Can You Treat Lyme Disease Without Antibiotics

What Are The Risk Factors For Post Treatment Lyme Disease

Risk factors for Post Treatment Lyme Disease include:

• Delay in diagnosis
• Increased severity of initial illness
• Presence of neurologic symptoms

Increased severity of initial illness, the presence of neurologic symptoms, and initial misdiagnosis increase the risk of Post Treatment Lyme Disease. PTLD is especially common in people that have had neurologic involvement. The rates of Post Treatment Lyme Disease after neurologic involvement may be as high as 20% or even higher. Other risk factors being investigated are genetic predispositions and immunologic variables.

In addition to Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, there are several other tick-borne co-infections that may also contribute to more prolonged and complicated illness.

What’s The Best Way To Prevent A Tick Bite

Ticks can’t fly or jump. But they live in shrubs and bushes and can grab onto you when you pass by. To avoid getting bitten:

• Wear pants and socks in areas with lots of trees and when you touch fallen leaves.
• Wear a tick repellent on your skin and clothing that has DEET, lemon oil, or eucalyptus.
• For even more protection, use the chemical permethrin on clothing and camping gear.
• Shower within 2 hours after coming inside. Look for ticks on your skin, and wash ticks out of your hair.
• Put your clothing and any exposed gear into a hot dryer to kill whatever pests might be on them.

How do you know if you’ve been bitten?

Since ticks are so small, you’ve got to have pretty good eyes to see them.

If you have a small, red bump on your skin that looks like a mosquito bite, it could be a tick bite. If it goes away in a few days, itâs not a problem. Remember, a tick bite doesnât necessarily mean you have Lyme disease.

If you notice a rash in the shape of a bull’s-eye, you might have a tick bite. Talk to your doctor about treatment.

If you have an allergic reaction to ticks, you’ll notice a bite right away.

Yes Treating Lyme Without Antibiotics Is Possible

Yes, treating Lyme without antibiotics is possible. Lets take a closer look at how you can do this.

Theres a lot of conflicting information out there about lyme disease.

Lyme isnt a chronic condition vs. Lyme can certainly be chronic.

Just take antibiotics for a few weeks and youll be cured vs. Take antibiotics for years, but you still wont be cured it will just be in remission.

Antibiotics are the only thing that works for Lyme vs. Antibiotics dont work well for treating Lyme.

Lyme can be cured vs. Lyme cant be cured.

Its enough to make your head spin. And to make things worse, if youre the unlucky one with the Lyme diagnosis, youre probably not thinking all that clearly due to the intense brain fog.

You May Like: Anabolic Steroids And Lyme Disease

Treatment Of Lyme Disease Without Antibiotics

Many of my chronic lyme patients have come to me after they have been on repeated courses of antibiotics, with only temporary improvement. In these cases, one option for treatment is a more holistic, naturopathic approach to chronic lyme disease which involves nutritional support to regulate physiology, detoxification, more broad spectrum antimicrobials , and immune system modulation.

My Long Road To A Lyme Diagnosis

I could write a freakin’ book about my pre-diagnosis Lyme experience. Not to sound dramatic, but it was basically a nightmare playing out in slow motion. For your own sanity, I’ll give you the condensed version.

Personally, I don’t remember a tick bite, and like many Lyme sufferers, I never got the bull’s-eye rash or flu-like symptoms so often touted as “classic” signs of Lyme disease. Instead, my whole ordeal began with a sharp, stinging sensation in my left ankle after a day of walking in New York City, where I’d just begun my first “big girl” job. It hurt, but I didn’t think much of it, and about a week later I was told I had tendinitis that would resolve relatively quickly. But then my other ankle started to hurt, and after a few months, the pain extended to the bottoms of my feet, my knees, and even my arms. Sometimes it would feel like electric currents were running through my toes when I stood up. After a while, I began to question my tendinitis diagnosis, but after about five “second opinions” and countless tests , doctors had no real explanation for what was going on. In the words of one of my least favorite doctors, “There’s nothing else I can do for you.”

You May Like: Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment For Lyme Disease

Lowering Of Microbial Burden

Antibiotics may be recommended for this arm of treatment. If a patient has failed or not responded to antibiotic therapy for chronic lyme in the past, in my experience they still may respond if the other three arms of treatment are added in. Herbal options, and especially ozone therapy, are excellent first choices if not an acute case.

When using these options, risks such as allergy and upper gut irritation with the herbs is a discussion. With antibiotics, the risk of resistance, lower GI issues including serious cases of diarrhea, allergy, are concerns to be discussed. Because of such risks, and the fact that my own experiences been that herbal options are often just as effective although somewhat slower to have clear changes, herbal options are often considered first.

The herbal options that I prefer include much of the newer research that has been published on especially japanese knotweed, cryptolepsis, as well as various essential oils. The classic formulas such as cats claw, Buhner herbs are useful. I do find favorable results with the formulas from Beyond balance as well.

Occasionally though, in my experience, even though the chronic lyme patient is getting full detoxification support, Herxheimer like reactions still occur. In these cases there are many in the office treatments that can help to calm the inflammation based on the individual assessment.

Stage : Early Localized Disease

Symptoms of Lyme disease usually start 1 to 2 weeks after the tick bite. One of the earliest signs of the disease is a bulls-eye rash.

The rash occurs at the site of the tick bite, usually, but not always, as a central red spot surrounded by a clear spot with an area of redness at the edge. It may be warm to the touch, but it isnt painful and doesnt itch. This rash will gradually fade in most people.

The formal name for this rash is erythema migrans. Erythema migrans is said to be characteristic of Lyme disease. However, many people dont have this symptom.

Some people have a rash thats solid red, while people with dark complexions may have a rash that resembles a bruise.

The rash can occur with or without systemic viral or flu-like symptoms.

Other symptoms commonly seen in this stage of Lyme disease include:

Also Check: Do Dogs Need Lyme Vaccine

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.

Improve The Cellular Protection And Function:

The third way on how to treat Lyme disease naturally that I want to introduce to you is improving the cellular protection. The reason may be that Lyme bacterial and viruses as well as parasites can attack your immune system and weaken your cells. Therefore, in order to boost the cellular function and protection, you should add these nutrients into your diet.

Consume foods which are high in B-complex vitamins because they can help to fight against infections and improve your health. Especially, it is important for patients with Lyme disease to consume vitamin B6.

Another nutrient to boost cellular function and neurological health is omega-3 fatty acids. This nutrient has high anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, it is the good idea for you to consume fish regularly or take supplements of 1,000 mg of fish oil daily.

Magnesium is effective nutrient on how to treat Lyme disease because it can help to boost cellular function. So, you should consider adding turmeric in your food in order to not only strengthen your flavor but also alleviate inflammation.

Read Also: What Does Lyme Disease Do To A Human

Penicillin Plus Azole Plus Lipsomal Cinnamon Clove & Oregano Oil

• amoxicillin 500 mg 4 pills 3 times a day
• tinidazole 500 mg 1 pill 2 or 3 times a day for 4 days on and 3 days off in 7-day cycles.
• liposomal cinnamon, clove, and oregano oil capsules 1 pill 2 times a day.

Key Points:

• This is a very high dose of amoxicillin, which is four times stronger than physicians prescribe for other infections like ear infections. I consider this dose to be nearly as effective as IV antibiotics.
• This is a pulse dose regimen of the tinidazole. It may be more effective than continuous regimens.
• The essential oils are added to treat persister Lyme.

Also Check: Sleep Inn East Lyme Ct

The Chance Of Getting Lyme Disease

Not all ticks in England carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

But it’s still important to be aware of ticks and to safely remove them as soon as possible, just in case.

Ticks that may cause Lyme disease are found all over the UK, but high-risk places include grassy and wooded areas in southern and northern England and the Scottish Highlands.

Ticks are tiny spider-like creatures that live in woods, areas with long grass, and sometimes in urban parks and gardens. They’re found all over the UK.

Ticks do not jump or fly. They attach to the skin of animals or humans that brush past them.

Once a tick bites into the skin, it feeds on blood for a few days before dropping off.

Read Also: Signs Of Lyme Disease In Children

Guidelines For Antibiotic Use

Dr. Rawls is a physician who overcame Lyme disease through natural herbal therapy. You can learn more about Lyme disease in Dr. Rawls new best selling book, Unlocking Lyme. You can also learn about Dr. Rawls personal journey in overcoming Lyme disease and fibromyalgia in his popular blog post, My Chronic Lyme Journey.

Macrolide Plus Grapefruit Seed Extract Plus Cryptolepis

• clarithromycin 500 mg 1 pill 2 times a day
• grapefruit seed extract 250 mg 1 pill 2 times a day.
• cryptolepis 5 ml 3 times a day

Key Points:

• Grapefruit seed extract is better tolerated than both tinidazole and metronidazole and supports killing of Lyme cysts.
• Cryptolepis can treat persister and growing Lyme. If a person also has Babesia, cryptolepis can treat this too.

Don’t Miss: Can I Test Myself For Lyme Disease

What Abnormal Results Mean

A positive ELISA result is abnormal. This means antibodies were seen in your blood sample. But, this does not confirm a diagnosis of Lyme disease. A positive ELISA result must be followed up with a Western blot test. Only a positive Western blot test can confirm the diagnosis of Lyme disease.

For many people, the ELISA test remains positive, even after they have been treated for Lyme disease and no longer have symptoms.

A positive ELISA test may also occur with certain diseases not related to Lyme disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Treating Lyme Without Antiobiotics 18 Months Later

Ive been treating Lyme without antibiotics for about 18 months. For some, that might sound like an eternity. For those who have been struggling with Lyme, you probably know thats really not a lot of time to be treating this horrific disease.

I still dont know all of the answers. But I do know, that a no-antibiotics approach to Lyme treatment has worked remarkably well for me.

After 18 months, I am probably about 80% better. Im pretty ecstatic about the progress Ive made. I feel blessed that Ive experienced this much healing. Early on, I hit Lyme really hard. I did absolutely everything my doctor suggested. It was a lot. It was expensive. But it paid off.

You can read more here

• Treating Lyme Disease Holistically: 6 Months Later

Don’t Miss: Homeopathic Remedies For Lyme Disease

Iv Antibiotic Regimen: Cephalosporin Plus Azole Plus Liposomal Cinnamon Clove And Oregano

• ceftriaxone 2 gm IV 2 times a day for 4 days on and 3 days off
• tinidazole 500 mg taken orally 1 pill 2-3 times a day for 4 days on and 3 days off in 7-day cycles
• liposomal cinnamon, clove, and oregano capsules 1 pill 2 times a day

Key Points:

• Various antibiotics can be used as IV. I use this one most commonly because it is the easiest to administer and one of the lowest cost IV regimens. The ceftriaxone is given in a syringe and injected over 10 minutes. This is also a pulse dose regimen . Ceftriaxone could be given daily instead as 2 gm IV 1 time a day.
• I have found various pulse dose regimens of tinidazole to work. These include 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off or in the regimen seen here.

How To Remove A Tick

A tick must remain attached to the skin for at least 36 hours to spread Lyme disease. The best way of preventing Lyme disease is to remove a tick as soon as possible.

The blacklegged tick that spreads disease-causing bacteria resembles a tiny spider. Young ticks are around the size of a poppy seed, while adult ticks are around the size of a sesame seed. Ticks of all ages are reddish-brown.

Below are some steps for tick removal.

• Step 1: Use fine-tipped tweezers to gently grasp the tick near its head or mouth. Avoid squeezing the tick.
• Step 2: Using the tweezers, pull the tick carefully and steadily away from the skin. Avoid yanking or twisting the tick, as this could cause its mouthparts to remain in the skin.
• Step 3: After removing the tick, dispose of it by putting it in some alcohol or flushing it down the toilet.
• Step 4: Apply antiseptic to the tick bite.

Don’t Miss: Oxygen Therapy For Lyme Disease

Macrolide Plus Quinine Derivative Plus Azole Plus Methylene Blue

• azithromycin 500 mg 1 pill 1 time a day
• hydroxychloroquine 200 mg 1 pill 2 times a day
• metronidazole 500 mg 1 pill 2 or 3 times a day
• methylene blue 50 mg 2 times a day

Key Points:

• Since azithromycin is not as effective as other macrolides like clarithromycin, hydroxychloroquine is used to increase the effectiveness.
• Tinidazole could be substituted for the metronidazole because it may remove biofilms more effectively.
• Methylene Blue can treat persister Lyme.

How Do Patients Respond To Treatment

We looked at patients with chronic Lyme diseasethose who remained ill for six or more months following treatment with antibiotics for Lyme disease . The first thing we did was identify different patients as well, high responders, low responders, or non-responders. Well patients responded positively to a survey question asking if they were well or remained ill. Those who remained ill were asked whether their condition had changed as a result of treatment. Those who said they were unchanged or worse were categorized as non-responders. Patients who said that they were better or worse following treatment, were asked how much better or worse. Those who had improved substantially were deemed high responders.

59% of patients had improved with treatment and 42% were either well or high responders. The focus of our study was on this latter group. You might wonder whether 42% response is considered good compared to other drugs. Heres what the prior head of GlaxoSmithKline said about treatment effectiveness rates of drugs in general .

The vast majority of drugs more than 90 per cent only work in 30 or 50 per cent of the people. Drugs out there on the market work, but they dont work in everybody. Dr. Allen Roses, GlaxoSmithKline

So you can see that a 42% rate of substantial improvement is within the range of most drugs on the market.

Read Also: Can You Cure Lyme Disease In Humans

What Are Some Common Side Effects Of Lyme Disease Medication

As with any medication, there are always potential side effects. Contact your doctor or pharmacist if your side effects persist or worsen.

Antibiotics are commonly used to treat Lyme disease and may cause allergic reactions that result in hives, difficulty breathing, or dry eyes, throat, and mouth. Some people may experience diarrhea, headaches, or chest pain as well. You should seek immediate medical care if you believe you are experiencing an allergic reaction.

This list of side effects is not comprehensive. Ask a healthcare professional for more details regarding the possible side effects of a particular medication.

What Is The Treatment For Lyme Disease

The first-line standard of care treatment for adults with Lyme disease is doxycycline, a tetracycline antibiotic. Other antibiotics that have activity against borrelia include the penicillin-like antibiotic, amoxicillin, and the second generation cephalosporin, Ceftin. The mainstay of treatment is with oral antibiotics, but intravenous antibiotics are sometimes indicated for more difficult to treat cases of neurologic-Lyme disease, such as meningitis, and cases of late Lyme arthritis.

Also Check: Natural Ways To Get Rid Of Lyme Disease

Antimicrobial Herbs That Kill Growing Phase Spirochetes & Cysts

Intracellular and Extracellular

Based on my observations, these herbal combination options have as good of a chance as the prescription options. They appear to kill intracellular and extracellular Lyme too based on the clinical benefit I see in my medical practice.

• Cats Claw and Otoba Bark Tinctures 30 drops of each 2 times a day. Start at 5 drops 2 times a day and add 1 drop per dose per day until you reach 30 drops 2 times a day. If you get a Herxheimer reaction, stop increasing the dose until it has passed.
• Cats Claw and Japanese Knotweed 30 drops of Cats Claw 2 times a day and ½ tsp of Japanese Knotweed 3 times a day. Work up to these doses over 30 days. Start Cats Claw at 5 drops 2 times a day and add 1 drop per dose per day until you reach 30 drops 2 times a day. Start the Japanese Knotweed at ¼ tsp 3 times a day and in two weeks increase to ½ tsp 3 times a day.