Best Medicine For Lyme Disease

Recover From Chronic Lyme Disease At Lifeworks

Dr. Minkoff and the experienced team at LifeWorks Wellness Center have helped hundreds of Lyme Disease patients recover from Lyme and can help you too.

Watch the patient videos below and read some of the Lyme disease testimonials further down the page. Youll see a familiar pattern of patients who were suffering due to lack of proper Lyme diagnosis and/or treatment and then came here and their lives were transformed

For Depression And Anxiety

Both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy have proven benefits for improving mood. Psychotherapy has many different types such as supportive, dynamic, cognitive behavioral, dialectical behavior therapy, transference focused psychotherapy each of which offers benefit. Pharmacotherapy also has many different types. For depression the first-line options usually are SSRIs, SNRIs, Tricyclics or other agents with more unique modes of action.

A few noteworthy tips on anti-depressant agents:

• Most anti-depressant agents also help in reducing anxiety. However the opposite isn’t necessarily true. Specific anti-anxiety agents such as clonazepam or diazepam may not necessarily help fight depression.
• Most anti-depressants take three to eight weeks before an effect is seen. Therefore, it is unwise to stop an anti-depressant after only three or four weeks, as staying on it another two to three weeks may lead to a good response.
• Dosage makes a difference. Some anti-depressants work fine at low doses some medications however are effective only at higher doses. Some medications are more effective as the dose is increased. Other antidepressants may have a therapeutic range one has to achieve at least a certain dosage .

Lyme Disease In Pets Symptoms And Treatment

Pets infected with Lyme disease may not show any signs for 2-5 months. After that time, typical symptoms include:

Recurrent lameness also is possible, and the involved extremity may be tender. Inflammation of the joint can last from days to weeks, and may migrate from one extremity to another.

Horses with Lyme disease can develop lameness, joint pain, neurologic disease, eye problems and dermatitis.

Symptomatically, Lyme disease can be difficult to distinguish from anaplasmosis because the signs of the diseases are very similar, and they occur in essentially the same areas of the country. Lyme disease is diagnosed through a blood test that shows whether an animal has been exposed to the bacterium.

Antibiotics usually provide effective treatment for Lyme disease. However, its important to follow your veterinarians advice regarding follow-up care after your pet has been diagnosed with and treated for the disease.

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What Causes Lyme Disease In A Child

Lyme disease is caused by bacteria that are spread to people by tick bites. The ticks that carry the bacteria are:

• Black-legged deer tick. These are found in the Northeastern, Mid-Atlantic, and North-Central U.S.
• Western black-legged tick. These are found on the West Coast of the U.S.

Not all ticks carry the Lyme disease bacteria. Depending on the location, less than 1 in 100 to more than half of ticks in that area may be infected with Lyme.

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Treatment Of Lyme Disease

Early diagnosis and proper antibiotic treatment of Lyme disease is important and can help prevent late Lyme disease. The following treatment regimens reflect CDCs interpretation of the most current data for four important manifestations of Lyme disease. These regimens are consistent with guidanceexternal icon published by the by the Infectious Disease Society of America, American Academy of Neurology, and American College of Rheumatology.

Some patients report persistent symptoms of pain, fatigue, or difficulty thinking even after treatment for Lyme disease. The state of the science relating to persistent symptoms associated with Lyme disease is limited, emerging, and unsettled.

Additional researchexternal icon is needed to better understand how to treat, manage, and support people with persistent symptoms associated with Lyme disease. In light of these research gaps, recommendations for treatment of persistent symptoms in people previously treated for Lyme disease are not provided here.

If you are interested in information on chronic Lyme diseaseexternal icon, see NIHs website.

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When Should You See A Doctor If You Think You Have Lyme

The rash is a pretty good indication that you may have been bitten. Take a photo of the rash and see your doctor. At this stage, treatment with antibiotics will probably work.

If you dont have the rash but have symptoms like fatigue, fever, and headache but no respiratory symptoms like a cough, you may want to talk to your doctor.

Two Standards Of Care For Lyme Disease Treatment

There is significant controversy in science, medicine, and public policy regarding Lyme disease. Two medical societies hold widely divergent views on the best approach to diagnosing and treating Lyme disease. The conflict makes it difficult for patients to be properly diagnosed and receive treatment.

One medical society, the Infectious Diseases Society of America , regards Lyme disease as hard to catch and easy to cure with a short course of antibiotics. IDSA claims that spirochetal infection cannot persist in the body after a short course of antibiotics. The group also denies the existence of chronic Lyme disease.

In contrast, the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society , regards Lyme disease as often difficult to diagnose and treat, resulting in persistent infection in many patients. ILADS recommends individualized treatment based on the severity of symptoms, the presence of tick-borne coinfections and patient response to treatment.

LDo believes that patients and their doctors should make Lyme disease treatment decisions together. This requires that patients be given sufficient information about the risks and benefits of different treatment options. Then, patient and health care provider can collaborate to reach an informed decision, based on the patients circumstances, beliefs and preferences.

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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.

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Different Types Of Medication For Lyme Disease

Doctors prescribe different medications for children and adults and for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. You’ll take antibiotics for 10 to 21 days, depending on your doctor’s advice.Medication treatment is more intense if the bacteria show signs of progressing into your central nervous system. This is what happens with time when Lyme disease is left untreated. Instead of taking pills, you’ll be given an antibiotic through a needle. This is called intravenous treatment. The medicine will work faster by going straight into your bloodstream. People are given IV treatment for two to three weeks.

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Key Points To Remember

• Most Lyme disease tests are designed to detect antibodies made by the body in response to infection.
• Antibodies can take several weeks to develop, so patients may test negative if infected only recently.
• Antibodies normally persist in the blood for months or even years after the infection is gone therefore, the test cannot be used to determine cure.
• Infection with other diseases, including some tickborne diseases, or some viral, bacterial, or autoimmune diseases, can result in false positive test results.
• Some tests give results for two types of antibody, IgM and IgG. Positive IgM results should be disregarded if the patient has been ill for more than 30 days.

Internal Medicine & Primary Care Located In Frederick Md

Lyme disease is an unpleasant condition spread by the bite of the deer tick, and without expert assessment, it can be hard to diagnose. Usha Sivakumar, MD, MBBS, is a highly experienced physician at SivIMed Internal Medicine and Primary Care in Frederick, Maryland, who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease. Call the clinic now if youre concerned you have the infection or book an appointment online.

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What Causes Chronic Lyme Disease

The CDC says 10% to 20% of people treated for Lyme disease develop ongoing symptoms. These can include fatigue, joint and muscle pain, and thinking problems. The symptoms can last more than 6 months.

No one knows what causes chronic Lyme disease. One theory is the infection damages tissues or alters the immune system.

Some pain experts think the immune systemâs reaction to the Lyme infection causes changes that increase pain sensations and contribute to fatigue and poor sleep.

More research is underway.

No matter the cause, the symptoms are real. But most patients get better over time.

Show Sources

Results Of Study Selection

Randomized controlled trials from database inception through December 16, 2022 were searched in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, resulting in a total of 721 articles . Other sources are mainly obtained through the reference in our reading literatures. After removing those with incompatible topics, abstracts, and keywords, we excluded 3 articles with incomplete data or failing to obtain them from the original article authors). Finally, a total of 4 articles were included for subsequent Meta-analysis by full-text reading . The specific process is shown in Fig. .

Fig. 1

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Detoxification Therapies And Support

Enhancing and supporting your bodys ability to detoxify properly is considered to be an essential step in combating the long-term effects of Lyme disease.

Several researchers have now reported that Borrelia Burgdorferi, like several other bacteria, produce neurotoxins that cause an inflammatory response in the surrounding tissue . Endotoxin-like activity has also been associated with Lyme disease Borrelia . Your body needs all of its detoxification pathways working efficiently in order to remove all of the toxins that have accumulated in the body, especially after antibiotic therapy has been used. Detoxification is also used to restore your bodys natural balance after long-term antibiotic Lyme disease treatment.

There are many ways to help your body detoxify, with some being home-treatment options and others requiring the direction of certified health professionals.

Some recommended detoxification methods and support options include:

For more information on using detoxification to treat Lyme disease naturally,

What Is The Best Medication For Lyme Disease

Treatments for Lyme disease are not universal. There is no singular treatment thats best for everyone. The range of symptoms and responses to treatment vary. A doctor can determine the best medication for Lyme disease based on an individuals symptoms, medical history, and response to treatments. Heres an overview of popular Lyme disease medications that a doctor may prescribe.

A doctor determines the best dosage based on medical conditions, response to treatment, age, and weight.

Other possible side effects exist. This is not a complete list.

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Patients Turning To Herbal Remedies

Because patients are currently turning to herbal remedies to fill the treatment gaps left by antibiotics, this research is a critical step in helping clinicians, as well as patients, understand which ones may offer the most potential benefit.

According to this study, carried out by Prof. Ying Zhangs group at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the seven herbal medicines that have the ability to kill B. burgdorferi in test tubes are:

• Cryptolepis sanguinolenta
• Uncaria tomentosa
• Scutellaria baicalensis

It is important to note that each of these products have the potential to produce significant side effects in patients, and should be taken only under advisement of a clinician knowledgeable of their capabilities and toxicities.

Of these products, the Cryptolepis sanguinolenta extract caused complete eradication, while doxycycline and cefuroxime and other active herbs did not. This extract has been used for the treatment of malaria as well as the tick-borne infection Babesia, a malaria-like parasite.

This study is believed to be the first time this extract has been documented to have a potential impact on B. burgdorferi, and additional laboratory and clincial studies should be conducted to investigate the potential role Cryptolepis sanguinolenta could play in the treatment of Lyme disease.

Further, Cryptolepis sanguinolenta and Polygonum cuspidatum showed strong activity against both growing B. burgdorferi and non-growing stationary phase B. burgdorferi.

Who’s At Risk Of Lyme Disease

The risk of getting Lyme disease is higher:

• for people who spend time in woodland or moorland areas
• from March to October because more people take part in outdoor activities

It’s thought only a small proportion of ticks carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Being bitten doesn’t mean you’ll definitely be infected. However, it’s important to be aware of the risk and speak to a GP if you start to feel unwell.

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Forward To The 3rd Edition

The Ross Lyme Support Protocol is a living document. From time to time I update it based on the latest science and the experience I have treating people with tick-borne illnesses and mold toxicity in my Seattle clinic. This 3rd edition, released November 9, 2021, includes major additions and subtractions. Read the full Forward to The 3rd Edition to see what is new before diving into the protocol below.

Cdc Supports The Development Of New Tests

New tests may be developed as alternatives to one or both steps of the two-step process. Before CDC will recommend new tests, they must be cleared by the Food and Drug Administration . For more details, see: Recommendations for Test Performance and Interpretation from the Second National Conference on Serologic Diagnosis of Lyme Disease.

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Symptoms Of Post Treatment Lyme Disease

• Include severe fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, & cognitive problems
• Can significantly impact patients health and quality of life
• Can be debilitating and prolonged

Our research indicates the chronic symptom burden related to PTLD is significant. Although often invisible to others, the negative impact on quality of life and daily functioning is substantial for PTLD sufferers.

The chronic symptom burden related to Lyme disease is considerable, as shown on the left side of the graph above, and statistically significantly greater than the aches and pains of daily living experienced by the control group, on the right.

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.

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Why Are Antibiotics The First Line Of Treatment For Lyme Disease

The use of antibiotics is critical for treating Lyme disease. Without antibiotic treatment, the Lyme disease causing bacteria can evade the host immune system, disseminate through the blood stream, and persist in the body. Antibiotics go into the bacteria preferentially and either stop the multiplication of the bacteria or disrupt the cell wall of the bacteria and kill the bacteria . By stopping the growth or killing the bacteria the human host immune response is given a leg up to eradicate the residual infection. Without antibiotics, the infection in Lyme disease can evade the host immune system and more readily persist.

Prevention Of Lyme Disease

People can take precautions to minimize their risk of becoming infected with Lyme Disease. Methods to reduce risks are avoidance of tick-infested areas, wearing appropriate clothing, using repellents, and promptly removing ticks from the body. Ticks live in grassy, brush-filled areas, or mostly on animals. But while both white-tailed deer and the western black-legged deer act as hosts for ticks, only the white-tailed deer is considered a deer in that it can carry Lyme Disease. The wild animal with the greatest risk of carrying Lyme disease is the white-haired deer mouse.

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Data Synthesis And Analyses

We performed the meta-analysis using STATA version 17.0 software. The effects of the interventions were significantly ranked by the surface under the cumulative ranking curve curves based on the values of the surfaces below. Selected metrics were count data, while or were used as combined effects, confidence intervals were set at 95%, and P values< 0.05 were defined as statistically significant. Also, for data that could not be subjected to network meta-analysis, we calculated the standardized mean difference using a weighted mean 95% confidence interval for statistical analysis. Statistically significant differences were considered statistically important for bilateral P values< 0.05, and heterogeneity was indicated by I2> 50% indicating the presence of significant heterogeneity. When I250%, the heterogeneity of the two included studies was small, so we used a fixed-effects model for the meta-analysis. When I2> 50%, there was heterogeneity in the two included studies, so we performed a meta-analysis using a random-effects model.

Mans Ravaging Lyme Disease Eludes Doctors For A Year

Music professor says CDC test failed to pick up his disabling Lyme disease.

âAllen Bargfrede said he was jumping into the shower when he spotted a tiny tick on his ankle that would change his life.

I washed it off and didnt think about it anymore, said the 39-year-old associate professor of music business at Berklee College of Music in Boston, who was in Spain at the time for a conference. I remember thinking to myself, I hope I dont get sick from that.

Two days later, Bargfrede said he developed the classic bulls eye rash of Lyme disease, a bacterial infection transmitted through tick bites. The rash eventually gave way to a fever, cough and strange headaches, he said.

I had severe anxiety, said Bargfrede, who was getting ready to head home to the U.S. when the symptoms began to worsen. I was crazy scared to get on an airplane.

Bargfrede said it took nearly a year to confirm that he had Lyme disease after a string of negative tests, dangerous treatments and disbelief from most of his American doctors.

The best treatment for Lyme disease is the prompt use of antibiotics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the CDC acknowledges that its recommended test can miss Lyme disease in its early stages, and it only catches an American species of the bacterium not the one Bargfrede contracted in Spain.

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