Part 2 (some repetition)

Lymes (some of the material is highly controversial)

3) Why I believe I have Lymes, history of it's onset, progression and treatment

"Lyme disease is difficult to diagnose, particularly due to "the Lyme paradox." In order to diagnose Lyme with one of the accepted commercial tests, you must first treat it, in order for white blood cells to mount an appropriate immune response. Only then can a lab test detect the presence of Lyme disease" from 'Why is Lyme Disease Not JUST a Tick-Borne Disease Any More?', Dr. Mercola

As previously mentioned, of the one hundred possible symptoms of Lymes on the checklist (which is provided in the appendix), I exhibit eighty four symptoms. Yet, the two Lymes tests I took at Kaiser indicated I am not infected. Seeing as I found during research that the only accurate test for Lymes is done at a laboratory in Palo Alto called Igenix, and that Lymes is notorious for evading detection both from the immune system and from common bloodwork tests, it appears the tests I have done showed a false negative. Though only Igenix provides irreputably conclusive results, their costs have been prohibitive (seeing as I was bedridden and unable to work for eight months at the first onset, as well as having spent thousands on naturopaths, homeopaths, acupuncturists, and private clinics for second opinions).

In researching Lymes user groups, speaking with Family and friends, reading medical journals as well as alternative medical journals, I have come across (several times!) statements that Kaiser tests 'do not detect evidence of Lyme's spectrum disorder' and a negatrive result does not mean I am not, in fact, infected. Armed with an accurate test from Igenix patients have been known to find they are in fact infected, though previously told by doctors that they are not. As per a phone consultation with Dr. Striker's office (a Lymes specialist in San Francisco) the first requested step towards treatment was the request of a test from Igenix test. Within my own family, there is precedence for false negative results in Kaiser tests later being overturned by private specialists (as in the case of my Father's girlfriend named Melanie whose' story I shall relay further in the reading).

My experience began when, five years ago, I noticed a red circle on my back. My doctor prescribed antibiotics. I took 2 of the total three days supply and was 'flattened' by it (leaving me feeling as if experiencing the worst alcohol hangover multiplied a millionfold). I did not complete the 3 day treatment. I returned and was prescribedc a topical cream that removed the rash. Since that incident I have experienced minor depression. Not the 'Major depression' type (in that I am not sad or suicidal), but I have no energy and can not work. I have had depression in the past, so am able to recognize what I am experiencing. Though taking Cymbalta for OCD and that works well for that, the medicine does not address what am experiencing. In the past I have been on anti-depressants (having been prescribed over time fifteen different kinds of antidepressants/SRI's/SSRI's). Those I tried in the past either didn't work or had side effects such as low energy or impotence.

Later, new small welt like bumps appeared. Coinciding with this outbreak, I developed 82 of the possible 11 Lyme's spectrum disorder symptoms (a link to my filled out checklist is in the appendix). During an onset, it feels as a flu without having a fever. Aching muscles not alleviated by stretching, walking, showers or massage. A fog that is palpatible and visible. An accompanying change in mood and outlook, not just from the panic of experiencing it and the difficulty of being in a state of illness (unable to accomplish necessary daily tasks), nay an change in psychology that feels from a bio-chemical origin - that is the illness itself has altered my higher functioning. There is a major depletion of energy, and anything requiring focus is extremely difficult. Even watching tv or reading feels beyond my reach to focus on, as any actions are draining. Eventually, with my listless body, I lose the ability to walk with balance, yet can only remain in bed for so many hours. The first sign of onset being akin to a foggy brick wall coming down in front of my eyes that feels as if it is separating me from the world.

In visiting Kaiser doctors, repeatedly I was refereed to psychiatry with the implication that my experience was all in my mind which is a shoking assesmernt as neither my psychologists nor psychiatrists have ever found me to be hypochondriac. I also even visited by a rude doctor at Terra Linda Kaiser who said my tests appear normal, so 'nothing is wrong', and there's 'no magic wand' for him to waive as he hurriedly exited. Later after alleviating symptoms by self medicating with MMS, aquaintances I had seen while ill said that they didn't recognize me as I no longer carried a grey/green sunken deathly pale coloration, bloodshot eyes and miserable demeanor as I now exhibited a fuller/plumper and vibrant demeanor. Certainly this is a physical illness. This is why Lymes is repeatedly named in literature as a 'silent epidemic' and 'mystery illness'.

Before self medicating with MMS, I had remain flattened for months and unable to work. It deeply affected my relationships. For instance my daughter visited and I was unable to play with her. My experience is clearly a physical reaction as I, in fact, have done my best to remain hopeful in mind and spirit (not the hallmark of a psychological malady), so I know it is not psychological/psychiatric depression. Now seeing as my life is falling apart because of this debilitating illness brought on by a misdiagniosed illness (when looking at my rash my doctoor spent only a split second looking at it, before determining it was simply an infection requiring antibiotics), I am quite upset. I was feeling fine before I had this rash. After 3 days of the antibiotics I saw a different doctor who said it was misdiagnosed, gave me a steroid cream for fungus and the rash went away, but the physical flattening didn't. After eight months I remained bedridden.

A psychological evaluation administered at the time reveals my state. It asked 'Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems? Rate how often and the level.'

<ol>

<li>Little interest or pleasure in doing things? Answer: several days. very difficult</li>

<li>Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless? Answer: every day. very difficult</li>

<li>Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much? Answer: every day. very difficult</li>

<li>Feeling tired or having little energy? Answer: every day. very difficult</li>

<li>Poor appetite or overeating? Answer: several days. very difficult</li>

<li>Feeling bad about yourself- or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down? Answer: every day. very difficult</li>

<li>Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television? Answer: every day. very difficult</li>

<li>Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed. Or the opposite-being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual? Answer: several days. somewhat difficult</li>

</ol>

I was unable to make money during these onsets and as such sold my family hierlooms to come up with moneys for consultations from any medical and alternative healing I could find. From naturopaths to acupuncturists the message remained the same. Get tested by Igenix.

In between I changed my diet, pusue mediutation, prayer, excercise. Yet, during regular intervals it returns in cycles. I also found a promising specialist in SF that does not accept insurance and is beyond my current budget. Coinciding with the onset of my illness, a friend was similarly afflicted. Like me, her Kaiser tests did not reveal as assesed by Kaiser doctors. Instead, she paid out of pocket for an independent clinic, and using the same lab results was diagnosed as having Lymes!

Currently, I can hardly move. Some days I am nauseous and dizzy with no energy. My Lymes spectrum disorder, it seems is back.

Symptoms of Lymes and coinfections

Persistent swollen glands; Sore throat; Fevers; Sore soles, esp. in the AM

Joint pain: Fingers, toes; Ankles, wrists; Knees, elbows; Hips, shoulders

Joint swelling: Fingers, toes; Ankles, wrists; Knees, elbows; Hips, shoulders; Unexplained back pain; Stiffness of the joints or back

Muscle pain or cramps; Obvious muscle weakness

Twitching of the face or other muscles

Confusion, difficulty thinking; Difficulty with concentration, reading, problem absorbing

new information; Word search, name block; Forgetfulness, poor short term memory, poor attention

Disorientation: getting lost, going to wrong places

Speech errors- wrong word, misspeaking

Mood swings, irritability, depression

Anxiety, panic attacks

Psychosis (hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, bipolar)

Tremor

Seizures

Headache

Light sensitivity

Sound sensitivity

Vision: double, blurry, floaters

Ear pain; Hearing: buzzing, ringing, decreased hearing

Increased motion sickness,

vertigo, spinning

Off balance, “tippy” feeling

Lightheadedness, wooziness,

unavoidable need to sit or lie

Tingling, numbness, burning

or stabbing sensations,

shooting pains, skin

hypersensitivity

Facial paralysis-Bell's Palsy

Dental pain

Neck creaks and cracks,

stiffness, neck pain

Fatigue, tired, poor stamina

Insomnia, fractionated sleep,

early awakening

Excessive night time sleep

Napping during the day

Unexplained weight gain

Unexplained weight loss

Unexplained hair loss

Pain in genital area

Unexplained menstrual

irregularity

Unexplained milk production;

breast pain

Irritable bladder or bladder

dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction

Loss of libido

Queasy stomach or nausea

Heartburn, stomach pain

Constipation

Diarrhea

Low abdominal pain, cramps

Heart murmur or valve

prolapse?

Heart palpitations or skips

“Heart block” on EKG

Chest wall pain or ribs sore

Head congestion

Breathlessness, “air hunger”,

unexplained chronic cough

Night sweats; Exaggerated symptoms or

worse hangover from alcohol;Symptom flares every 4 wks.

Additional signs Tick exposure in an endemic region; Historical facts and evolution of symptoms over time consistent with Lyme; Systemic signs & symptoms consistent with Bb infection (other potential diagnoses excluded):

Single system, e.g., monoarthritis

Two or more systems, e.g., monoarthritis and facial palsy

Erythema migrans, physician confirmed

Acrodermatitis Chronica Atrophicans, biopsy confirmed

Seropositivity

Seroconversion on paired sera

Tissue microscopy, silver stain

Tissue microscopy, monoclonal immunofluorescence

Culture positivity

<ol>

<li>burgdorferi antigen recovery</li>

<li>burgdorferi DNA/RNA recovery</li>

</ol>

From author Pamela Weintraub:

Unrelenting pain. Headaches, muscle aches, swollen joints, rashes. Loss of coordination and muscle spasms. Intermittent paralysis. Cycles of disabling symptoms that persist for years, causing ceaseless suffering and frustration for patients and their families.

<ol>

<li>A) Early Symptoms of Lyme Disease (3-30 days after the tick bite)</li>

</ol>

Red, expanding rash called erythema migrans (EM) or a “bulls-eye” rash — can reach 12 inches across, and usually shows up around 7 days after the bite; Fatigue; Chills; Fever; Headache; Muscle and joint aches; Swollen lymph nodes

<ol>

<li>B) Early Stage Symptoms of Lyme Disease (Days to weeks after the tick bite)</li>

</ol>

If Lyme is not treated, other symptoms may appear, and can include:

Additional EM rashes in other areas; Facial or Bell’s palsy (loss of muscle tone on one or both sides of the face); Severe headaches and neck stiffness due to meningitis (inflammation of the spinal cord); Pain and swelling in the large joints (such as knees); Shooting pains that may interfere with sleep; Heart palpitations and dizziness; Fatigue; Forgetfulness/brain fog

<ol>

<li>C) Late Stage Symptoms of Lyme Disease (Months to years after the tick bite)</li>

</ol>

Approximately 60% of patients with untreated Lyme infection may have bouts of arthritis, with severe joint pain and swelling. Large joints are most often affected, especially the knees.

Up to 5% of untreated patients may develop chronic neurological complaints. These include shooting pains, numbness, or tingling in the hands or feet, and problems with short-term memory.

<ol>

<li>D) Other late stage symptoms include:</li>

</ol>

Depression; Panic attacks; Mood swings; Anxiety; Nerve problems; Excessive fatigue; Hormonal deficiencies and imbalances; Other immune dysfunctions; Muscle and joint pain; Neurological problems; Heart involvement; Vision and hearing problems; Migraines

Besides the rash, some of the first symptoms of Lyme disease may include a flu-like condition with fever, chills, headache, stiff neck, achiness and fatigue. For a complete list of symptoms, refer to the Tick-Borne Disease Alliance (TBDA), but some of the more frequent symptoms include the following:

<ol>

<li>E) Factors that complicate Lymes recovery</li>

</ol>

A wide range of health concerns can complicate recovery from Lyme and related disease, says Richard Horowitz, MD, author of Why Can’t I Get Better? Solving the Mystery of Lyme & Chronic Disease. Many patients get well only when multiple factors are addressed:

Co-infections (often coming from the same tick as the Lyme spirochete) most commonly Babesia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Bartonella Immune dysfunction; Inflammation; Environmental toxins and detoxification problems; Vitamin, mineral, and/or nutritional deficiencies; Mitochondrial dysfunction; Hormonal abnormalities; Neurodegenerative disorders, possibly precipitated by infection; Neuropsychiatric disorders in the aftermath of infection; Sleep disorders; Autoimmune disease and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a condition that affects the autonomic nervous system and causes such symptoms as low blood pressure, fatigue, palpitations, and dizziness; Allergies; Gastrointestinal disorders; Liver dysfunction; Pain disorders; Deconditioning and lack of exercise.

Pamela Weintraub is the psychology and medical editor of Aeon. She is also the author of the book Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Epidemic, an award-winning examination of the history, politics, and science of Lyme disease. Follow her on Twitter @pam3001. For more on Lyme from Pamela Weintraub, see ELmag.com/lyme.

From Doctor Mercola:

The most simple presentation is the orthopedic forms of Lyme disease as they're typically more superficial, affecting the larger joints. Interestingly, Dr. Klinghardt injects ozone into the joint in these cases, which he claims is: "100 percent effective if the Lyme disease or… whatever the microbe is, lives in the joint and is confined to the joint space. Simply putting ozone in the joint will kill the spirochetes, and often with one, sometimes two treatments, make the joint completely pain free. That's one form of the expression of Lyme."

When the microbes and the associated immune reactions are situated in the connective tissue, the infection presents as a "vague, dispersed pain," which oftentimes ends up being labeled as fibromyalgia by conventional doctors. The immunological expression of Lyme covers a wide variety of immune system disorders, typically with some aspect of autoimmunity.

"I did my thesis in 1976 on autoimmune diseases and how the autonomic nervous system interacts with the immune system," Dr. Klinghardt says. "We found then that the determining factor of the outcome of an autoimmune disease was the presence of microbes that were catastrophically unresponsive to antibiotics.

Any autoimmune disease, including rheumatoid arthritis, we suspect has an underlying level of Lyme disease that needs to be treated appropriately before the patient has a chance to recover from the illness."

The gastroenterological presentation, where you have constant stomach problems, constipation, recurring stomach ulcers and/or indigestion, is very common, especially with the Babesia infection. This is sometimes the direct outcome of pancreatitis or hepatitis, but it can also be due to parasites acquired after contracting Lyme disease. In these cases, aggressive treatment of the parasites typically resolves the problem.

"The most startling form of the expression of Lyme disease is a wide variety of neurological illnesses," Dr. Klinghardt says. "That is what we specialize in… We see a lot of cases with multiple sclerosis (MS)… ALS… [and] everything in between: the chronic fatigued patients, the patient with vague, undistinguishable neurological symptoms, the feeling of buzzing in the head, buzzing on the skin, crawling under the skin…"

My use of MMS

MMS is 28% Sodium Chlorite (not Chloride) with equal parts citric acid activator. Yes, it is akin to an Industrial solvent. But remember, ANY medicine in wrong dosage will kill, and many medicines are based on toxins (anaesthesiology and the fugu fish for example). The idea is that it kills all viruses, parasites, bacteria and fungi within your system. Also, it is explained that MMS hyper oxygenates the blood. My friend Eddy has been researching it for a month for me (the ingredients, science behind it, critiques, fda claims, first hand reports and general demeanor of those helped by it who are giving it away for free), and I trust Eddy implicitly. He got BA in Talmudic studies and is top of his class in his second year of law school. When I read about MMS or Miracle Mineral Supplement I had concerns as it seemed dangerous. I drove to Eddy's where I met a man who has done healing work for their family for a long time. For his services I gave him a large art print as I had ran out of money (not being able to work + all the naturopaths etc. I had been paying for). He gave me MMS. I took two drops combined with eight drops of citric acid activator, let it sit, breathed in the strong fumes then drank it on empty stomach, and chased it with Alkanalized water (which I bought at Whole foods). After the first treatment I started seeing colors brighter, as if the fog was being lifted. I took another dose 3 hours later, and again noticed to the fog lifting. I woke up the next day without fog and incredible energy and positivity...previous accounts of MMS treatments have talked about quick radical change.

MMS was discovered by Jim Humble. He was in Africa using powerful solvents to separate gold from soil when he and his crew contracted Malaria. Though there is no (official) cure for Malaria, a man from the camp was sent on a 4 day trip to retrieve medicine. However, they were vomiting blood and would not survive 4 days. Out of desperation, he diluted the solvent to a non lethal dose, drank it and gave it to his team. Within 4 hours they were laughing out of joy at how incredibly ill they had been. Since then he has been on an anti-malaria crusade with MMS, with claims of curing 75,000 people in Africa (for free). Here in the states, he changed his organization to a religious nonprofit so that he would not be sued for the radical claims he makes about the healing properties of MMS or 'Miracle Mineral Supplement'. I can not vouch for all the claims made, however I can say unequivocally it SAVED MY LIFE, and I am forever indebted to the kindness of Eddy, his naturopath and Jim Humble.

This is what I wrote my family: 'Started a very controversial treatment with MMS on Saturday, and for the first time in almost 8 months I woke up feeling normal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I've been cured! My Lymes symptoms resurfaced 3 days ago. Took MMS again. Symptoms gone in 4 hours. Empirical evidence. The first thing I noticed when it felt like whatever illness I was having was setting in was that there seemed to be a foggy brick wall coming down in front of my eyes separating me from the world. My understanding is that you do not have to take it long term. Though the healer I saw has had Lymes forever and so he takes it every year or so...though I may not need to. People have taken it incorrectly (low dose is important) and have become ill, and some complain of stomach ache. I am setting up my large format printer today so that I can get back to work! I hope my main client still has that work available that I turned down.'

I do not want to continue using it as a band aid measure. Long term usage must, by the nature of it's principal ingredient, be harmful. Please consider and understand the state of desperation I am in when I turn to this medicine.

What is Lymes and how it functions and progresses

From ILADS MANAGING LYME DISEASE, 16h edition, October, 2008:

I take a broad view of what Lyme Disease actually is. Traditionally, Lyme is defined an infectious illness caused by the spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb). While this is certainly technically correct, clinically the illness often is much more than that, especially in the disseminated and chronic forms.

Instead, I think of Lyme as the illness that results from the bite of an infected tick. This includes infection not only with B. burgdorferi, but the many co-infections that may also result. Furthermore, in the chronic form of Lyme, other factors can take on an ever more significant role- immune dysfunction, opportunistic infections, coinfections, biological toxins, metabolic and hormonal imbalances, deconditioning, etc. I will refer to infection with B. burgdorferi as “Lyme Borreliosis” (LB), and use the designation “Lyme” and “Lyme Disease” to refer to the more broad definition I described above.

In general, you can think of LB as having three categories: acute, early disseminated, and chronic. The sooner treatment is begun after the start of the infection, the higher the success rate. However, since it is easiest to cure early disease, this category of LB must be taken VERY seriously. Undertreated infections will inevitably resurface, usually as chronic Lyme, with its tremendous problems of morbidity and difficulty with diagnosis and treatment and high cost in every sense of the word. So, while the bulk of this document focuses of the more problematic chronic patient, strong emphasis is also placed on earlier stages of this illness where closest attention and care must be made.

A very important issue is the definition of “Chronic Lyme Disease”. Based on my clinical data and the latest published information, I offer the following definition. To be said to have chronic LB, these three criteria must be present:

<ol>

<li>Illness present for at least one year (this is approximately when immune breakdown attains clinically significant levels).</li>

</ol>

<li>Have persistent major neurologic involvement (such as encephalitis/encephalopathy, meningitis, etc.) or active arthritic manifestations (active synovitis).</li>

</ol>

<li>Still have active infection with B. burgdorferi (Bb), regardless of prior antibiotic therapy (if any).</li>

</ol>

Chronic Lyme is an altogether different illness than earlier stages, mainly because of the inhibitory effect on the immune system (Bb has been demonstrated in vitro to both inhibit and kill B- and T-cells, and will decrease the Page 4 of 37 count of the CD-57 subset of the natural killer cells). As a result, not only is the infection with Bb perpetuated and allowed to advance, but the entire issue of co-infections arises. Ticks may contain and transmit to the host a multitude of potential pathogens. The clinical presentation of Lyme therefore reflects which pathogens are present and in what proportion. Apparently, in early infections, before extensive damage to the immune system has occurred, if the germ load of the co-infectors is low, and the Lyme is treated, many of the other ticktransmitted microbes can be contained and eliminated by the immune system. However, in the chronic patient, because of the inhibited defenses, the individual components of the co-infection are now active enough so that they too add to features of the illness and must be treated. In addition, many latent infections which may have pre-dated the tick bite, for example herpes viruses, can reactivate, thus adding to the illness.

An unfortunate corollary is that serologic tests can become less sensitive as the infections progress, obviously because of the decreased immune response upon which these tests are based. In addition, immune complexes form, trapping Bb antibodies. These complexed antibodies are not detected by serologic testing. Not surprisingly the seronegative patient will convert to seropositive 36% of the time after antibiotic treatment has begun and a recovery is underway. Similarly, the antibody titer may rise, and the number of bands on the western blot may increase as treatment progresses and the patient recovers. Only years after a successfully treated infection will the serologic response begin to diminish.

The severity of the clinical illness is directly proportional to the spirochete load, the duration of infection, and the presence of co-infections. These factors also are proportional to the intensity and duration of treatment needed for recovery. More severe illness also results from other causes of weakened defenses, such as from severe stress, immunosuppressant medications, and severe intercurrent illnesses. This is why steroids and other immunosuppressive medications are absolutely contraindicated in Lyme. This also includes intraarticular

steroids.

Many collateral conditions result in those who have been chronically ill so it is not surprising that damage to virtually all bodily systems can result. Therefore to fully recover not only do all of the active infections have to be treated, but all of these other issues must be addressed in a thorough and systematic manner. No single treatment or medication will result in full recovery of the more ill patient. Only by addressing all of these issues and engineering treatments and solutions for all of them will we be able to restore full health to our patients. Likewise, a patient will not recover unless they are completely compliant with every single aspect of the treatment plan. This must be emphasized to the patient, often on repeated occasions.

It is clear that in the great majority of patients, chronic Lyme is a disease affecting predominantly the nervous system. Thus, careful evaluation may include neuropsychiatric testing, SPECT and MRI brain scans, CSF analysis when appropriate, regular input from Lyme-aware neurologists and psychiatrists, pain clinics, and occasionally specialists in psychopharmacology.

Lyme disease rates are climbing across the U.S. and internationally, and have reached epidemic levels in many areas; the disease is caused by the spirochete bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans and animals by ticks and possibly mosquitoes, spiders and mites caused by tick bite which releases the bacteria "Borrelia burgdorferi" into the blood stream. The tick belongs to the Genus Amblyomma.The present day vector in the US is Ixodes scapularis, Ticks are arachnids, yes, but spiders are a different branch (Araneae vs a couple families of order Parasitiformes for ticks).The symptoms of lyme disease are extremely variable, as is the incubation period, which may take anywhere from two to thirty-two days. The first sign may be the appearance of a red, circular lesion or rash on the skin. This is caused by the migration of the infecting organism outward through the skin, may appear day to weeks after being bitten. The lesion expands in circular manner and centre will slowly clear up and is often referred to as a bull's-eye rash. Other symptoms include: fatigue, flulike symptoms, sleep disturbance, weakness and aching of muscles, headaches, stiff neck, back ache, and occasionally nausea and vomiting. Lyme disease is treatable and almost always curable if found in its early stages. If the disease is not treated it may lead to enlargement of the spleen and lymph nodes, irregular heart rhythm, arthritis, and damage to the cardiovascular and central nervous system.

Lyme has three forms. A cellular bacillus, a spirochete, and a cyst. What you're probably dealing with are the cysts unfurling to release spirochetes into your blood stream. That's a flare, or a "bloom" of Lyme that was hiding in your body, waiting to attack. You need very long term antibiotics to deal with this.

Borrelia burgdorferi, a cousin to the bacteria causing syphilis, has become very adept at hiding and surviving in human tissues, in part due to its corkscrew shape allowing it to burrow into tissues, and it’s ability to take on different forms, such as cysts, in order to escape the immune system, evade antibiotics, and hide from detection by blood tests.

New Research on how nanobacteria cause calcification in tissues that prevents antibiotics and other treatments from working. This nanobacteria commonly called Bartonella infection is very hard to detect and can only be detected using advanced methods. There is a newly developed method to overcome this nanobacteria calcification and once that is done treatments become much more effective.

Lyme disease is diagnosed via serum blood test for antibodies. If antibiotics are taken make sure to also supplement with a probiotic (acidophilus) after you finish antibiotics (it is advisable to take antibiotics in this situation (Balch & Balch 1997).

Most of these symptoms relate to toxicity as detrimental micro-organisms excrete toxins, of which the liver is the blood cleansing organ. Nausea & vomiting signifies liver over-load. Also whenever there is pain there is inflammation.

How is the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) Disrupted in Lyme disease?

Little research has been done on this topic. Many patients bitten by ticks infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease get better with no treatment, while some have permanent symptoms years later even after treatment. It is possible that patients with Lyme that do not get better may have underlying problems with their immune systems. As the cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2) is found on immune system cells, it is likely that the ECS is impaired in these patients and prevents them from bouncing back after infection with Lyme.

Lyme disease has been controversial for some years. Many medical practitioners misdiagnose it, while several think that it's mental. With Lyme disease, there are so many symptoms, so many debilitating, agonizing manifestations, that it's often misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, lupus or a mental issue.

Lyme disease is caused by a spirochetal bacteria of the Borrelia genus. Spirochetes are composed of about 40% DNA and have double-membrane envelopes that make them difficult to trace and kill. They're apparently able to hide in deep tissue and change shapes to disguise their identities.

They're somewhat similar to the bacteria behind syphilis, as Lyme disease affects the nervous system and brain also. Going through the medical system with Lyme disease is like being a ball in an old fashioned pinball game machine. Being on antibiotics forever is risking serious adverse events or at least reducing one's immunity to invite all sorts of other complications.

<ol>

<li>It is the smallest ticks that are most prone to carrying Lyme disease.</li>

</ol>

<li>Lyme disease in present in the saliva of the tick thus enters the human body FIRST as the ticks begins to bite. Thus correct removal of the tick (you must remove the complete head then clean would with alcohol BUT probable that unless tick was removed when bite first began saliva carrying the Lyme disease HAS entered the bloodstream. Only a miniscule amount of tick saliva entering the blood stream is required to begin process of becoming a Lyme victim.</li>

</ol>

<li>In 1995 the CDC reported in testing of harvested ticks less than one percent were carrying Lyme disease. Last known official harvesting and test of thousands of ticks I am aware of was in 2005. 98% of harvested ticks showed presence of Lyme disease in saliva. So 100% in 2014?</li>

</ol>

<li>Only (about) 40% of those who receive full blown tick bite and become infected with Lyme exhibit the "red bulls eye marker" around the bite. Do not assume "I'm OK" because no bulls eye appears.</li>

</ol>

<li>GOOD NEWS! IF bitten by a Lyme infected tick and you begin taking 100 mg of doxycycline antibiotic within one week (2x a day for 3 to 4 weeks) the CDC confirms on their Web site the chances of complete elimination of Lyme disease is almost 100%. Even beginning two weeks after the bite chances are still above 90% (not an exact number). It begins to drop to where at six weeks beginning of doxycycline with that much delay has shown elimination chances of under 50%. Doctors who follow inadequate medical advice have been known to administer doxycycline six months to YEARS after infection thinking doxycycline will help. It does not. After initial period doxycycline then become of no use - ever.</li>

</ol>

<li>General health, age, etc. seems to have little bearing on effectiveness of doxycycline although a healthy, strong and vibrant immune system seems to make infection from all diseases including Lyme more difficult to "take hold". Remaining as healthy as possible is only common sense but it is not a SHIELD against Lyme or other diseases. When venturing into areas that might have ticks try to wear long pants and long sleeves (in spite of the heat). After coming indoors thoroughly inspect yourself - help from another person for areas you cannot see yourself is useful. Remember, the most Lyme prone ticks are the smallest ones! They may crawl on your skin for DAYS somehow "seeking" the "best" place to bite. How do they know where to bite? No one knows! These small ticks can be no larger than a poppy seed. A hot shower with plenty of soap after being outdoors is always a good idea. Inspect your clothing as well.</li>

</ol>

<li>Save the removed tick if possible. Some hospitals have labs capable of inspection of tick to see if Lyme disease is present in the body (head/mouth) of the removed tick.</li>

</ol>

<li>Treatment of children who do not yet have their adult teeth is sometimes done with a different antibiotic than doxycycline as in rare cases early (in life) use of doxycycline or other "cycline" drug caused adult teeth to come in with a slight yellowish tinge. (IMO) this is rare and far better to risk this than to have debilitating chronic Lyme disease which has wrecked and is wrecking thousands of lives. Hopefully, a doctor is versed in this enough to know what to do. DOING NOTHING IS NOT AN ALTERNATIVE!</li>

</ol>

<li>Long-term (i.e. six months) use of antibiotics for treatment of CHRONIC Lyme is sometimes effective. It does NOT cure Lyme but combined with other treatments often "breaks the back" of the Lyme infection allowing a high degree of success in treatment (i.e. cure) of other illnesses (i.e. Bartonella, babesia, etc.). However, virtually all doctors who do follow this protocol (constant intensive antibiotics) are often unaware the kidneys "decide" the antibiotics taken orally or even by IV as an unwanted toxin. On average 98% of antibiotics taken orally or by IV are eliminated in urine BEFORE the antibiotics has done ANYTHING. 98% is wasted!</li>

</ol>

That is WHY so often patients show NO improvement in spite of six months of antibiotics. This can be avoided by (done in a hospital with a specialist doctor observing the tube insertion real-time with a x-ray machine. A PICC (Google it) line which is a simple plastic tube is inserted into the MAIN blood ARTERY in the upper arm leading directly to an area near the heart. BTW - this sounds FAR more invasive and worrisome than it is actually is. A small incision is made to find the artery then the plastic tube is carefully manually pushed through the vein until with the x-ray machine the end reaches the desired "spot" near the heart. There is almost NO pain and you almost don't notice there is now a plastic tube dangling from your arm! It is securely taped and a tap added such that antibiotics can go in but nothing (i.e. blood) goes out.

Then the patient is instructed on how to inject antibiotics themselves. The patient goes home (out patient in and out in under an hour) with a one week supply of a selected antibiotic in a carrier kept cold with dry ice the patient then injects twice a day while at home. The doctor who does this (not many do!) often have a nurse specially trained in this procedure. You may not see the doctor again for many months! You return to the doctor's office weekly to return the empty syringes (each did have a measured amount of an antibiotic. 2X a day for 7 days means you SHOULD go home with 14 syringes in the cooler containing dry ice. You keep the antibiotics cold during the week according to instructions given you the first day. Any sign of bleeding around the incision after, say, an hour or any time antibiotic liquid refuses to go into the tube is reason to immediately call the doctor. This is not cause for alarm but simply means the tube has gotten blocked with dried blood or ? Each week when you return for a fresh supply of antibiotics the trained nurse "blows out" the tube with a saline solution making sure it is still free and clear all the way to the spot near your heart. The bandage at the point of incision is usually removed, the area "cleaned" (i.e. antiseptic) then re-bandaged. What antibiotics are used.

There are (that I know of) about a dozen different antibiotics doctors who do PICC line antibiotic injection prefer. They are all "strong" antibiotics. Zithromax and rocephin are two that come to mind. USUALLY every two weeks the patient is changed to a different antibiotic. This is because after a few weeks the human body begins to "adjust" to an antibiotic and that antibiotic becomes less and less effective. Doctors know (or should know) which antibiotics are most unlike other antibiotics and change the patient to that DIFFERENT antibiotic. It is quite normal to find yourself back on the same antibiotic you were on, say, three months ago. In those months the body lost its built-up resistance to that particular antibiotic. You will notice NO difference other than the liquid antibiotic in the syringes (usually syringes - there are other ways to inject an antibiotic into the PICC line but the sealed syringe is most common and has the least chance of infection. Many (most) doctors have the patient first inject a small amount of a saline solution to clear the tube of any obstruction (i.e. dried antibiotic - an obstruction is rare - if encountered it is reason for an immediate call to the doctor (emergency 24/7 line if necessary - do not wait). It seems even doctors versed in Lyme treatment are unaware most antibiotics (as well as many other medications) are "seen" as toxic by the kidneys and eliminated in urine.

Use of a PICC line is of utmost importance in treating a patient with chronic Lyme. You MAY also receive medication for other illnesses discovered either via this same PICC line or treated with IV injections or medication taken orally. Even with this intensive almost constant "bombardment" of antibiotics into your heart area (thus MOST of the antibiotic injected 2X a day for (usually) three to six months - you STILL have Lyme disease. You may not feel any better. Trust me - intensive and constant rotating antibiotics almost always significantly reduces the Lyme disease in you plus draws it out from trying to "hide" by burrowing deep into the organs of the body. You may even feel WORSE at times as Lyme disease is "pulled" from body organs and pushed into the blood stream where, hopefully, the liver and kidneys will sense then eliminate most of it. As an aside Lyme disease under a microscope and other medical equipment shows itself to be very similar to HIV/AIDS. Some say Lyme and HIV are in the same "family" of diseases. Unfortunately, this means Lyme continually "morphs" just like HIV does changing constantly. Seldom do two people with Lyme experience the same exact symptoms.

<li>Known to even few "expert" LLMDs (Lyme Literate MDs) is that the miniscule amount of mercury contained within virus shots such as the annual flu shot and pneumonia shot IF you have Lyme disease you stand a high probability of catching the disease you were just vaccinated for! This was first indication that something was wrong. Six years in a row I spent a month in bed with the flu after EVERY flu shot. A doctor told me this is because the miniscule amount of mercury that is an activation agent is enough to cause the body to change the vaccine to where you actually get sick! Do as you like but I've not had a shot with mercury in it since 1991 and I've done just fine.</li>

</ol>

<li>Some people believe they must be heavily loaded with metals (heavy metal poisoning). I thought I was so I got tested and I was off the charts on almost every metal from arsenic to aluminum. Lyme had allowed my body to retain all of these toxins. Easy to rid the body of metal for MOST (not all) people. Take purified cilantro tablets 2X to 3X a day (health food store) for four months and the cilantro pulls metals that has burrowed into organs acting like a magnet. I felt WORSE for those months as the metal long buried inside organs and no longer causing harm(?) entered my blood stream. I now test metal free. Do I feel any better? No. But I can say "I'm now metal free".</li>

</ol>

I realize this was long but I make no apologies as if you are infected with Lyme disease you're probably reading it twice as you read information here you probably never heard before! Is there more information about Lyme I'm aware of and things that can be done to lower certain symptoms sometimes not often seen. Yes but I'd have to know more about the specific person. I help as I have time. I HAD to cut back when e-mails went over 1,000 a day ( took my book off of Amazon but still give it away for the asking). My e-mail is gyantis at gmail

I wish you luck in your personal battle with Lyme. I know my almost30 "journey" has included some days that were truly Hell on Earth. If you suffer from Chronic Lyme I do not need to explain that. I thank God I fought back to where I am, as I say, 99% healthy.

Dr. MacDonald's Syphilis Model

The behavior of Borrelia may be more similar to its cousin Treponemapallidum, the spirochete responsible for syphilis. Both take different forms in your body (cystic forms, granular forms, and cell wall deficient forms), depending on what conditions they need to accommodate. This clever maneuvering helps them to hide and survive.

Perhaps the most compelling evidence for Borrelia as a far greater player than previously thought comes from the work of Alan MacDonald, MD, who's been studying parallels between Lyme disease and syphilis for the past 30 years. MacDonald found the DNA of Borrelia in seven out of ten brain specimens from people who died of Alzheimer's disease.7

Astonishingly, the DNA was "fused" with human DNA, into one molecule! Syphilis is well known for causing symptoms across multiple body systems, including neurosyphilis, the psychiatric form of the illness.

Syphilis remains relatively easy to treat, as long as it's diagnosed early. But its cousin Borrelia seems to be upping the ante. Dr. Klinghardt stated in one of our interviews that he's never had a single patient with Alzheimer's, ALS, Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis who tested negative for Borrelia. Those are all diseases with no known cause. Could Lyme disease be the missing link? And if it is, why hasn't there been a stampede of researchers in pursuit of the truth?

Improved treatments for Lyme disease alone may not solve the problem. There are other infections inhabiting the ticks that spread Lyme, and they are factors as well. The malaria-like parasite Babesia infects our red blood cells and results in fever, exhaustion and drenching sweats. Babesiosis combined with Lyme disease can be especially protracted and difficult to treat. Tick-borne bacteria like Anaplasma and Ehrlichia, which live in human cells, are rife throughout regions where Lyme has reared its head. These organisms don’t necessarily respond to all common treatment for Lyme disease and may cause serious illness even when Lyme is not involved.

Added to this are other microbes as well; though still controversial, these, too, are now considered possible agents of the disease complex broadly referred to as “Lyme.” One of the most notable is the rod-shaped bacterium Bartonella henselae, known as a cause of “cat scratch” disease and commonly transmitted by cats. More recently, forms of bartonella have been discovered in abundance in deer ticks. Some doctors cite Bartonella as a culprit when symptoms are particularly neuropsychiatric, and when treatment for Lyme does not work.

Another tick-borne suspect, Mycoplasma, has been discovered in deer ticks in Connecticut and New Jersey. “This could be the missing link,” says Eva Sapi, PhD, associate professor of biology at the University of New Haven, who also hypothesizes that nematodes play a role in tick-borne disease. It would explain why some patients don’t get well when treated for Lyme disease alone. Other researchers have found Tularemia, often an agent of bio-terrorism, in Lyme ticks.

A host of other spirochetes, some not yet identified, complete the scene. Yale researchers found that 20 percent of the spirochetes thought to be Borrelia burgdorferi in the Northeast are really another species, a relapsing fever spirochete never seen in North America before. There’s a still-unidentified spirochete in Montana, this time transmitted by the wood tick. And then there’s the lonestar tick, which has recently spread from the South throughout the Midwest and up the East Coast, as far north as Maine. The lonestar carries an unidentified spirochete, the cause of a Lymelike disease that the CDC has recently recognized.

“We are just starting to understand the full range of infections that we might get,” says David H. Persing, MD, PhD, chief medical and technology officer for Cepheid, a California biotech firm and a world expert in molecular diagnostics. “I don’t think we know half of the agents that are potentially transmissible by ticks.”

Add to this the morphing quality of the various microbes implicated in these Lymelike diseases. Through constant shifting of plasmid DNA among the microbes, ticks facilitate a rapid form of evolution and drive the creation of novel strains and microbes, virtually nonstop. Indeed, in the universe of emerging infectious disease, the tick is the final frontier. The ultimate germ generator, it is the ideal wet lab for microorganisms to mix and remix in infinite formats, spewing a kaleidoscopic oeuvre of novel bacteria and viruses, some of them pathogens the world has never seen.

The Ongoing Discovery of Lyme Disease

It's now been fairly well-established that chronic infection is an underlying factor in most chronic illnesses. Diseases such as Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue are all turning out to be expressions of chronic infections.

"Right at the center of that is the ongoing discovery of Lyme disease," Dr. Klinghardt says.

Lyme disease has recently received a new definition. It now refers to illnesses transferred by insects, as opposed to simply a tick-borne disease. Mosquitoes can carry Lyme disease and many other serious infections, as can spiders, fleas and mites.

"Today I take a very different approach to Lyme disease," Dr. Klinghardt says. "I look at it as nature mingling with our genes. They are trying to incorporate their genome into our genome… Most of the time it goes wrong but sometimes it goes well. This is like the point I want to make upfront; that I take this more evolutionary view of it.

… We know that Lyme spirochetes were around for a long time but something happened maybe 30-40 years ago, where the creatures became more aggressive, more penetrating, and more illness-producing than they were before. Some of us suspect it's a man-made element. Some of us suspect that the global warming may play a role in it.

I personally suspect that the exposure to electromagnetic fields in the home and the microwaves from cell phone radiation are driving the virulence of many of the microbes that are naturally in us, and makes them aggressive and illness producing. There is probably evidence for all sides of the discussion."

Lyme disease rates are escalating at breakneck speed, among humans as well as animals. Today, Lyme disease is the most common vector borne disease in the U.S., far more common and dangerous to the average American than West Nile virus. In fact, there were almost 40,000 reported cases of Lyme in 2009,1 which by all accounts is a gross underestimate.

The CDC estimates the real number of cases may be up to 12 times higher, suggesting as high as 480,000, making Lyme far more prevalent than AIDS. The number of Lyme cases reported annually has increased nearly 25-fold since national surveillance began in 1982.

Lyme disease was named after the East Coast town of Lyme, Connecticut, where the disease was first identified in 1975.3 The disease was first referred to as "Lyme arthritis" due to the presentation of atypical arthritic symptoms. By 1977, the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis, also known as the deer tick) was linked to transmission of the disease.

Then in 1982, Willy Burgdorfer, PhD, discovered the bacterium responsible for the infection: Borrelia burgdorferi. The bacteria are released into your blood from the infected tick, while the tick is drinking your blood.

We now know there are five subspecies of Borrelia burgdorferi, more than 100 strains in the U.S. and 300 worldwide, many of which have developed resistance to our various antibiotics. Although many still attribute transmission exclusively to ticks, according to Dr. Deitrich Klinghardt, one of the leading authorities on Lyme disease, the bacteria can also be spread by other insects, including mosquitoes, spiders, fleas, and mites. This may be the reason so few Lyme sufferers recall being bitten by a tick. There is also increasing evidence that Lyme disease may be transmitted sexually and congenitally.

Borrelia burgdorferi is a spirochete,4 a cousin to the spirochete bacterium that causes syphilis. In fact, they look almost identical under a microscope. B. burgdorferi's corkscrew-shaped form allows it to burrow into and hide in a variety of your body's tissues, which is why it causes such wide-ranging multisystem involvement.

From 'Dr. Klinghardt's Treatment of Lyme Disease', Excerpted From the Writings of Dietrich Klinghardt, MD, Ph.D., edited by Eve Greenberg, LPC, CN, Explore Staff Reporter and Director of the Klinghardt Academy of Neurobiology, Mercola.com

Lyme disease was first recognized in the United States in 1975, after a mysterious outbreak of arthritis near Lyme, Connecticut. It wasn't until 1982 that the spirochete that causes Lyme was identified. It was subsequently named Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), in honor of pioneer researcher Willy Burgdorfer, Ph.D.

Lyme disease has an elusive nature -- studies show that less than a week after being infected, the Lyme spirochete can be deeply embedded inside your tendons, muscle, heart, and brain. It invades tissue, replicates, and then destroys its host cell as it emerges.

Traditionally, the signs and symptoms of this disease include a skin rash, fever, and headache, but there are numerous other symptoms not traditionally considered signs of Lyme disease -- everything from sciatica to chronic TMJ problems, adrenal fatigue, GERD, and other seemingly unrelated symptoms.

Testing for and Diagnosis of Lymes

From 'Why is Lyme Disease Not JUST a Tick-Borne Disease Any More?', Dr. Mercola

Lyme disease is difficult to diagnose, particularly due to "the Lyme paradox." In order to diagnose Lyme with one of the accepted commercial tests, you must first treat it, in order for white blood cells to mount an appropriate immune response. Only then can a lab test detect the presence of Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose using conventional tests. And there's great variation in the presentation of the disease as well, depending on where you contracted it, and whether or not you have any other coexisting infections. There is a group of seven or eight microbes that are the most common. The worst ones are Babesia microti and the different forms of Bartonella.

"Underneath that, there's often an infection with Mycoplasma. We still don't know if it's really transferred with the same bite or if the people had it all along and become symptomatic when the immune system is suppressed by the spirochetes," Dr. Klinghardt says.

Other than the co-infections, there is what I call the "opportunistic infections." The combined effect of the initial infection is an immune suppressive effect, and then the patient becomes vulnerable to all sorts of other things. The most common things people contract early on in the course if the illness are different forms of parasites, such as protozoa; Babesia itself being one of them.

There is Giardia, amoebas, Trichomonas, malaria, and different forms of infections that aren't labeled yet. There is a new one, called FL1953. Stephen Frye discovered that. It's a protozoan organism that's causing severe fatigue and illness in chronically ill people. It's almost always present in a patient with Lyme disease.

And then we find a lot of worms in people. They may be microscopic and they may be macroscopic. That means they may be visible in the stool or they may not be visible."

Common Presentations of Lyme Disease.

"100 percent effective if the Lyme disease or… whatever the microbe is, lives in the joint and is confined to the joint space. Simply putting ozone in the joint will kill the spirochetes, and often with one, sometimes two treatments, make the joint completely pain free. That's one form of the expression of Lyme."

How to Diagnose Lyme Disease

Insomnia is one of the key symptoms in many cases of Lyme disease, along with neurological symptoms such as headaches and a wide variety of pain syndromes. But you cannot diagnose Lyme disease on symptoms alone, because they're so varied.

Testing is required, but even that is not a sure-shot…

Most commercial tests designed to detect chronic infections are based on measuring your immune reaction—the presence of antibodies—to the invading microbe. However, one of the primary cells that get infected with Lyme spirochetes are the white blood cells themselves, which is a bit of a game-changer… because if your white blood cells are infected, they lose the ability to produce antibodies. Hence it is relatively common to get a negative test result… Dr. Klinghardt refers to this as "the Lyme paradox," because in order to diagnose Lyme disease properly with one of the accepted commercial tests, you have to first treat the Lyme disease, in order for your white blood cells to be able to mount an appropriate immune response. Only then can a lab test be used to detect the presence of Lyme disease.

"An exception to that are the test based on direct microscopy, where you're not depending on the immune responses for the patient," he explains. However, this too has its drawbacks and difficulties. For example, the FISH test for Babesia is done on blood. But Babesia lives in the central nervous system, joints, and connective tissue. It doesn't live in your blood stream, at least not in significant amounts, so it can easily be missed when looking at blood.

To get around the many testing conundrums surrounding Lyme, whenever he suspects Lyme, Dr. Klinghardt treats his patients for Lyme disease for at least six to eight weeks, followed by a Western blot test, which measures immune response. The treatment is initially based on the clinical symptoms presented, along with a form of muscle testing he developed, called autonomic response testing (ART), which incorporates both classical neurological testing and kinesiology.

"It's not related to the applied kinesiology system that's quite distinct," Dr. Klinghardt explains. "It... may look similar… [but] we're looking for very specific reflexes that are connected to very specific illnesses. We arrive at a tentative diagnosis through history taking, through looking at skin signs; palpating the tissues; testing the normal neurological reflexes; orthopedic tests, and then we add the muscle testing as an additional tool."

Tests and Lab Recommendations

Dr. Klinghardt exclusively uses the IGeneX Lab in Palo Alto for his blood tests, and Fry Labs in Arizona for direct microscopy testing.

"I don't have a financial investment in it, but it's the gold standard in our field," he says. "They use two different antigens. The commercial labs and hospitals and so forth, they use one antigen and are notorious in under-diagnosing Lyme disease. We recommend to rather not test it than get a false negative, which will sometimes lead the patient 20 years on the wrong track. With the other co-infections, the detection rate drops way down.

… We do the FISH test [for Borrelia] at IGeneX Lab. It's a direct microscopy test which has more false negatives than the western blot.

… The leading test for Bartonella that we use is Fry Labs in Arizona. Steven Fry, who does a wonderful direct microscopy test, often comes back positive with the diagnosis of hemobartonella. Hemo means simply blood – Bartonella in the blood. Remember, he's testing the blood where the Bartonella typically does not live. It lives in the nervous system. So if you find it in the blood in small amounts it generally is an indicator that there is a high amount in other tissues in the body."

An indirect test is the CD57 test. "CD-57" is a specific group of natural killer cells that are particularly damaged by the Lyme spirochetes. Therefore, if your numbers drop to a certain level, it is an indirect indicator that you may have Lyme disease, because the only known infection to suppress CD57 is that of Borrelia burgdorferi.

Normally, your CD57 value should be over 100. If it's lower than that, you're infected with Borrelia. If it's below 60, you probably have both Borrelia and Mycoplasma, and, most likely, some other co-infections.

From ILADS Guidelines

I must very strongly emphasize that all diagnoses of tick-borne infections remains a clinical one. Clinical clues will be presented later in this monograph, but testing information is briefly summarized below.

In Lyme Borreliosis, western blot is the preferred serologic test. Antigen detection tests (antigen capture and PCR), although insensitive, are very specific and are especially helpful in evaluating the seronegative patient and those still ill or relapsing after therapy. Often, these antigen detection tests are the only positive markers of Bb infection, as seronegativity has been reported to occur in as many as 30% to 50% of cases. Nevertheless, active LB can be present even if all of these tests are non-reactive! Clinical diagnosis is therefore required.

In Babesiosis, no single test is reliable enough to be used alone. Only in early infections (less than two weeks duration) can the standard blood smear be helpful. In later stages, one can use serology, PCR, and fluorescent in-situ hybridization (“FISH”) assay. Unfortunately, many other protozoans can be found in ticks, most likely representing species other than B. microti, yet commercial tests for only B. microti and B duncani (Formerly known as WA-1) are available at this time! In other words, the patient may have an infection that cannot be tested for. Here, as in Borrelia, clinical assessment is the primary diagnostic tool.

In Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis, by definition you must test for both the monocytic and granulocytic forms. This may be accomplished by blood smear, PCR and serology. Many presently uncharacterized Ehrlichia-like organisms can be found in ticks and may not be picked up by currently available assays, so in this illness too, these tests are only an adjunct in making the diagnosis. Rarely, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever can coexist, and even be chronic. Fortunately, treatment regimens are similar for all agents in this group.

In Bartonella, use both serology and PCR. PCR can be performed not only on blood and CSF, but as in LB, can be performed on biopsy specimens. Unfortunately, in my experience, these tests, even when both types are done, will presently miss over half the cases diagnosed clinically.

Frequent exposures to Mycoplasmas are common, resulting in a high prevalence of seropositivity, so the best way to confirm active infection is by PCR.

Chronic viral infections may be active in the chronic patient, due to their weakened immune response. PCR testing, and not serologies, should be used for diagnosis. Commonly seen viruses include HHV-6, CMV, and BV.

COLLATERAL CONDITIONS

Experience has shown that collateral conditions exist in those who have been ill a long time. The evaluation should include testing both for differential diagnosis and for uncovering other subtle abnormalities that may coexist.

Test B12 levels, and be prepared to aggressively treat with parenteral formulations. If neurologic involvement is severe, then consideration should be given to treatment with methylcobalamin (as outlined below in the section on nutritional support).

Magnesium deficiency is very often present and quite severe. Hyperreflexia, muscle twitches, myocardial irritability, poor stamina and recurrent tight muscle spasms are clues to this deficiency. Magnesium is predominantly an intracellular ion, so blood level testing is of little value. Oral preparations are acceptable for maintenance, but those with severe deficiencies need additional, parenteral dosing: 1 gram IV or IM at least once a week until neuromuscular irritability has cleared.

Pituitary and other endocrine abnormalities are far more common than generally realized. Evaluate fully, including growth hormone levels. Quite often, a full battery of provocative tests is in order to fully define the problem. When testing the thyroid, measure free T3 and free T4 levels and TSH, and nuclear scanning and testing for autoantibodies may be necessary.

Activation of the inflammatory cascade has been implicated in blockade of cellular hormone receptors. One example of this is insulin resistance; clinical hypothyroidism can result from receptor blockade and thus hypothyroidism can exist despite normal serum hormone levels. These may partly account for the dyslipidemia and weight gain that is noted in 80% of chronic Lyme patients. In addition to measuring free T3 and T4 levels, check basal A.M. body temperatures. If hypothyroidism is found, you may need to treat with both T3 and T4 preparations until blood levels of both are normalized. To ensure sustained levels, when T3 is prescribed, have it compounded in a time-release form.

Neurally mediated hypotension (NMH) is not uncommon. Symptoms can include palpitations, lightheadedness and shakiness especially after exertion and prolonged standing, heat intolerance, dizziness, fainting (or near fainting), and an unavoidable need to sit or lie down. It is often confused with hypoglycemia, which it mimics. NMH can result from autonomic neuropathy and endocrine dyscrasias. If NMH is present, treatment can dramatically lessen fatigue, palpitations and wooziness, and increase stamina. NMH is diagnosed by tilt table testing. This test should be done by a cardiologist and include Isuprel challenge. This will demonstrate not only if NMH is present, but also the relative contributions of hypovolemia and sympathetic dysfunction. Immediate supportive therapy is based on blood volume expansion (increased sodium and fluid intake and possibly Florinef plus potassium). If not sufficient, beta blockade may be added based on response to the Isuprel challenge. The long term solution involves restoring proper hormone levels and treating the Lyme to address this and the autonomic dysfunction.

SPECT scanning of the brain- Unlike MRI and CT scans, which show structure, SPECT scans show function. Therefore SPECT scans give us information unattainable through X-rays, CT scans, MRI’s, or even spinal taps.

In the majority of chronic Lyme Borreliosis patients, these scans are abnormal. Although not diagnostic of Lyme specifically, if the scan is abnormal, the scan can not only quantify the abnormalities, but the pattern can help to differentiate medical from psychiatric causes of these changes. Furthermore, repeat scans after a course of treatment can be used to assess treatment efficacy. Note that improvement in scans lag behind clinical improvement by many months.

If done by knowledgeable radiologists using high-resolution equipment, scanning will show characteristic abnormalities in Lyme encephalopathy- global hypoperfusion (may be homogenous or heterogeneous). Whatthese scans demonstrate is neuronal dysfunction and/or varying degrees of cerebrolvascular insufficiency. If necessary, to assess the relative contributions of these two processes, the SPECT scan can be done before and after acetazolamide. If the post acetazolamide scan shows significant reversibility of the abnormalities, then vasoconstriction is present, and can be treated with vasodilators, which may clear some cognitive symptoms. Therapy can include acetazolamide, serotonin agonists and even Ginkgo biloba, provided it is of pharmaceutical quality. Therapeutic trials of these may be needed.

Acetazolamide should not be given if there is severe kidney/liver disease, electrolyte abnormalities, pregnancy, sulfa allergy, recent stroke, or if the patient is taking high dose aspirin treatment

LYME BORRELIOSIS

DIAGNOSTIC HINTS

Lyme Borreliosis (LB) is diagnosed clinically, as no currently available test, no matter the source or type, is definitive in ruling in or ruling out infection with these pathogens, or whether these infections are responsible for the patient's symptoms. The entire clinical picture must be taken into account, including a search for concurrent conditions and alternate diagnoses, and other reasons for some of the presenting complaints. Often, much of the diagnostic process in late, disseminated Lyme involves ruling out other illnesses and defining the extent of damage that might require separate evaluation and treatment.

Consideration should be given to tick exposure, rashes (even atypical ones), evolution of typical symptoms in a previously asymptomatic individual, and results of tests for tick-borne pathogens. Another very important factor is response to treatment- presence or absence of Jarisch Herxheimer-like reactions, the classic four-week cycle of waxing and waning of symptoms, and improvement with therapy.

ERYTHEMA MIGRANS

Erythema migrans (EM) is diagnostic of Bb infection, but is present in fewer than half. Even if present, it may go unnoticed by the patient. It is an erythematous, centrifugally expanding lesion that is raised and may be warm. Rarely there is mild stinging or pruritus. The EM rash will begin four days to several weeks after the bite, and may be associated with constitutional symptoms. Multiple lesions are present less than 10% of the time, but do represent disseminated disease. Some lesions have an atypical appearance and skin biopsy specimens may be helpful. When an ulcerated or vesicular center is seen, this may represent a mixed infection, involving other organisms besides B. burgdorferi.

After a tick bite, serologic tests (ELISA. IFA, western blots, etc.) are not expected to become positive until several weeks have passed. Therefore, if EM is present, treatment must begin immediately, and one should not wait for results of Borrelia tests. You should not miss the chance to treat early disease, for this is when the success rate is the highest. Indeed, many knowledgeable clinicians will not even order a Borrelia test in this circumstance.

DIAGNOSING LATER DISEASE

When reactive, serologies indicate exposure only and do not directly indicate whether the spirochete is now currently present. Because Bb serologies often give inconsistent results, test at well-known reference laboratories. The suggestion that two-tiered testing, utilizing an ELISA as a screening tool, followed, if positive, by a confirmatory western blot, is illogical in this illness. The ELISA is not sensitive enough to serve as an adequate screen, and there are many patients with Lyme who test negative by ELISA yet have fully diagnostic western blots. I therefore recommend against using the ELISA. Order IgM and IgG western blots- but be aware that in late disease there may be repeatedly peaking IgM's and therefore a reactive IgM may not differentiate early from late disease, but it does suggest an active infection. When late cases of LB are seronegative, 36% will transiently become seropositive at the completion of successful therapy. In chronic Lyme Borreliosis, the CD-57 count is both useful and important (see below).

Western blots are reported by showing which bands are reactive. 41KD bands appear the earliest but can cross react with other spirochetes. The 18KD, 23-25KD (Osp C), 31KD (Osp A), 34KD (Osp B), 37KD, 39KD, 83KD and the 93KD bands are the species-specific ones, but appear later or may not appear at all. You should see at least the 41KD and one of the specific bands. 55KD, 60KD, 66KD, and 73KD are nonspecific and nondiagnostic.

PCR tests are now available, and although they are very specific, sensitivity remains poor, possibly less than 30%. This is because Bb causes a deep tissue infection and is only transiently found in body humors. Therefore, just as in routine blood culturing, multiple specimens must be collected to increase yield; a negative

many physicians tell their patients there is "no such thing," referring them to psychiatrists, misdiagnosing them, or even accusing them of fabricating an illness or simply seeking attention.

Each year, thousands go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, often told their symptoms are all in their heads. "Under Our Skin" brings into focus a troubling picture of a health care system that is far too willing to put profits ahead of patients. The Chicago Daily Herald calls it "a ripping indictment of the medical establishment's failure to uphold its oath."

Lyme is often called “the great imitator” because the disease can mimic symptoms of more than 350 different types of inflammatory diseases. Typically, if a patient comes to the doctor with a suspicion of Lyme based on the discovery of a tick attached to the skin, a bull’s eye rash, and joint pain and swelling, the doctor might order lab tests to confirm the presence of a spirochete bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb). But far too often, a person who is bitten by a tick carrying Lyme disease never sees the tick.

Ticks are most likely to transmit Lyme disease when they are in their immature stage, called the nymphal stage. At this point, the tick is smaller than a poppy seed. Even when a nymphal tick is fully engorged with blood, it may be smaller than the size of a pinhead. And while ticks can attach to any part of the body, they are most often found in hard-to-see areas such as the groin, armpits and scalp. Both immature and adult ticks can transmit Lyme disease. Recent studies are showing that Lyme may also be carried by mosquitos and biting flies.

When it comes to the telltale bull’s eye rash that is a hallmark of Lyme disease, the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society reports that only 35% to 60% of patients report a rash. Little more than half of patients recall a tick bite, and only 20% to 30% report the joint swelling that is a typical symptom of early stage Lyme disease.

Common diagnostic tests for Lyme disease

Lyme disease testing is notorious for being unreliable, leading to misdiagnoses and inappropriate patient care. There are a number of commonly used tests that can indicate exposure to the Lyme organism at some point in time, but the sensitivity of these tests is known to be low, and can miss as many as 30% to 70% of cases.

Western blot

The Western blot identifies Lyme disease antibodies, including both IgG and IgM assays. This test maps out information on “bands,” with specific bands related to Lyme disease representing evidence of exposure to Borrelia Borgdorferi.

ELISA

The ELISA test is a simple, inexpensive test that can detect antibodies created as a response to an infection with Borrelia Borgdorferi. A newer form of the test, the C6-peptide ELISA, is more accurate, and has been shown to confirm exposure in more than 60% of patients with a very small percentage of false positives.  A positive ELISA test should be followed up with a Western blot test to confirm results.

PCR Test

One relatively new test for Lyme disease is the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test, which confirms that Lyme bacteria DNA are present. A positive PCR test almost always guarantees that a patient has Lyme disease, as long as the test analysis has been done properly.

CD57

Another important test for diagnosing Lyme and tracking progress is the CD57. Lyme disease is known to suppress the immune system and decrease the quantity of the CD-57 subset of natural killer cells. Based on where the patient is in the range, this test can indicate how active the Lyme infection is and whether a relapse is likely to occur after treatment ends. However, if the CD57 comes back within normal range, this does not rule out Lyme disease and co-infections.

Lyme Culture

The most sensitive and reliable test available today for Lyme diagnosis is the Lyme Culture test, created by renowned Lyme disease specialist Dr. Joseph Burrascano. This test allows the Lyme bacteria to be grown outside the body in cultures, something previously not available. The new test can diagnose new cases of Lyme disease and also can identify active Lyme disease that has not been adequately treated.

Additional tests

Research and clinical experience has revealed that chronic Lyme patients nearly universally are co-infected with multiple pathogens, including Babesia, Bartonella, Erlichia, Anaplasma, and Mycoplasma. Additionally patients with Lyme disease often have weakened immune systems, and are likely to be found with viruses such as Epstein Barr, Cytomegalovirus and HHV6. Diagnosis of Lyme disease can often be determined or confirmed by the presence of any of these additional co-infections.

It should be noted that it can take up to two months after becoming infected before the antibodies to Lyme disease can be detected in a blood test. Additionally, the most commonly used tests to diagnose Lyme disease are known for delivering false negative results. The Lyme Culture test is the most sensitive and accurate of all.

Lyme disease is a complex illness that can simultaneously include bacterial, viral, parasitic and fungal co-infections. Proper testing to confirm or rule out Lyme disease is critical, as treatment is most successful when done immediately after infection. An error or delay in getting a proper diagnosis can allow the Lyme bacteria and co-infections to infiltrate the body, making recovery more difficult. If left untreated, Lyme disease can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system.

If left untreated, the disease may progress to muscle spasms, loss of motor coordination, and even intermittent paralysis, meningitis, or heart problems. For a more complete list of symptoms, refer to the Tick-Borne Disease Alliance.11Lymedisease.org has also created a printable Symptom Checklist.12

The B. burgdorferi spirocheteis shaped like a corkscrew, which allows it to burrow into and hide in a variety of your body’s tissues. It can also live intracellularly (inside your cells), which allows it to evade antibiotics.

For this reason, some doctors recommend giving antibiotics along with Plaquenil in order to change the intracellular pH.13 The organisms can also take up residence in biofilms, or in an encoated “cyst” form.

All of these different morphologies and clever evasion capabilities explain why Lyme infection can cause such wide-ranging multisystem involvement and why treatment is so difficult.

This also explains why recurrence of symptoms can still occur after standard antibiotic protocols. Complicating matters further, ticks can also infect you with a number of other disease-causing organisms, such as Bartonella, Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, and Babesia. These organisms can travel with Borrelia burgdorferi (the causative agent of Lyme) and each organism causes a different set of symptoms. According to Dr. Klinghardt, many Lyme patients have one or more of these co-infections, which may or may not respond to any given treatment.

The Lyme bacterium has yet another stealthy survival mechanism. While most bacteria need iron to survive, the Lyme bacterium has adapted to survive without iron, using manganese instead. This allows it to evade your body’s natural immune system defenses that destroy pathogens by cutting off their iron supply.14

If you’re looking for a film about Lyme disease I recommend UNDER OUR SKIN. This film has changed the landscape of the Lyme epidemic, bringing unprecedented awareness in an engaging and accessible way. UNDER OUR SKIN exposes a hidden story of medical and scientific malfeasance and neglect.

The simplest presentation of Lyme disease is the orthopedic forms, which typically affect the larger joints. When the microbes and the associated immune reactions are situated in the connective tissue, the infection presents as a “vague, dispersed pain,” which oftentimes ends up being misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia by conventional doctors. In fact, Lyme disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose, and doctors quite often get it wrong.15

Lyme is known as “the great imitator,” as it can mimic many other disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS), arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, ALS, ADHD, and Alzheimer’s disease.16 When nothing unusual shows up on blood tests, some patients are even told their problems are “all in their head,” and may be referred to a psychologist.

One of the reasons blood tests are so unreliable as indicators of Lyme infection is that the spirochete is capable of infecting your white blood cells. Lab tests rely on the normal function of these cells to produce the antibodies they measure. If your white cells are infected, they will not respond to an infection appropriately. Interestingly, the worse your Borrelia infection is, the less likely it will show up on a blood test.

In order for Lyme tests to be useful, you actually have to be treated first. Once your immune system begins to respond normally, only then will the antibodies show up on a blood test. This is called the “Lyme Paradox” — you have to be treated before a proper diagnosis can be made.

I recommend the specialized lab called IGeneX because they test for more outer surface proteins (bands), and can often detect Lyme while standard blood tests cannot. IGeneX also tests for a few strains of co-infections such as Babesia and Erhlichia. That said, a negative on the IGeneX test for these co-infections does not necessarily mean you are not infected, as there are many more strains than tests can currently detect.

--------

Many Lyme patients who battle this disease on a daily basis appear healthy, which is why Lyme disease has been called "the invisible illness." They often "look good," and their blood work appears normal, but their internal experience is a far different story. Patients struggling with Lyme disease usually become adept at hiding their pain from others as a way to cope and restore some degree of normalcy to their lives.

Part of the problem with diagnosing and treating Lyme disease is that it is so easy to misdiagnose. Lyme disease is called "the great imitator,"5 mimicking other disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS), arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, ALS, ADHD and Alzheimer's disease. In some cases, Lyme patients can even develop paralysis or slip into a coma. The only distinctive hallmark unique to Lyme disease is the "bulls eye" rash, but this is absent in nearly half of those infected. Laboratory tests are notoriously unreliable.

Fewer than half of Lyme patients recall a tick bite. In some studies, this number is as low as 15 percent. So, if you don't recall seeing a tick on your body, that doesn't rule out the possibility of Lyme disease. According to TBDA3:

"Although the bulls eye red rash is considered the classic sign to look for, it is not even the most common dermatologic manifestation of early Lyme infection. Atypical forms of this rash are seen far more commonly. It is important to know that the Erythema Migrans rash is a clear, unequivocal sign of Lyme disease..."

One of the reasons blood tests are so unreliable as indicators of Lyme infection is that the spirochete has found a way to infect your white blood cells. Lab tests rely on the normal function of these cells to produce the antibodies they measure.

If your white cells are infected, they don't respond to an infection appropriately. And the worse your Borrelia infection is, the less likely it will show up on a blood test. In order for Lyme tests to be useful, you have to be treated first. Once your immune system begins to respond normally, only then will the antibodies show up. This is called the "Lyme Paradox" – treatment before diagnosis.

Attorney General Finds IDSA Lyme Guidelines Flawed and Panel Corrupted

A handful of people are the gatekeepers for information about Lyme disease. Most of those occupy positions within the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), which publishes guidelines for a number of infectious diseases, one of which is Lyme.

In the IDSA's most recent clinical practice guidelines for Lyme disease8 the authors claim Lyme is easily cured with, typically, two weeks of antibiotics, requiring 28 days in rare cases. They also claim there is no scientific evidence for chronic Borrelia infection. However, the studies they reference clearly reflect their bias. Of the 400 references cited, half are based on articles written by guidelines authors themselves.

Their literature review in no way represents the total body of science related to the study of Lyme disease.

Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal has long been a strong advocate for people with Lyme disease.9 While he was Connecticut, Attorney General Blumenthal conducted an investigation into the IDSA's panel members and 2006 Lyme disease guidelines.

These guidelines have sweeping impacts on Lyme disease medical care. They are commonly applied by insurance companies to restrict coverage for long-term treatment and strongly influence physicians' treatment decisions. Insurance companies have denied coverage for long-term treatment, citing these guidelines as justification that chronic Lyme disease is a myth. Blumenthal's investigation found conflicts of interest were rampant in the IDSA, with numerous undisclosed financial interests among its most powerful panelists.

The IDSA agreed to create a new panel to review the ethics of the 2006 IDSA panel, overseen by Blumenthal's office. But this ended up being nothing more than a pacifier. The end result was a Final Report published on the IDSA site10 finding the original guidelines "based on the highest-quality medical/scientific evidence available," stating the authors "did not fail to consider or cite any relevant data." Senator Blumenthal continues to fight the establishment, however, and has taken his battle to the U.S. Senate8.

MYTH #1: Lyme always causes a bull’s-eye rash. People who live in areas where Lyme disease is common are taught to look for a red, expanding rash called erythema migrans. It resembles a bull’s-eye and generally appears about seven days after a bite from an infected tick.

Fact: About half of Lyme patients develop a rash. But even when the rash is present, it resembles a bull’s-eye in only about half of those cases. It’s just as likely to appear as a “simple” rash that’s easily mistaken for a spider bite or skin infection.

MYTH #2: Joint pain is the telltale symptom of Lyme. Many Lyme patients will develop Lyme arthritis, severe joint pain and swelling that usually affects the knees or other large joints. But not every Lyme patient develops this symptom—so you can’t assume that the absence of joint pain and swelling means that you don’t have Lyme.

Fact: Most Lyme patients have at least a dozen different symptoms, but there is no one symptom that everyone with Lyme has. Among the most common symptoms are fatigue, migratory joint and muscle pain, tingling, numbness and burning sensations, a stiff neck, headache, memory and concentration problems and sleep disorders. These symptoms can range from mild to severe. The constellation of symptoms and ruling out other disorders point to Lyme.

MYTH #3: Lyme is fairly easy to diagnose with a blood test. If you have Lyme symptoms, your doctor will probably recommend two-tiered blood testing—the ELISA test, which measures the total amount of antibodies produced by the body in response to the Lyme bacterium (Borrelia burgdorferi)…and if that test is positive, the Western blot, which looks for specific protein patterns that are characteristic of Lyme.

Fact: The tests are not very accurate. One study, conducted by the New York State Department of Health, looked at more than 1,500 patients who had been diagnosed with Lyme disease. Two-tiered testing missed 81% of the cases. If tests are done early in the course of the disease or if the patient has received an antibiotic, test results may indicate a false-negative.

Important: I recommend getting both the ELISA and Western blot tests. If your Western blot shows a 23, 31, 34, 39 and/or 83-93 band, this indicates Lyme. Other tests, such as a DNA test called polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and antibody titers, to check for other common tick-borne infections, such as Babesia (a malaria-like parasite) and Bartonella (which causes cat scratch fever), also can be helpful in diagnosing resistant symptoms.

The standard guidelines, published by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), call for early diagnosis exclusively through the presence of that telltale rash — mistakenly thought of by many practitioners as a classic “bull’s-eye” shape. Yet the spreading red rash with areas of white clearing, called an erythema migrans, might not be round or oval — let alone a bull’s eye. (Jason’s rash, which I later recognized in a medical textbook, was dismissed by our medical group because it covered his torso in a swath.) According to some studies and estimates, fewer than 60 percent of Lyme patients ever exhibit or notice a rash of any sort.

Those without this early sign may roam the diagnostic desert for years seeking answers. Yet, IDSA guidelines require that, to qualify for diagnosis, patients without the rash must present with one of a small group of quantifiable disease signs, from measurable nerve damage to grossly swollen knees. Though many experts say a significant percentage of Lyme patients experience only “symptoms” — headache, memory loss or fatigue — IDSA calls these problems just too vague to consider a diagnosis of Lyme. But, even with objective signs like swollen knees, patients must pass a series of tests before a diagnosis can be made.

And that’s the other part of the problem. Should the patient present those frank signs of disease and qualify for the test, the bar for passing is set perilously high for some. According to the peer-reviewed journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, “The tests are prone to false-negative and false-positive results and can be misleading, especially early in the course of the disease. . . . Because serologic [blood] testing is not 100 percent sensitive or specific, some people with Lyme disease will not have confirmatory laboratory results.”

The most comprehensive review of the standard Lyme tests comes from Johns Hopkins University. Working with patients from Pennsylvania and Maryland, the Hopkins scientists studied state-of-the-art serology and DNA tests for Lyme and found serious flaws: Most tellingly, when the standard two-step method recommended by the CDC was used on patients with other laboratory evidence of Lyme disease, it was positive between 45 percent and 77 percent of the time. As for DNA tests, the Hopkins researchers reported these rarely pick up otherwise-confirmed Lyme disease at all.

It is made all the more complicated because there are hundreds of strains of the Lyme disease spirochete throughout the world, says Benjamin Luft, MD, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Each strain has its own combination of proteins, evoking a variety of bands on diagnostic tests; some will match the pattern the CDC has approved for a positive on the Western blot (the second of two tests in the series), but others may not. Each Lyme strain evokes a unique antibody pattern and its own flavor of disease.

In short, Mayo Clinic researchers note, diagnosis should be clinical — based not on the tests but on the patient and the patient’s situation as a whole. With so many strains of Lyme disease and a unique immune system for each new patient, this only makes sense. Yet with Lyme disease so controversial, most primary-care doctors end up deferring to the tests, leaving those who fail them out in the cold.

“I’ve been scraping Lyme patients off the sidewalk for years,” says Kenneth Liegner, MD, who practices in Armonk, N.Y., not far from where my family got sick. “By the time some of these people get to me, they are so disabled they can barely think or walk.”

------------

Why Lyme Disease is So Tough to Diagnose…

And then we find a lot of worms in people. They may be microscopic and they may be macroscopic. That means they may be visible in the stool or they may not be visible."

---------

How to Diagnose Lyme Disease

Testing is required, but even that is not a sure-shot…Most commercial tests designed to detect chronic infections are based on measuring your immune reaction—the presence of antibodies—to the invading microbe. However, one of the primary cells that get infected with Lyme spirochetes are the white blood cells themselves, which is a bit of a game-changer… because if your white blood cells are infected, they lose the ability to produce antibodies.

Hence it is relatively common to get a negative test result…Dr. Klinghardt refers to this as "the Lyme paradox," because in order to diagnose Lyme disease properly with one of the accepted commercial tests, you have to first treat the Lyme disease, in order for your white blood cells to be able to mount an appropriate immune response. Only then can a lab test be used to detect the presence of Lyme disease.

Tests and Lab Recommendations

Dr. Klinghardt exclusively uses the IGeneX Lab in Palo Alto for his blood tests, and Fry Labs in Arizona for direct microscopy testing.

… We do the FISH test [for Borrelia] at IGeneX Lab. It's a direct microscopy test which has more false negatives than the western blot.

-----------

1) People infected with Lyme don’t always display the classic symptoms, so they never think to get tested; and 2) diagnostic tests often result in false negatives, so people are slipping through the cracks.

Personally, I don’t remember a tick bite, and like 30% of all Lyme sufferers, I never got the “classic” bull’s eye rash.

My new physical therapist mentioned that a former patient with similar symptoms finally got relief after being treated for Lyme disease. At first I dismissed this, saying I’d already been tested, but he then went on to explain that standard Lyme tests at the doctor's office (Western Blot, Elisa) miss an alarming amount of Lyme cases—they’re often only 45 to 65% accurate. “Lyme-literate” doctors, on the other hand, will look at your entire medical history, not just individual symptoms, and send blood samples to labs specializing in Lyme testing, like IGeneX.

With nothing left to lose, I booked an appointment with a doctor affiliated with the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS). After relaying my lengthy medical history to him, he was almost convinced I had Lyme. The results of my blood tests made him certain.

If you’re experiencing mysterious symptoms like mine, or the ones listed here, ask your doc for a Lyme test. If it comes back negative, but your symptoms linger and you’ve ruled out other diseases, consider seeking out a Lyme-literate doctor affiliated with ILADS. When it comes to your health, leave no stone unturned. I’m so glad I didn’t.

-----------

8) Case studies and Testimonials

<ol>

<li>A) from <a href="http://www.redbookmag.com/body/health-fitness/a38447/chronic-lyme-nearly-ruined-my-life/">http://www.redbookmag.com/body/health-fitness/a38447/chronic-lyme-nearly-ruined-my-life/</a></li>

</ol>

"There's nothing on this MRI that accounts for the pain you're having," my doctor said after analyzing my films. Ugh, I thought. I kind of wanted to punch him in the face, but I knew I couldn't hobble across the room in my condition. So I just sat there on the blue exam table, staring at the ground for a bit, then at my swollen ankles and atrophied calf muscles, then up at my dad—and I cried.

It was the same old shit, yet again—a puzzled doctor who couldn't fathom why a seemingly healthy 20something with what looked like tendonitis was in such debilitating pain. Pain that had been worsening and spreading for a year and that no amount of stretching and strengthening would alleviate. I was an enigma wrapped in an orthopedic boot strapped into a wheelchair. Needless to say, I'd been better.

I was an enigma wrapped in an orthopedic boot strapped into a wheelchair.

Of course, you already know it was Lyme, but I wouldn't get a diagnosis for another year. You see, there was nothing typically Lyme-y about this scenario. I had no recollection of a tick bite followed by flu-like symptoms and joint pain (the "classic" symptoms) that would have clued me in, and certainly no bull's-eye rash—in fact, a whopping 50 percent of patients with Lyme don't recall a rash either, I later learned.

Instead, this whole mess began completely out of the blue in 2010. It was a sharp, stinging sensation in my left ankle after a day of exploring Manhattan with a friend. I chalked up the pain to a combo of unsupportive flats, concrete, and ambitious sightseeing plans. But I didn't bounce back as anticipated. About a week later, after my first MRI of many, I was told that I had tendonitis, which physical therapy should resolve. But then my other ankle started to hurt, and, after a few months, the pain extended to my knees, the bottoms of my feet, and even my arms. Sometimes when I stood up, it felt like electric currents were running through my toes.

The tendonitis diagnosis seemed like BS, so I got about five "second opinions." Doctors ordered all sorts of fun tests—blood work for rheumatoid arthritis and lupus; MRIs of my brain; nerve conduction tests; ultrasounds to check the circulation in my calves. The most ironic part was that I even got tested for Lyme. Everything came back clean. So they kept prescribing physical therapy, and I kept getting worse.

After about a year, the pain became all-consuming. It was impossible to get myself to work without a cab or even stand for more than a few minutes—longer than that and my tendons felt like frayed rubber bands ready to snap at any moment. Typing sent shooting pains up my arms. At night, I had to strap my feet into hard plastic braces, as the slightest bend in my ankles would leave me writhing in pain. And all the inactivity created its own set of problems—my calves, once robust from miles of running, withered away to twigs, sapping my strength further.

My lowest point may have been that doctor's visit. My dad drove three hours so he could roll me to my appointment in an old wheelchair he'd borrowed from a friend. I'd just gotten more MRIs, and I was hoping my doctor would see something new in them that clued him in to why my body was failing. Instead, he said there was nothing he could do, and he didn't know who could help. When I looked up at my dad, he was crying right there with me.

I couldn't even remember getting a tick bite. With no answers in sight, I quit my job and moved back in with my parents. Surprisingly, it ended up being the best decision of my life. I started seeing a new physical therapist, who was the first person to bring up the possibility of Lyme. At first I dismissed the notion, telling her I'd already been tested, but she went on to explain how standard Lyme tests are highly insensitive, missing nearly half of those who have the disease. Even more surprising to learn was that when Lyme is untreated, it can go from an acute disease that's relatively easy to treat to a chronic condition that takes years to resolve.

She recommended seeing a Lyme specialist (a.k.a. a Lyme-literate doctor), as they typically send blood work to labs like IGeneX in Palo Alto, CA, where they do a more comprehensive version of the Western Blot test. They also take your entire medical history into account, understanding that symptoms manifest in a variety of different ways for different people, and that the CDC's standard two-to-three-week antibiotic treatment protocol often isn't enough for patients to make a full recovery.

I was so pumped at the idea of a diagnosis that I immersed myself in Lyme research. What surprised me was how widespread it's become—while being concentrated in the Northeastern and Upper Midwest United States, there have actually been cases documented in every state but Hawaii. And recently the CDC estimated that 300,000 people are newly infected with Lyme every year, about 10 times the previous estimates. Given the fact that I'd grown up in, and continued to visit, the boonies of New England, it was certainly possible I had Lyme. So I made an appointment.

Three hundred thousand people are newly infected with Lyme every year, about 10 times the previous estimates. In a refreshing deviation from my previous doctor-patient experiences, this Lyme specialist spent nearly three hours with me, listening to my every ache, pain, and strange symptom. Signs definitely pointed to chronic Lyme, he said, and after sending my blood work to IGeneX, he was confident I had the disease. Lyme can lie dormant for years until it rears its ugly head, he told me, which is probably why I couldn't remember a tick bite since I was a teenager. He recommended oral antibiotics until I felt better—and since I had nothing to lose, I went for it.

Today, two and a half years later—and four months since ending my treatment—I'm nearly 100 percent. Instead of considering a walk to the kitchen a major physical feat, I take my dog on six-mile hikes without pain. I now realize that I was one of the lucky ones. For some, chronic Lyme manifests itself in deep depression, brain fog, extreme fatigue, anxiety, tremors, and even complete heart failure. Others never even get a diagnosis, or are diagnosed with something else entirely (Lyme isn't called the "great imitator" for nothing). In fact, my own doctor was misdiagnosed with ALS and confined to a wheelchair until he explored the possibility of Lyme and sought treatment.

The one piece of good news about this terrible disease, though, is that there's a level of awareness now like never before, thanks in large part to celebrities who have battled Lyme, such as Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Yolanda Foster and singers Debbie Gibson and Avril Lavigne. Recently Lavigne was quoted in People about her Lyme experience, saying, "I had to fight… I had doctors tell me I was crazy and they didn't want to test me. I had to learn about it completely on my own."

If anything I've said here rings true, don't let anyone—expert or otherwise—make you feel crazy. Ask for a Lyme test, and if it comes back negative, don't be afraid to ask for a retest or seek out a specialist. When it comes to your health, you have to be your own advocate and detective sometimes, even if that means rejecting conventional medical wisdom.

<ol>

<li>B) From prevention magazine: <a href="http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/could-it-be-lyme-disease?cid=socHE_20150513_45686326&adbid=10153242781211469&adbpl=fb&adbpr=87494991468">http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/could-it-be-lyme-disease?cid=socHE_20150513_45686326&adbid=10153242781211469&adbpl=fb&adbpr=87494991468</a></li>

</ol>

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that about 300,000 Americans are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year—a number based on data from insurance claims, clinical laboratory records, and self-reported cases from patients. It’s much higher than previous estimates, and media outlets chimed in with sensational headlines like, “Lyme Disease is 10x More Common than Once Thought!”

My reaction: Well, duh. And in my non-scientific opinion, it’s probably even higher.

Who am I to make this claim? Well, let’s just say that during the two and a half years it took me to receive my own Lyme disease diagnosis, I became painfully aware of two things: 1) People infected with Lyme don’t always display the classic symptoms, so they never think to get tested; and 2) diagnostic tests often result in false negatives, so people are slipping through the cracks.

Personally, I don’t remember a tick bite, and like 30% of all Lyme sufferers, I never got the “classic” bull’s eye rash. What I experienced was gradually worsening ankle pain with no apparent cause. After an MRI, I was told I had tendonitis in my left ankle and that physical therapy would help. But it didn’t. So I began getting second, third, and fourth opinions. I travelled up and down Manhattan seeing orthopedists, rheumatologists, physiatrists, and pain management specialists. They ordered MRIs of my joints and brain; nerve conduction tests; and blood tests for rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and yes, even Lyme disease. Other than a little swelling, everything came up clean. In the words of my least favorite doctor, “There’s nothing else we can do.”

The pain didn’t stop. Eventually, it made its way to my right ankle, knees, and arms. My muscles felt fatigued after just seconds of standing, and I developed a tingling pins-and-needles sensation in my feet and shooting pains up my legs. Any progress I made from resting was negated when I reintroduced physical activity—a harsh reality for someone who used to run four miles a day. With no answers in sight—and not being able to stand up or walk long enough to get to the subway, go grocery shopping, or even just make myself dinner—I quit my job and moved in with my parents.

Luckily, the universe decided to throw me a bone. My new physical therapist mentioned that a former patient with similar symptoms finally got relief after being treated for Lyme disease. At first I dismissed this, saying I’d already been tested, but he then went on to explain that standard Lyme tests at the doctor's office (Western Blot, Elisa) miss an alarming amount of Lyme cases—they’re often only 45 to 65% accurate. “Lyme-literate” doctors, on the other hand, will look at your entire medical history, not just individual symptoms, and send blood samples to labs specializing in Lyme testing, like IGeneX.

That was 10 months ago, and since then, I’ve been on a combination of antibiotics to treat what’s considered “chronic Lyme”—a term used for Lyme disease that’s gone untreated for months or years, or that persists despite treatment. The use of long-term antibiotics is controversial, but from my experience, it’s been life changing. After the first three months, I had less pain; after six months, I could walk around the block; and today, I can go on three-mile hikes. I’m still not 100%, but I’m close.

So here’s my advice as tick season winds down: If you’re experiencing mysterious symptoms like mine, or the ones listed here, ask your doc for a Lyme test. If it comes back negative, but your symptoms linger and you’ve ruled out other diseases, consider seeking out a Lyme-literate doctor affiliated with ILADS. When it comes to your health, leave no stone unturned. I’m so glad I didn’t.

<ol>

<li>C) Melanie was tested at Kaiser and they showed negative for Lymes. She took the Western blot test results from Kaiser to this specialist. He has treated her for Lymes successfully, is local and takes MediCal! They gave me a lot of good information and leads. They are my preferred place to visit. They do not take insurance. They advised my next step is to get tested by Igenix in Palo Alto before proceeding with their or any other clinic. The Igenix test costs $600 it tests for Lymes coinfections.</li>

</ol>

Dr Sam T. Donte, 90 Terrace Heun Dr., Falmouth Mass 02540, (508) 539-6666

The only way I know of starting the process with him is thru a phone call. Their answering machine leaves instructions. I faxed my records to him . He's available for phone conference and he's willing to work with the doctor your working with for treatment. It s a bit of a process and worth it . I believe he goes to Florida during January and or Feb ..his message machine will direct you and inform you of his practice schedule and phone availability .

The Western Blot is the only test to my knowledge which is 99% successful . I have no knowledge of Igenix , or co infectors .

Dr Sam Donte falmouth mass ( google for address and ph number ) interpreted the Western Blot in my case as well as for R who was previously told the western blot was negative .

My medicare paid for everything . Donte didn t ask for a co pay .. my insurance paid for blood work .

I would ask Kaiser if they administered the western blot. if so fax it to Donte , get his read .  I wish I knew more about  Igenix.

<ol>

<li>D) from <a href="https://experiencelife.com/article/beating-lyme-2/">https://experiencelife.com/article/beating-lyme-2/</a></li>

</ol>

For patients with tick-borne diseases, the path to health can be confounding. Combining integrative and conventional approaches may be the best way forward.

Katina Makris was living her dream when life derailed. A natural-medicine practitioner with a flourishing career, she had a passionate marriage, a young son she doted on, and a home she had lovingly restored in the New Hampshire woods. But slowly she began to slip.

First, in June 2000, there was an inkling of muscle pain and fatigue. A few months later, she experienced a crippling migraine, and her arms and legs felt numb. The symptoms only got worse. At night she was engulfed in drenching sweat. Her brain became sluggish and confused. The days were a blur of exhaustion and pain. Eventually, she required a wheelchair and was so sick she had to give up her practice.

Unable to care for her child, she hired an au pair. Between trips to doctors and naturopaths, she spent most of her time in bed. Her marriage crumbled, and divorce was followed by financial struggle and more years in bed.

Five years into this devastating slide, after visits to teaching hospitals and myriad other physicians and practitioners, Makris happened to consult a well-known nutritionist. “He took one look at me and said, ‘I think you have neurological Lyme disease,’” she recalls.

That hunch was confirmed by lab tests, which came back positive for the infectious agent of Lyme disease, a spiral-shaped bacterium, or spirochete, transmitted by the bite of a black-legged tick.

Makris also tested positive for Babesia, a malaria-like blood parasite often inhabiting the same ticks. “I was never so relieved and furious at the same time,” Makris recalls. How could someone immersed in the healthcare profession herself fall so disastrously between the cracks?

Remarkably, Makris eventually recovered from this body blow, emerging whole to write an inspiring book about her experience, Out of the Woods: Healing Lyme Disease — Body, Mind, and Spirit. Even more remarkable, she managed to navigate a path to recovery without prescription antibiotics.

Integrative-medicine colleagues advised that prescription antibiotics might harm her in her fragile state. They recommended she instead consider relying solely on nutritional, herbal, and lifestyle-based treatments to heal her Lyme disease.

The treatment was multipronged. First, her doctors attempted to detox her body with plants known to aid liver function: milk thistle, dandelion, and bayberry. To lower inflammation naturally, she cut wheat and sugar from her diet. The brain fog diminished, she recalls, “and the worst jet lag of my life started to lift.”

Then her doctors treated her Lyme and Babesia with antimicrobial herbs. “I was able to make small meals again and do simple chores, like emptying the dishwasher,” she says. Along the way, she received acupuncture therapy for pain, boosted her energy with supplements like dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), stabilized her gut with probiotics, and then finally fixed the moldy roof on her house. “A year into treatment I was doing yoga, and I could walk a mile,” Makris says.

Ultimately, she and her son moved to a new, mold-free house on a city street in Peterborough, N.H., farther away from the ticks. By 2010 she was finally well.

CHRONIC CO-INFECTIONS

The recent rise of integrative strategies for treating Lyme comes on the heels of a decades-long fight over the very nature of the disease. The dispute revolved around two key questions: Are Lyme-disease tests accurate? And, can Lyme disease be chronic — that is, can Lyme spirochetes survive two to four weeks of antibiotic therapy and  then continue to make patients sick?

While the debate continues, the National Institute of Standards and Technology last year hosted a workshop to spur development of better tests to more accurately diagnose the disease. And recent peer-reviewed studies strongly suggest that small quantities of the spirochete can survive a short course of antibiotics when infection is treated late.

Yet for patients and their doctors, a core issue remains: Even if some spirochetes survive the onslaught of antibiotics, will more antibiotics purge remaining infection and return the patients to wellness — or are different treatments needed as well?

Limited studies give mixed grades to longer-term antibiotics. Many patients report a positive response but still agree they needed to go beyond these drugs to get completely well. Richard Horowitz, MD, author of Why Can’t I Get Better? Solving the Mystery of Lyme & Chronic Disease, estimates that 75 percent of his patients respond to antibiotic therapies, but he agrees that antibiotics alone will not cure some patients.

The situation represents a massive health problem, given the scope of the disease. In 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that Lyme disease afflicts some 300,000 Americans annually, a number 10 times higher than official case reports — yet far lower, opine many physicians, than the actual number of cases.

Since the tests are especially unreliable in the earliest stages of the disease, it’s all too easy for patients to slip through the cracks and join the ranks of the late-diagnosed. Of those, an estimated 20 percent fail the short-term treatment and become chronically ill.

What’s more, many of these hard-to-treat patients, like Makris, turn out to have co-infections transmitted by the same black-legged ticks that gave them Lyme — infections that don’t always respond to treatments for Lyme disease itself. The blood parasite Babesia, for example, must be treated with antimalarial medications. And, the co-infections Anaplasma and Ehrlichia do not respond to amoxicillin, a first-line antibiotic often used for Lyme.

Even if these and other co-infections are addressed, Horowitz says, patients can stay sick for many reasons beyond simple infection itself.

The fallout of Lyme and associated co-infections can inflame the immune system, destabilize hormones, cause sleep disorders, and challenge the well-functioning brain. If not balanced with probiotics, antibiotics can disrupt the microbiome of the gut and cause diarrhea and yeast infections.

Horowitz has labeled tick-borne disease and all the downstream consequences “multiple systemic infectious disease syndrome” (MSIDS).

“The additional causes of illness can be compared to 16 nails still stuck in a patient’s foot,” he says. “The patient will keep complaining of foot pain until all of the nails are removed.” (For more on this, see “16 Factors That Complicate Lyme Recovery” below.).

Horowitz emphasizes that while some of the herbal therapies for Lyme and other tick-borne disease have been scientifically studied and validated, many other integrative therapies used on Lyme patients are still largely based on anecdotal physician and patient reports, and they require evaluation through clinical trials.

He hopes to convince the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health, to step up. But meanwhile, he says, “it’s clear that not just infection, but also immune issues, inflammation, and environmental toxins are keeping these patients ill.”

A MADDENING MYSTERY

A-Maddening-Mystery

The multifaceted medical issues associated with Lyme hit home for integrative physician Sunjya Schweig, MD, and his wife, Lia Gaertner, today a healthcare consultant. They met as undergrads at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1993. Schweig went on to study medicine while Gaertner pursued a graduate degree in ethnobotany. The two visited Ecuador, where they worked with Western doctors alongside shamans and indigenous healers to study integrative medical systems.

Back home in the late 1990s, Gaertner became ill. “I had sudden-onset shortness of breath, rib pain, heart palpitations, and tachycardia [rapid heartbeat], but it was a mystery to my doctors,” she says. “I was constantly doing field work in Lyme-endemic areas, but no one ever told me to check for ticks. None of my doctors tested me for Lyme, although looking back, it was a classic onset of the disease.”

By 2008, Schweig was almost done with his residency specializing in family and integrative medicine. Gaertner was still looking for an answer to her illness when she came down with what was, in retrospect, a second tick exposure in Lyme-prevalent Mendocino County, Calif., and developed a circular red rash.

Soon Gaertner was suffering migrating joint pain, severe neck pain, and the kind of breathlessness doctors call air hunger. She was experiencing a strange tendency to switch words around, plus heart arrhythmias, and tachycardia even more severe than before. She also endured drenching night sweats, a classic sign of Babesia. Although diagnostic tests can be unreliable, she tested floridly positive for Lyme disease. Her doctor diagnosed Babesia clinically, based on the clear symptoms at hand.

At least she now had a diagnosis. She was treated with oral antibiotics and antimalarials according to the aggressive techniques of the Lyme doctors. She also received integrative treatments: acupuncture for pain and nausea; “industrial-strength” probiotics to balance the microbiome in her gut; hormones and hormone precursors like DHEA to boost energy; and a whole fleet of supplements, including vitamins C and B12, coenzyme Q10, selenium, folates, zinc, and herbs to support her immune system and help her detox.

“Sunjya learned from coming to my Lyme appointments, shadowing Lyme-literate doctors, and attending Lyme conferences,” Gaertner says today. “He helped me keep track of my symptoms and all my 30-plus supplements. He also gave me vitamin IVs.”

Gaertner seemed to be getting better. But a year into the regimen, after stopping the antibiotics, she went downhill.

Her Lyme doctor recommended she up the ante with intravenous antibiotics. Gaertner, who by then had earned a degree in nutrition, decided to go another route. She refused further antibiotics. Instead, she went to a retreat for a green-juice cleanse, complete with probiotic drinks and wheatgrass colon implants, which are thought to help clean out the liver and revitalize the immune system via the gut.

She also changed her diet, avoiding gluten, alcohol, coffee, additives, and any processed foods that might increase blood sugar or inflammation.

A final piece was exercise. “I exercised to capacity each day to prevent my muscles from getting stiff, regulate my hormones and serotonin, and keep my lymphatic fluid moving.”

With these last steps, Gaertner finally felt better.

The point, she emphasizes, is that all the treatments were required — the antibiotics to destroy the infection; diet; exercise; and immune, hormone, and other integrative therapies to heal the damage left behind.

Most late-diagnosed Lyme patients “can benefit from the integrative-medicine model,” says Schweig, who now treats such patients himself. While he addresses his patients’ infections with appropriate antimicrobials, he also taps the power of functional medicine — where every underlying organ and system is treated for its own impairment, and where lab tests seek out the underlying cause of disease.

“These difficult cases need help from every side,” he says. “They need antibiotics, but they can also benefit from herbs and supplements. They need help with sleep, diet, exercise, and reduction of stress.”

UNCONVENTIONAL METHODS

Unconventional-Methods

Over the last decade, Western-trained physicians on the forefront of the Lyme epidemic and steeped in integrative techniques have come up with systematic approaches to help patients heal.

One set of guidelines comes from Seattle family physician Marty Ross, MD, and naturopath Tara Brooke, ND. Ross began treating Lyme after finding that a large percentage of his chronic-fatigue and fibromyalgia patients actually had the infectious disease.

Ross sets the scene for treatment before he even addresses the Lyme infection itself. He makes sure his patients are getting seven to nine hours of sleep a night. He suggests his patients take the herbal supplement curcumin, proven in many studies to lower inflammation, and ashwagandha, effective in curbing the medical effects of stress. He guards his patients against yeast infection, a risky side effect of antibiotics, by placing them on a probiotic and antifungal medication before treatment even starts.

Ross uses antibiotics to battle Lyme itself, but he also gives his patients antimicrobial herbs with a track record for killing the Lyme spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. His two favorite antiborrelial herbs are Samento (cat’s claw) and Banderol (Otoba bark extract), both proven effective against the Lyme spirochete in the lab.

Whether antimicrobials are dispensed in prescription or herbal form, they can induce in Lyme patients a Herxheimer reaction — a flare of inflammatory chemicals, called cytokines, that are produced as infection dies off. Increased cytokines helps the body purge infection, but excesses cause fever, muscle and joint aches, and fatigue along with other symptoms of Lyme, and dampen the immune system as well.

Here, too, integrative medicine offers a solution where allopathic techniques may fall short.

To prevent the start of a Herxheimer reaction, Ross recommends curcumin, along with a potent multivitamin. To moderate a Herxheimer on the rise, he has his patients supplement their antimicrobial treatment with curcumin, multivitamins, and a host of other anti-inflammatory herbal remedies, such as Ecklonia cava, quercetin, and ume plum concentrate.

In the case of a severe cytokine rush, Ross recommends that patients receive intravenous injections of glutathione, a biochemical manufactured in the liver that helps remove toxins.

ADDRESSING THE AFTERMATH

The-Aftermath

Defeating chronic Lyme may not mean eradicating the infection but battling it into a sort of homeostasis. Then, the damage caused by Lyme and its aftermath needs attending to. Even after Lyme is treated, it’s imperative to stick to healthy regimens — proper nutrition, adequate exercise, stress management, and so on — in order to boost immunity, keep inflammation at bay, and “keep the infections in check,” says integrative physician Daniel Kinderlehrer, MD.

“The endpoint for these chronic infections is remission, not necessarily eradication of the microbes from the body,” he explains. “Ultimately, the goal is for the patients’ immune systems to keep the microbes in check without the need for antibiotics.”

Kinderlehrer, who is based in Boulder, Colo., learned this the hard way. Board certified in internal medicine, he had been on the integrative path for 20 years before becoming a Lyme patient himself.

Prior to getting sick, he ran a medical practice in Massachusetts devoted to treating chronically ill patients who came to him after getting little help from mainstream treatments. “I wanted to work with those who fell between the cracks,” he explains. “I enjoyed the medical detective work and the gratification of helping chronically ill people feel well.”

Then, in 1996, Kinderlehrer himself suffered recurrent fevers and shakes with severe muscle aches. When his blood work came back positive for Lyme, he went on doxycycline. After about a month, however, he was in the throes of severe insomnia and anxiety, and he was sicker than before.

He finally called Allen Steere, MD, the rheumatologist who studied the first group of Lyme patients in Connecticut, widely considered a world expert in the disease and known for advocating short-term antibiotic treatment of a month or less. Steere told Kinderlehrer that his lab results amounted to “false positives,” and that he could not possibly have Lyme, because otherwise the antibiotics would have worked.

With his symptoms intensifying, Kinderlehrer moved on to the second camp of Lyme doctors, those treating for more than one type of infection and over the longer term. Following this treatment, he eventually recovered.

After his successful therapy, Kinderlehrer decided that his decades of experience treating the chronically ill could help patients with tick-borne diseases. He recognized that these patients were suffering not just from Lyme, but also from the downstream complications of chronic inflammation caused by the infection: hormonal imbalances, autoimmune issues, food sensitivities, and more.

“The sickest patients suffer from significant compromise in their capacity to detoxify, often complicated by exposure to mold toxins. When it comes to detoxification, there is a spectrum of issues,” Kinderlehrer says.

At the intracellular level, the major disturbances in Lyme patients occur in methylation — a biochemical pathway that serves as a garbage disposal for most cells in the body. Lyme patients may have genetic mutations that impede methylation, and thus detoxification, says Kinderlehrer, but these can be bypassed by supplementing with the proper nutrients.

As a result, all sorts of environmental toxins and chemicals (such as heavy metals, formaldehyde, and pesticides) can contribute to significant metabolic disruption.

When such toxins enter the blood, “we require appropriate antioxidant protection, particularly glutathione and vitamins C and E, as well as selenium, to neutralize the offenders,” Kinderlehrer says. The liver, kidney, and lymphatic system, all involved in cleaning the body and removing waste, also require support.

“Since many of these toxins are excreted through the liver and bile into the gut only to be reabsorbed back into circulation, agents that bind the toxins in the gut can help remove them from the body. If we kill the Lyme and other microbes too quickly, the result can overload the detox pathways and make these patients much sicker,” says Kinderlehrer. “The body must be brought back into internal harmony for the patient to get well.”

BALANCING ACT

After fighting off Lyme disease, staying well means finding balance and calm in life, say many integrative practitioners. Kinderlehrer explains that while Lyme patients may require supplemental immune support and herbal antibiotics to keep infections at bay, emotional support is required as well.

“Most of my patients are heroes, willing to do whatever it takes to get well, and one of the most crucial things I can do is give them hope,” he says. “But once in remission, they must also maintain balance in their lives, and resist the urge to dive back into stressors that may suppress the immune system and allow illness to rear its head.”

That can be a hurdle when illness has robbed you of so many dreams. Over the years, Richard Horowitz, MD, has learned that the pain and suffering of tick-borne diseases comes with emotional complications as well.

“The vast majority of my patients share their emotional life with me,” he says, “and their experiences range from mild sadness to severe depression, with elements of anxiety, shame, anger, fear, guilt, and grief.”

Katina Makris’s losses were legion: her career, marriage, savings, and home. “My spirit broke from the illness,” she says. “Whether you see a therapist, a priest, a rabbi, a monk, or a spiritual healer, you must do what it takes to put yourself back together.”

For Makris, that involved forgiving herself for getting sick in the first place and, like so many other Lyme patients, for drifting through the medical outback for years before finding a solution.

“I believe Lyme disease is the infectious illness of our era” says Makris. Today she gives inspirational talks about her healing journey and works as a therapist helping patients with Lyme and other illnesses find the emotional blocks standing in the way of their return to health.

“Overcoming it requires that we unite the two hands of healthcare — the diagnostic and pharmaceutical tools of Western allopathic medicine and the restorative therapeutics of complementary medicine.”

<li>E) I was infected circa 1985 but only (FINALLY!) correctly diagnosed in 2005. Lyme can so weaken the immune system other diseases are easily welcomed. I was weak to the point of sometimes unable to walk, 24/7 extreme muscle and joint pain, night sweats, fevers, chills, stiff to the extreme, brain fog much like dementia and much more.</li>

</ol>

I also had co-infections Bartonella, babesia plus Tb and malaria plus virtually all body elements were SEVERELY depleted (i.e. calcium below 5% of normal). I also had severe Wilson's Syndrome <a href="www.wilsonssyndrome.com">www.wilsonssyndrome.com</a>. LOW body temp - I was @ 91 degrees. WS is easily fixed and the other illnesses were all cured with medication and time. Lyme cannot be cured (except during the first few weeks) but can be ALMOST put into remission to where you feel 99% healthy (as I do today). I sell nothing and charge nothing. I do offer advice to those who wish to listen or read. I have counseled thousands - virtually all partially to 99% regained full health.

Chronic Lyme (doctors paid by insurance companies and AMA to say "chronic Lyme" is instead "post traumatic stress" are PAID to say that to back up insurance refusals of payment of treatment claims). I believe 2014 is the summer when Lyme will become a full blown pandemic. SOME of the same ticks are now carrying other diseases such as encephalitis (encephalitis can kill - hardest on healthy teens!) plus other diseases.

Lyme disease itself is not taught in ANY medical school in America in spite of millions of people currently infected with Lyme! Infectious Diseases doctors use the "Lyme information" given them by the AMA and/or CDC which (IMO) grossly understates Lyme and does not include many very important facts.

<ol>

<li>F) Avril Lavigne opened up again this week about her struggle with Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness she says left her bedridden for months and desperate for answers. The 30-year-old singer told Good Morning America this week that she saw many doctors and underwent a battery of tests in the last year, but that it wasn’t until she found a Lyme disease specialist that she was given a correct diagnosis.</li>

</ol>

“I was in Los Angeles, literally, like the worst time in my life and I was seeing, like, every specialist and literally, the top doctors. It’s so stupid,” Lavigne said in an interview televised yesterday. She says that some misdiagnosed her symptoms—debilitating pain and fatigue—as chronic fatigue syndrome or depression, while others told her she was simply dehydrated or exhausted from touring.

“This is what they do to a lot of people who have Lyme disease,” she said. “They don’t have an answer for them so they tell them, like, ‘You’re crazy.'”

Many people will develop a bulls-eye rash, which makes it fairly easy to diagnose,” she says. But this telltale symptoms is sometimes faint or on hidden parts of the body, and some people don’t get one at all.

“Other early symptoms, like fever or aches and pains, could be attributed to a virus or flu,” says Bass. “So if you don’t see a rash, you might not even go to the doctor—or it’s possible your doctor might not recognize it.” (Some Lyme disease cases go away on their own, she adds, so it’s possible to have had it and never known.)

<ol>

<li>G) PAMELA WEINTRAUB · JUNE 2009</li>

</ol>

When a mysterious and debilitating illness overtook her and her family, the author struggled to find some answers. What she discovered about Lyme disease — and how little is actually known or agreed upon by the medical experts — is something everyone who goes outdoors should learn.

After we moved from the city to a wooded property in the suburban hamlet of Chappaqua, N.Y., in 1993, our family began to get sick. At first, the vague headaches, joint pains and bone weariness were so subtle they barely merited note. But as years passed, these symptoms intensified into frank signs of disease.

My arms and legs buzzed so palpably I felt like I was wired to a power grid. A relentless migraine became so intense I spent hours each day in a darkened room, in bed. My husband, Mark, an avid tennis player, began stumbling and bumping into walls. He was an award-winning journalist, but slowly he began struggling with memory and groping for words. Our youngest son, David, began to sleep — first, so long that he could not do his homework or see his friends; eventually, so much (15 or more hours a day) that he could not get to class.

Hardest hit was Jason, our oldest, who suffered fatigue and shooting pains starting at age 9, the year we moved to our little house in the woods. The doctors called these “growing pains” normal, but by February 2000, Jason, then 16, was essentially disabled. An honor student, he now had trouble reading even simple paragraphs. His joints and muscles hurt so much it was difficult for him to walk. And he couldn’t tolerate sound and light. On medical leave from high school, he spent his days in the tub in our darkened main-floor bathroom as hot water and steam eased his pain.

As his condition worsened, and as all sorts of lab tests came back negative, a raft of specialists at New York City’s top teaching hospitals suggested diagnoses ranging from migraine aura (migraine without the pain) to Fifth’s disease (caused by parvovirus). Each diagnosis elicited a treatment, but none of them worked.

“What about Lyme disease?” I asked from time to time, since we lived in an area where the infection was endemic; our backyard was a haven for deer, and Jason spent summers playing in a fort in the woods behind our house.

“There are too many symptoms here, and he’s way too sick for Lyme disease,” replied the pediatrician, who declined to even test for it. But with answers still eluding us, the pediatrician finally drew blood for a Western blot, a diagnostic test that matched antibodies produced by the patient against the proteins of the invading organism — in this case the bacterium known to cause Lyme.

When the labs came back, Jason had so many “bands” — with each band considered an antibody-protein match — that the result was off-the-charts positive. By the summer of that year, the rest of us had been diagnosed as well.

The news was a relief. With a solid diagnosis, we were told by doctors, we could get treated for this easily curable infection, and move on. We felt a flush of optimism, but it turned out that our struggle had just begun. I would spend the next nine years trying to make sense of our misdiagnoses and seeking effective treatment for my children.

LYME 101

What I didn’t know about Lyme disease back then could have filled a book — one that, as a longtime science and medical journalist, I eventually wrote. My book, Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Epidemic (St. Martin’s Press, 2008), explores the complex science and disturbing political war over the illness. But a few facts can be served up straight: Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, a spiral-shaped bacterium, and is generally transmitted to people through the bite of a deer tick.

The disease arrived in the Northeast United States, northwest California and the Great Lakes region in force in the 1970s, as the continent was being reforested and new suburban housing was increasingly built adjacent to woods. The spirochete lived in the blood of rodents and other small mammals inhabiting those woods. When ticks bit these mammals they became infected. When those same ticks bit human hosts, they transmitted Lyme disease to them.

Pushing the disease to epidemic proportions, however, required something else: large mammals, like deer, are each able to provide nourishment for hundreds of large adult ticks, enabling them to reproduce en masse. As the deer population exploded across the forested regions of the country, the Lyme epidemic followed suit. Ultimately, infected ticks traversed the continental flyways on the backs of migrating birds, bringing Lyme to every state. Today, 12 to 40 percent of deer ticks are infected in the most endemic areas of the Northeast, and between 3 and 40 percent in endemic areas of the West Coast. With more than 200,000 CDC-acknowledged cases a year in the United States (the tip of the iceberg, many believe), Lyme has become one of country’s fastest-spreading diseases.

SLIPPING THROUGH THE CRACKS

When diagnosed with a Lyme rash and treated early, most infected patients are easily cured. But this upbeat message has little meaning for those diagnosed late. Show up at the doctor without a rash, and diagnosing Lyme disease becomes an elaborate, labyrinthine affair.

LYME ON THE BRAIN

Given the barriers to diagnosis, many patients slide ever deeper into illness, where disability can be profound. Lyme invades not just our skin and our joints, but our hearts, nervous systems and eyes. Lyme is commonly considered a knee disease, an impediment in tennis, but the Lyme spirochete, like the syphilis spirochete, also invades the brain.

Testing hundreds of such patients, New York University neuropsychologist Leo J. Shea III, PhD, found specific deficits in concentration, short-term memory and processing speed. Patients can be so impaired they have trouble driving around their neighborhoods and can no longer perform their jobs.

Psychiatrist Brian Fallon, MD, director of the Lyme and Tick Borne Diseases Research Center at Columbia University Medical Center, found that brain infection could trigger a host of psychiatric problems, ranging from bipolar disorder and depression to panic and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Time and again, Fallon has seen Lyme disease “misdiagnosed as a primary psychiatric problem,” while the root issue — infection with the spirochete B. burgdorferi — was never addressed. This is especially damaging, he says, since a delay in treatment could turn an acute and easily curable infection into a chronic disease highly resistant to treatment.

THE TREATMENT CONTROVERSY

Patients diagnosed in the earliest stage of the disease through a classic rash can usually look forward to full recovery after a monthlong regimen of the oral antibiotics doxycycline or amoxicillin. Those with neurological or arthritic symptoms may be offered intravenous ceftriaxone for a month or two. But experts like Luft and Liegner have found that some 20 percent of those infected for over a year before the start of treatment will fail these protocols and stay sick.

Without further options from the IDSA team, these late-diagnosed patients have sought help from controversial doctors known as Lyme-Literate MDs (LLMDs), who argue that longer courses, higher doses and multidrug antibiotic regimens provide a viable option for many of the “incurable” 20 percent. As ever more patients flock to LLMDs like Liegner, the controversy has mounted, with IDSA pitted against another, newer group: the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS). IDSA says the short-term treatment always stamps out infection and argues that overexposure to antibiotics can generate treatment-resistant bugs. Competing guidelines from ILADS hold that patients already have a hard-to-treat infection (chronic, persistent Lyme disease) and that more aggressive treatment is thus warranted.

The debate has recently come closer to resolution with surprising research from veterinary scientist Stephen Barthold, DVM, PhD, who spent 25 years investigating Lyme disease at Yale before setting up shop as director of the Center for Comparative Medicine at the University of California at Davis. Barthold reports that if he allows the infection to remain untreated for months across a range of mammal species in the lab, he can always recover living spirochetes, generally sequestered in tissues that are rich in collagen. When laboratory mice infected with these spirochetes are treated with what should be effective doses of various antibiotics, the spirochetes cannot be cultured from tissues by conventional means, but they are alive and can be transmitted by ticks to other mice.

The finding resonates with what late-diagnosed patients report: If surviving spirochetes are so sluggish they cannot replicate, they may be impervious to antibiotics that work by targeting bacterial cells as they divide. The persisting spirochetes could be the presumptive source of the constitutional symptoms like pain and fatigue that often follow treatment; they may be provoking the production of symptom-causing cytokines (immune molecules), yet still be too low in number to cause the gross inflammation or provoke the antibody response that many mainstream experts call the sine qua non of the disease. Infection might be suppressed but not eradicated by treatment, as so many relapsing patients report.

Spurred by the findings, university-based researchers are attacking the infection on several fronts. Scientists like Luft and Barthold are actively testing antibiotics designed to purge these dormant, resistant spirochetes. Some researchers are trying to destroy them with nanotechnology and heat. And a California company called Viral Genetics, with research headed by M. Karen Newell, PhD, and aided by Nobel laureate Luc Montagnier, discoverer of the HIV virus, is trying to modulate the immune system so it can clean out infection on its own. Still others suggest that the low-level infection might be benign if the immune response could be contained.

TICK MENAGERIE

A NEW LYME SCIENCE

I wish I had understood Lyme as an emerging infectious disease and political hot potato when my family first got sick. Exposed to the noxious debate, the naive patient sees two polarized factions and feels pressured to choose one. But interview the workbench researchers and you will find a complex, nuanced reality emerging from the science itself. Sadly, the vicious political fight over Lyme disease has dumbed down the dialogue and prevented the best science from being heard.

In 2009, the pace of scientific progress is great. Instead of testing for a mere 10 antibodies to a limited number of spirochetal proteins — the procedure still being used in most of today’s commercial labs — new diagnostics that Luft and his Stony Brook colleagues have developed will use proteomics (study of proteins) to tap 1,800 B. burgdorferi proteins found across the range of strains. “We want to test against the entire array of borrelia proteins in all their variability,” says Luft. “So if I look at a patient over time, over the course of their disease I can see whether new proteins, ones we’ve never noticed, might emerge.”

The work on strains could alter how we diagnose and treat the disease in the years to come, says Alan Barbour, director of the Pacific-Southwest Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases at the University of California Irvine and one of the world’s foremost spirochete experts. “If some strains are more likely than others to spread in the blood, and by that route to other tissues, then identification of the strain a person is infected with could help guide therapy,” Barbour explains. “Some strains may call for a longer course of antibiotics. The problem is isolating the microbe out of the patient to see what strain it is. This could be done by a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test of the blood or a skin biopsy, when there is a rash. Isolating the microbe is harder when the illness has been going on for longer than a few weeks, but any isolate of Borrelia burgdorferi from a patient would mean a diagnosis of Lyme disease.”

Also shedding light on treatment is genomics (the study of genes). The Luft team has recently found that Lyme spirochetes have genes for pumping out the first-line antibiotic doxycycline. This means that even as doxycycline enters the Lyme bacterium, it is being ejected, much like a sump pump might eject water from a basement floor. As a result, the dose might not climb high enough to kill the infection, and the patient won’t get well.

Based on this finding, Luft is now studying another drug — tigecycline, an intravenous antibiotic currently used for infections of the abdominal organs and skin. Its mechanism is much like that of doxycycline — except that its chemical structure inhibits the spirochetes’ “pump,” keeping the antibiotic from being ejected by the cells. “It’s a hundred times more active against the spirochete than doxycycline. Instead of just inhibiting the spirochetes, like doxy, it kills them dead,” says Luft.

“We’re at a critical point,” he adds. “We have powerful new tools and a fundamental understanding of the biology of the Borrelia. We know every gene in that organism. We know all the variations of those genes. We know what’s in the human genome. So, when someone gets sick, we’ve got to put this together, in context, and ask what’s going on.”

Indeed, work like this will explain why prognosis varies so widely from one patient to the next. With so many strains, so many co-infections and so many immune systems, Lyme — in the broad sense of the word — will never be one-size-fits-all.

“Some researchers have thrown down their gloves and retreated to their corners, leaving patients out in the cold,” says Luft. “But despite what they say, the patients are still sick. It’s a question of doing right by them — it’s not a question of whether you might have to eat crow. We’ve got to go in and do the right experiments, and then we can look truth in the eye.”

LAST DANCE WITH LYME

My family has come a long way since our Lyme diagnoses almost a decade ago. We’ve left the Lymelands for safer ground — the concrete expanse of Brooklyn. I’ve been off antibiotics since 2004 and am back at a full-time job. Mark continues to relapse when he stops his antibiotic, but with it, he works his day job, plays tennis and seems fine. Jason has recovered. He graduated from Brown University in spring 2008 and leaves for film school in the fall.

But Lyme still clouds our lives because our younger son, David, was re-infected in Westchester County a couple of years back and remains ill.

In all my years of research, I never doubted that IDSA was right about early Lyme: Treat the rash and a cure would be guaranteed. So in the summer of 2007, when David called to tell me that friends in his college dorm had recognized a classic bull’s-eye rash on his arm, I was actually relieved: For once, we’d caught it early. A month of antibiotics, I told myself, and David would be cured.

We took a 40-minute drive to Dr. Daniel Cameron’s office in downtown Mount Kisco, N.Y., and his physician assistant easily diagnosed a bull’s-eye-shaped erythema migrans that was an archetype of the form. She prescribed a few weeks of amoxicillin and sent us home.

“When you get a rash so classic that everyone at college tells you it’s Lyme disease, it’s a beautiful thing,” Dan Cameron, now president of ILADS, said at the time.

But by spring 2008, David’s fatigue was so profound, his memory and focus so poor, that he had to drop his classes at Vassar College and come home. Back in New York, doctors discovered gross damage to David’s cranial nerves — irrefutable, IDSA-style proof of inflammatory disease and hardcore evidence of Lyme. Ordering more tests, Cameron found not just Lyme disease but a co-infection — babesiosis — known to complicate the picture and make Lyme harder to treat.

I completed work on my book about this mysterious disease more than a year ago, but I know now that our journey is far from over. Our family, along with many others, continues to deal with the fallout at the frontlines of an epidemic, in that unforgiving land called Lyme.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST LYME DISEASE

For those who live and work in Lyme endemic areas, a little protection goes a long way. You can enjoy nature, according to Pat Smith, president of the Lyme Disease Association, as long as you take some precautions:

Walk in the middle of trails. Avoid sitting on logs or leaning on trees.

Wear a hat. Tuck your hair in, if possible.

Wear a long-sleeved shirt, fitted at the waist.

Wear boots or shoes, not sandals. No bare feet.

Wear long pants tucked into high socks, or duct tape around pant bottoms.

Consider applying Deet for skin and permethrin for clothes (use your own best judgment in weighing exposure to these toxins against risk of tick bites).

Wear white or light-colored clothing so ticks stand out.

Check yourself and your children for ticks immediately after outdoor exposure. Repeat the tick check again, three days later. Remember that nymphal (adolescent) ticks can look like freckles. They are the size of poppy seeds.

If you find an attached tick, remove it carefully with tweezers placed as close to the skin as possible. Pull the tick upward with steady, even pressure, making sure that mouth parts are cleanly removed. Apply antiseptic and call a doctor. Save the tick in a sealed container with a moist cotton ball. Call your state health department to inquire about testing. (Ticks do fall off on their own eventually, so even if you don’t see a tick, it is possible that you may have been exposed to disease.)

Consult your doctor about treating the tick bite with oral antibiotics. Though the number of days required for this treatment remains controversial, new findings from CDC research suggest that the single dose of treatment generally recommended for this scenario may be inadequate and that a doxycycline sustained release protocol (19 days) the CDC is developing might be more effective.

BY PAMELA WEINTRAUB

Pamela Weintraub is a senior editor at Discover Magazine and author of Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Epidemic (St. Martin’s Press, 2008). She writes a blog on emerging disease for Psychology Today.

Beating Lyme Disease

PAMELA WEINTRAUB · July/August 2014

Lyme Disease: How To Protect Yourself This Summer

9) Treatments

<ol>

<li>A) How to find a doctor to treat your tick-borne disease.</li>

</ol>

Lyme disease is never pleasant, but if you are exposed in endemic areas of the Northeast, the Midwest or the West Coast and develop the spreading red Lyme rash known as erythema migrans, the best person to consult is your family doctor. The classic Lyme disease rash is considered diagnostic for the disease in these areas, according to the standard guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Physicians following these widely accepted guidelines will not even have to order a blood test to make a bulletproof diagnosis. For most people without other complications, including other infections from the same tick bite, a month of treatment with oral antibiotics like doxycycline or amoxicillin should cure the disease.

Finding a doctor able to make the diagnosis and treat you adequately becomes far more challenging if you do not see or develop a rash, or if you live outside areas considered most endemic for the disease. Given the debate in the medical community over the classic signs and symptoms for Lyme, the inaccuracy of the tests, and the presence of complicating co-infections, patients in this circumstance can advance into later, harder-to-treat disease before they are ever diagnosed.

In this instance, it may be appropriate to consult a neurologist, rheumatologist or infectious disease doctor in your community for specialized but mainstream care. Following the IDSA guidelines, these physicians will treat these sicker patients with specialized antimicrobials aimed at co-infections, or with a month or two of intravenous Rocephin, which crosses the blood brain barrier and better penetrates the joints, often resolving Lyme disease.

But about 20 percent of patients diagnosed with late-stage Lyme disease report that they fail even this more aggressive treatment; others report that their co-infections are missed. Still sick, they find themselves navigating the tortuous backroads of the Lyme wars. Those seeking clinical evaluation of the range of tick-borne infections or continued treatment for Lyme disease itself — as I did with my own family — may decide to cross the line, leaving the restrictions of the mainstream viewpoint for the alternative world of Lyme doctors, referred to by patients as Lyme-Literate Medical Doctors, or LLMDs. These physicians will test patients for a range of co-infections and treat Lyme disease longer, using antibiotics in combination (as is done with tuberculosis cases) for months and sometimes years.

Many patients report recovery on such protocols — but many do not, and for them, the search for treatment goes on. Some patients consult trained naturopaths, who help them boost their immune systems. One new trend used by neurologists at New York University and Yale involves treatment with IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin), a blood product rich in immune molecules that can heal damaged nerves.

For reference to a doctor skilled in mainstream protocols, contact the Infectious Diseases Society of America. For reference to a doctor willing to treat tick-borne infection beyond the standard guidelines, contact the Lyme Disease Association or the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society. (See Web Resources, below.)

WEB RESOURCES: Infectious Diseases Society of America: www  .idsociety.org; Lyme Disease Association: www  .lymediseaseassociation.org; International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society: www  .ilads.org

<ol>

<li>B) Many MD's treat the lyme with Doxyccline before test result conclusive. Lyme meds include doxycyline , plaquenil and prochlorperazine maleate 5mg (anti nausea). I think it depends on which strain and which of the 100+ various coinfections that are almost never tested for and which are normally the cause of most of the unusual symptoms... Also the CDC recommended standardised Lyme tests dont actually test the two most prominent and common strains because anyone who got one of the Lyme vaccines from the 1990s will test false positive for it... of course I had one of those strains and a bunch of the coinfections which no one tests for,,, The best doctor for Lyme is Dr Raphael Stricker who by luck is in SF... people fly from the north east just to get a diagnosis and treatment regimen from him.... Dont worry so muchabout Lyme though, because people often start to overlook other possibilities when theyre convinced Lyme is in the picture... Ive had a few friends that got like this until my mother eventually got convinced and we both went to see Dr Stricker and he will keep you on meds way longer than necessary just because of how much money there is to be made off people that really believe in Lyme as the source of all their problems, and he can keep saying its the answer and you can never prove that youre 100% cured and so it can be impossible to ever find what the real problem was or is beyond Lyme... also believing in it can manifest in strong psychosomatic symptoms... dont let it get you down... But the treatment regimen is normally 2 antibiotics and then florastor as a probiotic to replace whatever damage the antibiotics can do to your immune system and gastrointestinal tract... Florastor is OTC as far as i know and we have a bunch over her.</li>

</ol>

<ol>

<li>C) I’ve discovered a little-known three-part therapy that stops many chronic illnesses in their track. A growing number of doctors also have found it works. As you know, I like to see the science behind a treatment before I write about it.</li>

</ol>

Unfortunately, there aren’t any studies on this therapy yet. But I’m hearing from so many women with chronic infections, that I wanted to get you this information now, not later. Until there are clinical studies, we can look at the evidence from these doctors’ observational studies, along with the research from a medical doctor who has developed this program.

So far there has been an exceptional response in people with a fungal overgrowth like Candida albicans and bacterial problems like H. pylori. There have also been excellent results in treating a number of other pathogens throughout the digestive tract.

If you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), urinary tract infections, Candida, or digestive problems (including ulcers), and you can’t get better no matter what you do, this may be why.

What’s more, if you’ve found no lasting resolution to your Lyme disease, periodontal disease, cystitis, or esophagitis, don’t give up. In fact, if you have any chronic bacterial or fungal condition that hasn’t responded to other therapies, help could be three steps away.

Antibiotics make it worse

When infections become chronic, a war rages in your body. And the pathogenic bacteria and fungi are winning. Antibiotics and antifungals may alleviate some symptoms initially, but they don’t address the source of the problem. In fact, it turns out that antibiotics actually make these pathogens stronger!

This is why some people never get well. The bacteria and fungi that are keeping them sick are successfully able to survive no matter which antibiotics, antifungals, herbs, and other substances they use.

Here’s what’s going on: Free-floating pathogenic bacteria come together

to form a sticky substance, which encases them within a protective matrix. This prevents anti-inflammatory cells and antibiotics from reaching them. This substance is called biofilm.

The fascinating world of biofilm

You’ve heard about biofilm before, but maybe not by this name. In fact, you have it in your mouth and fight it every day. You know it as dental plaque. And it causes chronic infections from dental implants. This is why dentists are years ahead of medical doctors when it comes to understanding and treating oral biofilm. One of their treatments, ozone therapy, is very effective in treating oral biofilms. But it’s not as effective against those biofilms that live in the intestines where they’re more protected.

I recently heard about biofilms in the digestive tract — and how to eradicate them — from two of my trusted colleagues who find natural solutions to health problems. They teamed up with an expert in biofilm, Stephen Olmstead, MD, to find a solution to pathogenic biofilms in the gut. And it looks like they found it.

Most doctors, even doctors who practice integrative medicine, haven’t even heard about biofilm or its solution. But I predict that this will soon become more widely known and accepted, due in part to Dr. Olmstead’s research.

When it is, remember that you heard about it first, here in these pages.

Biofilms are substances, common in nature, that form when free-floating pathogenic microbes join together and stick to surfaces. They can be the slime you find coating rocks in a stream, the “gunk” in your drains, or dental plaque. Or they can live hidden in your digestive tract or genitals where they can impair your health.

Biofilms are complex communities of microbes living within impenetrable protective “cages” made from various sugars, minerals, and other substances. These shells keep antibiotics and antifungals from reaching and destroying biofilms’ pathogens.

These masses of microbes are tenacious. They stick to surfaces like the metals and plastics used in medical devices. They also stick to the intestinal lining, where they contribute to numerous chronic illnesses. Some people with invasive candidiasis have fungal biofilms from dental implants, catheters, and heart valves.

If your health has deteriorated after a medical or dental procedure and antibiotics haven’t worked, you may have an excess of pathogenic biofilm. If this is the case, you may not be able to get well until you get these biofilms under control.

Biofilms are innately more resistant to antibiotics than free-floating bacteria. How resistant? They can be from 10 to 1,000 times more resistant to antibiotics than free-floating bacteria! At best, antibiotics may work initially. But a relapse is sure to follow. Similarly, Candida is resistant to common antifungals like fluconazole.

Finding a program that works

Each type of biofilm responds to a slightly different protocol so an individualized approach is essential. Dr. Olmstead advises doctors on the best protocol for each patient. He has been collecting clinical reports on treatments to eradicate biofilm. This is no simple matter, because fungal biofilm need a different protocol than bacterial biofilm.

Here’s what you need to treat biofilm:

First, you have to disrupt the protective shell surrounding biofilm that prevents antibiotics and antifungals from killing the bugs.

Next, you need to use the right antimicrobials to destroy the particular microbes inside your biofilm. These may be antibiotics or herbs, depending on which bacteria or fungi you need to eradicate.

Finally, you need to add pre-and probiotics to increase colonies of friendly bacteria. These bacteria strengthen your immune system so it can better fight infection from pathogenic biofilm.

You need to have a doctor administer and monitor this program. Since few doctors know about biofilms, I’ve found a way for you to either get your doctor the information he or she needs, or to find a doctor who is familiar with this program.

Next month I’ll tell you about this three-step program in more detail and how to find a knowledgeable doctor to work with you. It will give you the hope you need to heal your body. Stay tuned.

In last month’s issue, I told you about highly intelligent microbial substances called biofilm. These “bugs” prevent many people from getting their chronic fungal or bacterial infections under control. An overgrowth of gastrointestinal biofilms is the reason why thousands of people either don’t get well or why they continue to relapse.

I explained just what biofilms are and mentioned that there was a three-part program your doctor can help you with that can destroy these seemingly invincible substances. If you relate to the information in this article, I suggest you read last month’s article and show it to your doctor. If you’ve given your copy away or misplaced it, you can read it on my website.

While I wish it was possible for you to follow this program on your own, this is one case where a doctor is a necessity for getting a key ingredient in the antibiofilm protocol. If you don’t have someone who’s willing to work with you to get your biofilm colonies under control, I’ll help you find someone who will.

The biofilm solution, step one

Biofilms are a major factor in antibiotic resistance in part because they live in a protective environment. So the first step is to break down the biofilm’s protective cage. It’s very much like a fortified city. To break it down, you need to use a combination of specific digestive enzymes, chelating agents, and natural antimicrobials. They disrupt the substances that form biofilm. Once you have compromised the biofilm, you need other nutrients to repair the intestines that the pathogens damaged.

The pathogenic bacteria in biofilm weave a protective matrix out of polysaccharides and proteins. These substances then attract metals and nucleic acids. So the first step is to damage this matrix, making penetration possible. Unless and until you do, there’s simply no way any antibiotic or other antimicrobials can destroy the pathogens within the biofilm.

What can break down this matrix? Enzymes.

Don’t think that you can pick up any enzyme or enzyme formula at your local health food store and start feeling better. Even if it’s strong. You need specific enzymes that are effective in binding to the cellulose in biofilm’s matrix, and others to attach themselves to minerals and protein. It takes the right enzymes in the correct potency taken over the right length of time to get results.

Dr. Stephen Olmstead, an MD at Klaire Labs, has researched biofilms for nearly a decade. He’s developed a combination enzyme formula that penetrates biofilms’ matrix, allowing antimicrobials to then kill off pathogens like H. pylori, Klebsiella, C.difficile, Candida albicans, MRSA, and others. It’s called InterFace™ and InterFase Plus™.

Begin with InterFace

Pathogenic biofilms can hide anywhere, from the sinuses to the large intestines. InterFace is a combination of eight enzymes specifically chosen for their ability to break down biofilms throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In addition, this formula also is available with Disodium EDTA. Both formulas are effective in disrupting biofilm made by various pathogens.

Calcium, magnesium, and iron are minerals essential to our health. They’re also essential to the formation of biofilm. Disodium EDTA binds to calcium and magnesium in the biofilm matrix, making them more permeable. Lactoferrin effectively binds to iron. But you should avoid it if you have a dairy sensitivity.

Antibiotics and antimicrobials: step two

Penetrating pathogenic biofilm isn’t enough. You also need to stop biofilm from multiplying, and you need to destroy some of the existing pathogenic biofilm. This is when and where antibiotics, antifungals, and antimicrobials come in. They may be anything from antibiotics to natural antimicrobials, such as the berberine found in golden seal root, oregano, and green tea extract.

But you’ll need to take enough of the right herb — or antibiotic — long enough to destroy biofilms’ pathogens. This means working with a knowledgeable health care practitioner to make sure you’re taking the antimicrobials that can best fight your particular bacteria or fungi. If he or she doesn’t know how to design a protocol for you, I’ll tell you shortly how to find someone who can.

Re-establishing your gut health: step three

Various probiotics (friendly bacteria) help reduce colonies of pathogens within biofilm in the GI tract. Not all probiotics are effective against all pathogenic bacteria. Prebiotics, which are foods for healthful probiotics, stimulate the growth of some of these beneficial bacteria. It’s vital to increase the good bacteria while decreasing the bad guys.

The prebiotics and probiotics you take to help reduce biofilm need to be the specific ones known to work with your particular pathogens. Your doctor can get some of this information in an article Dr. Olmstead wrote in the Townsend Letter (October 2009) and from Dr. Olmstead, at Klaire Labs.

Your next step

So, what should you do if you suspect your health problem is complicated by an overgrowth of pathogenic biofilm, knowing that your doctor probably hasn’t even heard about this problem? Different pathogens and the composition of their matrixes need different and specific, protocols. This is where Dr. Olmstead comes in.

Disrupting biofilm is simple, but tricky, especially since there are no tests to accurately determine the presence of pathogenic biofilm overgrowth. However, symptoms often disappear with this three-step antibiofilm program. The good news is that Dr. Olmstead is available to speak with your doctor and help design a protocol specifically for you. There is no charge from Dr. Olmstead for his services.

You need to take all of the supplements in this three-step program concurrently for at least two weeks. Some may need to take them as long as three months, or longer. You’ll need someone knowledgeable to help you understand what to take and for how long. You can obtain the InterFace enzymes and probiotics appropriate to your condition from your doctor through Klaire Labs. The ones you need to take depend on the type of pathogens you have.

Show this article to your doctor and ask him or her to call Dr. Olmstead at Klaire Labs (888-488-2488) for further information.

I know that this is a more complicated program than those I usually give you. But just think. It could be the solution to your chronic GI problems that can’t be corrected by any other method.

I suspect that over time there will be more refinements and perhaps simpler programs to deal with biofilm. As soon as I hear about them and check them out, I’ll let you know.

Petrova, Olga E., and Karin Sauer. “A Novel Signaling Network Essential for Regulating Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Development.” PLoS Pathogens, 2009; 5 (11): e1000668 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1000668.

Braz J Infect Dis. 2008 December;12(6):526-30.

Darvish, Dr. Nooshin K. “The Antibiotic Complicated,” 28/02/09.

<ol>

<li>D) Dr. Klinghardt successfully uses ozone and a variety of novel approaches to treat the simplest presentation of Lyme disease, the orthopedic forms, which typically affect the larger joints</li>

</ol>

<ol>

<li>E) The following table lists a number of nutritional supplements found to be useful in the treatment of Lyme disease by those embracing natural methods.</li>

</ol>

Probiotics to improve immunity and restore microflora during and after antibiotics Curcumin is helpful at reducing neurological toxins and brain swelling

Astaxanthin to neutralize toxins, improve vision, and relieve joint pain, common in Lyme Whey protein concentrate may help with nutrition, often poor in Lyme patients who don’t feel well enough to eat properly

Grapefruit seed extract may treat the cyst form of Borrelia Krill oil to reduce inflammation

Cilantro as a natural chelator for heavy metals    Serrapeptase helps to break biofilms

Resveratrol may treat Bartonella, a co-infection and also helps detoxification       GABA and melatonin to help with insomnia

Artemisinin and Andrographis, two herbs that may treat Babesia, a common co-infection CoQ10 to support cardiac health and reduce muscle pain and brain fog

Quercetin reduces histamine (often high in Lyme) Transfer factors can help boost immune function

<ol>

<li>i) Anti bacterial herbs or supplements, and 2) Blood cleansing,</li>

<li>ii) Liver support and detoxification, 4) Reduce inflammation, 5) Immune enhancement.</li>

</ol>

iii) Antibacterial substances: goldenseal, garlic, thyme, baical skullcap, barberry, myrrh.

<ol>

<li>iv) Blood cleansing substances: red-glover, cleavers, burdock.</li>

<li>v) Liver support and detoxification: Milk thistle, globe artichoke, schisandra.</li>

<li>vi) Anti-inflammatory: Aloe vera juice, baical skullcap, ginger, goldenseal, turmeric - Plus don't forget "Fish Oils".</li>

</ol>

vii) Immune enhancement: Echinacea, andrographis, astragalus, neem leaf.

viii) DONT FORGET PROBIOTICS!

<ol>

<li>ix) Other - antioxidant to help reduce/stop free radical damage/tissue damage which causes inflammation: Vitamin A,C,E, Zinc, Selenium</li>

<li>F) Scents can have a powerful influence on your well-being. Aromatherapy, which uses concentrated essences of various botanicals, allows you to harness the olfactory power of plants for healing on many levels.</li>

</ol>

Essential oils carry biologically active volatile compounds in a highly concentrated form that can provide therapeutic benefits in very small amounts.

Quality is of the essence here. First of all, what we're talking about here is pure, therapeutic grade essential oils from plants, NOT synthetic fragrance oils or perfumes, which can be toxic and typically contain allergenic compounds.

But even among essential oils, the quality can vary widely and assessing the quality of any given brand can be difficult, as factors such as growing conditions and methods of harvesting, distillation, manufacture, and storage can all affect the final product.

The University of Minnesota1 offers some helpful guidance regarding international standard-setting agencies and considerations to take into account when looking for an essential oil.

One of the most important considerations is to look for a statement of purity. What you're looking for is 100% essential oil (meaning it has not been diluted, altered, or mixed with anything else). Price can be a tipoff. If it's really cheap, it's probably a reflection of poor quality.

There are hundreds and many thousands of essential oils available if you factor in combinations. Each have their own potential benefits. The oils tend to work synergistically, and using a combination of oils often creates a more powerful effect than any one individual oil.

There are many ways to use essential oils for health and well-being, and the featured article2 lists no less than 25 ways to enjoy them. But first, let's address the question of whether or not they actually have a biological effect, and if so, how.

Scents Can Alter Your Nervous System

When you inhale the fragrance of an essential oil, the aroma penetrates your bloodstream via your lungs,3 and this is thought to be one of the mechanisms by which aromatherapy exerts its physiological effects. Essential oils are also easily absorbed through your skin when applied topically.

The fragrance also affects the limbic system in your brain, which controls both memories and emotions. Many essential oils have antibacterial, antifungal, and/or antiviral qualities, and contrary to antibiotics, essential oils do not promote resistance.4

Modern scientists are not only finding compelling links between scents and human behavior,5 scents can actually influence the biochemistry of your nervous system.

This was shown in a 2002 Japanese study,6 which found that certain oils would stimulate sympathetic nervous system activity whereas others would calm it. (Your sympathetic nervous system modulates processes such as your heart rate, blood vessel constriction, and blood pressure.)

For example: Black pepper, fennel, and grapefruit oil caused a 1.5- to 2.5-fold increase in sympathetic nervous system activity (as measured by an increase in systolic blood pressure); Rose and patchouli oil resulted in a 40 percent decrease in sympathetic nervous system activity; Pepper oil induced a 1.7-fold increase in plasma adrenaline concentration; Rose oil caused adrenaline to drop by 30 percent; Lavender and Jasmine Help Uplift Your Mood; A Korean study7 found that lavender reduced both insomnia and depression in female college students; Another study published in Phytomedicine in 2010 found that an orally administered lavender oil preparation (Silexan) was as effective as the drug Lorazepam for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. According to the authors, "Since lavender oil showed no sedative effects in our study and has no potential for drug abuse, silexan appears to be an effective and well tolerated alternative to benzodiazepines for amelioration of generalized anxiety"; Other research9 has concluded the essential oil of jasmine can also uplift mood and counteract symptoms of depression. The authors noted that "Compared with placebo, jasmine oil caused significant increases of breathing rate, blood oxygen saturation, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, which indicated an increase of autonomic arousal. At the emotional level, subjects in the jasmine oil group rated themselves as more alert, more vigorous, and less relaxed than subjects in the control group. This finding suggests an increase of subjective behavioral arousal.

In conclusion, our results demonstrated the stimulating/activating effect of jasmine oil and provide evidence for its use in aromatherapy for the relief of depression and uplifting mood in humans."

How Terpenes in Essential Oils Benefit Your Health

An article in Healthy Holistic Living10 discusses some of the components giving essential oils their therapeutic benefits. For example, some essential oils have tremendous antioxidant capacities.

According to this article, one ounce of clove oil has an antioxidant capacity equivalent to 450 pounds of carrots. Essential oils also contain three different types of terpenes, each with its own set of benefits:

Phenylpropanoids have antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activity. As noted in the article,11 "phenylpropanoids clean the receptor sites on the cells.

Without clean receptor sites, cells cannot communicate, and the body malfunctions, resulting in disease." Oils that contain this type of terpene include: clove, cassia, basil, cinnamon, oregano, anise, and peppermint.

Monoterpenes, which are found in most essential oils, help "reprogram miswritten information in the cellular memory," according to the featured article.

Sesquiterpenes help deliver oxygen to your tissues, which makes it more difficult for viruses, bacteria, and even cancer cells, to survive. Essential oils that contain sesquiterpenes include cedarwood, vetiver, spikenard, sandalwood, black pepper, patchouli, myrrh, ginger, and frankincense.

Essential Oils for Common Maladies

There are probably as many uses for aromatherapy as there are essential oils, but research shows particular promise in relieving stress, stabilizing your mood, improving sleep, pain and nausea relief, and improving your memory and energy level.

To give you an idea of the versatility of aromatherapy, the following table lists some of the therapeutic uses of several oils for a few of today's most common complaints.12 As you can see, there are some real "multitaskers," like lavender and peppermint, which can be used to treat more than one problem.13

Complaint           |       Recommended Essential Oils

Stress                             Lavender, lemon, bergamot, peppermint, vetiver, pine, and ylang ylang

Insomnia                      Lavender, chamomile, jasmine, benzoin, neroli, rose, sandalwood, sweet              marjoram, and ylang ylang (avoid lemon, which has an invigorating                   effect)

Anxiety          Lavender, bergamot, rose, clary sage, lemon, Roman chamomile, orange,             sandalwood, rose-scented geranium, and pine16

Pain                Lavender, chamomile, clary sage, juniper, eucalyptus, rosemary,                               peppermint, lavender, and green apple (especially for migraines)

Nausea/vomiting      Mint, ginger, lemon, orange, ginger, dill, fennel, chamomile, clary sage,                                   and lavender

Memory/attention   Sage, peppermint, and cinnamon

Low energy                  Black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, angelica, jasmine, tea tree,                                  rosemary, sage, and citrus

How to Use Essential Oils

Some of the most common ways to use essential oils include: Massaging them (blended with a carrier oil) into your skin; Adding them to bathwater; Using them in a hot compress; Heating them in a diffuser; Rubbing a drop onto pulse points in lieu of perfume; But that's really just the beginning. There are many creative uses for essential oils. Here's a sampling of the 25 uses listed by the Epoch Times. For the full list, please see the original article.

Cleaning sprays and room deodorizers   Making your own cleaning supplies and room deodorizers using essential oils is an excellent alternative to commercial products that may contain any number of hazardous chemicals. For example, for a homemade cleaning scrub with antibacterial activity, simply add a few drops of lavender or tea tree oil to baking soda.

Using a glass grated-cheese container with a stainless steel top that has holes in it makes it easy to sprinkle the baking soda on the surfaces. In lieu of commercial room deodorizers, you can either use an aromatherapy diffuser, or add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to water in a spray bottle.

Freshen laundry Dryer sheets are notoriously toxic, emitting more than 600 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) through your dryer vent. You can easily freshen your laundry without risking your family's health simply by spritzing your wet laundry with a mix of water and a few drops of essential oil before placing it in the dryer. Alternatively, add a dozen or so drops to an old wool sock, and put it in the dryer with your laundry.

Therapeutic steam baths To deep clean pores, add a few drops of lavender or eucalyptus to hot water in your sink, then lean over it with a towel draped over your head to capture the steam. This will also help unclog your sinuses if you have a cold. Alternatively, close the drain in your shower and add some eucalyptus essential oils to the pooled water on the floor of the tub to create a soothing steam.

Customized lotions and soap Synthetic fragrances are a source of allergies, but you can easily customize your own soaps and lotions by adding a few drops of your favorite essential oil to an unscented brand.

Combat pimples Tea tree oil, which has potent antibacterial activity, can help dry out pimples.

Facial toner Make your own facial toner by adding a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil to distilled water in a misting bottle.

Insect repellents Cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil is said to deter insects and rodents. The following essential oils also make excellent bug repellents in lieu of DEET and other chemical repellents: Cinnamon leaf oil (one study found it was more effective at killing mosquitoes than DEET19); Clear liquid vanilla extract20 mixed with olive oil; Wash with citronella soap, and then put some 100 percent pure citronella essential oil mixed with a carrier oil on your skin. Java Citronella is considered the highest quality citronella on the market; Catnip oil (according to one study, this oil is 10 times more effective than DEET); Lemon eucalyptus was found very effective in a 2014 Australian study; a mixture of 32 percent lemon eucalyptus oil provided more than 95 percent protection for three hours, compared to a 40 percent DEET repellent that gave 100 percent protection for seven hours

Resources

Aromatherapy can be a beneficial adjunct to your overall health plan. It's not a replacement for wise lifestyle choices like good nutrition and exercise, but it can certainly help enhance your physical and emotional health. Aromatherapy is one more tool you can keep in your tool bag for managing everyday stress, balancing out mood swings and improving your sleep for example.

Essential oils are also a great addition to many of your homemade beauty and cleaning products, adding both scent and antibacterial qualities. Whether you seek out a trained aromatherapist or adopt a DIY approach, the following are a few resources you might find useful: National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA): Everything about the medicinal use of aromatic plants and the holistic practice of aromatherapy; Aroma Web: A directory of aromatherapy information, tips, recipes, sources, including a regional aromatherapy business directory; American Botanical Council: Herbal medicine information that includes an herb library and clinical guide to herbs; Herb Med Interactive electronic herb database (some information is free, but full access requires a fee); I also offer further information on 57 different oils in my Ultimate Guide to Herbal Oils

<ol>

<li>G) Cannabis (CBD). As the cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2) is found on immune system cells, it is likely that the ECS is impaired in these patients and prevents them from bouncing back after infection with Lyme. Learn more: <a href="http://www.naturalnews.com/043834_cannabis_Lyme_disease_medical_marijuana.html#ixzz3jDAT24t1">http://www.naturalnews.com/043834_cannabis_Lyme_disease_medical_marijuana.html#ixzz3jDAT24t1</a></li>

</ol>

Doesn't matter what strain. Look up TCHA tincture. Just as effective as CBD. Oral cannabis extracts are extremely beneficial to the body no matter what.

for anyone who doesn't understand the basic THC vs. CBD molecules...EAT IT RAW FOR CBD (JUICE IT) OR HEAT IT AND THE CBD TURNS INTO THC. SIMPLE.

Cbd does NOT turn into thc by heating.actually by heating what the chemical reaction that takes place is called decarboxilation and what the reaction entails without going into the organic chemistry is the reaction turns THCA into THC. Thca is not psyco-active where as thc is. It break down COOH into CO2 and Water. If you continue to heat THC it will continue to chemically break down to CBD. I am an organic analytical chemist. CBD does NOT turn into THC, THCA does.

Search on you tube for Rick Simpson Oil and you will find lots of info on how to make it. You will also find his documentary Run From The Cure.

G2) Dr. Klinghardt's Treatment Approach

Dr. Klinghardt takes microwave radiation and electromagnetic fields very seriously, as it can have a profound impact on Lyme disease.

"One of my primary treatments for Lyme disease is to put people in protective clothing that shields them from incoming microwaves," he says. "We shield the bedside. We turn off the wireless internet at home. We put shielding paint on the houses. That has been a more successful strategy to treating Lyme disease and to get people neurologically well than any of the antibiotics or any of the antimicrobial compounds."

He's convinced that the increased virulence we're now seeing is related to the dramatic increase in electromagnetic fields and microwave radiation from cell phones, cell towers, and all manner of wireless technologies. Therefore, EMF and microwave radiation mitigation are part of the standard protocol, as any subsequent treatment of Lyme disease will not be as effective unless these external factors are addressed.

Below is a summarized outline of Dr. Klinghardt's treatment for Lyme disease. For more information and details, please listen to the interview in its entirety, or read through the transcript.

First, external factors that act upon the body 24/7 are evaluated.

This includes electrosmog, EMF, microwave radiation from wireless technologies, and molds. To test for the presence of mold, he uses the ERMI score, which is a semi-quantitative assessment of how much mold is in your home.  The score should not exceed 2. However, most of his patients score between 15 and 20. For more information on mold, Dr. Klinghardt recommends <a href="www.SurvivingMold.com">www.SurvivingMold.com</a>.

Once external influencing factors have been determined, they're remediated and mitigated. (For mold remediation, please refer to this previous article.)

To mitigate microwave radiation, Dr. Klinghardt recommends shielding your home with a graphite paint called Y Shield outside, and use special silver-coated cloth for your curtains. These measures will compromise your ability to receive cell phone calls, so depending on your situation, you may opt to shield just your bedroom, or shield your entire home and just use a landline.

All cordless telephones are removed, and patients are instructed to turn off all the fuses at night, until they have recovered from Lyme disease.

Next, the emotional component of the disease is addressed using Energy Psychology tools, including psychokinesiology (PK) which is similar to the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), but more refined and advanced...Dr. Klinghardt begins the treatment for Lyme disease by addressing parasites, followed by "the Klinghardt antimicrobial cocktail," which addresses the Lyme spirochetes, Babesia, and Bartonella. For more details and complete recipes to all his treatment cocktails, see <a href="www.KlinghardtAcademy.com">www.KlinghardtAcademy.com</a> or send an email to info@KlinghardtAcademy.com.  Some of the ingredients in his formula include: wormwood (artemisinin)—which has been found to be extremely effective for malaria—combined with phospholipids; vitamin C, and specific herbs.

Lastly, viruses are addressed using a tincture of Native American herbs called Viressence, by BioPure.

Additional lifestyle factors are also addressed, including diet and vitamin supplementation.

A Word on Antibiotics

Conventional Lyme treatment hinges on long-term use of antibiotics. While this treatment can indeed be effective, there are many reasons to opt for alternatives such as those detailed by Dr. Klinghardt, as antibiotics will disrupt your gut flora, thereby exposing you to a whole host of other pathologies.

G3) "Gut flora is a hugely important part of our human physiology. Recently research in Scandinavia has demonstrated that 90 percent of all cells and all genetic material in a human body is our own gut flora. We are just a shell… a habitat for this mass of microbes inside us. We ignore them at our own peril.

…As a result, their digestive system — instead of being a source of nourishment for these children — becomes a major source of toxicity. These pathogenic microbes inside their digestive tract damage the integrity of the gut wall. So all sort of toxins and microbes flood into the bloodstream, and get into the brain.

This is why it's so important to “reseed' your gut with fermented foods and probiotics when you're taking an antibiotic. If you aren’t eating fermented foods, you most likely need to supplement with a probiotic on a regular basis, especially if you're eating a lot of processed foods.

"In parallel with beneficial microbes in the healthy gut, scientists have found thousands of different species of downright pathogenic disease-causing microbes; bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes. But as long as the good ones predominate in your gut, they control all the pathogens… They keep them in small colonies and they don't allow them to proliferate.

Every course of antibiotics tends to wipe out the beneficial bacteria and that gives a window of opportunity for the pathogens to proliferate, to grow uncontrolled, and to occupy new niches in your gut. The beneficial flora recovers, but different species of it take between two weeks to two months to recover in the gut and that's a window of opportunity for various pathogens to overgrow.

It's important to realize that processed foods and sugar almost exclusively feed pathogens in your digestive system, allowing them to proliferate.

collecting a complete health history of the parents, and their gut health is assessed. Then, within the first few days of life, the stool of the child can be analyzed to determine the state of her gut flora, followed by a urine test to check for metabolites, which can give you a picture of the state of your child's immune system.

"Now we have excellent tests that find chemicals produced by various species of microbes in the gut," she says."… So by analyzing urine, indirectly we can say what kind of species of microbes are sitting in the gut of the child, or what kind of chemicals they are producing."

GAPS protocal In summary, the protocol consists of three elements:

Diet — the GAPS diet consists of easily digestible foods that are dense in nutrition, including fermented foods.

According to Dr. Campbell: "On average, people adhere to the diet a couple of years. It takes two years to drive out the pathogenic flora, to reestablish normal flora in the gut, to heal and seal the damaged gut lining in these people and turn the gut back to being a major source of nourishment for the person instead of being a source of toxicity."

Food supplements, including: probiotics and vitamins D and A in the form of cod liver oil, although sun exposure is also an important part for GAPS patients, for proper vitamin D production.

Detoxification — The GAPS nutritional protocol will naturally clear out most toxins. Dr. Campbell does not use any kind of drugs or chemicals to remove toxins as it can be too drastic for some, and can produce damaging side effects. Instead she recommends juicing as a gentle but effective way of removing toxic build-up, as well as baths with Epsom salt, sea salt, seaweed powder, apple cider vinegar, and baking soda.

Dr. Campbell discusses many additional and priceless details relating to this protocol, so please, set aside some time to listen to the interview in its entirety, or read through the transcript.

G3) TREATMENT RESISTANCE

Bb contains beta lactamases and cephalosporinases, which, with some strains, may confer resistance to cephalosporins and penicillins. This is apparently a slowly acting enzyme system, and may be overcome by higher or more continuous drug levels especially when maintained by continuous infusions (cefotaxime) and by depot preparations (benzathine penicillin). Nevertheless, some penicillin and cephalosporin treatment failures do occur and have responded to sulbactam/ampicillin, imipenem, and vancomycin, which act through different cell wall mechanisms than the penicillins and the cephalosporins.

Vegetative endocarditis has been associated with Borrelia burgdorferi, but the vegetations may be too small to detect with echocardiography. Keep this in mind when evaluating patients with murmurs, as this may explain why some patients seem to continually relapse after even long courses of antibiotics.

COMBINATION THERAPY

Treatment of chronic Lyme usually requires combinations of antibiotics. There are four reasons for this:

<ol>

<li>TWO COMPARTMENTS- Bb can be found in both the fluid and the tissue compartments, yet no</li>

</ol>

single antibiotic currently used to treat Bb infections will be effective in both compartments. This is

one reason for the need to use combination therapy in the more ill patient. A logical combination

might use, for example, azithromycin plus a penicillin.

<li>INTRACELLULAR NICHE- Another reason, discussed below, is the fact that Bb can penetrate and remain viable within cells and evade the effects of extracellular agents. Typical combinations</li>

</ol>

include an extracellular antibiotic, plus an intracellular agent such as an erythromycin derivative or

metronidazole. Note that some experts discourage the co-administration of bactericidal plus

bacteriostatic agents, thus the recommendation to avoid a cell wall drug combined with a

tetracycline.

<li>L-FORMS (SPHEROPLAST)- It has been recognized that B. burgdorferi can exist in at least two,</li>

</ol>

and possibly three different morphologic forms: spirochete, spheroplast (or l-form), and the recently

discovered cystic form (presently, there is controversy whether the cyst is different from the l-form).

L-forms and cystic forms do not contain cell walls, and thus beta lactam antibiotics will not affect

them. Spheroplasts seem to be susceptible to tetracyclines and the advanced erythromycin

derivatives. Apparently, Bb can shift among the three forms during the course of the infection.

Because of this, it may be necessary to cycle different classes of antibiotics and/or prescribe a

combination of dissimilar agents.

<li>CYSTIC FORM- When present in a hostile environment, such as growth medium lacking some</li>

</ol>

nutrients, spinal fluid, or serum with certain antibiotics added, Bb can change from the spiral form

(“spirochete”) into a cyst form. This cyst seems to be able to remain dormant, but when placed into

an environment more favorable to its growth, Bb can revert into the spirochete form. The antibiotics

commonly used for Lyme do not kill the cystic form of Bb. However, there is laboratory evidence

that metronidazole and tinidazole will disrupt it. Therefore, the chronically infected patient who has

resistant disease may need to have metronidazole (or tinidazole) added to the regimen. More

details are provided in the section on treatment options.

BORRELIA NEUROTOXIN (With thanks to Dr. Shoemaker)

Two groups have reported evidence that Borrelia, like several other bacteria, produce neurotoxins. These compounds reportedly can cause many of the symptoms of encephalopathy, cause an ongoing inflammatory reaction manifested as some of the virus-like symptoms common in late Lyme, and also potentially interfere with hormone action by blocking hormone receptors. At this time, there is no assay available to detect whether this compound is present, nor can the amount of toxin be quantified. Indirect measures are currently employed, such as measures of cytokine activation and hormone resistance. A visual contrast sensitivity test (VCS test) reportedly is quite useful in documenting CNS effects of the neurotoxin, and to follow effects of treatment. This test is available at some centers and on the internet.

It has been said that the longer one is ill with Lyme, the more neurotoxin is present in the body. It probably is stored in fatty tissues, and once present, persists for a very long time. This may be because of enterohepatic circulation, where the toxin is excreted via the bile into the intestinal tract, but then is reabsorbed from the intestinal tract back into the blood stream. This forms the basis for treatment.

Two prescription medications that can bind these toxins include cholestyramine resin and Welchol pills. When take orally in generous amounts, the neurotoxin present in the intestinal tract binds to the resin, is trapped, and then excreted. Thus, over several weeks, the level of neurotoxin is depleted and clinical improvement can be seen. Current experience is that improvement is first seen in three weeks, and treatment can continue for a month or more. Retreatment is always possible.

These medications may bind not only toxins but also many drugs and vitamin supplements. Therefore no other oral medications or supplements should be taken from a half hour before, to two hours after a dose of one of these fiber agents.

Cholestyramine should be taken two to four times daily, and Welchol is prescribed at three pills twice daily. While the latter is obviously much simpler to use, it is less effective than cholestyramine. The main side effects are bloating and constipation, best handled with increased fluid intake and gentle laxatives.

TREATING LYME BORRELIOSIS LYME DISEASE TREATMENT INFORMATION

There is no universally effective antibiotic for treating LB. The choice of medication used and the dosage prescribed will vary for different people based on multiple factors. These include duration and severity of illness, presence of co-infections, immune deficiencies, prior significant immunosuppressant use while infected, age, weight, gastrointestinal function, blood levels achieved, and patient tolerance. Doses found to be effective clinically are often higher than those recommended in older texts. This is due to deep tissue penetration by Bb, its presence in the CNS including the eye, within cells, within tendons, and because very few of the many strains of this organism now known to exist have been studied for antibiotic susceptibility. In addition, all animal studies of susceptibility to date have only addressed early disease in models that behave differently than human hosts. Therefore, begin with a regimen appropriate to the setting, and if necessary, modify it over time based upon antibiotic blood level measurements and clinical response.

ANTIBIOTICS

There are four types of antibiotics in general use for Bb treatment. The TETRACYCLINES, including

doxycycline and minocycline, are bacteriostatic unless given in high doses. If high blood levels are not attained, treatment failures in early and late disease are common. However, these high doses can be difficult to tolerate.

For example, doxycycline can be very effective but only if adequate blood levels are achieved either by high oral doses (300 to 600 mg daily) or by parenteral administration. Kill kinetics indicate that a large spike in blood and tissue levels is more effective than sustained levels, which is why with doxycycline, oral doses of 200 mg bid is more effective than 100 mg qid. Likewise, this is why IV doses of 400 mg once a day is more effective than any oral regimen.

PENICILLINS are bactericidal. As would be expected in managing an infection with a gram negative organism such as Bb, amoxicillin has been shown to be more effective than oral penicillin V. With cell wall agents such as the penicillins, kill kinetics indicate that sustained bactericidal levels are needed for 72 hours to be effective.

Thus the goal is to try to achieve sustained blood and tissue levels. However, since blood levels are extremely variable among patients, peak and trough levels should be measured (for details, refer to the antibiotic dosage table). Because of its short half-life and need for high levels, amoxicillin is usually administered along with probenecid. An extended release formulation of amoxicillin+clavulanate (“Augmentin XR”) may also be considered if adequate trough levels are difficult to attain. An attractive alternative is benzathine penicillin (“Bicillin-LA”- see below). This is an intramuscular depot injection, and although doses are relatively small, the sustained blood and tissue levels are what make this preparation so effective.

CEPHALOSPORINS must be of advanced generation: first generation drugs are rarely effective and second generation drugs are comparable to amoxicillin and doxycycline both in-vitro and in-vivo. Third generation agents are currently the most effective of the cephalosporins because of their very low MBC's (0.06 for ceftriaxone), and relatively long half-life. Cephalosporins have been shown to be effective in penicillin and tetracycline failures. Cefuroxime axetil (Ceftin), a second generation agent, is also effective against staph and thus is useful in treating atypical erythema migrans that may represent a mixed infection that contains some of the more common skin pathogens in addition to Bb. Because this agent’s G.I. side effects and high cost, it is not often used as first line drug. As with the penicillins, try to achieve high, sustained blood and tissue levels by frequent dosing and/or the use of probenecid. Measure peak and trough blood levels when possible.

When choosing a third generation cephalosporin, there are several points to remember: Ceftriaxone is administered twice daily (an advantage for home therapy), but has 95% biliary excretion and can crystallize in the biliary tree with resultant colic and possible cholecystitis. GI excretion results in a large impact on gut flora. Biliary and superinfection problems with ceftriaxone can be lessened if this drug is given in interrupted courses (known commonly as “pulse therapy”- refer to chapter on this on page 20), so the current recommendation is to administer it four days in a row each week. Cefotaxime, which must be given at least every eight hours or as a continuous infusion, is less convenient, but as it has only 5% biliary excretion, it never causes biliary concretions, and may have less impact on gut flora.

ERYTHROMYCIN has been shown to be almost ineffective as monotherapy. The azalide azithromycin is somewhat more effective but only minimally so when given orally. As an IV drug, much better results are seen.

Clarithromycin is more effective as an oral agent than azithromycin, but can be difficult to tolerate due to its tendency to promote yeast overgrowth, bad aftertaste, and poor GI tolerance at the high doses needed. These problems are much less severe with the ketolide telithromycin, which is generally well tolerated.

Erythromycins (and the advanced generation derivatives mentioned above) have impressively low MBCs and they do concentrate in tissues and penetrate cells, so they theoretically should be ideal agents. So why is it that erythromycin ineffective, and why have initial clinical results with azithromycin (and to a lesser degree, clarithromycin) have been disappointing? It has been suggested that when Bb is within a cell, it is held within a vacuole and bathed in fluid of low pH, and this acidity may inactivate azithromycin and clarithromycin.

Therefore, they are administered concurrently with hydroxychloroquine or amantadine, which raise vacuolar pH, rendering these antibiotics more effective. It is not known whether this same technique will make erythromycin a more effective antibiotic in LB. Another alternative is to administer azithromycin parenterally. Results are excellent, but expect to see abrupt Jarisch-Herxheimer reactions.

Telithromycin, on the other hand, is stable in the intracellular acid environment, which may be why this is currently by far the most effective drug of this class, and may replace the others in the majority of patients with LB. Likewise, there is no need to co-administer amantadine or hydroxychloroquine. This antibiotic has other advantages- it has been engineered to prevent drug resistance, has almost no negative impact on E. coli in the intestinal tract (hopefully minimizing the risk for diarrhea), and it can be taken with or without food.

However, there are disadvantages:

<ol>

<li>May interact with a wide variety of medications because it is an inhibitor of the cytochrome</li>

</ol>

CYP3A4. It is vital that this be taken into account as many Lyme patients take a variety of

medications concurrently, and often from several practitioners.

<li>May lengthen the QT interval. This should be measured prior to prescribing this drug, and if</li>

</ol>

borderline, rechecked after it is begun.

<li>Can transiently cause blurry vision, delayed accommodation, and even double vision.</li>

<li>Liver enzymes may become elevated. Blood tests should be done regularly to monitor this.</li>

<li>The usual precautions of any antibiotic also still apply- risk for allergy, stomach upset, Herxheimer reactions, etc.</li>

</ol>

QTc INTERVAL

<ul>

<li>QTc is the QT corrected for heart rate</li>

<li>Measure the precordial lead that has the best T wave (usually V-2 or V-5)</li>

<li>Measure from the start of the Q wave to the end of the T wave</li>

<li>QT interval is inversely related to the heart rate (slow pulse results in a longer QT)</li>

<li>QTc = QT ¸ Ö RR interval</li>

<li>Normals: Females <450 ms, Males < 470 ms</li>

<li>Want K+ > 4.0, Mg++ > 2.0; avoid hypocalcemia</li>

</ul>

METRONIDAZOLE (Flagyl) When present in a hostile environment, such as growth medium lacking some nutrients, spinal fluid, or serum with certain antibiotics added, Bb can change into a cyst form. This cyst seems to be able to remain dormant, but when placed into an environment more favorable to its growth, the cyst can revert into the spirochete form. The conventional antibiotics used for Lyme, such as the penicillins, cephalosporins, etc do not kill the cystic form of Bb, yet there is laboratory evidence that metronidazole will kill it. Therefore, the trend now is to treat the chronically infected patient who has resistant disease by combining metronidazole with one or two other antibiotics to target all forms of Bb. Because there is laboratory evidence that tetracyclines may inhibit the effect of Flagyl, this class of medication should not be used in these two- and three-drug regimens. Some clinicians favor tinidazole as this may be equally effective but result in fewer side effects. However, this has yet to be documented.

Important precautions:

<ol>

<li>Pregnancy while on Flagyl is not advised, as there is a risk of birth defects.</li>

<li>No alcohol consumption! A severe, "Antabuse" reaction will occur, consisting of severe nausea,</li>

</ol>

flushing, headache, and other symptoms.

<li>Yeast overgrowth is especially common. A strict anti-yeast regimen must be followed.</li>

<li>Flagyl can be irritative to the nervous system- in the short term, it may cause irritability, "spacey"</li>

</ol>

feelings, etc. Longer term, it can affect the peripheral nerves, causing tingles, numbness, etc. If mild, a change in dose may be required. Often, extra vitamin B can clear these symptoms. If the nerve symptoms persist or are strong, then metronidazole must be discontinued or these symptoms may become very long lasting.

<li>Strong Herxheimer-like reactions are seen in almost everyone.</li>

</ol>

RIFAMPIN is a well-known antibiotic that has been in use for many decades. It is primarily used to treat tuberculosis, but also has been used in other conditions, such as prevention of meningitis in those exposed, for treating resistant Staph, etc. Potentially, rifampin may be effective in treating Bartonella, Ehrlichia, Mycoplasma, and Borrelia. There are as yet no formal clinical studies on the use of this medication in these illnesses, but many patients have been treated with rifampin and have had favorable results. When used, regular blood tests (CBC, liver enzymes) are usually performed to monitor for side effects. Rifampin can also discolor urine, tears and sweat (brownish-orange). It may also stain some types of water-permeable contact lenses.

Taking rifampin during pregnancy is not advised. Finally, because this drug is an inducer of cytochromes (CYP3A4), co-administration with other medications may result in lower and more brief blood levels of the coadministered drug. Thus, be aware of these potential drug interactions.

BENZATHINE PENICILLIN Comparative studies published by Fallon et. al. at Columbia University have shown that parenteral therapy is superior to oral therapy in chronic patients. Options include intramuscular long acting penicillin G (benzathine penicillin, or “Bicillin-LA”) or intravenous antibiotics.

For an antibiotic in the penicillin class to be effective, time-killing curves show that significant levels of antibiotic must be sustained for 72 hours. Bicillin LA is a sustained release formulation that meets these criteria.

Published studies in children and adults, combined with over a decade of experience with this therapy by front line, Lyme-treating physicians have established the efficacy, safety and usefulness of this medication. In many patients it is more effective than oral antibiotics for treating Lyme, and compares closely to intravenous therapy in terms of efficacy if the dose is high enough.

It is usually administered three or four times weekly for six to twelve months. It has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive, free of gastrointestinal side effects, unlikely to promote the overgrowth of yeast, and has an excellent safety record spanning many decades. Finally, an added plus is that family members can be trained to administer this treatment at home.

CEFTRIAXONE TREATMENT A subset of patients who have severe, longstanding illness due to Borrelia burgdorferi carry persistent infection despite having previously received antibiotic treatments which have eliminated the disease in less ill individuals. The mechanism for such persistence has been the subject of many peer reviewed articles. They include persistence of B. burgdorferi in protective niches, inhibition and lysis of lymphocytes, survival in phagocytic vacuoles, antigenic shifts, slow growth, shifting into alternate forms, and dormancy and latency.

One successful approach in the more ill patient, published in the early 1990s, is to use higher doses of ceftriaxone in a pulsed-dose regimen. Since then, clinical experience has expanded upon this concept, and at the MLDA Lyme Congress in September, 2002, Cichon presented data on a pulsed, high dose regimen which supports and refines this concept. This regimen is now considered the current standard of care in the use of ceftriaxone.

Treatment with ceftriaxone is dosed at 4 grams daily- given either as 2 grams IV twice daily, or 4 grams slowly once a day, four days in a row each week, usually for 14 or more weeks. Such a regimen is not only more effective in the Chronic Lyme patient, but regular interruptions in treatment lessen the potential complications of intensive antibiotic therapy with ceftriaxone, such as biliary sludging and colitis. Hence a more effective, safer regimen that by virtue of the treatment breaks, is less costly and affords the patient a more acceptable lifestyle. IV access with a heparin lock becomes possible (and preferred).

COURSE DURING THERAPY

As the spirochete has a very long generation time (12 to 24 hours in vitro and possibly much longer in living systems) and may have periods of dormancy, during which time antibiotics will not kill the organism, treatment has to be continued for a long period of time to eradicate all the active symptoms and prevent a relapse, especially in late infections. If treatment is discontinued before all symptoms of active infection have cleared, the patient will remain ill and possibly relapse further. In general, early LB is treated for four to six weeks, and late LB usually requires a minimum of four to six months of continuous treatment. All patients respond differently and therapy must be individualized. It is not uncommon for a patient who has been ill for many years to require open ended treatment regimens; indeed, some patients will require ongoing maintenance therapy for years to remain well.

Several days after the onset of appropriate antibiotic therapy, symptoms often flare due to lysis of the spirochetes with release of increased amount of antigenic material and possibly bacterial toxins. This is referred to as a Jarisch Herxheimer-like reaction. Because it takes 48 to 72 hours of therapy to initiate bacterial killing, the Herxheimer reaction is therefore delayed. This is unlike syphilis, in which these reactions can occur within hours.

It has been observed that symptoms will flare in cycles every four weeks. It is thought that this reflects the organism’s cell cycle, with the growth phase occurring once per month (intermittent growth is common in Borrelia species). As antibiotics will only kill bacteria during their growth phase, therapy is designed to bracket at least one whole generation cycle. This is why the minimum treatment duration should be at least four weeks.

If the antibiotics are working, over time these flares will lessen in severity and duration. The very occurrence of ongoing monthly cycles indicates that living organisms are still present and that antibiotics should be ontinued.

With treatment, these monthly symptom flares are exaggerated and presumably represent recurrent

Herxheimer-like reactions as Bb enters its vulnerable growth phase and then are lysed. For unknown reasons, the worst occurs at the fourth week of treatment. Observation suggest that the more severe this reaction, the higher the germ load, and the more ill the patient. In those with long-standing highly symptomatic disease who are on I.V. therapy, the week-four flare can be very severe, similar to a serum sickness reaction, and be associated with transient leucopenia and/or elevations in liver enzymes. If this happens, decrease the dose temporarily, or interrupt treatment for several days, then resume with a lower dose. If you are able to continue or resume therapy, then patients continue to improve. Those whose treatment is stopped and not restarted at this point usually will need retreatment in the future due to ongoing or recurrent symptoms because the infection was not eradicated. Patients on I.V. therapy who have a strong reaction at the fourth week will need to continue parenteral antibiotics for several months, for when this monthly reaction finally lessens in severity, then oral or IM medications can be substituted. Indeed, it is just this observation that guides the clinician in determining the endpoint of I.V. treatment. In general, I.V. therapy is given until there is a clear positive response, and then treatment is changed to IM or po until free of signs of active infection for 4 to 8 weeks. Some patients, however, will not respond to IM or po treatment and I.V. therapy will have to be used throughout. As mentioned earlier, leucopenia may be a sign of persistent Ehrlichiosis, so be sure to look into this.

Repeated treatment failures should alert the clinician to the possibility of an otherwise inapparent immune deficiency, and a workup for this may be advised. Obviously, evaluation for co-infection should be performed, and a search for other or concurrent diagnoses needs to be entertained.

There are three things that will predict treatment failure regardless of which regimen is chosen: Noncompliance, alcohol use, and sleep deprivation. Advise them to take a break when (or ideally before) the inevitable mid afternon fatigue sets in (napping is encouraged).

All patients must keep a carefully detailed daily diary of their symptoms to help us document the presence of the classic four week cycle, judge the effects of treatment, and determine treatment endpoint. One must follow such diaries, temperature readings in late afternoon, physical findings, notes from physical therapists, and cognitive testing to best judge when to change or end antibiotics. Remember- there currently is no test for cure, so this clinical follow-up assumes a major role in Lyme Disease care.

ANTIBIOTIC CHOICES AND DOSES ORAL THERAPY: Always check blood levels when using agents marked with an *, and adjust dose to achieve a peak level above ten and a trough greater than three. Because of this, the doses listed below may have to be raised. Consider Doxycycline first in early Lyme due to concern for Ehrlichia co-infections.

*Amoxicillin- Adults: 1g q8h plus probenecid 500mg q8h; doses up to 6 grams daily are

often needed

Pregnancy: 1g q6h and adjust.

Children: 50 mg/kg/day divided into q8h doses.

*Doxycycline- Adults: 200 mg bid with food; doses of up to 600 mg daily are often needed, as doxycycline is only effective at high blood levels. Not for children or in pregnancy.

If levels are too low at tolerated doses, give parenterally or change to another drug.

*Cefuroxime axetil- Oral alternative that may be effective in amoxicillin and doxycycline failures. Useful in EM rashes co-infected with common skin pathogens.

Adults and pregnancy: 1g q12h and adjust. Children: 125 to 500 mg q12h

based on weight.

Tetracycline- Adults only, and not in pregnancy. 500 mg tid to qid

Erythromycin- Poor response and not recommended.

Azithromycin- Adults: 500 to 1200 mg/d. Adolescents: 250 to 500 mg/d

Add hydroxychloroquine, 200-400 mg/d, or amantadine 100-200 mg/d

Cannot be used in pregnancy or in younger children.

Overall, poor results when administered orally

Clarithromycin- Adults: 250 to 500 mg q6h plus hydroxychloroquine, 200-400 mg/d, or amantadine 100-200 mg/d. Cannot be used in pregnancy or in younger children.

Clinically more effective than azithromycin

Telithromycin- Adolescents and adults: 800 mg once daily

Do not need to use amantadine or hydroxychloroquine

So far, the most effective drug of this class, and possibly the best oral agent if tolerated. Expect strong and quite prolonged Herxheimer reactions.

Must watch for drug interactions (CYP3A-4 inhibitor), check the QTc interval, and monitor liver enzymes.

Not to be used in pregnancy.

*Augmentin- Standard Augmentin cannot exceed three tablets daily due to the

clavulanate, thus is given with amoxicillin, so that the total dose of the amoxicillin

component is as listed above for amoxicillin. This combination can be effective when

Bb beta lactamase is felt to be significant.

*Augmentin XR 1000- This is a time-release formulation and thus is a better choice than

standard Augmentin.

Dose- 1000 mg q 8 h, to 2000 mg q 12 h based on blood levels.

Chloramphenicol- Not recommended as not proven and potentially toxic.

Metronidazole: 500 to 1500 mg daily in divided doses. Non-pregnant adults only.

PARENTERAL THERAPY

Ceftriaxone- Risk of biliary sludging (therefore often Actigall is co-administered- one to

three tablets daily).

Adults and pregnancy: 2g q12 h, 4 days in a row each week

Children: 75 mg/kg/day up to 2g/day

Cefotaxime- Comparable efficacy to ceftriaxone; no biliary complications.

Adults and pregnancy: 6g to 12g daily. Can be given q 8 h as divided doses, but a continuous infusion may be more efficacious. When exceeding 6 g daily, use pulsed-dose schedule

Children: 90 to 180 mg/kg/day dosed q6h (preferred) or q8h, not to exceed 12 g

daily.

*Doxycycline- Requires central line as is caustic.

Surprisingly effective, probably because blood levels are higher when given parenterally and single large daily doses optimize kinetics of killing with this drug. Always measure blood levels.

Adults: Start at 400 mg q24h and adjust based on levels.

Cannot be used in pregnancy or in younger children.

Azithromycin- Requires central line as is caustic.

Dose: 500 to 1000 mg daily in adolescents and adults.

Penicillin G- IV penicillin G is minimally effective and not recommended.

Benzathine penicillin- Surprisingly effective IM alternative to oral therapy. May need to begin at lower doses as strong, prolonged (6 or more week) Herxheimer-like reactions have been observed.

Adults: 1.2 million U- three to four doses weekly.

Adolescents: 1.2 to 3.6 million U weekly.

May be used in pregnancy.

Vancomycin- observed to be one of the best drugs in treating Lyme, but potential toxicity limits its use. It is a perfect candidate for pulse therapy to minimize these concerns. Use standard doses

and confirm levels.

Primaxin and Unisyn- similar in efficacy to cefotaxime, but often work when cephalosporins have failed. Must be given q6 to q8 hours.

Cefuroxime- useful but not demonstrably better than ceftriaxone or cefotaxime.

*Ampicillin IV- more effective than penicillin G. Must be given q6 hours.

TREATMENT CATEGORIES

PROPHYLAXIS of high risk groups- education and preventive measures. Antibiotics are not given.

TICK BITES - Embedded Deer Tick With No Signs or Symptoms of Lyme (see appendix):

Decide to treat based on the type of tick, whether it came from an endemic area, how it was removed, and length of attachment (anecdotally, as little as four hours of attachment can transmit pathogens). The risk of transmission is greater if the tick is engorged, or of it was removed improperly allowing the tick's contents to spill into the bite wound. High-risk bites are treated as follows (remember the possibility of co-infection!):

1) Adults: Oral therapy for 28 days.

2) Pregnancy: Amoxicillin 1000 mg q6h for 6 weeks. Test for Babesia, Bartonella and Ehrlichia.

Alternative: Cefuroxime axetil 1000 mg q12h for 6 weeks.

3) Young Children: Oral therapy for 28 days.

EARLY LOCALIZED - Single erythema migrans with no constitutional symptoms:

1) Adults: oral therapy- must continue until symptom and sign free for at least one month,

with a 6 week minimum.

2) Pregnancy: 1st and 2nd trimesters: I.V. X 30 days then oral X 6 weeks

3rd trimester: Oral therapy X 6+ weeks as above.

Any trimester- test for Babesia and Ehrlichia

3) Children: oral therapy for 6+ weeks.

DISSEMINATED DISEASE - Multiple lesions, constitutional symptoms, lymphadenopathy, or any other manifestations of dissemination.

EARLY DISSEMINATED: Milder symptoms present for less than one year and not complicated by immune

deficiency or prior steroid treatment:

1) Adults: oral therapy until no active disease for 4 to 8 weeks (4-6 months typical)

2) Pregnancy: As in localized disease, but treat throughout pregnancy.

3) Children: Oral therapy with duration based upon clinical response.

PARENTERAL ALTERNATIVES for more ill patients and those unresponsive to or intolerant of oral

medications:

1) Adults and children: I.V. therapy until clearly improved, with a 6 week minimum. Follow with oral

therapy or IM benzathine penicillin until no active disease for 6-8 weeks. I.V. may have to be

resumed if oral or IM therapy fails.

2) Pregnancy: IV then oral therapy as above.

LATE DISSEMINATED: present greater than one year, more severely ill patients, and those with prior significant steroid therapy or any other cause of impaired immunity:

1) Adults and pregnancy: extended I.V. therapy (14 or more weeks), then

oral or IM, if effective, to same endpoint. Combination therapy with at least

two dissimilar antibiotics almost always needed.

2) Children: IV therapy for 6 or more weeks, then oral or IM follow up as above. Combination

therapy usually needed.

CHRONIC LYME DISEASE (PERSISTENT/RECURRENT INFECTION)

By definition, this category consists of patients with active infection, of a more prolonged duration, who are more likely have higher spirochete loads, weaker defense mechanisms, possibly more virulent or resistant strains, and probably are significantly co-infected. Neurotoxins may also be significant in these patients.

Search for and treat for all of these, and search for concurrent infections including viruses, chlamydias, and mycoplasmas. Be sure to do an endocrine workup if indicated. These patients require a full evaluation for all of these problems, and each abnormality must be addressed.

This group will most likely need parenteral therapy, especially high dose, pulsed therapy, and antibiotic combinations, including metronidazole. Antibiotic therapy will need to continue for many months, and the antibiotics may have to be changed periodically to break plateaus in recovery. Be vigilant for treatment-related problems such as antibiotic-associated colitis, yeast overgrowth, intravenous catheter complications, and abnormalities in blood counts and chemistries.

If treatment can be continued long term, then a remarkable degree of recovery is possible. However, attention must be paid to all treatment modalities for such a recovery- not only antibiotics, but rehab and exercise programs, nutritional supplements, enforced rest, low carbohydrate, high fiber diets, attention to food sensitivities, avoidance of stress, abstinence from caffeine and alcohol, and absolutely no immunosuppressants, even local doses of steroids (intra-articular injections, for example).

Unfortunately, not all patients with chronic Lyme disease will fully recover and treatment may not eradicate the active Borrelia infection. Such individuals may have to be maintained on open-ended, ongoing antibiotic therapy, for they repeatedly relapse after antibiotics are stopped. Maintenance antibiotic therapy in this select group is thus mandatory. In patients who have chronic Lyme, who do not fully respond to antibiotics, one must search for an explanation.

In many cases, these patients are found to have pituitary insufficiency of varying degrees. The abnormalities may be extremely subtle, and provocative testing must be done for full diagnosis. Persistent fatigue, limited stamina, hypotension, and loss of libido suggest this possibility.

Similarly, a small but significant number of these patients harbor toxic levels of heavy metals. Challenge testing by knowledgeable, experienced clinicians is necessary for evaluation. Treatment must be directed toward correcting the specific abnormalities found, and post-treatment retesting to assess efficacy of treatment and endpoint of therapy should be done. Suspect this when poor immune responsiveness and persistent neuropathic signs and symptoms are present.

INDICATORS FOR PARENTERAL THERAPY

(The following are guidelines only and are not meant to be absolute. It is based on retrospective study of over 600 patients with late Lyme disease.)

<ul>

<li>Illness for greater than one year</li>

<li>Prior immunosuppressive therapy while infected with Bb.</li>

<li>Major neurological involvement</li>

<li>Active synovitis with high sedimentation rate</li>

<li>Elevated protein or cells in the CSF</li>

</ul>

ADVANCED TREATMENT OPTIONS PULSE THERAPY consists of administering antibiotics (usually parenteral ones) two to four days in a row per week. This allows for several advantages:

* Dosages are doubled (ie: cefotaxime, 12 g daily), increasing efficacy

* More toxic medications can be used with increased safety (ie: vancomycin)

* May be effective when conventional, daily regimens have failed.

* IV access may be easier or more tolerable

* More agreeable lifestyle for the patient

* Often less costly than daily regimens

Note that this type of treatment is expected to continue for a minimum of ten weeks, and often must continue beyond twenty weeks. The efficacy of this regimen is based on the fact that it takes 48 to 72 hours of continuous bactericidal antibiotic levels to kill the spirochete, yet it will take longer than the four to five daysbetween pulses for the spirochetes to recover. As with all Lyme treatments, specific dosing and scheduling must be tailored to the individual patient's clinical picture based upon the treating physician's best clinical judgment.

COMBINATION THERAPY (see page 12)

This consists of using two or more dissimilar antibiotics simultaneously for antibiotic synergism, to better compensate for differing killing profiles and sites of action of the individual medications, and to cover the three known forms of Bb. A typical combination is the use of a cell wall agent plus a protein inhibitor (ie: amoxicillin plus clarithromycin). Note that GI intolerance and yeast superinfections are the biggest drawbacks to this type of treatment. However, these complications can often be prevented or easily treated, and the clinically observed benefits of this type of regimen clearly have outweighed these problems in selected patients.

LYME DISEASE AND PREGNANCY

It is well known that B. burgdorferi can cross the placenta and infect the fetus. In addition, breast milk from infected mothers has been shown to harbor spirochetes that can be detected by PCR and grown in culture.

The Lyme Disease Foundation in Hartford, CT had kept a pregnancy registry for eleven years beginning in the late 1980s. They found that if patients were maintained on adequate doses of antibiotic therapy during gestation, then no babies were born with Lyme. My own experience over the last twenty years agrees with this. The options for treating the mother include oral, intramuscular, and intravenous therapy as outlined above. It is vital that peak and trough antibiotic levels be measured if possible at the start of gestation and at least once more during treatment. During pregnancy, symptoms generally are mild as the hormonal changes seem to mask many symptoms.

However, post-partum, mothers have a rough time, with a sudden return of all their Lyme symptoms including profound fatigue. Post partum depression can be particularly severe. I always advise help in the home for at least the first month, so adequate rest and time for needed treatments are assured. I also advise against breast feeding for obvious reasons as mentioned above.

MONITORING THERAPY

Drug levels are measured, where possible, to confirm adequate dosing. Often, the regimen may have to be modified to optimize the dose. This may have to be repeated again at any time major changes in the treatment regimen occur, and serially during pregnancy. With parenteral therapy, CBC and chem/liver panels are done at least twice each month, especially during symptom flares, with urinalysis and pro-time monitored less frequently.

SAFETY

Over two decades of experience in treating thousands of patients with Lyme has proven that therapy as described above, although intense, is generally well tolerated. The most common adverse reaction seen is allergy to probenecid. In addition, yeast superinfections are seen, but these are generally easily recognized and managed. The induction of Clostridium difficile toxin production is seen most commonly with ceftriaxone, but can occur with any of the antibiotic regimens mentioned in this document. However, pulsed dose therapy and regular use of the lactobacillus preparations seems to be helpful in controlling yeast and antibiotic related colitis, as the number of cases of C. difficile in Lyme patients is low when these guidelines are followed. Be sure to test stool for both toxin A and toxin B when evaluating for C. difficile colitis.

When using central intravenous lines including PICC lines (peripherally inserted central catheters), if ANY line problems arise, it is recommended that the line be pulled for patient safety. Salvage attempts (urokinase, repairing holes) are often ineffective and may not be safe.

Please advise all patients who take the tetracyclines of skin and eye sensitivity to sunlight and the proper precautions, and advise birth control if appropriate. When doxycycline is given parenterally, do not refreeze the solution prior to use!

Remember, years of experience with chronic antibiotic therapy in other conditions, including rheumatic fever, acne, gingivitis, recurrent otitis, recurrent cystitis, COPD, bronchiectasis, and others have not revealed any consistent dire consequences as a result of such medication use. Indeed, the very real consequences of untreated, chronic persistent infection by B. burgdorferi can be far worse than the potential consequences of this treatment.

CO-INFECTIONS IN LYME

PIROPLASMOSIS (Babesiosis)

GENERAL INFORMATION

It had been thought that Babesia microti is the only significant piroplasm affecting humans. Now it is believed that many of the over two dozen known species of piroplasms can be carried by ticks and potentially be transmitted to the human. Unfortunately, we have no widely available tests for these non-microti species. That is why, again, a clinical diagnosis is required.

Piroplasms are not bacteria, they are protozoans. Therefore, they will not be eradicated by any of the currently used Lyme treatment regimens. Therein lies the significance of co-infections- if a Lyme patient has been extensively treated yet is still ill, and especially if they are experiencing atypical symptoms, suspect a coinfection.

From the literature:

<ul>

<li>“Co-infection generally results in more intense acute illness, a greater array of symptoms, and a more prolonged convalescence than accompany either infection alone.”</li>

<li>“Spirochete DNA was evident more often and remained in the circulation longer in co-infected subjects than in those experiencing either infection alone.”</li>

<li>“Co-infection might also synergize spirochete-induced lesions in human joints, heart and nerves.”</li>

<li>“Babesia infections may impair human host defense mechanisms…”</li>

<li>“The possibility of concomitant Babesia infection should be considered when moderate to severe Lyme Disease has been diagnosed.”</li>

</ul>

Babesia infection is becoming more commonly recognized, especially in patients who already have Lyme Disease. It has been published that as many as 66% of Lyme patients show serologic evidence of co-infection with Babesia microti. It has also been reported that Babesia infections can range in severity from mild, subclinical infection, to fulminant, potentially life threatening illness. Subclinical infection is often missed because the symptoms are incorrectly ascribed to Lyme. Babesia infections, even mild ones, may recur even after treatment and cause severe illness. This phenomenon has been reported to occur at any time, including up to several years after the initial infection! Furthermore, such Babesia carriers pose a risk to the blood supply as this infection has been reported to be passed on by blood transfusion.

SYMPTOMS

Clues to the presence of Babesiosis include a more acute initial illness- patients often recall a high fever and chills at the onset of their Lyme. Over time, they can note night sweats, air hunger, an occasional cough, persistent migraine-like headache, a vague sense of imbalance without true vertigo, encephalopathy and fatigue. The fulminant presentations are seen in those who are immunosuppressed, especially if asplenic, and in advanced ages. They include high fevers, shaking chills and hemolysis, and can be fatal.

DIAGNOSTIC TESTS

Diagnostic tests are insensitive and problematic. There are at least thirteen, and possibly as many as two dozen Babesia forms found in ticks, yet we can currently only test for B. microti and WA-1 with our serologic and nuclear tests. Standard blood smears reportedly are reliable for only the first two weeks of infection, thus are not useful for diagnosing later infections and milder ones including carrier states where the germ load is too low to be detected. Therefore, multiple diagnostic test methods are available and each have their own benefits and limitations and often several tests must be done. Be prepared to treat based on clinical presentation, even with negative tests.

<ul>

<li>SEROLOGY- Unlike Lyme, Babesia titers can reflect infection status. Thus, persistently positive titers or western blots suggest persistent infection.</li>

<li>PCR- This is more sensitive than smears for B. microti, but will not detect other species.</li>

<li>ENHANCED SMEAR- This utilizes buffy coat, prolonged scanning (up to three hours per sample!) and digital photography through custom-made microscopes. Although more sensitive than standard</li>

</ul>

smears, infections can still be missed. The big advantage is that it will display multiple species, not

just B. microti.

<ul>

<li>FLUORESCENT IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION ASSAY (FISH)- This technique is also a form of blood</li>

</ul>

smear. It is said to be 100-fold more sensitive than standard smears for B. microti, because instead of utilizing standard, ink-based stains, it uses a fluorescent-linked RNA probe and ultraviolet light. The Babesia organisms are then much easier to spot when the slides are scanned. The disadvantage is that currently only B. microti is detected.

TREATMENT

Treating Babesia infections had always been difficult, because the therapy that had been recommended until 1998 consisted of a combination of clindamycin plus quinine. Published reports and clinical experience have shown this regimen to be unacceptable, as nearly half of patients so treated have had to abandon treatment due to serious side effects, many of which were disabling. Furthermore, even in patients who could tolerate these drugs, there was a failure rate approaching 50%.

Because of these dismal statistics, the current regimen of choice for Babesiosis is the combination of atovaquone (Mepron, Malarone), 750 mg bid, plus an erythromycin-type drug, such as azithromycin (Zithromax), clarithromycin (Biaxin), or telithromycin (Ketek) in standard doses. This combination was initially studied in animals, and then applied to Humans with good success. Fewer than 5% of patients have to halt treatment due to side effects, and the success rate is clearly better than that of clindamycin plus quinine.

The duration of treatment with atovaquone combinations for Babesiosis varies depending on the degree of infection, duration of illness before diagnosis, the health and immune status of the patient, and whether the patient is co-infected with Borrelia burgdorferi. Typically, a three-week course is prescribed for acute cases, while chronic, longstanding infections with significant morbidity and co-infection will require a minimum of four months of therapy. Relapses have occurred, and retreatment is occasionally needed.

Problems during therapy include diarrhea, mild nausea, the expense of atovaquone (over $600.00 per bottleenough for three weeks of treatment), and rarely, a temporary yellowish discoloration of the vision. Blood counts, liver panels and amylase levels are recommended every three weeks during any prolonged course of therapy as liver enzymes may elevate. Treatment failures usually are related to inadequate atovaquone levels. Therefore, patients who are not cured with this regimen can be retreated with higher doses (and atovaquone blood levels can be checked), as this has proven effective in many of my patients. Artemesia (a nonprescription herb) should be added in all cases. Metronidazole or Bactrim can also be added to increase efficacy, but there is minimal clinical data on how much more effective this will be.

BARTONELLA-LIKE ORGANISMS

It has been said that Bartonella is the most common of all tick-borne pathogens. Indeed, there seems to be a fairly distinct clinical syndrome when this type of organism is present in the chronic Lyme patient. However, several aspects of this infection seem to indicate that this tick-associated strain of Bartonella is different from that described as “cat scratch disease”. For example, in patients who fit the clinical picture, standard Bartonella blood testing is commonly non-reactive. Furthermore, the usual Bartonella medications do not work for this- they suppress the symptoms but do not permanently clear them. For these reasons I like to refer to this as a “Bartonella-like organism” (BLO), rather than assume it is a more common species.

Indicators of BLO infection include CNS symptoms out of proportion to the other systemic symptoms of chronic Lyme. There seems to be an increased irritability to the CNS, with agitation, anxiety, insomnia, and even seizures, in addition to other unusually strong symptoms of encephalitis, such as cognitive deficits and confusion. Other key symptoms may include gastritis, lower abdominal pain (mesenteric adenitis), sore soles, especially in the AM, tender subcutaneous nodules along the extremities, and red rashes. These rashes may have the appearance of red streaks like stretch marks that do not follow skin planes, spider veins, or red papular eruptions. Lymph nodes may be enlarged and the throat can be sore.

Because standard Bartonella testing, either by serology or PCR, may not pick up this BLO, the blood test is very insensitive. Therefore, the diagnosis is a clinical one, based on the above points. Also, suspect infectionwith BLO in extensively treated Lyme patients who still are encephalitic, and who never had been treated with a significant course of specific treatment.

The drug of choice to treat BLO is levofloxacin. Levofloxacin is usually never used for Lyme or Babesia, so many patients who have tick-borne diseases, and who have been treated for them but remain ill, may in fact be infected with BLO. Treatment consist of 500 mg daily (may be adjusted based on body weight) for at least one month. Treat for three months or longer in the more ill patient. It has been suggested that levofloxacin may be more effective in treating this infection if a proton pump inhibitor is added in standard doses.

Another subtlety is that certain antibiotic combinations seem to inhibit the action of levofloxacin, while others seem to be neutral. I advise against using an erythromycin-like drug, as clinically such patients do poorly. On the other hand, combinations with cephalosporins, penicillins and tetracyclines are okay. Alternatives to levofloxacin include rifampin, gentamicin and possibly streptomycin. A very recent article suggests that prior use of quinine-like drugs including atovaquone (Mepron, Malarone) may render Levaquin less effective. Therefore, in a co-infected patient, treat the BLO before you address Babesia species.

Levofloxacin is generally well tolerated, with almost no stomach upset. Very rarely, it can cause confusion- this is temporary (clears in a few days) and may be relieved by lowering the dose. There is, however, one side effect that would require it to be stopped- it may cause a painful tendonitis, usually of the largest tendons. If this happens, then the levofloxacin must be stopped or tendon rupture may occur. It has been suggested that loading the patient with magnesium may prevent this problem, and if the tendons do become affected, parenteral high dose vitamin C (plus parenteral magnesium) may afford rapid relief.

Unfortunately, levofloxacin and drugs in this family cannot be given to those under the age of 18, so other alternatives, such as azithromycin, are used in children. Incidentally, animal studies show that Bartonella may be transmitted across the placenta. No human studies have been done.

EHRLICHIA (AND ANAPLASMA)

GENERAL INFORMATION

While it is true that this illness can have a fulminant presentation, and may even become fatal if not treated, milder forms do exist, as does chronic low-grade infection, especially when other tick-borne organisms are present. The potential transmission of Ehrlichia during tick bites is the main reason why doxycycline is now the first choice in treating tick bites and early Lyme, before serologies can become positive. When present alone or co-infecting with B. burgdorferi, persistent leukopenia is an important clue. Thrombocytopenia and elevated liver enzymes, common in acute infection, are less often seen in those who are chronically infected, but likewise should not be ignored. Headaches, myalgias, and ongoing fatigue suggest this illness, but are extremely difficult to separate from symptoms caused by Bb.

DIAGNOSTIC TESTING

Testing is problematic with Ehrlichia, similar to the situation with Babesiosis. More species are known to be present in ticks than can be tested for with clinically available serologies and PCRs. In addition, serologies and PCRs are of unknown sensitivity and specificity. Standard blood smears for direct visualization of organisms in leukocytes are of low yield. Enhanced smears using buffy coats significantly raise sensitivity and can detect a wider variety of species. Despite this, infection can be missed, so clinical diagnosis remains the primary diagnostic tool. Again, consider this diagnosis in a Lyme Borreliosis (LB) patient not responding well to Lyme therapy who has symptoms suggestive of Ehrlichia.

TREATMENT

Standard treatment consists of Doxycycline, 200 mg daily for two to four weeks. Higher doses, parenteral therapy, and longer treatment durations may be needed based on the duration and severity of illness, and whether immune defects or extreme age is present. However, there are reports of treatment failure even when higher doses and long duration treatment with doxycycline is given. In such cases, consideration may be given for adding rifampin, 600 mg daily, to the regimen.

SORTING OUT THE CO-INFECTIONS

In addition to Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), ticks may carry and transmit other infections. Furthermore, patients with disseminated Lyme complicated by these co-infections are usually immunocompromized and may also manifest signs and symptoms of reactivated latent infections and opportunists. All can add to morbidity and may need to be treated.

Because of the large number of these other infections, the cost of reliably testing for all of them as a matter of routine is prohibitive. Also, as in the case with Bb infection, laboratory tests for them are often insensitive. Thus there is a need to sort it all out clinically to provide guidance in testing and treatment. Here are some clues:

CLASSIC LYME (Bb infection)-

<ul>

<li>Gradual onset of initial (viral-like) symptoms- this often makes it difficult to pinpoint when the infection began.</li>

<li>Multisystem- almost always, in disseminated stages, involves more than one part or system (i.e. joint pain plus cognitive dysfunction).</li>

<li>Migratory- first a knee will hurt, then over time this may lessen and the elbow or shoulder acts up, and later the joints calm down but headaches worsen.</li>

<li>Stiff joints and loud joint crepitus, especially the neck (“Lyme shrug”).</li>

<li>Headaches are often nuchal and associated with stiff, painful and crepitant neck.</li>

<li>Afternoon fevers, often unnoticed- most Lyme patients have subnormal temperatures in the AM but rise to 99+ by early to mid-afternoon. No obvious sweats.</li>

<li>Tiredness and limited stamina- often is a strong need to rest or even nap in the afternoon, especially when the flushed face and elevated temperature appears.</li>

<li>4-week cycles- Bb activity, and thus symptoms, wax and wane in a cycle that repeats roughly every four weeks. This cycle, if clear, can guide your treatments.</li>

<li>Slow response to treatment, with an initial symptom flare in most (“Herxheimer-like reaction”) then</li>

</ul>

improvement over weeks, punctuated by the monthly symptom flares. Likewise, if treatment is ended too soon, an initial period of well-being will gradually, over a few weeks, be replaced by a return of symptoms.

<ul>

</ul>

BARTONELLA & ”BARTONELLA-LIKE ORGANISMS”-

<ul>

<li>Gradual onset of initial illness.</li>

<li>CNS symptoms are out of proportion to the musculoskeletal ones- if a patient has no or minimal joint complaints but is severely encephalopathic (see below), then think of Bartonella/BLO.</li>

<li>Obvious signs of CNS irritability can include muscle twitches, tremors, insomnia, seizures, agitation, anxiety, severe mood swings, outbursts and antisocial behavior.</li>

<li>GI involvement may present as gastritis or abdominal pain (mesenteric adenitis).</li>

<li>Sore soles, especially in the morning.</li>

<li>Tender sub-cutaneous nodules along the extremities, especially outer thigh, shins, and occasionally along the triceps.</li>

<li>Occasional lymphadenopathy.</li>

<li>Morning fevers, usually around 99. Occasionally light sweats are noted.</li>

<li>Elevated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) occurs in a minority, but the degree of elevation</li>

</ul>

correlates with activity of the infection and may be used to monitor treatment.

<ul>

<li>Rapid response to treatment changes- often symptoms improve within days after antibiotics are begun, but relapses occur also within days if medication is withdrawn early.</li>

<li>May have papular or linear red rashes (like stretch marks that do not always follow skin planes),</li>

</ul>

especially in those with GI involvement.

BABESIA SPECIES-

<ul>

<li>Rapid onset of initial illness, often with sudden onset of high fever, severe headaches, sweats and fatigue, thus it is easy to know when infection began.</li>

<li>Obvious sweats, usually at night, but can be day sweats as well.</li>

<li>Air hunger, need to sigh and take a deep breath; dry cough without apparent reason.</li>

<li>Headaches can be severe - dull, global (involves the whole head, described like the head is in a vise).</li>

<li>Fatigue is prominent, does not clear with rest, and is made worse with exercise.</li>

<li>Mental dullness and slowing of reactions and responses.</li>

<li>Dizziness- more like a tippy feeling, and not vertigo or purely orthostasis.</li>

<li>Symptoms cycle rapidly, with flares every four to six days.</li>

<li>Hypercoaguable states are often associated with Babesia infections.</li>

<li>Rarely, splenomegaly</li>

<li>Very severe Lyme Disease can be a clue to Babesia infection, as it will make Lyme symptoms worse and Lyme treatments less effective.</li>

</ul>

EHRLICHIA/ANAPLASMA-

<ul>

<li>Rapid onset of initial illness with fever, headache, prostration.</li>

<li>Headaches are sharp, knife-like, and often behind the eyes.</li>

<li>Muscle pain, not joint pain, and can be mild or severe.</li>

<li>Low WBC count, elevated liver enzymes, and (rarely) inclusions seen in the WBCs.</li>

<li>Rarely see diffuse vasculitic rash, including palms and soles (less than 10%).</li>

<li>Rapid response to treatment.</li>

</ul>

DNA VIRUSES (HHV-6, EBV, CMV)

<ul>

<li>Persistent fatigue, made worse with exercise.</li>

<li>Sore throat, lymphadenopathy, and other viral-like complaints.</li>

<li>May see elevated liver enzymes and low WBC counts.</li>

<li>Autonomic dysfunction.</li>

</ul>

SUPPORTIVE THERAPY

CERTAIN ABSOLUTE RULES MUST BE FOLLOWED IF LYME SYMPTOMS ARE TO BE PERMANENTLY CLEARED:

<ol>

<li>Not allowed to get behind in sleep, or become overtired.</li>

<li>No caffeine or other stimulants that may affect depth or duration of sleep, or reduce or eliminate naps.</li>

<li>Absolutely no alcohol!</li>

<li>No smoking at all.</li>

<li>Aggressive exercises are required and should be initiated as soon as possible.</li>

<li>Diet must contain generous quantities of high quality protein and be high in fiber and low in fat and carbohydrates- no simple carbohydrates are allowed. Instead, use those with low glycemic index.</li>

<li>Certain key nutritional supplements should be added.</li>

<li>COMPLIANCE!</li>

</ol>

NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS IN DISSEMINATED LYME DISEASE BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Studies on patients with chronic illnesses such as Lyme and Chronic Fatigue have demonstrated that some of the late symptoms are related to cellular damage and deficiencies in certain essential nutrients. Double blinded, placebo controlled studies, and in one case direct assay of biopsy specimens have proven the value of some of the supplements listed. Some are required, while others are optional -see below. They are listed in order of importance. I suggest patients use a pill organizer. These are multi-compartment boxes that you pre-fill with your pills once a week. This makes the task of taking a large number of tablets much, much simpler and can markedly minimize missed doses. The Vitamin Shop sells a variety of good organizers.

I have found that the quality of supplements used is often more important than the dose. In fact, I do not recommend “mega doses”. Instead, seek out, if possible, pharmaceutical grade products, especially if USP certified. I recommend, among others, Pharmanex, Researched Nutritionals and Nature Made products because they fit these criteria. In the list below, it is indicated whether the products should be gotten from Pharmanex, Researched Nutritionals, a different specific manufacturer, or even if a generic substitute is OK.

To order products from Pharmanex, users need to register as a customer with a referral from another registered customer. You may use my referral number (US9256681) to get started. Call 1-800-487-1000.

To order products from Researched Nutritionals, patients will need a physician’s referral. If you do not have your own account, you may use my name when ordering. Call 1-800-755-3402.

Nature Made products are widely available in vitamin stores and pharmacies.

BASIC DAILY REGIMEN (in order of importance)

<ol>

<li>PROBIOTICS (required when on antibiotics)</li>

</ol>

Kefir: This is a yogurt-like drink that is said to more permanently replenish beneficial flora. It is only necessary to drink 2 to 4 ounces a day.

Acidophilus: the best kinds are frozen or refrigerated to ensure potency. Usual dose is two with each meal. Plan to mix together several different brands to broaden the spectrum. Acidophilus can be gotten from most vitamin stores but some generic brands are of unknown freshness and potency. An alternative that does not need refrigeration and can be taken only once a day is a high potency, patented product called “Pro Bio” from Pharmanex. The ultimate mix of pre- and probiotics with soil based organisms is a product called “Prescript- Assist Pro” from Researched Nutritionals. This too does not need refrigeration. In addition, have 4 ounces of sugar-free yogurt on occasion.

<li>MULTI-VITAMIN (required)</li>

</ol>

I recommend the Life Pack family of multivitamins available through Pharmanex. These are unique

supplements- pharmaceutical grade and USP certified, they are the only products clinically proven in double blinded, placebo controlled crossover studies to quench free radicals and raise antioxidant levels in the blood and lipids. Choose LifePak for males under 40, LifePak Women for hormonally active women, LifePak Prenatal when pregnant, and LifePak Prime for postmenopausal women and for men over 40. LifePak Teen is also available. Continue long term.

<li>CO-Q10- required, but do not use while taking the prescription drug atovaquone (Mepron, Malarone).</li>

</ol>

Deficiencies have been related to poor function of the heart, limitations of stamina, gum disease, and poor resistance to infections. Heart biopsy studies in Lyme patients indicated that they should take between 300 and 400mg daily. I recommend the Co Q-10 from Researched Nutritionals. One caplet contains 400 mg, so the dose is one a day with food.

<li>ALPHA LIPOIC ACID (required)</li>

</ol>

This facilitates entry of CoQ-10 into mitochondria. Dose is 300 mg twice daily. Generic is OK.

<li>VITAMIN B (required).</li>

</ol>

Clinical studies demonstrated the need for supplemental vitamin B in infections with Borrelia, to help clear neurological symptoms. Take one 50 mg B-complex capsule daily. If neuropathy is severe, an additional 50 mg of B-6 can be added. Generics are OK.

<li>MAGNESIUM (required)</li>

</ol>

Magnesium supplementation is very helpful for the tremors, twitches, cramps, muscle soreness, heart skips and weakness. It may also help in energy level and cognition. The best source is magnesium L-lactate dehydrate (“Mag-tab SR”, sold by Niche Pharmaceuticals: 1-800-677-0355, and available at Wal-Mart). DO NOT rely on “cal-mag”, calcium plus magnesium combination tablets, as they are not well absorbed. Take at least one tablet twice daily. Higher doses increase the benefit and should be tried, but may cause diarrhea. In some cases, intramuscular or intravenous doses may be necessary.

<li>ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS: (required)</li>

</ol>

Studies show that when EFAs are taken regularly, statistically significant improvements in fatigue, aches weakness, vertigo, dizziness, memory, concentration and depression are likely. There are two broad classes: GLA (omega-6 oils) and EPA (omega-3 oils), derived respectively from plant and fish oils. This is what to take:

Plant Oil: Use a refrigerated liquid product of mixed omega oils obtained from the local health food store (always avoid capsules as the plant oils within may be rancid and you would never know). Take one to two tablespoons of the liquid oil daily. May be mixed with food, put on salads, etc.

Fish Oil: Use “Marine Omega” by Pharmanex. Use four daily, taken on a full stomach (this brand is required because it is made not from fish, but from Krill and is certified to be free of any measurable amounts of heavy metals and organic toxins).

<li>NT-FACTOR</li>

</ol>

This product addresses the mitochondrial damage thought to underlie the metabolic dysfunction associated with chronic diseases which, in patients with tick-borne illnesses, is manifest by fatigue and neurologic dysfunction. It is the single most reliable agent I have found that can give noticeably increased energy levels. When supplements known to support neurological function are added (see below), improved cognition and memory often result. Effects will be noted in two to three weeks. It also contains high quality prebiotics and probiotics. Available from Researched Nutritionals.

OPTIONAL SUPPLEMENTS FOR SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES FOR NEUROLOGIC SYMPTOMS- here, the goal is three-fold- supply the metabolic needs, replenish what has become depleted, and protect the neurons and their supportive cells. The “required” supplements, above, must be taken, and the items that follow below are considered “add-ons”.

ACETYL-L-CARNITINE- this is taken along with SAM-e. This combination can result in noticeable gains in short term memory, mood and cognition. The Acetyl Carnitine also is said to help heart and muscle function. Doses: Acetyl-L-carnitine- 1500-2000 mg daily on empty stomach; SAM-e- 400 mg daily with the acetyl carnitine. Positive results may appear as early as 3 weeks; use for 2 to 3 months, but repeat or extend this course if needed. Available in most vitamin stores; Generic acetyl carnitine is okay, but I recommend “Nature Made” brand SAM-e (also available at most vitamin stores).

METHYLCOBALAMIN (Methyl B12)

Methylcobalamin is a prescription drug derived from vitamin B12. This can help to heal problems with the central and peripheral nervous system, improve depressed immune function, and help to restore more normal sleeping patterns. Many patients note improved energy as well. Because the oral form is not absorbed when swallowed or dissolved under the tongue, Methyl B12 must be taken by injection. Dose is generally 25 mg. (1 c.c.) daily for 3 to 6 months. Long term studies have never demonstrated any side effects from this drug. However, the urine is expected to turn red shortly after each dose- if the urine is not red, a higher dose may be needed or the present supply may have lost potency. The injectable form of this is not available in regular drug stores. It must be manufactured (compounded) by specialty pharmacies on order.

GREEN TEA

Green, but not black or white tea contains some of the most potent antioxidants around (80-100 times more effective than vitamin C). I strongly recommend this to any patient with degenerative changes to the central nervous system. At least four cups daily are needed to reap this benefit, and the tea must be decaffeinated. A nice alternative is “TeGreen“ capsules by Pharmanex. They contain 97% pure tea polyphenols and each capsule is the equivalent of four cups of decaffeinated green tea. Take one to three daily.

CORDYMAX

Cordyceps is a well-known herb from Tibet that has been shown in clinical studies to improve stamina, fatigue, and enhance lung and antioxidant function. It also raises superoxide dismutase levels, important to prevent lesions in the central nervous system, which is why this (along with green tea) is essential if neurodegeneration is part of your illness. The positive effects can be dramatic; should be used long term. USP- certified cordyceps is available from Pharmanex as "CordyMax".

CITICHOLINE

Many studies have shown benefits to cognition, especially memory. Benefits are slow to notice, so plan to use this long-term. Dose is 500 to 1000 mg twice a day.

FOR IMMUNE SUPPORT

“REISHI MAX “

This enhanced extract from cracked spores of the Reishi mushroom has been shown in clinical studies to augment function of the Natural Killer Cells as well as macrophages. Recommended in all patients who have a CD-57 count below 60. Take four a day. Available only from Pharmanex.

TRANSFER FACTORS are the body’s natural signals meant to activate the pathogen-killing effects of the cellular immune system. Therapy with these agents consists of taking both a general stimulator, plus specific transfer factors for the infection you have. Personal experience made me a believer in transfer factor therapy.

For Lyme patients, use Transfer Factor Multi-Immune as the general stimulant, and Transfer Factor Lyme-Plus as the specific agent. Both are exclusives from Researched Nutritionals, and I have found them to be surprisingly effective in making the very ill respond better to treatment. Take as directed on the label.

FOR JOINT SYMPTOMS

GLUCOSAMINE

Glucosamine can be of long term benefit to the joints. Do not be misled into buying a product that also contains chondroitin, as this chemical does not add anything, but it can make the product more expensive. Look for a product that contains the herb Boswellia serrata- this is a non-irritative anti-inflammatory. Although many generics exist, the Pharmanex product, "Cartilage Formula" has the right ingredients and is of proven efficacy. Expect improvement only over time (several weeks), but plan to use this indefinitely to maintain joint health.

VITAMIN C

Vitamin C is important to aid in maintaining healthy connective tissues. High doses are recommended- 1000 to 6000 mg a day as tolerated (if the dose is too high for you it may cause acid stomach, gas and loose stools, so therefore dose titration is necessary). Consider using “Ester-C” (non-acid and longer acting), or “C-Salts” (very well tolerated). Start with a low dose and increase slowly to find your tolerance level.

FLEX CREAM

This is an amazing liniment-like product that really works and has a money back guarantee. Use for any type of body pain- spread on a thick layer and do not rub in. It takes 30 to 60 minutes to work, then lasts many hours. A Pharmanex exclusive.

OTHER OPTIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

VITAMIN D

Surprisingly, most people in America are vitamin D deficient. In the Lyme patient, low vitamin D levels can cause diffuse body aches and cramps that are not responsive to magnesium or calcium supplements. Some also believe that vitamin D is essential for normal immune and hormone function. I strongly urge you to have a fasting blood level drawn. It is recommended that the blood levels be in the upper half or the normal range. If it is not, then 2000 to 4000 units daily are needed for several weeks to make up for the deficit, and then a lower maintenance dose may be necessary, based on results from repeated blood level monitoring. If vitamin D is needed, improvements take 2 to 3 weeks to note, but are well worth the wait.

CREATINE

Creatine has been shown to be of benefit in neuromuscular degenerative diseases such as Lou Gherig’s Disease (ALS) and can be very helpful in supporting low blood pressure, as in NMH. It may also benefit strength, stamina, and heart function. Important: To use this safely, you must have an adequate fluid intake.

The creatine product should contain taurine, an amino acid needed to enhance creatine absorption, plus some carbohydrate to aid creatine entry into muscle. You will need a 20 gram daily loading dose for the first five days, then 4 to 10 grams daily maintenance. Try "Cell Tech" from the Vitamin Shop, and follow label directions.

MILK THISTLE

Useful to support liver function. Take 175 mg daily- use an 80% Silymarin extract. Available from many vitamin

stores.

LYME DISEASE REHABILITATION

Despite antibiotic treatments, patients will NOT return to normal unless they exercise, so therefore an aggressive rehab program is absolutely necessary. It is a fact that a properly executed exercise program can actually go beyond the antibiotics in helping to clear the symptoms and to maintain a remission.

Although the scientific basis for the benefits of exercises is not known, there are several reasonable theories. It is known that Bb will die if exposed to all but the tiniest oxygen concentrations. If an aggressive exercise program can increase tissue perfusion and oxygen levels, then this may play a role in what is being seen.

Also, during aggressive exercise, the core body temperature can rise above 102 degrees; it is known that B. burgdorferi is very heat sensitive. Perhaps it is the added tissue oxygenation, or higher body temperature, or the combination that weakens the Lyme Borrelia, and allows the antibiotics and our defenses to be more effective. Regular exercise-related movements can help mobilize lymph and enhance circulation. In addition, there is now evidence that a carefully structured exercise program may benefit T-cell function: this function will depress for 12 to 24+ hours after exercise, but then rebound. This T-cell depression is more pronounced after aerobics which is why aerobics are not allowed. The goal is to exercise intermittently, with exercise days separated by days of total rest, including an effort to have plenty of quality sleep. The trick is to time the exercise days to take advantage of these rebounds. For an example, begin with an exercise day followed by 3 to 5 rest days; as stamina improves, then fewer rest days will be needed in between workouts. However, because T-cell functions do fall for at least one day after aggressive exercises, be sure to never exercise two days in a row. Finally, an in intermittent exercise program, properly executed, may help to reset the HPA axis more towards normal. On the following page is an exercise prescription that details these recommendations.

This program may begin with classical physical therapy if necessary. The physical therapy should involve massage, heat, ultrasound and simple range of motion exercises to relieve discomfort and promote better sleep and flexibility. Ice (vasoconstriction) and electrical stimulation (muscle spasm and trauma) should not be used!

The program must evolve into a graded, ultimately strenuous exercise program that consists of a specific regimen of non-aerobic conditioning- see below. Have the patient complete a gentle hour of prescribed exercise, then go home, have a hot bath or shower, than try to take a nap. Initially, patients will need this sleep, but as they recover, the exercise will energize them and then a nap will no longer be needed.

NOTE: a cardiac stress test may be necessary prior to exercising to ensure safety.

<ol>

<li>H) Energetic Healing/Reiki/Laying of Hands/Prayer</li>

</ol>

Hi. I thought of something. You know the green counter clockwise circle of energy (after embracing the tree) that you can apply 1-2" from someone to heal them that O'Sensei taught us? The person is lying down and you then kneel in front and clap your hands, rub vigorously about 5 seconds, tell the person "I Love you" then lay hands on them, then separate out 1-2" and hold over spot and make green energy circle with ki counterclockwise.

Would you please come over and do this for me? I am in great need of this. I have Lyme disease and unless my body ejects it now (it's been 7 months) it enters into a new phase that is worse. Western medicine has failed. I remember O'sensei saved Mrs. Kim.

Sensei, please help.  I once did it on a girl's wrist who had chronic pain for years, it went away and didn't come back. If a Master Healer does this to me now there is hope.

H2) from 'Lyme Disease: The Unknown Epidemic' (Part 2) by D. J. Fletcher and Tom Klaber

Antibiotic Treatment

Every authority the authors spoke with considered antibiotics the primary treatment for Lyme, but that the accepted "standard" antibiotic therapies (of a duration and type acceptable to insurance carriers, HMOs, mainstream physicians, etc.) are insufficient.

Lyme is sometimes classified as having different stages -- early vs. chronic, or localized vs. disseminated. "The biggest distinction is between early-stage and chronic," says Dr. Whitaker.

"In the beginning, many organ systems are invaded while the patient may experience no symptoms. As time goes on we see multiple system symptoms involving the whole body, especially the central and peripheral nervous systems, and the musculoskeletal, skin and circulatory systems.

Many Lyme cases are diagnosed by psychiatrists. Dr. Brian Fallon is studying cognitive and other neuropsychiatric manifestations." The problem, says Dr. Barkley, is that "There isn't an adequate treatment model. So if the physician says you have Lyme, and gives you the standard antibiotic therapy, and you aren't better, the thinking is that you must have something else wrong, such as an autoimmune problem, or else you didn't have Lyme disease in the first place.

Short-term oral antibiotics are effective in treating localized Lyme, but with disseminated Lyme, the requirement for either intravenously administered antibiotics or long-term oral antibiotics becomes common."

In his regular practice, Dr. Bock has always tried to avoid antibiotics. But, he says, "If you go back to syphilis, the history of spirochetes is one of being able to hide out and then reappear, causing severe, devastating neurological illness. This isn't a risk I would recommend taking with Bb."

Most of the physicians recommended an immediate short course of antibiotics for anyone bitten by a deer tick, or who exhibits certain symptoms. "It takes a while for the immune system to produce antibodies," says Dr. Barkley.

"So Lyme testing -- other than by a skin biopsy from an active rash within 14 days following the bite -- may yield inconclusive results. Symptoms of Lyme include fever, night sweats, fatigue or a flu-like illness that does not improve within three to five days." Other symptoms reported by physicians include stiff neck, prolonged joint and muscle pain, heart palpitations, brain fog or severe headaches.

"I tally all the initial symptoms and signs, and try to weed them out one by one," says Dr. Jones. However, he cautions, "Treatment duration varies with each individual. If one stops antibiotics prematurely, a more resilient Bb infection will develop that will cause more brain and body injury."

Adjunct Therapies

None of these physicians relied solely on antibiotics; they used immune system strengthening protocols as well.

"The immune system may be less able to respond if the person is having a hard time clearing toxins," says Dr. Bock. "You're going to add to this overload by taking antibiotics. For general immune support, we've used maitake and reishi mushrooms, ginseng and astragalus.

"Natural medicine approaches include anti-inflammatory eicosanoids such as fish oil and borage seed oil; high-potency multivitamin and mineral formulas; CoQ10 and other mitochondrial nutrients; cognitive enhancement substances such as carnitine and certain herbal extracts.

Acupuncture combined with physical therapy can often reduce pain. I have posted an article online that discusses these alternative approaches in more depth.

Dr. Cowden recited a litany of natural immunotherapy agents. His recommendations include the following: "Transfer factor -- ImmuneFactor 2 and CellResponse are good products; Thymic Protein A; medicinal mushroom combinations such as ImmPower AHCC; glyconutrients like Ambrotose; arabinogalactan (Larix), an immune-enhancing polysaccharide; and Astragalus Supreme."

Dr. Cowden also notes that "if you use a pharmaceutical antibiotic, you need to use an herbal antifungal to reduce stress on the liver and kidneys."

Lifestyle Changes

"Avoid sugars because they feed these bugs," advises Dr. Cowden. "It is most important to balance saliva pH between 6.7 and 7.0. Sufficient dietary minerals bring pH up if low. Reducing stress will raise pH; so will identifying and removing food, nutrient and inhalant allergies. You should identify your nutritional type and then follow the appropriate diet.

Grapefruit seed extract and certain other substances, including vitamin C, can interfere with tissue uptake of the antibiotics and make them less effective. Take as few non-essential supplements as possible -- consult with a physician knowledgeable about nutrition -- and time them as far from the antibiotic as possible."

Dr. Bock reminds us that, "It's also important to support the endocrine system. In some cases, cognitive abilities improved when subclinical hypothyroid problems were treated. Chronic stress can cause suppression of the immune system. Manage the effects of stress on the body

Use relaxation techniques and biofeedback. Find a group for emotional support."

In his practice, Dr. Jones has found that, "Taking acidophilus and other probiotics is always important. [Antibiotics kill the intestinal flora necessary for digestion and immune functions; probiotics like lactobacillus re-inoculate the intestines.]

Stay away from or severely limit alcohol intake. Develop a healthier standard of living. Rest is needed. We've found that a parent who has a child with Lyme is often feeling guilty. One has to work with these difficult feelings. I emphasize that it's not a parent's fault; you can't protect your child from Lyme exposure."

Present Limitations

Others become seriously ill soon after they are infected. Treatment must be customized from patient to patient and can vary widely. "Certain people may clear Lyme without antibiotic therapy," says Dr. Barkley. "However, the other extreme is that even with antibiotics, some people with Lyme have died from this disease."

Says Dr. Jones, "We have seen children from one day old to 18 years of age who have required from three months to six years of antibiotic therapy. We have had some patients on antibiotic therapy for very long periods, and we've done follow-ups for as long as 15 years post-treatment.

The criterion for stopping therapy is that one must be totally Lyme disease-symptom free for two months, with no Lyme flare induced by another infection or menses and no 'Herx' [Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction of the body manifesting symptoms in response to dying Bb]."

"There are very few symptoms where you shouldn't consider Lyme," says Dr. Cowden. "more than 50% of chronically ill people may have Lyme contributing to their condition."

The situation is quite difficult now. "It's sad where we are with this disease," says Dr. Cowden. "You're supposed to go through the 'standard' treatment first before turning to alternative treatments. We need to turn this around, into a logical, integrated approach."

The impetus for this change must come not only from the patients who have been classically infected by a tick bite, but by those who suffer from "unexplained" muscle and joint pain, unrelieved fatigue and cognitive impairment -- and by those who are afflicted with degenerative diseases that can be caused or aggravated by Lyme.

Presently, such patients will find few doctors experienced in Lyme, because of the newness of the disease and lack of understanding about it -- and because those doctors who take a comprehensive approach to diagnosing and treating Lyme are commonly harassed by state medical boards, insurance companies and HMOs.

It is up to patients to actually educate their doctors about the inadequacy of standard testing and the necessity for using techniques such as electrodermal screening and darkfield microscopy. And it is up to patients to become politically involved with Lyme advocacy groups, such as those listed here, to fight for their right to proper medical care.

The earlier Lyme is diagnosed, the easier it is to cure.

For people with chronic Lyme symptoms, the road to recovery can be long. With comprehensive integrative treatment, however -- a combination of the best of conventional and alternative medicine protocols -- their health can be continually and dramatically improved.

Alternative Medicine.com Issue 41. Dr. Mercola's Comments:

I just recently learned that Dr. Whitaker, who is one of the top Lyme experts in the country, has been doing a precursor of NST work, Bowen, for nearly ten years. She actually went to Australia to learn it.

It is her belief that NST is one of the more important aspects of a successful treatment strategy for Lyme Disease. The apparent mechanism is a balancing of the autonomic nervous system and secondary improvement in the immune system.

This certainly has been my experience with rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Klinghardt, who was not interviewed for this article, also has a considerable amount of clinical experience with Lyme Disease and has found bee venom therapy to be helpful. There is a link to the protocol below.

If you haven't clicked on the original link back to Alternative Medicine.com please do as they have some excellent Live Cell Darkfield microscopy pictures of the Lyme disease bacteria.

<ol>

<li>I) intestines, liver, kidneys, skin, lungs, and lymphatic system cleanses</li>

</ol>

Your body’s process of maintaining the purity of your internal liquids is one its main functions. Picture the fluids in your body as a sewer system that collects the waste that your trillions of cells generate. Not only are millions of dead cells discarded into the blood and lymph system daily, so are several toxins that enter the body via the respiratory paths, digestive system, and skin.

In previous chapters, I discussed the importance of hydration as one of the ways the body keeps itself clean. But there’s more to achieving and maintaining a clean system than just drinking water—especially after months and years of toxin buildup.

Cleansing is a critical part of the Wellness Model of Health™ because of the role it plays in balancing our systems. Several of our organs are designed specifically to cleanse our bodies. The intestines, liver, kidneys, skin, lungs, and lymphatic system are known as the emunctories, or detoxification organs.

During normal function, the amount of waste isn’t more than the body can process, and the body stays clean. However, if the volume of waste is more than the emunctories can process, the organs aren’t able to function as well and, slowly, the body becomes filled with toxins.

Undergoing a significant cleanse can have a tremendous impact on your chronic pain or illness, and can move you closer to achieving homeostasis by leaps and bounds. The number of cleanses needed will vary depending on your age, as well as several other conditions.

Dr. Hulda Clark has developed a number of protocols for kidney, liver, and intestine cleanses. Her books outline in detail cleanses that will help your organs return to their normal, homeostatic functions of cleansing and detoxifying your system of excesses, deficiencies, and stagnations.

I highly recommend that you locate a copy of one of Clark’s books for the specific cleanse recipes, as this information is invaluable, yet far too lengthy for me to reproduce here. In this chapter, I’ll focus on discussing the fundamentals of kidney, liver, and colon cleanses and how they work to restore your body to its most efficient state.

Cleanse Your Kidneys

We’re all familiar with the body’s most common form of toxic removal— urination. Our white blood cells are normally purged of toxins in the kidneys, sending those toxins downstream to the bladder. Much of this toxicity is then expelled in the urine. However, since the detoxification process starts at the kidneys, the kidneys themselves must be able to function properly— something that can’t happen if they are already loaded with toxins in the first

place.

Our white blood cells can’t discard their load of toxins if our kidneys are loaded with toxins to begin with, which will keep our immune systems out of balance and suppressed. Dr. Clark recommends a kidney cleanse a minimum of once per year for three weeks for immune system recovery. Just like a dirty furnace filter will stop cleaning the air by just continuing to circulate the same pollutants we’re looking to remove, the same is true with the kidneys. Clean kidneys can clean our systems; dirty kidneys make our systems dirty.

As you know, white blood cells are a critical part of our immune systems. For many individuals, and especially for those suffering from degenerative or chronic illnesses, the white blood cells are diseased with immunosuppressive agents including radioactivity, heavy metals, benzene, asbestos, PCBs, and azo dyes. The kidneys must be able to remove these agents from the blood in order for the afflicted individual to have hope of recovery.

In chapter 11, I detailed how these agents surround us in our daily lives. They are in our food, our water—even our cosmetics. That means that even those of us who have the normal amount of white blood cells should cleanse, because though the number of cells might be right, the quality of them might not. If our white blood cells are poisoned, they can’t function and they can’t combat viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens found in disease.

The kidneys also play an important role in regulating arterial pressure. They are a part of the hormonal process that regulates blood pressure and longterm extracellular volume. So you can look at a kidney cleanse as a step to regulate your blood pressure.

In its early stages, it is easy not to notice if your kidneys aren’t functioning properly. A number of disorders result from your kidneys losing their function, such as skin, rheumatic, and circulatory disorders. Yet, as Dr. Clark points out, it is not common for doctors to consider kidney function when prescribing treatment. Again, most doctors are addressing the symptoms, not seeking the root cause of the illnesses, which very often lies in the kidneys.

One example is cardiovascular health, which isn’t possible if the kidneys aren’t functioning at a maximum. In their exposure to toxic substances, the kidneys are very susceptible to illness. Our entire body’s health relies on a toxin-free system, which depends greatly on the kidneys.

A massive mobilization of toxins is often the result of cleansing and regularly prescribed parasite treatments. This can overload the kidney with many undesirable results. Dr. Clark says it is crucial to follow a kidney cleanse protocol to get the kidneys strong enough to accommodate the detoxifying and excretory capacity. Full details on the best way to begin and follow a kidney cleanse can be found in her book, or you can research the specifics

online.

Cleanse Your Liver

While kidney function is very important, no organ has more functions in the body than the liver. So it’s no surprise that your liver is your largest organ, weighing up to four pounds. The portal vein connects the liver to the digestive tract. During digestion, both nutrients and the toxins make their way to the liver via the portal vein. The liver functions to protect the rest of our organs by acting as a barrier and retaining dangerous elements.

The following are a few functions of the liver:

<ul>

<li>It acts as a tank for our nutrients like iron, copper, and vitamins A and B12.</li>

<li>It offers endless glucose to dependent tissues like the nervous system, erythrocytes, bone marrow, retina, and lymphocytes. It also has a nonstop capacity to synthesize glucose. While glycogen deposits in our muscles can greatly exceed those deposits in the liver, they are used solely as fuel for muscular contractions.</li>

<li>It transforms the hemoglobin from our dead or dying red blood cells into bilirubin, and stores any excess iron to be used later.</li>

<li>It produces bile, which is vital for proper digestion and absorption of fats. Bile contains acids that protect the intestinal mucosa so that if the bile doesn’t flow as it should, the intestinal mucosa deteriorates, allowing bacteria to pass on to other organs. Bile functions as a laxative, excreting toxins, medicines, hormones, cholesterol, and more. It neutralizes toxins, and regulates cholesterol and steroid hormones. It also synthesizes nonessential amino acids and coagulation factors. This indicates that excessive bleeding could indicate liver impairment.</li>

</ul>

Dr. Clark recommends the following steps for improving liver function:

<ol>

<li>Do a bowel cleanse to eliminate parasites and correct dysbiosis and excess intestinal permeability.</li>

<li>The Ascaris Parasite Program. (See The Cure for All Diseases by Dr. Hulda Clark.)</li>

<li>Do a complete kidney cleanse.</li>

<li>Continue to do liver cleanses until no stones are yielded following three cleanses.</li>

</ol>

Our liver is like a lab, processing thousands of substances every second. It neutralizes a number of toxins so that the body can easily excrete them through urine or stool following digestion. Our enzyme system enables it to process endless toxins with a variety of substrates. When the liver can’t detoxify properly, the rest of our organs suffer. Dr. Clark says that the only diseases that can’t be relieved by liver function stimulation are congenital

disorders.

Why Does the Liver Need Cleansing?

I’ve covered what the liver does, and we know that its purpose is to absorb harmful elements in the body. If that’s the case, why does it need to be cleansed? The biggest motive for cleansing the liver is to replenish its ability to clean and detoxify our bodies. This protocol also rids the gallbladder of gallstones, which contain pathogens that make them continuously susceptible to reinfection. While our blood tests might show normal levels of transaminases, this only is an indication of liver destruction rather than liver cleanliness or functionality. Throughout our lives, we commonly overwhelm our livers with residue and pathogens.

Bile doesn’t just emulsify fat in the intestine, it also prevents bacteria growth in the digestive tract and stimulates peristalsis—the body’s natural process to move digestive waste through our systems. This is why people who suffer from liver issues or a lazy gallbladder are overly gassy or constipated.

If not drained adequately every day, the bile ducts and gallbladder will hold onto cholesterol and form stones. This in turn results in a hindrance of further drainage, creating a vicious cycle. This leads to the production of cholestasis and the stagnation of bile flow, creating hepatic congestion that disturbs proper venous circulation, digestion, and excretion of toxins.

A congested liver is the cause of many instances of dermatitis, fatigue, joint pain, headaches, depression, indigestion, sinusitis, bleeding gums, forehead wrinkles, and more. Stones don’t just form in the gallbladder, they also form in the liver ducts.

The liver is comprised of several ducts, so when a stone gets trapped in one of them, the hepatic lobes can’t drain and the whole body feels the impacts. Dr. Clark advises ingesting olive oil and grapefruit juice to help discharge bile by releasing these stones.

Epsom salts are used in Dr. Clark’s liver cleanse to help relax the liver and intestine while dehydrating parasites. Many of the stones that accumulate in our liver go undetected by traditional medicine because their density is similar to our tissues. They must be calcified to be seen, and thus aren’t detectable in MRIs, ultrasounds, or X-rays. However, the stones in the gallbladder are calcified and can be seen with those tests.

Dr. Clark recommends the following tips prior to doing a liver cleanse:

<ul>

<li>If you have impaired kidney function, you should not do a liver cleanse. If you are unsure, there are home kits you can use to test your urinary albumin, which are useful for early kidney dysfunction detection.</li>

<li>You also should not do a cleanse if it doesn’t help excrete gallstones and gallbladder sludge.</li>

<li>You need to fast for fourteen hours prior to the cleanse so that there are no intestinal obstructions.</li>

<li>For ultimate effectiveness, avoid consuming fats on the day of the cleanse.</li>

<li>Put your feet up between five o’clock and nine o’clock in the evening, or massage them to help detoxify the lymphatic system.</li>

<li>If possible, ozonate the oil for twenty minutes.</li>

<li>Only do the cleanse if you are in good health, as you will need energy. Following the cleanse, Dr. Clark advises to continue regular waste excretion by emptying your bowels.</li>

</ul>

Cleanse Your Colon

Although the term “colon cleanse” suggests a focus on just the colon, most effective colon cleanses really target your digestive system as a whole. They address the excesses, deficiencies, and stagnations in that whole area of your body’s system.

When food is not fully digested, it becomes stagnant in your digestive tract—most often in the colon. This creates an atmosphere that invites the accumulation of toxins, parasites, and inflammation. But while the undigested food is a problem that must be cleared, the bigger problem actually starts earlier in the chain of digestion.

Many of our digestive problems start in our stomachs. Many people today are deficient in hydrochloric acid (HCl), which is an essential part of digestion. Not only does this acid begin to break down our food, it also is critical in eliminating many of the parasites and pathogens that may enter our bodies along with our food. Unfortunately, much of the medical and pharmaceutical community seems to be on a mission to remove HCl from our bodies.

Dr. Thompson showed in his book, The Calcium Lie II, that the steady climb in indigestion and heartburn that we’ve been experiencing as a culture are a direct result of the  recommendations to limit our salt intake. Our bodies are unable to generate the appropriate levels of stomach acid when minerals like salt are deficient. As a result, we do not have enough HCl to digest properly.

Worse, the deficiency of HCl in the stomach allows bacteria and other invaders to flourish in our stomachs. Dr. Clark explained that this results in acidity or reflux in the esophagus. Rather than battling the cause of the reflux by allowing the stomach acid to increase, modern medicine douses all HCl through the use of antacids, thereby creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Deficiencies of stomach acid then feed the excess of bacteria, which ultimately leads to stagnation—a clogged colon. That clogged colon then leads to inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, causing a condition that’s known as ”leaky gut.” This condition allows toxins from the waste in your bowel to leak into your blood stream. Not only can the colon become clogged with anywhere between five to twenty pounds of hardened fecal matter, it can also reduce your gastrointestinal tract’s ability to synthesize and absorb key nutrients into your blood stream to promote healthy brain and organ function.

You can stop this problem from happening by managing your diet, keeping toxins to a minimum, and ingesting enough sea salt. But most people also need to conduct regular colon cleanses to ensure a properly functioning system.

Cleaning House

Think of cleanses the way you think about your normal housekeeping schedule. Cleanses are necessary to keep things running smoothly, and the more often you clean, the easier it is to achieve homeostasis. Following Dr. Clark’s advice for cleansing your vital organs will ensure that they continue to work hard and smart for you, giving you a long, healthy, and clean life. I’ve shown you all the building blocks you need to construct your health from a mental, physical, and diet standpoint. But what if you or someone you love is already suffering from an ailment caused by the lack of homeostasis in any of these three key areas? The next several chapters will provide specific recommendations for some of the most prevalent ailments in the US today, including migraines, arthritis, chronic back pain, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, heart disease, and cancer.

Chapter Review

<ul>

<li>Cleansing is a critical part of our health, helping to remove millions of dead cells discarded into the blood and lymph system daily along with toxins.</li>

<li>The intestines, liver, kidneys, skin, lungs, and lymphatic system are known as the emunctories, or detoxification organs.</li>

<li>Undergoing a significant cleanse can have a tremendous impact on your chronic pain or illness.</li>

<li>Kidney and liver cleanses are excellent ways to improve your health and wellness.</li>

<li>Colon cleanses are essential to proper digestion, improved nutrition, and avoiding chronic illnesses.</li>

<li>The more often you cleanse, the easier it will be to keep your systems running smoothly.</li>

</ul>

Recommended Resources

Dr. Clark Research Association

Learn more about the tools available to clear these toxins from your system

from the Dr. Clark Research Association at <a href="www.drclark.com">www.drclark.com</a>.

Clark Therapy by Ignacio Chamorro Balda

You can also get more information and details on the tools and methods based

on Dr. Clark’s work in the book Clark Therapy by Ignacio Chamorro Balda.

Natural Cleanse

A product I strongly recommend to keep your colon health regular is called Natural Cleanse. You can get it from Living Well Nutraceuticals at livingwellnutraceuticals.com.

<ol>

<li>J) Dr. Klinghardt's Treatment Protocol for Lyme Disease</li>

</ol>

Conventional treatment of chronic Lyme, by the physicians who believe in it, hinges on long-term use of antibiotics. While this treatment can indeed be effective, there are many reasons to opt for alternatives such as those detailed by Dr. Klinghardt, as antibiotics will disrupt your gut flora, thereby exposing you to a whole host of other pathologies.

Total Video Length: 1:35:03 Download Interview Transcript

Dr. Klinghardt's basic treatment strategies are summarized below. His full treatment protocol is too complex to include here, but if you want details, I recommend reading our 2009 article that focuses on those specific Lyme treatment strategies. You can also visit Dr. Klinghardt's website, where he posts his treatment protocols and recipes. There are five basic steps:

Evaluation of all external factors. External factors include electrosmog, EMF, microwave radiation from wireless technologies, and molds. (For more information on mold, go to Ritchie Shoemaker's website11).

Remediation and mitigation of external factors. Once external factors have been assessed, they're remediated and mitigated. (Please refer to our previous article on mold remediation.) To mitigate microwave radiation, Dr. Klinghardt recommends shielding the outside of your home with a graphite paint called Y Shield. Inside, he uses a special silver-coated cloth for your curtains. Patients are instructed to remove all cordless telephones and turn off all the fuses at night, until they have recovered from Lyme disease.

Addressing emotional issues. Emotional components of the disease are addressed using Energy Psychology tools, including psychokinesiology (PK), which is similar to the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), but more refined and advanced.

Addressing parasitic, bacterial and viral infections. Dr. Klinghardt addresses the parasites first, followed by the bacteria and the viruses. The "Klinghardt antimicrobial cocktail," which includes wormwood (artemisinin), phospholipids, vitamin C, and various herbs, is an integral part of this treatment. He addresses viral infections with Viressence (by BioPure), which is a tincture of Native American herbs.

Addressing other lifestyle factors. Nutritional considerations and supplements are addressed.

Other Resources

In Dr. Klinghardt's experience, the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society (ILADS) is by far the best and most responsible group.The following are some other resources you might find helpful:

"Under Our Skin" website

Tick-Borne Disease Alliance (TBDA)

Lymedisease.org (formerly CALDA)

Leading Lyme disease expert Joseph J. Burrascano, MD, wrote what is essentially a manual for managing Lyme disease, entitled "Advanced Topics in Lyme Disease," which is worth adding to your resource files. Realize that his treatment focus is long-term antibiotics, which I believe should not be your first choice. Nevertheless, there is some good information in this publication.

<ol>

<li>KJ) Following instructions in the book: The Salt C Plus Protocol for Lyme Infection by M. Fett.</li>

<li>L) do you remember where you read about large doses of vitamin C curing it? Do you recall how large a quantity? I'm starting a liposomal vitamin C regimen and I have doubled the dose on the bottle...but I know more could be better but I don't want to take too much and waste any.</li>

</ol>

Hi Rachel...go to Orthomolecular dot org, hover over 'Library' and click on 'News Releases'. This is one of my favorite sites. If you can't find something here, you won't find it anywhere. Basically, Vitamin C can cure just about anything, no vaccines were ever needed, but government has hidden all this knowledge. You can find it all here, and this is real medicine.

I subscribe to their free newsletter.

Rachel, I also use Earth Clinic quite a bit. You can do a search on Earth Clinic 'cure for lyme disease' and you'll get a ton of stuff. Pay close attention to Ted from Bangkok, he's the genius on Earth Clinic.

Just read a post on EC saying "check out the book The Salt C Plus Protocol for Lyme Infection by M. Fett." Apparently it's vitamin C plus himalayan salt.

Also wanted to mention, try to always get C Ascorbate Crystals (not ascorbic acid), and go easy at first and build up (otherwise you may get the runs).

I like Earth Clinic too. I like to read about the personal experiences of people. I've already found the vit. C dosage info on the Orthomolecular website. It is a very good website. Thanks again.

If you're going to use Vitamin C, make sure you get a really natural whole food C and not the GMO ascorbic acid stuff. Try The Synergy Company's "Pure Radiance." it is all food, camu camu and other berries. It comes in capsules and powder. Their products are outstanding.

Sorry Rachel,I do not remember where I read that,,but I came across it quite a few times while I was digging into the whole "Opperation Paperclip",Plum Island infectious disease bio-weappon thing,,,if you follow that trail,,I am sure you will find it,,,,what I do remember though,,,is that they were administering the large douses of C intravenously,,,something the main stream medical doctors are not allowed to or will not do,,(probably because it works),,and now that I am writing I also remember something about the CDC admitting that C did cure Lyme Disease,,but then they retracted that information,,,,the government does not want people to know that it was created by them,,I hope this can help you some and I wish you well,,,,

Be careful with how you treat the Lymes; it evolves into many types of coinfections, each having different remedies. Yes, Vit C is one remedy, but the coinfections may have resulted in cell mutations with may not be resolved with Vit C. Healing Lyme Disease Coinfections by Stephen Harrod is excellent

<ol>

<li>M) Also I do EDTA/DMPS IV chelations with an Alternative doctor to remove heavy metals...oral things did not help me. Organic sulfur/600mg of cilantro/Now brand- Detox Support and more may help detox. I took Serrapeptase to help blood clots I get when thyroid medicine is too low. I need no gluten/dairy/soy/sugar...vitamins/good oils and LDN. Gluten is wheat/barley/rye...oats. I eat brown rice...but some has arsenic in it. I am trying one from an Asian store now. Best wishes.</li>

</ol>

<ol>

<li>N) Chelation</li>

</ol>

ke turther says, it's Turkey Rhubarb (not"Turkish").

<ol>

<li>O) Herbs: Also called Chinese, Indian or Russian Rhubarb. In China it's a popular healing herb. It's cultivated in N America - people are having festivals to celebrate this powerful healing herb. It should be possible to get seeds, although root cuttings are also used to reproduce it. Caveat? It takes 6 - 10 years before root is ready to dry it up and use for medicinal purposes. See wikipedia.org - Rheum palmatum - Turkey Rhubarb</li>

</ol>

<ol>

<li>P) Budwig diet, paco</li>

</ol>

Hawaiin Sulfur, anthrotzxin, colloidials, better probiotics, prebiotics, ozone hyperbaric, stem cell, coq10, Ahuasca n chart, clear soul retrieval n karma past lives, chiro, reflexology, TCM clkinic, apple cider vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, raw vegan, reiki,

given mice reverse aging

HGH

Milk thistle injection for guy ate poisonous mushroom

Canabis cures, Other journals and protocals continue research

supplements.

Gcmaf

Ormus

Dandelion.

Hawaiin Sulfur, Reiki priestess

<ol>

<li>Q) My Dr's put me on LDN. After 9 months taking it- I was beginning to be me again. Then my Dr went on hiatus for a few months & I seen another Dr & he took me off the LDN thinking I was all better. It's been 1 year I've been off the LDN and I'm back to being worse then before. Yes Medical Marijuana helps w many ailments although I think that a combination of these medicines could definitely cure debilitating diseases. LDN low dose naltroxin it's probably spelled wrong but it's the drug that CURED Magic Johnson from HIV. It's also curing people of many many diseases even cancer. Do your own research. I had to Noone was going to do it for me.</li>

</ol>

Low-dose naltraxone (LDN). I take 3.5 mgs every night. It modulates the immune system so that some symptoms of Lyme, MS, Parkinson's, etc. abate or stop progressing, but it does not do anything for muscular pain. For the later, some people find relief by juicing fresh young cannabis leaves with other vegetables and fruits. Fresh leaves do not make a person high, but they are an analgesic.

I like your story Tonya until you mention about magic Johnson was cured by using Naltroxin....well majic johnson did not have hiv. you see magic was involve in other stuff that would definetly damage his career i will not mention.. in exchange he had to make this public announcement to millions...in reality its a marketing strategy for Big pharma... did you realise how much hundred billions the HIV/AIDS drug treatment rake in after magic announcement?trust me this is bigger than what you think. leave it like that all about

<ol>

<li>R) You do know tha AIDS can be cured with a simple 1 time hypothermia treatment that only uses a handfull of barbituates . basic life support machines and a few hours time ??</li>

</ol>

<ol>

<li>S) Cleanse your system of parasites naturally</li>

</ol>

Thursday, November 15, 2012 by: Dr. David Jockers......Natural News?

Well worth the read....mushrooms are good for the immune system as well!

<ol>

<li>T) Sodium deficiency can cause low stomach acid production and since stomach acid kills pathogens, then low stomach acid can cause pathogens to take over parts of the digestive tract that they shouldn't be getting to, lyme included, eventually forming difficult to penetrate biofilms and spreading to other parts of the body. So eating adequate sodium could help raise stomach acid levels and eventually kill off pathogens. But hydrochloric acid supplimentation with probiotics and antioxidants along with higher sodium intake is more likely to help jump-start the process. Atleast that's one theory on that.</li>

</ol>

There's a cure posted online that I saw yrs. ago: Salt (if I remember correctly 1 Tbsp. with high doses of vit. C (3 - 4 gms.) - found that rough on my already compromised digestive tract.

The only salt I use is pure unadulterated, unprocessed sea salt, usually Himalayan pink. the salt C protocol is 3/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt with 3/4 teaspoon vitamin c powder. work your way to this amount 4 times daily, take 4 times daily for 7 days, then take a week break. take again for another 7 days, with another 7 day break, continue one week on . one week off for 2 months. during this time you should drink a beverage with electrolytes. i buy mine on iherb site, grape flavor is good, nothing artificial. during the protocol there will be a major die-off of the Lyme's disease spirochetes including the HerxHeimer reaction resulting in overcoming the illness. this is called the salt C protocol for Lyme's disease and it works. the cure is 3/4 tsp Himalayan salt with equal amount vit. c powder mixed with water to taste. consume this 4 times daily. build up to it gradually like first couple days 1 time, then 2 times daily, until you are up to four times daily. do 4 times daily for 7 days, then take a 7 day break, then repeat again. one week on next week off and so on.for 2 months. during this time a major die-off of the Lyme spirochetes will happen. including Herx Heimer Reaction and at the end of the treatment will be well over Lyme's disease. hope this is helpful oh one more thing i take a natural electrolyte beverage while doing this to make sure my electrolytes don't get out of whack due to the salt. i purchased it on iHerb website. PhotoMaineAC. Yes, (real salt) kills parasites and other organisms.........can we put some in the water @DC (for the parasites)?

Variety being the spice of life........use many different salts and not always the same ones! It also helps to aid in digestion. Sea Salt....Sodium, Sulfate, Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium & Bicarbonate etc.

"Numerous" trace elements...,,..such as, phosphorus, bromine, boron, zinc, iron, manganese, copper and silicon working with other minerals to aid and maintain optimized function of your body.

<ol>

<li>U) I have kept mine under control using a frequency generator - either one using Reif technology or Hulda Clark's zapper (you purchase the program drivers separately and there is a specific driver for Lyme although I have noticed that the treatment is more effective when used in conjunction with other programs such as the "common parasites" or "common fungi" drivers).</li>

</ol>

<ol>

<li>V) Also a raw or close to raw diet.</li>

</ol>

<ol>

</ol>

1 Symptoms chart

2) Newly aquired information I have not yet incorporated from The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS)

<ol>

<li>A) Advanced Topics in Lyme Disease</li>

</ol>

<ol>

<li>B) Basic Information About Lyme Disease</li>

</ol>

<ol>

<li>C) Evidence assesment and Guideline Recommendations In Lyme Disease</li>

</ol>

----------

Injection of C-57

inhibit and kill B- and T-cells, and will decrease the count of the CD-57

supplements

oxygenation, hyperbaric

spa above 102

hard excercise

---------

add vaccine toxicity. She also points out another risk factor of vaccines:

"What we also have to understand is that the pharmaceutical industry cannot patent natural viruses, natural bacteria or any microbe that nature has created. They have to genetically modify them before they can patent them," she says.

"So these vaccines contain genetically modified viruses, genetically modified microbes. We still haven't got enough data to know what exactly they're doing to the human body, and what exactly these genes are doing to our gut flora in these children."

---------

Microbiologist Gitte Jensen, PhD, had shown that the older you get, the more foreign DNA is attached to your own DNA. Somewhere along the line, pathogenic microbes invade the host’s DNA and become a permanent part of it. Since you use only 2 percent of your DNA, it may not be a problem. In fact, it may make you who you finally become. It may also cause a number of symptoms and chronic illness.

Genius Guenther Enderlein’s discoveries take us off the hook: if one microbe can change into another given the right environment, why bother to find out who we are infected with? The book “Lab 257” suggests that Bb is an escaped man-made US military bio-warfare organism (just like myoplasma incognitus and HHV 6).

Other authors suggest that different subtypes of Borrelia, which cause illness in humans, such as B. afzelii and B.garinii have probably existed longer than B.burgdorferi and occur naturally and have been with us for a long time, maybe centuries or much longer than that.

Making the Diagnosis

It appears that many patients with MS, ALS, Parkinson’s disease, autism, joint arthritis, chronic fatigue, sarcoidosis, and even cancer, are infected with Borrelia burgdorferi. But is the infection causing the illness or is it an opportunistic infection simply occurring in people weakened by other illnesses?

My experience is based on:

<ol>

<li>a) Using direct microscopic proof of the presence of Borrelia burgdoferi (Bb) and other spirochetes (4, 5)</li>

<li>b) The information many affected clients have brought to me</li>

<li>c) My own clinical training and experience (30 years in Medical practice, 15 years Bb cognizant)</li>

<li>d) ART testing (autonomic response testing), which is the most advanced and scientifically validated method of muscle testing (6)</li>

<li>e) Regular lab parameters affected by Lyme:</li>

</ol>

Abnormal lipid profile (moderate cholesterol elevation with significant LDL elevation)

Insulin resistance

Borderline low white blood cells, normal SED rate and CRP

Normal thyroid hormone tests but positive Barnes test and excellent response to giving T3

Type 2 (high cortisol, low DHEA) or type 3 adrenal failure (low cortisol and DHEA)

Low testosterone and DHEA

Decreased urine concentration (low specific gravity)

Complex changes in cytokines, interferones, NK cells, white blood cell indicators, etc.

Bb tends to infect the B-lymphocytes and other components of the immune system that are responsible for creating the antibodies, which are then measured by an ELISA test or Western Blot test. Since antibody production is greatly compromised in infected individuals, it makes no sense to use these tests as the gold standard or benchmark for the presence of Bb (7).

We also are aware that in endemic areas in the US up to 22 percent of stinging flies and mosquitoes (2, 8, 9, and 10) are carriers of Bb and co-infections. In South East Germany and Eastern Europe 12 percent of mosquitoes have been shown to be infected. In addition, many spiders, flees, lice and other stinging insects carry spirochetes and co-infections. Making the history of a tick bite a condition for a physician to be willing to even consider the possibility of a Bb infection seems cynical and cruel.

To use conventional diagnostic tests such as the Western Blot, one has to think in paradoxes: the patient has to be treated with an effective treatment modality first before the patient recovers enough to produce the antibodies, which then are looked for in the test. A positive Western Blot proves that the treatment given worked to some degree. A negative Western Blot does not and cannot prove the absence of the infection.

Having taken another route altogether, we have recognized that today many if not most Americans are carriers of the infection. Most infected people are symptomatic, but the severity and type of the symptoms varies greatly.

The microbes often invade tissues that had been injured: your chronic neck pain or sciatica really may be a Bb infection. The same may be true for your chronic TMJ problem, your adrenal fatigue, your thyroid dysfunction, your GERD and many other seemingly unrelated symptoms.

Many Bb symptoms are mistaken for problems of natural or premature aging.

In most places the diagnosis of an active Bb infection is made only if the symptoms are severe, persistent, obvious, and many non-specific and fruitless avenues of treatment have been exhausted. Acute new “typical” cases of Bb infection are rare in my practice. Symptoms tend to get stranger and more obscure every year.

Frequently, if the patient is fortunate enough to see a practitioner who is “Lyme cognizant”, the diagnosis of a supposedly fresh case of symptomatic Lyme disease is made when a significant tissue toxin level has been reached (threshold phenomenon) or when a new co-infection has occurred recently.

The symptoms can mimic any other existing medical, psychological or psychiatric condition.

Common Co-Infections

The list of significant co-infections is limited: roundworms, tapeworms, threadworms, toxoplasmosis, giardia and amoebas, clostridia, the herpes virus family, parvovirus B 19, active measles (in the small intestine), leptospirosis, chronic strep infections and their mutations, Babesia, Brucella, Ehrlichiosis, Bartonella, mycoplasma, Rickettsia, Bartonella and a few others.

Molds and fungi are always part of the picture.

The pattern of co-infections and the other preexisting conditions such as mercury toxicity determine the symptom-picture but not the severity.

What Influences the Severity of Your Symptoms?

The severity of symptoms correlates most closely with the overall summation or body burden of coexisting conditions and with the genetically determined ability to excrete neurotoxins.

The genes coding for the glutathione S-transferase and for the different alleles of apolipoprotein E (E2, E3 and E4) play a major role. E2 can carry twice as much sulfhydryl-affinitive toxins (such as mercury and lead) out of the cell as the E3 subtype, E4 carries out none.

Trouble in the methylation, acetylation and sulfation pathways is also common. Other factors, such as diet and food allergies, past toxic and electromagnetic exposures, emotional factors and unhealed ancestral trauma, scar interference fields and occlusal jaw and bite problems are also important (6).

The severity of symptoms is not related to the number of spirochetes in your system but rather to your individual immune response.

Taking all of the above into account, we do not distinguish between people who have the Bb infection and those who don’t. Instead, we distinguish between people who have Lyme disease and those who do not.

<ol>

<li>a) Patients who are infected with any type of Borrelia and are symptomatic have “Lyme” disease</li>

<li>b) Healthy people who are not symptomatic often already have a spirochete infection as well. They may or may not be disasters waiting to happen. But they do not (yet) have Lyme “disease”.</li>

</ol>

Most often several of the “co-infections” are already present prior to the infection with Bb or other spirochetes.

In treatment we focus on exploring the difference between symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers. We treat what the symptomatic person is missing (such as enough magnesium in the diet) or has extra (such as mercury) compared to the asymptomatic one.

The group suffering most is newborn babies and young children, who rarely are diagnosed correctly and therefore are not treated appropriately. They often carry the labels ADHD, autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), seizure disorder and others. Detoxifying these kids with transdermal DMPS and treating the chronic infections is often curative.

The Three Components of Lyme disease

Lyme disease has three components, which should be recognized and addressed with treatment:

Component #1: The presence of spirochete infection and co-infections

The co-infections are bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic. Since the spirochetes paralyze multiple aspects of your immune system, the organism is without defenses against many microbes. Many -- if not most -- of the co-infections are really a consequence of the spirochete infection and not truly a simultaneously occurring “co-infection”.

For treatment options, see below.

Component #2: the illness producing effect of microbial exo- and endotoxins and toxins produced by the host in response to microbial trigger

Most of these are neurotoxins.Some appear to be carcinogenic as well; others block the T3 receptor on the cell wall, etc. Decreased hormonal output of the gonads and adrenals is a commonly observed toxin mediated problem in Lyme patients.

Central inhibition of the pineal gland, hypothalamus and pituitary gland is almost always an issue that has to be resolved somewhat independently from treating the infection.

Furthermore, biotoxins from the infectious agents have a synergistic effect with heavy metals, xenobiotics and thioethers from cavitations and NICO lesions in the jaw and from root filled teeth.

My published neurotoxin elimination protocol can be downloaded for free (6).

We use toxin binding agents such as fiber-rich ground up raw vegetables, chlorella (14), cholestyramine (13), beta-Sitosterol, propolis powder, apple pectin and Mucuna bean powder (14).

A solid heavy metal detoxification program should be used simultaneously with the first phases of the Lyme treatment. Safe toxic metal elimination is an art unto itself. However, the information is widely available now (15).

The more difficult objective is to choose agents and methods to trigger the release of neurotoxins from their respective binding sites. Only then can they be transported to your liver, be processed, and enter your small intestine from where they can be carried out by the binding agents.

The toxins occupying the T3 receptor are competitively displaced by oral T3 -- cycled with the Wilson protocol (available at most compounding pharmacies). The toxins blocking the cortisol receptor are mobilized with the herb forskolin. CGF chlorella -- a sophisticated mix of chlorella and chlorella growth factor -- and cilantro given together with a non-irradiated Mucuna bean powder mobilize most everything else.

I also use alternate-day dosing of an energetically enhanced phospholipid/EDTA/Alpha-Lipoic acid mix (“PhosphoLipid Exchange”) which is currently the most tolerated and effective form of phospholipids for the Lyme patient.

The KMT microcurrent frequencies dramatically increase the speed of toxin mobilization and access body compartments the biochemical compounds cannot.

Psychotherapeutic intervention to uncover and treat old trauma is most profoundly effective in triggering a neurotoxin release when none of the other methods appear to work anymore.

After each APN session we pre-medicate the patient with CGF-chlorella. Sometimes the extraction of a devitalized tooth or the injection of one of the facial/cervical ganglia with glutathione or another detox agent can trigger a major neurotoxin release.

Lymph drainage in combination with colon hydrotherapy accesses toxins stored in the lymphatic body-compartment. German practitioners have pioneered the combination of oral cilantro and the “Toxaway” micro current footbath.

Component #3: The immune reactions provoked by the presence of both toxins and microbes (there are three sub-possibilities, which have to be recognized and addressed).

Your immune reactions are largely depending on factors such as genetics, prior illnesses, mental-emotional baggage, early childhood traumatization, current exposure to electromagnetic fields (sleeping location, use of cell phones, poor wiring in car or home, etc), food allergies and diet, socio-economic background, marital stress etc.

A multitude of biochemical serum markers is used today to determine the status of the infection (see below). A subset of NK killer cells, CD 57+ is emerging as a valid marker for activity of the illness (lower counts indicate worsening).

1: Anergy -- the absence of reaction due to the successful evasion of the host-defenses.

One of the more known mechanisms the microbes use to create anergy is hyper coagulation. The microbes tend to live in your endothelium where the food is most abundant. There they trigger the coagulation mechanism to lay down a layer of fibrin on top of them to evade recognition by your immune system, etc. For this aspect we use three techniques:

<ol>

<li>a) The KMT-microcurrent technology and homeopathics to wake up and entrain the immune system</li>

</ol>

<ol>

<li>b) Rechtsregulat (“right rotatory fluid”) which is an enzyme-rich extract of fermented fruits and vegetables (14). It has outperformed the s.c. injection of heparin in our own trials and frequently leads to rapid subjective improvement.</li>

</ol>

Lumbrokinase is far more effective than Nattokinase,but both appear weak when compared to Rechtsregulat.

We also work on recognizing and eliminating those factors that block the client’s system (geopathic stress, EM stress, food allergies, emotional factors, interference fields such as scars and disturbed ganglia and we substitute vitamins and minerals based on ART testing).

<ol>

<li>c) The Enderlein remedies (especially the haptens) from Pleomorphic-Sanum 2: Allergy -- appropriate or exaggerated immune reactions (both cellular TH1-reaction and TH2-cytokine activation).</li>

</ol>

In Lyme disease oftentimes (but not always), TH-1 is overly active early in the illness and can easily be downregulated by fluconazole. Later TH2 becomes overly active.

Nothing works better than the APN-desensitization procedure (15): while the patient is exposed to the allergen (we use a glass-carrier fixated culture of the offending microbes) the ANS is kept in a state of equilibrium using tapping of acupuncture-points, hypnotherapeutic trauma-recall and intervention techniques, and our proprietary psycho kinesiology (muscle-biofeedback psychotherapy).

A very effective and yet simple technique to re-regulate TH1 and TH2 back is auto-urine therapy. The patient’s urine concentrates the antigens (disposed cell walls and cell fragments of offending microbes which the immune system has successfully eliminated). By passing the client’s urine through a micro pore filter and injecting it intra-muscularly, the lymphocytes on patrol in the connective tissue are brought in contact with the antigen and quickly mount a specific and appropriate immune response.

We use 2 ml of filtered urine once weekly for 12 weeks. All other similar approaches (autohemotherapy, homeopathic autonosodes, manipulating the immune system with supplements) are far less effective.

3: Autoimmunity -- the toxins and microbes often act as haptens -- marking the cell, cell wall or tissue in which they are hiding as foreign and therefore for destruction. This happens especially against a backdrop of pre existing heavy metal toxicity, which has to be addressed aggressively and prior to treating the microbes themselves.

We use the MELISA test (memory lymphocyte immune-stimulation assay) to establish which metals the patient is reactive to. The same lab in Bremen, Germany also offers the most sensitive Bb test.

The KMT micro current technology is very effective in recognition entrainment, helping your immune cells to mount a specific and targeted attack on the invaders, sparing your body’s own tissues. It breaks through one of the prime mechanisms the offending germs are using: molecular mimicry (the pathogens present antigens on their surface that are indistinguishable from a normal body tissue).

The technique also breaks another trick the spirochetes have developed: the molecular interaction that occurs between a specific Lyme virulence factor (OspE) and a host protein fH (factor H). Some surface antigens in the spirochete are identical to myelin. This explains why anti-myelin antibodies are often present.

The novice in the field tends to treat component #1 only. We have only rarely observed lasting improvement when course after course of antibiotics was given. Because of the defense mechanisms inherent in the Bb and co-infections, current wisdom suggests that 18 months of antibiotics would be curative in many cases (25). But instead we have observed severe, lasting and unacceptable side effects from this approach, such as tinnitus, kidney failure, intractable immune system breakdown and others.

By using the synergistic effect between treatment-modalities that simultaneously address the three issues outlined above, lasting improvements are the norm rather than the exception.

By using the synergy principle and abandoning the arrogant idea of being able to eradicate all of the microbes in the system “for good”, chronic Lyme patients can often live a normal healthy life again. The use of herbs alone or in combination with antibiotics has emerged as the most important core strategy.

The Importance of Minerals

To feed, fuel and perk up the cells of the immune system (especially NK cells and macrophages) numerous interventions have been attempted, mostly based on orthomolecular and herbal medicine principles. We found that amongst those approaches, abundant mineral substitution based on the red cell mineral analysis is most rewarding.

Rarely should medical drugs be used.

Amazingly, the most depleted minerals in our Lyme patients are often copper, magnesium, manganese (in Lyme) and iron (in Babesiosis).

Bb and Bartonella need magnesium to duplicate and deplete the host’s body rapidly. Copper and iron have all but disappeared from most of our supplements based on faulty interpretation of hair analysis. Your immune system uses those two metals in the process of phagocytosis. They are the main constituent of the enzymes (or “bullets”) your immune cells use in the battle against the invaders.

Oxidized used-up iron and copper get displaced into the extracellular compartment and body fluids, and appears in your hair and skin as that’s your body’s most efficient way of excreting toxins without damaging your kidneys.

This has led to the dangerous, and in its consequence, catastrophic assumption that these metals are the enemy and need to be restricted.

It is true that oxidized metals pose a danger and have to be reduced (=substitution of electrons) or eliminated. However, when copper and iron are needed and substituted appropriately, major improvements have been observed. Appropriate antioxidant treatment can reduce these metals.

Homeopathic copper and iron leads to beneficial redistribution of these metals and makes them bio-available again.

Lithium-orotate or aspartate in low doses (15 mg/day) has been shown to protect your CNS structures from neurotoxin damage.

Patients also almost always benefit clinically from frequent treatment with parenteral magnesium. It is most meaningfully given in a modified Meyer’s cocktail. We also use a 5:2 ratio of folic acid (not folinic) and hydroxycobolamine (not methyl- or cyano-) sublingually several times/day.

In addition methyl-cobolamine is givenintra-muscularly twice weekly and is important in the methylation/restoration of reduced glutathione. Hydroxy-B12 protects your brain from nitric oxide induced damage.

Many Lyme patients suffer from Pyrroluria, a metabolic illness where abnormal porphyrins carry out significant amounts of needed zinc and vitamin B6. Diagnosis is made with the appropriate test at Vitamin Diagnostics in New Jersey. Even though it is assumed that this illness is hereditary, I have my doubts, since most Lyme sufferers have a degree of it. I suspect that the appearance of kryptopyrroles in the urine is induced by the illness.

However, I am careful with excessive substitution of zinc. Zinc has a synergistic effect with mercury in the brain and also promotes the growth of the herpes viruses.

If clients show abnormal high losses of sex steroid hormones in the urine, the patient may be cobalt deficient. The urine hormone test and cobalt drops are available at the Tahoma Clinic Renton, WA. For a while selenium should be given in high doses to suppress viral replication and render bioavailable mercury non-reactive.

The most critical element in the Lyme patient, however, is iodine. A two inch square of Lugol’s iodine is painted on the patient’s skin and should remain visible for 24 hours. The sooner it is absorbed the more deficient the patient. An oral form of Lugol’s is available under the name Iodoral (Optimox, Torrance, Ca).

Filling up your body’s mineral reserves has always been the most essential part of our heavy metal detox program. It is also the most essential part of our Lyme treatment.

Sequencing of Effective Treatment

There is an inherent order in which the microbes should be treated. If the order is correct, gentle methods work.

Treatment should always combine electromagnetic interventions, using specific microbial inhibition frequencies (KMT technology) with the appropriate herb, antibiotic or other antimicrobial strategy.

It should also always be combined with a toxin elimination program, good psychotherapy, and general life style hygiene.

Most clients will need some support for several years before they have found and adapted to a new life style in which the symptoms are absent.

Lyme disease is marked by cyclic rhythms and unexpected returns of the symptom from time to time. Once a patient has figured out what works best, most of my patients learn how to manage their illness with very little help.

Klinghardt Lyme Disease Protocol

Biological treatment of Lyme disease and chronic infections: (based on over 900 successful treatment cases)

The treatment of Lyme disease requires 4 distinctive steps:

Decreasing toxic body burden/unloading the system

Improving disturbed physiology

Decreasing microbial count

Immune modulation

Decreasing toxic body burden/unloading the system

Proper sleep

Low EMF (turn off all fuses, sleep sanctuary, turquoise light/photon wave to increase melatonin and non-rem Delta sleep)

Non-toxic/allergenic bedding material (cave: flame retardants/PBDEs)

Avoid light/noise pollution at night

<ol>

<li>Short form of toxin elimination and antimicrobial treatment: “Le Cocktail”</li>

</ol>

Freeze dried garlic (against microbes, toxins, sulfur), chlorella (viruses, bacteria, toxins, nutrients), cilantro (bacteria, viruses, toxins) and fish oil (for microcirculation and cell wall flexibility)

The Long Form of Healing

Toxin elimination:

Remove intestinal biofilm: 1 tsp clay followed by 1 tbsp fiber laxative for 6 weeks, prior to do anything else

Address genetic glitches (methylation, sulfation, acetylation – B12, B2, Folic acid, SAM-e, Methionine, Taurine, MSM)

Mercury and metal detox -- Phospholipid Exchange (EDTA, phospholipids, alpha lipoic, magnesium, energy), Matrix Metals, CVE and CGF, DMEP(ORS), sound cracked chlorella, nanonized chlorella and cilantro, EDTA, DMSA, DMPS

Solvent and carbon based detox: glycine, laser-or homeopathy aided detox

Consider the UNDA remedies (243 is best)

Self Help:

Colon hydrotherapy and lymphatic drainage, rhythmic cranial and liver compression

Dry skin brushing and warm/cold showers

Swedish sauna and Toxaway ionic foot bath

Detect and resolve interference fields:

Scars

Jaw infections and devitalized teeth

Chronic localized infections (tonsils, appendix, sinuses, etc)

Dysfunctional autonomic ganglia (superior cervical, sphenopalatine, pelvic ganglia, etc.)

Remove “allergenic triggers” from your environment

Food allergies

Volatile organic compounds from carpets, furniture and paints

New car smell (phthalates)

Newspaper and office printing ink

Work/profession related compounds

Removing psychological toxins

20 minute writing exercise to overcome past trauma

Family constellation work to resolve trans-generational issues

Applied Psycho-Neurobiology to resolve conflicts and severe trauma

Regular time spent in healthy nature

Regular massage

Qi Gong, Tai Chi or Meditation

Removing structural blockages

Optimize the dental occlusion to restore cranial lymphatic pump

Craniosacral therapy to improve fluid dynamics in CNS

Visceral manipulation to improve organ function

<li>Improving disturbed physiology and biochemistry (vitality, detox, immune responses, tissue repair)</li>

</ol>

Biochemistry

Always start with KPU urine test and address it!

Assessment via lab work or ART -- correct what is missing and what is too much (hormones, minerals and electrolytes, glutathione, sulfur, etc.)

Genetic testing: find minimal bypass nutrition to correct for SNPs or gene deletions/mutations

Diet: gluten and casein free diet, Specific carbohydrate diet, Metabolic typing, blood group diet or ART based diet

Common deficiencies in Lyme: magnesium: has to be given transdermal or via injection. Oral Magnesium feeds spirochetes

Copper, zinc and iron are spent by macrophages and appear in oxidized form in hair and serum, giving the wrong appearance of excess

Improving disturbed biochemistry and physiology: KPU/HPU

Over 80 percent of our Lyme patients have developed HPU (hemo-pyrrol-lactam-uria). The term falsely used in most US literature is KPU (krypto-pyrrol-uria)

HPU disarms the immune system by catastrophic depletion of zinc, manganese, arachidonic acid, histamin, taurine.

These losses are hard to detect with any current technology (only bone and CNS biopsies are reliable.

Labs to consider:

KPU urine test (Vitamin Diagnostics)

alkaline phosphatase low normal

copper: zinc ration greater than 1 in hair and urine

low Omega 6 in red cell membrane fatty acid test

white blood cell zinc, red cell copper level

If KPU is treated first and the system is restored to normal levels (4-8 months), Borrelia, Bartonella-like organisms and Babesia respond to much milder interventions without significant Herxes or problems

Neurophysiology

Gives your brain healthy rhythms: KMT technology

Listen to Lyme entrainment CDs

Spend time in nature

Avoid EMF’s (cordless phones, cell phones, wireless technology, home near airport (radar), computer

Exercise

Stretching

Weight lifting

Movement (dance, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, etc.)

Aerobic exercise -- avoid post exercise fatigue and pain

<li>Rizols (ozonated castor oil treated with high voltage electrolysis) decrease microbial count. Rizols have strong and specific anti-microbial properties, no known adverse long term effects, are relatively inexpensive and are pleasant to take.</li>

</ol>

They have been used successfully since 1905. (You’ll find the recipes below.)

1: treat parasites, mold and anaerobes

Rizol Gamma (effective dose: 15-20 drops tid)

2: treat both RNA (Borna, etc.) and DNA (HHV-6, EBV, etc.) viruses: Rizol Zeta (20 drops tid)

3: when on full dose of Gamma and Zeta, treat Babesia:

After 2 months on full treatment: stop or reduce Rizol Gamma and treat Bartonella: Rizol My (20 drops tid).

After 2 months reduce dose of rizols Zeta and My to 10 drops tid and treat spirochetes: add Rizol Epsilon and Jota, 10 drops tid each.

Always follow rizol with adsorbent (biosorption): chlorella (20 tbl), chitosan (1-2 caps), zeolite (1 tsp) or charcoal (2 caps)

Rizol-Gamma

70 percent Rizol-raw material (ozonated castor oil treated with high voltage electrolysis)

10 percent clove oil

10 percent oil of artemesia

10 percent black walnut oil

Rizol-Zeta

69.3 percent Rizol-raw material

10.0 percent oil of artemesia annua

10.0 percent clove oil

5.0 percent black cumin oil

3.0 percent moxa oil

1.8 percent walnut oil

0.9 percent oil of majoram

Biological effects, according to the Steidl/Carstens studies:

The ozonides transfer oxygen and change the environment in which anaerobic pathogenic germs live, making it aerobic

This prevents anaerobic germs, such as Clostridia, from multiplying

The oil is surface-active and, with its active substances, moistens your intestinal mucous membrane where nests of fungi and bacteria and parasites might be located

Rizol constituents have been found intracellularly and in the matrix (indicating anti-microbial activity both intra-and extracellularly)

Cell toxicology studies:

Mitochondria are not damaged,

OECD test for mutagenicity produced the result: not mutagenic.

Normal human cells are guided into apoptosis (beneficial and genetically pre-programmed cell death)

Previously damaged and tumor cells are destroyed

No adverse pharmacological effects were found in numerous cell culture tests

<li>Immune modulation</li>

</ol>

Use the CD 57 test (Labcorp – Stricker panel) to monitor immune status

Enderlein remedies: treat immune responses to mold: Pleo Nig, Not, Muc, Fort, Pef, Ut and UT-S, Lat

Auto-hemotherapy or auto-urine therapy (2 ml biw)

Buhner herbs (Quintessence from BioPure) 8-10 dropperfull in 1 liter water

Adjunctive physics based immune modulation tools:

KMT frequency-based biofield treatment

Health Light super LED treatment of focal areas

Valkion: singlet oxygen energy delivery via inhaled air or drinking water

Photon Wave or Jae Laser immune modulation

Medical drugs: Occasionally the use of medical antimicrobials is beneficial in addition to this program (ILADS recommendations). Top of the list:

anti-virals (Valtrex and Valcyte)

anti-fungals (itra- and voriconazole)

anti-parasitics (Alinia and Biltricide)

antibiotics (with above program, minocycline, and anti-Malarials work again!)

Lyme Disease as a Messenger

In the course of conquering this illness, there has been a lot of personal growth and a lot of learning.

There has been much speculation as to why Lyme disease seems to be increasingly common. The book “Lab 257” is an investigative report on the issues involved.

The insects which are the vectors for these microbes thrive in warmer climates. I have no doubt that to a large degree the greenhouse effect is responsible and will be confronting us with the onslaught of more and more aggressive microbes.

The partial pressure of oxygen on the earth at sea level has decreased from 30 percent 150 years ago to 19 percent today. The oxygen producing algae in the oceans are dying…

The response of the public health system so far has been denial and anger towards those who try to uncover the puzzle and help the afflicted patients. This will certainly change in the near future.

I expect that by the time the institutions discover Lyme disease as a far more important factor in chronic illness than is currently acknowledged, we will be confronted with new, far more dangerous microbes.

Antibiotics have disappointed in the treatment of Lyme disease as a single modality. Antibiotics alone will not help us to cope with the coming plagues.

All of us as practitioners have to start looking beyond antibiotics for help and for hope. The microbes have always been with us. They are not the enemy. It is us who have altered the environment so severely and in a way that facilitates the growth of lower evolved species like cell wall deficient microbes and viruses -- and ends the life for many more evolved species. Extinction may be forever.

Lyme disease is a messenger. If we don’t change, we may be on the endangered species list someday not too far from now.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

I want to thank my good friend and mentor Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt for allowing me to post this thorough and in-depth review of Lyme disease and his expert treatment protocols.

According to CDC statistics,1 reported cases of Lyme disease rose by nearly 38 percent between 2007 and 2008.

Some are now questioning whether Lyme disease might in fact be a silent epidemic.

Millions of people who are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, Alzheimer's, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other degenerative diseases could actually have Lyme disease causing or contributing to their condition.

Traditional Signs and Symptoms

Traditionally, signs and symptoms of Lyme disease include:

A skin rash, often resembling a bulls-eye

Fever

Headache

Muscle pain

Stiff neck

Swelling of your knees and other large joints

However, as discussed by Dr. Klinghardt above, there are numerous other symptoms not traditionally considered signs of Lyme disease – everything from sciatica to chronic TMJ problems, adrenal fatigue, GERD, and other seemingly unrelated symptoms.

Unfortunately, many still believe Lyme disease is tick-borne only, which as it turns out is incorrect. It can also be transmitted by other insects, including fleas, mosquitoes, and mites -- and by human-to-human contact. So whether or not you’ve ever been bitten by a tick might not matter.

The Elusive Nature of Lyme Disease

Lyme can disseminate through your body with remarkable speed. In its classic spirochete form, the bacteria can contract like a spring and twist to propel itself forward. It can travel through your blood vessel walls as well as your connective tissue. (Because of its spring-like movement, it can actually swim better in tissue than in blood.)

Studies have shown that less than a week after being infected, the Lyme spirochete can be deeply embedded inside your tendons, muscle, heart, and brain. It invades tissue, replicates, and then destroys its host cell as it emerges.

Sometimes the cell wall can collapse around the bacterium, forming a cloaking device that allows it to evade detection by many tests and by your body's immune system.

Why Drugs Don’t Work for This Mystery Illness

Adding further complexity, the Lyme spirochete (Bb) is pleomorphic, meaning it can radically change form, from spirochete to round cell wall deficient (CWD) forms, and back again!

This is partly why the conventional antibiotic treatments rarely work.

The problem is that a CWD organism does not have a fixed exterior membrane presenting information -- a target -- that would allow your immune system or drugs to attack it. This feature also effectively deters detection through many medical tests.

Additionally, because Bb is pleomorphic, you can't expect any one antibiotic to be effective. Bacteria share genetic material with one another, so the offspring of the next bug can have a new genetic sequence that can resist the antibiotic just given.

Lyme disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose and frequently even harder to treat. But as Dr. Klinghardt mentioned, drugs are rarely the way to go.

Another case in point: in 1999, SmithKline Beecham was sued over their Lyme disease vaccine2 as it turned out to cause an incurable form of autoimmune arthritis, and in many cases produced symptoms worse than those of the illness. SmithKline vaccine three years later, citing “insufficient consumer demand.”

Thankfully, experts like Dr. Klinghardt, who has dedicated over a decade to this disease, are finding gentler, safer, non-toxic alternatives so that you, or anyone you know who may be affected with Lyme disease, can finally take control of your health and return to living a pain free existence.

-----------

Bee Venom Treatment for Lyme Disease

Dr. Klinghardt uses 0.5 ml Bee-venom form Canada (Michael Simics) in 2.5 ml Procaine and injects 0.5 ml procaine in tender spot subcutaneously into the skin. It is relatively painless and has an incredible effect in his Lyme Disease patients.

In some it lasts for 2 days and in others for 3-4 days. Dependent on the response he establishes a schedule: shots every 2-3 days. The client then learns to do their own injections and otherwise follow the bee venom protocol that we have (bee sting kit etc.). Patients start to feel much better very soon, their depression and fatigue lifts, then their pain. It appears to be a great benefit!

Soon the gaps between shots increase until maybe once every 19 days for maintanance in severe cases. If it doesnt work, Babesia or Ehrlichiosis, Chlamydia pneumoniae, etc is the primary diagnosis that needs to be treated.

He also uses a Lyme disease specific transfer factor that is available from Chisholm Biological Labs 803-663-9618 X9777.

Below is an interesting study on the powerful effects of bee venom on Lyme Disease:

Clin Infect Dis 1997 Jul;25 Suppl 1:S48-51

The antimicrobial agent melittin exhibits powerful in vitro inhibitory effects on the Lyme disease spirochete.

Lubke LL, Garon CF

Rocky Mountain Laboratories Microscopy Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840, USA.

Borrelia burgdorferi has demonstrated a capacity to resist the in-vitro effects of powerful eukaryotic and prokaryotic metabolic inhibitors. However, treatment of laboratory cultures on Barbour-Stoenner-Kelly medium with melittin, a 26-amino acid peptide contained in honeybee venom, showed immediate and profound inhibitory effects when they were monitored by darkfield microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and optical density measurements.

Furthermore, at melittin concentrations as low as 100 microg/mL, virtually all spirochete motility ceased within seconds of inhibitor addition. Ultrastructural examination of these spirochetes by scanning electron microscopy revealed obvious alterations in the surface envelope of the spirochetes. The extraordinary sensitivity of B. burgdorferi to mellitin may provide both a research reagent useful in the study of selective permeability in microorganisms and important clues to the development of effective new drugs against lyme disease.

This article is more for the professional subscribers. However, if you or someone you love could possibly make use of this therapy, then give this information to your doctor. Further informatin regarding bee venom therapy can be obtained from Apitronic Services 604-271-9414.

GussieGus, In the 2nd article it states "treatment of laboratory cultures on Barbour-Stoenner-Kelly medium with melittin, a 26-amino acid peptide contained in honeybee venom, showed immediate and profound inhibitory effects when they were monitored by darkfield microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and optical density measurements." Therefore Melittin might be helpful for those of us with bee sting allergies. I don't know if it is available alone as a supplement or if only the whole venom is available.

Addendum

LYME REHAB-PHYSICAL THERAPY PRESCRIPTION

NAME_

D.O.B._ DATE

Please enroll this patient in a program of therapy to rehabilitate him/her from the effects of chronic tick-borne diseases. If necessary, begin with classic physical therapy, then progress when appropriate to a whole body conditioning program.

THERAPEUTIC GOALS (to be achieved in order as the patient's ability allows):

PHYSICAL THERAPY (if needed):

<ol>

<li>The role of physical therapy here is to prepare the patient for the required, preferably gym-based exercise program outlined below. Plan on several weeks of classic PT then transition to the gym.</li>

<li>Relieve pain and muscle spasms utilizing multiple modalities as available and as indicated: massage, heat, ultrasound, and passive and active range of motion. DO NOT use ice or electrical stim unless specifically ordered by our office. Paraffin baths can be quite useful.</li>

<li>Increase mobility, tone and strength while protecting damaged and weakened joints, tendons, and ligaments, and teach these techniques to the patient. Use minimal resistance but a lot of repetitions in any exercises prescribed. At the start of the exercise program, especially if the patient is weak, avoid free weights, bands and large exercise balls, and favor machines (especially hydraulics) that can guide limbs through a prescribed arc; free weights, etc. can risk hyperextension and uncontrolled movements that may cause or add to injuries. Transition the patient slowly to the gym-based program outlined below. Noteaerobics are not permitted.</li>

<li>Please see the patient two or three days per week- but do not schedule two days in a row!</li>

</ol>

EXERCISE Begin with a private trainer for careful direction and education.

PATIENT EDUCATION AND MANAGEMENT (to be done during the initial one-on-one sessions and reinforced at all visits thereafter):

<ol>

<li>Instruct patients on correct exercise technique, including proper warm-up, breathing, joint protection, proper body positioning during the exercise, and how to cool-down and stretch afterwards.</li>

<li>Please work one muscle group at a time and perform extensive and extended stretching to each muscle group immediately after each one is exercised, before moving on to the next muscle group.</li>

<li>A careful interview should be performed at the start of each session to make apparent the effects, both good and bad, from the prior visit's therapy, and adjust therapy accordingly.</li>

</ol>

PROGRAM:

<ol>

<li>Aerobic exercises are NOT allowed, not even low impact variety, until the patient has recovered.</li>

<li>Conditioning: work to improve strength and reverse the poor conditioning that results from Lyme, through a whole-body exercise program, consisting of light calisthenics and/or resistance training, using light resistance and many repetitions. This can be accomplished in exercise classes called "stretch and tone", or "body sculpture", or can be achieved in the gym with exercise machines or carefully with free weights (see cautions above).</li>

<li>Each session should last one hour. A gentle hour is preferable to a strenuous half-hour. If the patient is unable to continue for the whole hour, then decrease the intensity to allow him/her to do so.</li>

<li>Exercise no more often than every other day. The patient may need to start by exercising every 4th or 5th day initially, and as abilities improve, work out more often, but NEVER two days in a row. The nonexercise days should be spent resting.</li>

<li>This whole-body conditioning program is what is required to achieve wellness. A simple walking program will not work, and simply placing the patient on a treadmill or an exercise bike is not acceptable (except very briefly, as part of a warm-up), as aerobics can be damaging and must be avoided.</li>

</ol>

PHYSICIAN'S SIGNATURE

MANAGING YEAST OVERGROWTH

Many patients with weakened defenses, such as from chronic illnesses, including Lyme Disease, develop an overgrowth of yeast. This begins in the mouth and then spreads to the intestinal tract. Therefore the primary line of defense is careful oral hygiene, replenishing the beneficial bacteria by daily intake of yogurt, Kefir, and/or acidophilus, and by following a strict low carbohydrate diet.

ORAL HYGEINE:

CLEANSING

Brush the teeth, tongue, gums, inner cheeks and palate first with toothpaste, then again for 30 seconds while holding an antiseptic mouthwash in the mouth Then, rinse by scrubbing while holding plain water in the mouth.

TOOTHPASTE

Use “AP-24” toothpaste, sold by NuSkin Enterprises. Unlike conventional toothpastes that may contain alcohols, formaldehydes and abrasives, this product cleans in a unique way. It contains two “surfactants” (detergent-like cleansers) that are very effective without being harsh. This product is available in two forms- regular and whitening (both contain fluoride). Choose either one.

In addition, get from them their patented toothbrush that is designed to work with this toothpaste. It cleans better and is far gentler than regular or electric toothbrushes.

Order AP-24 products by calling 1-800-487-1000. The U.S. reference # is 9256681-R

MOUTHWASHES

Use an antiseptic mouthwash (Scope, Listerine, etc.), and brush the teeth, tongue, gums, cheeks and the roof of the mouth while holding the mouthwash in the mouth. Do this for 30 seconds, then rinse repeatedly with water.

For especially thick or resistant thrush, the most effective (and drastic) treatment, employed as a last resort, consists of using "Dakin's Solution" as a mouth rinse. Make this by mixing one teaspoon of household liquid bleach (Clorox) in four ounces of water. A small amount is held in the mouth while brushing, then spit out, and repeated until the thrush has cleared. This is usually a one-time treatment, but may have to be repeated every few weeks.

After using an antiseptic, it is necessary to immediately eat yogurt or chew an acidophilus capsule to replenish the beneficial flora in the mouth. Because the germ count, both harmful and beneficial, will be artificially reduced after such a cleaning, and because yeasts are opportunists, the yeast infection can come back. By having the yogurt or acidophilus then, the yeast will be crowded out and a more normal oral flora will result.

INTESTINAL TRACT: An overgrowth of yeast here will ferment dietary sugars and starches, forming acids, gas, alcohols and a variety of organic chemicals. Symptoms include gas, bloat, heartburn and/or pain in the stomach area, and because of the organic chemicals, there can be headaches, dizziness, lightheadedness, wooziness and post-meal fatigue. To clear intestinal yeast, first the tongue and mouth must be cleansed so yeast does not reenter the system with every swallow. Next, since yeast germs feed on sugars and starches, follow the low carbohydrate diet outlined below. Finally, to replenish the normal, beneficial microbes, eat PLAIN yogurt daily, drink Kefir, 4 ounces daily, and/or take acidophilus, 2 capsules three times daily after meals.

YEAST CONTROL DIET- restricted carbohydrate regimen

UNRESTRICTED FOODS

All protein foods, such as meat, fish, fowl, cheese, eggs, dairy, tofu

RESTRICTED FOODS

FRUITS

Fruits may be a problem because they contain a large amount of sugars. However, if the fruit contains a lot of

fiber, this may make up for the sugars to some degree. Thus:

<ul>

<li>Fruits are only allowed at the end of a meal, and never on an empty stomach</li>

<li>Only high fiber fruits are allowed</li>

<li>Only very small amounts!</li>

</ul>

EXAMPLES:

ALLOWED IN GENEROUS AMOUNTS

Grapefruit, lemons, limes, tomatoes, avocado

ALLOWED IN SMALL AMOUNTS ONLY! (The high fiber content in these hard, crunchy fruits partially makes up for the carbohydrates)

Pears, apples, strawberries, cantaloupe, etc.

NOT ALLOWED (These soft fruits do not have enough fiber)

Oranges, watermelons, bananas, grapes, etc.

No fruit juices either!

VEGETABLES

Green vegetables and salads are O.K. Avoid or limit starchy vegetables (potato, rice, beans, etc.) and avoid pasta.

STARCHES

None!! If it is made from flour- any kind of flour- it is not allowed. (No breads, cereals, cake, etc.)

SWEETENERS

NOT ALLOWED

No sugars at all, and no fructose or corn syrup

ALLOWED (if tolerated)

Stevia (safest), honey, and Splenda,

Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal) may not be tolerated by some patients

Saccharin products are not recommended

DRINKS

ALLOWED

Water, seltzer, caffeine-free diet sodas, coffee and tea without sugar or caffeine, vegetable juices

NOT ALLOWED

Fruit juices, regular sodas, and any drinks sweetened with sugars or syrups

No Alcohol at all

OTHERS

Do not skip any meals. At least three regular meals daily are needed; a better option is to eat very small portions but have between meal snacks to maintain blood sugar and insulin levels. Bedtime snacks, if taken, must be totally carbohydrate free!

Lyme Disease: The Unknown Epidemic (Part 1)

July 25, 2001  |  58,888  views

by D. J. Fletcher and Tom Klaber

Millions of people who are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, Alzheimer's, chronic fatigue syndrome and other degenerative diseases could have Lyme Disease causing or contributing to their condition.

Forget just about everything you think you know about Lyme disease.

It is not a rare disease, it is epidemic. It is not just tick-borne; it can also be transmitted by other insects, including fleas, mosquitoes and mites -- and by human-to-human contact.

Neither is Lyme usually indicated by a bull's-eye rash; this is found in only a minority of cases. And, except when it is diagnosed at a very early stage, Lyme is rarely cured by a simple course of antibiotics. Finally, Lyme is not just a disease that makes you "tired and achy" -- it can utterly destroy a person's life and ultimately be fatal.

Lyme disease, in fact, might be the most insidious -- and least understood -- infectious disease of our day. "If it weren't for AIDS," says Nick Harris, Ph.D., President of IgeneX, Inc., a research and testing laboratory in Palo Alto, California, "Lyme would be the number one infectious disease in the United States and Western Europe."

Many now see the disease, also called Lyme borreliosis, as more than a simple infection, but rather as a complex illness that can consist of other co-infections, especially of the parasitic pathogens Babesia and Ehrlichia.

Animal studies have shown that in less than a week after being infected, the Lyme spirochete can be deeply embedded inside tendons, muscles, tissue, the heart and the brain.

"Of the more than  5,000  children I've treated,  240  have been born with the disease,"  says Dr. Jones, who specializes in Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. "Twelve children who've been breast-fed have subsequently developed Lyme.

Bb can be transmitted transplacentally, even with in vitro fertilization; I've seen eight children infected in this way. People from Asia who come to me with the classic Lyme rash have been infected by fleas and gnats."

Gregory Bach, D.O., presented a study on transmission via semen at the American Psychiatric Association meeting in November, 2000. He confirmed Bb DNA in semen using the PCR test (Polymerase Chain Reaction).

Dr. Bach calls Bb "a brother" to the syphilis spirochete because of their genetic similarities. For that reason, when he treats a Lyme patient in a relationship, he often treats the spouse; otherwise, he says, they can just pass the Bb back and forth, reinfecting each other.

Dr. Tang adds other avenues of infection: "Transmission may also occur via blood transfusion and through the bite of mosquitoes or other insects." Dr. Cowden contends that unpasteurized goat or cow milk can infect a person with Bb.

Unreliable Testing

What is the reason for the discrepancy between the government's statistics and the experience of front-line physicians? Says Dr. Jones, "The CDC criteria was developed only for surveillance; it was never meant for diagnosis.

Lyme is a clinical diagnosis. The test evidence may be used to support a clinical diagnosis, but it doesn't prove one has Lyme. About 50% of patients I've seen have been seronegative [blood test negative] for Lyme but meet all the clinical criteria."

Most of the standard tests used to detect Lyme are notoriously unreliable. Explains Dr. Harris, "The initial thing patients usually get is a Western Blot antibody test. This test is not positive immediately after Bb exposure, and only 60% or 70% of people ever show antibodies to Bb."

Dr. Cowden favors two tests developed respectively by Dr. Whitaker and by Lida Mattman, Ph.D., Director of the Nelson Medical Research Institute in Warren, Michigan. However,  both of these tests have yet to win FDA approval  for diagnostic use.

Explains Dr. Whitaker, "We have developed the Rapid Identification of Bb (RIBb) test. A highly purified fluorescent antibody stain specific for Bb is used to detect the organism. This test provides results in 20 to 30 minutes, a key to getting the right treatment started quickly."

Dr. Mattman's culture test also uses a fluorescent antibody staining technique which allows her to study live cultures under a fluorescent microscope. "When a person is sick," says Dr. Mattman, "antibodies get tied up in the tissues, in what is called an immune complex, and are not detected in the patient's blood plasma.

So it's not that the antibody isn't there or hasn't been produced; it just isn't detectable. Thus, the tests which are based on detecting antibodies give false negatives." The tests of Drs. Whitaker and Mattman do not look for antibodies but look for the organism, in the same way that tuberculosis is diagnosed.

When Dr. Jones treats a Lyme patient who's in a relationship, he often treats the spouse as well; otherwise, he says, they can just pass the Bb back and forth, reinfecting each other.

There are several reasons why Lyme is so difficult to test for -- and difficult to treat. Take, for instance, the bull's-eye rash -- called Erythma migrans -- that is supposed to appear after being bitten by a tick carrying the Lyme spirochete.

Every doctor with whom the authors spoke said that  this rash appears in only  30%  to  40%  of infected people. Dr. Jones said that fewer than 10% of the infected children he sees exhibit the rash.

A Master Of Elusiveness

More importantly,  Lyme can disseminate throughout the body remarkably rapidly. In its classic spirochete form, the bacteria can contract like a large muscle and twist to propel itself forward: because of this spring-like action it can actually swim better in tissue than in blood.

It can travel through blood vessel walls and through connective tissue. Animal studies have shown that in less than a week after being infected, the Lyme spirochete can be deeply embedded inside tendons, muscle, the heart and the brain. It invades tissue, replicates and destroys its host cell as it emerges. Sometimes the cell wall collapses around the bacterium, forming a cloaking device, allowing it to evade detection by many tests and by the body's immune system.

The Lyme spirochete (Bb) is pleomorphic, meaning that it can radically change form. The photo on the left shows a colony of Bb both in spirochete and round cell wall deficient (CWD) forms.

In the CWD form, the Lyme organism can lack the membrane information necessary for the immune system and antibiotics to recognize and attack it. Dr. Lida Mattman states that cell wall deficient organisms are more properly called cell wall divergent.

The Lyme spirochete can not only change from the classic spiral into a round form, but can change back again into a spiral. The middle photo shows this process occurring in the area shown by the arrow.

But the main reason that Lyme is so resistant to detection and therapy is that it can  radically change form  -- it is pleomorphic. Explains Dr. Whitaker, "We have examined blood samples from over 800 patients with clinically diagnosed Lyme disease with the RiBb test and have rarely seen Bb in anything but a cell wall deficient (CWD) form.

The problem is that a CWD organism doesn't have a fixed exterior membrane presenting information -- a target -- that would allow our immune systems or drugs to attack it, or allow most current tests to detect it."

As a CWD organism, says Dr. Mattman, Bb is extremely diverse in its appearance, its activity and its vulnerability. Adds Dr. Cowden, "Because Bb is very pleomorphic, you can't expect any one antibiotic to be effective. Also, bacteria share genetic material with one another, so the offspring of the next bug can have a new genetic sequence that can resist the antibiotic."

Clinical Diagnosis

The doctors the authors interviewed all had their own testing preferences, but each insisted that Lyme was a clinical diagnosis, only supported by testing -- and retesting.

"We look at the patient's history and symptoms, genetic tendencies, metabolism, past immune function problems or infection," explains Dr. Bock, "as well as history and duration of antibiotic treatment, co-infection, nutritional and micronutritional status and also psychospiritual factors."

Dr. Tang uses all of the above, but also analyzes the blood using darkfield microscopy -- although she cautions that not spotting the spirochete doesn't mean that the patient does not have Lyme disease.

Dr. Cowden also employs muscle testing and electrodermal screening. Dr. Burrascano has developed a weighted list of diagnostic criteria and an exhaustive symptom checklist.

"In pediatric screening especially," says Dr. Jones, "we ask about sudden, sometimes subtle, changes in behavior or cognitive function -- such as losing skills or losing the ability to learn new material; not wanting to play or go outside; running a fever; being sensitive to light or noise.

If one has joint phenomena, we know that an inflammatory or infectious process is present. A hallmark of Lyme is fatigue unrelieved by rest."

For women, Dr. Barkley has found that testing around the time of menses  increases the probability of discovering the presence of Bb. "Women with Lyme have an exacerbation of their symptoms around menses," she explains.

"The decline of both estrogen and progesterone at the end of the menstrual cycle is associated with the worsening of the patient's Lyme symptoms."

Government Persecution Of Lyme Disease Doctors

Physicians who treat Lyme disease in ways other than the established standard of care -- which means a course of antibiotics lasting no more than 30 days -- risk invasive, exhausting, time-consuming investigation by state licensing agencies, leading to possible loss of their right to practice medicine.

Activists report that  50  physicians  in Texas, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Connecticut and Michigan have been  investigated, disciplined and/or stripped of their licenses over the past three years because of their approach to healing Lyme disease.

This past November 9th, 500 patients who got well after their doctors used alternative or complementary methods joined in a protest rally in New York City. They rose to defend Dr. Joseph Burrascano, who has treated an estimated 7,000 cases.

As this story was heading for publication, New York's Office of Professional Medical Misconduct was engaged in what activists call an unjustified fishing expedition that will probably last for months and will allow state bureaucrats to hunt for any irregularity that could be used to damage Dr. Burrascano.

State medical boards seem to be trying to protect the medical insurance industry rather than patients.

In most cases, effective alternative/complementary treatments require much more doctor time per patient and often include a broad range of medicines and supplements consumed over a much longer period of time, costing much more money than the current standard of care accepted by medical insurers.

But at the rally, patients angrily rejected the medical board's suggestion that their cases demonstrated anything negative about their physician. In fact, they all insisted, it was Dr. Burrascano whose knowledge, patience and care finally freed them from the pain and debilitation that had been ruining the quality of their lives.

I'm one of those who suffer from antibiotic-resistant chronic Lyme and coinfections. I am also severely electrosensitive and have developed what is called Microwave Sickness, Electrical Sensitivity, or Electrical Hypersensitivity.

If you have Lyme Disease, I strongly suggest you research the health effects of chronic exposure to artificial electromagnetic and microwave fields (cell phones, cell phone towers, cordless phones, wi-fi, wi-maxx, power lines). I think you'll notice a definitive correlation between the advent of Lyme and one or more of these newer technologies.

I developed mild (intermittent) Bell's Palsy at the onset of my illness on the left side of my face, which, consequently, was the side I'd hold my cordless phone against. My psychiatrist laughed at me and said, "Everybody's face is uneven." I complained to my eye doctor about my pupils failing to dilate properly, and he laughed, "Everybody's pupils are tiny when they get older."

I was horrified to learn through my own research that bacteria do indeed have a 'magnetic sense', and we just instructed the spirochete to head towards our brains. Please read 'Cross Currents' and 'The Body Electric' by Robert O. Becker, M.D. and 'Cell Towers - Wireless Convenience? Or Environmental Hazard?' by B. Blake Levitt.

One reason the spirochete is so difficult to eradicate is because it is able to cross the blood-brain barrier, and this is precisely what wireless technology is causing spirochetes to do. This technology also causes heavy metals and free radicals to be trapped inside the brain and other tissues.

Bioinitiative Report:

<a href="www.bioinitiative.org/.../index.htm">www.bioinitiative.org/.../index.htm</a>

Please do yourself a favor - if you live in the U.S., check for cell phone towers in your area here, and make some noise...

Lyme Disease: The Unknown Epidemic (Part 2)

by D. J. Fletcher and Tom Klaber

Antibiotic Treatment

Lyme is sometimes classified as having different stages -- early vs. chronic, or localized vs. disseminated. "The biggest distinction is between early-stage and chronic," says Dr. Whitaker.

"In the beginning, many organ systems are invaded while the patient may experience no symptoms.

As time goes on we see multiple system symptoms involving the whole body, especially the central and peripheral nervous systems, and the musculoskeletal, skin and circulatory systems.

Many Lyme cases are diagnosed by psychiatrists. Dr. Brian Fallon is studying cognitive and other neuropsychiatric manifestations."

The problem, says Dr. Barkley, is that "There isn't an adequate treatment model. So if the physician says you have Lyme, and gives you the standard antibiotic therapy, and you aren't better, the thinking is that you must have something else wrong, such as an autoimmune problem, or else you didn't haveLyme disease  in the first place.

Adjunct Therapies

None of these physicians relied solely on antibiotics; they used immune system-strengthening protocols as well.

"The immune system may be  less able to respond  if the person is having a hard time clearing toxins," says Dr. Bock. "You're going to add to this overload by taking antibiotics. For general immune support, we've used maitake and reishi mushrooms, ginseng and astragalus.

Acupuncture combined with physical therapy can often reduce pain. I have posted an article online that discusses these alternative approaches in more depth.

Dr. Cowden also notes that "if you use a pharmaceutical antibiotic, you need to use an herbal antifungal to reduce stress on the liver and kidneys."

Lifestyle Changes

Grapefruit seed extract and certain other substances, including vitamin C, can interfere with tissue uptake of the antibiotics and make them less effective.  Take as few non-essential supplements as possible  -- consult with a physician knowledgeable about nutrition -- and time them as far from the antibiotic as possible."

Use relaxation techniques and biofeedback. Find a group for emotional support."

Present Limitations

None of the experts the authors consulted claimed to completely understand Lyme or to be able to completely cure it in every case. Some people infected with Bb  may never manifest the symptoms of Lyme. Others become seriously ill soon after  they are infected. Treatment must be customized from patient to patient and can vary widely. "Certain people may clear Lyme without antibiotic therapy," says Dr. Barkley. "However, the other extreme is that even with antibiotics, some people with Lyme have died from this disease."

"There are very few symptoms where you shouldn't consider Lyme," says Dr. Cowden. "more than  50%  of chronically ill people may have Lyme contributing to their condition."

Presently, such patients will find  few doctors experienced in Lyme, because of the newness of the disease and lack of understanding about it -- and because those doctors who take a comprehensive approach to diagnosing and treating Lyme are commonly harassed by state medical boards, insurance companies and HMOs.

It is up to patients to actually  educate their doctors  about the inadequacy of standard testing and the necessity for using techniques such as electrodermal screening and darkfield microscopy. And it is up to patients to become politically involved with Lyme advocacy groups, such as those listed here, to fight for their right to proper medical care.

The earlier Lyme is diagnosed, the easier it is to cure.

Alternative Medicine.com  Issue 41

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

It is her belief that  NST  is one of the more important aspects of a successful treatment strategy for Lyme Disease. The apparent mechanism is a balancing of the autonomic nervous system and secondary improvement in the immune system.

This certainly has been my experience with rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Klinghardt, who was not interviewed for this article, also has a considerable amount of clinical experience with Lyme Disease and has found bee venom therapy to be helpful. There is a link to the protocol below.

If you haven't clicked on the original link back to Alternative Medicine.com please do as they have some excellent Live Cell Darkfield microscopy pictures of the Lyme disease bacteria.

Contacts:

Marylynn S. Barkley, M.D., Ph.D. Div. of Biological Sciences 211 Briggs Hall University of California, Davis Davis, CA 95616 Tel: 530-752-0203 E-mail: msbarkley@ucdavis.edu

Steven Bock, M.D. Rhinebeck Health Center 108 Montgomery St. Rhinebeck, NY 12572 Tel: 845-876-7082 Fax: 845-876-4615 Website: <a href="www.rhinebeckhealth.com">www.rhinebeckhealth.com</a> E-mail: sbock@rhinebeckhealth.com

Joseph Burrascano, M.D. 139 Springs Fireplace Rd. East Hampton, NY 11937 Tel: 631-324-7337 Fax: 631-329-0520

<ol>

<li>Lee Cowden, M.D. 1333 W. Campbell, #113 Richardson, TX 75080 Fax: 972-562-9740 E-mail: wlcowden@aol.com</li>

</ol>

Nick Harris, Ph.D. IgeneX, Inc. 797 San Antonio Rd. Palo Alto, CA 94303 Tel: 800-832-3200 Fax: 650-424-1196 E-mail: igenex@igenex.com Website: <a href="www.igenex.com">www.igenex.com</a>

Charles Ray Jones, M.D. Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine and Lyme Disease 111 Park St., Suite F New Haven, CT 06511 Tel: 203-772-1123 Fax: 203-772-0682

Lida Mattman, Ph.D. Nelson Medical Research Institute 11664 Martin Rd. Warren, MI 48093 Tel: 810-755-6430 Fax: 810-755-4511

Katrina Tang, M.D. Century Wellness Clinic 380 Brinkby Ave. Reno, NV 89509 Tel: 775-826-9500 Fax: 775-825-3301 Website: <a href="www.centurywellness.com">www.centurywellness.com</a> E-mail: staff@centurywellness.com

JoAnne Whitaker, M.D. Bowen Research and Training Institute, Inc. P.O. Box 627 Palm Harbor, Florida 34682 Tel: 727-937-9077 Fax: 727-942-9687 Website: <a href="www.bowen.org">www.bowen.org</a> E-mail: bowenresearch@earthlink.net

Websites:

Lymenet: The Lyme Disease Network Website: <a href="www.lymenet.org">www.lymenet.org</a>

International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society P.O. Box 367 Andover, MA 04216 Website: <a href="www.ilads.org">www.ilads.org</a> E-mail: ilads@wwc.com

<ol>

<li>X) NST effective</li>

<li>Y) I ask for a Western blot test. Ask for slip for Igenix test (and looking at means to have it covered by scholarship/grants/programs) obtain Igenix test Looking at specialists who may take insurance</li>

</ol>

The preferred regimen is

100–200 mg of doxycycline, twice daily for 20 days. Other

treatment options may be appropriate on an individualized

basis

-------

If treated early wouldnt be chronic Q2. Should the treatment of an EM rash be restricted to 20 or fewer days of oral azithromycin, cefuroxime, doxycycline and phenoxymethylpenicillin/amoxicillin?

Organizational values The panel placed a high value on avoiding both the unnecessary progression from a potentially curable infection to one that is chronic and the morbidity and costs associated with chronic disease. The panel also placed a high value on the ability of the clinician to exercise clinical judgment. In the view of the panel, guidelines should not constrain the treating clinician from exercising clinical judgment in the absence of strong and compelling evidence to the contrary.

Recommendation 2a

Treatment regimens of 20 or fewer days of phenoxymethylpenicillin, amoxicillin, cefuroxime or doxycycline and 10 or fewer days of azithromycin are not recommended for patients with EM rashes because failure rates in the clinical trials were unacceptably high. Failure to fully eradicate the infection may result in the development of a chronic form of Lyme disease, exposing patients to its attendant morbidity and costs, which can be quite significant. (Recommendation, very low-quality evidence).

Role of patient preferences

Moderate: Although many patients will value avoiding the risk of treatment failure over a potentially modest increase in the risk of significant adverse events that may be associated with longer treatment durations, others may prefer to avoid the additional risks of longer treatment. Clinicians should inform patients that: the combined failure rate for the individual

agents investigated in the previously discussed EM trials were judged by this panel to be unacceptably high when antibiotic treatment was restricted to 20 or fewer days (provide the

appropriate value for each); the evidence supporting the use of longer treatment durations is limited and of low quality [41–43] and increases in antibiotic duration may increase the risk of

antibiotic-associated adverse events, although the risks associated with oral antibiotics are low and some of this risk can be mitigated by the concomitant use of probiotics [44,45].

Treatment

risks, benefits and options should be discussed with the

patient in the context of shared medical decision-making.

--------

8 Why antibiotic treatment alone is not enough

The burden of Lyme disease for individuals and society remains high. Despite the availability of numerous preventative measure [21,22], the incidence of acute Lyme disease is significant.

The CDC currently estimates that the annual number of new ases of Lyme disease in the USA exceeds 300,000 [23]; how these individual patients fare is an important consideration and

ILADS is primarily interested in preventing and reducing the morbidity associated with chronic disease. Although some prospective studies found long-term outcomes were good, many had significant limitations [24–26]. There is substantial evidence of varying quality demonstrating that the severity [16–18,27–29], duration [16,18,27,29,30] and cost [15,31] of persistent manifestations of Lyme disease can be profound. While the etiology of these

manifestations is uncertain, their impact is clear. Two retrospective cohorts [27,30], two case series [32,33], a meta-analysis [34], two prospective European studies and four NIH-sponsored clinical trials [16–18] describe significant long-term consequences of Lyme disease. Findings include:

<ul>

<li>Thirty-four percent of a population-based, retrospective cohort were ill an average of 6.2 years after antibiotic treatment [27];</li>

<li>Sixty-two percent of a retrospective evaluation of 215 Lyme disease patients from Westchester County, NY, remained ill an average of 3.2 years after antibiotic treatment [30];</li>

<li>A meta-analysis of 504 patients treated for Lyme disease found this group had more fatigue, musculoskeletal pain and neurocognitive difficulties than 530 controls [34]. Additionally, it</li>

</ul>

demonstrated that persistent Lyme disease symptoms were a distinct set of symptoms, which differed from those of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and depression [34];

<ul>

<li>Among 23 European pediatric patients with objective findings of Lyme neuroborreliosis sequelae, daily activities or school performance were negatively impacted in 10 (43%) [28];</li>

<li>A European study of adults treated for neuroborreliosis found that at 30 months post-treatment, 16% were cognitively impaired [29];</li>

<li>On entrance, patients enrolling in the four NIH-sponsored clinical trials on antibiotic retreatment had experienced poor long-term outcomes from their prior therapy. Participants in the two trials by Klempner et al. had persistent symptoms, which were sufficiently severe as to interfere with daily functioning [18];</li>

<li>Using a combined total of 22 standardized measures of QoL, fatigue, pain and cognition [16 18], the investigators of the four NIH-sponsored retreatment trials documented that the patients’ QoL was consistently worse than that of control populations [16–18] and equivalent to that of patients with congestive heart failure [18]; pain levels were similar to those of post-surgical patients and fatigue was on par with that seen in multiple sclerosis [16,18].</li>

</ul>

TABLE 1 compares the QoL scores of

the NIH Lyme disease participants at the time of their study enrollment to those of patients with other chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, depression, osteoarthritis,

rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia and epilepsy [35–40].

It has been shown that the longer a patient had been ill with LB prior to first definitive therapy, the longer the duration of treatment must be, and the need for more aggressive treatment increases.

HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY AXIS

As an extension of the effect of chronic Lyme Disease on the central nervous system, there often is a deleterious effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Varying degrees of pituitary insufficiency are being seen in these patients, the correction of which has resulted in restoration of energy, stamina and libido, and resolution of persistent hypotension. Unfortunately, not all specialists recognize pituitary insufficiency, partly because of the difficulty in making the laboratory diagnosis. However, the potential benefits of diagnosing and treating this justify the effort needed for full evaluation. Interestingly, in a significant number of these patients, successful treatment of the infections can result in a reversal of the hormonal dysfunction, and hormone replacement therapies can be tapered off!

CO-INFECTION

A huge body of research and clinical experience has demonstrated the nearly universal phenomenon in chronic Lyme patients of co-infection with multiple tick-borne pathogens. These patients have been shown to potentially carry Babesia species, Bartonella-like organisms, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Mycoplasma, and viruses. Rarely, yeast forms have been detected in peripheral blood. At one point even nematodes were said to be a tick-borne pathogen. Studies have shown that co-infection results in a more severe clinical presentation, with more organ damage, and the pathogens become more difficult to eradicate. In addition, it is known that Babesia infections, like Lyme Borreliosis, are immunosuppressive.

There are changes in the clinical presentation of the co-infected patient as compared to when each infection is present individually. There may be different symptoms and atypical signs. There may be decreased reliability of standard diagnostic tests, and most importantly, there is recognition that chronic, persistent forms of each of these infections do indeed exist. As time goes by, I am convinced that even more pathogens will be found.

Therefore, real, clinical Lyme as we have come to know it, especially the later and more severe presentations, probably represents a mixed infection with many complicating factors. I will leave to the reader the implications of how this may explain the discrepancy between laboratory study of pure Borrelia infections, and what front line physicians have been seeing for years in real patients.

<ul>

<li>Lyme disease is a complex illness and patients may experience both acute and persistent manifestations.</li>

<li>Persistent manifestations may produce profound quality-of-life impairments, yet the mechanisms that produce persistent manifestations</li>

</ul>

are poorly understood.

<ul>

<li>The available evidence regarding the treatment of known tick bites, erythema migrans (EM) rashes and persistent disease is limited.</li>

<li>Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation-based analyses found the evidence regarding these scenarios</li>

</ul>

was of very low quality due to limitations in trial designs, imprecise findings, outcome inconsistencies and non-generalizability of trial findings.

<ul>

<li>It is impossible to state a meaningful success rate for the prevention of Lyme disease by a single 200 mg dose of doxycycline because the sole trial of that regimen utilized an inadequate observation period and unvalidated surrogate end point.</li>

<li>Success rates for treatment of an EM rash were unacceptably low, ranging from 52.2 to 84.4% for regimens that used 20 or fewer days of azithromycin, cefuroxime, doxycycline or amoxicillin/phenoxymethylpenicillin (rates were based on patient-centered outcome definitions and conservative longitudinal data methodology).</li>

<li>In a well-designed trial of antibiotic retreatment in patients with severe fatigue, 64% in the treatment arm obtained a clinically significant and sustained benefit from additional antibiotic therapy.</li>

<li>The optimal treatment regimen for the management of known tick bites, EM rashes and persistent disease has not yet been determined. Accordingly, it is too early to standardize restrictive protocols.</li>

<li>Given the number of clinical variables that must be managed and the heterogeneity within the patient population, clinical judgment is crucial to the provision of patient-centered care.</li>

<li>Based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation model, International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society recommends that patient goals and values regarding treatment options be identified and strongly considered during a</li>

</ul>

shared decision-making process.

<ul>

<li>Research is needed to better define the disease process, to identify variables associated with poor outcomes and to establish highly effective therapeutic regimens for known tick bites, EM rashes and persistent disease.</li>

</ul>

------

Look on YouTube at "Run From The Cure" the Rick Simpson Story. There you will begin your journey to finding the answers you seek.

CannaMin is RAW product similar to Rick Simpson Oil, if not better. Provides a non-psychoactive alternative to smoking and ingesting cannabis oils. #CannaMinForLIFE

Scientists note that cannabinoids kill bacteria in a different way than traditional antibiotics.They don't yet understand the method by which they kill bacteria, but this different way is where the promise lies to be able to bypass bacterial resistance.

Cannabis oil revitalizes the vital organs... whereby the immune-system re-set takes care of Lyme, and most other immuno-deficiency dis-eases.

<ol>

<li>V) People who catch Lymes maybe Celiac which lowers the immune system. Tests may not work to diagnose Celiac. Not eating gluten/dairy/soy/sugar...taking vitamins/good oils and LDN, Vit D3, zinc, Vit C, fish oil and more may help the immune system. B vitamins may help the nerves. Dairy gave me seizures. No gluten may help the gut lining absorb more nutrients. I just got Lymes and the hospital took away my thyroid medicine/vitamins/good oils, bioidentical hormones, Vit B12 shot. They said I didn't need it. What I take is needed...so I collapsed more due to not having it. People to me can heal. There is hope/help. I have MS. It is not from Lymes which I got recently, but due to Celiac that I was born with and more. What I mentioned suppresses it.</li>

</ol>

Dairy gave me seizures/depression no medicine could help and depression. Some people can have dairy after they stop eating gluten which heals the tips of the villi in intestines that makes lactase to digest lactose. Heated homogenized dairy is hurt..not like raw dairy. I can't have heated oils also. Ice cream hurt me...fat/sugar that crosses the blood brain barrier fast and some soft serve has wheat(gluten) in it. Carreegan in it is like glutamic acid..maybe like MSG and hurt the brain. I agree...pus etc from cows that are sick and have growth hormone and don't get to see the sun or eat grass is not good

----------

Just a raw food diet will not cure Lyme disease. Yes, it can be good for you, except the weight loss........ Some people do not need to lose weight, and lose too much (me). The weight loss was devastating for me.

Besides that, some people need animal protein (me). Not everyone benefits from a vegan diet. Many sick people cannot digest raw foods and need some cooked foods until their digestion is better.

There is a lot more to Lyme disease and there are many things to address. For one thing why was your immune system weak in the first place to allow infectious agents to take over? What emotional or spiritual things were going on in your life. Not everyone who is bitten by a tick or mosquito (me) or other bug contracts Lyme.

There are many layers to work on and uncover in dealing with Lyme disease.....not an easy thing to do.

----------

Hi, Celiac people may catch Lymes. Tests may not work to diagnose Celiac. I just got Lymes. Not eating gluten/dairy/soy/sugar...taking vitamins/good oils and LDN, fish oil, Vit D3, Vit C, zinc and more may help the immune system and nutrients absorbed. Raw has enyzmes. I take HCl and Now brand- Super enzymes with meal. Zinc, Alpha lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, B vitamins Vit C and Vit E and more help me. A strong dairy free probiotic with 10 strains of good bacteria also helps me...taken when stomach acid is low.

-------

<ol>

<li>V) MYTH #4: Doxycycline always cures Lyme quickly. When Lyme is diagnosed and treated within two to four weeks of the tick bite that transmitted the disease, about 75% of patients will be cured with tetracycline antibiotics such as doxycycline or other antibiotics such as penicillin or cephalosporin.</li>

</ol>

But about one-quarter of these patients—and a higher percentage of those who don’t get quick treatment—will develop a chronic infection that doesn’t respond to simple antibiotic therapy. Although some doctors don’t think Lyme bacteria survive after 30 days of anti  biotic treatment, many studies have shown that they can.

MYTH #5: Medication is the only treatment. Antibiotic therapy is the mainstay of Lyme treatment. But it’s usually not enough.

Fact: Many Lyme symptoms—such as fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and memory loss—that persist despite antibiotics may be caused by more than one organism. Chinese herbs such as coptis, artemesia and cat’s claw may help treat Lyme and these co-infections.

I often advise patients also to take low-dose naltrexone, a medication that helps reduce inflammation. A combination of naltrexone, curcu  min (an anti-inflammatory compound found in the spice turmeric) and antioxidants such as glutathione have helped relieve fatigue, pain and cognitive difficulty in my patients.

Dr. Richard I. Horowitz interview

Also helpful: Diet is important. Some people feel better avoiding gluten, and for others, an alkaline diet with lots of fruits and vegetables counteracts the acidity and inflammation caused by infection.

<ol>

<li>W) Dr. Klinghardt's Treatment Approach</li>

</ol>

Dr. Klinghardt takes microwave radiation and electromagnetic fields very seriously, as it can have a profound impact on Lyme disease.

Below is a summarized outline of Dr. Klinghardt's treatment for Lyme disease. For more information and details, please listen to the interview in its entirety, or read through the transcript.

First, external factors that act upon the body 24/7 are evaluated. This includes electrosmog, EMF, microwave radiation from wireless technologies, and molds. To test for the presence of mold, he uses the ERMI score, which is a semi-quantitative assessment of how much mold is in your home.  The score should not exceed 2. However, most of his patients score between 15 and 20. For more information on mold, Dr. Klinghardt recommends <a href="www.SurvivingMold.com">www.SurvivingMold.com</a>.

Once external influencing factors have been determined, they're remediated and mitigated. (For mold remediation, please refer to this previous article.)

All cordless telephones are removed, and patients are instructed to turn off all the fuses at night, until they have recovered from Lyme disease.

Dr. Klinghardt begins the treatment for Lyme disease by addressing parasites, followed by "the Klinghardt antimicrobial cocktail," which addresses the Lyme spirochetes, Babesia, and Bartonella. For more details and complete recipes to all his treatment cocktails, see <a href="www.KlinghardtAcademy.com">www.KlinghardtAcademy.com</a> or send an email to info@KlinghardtAcademy.com.  Some of the ingredients in his formula include: wormwood (artemisinin)—which has been found to be extremely effective for malaria—combined with phospholipids; vitamin C, and specific herbs.

Lastly, viruses are addressed using a tincture of Native American herbs called Viressence, by BioPure.

Additional lifestyle factors are also addressed, including diet and vitamin supplementation.

A Word on Antibiotics

More Information

In Dr. Klinghardt's experience, the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society (ILADS) is by far the best and most responsible group, so to learn more about Lyme disease, see <a href="www.ILADS.org">www.ILADS.org</a>.

"Depending on where you live in the U.S., consider the treatment that is offered to you through a Lyme literate physician. Most of them have been through the training at ILADS and I do recommend that," Dr. Klinghardt says.

"But there is a level beyond that, which I'm hoping I'm introducing here. If you just do antibiotics, okay, you just do antibiotics. But if you think more holistically and do the things that I recommend, then you no longer will need to resort to antibiotics because you cover your system on so many other fronts. And with that you're not only treating Lyme disease but you're preventing cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease—you're preventing pretty much all the other things that we didn't know were associated with Lyme.

So by treating the mold, by getting electrosmog under control, by treating the infections, by treating insulin resistance, we are preparing the patient for a much happier, healthier, longer, and more productive life, which is of course what I'm hoping for…" Again, Dr. Klinghardt provides free access to all his recipes on his web site, so to learn more about his treatment, please see <a href="www.KlinghardtAcademy.com">www.KlinghardtAcademy.com</a>.

-----------

There are two sides to this story and you've only shown one. Cannabis may be good for late stage chronic Lyme but make no mistake it is BAD for early stage chronic Lyme. This is when your immune system is TH2 dominant. Cannabis promotes TH2 (anti inflammatory) cytokines, meaning it will worsen your already severely imbalanced immune system (remember, your poor immune response is the reason you are sick). When you are late stage and TH1 (inflammatory) dominant it can be a life saver in that it returns the balance to TH1/TH2. But once that balance is achieved, you must use in moderation. There is no miracle cure. If you think cannabis is the cure to everything, you're gonna have a bad time.

----------

Vegan diet  is not near enough nutrition. People with extreme vitamin and electrolyte deficiencies, people with Lyme, need concentrated doses of highly bioavailable vitamins... Like organic organ meats, bone broth soup, organic eggs, organic vitamin c ( pure synergy company is the best) lots of salt, raw milk, etc. You need animal fats and protein if you have Lyme disease. I hate eating animals but, it's a necessary evil if you don't want to get sicker and sicker and fall into the abyss.

-----------

This oil doe nothing as I tried it for a long time. The only thing that stopped my Lyme was 18 straight months of IV Rocephin. After several relapses we went long-term and it worked. I was left with the damage that the infection left behind and underwent three cardiac catheter ablation surgeries to lessen the nerve damage.

After all those years of feeling pretty good i contracted another infection in October. Although I was getting sicker throughout the winter months I didn't realize how sick I was until recently when the tests lit-up like a Christmas tree.

During my long journey to health I encountered many witch doctors. Claims of all kinds of holistic and homeopathic regimens. I spent nearly $200,000 on nonsense over a 10 year period. There's no miracle cure for this disease.

---------------

I have been making my own hemp oil for a least 10 years. As far as I know Rick Simpson has been doing it around the same time.. There is alot of information that Rick does not give about the production of the oil. If you notice in his video the oil is very dark green to almost black. The green is chlorophyll. Plants need it to do photosynthesis. As far as I know it does not help with illness. But the CBD and THC does. My oil is honey colour to dark amber. I do not soak the weed so long as Rick. Therefore I do not get the green colour. I have found that the lighter the oil then the better tasting it is. Green oil tastes green. My oil tastes very different but not overpowering. It is very easy to make but can be very dangerous if you do not take the correct precautions. I usually make it in about 15 to 20 minutes. From first soak to

Chlorophyll DOES help with illness. It is a blood purifier and I have a theory that it is the concentrated amount of chlorophyll in the dark green rick simpson oil that does a lot of the healing. Not to take anything away from thc or cbd. I haven't tried it. I do have lyme disease and when im feeling unwell I take a liquid chlorophyll supplement made from alfalfa and it turns me right around. Chlorophyll is almost the same molecularly as human blood.

<ol>

<li>X) We have seen a rise in people with Lyme disease ordering raw aloe vera gel. I don't know if they are eating it to support their immune system, as a detox cleansing food, or, to help with gut damage that has been done from antibiotics that they took when they were diagnosed. Do any physicians reading this have insight? I do think it is great that more MD's are adding dietary recommendations to their treatment protocols.</li>

</ol>

Hi, Aloe vera, slippery elm, green tea, Valerian, gutamine, Vit A, zinc, thyroid medicine if needed and eating no gluten/dairy/soy/sugar...taking vitamins/good oils and LDN may heal the gut lining. Lymes people may be Celiac. Tests may not work to diagnose it...but getting that help may help the immune system and absorb more nutrients in the intestines and more.

I grow aloe in my window and I have pulled leaves off (even juiced them) and I noticed if I leave the leaf laying around it will not mold or rot no matter what, even after a couple weeks. So it must be a really good antibacterial and antifungal. That's probably part of the reason they would buy it, or for their yucky feeling stomache healing. People with chronic lyme will try anything. It could just be on their lists of things to try. See, now I want to try it too!

---------

"Under Our Skin," a critically acclaimed documentary and Oscar semi-finalist exposes the hidden story of Lyme disease, one of the most serious and controversial epidemics of our time. Slant Magazine calls it "head-spinning...riveting...a rigorously researched and highly thorough piece of investigative reporting."

<ol>

<li>I) Pleomorphic Microbes</li>

</ol>

The Hidden Cause of Cancer and Autoimmune Diseases

Walter Last

For nearly a century we had increasingly strong evidence for a common microbial cause of cancer and autoimmune diseases but now we also have visual proof. A newly developed research microscope can show us in great detail what happens in the blood of individuals who develop these diseases. What it shows is that the key for understanding their cause and cure is the rise, or perhaps better the uprising, of an endogenous microbe in the blood.

Based on the work of Louis Pasteur in the late 19th century the scientific community adopted the concept of  monomorphism. This means that microbes always maintain their basic shape as virus, bacterium or fungus. The term  pleomorphism, on the other hand, as coined by the French chemist and biologist Antoine  Béchamp  (1816–1908), refers to the ability of microbes to change from one form into another, similar to a caterpillar changing into a butterfly.

Historical Evidence

While a causal correlation between cancer and microbes has been shown only in a few rare or animal tumours, several independent researchers have reported the proliferation of certain microbes in all cancer patients. One of the first was the German professor of zoology and microbiology Günther  Enderlein  who described in 1925 the different stages of a microbe that is normally present in the blood as tiny colloidal protein units.

These protein units appear to originate from the natural breakdown of cellular components and may be essential for healthy blood. In degenerative diseases, especially cancer and autoimmune diseases, but also Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, these protein units grow into increasingly higher bacterial forms and finally into fungi. Conventionally these forms are called  Enderlein  structures  and are the basis of Live Blood Analysis as presently used in natural therapy.

Independently, mostly without knowing of each other's work, several other researchers - including Royal Raymond Rife, Wilhelm Reich, Virginia Livingston-Wheeler, Alan Cantwell and Gaston  Naessens  - have described the same phenomenon.   Orthodoxy, however, has a dogma that says microbes always have the same form and cannot change from viruses into bacteria and fungi. This is because orthodox microbiologists commonly observe dead stained microbes in dead tissue, or live ones for short periods, instead of live microbes in live tissue at very high magnification over long periods.

Of special interest are experiments of Dr Livingston-Wheeler who injected cultures of pleomorphic organisms into mice. When small amounts were injected then an autoimmune disease developed but higher doses produced tumours or cancer. Accordingly these cancer-forming microbes have often been called  cancer viruses  or  cancer microbes.

Mycoplasma

The growth cycle of pleomorphics includes a stage as cell-wall-deficient microbes or CWD. These may arise endogenously within our body or arrive from the outside asmycoplasma. Orthodox microbiology does not recognise that CWD can arise endogenously but  mycoplasma  are known since 1898 as the smallest group of bacteria.  The term "myco" indicates fungus-like properties while "plasma" points to the soft shell without a cell wall. They are actually living particles of bacterial nucleic acid and are regarded as being parasites in our body.

Mycoplasma  or their spores are so small that, like viruses, they go through bacterial filters and may contaminate blood used for transfusions. Often  mycoplasma  infections remain symptomless until one suffers a traumatic event or when health deteriorates for some other reason. Because of the missing cell wall  mycoplasma  do not respond to most antibiotics. Commonly  mycoplasma  infections are associated with the presence of other pathogenic microbes and parasites.

Of special interest are presently the microbes associated with Lyme disease which can naturally originate from tick bites. The bacteria that cause Lyme disease, the spiral-shaped  Borrelia, have been shown to exist in a bacterial as well as in a  mycoplasma  form and as spores. They also can hide from the immune system by using markers of normal body cells.

Modern Lyme disease started in 1975 as an epidemic in the town of Lyme, Connecticut, close to a biological warfare research laboratory. US government scientists hold a patent on behalf of the US Army for the crystalline  mycoplasma  fermentans. This semi-synthetic species appears to be much more dangerous than the natural variety (<a href="www.publichealthalert.org/Articles/scottforsgren/mycoplasma.htm">www.publichealthalert.org/Articles/scottforsgren/mycoplasma.htm</a>).

Mycoplasma  fermentans  is an important agent in several modern diseases which suddenly appeared in epidemic form such as AIDS, Lyme disease, Gulf War Syndrome, and Morgellons  disease. Various  mycoplasma  species are associated with pneumonia, bladder infections, endocrine dysfunctions, gastro-intestinal distress, and other conditions. A key problem with  mycoplasma  is their disruptive influence on cholesterol and other sterols, and even worse is the toxic effect of the  Borrelia  spirochete on our lipoproteins, thereby wrecking our fat metabolism.

The microbes of Lyme disease  may trigger hundreds of different symptoms and  have now been shown to mimic most chronic diseases, especially chronic fatigue conditions, fibromyalgia, and autoimmune diseases in general, but also mental conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, and Alzheimer's disease. Some of these, including Parkinson's disease, could be cured by eliminating the  mycoplasma  infestation (<a href="www.samento.com.ec/sciencelib/4lyme/Townsendhowens.html">www.samento.com.ec/sciencelib/4lyme/Townsendhowens.html</a>).

The new Microscope

A new concept in optical microscopy is the  grayfield  method as  developed by Kurt  Olbrich  (<a href="www.grayfieldoptical.com">www.grayfieldoptical.com</a>). This allows one to see detailed structures that are otherwise not even visible with conventional phase contrast microscopy. Now it is possible to observe the decomposition of live blood or the pleomorphic changes from spores or viral forms to bacteria and fungi in diseased blood.

Previous researchers of  pleomorpic  processes were restricted to a magnification of about 2000 times and a resolution of 200 nm while this method allows magnifications of up to 30,000 times and resolutions of less than 100 nm with great depth of focus in natural colours. Therefore everything can now be seen in much greater detail, and even be filmed. Orthodox microbiologists have used conventional analytical methods and theories to prove that the observed  Enderlein  structures are dead protein aggregates, but if they would instead use the  Olbrich  method and film the development and movement of these entities then they would be unable  to defend their dogma.

I recommend that you watch these two videos:  <a href="www.grayfieldoptical.com/humoral-pathology.html">www.grayfieldoptical.com/humoral-pathology.html</a>  runs for 22:34 minutes and shows the activity and development of pleomorphics in the blood. A longer video made earlier and of lesser quality but showing additional interesting facts is at  <a href="www.grayfieldoptical.com/symbiosis-or-parasitism.html">www.grayfieldoptical.com/symbiosis-or-parasitism.html</a>  (50:50 minutes). Disregard the scientific details of the explanations, and especially the difficult-to-understand names of the various microbes and processes, and just focus on what you see. Even watch it all a second time to let it better sink in.

Also see  <a href="www.grayfieldoptical.com/files/sanguinogramm.pdf">www.grayfieldoptical.com/files/sanguinogramm.pdf</a>  for detailed drawings and descriptions of the development cycle of these pleomorphic microbes. In the head of these club-shaped microbes one can see new spores or viruses evolving, and when the whole structure reaches a certain size the head explodes and releases a new batch of virus-sized particles into the blood. Immune cells or phagocytes gobble up these virus forms, but if there are too many they just continue to develop inside the phagocytes into club-shaped forms. These eventually break out again with large heads full of viruses that they release into the blood.

The Nature of Pleomorphics

These videos show that healthy blood is clean with well-formed red blood cells, also called erythrocytes. In addition there is a faintly perceptible background structure of tiny globules with a single tail. During an acute infection some of these globules grow much bigger and develop a second tail, but after the infection has cleared up they disappear again. If the body is generally more unhealthy or in a so-called pre-cancerous condition then these structures remain permanently visible as round or elongated club-shaped forms.

An interesting phenomenon is the movement of these globules in and out of erythrocytes. Pleomorphics live mainly on our blood sugar, and when it is high they are mainly outside in the plasma but with low blood sugar they move back into the erythrocytes where they find more food. Then after eating sweet food they come back out again.

As the immune system continues to deteriorate fungus-like forms with long threads develop and grow increasingly bigger. The rigid and flexible  fibers  shown in the pleomorphic videos reminded me of the weird-looking specimens of  Morgellons  disease that I once viewed. In this disease strange synthetic-looking  fibers  come out of the skin. This suggests to me that  Morgellons  may be the result of the crystalline  mycoplasma  species developed by the US Army.

The time-line shows that the first patent application was in 1986 and the final patent granted in 1993, while the term 'Morgellons  disease' was coined in 2002. Successful self-help methods for  Morgellons  on the Internet seem to be effective against  mycoplasma  in general. It appears that the US Army started experimenting with  mycoplasmasoon after the end of WW2 as suggested by several strange epidemics such as the Royal Free Epidemic of 1955 involving  Myalgic  Encephalitis, now more commonly called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia.

Large fungal forms are present at the end-stages of cancer and Aids. It is recognised that frequently the cause of death is due to systemic fungus infestations or mycoses. Conventional theory assumes that these are secondary to tumours or the AIDS virus, while the observed pleomorphic life cycle shows that these and their fungal stages are the primary cause why people die of cancer and probably AIDS. The reason for the lethal effects of severe mycoses is probably a combination of poisoning of the energy-producing mitochondria inside cells by fungal toxins and the destruction of erythrocytes by pleomorphics.

These pleomorphics not only fill the inside of red blood cells and deplete them of nutrients, they also form spines and long protrusions in the cell wall when they move out into the plasma. Someone with myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease, once mentioned that he was shocked to see that most of his red blood cells looked like black sea-urchins. These erythrocytes can no longer supply nutrients to the body and are quickly destroyed in the spleen.

This is the real cause of severe anaemia that is so common in advanced cancer and various other diseases. In the end stages of cancer nearly 100% of erythrocytes are strongly infested and dysfunctional. This then leads to  cachexia  (muscle wasting with extreme fatigue) as the leading cause of death in cancer and AIDS. However, as shown in the longer video, with special  Enderlein  vaccines even in advanced cancer the erythrocytes could be returned to health within one month with simultaneous shrinking of existing metastases.

You may wonder how it is possible for a single cause such as an overgrowth of the blood with pleomorphics to lead to many different diseases. The answer is basically the same as why a cyclone or hurricane can destroy one building and leave another one undamaged, or rips off the roof of one and causes water damage in another. When the immune system is severely weakened then any pathogens have free range, and the weakest organ will be the first to crumble.

Orgone Experiments

The new observations with a superior microscope also validate the orgone experiments of Wilhelm Reich who described similar microbial processes in the 1940's (The Cancer  Biopathy.  Farrar, Straus and Giroux, NY, 1973). He accepted only 'terminal' cancer patients and treatment was free. Commonly pain diminished, blood and weight improved, and tumours shrank or disappeared. Despite this, the patients died. From this he concluded that tumours are not an important part of the disease.

Reich's work was so threatening to the medical establishment that all of Reich's published books were burned and equipment destroyed under FDA supervision. Because he maintained that a court was not a proper place to discuss a scientific theory, he died 1957 in an US jail (<a href="www.wilhelmreichtrust.org/biography.html">www.wilhelmreichtrust.org/biography.html</a>).

His most important achievement, which I regard as the greatest scientific discovery of the last century, was the  bion  as the basic unit of biological life. He found that every kind of food and vegetable matter when heated to incandescence and then dropped into a sterile nutrient solution evolved into round moving or pulsating  bions  that appeared blue in dark-field or when viewed with a fluorescent microscope. Reich sacrificed fine structure details and observed mainly at 3000 - 5000x in order to better see colour and movements.

The stronger the blue colour, the higher the vitality of the entity. Under these conditions healthy erythrocytes have a blue appearance while dead ones are black. According to Reich this blue glimmer is the characteristic of bio-energy or life-force which he called orgone. It is present not only in all living matter but also in water and air. Orgone  originates in the sun and is transmitted by sunlight.  Bions, the biological units of orgone, may gradually aggregate and evolve into amoeba-like or protozoan structures.

Reich described another formation derived from degenerating proteins as T-bacilli, which stands for the German 'Todes  Bacilli' or 'death bacilli'. These can easily be cultivated from cancer tissue, the blood of patients with cancer or precancerous conditions, and also from degenerating blood. Injected in high doses they can kill mice within 24 hours, in lower doses they produce cancerous growths. They are black, lancet shaped and of similar size as described by  Olbrich.

Also interesting is the observation that the blue  bions  paralysed and killed the black T-bacilli and even the much bigger  proteus  bacilli. In the same way strongly blue erythrocytes killed T-cells and pathogenic bacteria, but thereby the erythrocytes lost some of their blue colour, indicating that their vitality diminished in the process.

When strongly charged red blood cells entered a tumour, cancer tissue started to disintegrate into non-motile T-bodies. But in addition also the red blood cells disappeared and only T-bodies remained visible. The tumour developed large cavities which filled up with T-bodies. Macroscopically the originally blood-red cavities turned into a rust brown colour from the disintegrating tumour and blood cells.

Reich observed that weak erythrocytes could be charged to become strongly blue and vital by using sunlight, and especially his orgone accumulator which concentrates orgone from the atmosphere. Some healers have the ability to channel strong bio-energy with their hands and to some degree even remotely with their mind.

Degenerating Blood

All cancers, autoimmune diseases and chronic infections seem to be associated with degenerating blood. This becomes apparent from the weak orgone charge of red blood cells and the presence of pleomorphic microbes in both plasma and erythrocytes. The weaker the blue colour and the more widespread and evolved the pleomorphics, the more is the blood degenerated and the more advanced is any chronic disease.

Also there is a concern that blood used for transfusions can be contaminated with  mycoplasma. This, as well as the formation of T-bacilli in degenerating blood, may be factors in the observation that transfusions often lead to worse outcomes than giving no blood (<a href="www.theheart.org/article/817715.do">www.theheart.org/article/817715.do</a>).

Therefore it is important for us to understand the conditions that cause blood to degenerate. A main cause is the presently widespread 'leaky gut syndrome'. In this condition the intestinal wall is permeable to microbial products present in the intestines, and also to only partly digested proteins which can now enter the blood. This greatly weakens not only the immune system, which tries to keep the blood clean, but also the vitality of red blood cells which become increasingly susceptible to invasion by pleomorphics. Leaky gut syndrome appears to be a frequent outcome of antibiotic and chemo therapy and of other drugs that interfere with our intestinal flora. This allows Candida and other pathogenic microbes to take over and invade the intestinal wall, causing inflammation and making it permeable.

Also contributing are chronic infections and inflammations in other parts of the body. Further implicated is anything that reduces our vitality, such as stress and worry, pharmaceutical and recreational drugs, processed food and nutritional deficiencies, exposure to microwaves and electromagnetic radiation, root canal treatment, fluoride and mercury as from amalgam fillings, and generally pollution of any kind.

According to Reich T-bacilli originate from the degeneration of every type of protein. This degeneration starts when proteins lose their vitality. We commonly experience two forms of protein degeneration: one comes from the inappropriate use of cooked food, and the other from gradually accumulating protein waste in our tissue.

Food can lose its vitality through cooking, storage or various mechanical processes. Food begins to lose vitality immediately after cooking, and a few hours later it has completely disappeared. Therefore, if we eat soon after cooking we still get much of the original vitality but the next day this cooked food may become a source of T-bacilli. In a similar way does fresh food lose its vitality during long or inappropriate storage or mechanical processing, and can then become unhealthy. This should not be a problem with properly dried food and baked products.

Another observation of Reich may provide a solution. If bions are mixed with T-bacilli then the latter will be eliminated. Therefore if we mix some fresh food high in vitality with devitalised food then the overall body reaction will be positive. This also ties in with    the observation that cooked food tends to cause digestive  leukocytosis. This is an increase of the number of white blood cells after eating cooked food, indicating the presence of something toxic, but this reaction does not occur after eating raw food. Apparently  leukocytosis  can be prevented by adding some raw food to cooked food.

The second form of protein degeneration is the accumulation of protein wastes inside cells and tissue. This commonly happens as we age, and is especially noticeable in all kinds of degenerative diseases. Up to 70% of the volume of some cells can be filled with stored decaying matter. This problem arises mainly from habitually eating proteins without their natural enzymes. Most of these enzymes are destroyed by heating over 45 degrees C. The solution is either to eat mainly raw food, or under-eat, or have periodic raw food cleanses.

Understanding Autoimmune Diseases

The mechanism of  mycoplasma  infections lets us understand the true nature of autoimmune diseases. During the acute initial stage of a bacterial infection the immune system eliminates most of the invading microbes but some of them manage to survive by hiding inside the cells of a vulnerable organ or gland. They may remain there, possibly in their  mycoplasma  form or even as spores, until the vitality of the host, and especially of the immune system, sufficiently decline.

Then they gradually come out again into the blood, but this time camouflaged by being clothed in the biological markers of the cells in which they have been hiding. This may work for some time but eventually the immune system looks through the deception and starts attacking these imposters. Unfortunately, genuine body cells with the same markers get attacked as well. This then leads to an autoimmune disease involving the organ or gland in which the original invaders had been hiding.

However, my own experience in addition to publications by others show that such autoimmune attacks can be stopped with appropriate natural therapies. To be successful the blood needs to be cleaned of the pleomorphics that weaken the immune system and the red blood cells. Then immune cells can also eliminate the disguised microbes with the deceptive markers from the blood. This eventually stops the attack of normal body cells with these markers. Any surviving invaders may hide again as spores in suitable host cells. Such spores may even be transmitted to the offspring.

Understanding Cancer

Cancer may start with a primary infection similar to that described for autoimmune diseases, or from pleomorphic microbes arising in tissue weakened by accumulated protein waste. In this case the body contains the microbial infestation by encapsulating it. This is similar some trees forming bark tumours when stung by certain wasps. As long as the blood is clean a tumour is just a tumour, not malignant and not a cancer.

However, if the blood becomes infested with pleomorphics, often in response to an emotional trauma, the encapsulated microbes start multiplying and develop into higher forms. They produce growth hormones which cause the tumour to expand. Now the tumour is malignant but still contained. This situation may persist for many years with the tumour slowly growing or becoming dormant for long periods, depending on the vitality of the body and the strength of the immune system.

Eventually, after many years, and with a worsening pleomorphic presence in the blood, some tumours may form distant metastases. But the trend in modern medicine is to remove even small tumours. This now allows more dangerous microbes to spill into the blood, and dormant micro-metastases already present to spring into life years earlier than they would otherwise have done (<a href="www.health-science-spirit.com/cancersurgery.htm">www.health-science-spirit.com/cancersurgery.htm</a>).

However, even these metastases do not normally kill the patient. Commonly tumours only kill directly if they press on vital body structures. Instead, most cancer patients die from  cachexia  - severe weight-loss and muscle wasting. The cause of this  cachexia  is progressive anaemia due to the destruction of most erythrocytes by pleomorphics. This is the main cause of death from cancer.

Regenerating the Blood

It should now be obvious that the most important requirement to overcome a chronic disease, or to become really healthy and make our body disease-proof, is the regeneration of our blood. We need to remove any higher  pleomorphic  forms, and recharge our red blood cells with vital energy. This is the goal. When the blood has been regenerated then the immune system seems to be capable of eliminating  pleomorphic  invaders also in  tumours  and affected organs. This then shrinks  tumours  and stops autoimmune attacks.

Our effort may start with  sanitising  the gastro-intestinal tract by using a combination of anti-microbial remedies and suitable  probiotics  or fermented foods. Continue this for several months or until any related disease symptoms are under control. For a recommended program see  <a href="www.health-science-spirit.com/ultimatecleanse.html">www.health-science-spirit.com/ultimatecleanse.html</a>. Combine this with a high-quality diet high in fresh raw food (e.g.  <a href="www.health-science-spirit.com/HF2-1.html">www.health-science-spirit.com/HF2-1.html</a>), preferably a moderate exercise program and suitable outdoors activity. Try to minimize the negative factors mentioned in the previous section.

In addition pay attention to blood in meat products. Blood that is low in vitality disintegrates rapidly into pathogenic  pleomorphics, and especially T-bacilli. This shows the wisdom of ritual slaughter whereby the blood is drained from the animal. This is supported by the holy books and religious traditions of meat-eating societies, not only in Islam and Judaism, but also based on Bible traditions in early Christianity. In contrast,  fresh  and  healthy  blood is a powerful healing agent and has been used for transfusions to cure cancer.  The  Masai  rarely eat meat but typically drink  fresh  blood of their cattle mixed with  raw  milk. Zulu tribes also drink  fresh  animal blood, and  Mongols would drink blood from one of their horses.

Live blood analysis  (LBA), also called  Hemaview, can be very useful to monitor the microbial condition of the blood. LBA uses high-resolution dark field microscopy to observe live blood components in a drop of fresh blood, some use also the even better  grayfield  method. Try to find a practitioner who focuses on microbes in the blood and not mainly on nutritional issues.

Look especially for visible microbes in the plasma. Interpret spikes, inclusions and deformities of red blood cells (RBCs) as microbial infestations rather than nutritional. Also look for aggregation, stickiness or clumping of RBCs. Get images and compare them every 2 to 3 months. This may show you which  microbicides  and cleansing methods are most effective.

Rational Cancer Treatment

Some special consideration may be appropriate for overcoming cancer, especially if a large  tumour  or metastases are  present. There are several possibilities.

You may focus mainly on restoring vitality. Wilhelm Reich did this with his orgone accumulator. Even when tumours disappeared many patients died, presumably from the toxic effect of disintegrating large tumours which overloaded the organs of elimination.

The  Gerson  Diet is based on fresh vegetable juices to provide vitality and strongly focuses on eliminating the generated toxins. This gives it a much better success rate. However, it often leads to massive inflammations or healing crises when the immune system starts attacking the pleomorphics and any tumours. One also needs to be careful not to unduly raise the blood sugar level when drinking juices of sweet vegetables, such as carrots - at least half of such juices should be from green-leaf vegetables, and be sipped gradually.

Inflammatory crises can be avoided by greatly restricting food intake as with the Grape Diet on about 1 kg of grapes spaced out during the day, or with the  Breuss  Diet on half a litre of fresh vegetable juice sipped during the day. Both programs are scheduled to last for 6 weeks. With this approach the body tends to auto-digest any tumours, and the pleomorphics starve to death, but one needs to have reasonably good weight and energy to start with. Alternatively one may use several periodic raw-food cleanses of shorter duration.

Still another approach is to alkalise the body. Professor  Enderlein  found that pleomorphic structures dissolved in an alkaline milieu. We cannot make the blood more alkaline then its natural slightly alkaline pH of about 7.4, but we can make the lymph system alkaline and with this any tumours. This may be done with different versions of sodium bicarbonate therapy, and to a more extreme degree with caesium chloride. This may eliminate tumours without much inflammation and also helps to clean the blood.

A variety of antimicrobial remedies and devices have been used for which there is widespread anecdotal and often also research evidence of efficacy. Most of these have strong antifungal properties and tend to work without generating strong inflammations. It appears that they mainly clean the blood. Without the presence of pleomorphics tumours just seem to fade away.

Some well-known examples are olive leaf extract, pau d'arco extract, borax, non-acidified sodium chlorite, kerosene, gum turpentine, and Lugol's iodine solution; ozone and hydrogen peroxide if used intravenously; electronic zapper, and various electronic devices, such as the Rife Frequency Generator, which radiate specific frequencies to destroy pleomorphics. Jim Humble (<a href="http://humblemiraclemineral.com/">http://humblemiraclemineral.com/</a>) claims success with intensive MMS therapy but this is difficult to evaluate because of severe harassment and suppression by the FDA.  Minocycline  and  Doxycycline  are conventional antibiotics that work for CWD bacteria and have been successful with various autoimmune diseases when used in very low doses over long periods. However, care must be taken to add antifungal remedies and probiotics, and I regard the non-pharmaceutical antimicrobials as being more effective.

My own preference is to combine a high-quality diet with periodic raw-food cleanses, alkalising the body, and long-term use of moderate amounts of periodically changing antimicrobial remedies and devices. I also like vitalising the blood by exposing the veins under the arms and inside of the legs to sunlight. Continue these efforts until the blood appears to be clean and/or tumours have disappeared or are apparently dormant. For details see  <a href="www.the-heal-yourself-series.com/OvercomingCancer.html">www.the-heal-yourself-series.com/OvercomingCancer.html</a>. The same approach is also suitable for autoimmune diseases and other degenerative conditions.

Conventional medicine cannot adequately explain how tumours kill patients. The available evidence leads me to conclude that tumours are more or less harmless, and that it is mainly the blood contamination with pleomorphic microbes which is the real killer in cancer, AIDS and various other diseases.