What's the Buzz About this So-Called Marshall Protocol?
Part 1 of 3
by Bryan Rosner
www.LymeBook.com
About this Series
This is a 3-part series on the Marshall Protocol. Currently you are reading Part 1. In 2007 I published a book called "The Top 10 Lyme Disease Treatments" (available from http://www.lymebook.com ). This article series will be based on direct excerpts taken from that book. The Marshall Protocol remains a very controversial treatment. It has helped me personally, and I know of many others who it has also helped, including one highly visible businessman / politician. Other people find that it is unhelpful or even harmful to them, although my suspicion is that some types of "adverse reactions" to the protocol may in fact be herxheimer (or die-off) reactions. Looking back now, 2 years after the book was published, I will say that I am still a believer in the Marshall Protocol but I do believe that it should only be administered under the careful supervision of a licensed physician who is versed in the protocol. The purpose of this article series is to introduce you to the protocol, not to serve as medical advice. Please consult a licensed health care practitioner before beginning any new treatments.
Disclaimer
The Marshall Protocol is a complicated therapy and one that continually evolves as a result of new research and information. Naturally, books are static and do not change. Therefore, in order to obtain the most recent information about this treatment, visit the official Marshall Protocol web site by pointing your browser to
www.marshallprotocol.com.
This chapter is written by a layman, in layman's terms, and is intended only as an overview of the Marshall Protocol; it is neither an exhaustive explanation of nor instructions for using the program. Some of the information below is based on my own research of the treatment procedure, and my personal experience with it, and should not be interpreted as exhaustive or 100% accurate. I do not have formal training in understanding or applying Marshall Protocol principles; instead, I am simply an investigative journalist reporting what I have learned about the protocol. For precise, comprehensive, and official information about the protocol and how specifically to use it, visit the web site mentioned above.
This information has not been reviewed or approved by Trevor Marshall, Ph.D., the inventor of the protocol, and the statements made should not be construed as his statements. Also, much of the following information is experimental and investigational and should be viewed as such. The concepts presented below in relation to Vitamin D are still in the research phase, so they should not be interpreted as established, proven fact.
Introduction
The Marshall Protocol is perhaps the most significant breakthrough in Lyme Disease treatment since Doug MacLean discovered in the 1980s how to employ a homemade rife machine (see Chapter 5) to heal his own Lyme infection. The reason the Marshall Protocol is so significant is that it addresses an aspect of the Lyme Disease complex which no other treatment, protocol, supplement or herb can even come close to touching. The discoveries that led Trevor Marshall, Ph.D., to develop the Marshall Protocol have uncovered and exposed a critical part of the process which Borrelia Burgdorferi uses to establish and maintain infection in the host. The Marshall Protocol is the only known therapy which addresses this aspect of the bacterial survival process. If you take the Marshall Protocol out of the Lyme Disease treatment toolbox, there is no comparable tool to replace it.
The protocol builds on the work of Dr. Lida Mattman, one of the most influential medical scientists in modern history. With a master's degree in virology from the University of Kansas and a Ph.D. in immunology from Yale University, Lida Mattman has revolutionized the study of infectious disease and established the foundation for decades of progress in science and medicine. A 1998 nominee for the Nobel Prize in Medicine, Mattman found that a certain type of bacteria lacking a cell wall (known as cell-wall-deficient, variant, or L-form bacteria) are not only very common but are also the root cause of multiple health conditions that have baffled medical scientists for years. The presence of cell-wall-deficient pathogens in the human body is extremely difficult to detect and has thus been largely ignored by conventional medicine.
Dr. Mattman's studies have forced hundreds of physicians and researchers to accept the fact that this elusive and highly complicated class of bacteria is responsible for many previously-misunderstood ailments. Interestingly, Mattman's research findings bear a striking resemblance to the conclusions about microorganisms drawn by Dr. Royal Raymond Rife himself.
Although her breakthrough discoveries caused a light-speed acceleration in the field of bacteriology, no one has been able to figure out exactly what to do about the cell-wall-deficient bacteria identified by Dr. Mattman. We know they are there, and we know they cause many diseases considered untreatable or incurable by conventional medicine, but getting rid of them is a different story.
Fortunately, there is a handful of brilliant researchers who are currently studying these pathogens and are discovering ways to attack cell-wall-deficient bacteria, destroy them, and thereby heal incurable diseases. Trevor Marshall, Ph.D., is one such researcher. After failing to gain benefit from conventional treatment for his own affliction with sarcoidosis (a multi-system disorder characterized in affected organs by inflammatory lesions), Marshall was compelled to take a closer look at the pathogenesis of chronic disease. His research conclusions were very similar to those reached by Dr. Mattman: a surprisingly long list of chronic diseases are actually caused by cell-wall-deficient bacteria. Sarcoidosis and Lyme Disease, for example, share this root cause. If you are confused because you thought Lyme Disease was caused by spirochetes, not cell-wall-deficient bacteria, keep reading, we will answer that question.
Decades of studies by Dr. Marshall led him beyond the ability to merely identify cell-wall-deficient bacteria and their role in various disease processes. In developing the protocol which bears his name, he has created the means to actually counter their bacterial activity. The Marshall Protocol is a ground-breaking method of killing cell-wall-deficient bacteria in the human body and ultimately curing the previously untreatable diseases this pathogen causes. After Marshall employed his discoveries to treat sarcoidosis and heal himself, he went on to establish The Autoimmunity Research Foundation through which he collaborates with physicians and researchers around the world to help chronically ill people recover from various afflictions. Marshall has bridged the gap between simple awareness of the existence of cell-wall-deficient bacteria and knowledge of how to eradicate them.
Clarification of the root cause of Lyme Disease may be needed here. As mentioned earlier, the Lyme Disease pathogen, Borrelia Burgdorferi, exists in three distinct forms: spirochete, cyst, and cell-wall-deficient form. It is popularly (and erroneously) believed that the spirochete form of the disease is the only form-quite often, researchers and practitioners ignore the other two forms. This ignorance is the result of antiquated, inaccurate, and close-minded educational materials commonly presented at medical schools. In actuality, according to a burgeoning heap of published research, the spirochete form is in fact just a small part of the whole disease picture. Let's take a small detour to examine the three bacterial forms of Borrelia Burgdorferi.
Although not the totality of the disease, the spirochete form is highly dangerous and significant. It is responsible for the initial, rapid spread of the infection throughout the body and various organs due to its highly-mobile, drill-capable shape. The spirochete form is also responsible for many ongoing symptoms. It is, however, simply not the whole story.
The second form of Lyme Disease bacteria is the cyst form, which is also commonly ignored by mainstream practitioners and researchers. The cyst form is a symptomless, protective, survival-oriented form that is elusive, difficult to identify in laboratories, and nearly impossible to kill. Further discussion of the cyst form can be found elsewhere throughout this book and detailed discussion can be found in Lyme Disease and Rife Machines. Additionally, lymeinfo.net has an extensive collection of cyst form-related research and published studies.
The third form of Lyme Disease bacteria is the cell-wall-deficient form, which happens to be extremely dangerous, insidious, and also the target of the Marshall Protocol. Many of the most severe symptoms and organ dysfunctions associated with Lyme Disease occur as a result of the presence of cell-wall-deficient bacteria. Additionally, over time, the population of cell-wall-deficient bacteria tends to increase. This form can actually hide inside cells within the body to avoid detection. More amazingly, it can actually hide in immune system cells themselves. The cell-wall-deficient form must be addressed in order to heal, yet it is commonly overlooked, or worse, its existence is often completely denied, despite peer-verified research by the likes of such heavyweights as Yale graduate Lida Mattman.
Each of the three bacterial forms is capable of converting to the other forms under certain circumstances. Spirochetes convert to cell-wall-deficient and cyst forms as a survival tactic (cysts are much more treatment-resistant than spirochetes). Cysts convert to spirochetes occasionally, usually in spring and fall, as a proliferation tactic, to spread the disease to other tissues (spirochetes are more mobile and can more easily spread the infection than cysts). The cell-wall-deficient form is utilized for various reasons, including, of particular note, the ability of this form to survive numerous treatment approaches, including cell wall inhibiting antibiotics.
Different antibacterial approaches must be used for each of the three bacterial forms because each bacterial form has different weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Rife machines are highly proficient in killing spirochetes. Spirochetes can also be killed somewhat effectively with protein synthesis inhibiting antibiotics. Cysts respond to certain antibiotics (discussed in Chapter 1). Cysts can also be exposed and destroyed, with proper treatment, timing, and planning, by rife machine therapy. However, until the Marshall Protocol, there was not an effective treatment for cell-wall-deficient bacteria. There are several types of antibiotics (primarily protein synthesis inhibitors such as the tetracyclines and macrolides) which have activity against cell-wall-deficient bacteria, but these are minimally effective when used alone. The Marshall Protocol is the first therapy that has actually been able to comprehensively eradicate this form of the bacteria. This is why the Marshall Protocol is so important. Before the Marshall Protocol, there was simply no way to deal with the cell-wall-deficient form of Lyme Disease. Hence, before the Marshall Protocol, recovery was much more difficult to attain.
I first heard of the Marshall Protocol through Ron, a friend and fellow Lyme Disease sufferer who often participates in the Lyme-and-Rife online discussion group. Just as I had, Ron had benefited from rife machine therapy but still needed something to finish off the disease. Ron was tremendously successful with the Marshall Protocol. After due consideration I decided to try the protocol myself. Sure enough, results were forthcoming, and I couldn't help but notice that the Marshall Protocol seemed to provide
improvement in areas where rife machine therapy lagged. The longer I researched, used myself as a guinea pig, and consulted with various patients and practitioners, the more obvious it became that the Marshall Protocol would play an important role in Lyme Disease recovery. As mentioned, it addresses an aspect of the Lyme Disease complex that, quite simply, no other treatment, supplement, or protocol can impact.
Those who use rife machines to fight Lyme Disease will be excited to find out that the Marshall Protocol appears to be compatible with rife machine therapy. More than compatible, actually. Each therapy compensates for weaknesses in the other. Because the method of action of the two therapies is entirely different, it is not redundant to use both during the course of a Lyme Disease treatment campaign. The therapies work together to accelerate the healing process.
The answer to many incurable, idiopathic diseases
The benefit provided by the Marshall Protocol does not stop with Lyme Disease. Thousands of actual patients with real medical conditions ranging from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome to arthritis and obsessive-compulsive disorder have regained their health by using the Marshall Protocol. Their stories are very instructive. To communicate with thousands of Marshall Protocol users visit the discussion forum located at
http://www.marshallprotocol.com.
The commonality which allows such differing illnesses to be treated successfully by the Marshall Protocol is their root cause: cell-wall-deficient bacteria. Visit
www.marshallprotocol.com for a full list of conditions which may profit from the Marshall Protocol. Of course not all allegedly untreatable diseases are caused by cell-wall-deficient bacteria. Some such diseases may be caused by other pathogens or even problems like mercury poisoning and allergies. However, a large number of serious diseases are caused (or at least contributed to) by cell-wall-deficient bacteria and will respond accordingly to the Marshall Protocol.
Modern conventional medicine does not test for cell-wall-deficient bacteria during the process of diagnosing diseases. Hence, there is a wide range of symptom presentations having these bacteria as a root cause which end up being diagnosed with nonsense disease labels such as "fibromyalgia," "chronic fatigue syndrome," or "depression." These disease labels (and many others like them) are flawed because they provide only a description of symptoms but absolutely no useful information about the cause of the problem. Such diseases are those known in the conventional medical community as "idiopathic." The word means "without known cause" but is really just a fancy way to say "we have no idea what is wrong with you." Diagnosing muscle pains with the label "fibromyalgia" is like diagnosing a broken transmission in your car with the label "It Just Don't Work No More." Patients are told that there are no successful remedies for their diseases other than symptom-reducing, palliative treatments, because frankly, how could there be a successful remedy if no one knows what is causing the problem?
In many cases, the Marshall Protocol offers the only hope to people with idiopathic diseases, because the Marshall Protocol operates from a position of recognition and understanding of the actual problem, not just the symptoms.
While no one knows exactly how cell-wall-deficient bacteria infiltrate the body, or why some people are more susceptible to them than are others, open-minded scientists have long suspected their involvement in many health conditions deemed idiopathic. For example, consider autoimmunity, which is often alleged as the cause of diseases like those mentioned in the above paragraphs. Defined as an attack on the human body by its own immune system, autoimmunity itself has been hypothesized to be triggered by stealth pathogens (like cell-wall-deficient bacteria) which short circuit and confuse the immune system to the point of self-attack. It has been hypothesized that such stealth bacteria could hide away in host tissues, leading the immune system to mistake healthy, host tissues for the invading bacteria. The Marshall Protocol has helped to confirm this hypothesis; many people with autoimmune disorders have gained significant improvement, or even complete recovery, via the protocol. People with so-called "autoimmunity" are actually getting better when they are treated for stealth bacterial infections.
It may be difficult to understand and accept that cell-wall-deficient bacteria can cause diseases with so many diverse symptoms and presentations-from musculoskeletal disorders to mental disorders. The following three points help to explain why many diseases, commonly believed to be unrelated, can all be caused by cell-wall-deficient bacteria:
As a result of varying genetics, environmental factors, and other variables, illness will manifest differently in different individuals, leading to unrelated diagnoses despite analogous causes.
Many, possibly thousands, of different species of cell-wall-deficient bacteria exist, each having unique deleterious effects, leading to varied presentation of disease.
Cell-wall-deficient bacteria are capable of infecting every major organ and system in the body; the syndrome or disease label someone ends up with often depends on where a cell-wall-deficient bacterium establishes infection.
An analogy will further clarify how different diseases and different symptoms can have the same root cause: Allergies. Many people are allergic to pollen, yet allergic reactions vary greatly; some people get runny noses, others get asthma, some get red, itchy eyes. Some allergic reactions are only an uncomfortable nuisance, while others are life-threatening. In the same way, people react to infection by cell-wall-deficient bacteria differently-some moderately, some severely, typically all with symptoms that share some aspects in common but still vary wildly, as is the case with most idiopathic diseases. An interesting side note: many diseases which are caused by cell-wall-deficient bacteria result in part from allergic reactions to their bacterial toxins.
The bottom line is simply that many diverse diseases share the root cause of cell-wall-deficient bacteria. Because a multiplicity of conditions can be caused by cell-wall-deficient bacteria, the Marshall Protocol has applicability to many seemingly unrelated illnesses. If you or someone you know sufferers from an unmitigated disease, it is possible that it is caused by stealth bacteria unrecognized by conventional medicine. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by exploring what the Marshall Protocol offers.
Now we will examine what the Marshall Protocol is and how it works. First we will look at the general principles and discoveries on which the protocol is based, and then we will look at the actual treatments and lifestyle recommendations that comprise the protocol.
Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3 of this article series! More information about the Marshall Protocol next month!
