Stage : Early Localized Lyme
In this stage of infection, patients might notice a Lyme rash, often in the shape of a very defined bulls eye. This stage occurs within 30 days after a bite from an infected black-legged tick. Other symptoms in this stage might be fever, chills, fatigue, headache, joint pain, and sore throat. Early localized Lyme is treated with a round of strong antibiotics. Most often, early localized Lyme disease can be cured with doxycycline.
Does Lyme Disease Go Away On Its Own
It’s certainly possible for people to get Lyme disease and to clear the infection on their own, without treatment, said Dr. Kuritzkes. “But it’s better to be treated, because some of the complicationslike arthritis and myocarditis and damage to the central nervous systemcan be very serious.”
The type of bacteria that causes Lyme disease is in the same general family as the type that causes syphilis, said Dr. Kuritzkes. “That doesn’t mean anything similar in terms of transmission, but syphilis has several different phases, with primary and secondary and tertiary symptoms,” said Dr. Kuritzkes. “The infection can hide out in the body for a long time and can cause problems down the road if it’s not treated.”
Who You Really Are
Almost a decade later, with Lyme in my distant past, I see everything so clearly. Wellbeing comes down to this simple rule: You must become who you really are. You must follow your own path. There are elusive cures everywhere but your cure will always be unique. No one gives you the magic formula or the key to reveal it.
What we need to remind ourselves is that we are always right where we need to be.
Lyme disease patients now ask me the hardest questions Ive ever had to answer. Now that you know what you know, could you have healed without antibiotics? Without stem cells? What would you say to someone who is just starting?
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Has Niaid Looked At The Potential Benefits Of Long
Yes. NIAID has funded three placebo-controlled clinical trials on the efficacy of prolonged antibiotic therapy for treating PTLDS. The published results were subjected to rigorous statistical, editorial, and scientific peer review.
These trials were designed to ensure that several key parameters were addressed:
- The susceptibility of B.burgdorferi to the antibiotics used
- The ability of the antibiotics to both cross the blood-brain barrier and access the central nervous system and to persist at effective levels throughout the course of therapy
- The ability of the antibiotics to kill bacteria living both outside and inside mammalian cells
- The safety and welfare of patients enrolled in the trials
The first clinical trial, which included two multicenter studies, provided no evidence that extended antibiotic treatment is beneficial. In those studies, physicians examined long-term antibiotic therapy in patients with a well-documented history of previous Lyme disease but who reported persistent pain, fatigue, impaired cognitive function, or unexplained numbness. Those symptoms are common among people reporting PTLDS. Patients were treated with 30 days of an intravenous antibiotic followed by 60 days of an oral antibiotic.
In 2016, a clinical trial conducted in the Netherlands also concluded that in patients with persistent symptoms attributed to Lyme disease, longer term treatment with antibiotics did not provide additional benefits compared with shorter term regimens.
Symptoms Of Late Stage Lyme Disease
Your suffering has moved from an occasional inflammation flare-up to chronic pain in your muscles, tendons, and joints. You may have been diagnosed with some form of arthritis. Your headaches have become severe. You may even experience dizziness or vertigo.
Additional symptoms include a stiff neck, sleep disorders like insomnia, and numbness in your outer extremities. You may also lack the ability to focus, and paying attention when having conversations has become difficult. Your fatigue is so bad you sometimes do not want to attempt getting out of bed.
The worse symptom may be that you have tried to get the right help, but doctors have failed to give you an accurate diagnosis. Because of this, you may feel like you are crazy, or your friends and family may not believe you are in pain.
You may be wondering how you were able to reach late stage Lyme disease without proper treatment.
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What Is Post Treatment Lyme Disease
Post Treatment Lyme Disease represents a research subset of patients who remain significantly ill 6 months or more following standard antibiotic therapy for Lyme disease. PTLD is characterized by a constellation of symptoms that includes severe fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, sleep disturbance, depression, and cognitive problems such as difficulty with short-term memory, speed of thinking, or multi-tasking. In the absence of a direct diagnostic biomarker blood test, PTLD has been difficult to define by physicians, and its existence has been controversial. However, our clinical research shows that meticulous patient evaluation when used alongside appropriate diagnostic testing can reliably identify patients with a history of previously treated Lyme disease who display the typical symptom patterns of PTLD.
Hoping To Recreate The Success Of Others
I pursued every single treatment I read about, hoping to recreate others success in my own life. I even ended up across the world in India for an experimental stem cell transplant, thinking if the elusive cure wasnt in my country, it had to be in someone elses.
I never experienced the full recovery I was after.
It was about a year after my epic treatment in India, when I relapsed, that I finally stopped the searching. I just stopped. I stopped pointing to symptoms and syndromes, and the perceived external causes of those.
I quickly came to an epiphany: What if running all over trying to find the cure is actually steering me away from what I really need? What if each persons cure is a perfectly orchestrated succession of following their own intuition and no one elses path at all?
These questions were not easy to look at, but they were necessary. I began to gently analyze all the ways in my life that I had always been driven by fear that I wasnt good enough and that I wasnt doing enough.
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How Long Does Lyme Disease Last
Lyme disease symptoms can begin anywhere from three to 30 days after transmission of the infection from a tick. If treated early on with antibiotics, most people feel better within a few weeks, said Dr. Zemel.
According to the CDC, it’s not uncommon for people to experience lingering symptoms like fatigue and joint or muscle pain for a few weeks or months after treatment. Additional antibiotics won’t help these symptoms, however, and most people improve on their own over time.
In a small percentage of cases, people continue to experience symptoms for more than six months after their recommended course of antibiotics is completed. This is sometimes referred to as chronic Lyme disease, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases but that name is misleading, said Dr. Kuritzkes, because there is no evidence that the bacteria that causes Lyme disease is still present in the body. Instead, the CDC refers to this condition as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome .
“As with many other kinds of infectious diseases, some people are left with some debilitating symptoms that don’t go away,” said Dr. Kuritzkes. “I like to compare it to polio: Some people who had polio are left paralyzed, but that doesn’t mean they have chronic polio they have permanent damage from the infection, even after it’s gone away.”
When To See A Healthcare Provider
Prompt treatment for Lyme disease reduces the risk of lingering symptoms and complications. If youve already been treated with antibiotics but continue to experience issues, talk to your healthcare provider to determine if additional treatment is necessary. Patience and proactive communication with your healthcare professional will help you get back to your usual state of health.
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Months Of Lyme Disease Recovery/remission
April 28, 2016Brenda Cosentino
I still have days where I cant believe I am Lyme Disease free. I just returned from a one week backpacking trip to Palenque and San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. I climbed every single one of the ruins pictured above. It was a full 9 hour day of ruins, rivers, jungle treks, swimming at Aqua Azul Cascades and Misol-Ha Waterfalls. The next day, after a good nights sleep I walked for hours and hours all over the city of Palenque. I no longer feel destroyed after a full day of strenuous activity. I went non-stop for 7 days. A miracle considering I was sick for over 20 years.
I healed myself with bowel cleansing, parasite cleansing, Wahls Paleo Diet , Buhners Lyme Disease Protocol and a few other things which can be found here.
What Do I Do If I Find A Tick On My Skin
Dont panic. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skins surface as possible. Pull up with steady, even pressure. Be careful not to squeeze or twist the tick body. Sometimes parts of the tick remain in the skin. You can leave them alone or carefully remove them the same way you would a splinter. Do not use heat , petroleum jelly, or other methods to try to make the tick back out on its own. These methods are not effective.
Wash the area where the tick was attached thoroughly with soap and water. Keep an eye on the area for a few weeks and note any changes. Call your doctor if you develop a rash around the area where the tick was attached. Be sure to tell your doctor that you were bitten by a tick and when it happened.
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Testing Testing Can You Find Me
Tests for Lyme disease focus on measuring a patients antibodies, rather than the bacteria itself, in a process known as serologic testing. The US Centers for Disease Control require two-tiered testing to establish a Lyme disease diagnosis, and both tiers need to come back positive for a diagnosis to be confirmed.
Due to the complexity of the process, there are significant ambiguities in testing best practice across the medical system. Writing in The Atlantic, Meghan ORourke describes how her doctor sent her bloods to three labs, two of which gave a positive reading on one part of the test but not the other, and the third of which came back negative on both parts. ORourke was informed she probably had Lyme disease, despite not meeting CDC guidelines for a Lyme diagnosis.
Chronic Lyme thus becomes something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Any ache or ailment could be a symptom and blood test results can be interpreted as indicative of Lyme disease against official guidelines, or even confirm the presence of the disease when it isnt there.
Bite prevention expert Howard Carter says: Antibodies to Lyme disease take a few weeks to form if you have an early test and youve got a puncture mark or have removed the tick yourself you can get a false re-assurance, so you really need to wait for six weeks before requesting a blood test.
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The Cdc Estimates That There Are Up To 300000 Cases Of Confirmed And Unconfirmed Lyme Disease Infections Per Year In The United States
Did you know that there are three stages of Lyme disease? Each stage happens after a particular passage of time following a bite from an infected tick. Though there are about 30,000 confirmed cases of Lyme in the U.S. each year, experts predict that most cases go unconfirmed. Lyme can be difficult to diagnose. Lyme can also lie dormant in the first two stages, only showing symptoms months or years after a tick bite.
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Living With Lyme Disease
Once antibiotics resolve the infection, you can support your recovery from Lyme disease as you would with any kind of arthritis or nerve injury. It is recommended that you:
- Eata healthy diet and limit your sugar intake.
- Getplenty of rest.
- Exerciseat least three times a week for at least 30 minutes each day.
- Reducestress.
- Useanti-inflammatory medication when necessary.
The damageLyme disease causes to your nerves or muscles would heal over a course ofmonths, Dr. Sullivan says. Identifying the infection and treating itappropriately so that the infection is cleared is the first step. And then thebody can start to heal.
Incidence And Causes Of Reinfection
Early infection produces a distinctive expanding skin lesion known as erythema migrans. Reinfection occurs regularly in patients from both the United States and Europe who are observed for > 1 year after treatment of an initial episode of erythema migrans . It is notable that the rate at which second episodes of erythema migrans occur in closely observed cohorts may exceed the incidence of Lyme disease in the general population, even in the same region of high endemicity where the study group originates. For example, in a study conducted in Westchester County, New York, 14 of 96 patients with erythema migrans were observed to have recurrent erythema migrans when observed for a mean duration of 5 years . This rate is substantially higher than the mean reported countywide incidence of Lyme disease of 0.06% per year for the period 19951997, when the study was conducted . There are several potential explanations for reinfection.
Prospective studies in the United States in which reinfection with Borrelia burgdorferi was identified.
Whether being immunocompromised increases the risk of reinfection has not been extensively studied. In a European study of patients with erythema migrans, immunocompromised patients were 3 times more likely than otherwise healthy control subjects to have had a prior episode of erythema migrans , but this difference was not statistically significant .
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Science Behind Dogs And Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is most commonly transmitted to a dog from the deer tick, although all varieties of ticks can carry the disease. Deer ticks are particularly small, making them very hard to spot on your dog’s skin or fur. In order for the disease to be transmitted to your dog, the tick must bite them and take a blood meal. The tick usually must be attached and taking its blood meal from your dog for 24-48 hours, but it can take up to 3 days after the bite. This means the faster you find the tick on your dog, the less likely they will be infected with Lyme.
Once the bacteria get into the dog’s bloodstream, it is carried to most parts of the body and particularly affects the joints.
If your dog tests positive for Lyme disease, this does not mean your dog has a death sentence. Most dogs will be treated at home with a series of antibiotics. The most common medication is Doxycycline, but there are other medication options as well.
Treatment plans generally run four weeks and sometimes longer depending on how tricky the case is to cure. Your dog may also get an antiinflammatory for the time to help with any pain and swelling in the joints.
Natural Treatments For Lyme Disease
In 2020, research showed that some herbal medicines killed Lyme disease bacteria in test tubes. One of them, Cryptolepis sanguinolenta extract, made from a plant found in Africa and used in traditional medicine, completely killed the bacteria even more effectively than doxycycline, the most common antibiotic for Lyme disease treatment.
Even though plants are natural, it does not mean substances from the plant are safe to ingest. If you are considering using herbal medicine for Lyme disease, consult with a qualified medical professional who can advise you about potential side effects and dosages.
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Can Lyme Disease Be Prevented
Not all cases of Lyme disease can be prevented. But you can help protect your family from tick bites. If you go into an area where ticks live, be sure to:
- Stay in the middle of the trail, instead of going through high grass or the woods.
- Wear closed shoes or boots, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants. Tuck pant legs into shoes or boots to prevent ticks from crawling up legs.
- Use an insect repellent.
- Consider treating clothing and gear with permethrin to repel ticks. When used properly, permethrin is safe for all ages. But don’t use it on clothing or other material a child may suck on or chew.
- Wear light-colored clothing to help you see ticks more easily.
- Shower and wash hair after being outside to remove ticks before they attach.
Recovering From Lyme Disease Why Is It So Difficult
March 28, 2017 by Tricia
Have you ever wondered why its so hard to recover from Lyme disease?
This is not an easy question to answer! There are many complicated reasons why it may be difficult to overcome a Lyme infection, like what was your health like before infection, did you have preexisting illnesses, what co-infections are involved, what is your stress level, lifestyle habits, nutrition and the list goes on.
The other day my jewelry tree fell over, my necklaces fell off and became an intertwined, tangled mess. It caught me by surprise! How did these necklaces get so easily messed up? It may be far-reaching but as I attempted to untangle those necklaces I began to think about how Lyme disease is so much like those tangled necklaces.
DISCLAIMER: Im not a doctor and the information here is not intended to diagnose, prescribe or treat any illness or condition. Please seek the advice of a knowledgeable physician. I prefer Integrative or Naturopathic Physicians.
Now, I understand Lyme is much more serious than a tangled bunch of jewelry, after all, Ive lived the nightmare but I thought it might be a good word picture. Lets discuss a few of the complications that make recovering from Lyme very difficult.
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