8 Reasons for Caution

 

What reasons are there for using extreme caution in promoting Fenbendazole throughout the natural health industry?

 

1. As previously established, it is a drug. It is not a natural supplement. It is as much a natural supplement as is Mebendazole (Vermox) – the drug from whence it came. That alone creates ethical and philosophical problems for any professionals in the field of natural medicine to involve themselves in dispensing it (not to mention the legal ones alluded to earlier).

2. It is a veterinary medicine. While we acknowledge that veterinary science is 50 years ahead of human medicine in many ways, dosages of drugs for animals are difficult to translate accurately for humans, particularly children, and there is a lack of safety studies, necessary for safely using drugs which are new substances to the human experience, in humans.

3. Long-term implications. While anecdotal reports of the use of Fenbendazole exist from the faithful about continual use over many years with no health implications, it is important to note that antiparasitic drugs are not designed to be used in this manner. All antiparasitic substances, whether synthetic (pharmaceutical) or natural, are killers. Even natural compounds in this category are never recommended to be used without interruption over an extended period, much less those designed and manufactured by human hands. This leads us to the next issue,

4. Lifecycle. Whether helminthic or protozoan, parasites tend to have varied lifecycle stages. This includes eggs, larvae and mature adults. Some fluke varieties can cycle through 5 different stages on their way from egg to adult. Extended (not endless) courses involving daily administration of antiparasitic substances are required to outlast all of this life development, and drugs are not designed to be used in this way, (i.e. continuously for 4 or more weeks at a time to finish the job). Drugs have much more defined safe-use limits than natural substances do. And if lifecycle is not broken in parasites, they will survive on to fight another day. Interestingly, in one study Fenbendazole successfully addressed pinworm infection in mice, but the worms returned just 3 weeks after stopping the treatment. 18

5. While Fenbendazole has been known and well-documented, mainly in animal health, over a 50-year period, this does not qualify it as a properly understood compound. 50 years in the context of the human experience is a drop in the ocean compared to things gifted to us by nature that have co-existed with humans for many thousands of years of recorded history. Benzimidazole drugs, like Fenbendazole, are completely new substances to the human experience, and we really don’t know what very long-term use of these synthetic compounds will ultimately cause.

6. While Fenbendazole has shown promise in fighting fungal organisms such as Cryptococcus species 8, so far there are no signs that it addresses candida, including the omnipresent albicans species. This is typical of all antibiotic/antiparasitic drugs, and candida infection remains the co-infection of every other infection. 19 Natural anti-candida treatments will likely need to be resorted to in conjunction with, or after ceasing, Fenbendazole so as to properly address this related infection. 20

7. Resistance. Yes, as with all synthetic chemicals and compounds designed to outsmart microbial menace, parasites are starting to show resistance to Fenbendazole in certain settings. 21 22 23 Experience has shown over-use of antibiotic and anthelmintic drugs in both animal and human health accelerates obsolescence. Natural treatments have a definite advantage here. 24

8. Safety. No drug carries a 100% safety profile, and while the pharmaceutical industry is quick to talk up the dangers of herbs and other naturally occurring materials, synthetic drugs containing chemicals new to the human experience carry a whole different level of side-effects, particularly when they are used in ways for which they were never intended. Fenbendazole, as with any drug, has its skeletons in the closet here as well. Studies have shown conflicting results for Fenbendazole’s influence on bone marrow and the integrity of certain elements of the immune system, and at least one case of liver injury has been noted with a cancer patient self-administering this drug. 18 25 Of course, nothing is perfect and every treatment option should be accompanied with a cost/benefit analysis. Being aware of the real consequences of antiparasitic drugs is vital to make informed decisions in this respect, though. This can’t be done if a drug’s true profile is whitewashed for the purpose due to charismatic fervour.

 

Like all drugs, Fenbendazole is there to be used, when needed, as directed, and for the purpose for which it was designed. As such, it is a useful drug that shows promise for safely eliminating adult and (in some cases) larval parasite lifeforms in animals and probably humans. It also shows promise in assisting certain medical cancer treatments, and research is continuing to be done to explore this potential.

 

It is not a natural supplement, though. And as such it should be treated with all of the caution that any other drug merits.

 

Neither is it in any way suppressed or restricted from sale to prevent a “miracle healing” secret from leaking out into the wider population. There was never a suggestion that Fenbendazole treated COVID19 (as there was with Ivermectin) and no moves have been made bury the drug for human use. Indeed, drug companies have no incentive to prevent sales of this product as they own it and earn big dollars from it. And research seems to go on apace by big pharma to determine how best to incorporate Fenbendazole into existing oncology protocols.

 

Our decades of experience has reinforced another lesson when it comes to fighting the never-ending peril posed by infectious disease as well: one cannot break clear of parasites and pathogens by just a focus on killing them off. The most effective way to manage the infection threat is to work with the defence mechanisms already in the human body that specifically exist there to stop new infections and prevent existing ones from breaking out and causing disease – the human immune system. Trillions of friendly, microbial coworkers all cooperating toward a common goal – to keep infections under control. That can only be done by a Weed, Seed & Feed approach. Weeding when needed, and filling our lives at every other time with nutrition, vitamins, minerals, probiotic-rich fermented foods and living enzymes from fresh, raw and organic food (seeding and feeding).

 

A balanced approach

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It would be a disgrace to begrudge the success that many people have received by using Fenbendazole in treating Lyme disease, Morgellons, Cancer or other serious conditions. But it would also be dishonest to misrepresent this drug as a natural, completely safe compound with no pernicious effects. It needs to be treated with all of the respect and caution of any synthetic benzimidazole-class drug.

 

There is no wonder drug or herb that can resolve all of our problems. If we choose drugs or natural options to manage the threat of infections or other health problems, though, let us do so with a full understanding of what we are actually working with, particularly if we take responsibility for the health of others.

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REFERENCES:

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1. Porter M. A.,  The Inside Story on Gut Health  Ocean Reeve Publishing (2023)  p63

2. Victorian Department of Health ‘Gastroenteritis -giardiasis’ https://giardiasis (accessed November 3, 2021)

3. Duda, A., Kosik-Bogacka, D., Lanocha-Arendarcyzk, N., Kolodziejczyk, L., Lanocha, A. The Prevalence of Blastocystis hominis and Other Protozoan Parasites in Soldiers Returning from Peacekeeping Missions, J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 92(4), 2015, pp. 805-806

4. Center for Disease Control and Prevention Hookworm FAQs https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/hookworm/gen_info/faqs.html (Sept 17, 2020)

5. Laing R, Gillan V, Devaney E. Ivermectin - Old Drug, New Tricks? Trends Parasitol. 2017 Jun;33(6):463-472. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2017.02.004. Epub 2017 Mar 9. PMID: 28285851; PMCID: PMC5446326.

6. Baeder, C., Bähr, H., Christ, O., Düwel, D., Kellner, H., Kirsch, R., Loewe, H., Schultes, E., Schütz, E., & Westen, H. (2005). Fenbendazole: A new, highly effective anthelmintic. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 30(7), 753-754.

7. Fenbendazole  Drugbank Online  https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB11410 (accessed 20/11/2024)

8. Haroldo C. de Oliveira, Marcio L. Rodrigues  Repurposing benzimidazoles to fight Cryptococcus  Fungal Biology Reviews 37(Pt 6):27-40  DOI:10.1016/j.fbr.2021.04.002  September 2021

9. Velík J, Baliharová V, Fink-Gremmels J, Bull S, Lamka J, Skálová L. Benzimidazole drugs and modulation of biotransformation enzymes. Res Vet Sci. 2004 Apr;76(2):95-108. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2003.08.005. PMID: 14672851.

10. Fenbendazolehelp.org  History of Fenbendazole: A Journey of Discovery & Surprises  https://fenbendazolehelp.org/history-of-fenbendazole-a-journey-of-discovery-surprises/ (accessed 21/11/2024)

11. Sultana T, Jan U, Lee H, Lee H, Lee JI. Exceptional Repositioning of Dog Dewormer: Fenbendazole Fever. Curr Issues Mol Biol. 2022 Oct 17;44(10):4977-4986. doi: 10.3390/cimb44100338. PMID: 36286053; PMCID: PMC9600184.

12. Ferreri AJM, Cecchetti C, Kiesewetter B, Sassone M, Calimeri T, Perrone S, Ponzoni M, Raderer M. Clarithromycin as a "repurposing drug" against MALT lymphoma. Br J Haematol. 2018 Sep;182(6):913-915. doi: 10.1111/bjh.14878. Epub 2017 Aug 2. PMID: 28771670.

13. Nath J, Paul R, Ghosh SK, Paul J, Singha B, Debnath N. Drug repurposing and relabeling for cancer therapy: Emerging benzimidazole antihelminthics with potent anticancer effects. Life Sci. 2020 Oct 1;258:118189. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118189. Epub 2020 Aug 8. PMID: 32781060.

14. Abadi ATB. Resistance to clarithromycin and gastroenterologist's persistence roles in nomination for Helicobacter pylori as high priority pathogen by World Health Organization. World J Gastroenterol. 2017 Sep 21;23(35):6379-6384. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v23.i35.6379. PMID: 29085187; PMCID: PMC5643263.

15. Nath J, Paul R, Ghosh SK, Paul J, Singha B, Debnath N. Drug repurposing and relabeling for cancer therapy: Emerging benzimidazole antihelminthics with potent anticancer effects. Life Sci. 2020 Oct 1;258:118189. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118189. Epub 2020 Aug 8. PMID: 32781060.

16. Joo H, Lee J, Maskery BA, Park C, Alpern JD, Phares CR, Weinberg M, Stauffer WM. The Effect of Drug Pricing on Outpatient Payments and Treatment for Three Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections in the United States, 2010-2017. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2021 Mar 8;104(5):1851-1857. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-1452. PMID: 33684066; PMCID: PMC8103488.

17. Tippen, Joe  Change of Attitude Starts with a Change of perspective  https://mycancerstory.rocks/the-blog/  (accessed 22/11/2024)

18. Cray C, Altman NH. An Update on the Biologic Effects of Fenbendazole. Comp Med. 2022 Aug 1;72(4):215-219. doi: 10.30802/AALAS-CM-22-000006. Epub 2022 Jun 28. PMID: 35764389; PMCID: PMC9413524.

19. Porter M. A., The Inside Story on Gut Health  Ocean Reeve Publishing (2023)  pp362-363

20. Ibid pp356-358

21. Collins JB, Jordan B, Baldwin L, Hebron C, Paras K, Vidyashankar AN, Kaplan RM. Resistance to fenbendazole in Ascaridia dissimilis, an important nematode parasite of turkeys. Poult Sci. 2019 Nov 1;98(11):5412-5415. doi: 10.3382/ps/pez379. PMID: 31328783.

22. Dauparaitė E, Kupčinskas T, Varady M, Petkevičius S. Anthelmintic resistance of horse strongyle nematodes to fenbendazole in Lithuania. Acta Vet Scand. 2022 Sep 15;64(1):26. doi: 10.1186/s13028-022-00645-y. PMID: 36109767; PMCID: PMC9479362.

23. Collins JB, Jordan B, Vidyashankar A, Bishop A, Kaplan RM. Fenbendazole resistance in Heterakis gallinarum, the vector of Histomonas meleagridis, on a broiler breeder farm in South Carolina. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports. 2022 Nov;36:100785. doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100785. Epub 2022 Sep 22. PMID: 36436885.

24. Porter M. A., The Inside Story on Gut Health  Ocean Reeve Publishing (2023)  pp214-228

25. Yamaguchi T, Shimizu J, Oya Y, Horio Y, Hida T. Drug-Induced Liver Injury in a Patient with Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer after the Self-Administration of Fenbendazole Based on Social Media Information. Case Rep Oncol. 2021 Jun 17;14(2):886-891. doi: 10.1159/000516276. PMID: 34248555; PMCID: PMC8255718.