Sunday, April 14, 2013

What is Lupus?

http://ibogaine-for-sale.webnode.fr/

Lupus is an autoimmune disease where the body's immune system becomes hyperactive and attacks normal, healthy tissue. This results in symptoms such as inflammation, swelling, and damage to joints, skin, kidneys, blood, the heart, and lungs.
Under normal function, the immune system makes proteins called antibodies in order to protect and fight against antigens such as viruses and bacteria. Lupus makes the immune system unable to differentiate between antigens and healthy tissue. This leads the immune system to direct antibodies against the healthy tissue - not just antigens - causing swelling, pain, and tissue damage.
(* An antigen is a substance capable of inducing a specific immune response.)

What are the different types of lupus?

Swollen Hands - Raynauds
photo © St Thomas' Lupus Trust
Several different kinds of lupus have been identified, but the type that we refer to simply as lupus is known as systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE. Other types include discoid (cutaneous), drug-induced, and neonatal. Patients with discoid lupus have a version of the disease that is limited to the skin. It is characterized by a rash that appears on the face, neck, and scalp, and it does not affect internal organs. Less than 10% of patients with discoid lupus progress into the systemic form of the disease, but there is no way to predict or prevent the path of the disease.
SLE is more severe than discoid lupus because it can affect any of the body's organs or organ systems. Some people may present inflammation or other problems with only skin and joints, while other SLE sufferers will see joints, lungs, kidneys, blood, and/or the heart affected. This type of lupus is also often characterized by periods of flare (when the disease is active) and periods of remission (when the disease is dormant).
Discoid Lupus Photo
photo © St Thomas' Lupus Trust
Drug-induced lupus is caused by a reaction with certain prescription drugs and causes symptoms very similar to SLE. The drugs most commonly associated with this form of lupus are a hypertension medication called hydralazine and a heart arrhythmia medication called procainamide, but there are some 400 other drugs that can also cause the condition. Drug-induced lupus is known to subside after the patient stops taking the triggering medication. A rare condition, neonatal lupus occurs when a mother passes autoantibodies to a fetus. The unborn and newborn child can have skin rashes and other complications with the heart and blood. Usually a rash appears but eventually fades within the first six months of the child's life.

Who is affected by lupus?

http://ibogaine-for-sale.webnode.fr/

According to the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA), 1.5 to 2 million Americans have some form of lupus. The prevalence is about 40 cases per 100,000 persons among Northern Europeans and 200 per 100,000 persons among blacks. Although the disease affects both males and females, women are diagnosed 9 times more often than men, usually between the ages of 15 and 45. African-American women suffer from more severe symptoms and a higher mortality rate.
Other risk factors include exposure to sunlight, certain prescription medications, infection with Epstein-Barr virus, and exposure to certain chemicals.

What causes lupus?

http://ibogaine-for-sale.webnode.fr/

Photograph of healthcare professionals
Although doctors are do not know exactly what causes lupus and other autoimmune diseases, most believe that lupus results from both genetic and environmental stimuli.
Since lupus is known to occur within families, doctors believe that it is possible to inherit a genetic predisposition to lupus. There are no known genes, however, that directly cause the illness. It is probable that having an inherited predisposition for lupus makes the disease more likely only after coming into contact with some environmental trigger.
The higher number of lupus cases in females than in males may indicate that the disease can be triggered by certain hormones. Physicians believe that hormones such as estrogen regulate the progression of the disease because symptoms tend to flare before menstrual periods and/or during pregnancy.
Certain environmental factors have been known to cause lupus symptoms. These include:
  • Extreme stress
  • Exposure to ultraviolet light, usually from sunlight
  • Smoking
  • Some medications and antibiotics, especially those in the sulfa and penicillin groups
  • Some infections, such as cytomegalovirus (CMV), parvovirus (such as fifth disease), hepatitis C infections, and the Epstein-Barr virus (in children)
  • Chemical exposure to compounds such as trichloroethylene in well water and dust

What are the symptoms of lupus?

Since no two cases of lupus are exactly alike, there is a wide range of symptoms that are known to affect many parts of the body. Sometimes symptoms develop slowly or appear suddenly; they can be mild, severe, temporary, or permanent. Most people with lupus experience symptoms in only a few organs, but more serious cases can lead to problems with kidneys, the heart, the lungs, blood, or the nervous system.
Lupus episodes, or flares, are usually noted by a worsening of some of the following symptoms:
  • Achy joints (arthralgia), arthritis, and swollen joints, especially in wrists, small joints of the hands, elbows, knees, and ankles
  • Swelling of the hands and feet due to kidney problems
  • Fever of more than 100 degrees F (38 degrees C)
  • Prolonged or extreme fatigue
  • Skin lesions or rashes, especially on the arms, hands, face, neck, or back
  • Butterfly-shaped rash (malar rash) across the cheeks and nose
  • Anemia (oxygen carrying deficiency of red blood cells)
  • Pain in the chest on deep breathing or shortness of breath
  • Sun or light sensitivity (photosensitivity)
  • Hair loss or alopecia
  • Abnormal blood clotting problems
  • Raynaud's phenomenon: fingers turn white and/or blue or red in the cold
  • Seizures
  • Mouth or nose ulcers
  • Weight loss or gain
  • Dry eyes
  • Easy bruising
  • Anxiety, depression, headaches, and memory loss

Lupus can also lead to complications in several areas of the body. These include:

  • Kidneys - serious kidney damage is a primary cause of death for lupus sufferers.
  • Central nervous system - lupus can cause headaches, dizziness, memory problems, seizures, and behavioral changes.
  • Blood and vessels - lupus causes an increased risk of anemia, bleeding, blood clotting, and vessel inflammation
  • Lungs - noninfectious pneumonia and difficulty breathing due to inflammation of the chest cavity are more likely with lupus
  • Heart - heart muscle and artery inflammation are more likely with the disease, and lupus increases the chances of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.
  • Infection - lupus treatments tend to depress the immune system making your body more vulnerable to infection.
  • Cancer - lupus increases the risk of cancer, especially of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, lung cancer, and liver cancer
  • Bone tissue death - a lower blood supply to bone tissue leads to tiny breaks and eventual death of bone. This is most common in the hip bone.
  • Pregnancy - lupus increases the risk of miscarriage, hypertension during pregnancy, and preterm birth.

     THE CURE HERE IN AFRICA


    What is ibogaine?
    Over ten years ago, we discovered an ancient natural tribal remedy in the Tabernanthe Iboga shrub native to Gabon and other nations in West Central Africa. It has long been used in shamanic rituals of initiation and spiritual quests.
    The derived substance that we are using is called Ibogaine. In the 1960s it was discovered that Ibogaine has the property of interrupting substance addiction with minimal side-effects. With the help of this natural extract, addicts experience symptom-free withdrawal, a true full physiological release from chemical dependency. With a very specific type of counseling during and following Ibogaine treatment, the "ex-addicts" are able to focus on underlying causes to heal the psychological aspects as well.
    See introduction
    How does ibogaine work?
    Ibogaine is an oneirophrenia (dream-like state inducing) drug that activates the user's long-term memory, bringing to the surface information from the unconscious, causing vast self-insight. Therapists consider one Ibogaine experience to be equal to years of talk or group therapy. Some patients describe their experience as being in a dream and watching sketches or a slideshow of their life. Other patients have described their experience as if they went into the file cabinets in their brain and re-organized it. Ibogaine allows one to see one's true self and to re-experience past events and repressed memories in a detached way without the emotional pain often associated with these memories. The psychotherapeutic benefits of an Ibogaine experience have served as a major breakthrough for addicts who have previously lacked an understanding of themselves.
    See how it works
                
    How is ibogaine administered?
    Any treatment provided by an experienced and knowledgeable Ibogaine therapist will include a medical and psychiatric review for the patient's safety. After the reviews, an appropriately-leveled dose of Ibogaine is administered orally with a therapist present.
    See treatment
    Why should I choose the iboga treatment?
    Our leading therapist, Dr Henry Burns, has performed hundreds of therapeutic ibogaine sessions in the last five years all over the world. He has been referenced in numerous scientific papers including Ibogaine: Proceedings of the second International Conference, The Journal of Primal Psychology, and also served as a contributing author for the Manual for Ibogaine Therapy. His interviews have been featured on such radio shows as the Conscious Café out of Africa and have also appeared in publications such as The Resonance Project and The London Times.
    The following is taken from the Ibogaine feature in the London Times:
    "Devout ibogaine advocate Henry Burns used to treat people on a boat in international waters. He now has clinics in Costa Rica and Italy, and is the source of most satisfied experience reports."
    -- The London Times
    Contact Henry!
    What happens during the session?
    See treatment
    Is ibogaine recognized in the medical community?
    Because ibogaine is illegal in many countries, it is only recognized by some doctors with others fearing for the repurcussions for endorsing an illegal drug.
    How much does it cost?
    Contact us for more information
    How can I find out more?
    Contact us for more information
    Why is ibogaine illegal in the US?
    Ibogaine was made illegal in the United States when it was classified in 1969 as a hallucinogen with the status of a schedule 1 drug due to its
        "high potential of abuse"
        "lack of a currently accepted medical use"
        "lack of accepted safety procedure for use"
    Despite promising results during clinical trials on humans in the United States there has not been enough funding to get Ibogaine approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Pharmaceutical companies are not interested in bringing it to the market due to the lack of monetary reward from Ibogaine sale or distribution. Also, the patent on Ibogaine is about to end and the single administration modality of Ibogaine does not create a prospect for adequate and continuous revenue – as, for instance, in methadone maintenance programs.
    Although most countries were highly influenced by the United States' legislation against Ibogaine, many other countries did not explicitly make it illegal
    International legal restrictions of ibogaine
    Australia: ibogaine figures as a schedule IV-drug, i.e. it is illegal to import it without a license.
    Belgium: the posession of ibogaine-hydrochloride, the purified alkaloid, is restricted.
    Sweden: ibogaine-hydrochloride, the purified salt, is listed as a schedule I drug.
    Switzerland: ibogaine-hydrochloride is a restricted substance.
    Most other countries are neutral on the subject or Ibogaine has a legal status

    Negative side effects:
        ataxia (inability to coordinate voluntary bodily movements) for up to 24 hours
        mild to middling nausea and dizziness for up to 24 hours
        visual and auditory distortions for up to 12 hours
        mild to middling insomnia for up to 1 week
    What can I expect?
        80% to 100% pain free withdrawal
        Insights into the subconscious
        Healing the inner wounds of the mind and spirit
        Feeling of freedom and autonomous
    Who benefits?
    In particular, those who are addicted to opiates, alcohol and cocaine achieve the greatest benefit. Even most of those addicted to nicotine can find full relief. Additionally, benefits extend to family members and friends who no longer have to witness or participate in the addict's former level of pain and self-medication.

    What are the risks?
    Under proper medical supervision there have been no declared incidents. Over the past 20 years, however, two fatalities have occurred. The first was of a German woman undergoing the treatment in Holland who died during a period when she wasn't being observed by the staff. After careful examination of the data Dr. Ken Alpers from New York extends his opinion of the findings that the woman managed to leave the treatment-facility and took heroin during the period in which Ibogaine was still very active in her body and hence overdosed on heroin, since Ibogaine re-sensitizes the body to opiates.
    The other death occurred in Switzerland during a treatment given by a psychiatrist who administered the Ibogaine despite the patient having a serious heart-defect (and might have used MDMA [Ecstasy] concurrently).

    Can you get addicted to ibogaine?
    While ibogaine can create fascinating experiences, it provides little or no bodily pleasure like cocaine or heroin. It contributes to a reintegration of the brain and as such helps to interrupt addiction rather than causing another addiction.
    What are the contraindications?
        Greatly abnormal values of the liver-panel and the blood-test
        Severe psychological disorders
        Cardiac problems
        Some gastro-intestinal tract-problems (ulcer, gastric hemorrhage...)
        Brain (cerebral or cerebellar) disorders
        Pregnany
    Are there any signs of toxicity?
    Medication Development of Ibogaine as a Pharmacotherapy for Drug Dependence, Deborah C. Mash, Craid A. Kovera, Billy E. Buck, Michael D. Norenberg, Paul Shapshak W. Lee Hearn and Juan Sanchez-Ramos, (1998) Ann. NY AScad Sci, 844:274-291.
    "...toxicological studies conducted in primates have demonstrated that oral ibogaine administration, given at doses (5 x 25 mg kg) recommended for the treatment of cocaine and opiate dependence appear to be safe and free of behavioral or cerebellar toxicity."
    In the same paper the authors discuss the autopsy of a patient dying of natural causes who had received four ibogaine treatments of between 10 mg/kg and 29 mg/kg. "There were no degenerative changes seen in the cerebellum; cerebellar Purkinje cells were normal and there was no evidence of any significant cyto-pathology or neuro-degeneration in any other brain area