To Shingle or not to Shingle

A shingles vaccine?
The shingles vaccine is yet another high-risk, low-benefit drug.

Trading chickenpox for a worse case of shingles later Why do we get shingles and does the vaccine protect against them?

What are shingles?

Chickenpox and shingles both are caused by the herpes zoster virus. Shingles affects mainly people who have received a chickenpox vaccine which contains a live attenuated form of the virus although anyone who has had chickenpox can come down with a case of shingles when their immune system weakens.

Shingles cases result in three times as many deaths and five times the number of hospitalizations as chicken pox (Goldman, 2006).

Shingles in adults is most often brought on by immunosuppression drugs, cancer drugs (which also lower the body’s immune system) and various health crises, causing a re-emergence of the herpes zoster virus.

The first sign of Shingles is usually a pain, tingling, or itchy feeling somewhere on the skin and usually on a single side of the body. This initial sensation normally lasts two to three days and then a shingles rash typically appears at the same location of the onset of the initial symptoms. Once the rash appears, the sensations turn to pain and can be constant and quite severe. The newly erupting rash can be anywhere from mild to severe and begins as fluid-filled blisters, similar to chickenpox blisters, in a band or a cluster following a nerve.

The common assumption in the medical community is that the frequency of shingles increases with age as the individuals’ immune systems are declining. The latest research, however, shows the real reason is because of vaccinated populations not expressing chickenpox coupled to the fact that older people receive fewer natural boosts to natural shingles immunity as their contacts with young children goes down (NVIC, 2012).

The medical community’s answer? More vaccines and more vaccine madness… Epidemiologists from the CDC are hoping “any possible shingles epidemic associated with the chickenpox vaccine can be offset by treating adults with a ‘shingles’ vaccine.” So, medical folly caused you to get shingles by giving you a chicken pox vaccine, and now they will give you yet another toxic vaccine in the hopes that in doing so you can avoid a possible shingles outbreak.

Research published in the International Journal of Toxicology by Gary S. Goldman, PhD., reveals high rates of shingles in Americans since the government’s 1995 push for all children to receive the recommended chicken pox vaccine. Goldman’s research supports that shingles is naturally suppressed in the adult by occasional contact with actual chicken pox. (Goldman, 2006) In effect, modern medicine set out to eradicate a minor childhood disease and caused a much worse disease later in life.

Adults receive natural immunity boosts against shingles by coming into contact with children infected with chicken pox.

Shingles vaccine fact

The shingles vaccine “protects” just half of those vaccinated (CDC, 2011). No one knows how long the “benefits” of the vaccine will last and each Zostavax shingle vaccination contains a litany of additives including MSG and aborted fetal cells and DNA.

Here’s what is in the ZOSTAVAX: Each dose contains 31.16 mg of sucrose, 15.58 mg of hydrolyzed porcine (PIG) gelatin, 3.99 mg of sodium chloride, 0.62 mg of monosodium L-glutamate, 0.57 mg of sodium phosphate dibasic, 0.10 mg of potassium phosphate monobasic, 0.10 mg of potassium chloride; residual components of MRC-5 (FETAL) cells including DNA and protein; and trace quantities of neomycin and bovine calf serum (Merck, 2011). Wait… what?? MSG? Fetal cells and DNA??? I wouldn’t take this deadly cocktail on a bet…

Natural solutions for shingles

Find a chickenpox party and get re-exposed! This will boost your natural immunity and help prevent shingles outbreaks.

An important part of avoiding or treating any disease including shingles is to support your body’s natural immune function. Your immune system can weaken as you age making it easier for shingles and other diseases to break through immune defenses. Taking probiotics to build the natural colon flora, where a bulk of the immune system is produced, is first-line defense for a strong immune system. In the digestive tract, probiotics inhibit bad bacteria, make short-chain fatty acids, help balance pH, keep the immune system running smoothly, normalize the rate of digestion and detoxify heavy metals and other food toxins.

Supporting normal thyroid function is also very important for healthy immune function. In any health battle, the thyroid needs to be functioning at its best as the immune system depends upon optimal thyroid function to battle disease. Cellular metabolism requires thyroid to perform normal duties — and double-duty in the case of disease. Terry Natural Thyroid Care Plus is a great product for normal thyroid maintenance.

Methylcobalamin B-12 as a daily supplement can help protect the all the nerves of the body where shingles makes its attack. There are inherant advantages to taking methyl B12 as a supplement -vs- cyano B12. The most important is that methyl B12 doesn’t have to engage the body’s resources to convert it into coenzyme form. Methylcobalamin is the most highly reduced form of vitamin B12 possible making it a very potent antioxidant. In a body undergoing oxidative stress from shingles or other disease process or from a diet deficient in antioxidants, methyl B12 production is impaired and needs extra support. Intramuscular methylcobalamin injections are a very wonderful source of shingles relief. 10,000mcg daily is what I recommend.

Vitamin C is a potent virus fighter and is highly effective at stopping a shingles outbreak. On initial diagnosis of shingles patients should immediately start taking copious amounts of vitamin C ascorbic acid (non-corn source). Most of the research behind vitamin C and shingles outbreaks involves intravenous treatment from as far back as 1950. In one early study 321 patients suffering with the shingles related herpes zoster were all cured within three days of intravenous vitamin C and 7 patients reported complete cessation of pain within 2 hours of the first treatment. Intravenous vitamin C is much more effective than oral vitamin C to treat an outbreak of shingles.

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is a very effective adjunct to treat a shingles outbreak. Start with ¾ tablespoon in 4 ounces of water imbibed 3 times a day. Using a cotton ball, dab some ACV directly on the lesions (it will burn at first). Next, apply a cream made up of 2 tablespoons of coconut oil with 2 tablespoons of aloe vera gel, 1 tablespoon of mixed tocopherol vitamin E, 1/2 teaspoon of powdered cayenne pepper and ½ teaspoon of DMSO. Heat this mixture in a double boiler until the coconut oil turns liquid and mix it up well. Gently rub this mixture onto the affected area with a cotton ball several times a day.

Manuka honey is more effective at treating secondary shingle bacterial infections than popular antibiotics. A study out of Cardiff found that Manuka honey eradicated 85% of a fully formed, extremely resistant strain of bacteria known as Streptococcus pyogenus. Honey actually breaks down the bio-film that different bacteria use to hide from the usual antibiotics. But don’t wait for the infection before applying honey because honey helps prevent infection in the first place. Store bought honey just won’t do at all and local honey is great but Manuka is best.

In effect, we have traded chickenpox for a worse case of shingles!

Authored by cancer nutritionist Craig Stellpflug NDC, CNC, Dayspring Cancer Clinic Scottsdale, AZ
Copyright 2012 Craig Stellpflug© Permission is hereby granted to copy and distribute this article but only in its entirety