Antiviral agents

By definition, antiviral agents are drugs used in the prophylaxis or therapy of virus diseases. However, the drugs have been used in a wide range of conditions from acute infections such as influenza to chronic inflammatory diseases such as chronic fatigue syndrome. Antivirals have profound effects on the immune system as well as a number of serious adverse effects. Routine use is generally contraindicated for Marshall Protocol (MP) patients. The decision to use antivirals is one which patients should make with their physicians in light of known side effects, contraindications and personal risk of effects from the flu.

For many conditions, antiviral drugs alleviate symptoms of disease.¹ However, this could be due to its effect on the immune response. Not enough is known about how exactly antivirals interact with the immune system, but certain preliminary indications strongly suggest that the drugs interfere with immunopathology. This suggests that use of the drugs may delay recovery from chronic inflammatory disease.

The reported molecular actions of ganciclovir (Cytovene and Cymevene) may be telling.

During ganciclovir treatment of an adolescent ependymoma patient two weeks after intracranial implantation of HSVtk retroviral vector producer cells, increasing numbers of peripheral T- and B-cells were found as well as enhanced T-cell activation and elevated serum levels of interleukin 12 and soluble Fas ligand.

Kramm et al.²

While antiviral drugs are supposed to treat only a virus, they appear to have profound effects on other immune functions in the human body. For this reason they are contraindicated for MP patients.

Depending on the drug, antiviral drugs can have a number of side effects. Oseltamivir is somewhat typical. Common adverse drug reactions associated with oseltamivir therapy include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and headache as well as other neurological and psychiatric conditions.³

• acyclovir (Zovirax)
• famciclovir (Famvir)
• ganciclovir (Cytovene and Cymevene)
• osletamivir (Tamiflu) – Drug that interferes with flu viral reproduction. In order for it to be effective, it must be taken within 40 hours of developing the flu.
• valganciclovir (Valcyte)
• valcyclovir HCL (Valtrex)
• zanamivir (Relenza) – The drug is a powder that is inhaled twice a day for five days from a breath-activated plastic device. In order for the treatment to be most effective, patients need to start treatment within two days of the onset of symptoms.

• Flu Warning: Beware the Drug Companies!