Could Alzheimers be an Infectious Disease? - Page 2

BirkiLady · ‎02-22-2015

@tsavorite It is fascinating that so many of us with autoimmune diseases also have had severe issues with pencillian reactions . . . and cannot take pencillian at all now.

I've also become allergic to sulfa (my first reaction as a very young child). My latest is novocane of all types. I simply have all dental work done without any pain killers at all. I've tried the "non-allergy" ones and they now cause seizures, migraines, puffy face and throat and rashes all over.

I'm convinced it is all related, as are my PCP and specialists. Fortunately one of my specialists is huge on research. I'm a "interesting and challenging patient" to him! (Hope I keep him awake at night.)

Money screams; wealth whispers.

Laura14 · ‎06-09-2014

There actually is a form of Alzheimer's which is thought by the leading scientists to be a "toxic" form that develops from exposure to toxins. It is the rarest of the three forms they have found so far.

There actually is an identified "Alzheimer gene" called the APOE gene. There are three evolutions of it and, depending on which evolution of the gene you have (2,3,or 4), it may predispose you genetically to the disease.

APOE 4/4 is the most significant combination and makes you 60% more likely to develop it. Only 2% of the population fall into this category. Even people with a 4/3 or 4/2 also have increased risk of the disease genetically wihch is about 25%.

This is the gene which controls fat distribution in the body and how well your body does it. If you have heart disease or high cholesterol in your family, that is the first indication that your body may not be as efficient or as highly evolved as others and you could have a 4 hanging around in your DNA.

Genes are not your destiny and diet is more what will throw the switch even if you are a 4/4. You can get the test if you want it from your doctor or the commercial DNA tests like 23 and Me if you want it. Medicare covers it.

There are definite protocols and diets and supplements available now to prevent or slow it down if you know someone who is starting to have issues or just may be predisposed to it. Dr. Dale Bredesen has written a book called "The End of Alzheimer's" which I highly recommend if you are looking. It's fairly easy to read and straightforward. He also has some talks on youtube which are very informative as well.

Bottom line recommendations from him, very little grains and no sugar or processed food. 4/4 people also should eliminate dairy and any other saturated fat items since their bodies can not process it well. He also recommends intermittent fasting 12-16 hours a day (done overnight so most of those hours you are sleeping) to give your body a chance to move the fat around (up to your brain where it is needed most) and clean the excess up and out (from arteries).

Monounsaturated fats are highly recommended like seafood, nuts and olive oil as well as most vegetables and low sugar fruits like berries. Basically, the Mediterranean Diet without the bread.

Alzheimers is a scary disease but there are preventitive measures and even outside the box treatments which are clinically proven to work now. If it's a disease that affects you or someone in your family, there is hope out there. No magic pill which is why it doesn't grab headlines but definite lifestyle changes and diet can prevent or extend the quality of life. The earlier it's started with prevention, the better off especially for high risk category people.

I am not a doctor but I have really educated myself on this topic over the past several months and want others to know that there are things to try that have worked for those diagnosed with the disease or for those highly susceptible to it.

If you needed someone to point out where to look in dealing with this issue, this post is for you.

SilleeMee · ‎05-22-2016

When I was in college, while doing my internship, there was an immunologist who had a theory about diseases in general. She had thought that someday we will discover that most diseases have an AI connection and it was this aspect of the disease process that brings us to the state of illness or even death. Ever since she said that I have thought a lot about her theory and it all makes sense to me, especially when you look at viral infections where there is DNA mutation that can trigger an AI response leading to inflammation. Many cancers are triggered by inflammation and cancer is usually associated with gene mutations. Alzhiemer's is another inflammatory disease.

This publication addresses the HSV and its connection to Alzheimer's. It's dated 2010 so the concept is not a new one.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3018626/

sidsmom · ‎11-25-2011

My Plant Based Community has known all this for some time.

I see ‘fat’, ‘cholesterol’, ‘inflammation’ scattered throughout this

thread and many studies/publications...but no one ever addresses

the dietary fat & cholesterol.

All these reports, studies, research, discoveries always

hint and/or imply fat, cholesterol, inflammation is the issue.

Fix it with the first line of defense...nutrition.

Reduce the inflammation via a low fat, whole foods, plant based diet.

SilleeMee · ‎05-22-2016

I agree @sidsmom. Regardless of the where or the how of inflammation, I believe if you have it then the best thing to do is get it under control and that's through diet. That worked for me and my scleroderma.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

If it would be found to be true that altzheimers is infectious every caretaker is doomed because they have been peed on, spit on, sneezed on , coughed on numerous times through their career.

SilleeMee · ‎05-22-2016

@151949 wrote:
If it would be found to be true that altzheimers is infectious every caretaker is doomed because they have been peed on, spit on, sneezed on , coughed on numerous times through their career.

Immunity differs from one person to another. There are strong and weak immune systems as well as ones that have been damaged from something. Just because someone is exposed to an 'agent' doesn't mean they will come down with a disease. That depends on how well their immunity works and this can come with a lot of inflammation.

Zhills · ‎11-15-2011

And their exposure is not from the same person with the same disease over and over again like it could be living with a spouse. Never happened so far as we know now!!!!!!

tsavorite · ‎03-09-2010

@SilleeMee wrote:
@151949 wrote:
If it would be found to be true that altzheimers is infectious every caretaker is doomed because they have been peed on, spit on, sneezed on , coughed on numerous times through their career.

Immunity differs from one person to another. There are strong and weak immune systems as well as ones that have been damaged from something. Just because someone is exposed to an 'agent' doesn't mean they will come down with a disease. That depends on how well their immunity works and this can come with a lot of inflammation.

Exactly....my husband for example has been exposed to the same viruses I have and never got sick like I have much less reactivation of it decades later. My Mother and my Grandmother both came down with shingles....my Father never did nor did my Grandfather. It has more to do with ones immune system response/genetics and this mutation that not everyone gets/has.

My sister is another example....We both had the EBV with infectious mononucleosis...both out of school for several months as our spleen was highly infected. Couldn't do gym class or any activity where I might be hit in the stomach causing a rupture. I didn't get MS like she did....but who knows...if I had been injected with a high dose antibiotic to treat my severe strep throat at the ER like she was maybe I would have also. It was her immune response unique to her along with that viruses setting the stage for the perfect storm. I wish I could go back in a time capsule and stop that event to see if things would have come out differently.

I think of it in other ways....some people smoke alot and get lung cancer in their 50's....60's or 70's. Others like my father smoke for 69yrs 3-4packs a day and never get it. His genetics? with immune system? I think so....he never ate a good diet....he was also a alcoholic up until his 60th b-day...then quit do to a doctors visit telling him need to stop now. Never worked for the smoking.

We are all unique in that way. I can find stories of people eating keto diets or palo diets or carnivore diets and of course vegan and plant based diets with miracles of healing autoimmune diseases and so on. They are out there.

Why can people eat so opposite and get a cure. I think it's their unique genetics/immune system. Finding the one that works for you is the best one to do in my mind.

I recently stopped drinking milk....and then greek yogurt. I was hoping it might help clear up my skin some and thought why not do the elimination diet thing and see. Well shocker of all shockers happened....it's been over 30days now and for the 1st time in 10yrs I do not get woken up in the middle of the night to get up to pee! I am almost wanting to not sharing this online here like it might jinx it LOL! I did nothing else new and I had tried EVERY idea to get this to happen and nothing worked.

Edit: skin never changed just wanted to post that also!