OxyFile #335
WHAT IS OXIDATIVE THERAPY?
Most biochemical reactions in the body are 'Balanced' through
'Redox' mechanisms. Redox means (red)uction (ox)idation. Anytime a
substance is reduced (chemically changed) something else must be
oxidized (chemically changed the other way) for the reactions to
stay in balance. As an example, oxidation is the process which
causes rust on metals (slow oxidation) or fire (rapid oxidation).
In the body, some types of oxidation is thought to be harmful by
producing Free Radicals. (We also suggest people take Vitamin E,
an antioxidant to help reduce Free Radical formation.) We know
there can be no life if oxidation does not occur. Oxidation is the
process through which the body converts sugar into energy. The
body also uses oxidation as the first line of defense against
bacteria, virus, yeast and parasites. Even breathing OXYGEN is an
oxidative process. Without OXYGEN for more than a few seconds,
serious consequences follow. Without oxidation we die very
quickly. When we use the principals of oxidation to bring about
improvements in the body, it is called a therapy, herein referred
to Oxidative Therapy.
WHAT DRUGS ARE USED IN OXIDATIVE THERAPY?
A number of substances are known to cause oxidation in the body
but the most important of these is Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2).
Although a natural substance made in the body, it is still
considered a drug when used in Oxidative Therapy. Hydrogen
Peroxide, when exposed to your blood or other body fluids,
containing the enzyme CATALASE, is chemically split into OXYGEN
and water. Remember how Hydrogen Peroxide foams when you put it on
a wound? The foam is OXYGEN being produced by the action of
catalase on the Hydrogen Peroxide. A small amount of Hydrogen
Peroxide can supply large amounts of OXYGEN to the tissue.
IS THIS A NEW FORM OF THERAPY?
Injections of Hydrogen Peroxide are not new. The intravenous use
was first reported by Dr. T.H. Oliver in Lancet, the British
Medical Journal, in 1920. Patients with influenzal pneumonia were
treated with Hydrogen Peroxide infusions with very good results.
The use of Hydrogen Peroxide injections to generate OXYGEN in the
body has been studied at many major medical research centers
throughout the world. Research reports have come from Baylor,
Yale, Harvard, UCLA, Boston, England, Japan, Germany, Sweden,
Russia, Canada, Nova Scotia and other countries. Today, between 20
and 100 scientific articles are published each month about the
chemical and biological effects of Hydrogen Peroxide. More
recently, the "Therapeutic Use of Intravenous Hydrogen Peroxide"
was reported by Dr. C.H. Farr, M.D., Ph.D., at an International
Medical Symposium in Czechoslovakia attended by representatives
from 26 different countries. Oxidative Therapy, introduced by Dr.
Farr, is the rediscovery of an old treatment first reported almost
70 years ago.
HOW DOES IT WORK IN THE BODY?
There are many theories regarding the different functions of
Hydrogen Peroxide in the body. There is also a great deal of
scientific material to support almost every one. Hydrogen Peroxide
is produced in the body in different amounts for different
purposes. It is part of a system which helps you use the OXYGEN
you breathe. It is part of a system which helps your body regulate
all living cell membranes. A hormonal regulator, it is necessary
for your body to produce several hormonal substances such as;
estrogen, progesterone and thyroid. It is important in the
regulation of blood sugar and the production of energy in all
cells. It helps regulate certain chemicals necessary to operate
the brain and nervous system. It is used in the defense system of
the body to kill bacteria, virus, yeast, and parasites. It is
important in regulating the immune system. Scientists are
discovering the function of Hydrogen Peroxide in the body is far
more complex and important than previously realized.
WHAT CONDITIONS ARE BEING TREATED WITH THIS THERAPY?
Oxidative therapy, using Hydrogen Peroxide, has been reported in
the scientific literature and by physicians in the treatment of
the following conditions or diseases, with varying degrees of
success:
Heart and Blood Vessel Diseases
* Peripheral Vascular Disease (Poor circulation)
* Cerebral Vascular Disease (stroke and memory)
* Cardiovascular Disease (heart disease)
* Coronary Spasm (Angina)
* Cardioconversion (heart stopped)
* Heart Arrhythmias (irregular heart beat)
* Gangrene of Fingers and Toes
* Raynaud's Syndrome
* Temporal Arteritis
* Vascular and Cluster Headaches
Pulmonary Diseases
* Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (lung)
* Emphysema (lung disease)
* Asthma (allergy, lung)
* Bronchiectasis
* PCP (Pneumonia in AIDS)
* Chronic Bronchitis
Infectious Diseases
* Influenza
* Herpes Zoster (shingles)
* Herpes Simplex (fever blister)
* Systemic Chronic Candidiasis (Candida)
* Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Ebstein-Barr Virus)
* HIV (AIDS) Infections
* Acute and Chronic Viral Infections
* Chronic Unresponsive Bacterial Infections
* Parasitic Infections
Immune Disorders
* Multiple Sclerosis
* Rheumatoid Arthritis
* Diabetes Mellitus Type II
* Hypersensitive Persons (Environmental and Universal
Reactors)
Miscellaneous
* Parkinsonism
* Alzheimer
* Migraine Headaches
* Chronic Pain Syndromes (Multiple Etiologies)
* Pain of Metastatic Carcinoma
* Blood and Lymph Node Cancers
Physicians from around the world constantly share knowledge and
experience and the list of uses for Oxidative Therapy is growing
every day. Since Hydrogen Peroxide is a natural substance produced
and used in body chemistry, there will be discoveries about it's
importance in biochemistry for years to come.
WOULD I BENEFIT FROM OXIDATIVE THERAPY?
Only a physician trained in the administration of Oxidative
Therapy can answer that question for you. You may or may not,
depending upon your condition or illness. If treatment of your
condition or illness has been unsatisfactory in the past you may
wish to learn more about Oxidative Therapy. The IBOM Foundation
can supply you with the names of trained physicians in your area.
HOW IS THIS THERAPY ADMINISTERED?
Weak, very pure Hydrogen Peroxide (0.0375% or lower concentration)
is added to a sugar or salt water solution, the same as used for
intravenous feeding in hospitals. This is injected in doses from
50 to 500 mL into a large vein usually in the arm, slowly over a
period of 1 to 3 hours depending on the amount given and the
condition of the patient. It is painless, excluding the very small
needle stick. Treatments are usually given about once a week in
chronic illness, but can be given daily in patients with acute
illness such as pneumonia or flu. Physicians may recommend 1 to 20
treatments depending on the condition of the patient and the
illness being treated. The patient is rechecked in 1 and 3 months
to evaluate the benefit and determine if additional treatments are
may be necessary. Some patients, especially with chronic illness,
may need to take follow up treatments in series of 5 to 10
treatments, or may need maintained indefinitely on a regular
monthly schedule. As many as 50 treatments have been administered
to several patients, without complications. An experienced
physician must decide how many treatments are necessary in your
individual case.
WHAT ABOUT THE SAFETY OR SIDE EFFECTS OF THIS THERAPY?
Over the past 50 years hundreds of patients have received Hydrogen
Peroxide without serious side effects. Early use of Hydrogen
Peroxide was reported to occasionally cause irritation of the vein
being infused. This troublesome side effect was eliminated after
the concentration and rate of infusion were adjusted downward. The
IBOM Foundation publishes and distributes a Protocol (Physician
Instruction Book) on the proper administration of Hydrogen
Peroxide. A Protocol is the best way for physicians to properly
learn about any new therapy. Also, regular training workshops are
offered. Any interested physician can contact the IBOM foundation
for information.
IS THIS THERAPY EXPENSIVE?
Expense is a relative term. Persons with chronic diseases pay
thousands of dollars annually to physicians, pharmacies and
hospitals for drugs and therapies which do little more than
maintain them at their current level of sickness. If Oxidative
Therapy could save you 1/2 to 3/4 of your current expense, would
you consider it expensive? The expense of any therapy varies more
with the type of illness than type of therapy. Persons with
serious complicated illnesses require more costly tests to
diagnose and monitor than do patients with less complicated
illnesses. Much of toady's medical cost is in the testing rather
than treatment. Don't be afraid to ask your physician, in advance,
about cost.
DOES INSURANCE PAY FOR OXIDATIVE THERAPY?
This usually depends on your insurance company and type of policy.
Generally, insurance companies will not pay for medical service or
care which may be classified as "not usual and customary". "Usual
and customary" simply means that most physicians are providing the
same service or treatment for the same disease. Since the average
physician is not using Oxidative Therapy and most are not even
familiar with the therapy, it is not considered "usual and
customary". A qualified physician can more easily answer this
question on an individual basis.
CAN MY PHYSICIAN ADMINISTER THIS THERAPY?
Any licensed physician may administer this therapy. However, only
trained and experienced physicians are recognized by the IBOM
Foundation. Interested physicians can write the IBOM Foundation
for information regarding training seminars.
HOW DO I LOCATE A PHYSICIAN EXPERIENCED IN OXIDATIVE THERAPY?
Send a written request and $5.00 U.S. to cover cost to:
International Bio-Oxidative Medicine Foundation
P.O. Box 891954
Oklahoma City, OK.
73189-2954
This consumer information is provided by the International Bio-
Oxidative Medicine Foundation, a 501 C 3 not-for-profit
educational and research foundation. All contributions are
eligible for tax deductions.