By Terry Willard ClH,PhD

This is the fourth blog in this series. The first one looked at a few mini case studies and a possible framework to look at. The second related to more of the causes. The third blog we will start to look at resources to result autoimmune issues. In this blog we will start to look at treatment protocols.

Treatment of Autoimmune disorders

The treatment of autoimmune disorders is strengthened by an understanding of the underlying energetic principle of treatment.  

Generally, the treatment of autoimmune conditions involves several steps:

1. Reduce and extinguish the inflammatory cascade.

This is the primary treatment of autoimmune disorders by modern medicine. Unfortunately, patients with autoimmune disorders are in a weakened state, and the additional toxic burden of NSAIDs (which promote liver damage and irritate the gut wall) and corticosteroids (which depress immune function) is often too much. Botanicals with anti-inflammatory properties include: Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), Turmeric (Curcuma longa), Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa), Amla berry (Emblica officinalis), Ash (Fraxinus excelsior), Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Lignum vitae (Guaiacum officinalis), Devil’s Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), Buckbean (Menyanthes trifolata), Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides), Willow (Salix spp.), Huang Qin (Scutellaria baicalensis), Sarsaparilla (Smilax spp.), Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), and Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera).

Where mucous membranes are concerned, the initial use of demulcents followed by astringents is often the best course. Demulcents are helpful to reestablish the integrity of the epithelial lining of the gut and are better for constipated conditions. Astringents tone the mucous membranes and firm the musculature of the bowel and are more appropriate for diarrheal conditions. Antispasmodics relieve abdominal pain and hyperperistalsis, slowing the frequency of loose motions. Of special note is the potentially toxic Belladonna (Atropa belladonna), which through the antimuscarinic activity of its tropane alkaloids inhibits peristalsis and gastrointestinal hypersecretion.

• Demulcents: Aloe (Aloe vera juice), Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis), Slippery Elm (Ulmus fulva), Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
• Antispasmodics: Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa), Belladonna (Atropa belladonna – TOXIC)
• Astringents: Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), Bayberry (Myrcia cerifera), White Oak (Quercus alba)

Additionally, some herbs are useful for relieving pain, including: Arnica (Arnica montana), Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa), Jamaican Dogwood (Piscidia erythrina), Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) and California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica).

• Support liver function and enhance detoxification.

This is not an area that is given much consideration in modern medicine, probably because the rationale for such an approach is derived from older ideas of autotoxicity. The importance the liver has in maintaining health cannot be argued, however, and with increasing exposure to environmental contaminants, mutagens, and xenobiotics, liver detoxification pathways can become quickly overwhelmed. If mercury amalgams are present, they should be removed carefully and with the use of intravenous chelating agents such as Chlorella (1,250 – 1,500 mg.  bid) or 2,3-dimercapto-propane-sulfonate (DMPS) to prevent toxicity.  

There are many botanicals that display hepatoprotective and hepatoregenerative properties. In any protocol for autoimmune conditions, such herbs should be considered: Barberry (Berberis spp.), Turmeric (Curcuma longa), Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Boldo (Peumus boldo), Bhumyamalaki (Phyllanthus amarus), Katuka (Picrorrhiza kuroa), Dan Shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza), Wu Wei Zi (Schizandra chinensis), Huang Qin (Scutellaria baicalensis), Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum), and Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia).

Additional botanicals that have an affinity for removing congestion and eliminating wastes from the body include: Celery seed (Apium graveolens), Burdock (Arctium lappa), Cleavers (Gallium aparine), Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) and Nettle (Urtica dioica).

• Support immune function and enhance non-specific resistance.

This includes the use of antivirals, antimicrobials, and botanicals that either stimulate or modulate immune function. The use of herbs with an immunostimulant activity in autoimmune conditions is something of a controversy among practitioners, because if an autoimmune condition is an expression of an immune system gone out of control, stimulation could exacerbate the condition. Thus, some feel the use of botanicals such as Echinacea should be approached with caution in autoimmune disorders. At Wild Rose Wholistic Clinic, we used this herb in combination with other herbs on many thousands of people with autoimmune issues with no problem for over 30 years. We consider Echinacea more an immune modulator than immune stimulant. 

Immunomodulators appear to be more appropriate to autoimmune conditions, although where one herb ceases being immunostimulant and becomes immunomodulant is a gray area and is likely highly individual. We suggest the use of mushrooms like Ganoderma, Chaga, Cordyceps or Coriolus, as they work to modulate the immune system. 

• Antivirals: Garlic (Allium sativum), St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum), Coriolus, Ban Lan Gen (Isatis tinctoria), Biscuit root (Lomatium dissectum), Osha (Ligusticum spp.), Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), Cubeb (Piper cubeba), and Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata).
• Antibacterials: Wild Indigo (Baptisia tinctoria), Guggulu (Commiphora mukul), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia), Huang Lian (Coptis chinense), Lian Qiao (Forsythia suspens), Jin Yin Hua (Lonicera japonica), Ban Lan Gen (Isatis tinctoria), Huang Qin (Scutellaria baicalensis), and Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis).
• Paracidals: Garlic (Allium sativum), Sweet Annie (Artemisia annua), Nimba (Azadirachta indica), Malefern (Dryopteris felix-mas), and Kutaj (Holarrhena antidysenterica)
• Fungicidals: Sweet Annie (Artemisia annua), Nimba (Azadirachta indica), Huang Lian (Coptis chinense), Bhringaraj (Eclipta alba), Toothache plant (Spilanthes acmella), Pau d’Arco (Tabebuia spp.), Haritaki (Terminalia chebula), and Vibhitaki (Terminalia bellerica).

Suggested ProgramPrograms vary considerably due to various conditions and complications. Most common approaches include:Reishi (2 – 3 capsules; bid/tid), Coriolus (2 capsules bid), Krill (1 capsule bid) Coptis (2 – 3 tablets, bid/tid) Digestive Enzymes (1-3 capsules @ each meal) Probiotic (1 capsule bid)

Immunostimulants: Red root (Ceanothus spp.), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia), Biscuit root (Lomatium dissectum), and Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata).

• Immunomodulants: Huang Qi (Astragalus membranaceus), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Ling Zhi (Ganoderma spp.), Siberian Ginseng (Eleuthrococcus senticosus), Wu Wei Zi (Schizandra chinensis), and Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera).

• Adjust flora of the bowel.

During the last stages and after a regimen that inhibits the growth of pathogenic microbes in the intestine, such as the use of paracidals, antibacterials, and antifungals, healthy gut flora must be introduced and supported. The obvious choice here is a non-dairy-derived Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum supplement, preferably encapsulated or in tablet form. The dosage is between 6 and 18 billion bacteria, thrice daily.  

Additionally, recent research has suggested that polysaccharides produced by the mucosal secretions of the body may act as a first line of defense by binding with the carbohydrate-binding proteins on the cell membranes of pathogenic bacteria. The “decoy” activity of such carbohydrates disables bacteria from adhering to the mucosa of the gut wall. This suggests that similar polysaccharides from exogenous sources may exhibit the same activity.  

Some examples of other sources of polysaccharide, some polysaccharides such as inulin appear to be almost exclusively fermented by bifidobacteria, the so-called “friendly” bacteria. This leads to an overall increase in fecal bacterial biomass, a decrease in ceco-colonic pH, and a positive effect upon lipid metabolism. Many medicinal plants contain inulin, such as Burdock (Arctium lappa), medicinal mushrooms and Dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale).

• Eliminate or reduce the insult to the gut barrier.

Diet is an all-important factor in autoimmune disease, and care must be taken to eliminate the foods which initiate an immune response. To determine which foods may be a factor in the disorder, an eliminative diet is best undertaken, removing the most common of food allergens from the diet for a period of two weeks, and then gradually introducing them back into the diet, one at a time over a period of one week, and noting any symptoms. Other important strategies to enhance gut function include:

• Limiting the use of antibiotics and NSAIDs as they can cause gastrointestinal irritation. Even though it is not known exactly how NSAIDs cause damage to the gut, several hypotheses have been suggested, including: enhancing intestinal permeability, inhibiting cyclooxygenase, enterohepatic recirculation, and causing formation of adducts.
• Reducing exposure to xenobiotics such as pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides, and increasing the intake of organically grown vegetables and free range, hormone/antibiotic-free animal products.

• Increasing intake of high-fiber foods and foods rich in antioxidant phytochemicals such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, beets, carrots, and onions.
• Increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, halibut, and arctic char or supplementing with essential fatty acids high in omega-3, such as flax and hemp oil, to inhibit the inflammatory cascade.
• Supplementing with a chelated multimineral and trace mineral supplement to provide for the manufacture of detoxification enzymes and antioxidants.
• Supplementing with digestive enzymes (e.g. bromelain, HCl, pancreatin) to counter hypochlorhydria and to improve digestion. Bromelain and pancreatin also inhibit anti-inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes.

• Supplementing with glucosamine to improve bowel wall integrity.
• Supplementing with antioxidants such as N-acetyl cysteine to limit oxidative stress, but only after protozoal infections have been dealt with.
• Vitamin D₃, to modulate the immune response: 4,000-10,000 IU/day.

Rosmarinic Acid for Allergies and Autoimmune Rosmarinic acid is a caffeic acid derivative, occurring in Rosmarinus, Perilla, Prunella, Melissa and Salvia. It helps treat allergies and autoimmune conditions due its beneficial effect of T cells. It can work for hay fever, RA, organ rejection in transplant patients, acute snake bites, acute chemical reactivity, and allergic disorders.

Tea for General Autoimmune Conditions   Simmer equal parts Astragalus membranaceus Rehmannia glutinosa   1 Tbsp. in 1 cup (250 ml) of water for 15 – 20 minutes. Let steep for 20 more minutes, strain and drink 3 cups (750 ml) or more during the day.

To accurately assess for intestinal permeability, diagnostic laboratories now offer a convenient method of testing. This simple test measures the ability of two non-metabolized sugar molecules, mannitol and lactulose, to permeate the intestinal mucosa. Mannitol is easily absorbed and serves as a marker of transcellular uptake, while lactulose is only slightly absorbed and serves as a marker for mucosal integrity. To perform the test, the patient mixes premeasured amounts of lactulose and mannitol and drinks the challenge substance. The test measures the amount of lactulose and mannitol recovered in a urine sample over the next 6 hours. Many practitioners only order these kinds of test after other resources don’t come up with a suitable protocol, due to cost and convenience of the patient. You can often get these tests done by a qualified CAM pratitioner.

• Autoimmune diseases (AI) are Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) issues: since these problems have psychological and neurological attributes to them, as well as the immune system, it is important to deal with these aspects also. Some people with AI have issues of disassociation and lack of self-worth among a multitude of other emotions. It is common to see these people as “living in their head”. Botanicals employed for resolving this are often the fungis: Ganoderma, Cordyceps, and Coriolus. Other botanicals that help are: Rhodiola, Scutellaria, Red Root (Ceanothus americanus), Kava,Hypericum, and the cannabinols CBD and CBG. Of course, this is a very active area for flower essences. They can be repertorized and given accordingly. The whole area of vibrational medicine has models that fit this area well. Usually using one or more vibrational medicine modalities help the patient re-integrate into their world.

Cannabis

Cannabis has been very important to work on AI. But like many of the other remedies it must be customized, maybe even more so, to the individual patient. You should choose the cannabis, the cannabinoid profile, and form of application for different autoimmune symptoms. This plays an important role between pain, immune function, and, most importantly, psychological disposition. The personality profile of a person plays a large role here. THC makes some people think too much (euphorically or paranoid); for others it calms them down to a chilled-out state. To summarize: the profiles can be a handy starting point, but each one must be customized to the individual and often changes throughout the treatment time.

Even though all the cannabinoids work on all parts of the body, THC works mainly on the nervous system with euphoria. CBD works mostly on the immune system, with very little euphoria, and CBG works to relax muscles and significantly lowers circular argument in the brain, with very little euphoria. Choosing the right cannabinoids is where individual application is the most important. When dealing with pain, THC helps reduce the perception of pain, while CBD reduces inflammation and works on the immune issue’s cause of the pain. This means often we start with a little higher level of THC to CBD to reduce the perception of pain and change the ratio either over the day/night or treatment plan to higher CBD levels. When it comes to sleep, it is a mixed bag—some people sleep better with high THC level, others can’t sleep at all. Some need high CBD and CBG levels to avoid excessive thinking at bedtime or upon waking in the middle of the night. Strange as it might seem, these cycles can be heavily influenced by solar flares in sensitive individuals. 

As far as dosing: Smoking affects the system in 2 – 5 minutes and lasts for 2 – 4 hours, depending on dosage level and personal tolerance (which will change over time). Edibles, including oil infusions (tinctures) take 1.5 – 3 hours to be perceived and last for about 6 hours. This time overlap can be used to one’s advantage. This means I often get a person to smoke first thing in the morning to get instant relief, while at the same time taking their drops or edibles (usually 2 – 4 times daily). The smoke material takes effect almost immediately and will last for at least 2 or more hours. By this time, the edibles taken at the same time starts to kick in. If the patient has break-through symptoms, I get them to smoke a bit more and start the cycle again. If there is strong pain or if the problem is mostly in the GIT, I get the person to use suppositories. You can often get much lower euphoric effect of THC when used as a suppository, so it can often be used stronger without a fear of being too ‘stoned’. This also depends on how high up the person has placed the anal suppository or vaginal application if gynecological. If the suppository is placed quite high up, where there is a strong blood supply, you can expect the THC effect to be more noticeable. 

The use Cannabis has been quite beneficial in these cases. Particularly useful are both oils high in CBD and suppositories with a 1:1 ration of THC and CBD. 

Medicinal Mushrooms

Many of the medicinal mushrooms can play a significant role with alleviating AI conditions. The ones that are the most significant are Reishi, Turkey tail, and Chaga. I especially use Reishi, but often use a five-mushroom blend with Reishi, Turkey tail, Chaga, Lion’s mane, and Cordyceps. 

Reishi works on the mental chatter that is often very strong in people with autoimmune conditions. It reduces anxiety, insomnia, depression, and paranoia. I like to say that it is one of the most useful immune herbs, both strengthening the immune system and calming it down at the same time. 

One of the major groups of constituents in the medicinal mushrooms are branched polysaccharides. These can have a great function in the GIT. These polysaccharides are like ones found on the surface of various bacteria causing disease. This creates a decoy effect for the immune system, giving it a training ground for target practice for these bacteria. This information seems to be signaled (electromagnetically, almost like Bluetooth) to receptor sites throughout the body, keeping the immune system on ready alert.

In our next blog we are going look at flower essences that help resolve AI issues. We will conclude with a few examples of AI protocols.