Two pieces on hookworm therapy aired on CBS this week. The first piece is on the hygiene hypothesis and focuses on allergies and asthma. Click on the little video to the right to see the piece:
http://cbs5.com/health/hookworm.treatment.therapy.2.1015341.html
You can also view the video in their video library:
http://cbs5.com/video/?cid=119 Click on May 20th’s “Some Turn to Hookworms to Treat Ailments.”
And the Crohn’s one on hookworms:
http://cbs5.com/health/hookworm.treatment.therapy.2.1016319.html
You can also view it with a larger screen in the video library:
http://cbs5.com/video/?cid=119 Click on May 21st’s “Patients on Hookworm Therapy Swear by Treatment”
The opening is unfortunate. When we need to promote the idea of the hygiene hypothesis, and the fact that we are a walking microbiomes, the choice to sensationalize “eating worms” is disappointing. I didn’t eat 6 dirty earthworms, for God’s sakes. Hopefully the general public will be interested and not just further disgusted. Enjoy!
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I just found your website today. Thanks so much for posting this long journey. I’ve got a relatively new (1 year) Crohn’s diagnosis, and am still looking for that magic equilibrium. hearing other stories helps, and getting the information out there on the hookworms is great.
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Please remember my story is very unusual; most people get infected once, suffer a transient reaction (I was their most reactive patient to the least amount of worms) and don’t reinfect until much later down the road. The CD patients seem to be doing well generally, UC patients not so much. Good luck with your journey!
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Hi,
Do you know of any patients who did well with the hookworms even with a stricture? I haven’t ever had any obstructions but my ileum’s pretty inflamed. I have a lot of bloating mainly. I could be just one major flare-up away from surgery so I’m really desparate.
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This is where I was at before trying hookworms. I have scar tissue in my ilium, so it’s narrowed normally – when it’s inflamed, I have painful partial blockages. Now it’s back to being just a little scarred – although I’ve eaten raisins and salad in the last few months, and it’s been fine, so it’s a lot better from the hookworms.
I would say, be careful during the first inflammatory part. Maybe try a modest dose of hookworms rather than a larger one. (10 instead of 25?) It should work to reduce your inflammation, but might make things worse temporarily. It seems to take about 4 months to get better; it’s faster with redosing. It only took me 1 month for my inflammation no normalize. But I suffered the first time around (though surprisingly, the ileal area was better starting week 3, but I had other inflammation instead; edema and arthritis cocurrently.)
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