A Case of Multiple Sclerosis Treated with Herbal & Functional Medicine
In this article we’ll share the case story of a woman who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and how we can understand the underlying causes of such an illness to facilitate effective treatment with herbal and functional medicine.
Here at the Nourishing Life Health Clinic we specialize in the treatment of complex chronic disease, which is very common these days. According to the World Health Organization, diseases associated with chronic inflammation affect 60% of Americans, and worldwide, 3 out of 5 people die due to chronic inflammatory diseases. Unfortunately these numbers may be low estimates as these types of health problems are rapidly on the rise.
Very often chronic inflammatory diseases are due to a combination of infection (such as Lyme disease, candida yeast, Covid, and Epstein-Barr Virus), and / or environmental toxin overload (including mold toxins, heavy metals, and common chemical exposures).
This toxin-infection matrix both causes and is further complicated by immune system dysregulation which results in the immune system being over-active in some ways (presenting as allergies or auto-immune issues), and underactive in other ways (failing to adequately protect the body from invaders).
Modern medicine, with its super-specialized approach, is not equipped to draw all of these connections among the different systems of a whole person, so many people lack proper diagnosis, understanding of causative factors, and a treatment approach that might result in true healing.
Our holistic treatment approach involves understanding the root causes of what is driving the disease process. This points us in a specific direction towards effectively clearing the causative factors. In this way, chronic disorders such as auto-immune illness, joint pain, inflamed bowel, and fibromyalgia (just to name a few) can improve immensely or even disappear entirely.
We support clearance of chronic infections and toxins primarily by using herbs and essential oils, as well as naturopathic and functional approaches to healing.
This article will introduce some of the basic strategies and applications of this “root cause” approach through the case story of Mona, a woman who had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the time she first came to our clinic for treatment.
Mona’s Story
Mona is a 52-year-old woman who had been dealing with fibromyalgia since she was in her 20’s. She had several flares of low back and generalized body pain and spasm that would last for several weeks typically, then eventually die down and release.
In 2021 she received the Covid Moderna vaccine while in the middle of a fibromyalgia flare, and the inflammatory flare never resolved as it normally would have (instead she remained in pain).
Six months later following her return home from a trip, “something snapped.” She awoke one morning with pins and needles in all 4 limbs, began to experience sharp electrical sensations in her body, experienced muscle spasms and hand tremors, and became very weak with an inability to stand for more than 20 minutes.
She was exhausted physically and felt dizzy, highly emotional, and cognitively compromised, unable to recall words and think clearly.
Mona was also on the cusp of menopause and experiencing fitful sleep, hot flashes and sweating periodically throughout the day and night.
She received a medical diagnosis of “Early Multiple Sclerosis” based on a positive ANA (anti-nuclear antibody), the presence of multiple brain lesions, and her symptom picture.
When I asked, she shared knowledge of her toxin exposure history. She grew up near active mines, and both her father and grandfather had died from Parkinson’s disease.
She also had a lifelong tendency towards constipation. She reported being a “sickly kid,” who had chronic strep throat and was treated with repeated courses of antibiotics over the years.
Insights & Analysis
Mona showed evidence of toxin overload decades before the progression to MS. Her history of known chemical and heavy metal exposures paved the way for chronic inflammation in the form of fibromyalgia even by the time she was a young woman.
We all accumulate toxins from many areas of life – from personal care products to detergents and off-gassing chemicals in our home environment, to heavy metals and chemicals in food, medications, air and water.
When our system is exposed to an overload of toxins (of any kind, whether from pollution, diet or even emotions and trauma) – it then stores the toxic chemistry within fat and other body tissues to avoid harm at that time.
This self-protective mechanism delays tissue damage in the short-term, but over the long-term with daily toxin exposure and accumulation, the system eventually can no longer maintain the holding pattern.
At some point later in life, often provoked by an acute illness, stressor, or life transition such as menopause, these toxic inflammatory factors overload the body’s capacity for containment, and they begin to drive inflammation and disease.
Based on Mona’s symptom picture, I suspected toxic mold exposure in her past. The viral burden and toxin exposure of the vaccine was the “straw that broke the camel’s back,” pushing her into a state of unrelenting and progressive inflammation.
Adding to her vulnerability was the fact of her biological transition into menopause, which according to the understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine, is a common time when loss of latency can occur.
As you can see, many factors lead to the “perfect storm” that results in complex auto-immune and neuro-degenerative disorders. She was severely depleted on the one hand, while carrying a heavy toxic burden on the other.
Mona’s Initial Treatment Plan
Our initial strategy involved:
- Clearing the Toxin Heat – the poisonous inflammatory elements. The heavy metals, endotoxins (released by microbes), the microbes themselves, and later the mycotoxins.
- Detoxification – promoting all forms of elimination and supporting the organs that are the primary housecleaners, most especially the liver, large intestine and skin.
- Rebuilding life force energy – supporting the Yang Qi (adrenal hormones and overall vitality) and Yin-Essence (the body fluids, hormones and blood).
More specifically, to provide some short-term support for her deep fatigue, I prescribed an adrenal glandular called Adrenal Force. This was used to boost her yang qi (as we say in Chinese Medicine) to resuscitate her life force and provide some usable energy for healing.
At first we focused on clearing the viral (heat toxin) load since this aspect was involved in both her recent downward spiral (from the Covid vaccine) as well as past illness (Epstein Barr Virus). For this purpose we used the most potent anti-viral medicine I am aware of, a potent liposomal essential oil remedy called Going Viral, as well as an anti-viral herbal formula called Ilex Viro Protect.
In addition, for long-term reduction of toxins, inflammation, and to support clearance of the many factors triggering auto-immune and neurological dysfunction, I recommended:
- adopting the Auto-Immune Paleo diet;
- drinking plenty of clean spring water with minerals;
- doing sauna 3 times per week;
- colon hydrotherapy; and
- green vegetable juicing.
I also recommended daily Vitamin D, methylated B complex, and magnesium.
2 Month Follow Up
At Mona’s 2-month follow-up, she reported feeling calmer in her nervous system, having more energy, reduced neuropathy, and she was experiencing less brain fog and inflammation overall. We knew we were on the right track!
However, although she was better on many counts, she still felt her protocol was missing something. Her blood work for Lyme disease had come back negative. We decided to do a mold / mycotoxin urine test from Vibrant Wellness.
After discovering off-the-charts levels of mold toxins in her urine, we added an herbal protocol to address this issue, which included Carboxy binder; Toxin Neutralizer Liposomal Essential Oil Remedy; and liposomal glutathione to further support liver detoxification.
We continued to vary her protocol over time to address the issues that would arise with seasonal and life changes. She continued to grow stronger.
18 Month Follow Up
Mona is currently experiencing high stress as a loved one is currently under her care as he is passing away from pancreatic cancer. Even under huge emotional stress she is doing well physically.
Her bloodwork has normalized and she is no longer presenting auto-immunity.
She has worked up to 30 minutes of weight training and yoga alternately every other day to restore her muscular strength. Her digestion is more efficient than ever.
Hot flashes are much reduced.
Neuropathy is minimal (about 10% of what it was) – yay!
We will continue to work towards clearing lingering toxins and pathogens, balancing hormones, supporting a balanced immune response and emotional clarity.
Take-Aways
Deep healing and repair are not passive processes. Fortunately, there is much that can be done to reverse and heal from complex chronic health problems.
Be prepared to:
- Be actively involved in your healing process!
- Feel empowered by the process of understanding what has brought you to this bodily experience, and what will move you through it to a renewed experience of health.
- Celebrate many small successes along the way!
If you need support and guidance in healing from a complex health problem, please reach out for more information about our services at info@noulifehealth.com or by calling 845-687-6211.
