Schizophrenia might be caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. I wrote about Toxoplasma gondii years ago in Fix Your Gut.
“Piperidine is used in both the treatment of parasites and worms in animals and the treatment of schizophrenia, in humans. Researchers propose that schizophrenia may result from a parasite infection like T. gondii.”
Finally, the news media and the medical establishment has gotten around to reporting it.1 2 3 This information was known by researchers as early as 1982, schizophrenia is a latent Toxoplasma gondii infection.4
Therefore, how many studies have there been to establish a link? Quite a few studies, see for yourself.
For centuries, cats were the end host for Toxoplasma gondii. The parasite would drive mice mad and cause them to become friendly around cats and even play dead in some instances so that they would eat them. The parasite would cause the mice to sacrifice themselves so that the parasite would survive in their preferred feline hosts. There is a theory that the parasite later caused cats to become domesticated so the parasite could attempt to increase its life cycle.5 6
Cats warmed up to their human masters driven by Toxoplasma gondii madness to find a greater host to infect the world. Sadly, humans do not spread Toxoplasma gondii easy like cats or mice, but can develop latent infections for long periods of time, which eventually infect the brain and cause schizophrenia.7 8
Tests to Determine an Infection
Toxoplasma gondii can be tested using blood tests for antibodies, either IGG or IGM. IGM antibodies are produced by you coming into contact with the parasite and occurs for a few weeks after contact. Higher levels of IGM antibodies to the parasite could be produced during an chronic active infection.9 10 11
IGG antibodies are produced by the body several weeks after contact with the parasite. IGG is a good test to determine if you came into contact with Toxoplasma gondii but is a poor indicator of an active infection unless greatly elevated in combination with IGM antibodies.12 13 14
PCR testing can also be performed to determine Toxoplasma gondii infection through the analysis of DNA. Samples can be taken from blood, but the use of CSF though invasive might be needed to determine an active brain infection of the parasite.15 16 17
- http://www.newsweek.com/what-toxoplasmosis-and-should-you-be-concerned-340952 ↩
- http://time.com/3912258/cats-parasite-mental-illness/ ↩
- http://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1111%2Facps.12423?r3_referer=wol&tracking_action=preview_click&show_checkout=1&purchase_referrer=onlinelibrary.wiley.com&purchase_site_license=LICENSE_DENIED_NO_CUSTOMER ↩
- http://www.medicaldaily.com/toxoplasma-gondii-parasite-cat-feces-linked-schizophrenia-and-other-mental-illness-337030 ↩
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2865090/ ↩
- http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2013/09/18/toxoplasma-infection-permanently-shifts-balance-in-cat-and-mouse-game/ ↩
- http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2013/09/18/toxoplasma-infection-permanently-shifts-balance-in-cat-and-mouse-game/ ↩
- http://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1111%2Facps.12423?r3_referer=wol&tracking_action=preview_click&show_checkout=1&purchase_referrer=onlinelibrary.wiley.com&purchase_site_license=LICENSE_DENIED_NO_CUSTOMER ↩
- https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/toxoplasmosis/tab/test/ ↩
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2659488/ ↩
- http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/185/Supplement_1/S73.full ↩
- https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/toxoplasmosis/tab/test/ ↩
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2659488/ ↩
- http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/185/Supplement_1/S73.full ↩
- https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/toxoplasmosis/tab/test/ ↩
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2659488/ ↩
- http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/185/Supplement_1/S73.full ↩
Hello John,
Thank you for posting this. Very interesting. My older brother was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder in March 2017 and we are desperate to help him. He won’t stay on medications because he says it makes him feel like a zombie, so I’ve been researching to find a holistic treatment. I noticed in your previous comment you said “once it reaches the brain your options are slim.” Assuming Toxoplasma gondii is the cause of these types of mental illnesses, are you implying that medications may not help once it reaches the brain? Sorry if this question sounds ridiculous. Pretty desperate for answers here. If you have any other resources you would recommend, I would appreciate that too.
Thank you, John.
Hannah
Dear Hannah,
Once a person has schizophrenia because the T. gondii has reached or become active in the brain, it can be very difficult to correct the course. The longer the person has suffered from schizophrenia the longer damage has been done to the brain. I would recommend talking to your doctor about changing his diet to the Perfect Health Diet and if that does not work a low histamine diet. I would recommend looking into supplementation of supplements that improve neural health, CBD oil, curcumin, high dose quality fish oil, magnesium, resveratrol, good sources of healthy fat, and proper sunlight exposure. Finally, I would consider a parasite protocol.
John
Thanks. You mean like antibiotics / anti malaria drugs?
Yes, it doesn’t seem to be getting better / worse so I will make an appointment. Have tried the usual vit c , d , iodine, lactoferrin, nac but doesn’t seem to help.
Correct, once it reaches the brain your options are slim. Bioperine may help in combination with curcumin. All the other agents you mention would mainly work locally in the gut, iodine and lactoferrin.
Hi Rob,
I appreciate this post is pretty historic but hoping you pick it up on the off chance! Did you have any success? I’m in exactly the same position that you described – have tried plenty of things without success while my doctor simply says to rest…
Thanks
Bert
what do you recommend for someone who has an active infection with Toxoplasma gondii ? (i.e. swollen lymph glands on neck and high IGG in blood). not immunocompromised but had it for around 6 months.
thanks
Might need to use prescription drugs to reduce parasite load because it has been so long and is systemic. You can try my parasite protocol, but it is more for intestinal infections. Need to find a good doctor to work with.