Introduction to the Marshall Protocol

For more details on how and when to use the Marshall Protocol medications, consult the Phase One and Phase Two guidelines.

The vitamin D derived from food and supplements is converted into 25-hydroxyvitamin DThe vitamin D metabolite widely (and erroneously) considered best indicator of vitamin D "deficiency." Inactivates the Vitamin D Nuclear Receptor. Produced by hydroxylation of vitamin D3 in the liver. , the form of vitamin D which dysregulates the Vitamin D ReceptorA nuclear receptor located throughout the body that plays a key role in the innate immune response., preventing the innate immune system from functioning properly. Such dysregulation counteracts the effects of olmesartan (Benicar). A 25-DThe vitamin D metabolite widely (and erroneously) considered best indicator of vitamin D "deficiency." Inactivates the Vitamin D Nuclear Receptor. Produced by hydroxylation of vitamin D3 in the liver. level of under 12 ng/ml allows the immune system to function properly.

Patients on the Marshall Protocol (MP) are required to avoid all ingested forms of vitamin D.

A number of foods contain vitamin D, either naturally or because it has been added during processing. It is important to read labels. However, sometimes a label will not state that a food is supplemented with vitamin D. In such cases, the only real way for a MP patient to determine whether a food has vitamin D is to test his/her 25-D level. A 25-D level of 12 ng/ml or less indicates successful avoidance of ingested vitamin D.

Immunopathology is an increase in one's present symptoms of Th1 inflammationThe complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli such as pathogens or damaged cells. It is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli as well as initiate the healing process for the tissue., or a return of previous Th1 inflammatory symptoms, that is caused by cytokinesAny of various protein molecules secreted by cells of the immune system that serve to regulate the immune system. and endotoxins being released from dying bacteria. Occasionally, immunopathology will consist of a new symptom or abnormal lab value due to the occurrence of subclinical inflammation that has been revealed by the Marshall Protocol (MP). Immunopathology is a necessary part of recovery for most patients. The amount of immunopathology a patient experiences on the Marshall Protocol (MP) is correlated with disease severity. Patients who are less sick will have comparatively less strong immunopathology.

Immunopathology is sometimes used synonymously with “herx” or the “Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction.”

Note that three forms of immunopathology are particularly life-threatening and should be handled with an abundance of caution: cardiac immunopathologyAn exacerbation in symptoms of the heart muscle. Requires careful management by physicians., neurological immunopathologyA temporary exacerbation of neurological symptoms due to bacterial death. Requires careful management by physicians., and respiratory immunopathologyA temporary exacerbation in symptoms of the lungs due to bacterial death. Requires careful management by physicians..

The exact length of time the Marshall Protocol (MP) takes depends on any number of factors, including degree of illness, amount of fibrosis, subclinical inflammation, the functionality of the kidney, and personal preference to remain on the MP.

While someone who is very ill can expect the MP to take in the range of 3-5 years, there is no way to know for sure how long the treatment will take. Due to the nature of immunopathology, feelings of well-being and blood markers of disease tend to be variable in the short-term and improve over the long-term. Also owing to the nature of infection, different symptoms will improve at different rates.

So long as one is responding to antibiotics with symptoms that wax and wane, there are still bacteria to be killed.

Note that there is no requirement that patients reach the maximum dosages for all antibiotics or do all antibiotic combinations in order to complete the Protocol. In many cases, patients can make considerable progress on olmesatan (Benicar) alone due to production of the body's own antimicrobial peptidesBody’s naturally produced broad-spectrum antibacterials which target pathogens.. However, it is considered ideal to stay on the Protocol until one has tried all the combinations and no longer experiences immunopathological reactions from the antibiotics.

One of the prerequisites for starting on the Marshall Protocol (MP), a treatment that often lasts for multiple years, is the money and/or insurance necessary to pay for certain basic expenses. These expenses include clinic visits, laboratory tests, medications, and special protective sunglasses. Some of these costs are fully or partially covered by insurance. Patients can check their coverage before agreeing to a visit, test or medication so that they are aware of the potential cost. In the United States, insurance coverage varies widely. Patients usually obtain full insurance coverage for the Protocol. The support given on the MP study site is free.

According to the Marshall PathogenesisA description for how chronic inflammatory diseases originate and develop., chronic inflammatory disease is caused by a microbiotaThe bacterial community which causes chronic diseases - one which almost certainly includes multiple species and bacterial forms. of bacteria, including L-form bacteriaDifficult-to-culture bacteria that lack a cell wall and are not detectable by traditional culturing processes. Sometimes referred to as cell wall deficient bacteria., biofilmA structured community of microorganisms encapsulated within a self-developed protective matrix and living together. bacteria, and intracellular bacterial forms. These bacterial forms are collectively known as the Th1 pathogens, and they collectively cause the Th1 diseases. Although the exact species and forms of bacteria, as well as the location and extent of the infection, vary between one patient suffering from chronic disease and the next, the disease process is common: bacterial pathogens persist and reproduce by disabling the innate immune responseThe body's first line of defense against intracellular and other pathogens. According to the Marshall Pathogenesis the innate immune system becomes disabled as patients develop chronic disease..

As counterintuitive as the theory of a Th1 Spectrum Disorder may seem to some medical specialists, it has been the experience of Autoimmunity Research FoundationNon-profit foundation dedicated to exploring a pathogenesis and therapy for chronic disease. that nearly all MP patients with inflammatory disease eventually respond with immunopathologyA temporary increase in disease symptoms experienced by Marshall Protocol patients that results from the release of cytokines and endotoxins as disease-causing bacteria are killed.–the predictable rise and fall of symptoms, which is taken to be a sign of progress.

Some diseases are represented by more patients trying the therapy than others. As more patients join the MP cohort, the Autoimmunity Research Foundation will gather more data about the efficacy of the treatment with respect to individual diseases. In the meantime, the MP may be an appropriate treatment option for some of the diseases listed below.

Approximately twenty patients have shared their stories of recovery on Bacteriality.com.