Case Reports
April 16, 2020
A 76-year-old man began following my recommendations for lipids at the onset of COVID symptoms eight days ago. He has consulted with me for many years for his cardiovascular disease, now the most common and frequent COVID co-morbidity.
He started Lipid-bound Sulfur immediately, one dropper twice daily. He has not developed respiratory symptoms to date. It turned out that the “breathing difficulty” he reported in a text was not in his lower airways but rather from restriction in his tight excruciatingly sore throat.
An increase in LbS did not relieve his throat. But three lipids he has on hand resolved the throat soreness and tightness within 48 hours:
- 1/4 tsp glycerol in water every two hours
- two droppers of Flame Quell in every other water with glycerol
- two droppers MGS in other glasses of water twice daily, between water with glycerol
The three lipids he has on hand – Flame Quell (fatty alcohols for tissues), MGS (thiosulfate) and glycerol – are all lipids to reduce the cause (inflammation) of his high tissue cholesterol and hence reduce risk of further cardiovascular disease.
LbS oxidizes leukotrienes, themselves extremely damaging inflammatory fatty acids (e.g., in autoimmune disease) and triggers of deadly cytokine storms. While LbS disables leukotrienes fatty alcohols disable other inflammatory fatty acids, e.g., PGE2, those responsible for his throat pain and constriction.
I recommend MGS for high tissue cholesterol. The bivalent negative sulfur in MGS serves as a surrogate for oxygen in tissues deprived by anaerobic metabolism resulting from high tissue cholesterol.
May 4, 2020
From doctor in Hawaii:
I recently recommended the Lipid-bound Sulfur (LbS) to a 68 y.o. male with symptoms of fatigue, body aches, dry cough and mild fever (100.7F). He chose not to be tested for COVID-19 and wanted to self-treat at home.
He agreed to try the LbS. He arose and mixed two droppers of the LbS with his usual cannabis-glycerin remedy and followed it with a small amount of food. Later that day he took another 2 dropper dose of the LbS without the cannabis-glycerin mixture. He reported that felt an amplified euphoric effect of his usual cannabis-glycerin mixture to the point that he felt like "just resting all day". His symptoms gradually improved through the day. He awoke the next morning with no cough, body aches or fever. In fact, he stated he has not "felt this good in many years".
He has returned to work as a Biodynamic farmer and puts in long days in the field. He continues to take his cannabis-glycerin mixture to control his gastroparesis symptoms. He reported that he is grateful and feels like the LbS was remarkably effective in helping him quickly recover from his flu-like symptoms.
Aloha nui loa!
May 12, 2020
We begin today by discussing why and how leukotrienes are so damaging. When Dr. Revici discovered them he called them ‘conjugated trienic fatty acids’. Unlike other pro-inflammatory fatty acids, they have three parallel double bonds. It turns out this configuration of double bonds is the reason they are pathological fatty acids. Actions of other pro-inflammatory fatty acids are reversible, those of leukotrienes are not. They can be much more severe, including tissue and organ destruction in autoimmune diseases and even death!
These parallel double bonds are ideal for binding oxygen. The resulting peroxides are strong oxidizing agents, which are good for killing viruses. However, peroxides are self-propagating. Peroxides continuously make more peroxides from arachidonic acid extracted from cell membranes, destroying cell membranes, the brains of cells and this is only the beginning.
Dr. Revici observed that some peroxides, in the urine during radiotherapy, indicate the radiotherapy is effective. However, if peroxides disappear during radiotherapy, and radiotherapy is continued, the patient invariably dies! This happens when leukotrienes move from what he calls the oxygen phase to the chloride phase. Chloride ions now bind to carbons at either end of double bonds. The binding of chloride, a major anion, results in a pronounced alkalinity of cells and tissues; and, the consequent hypochloremia explains symptoms of nausea, vomiting, muscle spasms, twitching and confusion seen in COVID, possibly even the delirium now reported in 70% of patients, young and old.
Further, hypochloremia accounts for shock. In the ‘toxic shock’ now reported in children with COVID, there is very low blood pressure and inability of blood to effectively circulate oxygen. Since this is appearing one month after the surge of cases in the NY area, experts suggest the illness may be a post-infectious immune response. However, hypovolemia and low blood pressure from hypochloremia are the result of the pathological lipid defense we are describing.
Corona viruses have PLA2, phospholipase A2. Venoms of snakes, bees, wasps and spiders also contain PLA2, the mainspring of symptoms from stings and bites. PLA2 is the enzyme that extracts phospholipids from membranes. Then LOX enzymes, the lipoxygenase enzymes, oxidize arachidonic acid from these phospholipids yielding leukotrienes. Many symptoms and complications in COVID are explained by corona viruses infecting and generating leukotrienes, particularly in respiratory cells and in endothelial cells arteries throughout the body. Infection of endothelial cells in small arteries contributes to severe pulmonary complications and to the ‘pink toes’ reported in COVID. Moreover, endothelial infections are the origins of coagulopathies and hence strokes.
An analogy: you cook food at the proper temperature for the proper duration for that food and it is good. This is analogous to everyday inflammation, the kind that causes symptoms of the common cold or spring allergies, and the kind that causes heat, swelling, redness and pain when you stub your toe or get a splinter. These are all symptoms of the body resolving the problem.
Now cook it too hot or too long and it is not so good. Still edible, but “eh”…nothing improves it. This is analogous to the oxygen phase of leukotrienes. Cook it even hotter and it is charred, not edible. No chemistry, the chloride phase.
Case: 49 y/o acupuncturist living in NYC began COVID with a fever of 101.4, extreme fatigue, body aches and loss of smell and appetite. Prior to this illness she had no medical history and felt great, enjoying a healthy diet, work-outs 3-4 times a week and a ten minute mile.
She began Lipid-bound Sulfur, Flame Quell and glycerol three weeks after onset of symptoms. By then, “breathing issues had begun in earnest” as well as a constant cough. Fortunately, after 36 hours on the lipids she wrote, “I am finally able to take some good deep solid breaths. An unbelievable feeling after all this I tell you.”
At ten days on lipids she reported, “I often feel better for about 6-12 hours and then it comes back a bit.” Currently, at 20 days on lipids, she reports more energy and improvement in “the waves of breathing troubles and inflammation in her sinuses.”
She is taking 2 droppers of Lipid-bound Sulfur, twice daily and 1/4 tsp. glycerol with 2 droppers Flame Quell in water, three times daily. We are currently checking her urine pH to adjust her lipid doses to hasten her recovery and determine when the lipids are no longer needed. I will report the pH values and follow-up with you.
After approximately two weeks on lipids she had a cup of black tea and her breathing difficulties relapsed. It took 6 hours, the half-life of caffeine as she pointed out, and lots of water and food, “to come back down and end the absolute nightmare”.
Why? Caffeine is alkalizing ! ! ! It exacerbates the effects of leukotrienes. I bring this to your attention because so is vitamin D. A webinar advocates very high amounts of vitamin D. No! Vitamin D is a lipid, it fans leukotriene fires. Get vitamin D from sunlight, in physiologic doses (no sunscreen, more on that another time). Vitamin A is another lipid best avoided in neutraceutical doses. Calcium and magnesium are also alkalizing so avoid mega doses.
A final note: Estrogen and progesterone acidify tissues, testosterone alkalizes tissues. COVID is definitely more serious in men and androgen antagonists improve outcomes.
Much more to discuss, please stay tuned.
Thank you.
June 25, 2020
A woman in her late thirties has a history of migraines. The migraines started over 17 years ago during her first pregnancy and thereafter often occurred premenstrually. She tried multiple medications over the years and although some helped somewhat they did not prevent the inevitable two-days-down.
Approximately, two years ago she began using Flame Quell for her migraines. She takes two droppers in water at the first signs of a migraine. Her first signs, called the prodrome and aura before pain, include very marked visual impairment and light sensitivity. She takes another two droppers if/when pain begins and, on occasion, two more droppers if there is still pain 15 minutes after the second dose. Flame Quell, usually two doses, has stopped all migraines.
Two weeks ago, however, she called concerned that although she had had no pain she had symptoms after taking her Flame Quell. Her symptoms included body aches, nausea and light and noise sensitivity. These are postdrome symptoms, symptoms that typically occur after migraine pain is gone. Fortunately, one dose of Lipid-bound Sulfur immediately stopped all of her symptoms that afternoon. All was well the rest of the day but she awoke with the same symptoms the next morning. One more dropper of Lipid-bound Sulfur, then she was pleasantly shocked … nothing more!
You can drink baking soda in water to relieve acid indigestion. Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is very alkaline so it neutralizes, in effect removes, stomach acid. Similarly, Flame Quell neutralizes inflammatory fatty acids so they can no longer cause inflammation.
Acute inflammation can wreak havoc. Most of us have experienced congestion, sneezing, red watery eyes, fatigue, etc., from a cold or spring allergies. The prodrome, aura and pain of migraines is also acute inflammation. Flame Quell relieves acute inflammation. Therefore, Flame Quell eliminates or reduces symptoms of colds, allergies and migraines.
Flame Quell, however, did not stop the postdrome symptoms. Those symptoms were caused by different inflammatory fatty acids that are not neutralized by Flame Quell. Acute inflammatory fatty acids are typically done when they are done, they leave no trace. On the other hand, inflammatory fatty acids causing the postdrome are often chronic and permanently damaging. They need to be oxidized, destroyed, not just neutralized. Sulfur or selenium bound within fatty acids of sesame oil - Lipid-bound Sulfur and Lipid-bound Selenium - destroys them.
The inflammatory fatty acids that are damaging are called leukotrienes, “leuko-” because they are made in leukocytes or white blood cells, and “-trienes” because they have three adjacent double bonds in their carbon chain. This structure enables leukotrienes to cause irreversible damage to cells and tissues. Leukotrienes are not only operative in all chronic diseases, they can also cause acute exacerbations of chronic disease, and they can be lethal, as in Covid. Leukotrienes are operative if there is a flare up of symptoms in an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis; during withdrawal from smoking, alcohol or opioids; in initiating and perpetuating atherosclerosis responsible for heart attacks and strokes; in neurological diseases from Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s to Alzheimer’s; and more.
Although there are medications that oppose leukotrienes, the role of leukotrienes in chronic and life-threatening disease is yet to be fully investigated and effectively treated.
Leukotrienes are also responsible for the severity of damage by influenza and Covid viruses. Lipid-bound Sulfur has reduced the severity of symptoms in Covid. The woman with migraines just happened to have Lipid-bound Sulfur on hand in case she or a family member became ill with Covid.