Treatment with hookworm in Mexico

Hi, I was pleased with the facilities in Tijuana and the staff, pleasantly so. Not that this is a big building with dozens of staff, but it is a new building and everyone is pleasant and professional and it is very clean. USA clean.

The first visit I was given a complete medical exam, medical history was taken and blood was drawn for a bewildering array of tests with acronyms and names I cannot possibly remember.

Two days later I returned, and because my blood results and medical history were ok for treatment I was given the larvae.

Treatment was the simplest thing I have ever seen, just putting a glorified band aid on my forearm after signing some consents: I know this therapy isn't approved in the US, etc. I know it doesn't work for everyone, I will adhere to the follow up protocol I have been given, etc.

About ten minutes after the larvae was put on my skin I started to itch. Wow, did I itch. The next day after I removed the bandage I found what you would expect given the itch and the fact that I have always had reactive skin. A rash, about two inches square, the same size as the bandage, but not a solid red area, spotty. As if the larvae penetrating my skin had caused a red bump wherever one entered. Although I was told there was not necessarily a one to one correlation.

About four days later I had a "sore" chest, but no cough. Another week after that I started to get the gastric upset they had told me might happen. Just a mild stomach ache and some diarrhea that persisted for a couple of weeks.

That was it. It is now almost a month since I was treated (November 3 is the anniversary). I have had periods of improvement in my asthma and allergies, followed by the same old same old. They predicted this might happen, too. They told me that I should expect to see solid improvements, if I am going to, after week sixteen. I am hoping they are wrong on this, they did say that allergies and asthma seemed to be the quickest to respond to this approach. Some patients apparently see an improvement after four or five weeks. Which for me would be in a week or two. But it will be hard for me to gauge since my asthma and allergies are triggered by pollen, mold and dander. I suppose I could embrace a cat to test it in a few weeks.

Fingers crossed.

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