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Alternatives in the Treatment of Lyme Disease
By Suzanne Arthur
"There is a reason so many Lyme sufferers seek out alternative treatments. It is not because they are insane, uneducated, overly hysterical, stupid, or gullible. It is because they are ill, they know they are ill, and because conventional medical treatment has not worked for them." - Stephen Harrod Bruhner, Healing Lyme: Natural Healing and Prevention of Lyme Borreliosis and Its Coinfections
The annual number of new cases of Lyme borreliosis disease occurring in the United States is unknown due to many factors, namely under-diagnoses, misdiagnoses and unreliable tests. The National Institute of Health classifies Lyme as a rare disease, yet at the same time the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases estimates that there are 100,000 cases of annual occurrence. Harvard researchers and Lyme-literate physicians believe that up to 200,000 new cases of Lyme occurring in the U.S. each year, and that the number of people infected grows each year.
Guidelines published in October, 2006 by the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) list many of the current treatments for Lyme disease as "not recommended," declaring that Lyme can be cured with a 14 - 28 day course of antibiotics.
People diagnosed with Lyme believe the disease is neither rare nor easy to cure. Physicians who are well-versed in treating their patients with Lyme often use high dosages of long-term antibiotics. Patricia Smith is president of the Lyme Disease Association (LDA), and vice president of political action for the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society. Smith reported that immediately after the guidelines were published Lyme patients started contacting the LDA anxious that their insurance companies would now refuse to pay for long-term antibiotics, a common method of treatment for chronic Lyme. Although the IDSA maintains that the guidelines are not enforced, the reality is that insurance companies can rationalize their refusal to fulfill physician's prescriptions by pointing to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), which published the guidelines on their web site.
"Lyme disease is an epidemic in this country," says cardiologist and medical researcher Lee Cowden, MD. Lyme's ability to mimic hundreds of other diseases adds to the confusion. Cowden believes that most of the diseases "considered incurable by conventional medicine have some kind of Lyme component." The disease is spread through black-legged ticks, but Lyme-literate doctors suspect that the disease is spread through sexual intercourse and other means.
"It's in mosquitoes too," says physician and researcher JoAnn Whitaker, MD, of the Bowen Research Laboratory in Florida. The lab is responsible for a recently patented test for Lyme that is reportedly more reliable than the Western Blot, the test typically used to detect Lyme antibodies. The Bowen Research Laboratory's blood test, called the Q-RiBb, tests for the antigens themselves. Dr. Whitaker believes that fleas, mosquitoes and any blood-sucking organism can carry Lyme bacteria unless it has a body temperature high enough to kill the bacteria. "I think this is the most prevalent disease there is," she says.
Although many Lyme patients have had success with long-term antibiotics, many patients being treated with antibiotics have recovered 100% for months or even years only to suffer a relapse. Lyme patients are a varied group, one Lyme-literate physician reminded attendees at the 2006 Lyme conference in Philadelphia. He advised them not to take "a one-size fits all approach" with treatment.
As Patricia Smith and others have noted, due to the controversy and confusion around the disease, Lyme patients recognize the importance of conducting their own research into the symptoms and stages of this multi-stage disease. Anyone who begins to dip their toe in the research quickly becomes aware of the politics around the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme. People diagnosed with Lyme are often at odds with the medical community, many of whom perceive the patient as the enemy, not as a person with a disease.
Many people explore alternatives such as nutritional supplements to help restore their energy and cope with side effects of the antibiotics. Patients are often prescribed antibiotics and never told about the side effects, or about the simple ways to avoid them. Some patients delve into alternatives as they lose confidence in conventional treatment. Some patients simply can't afford to seek out a Lyme-literate doctor and enlist their help. To patients who are under-insured or not insured at all, the alternatives are a pro-active path they must explore because they are sick. They want to get better, and their symptoms motivate them to find ways to heal. As anybody who has ever googled a cure for the common cold can tell you, there is no shortage of information about healing alternatives online.
Many of these alternatives to antibiotics are compelling, and when conducting research it is clear that members of the virtual Lyme community are genuine, highly motivated and sophisticated in their knowledge of the disease, its effects and the array of alternative therapies available.
Patients learn that while following a protocol for healing Lyme, it is critical to address detoxification of heavy metals in the body such as mercury from amalgam dental fillings, exposure to lead poisoning and the use of aluminum pots and pans. Adopting a sound nutritional diet without sugar, alcohol and caffeine is also important. All of those substances cause havoc to a compromised immune system. Sugar feeds Lyme bacteria and caffeine causes inflammation. Alcohol contains sugar, depresses the immune system, and inflames the liver.
Lee Cowden not only suspects Lyme bacteria as a root cause for autoimmune diseases, he also lists neuro-degenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, cardiac-arrhythmias, gastrointestinal diseases, MS, ALS, Parkinson's, ADDHD, and autism. "I've found that if you can start working on the Lyme and the toxins, then a lot of these labels go away," he says.
How is Lyme disease contracted and spread? The question only seems to invite more controversy to a growing population of Lyme sufferers seeking answers. However, one thing is becoming clear. "Only a very small percentage of those have contracted Lyme disease through a tick bite, the way conventional medicine thinks," warns Dr. Cowden.
Stephen Harrod Buhner concurs. Author of Healing Lyme: Natural Healing and Prevention of Lyme Borreliosis and Its Coinfections, Buhner says although transmission through a tick bite is still believed to be the most common way of contracting the disease, he notes, "little research has been conducted on other routes of transmission." Lyme spirochetes "are passed not only through tick bites but also through other mechanisms. Once they infect people they can be found in breast milk, in tears, in semen, and in urine. Babies have been infected in the womb," he writes.
Buhner, a master herbalist, conducted intensive research of Lyme borreliosis in preparation for his 2005 book, Healing Lyme. In the course of his research, he says, he expected to find that nonpharmaceutical alternatives were not included in any mainstream medical discussion about treatment. But he was surprised by something else he discovered, which is, "that a significant amount of reputable research is being ignored by the mainstream medical community." If Lyme spirochetes are known to be passed through sexual intercourse, for example, one must wonder why the CDC is turning a deaf ear to that research.
While battle lines are drawn in the medical community about diagnosis, treatment and prevention, Lyme patients continue to grow more sophisticated in their understanding of the effects of Lyme disease, and they continue to try to help themselves heal from Lyme, through conventional therapy, alternatives and a combination of both.
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Being Aware With Acute and Chronic Lyme Disease Symptoms
By Michael JR Green
Severe Lyme disease symptoms can resolve all of a sudden anywhere from a only some days to more than a few weeks while Never-ending Lyme disease will little by little engraft into the internal situation of the affected person.
Acute Lyme disease can be treated simply and effectively with a sole or recipe of antibiotics similar to penicillin, doxycycline and amoxicillin.
Lyme disease symptoms regularly begin with flu-like feelings. The Lyme disease symptoms are headache, fever, muscle pains, weakness, and stiff neck. Afterward the tick's bite, about few days or one month after it, around 60% of Light-skinned patients experience an erythema migrans (EM) - an enlarging inflammation. Dark skinned people experience bruise.
The flu-like symptoms, which are actually Lyme disease symptoms, can last as long as the treatment, even as there may also be minor emotional and mental manifestations similar to temper swings, sleep problems and concentrating difficulties.
Analgesics can be taken for muscle and joint pain as well as drugs that lessen the body temperature. Treatment lasts from one to two months. First indications should immediately be taken care without hesitation. The first common sign is a bull's-eye rash that goes on flu-like symptoms such as fever, body weakness, joint, muscle pain and chills. Unusual symptoms in acute Lyme disease include palpitations, heart block and neurologic symptoms like changed mental condition and neuroborreliosis, the central nervous system disorder. There is a potential for Lyme disease to go through an out of sight phase in its switch commencing acute to Never-ending disease. Severe symptoms can disappear for weeks, months or even years prior to recurring in extra harsh appearances.
Fractional Lyme disease symptoms:
Physicians are likely to misidentify premature Lyme disease on behalf of flu, and later on, they experience a few non-specific symptoms together with a variety of difficulties with different body organs. This is just a partial listing of Lyme disease symptoms, because there are additional than three hundred signs in the medical glossary implying Lyme disease infection. The previously mentioned report is not a diagnostic tool, but the intention is to submit a base for you to have a dialogue with your personal physician about the immeasurable Lyme disease.
Non-specific Lyme disease symptoms: Sore throat, night sweats, severe fatigue, and inflamed glands
Digestion: Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain (especially in kids), and diarrheas are several of the leading digestive problems of Lyme disease symptoms.
Heart: some of the main Lyme disease: Vasculitis - inflammation of the wall of blood vessels including veins , arteries and capillaries Carditis, Pancarditis - the inflammation of the heart or its surroundings Myocarditis - inflammation of the myocardium, the muscular part of the heart.
Muscles: Joint inflammation and pain are the most common of Lyme disease symptoms: Arthritis that transfers from joint to joint cause damage to the joints of the body As a result: Loss of muscle tone, muscle ache. Bell's palsy - paralysis of the facial nerve resulting in inability to control facial muscles on the affected side,
Nervous System: Meningoencephalitis - both meningitis (an inflammation of the meninges- the system of cells membranes which envelops the central nervous system), and encephalitis, which is an illness or inflammation of the brain Neurosyphilis - an infection of the brain or spinal cord, Encephalitis - an acute inflammation of the brain, spinal nerve root pain, tremors and shakes. Results: Deficit reflexes, irregular blood flow in brain, confusions, mood swings and speech difficulties - those are the major nervous system difficulties indicating severe Lyme disease symptoms and condition, remembrance loss, sleep problems, dementia, panic attacks, and neurotic disorder.
Skin: People who catch Lyme disease repeatedly get a rash. Usually it shapes a bull's-eye pattern of red and white rings around the tick bite. Later on the might develop Lyme disease symptoms as Paresthesia - A skin sensation, such as burning, prickling, itching, or tingling, with no apparent physical cause. Sensory feeling; Tingling and numbness.
Reproductive System: People who are sick with Lyme disease might have Urine control problems. The might have problem to bring to an end the flow of urine from the bladder. Other signs of Lyme disease are Bowel incontinence - the loss of bowel control, resulting in involuntary passage of stool. Men might to have testicular pain - feeling pain in the testicles. Sexual dysfunction.
Women might have problems all through pregnancy - miscarriage, and delayed baby development. Several of the Lyme disease are indicative of illnesses as the following:
Multiple Sclerosis - Disease that affects the central nervous system.
Parkinson's disease - Central nervous system disorder that impairs the motor skills and speech, as well as other tasks.
Alzheimer- a progressive and fatal brain disease, the most common form of dementia. Alzheimer's destroys the brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior.
Chronic Lyme disease:
30-50% of acute Lyme disease patients go on to expand chronic Lyme disease symptoms. Additionally, a few earlier present but without symptoms patients may make active their disease following a variety of anxieties such as trauma, surgery, pregnancy, coexisting illness, antibiotics treatment, or harsh emotional stress.
Never-ending Lyme disease is especially dangerous because the manifestations are much more severe moreover; there is no fixed medicine for it. It cannot be efficiently treated with antibiotics thus there are certain and individualized approaches in caring for patients in the Chronic shape. The effects are calling for long-term antibiotic use plus other therapies.
There is more controversy revolving around the medicinal treatment approach. The interaction of more than a few drugs and the chronic intake of antibiotics can prove to be overwhelming for the liver, kidneys and blood circulation as well.
Chronic antibiotic intake can result to the patient being immune-compromised. Steroid therapy may be indicated. Since the effects and counter-effects of a variety of treatments that are not yet established, a fixed treatment cannot be fully guaranteed only through medicine.
Immune responses due to bacterial invasion are compromised at times making the person vulnerable to acquiring other diseases.
Additional examination is necessary for constant Lyme disease since its pathogenesis, the system by which Lyme disease is caused, is not entirely recognized. In addition, more than a few manifestations suggestive to those of other diseases making it difficult for doctors to diagnose correctly. The person may have acquired a new illness but still show the similar of late phase of Lyme disease symptoms. Currently, Doctors and medical researchers are studying fresh healing alternatives to purposely individualize care plans for Lyme disease patients.
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Lyme Disease - How One Tick Bite Can Affect Your Health
By Sergey Kalitenko
Do you feel like something is going disastrously wrong with your body and nobody knows what the hell you are going through? You may be suffering from Lyme disease which is caused by Borrelia Burgdorferi and transmitted by ticks. One tick bite can be the reason of the disaster. But you may hardly notice it or even be unaware of tick bite because of its small size.
How long do you think it takes to recognize an new disease? 2 years? 10 years?
It took them 3 years to discover HIV disease; first observed in 1980 and recognized in 1983. So on average no less then 5 years sounds reasonable. Take a wild guess, how may years did it take for modern medical science to discover Lyme?
It was first medically determined as an illness by Reverend Dr. John Walker in 1764. It was 1982, when they found the bug itself - Borrelia Burgdorferi. And only then they confirmed, that it comes from the tick saliva. It took them 218 years to figure out what was going on. And they had modern equipment and resources.
How did it happen, that the HIV virus 120 nanometers in size was discovered 72 times faster, that the Lyme disease spirochete, which is 12,000 times bigger then the HIV virus - 10 micrometers in size?
If you look at it under the microscope, you will see snakes. The causative agent of Lyme disease Borrelia Burgdorferi looks like a snake, as well as syphilis. Somehow it was very difficult to identify those microorganisms that look like snakes.
Even though a lot of famous people, like Guy de Maupassant, Ivan the Terrible, Edouard Monet, Al Capone, Hitler, Mussolini, Cortez, Scott Joplin, Lord Randolf Churchill etc. were suffering from syphilis, it took them 419 years to find out what was going on. First time syphilis was described was in 1494: it was an outbreak among French troops, besieging Naples. It was 1913, when the cause of syphilis Treponema Pallidum was discovered. I was wondering why so many famous people were infected with syphilis. Were they promiscuous or were they getting inspiration from passion?
So what is common between Lyme disease and Syphilis, except that both of them are cause by snake like bugs? Why is it so difficult to deal with them? Because both of them are great imitators.
Do you think, if it is so difficult for scientists to identify Lyme, it is easy in the regular doctor's office? No, if you are not looking for it. However, if you are suspecting it then yes, it is easy.
Snakes are dangerous, sure. But if you know about the danger then you can protect yourself. If you see a snake approaching, you can run away or kill it. If you are bitten by it, you can always get and antiserum and eventually get well. But this is not the case when you deal with Lyme. It is poppy seed sized innocent looking tick, that bites you. Often you don't even know about it - not like snakes! The danger is not only because the tick is so small. It makes your skin numb so that you do not feel the bite. That is how smart it is. In fact, it is also a victim of the main problem - Borrelia Burgdorpheri. It is actually an pandemia among tics themselves: about 50% of them are infected. So if you are bitten by a tick, you have 50% chances, that is was infected. The scary thing is: besides Lyme you can get other serious illnesses from it like Babesiosis and Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis.
Have you ever seen a bull's eye? That is how Lyme starts. First thing you might see what is called and described as a "bull's eye" lesion: the red ring with dark red sometimes indurated center inside at the tick bite site. Unfortunately it often goes unnoticed. Or you may never have rash.
Soon after initial invasion, Lyme disease starts to spread. It goes into the skin, causing rashes, muscles, tendons, joints, that causes pains. Also it goes into the heart and nervous system including brain. The result is devastating: you may experience myriad of disabling symptoms from dizziness, fatigue, depression, fibromyalgia, insomnia and palpitations to frank psychosis, heart block and paralysis.
Is there any remedy for this horrible disease? With the help of modern western medicine and with all its antibiotics there should be a remedy. And medical researchers came up with antibiotic regimens, that should kill the bug right away. It was the perfect time for them to declare victory. What they did not know was: Lyme disease would arise so many controversies and debates that even politicians would get involved. This almost never happened in medicine before.
So what seemed to be the problem?
If you buy a shirt or pants and you realize that it does not fit what do you do? You get another one or a full refund. Same thing happened with Lyme patients. Up to one third of Lyme patients were not getting better despite treatment. So they went to their doctors, saying, that additional treatment may be necessary. But antibiotics are expensive. So medical researches did 4 controlled double blind studies. Two of them showed benefits of long treatment, another two did not. So what did the official medicine do?
October 2007. The most respected US medical journal "New England Journal of Medicine" (NEJM) publishes the review, dedicated to "Chronic Lyme disease". Conclusion: not scientifically justified, no need for a long antibiotic treatment. But in 1999 the doctors leaded by Jarrno Oksi, from Turku University, Department of Medical Microbiology, Kiinamyllynkatu 13, FIN-20520, Turku, Finland, decided to really check what is going on and that is what they found: "We conclude that the treatment of Lyme Borreliosis with appropriate antibiotics for even more than 3 months may not always eradicate the spirochete (Borrelia Burgdorferi - SK) ". May be the reviewers from NEJM did not read this article? Or may be they did not think it was significant enough to change their minds?
Unfortunately that was not all.
Do you remember all your mosquito bites and pimples last summer? Of course not. 50% of patients could not remember a tick bite. Remember: it is like a poppy seed. About 50% of patients do not have typical bullseye rash or do not remember it. Therefore they were presenting with nonspecific symptoms, not suggestive of Lyme.
Sounds very simple: if you do not know what it is - get the blood test done! CDC recommends to do antibody detecting test called ELISA first, and then if it is positive, proceed with another antibody detecting immunologic test, called Western blot. What if the patient cannot make antibody? Or the genetic material is different from the local type, used to make the test? May be just the sensitivity of the tests is low?
What this means is: they may be testing you for Lyme, specific for your region, but you might get it somewhere else, which is different from they are testing for.
Think about it: if you have enough antibody to defend yourself, that can be detected, would you be sick? Much less likely, because your body is fighting. But what if your body could not defend itself? Cannot make antibodies to attack the bug? Or you produce too little? Then you get really sick, because you do not have a weapon to protect yourself. And the Lyme tests will be negative, so they cannot even officially diagnose you with Lyme. It is called seronegative Lyme disease. That is when you are really in trouble, because you are sick, but you tests are negative or equivocal. It is like being at gunpoint in front of the attacker. I wonder, how George W. Bush - the president of the United States - was treated, when he was diagnosed with what appeared to be Lyme in 2006? Was he getting 21 days of antibiotics, or for months? This is probably classified and will remain the mystery.
But why so many fights? Why they even had to make special laws in Connecticut and Rhode Island to protect doctors, who were doing what they believed was right for their patients - treating them according to their clinical judgment? Why nobody is so excited about how many days you may be treated for urinary tract infection, but everybody goes crazy about treatment of Lyme?
September 2006. North Carolina Court House. Unusual civil lawsuit was filed here. It was not a class action lawsuit against a large corporation we used to read about in the newspapers every day. It was just the opposite. A large health care insurance company Blue Cross and Blue Shield or North Carolina was suing a prominent doctor Joseph Jamsek, specializing in Lyme and HIV treatments, for a huge sum of 100 million dollars for insurance fraud. Apparently this doctor did not have a lot of money, because he had to go bankrupt. Not only because he could not pay 100 million dollars. Because he could not even afford to fight with the health insurance company. But what did he do? Did he steal money from insurance? No. Did he steal money from patients? No. Did he receive kickbacks? Not that they know of.
What he did was: he was treating his Lyme patients according to what he thought was right for them. He was treating his Lyme patients according to International Lyme And Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) recommendations. What the insurance company wanted him to do was to treat Lyme patients as per Infections Disease Society of America (IDSA) recommendations.
But what is the difference between two of them? Both are non for profit, both of them are made by doctors, both of them are not government branches. The difference is: IDSA recommended treatment is much much cheaper, then ILADS recommended. So which one the health insurance company prefer? And who do you think won?
But health insurance companies are not always that lucky.
2006. Connecticut. Attorney General's office. Mr. Richard Blumenthal is facing reelection in November 2006. This is the same Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who was presenting himself as a Vietnam veteran, that did not match his military records as per New York Times. He is very well aware of the patient's rage because of insurances denial to pay for long Lyme treatment. He meets with the Lyme activists. This is not the first time he meets with them. In 1999 he initiated the hearings about insurance coverage for long term treatment for Lyme. At that time patients won. What about now?
Health Insurance companies denied payments for treatments because Infections Disease Society of America (IDSA) does not recommend prolonged treatment for Lyme. These recommendations are written by the IDSA panel of experts. And Attorney General Mr. Blumenthal looks for a motive. And here it is: 5 of the 14 panel members had undisclosed conflict of interests. Moreover IDSA had bias appointing the chairman, refused to accept the information about chronic Lyme disease, "blocked appointment of scientists and physicians with divergent views on chronic Lyme", etc.
You do not need more proof.
Despite evidence collected by Mr. Blumenthal, the investigation was closed in 2008 without any charges against IDSA. However, the IDSA promised to revise their recommendations for Lyme disease. And they issued their new recommendations in 2010. Do you think there were any changes? Not at all.
As per IDSA they spent close to 1 million dollars for revising guidelines and legal fees. I wonder where they got such a huge sum from? Who paid for this? Doctors? Somebody else?
But still live became easier for doctors and patients: in 2009 Connecticut and then Rhode Island passed the laws, protecting doctors from sanctions for long Lyme disease treatment.
What is the reason of such serious disagreement between to groups of Lyme experts: IDSA and ILADS? To me it is unlikely, that all the experts had bias. Because they became doctors to help people. This is the doctor's nature. Or may be the difference in opinions was used by health insurance companies to make more profit?
There is nothing wrong with the difference in opinions. This is human nature. It is like the difference between religion and science. Religion and Science have two very different views on things but the differences between the two of them does not mean, that either one of them is wrong.
Therefore IDSA has reasonable guide lines, based on the very strict Lyme diagnostic criteria. But ILADS makes a very strong point, that Lyme cannot be diagnosed by official criteria.
What if there is something else going on? May be it is not only Lyme? Or maybe we have a real problem with finding Lyme spirochete itself?
Look what the government is saying: according to CDC "During the 15-year study period, the number of cases reported increased 101%, from 9,908 cases in 1992 to 19,931 cases in 2006". And they are not trying to find out why?
Now forget about doctors and science, insurance companies and politicians. Use your common sense. How is it that in 15 years it increased 2 times? Did they start a food stamp program for ticks so that they could bite so many more people? Or may be they opened subsidized housing in the woods so that hungry ticks are now able to bite every person available? Not that I know of. It should be the opposite trend, because of awareness about Lyme. More people are using repellents, more people are avoiding woods, the government is deploying various measures. So is this silent epidemic a mystery?
Obviously there are no more ticks. Obviously there are probably less tick bites. The only plausible explanation of this rapid growth of Lyme is improving diagnosis. But if the growth is so fast, it means that our ability to diagnose it by lab tests are very poor. This is with all modern technology, Internet and supercomputers? Could there be one thing, that can explain Lyme elusive nature?
1684. Delft, Netherlands. All neighbors, customers and friends of the smart child of basket maker Antonie van Leeuwenhoek are amazed, how hardworking he is. Antonie is working days and nights to produce his invention - lenses. But what his friends, neighbors and customers did not know was: he was just pretending to be working. Because the secret technology of making lenses was very easy: he just put glass rods into the flame, pulled it apart, then put the small whiskers into the flame again. That is how he createed the small glass ball, which was in fact a high quality lens. He was afraid, that if everybody realized how easy it was, he would lose his business. But why did he make lenses?
To see what has never seen before - the bacteria kingdom. What he saw was so fascinating that he wrote to the Royal Society in London: "The number of these animicules in the scurf of a man's teeth are so many that I believe they exceed the number of men in a kingdom." What he was looking at was dental plague. What he did not realize was: he was the first man on earth who was looking at the biofilm. Do you brush your teeth? In fact what you are doing is - you remove biofilm from your teeth. What is this innocently looking monster?
Biofilm is where dangerous bacteria are hiding. They create a labyrinth of polymeric fibers on an appropriate surface with small holes and pockets, that are bacteria citadels. That is where they hide and cannot be detected by lab tests. That is where they cannot be hit by antibiotics. That is where they are waiting for better times to go out and hit again. That is why biofilms are so dangerous. Maybe they are rare and not significant in the everyday practice? In fact opposite is true.
Biofilms take place in 80% of all diseases. And Lyme is one of them. Lyme is not measles, not common cold, that is designed to hit fast and to spread to another person. Lyme is designed to live long time in the host - ticks, deers and may be humans. That is why it is so elusive. This is because Lyme is making biofilm and hiding in it! That is why sometimes it is not being identified in the blood tests! That is why it often does not respond to antibiotics! Want proof?
Dr. Eva Sapi, a professor of cellular and molecular biology at the University of New Haven, is doing cancer research. But suddenly she starts suffering from brain swelling. Clinically she had Lyme but her tests were negative. So she had to start her own research. What she along with Dr. McDonald found was: ticks bear other pathogens like mycoplasma along with Lyme spirochete. And they can be hiding in the Biofilms! I wonder why the revised 2010 year recommendations for Lyme disease management by Infections Disease Society of America (IDSA) do not say a word about such an important discovery. It was their expert's job to take this into consideration. Or may be they did not wanted to? What was the reason behind this? Looks like the experts of IDSA did not appreciate Dr. Sapi and Dr. McDonald's work. But the ordinary people did: they gave Oscar nomination for the movie "Under your skin" dedicated to Dr. Sapi and Dr. McDonald's work. They do deserve to be praised, because the fact, that Lyme is hiding in the biofilm can explain the treatment failures. So may be we should break the biofilm before treating Lyme?
Bottom line is simple:
1. If you were bitten by a tick and experienced rash - come for evaluation, because the sooner you get treatment - the higher your chances for recovery.
Even if you were not bitten by a tick, but had symptoms, suggestive of Lyme disease like rash, you may benefit from evaluation for Lyme anyway, because often tick bites are unrecognized.
Get better with Lyme treatment by taking antibiotics that hit the Lyme bugs in their hidden places, where they are hiding!
Disclaimer:
Opinions here do not reflect the opinion of American Boards of Medical Professions, FDA or other government agencies. This article is not intended to medically advise individuals and should only be used for informational purposes. In addition, this article is not intended to make any health statements. Please consult your primary physician before making any medical decisions.
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New Tests and Treatments for Lyme Disease
By Suzanne J Arthur
Once assumed to be a regional disease largely confined to the
northeastern United States and spread by bacteria carried only by deer
ticks, Lyme experts now report that cases of the illness have been
documented in every state. There is also evidence to suggest that it
can be spread through other means, including mosquitoes and body
fluids. According to JoAnne Whitaker, M.D., of Bowen Research
Laboratory in Florida, "Lyme disease isn't just a tick-borne
infection. I have found the bacteria in every single mosquito that I've
examined, from blood all over California and all over Florida. Dr.
Whitaker believes that "Lyme is the most prevalent disease
there is."
Dr. Tod Thoring is a naturopath and the owner of Pacific Natural
Medicine and Skin Care Centre in Arroyo Grande, California. In his
family practice, Thoring has observed a steady increase in the
frequency of patients with Lyme. Although the evidence suggests that
Lyme is on the rise throughout the country, many people have been told
by medical professionals that Lyme disease does not exist in California.
"The medical community is in its infancy in learning about
this disease," says Dr. Thoring.
Lyme is considered a difficult disease to diagnose and treat. Lyme
symptoms mimic hundreds of other diseases, and has prompted the medical
community's nickname for the disease: the new Great Imitator. The Lyme
bug is a spirochete, the same type of spiral-shaped bacterium that is
responsible for syphilis. Capable of moving through body tissue as well
as the bloodstream, the spirochete can evade the body's immune system,
change from a spiral into a ball and pull a protective shell, a fibrin,
over itself.
Prognosis for recovering from Lyme is better if the disease is caught
and treated early on. However, arriving at a correct diagnosis is often
complicated. One reason for this is Lyme symptoms vary from patient to
patient, and may not appear immediately after infection. Lyme symptoms
can be alarming or bizarre, they can include hallucinations and severe
mood swings, and patients are frequently dismissed as psychotic or
ignored by medical doctors who are dangerously uninformed about the
increase of this endemic illness.
Diagnosis is further complicated because the common test for Lyme, the
Western Blot, yields unreliable results. It tests for antibodies, which
are not always present and detectable in the Lyme patient. Negative
clinical results do not necessarily mean that a person is free of Lyme.
Unreliable tests and unreasonable expectations of the results serves to
prolong the suffering of Lyme patients who are often caught in the
controversy over treatment protocol. To mitigate this problem, Lyme
experts currently advise that if Lyme is suspected and the patient is
showing symptoms typical of the disease, the patient should be treated
as if the disease is present, even when positive test results are
pending.
"When you first get Lyme disease, your body does not produce
any antibodies, and so the antibody tests aren't any good, and if
you're very far along in the disease sometimes an antibody test isn't
any good either," says Dr. Whitaker.
Over the past five years Dr. Whitaker has developed and patented a new
test for Lyme, the Q-RrBb, which she claims is more reliable and
produces results more quickly than the Western Blot test. Q-RrBb stands
for Quantitative Rapid Identification of Borrelia Burgdorferi, the name
of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Instead of detecting
antibodies as an indication of the bacteria's presence, the Q-RiBb
tests for antigens. says that the new test is better,
"because we look for the bug itself."
Lyme disease patients are given standard antibiotics to kill the
bacteria and address the co-infections which commonly accompany the
illness. The duration, type of delivery and the antibiotic best suited
for treatment are all points of controversy in the medical community.
According to the protocol promoted by the Center for Disease Control,
Lyme disease can be cured with a 30-day course of antibiotics. But Lyme
disease expert Lee Cowden, M.D., is concerned that few people with Lyme
can be cured within that amount of time.
The standard antibiotic treatment is not as successful as
antimicrobials, according to Dr. Cowden's studies. "Unless
you start treating the infection during the first three to six
weeks," he says, "patients tend to have to get
repeated rounds of antibiotics longterm, for years and years and
years." Cowden devotes much of his time educating other
medical doctors about the use of antimicrobial herbs to help patients
heal from Lyme disease, and as a result of intensive medical studies,
has developed a protocol with a high success rate.
"We want to try and get as many doctors as possible familiar
with these protocols," says Dr. Cowden. "They're
working well, they're non-toxic, they're not giving the adverse
reactions like a lot of people see, with the fungal overgrowth from
standard antibiotics. And the patients are getting well and staying
well even though the basic protocol is stopped at some point."
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Ease for an Epidemic: Facts on Lyme, Symptoms of Lyme and What You Need to Cure Lyme Disease Today!
By Joe Barton
Expert Author Joe Barton
You may be asking yourself since when did Lyme disease become an epidemic? After all, an epidemic is a rapid spread or increase in the occurrence of a disease. Lyme disease cannot be that widespread? Or can it? Did you know that lyme disease was almost non-existent before the 1970s? How many cases are there now?
Know the numbers about Lyme disease?
Each year, 16,000 new cases of Lyme disease are reported. (Unfortunately, many more do not get reported or treated until it is too late.) Millions of people could mistake it for some other ailment and the symptoms only worsen.
The Center of Disease Control (CDC) affirms that "there is considerable under-reporting" of Lyme disease, and maintains that the actual infection rate may be 1.8 million, 10 times higher than the current 180,000 reported.
Dan Kinderleher, M.D., an expert on Lyme disease, stated on the Today Show in 2002 that the number of cases may be 100 times higher (18 million in the U.S. alone) than reported by the CDC.
Could I have Lyme Disease?
As stated earlier, Lyme Disease is often left undiagnosed or untreated because symptoms of Lyme are often mistaken for some other health problem. Fortunately, thousands of people are being treated...however, thousands are NOT being treated for lyme disease. Have you been in a forested/nature area (a mecca for ticks!) in the past week(s), month(s) or year(s)?
Do you have the following symptoms:
Consistent or recurring headache
Flu-like symptoms
Muscle stiffness
Aching muscles
Fatigue for no particular reason
Unique enlarging rash (similar shape to a bulls-eye)
If you answered 'Yes' to both of these questions, you might have lyme disease. Please don't stop reading... help is on the way!
A Natural Treatment for Lyme Disease
Many professionals feel that current treatments of Lyme disease, while effective, are inadequate and incomplete. Current pharmaceutical treatments, though highly effective against the causes and symptoms of Lyme disease, also wage a war against an infected individual's immune system. This creates symptoms which are listed above. In other words, you do NOT have to suffer from the harsh side-effects from Lyme Disease Medication.
You need 3 things to free yourself 'naturally' from the epidemic of Lyme:
1.) You need to educate yourself against what you're dealing with. Information on lyme will be your number one weapon to cure yourself against lyme.
2.) You need to boast your immune system naturally. Most people still do not get enough Vitamin C to obtain a healthy immune system. Do you know how many milligrams a sufferer of lyme should take?
3.) You also need a natural mineral lacking in most bodies during recent decades.
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Coping With Lyme Disease: Naturally Cure Your Symptoms
By Joe Barton
Expert Author Joe Barton
Lyme Disease can frankly be a living nightmare. Millions of people each day cope with the symptoms of Lyme Disease. Do these lyme symptoms seem familiar? Extreme fatigue, constant headaches, muscle aches, fever, stiffness, bulls eye rash, inconsistent sleep habits and don't forget the emotional pain! Today could be a new beginning for you as you naturally cure your Lyme Disease Symptoms. Please read the following testimonials from Lyme Disease Suffers.
What our readers say:
"Hello, I tried your remedy Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Monday I felt better than I have felt in 2 months. The back pain I have had for months was much better, and my knees have improved."
"I had been watching a bite on my back for several weeks as it began to swell, itch and create a small red circle. When the fatigue started to set in accompanied with a headache, which was following the pattern of the previous three times I felt it was safest to assume the worse. After three days of trying your remedy, the energy was back and the constant headache was gone. I'm on my last day of full dosage and feel no symptoms. I greatly appreciate your research and will be using the Barton method as the preferred method of treatment in the future for suspected Lyme cases."
That Could be You!
Have the symptoms of Lyme Disease been making life miserable?
Have you been prevented from enjoying work, social activities, and even your family since you contracted Lyme Disease?
Have you suffered mentally, emotionally, or physically from Lyme Disease?
Are you ready to have your life back?
You are at the right place! And you have just begun the road to naturally heal your Lyme Disease! My name is Joe Barton and I've discovered a simple, all natural cure for Lyme Disease. Unfortunately, medical doctors have found Lyme Disease to be one of the most difficult diseases to diagnose properly, often leading to ineffective prescriptions with harsh side effects which cost a bundle. Thankfully, the remedy I have discovered stops the progression of Lyme disease, using 2 simple household ingredients.
The Missing Facts equals the Natural Cure
Lyme Disease has exponentially grown in recent decades.
Lyme Disease was almost non-existent before the 1970s.
If ticks have been around for thousands of years, why would Lyme Disease only begin to appear after the 1970s? The answer is because of the BAD reputation of a 'lyme eliminating' mineral. Over the past 30 years, Americans as well as many other people worldwide have drastically decreased their intake of sodium (NA) in order to avoid: high blood pressure (hypertension), calcium depletion, or fluid retention. Unfortunately, many of those who told us to decrease our sodium intake forgot to tell us the benefits of certain types of "safe" sodium... Specifically, the cure and prevention of Lyme Disease. Lyme Disease sufferers who are taking a certain type of sodium along with another common health supplement, have naturally treated Lyme Disease. Thousands of people are educating themselves and becoming free from the pain and symptoms of Lyme Disease... without lyme medications with side effects.
Treat Lyme Naturally Today with 5 tips!
1. Get Fruity! Did you know that most Americans are not getting enough Vitamin C and fiber? Go to your local grocery store and load up on frest fruits to help that immune system fight lyme.
2. Daily Multi-Vitamins. Are you part of the millions who do not take multi-vitamins? If you are, you will have a weaker immune system and suffer from less energy throughout the day. Lyme disease loves a weak immunity.
3. At least 12 glasses a day! Your body is almost three-quarters water! You need at least twelve full glasses of water a day while fighting lyme. Hint: Your urine should always be clear.
4. Sharp or Dull Pain? For immediate relief to aches and pains from lyme disease. Use a ice pack (cold) for sharp pains and use a hot pack (castor oil) for dull pains.
5. Grapefruit Seed Extract. Grapefruit Seed Extract has been clinically proven to fight against harmful bacteria in the body. It can be found at some grocery stores and health food stores.
Finally, if you are in need of immediate pain relief please do not delay in treating yourself. Barton Publishing Inc. guarantees a natural cure that will work in less than 3 days. We will also provide you with information to keep you and your family safe from lyme. Please take some time to check out our website... your body will thank you!
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Lyme Disease Hasn't Gone Away
By Rita Lambros-Segur
Expert Author Rita Lambros-Segur
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be contracted from the black-legged, or deer tick. Deer ticks look like small dog ticks. This disease occurs in both North America and in Europe, although different species of deer tick are usually responsible for spreading it.
The symptoms of Lyme disease look different in every person. However, they can commonly include a bulls-eye shaped rash spreading out from the site of the bite, and flu-like symptoms. Later cases of Lyme disease may also display musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiac, arthritic, and mental symptoms. It is possible for people who develop late stage Lyme disease to develop disabilities, and the further along the disease is allowed to progress, the harder it is to treat. However, in the early stages, Lyme disease can usually be defeated with antibiotics. Some symptoms may continue after treatment, possible as a form of auto-immune response, since the disease has been eliminated.
Lyme disease was first recorded in the late 1880s in Germany, and formally documented in 1909. Penicillin came into use as a treatment for the disease in the late 1940s. Lyme disease's popular name comes from Lyme and Old Lyme, towns in Connecticut where it was observed in 1975. In rare cases, mothers can pass Lyme disease to their fetuses while pregnant. This tends to result in a stillbirth. There have also been some reports of the disease being passed to humans by biting insects such as flies. Anecdotal reports claim that it can be passed sexually, but there is as of now no documented case of Lyme disease being transmitted this way.
Deforestation is one reason for the increase of Lyme disease infections in humans. Suburban expansion has brought more contact between humans and areas which harbor many ticks, and has removed a number of the more common predators of harbors for those ticks (deer, chipmunks, etc). This means that the population of animals which can support Lyme carrying ticks is higher than ever, and humans are at increased risk.
Lyme disease is the most common disease in North America that is spread by ticks. It is one of the fastest growing infectious conditions. Prevention of infection can be done by avoiding areas where ticks are found. Wear clothing that covers the entire body when entering such an area, and check the body carefully for ticks afterward. If you suspect that you may have Lyme disease, see a doctor immediately for treatment.
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Lyme Disease - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Methods
By Juliet Cohen
Lyme disease also called Lyme borreliosis, is an infection that derives from a tick bite. It is caused by a kind of bacteria (germ) called a spirochete. This bacterium is usually found in animals such as mice and deer. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks; laboratory testing is helpful in the later stages of disease. Most cases occur in the Northeast, upper Midwest, and along the Pacific coast. Mice and deer are the most commonly infected animals that serve as host to the tick. Most infections occur in the late spring, summer, and early fall. Ixodes dammini is responsible for most of the cases of Lyme disease in the northeastern United States. These ticks are found in grassy areas (including lawns), and in brushy, shrubby and woodland sites, even on warm winter days. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Lyme disease is a vector-borne disease, meaning that it is transmitted from one host to another by a carrier- called a vector- that transmits but does not become infected with the disease.
Lyme disease is an occupational concern for people who work outdoors in certain areas infested with ticks. A tick will settle anywhere on a human body, but prefers warm, moist and dark places like the crotch or armpits. If Lyme disease spreads to the heart, the person may feel an irregular or slow heartbeat. The disease varies widely in its presentation, which may include a rash and flu-like symptoms in its initial stage, followed by musculoskeletal, arthritic, neurologic, psychiatric and/or cardiac manifestations. It can affect people of any age. The number of cases of the disease in an area depends on the amount of ticks in an area and how often the ticks are infected with the bacteria. The disease can sometimes be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms may mimic other diseases. Lyme disease may cause symptoms affecting the skin, nervous system, heart and/or joints of an individual. It is named after the town of Old Lyme, Connecticut where a cluster of cases was identified in 1975, although clinical features of the disease had been described in Europe as early as 1909. There are more than 16,000 cases of Lyme disease per year in the United States. People who spend time in grassy and wooded environments are at an increased risk of exposure.
Causes of Lyme disease
The common causes and risk factor's of Lyme disease include the following:
Lyme disease is caused by an infection from a micro-organism (Borrelia burghdor feri), itself transmitted by a bite from the wood tick, a blood-sucking parasite which normally lives on deer.
Risk factors for Lyme disease include walking in high grasses, other activities that increase tick exposure, and having a pet that may carry ticks home.
Having exposed skin.
People who spend time in grassy and wooded environments are at an increased risk of exposure.
Not removing ticks promptly or properly.
The disease can be spread when an infected tick bites a person and stays attached for a period of time.
Symptoms of Lyme disease
Some sign and symptoms related to Lyme disease are as follows:
The first sign of infection usually is a circular rash that appears within 1-2 weeks of infection but may develop up to 30 days after the tick bite.
Unusual or strange behavior.
Flu-like symptoms. A fever, chills, fatigue, body aches and a headache may accompany the rash.
Headache.
Stiff neck.
Joint inflammation in the knees and other large joints.
Brain swelling (encephalitis)Causes- learning difficulties, confusion, and dementia.
Some people may experience heart problems- such as an irregular heartbeat- several weeks after infection, but this rarely lasts more than a few days or weeks.
Treatment of Lyme disease
Here is list of the methods for treating Lyme Disease:
Oral antibiotics- usually doxycycline for adults and children older than 8, or amoxicillin or cefuroxime axetil for adults and younger children- are the standard treatment for early-stage Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is also treated with antibiotics. Early Lyme disease responds very well to treatment. In most cases, 14 to 30 days of treatment with an antibiotic kills the bacteria.
Patients with certain neurological or cardiac forms of illness may require intravenous treatment with drugs such as ceftriaxone or penicillin.
Institute an oral regimen for 30 days.
Erythromycin (for people allergic to penicillin).
Wash area around the tick bite and hands with soap and warm water.
Patients with chronic arthritis that does not respond to IV antibiotics may need a synovectomy to eradicate the inflammatory arthritis in the involved joint.
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Lyme Disease - A National Health Crisis
By Jenna Smith
Expert Author Jenna Smith
"No pain, no gain!" is a grim, but popular maxim for the dressage competitor- indeed, for any competitive athlete. But especially for the dressage enthusiast who suffers not only muscle soreness and joint strain, but blisters and calluses on hands - and much worse - the most sensitive area of the "seat-bone" - yes, we are all gluttons for punishment in our passionate pursuit for the elusive mastery of subtle aids and powerful performance.
"It's not trail-riding!" quips Sue Jaccoma to students who dare to whine about the physical demands in following her directions. As a successful instructor and top national competitor herself, she leads by example and manages to inject humor into the gruesome reality of callused crotches, back problems and bruises of all shapes and sizes - never complaining (actually relishing) the challenge of riding 5 - 6 horses per day without complaint.
And yet it is this iron-will and blind determination that makes dressage riders so vulnerable to Lyme disease.
Lyme Disease is now thought to be the fastest growing infectious disease in the world having finally surpassed AIDS in the US (Source: International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society - ilads.org). According to a Harvard medical study, there are believed to be at least 200,000 new cases each year in the U.S, and some experts think that as many as one in every 15 Americans is currently infected (20 million persons). The truly frightening aspect of this disease is that most victims never see the tick or the bulls-eye rash, and with an enormous capacity for "pushing through" pain, many dressage riders don't recognize the onset of symptoms (which for many feels like a flu), and ignore the sporadic pain that occurs as the spirochetes burrow deeper and deeper into the tissue causing joint pain (especially neck and back), abdominal pain, fatigue and a whole host of other symptoms that can mimic everything from MS, fibromyalgia, chronic-fatigue syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis just to name a few. Lyme affects each person in a very unique way depending upon immune strength. Additionally, it can hide in a healthy person for years in a "cystic" form, and then become virulent at the first sign of weakness.
To make matters even worse, there is no reliable test available to determine the presence of Lyme in a person, you need a Lyme-literate doctors who can put the puzzling symptoms together with a full health history and a test for antibodies (the western blot) to determine the diagnosis and design a treatment protocol - which varies greatly from person to person.
Johanna Husta lives in Ulster County, New York, where she has ridden her whole life. First competing in hunter-jumper, then eventing, she fell in love with dressage after a single lesson with Meri Straz (now sadly deceased). Before that, in 1996, Johanna (known as Jiffy) started feeling sick. She remembers, "It felt like someone pulled the plug on my life-force." It began with unusual fatigue and achiness, along with joint pain, migraines, depression and night sweats. Eventually, the symptoms became so troubling that Johanna went to the doctor. "I never go to the doctor - maybe once a year for my annual physical - but this was beginning to scare me." Says Johanna of that long-ago visit. "He (the doctor) attributed all of my symptoms to depression and sent me home with anti-depressants. To his credit he ordered a Lyme test, but it came back negative."
Johanna's Lyme test was the ELISA test which looks for your bodies antibodies to the infection. Unfortunately the test misses 40% - 80% of the time (depending upon your source,) but it is especially ineffective once the bacteria has disseminated and invaded more deeply into the tissue.
For seven more years, Johanna went from doctor to doctor, diagnosed with depression, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. Each year the ELISA test was repeated with negative results and Johanna, still riding several horses per day and working a full-time corporate job, continued to suffer.
Finally, in the spring of 2004, an allergist sent her to Dr. Horowitz, a premier Lyme-literate doctor who has been treating all forms of Lyme for over 20 years. At last she was given the western blot which showed positive results - 8 years after her first symptoms!
Relieved and undaunted, Johanna took mega-doses of oral antibiotics for 18 months during which time she continued to ride, but had marginal improvement. Dr. Horowitz decided to treat her more aggressively and placed her on IV antibiotics for 6 months. Another less dedicated rider might have cancelled their ambitious Florida plans, but Johanna was determined. She had been rehabbing an older PSG horse, and was eager to spend the winter in Wellington, Florida training with Sue Jaccoma.
"I covered my pick-line with an arm-band, and most people didn't even know I was sick." But Sue knew, and tried to accommodate her good day/bad day roller-coaster recovery. "She was very understanding!" Johanna recalls, "The excitement I felt as my riding improved actually helped me feel better faster." And by the end of the season, Johanna was starting to feel some semblance of physical and mental normalcy. Ready to finally start showing, plans were again put on hold when her PSG horse tore his suspensory. Luckily, before heading back to NY, another dressage trainer found Johanna another PSG horse - to re-school, show and then sell for one of his clients.
Unfortunately, like so many others, Johanna had a full relapse six months later, and this time she had to cancel her Florida plans. But she isn't bitter. "Everything happens for a reason." She says softly. "You've got to have faith." And Johanna's faith encompasses her plans to compete at the highest level. Her eyes on Grand Prix, she interacts with her horses however she physically can day by day.
Unlike Johanna, I started riding as an adult, taking my first dressage lesson in 1995. I spent 8 years at Training Level and then in 2003 - at age 42 - I purchased a school-master from gold-medalist Susanne Hamilton (CSF Imports), and began training with her in earnest. Undaunted by the physical challenge of daily schooling and frequent showing, by the end of 2005 I had earned my bronze medal, and by May of 2006, I had earned my silver medal as well.
Looking back, I remember fighting incredible fatigue and a long list of aching muscles and joints that I ascribed to "the cost" of competitive dressage. In September of 2006 - ignorant of any possible illness - I loaded up my Holsteiner mare and 3 month old filly to Region 8 Championships in Saugerties, New York for the breed show, along with my Hanoverian schoolmaster and won 3rd place in Prix St. Georges (adult amateur class). Ten days later I had to cancel my lesson with Sue Jaccoma due to a mysterious flu-like illness.
During the next several months, my health rapidly deteriorated with no evident cause. Specialists from Portland Maine to Boston, Mass performed every test imaginable (including a negative ELISA titer - for Lyme Disease) - and still no answers. By this time my symptoms included severe neurological involvement and relentless abdominal pain which confined me to constant bed rest in a dark room - an unimaginable nightmare for an active equestrian.
Finally, Sue put me in touch with Johanna, and after comparing symptoms, I felt certain I was suffering from Lyme Disease. Thanks to Johanna's knowledge and encouragement it took only 2 more months for a diagnosis (most Lyme-literate doctors have waiting lists between 3 and 8 months due to the massive swell of new infection cases.) Unfortunately, after months of mega-doses of 4 different antibiotics and penicillin shots three times per week, I was still not improving. Finally, my doctors put me on IV antibiotics, but when I still seemed to be worsening, the doctors ordered a CD-57 test.
The CD-57 test, a major medical break-through in the treatment and diagnosis of Lyme, which measures a subset of killer cells (also used for AIDS and other immune system related illnesses), and will show abnormally low results for Lyme Disease (The range is from 60 to 360 with most people maintaining a level around 200. In fact, Dr. Burrascano, a Lyme Specialist who treated over 12 thousand Lyme cases before retiring, wanted to see the CD-57 over 200 before ending antibiotic treatment. He found that anything lower resulted in relapse of symptoms.)
When my test returned a 28, my specialist gently prepared me for the lengthy and difficult recovery plan I could expect over the next several years. I didn't think it could get worse, but I think that may have been the lowest moment, realizing I wouldn't (couldn't) be riding any time soon.
Over the next two months, my husband and I wrestled with the right course of action for our three horses.
My Grand Prix schoolmaster at 17 was not ready for retirement, but had been out of work during my illness, and I finally broke down and realized that it was selfish to keep such a wonderful teacher and friend out in a field, waiting for me, not understanding why he didn't get the pampering and daily riding. Fortunately my dear friend and previous instructor (Susanne Hamilton) took compassion on me and picked up his training and care, as well as finding the perfect new owner to share in his life. Then out of the blue, another equine friend, Catherine Merrill offered to take care of my 10 year old Holsteiner mare for as long as I needed! And then, as if miracles were raining from the sky to balance the frightening prognosis of my disease, USEF "R" Judge and respected dressage trainer and competitor Sue Roberto (also known for her many successful years in the sport-horse sales community) and her husband Ralph generously offered to care for my one-year old Contango filly!
It is humbling to require the level of charity that I have needed with this lengthy illness, and awe-inspiring to feel the warmth of the open arms in the dressage community, and the kindness and compassion from the back-yard riders to the upper echelons of competitive dressage!
So, instead of riding FEI tests all summer, I have been isolated and bed-ridden in a basement room with no windows, afraid of the pain generated by light and sound. Daily infusions of IV antibiotics through a port installed in my chest, and a dozen supplements along with the multiple prescription meds have finally stopped the downward spiral.
It is still a major accomplishment to do a load of laundry, but the dream of getting back on my horses someday keeps my spirits up.
To avoid such a frightening disease common-sense protection for you and your animals cannot be under-stated. But the hardest thing for dressage riders is to re-train your mind to pay attention to every ache and pain - especially in the spring and fall when the ticks are most active. Another helpful preventative according to Stephen Buhner, author of "Healing Lyme", is taking 1000 mg of the herb Astragalus - 2 times per day, which is effective for resisting infection and/or lessening the disease impact.
Maintaining a strong immune system is also critical. A healthy diet and adequate rest are important, but equestrians need supplements just like our horses do.
Ticks are a part of the dressage rider's life, and with the spread of the disease, it becomes increasingly likely that you too could contract Lyme disease. It is critical to get medical attention at the first sign of Lyme symptoms (especially flu-like symptoms from early summer through the fall.) The infamous bulls-eye rash is a definitive symptom, however less than 305 ever see the tick or any rash. If you do see the rash, a three to four week course of antibiotics will completely eradicate Lyme in most people. However, the frightening truth is that the longer you have Lyme disease the harder it is to get rid of.
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Lyme Disease in Dogs and Humans
By Audrey Frederick
Expert Author Audrey Frederick
It is summer time and that means walks in the woods, camping and all those glorious trips on nature trails enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. However, lurking in some areas there lies a nasty tick that can cause both humans and animals an opportunity to become very ill.
It is an illness that is caused by a bite from an infected tick and it does not care who you are human or dog. This problem surfaced around 1975 when a group of children in a Lyme, Conn., suffered a severe outbreak of rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. This unusual grouping eventually lead researchers to identify the bacterial cause in 1982 and thus led to the name "Lyme disease." In 1984 it found its way into the canine population and since has skyrocketed. It is a serious and deadly disease if left untreated.
According to statistics released by a pet insurance provider (Veterinary Pet Insurance) in 2008, Lyme disease is the most common canine infectious disease for the third year in a row. Forty-sever percent of all the claims Veterinary Pet Insurance received were for tick born infectious diseases. Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis (caused by the Brown Dog tick and the lone star tick, infection enters the white blood cells and causes anemia and other complications) and anaplasmosis (caused by deer ticks, the disease is similar to Lyme disease) are among the three leading infectious tick diseases.
What is the cause? Warmer climates, urbanization and an increase in the rodent and deer populations are the primary causes. A female tick can lay approximately 3,000 eggs per season and once the tick population gets established there is a big problem in removing them. Once a disease that was established in a few areas has now managed to move through the entire Northeast, the Midwest and in areas of California and Oregon.
What is Lyme disease? It is a disease caused by a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi which is transmitted into the bloodstream by the saliva of the infected tick by means of a prolonged bite. It cannot be transmitted from dog to dog or to humans from dogs. It comes from the tick bite itself and reacts differently in humans than it does in dogs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only two ticks are known to carry this bacterium, the blacklegged deer tick, found throughout most of the United States and the Western blacklegged tick found only in the Western states. Granted that there are other ticks that carry
different types of bacteria, but only these two ticks carry Lyme disease.
What are the symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs? It is difficult to diagnose. Common symptoms are fever, limb discomfort, lameness, swelling in the joints, lack of energy and loss of appetite. Since these symptoms are common to many other canine diseases it may take a while to determine the actual cause of the problems. Lyme disease can take up to 5 months after exposure to surface.
A simple blood test can detect if a dog has been exposed to the bacteria and treatment can begin. Dogs are usually treated with an antibiotic (usually doxycycline) and will begin to show improvement within a few days after receiving treatment.
The interesting thing is some dogs can test positive for the disease and never appear sick, as their bodies are capable of fighting off the bacteria. It is recommended however, that if your dog tests positive and several other tests show the same result it is best to have your dog treated, but that is a matter of personal judgment.
What are the complications of Lyme disease in dogs? Lyme disease does not cause permanent arthritis in dogs. The type of arthritis or lameness caused by this disease is non-erosive arthritis; it does not cause damage the bone. The swelling and lameness will go away with treatment.
The potential problem related to Lyme disease is kidney complications if left untreated. These problems can be fatal to your dog. It is necessary to have your vet do a routine urinalysis if your dog has contacted Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is a dangerous disease, but when caught early and treated most dogs achieve full recovery.
What are the symptoms of Lyme disease in humans? Lyme disease in humans affects different areas in the body as it progresses. The place where the tick has bit the human usually causes a reddish rash and "flu-like" symptoms.
Medically it is described in three phases as: (a) an early localized disease with a skin inflammation; (b) early problems of the heart and nervous system, which could include palsies and meningitis and (c) later a disease that causes motor and sensory nerve damage and brain inflammation as well as arthritis.
Many people do not even recall a tick bite, as some ticks can be as small as the period at the end of this sentence. Some people do not develop a reddish rash, but even the rash will disappear by itself with no treatment at all. Some people suffer from flu like symptoms and possible swollen glands plus a headache. If you are like most people you "get over" these things without the aid of your doctor and this is where the seriousness of this disease begins.
As the bacteria spreads through your body it begins to affect your heart muscle causing and inflammation, which can cause abnormal heartbeats and heart failure. The nervous system can develop facial paralysis, abnormal sensations due to the disease of peripheral nerves, meningitis and confusion. If this is not enough, you can also develop chronic arthritis and suffer from anxiety and depression.
How is Lyme disease diagnosed in humans? If you live in an area where Lyme disease if known and show up at the doctor's office with the usual red rash the diagnosis is simple. If you have been bitten by a tick be certain to tell your doctor. In most cases without your doctor knowing if you have been bitten or if you have been in an area where Lyme disease is known, they will review your history and try the process of elimination to exclude certain diseases. Blood tests are not significant in the early stages of the disease, though can be helpful in the later stages. Currently the best test is what is called the Western Blot assay antibody test.
How is Lyme disease treated in humans? In most cases Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics that work really well in the early stages of the disease. If the disease has progressed undetected for awhile, it maybe necessary to take some intravenous drugs and pain-relieving medicines can also be given.
How do you protect your dog and yourself? Since dogs carry ticks into the home, it is wise to check your dog every time it comes in. A tick check is simply done by going through your dog's fur and parting it with your fingers. Begin at the ears and head while working your way down, on black dog's use a flashlight to help you see the ticks. If you find one do not stop as you may find more, ticks love company. Use some sticky tape to help remove the tick or use tweezers making certain you remove the whole tick, legs and all. Do not try burning them off with a match or cigarette.
Keep your grass cut; trim bushes around your house so that they get a chance to get some sun. Ticks love damp dark places. If you live near a wooded area keep the area around your home free from the growing brush; a stone or mulch path surrounding the area is a good idea.
Use year round flea and tick preventatives. If you live in an area where Lyme disease ticks are prevalent there are vaccines available to help prevent the disease. A vaccine along with the flea and tick preventative will go a long way in protecting your dog. Though it is known that the vaccines do not always work, they are worth a try. The vaccines are usually given twice, a few weeks apart and then once a year and are recommended if you live in areas known for the disease.
Regarding us humans wear protective long pants, long sleeves and boots if you are venturing into the woods and if you pick up a tick be certain to remove it at once. Spraying an insect repellent that contains DEET will help too. If you get a tick and remove it, save the culprit in a jar so that is can be identified as not all ticks carry Lyme disease. It takes approximately 48 hours once a tick becomes attached to you or your dog to transmit the bacteria, that is why checking yourself and your dog is so important. The quicker you remove them the better off you both are.
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