What You Need to Know Before Starting a Parasite Cleanse
Are you showing signs and symptoms of intestinal parasites? If you’re constantly running to the bathroom, managing digestive issues, nausea, extreme sugar cravings, insomnia, mood swings, or feeling completely exhausted and rundown, an intestinal parasite cleanse may be a great way to improve your symptoms.
Ok, so where do you start? There are so many different options for cleanses out there, so making sure you’re getting a cleanse kit from a reputable source that is known for its safety, quality, and effectiveness is really important. Ingredients, as well as how and where they are sourced, really do matter.
Additionally, depending on your personal health status and the degree of parasite symptoms you’re experiencing, you may need extra support from a practitioner who has experience with challenging parasite cleanses. This is especially true if you consider yourself hypersensitive or have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). Are you someone who can get by with a standard protocol kit, or do you need an experienced practitioner with a personalized protocol? How do you know what is right for you? Read on to find out.
How do you know if you have parasites in the first place?
One thing to get out of the way here, everyone has parasites! They are just a part of our natural microbiome on all seven continents, in both developed and third world nations. It is normal to have some parasites in your body, and most healthy immune systems keep them in check. However, issues begin when our immune system is not able to keep them in balance, and we experience parasitic overgrowths within the body.
The most noticeable symptoms of parasite overgrowth are usually related to digestion: abdominal pain, nausea, gas, bloating, or diarrhea. However, even if you don’t notice these symptoms regularly, you could still have a hidden parasite infection that is causing other issues on a cellular level.
There are functional lab stool tests available to get better insight into whether or not parasites are the root cause of your symptoms, and even which kinds of parasites are present. However, more often than not, testing is not accurate or reliable in producing positive results. Most labs are looking for microscopic parasites and will move large pieces of worms out of the way. They are simply too big to view under a microscope. We are able to see signs of intestinal parasites in traditional bloodwork, looking at the levels of basophils and eosinophils. Bioresonance scans can be more accurate. Confirming the presence of parasites with testing is not a prerequisite to completing a cleanse. What’s more important is how you prepare your mind and body first, followed by what you see come out in the toilet (assuming you are brave enough to look).
Below is a list of common symptoms associated with parasite overgrowth, and based on symptoms alone you may be able to reasonably presume that you have parasite overgrowth, skipping the cost of the testing altogether.
Common symptoms of parasites:
Stomach pain
Diarrhea or constipation
Nausea or vomiting
Loose stools containing blood and mucus
Bloating/excessive gas
Feeling tired
Brain fog
Strange sensations in your intestines
Insomnia, or inability to sleep through the night
Itching or rash around the rectum or vulva
Allergies and sensitivities
Low body temperature
Heightened emotions
You may even experience weight loss, micronutrient deficiencies, inflammation, weakened immune system, autoimmune activation, and other mental and neurological symptoms
What happens if you ignore parasite infections?
If a parasite infection goes unaddressed, it can spiral out of control pretty quickly, causing even more significant issues in your body. The more time that goes by, the more challenging it is to get rid of the excess and bring the body back into balance. Parasites can repeatedly trigger your immune response, activating your mast cells, ultimately causing chronic inflammation.
If you have a condition like MCAS, multiple chemical sensitivities, or other complex chronic diseases, parasite overgrowth will not only make it worse, but it is likely a root cause for additional MCAS and allergic flare-ups. IgE and mast cells play a role in host defense against parasites and venoms. You can read more on the link between parasites and MCAS here.
Also, keep in mind that these complex conditions can also make parasite cleanses and treatment plans a bit more tricky to implement because your body may negatively react to the treatment protocols. This is a situation where you would want to work closely with a practitioner like me who specializes in parasite cleansing and who can provide you with a personalized protocol based on your specific needs and tolerances.
How to get rid of parasites safely:
Think you’re ready to complete a parasite detox at home? Hold on just a minute before you purchase a random kit online from some video you saw on social media. Before you dive into a detox, there is some groundwork you must complete in order to prepare your body to support die off, and maximize the effectiveness of the cleanse itself. Otherwise you’ll have a really bad experience and potentially worsen your health accidentally.
1) Open your drainage pathways
Opening up your drainage system is a MUST before beginning an intensive cleanse. Drainage is your body’s way of removing waste and toxins, and if your drainage is not flowing properly it will continue to build up and recirculate within the body. This will create uncomfortable detox symptoms, known as a Herxheimer reaction, which can range from mild to severe depending on personal level of toxicity and overall drainage flow. We recommend focusing on drainage for at least 30 days before you begin parasite cleansing.
We have a few other blog posts that go into more detail on this important topic if you’d like to dive deeper:
A Simple Intro To Drainage Pathways: The First Step In Detox
A Simple Intro to Drainage Pathways: The Colon
A Simple Intro to Drainage Pathways: The Liver - Part 1
The Liver - Part 2: What Impairs Detox & How to Improve Liver Health
Some tips to naturally support, open up, and improve drainage:
Clean up your environment, and reduce your overall toxic load. Purify your air, get a filter for your water, stop eating junk, limit or do away with caffeine/alcohol, swap out toxic household or personal care products for ones made with clean, organic and natural ingredients.
Sweat everyday! Exercise, sauna, etc. We release toxins through our skin and sweat!
Make sure you are pooping, at least once a day, but aim for 2-3x. Optimal digestion is to go 30-60 minutes after eating each meal.
Drink 84-128 ounces of filtered water with added electrolytes powder (no sugar!). Our favorite is Celtic Sea Salt Electrolyte Powder with Trace Minerals, available on Fullscript. The “solution to pollution is dilution.”
Support your liver with herbs like Milk Thistle Extract/Silymarin and supplements like NAC or TUDCA. Some options include Cellcore’s KL Support, Pure Encapsulations Silymarin, Pure Encapsulations LVR Formula, or Cellcore’s Advanced TUDCA.
2) Clean up your diet
Support your liver and kidneys with an anti-inflammatory diet. You will see the most benefit from your cleanse if you reduce or eliminate gluten, dairy, alcohol, and added sugar 4-6 weeks prior to beginning your cleanse as well as through the duration of the cleanse itself. It isn’t necessary to eliminate all carbs from your diet, but many find limiting their grains helps them quite a bit.
See here how food, body pH, and parasites may all be linked!
3) Refresh your daily routine
Find time in your day to regulate emotions. Walk, meditate, journal, stretch, massage. Figure out what helps you to feel centered again, and allow yourself to process your emotions as they come. It is common to have emotional blocks surface to be released as you do work on the drainage organs. Parasite die offs also provoke sad or angry mood swings.
Be intentional about your meals and nutritional choices. Clean out your cabinets so that you don’t have junk food laying around. Stock your home with fresh, organic produce. Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time to help you stay on track.
Develop a consistent sleep schedule, at least 7-8 hours, so that your body has proper time to rest and heal.
4) Make space in your life
Not every day will go according to plan. Think through how you will support yourself through the tough days, before you have one. Make sure your daily and weekly routines have enough flexibility to allow for additional rest and solitude as your physical and emotional needs require.
5) Choose a kit
As discussed earlier, not all parasite protocols are created equally, and not all situations are the same. Highly sensitive persons, or those with extreme symptoms, will require a more hands on approach and support from an experienced professional like us, while others performing routine maintenance are able to complete a cleanse diy style. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, it is important to choose a program that is safe AND highly effective at targeting the entire parasite life cycle, which is why we advocate for a herbal approach vs. prescription medications. Herbs work with your body to support overall health and immune support during die off, and can be taken for longer periods of time, usually about 12 weeks to capture the total parasite life cycle.
Typically, prescription approaches to parasites are only taken for a period of 1-2 weeks, which is not enough to eradicate the multiple life stages, plus many only target the adults and not the eggs or larvae, usually resulting in symptoms recurring shortly after the prescription timeframe has completed, as the new batch of parasites hatch and mature.
Best parasite cleanse kits that can be ordered online:
For those who are not highly sensitive and have already supported their drainage pathways for at least 30 days prior, I recommend using one of two parasite cleanse kits. This may be a good choice for you if you are pooping 1-2 times daily with daily support for your liver, kidneys and bile ducts. You are overall a pretty healthy person or are looking to complete a maintenance cleanse 2-3 times per year.
These two kits are of the highest quality and show the best success rates at clearing parasites in a safe manner:
Cellcore Parasite Cleanse Kit use practitioner code “mDRQM5bq” to gain access and order
I am biased, but I personally prefer the Cellcore parasite cleansing products. I used their products in my own personal journey and they completely transformed my health. I had tried so many other protocols over the years, and Cellcore’s products were what finally worked. We’ve helped so many others get incredible results too. Cellcore’s herbal blends are highly effective, highly researched, and when paired with their cutting edge systemic binders that can be taken alongside other supplements and food, it provides optimal support for killing parasites while managing die off symptoms. It comes with a card with dosing guidelines for beginners, intermediate, and advanced cleansers.
What's inside the Cellcore parasite cleanse kit?
The Cellcore parasite kit contains natural herbs and supplements that paralyze and kill parasites (adults, larvae, and eggs), act as binders and detoxifiers for the parasite, encourage systemic drainage, and nourish your body on a cellular level.
These herbs include:
Vidanga fruit
Amla fruit
Neem leaf
Holarrhena bark
Chebulic Myrobalan Fruit
Belleric Myrobalan Fruit
Clove Bud
Fulvic Acid
Thyme Leaf
Sage Leaf
Tansy
Epazote Leaf
Black Walnut Hull
Holy Basil Leaf
Humic Acid
Broccoli Sprout
Yucca Root
Citric Acid
Who should complete a parasite cleanse?
Parasite cleanse kits are best used as part of a semi-annual maintenance routine. Since parasites are a lot more common than most may think, doing one every once in a while, especially if you are experiencing GI symptoms, can be incredibly beneficial. However, if you start to experience severe parasite die-off symptoms or side effects from the cleanse, please consult with a professional to help you create a custom parasite protocol.
Getting your mind right for a parasite cleanse
On average, parasite cleanses usually take about 2- 4 weeks. However if you’re working with a professional, it may be modified to cover an 8-12 week period to ensure proper die off and eradication, especially if it’s your first cleanse. The appropriate time frame really depends on the amount and type of symptoms you are experiencing, and their severity, going into the cleanse.
While you perform your parasite cleanse, aim for a more alkaline state and avoid acid-forming foods like sugar, alcohol, dairy, and wheat. This will help offset the highly acidic waste products that the parasites put into your body as they die so your body will not be so overwhelmed. The cleanse kits focus on fighting bad bacteria and fungus that these parasites live off of, so you don’t want to add more “food” for the parasites to flourish into your gut during this time. It is easier to kill something that isn’t well fed on its favorite food sources. You can read more on how to make your diet more alkaline, here.
As shared earlier, it’s a non-negotiable to have your drainage pathways opened up and be sure you are having regular bowel movements before, during, and after the cleanse. This allows the parasite detox waste to actually be eliminated from your body. If you are constipated, there’s no way for anything to get out, and you will feel miserable. For this reason, it may be a good idea to add in Cellcore’s Bowel Mover alongside the Para Kit to ensure you are staying regular. Additionally, we recommend supporting your liver with products like Cellcore’s KL Support, Advanced TUDCA, or Pure Encapsulations LVR Support.
Also, focus on your overall gut health by taking probiotics to rebuild your gut microbiome, toxicity exposure low, and your immune system balanced and strong.
Support for parasite cleansing. What's right for you?
Wondering if you should use a Parasite Cleanse Kit or work with a practitioner to customize and troubleshoot your parasite cleanse? Here’s my recommendation as an experienced integrative health coach that has helped numerous clients, including those with hypersensitivities, overcome parasites:
Kits are a fantastic option once you’re doing regular maintenance cleanses, or even if you are a first time cleanser who isn’t experiencing many symptoms of a parasite infection and are otherwise pretty healthy. However, if you’re really sick or have a lot of symptoms already, like dealing with MCAS or severe symptoms that are still a mystery, you’ll need customized help from a professional.
Many times, individuals with complex and mysterious symptoms aren’t dealing with just one underlying issue. They may be dealing with 5 or 20+ underlying issues. This makes it challenging because to get to the root cause of all of them, you need to address the issues in a specific order for your body to heal. That’s the benefit of working with an experienced practitioner.
If you think you could benefit from expert guidance during your parasite cleanse to ensure you’re doing it safely and effectively, please be sure to reach out to us, and we can help you through this.
Overcome Your Chronic Symptoms & Heal Holistically
Are you looking to get to the root cause of your symptoms? We can help you.
We use holistic approaches and functional medicine lab testing to investigate what is triggering your chronic symptoms so you can address them at their source and start to feel better faster. Our health coaches are masters at guiding the healing of multiple root causes in a personalized order that gets you wellness results that last. We also help you maintain good health and minimize your disease risks.
by sarah southerton
Certified Integrative Health Practitioner (IHP2) & Functional Medicine Health Coach
I specialize in helping people heal chronic illnesses and achieve optimal health. After my own battle with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Lyme disease, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Post Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), I was thrust into the world of alternative medicine, herbal healing, and low-tox/low-stress living. I have since restored my health and no longer suffer with debilitating symptoms and I’m passionate about help other people who are suffering, so they can feel better a lot faster than I did.
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