Heidi, I'm an A+ and have just come down with my second case of shingles in two years. Luckily, this time I recognized the onset and got to the doctor right away, instead of the first time, when I thought it might be poison ivy or chiggers and waited a week. I am on acyclovir five times a day for a week, but the rash has really spread fast - a fourinch wide swath from my navel to halfway around my back, down into my groin and on both legs, both arms and my chin, jawline and neck. In addition to the acyclovir I am taking 4,000 mg of lysine, 3,000 mg of vitamin C, 10,000IU of vitamin A, 60 mg. of zinc daily and a couple of bromelain capsules every few hours.

My fear is that I am going to be susceptible to many future outbreaks (I'm only 51) and am hoping that you can give me some advice on what I can do long-term to minimize the risks. My (A+) husband takes 500 mg of lysine daily to reduce his cold sores - would the same regime help me? Or something else?

Anything else I can do right now? The pain is ghastly - feels like things crawling under my skin, plus the itching, plus the pain of having anything (even clothing) brush against skin that looks like it has a third degree burn. Thanks for any help you can give. P.S. my wrestler son Andrew had to have jaw surgery this summer, so the protein shakes you advised are doing double duty, and he's slowly gaining some weight (had to gain some back after the surgery, as well). Kim

OOOoof! ~~:-( That's a torturous thing to have -- so sorry you're going through this!!

It looks to me as if you are doing everything possible at this time.

First, I'd like to offer my understanding of this condition.

(1) Shingles (Herpes Zoster) is a one-time outbreak (except in cases of extremely impaired immunity such as AIDS or terminal cancer); it manifests on one side of the body only, and does not cross the midline from left to right; it is not contagious; its sufferers are usually those who have had exposure to the chicken pox virus; and the recommended complementary medical treatments are:

-- 100 grams IV (intravenous) vitamin C (ascorbic acid or sodium ascorbate) daily, for three to five days - and/or

-- Adenoside monophosphate (AMP) administered by injection as described below (Dr. Anderson or another MD or ND familiar with this treatment should be consulted for details):

"In 1985, the JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) carried a report of a carefully done study of shingles (herpes zoster). This herpetic infection is inadequately treated by most of the conventional drug protocols, as witness the large number of elderly who suffer from this persistent, severely painful syndrome. The JAMA study described 88 percent total cessation of all symptoms within one month compared with 43 percent attained by a placebo. In my exerience, if treated early, no more than two or three injections of adenosine monophosphate are ever necessary. Adenosine monophosphate (AMP) is a chemical compound synthesized in the human and mammalian body and has essentially no potential for harm. In spite of its description in the JAMA a leading conventional medical journal received by all members of the American Medical Association, AMP injections are rarely used by physicians in the United States." -- Robert A. Anderson, M.D., past president of the American Holistic Medical Association (from page xxi of the Foreword to Walt Stoll's Saving Yourself from the Disease-Care Crisis).

(2) If the lesions are present on both sides of the body (as yours are), and if it is a recurring thing (as it is for you), what you are seeing is not shingles, but Herpes II. Many doctors are not aware of the distinction between them. One thing they have in common is that they both manifest when immunity is low.

For right now, if you take one gram or more of lysine *twice* daily (you could split your current 4 grams into two doses), while avoiding arginine-containing foods, you should be able to stop the outbreak within one week. To prevent recurrence, keep intake of arginine foods to a minimum, and keep taking at least 500 mg of lysine *twice* daily (total 1 gram daily) -- while continuing your type A program with high compliance. I'd also suggest doing the Encyclopedia's Antiviral and Immune Enhancement Protocols at least twice yearly.

It's essential that your immune system be kept strong with appropriate diet, exercise and stress-relief practices, to speed healing and avoid recurrences. Some exposure to sunlight (and fresh air!!) is also helpful in this regard, to maintain high levels of NK (Natural Killer) cells.

Here is Peter's text from the Immunity Knowledge Base IX:





And, of course, I'll put in a plug for Heallix again. It is a marvel in the immune-strengthening arsenal. Bless you, Kim! I fervently hope you're better in short order!! Keep me updated on your progress, OK? :-)

hi heidi hope you are well i wanted to know if you do a ratio two parts omega 3 essential fatty acid to one part omega 6 for b+ nonnies as i believe this is the perfect ratio to take EFA'S thank-you for your ever understanding and patience mary

Hi there, Mary! Supplementation of fatty acids should be designed with the customary diet of that individual in mind. Also, different dosages would be recommended depending on the general health and/or specific problems that supplementation is intended to correct. Here is an Ask Dr. D column entitled TYPE B AND FLAXSEED OIL for more detail on ideal type B EFA ratios. Thanks so much for your message -- and take care, Mary! :-D

Heidi, Me again, Cindi, I was reading some previous days Q & A's, didnt realize I had missed more than a few, anyway, I keep hearing about Rice Cakes, first, can I eat them? O+ non. Secondly for those who think they are without flavor or boring, when I didn't know I was a non secretor and I could eat Feta, Mozz cheese, etc.... I put some cilantro, fresh jalepeno, onion, cheese, on the cakes and heated them up in the microwave, they have a whole new taste and texture when heated. They are sort of chewey and softer, and very delicious.

I like things intense, so i spread a little horshradish on the cakes first if I was out of jalepenos, and that was, well, intense, but good. after I heated them and the cheese was melted, I sometimes cut them into 4 peices and they hold together well while warm and softened. Even when they have cooled all the way, they still are tasty, and filling.

Also, Abby wrote about the lipomas, I had one on my forehead and was told it was a fatty lipoma and after about a year it got bigger and people would mention it to me, so I had it removed, it was hard as a rock and the doctor showed it to me, strange, he had said that since it moved freely when I touched it, before it was taken out, that I didn't have to worry about it being a tomour (how do you spell it?) tomur? any way as long as it wasnt stuck in one place, attached or growing off a body part. It has been 14 years, sometimes the spot where it came out at, looks like it is getting one again, but if it is, its taking a long time. My friend has a bunch of them on his arms, and rib are area and they are marble size, some bigger, his dad had them too and his doctor told him they were not to worry about!!! Ok, bye everyone!!!!!!Cindi 0+ nonny

:-) thanks, Cindi -- Abby's an O non, too, and yes, you can have rice cakes. ;-)

I am Blood Type A negative. The Diet recommends that I use soya products but I am allergic to Soya. I am also lactose intolerant. I was diagnosed with Helicobacter Pylori and cleared that up with Antibiotics before discovering "Eat Right for Your Type" and would like to follow the Diet to prevent further stomach/intestine disorders as there is a history of both stomach and pancreatic cancers in my family. Also there is a history of heart disease. I eat plenty of Fruit and Vegetables and would have been aware of many vegetables that are not suitable before the diet. I also eat plenty of fish but wonder if my diet is lacking due to not being able to eat foods that are soy based? Catriona

Hi, Catriona! Let the diet bring you back to a high level of health, and allergies and intolerances will fade into the background. We always suggest that if you have food sensitivities to items on the Neutral or Beneficial rosters, you should avoid those foods for at least the first six months of following the diet. At that time, you can decide whether to introduce them again. These plans (which include exercise and stress-relief practice as well as food choice) lower the total burden of toxins and allergens your immune system must handle, while increasing your immune system's ability to deal quietly and efficiently with the world. ;-) This most often results in people who discover they can happily eat foods which before the diet would trigger adverse events.

A warm welcome in here, Catriona ~~ please write again if we can help you 'get settled in,' in any way at all. :-D

Hi, Heidi! I was reading your column today (July 19) and noticed that Eagle seemed confused about the Tier Two diet, so I thought I would offer my interpretation. Here goes: EVERYONE should eat according to the Tier ONE food lists, and everyone should choose Beneficials over Neutrals as often as possible. If you desire only moderate compliance, that's as far as you need to go--and you can pretend that all of the foods in the Tier TWO list have the value "Neutral." If, on the other hand, you desire stricter (Tier TWO level) compliance, then you should eat according to BOTH lists COMBINED--not just the list labeled "Tier Two." So if you have been ignoring the distinction between the tiers and treating them as one big list, then you're already aiming for Tier TWO compliance! The way I personally use the Tier system is this: I strive to avoid all foods marked AVOID on either list (Tier TWO compliance), but if I know that circumstances are going to require me to eat an AVOID food, I try to make it one of the ones on the "Tier Two" list because I figure that these are the lesser evils. Anyway, I hope this helps clear up any lingering confusion (and Heidi, feel free to correct me if my own understanding is skewed). --Sarah in PA

Hallelujah! :-D Absolutely! And I missed this issue entirely in my reply to Eagle (sorry girl!) -- thanks again, Sarah!! :-D

Hello again, Heidi...thanks for the tip on using Heallix for my skin issues. I ordered and received some and so far am using it topically with great success. The rash and breakouts have cleared beautifully. However, taking it internally is another issue. Even in the recommended 8 oz of distilled water I can hardly tolerate 1 tsp [which I do manage to take once or twice a day]. It just tastes so weird, sort of bitter, but more metallic than anything and it's really yucky for my tongue. I tried to add more to my glass but couldn't bear to drink more than a couple sips. So, what I want to know is, is this normal, and is there anything that can make this better, because I'd like to up my dosage... Thanks again, Sarah AB nonnie

Hi, Sarah! Sounds like you're one of those "intense tasters." ;-) The lemony-metallic taste of Heallix doesn't seem so strong to most people as it does to you.

What I'd do is put a capful in a scant 1/4 cup of water, and gulp it down. It doesn't go down too pleasantly as a sipped beverage, I'll attest to that! :-D so down the hatch, the quicker the better. ;->

I'm very relieved your skin trouble is clearing up with the topical treatment!! Do keep up with the internal dosage though, OK? that way you're addressing the internal causes of the breakouts as well, to prevent recurrences. Thanks a bunch for writing in, Sarah! :-)

Hi Heidi, Is there a message board for secretors? Thanks Ann

Do you mean a recipe exchange, like Nina's list for nonnies? Not that I know of... anyone know of one for Ann? write in!! (Nice to hear from you, Ann -- hope you're doing splendidly!!) :-)

Re: red yeast rice, statins, and CoEnzyme Q10. I found the site I mentioned: August 2002 Life Extension Magazine. www.lef.org/magazine/mag2002/aug2002_legalnotes_0.1html He filed citzens petitons with the FDA to label statins and to issue a medication gude re: the need to take CoQ10 whenever using a statin The petitions explain that statins deplete CoQ10 stores and increase congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy risk, and that one should take 100-200 mg. of CoQ10 if taking statins. He does NOT refer to red yeast rice, and I have not found the reference I thought I had seen to similar modes of operations between the ryr and statins. I don't know how this has come out with the FDA. For my aunt, I still feel she is safer with pantethine. (Cf. Ask Dr. D'Adamo Question for 3 March 2003 which does a great job explaining pantethine) Elizabeth

OK, Elizabeth -- thank you kindly for providing that reference. I understand what the confusion is. His warning does apply to statin drugs. Lovastatin, for instance, is one of the best-known, and very commonly prescribed -- and is a pharmaceutical product based on "active" elements of red yeast rice removed from their source whole yeast matrix.

Your aunt will certainly benefit from the pantethine, and while red yeast rice has proven safe in all respects, the decision which gives you most peace of mind is surely the best one. Many thanks once again for following up on this issue -- and best wishes to your aunt & you!! :-D

Hi Shelley, I am so happy that i was able to give you some help with your nickel allergy. I wanted to Thank you and Heidi for your Thanks, that meant a lot to me. My husband tells me that i go overboard with advice, so i am glad this time that it helped.

I too did not show metal toxicity in the blood. The body always is trying to clean and detox so metals usually are not easy to detect. I was chelated to flush out metals in my body and then the urine was collected. The nickel in my urine was in the normal limits. I also had a hair sample taken and sent to a lab for evaluation and that is where they found it to be sky high.

So you may have to find a Dr that uses these methods of detection. I had 10 chelation treatments with EDTA to pull out metals. I have etremely high levels of mercury also, that was found both in urine and hair. The chelation cost $120 a treatment, so i stopped at 10 and bought a juicer to finish the process of metal detox. I have a juicer that can do veggies as well as wheatgrass. Wheatgrass and cilantro are 2 juices that can cross the blood brain barrier and can chelate metals from the brain as well as the whole body. I suspect that is where most of your toxicity is from the nickel as mine was.

I am slowly getting better from CFS, but i have a lot of different issues to work on. I did notice that i did tolerate some cheap jewelry i wore to a wedding recently. I do this every so often just to see if i am making any improvements and i have made enough that i no longer blister. Once i start to itch i take all the jewelry off. I have not even itched the last few times i have worn it.

Please be patient, you have a long road ahead of you. Once your body detoxes it will heal and will be more efficient and let you enjoy life more. I have read quite a few books on CFS and few have cured themselves but it has taken them many years. Its a slow process. The Bloodtype diet is one of the keys in the healing process. I wish you the best of luck and hopefully you will let us all know how you are doing. If you need to email me, please feel free to do so. Arlene

Great info, Arlene!! VERY much appreciated here!

Shelley, if you'd like to be in touch with Arlene, just send me a note and I'll pass her addy to you -- bless you both! :-D

Hi Heidi! A question about CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). Do lectins survive the production of it? I'm thinking of taking some, and the source is safflower oil, an avoid for type B. Should I look for another source? Thanks! Kathy K

Hey there, Kathy! The very best sources are meat and eggs from healthy 100% grass fed animals and flax-fed ranged birds, respectively.

About the supp you're considering -- I'd check the ingredients carefully, to see if it's in a base of some avoid oil or other. If it definitely contains no avoids, then the CLA itself is fine & safe to take. :-D

Dear Heidi, about Carl's tinnitus, a recent article reviewed in the latest "ENT News" mentions tinnitus can occur in people with normal hearing but with a zinc deficiency. If Carl has a hearing loss, he may be able to get "tinnitus retraining therapy". The brain normally has a natural filtering process which stops us from hearing the sound of our blood in our ears but this can break down sometimes. In the UK we have hearing therapists who offer counselling and can issue noise generators to help the brain to rehabituate. PS - could you tell NAP to write "vitamins and supplements" on their boxes when I order them? Much appreciated, just like all your other work! Gwyneth

Thanks, Gwyneth! That's a very kind note for Carl.

Regarding your NAP orders, that's something you'll need to advise them on. They'll not allow me to place terms on other people's accounts. ;-) I'd communicate with them via email (under the contact link on the left side of the page) to request this label on your packages.

For anyone wondering about this point, the reference is Karen's discovery regarding the UK import tax laws:

"For future reference, those of us in the UK can receive vitamins and supplements from the US without paying import taxes. All the sender needs to do it put "vitamins and supplements" on the box."

thanks for the opportunity to post this info again! :-D