How To Survive A Deadly Flu Pandemic

[tex]

Hi All,

Okay, I realize a post such as this smacks of sensationalism, and there is certainly no proof that any of us will ever see a serious flu pandemic during our lifetimes, but just in case it should happen - I really believe that all of us should be aware of this, in case we need this information, to possibly save our own lives, and the lives of our family members, because if a pandemic actually develops next fall and winter, after the H1N1 strain, (or any other strain, for that matter), mutates into a deadly form, we will almost certainly not be able to rely on the CDC, or the WHO, to save us from the morbidity and/or the mortality associated with such a pandemic, any more than we can rely on our own GI doc to control our MC symptoms. If such an event occurs, we will be ultimately responsible for our own survival, and the health and well-being of our families.

Therefore, since we don't want to risk losing any of our online family members, either, I'm going to reproduce here, what I consider to be the best plan available, at the moment, for maximizing our chances of surviving a deadly flu pandemic, just in case one might develop. None of what follows is mine. All of this information comes from Dr. John Cannell, president of the Vitamin D Council. http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/releases.shtml The following is a complete copy of his May 16, 2009 Newsletter, reproduced here with his permission. Please read all of it, carefully.


John Cannell, MD
Vitamin D Council Newsletter
May 16, 2009

I have received hundreds of emails from readers, asking what they should do about the possibility of an H1N1 flu pandemic.

Dear Dr. Cannell:

1. Should I take Vitamin D to prevent the H1N1 flu? If so, how much?

2. What role did Vitamin D play in the 1918 pandemic?

3. If I get this flu, should I take very high doses of vitamin D? Is so, how much?

4. Should I take the special flu vaccine the CDC and others are developing?

5. What are you going to do for your family about the 2009 flu?

6. Why do the CDC and NIH ignore the Vitamin D studies?

The Public, USA

Dear Public:

First read what I have written about influenza. Both papers can be downloaded and printed out in their entirety:

Cannell JJ, Zasloff M, Garland CF, Scragg R, Giovannucci E. On the epidemiology of influenza. Virol J. 2008 Feb 25;5:29. http://www.virologyj.com/content/5/1/29

Cannell JJ, Vieth R, Umhau JC, Holick MF, Grant WB, Madronich S, Garland CF, Giovannucci E. Epidemic influenza and vitamin D. Epidemiol Infect. 2006 Dec;134(6):1129-40. http://www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/pdf ... images=yes

My short executive answers:

1) Take enough Vitamin D3 to get your 25(OH)D level above substrate starvation levels (50 ng/ml or 125 nmol/L). Levels of 50 ng/ml usually require at least 5,000 IU per day for adults, some adults will require more. Children should take 1,000 IU per every 25 pounds of body weight. After taking this dose for 3 months have a 25(OH)D level. Individual variation in dose response is great and natural 25(OH)D levels (50-70 ng/ml) are not assured by these doses. For reasons I will discuss below, I think it possible that Vitamin D levels of 30 ng/ml, which are often obtained by people taking low doses of Vitamin D (1,000 to 2,000 IU/day), may increase your risk of death from a 1918-like influenza virus.

2) It is clear to me that Vitamin D did not play a controlling role in 1918. The lethality of the 1918 virus easily overwhelmed innate immunity although I am unwilling to impair my innate immunity by taking inadequate doses of Vitamin D.

3) Stock you homes pharmacy with several fresh bottles of 50,000 IU capsules of Vitamin D3, a medicine, not a supplement, and if you get this flu, take 2,000 IU per kg of body weight per day for a week. As I weigh 220 pounds, I would take 200,000 IU per day for seven days if I thought I had an infection with a 1918-like influenza virus.

4) Get the H1N1 flu shot as soon as it is available in the fall, especially if the virus shows evidence of lethality this summer in the southern hemisphere, For reasons I will discuss, a flu shot probably will not generate an immune response in people with 25(OH)D levels above 50 ng/ml but that is simply conjecture. That is, the flu shot may not work, may not generate antibodies, in people with 25(OH)D levels above 50 ng/ml. In my opinion, the risk of a lethal virus is higher than the risk of Guillain-Barré Syndrome. In fact, the risk of Guillain-Barré Syndrome is probably the highest in non-vaccinated people who are infected with the virus and quite low in those who take a modern flu vaccine.

5) Besides the above actions, stock up on TamiFlu in your home medicine cabinet so you have it next fall and winter. And follow common-sense precautions, especially frequent hand washing.

6) Most medically trained physicians, scientists or practitioners think in terms of something bad causing illness, not something good preventing it. Ask any physician what George Bernard Shaw meant when he said, the characteristic microbe of a disease might be a symptom instead of a cause. The idea that seasonal influenza or the common cold is a symptom, even the presence of the virus itself being a symptom of an underlying condition, is foreign to modern medical thought. Influenza researchers at the CDC and NIH think only in terms of vaccines and anti-virals, mainly because most of them have such strong economic affiliations with some aspect of the influenza industry. The idea of diagnosing and treating Vitamin D deficiency as one part of influenza preparedness is simply foreign to them. Unfortunately, their attitude contributes to the 36,000 deaths every year in the USA from seasonal influenza and leaves American's innate immune system naked in facing a pandemic.

Detailed answers:

Again, for me to fully answer your questions, and for you to understand my reasoning, the first thing you need to do is to read the articles I have written about influenza. Neither article is about pandemic influenza, rather epidemic influenza. Both are full access articles.

Cannell JJ, Zasloff M, Garland CF, Scragg R, Giovannucci E. On the epidemiology of influenza. Virol J. 2008 Feb 25;5:29. http://www.virologyj.com/content/5/1/29

Cannell JJ, Vieth R, Umhau JC, Holick MF, Grant WB, Madronich S, Garland CF, Giovannucci E. Epidemic influenza and vitamin D. Epidemiol Infect. 2006 Dec;134(6):1129-40. http://www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/pdf ... images=yes

Next is to read additional papers on our website. We have attempted to get full copies of the most important articles when possible:

Vitamin D Council/Science/Influenza http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/science/ ... enza.shtml

The WHO reports:

"H1N1 appears to be more contagious than seasonal influenza. The secondary attack rate of seasonal influenza ranges from 5% to 15%. Current estimates of the secondary attack rate of H1N1 range from 22% to 33%. With the exception of the outbreak in Mexico, which is still not fully understood, the H1N1 virus tends to cause very mild illness in otherwise healthy people. Outside Mexico, nearly all cases of illness, and all deaths, have been detected in people with underlying chronic conditions.

In the two largest and best documented outbreaks to date, in Mexico and the United States, a younger age group has been affected than seen during seasonal epidemics of influenza. Though cases have been confirmed in all age groups, from infants to the elderly, the youth of patients with severe or lethal infections is a striking feature of these early outbreaks. In terms of population vulnerability, the tendency of the H1N1 virus to cause more severe and lethal infections in people with underlying conditions is of particular concern."

Virologists are concerned with three aspects of any influenza virus: (1) novelty, (2) transmissibility, (3) lethality. The current H1N1 is novel, that is, we have no antibodies to this strain. Its transmissibility is high but its lethality (percent who die after infection) is still low, except in Mexico. Why it was so lethal in Mexico, no one knows. Will that lethality return as the virus mutates this summer? Keep in mind that the lethality of the 1918 flu was high, perhaps a billion people infected, a half billion became ill, and, at the most, one tenth of a billion died. Until the 2009 virus exposes its lethality, and it may not do so until next fall or winter, we are all playing an involuntary game of Russian roulette.

Pandemics imply widespread infection thus transmissibility, but do not specify the virus’s lethality. However, this virus was transmitted in May, near the equator, at 7,000 feet altitude. May is the time influenza transmission usually stops because population 25(OH)D levels are rising quickly. Lethality of influenza viruses change over short periods of time (weeks to months).

That is, the WHO and CDC have no way of knowing if this virus will acquire lethality. Lethality is how quickly this virus will bore holes in your lung cells, hijack that cells genetic machinery, burst the cell, and spew out hundreds of thousands of swarming viruses to do the same thing to the next respiratory cell, perhaps triggering a cytokine storm response by your body's immune system that quickly strips your lungs of the cells you need to breath.

If that does not kill you within a few days, it leads to pneumonia, the "Captain of the Men of Death," who finishes the job in a few weeks. Some viruses, even novel ones, even novel pandemic ones, are not very lethal. The 1918 virus was an expert driller and was thus highly lethal, but it was its transmissibility combined with lethality that lead to the massive deaths. It was able to eventually infect about half the world, maybe more; its combined lethality and transmissibility showed itself during its second wave, the autumn wave of 1918. The Asian pandemic of 1957 started mild, and returned in a somewhat more severe form the following winter. The 1968 Hong Kong pandemic began relatively mild and remained mild in its second winter wave in most countries.

Dear Dr. Cannell:

How does Vitamin D work in the immune system?

Philip, Texas

Dear Philip:

Two systems exist in your body to fight infections, the innate or immediate system and the acquired or adaptive immune system that makes antibodies. Recent evidence indicates seasonal impairments of the antimicrobial peptide (AMPs) systems are crucial to impaired innate immunity, impairments caused by seasonal fluctuations in 25-hydroxy-vitamin D [25(OH)D] levels. The evidence that vitamin D has profound effects on innate immunity is rapidly growing.

Janet Raloff. The Antibiotic Vitamin, Science News http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m ... n16865477/

Unlike adaptive immunity, innate immunity is that branch of host defense that is "hard-wired" to respond rapidly to infections using genetically encoded effectors that are ready for activation by an antigen before the body has ever encountered that antigen. Of the effectors, the best studied are the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs).

Both epithelial tissues and white blood cells produce AMPs; they exhibit rapid and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. In general, they act by rapidly and irreversibly damaging the lipoprotein membranes of microbial targets, including enveloped viruses, like influenza.

Antimicrobial peptides protect mucosal epithelial surfaces by creating a hostile antimicrobial barricade. The epithelia secrete them constitutively into the thin layer of fluid that lies above the apical surface of the epithelium but below the viscous mucous layer. To effectively access the epithelium, a microbe must first infiltrate the mucous barrier and then survive assault by the AMPs present in this fluid. Should microbes breach this constitutive cordon, their binding to the epithelium rapidly mobilizes the expression of high concentrations of specific inducible AMPs, which provide a backup antimicrobial shield.

The crucial role of vitamin D in the innate immune system was discovered only very recently. Both epithelial cells and macrophages increase expression of the antimicrobial cathelicidin upon exposure to microbes, an expression that is dependent upon the presence of vitamin D. Pathogenic microbes stimulate the production of an enzyme that converts 25(OH)D to 1,25(OH)2D, a seco-steroid hormone. This in turn rapidly activates a suite of genes involved in pulmonary defense.

In the macrophage, the presence of vitamin D also appears to suppress the pro-inflammatory cytokines. Thus, vitamin D appears to both enhance the local capacity of the epithelium to produce endogenous antibiotics and at the same time dampen certain destructive arms of the immune response, especially those responsible for the signs and symptoms of acute inflammation, such as the cytokine storms operative when influenza kills quickly.

Because humans obtain most vitamin D from sun exposure and not from diet, a varying percentage of the population is vitamin D deficient, at any time, during any season, at any latitude, although the percentage is higher in the winter, in the aged, in the obese, in the sun-deprived, in the dark-skinned, and in more poleward populations. However, seasonal variation of vitamin D levels even occur around the equator and widespread vitamin D deficiency can occur at equatorial latitudes, probably due to sun avoidance, rainy seasons, and air pollution.

For example, a study of Hong Kong infants showed about half had 25(OH)D levels less than 20 ng/ml in the winter. Even in the summer, few of the infants had levels higher than 30 ng/ml, which many experts now think is well below the lower limit of the optimal range. As 25(OH)D levels affect innate immunity, then a varying percentage of most populations even equatorial ones will have impaired innate immunity at any given time, together with distinct seasonal variations in that percentage. The effects such impairments have on influenza transmission are unknown.

Dear Dr. Cannell:

Will Vitamin D protect me against acquiring the H1N1 flu?

George, Utah

Dear George:

I don't know; no one does. I am concerned about people who take low doses of Vitamin D (1,000 - 2,000 IU/day) and only achieve a 25(OH)D blood level of 30 ng/ml. If the virus mutates into a virus as lethal as the 1918 virus, I doubt Vitamin D will totally protect you. Several facts about the 1918 pandemic concern me.

1. Blacks were less likely to contract the flu or die from the flu than whites in 1918.

2. Young people, presumably with the highest 25(OH)D levels, were the most likely to die in 1918, as they have been in Mexico to date.

3. In October of 1918, the Spanish flu erupted simultaneously in both Northern and southern hemispheres.

4. Significant deaths occurred in the Northern hemisphere during the summer of 1918 although the extraordinary killing erupted in October of 1918 in the Northern Hemisphere.

5. One of the worst affected countries was Western Samoa. A crippling 90% of the population was infected; 30% of adult men, 22% of adult women and 10% of children were killed. This devastation occurred during their summer. I doubt 90% of the population of Western Samoa had levels below 50 ng/ml in 1918 but I have no way of knowing. More likely, the population had little acquired immunity to any influenza virus.

Jordan EO: Epidemic Influenza, a survey. Chicago: American Medical Association; 1927. http://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/oclc/61749 ... ct&detail=

After rereading Jordan, I doubt vitamin D was the controlling factor in the 1918 Pandemic. Furthermore, some of the above data - highest death rates in whites and young adults suggests having some vitamin D was a risk factor for death. Thus, take enough Vitamin D.

However, other facts suggest Vitamin D was protective in 1918:

1. The mass of deaths in the Northern hemisphere occurred when Vitamin D levels were low (fall and winter).

2. While infection rates were similar for sailors and troops on infected troop transport ships, the sailors had 1/4 the mortality of the troops. One has to assume the 25(OH)D of sailors aboard 1918 troop transport ships was higher than the troops inside.

3. Underground coal miners in North America had the highest mortality of any occupation.

4. The incidence of influenza in the French army was much higher in troops away from the front (probably in barracks) than in front line troops.

5. Open air hospitals in North America allegedly had lower mortalities than regular hospitals.

6. Mortality for sailors at sea was markedly lower than sailors ashore, despite the crowed conditions on board.

7. In the Western Front, the 1918 flu disappeared in August (when 25(OH)D levels reach their peak) only to return in September, when 25(OH)D levels fall rapidly.

My best guess is that 5,000 IU/day and a 25(OH)D of > 50 ng/ml will be at least partially protective. Remember, at 50 ng/ml, you are assured that you are not suffering from substrate starvation, that is, your body has enough Vitamin D for its needs and some left over to store. At a level of 30 ng/ml, most people are still suffering from Vitamin D substrate starvation.

Heaney RP, Armas LA, Shary JR, Bell NH, Binkley N, Hollis BW. 25-Hydroxylation of vitamin D3: relation to circulating vitamin D3 under various input conditions. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Jun;87(6):1738-42. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1854 ... d_RVDocSum

As I have written before, 25(OH)D levels are like water from a mountain spring. The topmost pool is the calcium economy. When that pool is full, excess 25(OH)D flows down to hundreds of pools below, cancer, heart disease, infection, etc. In a lethal pandemic, you want Vitamin D to do two things, increase production of natural antibiotics (AMPs) and quell excessive immune responses. Are these two pools at the same level? Is the AMP pool above the cytokine dampening pool? If so, people with 25(OH)D levels of 30 ng/ml may have enough D to strengthen their innate immunity but not enough to prevent the cytokine storm that kills in a lethal pandemic. Thus, people taking only 1,000 - 2,000 IU/day, with levels around 30 ng/ml, may risk death from a cytokine storm their body is unable to prevent. While only a theory, it would explain why the people with the allegedly highest 25(OH)D levels in both Mexico and 1918 (young adults) were the most likely to die. That is why I caution people that, if you are going to take Vitamin D, take enough, take 5,000 IU/day, which is usually enough to get your 25(OH)D levels into the mid range of the reference range (30-100 ng/ml), which would be 50-70 ng/ml.

Dear Dr. Cannell:

Will this H1N1 flu reappear next fall?

May, Washington DC

Dear May:

Million dollar question! Flu viruses constantly mutate. Right now it lacks an amino acid sequence that confers lethality. Will it acquire that amino acid by next fall? I don’t know and if anyone one tells you they know then you know a fool.

Dear Dr. Cannell:

Will you and your family take the flu shot they are developing?

Jerry, North Carolina.

Dear Jerry:

Yes.

However, it will probably not do much as it may be unable to generate an immune response in those with high 25(OH)D levels. Two Russian studies, the only such studies in the world, suggest higher vitamin D levels prevent the immune response flu shots attempt to generate. Dr. Scott Dowell, at the CDC, has known about these two studies for at least five years.

In 1977, Russian scientists inoculated 834 non-immune males with live attenuated influenza virus in St Petersburg (62 N) and Krasnodar (45 N), Russia during different seasons of the year, comparing them to 414 vehicle placebo controls. In St Petersburg, they found that the attenuated virus was about eight times more likely to cause physical evidence of infection (fever) in the winter than the summer (6.7% vs. 0.8%). In Krasnodar, 8% of inoculated subjects developed a fever from the virus in January, but only 0.1% did so in May.

Shadrin AS, Marinich IG, Taros LY. Experimental and epidemiological estimation of seasonal and climatogeographical features of non-specific resistance of the organism to influenza. Journal of Hygiene, Epidemiology, Microbiology, and Immunology 1977; 21: 155161. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/5623 ... d_RVDocSum

Different Russian scientists found that fever after inoculation with attenuated virus was twice as likely in February (10.7%) as in June (5%), compared to vehicle placebo controls. They also confirmed that sero-conversion varied by season, with the lowest rate of antibody formation in summer. When they attempted to recover the virus 4872 h after inoculation, they found subjects were more likely to shed the virus in December (40%) than in September (16%), and the quantity of virus shed was significantly lower in summer than winter.

Zykov MP, Sosunov AV. Vaccination activity of live influenza vaccine in different seasons of the year. Journal of Hygiene, Epidemiology, Microbiology, and Immunology 1987; 31: 453459. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3429 ... d_RVDocSum

These two studies suggest higher Vitamin D levels may prevent a vaccine from causing an immune response, the whole idea of a vaccine.

Dear Dr. Cannell:

What about Guillain-Barré Syndrome if I take the flu shot?

Jeanne, California

Dear Jeanne:

Influenza or influenza like illness usually precedes the autoimmune process of Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Thus, a recent study found a seven-fold risk for those who contracted the flu but a slightly decreased risk for those getting a modern vaccine.

Stowe J, Andrews N, Wise L, Miller E. Investigation of the temporal association of Guillain-Barre syndrome with influenza vaccine and influenza-like illness using the United Kingdom General Practice Research Database. Am J Epidemiol. 2009 Feb 1;169(3):382-8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1903 ... d_RVDocSum

This appears to be much different than the 1976-77 swine flu experience, the last time a swine flu virus caused this type of consternation. Then, the vaccine was associated with a seven-fold risk of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, but the feared pandemic never materialized. That is, as Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a complication of the flu and the flu failed to materialize that year, we will never know what the risk of Guillain-Barré Syndrome would have been in 1978 in those who got the flu but no flu shot.

Safranek TJ, Lawrence DN, Kurland LT, Culver DH, Wiederholt WC, Hayner NS, Osterholm MT, O'Brien P, Hughes JM. Reassessment of the association between Guillain-Barré syndrome and receipt of swine influenza vaccine in 1976-1977: results of a two-state study. Expert Neurology Group. Am J Epidemiol. 1991 May 1;133(9):940-51. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1851 ... d_RVDocSum

As Guillain-Barré Syndrome is an autoimmune process, those on 5,000 IU per day should not have to fear it.

Dear Dr. Cannell:

Why does the CDC and WHO ignore all the work on Vitamin D and flu?

Sally, California

Dear Sally:

I'm not sure. A randomized placebo controlled trial showed vitamin D prevents colds and flu.

Aloia JF, Li-Ng M. Re: epidemic influenza and vitamin D. Epidemiol Infect. 2007 Oct;135(7):1095-6; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1735 ... VDocSumTwo of

However, when these same authors attempted to reproduce their findings by giving 2,000 IU/day for four months, they found no protective effect of Vitamin D.

Li-Ng M, Aloia JF, Pollack S, Cunha BA, Mikhail M, Yeh J, Berbari N. A randomized controlled trial of vitamin D3 supplementation for the prevention of symptomatic upper respiratory tract infections. Epidemiol Infect. 2009 Mar 19:1-9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1929 ... d_RVDocSum

However, these same authors have since concluded that 2,000 IU/day for four months is an inadequate dose and 5,000 IU per day is generally required to assure 95% of the population has adequate levels.

Aloia JF, Patel M, Dimaano R, Li-Ng M, Talwar SA, Mikhail M, Pollack S, Yeh JK. Vitamin D intake to attain a desired serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Jun;87(6):1952-8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1854 ... d_RVDocSum

At least 5 studies show an inverse association between lower respiratory tract infections and 25(OH)D levels or sunshine. That is, the higher your 25(OH)D level, the fewer colds and flu:

Laaksi I, Ruohola JP, Tuohimaa P, Auvinen A, Haataja R, Pihlajamäki H, Ylikomi T. An association of serum vitamin D concentrations < 40 nmol/L with acute respiratory tract infection in young Finnish men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Sep;86(3):714-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1782 ... d_RVDocSum

Karatekin G, Kaya A, Salihoğlu O, Balci H, Nuhoğlu A. Association of subclinical vitamin D deficiency in newborns with acute lower respiratory infection and their mothers. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009 Apr;63(4):473-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1803 ... d_RVDocSum

Ginde AA, Mansbach JM, Camargo CA Jr. Association between serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D level and upper respiratory tract infection in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Arch Intern Med. 2009 Feb 23;169(4):384-90. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1923 ... d_RVDocSum

Wayse V, Yousafzai A, Mogale K, Filteau S. Association of subclinical vitamin D deficiency with severe acute lower respiratory infection in Indian children under 5 y. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2004 Apr;58(4):563-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1504 ... 042122%20)

Termorshuizen F, Wijga A, Gerritsen J, Neijens HJ, van Loveren H. Exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation and respiratory tract symptoms in 1-year-old children. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 2004 Oct;20(5):270-1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1537 ... d_RVDocSum

Despite these studies, the scientists at CDC and WHO are thinking only in terms of a vaccine or TamiFlu. The idea of strengthening the innate immune system with Vitamin D is simply not on their radar. Many of these scientists have financial connections to the influenza industry. However, It is not a conspiracy. When I was young, I thought most things were conspiracies. Now that I am older, I know it is not a conspiracy, only incompetence.

If this virus mutates this summer and acquires more lethality and maintains its transmissibility, we may experience another 1918 pandemic. If so, I plan to be fully armed, with both Vitamin D and the best modern conventional medicine has to offer.

John Cannell, MD
President
Vitamin D Council http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/

This is a periodic newsletter from the Vitamin D Council, a non-profit trying to end the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency. Please reproduce it and post it on Internet sites. Remember, we are a non-profit and rely on donations to publish our newsletter and maintain our website. Send your tax-deductible contributions to:

The Vitamin D Council
585 Leff Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

[barbaranoela]

Great article Galahad--------but my solution to this is *dont get the swine flu* and I am not meaning to be funny about this issue --

Actually tis scaring the bejezzers outter me--Many New York City SCHOOLS have been closed and there is a gentleman that is critical--and on a respirator----We now have 2 cases here in New City~~~~

Lets hope that this gets *stopped* before it becomes an epidemic---am seeing my GP for a check up and we are going to have a discussion about this Vitamin D--thanks for the article--
Also, since taking the ZINC I have been Xperiencing megga headaches---did a check but find no side effect of head aches---

Barbara

[starfire]

Not trying to be nitpicky but how does one accomplish #5. Isn't it a prescription?
5) Besides the above actions, stock up on TamiFlu in your home medicine cabinet so you have it next fall and winter.

Thank You, Tex. It's good information and I surely don't want the stuff either!!! I also have concern about my Mom coming down with it. I doubt she would cope very well with a severe virus. I keep our contact with other people pretty much to a minimum here in Florida but she will be more at risk during our travel periods. At least it will be car so maybe that will minimize it.

Love, Shirley

[tex]

Barbara,

How much zinc are you taking?

Luve,
Galahad

[tex]

Shirley,

Since you only have about 48 hours from the first sign of symptoms, to start using TamiFlu, if any benefit is to be derived, it will be necessary to get a prescription, (and get it filled), ahead of time, because after the doctor's office is flooded with requests, there probably won't be any left in the pharmacies, anyway. I don't have any idea what kind of expiration date it usually has, but I'm guessing that you might need to get it months ahead of time, (way before the flu season - the pharmacy companies cannot produce enough for everyone, anyway, and there will surely be a run on it. Probably, there has already been a run on it, because of the bird flu talk, last year, and now, the swine flu, but I'm just guessing).

I intend to ask my doctor about it, the next time I see him. I was there a few days ago, to do a urine retest, and he was already giving me a sales pitch, (and practically twisting my arm), to get a flu shot as soon as they arrive, next fall, so I'm pretty sure he would write a script for TamiFlu. I intend to check that out pretty soon, anyway. We discussed the 1918 similarities, and he feels the same way that many of us do, that if it comes back in the fall, it could be deadly.

Since the "regular" flu shot that is in the process of being developed for this fall, will almost certainly have no significant protection against the H1N1 strain, I have a hunch that most doctors won't hesitate to write prescriptions for TamiFlu, unless the CDC does something foolish, such as issuing a recommendation/order to save it for patients until after they already have the disease. If they decide to save it, though, that will simply guarantee that the disease will be spread even more quickly, and delaying treatment while they wait in a doctor's office, will make the treatment less effective, also.

So far, at least, TamiFlu is effective against the H1N1 strain. Of course, that could change, if too many people use it early on, (now), while the virus is still not very lethal, and before it has time to develop into it's full potential.

Love,
Tex

[kat123456]

I used tamiflu during the winter flu outbreak here in the northeast, and it prevented me from getting ill. I am surprised, however, at reading all the stuff about Vitamin D and immune system. As you read in my other post about my recent LC diagnosis, I have been very ill for a year. However, the biggest thing that keeps popping up is that my Vitamin D levels are VERY low. There were around 20 a year ago when I was diagnosed with Epstein Barr Virus. I got them up to about 28 with OTC supplements and sunshine in the summer, but then the levels only rose to 38 after taking 50,000 IU (prescription) once a week in the winter. So, my level is now somewhere in the low 40s, and now I have LC on top of my celiac. The EBV is gone, but I am still not totally well. I have been saying to the doctors ALL ALONG that I feel like it's a vitamin issue, but I think the bigger issue for me is that I am just not ABSORBING what I am taking. Any thoughts about helping the absorption issue? Will the entocort heal my 'gut' enough to help with absorption of all of my vitamins?

ONe more thought about the swine flu... Flu epidemics like this tend to kill the healthiest part of the population, in part because their immune systems are so strong that it overreacts to the virus and floods their lungs with fluids. In people like me who have lowered immunity, the odds are that even if I caught this flu, it wouldn't even come close to killing me because my immune system doesn't react! I guess there's an advantage to having immune deficiency!

K

[tex]

Hi,

Your malabsorption probem will slowly subside, as your intestines heal. It can take a year or more for all the damage to heal, but this varies by the individual, of course. Many doctors don't seem to be aware of just how serious the malabsorption issues can be for some of us, with gluten sensitivity.

In people like me who have lowered immunity, the odds are that even if I caught this flu, it wouldn't even come close to killing me because my immune system doesn't react! I guess there's an advantage to having immune deficiency!

I'm afraid it's not that simple. Viruses can be very manipulative of immune systems. They can actually change our genes. It has been recently determined that viruses can actually paralyze our immune system. Also, bear in mind that the condition we have is not so much an underactive immune system, as a corrupt system. What happens is that parts of our immune systems are weakened, while other parts become overactive. During an autoimmune reaction, (such as active celiac disease, and/or MC), our immune system launches an attack against the body. If your immune system were truly suppressed, (that is, if all aspects of it were suppressed), you would not need the Entocort;, because your immune system could not mount an autoimmune attack against your intestines. Entocort works by suppressing the immune system, so that the autoimmune reaction is suppressed, (along with the rest of the immune system).

As long as you are taking Entocort, however, you will indeed have a suppressed immune system. Tests have shown, though, that the corticosteroids are not necessarily effective against a "cytokine storm", such as was seen during the 1918 flu pandemic. The anti-TNF drugs, Humira, Remicade, etc., seem to be much more effective for that purpose. The risk with that, though, is that during "ordinary" flu epidemics, most people die from complications such as pneumonia, due to having a weakened immune system. Even in the major pandemics, when being young and healthy can make a patient more vulnerable to having their lungs overwhelmed by a cytokine storm, pneumonia still comes along and takes countless lives, among those who survive the initial onslaught.

It's hard to win, using conventional medicine. That's why Dr. Cannell's program is so powerful. It can remove the vulnerability to viruses, because viruses are a symptom of a vitamin D3 deficiency. George Bernard Shaw was right, but doctors, as a group, simply can't comprehend that logic.

Tex

[Polly]

Hi Tex and all,

I logged on this morning to post about Dr. Cannell's article, and lo and behold, it's already here! Tex, it's impossible to stay one step ahead of you! LOL! How lucky we are to have you at the helm!

I got some Tamiflu for my family a few months ago, and the expiration date on it is Sept., 2011, so it's good for a long time.

Personally, I take 5000 IUs of vitamin D a day (since last fall), and I think I'll keep taking it. I had planned to reduce it since I garden and walk/run in the sun in the summer, but I think I'll continue it in view of the flu. (Tex, I can't comprehend why my physician colleagues are so closed- minded about this issue......although I'm not surprised given their similar stance about diet as a way of managing disease.)

Kat, re your absorption issue - why don't you use the lights to get vitamin D until your gut absorption improves? On his website Dr. Cannell tells about (and sells, too, I believe) the best ones to buy and use in the home. Of course, the sun is always the cheapest way, assuming that you live in the right latitude and that you can expose most of your body to mid-day sun for at least 20 min. several times a week without sunscreen. This is not easy for most of us.....I read an article about significant vitanin D deficiency in India, where people remain clothed all day.

Love,

Polly

[tex]

Polly,

If it weren't for the fact that you were kind enough to bring Dr. Cannell's work to our attention, a while back, I would probably still be "living in the dark ages", too, concerning vitamin D. We owe you a lot - your insight is priceless.

Thanks for the info on the shelf life of TamiFlu. I was hoping that you could clarify that for us. With roughly a two and a half year shelf life, there's no reason to wait. We might as well go ahead and get a supply whenever we can, so that we'll have it on hand, and not have to worry about it becoming hard to find, in case worse comes to worse.

One question: I notice that the preventative dose is half the treatment dose, but it has to be taken for twice the number of days - do you have any idea how long that preventative dose would be protective? Or is it only effective while you are actually taking it every day? IOW, what is a practical amount to buy, so that we will have enough, without worrying about running out of it, at a critical time. Of course, for some of us, we could save it until we are actually showing symptoms, but for someone dealing with the public on a daily basis, especially medical professionals, such as yourself, and school teachers, etc., a prevention program might be more appealing. Since a substantial supply could run into money, would you mind sharing your thoughts on how much to buy. Obviously it could run from a minimum of 10 tablets per person, up to ?????

For anyone interested, here's a description of treatment recommendations for TamiFlu:

http://www.tamiflu.com/taking/default.aspx

Love,
Tex

P. S. I'm having the same thoughts about taking vitamin D - I was planning on discontinuing taking it for the summer, but in view of all the unknowns regarding the possible development of the H1N1 flu strain, I believe I'll just keep right on taking it, along with doing everything else that Dr. Cannell recommends, "just in case".

[Polly]

Tex,

Good question. I don't know for sure but am guessing that Tamiflu would only be active when in your system. Why don't we ask the expert, Dr. Cannell, since his opinion may vary from traditional medical thinking?? I think he responds to email questions. Do you want to email him, or should I?

How much to buy may be a moot point. My insurance company (a good one) would only pay for a 10-day supply per two years for each insured person. Of course, one could buy out of pocket, but I'll bet it's $$$$$.

Also, supplies might be limited. Re preventive dosing, I guess one might have to use it only for real emergencies - like when a household member comes down with flu.

Love,

Polly

[tex]

Polly,

I'll bet he would be a lot more likely to respond to an e-mail from you, and might go into more detail. If you don't have time, though, or would rather not, I would certainly be willing to try.

Love,
Tex

[Polly]

E-mail sent off.

Polly

[tex]

Great!

Thanks.

Love,
Tex

[Polly]

I already got a response from Dr. Cannell. He said to use my limited supply of Tamiflu at the first sign of symptoms, not preventively.

Love,

Polly

[tex]

I guess that settles that, and it makes perfect sense, too. That approach will also make it affordable, even without insurance.

Many thanks.

Love,
Tex