Potential Treatment For Lyme Disease Kills Bacteria That May Cause Lingering Symptoms Study Finds
Screening thousands of drugs, Stanford scientists determined that in mice, azlocillin, an antibiotic approved by the Food and Drug Administration, eliminated the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.
Deer ticks are vectors of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.Scott Bauer/USDA Agricultural Research Service
For decades, the routine treatment for Lyme disease has been standard antibiotics, which usually kill off the infection. But for up to 20% of people with the tick-borne illness, the antibiotics dont work, and lingering symptoms of muscle pain, fatigue and cognitive impairment can continue for years sometimes indefinitely.
A new Stanford Medicine study in lab dishes and mice provides evidence that the drug azlocillin completely kills off the disease-causing bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi at the onset of the illness. The study suggests it could also be effective for treating patients infected with drug-tolerant bacteria that may cause lingering symptoms.
This compound is just amazing, said Jayakumar Rajadas, PhD, assistant professor of medicine and director of the Biomaterials and Advanced Drug Delivery Laboratory at the Stanford School of Medicine. It clears the infection without a lot of side effects. We are hoping to repurpose it as an oral treatment for Lyme disease. Rajadas is the senior author of the study, which was published online March 2 in Scientific Reports. The lead author is research associate Venkata Raveendra Pothineni, PhD.
Protocols For Iv Therapy
You must work with a doctor who specializes in treating Lyme disease with IV antibiotic therapies. They are the doctors with the proper equipment and alternative treatments available in their office.
Lyme literate doctors will create a protocol of therapy individualized to ease your specific symptoms. The protocols will include both antibiotic and alternative regimens.
The antibiotic treatment will include antimicrobial substances that fight against infections, viruses, parasites, yeast, and fungi. They can go anywhere in the body to fight, even cells and cell membranes.
Therapy Silver given intravenously compliment IV antibiotic treatments. Silver has been used for centuries in treating ailments. Lyme disease has been shown to prevent bacteria from replicating. It can also bind to hard to flush out viruses. Once it locks on, the virus is easily eliminated.
Vitamins given through IV are a therapy finding great popularity with people with Lyme disease and anyone else who feels depleted or who is struggling with some ailment. Vitamin C Mega Dose is one example that helps your own bodys immune system gets boosted so that it can participate in the elimination of Lyme.
What Are Risk Factors For Developing Lyme Disease
Lyme disease occurs most frequently in children 5-14 years of age and adults 40-50 years of age. The most substantial risk factor for Lyme disease is
- exposure to the ticks located in the high-risk areas of the country listed above,
- particularly in the New England states,
- as well as Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Additional risk factors include recreational and occupational exposure to ticks and outdoor activities, including
- gardening, in woods, and
- fields in the high-risk areas.
No transplacental transmission of Lyme disease from the mother to the unborn child has ever been described. Again, Lyme disease is not contagious from one person to another.
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Lyme Disease Signs & Symptoms
Lyme disease is medically described as occurring in three phases, each with distinctive symptoms. The first phase is early localized disease, which occurs three to 30 days after the tick bite that transmitted the infection. This stage is characterized by skin inflammation. The rash that occurs is referred to as erythema migrans. It develops in about 70% of people who get Lyme disease. It starts at the site of the tick bite and expands over the next several days. It can eventually cover an area up to about 12 inches across. Some of the area may clear, giving the rash at times a bulls-eye appearance.
Several Antibiotics Appear Effective Against Early
This is a plain English summary of an original research article
Most cases of Lyme disease, which is an infection carried by ticks, can be easily managed if treated early using antibiotics, with choice of antibiotic agent having little bearing on success.
This network meta-analysis suggests that when symptoms of the disease are confined to a localised skin infection, treatment failures are relatively infrequent, only 2% at 12 months. Effective antibiotics include penicillin V, doxycycline, azithromycin, cefuroxime, amoxicillin and ceftriaxone plus doxycycline.
The research has significant limitations, but choice, dose and duration of antibiotics appear to have little impact on outcomes. This research does not suggest that guidelines need to be reviewed.
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Why This Is Important
The use and duration of antibiotics for chronic Lyme disease treatment is controversial because there is no biomarker that can determine whether the Lyme bacteria has been eradicated in CLD patients. Patients are often told that either chronic Lyme disease does not exist or that it is incurable. If this were true, we would not expect more well and substantially improved patients to be taking antibiotics. Instead, we might have expected the percentage of people using antibiotics to be roughly the same among the patient subgroups.
Antibiotics For Lyme Disease Treatment
Every year, a campaign is launched in the media to raise awareness of what Lyme disease is and what its effects may be. It should be emphasized that Lyme disease can consequently lead to inflammation of the encephalitis and meninges. In the spring and summer period, when the most ticks are found in forests, parks, and meadows, you need to be particularly vigilant and observe your body with the signals they send. If you develop erythema on your skin, you should see your doctor immediately, as this may be the first symptom of a tick bite and possibly Lyme disease. It is not recommended to remove the forceps from the body on your own. Unfortunately, this will not protect us from Lyme disease, if the tick was its carrier. It is better if the doctor assesses the risk of a tick bite.
Infection with Lyme disease of the human body can take several forms, due to the fact that the insects carrying this disease have the form of an oval spirochete without a cell wall, in the form of a cyst, and as spores. If a tick bites a persons skin, Lyme starts living inside the cells of the human skin and is also able to cross the blood-brain barrier in a short time. This is a big problem when treating patients with Lyme disease.
Most often, Lyme disease is identified in:
- Connective tissue skin, tendons, walls of blood vessels, including those in the brain
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Treating Lyme Disease In Humans
Lyme disease is a type of bacteria that infects people, making them very sick. Treating Lyme disease in humans is tricky because the symptoms come and go since toxins are left behind. To complicate matters, in 2013, scientists from the Mayo Clinic discovered another type of bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Antibiotics changed to kill multiple types of bacteria.
Johns Hopkins did a study that found even with antibiotic treatments, not all symptoms subside. While some antibiotics work at killing off bacteria, there are toxins and metals left behind in the body. Treatment is difficult because conditions can develop that are not treated with antibiotics.
For this reason, doctors have started treating patients with more than just antibiotics. It is becoming more common to recommend that patients use hyperbaric chamber therapy with medications to attack the bacteria and symptoms from multiple angles. This is especially important if the person has a type of bacteria that becomes resistance to traditional antibiotic therapy.
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Lyme Disease Antibiotics Overview
The following are four general rules I use to develop a Lyme disease antibiotic regimen.
- Rule 1. Combine antibiotics to treat all forms of the germ.
- Rule 2. Combine antibiotics to treat Lyme living outside and inside of cells.
- Rule 3. Combine antibiotics that work in different ways to attack the germ from different angles.
- Rule 4. Treat all growth phases of Lyme at the same time – this means treatments should include antimicrobials that address persisters in addition to the growth phase of the term.
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Considerations While On Lyme Treatment
Antibiotics can wipe out beneficial intestinal flora, leading to a wide variety of additional health problems. It is important to take probiotics while on antibiotics to maintain a healthy balance of gut bacteria. Furthermore, antibiotics may interact with other drugs, supplements or food. The National Institutes of Healths MedLinePlus website gives information about drug interactions.
by Lyme Mexico | Oct 7, 2020 | News |
If youve been wondering about how impactful IV antibiotics for Lyme disease is, then youre in the right spot! Lets dive right into the details.
Antibiotics are the first line of defense doctors use when treating Lyme disease in patients. Even if a confirmed diagnosis has not been made, doctors will often prescribe a round of antibiotics. In Lymes early stage, the antibiotic regimens typically include a week or two of doxycycline or amoxicillin.
Antibiotics such as these are antimicrobial substances that fight bacteria that lead to infections, making them perfect for combating Lyme disease and some co-infections. Antibiotics can weaken bacteria and keep it from replicating.
Pinpointing the stage of Lyme disease you are in can help your doctor determine the best treatment.
Tetracycline Plus Macrolide Plus Grapefruit Seed Extract Plus Japanese Knotweed
- doxycycline 100 mg 2 pills 2 times a day
- clarithromycin 500 mg 1 pill 2 times a day
- grapefruit seed extract 250 mg 1 pill 2 times a day.
- Japanese knotweed½ tsp 3 times a day
Key Points:
- Tetracyclines and macrolides both block protein production by binding to the protein production apparatus in germs called ribosomes. But they each bind to a different part of the ribosome improving the blockade of protein production.
- Japanese knotweed is added here to treat persister Lyme. It also may treat growing Lyme and can lower inflammation cytokines.
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How Can Lyme Disease Be Prevented
Unfortunately, there is currently no vaccine for Lyme disease. But you can avoid Lyme disease by avoiding tick bites, checking for ticks, and removing ticks promptly, before they become lodged in the skin. Some tips:
Avoid tick playgrounds: Ticks like low-level shrubs and grasses, particularly at the edges of wooded areas. If youre hiking, try to stay in the center of the trail and avoid bushwhacking. Walk on cleared paths or pavement through wooded areas and fields when possible.
Dress appropriately: Long pants with legs tucked into socks and closed-toed shoes will help keep ticks away from skin. Light-colored clothing helps make ticks visible.
Insect repellant: Products that contain DEET repel ticks but do not kill them and are not 100 percent effective. Use a brand of insect repellent that is designated as child-safe if your child is 1 year or older. For infants, check with your pediatrician about what brands are safe to use. You can also treat clothing with a product that contains permethrin, which is known to kill ticks on contact.
Shower after outdoor activities are done for the day. It may take four to six hours for ticks to attach firmly to skin. Showering will help remove unattached ticks.
- all parts of the body that bend: behind the knees, between fingers and toes, underarms and groin
- other areas where ticks are commonly found: belly button, in and behind the ears, neck, hairline, and top of the head
- anywhere clothing presses on the skin
When To See A Doctor
A person should see a doctor if they have recently received a tick bite. It is not possible to know whether a tick is carrying Lyme disease, and the symptoms may take weeks to appear.
The earlier a person receives a diagnosis and treatment, the higher the likelihood of a quick and complete recovery.
It is not always possible for a person to tell if a tick has bitten them. As such, people should also see a doctor if they experience any Lyme disease symptoms. A doctor will ask about the persons symptoms and duration and whether the person has spent time in tick-infested areas.
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Why Was This Study Needed
Lyme disease affects around 2,000 to 3,000 people a year in England and Wales. Although still uncommon, cases have risen in recent years, with warmer winters likely to be a contributing factor. It is caused by an infection with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, spread through infected ticks.
Early symptoms are usually mild. Many people experience a rash that starts around the bite area and may have flu-like symptoms. If left untreated, more serious complications can occur such as nerve pain and heart problems.
Antibiotics are the standard treatment, with doxycycline being the first line antibiotic recommended by NICE. Whilst it is clear they work, the evidence supporting the choice of antibiotic agent is not conclusive. Additionally, the researchers wanted to see if the data pointed to a best treatment regimen and whether dose and treatment length are important.
Chronic Lyme Disease Or Postlyme Disease Syndrome
Following an episode of Lyme disease that is treated appropriately, some persons have a variety of subjective complaints . Some of these patients have been classified as having chronic Lyme disease or postLyme disease syndrome, which are poorly defined entities. These patients appear to be a heterogeneous group. Although European patients rarely have been reported to have residual infection with B. burgdorferi , this has yet to be substantiated either in a large series of appropriately treated European patients or in a study of North American patients. Residual subjective symptoms that last weeks or months also may persist after other medical diseases . It has also been recognized that the prevalence of fatigue and/or arthralgias in the general population is > 10% .
In areas of endemicity, coinfection with B. microti or the Ehrlichia species that causes HGE may explain persistent symptoms for a small number of these patients . Randomized controlled studies of treatment of patients who remain unwell after standard courses of antibiotic therapy for Lyme disease are in progress. To date, there are no convincing published data showing that repeated or prolonged courses of oral or iv antimicrobial therapy are effective for such patients. The consensus of the IDSA expert-panel members is that there is insufficient evidence to regard chronic Lyme disease as a separate diagnostic entity.
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Macrolide Plus Azole Plus Liposomal Essential Oils
- clarithromycin 500 mg 1 pill 2 times a day
- tinidazole 500 mg 1 pill 2 or 3 times a day.
- liposomal cinnamon, clove & oregano oil 1 capsule 2 times a day
Key Points
- Tinidazole treats cysts and can remove biofilms that block the immune system and antibiotics.
- Liposomal cinnamon, clove & oregano oil can treat persister and growing forms of Lyme. Of the various herbal options to treat persiters – this is my go to persister herbal anti-microbial based on benefits I see in my practice.
Treatment For Other Forms Of Lyme Disease
People with other forms of disseminated Lyme disease may require longer courses of antibiotics or intravenous treatment with antibiotics such as ceftriaxone. For more information about treating other forms of Lyme disease, see:
The National Institutes of Health has funded several studies on the treatment of Lyme disease that show most people recover within a few weeks of completing a course of oral antibiotics when treated soon after symptom onset. In a small percentage of cases, symptoms such as fatigue and myalgia can last for more than 6 months. This condition is known as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome , although it is also sometimes called chronic Lyme disease. For details on research into chronic Lyme disease and long-term treatment trials sponsored by NIH, visit the visit the National Institutes of Health Lyme Disease web siteexternal icon.
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Can Vaccinated Dog Get Lyme Disease
The vaccine doesnt make your dog immune to Lyme disease. Though it provides an extra layer of protection to help them fight the bacteria carrying this disease. Lyme disease vaccines provide additional protection to dogs from the bacterial infection brought by deer ticks. These vaccines are grouped into core and non-core.
With a core vaccine, it is suggested for all dogs, regardless of breed, and usually includes canine parvovirus, distemper, rabies, and dog hepatitis.
For the noncore vaccine, this is recommended as per the exposure risk of dogs as a result of their lifestyle and geographic location.
Between the two groups, Lyme vaccine belongs to Noncore. In the US, the reports of infection for Lyme disease keep on growing. This is why it becomes a vital consideration among dog owners to have their dogs vaccinated.
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Dont Let Ticks Get To You
It is not yet possible to prevent Lyme disease. Tick bites should be avoided from the outset also in view of the fact that the insects can transmit other diseases as well, such as tick-borne encephalitis , for example.
This means that anyone who is out and about in meadows or forests should wear clothing that is as long as possible, especially on the legs. Putting on long socks also makes life a little more difficult for the little parasitic arachnids, especially if they are pulled up over the bottom of the pant legs.
Ticks are more visible on light-colored clothing. Anti-tick sprays keep ticks away, at least for a limited time, but not all products are equally reliable.
After returning home from an outing in the wild, you should thoroughly check for ticks. If you find one, you should remove it immediately . The sooner, the better!
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