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How Getting an “Oil Change” Fixed My Brain Fog and Fatigue.

August 1, 2024

Over the last 30 years I’ve had both the curse and blessing of being sick many times.

The curse was feeling like crap for years. The blessing was having to investigate the science for innovative treatments to help me recover.

First, I got very sick with mercury poisoning at 36, which led to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Then I got Lyme disease and Babesia, two nasty tick infections, and finally, about 7 years ago, mold toxicity.

Despite all my knowledge and dedication to healthy living, I still had residual brain fog and fatigue that prevented me from being able to be fully healthy and live my life without struggling.

I’d done so much to get better and mostly healed from all the illness, but despite all my normal practices—the ones that I’ve used on myself and my patients with success—I still wasn’t 100%. I’d bonk out at night and just couldn’t function well.

Over the years I’ve used a procedure called phospholipid exchange to help people recover from mold and chronic illness. I even used it on myself. This procedure is also known as the PK protocol, after a scientist that developed it named Patricia Kane.

However, new advancements have made a dramatic difference for me and my patients with an upgraded version of the protocol. And now there’s a test (albeit hard to get and done in Germany by a lab called IGL) that can measure the health of your mitochondria, your cell membrane health, and the load of intracellular toxins that have been historically very hard to measure such as heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides like glyphosate, microplastics, phthalates, mold toxins, and many more industrial chemicals.

Finally, we have a way to measure the effects of treatment before and after treatment.

The sad fact is that we’re all toxic waste dumps, our bodies laden with environmental toxins. This upgraded PK protocol replaces the fats in your cell membranes and flushes out all the toxins stored in fat and repairs your cell membranes and mitochondria.

The PK Protocol focuses on repairing damaged cells and eliminating built-up toxins to improve your overall health. By strengthening your cell membranes, enhancing detoxification processes, and boosting energy production, it helps your body function more efficiently and reduces persistent symptoms.

So today, I want to share my personal story with the PK Protocol and how it helped me regain my health and vitality. But first a little background on what it is and what it does.

Phospholipid Exchange with Phosphatidylcholine

Mechanisms

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is a major component of cell membranes and plays a critical role in maintaining cell structure and function. Phospholipid exchange therapy involves the administration of PC to replenish and repair damaged cell membranes.¹ This process can help restore membrane fluidity, improve cellular signaling, and enhance overall cell function.²

Benefits³

Cell Membrane Repair: PC integrates into cell membranes, repairing and restoring their structural integrity. This is particularly beneficial in conditions where membrane damage is prevalent, such as in liver disease and neurodegenerative disorders.
Detoxification: PC supports the detoxification processes by facilitating the removal of toxins from cells and tissues. This is crucial for individuals exposed to environmental toxins and those undergoing detoxification protocols.
Neuroprotection: Phospholipid exchange with PC has been shown to support cognitive function and protect against neurodegeneration. This is due to PC's role in maintaining neuronal cell membrane integrity and supporting neurotransmitter function.
Liver Health: PC is essential for liver function, particularly in the synthesis and secretion of lipoproteins. Supplementation with PC can improve liver health and function, making it a valuable component of treatments for liver diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and hepatitis.

Here are a few examples of different disorders and conditions that the PK Protocol can address:

Alzheimer’s
Anti-Aging, Longevity
Autism and Developmental Delays
Cardiac Disease, Hypercoagulation, Hyperlipidemia, Vascular Inflammation
Cancer
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Epilepsy
Heavy Metal Detoxification
Hepatitis C
Huntington’s Disease
Inherited and Acquired Metabolic Disorders/Abnormalities
Lyme/Neuro Lyme
Multiple Sclerosis
Neurotoxicity
Parkinson’s
Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS)
Pesticide/Chemical Poisoning
Post-Cerebral Vascular Accident (post-stroke)
Mold Exposure and Illness

Getting to the Root Cause of my Symptoms

When I found myself unable to fully recover from all the insults my body endured over the years, I knew I needed a deeper dive into my biology. The first step was to find out what was driving my symptoms.

It’s important to get comprehensive blood testing before doing the PK protocol. All the needed tests can be done with the company I co-founded, Function Health for $499 (over 110 biomarkers) by going to www.functionhealth.com/mark.

But most tests can’t look at the deeply stored toxins in your cells. Toxins are stored in fat not the blood so it is very hard to test for them. That’s why I’m excited about IGL Labs in Germany that measures the toxins embedded in your cell membranes through testing your white blood cells. They offer advanced diagnostic services that are particularly good at identifying hidden toxicities and cellular damage.

The comprehensive tests from IGL Labs gave me a clear picture of my mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, membrane health, and the load of toxins I still carried with me even after years of trying to get rid of them through diet, saunas, supplements, and other IVs. My results were a bit shocking but helped me see what I needed to address (scroll down to see my before and after PK protocol results).

Starting the PK Protocol

Armed with detailed insights from IGL Labs, I started the upgraded PK Protocol with high dose PC, the main fat that makes up your cell membranes. It took a total of 20 treatments over 10 weeks. There are a total of three separate IV infusions to be given over approximately 1 to 2 hours. These included:

High dose PC infusion to rebuild cell membranes.
Glutathione infusion to combat inflammation and oxidative stress.
Nutrient infusion to replenish my body (these included a B-complex, folate, B12, biotin, zinc, manganese, magnesium, taurine, carnitine, and thiamine).

I immediatelyI started noticing gradual improvements in my energy levels and mental clarity. With each treatment, brain fog and fatigue got better. And after the 20 treatments I felt better than I have in years. I also took Sodium Phenylbutyrate daily by mouth to help eliminate nitrogen waste from the body (which could complement the detoxification goals).

Monitoring Progress and Measuring Success

I tested myself before and after the treatment and the results were shocking and dramatic. Both in my results and in how I felt.

Here are my before and after results:

Phosphatidylcholine Levels

Before the PK Protocol: My PC levels were low, suggesting that my body didn’t have enough of this key molecule to restore my damaged cell membranes. And my mitochondria (our little energy factories) were just not firing on all cylinders.

After the PK Protocol: My PC levels were within normal range, showing that the infusion worked as intended.

Heavy Metals Levels

Before the PK Protocol (left panel): My heavy metals and toxins were all high with mercury falling into the “very high” range. My body was under a tremendous toxic burden.

After the PK Protocol (right panel): The levels of these “bad guys” were brought down to normal or tolerable/borderline range (I’ll take it!). So not only was I feeling better, I saw the biochemical confirmation that the treatments worked to relieve my body of a whole load of toxins that are very hard to get rid of with any other type of therapy.

EC-SOD

Before the PK protocol: My levels Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase (EC-SOD) were low. EC-SOD helps protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals, which are harmful molecules. Measuring EC-SOD levels can show how well your body is defending itself against oxidative stress, with lower levels suggesting your body isn’t keeping up with its defense mechanisms.

After the PK protocol: My EC-SOD levels normalized, which is great because that suggests that my body was finally better protected.

The re-testing showed significant reductions in my toxic burden and a dramatic improvement in my mitochondrial function which translated into more mental focus, clarity, and energy than I had in years. The exciting part was that my lab parameters were mirrored in how I felt—my energy levels were higher, my brain fog had lifted, and I no longer felt drained and frustrated.

I’ve used this on many patients including those with dementia, Parkinson’s, chronic fatigue, mold toxicity, autoimmune disease and more. It has been one of the most effective treatments I’ve used in my 30 years of practicing Functional Medicine.

In fact, I believe that all of us have a significant toxic burden. This has been shown clearly in fat biopsy studies where all study participants were loaded with toxins.⁴

Basically if we were food we would not be safe to eat.

We know that cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, autoimmune disease, mental illness, and more are all linked to environmental toxins. Until now we haven’t had good tools to test and treat our total body burden of toxins and rebuild our cells and mitochondria.

I believe with more research this approach to treatment of chronic illness, prevention and to support healthy aging will be found to be one of the most effective things you can do to upgrade your health.

If you’re struggling with persistent health issues, consider exploring this comprehensive and personalized approach to healing.

Is the PK Protocol Right for You?

If you're considering the PK Protocol and wondering if it's a good fit for you, there are a few key points to consider:

Currently, the PK Protocol is primarily available through specialized healthcare providers and is often used for specific health conditions (see above). It’s not yet a mainstream treatment for the general public.

The cost of the protocol can be significant, especially given the comprehensive nature of the treatment, which includes multiple intravenous (IV) therapies, supplements, and diagnostic tests. This may be a barrier for some individuals.

What Does the Research Say?

Research on the PK Protocol and phospholipid exchange therapy is ongoing, with several studies demonstrating the benefits of these approaches in various conditions.

For example, lipid replacement therapies have been used to address fatigue in patients with a variety of clinical diagnoses without adverse effects.⁵⁻⁸

However, as more research supports the efficacy of the PK Protocol and demand increases, there may be greater accessibility and potentially lower costs in the future.

For now, if you’re dealing with persistent symptoms that haven’t responded to traditional treatments, it may be worth exploring this innovative approach under the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider. You can contact my team at the UltraWellness Center, or find a Functional Medicine practitioner near you.

References

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Nicolson GL, Ferreira de Mattos G, Ash M, Settineri R, Escribá PV. Fundamentals of Membrane Lipid Replacement: A Natural Medicine Approach to Repairing Cellular Membranes and Reducing Fatigue, Pain, and Other Symptoms While Restoring Function in Chronic Illnesses and Aging. Membranes (Basel). 2021 Nov 29;11(12):944. doi: 10.3390/membranes11120944. PMID: 34940446; PMCID: PMC8707623.
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Maev IV, Samsonov AA, Palgova LK, Pavlov CS, Shirokova EN, Vovk EI, Starostin KM. Effectiveness of phosphatidylcholine as adjunctive therapy in improving liver function tests in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic comorbidities: real-life observational study from Russia. BMJ Open Gastroenterol. 2020 Mar 26;7(1):e000368. doi: 10.1136/bmjgast-2019-000368. PMID: 32337059; PMCID: PMC7170405.
Conde-Torres D, Blanco-González A, Seco-González A, Suárez-Lestón F, Cabezón A, Antelo-Riveiro P, Piñeiro Á, García-Fandiño R. Unraveling lipid and inflammation interplay in cancer, aging and infection for novel theranostic approaches. Front Immunol. 2024 Feb 1;15:1320779. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1320779. PMID: 38361953; PMCID: PMC10867256.