Artemisinin

[storyteller58]

Does anyone have any experience with using artemisinin? Thanks!

[Sequoia]

I know some people who have Lyme Disease are taking it, but haven't heard of it being used for MS.

Can you tell us why you're interested in it?

[storyteller58]

I know some people who have Lyme Disease are taking it, but haven't heard of it being used for MS.

Can you tell us why you're interested in it?

I recently started seeing a nutritional medicine/Oriental doctor and he prescribed it, not specifically for my MS, but for other symptoms I am having that he believes are related to toxicity and parasites. I always worry with any new product though how it might affect my MS...

[Sequoia]

Aha! Yes, I'd read that it was very effective against parasites.

The main concern with medicinal herbs and MS is that some herbs boost the immune system (although not all the experts agree on that). To my knowledge, artemisinin doesn't fall in that category, but maybe someone who knows more will correct me.

I'm a big fan of Chinese medicine, although I haven't experienced much of it firsthand except for acupuncture. Two of my adult children have taken various herbal blends prescribed for them by Chinese practitioners and have been very satisfied with the results.

[onlyairfare]

Artimisinin is a medication used to treat malaria, as it is effective against falciparum malaria, the most dangerous type of malaria.

I don't know if it is available in the US, but I have used it on some of my overseas aid trips, only for treating cases where it was specifically required, and usually in combination with other malaria medications in order to be sure that it clears the infection.

Malaria germs rather easily become "resistant" to many of the other medications, so casual use of artimisinin for other reasons increases the risk of creating deadly resistant forms of malaria.

We do not see much malaria in the US, but world wide, it is the number 1 or number 2 cause of death; tuberculosis is the other big killer. Millions of people die every year from malaria and TB, which in the US or other industrialized nations would be successfully treated, not fatal.

The medication itself is pretty safe, but increasing drug resistant malaria can be deadly in the Third World. And in the US too, if you get sick with malaria months after you return from a malarious area and don't mention your past travels to your treating physician.

So please be careful about using artimisin - not just for your own sake, but for those less fortunate elsewhere in the world.

[jules]

Artemisinin

Storyteller58,

is the doctor you saw anywhere near Portland? I am looking for a new doctor that is either a naturopath or practices Chinese medicine. Do you think the doctor you saw is any good? Can you tell me his/her name (if you are allowed to give that info here, I'm not sure)?

Thanks,
Jules

[storyteller58]

Storyteller58,

is the doctor you saw anywhere near Portland? I am looking for a new doctor that is either a naturopath or practices Chinese medicine. Do you think the doctor you saw is any good? Can you tell me his/her name (if you are allowed to give that info here, I'm not sure)?

Thanks,
Jules

Yes Jules, he is near the Portland area in Newberg. I don't know if it's o.k. to post this kind of info either, but I will give it a try: His name is Jens Riogeist and his website is www.newbergnaturalhealth.com. I just started seeing him a couple of weeks ago so it's too early for me to give him a solid recommendation based on my own experience, but I have heard lots of good things about him and was very impressed with my first visit, which lasted about 2 hours compared to the 5 minutes I usually get from my MD!