My Experience With Antibiotic Treatment For Lyme
When I was first diagnosed with Lyme disease, my first response was standard: Try antibiotics. But every time I started a new round, I was absolutely miserable by the second week.
Nausea, abdominal discomfort, and feeling generally terrible all over increased until I was forced to stop the drug. Probiotics didnt help, and I had the same response to different types of antibiotics. While some people tolerate antibiotic therapy better than others, it became obvious that I would have to find a different solution.
I later discovered that my experience was not unique many people seem to have the same response to oral antibiotics. I also met numerous people who had undergone 6-9 months of intravenous antibiotic therapy, only to be right back where they started within a couple of months of finishing.
Though there may be some logic in using antibiotics for 2-4 weeks during acute infection, many people develop symptoms despite initial use of antibiotics. And as I came to know the microbe better, I began to understand why antibiotics are not necessarily a good treatment for chronic Lyme disease. Though some people do overcome Lyme disease with antibiotics, those results arent consistent enough to be considered reliable. To date, no clinical studies have shown benefit from long-term antibiotic therapy for chronic Lyme disease.
Infectious Disease Pharmacy Team
The clinical pharmacy team at the Atrium Health Myers Park Infectious Disease Clinic offers comprehensive patient education about HIV and its treatment, assistance in finding and implementing medications that works with your lifestyle, evaluation of potentialdrug interactions and assistance in resolving other medication-related problems or challenges. The clinical pharmacist also works as a patient advocate by serving as a liaison between the doctor and your pharmacy.
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How To Approach Your Non
For various reasons, you may choose to consult with a doctor who doesnt specialize in Lyme disease or other tick-borne diseases.
If so, be sure to be as proactive as possible in providing information that could help in diagnosing your disease, and always feel free to share resources that you find in your own research to prompt discussions about any aspect of your diagnosis or treatment, including more advanced testing options.
If your doctor does not believe Lyme disease exists, reach out to another doctor for a second opinion.
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Is There Such A Thing As Chronic Lyme Disease
Chronic Lyme disease is considered controversial. Patients who are finally diagnosed with CLD are often discouraged, to say the least, with the medical community. It often takes years to be diagnosed, and that is if they run across a Lyme-literate doctor. With Google at peoples fingertips, more patients are being diagnosed and treated than ever before. But the controversy keeps escalating. Many traditional doctors do not believe in CLD. And, if they do, they frown upon long-term antibiotic therapy. This is where Dr. Dane agrees with the more widespread medical community.
Knowing that spirochete populations can cause nerve damage in the body, the question that must be asked is, Can Lyme disease lead to brain disorders? The simple answer is a resounding yes. Some research suggests links between Lyme disease and Parkinsons, multiple sclerosis, autism, dementia, and a range of other psychiatric conditions.
Diagnosing Chronic Lyme Disease And Lyme Disease Test
Diagnosing chronic Lyme disease is no simple matter since similar symptoms are seen in other infectious or autoimmune diseases like Epstein Barr, chronic fatigue, lupus, fibromyalgia, arthritis and even depression.
A combination of the Western blot and ELISA testswhich measure specific antibodies in the bloodare often recommended, but the test is flawed. For one thing, it takes time for antibodies to develop before the tests can register their presence and, for various other reasons, it is oftentimes inconclusive.
A direct microscopy, which is often performed by holistic health practitioners in combination with other physical exams and patient history to develop a diagnosis, is another option. Often, it is a comprehensive review of your symptoms in addition to the direct microscopy that can best identify chronic Lyme disease.
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Microbes: A Key To Chronic Illness
The vast majority of microbes that inhabit the body are confined to the gut, skin, and body openings. Technically, however, these microbes are outside the tissues of the body. Because all microbes have the potential to consume our cells, the body maintains barriers to keep them out. The primary barriers include:
- Skin
- Mucous membranes lining the mouth and nasal passages
- Bronchial passageways in the lungs
- Linings of the stomach and intestinal tract
In other words, even though our microbes are part of us, they are kept apart from the cells that make up our tissues because of the potential to do us harm. Of course, certain microbes have a higher potential to cause harm than others.
The microbes with the lowest potential for harm are defined as normal flora. Normal flora are microbes that your immune system knows better than any others its a relationship that has been honed over millions of years. Because the immune system is able to keep these microbes completely in check, the partnership is mutually beneficial.
We depend on our normal flora to keep other, more aggressive microbes in the gut and on the skin suppressed. Intestinal and skin diseases result when the balance of normal flora is disrupted by poor diet, chronic stress, or antibiotic therapy.
A microbe that can do us harm is called a pathogen. The potential of a pathogen to do harm is more about the relationship our immune system has with a particular microbe than the microbe itself.
What You Should Know About Ticks And Lyme Disease In Charlotte Nc
Being outdoors in Charlotte, NC can bring happiness, but it can also bring parasites. Whether youre on a hike or in your backyard, you could come across ticks. Unfortunately, ticks are more than a nuisance and can make you seriously ill. All it takes is one bite from a tick for you to catch Lyme disease, and the consequences may be life-changing. Find out everything you should know about local ticks and Lyme disease.
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Lyme Disease Testing And The Medical Model
Lyme is a hard disease to diagnose with conventional lab tests and blood chemistries these tests are often unreliable and give false positives and negatives. And it is even harder to treat using the allopathic-pharmaceutical model. Its hard to treat in part because the Lyme spirochete is pleomorphic and can fly under the radar of the hosts immune system hiding under biofilms. Animal studies have shown that in less than a week after infection, the Lyme spirochete can be found deeply embedded in the tendons, muscles, heart and brain. Many advanced researchers now view this disease as much more than a single simple tick borne infection but instead as a complex illness that can, and usually does, consist of other co-infections such as Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, Mycoplasma, Rickettsia, and Lyme-related viruses.
Prevention Of Lyme Disease
If you are not currently using a preventative for Lyme disease, talk to your vet immediately. Prevention is always preferred when it comes to tick-borne illnesses. If your pet is currently on a preventative, make sure to administer it as prescribed. Because a tick must be attached for 48 hours to transmit the disease, make sure to check your dog after time spent outside. If the tick is removed prior to 48 hours of attachment, the host will unlikely get the disease.
Further, there are several vaccines available against Lyme disease in dogs. It is recommended that dogs be screened for exposure to the bacteria before vaccination to ensure the vaccine is safe and appropriate for them.
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Herbs Are A Good Choice For Chronic Disease
Herbs with antimicrobial properties work quite differently than synthetic antibiotics. Plants have to deal with threatening microbes just like we do. Plants, however, tackled the friend versus foe problem a very long time ago. Plants produce a spectrum of chemical substances that selectively target pathogens and spare normal flora. The plants that we call medicinal herbs are the ones that mesh particularly well with human biochemistry.
Certain herbs are particularly good for suppressing stealth microbes and enhancing immune function. These are the herbs commonly chosen for use in Lyme disease. Because most medicinal herbs are very safe, do not disrupt normal flora and immune function, and offer a host of other beneficial properties, herbs can be used continuously for long periods of time.
These unique properties make medicinal herbs the ideal choice for use in chronic Lyme disease and similar conditions such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.
Medicinal herbs, however, are not nearly as potent as synthetic antibiotics.
There are certain situations where the potency of synthetic antibiotics may be valuable.
Nutritional & Herbal Therapy
Nutritional and herbal therapies can be very helpful for attacking the Lyme-related organisms and supporting healthy immune system functioning. Herbal tinctures are extremely powerful tools for overcoming antibiotic resistance and helping patients get off antibiotics sooner.
Note: For patients who have been on prolonged antibiotic therapy prior to coming to the Center, we often recommend a break from those treatments to assist with improving detoxification, immune function and gut repair, often discovering that the symptoms they are experiencing are primarily from the inflammatory reactions that persist and/or the effects of untreated co-infections.
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Why Choose Us For Your Lyme Disease Test
- Since 2002, we have a proven track record of offering excellent customer service, affordable pricing with no hidden fees, and our enduring commitment to protect your personal information.
- No doctors order? Our national physician network provides the required doctors order for the lab. Insurance is not needed to order lab testing nor will your insurance company be billed.
- We are partnered with two of the largest CLIA certified labs in the US, to offer you the latest lab testing technology with prompt and accurate results.
- With over 3,600 lab locations to choose from and same day collection, we make lab testing quick and convenient. No appointment is needed. Find your local lab with our location finder.
- We offer an extensive and detailed test menu. Ordering can be done online or over the phone. Not finding a test? Simply give us a call.
Learn More About Infectious Disease Medicine Specialists And How To Choose The Right One For You
Infectious disease medicine is a subspecialty of internal medicine. Infectious disease medicine doctors specialize in preventing, diagnosing and treating infectious diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. They also have extensive knowledge in immunology, epidemiology, and infection control. Infectious disease specialists focus on the health needs of adults who require expert diagnosis or treatment of a specific infectious disease.
An infectious disease doctor typically:
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Evaluates a patients medical history including results from previous blood tests, X-rays, and other diagnostic tests
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Performs a physical exam
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My Chronic Lyme Disease Journey
Updated 7/30/20
Likely, you have come to this page in hopes of sorting out some of the confusion surrounding Lyme disease.
There is so much controversy around this disease because most doctors dont understand it. Even many doctors who consider themselves Lyme experts or Lyme literate medical doctors do not completely comprehend its complexities.
But I have one qualification that most other physicians do not. My life and a busy medical career were disrupted midstream by Lyme disease, though obtaining that diagnosis was quite the journey through multiple diagnoses including fibromyalgia.
My late 40s were marked by debilitating fatigue, tremendous brain fog, aching all over, burning in my feet and tingling in my hands, skin rashes, joint pain, chest pain, heart palpitations, mood changes, and poor sleep. I know what its like to start and end every day feeling like you have a terrible flu. Over several years, I experienced virtually every known symptom of Lyme disease.
Ultimately, this caused me to stop practicing obstetrics. But because I didnt have a firm diagnosis at the time, declaring disability wasnt an option. As an alternative, I started a less demanding primary care practice that did not require nightcall. The practice provided me with the environment I needed to recover. I had control over my work hours and the intensity of the work.
North Carolina Medical Excellence
One of America’s great physician’s lives in the Carolina’s. He is an amazingly brilliant physician, researching and educating at the highest levels. Below, are just a couple examples of this top doctor’s useful educational activities. He is sought out by patient’s wanting exceptional care from all over the USA. Here is just a sliver of his recent activities to advance medical care. Recently, Dr. Schaller had the privilege of listening to him speak on advanced infectious disease topics, and was stunned at the level of academic brilliance he offered. Dr. Jemsek is an exceptional clinician who is a gift to the Carolinas. After recently listening to him comment on various infectious disease issues, Dr. Schaller quickly realized that Dr. Jemsek is a very special physician, who is a clinical genius, and on the cutting edge of intellectual medicine.
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When Symptoms Boil Up
You can think of it as a pot of water on the stove that starts out over a low simmer. As the simmer increases, minor discomforts start showing up general body aches and joint stiffness bloating, gas, and digestive issues lack of energy and simply not feeling well. Often, these kinds of changes become accepted as part of aging or life in general.
Its not until the pot is fully boiling over that things become noticeably uncomfortable. Sometimes its a specific event that causes the pot to bubble over severe emotional stress, an accident or trauma, an acute viral illness, or even a tick bite. But most often, its a perfect storm of cellular stress factors accumulating over time until a tipping point is reached.
At that point, the immune system can no longer keep a lid on things, and life becomes miserable. I refer to this as Chronic Immune Dysfunction.
Our Approach To Lyme Disease Treatment
At Carolina Brain Center, we conduct two tests for Lyme disease: a urine test called DNA Connexions and a saliva test called MacTech Imaging. The purpose of the DNA Connexions test is to identify any co-infections that are similar to Lyme disease. MacTech Imaging then informs the doctor of a patients overall microbial count. By using these two tests, Dr. Dane can confidently proceed with an effective treatment plan.
In 2017, Dr. Dane learned of a new treatment for Lyme disease in Raleigh, NC, that was not antibiotic or herbal. This treatment is a mineral compound in liquid form that can be transformed into a gas and nebulized acting as a fumigator for the body. Though she was skeptical, she tracked the results of eight patients seven of which were clear of Lyme disease after just over a year.
This mineral, called Lyme-N, is controversial. Still, in Dr. Danes eyes, it has produced the most effective results in her patients. Carolina Brain Center builds our treatment based upon functional neurology, and we do all in our power to promote healing and the easing of symptoms in every patient who visits us.
If you need Lyme disease treatment in Raleigh, NC, contact Dr. Dane today at 703-0207 to schedule a consultation.
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We Live In Southern California Not In The Lyme Belt So Why Should We Worry About Lyme Disease
Dr. Raleigh:Lyme disease has been found on every continent except Antarctica. It is found all across the United States, with a particularly high incidence in the East, Midwest, and West Coast . However, a patients place of residence doesnt accurately reflect his or her Lyme disease risk because people travel, pets and ticks travel, and people move.
Not all ticks are infected. Within endemic areas, there is considerable variation locally, depending on type of habitat, presence of wildlife, and other factors. In addition to the variation that occurs in nature, there is also variation in how aggressively the states have tested ticks for infection. As a result, many times the reported incidence of infected ticks is a reflection that the state has done little or no testing of ticks in the area.
Creating The Perfect Environment For Healing
More than anything else, chronic Lyme disease is a breakdown of the bodys ability to fight off everyday threats and heal itself. It isnt as much the microbes themselves as it is that the microbes are no longer constrained by a strong immune system.
I had likely harbored Borrelia and other stealth microbes long before I got sick everyone harbors some stealth microbes in the grand mix of their microbiome. For me, years of rigorous night call, eating on the run, and other bad health habits weakened my immune system enough to allow the microbes to flourish.
Creating a healing environment within my body was essential for my recovery. Though herbs were essential for my recovery, I recognized that I also had to curb the habits that contributed to my immune dysfunction in the first place.
Even before starting herbal therapy, I had given up night call by necessity. Adequate restorative sleep is essential for overcoming any chronic illness. My sleep was so disrupted, however, that it took a lot of effort for me to restore normal sleep.
Poor eating habits and antibiotics had made a mess out of my intestinal tract. I also knew that I needed to make some drastic changes to my diet. Admittedly, it was a challenge at firstI grew up in the middle of the fast-food generation. But with time, eating healthy became the new norm. With a cleaner diet, all the digestive issues cleared, including leaky gut.
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