the pH of the body alkaline as it inhibits opportunistic infections. The remedies from the protocol that we choose based on the person’s history, health complaints and lab results must be rotated to be effective. After 7 days of taking any remedy, it will lose effectiveness as the environment within the body adjusts to it. The infection also adjusts. Therefore, we take each remedy 4 days, then move to the next one. When we have used them all, we repeat them again. When this phase is complete, we then go to Phase II.

Here, we cleanse the bowel, rebalance the bacteria, tone the digestion and repair the intestinal tract from damage the infections may have caused. The infection creates more toxins, so to cleanse before the infection is gone will not produce lasting or complete results. Specific for EBV on this Phase, we must support the liver as it can be attacked by the virus.

By now the person will have experienced great improvements but can still relapse unless he completes the last 2 phases. On Phase III we test the person for vitamin, mineral and overall nutrition imbalances. With digestion improved, he can now get full benefit from taking supplements rather than having them not absorbed. Here is normally when the energy systems of the body can be rebalanced. Adrenal, thyroid, pituitary and reproductive functions can be addressed. In the EBV case, a return of energy is very much noticed in this phase. Since the nervous system also stimulates the immune system, Phase III gives the EBV sufferer the balance needed for immune stimulation to work well.

Now Phase IV, the last phase, is begun. At this point it is now safe to stimulate the immune system since the virus has been eliminated or greatly reduced. Substances ranging from sunlight which stimulate interferon response, to T and B cell support formulas which help regulate T and B cells, are now used. As many as 25 substances can be used to enhance immune function on this phase. At this point, the body’s own defenses are able to handle the EBV on its own from this time forward. If EBV is found with other infections, the four phases may take longer to run through.

It is important that when the person reaches Phase IV that he continue to take his supplements and diet so the body can heal. The purpose of the program is to get to Phase IV so that energy and nutrients that can repair, rebuild and heal the body can be utilized. The first, second and third phase are setups for the last.

The fatigue and other symptoms caused by EBV are amongst the most horrible I’ve ever heard. Mainstream medicine offers no hope. Most holistic practitioners can offer as high as 30% improvement, in some cases higher. With this protocol as high as 80% of EBV cases can be handled in an average of 24?30 weeks. The key is the proper sequence of treatment.

Avoidance of viral activators or inducers is also important. Nickel, hydrocortisone, hydrogen peroxide and some traditional Chinese herbs have been reported to activate EBV. Factors that increase calcium retention which include Vitamin D, copper, estrogen, insulin and para?thyroid hormone have also been indicated as potentially vital inducing and activating agents. Avoidance of these would be important during the program.

References:

1. Holistic Protocol for the Immune System, by Scott J. Gregory, M.D.
2. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, by Jesse A. Stroll, M.D. and Charles R. Pellegrine, Ph.D.
3. Clinical Management of EBV, by Rodrigo Rodriguez. M.D., Robert Bradford. D.Sc., Robert Tapia, M.D. and Henry W. Alien
4. David Watts, Ph.D.