Trypanosoma cruzi
American trypanosomiasis (Chagas’ disease)
Symptoms reported
- •Cardiomyopathy
- •Megacolon
- •Tissue destruction
- •Acute fever
Life cycle
The parasite cycles between the reduviid bug vector and humans, alternating between trypomastigotes in the blood and amastigotes in heart tissue.
Transmission
Transmitted by rubbing the feces of infected reduviid bugs into abraded skin or the bite wound.
Conventional medical treatment
Benznidazole 5 mg/kg per day for 60 days (drug of choice) or Nifurtimox 8–10 mg/kg per day for 90–120 days.
For information only. Discuss with a licensed healthcare provider before starting any pharmaceutical.
Treatment Options — Natural First, Pharmaceutical When Needed
Natural First
- •Wormwood
- •Garlic
- •Neem
- •Berberine
- •Activated charcoal (binder)
- •Hydration + electrolytes
- •Rest + bone broth nutrition
Pharmaceutical (if natural-first insufficient)
- •Benznidazole 5 mg/kg per day for 60 days (drug of choice) or Nifurtimox 8–10 mg/kg per day for 90–120 days.
When to escalate to pharmaceutical
Pharmaceutical first if: > 14 days of diarrhea, dehydration, weight loss > 5%, immunocompromised host, hepatic abscess (Entamoeba), CNS involvement, or pregnancy.
Traditional herbal alternatives
In stock at our apothecary
In our database (educational reference)
Each herb above carries a tradition. See the 2,000-year lineage of Western herbal medicine →
“CMI is mainly involved in tissue destruction in the chronic stage such as cardiomyopathy and megacolon.”
— Essentials of Medical Parasitology
This page is for educational purposes only. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before acting on anything you read here.