VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide)

VIP is a neuropeptide that functions as a neuromodulator and neurotransmitter. It is a vasodilator and it regulates smooth muscle activity, epithelial cell secretion, and blood flow in the gastrointestinal tract. 

VIP is the only peptide used in the original Shoemaker protocol for CIRS/mold toxicity. It's the very last step in the protocol and is a major player in recovery due to its gene modulating activity through intracellular signaling. Dr. Shoemaker says it simply won't work until after MARCoNS (of the sinuses) is eliminated. This is because VIP is administered nasally and also because gene regulation can't happen until the body is no longer sick.

I honestly have not used this peptide much. I have tried it a handful of times and found it to be a bit of a headache trigger, probably due to it being a vasodilator (I am prone to migraines if I'm not careful). So I have not persisted with its use much. For those who don't tolerate VIP, GHK and BPC-157 are also great bioregulators. However, I encourage you to give VIP a try after you have resolved everything else. This is supposed to be the last leg of treatment in the Shoemaker protocol, after detoxing and after treating sinuses and it is regarded as a very important step in recovery due to its gene-modulating effect.

If you suffered any sort of brain damage from biotoxin illness, then VIP has been found to also help with that.

The Shoemaker criteria for VIP use is:

• Must be out of mold (ERMI score should be <2)
• Must pass the visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) test
• Must have treated the sinuses and cleared MARCoNS

Typical duration of use is 3-4 months.

Potential benefits of VIP include:

• Helps maintain a healthy intestinal wall by promoting differentiation, proliferation, and cell adhesion of your intestinal epithelial cells
• Improves blood circulation and opens up airways. It may be an effective treatment for conditions like pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Modulates the immune system, decreasing inflammation by blocking pro-inflammatory cytokines and increasing the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines
• Helps control joint inflammation and can inhibit the destruction of cartilage and bone in arthritis. It functions as a macrophage deactivating factor. This means it stops the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, IL-12) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), while stimulating the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-4, IL-10, IL-13 and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)
• As a secretagogue, VIP induces release of various types of hormones including prolactin, luteinizing hormone, and growth hormone from the pituitary, and regulates the release of insulin and glucagon in the pancreas
• Helps regulate circadian rhythms, as it plays a crucial role as a neurotransmitter in your sleep/wake cycle