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organiclifestylemagazine · 7 years ago

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Best Supplements To Kill Lyme and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is grossly under-reported in the United States. Lyme cases have more than doubled since the 1990s. The number of counties that are now deemed high-risk for Lyme has increased by more than 320 percent. About 329,000 cases of Lyme disease occur every year according to the latest researcher from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Lyme disease is the fastest growing infectious diseases in the US and in Western Europe. Public funding for this disease is still far below that of less common illnesses, receiving less than 2% of public funding for West Nile and 0.2% of funding for HIV/AIDS even though Lyme effects for more people, but fortunately, awareness is rapidly evolving.

Contents

Lyme Disease 101

Is Lyme Contagious?

Borrelia burgdorferi

Symptoms of Lyme Disease

Testing For Lyme

Why Antibiotics May Not Work for Lyme Disease

The Lyme Timeline

Leaky Gut and Lyme

Lyme Disease and Co-infections

Lyme and Candida Overgrowth

Lyme Disease and Amalgam Fillings, Vaccines, and Other Toxic Compounds

Supplements, Herbs Used For Killing Lyme

The Lyme Protocol That Works

Lyme Disease 101

Infected ticks have been verified in 42 of 58 counties in California. The primary carrier on the West Coast is the Western black-legged tick, and it’s preferred host is the grey squirrel. On the East Coast the Eastern Black-legged tick is the principal carrier. This tick prefers the white-footed mouse.

Climate change seems to be giving this disease an advantage by helping ticks reproduce, and helping them live in more parts of the US. Ticks can’t survive in very cold climates. We are experiencing warmer winters, and ticks are able to live further and further north. The warmer temperatures also increase the growth rate of ticks. Some researchers estimate that global warming has increased tick reproduction by up to two times in the US, and up to five times in Canada.

Lyme disease is named after where it was first discovered, which was in Connecticut in a town called Lyme. In the 1960s and 1970s, with a population of 12,000 living in Old Lyme, Lyme, and East Haddam, 39 children were diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and 12 adults were diagnosed with arthritis that was said to be from an unknown cause.

In 1975, frustrated by the lack of answers from their medical community, two mothers started gathering information from residents and then relayed that information to the Connecticut State Department of Health and the Yale School of Medicine. The researchers were able to identify the disease and recognize its symptoms, nobody knew what the cause was until the early 80. We owe the discovery to Willy Burgdorfer, a scientist who was studying Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. He discovered the tick connection and the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, which is named after him.

Many still attribute its transmission only to ticks, but a growing number of researchers including one of the leading authorities on Lyme disease, Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, believes that the bacteria can be spread by other biting or blood-sucking insects, including mosquitoes, fleas, spiders, and mites. We now know that dogs and cats can get infected too.

Is Lyme Contagious?

Numorous reports indicate that Lyme-causing bacteria appears to be passed down gestationally. A new study published in the Journal of Investigative Medicine suggests that Lyme disease may also be sexually transmitted.

“Our findings will change the way Lyme disease is viewed by doctors and patients. It explains why the disease is more common than one would think if only ticks were involved in transmission.” – Marianne Middelveen, lead author of the study

Borrelia burgdorferi

Borrelia burgdorferi is a bacterial species of the spirochete class of the genus Borrelia. These spirochetes infect many vertebrate animals including small mammals, lizards, and birds. Ticks most frequently acquire spirochetes from infected rodents during their larval feeding.

Spirochetes and known for their unique corkscrew shape and the way they move in a corkscrew type of motion. They are very slow to replicate and they survive without iron, which is very rare for bacteria. Instead, they use manganese for their survival. Unlike most disease-causing bacteria and fungi, it is believed that Borrelia burgdorferi does not emit a toxin. But the bacteria do seem to have a direct interaction with the cell tissues it infects.

Animal studies have shown that the bacteria can be found in low numbers in many tissues and organs including the skin, joints, heart, brain, urinary tract, and more. Aside from the initial infection, Borrelia does not seem to circulate in the blood.

Borrelia burgdorferi, with its corkscrew shape, bores deep into tissues and cartilage (including the brain and nervous system). This leaves the bacteria out of reach of most antibiotics. This bacteria can also mutate out of its corkscrew shape to a form that is able to live inside our cells (“intracellular”), once again leaving hard to kill with antibiotics. Borrelia burgdorferi and other spirochete bacteria form dormant cysts inside the body that block antibiotic activity, and the higher the dosage of antibiotics, the more resistant it becomes.

As if that wasn’t enough, Lyme disease is usually accompanied and aided by co-infections of other stealth microbes that also live inside our cells as well.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease

Rashes

Fatigue

Joint pain

Flu-like symptoms

Sleep disturbances

Cognitive decline

Vision changes

Other neurological problems

Skin outbreaks

Heart problems

Mood changes

Pain

Check out this full list of symptoms provided by Joseph Burrascano, MD

Most people who have been diagnosed with Lyme, including those who test positive, never recall being bitten, or show the telltale bullseye rash.

Testing For Lyme

Current diagnostics miss up to 60% of acute cases. This is what’s so infuriating for those trying to figure out what’s going on with their bodies: Testing for Lyme is inaccurate, but especially so in the beginning. By the time the tests are likely to show positive for someone with Lyme, antibiotic treatments are typically no longer effective. In other words, people would go to their doctor and ask if they have Lyme, the doctors would say how rare it is (fortunately doctors are getting much better about this lately), but would reluctantly perform the tests, only to find no trace of Lyme. So the person would assume some other autoimmune disease while the Lyme slowly proliferates. Then the person would eventually seek another opinion, get another round of tests, and maybe (but often not) find out they do in fact have Lyme. Or, they often find out that one can have Lyme and still test negative indefinitely, but at this stage, the person is showing enough symptoms that the new more knowledgeable doctor can easily conclude that it’s Lyme.

But now the antibiotics will no longer be effective. It’s too late. Many people try anyways, wrecking their immune system in the process.

I suspect that often times a heavy round of antibiotics works to kill the bacteria, but the body is left so badly damaged that new infection (often Candida being the first) takes over, and all of the symptoms remain.

Borrelia does not seem to circulate in the blood. This is the main reason it is so difficult to detect. The bacteria also have a very slow replication rate, so the number of bacteria found in a host remains small, at least for a long time.

There are multiple tests for Lyme. The CDC recommends screening with the ELISA test and then confirming the results with the Western blot test. As mentioned, these tests are completely unreliable during the first 4-6 weeks of infection. The tests only measure the patient’s antibody response to the infection, not the presence of the bacteria itself.

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.

It is said that an initial course of antibiotics given in stage one cures the disease most of the time, but why not all the time? Is the course of antibiotics too short? Should more be given? Should they be given long term, especially for those who have stage 3 symptoms? What if blood tests no longer show spirochetes? If the antibiotics don’t work, the patient now has to combat Lyme with a very depleted immune system.” – Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, MD, PhD

Why Antibiotics May Not Work for Lyme Disease

These days, early treatment is typically successful, according to the latest science, but most patients go undiagnosed for years. At least 20% of those who are said to be successfully treated for Lyme will experience the same symptoms after treatment, which as mentioned, can easily be attributed to a depleted immune system leading to Candida overgrowth or other fungal pathogens, opening the door for many other infections as well.

Antibiotic resistance occurs at a high rate with spirochete bacteria. Borrelia (and also its co-infections), will respond slowly to antibiotics. They will develop resistance. The bacteria that survive antibiotics can become completely antibiotic resistant. This is why doctors are starting to use multiple antibiotics at once seems, and this does lead to better chance of defeating Lyme, and depleting the immune system. If the medication fails, the bacteria that have survived will not only become resistant, but it will also become much more entrenched in the host.

The Lyme Timeline

Phase One – 3 to 30 Days

Also called early localized infection

Some say less than 50%, others say up to 70-75% develop the bullseye rash, starting at the site of the tick bite. It is not itchy or painful but they are usually warm to the touch. Sometimes flu-like symptoms develop soon after, including fever, chills, swollen lymph glands, headaches, muscle pain, and joint pain.

Phase Two – Days to Weeks After Bite

Also called early disseminated infection

Rash spreads

Large joints may become swollen and painful

Stiff neck in some cases

Meningitis may develop

Dizziness

Heart palpitations

Phase Three – Later Months to Years

Also called late disseminated infection

Many infectious disease specialists believe that “chronic Lyme disease” does not exist, and that Lyme disease from a tick bite can be cured with a short course of antibiotics. It is possible that those who have undergone antibiotic treatments are suffering from the side effects of antibiotics, but more and more experts are coming around to the idea that Lyme disease can survive and cause long-term autoimmune symptoms when antibiotics don’t work. We all know (or at least, we all should know) that antibiotics do not always work and can cause more problems.

Arthritis symptoms – swollen, painful joints (fluid-filled joints)

Neurological symptoms – numbness, tingling, shooting pains

Cognitive symptoms – brain fog, short-term memory deficits, confusion

Mood disturbance – depression

Fatigue

Abnormal heart rhythms and heart failure

Facial paralysis sometimes occurs in this stage or stage two.

Scary Lyme Facts You Should Know

How does Lyme make us sick, and why is it so damn resilient?!?!

Spiders, mosquitoes, fleas, and mites may also be spreading the same or similar bacterial infections.

Tests are unreliable because they measure the patient’s antibody response to the infection, not the bacteria itself.

There’s great variation in the presentation of the disease, depending on where it’s contracted, and whether there are other coexisting infections. At least eight other microbes make up the most common co-infections., including Babesia microti and different forms of Bartonella.

Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, has a corkscrew shape that allows it to bore deep into tissues and cartilage (including the brain and nervous system), safely out of reach of most antibiotics.

Borrelia burgdorferi can give up its corkscrew shape and convert to a form that is able to live inside cells (“intracellular”) where again, antibiotics have less reach.

Borrelia burgdorferi, along with other similar microbes, can form dormant cysts that are completely resistant to antibiotics; the harder you hit it, the more resistant it becomes.

Most ticks carry multiple disease-causing pathogens called co-infections. Borrelia burgdorferi is usually accompanied and aided by co-infections of other stealth microbes.

Lyme disease has been reported in all 50 states.

Lyme disease has been found on every continent except Antarctica.

Ticks carrying Lyme can be smaller than the period at the end of this sentence.

Many, perhaps most, do not get the bull’s eye rash. Some develop flu-like symptoms a week or so after becoming infected, however, many people are asymptomatic but can develop Lyme symptoms months, years or decades later.

It is called the great imitator; looking like many other health problems (Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Bells Palsy, ADD, MS, and Lupus).

People with other chronic disease are much more susceptible to Lyme disease, making Lyme even more likely to go undetectedcted.

The medical community is divided over the diagnosis and treatment guidelines.

Health insurance still often won’t cover the treatment for Chronic Lyme disease.

Lyme Disease transmission may be possible through intercourse, and can likely be passed down through the womb.

There are 12 strains of Borrelia that are known to cause Lyme Disease, and standard testing only tests for one.

Lyme Disease is more epidemic than Aids, West Nile and Avian Flu combined.

Lyme Disease can cause more than 300 different symptoms.

The average Lyme patient takes 2-3 years to get diagnosed correctly.

25% of the reported cases are children.

Lyme Disease Cofactors

Leaky Gut and Lyme

In response to pathogenic toxins leaking from the intestines, the immune system produces multiple inflammatory compounds: Transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF Beta-1), Matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9), Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). These inflammatory compounds affect multiple systems of the body. Because of the inflammatory compounds that become elevated in people with Lyme disease or co-infections, they are at greater risk of leaky gut. In a study on Lyme disease patients, Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and Interleukin-13 (IL-13) were found to be elevated in different phases of infection. TNFα has also been found to be elevated in Bartonella infections, mice infected with Babesia, mice receiving Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever antigens, Ehrlichia infections, and in Brucellosis patients. Both TNFα and IL-13 have a direct effect on increasing intestinal lining leakage. Unfortunately, western medicine lacks a way to accurately diagnose and to treat leaky gut syndrome.” – Plugging the Holes in Lyme Disease Leaky Gut

I am of the opinion that a leaky gut is the root of most chronic disease. True or not, a leaky gut always exacerbates every ailment, every disease, every single health issue. You cannot cure any chronic disease without a healthy gut.

Lyme Disease and Co-infections

Ticks can carry many bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoans within them, and transmit these pathogens with a single bite.

The most common tick-borne diseases in the United States include Lyme disease, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, relapsing fever, tularemia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). Diseases acquired together like this are called co-infections. Click below to learn more about specific Lyme disease co-infections. – About Lyme Disease Co-Infections

We also borrowed their chart:

Lyme and Candida Overgrowth

Yeast overgrowth is a common concern for Lyme patients who undergo antibiotic therapy. Whether or not the Lyme or other bacterial pathogens are killed, the immune system is depleted, the body;’s beneficial bacteria is eradicated, and the body is almost guaranteed to be overrun with fungal pathogens. If one is cured of Lyme disease they will then have to rebuild their immune system (along with healthy gut flora). Most people don’t know how to do this. If they did, they most likely would not have been susceptible to Lyme in the first place. But for those who do the Lyme treatment without successful elimination of Lyme now have to deal with a body that soon inundated with fungi.

Lyme Disease and Amalgam Fillings, Vaccines, and Other Toxic Compounds

Mercury toxicity has been linked to chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, panic attacks, insomnia, cognitive decline (Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and more), chronic headaches including migraines, joint pain, Candida overgrowth, and much more. The body cannot fend off Lyme under such conditions. People with a history or poor diet, antibiotic use, mercury fillings, or immunizations, are extremely susceptible to Lyme disease and the many co-infections the come with it.

Supplements, Herbs Used For Killing Lyme

Astragalus: A potent antimicrobial that also is anti-inflammatory, boosts the immune system, slows tumor growth, helps prevent and reverse diabetes, and more.

Berberine: This plant-root alkaloid extract has confirmed potent anti-viral, antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties.

Black Walnut: Studies have shown that black walnut can effectively kill canker sores, herpes, and syphilis sores. Syphilis is another spirochete bacteria.

Cloves: This strong smelling spice contains some of the same compounds as oregano oil (see below). Studies have shown that cloves contain powerful antimicrobial and anti-fungal compounds.

Enzymes: Hemicellulase, protease, and Cellulase can dissolve Biofilms (which Lyme often resides in and procreates within) and Lyme Cysts (which, as stated above, shield the bacteria from intrusion). More on enzymes.

Garlic: Allicin, a compound in garlic, has antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties, and garlic helps strengthen the immune system in other ways too. Read more about garlic.

Goldenseal: A popular herb that has been used by Native Americans for hundreds of years, with potent antibacterial properties.

Goldenrod: Goldenrod is antibacterial, antifungal, diuretic, diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, astringent, antiseptic, and carminative.

Mushrooms: Many mushrooms produce powerful antibacterial factors. The reishi mushroom is well known throughout the world for its plethora of health benefits, including powerful antimicrobial properties, but there are many other mushrooms that help as well.

Neem: This plant’s properties include immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycaemic, antiulcer, antimalarial, antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic.

Oil of Oregano: This extract is very well known for its ability to kill off pathogenic activity, and there are plenty of studies that demonstrate its efficacy.

Pau D’Arco: Also known as Lapacho, this supplement has received worldwide attention in recent years due to the numerous studies proving its amazing health benefits including the ability to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria and difficult fungal infections like Candida.

Turmeric: Turmeric is potent antimicrobial herb with proven antifungal properties and a host of other amazing health benefits. Check out How to Optimize Curcumin.

Wormwood: This is a potent antimicrobial’s active ingredient is Artemisia, and it is better known the world over for its ability to kill parasites.

The Lyme Protocol That Works

I’ll bet someone is going to ask why I don’t mention colloidal silver. I don’t think it’s good for you, I’ve never found it particularly helpful, and I just don’t trust it. But to each their own; you can find tons of very intelligent naturopaths who are much more educated than I am who will vehemently disagree with me on colloidal silver. And, the key to killing off Lyme with supplements, like with antibiotics, you need to use more than one. You’ve got to attack from every angle you can or else they build up immunity. The good news is that natural remedies affords many more options with fewer if any side effects and in my experience (when done right), a much better success rate. Like, 100%.

Now here’s the bad news. Actually, it’s not bad news, but it sure sounds like it to most people at first. You may not be able to kill the Lyme any time soon. I recommend a plethora of supplements with differing properties to attack any and all pathogenic bacteria, but you will never eradicate systemic pathogenic disease completely with supplements alone. And even with a perfect diet and all the best supplements, it takes time! A few of these Lyme-bacteria bastards, and other pathogens, will survive anything and everything you do to it at first. Don’t think that just because you are symptom free that your body has rid itself of all virulent infection. It doesn’t work that way.

The protocol calls for a phase of antimicrobials, but the foundation of the program is the diet. It’s the most important aspect of the program. Nobody gets well without eating right. At best, you’ll trade one disease for another if you skimp on the diet. Heal the gut, eat right, rebuild the body, and after a round of antimicrobial bombardment you rebuild the beneficial bacteria and let your immune system slowly finish off the survivors. This means being highly disciplined with diet for six months after the last ailment is gone. Think of it this way: Once you feel well, if you’re eating perfectly, it’ll take another six months to completely finish off the disease. A glass of wine or some refined sugar consumed before then could cause a resurgence.

In my experience, every single person who has Lyme disease has gut issues. I don’t believe that Lyme disease causes the gut issues, though it can exacerbate them. I contend that anyone who is susceptible to Lyme had a depleted immune system before they contracted Lyme, and virtually anyone with a depleted immune system has poor gut health. This protocol focus on gut health first and foremost. The gut is the foundation of your health. You can know how healthy someone is by the quality of microbes that reside within us.

Anti-Lyme Diet

Here are three articles I put together on diet. Most people, even those with Lyme and even worse diseases, will get completely well on this diet without supplements, but it takes a lot longer.

Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included

Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet

How to Make the Healthiest Smoothies – 4 Recipes

This is indicative of how my family eats every single day.

We start off with cranberry lemonade and a huge salad every morning. For lunch, we sometimes do a smoothie or we snack on some nuts and/or fruit or we just finish our massive 11-cup salads. For those with serious gut issues, hold off on the nuts for a week or two. Anyone with lots of Candida should wait on the smoothies as well. Double up on the salads for the first week or two if you’re very ill.

For dinner, we always cook from scratch, which takes preparation and time, but it gets easier, I promise. Rice and beans, quinoa, lentils, millet, oatmeal, and amaranth are common staples for our cooked meals, but don’t do the oats or millet until most of the inflammation subsides. We add lots of raw vegetables and herbs to our dinners as well, for instance, the rice and beans go great with chopped tomatoes and avocado, diced onions and garlic, and shredded turmeric and ginger. Eat raw herbs and cooked herbs together for maximum health benefits. There are some very interesting benefits to cooking many foods, but raw generally yields more benefits, so I mix it up.

This is truly a lifestyle, not just a diet, and it’s one we live every day. It’s also the same exact protocol I recommend for almost everyone who is sick, including anyone with Lyme. There’s a lot of conflicting information on what people with Lyme should eat, but I implore you, give this a try for at least 10 days, and you’ll see why. You may not need to go to this extreme to rid your body of disease, but I find that most who are dealing with chronic illness need to take it this far, at least for at least for a few months. With Lyme, it behooves you to err on the side of caution.

The salads are the most important part of this protocol. More than supplements, more than anything save getting enough water, the salads are imperative. Eat lots of it. Make sure they are diverse with at least 15 different vegetables and herbs. Read the article linked above, and make your salad recipe. If you could see what packing your gut with salad does to your ecosystem under a microscope, you’d understand why I’m so passionate about them. There is nothing more beneficially life-changing than developing a salad habit when the salads are big and diverse and homemade. They do more than any supplement or any other food to clean the intestinal walls of filth and develop a beneficial gut ecosystem. I cannot stress this enough – BIG DIVERSE SALADS!!! Mine are 9-11 cups a day. Throw on some beans or meat or eggs, whatever it takes to get them down, but get them down. If you can’t digest salads, get to where you can. I can’t digest McDonald’s. I don’t have the ecosystem in my gut to do that. If you can’t digest salads properly, you don’t have the right ecosystem for them. You need to build the right gut bacteria. How? Salads, that’s how. Eat salads!

Did I mention how important salads are? Ok, moving on.

The cranberry lemonade helps keep the kidneys and liver working optimally. These organs typically get sluggish quickly when lots of pathogens are killed. If salads are #1, this cranberry lemonade is #2, and supplements are a distant 3rd. The recipe for cranberry lemonade resides within the first link above where the salad recipe is.

For those with very serious gut issues, legumes and grains may be a no-no for the first two to three weeks, but when enough salad has been consumed, the gut should be able to reap many benefits from many other foods including cooked foods like the dinner meals aforementioned.

Sweet fruit should be severely limited, and for the very ill, avoided until the gut is working better. Grapefruit, tomatoes, cranberry, avocado, lime, and lemon do not fall under this category.

Juicing with fruits is not much better than refined sugar, so don’t make the common mistake of thinking a fresh-juice fast is going to get you well. Same goes for carrot and beet juice. If you want to juice with a little sweetness, that’s fine, but add lots of cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric, tot he point at which it’s really not sweet anymore.

For anyone on a tight budget I recommend putting the money to food, and if affordable, add Abzorb and SF722. That’s enough with the right diet to fix the gut in almost everyone. More of the right kind of supplements speed thing up radically, but they’re usually not neccessary if you have access to good food.

Phase 1 – Antimicrobials, Kill the Bad Guys For One Month (in order of most to least important):

MicroDefense – Pure Encapsulations

Berberine 500mg – Thorne Research

Undecyn by Thorne Research

Oil of Oregano – Gaia Herbs

Gastro-Cleanse w/Psyllium by Allergy Research Group

Wormwood/Black Walnut Supreme – Gaia Herbs

Shillington’s Blood Detox Formula

MycoCeutics MycoPhyto Complex – EcoNugenics

Pau d’Arco

Astragalus Supreme – Gaia Herbs

Fibrenza Systemic Enzyme – HCP Formulas

Curcumin 500 with Bioperine® – Pure Encapsulations

Use your own judgment to an extent regarding what to take and how much. If you get every single one, you should be ok to take each and every one as directed (except the Blood Detox, take one to two full droppers by mouth one to three times a day as needed, preferably on an empty stomach, the label has the wrong instructions, it’s a long story), but for smaller people this may be a bit too much. On the other hand, if you get fewer supplements or are on the larger size, you would likely do better with upping the dosages a little. The more you spread out the dosages throughout the day, the more effective they will be. Green Lifestyle Market sells all of the supplements mentioned and offers a return guarantee, so if something doesn’t work for you, you can exchange or get a refund. Experiment. These are supplements, they’re not going to kill you, no matter what big-pharma would like you to believe. I did this protocol myself for three weeks, and I recommend 3-4 weeks for anyone with Lyme. I just took all of them with each meal, as some can cause an upset stomach if empty.

Some of them say to take with food, and some say to take on an empty stomach. I like taking antimicrobials with salad and other healthy meals, especially when taking a lot. But again, use your own judgement, see what works best.

If you need an additional immune system bost, for instance, if you’re regularly coming down with colds and flu or have sinus issues, consider these additions below. You shouldn’t need them if you get at least a few of the ones above, but if you like to go overkill like me, here you go:

Micro Liposomal C • 4oz – Allergy Research Group

Mother Earth Organic Root Cider – Barrier Island Organics

Shillington’s Echinacea Plus

If you have trouble digesting food, take abzorb with your meals. This will also help break down the supplements for easier assimilation.

If the die-off is a problem, and anytime you kill lots of pathogens there is an influx of toxins the body has to deal with. The aforementioned cranberry lemonade and salads help to mitigate this, but Gastro-Cleanse with the activated charcoal can also help.

If defecation is slow or infrequent, salads should fix this, but some people need more help. Shillington’s Intestinal Cleanse will move the poop. It is imperative that bodily elimination functions are working properly. Obviously, stuck bowels are really bad news for anyone needing to detoxify.

Phase 2 – Stay Clean and Populate with Good Guys:

If you’ve been dealing with chronic illness for a long time, for phase two, I recommend reading and following Best Supplements To Kill Candida and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Fungal Infections.

If you’re not very poor health, I recommend spending the following 5-6 months taking the following every day as directed:

Abzorb and/or a stronger Probiotic

MycoPhyto Complex (mushroom complex)

SF722 (kills all things fungal)

Protocol Example

6am

Take an Abzorb, or other probiotic, and the Blood Detox, and the MycoPhyto Complex, and any other supplements that say to be taken on an empty stomach.

9am

Salad time!

The MycoPhyto Complex company recommends to take on an empty stomach, but I like it with salads and smoothies too.

Take Abzorb if digestion is difficult, or if you just want to maximize nutrient assimilation.

Take all other antimicrobials with the salad as well (like the MicroDefense, Berberine, Undecyn, Oil of Oregano, Gastro-Cleanse, etc. with the salad.

12pm

Homemade Smoothie Time! If you’re extremely ill you may need to wait on the smoothies and just double up on the salads for the first week, but I’ve found that many people who were suffering from a plethora of ailments and having trouble recovering responded very well to pineapple smoothies. Pineapple smoothies (made with fresh pineapple), like the ones I have recipes for in the above link, pack a massive amount of enzymes and can help break down a lot of junk in the gut, while delivering large amounts of nutrition. But, smoothies have plenty of sugar, so be sure to repeat the antimicrobial supplements from 9am.

Use pineapple, coconut water, water, cranberry juice, or if you can withstand some sugar try granny smith apple juice, but don’t use sweet fruit juices for smoothies. See the recipes.

6pm

Dinner time! Everything from scratch, nothing pre-made in any way, all whole food ingredients. It’s also time for another round of antimicrobials.

9pm

Finish off the night with an Abzorb, or other probiotic, and the Blood Detox, and the MycoPhyto Complex, and any other supplements that say to be taken on an empty stomach.

Three More Supplements to Consider – Lyme Die-0ff, Heavy metal Detox, & Bowel Movements

If Candida die-off is a concern be sure to drink plenty of cranberry lemonade and I also recommend adding Total Nutrition Formula and the Intestinal Detox. Here’s a recipe to make your own Total Nutrition. With these two formulas, you’ll get bentonite clay, charcoal, chlorella, spirulina, and more, which are all great for mitigating the die-off effects of a and they also chelate heavy metals.

You can take the Total Nutrition Formula with the smoothie or sprinkle it on the salad (or choke it down with water), and take the Intestinal Detox anytime throughout the day as directed.

Conclusion

You can get well. Any doctor who tells you different is trying to sell you a lifetime of treatment. It takes a lot of work. It’s worth it. In the end, you’ll be healthier for having had Lyme. And if you’re not sure if you actually have Lyme, it really doesn’t matter. A truly holistic protocol, like this, will address and remedy any pathogenic chronic health ailment, given enough time and attention.

Recommended:

Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

Sugar Leads to Depression – World’s First Trial Proves Gut and Brain are Linked (Protocol Included)

Best Supplements To Kill Candida and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Fungal Infections

How to Detox From Plastics and Other Endocrine Disruptors

How to Detoxify and Heal the Lymphatic System

Sources:

The Lyme Wars – The New Yorker

UK’s new Lyme guideline brings both positives and negatives – Lyme Disease.org

BORRELIA BURGDORFERI – Bay Area Lyme

Lyme disease is vastly under-reported, CDC says – CBS News

About Lyme Disease Co-Infections – Lyme Disease.org

Lyme Disease – CDC

Lyme Disease – Mayo Clinic

Best Supplements To Kill Lyme and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Lyme Disease was originally published on Organic Lifestyle Magazine

#Lyme

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soobypls · 7 years ago

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Detailed Notes on Borrelia Burgdorferi in an Easy to Follow Manner

Top Borrelia Burgdorferi Tips!

At present, there are several species of Lyme and just a few detectable with laboratory science technology. With the amazing effort it requires to recover, the graphing gives a little reward on a standard basis. Appropriate tick-control methods together with periodic testing might be the best methods to help protect dogs from such diseases. www.sdrugs.com/?c=drug&s=novanox

If you're uncertain about whether this is an issue in your region, get in touch with your community government animal department. Within endemic places, there's considerable variation in tick infection rates based on the kind of habitat, presence of wildlife and other things. One particular wrong use of such harmful products may just kill them immediately.

In spite of this sophisticated strategy, as with myself, it is not often eliminated. It can cause the body's immune system to become abnormal. Someone with Lyme Disease might also have a plethora of digestive issues that lead to a deficiency of adequate nutrition.

Rates have increased significantly with time. So whatever treatment you're getting for Lyme Disease it's important to work hard on getting the toxins out as nicely with a thorough detox program.

Magnesium is apparently a helpful supplement for individuals with these ailments. Moreover, there are just a few therapeutic solutions for Lyme disease patients and there aren't any effective vaccines readily available on the industry. During the early phases of Lyme disease, treatment with antibiotic medication generally leads to a rapid and total recovery. https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/47850.html

The Fight Against Borrelia Burgdorferi

Some can argue against the use of long-term antibiotics stating this use can develop resistance to bacteria. There are various sorts of bacteria present all over the body, and even within it. These conditions are hard to test for and diagnose properly as these pathogens have forms which do not own a cell wall (and therefore don't have the normal markers most tests search for that sit on a mobile wall) and they can hide within the human body's cells.

For Bartonella, Galaxy Diagnostics appears to be a really very good option also. It's a notifiable disease, when infection is disseminated, serological testing offers supplemental evidence to confirm a situation. The PCR technique was studied utilizing many different specimens.

Differences in protocols also trust the sort of samples and extraction procedures along with the wide assortment of clinical manifestations of Lyme disease. It is thus important for patients to seek out medical treatment as soon as possible, for an entire recovery. Basic antibiotic treatment may be used for healing, and is often quite effective.

When a patient goes to a rheumatologist to have a diagnosis, there's a procedure of elimination in order to reach the appropriate diagnosis. If he is seen shortly after the onset of infection, then repeated serological testing may be recommended. In the event the test is negative, there's no additional testing.

Significant instances of lyme disease may bring about paralysis together with muscle and heart tissue damage, possibly leading to death. The disease is usually undiagnosed as a result of signature bull's eye rash absence in nearly half of those that are infected. This disease isn't directly transmitted from 1 person to other by the resources of touching.

Up in Arms About Borrelia Burgdorferi?

A lot of people can feel a substantial improvement in quality of life within three months, and keep on to get a steady improvement that contributes to a much more normal life in a year. For that reason, it's always far better to be cautious in regards to taking care of pets. All too frequently, individuals focus too much on only the Lyme and in my opinion miss a number of the other essential things which are also going on.

People who are afflicted with more advanced phases of the disease are not as likely to be cured and could undergo another month long antibiotic therapy. Because clinical signs are sometimes not apparent, periodic testing is a very good method to spot dogs which were infected. The treatment involves 2 weeks intravenous antibiotic therapy and in some instances, the therapy goes on for over a year.

Soil is rich with pathogenic bacteria that may result in poisoning, infection, and sometimes even gangrene. Apart from the initial infection, Borreliadoes not seem to circulate in the blood and that's why it's so hard to detect.

All instances of Lyme disease must be immediately treated by means of a health care provider. Lyme disease has now come to be a common vector borne infection. It is brought on by an autoimmune disease.

Due to this, you might be told you have Lyme disease whenever you don't. It is caused by a spirochete-type bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi. It is not an easy diagnosis to make.

The first point to know whenever your dog tests positive for Lyme disease is this test merely identifies dogs that were exposed to the organism that may result in Lyme disease, not the illness itself. Search for a holistic dentist who's knowledgeable in the process. The next step would be to call your veterinarian and allow them to know that you've found a tick and to schedule proper testing in 6 weeks to make sure no disease was transmitted.

The majority of the expense incurred revolves around attention of the animal hosts that are essential to feed the ticks. If you discover an attached tick appears swollen, it might have fed long enough to transmit bacteria. If you choose to take out the tick yourself, follow the directions below.

The History of Borrelia Burgdorferi Refuted

It is the most common tick-borne illness in the United States. It is the most common tick-borne illness in the United States and Europe. It is now the most common arthropod-borne illness in the United States.

Only a rather small part of america is endemic for the disease. Acquiring the right host is crucial to tick survival and reproduction. There are different kinds of borrelia in every continent resulting in various kinds of Lyme disease in North America and Europe.

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jakehglover · 7 years ago

Text

Are Ticks Winning?

youtube

By Dr. Mercola

Ticks are widespread throughout the U.S., and while bites can be harmless they also hold the potential to transmit serious diseases. Lyme disease — which is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria spread through the bite of blacklegged ticks (also known as deer ticks) and western blacklegged ticks — is thought to affect more than 300,000 Americans annually.1 As you can view for yourself in the video above, ticks are stealthy creatures that have developed an elaborate system to feed off human blood.

Whereas other bloodsuckers like mosquitoes bite, suck quickly and leave, ticks’ goal is to stay embedded in your skin for days, and as such they have specially developed mouths just for this purpose. In addition to the needle-like hypostome, which is covered in backward-facing hooks, there are two rod-like chelicerae, which help to drive the hypostome into your skin.2 You can’t feel it when a tick bites you, nor when they feed.

Their salvia contains anesthetics for this purpose, along with anticoagulants and immune suppressors that facilitate the ticks’ feeding while also allowing the transmission of diseases like Lyme.

“On a human host, their saliva numbs the skin so you don’t feel the bite, and an anticoagulant keeps the blood flowing. The tick saliva also combines with a protein from B. burgdorferi to suppress human immune systems, so our bodies don’t muster antibodies to kill the bug,” the Adirondack Daily Enterprise reported.3

“Reading about the elaborate and effective ways these tiny creatures defeat our body’s defenses can make you rethink the conception that humans occupy the top spot on an evolutionary ladder. They have been around far longer than we have, and from all indications, they will persist when we have faded away.”4

How Do Ticks Spread Disease?

In order to transition to each of its life stages (egg, larva, nymph and adult), ticks must find a blood meal to survive. Ticks can live up to three years during this process, although many die prior to this when they are unable to find a host to feed on. Ticks will lie in wait on a leaf or piece of grass, waiting to detect a potential host via breath and body odors or sensing heat, moisture, vibrations and even shadows.

If you happen to venture too close to a tick’s hideout, it will climb on board and begin the process of attaching, which can take anywhere from minutes to two hours.

As a tick sucks blood over the process of several days, it ingests any pathogens found in the host animal. In the case of Lyme disease bacteria, white-footed mice infect 75 to 95 percent of larval ticks that feed on them.5 Such pathogens within the tick may then be transmitted to the host via saliva released during the feeding process.6

There are more than two dozen tick-borne diseases in the U.S. that can be transmitted to humans, including Colorado tick fever, rocky mountain spotted fever, Powassan disease and increasingly prevalent Lyme disease.

In most cases, tick bites cause no symptoms, but it’s possible to experience pain, a rash or burning. If you develop a red spot or rash near the site of a tick bite, it’s a possible sign of tick-borne disease and should be evaluated by your doctor. A characteristic “bull’s-eye” rash is often associated with Lyme disease, but this rash occurs only in about half of those infected, so absence of such a rash does not exclude the possibility of a tick bite.

Lyme Disease Is on the Rise

While only deer ticks are known to transmit Lyme disease, cases have now occurred in half of the counties in the 48 continental U.S. states.7 Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vectorborne illness in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with 95 percent of confirmed cases in 2015 coming from the following 14 states:8

Connecticut

Delaware

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Minnesota

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Vermont

Virginia

Wisconsin

According to the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), since U.S. surveillance began in 1982, the number of annual Lyme cases reported has increased nearly 25-fold.9 The disease is also spreading geographically. The longer a tick is attached, the higher the chances of transmission of an infectious agent. In most cases, Lyme disease is transmitted by young nymphs, rather than adult ticks, simply because the nymphs are smaller and therefore less likely to be discovered and removed.

According to the CDC, the tick must typically be attached for 36 to 48 hours or more before the Lyme disease bacterium can be transmitted,10 but ILADS notes that it’s possible to get Lyme disease even if the tick has been attached for less than 24 hours.11

Many patients with Lyme disease do not ever recall being bitten by a tick and, according to Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt — one the leading authorities on Lyme disease — the bacteria that cause the disease can also be spread by other biting or blood-sucking insects, including mosquitoes, spiders, fleas and mites.

Many Challenges Surround Lyme Disease Diagnosis, Treatment

Lyme disease usually starts with fatigue, fever, headaches and joint or muscle pain. It can then progress to muscle spasms, loss of motor coordination, intermittent paralysis, meningitis and even heart problems. Early treatment is critical to prevent complications, but there is no reliable test for diagnosis.

According to ILADS, up to 50 percent of patients tested for Lyme disease may receive false negative results, and the average patient sees five doctors over nearly two years before being diagnosed.12 Many are told the disease is “all in their heads” before finally receiving help.

One of the reasons blood tests are so unreliable as indicators of Lyme infection is that the spirochete that causes Lyme disease (a cousin to the spirochete that causes syphilis) 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.

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. Also problematic is the controversy over whether Lyme disease is a chronic condition.

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has long recommended a short course of antibiotics for treatment, even though many patients do not get better following the treatment or relapse shortly thereafter. As a result of the IDSA guidelines, insurance companies typically will not pay for extended treatment. As noted by the Adirondack Daily Enterprise:13

“Patients suffering from long-term Lyme disease symptoms are often forced to seek out expensive testing through private labs and expensive treatment from specialists that they must pay for personally, then struggle with insurance companies for reimbursement …

In Texas, Lyme disease patients have filed a lawsuit against the Infectious Diseases Society of America and several large insurance companies, claiming the IDSA’s development of the Lyme practice guideline, which recommends a short course of antibiotics, was influenced by insurance consultants trying to keep down costs. Lyme patients need a longer course of antibiotics — perhaps many months — to eradicate the disease, the lawsuit claims.”

Natural Treatment Options for Lyme Disease

Antibiotics are often ineffective in treating Lyme disease, and can seriously impair your gut bacteria and raise your risk of antibiotic-resistant infections, especially when taken long term. I recommend trying natural strategies first, such as the Nutramedix line of herbal antimicrobials, recommended by one of the most prominent alternative medicine experts, Dr. Lee Cowden.

The best feature of this natural treatment for Lyme disease, often referred to as the "Cowden Protocol,” is that it rotates various herbal antimicrobials, so you don't have to worry about bacteria developing resistance. The following table also lists a number of nutritional supplements found to be useful in the treatment of Lyme disease by those embracing natural methods.

Probiotics to improve immunity and restore microflora during and after antibiotics

Curcumin is helpful for 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 coinfection

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

Klinghardt also has a Lyme disease protocol that can help you recover from the infection. His website explains the protocol in detail, but here are the basic steps to give you an idea of what it entails:14

Evaluate all external factors and address as appropriate. These include molds, electromagnetic fields, electrosmog and microwave radiation in connection to wireless technologies. Klinghardt advises shielding your home using Y shield (special graphite paint) in order to reduce microwave radiation coming from the outside. Cloth coated with silver is used for curtains. Patients are advised to turn off all fuses at night and eliminate all cordless telephones until they recover from the illness.

Address stress and emotional issues. Energy psychology tools like the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) can be helpful to address the emotional components of Lyme.

Address parasitic, bacterial and viral infections. Parasites need to be addressed first, followed by bacteria and then viruses. Klinghardt uses an antimicrobial cocktail composed of wormwood, vitamin C, phospholipids and different herbs. Viral infections are addressed with BioPure's Viressence, a tincture of Native American herbs.

Address other lifestyle factors. Determine your need for supplementation (antioxidants) to address nutritional deficiencies.

Steps to Avoiding Tick Bites and How to Remove a Tick

If you’re venturing into a natural area where ticks may be present, taking the following precautionary steps can help you prevent tick bites:15

In tick-infested areas, avoid contact with soil, leaf litter and vegetation.

Wear light-colored clothing with a tight weave to spot ticks easily.

Wear enclosed shoes, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirt into pants.

Check clothes and any exposed skin frequently for ticks while outdoors and check again once indoors.

Walk in the center of trails.

Stay on cleared, well-traveled trails. Avoid contacting vegetation.

Avoid sitting directly on the ground or on stone walls.

Keep long hair tied back, especially when gardening.

Once indoors, do a full-body tick check, taking care to check harder-to-spot areas such as hair, behind your knees and between your legs. Pets, clothing and gear should be thoroughly checked as well. Another option is to take a bath or shower soon after coming home, which will help wash any ticks away. You can also put clothing in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes, or wash them using hot water, to kill any lingering ticks.16

If you find a tick attached to your skin, use a pair of tweezers to remove it. Grasp the tick as close to your skin’s surface as possible, then pull it straight out (do not twist it or jerk it out). If mouth parts are left in your skin that cannot be removed, leave them alone and the skin will heal on its own. Be sure to wash the area and your hands thoroughly with soap and water once removed.17

If you’re not sure what type of tick it is and want to be able to identify the tick to determine if it can transmit Lyme disease or other infections, take a picture of it before disposing of it. Remember that most tick bites are harmless and do not cause any symptoms, but do be vigilant in watching for signs of potential tickborne disease, especially if bitten by a deer tick.

from HealthyLife via Jake Glover on Inoreader https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/04/24/ticks-lyme-disease.aspx

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sherristockman · 7 years ago

Link

Are Ticks Winning? Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Ticks are widespread throughout the U.S., and while bites can be harmless they also hold the potential to transmit serious diseases. Lyme disease — which is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria spread through the bite of blacklegged ticks (also known as deer ticks) and western blacklegged ticks — is thought to affect more than 300,000 Americans annually.1 As you can view for yourself in the video above, ticks are stealthy creatures that have developed an elaborate system to feed off human blood. Whereas other bloodsuckers like mosquitoes bite, suck quickly and leave, ticks’ goal is to stay embedded in your skin for days, and as such they have specially developed mouths just for this purpose. In addition to the needle-like hypostome, which is covered in backward-facing hooks, there are two rod-like chelicerae, which help to drive the hypostome into your skin.2 You can’t feel it when a tick bites you, nor when they feed. Their salvia contains anesthetics for this purpose, along with anticoagulants and immune suppressors that facilitate the ticks’ feeding while also allowing the transmission of diseases like Lyme. “On a human host, their saliva numbs the skin so you don’t feel the bite, and an anticoagulant keeps the blood flowing. The tick saliva also combines with a protein from B. burgdorferi to suppress human immune systems, so our bodies don’t muster antibodies to kill the bug,” the Adirondack Daily Enterprise reported.3 “Reading about the elaborate and effective ways these tiny creatures defeat our body’s defenses can make you rethink the conception that humans occupy the top spot on an evolutionary ladder. They have been around far longer than we have, and from all indications, they will persist when we have faded away.”4 How Do Ticks Spread Disease? In order to transition to each of its life stages (egg, larva, nymph and adult), ticks must find a blood meal to survive. Ticks can live up to three years during this process, although many die prior to this when they are unable to find a host to feed on. Ticks will lie in wait on a leaf or piece of grass, waiting to detect a potential host via breath and body odors or sensing heat, moisture, vibrations and even shadows. If you happen to venture too close to a tick’s hideout, it will climb on board and begin the process of attaching, which can take anywhere from minutes to two hours. As a tick sucks blood over the process of several days, it ingests any pathogens found in the host animal. In the case of Lyme disease bacteria, white-footed mice infect 75 to 95 percent of larval ticks that feed on them.5 Such pathogens within the tick may then be transmitted to the host via saliva released during the feeding process.6 There are more than two dozen tick-borne diseases in the U.S. that can be transmitted to humans, including Colorado tick fever, rocky mountain spotted fever, Powassan disease and increasingly prevalent Lyme disease. In most cases, tick bites cause no symptoms, but it’s possible to experience pain, a rash or burning. If you develop a red spot or rash near the site of a tick bite, it’s a possible sign of tick-borne disease and should be evaluated by your doctor. A characteristic “bull’s-eye” rash is often associated with Lyme disease, but this rash occurs only in about half of those infected, so absence of such a rash does not exclude the possibility of a tick bite. Lyme Disease Is on the Rise While only deer ticks are known to transmit Lyme disease, cases have now occurred in half of the counties in the 48 continental U.S. states.7 Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vectorborne illness in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with 95 percent of confirmed cases in 2015 coming from the following 14 states:8 Connecticut Delaware Maine Maryland Massachusetts Minnesota New Hampshire New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Rhode Island Vermont Virginia Wisconsin According to the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), since U.S. surveillance began in 1982, the number of annual Lyme cases reported has increased nearly 25-fold.9 The disease is also spreading geographically. The longer a tick is attached, the higher the chances of transmission of an infectious agent. In most cases, Lyme disease is transmitted by young nymphs, rather than adult ticks, simply because the nymphs are smaller and therefore less likely to be discovered and removed. According to the CDC, the tick must typically be attached for 36 to 48 hours or more before the Lyme disease bacterium can be transmitted,10 but ILADS notes that it’s possible to get Lyme disease even if the tick has been attached for less than 24 hours.11 Many patients with Lyme disease do not ever recall being bitten by a tick and, according to Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt — one the leading authorities on Lyme disease — the bacteria that cause the disease can also be spread by other biting or blood-sucking insects, including mosquitoes, spiders, fleas and mites. Many Challenges Surround Lyme Disease Diagnosis, Treatment Lyme disease usually starts with fatigue, fever, headaches and joint or muscle pain. It can then progress to muscle spasms, loss of motor coordination, intermittent paralysis, meningitis and even heart problems. Early treatment is critical to prevent complications, but there is no reliable test for diagnosis. According to ILADS, up to 50 percent of patients tested for Lyme disease may receive false negative results, and the average patient sees five doctors over nearly two years before being diagnosed.12 Many are told the disease is “all in their heads” before finally receiving help. One of the reasons blood tests are so unreliable as indicators of Lyme infection is that the spirochete that causes Lyme disease (a cousin to the spirochete that causes syphilis) 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. 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. Also problematic is the controversy over whether Lyme disease is a chronic condition. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has long recommended a short course of antibiotics for treatment, even though many patients do not get better following the treatment or relapse shortly thereafter. As a result of the IDSA guidelines, insurance companies typically will not pay for extended treatment. As noted by the Adirondack Daily Enterprise:13 “Patients suffering from long-term Lyme disease symptoms are often forced to seek out expensive testing through private labs and expensive treatment from specialists that they must pay for personally, then struggle with insurance companies for reimbursement … In Texas, Lyme disease patients have filed a lawsuit against the Infectious Diseases Society of America and several large insurance companies, claiming the IDSA’s development of the Lyme practice guideline, which recommends a short course of antibiotics, was influenced by insurance consultants trying to keep down costs. Lyme patients need a longer course of antibiotics — perhaps many months — to eradicate the disease, the lawsuit claims.” Natural Treatment Options for Lyme Disease Antibiotics are often ineffective in treating Lyme disease, and can seriously impair your gut bacteria and raise your risk of antibiotic-resistant infections, especially when taken long term. I recommend trying natural strategies first, such as the Nutramedix line of herbal antimicrobials, recommended by one of the most prominent alternative medicine experts, Dr. Lee Cowden. The best feature of this natural treatment for Lyme disease, often referred to as the "Cowden Protocol,” is that it rotates various herbal antimicrobials, so you don't have to worry about bacteria developing resistance. The following table also lists a number of nutritional supplements found to be useful in the treatment of Lyme disease by those embracing natural methods. Probiotics to improve immunity and restore microflora during and after antibiotics Curcumin is helpful for 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 coinfection 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 Klinghardt also has a Lyme disease protocol that can help you recover from the infection. His website explains the protocol in detail, but here are the basic steps to give you an idea of what it entails:14 Evaluate all external factors and address as appropriate. These include molds, electromagnetic fields, electrosmog and microwave radiation in connection to wireless technologies. Klinghardt advises shielding your home using Y shield (special graphite paint) in order to reduce microwave radiation coming from the outside. Cloth coated with silver is used for curtains. Patients are advised to turn off all fuses at night and eliminate all cordless telephones until they recover from the illness. Address stress and emotional issues. Energy psychology tools like the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) can be helpful to address the emotional components of Lyme. Address parasitic, bacterial and viral infections. Parasites need to be addressed first, followed by bacteria and then viruses. Klinghardt uses an antimicrobial cocktail composed of wormwood, vitamin C, phospholipids and different herbs. Viral infections are addressed with BioPure's Viressence, a tincture of Native American herbs. Address other lifestyle factors. Determine your need for supplementation (antioxidants) to address nutritional deficiencies. Steps to Avoiding Tick Bites and How to Remove a Tick If you’re venturing into a natural area where ticks may be present, taking the following precautionary steps can help you prevent tick bites:15 In tick-infested areas, avoid contact with soil, leaf litter and vegetation. Wear light-colored clothing with a tight weave to spot ticks easily. Wear enclosed shoes, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirt into pants. Check clothes and any exposed skin frequently for ticks while outdoors and check again once indoors. Walk in the center of trails. Stay on cleared, well-traveled trails. Avoid contacting vegetation. Avoid sitting directly on the ground or on stone walls. Keep long hair tied back, especially when gardening. Once indoors, do a full-body tick check, taking care to check harder-to-spot areas such as hair, behind your knees and between your legs. Pets, clothing and gear should be thoroughly checked as well. Another option is to take a bath or shower soon after coming home, which will help wash any ticks away. You can also put clothing in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes, or wash them using hot water, to kill any lingering ticks.16 If you find a tick attached to your skin, use a pair of tweezers to remove it. Grasp the tick as close to your skin’s surface as possible, then pull it straight out (do not twist it or jerk it out). If mouth parts are left in your skin that cannot be removed, leave them alone and the skin will heal on its own. Be sure to wash the area and your hands thoroughly with soap and water once removed.17 If you’re not sure what type of tick it is and want to be able to identify the tick to determine if it can transmit Lyme disease or other infections, take a picture of it before disposing of it. Remember that most tick bites are harmless and do not cause any symptoms, but do be vigilant in watching for signs of potential tickborne disease, especially if bitten by a deer tick.

#VitalityPath

0 notes

mrlongkgraves · 8 years ago

Text

Nurses must play detective to diagnose Lyme disease

Diagnosing tick-borne infections and the vast array of symptoms they cause often requires some detective work.

These investigative skills are among the best assets of healthcare professionals, many of whom will be faced with a new wave of infections this year.

“Ticks carry a lot of infections, not just Lyme disease,” said Ruth Kriz, MSN, APRN, a Washington, D.C.-based nurse practitioner who has studied the effects on tick-borne infections for 30 years.

According to a 2015 report from the Centers for Disease Control, 95% of confirmed Lyme disease cases were reported from only 14 states. The main geographic territory ranges from Maine to Virginia along the East Coast and the upper Midwest states of Wisconsin and Minnesota.

The migration patterns of many ticks is expanding, according to a long-term study published in 2015 by University of Indiana biology professor Keith Clay. That means clinicians outside those 14 states are likely to see an increase in patient concerns.

“Every year is a bad year,” CDC spokeswoman Kate Fowlie said.

What to listen for to detect Lyme disease

Taking a thorough patient history and using critical-thinking skills to consider infections other than Lyme disease are of the utmost importance for practitioners.

“Some negative [test results] could still be a maybe,” Kriz said. “The biggest red flag for me is when you have somebody who has multiple diagnoses. You need to start thinking in terms of, ‘Do they really have five things that went wrong in the past three years of their life that had a fairly rapid onset?’

Kriz has learned the skills healthcare professionals possess are invaluable when it comes to the often sneaky infections and the many symptoms that often mimic other health issues.

With Lyme disease, “not everyone gets the bull’s-eye rash” that is one marker of the disease, Kriz said. “Some estimates say less than half of people infected with Lyme actually get the bull’s-eye rash. If you don’t get it, it doesn’t prove that you don’t have Lyme.”

Patient history can help diagnose Lyme

The first time Kriz meets with a patient, she asks extensive questions during a 90-minute session.

She said the first interaction with a patient is the best time to explore the possibility of tick-borne disease diagnoses.

“If you’re taking a patient’s history and some complaints are coming out of the discussion, it might clue you in to ask further questions about pets, camping, hiking and travel to other regions of the country,” Kriz said.

Among the most common symptoms patients can experience are the following: 1. Headaches 2. Fever 3. Chills 4. Fatigue 5. Muscle/joint pain 6. Swollen lymph nodes 7. Stretch marks 8. Foot pain

Often, a patient will reveal, “I was fine before I went on this camping trip, and I’ve had one thing or another ever since,” Kriz said. “That’s the importance of taking a good history.”

Symptoms galore

The Bartonella infection, which includes Bartonella hesalae (cat scratch fever) and Bartonella quintana (Q fever), often leaves patients with what looks like stretch marks on the thighs, underarms, abdomen and back, according to Kriz. This also can cause foot pain, particularly in the morning.

Babesia is an organism that can lead to night sweats, joint pain, headaches and insomnia.

“A lot of these symptoms overlap,” she said. “Not everyone gets all these symptoms. I have many patients who present with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue. They don’t present with joint pain at all.”

Two tiers of Lyme disease tests

The CDC has published a reference manual on tick-borne diseases for healthcare professionals.

Along with the 21-page manual, the CDC offers a two-tiered Lyme disease testing chart. For negative Lyme tests, the chart suggests consideration of an alternative tick-borne infection diagnosis.

Kriz has been working in the research and treatment of interstitial cystitis, a painful bladder condition, for 30 years and was an interstitial cystitis patient for 11 years. She has treated interstitial cystitis patients from 48 states and 24 countries.

According to the Interstitial Cystitis Network, a link between interstitial cystitis and Lyme is among the “rarer causes of bladder symptoms.”

Initial testing doesn’t always produce a guaranteed diagnosis with tick-borne diseases.

“Most practitioners haven’t had enough experience to do the proper testing and evaluate the test results to know what to do about them,” Kriz said. “You can’t depend on only one symptom to point you toward a specific organism.”

Courses Related to ‘Lyme Disease’

CE182-60: Lyme Disease: It’ll “Tick” You Off (1 contact hr) Lyme disease is a systemic bacterial infection that can be transmitted through the bite of an infected tick and causes illness ranging in severity from mild and self-limiting to chronic and debilitating. It commonly attacks the skin and cartilage, but it may also target cardiovascular and neurological organs. Lyme disease is concentrated heavily in the Northeast and upper Midwest, but it has been reported in all states and the District of Columbia. Healthcare professionals may encounter patients infected with Lyme disease in almost any clinical setting, as well as in patients’ homes. Updated clinical knowledge about this disease will enable healthcare practitioners to confidently provide the best care possible to this patient population.

CE182-60: Treating and Preventing Communicable Diseases (7.9 contact hr) One of the primary responsibilities of all nurses is the prevention of infection in the healthcare environment. This course provides the key concepts of the epidemiology and transmission of disease for nurses in all specialties and clinical settings. It discusses how infections are spread and how to protect yourself, your patients, and others from contracting communicable diseases. The course covers a variety of infectious disease topics and issues of current interest: tuberculosis, hepatitis C, multidrug-resistant organisms, foodborne illness, meningitis, scabies, lice, Lyme disease, sexually transmitted infections, viral hepatitis (including hepatitis C) and travel medicine. Each disease is discussed in detail, including the etiology, diagnosis, treatment options, and prevention strategies and nursing interventions.

CE182-60: Infectious Microbes and Disease (1.4 contact hr) Each year, Streptococcus pneumoniae — a bacterium — is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. despite the availability of a vaccine. Until 2000, at least 40% of the 60,000 cases of invasive S. pneumoniae infection were resistant to at least one drug. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2012 Active Bacterial Core Surveillance Report estimated that 3,300 cases of invasive pneumococcal infections caused by S. pneumonia were fatal. Pathogenic bacteria share the instinct to survive with their unwilling hosts. When faced with an antimicrobial attack, they rapidly assemble defensive resources. Although bacteria carry only a single chromosome, evolution has provided them with mechanisms that allow them to survive even aggressive antimicrobial treatment. Surviving bacteria are often resistant; these survivors reproduce and, by natural selection, become the dominant organism in the host. This course provides information about infections, antibiotic resistance, colonization and breaking the chain of disease.

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