Wednesday, March 27, 2024

How To Treat Lyme Disease Without Antibiotics

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Pregnancy And Lyme Disease

How I beat Lyme disease in 3 weeks naturally without antibiotics

If you are pregnant and suspect you have contracted Lyme disease, contact your doctor immediately. Untreated Lyme disease during pregnancy can lead to infection of the placenta. Although spread from mother to fetus is rare, it is possible. Fortunately, with appropriate antibiotic treatment, there is no increased risk of adverse birth outcomes.

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.

Type Of Clinician Overseeing Care

We asked patients to tell us the type of clinician overseeing their care. Choices included: family physicians, internists, rheumatologists, infectious disease specialists, and clinicians whose practice focused on tick-borne diseases . Very few patients selected an infectious disease specialist. Seventy-five percent of high responders and well patients report having their care overseen by an LLMD.

Physicians who treat Lyme disease as their primary focus might be expected to have better results than physicians who dont simply because volume of cases handled means a greater experience level. It is commonly recognized in medicine that volume of cases is associated with better treatment outcomes . Just as patients with cancer commonly seek out physicians who specialize in that area, perhaps patients with chronic Lyme disease should also.

Also Check: How To Catch Lyme Disease

Whats The Best Treatment Route

No one knows for certain the best way to treat Lyme disease. Find a doctor that specializes in treating Lyme. Find a doctor that will treat you individually and focus on your specific problems. They are far and few between, but when you find a good one, theyre worth their weight in gold.

Id encourage you to use the physician referral form on the ILADS website. You can also get many fantastic recommendations from one of the many Lyme facebook groups. While I found treating Lyme without antiobiotics possible and I am doing well, you should figure out the best healing process that works best for YOU with the help of a doctor that specializes in Lyme.

How Is Lyme Disease Diagnosed

Success Treating Lyme Disease Naturally Without Antibiotic Drugs

A healthcare provider will diagnose Lyme disease based on symptoms, physical findings and whether or not you’ve been in an area populated by infected ticks.

Many people dont remember or know that theyve been bitten by a tick. This is because the tick is tiny, and its bite is usually painless.

Your provider will confirm the diagnosis using a blood test. If your first blood test is negative for Lyme disease, you won’t need another test. If the first test is positive or equivocal, your provider will conduct the test again. You have to have two positive results to be diagnosed with Lyme disease.

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Canadas Knowledge Of Lyme Disease

According to the Canadian Lyme Disease Research Network, Canada needs the following to combat Lyme disease effectively:

  • A clear view of the history of Lyme Disease in Canada
  • An understanding of how Lyme Disease impacts the effectiveness of testing methods
  • More evidence on prevention and intervention techniques
  • More training and education of doctors on Lyme disease

Many would likely add that Canadian doctors also need alternative treatments to offer patients with Lyme disease when antibiotics do not work.

Late Or Chronic Lyme Disease Treatment

Experts agree that the earlier you are treated the better, since early treatment is often successful. Unfortunately, a substantial portion of patients treated with short-term antibiotics continue to have significant symptoms. The quality of life of patients with chronic Lyme disease is similar to that of patients with congestive heart failure. Doctors dont agree about the cause of these ongoing symptoms. The primary cause of this debate is flawed diagnostic testing. There is currently no test that can determine whether a patient has active infection or whether the infection has been eradicated by treatment.

The IDSA thinks Lyme disease symptoms after treatment represent a possibly autoimmune, post-Lyme syndrome that is not responsive to antibiotics. The IDSA essentially regards Lyme disease as an acute infection like strep throat that can be treated with a short course of antibiotics. The IDSA guidelines are now eight years old and do not reflect recent science.

ILADS physicians believe that ongoing symptoms probably reflect active infection, which should be treated until the symptoms have resolved. These physicians use treatment approaches employed for persistent infections like tuberculosis, including a combination of drugs and longer treatment durations. The ILADS guidelines have just recently been updated using a rigorous review of the medical literature.

Also Check: Best Lyme Doctors In The World

Working With A Lyme Literate Medical Doctor Is Best

Based on the October 3 study, patients did best if they worked with a physician who specializes in treating Lyme disease. These types of physicians are known as Lyme Literate Medical Doctors . Although family physicians, pediatricians, internist, and naturopathic physicians may try to treat Lyme without specific training or practice focus, they tend not to help patients as much as LLMDs.

Are There Alternative Treatments For Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease Treatment – Johns Hopkins (4 of 5)

There are a variety of alternative treatments aimed at patients who believe they may have Lyme disease. But the effectiveness of these treatments is not supported by scientific evidence, and in many cases they are potentially harmful.

Bismacine, also known as chromacine, is an alternative-medicine drug that some people use to treat their Lyme disease.

The Food and Drug Administration warns that people should not use this injectable product, which has reportedly caused hospitalization and at least one death. 70563-1.pdf rel=nofollow> 6)

In addition, the FDA notes that bismacine contains high levels of bismuth, which can cause heart and kidney failure.

Other alternative treatments include oxygen therapy, light therapy, and a variety of nutritional or herbal supplements. But there is no evidence that these treatments are clinically effective in the treatment of Lyme disease.

Read Also: Alternative Therapies For Lyme Disease

Natural Treatments For Lyme Disease

Emmas been using a range of treatments to help heal her body, support her liver, and fight off the Lyme. Our naturopath gives her a concoction of herbs, supplements, and uploads different killingtreatments and detox support programs onto our minibioresonance machine .

She also takes a biofilm supplement that helps to draw out the Lyme bacteria from their protective coating so they can be killed.

Its been a slow process, but one thats brought about massive improvements over these past two years.

Now, prevention is very important to avoidcontracting Lyme in the first place. Sometimes, its just unavoidable my sister was bitten while in bed a spider crawled under her sheets and bit her in her sleep but, in other cases it can be prevented

  • Wear long pants, sleeves, and socks to keep ticks away from skin.
  • Use a natural insect repellent or bug spray whenever you go somewhere with large amounts of insects such as the woods, when hiking or camping, or out in the garden.
  • Check skin thoroughly after being out in the woods or other outdoor areas.
  • If youre pregnant, its best to avoidoutdoor areas where ticks may be found to help reduce risk.
  • Improve immunity to give your body the best chance in fighting off this bacteria.

most mentallydifferentlyRickettsia Mycoplasma

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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Bee Products And Venom Therapy

It may seem extreme, but one remedy that has a long history in countries like Korea, Germany, China, and Switzerland is bee venom therapy. This is the use of bee venom either applied directly through bee stings or diluted in water or saline solution.

Used as a treatment for Lyme disease, some people report improvements in symptoms like joint pain, fatigue, and cognition. Royal jelly, the milk-like secretion that is used to feed larvae in the honeycomb, is another potential bee tool for Lyme disease thanks to its high content of proteins, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and more.

Treating Lyme Without Antiobiotics 18 Months Later

Natural Lyme Disease Treatment Without Antibiotics

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

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Quinine Derivatives To Boost Intracellular Antibiotics

Intracellular

Inside of cells, Lyme may live in cave-like structures called vacuoles. In these vacuoles, Lyme germs create a hostile acidic environment that can limit the effectiveness of various antibiotics. Quinine derivatives, like hydroxychloroquine , can make the inside of cells more basic which can help the tetracyclines and macrolides mentioned above work better.

  • Hydroxychloroquine 200 mg 1 pill 2 times a day

Antibiotics Alone Are Unlikely To Get You Well

This is the second time I am making this point because it is very important. It is essential to your recovery that, at a minimum, your treatment address the steps outlined in my Lyme disease treatment guidelines: The Ross Lyme Support Protocol. Even a year or more into your treatment, these ten steps are essential to resuscitate and support the immune system.

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Chronic Lyme Dos And Donts

Chronic Lyme disease is an ongoing Borrelia burgdorferi infection that can involve any body system or tissue. The infection produces a wide range of symptoms and signs, which can be debilitating for some patients. Common symptoms include severe fatigue, migratory musculoskeletal pain, headaches, and impaired memory. Unfortunately, chronic Lyme disease is complex and often misunderstood, which means that many patients will struggle to obtain the care they need to regain their health. Every patient concerned about Lyme disease and tick-borne illness should know the following.

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Symptoms Of Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease Prognosis – Johns Hopkins – (5 of 5)

Lyme disease causes a range of symptoms that change and intensify as the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, first introduced by the tick, spread to the rest of the body. Untreated cases can cause serious problems or lead to a fatal condition. Whats tricky, too, is that the onset of initial symptoms occurs anywhere from three to 30 days after exposure.

Clinically, there are three stages of Lyme disease: early localized disease, early disseminated disease, and late disseminated disease. Early localized disease, the initial manifestation, is characterized by:

  • Bullseye rash and swelling,the most notorious symptom, occurs in 70% to 80% of cases. Clinically referred to as erythema migrans, its appearance variesit can be a different color or shapeespecially in people of color. It arises about a week after exposure to the bacteria.
  • Other symptoms of the first stage include fever, fatigue, headache, and joint pain. Very often, those with the conditionespecially if there is no rashfeel as if theyre experiencing the flu.

Disseminated Lyme disease symptoms arise as the bacterial infection works its way to other bodily systems, organs, and structures. Typically a month or more after exposureand potentially chronicsymptoms have changed and include:

In its late disseminated phase, the bacterial infection has begun affecting nerve and joint structures, causing significant complications. Chronic arthritis, continued swelling of the brain , and nerve damage can all result.

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What Is Lyme Disease

According to the CDC, in 2016 there were 26,203 confirmed cases of Lyme disease in the United States primarily from 14 Northeastern states. This figure is probably underestimated as many people go undiagnosed.

In the United States, Lyme disease an infection transmitted by ixodes scapularis ticks caused by Borrelia burgdoferi. There are many types of strains, all of which have different levels of virulence, severity, and immunogenicity. In northeastern US, OspC type A strains account for about 30 to 50% of infections. Unfortunately, this particular strain is particularly virulent and immunogenic. Lyme disease is a complex multisystem disease that affects the skin, nervous system, heart, and sometimes the joints.

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New Antibiotics For Lyme Disease

Researchers in the Lyme disease community were aware that the commonly prescribed antibiotics for Lyme disease were ineffective against chronic Lyme, so they set out to identify more effective treatments. The goal was to repurpose already approved medications by screening medications from drug libraries. Testing already-approved medications with established safety profiles allow quick identification of effective treatments without developing new medications, attaining approval, and establishing safety in humans.

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What Treatment Approach Did Well Patients And High Responders Use

We asked patients what their treatment approach was and listed four options a) antibiotics, b) alternative treatments, c) both antibiotics and alternative treatments, and d) no treatment at all. High treatment response was most closely associated with the use of antibiotics compared to patients who were using alternative treatments alone or forgoing treatment altogether. Treatment with antibiotics for Lyme disease was far higher among well patients and high responders compared to non-responders .

As you can see in the chart below, many patients who were taking antibiotics were also taking herbal supplements, which can be antimicrobial . So it is possible that there was a synergistic effect between antibiotics and herbal supplements.

For Memory Concentration And Focus

Pin on Health

Improving memory is a challenge. In Lyme disease, short-term memory problems and word-retrieval problems are common. These often improve substantially with appropriate antibiotic therapy. Over time, most patients regain their cognitive function.

When memory is a problem, consider that this could be due to a primary problem with attention or with mood. An individual who canât focus wonât be able to remember because he/she didnât âattendâ to the item in the first place. This happens to all of us when we hear someoneâs name at a party if we donât focus on the name and perhaps make a mental association to the name to enhance memory storage, we will forget that name within minutes. Patients with depression often experience problems with memory and verbal fluency when the depression is resolved, the memory and verbal fluency typically resolve as well.

  • Medications: Attention can be improved with certain medications, such as bupropion , atomoxetine , modafinil , or stimulants . Medications that temporarily slow cognitive decline in Alzheimerâs disease or memantine ) have not been studied in Lyme disease.
  • There is some evidence that online brain training programs can enhance concentration or processing speed.
  • Neurofeedback may be helpful in improving attention, as well as in improving sleep and reducing pain. This has been studied for migraines, fibromyalgia, and ADHD.

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My Final Thoughts: What Works Best

In my experience, the best way to recover from chronic Lyme disease and the coinfections is using prolonged herbal or prescription antibiotics. As I mention above, this can include disulfiram. This usually means using herbal or prescription antibiotics for a year or more. The MyLymeData study supports this point. The 2020 study did not specifically address if herbal antibiotics give good benefit. But the 2019 study does suggest 68% of people find herbal antibiotic protocols helpful. In addition, it helps to work with a practitioner who focuses their practice on treating chronic Lyme disease.

If you are considering using alternative therapies to heal from chronic Lyme, I suggest you use them as accessory treatments while using herbal or prescription antibiotics. In addition to these alternative therapies, recovery from Lyme may require

  • repairing damaged cell energy factories called mitochondria .

As a starting point to determine when and how to address these various issues see the Ross Lyme Support Protocol.

Ongoing Symptoms Of Lyme Disease

A few people who are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease continue to have symptoms, like tiredness, aches and loss of energy, that can last for years.

These symptoms are often compared to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Itâs not clear why this happens to some people and not others. This means thereâs also no agreed treatment.

Speak to a doctor if your symptoms come back, or do not improve, after treatment with antibiotics.

The doctor may be able to offer you further support if needed, such as:

  • referral for a care needs assessment
  • telling your employer, school or higher education institution that you require a gradual return to activities
  • communicating with children and familiesâ social care

Page last reviewed: 05 July 2021 Next review due: 05 July 2024

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Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy For Lyme Disease

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves exposure to 100 percent oxygen at a high pressure. Its often in a room called a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to promote wound healing.

There isnt much research about the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for Lyme disease. But a 2014 case study from Taiwan reports that it treated Lyme disease in a person who hadnt responded to antibiotics. Still, more large-scale studies are needed to understand whether its an effective treatment.

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