Ozone Therapy And HBOT In Cyprus, Is It Worth It?

 

It is hard to believe it was one year ago I was receiving medical treatment in Cyprus. On May 3rd 2017 I travelled to Larnaca where I began my treatment at the Poseidonia Medical Centre. The Poseidonia Medical Centre offers a unique treatment package to treat Lyme Disease or ‘Lyme like illness’ as it is often referred to in Australia. The treatment protocol costs approximately €5,750.00 ($9,000 AUD) per person and involves –

• Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) – Daily sessions (40 hours) at 2.4 ATA.
• IV Ozone & Vitamin C – Daily sessions, Ozonated Saline & Vit C through a drip feed.
• Ultrasound – Professional handheld units – Daily sessions.
• Vielight Intranasal Laser Light Therapy – Daily sessions.
• Projuvenox™ FIR Detox/Lymphatic Massage or FIR Sauna with Chromotherapy Lighting System – Three times a week
• IV Laser Therapy – Twice per week.
• IV Minerals – Twice per week
• Ozonated Colonic Irrigation – Recommended 1 per week at a Colon Hydrotherapy clinic 5 minutes from the HBOT clinic.

The treatment protocol was gruelling. I attended the clinic 6 days per week from approximately 9 am until 2 pm each day. The days began with intravenous vitamin C (a small amount prior to the injection of ozone), Russian ozone therapy, laser, intranasal laser therapy and this was followed by hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Projuvenox, intravenous minerals and the colonic were alternated each day of the week.

There wasn’t really any time to rest at the clinic. A small amount of time was allocated for a bite to eat in between treatments. I felt like I was back at school, being ordered around and feeling the pressure of the tight schedule. There was a lack of empathy from the staff. I was judged almost immediately upon walking into the clinic for the first time about how I was ‘high functioning’ because of the way I look. This is certainly not new for me but I expected there to be some level of understanding from the staff. Some disabilities are invisible.

In general I felt the clinic lacked professionalism so therefore I didn’t feel particularly safe or at ease during my 27 days of treatment. The treatment protocol for Lyme Disease at Poseidonia Medical Centre was only created shortly prior to my arrival so consequently staff were eager for feedback from myself and other patients. Unfortunately the feedback delivered was not received with grace, and conversations often ended in conflict. I believe constructive criticism is imperative for a clinic such as the Poseidonia Medical Centre.

I personally found travelling to Cyprus extremely challenging because I was feeling so  incredibly physically fragile at the time. The air travel itself was exhausting, especially without any assistance. I reacted negatively to the flight itself because of the excessive radiation, toxic recycled air and time zone changes. If you are considering treatment overseas please do think really hard about whether your tolerance for air travel will impact the results of the therapies.

If I am honest I didn’t particularly warm to the area I was staying in Cyprus or the country itself. There are some beautiful areas in the Troodos mountains, and Ayia Napa is worth visiting. I did enjoy seeing Aphrodite’s rock.

What was most confronting for me was the way I was treated by the Cypriot men during my stay in Cyprus. They were generally misogynistic and when I was in the company of a male, they only spoke directly to the male. My advice would be to have someone to travel with if you are a female. I had men approach me on my apartment balcony often – some were harmless bearing flowers, others were predatory asking for affection. Old men often yelled from their shop fronts, one grabbed my hand, forcing me to stroke his beard, another yelled slut aggressively as he drove by. This is just a snap shot of my experience, and it is just that, my experience.

It has been a year since my treatment in Cyprus and I can confidently say that unfortunately it did not help me in any way that is evident. My condition actually declined during my treatment and by the end my adrenals had crashed, candida had flared and I was a mess physically and emotionally, The exacerbation of my symptoms during treatment could have been due to what some refer to as a herxheimer reaction because of bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi dying off. I usually see an improvement after this has passed but for me this was not the case. I have been trying to pick up the pieces for the last year.

I personally believe toxicity is at the very core of all chronic illness and for me this is certainly the case. My time in Cyprus really did shine a light on this for me and even after so many years of detoxification I know I need to focus solely on addressing mercury toxicity. Another profound insight for me occured during my 27 x Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy sessions when my ears did not neutralise. The only way my ears would neutralise was by drinking a litre of water and swallowing hard which left me busting to go to the toilet during the 2 hours HBOT sessions. Each HBOT session was nerve wracking and painful because my ears were so full of fluid. The reason my ears are so congested is mainly due to structural issues. I have had TMD for 14 years and I only just discovered the cause after finally seeing a very experienced neuromuscular dentist – an underdeveloped upper jaw and significant over closed bite which in turn forces the lower jaw to close in a retruded (backward) position compressing the TMJ joints. The TMJ spaces consist of nerves, blood vessels, ligaments, muscles and tendons. Because my lower jaw sits too far back it presses against my ear canal, restricts blood and glymphatic flow and causes sleep apnea because my tongue sits too far back and blocks my air way. If you have issues with your jaw this article is a must read.

‘Impairment of the glymphatic system: The brain has two main methods of detoxification. One is melatonin, and the other is the glymphatic system. When you sleep, the brain shrinks, and gets “washed” with CSF. The glymphatc systems physically moves by the pumping action of the jaw every time you swallow. With TMD, this pumping action is inadequate due to lack of vertical height of the molars, and thus toxins are unable to be cleared by the brain. The body will sometimes try to compensate by grinding or clenching the jaw at night (though this can also be a symptom of parasites).’ – Bryant Rubright

This post is simply sharing my experience. I wanted to be honest and completely transparent. I hope that sharing my experience is helpful to you and please contact me if you have any further questions regarding ozone and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. There are ways to access this treatment in Australia and to do it yourself for a fraction of the price.

With love, Amy