Dear Brian,

VitaGanza customers have realized tremendous success when diligently following a modified diet and by using specific supplements that target this and other auto-immune diseases.

First, let's cover the medications your wife is taking (the descriptions following each, at the end of this article, are from the FDA website). Methotrexate was initially used only for chemotherapy for various types of cancer but is now commonly used for auto-immune disorders (overly active immune systems), because it weakens the immune system by destroying cells in the body. Leucovorin is prescribed for those who do not tolerate Methotrexate well. Hydroxychloroquine is anti-malaria medication, now often used for auto-immune disorders. Prednisone targets inflammation initially but, when taken long-term, can actually worsen the situation and also carries significant harmful side-effects that can eventually create worse health issues. Citrical is a mass-market calcium supplement; some formulation's primary form of calcium being calcium carbonate, which is essentially chalk, but most are from calcium citrate, which is more absorbable; however, this mineral supplement from Bayer is bound with chemicals and far from natural. Lipitor is for high cholesterol, which because cholesterol is manufactured in the liver, can be caused, at least in part, by the other medications she is taking, as they effect liver and kidney function. Fosamax is a bisphosphonate drug that science is finding may actually cause fractures when taken long term, and which also deplete bone strength in the jaw and prevent the ability to have various dental surgeries and care. Your wife is probably taking Protonix to offset the acid reflux and burning caused by Fosamax but also because most of the medications she is taking deprive her of much needed beneficial flora. Full descriptions of these medications follow this email response.

The protocol that we recommend for your wife, while taking Methotrexate, Leucovorin and Prednisone is:

Vital ImmuSol or NSC-100 – 2 upon rising and 2 at bedtime on an empty stomach (taken at least 45 minutes before or 2 hours after food consumption).

FloraMax50 or SupremaDophilus – 2 upon rising and 2 at bedtime on an empty stomach (taken at least 45 minutes before or 2 hours after food consumption).

These supplements may be taken together at appointed times of day.

An alternative to Fosmax is our Bone Builder Package: http://www.vitaganza.com/store/cart.php?m=sku_detail&sku=6112

Once she eliminates Methotrexate, Leucovorin and Prednisone from her regimen, we strongly recommended adding in:

Vital Proteozymes and Yaeyama Chlorella – 5 each upon rising, 5 each midday and 5 each at bedtime on an empty stomach (taken at least 45 minutes before or 2 hours after food consumption) for 7-10 days before increasing to 10 each upon rising, 10 each midday and 10 each at bedtime on an empty stomach (taken at least 45 minutes before or 2 hours after food consumption) for 3 or more months, depending upon diet corrections and progress. Some people may need to decrease dosage and some may feel a need to increase dosage but the idea is to detoxify the medications from the body systemically and to resolve the inflammation throughout the body.

Vital Proteozymes and Yaeyama Chlorella may be taken together with Vital ImmuSol or NSC-100 and FloraMax50 or SupremaDophilus at appointed times.

Other supplements that may be helpful and will compliment above:

CoQ10 (200-400mg per day) – oxygenates cells

LiveRx (2 capsules with each dose of Vital Proteozymes and Yaeyama Chlorella) to provide extra cleansing specifically to the liver

B-125 Complex (1 with breakfast and, if low energy, add 1 more with lunch or afternoon snack, not within 6 hours of bedtime)

Other ideas that are highly important as part of any anti-autoimmune disorder regimen:

It is essential to omit all sugars (including alcohol of any kind, fruit juices and sodas), artificial sugar substitutes (such as Splenda, Equal, Sweet n' Low, all diet sodas, all "sugar-free," etc.), grains (especially/including corn, wheat and soy) and all processed grains, starches (including corn, peas and all potatoes except sweet potatoes), high-glycemic fruits and vegetables (oranges, tangerines, tomatoes, bananas, strawberries and grapes). Consuming plenty of water to flush and replenish organs and tissue that rely on water to function is equally important.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, we recommend following the Anti-fungal Diet http://kb.vitaganza.com/questions/48/Anti-Fungal+Diet+Recommendations and the Anti-fungal Rotation Regimen http://kb.vitaganza.com/questions/50/Anti-Fungal+Rotation+Regimen as a more natural approach to nutrition and destroying fungal overgrowth in the body, which is at least partly responsible for most auto-immune disorders. If you are unable to print these reports from the KnowledeBase at www.vitaganza.com, please copy/paste the reports into a word-processing document or email (that you send to yourself) and save it for reference.

This may sound overly simplified; however, we believe that when you attack the root cause of a problem by natural methods, rather than using chemical cocktails with their harmful side-effects to resolve a health issue, the body, its organs and tissues, may fair better and promote good health. Changing eating habits is not an easy process but it can be done; by providing your body with high-quality nutrients, we believe that you will be all the better for having done so. Please discuss these ideas with your wife's medical doctor before altering any regimen he/she planned.

All statements made are the opinion of VitaGanza personnel and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. We never diagnose and never recommend that you self-diagnose in lieu of proper medical care and advice. No change in regimen should be conducted without the guidance of your healthcare professional, as only he/she is familiar with your specific needs. Statements made and products sold by VitaGanza may not have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. If you are exhibiting symptoms or have a health concern, VitaGanza encourages you to contact your physician immediately.

MEDICATIONS YOUR WIFE IS TAKING FOR LUPUS

Methotrexate - IMPORTANT WARNING:  

Methotrexate is used to treat severe psoriasis (a skin disease in which red, scaly patches form on some areas of the body) that cannot be controlled by other treatments. Methotrexate is also used along with rest, physical therapy and sometimes other medications to treat severe active rheumatoid arthritis (RA; a condition in which the body attacks its own joints, causing pain, swelling, and loss of function) that cannot be controlled by certain other medications. Methotrexate is also used to treat certain types of cancer including cancers that begin in the tissues that form around a fertilized egg in the uterus, breast cancer, lung cancer, certain cancers of the head and neck, certain types of lymphoma, and leukemia (cancer that begins in the white blood cells). Methotrexate is in a class of medications called antimetabolites. Methotrexate treats cancer by slowing the growth of cancer cells. Methotrexate treats psoriasis by slowing the growth of skin cells to stop scales from forming. Methotrexate may treat rheumatoid arthritis by decreasing the activity of the immune system.

Methotrexate may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away: dizziness, drowsiness, headache, swollen, tender gums, decreased appetite, reddened eyes, hair loss. Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately: blurred vision or sudden loss of vision, seizures, confusion, weakness or difficulty moving one or both sides of the body, loss of consciousness. Methotrexate may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

Hydroxychloroquine - Hydroxychloroquine is in a class of drugs called antimalarials. It is used to prevent and treat acute attacks of malaria. It is also used to treat discoid or systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis in patients whose symptoms have not improved with other treatments. Hydroxychloroquine may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away: headache, dizziness, loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, skin rash, If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: reading or seeing difficulties (words, letters, or parts of objects missing), sensitivity to light, blurred distance vision, seeing light flashes or streaks, difficulty hearing, ringing in ears, muscle weakness, bleeding or bruising of the skin, bleaching or loss of hair, mood or mental changes, irregular heartbeat, drowsiness, convulsions.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

Leucovorin - Leucovorin is used to prevent harmful effects of methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall; cancer chemotherapy medication) when methotrexate is used to treat certain types of cancer. Leucovorin is also used to treat people who have accidentally received an overdose of methotrexate or similar medications. Leucovorin is in a class of medications called folic acid analogs. It works by protecting healthy cells from the effects of methotrexate or similar medications while allowing methotrexate to enter and kill cancer cells. Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately: diarrhea, rash, hives, itching, difficulty breathing or swallowing. Leucovorin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

Prednisone - Prednisone is used alone or with other medications to treat the symptoms of low corticosteroid levels (lack of certain substances that are usually produced by the body and are needed for normal body functioning). Prednisone is also used to treat other conditions in patients with normal corticosteroid levels. These conditions include certain types of arthritis; severe allergic reactions; multiple sclerosis (a disease in which the nerves do not function properly); lupus (a disease in which the body attacks many of its own organs); and certain conditions that affect the lungs, skin, eyes, kidneys blood, thyroid, stomach, and intestines. Prednisone is also sometimes used to treat the symptoms of certain types of cancer. Prednisone is in a class of medications called corticosteroids. It works to treat patients with low levels of corticosteroids by replacing steroids that are normally produced naturally by the body. It works to treat other conditions by reducing swelling and redness and by changing the way the immune system works.

Prednisone may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away: headache, dizziness, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, inappropriate happiness, extreme changes in mood, changes in personality, bulging eyes, acne, thin, fragile skin, red or purple blotches or lines under the skin, slowed healing of cuts and bruises, increased hair growth, changes in the way fat is spread around the body, extreme tiredness, weak muscles, irregular or absent menstrual periods, decreased sexual desire, heartburn, increased sweating. Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: vision problems, eye pain, redness, or tearing, sore throat, fever, chills, cough, or other signs of infection, seizures, depression, loss of contact with reality, confusion, muscle twitching or tightening, shaking of the hands that you cannot control, numbness, burning, or tingling in the face, arms, legs, feet, or hands, upset stomach, vomiting, lightheadedness, irregular heartbeat, sudden weight gain, shortness of breath, especially during the night, dry, hacking cough, swelling or pain in the stomach, swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue, throat, arms, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs, difficulty breathing or swallowing, rash, hives, itching. Prednisone may slow growth and development in children. Your child's doctor will watch his or her growth carefully. Talk to your child's doctor about the risks of giving prednisone to your child. Prednisone may increase the risk that you will develop osteoporosis. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking prednisone and about things that you can do to decrease the chance that you will develop osteoporosis. Some patients who took prednisone or similar medications developed a type of cancer called Kaposi's sarcoma. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking prednisone. Prednisone may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are taking this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

Lipitor (Atorvastatin) - Atorvastatin is used along with diet, exercise, and weight-loss to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke and to decrease the chance that heart surgery will be needed in people who have heart disease or who are at risk of developing heart disease. Atorvastatin is also used to decrease the amount of cholesterol (a fat-like substance) and other fatty substances in the blood. This will decrease the risk of stroke, heart attack, and other heart diseases because when there are high levels of cholesterol and other fats in the blood, these substances may build up along the walls of the blood vessels and decrease or block blood flow to the heart. Atorvastatin is in a class of medications called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins). It works by slowing the production of cholesterol in the body.

Atorvastatin may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away: diarrhea, constipation, gas, headache, joint pain. Some side effects can be serious. The following symptoms are uncommon, but if you experience any of them, call your doctor immediately: muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, lack of energy, fever, chest pain, nausea, extreme tiredness, unusual bleeding or bruising, loss of appetite, pain in the upper right part of the stomach, flu-like symptoms, yellowing of the skin or eyes, rash, hives , itching, difficulty breathing or swallowing, swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs, hoarseness. Atorvastatin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

Fosamax (Alendronate) - IMPORTANT WARNING: 

Alendronate is used to treat and prevent osteoporosis (a condition in which the bones become thin and weak and break easily) in women who have undergone menopause ('change of life,' end of menstrual periods) and to treat osteoporosis in men. Alendronate is also used to treat osteoporosis in men and women who are taking corticosteroids (a type of medication that may cause osteoporosis in some patients). Alendronate is also used to treat Paget's disease of bone (a condition in which the bones are soft and weak and may be deformed, painful, or easily broken). Alendronate is in a class of medications called bisphosphonates. It works by preventing bone breakdown and increasing bone density (thickness).

Alendronate may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away: nausea, stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating or fullness in the stomach, change in ability to taste food, headache, dizziness, swelling of the joints, hands, or legs. Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately before you take any more alendronate: new or worsening heartburn, difficulty swallowing, pain on swallowing, chest pain, bloody vomit or vomit that looks like coffee grounds, black, tarry, or bloody stools, fever, blisters or peeling skin, rash (may be made worse by sunlight), itching, hives, swelling of eyes, face, lips, tongue, or throat, difficulty breathing, hoarseness, painful or swollen gums, loosening of the teeth, numbness or heavy feeling in the jaw, poor healing of the jaw, eye pain. Alendronate may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

Protonix (Pantoprazole) – Pantoprazole is used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition in which backward flow of acid from the stomach causes heartburn and injury of the food pipe (esophagus). It is also used to treat conditions where the stomach produces too much acid, such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Pantoprazole is in a class of medications called proton-pump inhibitors. It works by decreasing the amount of acid made in the stomach. Pantoprazole may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away: diarrhea, headache, stomach pain, gas or bloating. Pantoprazole may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

VitaGanza believes that by decreasing gastric acid foods are not properly digested. The side-effects mentioned are likely to be caused by the supression of gastric acid, which is essential to digest fats, proteins and carbohydrates; when acid is suppressed, food is not broken-down properly, is not digested and solid foods are passed through the gastrointestinal tract, undigested, and without the ability to absorb the nutrients from the foods. Because solid foods are passed, there is commonly cramping, bloating, pain and diarrhea or constipation as a result.

Citracal – A mass-marketed, cheap form of calcium (citrate) and that is bound with chemicals, such as polyethylene glycol, croscarmellose sodium, HPMC, color added (? – no additional information provided about this). An article that may be helpful is: http://kb.vitaganza.com/questions/129/Why+You+May+Not+Want+to+Use+Mass-marketed%2C+Synthetic+Vitamins+and+Supplements

All statements made are the opinion of VitaGanza personnel and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. We never diagnose and never recommend that you self-diagnose in lieu of proper medical care and advice. No change in regimen should be conducted without the guidance of your healthcare professional, as only he/she is familiar with your specific needs. Statements made and products sold by VitaGanza may not have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. If you are exhibiting symptoms or have a health concern, VitaGanza encourages you to contact your physician immediately.