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Meg Mangin R.N.
Former Team Member
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Posted: Sat Nov 27th, 2004 06:16 |
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What is a therapeutic probe?
A therapeutic probe is a method of determining a diagnosis that might be difficult to decide by other means. With a therapeutic probe, a patient's reaction to treatment suggests that the suspected diagnosis was correct. Diagnoses obtained by therapeutic probe are sometimes said to presumptive.
For example, if someone has pain in their great toe but blood tests are nonconclusive, the doctor may have the patient take a medication for gout. If the pain goes away, the patient is presumed to have gout and the medication is continued to prevent future episodes. When a patient who complains of symptoms suggestive of a bladder infection, is given an antibiotic without preliminary urinalysis and culture, that antibiotic acts as a therapeutic probe. If the bladder symptoms are relieved, the patient is said to have had cystitis caused by a bacteria susceptible to that antibiotic.
Similarly, when a patient with obvious Th1 inflammatory symptoms, doesn't test strongly for Th1 inflammation via the D-metabolites tests or doesn't test at all, it is possible to determine if the Marshall Protocol will be an effective treatment by doing a therapeutic probe. Treatment is started to see how the patient reacts to Benicar and then minocycline.
Benicar often provokes hormonal adjustment symptoms. Persons without Th1 inflammation would note only a mild reduction in blood pressure if they took Benicar 40mg every eight hours. A positive response to a therapeutic probe with the Benicar blockade would be any reaction, either a reduction in symptoms or an increase in symptoms.
Minocycline almost always provokes an immune system reaction in a patient with Th1 inflammatory disease. This increase in symptoms would then indicate that continued treatment with the MP is warranted.
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"However, if the level of a person's 25-D is above about 25 ng/ml then their immune system may not be able to kill the bacteria, even with the help of antibiotics, and the probe would fail. Thus the D-metabolites (at least 25-D) would also need to be checked."
Dr. Marshall
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When using the Marshall Protocol as a therapeutic probe, follow the phase one guideline exactly, including avoiding all sources of Vitamin D. Because your symptoms and diagnoses suggest that you have Th1 inflammation despite lack of evidence from the D-metabolites tests, you should proceed carefully and follow all the precautions listed in the
PHASE ONE MARSHALL PROTOCOL .
Dr Marshall says:
"Luckily, the time-honored therapeutic probe is an effective 'acid-test' in these Th1 diseases. The ultimate therapeutic probe is the MP, anything else will have both false positives and false negatives. If the patient starts the MP, and experiences immunopathology for themselves, then not only is it confirmation that the problem was/is occult bacteria, but also proof-positive to the patient that they are on the correct track. That is why we tend to suggest the MP even when the D data is uncertain. Your physician makes a risk-benefit analysis - evaluating the risk of the ARB and antibiotics (effectively zero to healthy individuals) with the degree of disability you are experiencing from your illness, and his/her expectation of whether the illness will get worse or better if left alone."
See also: Can a pregnant woman be on the Marshall Protocol?
What are the recommendations regarding sun/light exposure?
If your doctor will not order Benicar
If your doctor will not order Benicar, you can do a 'mini-probe' by avoiding all sources of ingested Vitamin D and sun exposure.
"The interesting thing about this protocol is you can give it a test run-- knock some D out of your diet and restrict your light, all for very little cost-- and you will get a strong hint in weeks (not years) about your body and its disease process." Dogster
Your doctor may agree to see what effect minocycline alone has on your symptoms. Begin with 25mg every other day and ramp by 25mg increments until a maximum of 100mg every other day. If this provodes the expected immunopathology of Th1 inflammation (an increase in symptoms), your doctor may then be agreeable to treating with the Marshall Protocol.
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Nothing contained in this site is or should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis or treatment by your physician.
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