# Here are the results of my ozone treatment for my severe IBS :) :)



## Diane-2 (Jan 25, 2000)

Hi Everyone!







I completed my ozone treatment a few weeks ago butunfortunately the flu bug bit me pretty bad so that is why the delay ingetting back with the results. I know a number of you were kind enough towrite to try to discourage me from trying it. Some of you felt that itwould not work but absolutely no one gave me any REAL reasons eitherpersonal or from Medline research that would refute ozone therapy.I went for the treatment for two reasons: a man I spoke to had the treatment and his irritable bowel syndrome was cured with it and secondly a Medline studyby a Dr. Carpendale's in which rectal ozone insufflation stopped diarrhea in AIDS patients.I believe that what this forum is all about is to give IBS sufferersinformation based on any one of factors: REAL personal experience, research fromMedline, info from physicians, from tests, or from books/tapes. Just becausesomeone writes and says that a treatment will not work because they have afeeling that something will not work or sounds like it won't work isdoing everyone a disservice on this BB! If someone had written with reallyconcrete hard facts that it would not work, then I would have considered NOTtrying it. However ABSOLUTELY NO ONE wrote with any good, concrete evidence to refuteozone therapy for IBS. No one!Fortunately I did have some success with the ozone helping my IBS, but Ionly received about 10-20% of the treatments recommended for a number ofreasons which I will explain further down. Here is Carpendale's study on ozone curing diarrhea in AIDS patients:J Clin Gastroenterol 1993 Sep;17(2):142-5Does ozone alleviate AIDS diarrhea?Carpendale MT, Freeberg J, Griffiss JMRehabilitation Medicine Service, San Francisco Veterans AdministrationMedical Center (SFVAMC) 94121.Five patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) orAIDS-related complex (ARC) and intractable diarrhea were treated with dailycolonic insufflations of medical ozone (oxygen/ozone mixture) for 21-28days. The daily dose of ozone (O3) ranged from 2.7 to 30 mg. Three of thefour patients whose diarrhea was of unknown etiology experienced completeresolution, and one patient had marked improvement. The fifth patient, whosediarrhea was due to Cryptosporidium, experienced no change. No consistentchange in the absolute number of helper (CD4) or suppressor (CD8)lymphocytes was detected, and no obvious changes were seen in the PO2 or theresults of routine hematologic and blood chemistry studies. Patients hadmild to moderate local discomfort during ozone administration early in thecourse of treatment, but no adverse systemic effects were observed. Theresults of this series suggest that medical ozone administered by rectalinsufflation is simple, safe, and effective. Should this simple treatment beused routinely to treat chronic intractable ARC/AIDS diarrhea?PMID: 8409316, UI: 94014241For those new readers, I suffer from a 4+ yeast OVERGROWTH causing mydiarrhea and multiple,multiple bowel movements. I was tested at Great SmokiesLaboratory in Asheville, North Carolina. My IBS is so severe I've basically been homebound for 18 months now and on disability. I highly recommend everyone on this forum to get tested forintestinal dysbiosis and or yeast in your body as a potential cause for yourIBS. http://www.gsdl.com.[/URL] I hope someday soon Eric posts this site at hisown web site http://webpotential.com/ericibs/index.htm under "testing" for IBS. GreatSmokies Or Meridian Valley Clinical Lab can give you a list of doctors in your area who do this test. I did drastically improve with the antifungals, nystatin, Sporanox and oralamphotericin-B a year ago; however I was far from well and still quite sickand spend probably half the day in bed because I am too weak to even watchTV. I used to be much sicker before the antifungals and oftentimes wouldspend the whole day in bed because of massive diarrhea/multiple bowelmovements.A friend of mine who has more typical IBS symptoms tested 2+ YEASTOVERGROWTH at Great Smokies. He is able to hold down a job but has frequentloose stools, urgency, gas and bloating. From reading other posts, it sounds like most of you have IBS like him. Severe but able to hold down a job. Traditional doctors will NOT testfor yeast OVERGROWTH or intestinal dysbiosis. Most of them are ignorant and don't know about intestinal dysbiosis so I recommend contacting physicians who test the function of the bowel such as Great Smokies (their toll freenumber is 1 800 522 4762) or Meridian Valley Clinical lab at 515 West Harrison St. Ste. 9, Kent, WA 98032, Phone 253-859-8700. They will give physician names in your area who can test you. Again PLEASE GET TESTED! The good thing is that on Friday, Saturday and Sunday following my partial OZONE treatmentof four days the beginning of February, my temperature dropped to the lowest it has been since thisentire fungal infection has started causing my SEVERE IBS symptoms. I wasDELIGHTED! It was so so wonderful to feel "cool" or have normal bodytemperature for the first time in 18 months!







With this severe fungalinfection, my temperature has gone up a full degree over what is normal forme with occasional hot sweats. And I do have more energy and my other bowelmovements were much smaller than normal







The original AIDS study on ozonehelping patients with diarrhea used ozone rectal insufflation for 21-28days. However I could not stay down there that long and did not have themoney to stay that long! Plus there was no place to go for a colonic which is what I really needed in my severe case for the ozone to be held for the full length of treatment.It's interesting that on the second day of the rectal ozone treatment, I did have ONEbowel movement that was covered with gobs of white mucous which my doctor said isyeast die-off. I never saw this before in the past 18 months since I've hadmy symptoms! Even with the antifungals! However this only happened the first time when I held the gas in for about seven of the ten minutes and then the next day, this white mucous die-off occured.I could not carry out the other rectal insufflations sufficiently because I was supposed to holdthe ozone gas in for ten minutes and could not. I could only hold thegas in for about two minutes and then that wouldstimulate a bowel movement. Then I would try again and the same thing wouldhappen! After a few tries, I unfortunately had to stop. Because of theseverity of my IBS and most of the food that I eat comes out (it feels likeI am eating about 100 calories a day I am so physically exhausted!!), mycolon is just too full of stool all the time to receive a therapeutic levelof ozone. That is why I really needed a colonic in order to receive a fulltreatment.Unfortunately there was no place to go for a colonic as the clinic was outin the "country" so to speak; I'm sure if a good colonic was donebeforehand, I could have more easily held the ozone in for the recommended10 minutes but I was unable to do so. I believe it would have worked betterfor me since I already saw an improvement with holding it in for only two to three minutes at a time over a four day treatment period; and the AIDS study required 21 to 28 days for a stoppage of the diarrhea.Fortunately, I did NOT have any Herxheimer reactions with the ozone ascompared to Sporanox and the oral amphotericin-B which gave me a severedie-off reaction when I first used them. (Herxheimer reactions are a dieoff of the yeast resulting in an accumulation of toxins resulting in anINCREASE of symptoms temporarily such as elevated temperature and MOREdiarrhea)Right now I am working with another physician on another new treatment(injectable) for IBS; (cheaper and easier than the ozone and covered by myinsurance) I'll know the results in four to six weeks and will report backto all of you then if it works. If this does not work, then I will look intoeither purchasing an ozone machine or renting one since I was beginning tosee really positive results from it after just four days







One of my physicians has recommenedultraviolet blood irradiation to boost my immune system to fight theinfection. UBI was used extensively in this country BEFORE antibioticsbecame popular decades ago. UBI however is expensive so I won't do this until necessary!Since I have such a severe case of IBS, I believe any treatment might take alot longer than someone who is still able to hold down a job for examplewhose symptoms are not quite as severe as mine. But I am DEFINITELY happy Itried the ozone; next to the antifungals, it is the first therapy since thenthat has given me some hope and relief!For anyone interested in finding out more about ozone and practioners who doozone, try http://www.oxytherapy.com.[/URL] and http://oxytherapy.com/doctors/index.html For rental units or purchasing units: http://www.o3zone.com/ozoneser/services/rental.htm http://www.cyberport.net/angel/Ozonators The purchase price I've seen so far for the ozone machines ranges from $1600 to $2200 and about$150 a month to rent. If anyone gets interested in ozone and finds a cheaperprice please let me know via the forum!Another article about intestinal dysbiosis causing IBS: (I believe someone else had posted this one but reposting for new readers in the hopes that they get tested for yeast or other bacterial overgrowth)NEW YORK, Oct 09 (Reuters) -- Abnormal bacterial fermentation in the gut maycause the cramping, diarrhea, and excess flatulence associated withirritable bowel syndrome, researchers report.``Some people with irritable bowel syndrome may have disturbances inbacterial fermentation and colonic gasproduction,'' conclude researchers at Addenbrooke's Hospital and the DunnClinical Nutrition Centre in Cambridge,England. Their report appears in the October 10th issue of The Lancet.Irritable bowel syndrome is a common, chronic disorder characterized byabdominal cramps, diarrhea, constipationand excessive flatulence. Many individuals suffering from the ailment claimthat the consumption of certain foodsseems to exacerbate their symptoms.The Cambridge experts note that ``a range of fermentable (substances) mayprovoke gastrointestinal symptoms.'' Thisfermentation is carried out by bacteria living in the human gut. Althoughthese bacteria are necessary for properdigestion, the researchers say previous research has revealed that theiractivity ``has been shown to be unstable.''They speculated that the activity of bacteria upon certain foods might be acause of irritable bowel syndrome.To test this theory, the team placed six healthy adult women and sixpatients with irritable bowel syndrome on an''exclusion'' diet based on one often used to reduce symptoms in patients,which eliminates beef, dairy products, and cereals other than rice. Thestudy diet also restricted the consumption of other suspect foodstuffs, suchas yeast, citrus fruits, caffeinated drinks, and tap water. The authorspoint out that this regimen was supplemented with other foods so that itsnutrient value was equal to that of a normal Western diet.The result? Switching to the exclusion diet ``significantly improvedsymptoms'' in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. After 2 weeks on thediet, flatulence levels had also fallen ''dramatically'' among the patientsstudied. ``No such changes occurred in (healthy) controls,'' the authorsreport.According to the investigators, these findings support the notion thatdiet-linked bacterial ``fermentation may be an important factor in the(development) of irritable bowel syndrome.''The above report came from: http://bcn.net/~stoll/archives/lgs/1419.html Well that is all for now for the results of my ozone treatment; I can hardlywait for the usual critical comments to posts; "placebo effect", "yeast overgrowth does not exist," bla bla! My one final comment is that I hope everyone gets tested for either yeast or other bacterial intestinal dysbiosis at Great Smokies or Meridian Valley Clinical Lab. It certainly has been a blessing for me!







Diane-2


----------



## HipJan (Apr 9, 1999)

Thank you, Diane, for sharing all that interesting and valuable information with us. (I think I'll have to go back to read it more fully later!) I'm not sure that I understand the ozone treatment yet, myself, but most importantly, I am glad you are doing better so far, and I wish you continued luck with your next round of treatments. I feel so sorry for you that you have had such a rough 18 months!------------------Cultivate gratitude. Believe in possibilities.


----------



## Guest (Feb 23, 2000)

Hi Diane,I would like to share my experiences with ozone therapy with you if you wouldn't mind e-mailing me.Svargo


----------



## moldie (Sep 25, 1999)

Hmmmm, I think a lot of us would like you to share that experience here svargo_99. Second opinions are always good. You shouldn't feel intimidated to do so, whether it is good or bad. Thanks for returning and telling us about your experience Diane2. You are a lot braver than I am! Wasn't that gas painful to hold in? Was it as painful as a flexable sigmoid without sedation? Yes, it does sound a little strange, but regardless, we are happy you are feeling better.


----------



## britta (Aug 8, 1999)

Svargo,I would also like to hear about your results. Please post.


----------



## HipJan (Apr 9, 1999)

Yes, svargo, I would like you to post here, too. ------------------Cultivate gratitude. Believe in possibilities.


----------



## kitty2 (Nov 27, 1999)

Diane - I'm so glad the ozone is helping you. I have to do more research on ozone therapy. Was it painful? Approx. how much is it? Thanks! Svargo, we all would love to hear how it worked out for you.


----------



## Diane-2 (Jan 25, 2000)

I want to thank everyone who took the time to read my long post on my ozonetherapy! And also thanks for the kind words and questions I will be happy to answer







I'm truly grateful for this BB and all who write and support not only me but all who suffer from this unpredictable disease!The ozone machine was small and portable about 18 inches by 12 inches. Anoxygen tank is hooked up to the ozone machine and then electricity is turnedon. Oxygen which is O2 from the oxygen tank is then passed through theozone machine, and it is ozonated picking up another oxygen molecule so itbecomes O3 or a concentrated form of oxygen. As we all know oxygen is thestaff of life so to speak, so in this concentrated form it is very powerful.(Ozone IN LARGE AMOUNTS for example can be used to kill bacteria in swimming pools forexample). To assure everyone, the amount used in rectal insufflations is obviously considerably smaller! ;-)For the rectal insufflation, the tubing where the O3 passes through is connected toa simple woman's plastic douche tip that most women are probably familiarwith. This is about 5 inches long and has tiny holes in it through whichthe ozone will pass through.I applied a little oil or Vaseline on the tip for easier insertion into therectum. Then the tip is simply inserted into the rectum and the gas flowsthrough the holes into the colon. It's hard to describe what is feelslike...the abdominal area feels "full" or expanded. There is lowdiscomfort. On a scale of 1 to 10 it is about a 1. The problem I PERSONALLYhad is because I had so much stool in my colon since I have such SEVERE IBSso I was trying to hold the gas in and the stool was trying to come out! NOTEASY! I always felt that I was "pooped out" but obviously not enough! <G>That is why I would recommend a good quart water enema or colonicbefore hand especially with someone whose irritable bowel is quite severe.Rectal insufflations range in cost from $25 to $35 for one treatment. Ihave read from other info on the Net that some ozone equipment simply"squirts" ozone gas into the colon, and the person tries to hold it for 45minutes. However this newer equipment required only ten minutes, preferablyfour times a day if possible, time permitting. I have not investigated therental equipment as to which method is used for their equipment.I found ozone therapy to be really quite easy to do, and if you have beensuffering from IBS for a long time or if it is quite severe, I certainlyHIGHLY recommend trying it. I am all for trying different thingsrecommended in this BB. For example, I did tried the Caltrate in high hopesthat it would help me but it didn't. DARN!! ;-) I had tried the Creonpancreatic enzymes prescribed by my doctor, and these did not help me eitherbut I've read that other people have had success with them. DARN again! Sothat is why I am all for sharing our experiences and all making our owndecisions because it is obvious that what can help some may not help othersand vice versa. As long as we all get symptom relief or hopefully a curewithout endangering other parts of our health, then I feel we should keeptrying different treatments that work for some people in this BB. We allknow placebo effects are possible, but if a placebo does occur for some ofus and we get well....heh heh...I'll take it! Traditional medicine hascertainly failed to cure IBS!I still feel VERY strongly though that everyone in this BB should get testedfor intestinal dysbiosis (bacteria or yeast OVERGROWTH) at the Great SmokiesLab or Meridian Valley. Perhaps a simple antifungal would be all that isnecessary to treat your IBS. I had a friend of mine who had IBS for a good20 years. I persuaded him to get tested for yeast at Great Smokies, and itshowed a 2+ OVERGROWTH of yeast. Mine was 4+ or very severe. He simply cutdown the amount of sugar in his diet, and his IBS symptoms were cut in half!(Sugar, fructose, corn syrup, milk, orange juice, and fruits, alcohol feedthe yeast plus cause the immune system to work harder by lowering the amountof phagocytosis in the body and making us "sicker" in the short and longrun). Read curvyroads powerful, impressive post on 2/14/00 on how he received dramatic relief of his IBS with Lamasil, an antifungal.There is also a test called a hydrogen breath test at the above labs whichcan determine whether you have small bowel bacterial OVERGROWTH and therapycan be instituted in this regard.Any more questions, just feel free to ask! Smiles to everyone







Diane-2


----------



## kitty2 (Nov 27, 1999)

Diane - I went to the Great Smokies Lab website and was wondering which test you received? Was it the Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis? Thanks!!


----------



## Diane-2 (Jan 25, 2000)

Yes, Kitty2 it was the Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis. Just be sure to be off all antifungals for four days beforehand and any extra vitamin C.Diane-2


----------



## stinky too (May 21, 1999)

Diane, Glad you found some help.I use to be in an e-mail group that used the ozone as a treatment, for many things. They had it in pill form,and you could buy ozoned water & ozone olive oil massage. etc Lots of poeple in that group swore by it. I was afraid to try it for one reason it all seemed so expensieve, the other I thought it must be painful, my belly ached just thinking about it. I am anxious to know how it works for you good or bad. if it don't work out you are not the only person who tried something and believed in it and it didn't work out. I know I have spent thousands $$ trying things that didn't help But we have to keep on trying.svargo, I too would like to hear how it worked for you. ------------------Prayer doesn't change God , it changes the one who prays..


----------



## Missycat (Apr 3, 1999)

With all due respect (and I'm usually not like this) - *are you people crazy?????*Okay, now that I've gotten that out of my system, I'll calm down and tell you why you're damaging your health, perhaps permanently. (I'm a chemist.)Ozone is an oxidizer. What does that mean? Ever hear of antioxidants? You remember - vitamins and minerals that can reverse the damage living in this world can do to your body? Oxidants are harmful to the body, that's why taking antioxidants is recommended by doctors to help your immune system fight infection and the effects of all the nasties we're exposed to in this modern world of technology and pollution.Most large cities have ozone warnings when the air is dangerous to breathe. Why? Ozone is an environmental pollutant that is formed when sunlight reacts with crud like automobile and factory emmissions. Yep, ozone up in the stratosphere protects us from ultraviolet radiation. But ozone in our immediate atmosphere is the most harmful pollutant there is. From the EPA:HOW IS OZONE HARMFUL?The same chemical properties that allow high concentrations of ozone to react with organic material outside the body give it the ability to react with similar organic material that makes up the body, and potentially cause harmful health consequences. When inhaled, ozone can damage the lungs. Relatively low amounts can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath, and, throat irritation. Ozone may also worsen chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and compromise the ability of the body to fight respiratory infections. Manufacturers and vendors of ozone devices often use misleading terms to describe ozone. Terms such as "energized oxygen" or "pure air" suggest that ozone is a healthy kind of oxygen. Ozone is a toxic gas with vastly different chemical and toxicological properties from oxygen. Several federal agencies have established health standards or recommendations to limit human exposure to ozone. From FREE RADIC. BIOL. MED. (USA), 1990, 9/3 (245-265):Biochemical basis of ozone toxicity Ozone (O3) is the major oxidant of photochemical smog. Its biological effect is attributed to its ability to cause oxidation or peroxidation of biomolecules directly and/or via free radical reactions. A sequence of events may include lipid peroxidation and loss of functional groups of enzymes, alteration of membrane permeability, and cell injury or death. An acute exposure to O3 causes lung injury involving the ciliated cell in the airways and the type 1 epithelial cell in the alveolar region. The effects are particularly localized at the junction of terminal bronchioles and alveolar ducts, as evident from a loss of cells and accumulation of inflammatory cells. In a typical short-term exposure the lung tissue response is biphasic: an initial injury-phase characterized by cell damage and loss of enzyme activities, followed by a repair-phase associated with increased metabolic activities, which coincide with a proliferation of metabolically active cells, for example, the alveolar type 2 cells and the bronchiolar Clara cells. A chronic exposure to O3 can cause or exacerbate lung diseases, including perhaps an increased lung tumor incidence in susceptible animal models. Ozone exposure also causes extrapulmonary effects involving the blood, spleen, central nervous system, and other organs. Dietary antioxidants, for example, vitamin E, vitamin C, and selenium, can offer a protection against O3 effects.I have more references if you're interested. But of course, by now, you think I'm being unneccessarily alarmist. *No studies have proven that ozone is beneficial to the human body; many studies have shown that it is harmful.* Yes, it's your body. But I would never voluntarily put a toxic gas in my body for any reason. The scariest thing I read was that ozone can affect membrane permeability. Do you want to cause permanent damage to your intestinal tract so that you end up with a colostomy? I much prefer IBS.Now - I'm off my soapbox. Please research *anything* you do to your body, especially if it's considered an "alternative" type of therapy. PLEASE.I forgot to add that all of the links in the original post were by the companies that sell ozone services and/or equipment. This is biased information. The references I used mostly spoke of inhalation as damaging. The same type of biochemical reactions that occur in the lungs will happen in your colon as well. This is not good!------------------Fear can hold you prisoner.......hope can set you free.*Missycat* >^.^<[This message has been edited by Missycat (edited 02-25-2000).]


----------



## kitty2 (Nov 27, 1999)

Wow Missycat - I didn't even think about that. I mean that's why I take antioxidents - I wouldn't want to poision myself! This procedure does seem risky.[This message has been edited by kitty2 (edited 02-25-2000).]


----------



## Guest (Feb 26, 2000)

A very interesting post...I support the theory of yeast aggravating IBS. When I was diagnosed by a wholistic dr. in New York City, he identified yeast as a contributing factor to my IBS. After I worked with him and learned more I realized my yeast symtpoms were apparent from an early age. I spotted mucos in my stool in high school but never thought much of it. It never occured to me it was a symtptom of my ever present stomach aches. I watch for it now that my system is "clean", and when I see its presence increase in my stool I run to my acidophilous and plain yogurt. It is a measure of how healthy my gut is. Thanks for your sharing, hope my comments have helped.


----------



## stinky too (May 21, 1999)

missycat we just wanted to hear what they had to say about it.







I personally would be hesitant to stick anything up my behind. the colon is a sensative place, but am interested in what might happen with this ......------------------Prayer doesn't change God , it changes the one who prays..[This message has been edited by Joycein OH (edited 02-25-2000).]


----------



## Diane-2 (Jan 25, 2000)

Dear Naomi,You wrote: A very interesting post...I support the theory of yeast aggravating IBS. When I was diagnosed by a wholistic dr. in New York City, he identified yeast as a contributing factor to my IBS. After I worked with him and learned more I realized my yeast symtpoms were apparent from an early age. I spotted mucos in my stool in high school but never thought much of it. It never occured to me it was a symtptom of my ever present stomach aches. I watch for it now that my system is "clean", and when I see its presence increase in my stool I run to my acidophilous and plain yogurt. It is a measure of how healthy my gut is. Thanks for your sharing, hope my comments have helped.****Your story is interesting and thanks for writing.







I too see occasional white strands of mucuous in my stools. Did your doctor actually ever do a stool culture at Great Smokies or Meridian Valley to determine what Candida strains you have? If not, these tests could at least give you info as to what medications and or natural antifungals to kill any OVERGROWTH. I just posted information about yogurt and yeast which you may want to read.Diane-2


----------

