Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy Background
Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy is a new treatment for Lyme disease. SOT is also called Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapy which is the term used in medical research papers. SOT uses laboratory derived nucleic acids that blocks production of disease causing proteins or even gene expression. These pieces of genetic code are called oligonucleotides. You can think of oligonucleotides as a genetic message.
For example, in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy , SOT provides oligonucleotides that direct the correct production of a protein called dystrophin. People with muscular dystrophy are born with DNA that provides the wrong genetic message for dystrophin. SOT correction to the DNA message leads to production of dystrophin. This prevents the muscle damage seen in DMD.
In Lyme disease, a currently available type of SOT produced by RGCC in Greece uses oligonucleotides intended to stop germ growth and replication. Unlike the SOT therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the Lyme SOT is not a US Food and Drug Administration approved drug. To be approved by the FDA, a therapy must have scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness.
As I explain below, SOT does not alter DNA. It provides a short-term change to how the DNA blueprint is expressed.
There are currently nine SOT drugs approved by the FDA or European regulators to treat
- Batten disease,
- hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis, and
- spinal muscular atrophy.
Acute And Chronic Lyme
Acute Lyme or Tick Borne Illness usually happens in about 2-3 weeks after the infection, but can happen sooner or later than that too. You might have a fever, chills, headaches, muscle or joint pain. It can feel like a flu. It can last 5-7 days and then go away. The tricky thing is that some people who get infected by a tick never have an acute illness! And many people with an acute TBI dont ever remember having a tick bite!
Thats why many people dont even think about Lyme when they develop chronic symptoms like fatigue, arthritis, muscle pain or brain fog that drag on for months and months. There can also be other symptoms like intermittent fevers and heachaches and neurological symptoms like strange sensations and/or numbness or tingling anywhere in the body. The good news is that WE do think about Lyme in every patient with these symptoms at Blum Center and do the testing and pick up hidden Lyme or Tick infections all the time.
The name Chronic Lyme has been given to people who have these symptoms for months and sometimes years. Some people have Chronic Lyme and dont know it. And even when they start treatment with antibiotics, they continue suffering with Chronic Lyme because once its been in your body for a long time, its very hard to get rid of it, even with antibiotics.
Reaching The Inner Cell
Our bodies make enzymes that break down RNA and oligonucleotides. This presents a problem, because the oligonucelotide could be destroyed before they even bind to RNA. The pharmaceutical industry has developed various modifications to the sugar backbone of the oligonucleotides to make them resistant to the breakdown enzymes.
SOT oligonucleotides have to cross the cell membrane, moving from outside to inside the cell, where they bind to RNA. This presents another problem for SOT. There are different ways the pharmaceutical companies are addressing this problem. For instance, some SOT is wrapped in microscopic layers of fat to increase absorption into the cells.
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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.
Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.
Functional Medicine For Lyme Treatment
Treating your Lyme disease requires a very personalized approach, and our complete treatment program for Lyme disease is beyond the scope of this blog. We use at different times, and for different people, antibiotics and herbal programs to kill the Borrelia Burgdorferi microbe. But treatment is a 1-2 punch: the medication or herbs lower the total amount of infection in your system, and then the immune system has to clear out the rest. You can see why a highly functioning and strong immune system is critical to treating Lyme Disease.
In addition to a strong immune system, once we start treating Lyme, there are a lot of toxins that are released and can cause you to feel very sick. And these toxins and the Lyme itself can wreak havoc with your mitochondria, the little furnaces in your cells that make energy. Therefore from a functional medicine perspective, whether you are currently being treated by us or other doctors, or are still recovering from Lyme Disease, you should add to your program support for the immune system, the detox system and the mitochondria. And the most effective way to do this is with Infusions because high concentrations of the needed nutrients can go right into your blood and to your cells where they are needed.
Recommended Reading: How Can You Treat Lyme Disease
Sot Treatment For Lyme Lyme Co
SOT is a treatment that was originally created in Europe over 20 years ago by the name of anti-sense oligonucleotide therapy . There have been decades of research from both European and American based companies and universities on SOT/AOT. RGCC labs has improved this technology and renamed it SOT because the treatment is now based on the patients unique genetic molecules. In the United States, Hepatitis C is now cured with this exact same FDA approved technology. If we can turn off Hepatitis C with one dose of an anti-sense therapy then we can turn off the same replication cycles of Lyme Disease, Lyme co-infections, viruses and even cancer cells, thus making SOT a very attractive and effective therapy.
How does SOT work?
Once the lab creates the complimentary copy of the replication sequences, they surround this copy with a synthetic mRNA so that it can penetrate within the cell wall of our target. Once this mRNA sequence is created, it is replicated 500 million to 1 billion times producing a large number of your unique SOT molecules. These molecules are delivered to our office where you receive your single dose IV treatment.
Are there any dangers with SOT for viruses?
Nad+ Iv Therapy For Lyme Disease
One of the added treatment options that can play a critical role in the recovery process is NAD+ IV Therapy For Lyme Disease. NAD+ is a critical cofactor that is used to power many enzymatic reactions. When someone has been infected with Lyme Disease, cellular processes may start to slow. Some of the symptoms that may develop in the wake of reduced cellular functions include:
- Chronic fatigue
Recommended Reading: Do You Ever Recover From Lyme Disease
For Memory Concentration And Focus
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 can’t focus won’t be able to remember because he/she didn’t “attend” to the item in the first place. This happens to all of us when we hear someone’s name at a party if we don’t 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 Alzheimer’s 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.
Causes Of Lyme Disease
Borrelia burgdorferi and, less frequently, Borrelia mayonii are the causative agents of Lyme disease. Infected blacklegged ticks can spread the disease to humans through a bite. Fever, headache, and fatigue are common, as is a skin rash. Joints, the heart, and the nervous system are all potential targets for an unchecked infection. Symptoms, physical findings , and the likelihood of exposure to infected ticks are used to make a diagnosis of Lyme disease.
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Risk Factors For Lyme Disease
The risk of contracting Lyme disease varies depending on where you live and where you travel. Your job and favorite outdoor activities can also help you in this respect. The most common causes of contracting Lyme disease are being outdoors for long periods of time, having exposed skin, and not removing ticks as soon as they are discovered.
Reaching Every Germ And Every Germ Type
SOT for Lyme needs to target each type of infection that is part of the persons Lyme disease. This presents two problems. First, an SOT therapy should target Lyme germs and other infections if present like Bartonella and Babesia. Second, regarding Lyme, the germ hides away
- in tissues with poor blood flow like tendons and scar tissue, and
- deep within biofilm communities.
So it is very doubtful one infusion of SOT will reach all germs where they hide.
Lyme and Bartonella germs can exist in non-growing persister forms. SOT is designed to block growth and replication. By definition, persisters are not growing – they are hibernating. So it is very unlikely SOT could kill persister forms. For more information about Lyme persisters and persister treatments see How to Treat Persister Lyme. What Works?
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Sot Treatment For Lyme Disease
Your source for quality supplements
- My clinical experience: not enough experience to say
- MyLymeData: no research conducted
- Other research: no published research
- Placebo effect benefit of any prescription medicine: 30 to 40 percent
For more information about the best research-supported germ killing approaches to recover from Lyme disease see What Works? Navigating Prescription & Alternative Medicine Lyme Treatments.
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 .
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Picc Line For Lyme Disease:
PICC stands for peripherally inserted central catheter. Inserting a PICC line is a common procedure in which a thin, flexible tube will be inserted into a large vein in the upper arm. The tube will be threaded through the vein until it rests just above the heart. A technician will use a numbing agent so there is no pain and the tube will be guided through the vein with the help of ultrasound and/or X-ray. A PICC line can stay in place for several weeks or months without needing to be changed or taken out. It is a more effective way of delivering IV antibiotics into your body if you intend to be using them on a regular basis. The placement of the tube just above the heart allows for a quicker response time for medications and nutrients, etc. If done properly, once the line is in and the initial discomfort settles, it shouldnt be at all noticeable.
Each infusion with a PICC line will take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half and can be done at your own home either on your own or via a visiting nurse. Otherwise, infusions will be done at a hospital infusion lab or doctors office. PICC lines require regular cleaning by a nurse, either in home or at a facility.
This procedure should be taken seriously, and adequate discussion and caution should be used when considering a PICC line with your doctor.
PROS:
CONS:
Please check out this website, which has detailed information regarding PICC Lines.
Port For Lyme Disease:
A Port, also known as a Porta-Cath, is a catheter and port inserted under the skin in the chest into the super vena cava . The Port procedure is very similar to that of a PICC line: a thin, flexible tube will be inserted into a large vein in the the chest, the tube will be threaded through the vein until it rests just above the heart, a technician will use a numbing agent so that there is no pain and the tube will be guided through the vein with the help of ultrasound and/or X-ray. A Port, like a PICC line, will sit above the heart and make for more effective distribution of antibiotics and nutrients, etc. Also, like the PICC line, a Port can stay in for several weeks to several months without needing to be changed or taken out.
Each infusion with a Port will take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half and can be done at your own home either on your own or via a visiting nurse. Otherwise, infusions will be done at a hospital infusion lab or doctors office. Ports require regular cleaning by a nurse, either in home or at a facility.
This procedure should be taken seriously, and adequate discussion and caution should be used when considering a Port with your doctor. Ports are a good alternative to PICC lines when the patient has poor veins in the arms.
PROS:
CONS:
Please view this website for detailed, important information regarding ports.
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Oral Vs Iv Treatment Process
Oral treatments mean you will be consuming medication by mouth, usually in the form of a pill or capsule. The tablet you take goes through a process, more like an obstacle course, before it reaches your bloodstream.
You take the pill by mouth. It then travels to your stomach, where acids start breaking it down and removing some of its strength. After breaking down in your digestive tract, the medicine is sent to your liver for processing. Then, it is sent into your bloodstream.
The circulatory system distributes the medicine throughout your body, where it is then metabolized. This entire process can take up to an hour or more.
IV stands for intravenous, which is translated to into the vein. With IV treatments, your doctor will inject the drug directly into your veins, and within less than one minute, the medicine will enter your bloodstream. You receive the full dosage amount recommended because it did not have to go through the digestive tract.
IV administration gives your doctor more control of how the medicine can work in your system. Your doctor can also vary the IV treatments based on your symptoms. For someone with Lyme disease, this is a bonus.
Below are descriptions of the types of IV treatments for Lyme disease to give you a better understanding of how they can help you heal.
Prolonged Lyme Disease Treatment: Enough Is Enough
- Raphael B.Stricker, MD, ILADS, 450 Sutter Street, Suite 1504, San Francisco, CA 94108rstricker@usmamed.com
- Lorraine Johnson, JD, MBA
Dr. Halperin’s editorial accompanies publication of the long-awaited NIH- sponsored randomized controlled trial by Fallon et al. from Columbia University. The Columbia study concludes that patients with chronic neurologic symptoms of Lyme disease benefit from longer therapy with intravenous antibiotics, despite the fact that these patients had been sick for an average of nine years and had failed prior treatment. Halperin disagrees with the study conclusion.
The Columbia study found improvement after 10 weeks of retreatment, but relapse when treatment was withdrawn. This clinical pattern has been reported for years in Lyme disease patients, consistent with persistent infection with the Lyme spirochete. . The Columbia study confirms that the quality of life in chronic Lyme disease is worse than in congestive heart failure. For these patients the math is simple: without treatment, there can be no improvement in quality of life. In treatment terms, not enough is not enough.
References
3. Johnson L, Stricker RB. Treatment of Lyme disease: A medicolegal assessment. Expert Rev Anti-Infect Ther 2004 2:533-557.
4. Phillips SE, Harris NS, Horowitz R, Johnson L, Stricker RB. Lyme disease: scratching the surface. Lancet 2005 366:1771.
6. Stricker RB, Johnson L. Lyme disease: A turning point. Expert Rev Anti- Infect Ther 2007 5:759-762.
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