Friday, March 22, 2024

New Treatment For Lyme Disease

Must read

The Truth About Antibiotic Treatments

Alternative treatments for Lyme disease symptoms brings new hope to those suffering

Until recently, many doctors in Canada tended to prescribe only one round of antibiotics, irrespective of the stage of infection. However, current research suggests that a single course of antibiotics is often insufficient for treating Lyme disease, especially if the infection has been untreated for several months.

Stages Of Lyme Disease Symptoms Of Each Stage Of Lyme

Stage 1: 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.

Lymediseasecentralmass.com

Recent Progress In Lyme Disease And Remaining Challenges

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States with an estimated 476,000 cases per year. While historically, the long-term impact of Lyme disease on patients has been controversial, mounting evidence supports the idea that a substantial number of patients experience persistent symptoms following treatment. The research community has largely lacked the necessary funding to properly advance the scientific and clinical understanding of the disease, or to develop and evaluate innovative approaches for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Given the many outstanding questions raised into the diagnosis, clinical presentation and treatment of Lyme disease, and the underlying molecular mechanisms that trigger persistent disease, there is an urgent need for more support. This review article summarizes progress over the past 5 years in our understanding of Lyme and tick-borne diseases in the United States and highlights remaining challenges.

You May Like: Lyme Laser Center Andover Ma

The Pandemic And Lyme Disease

In addition to monoclonal antibodies for COVID paving the way for monoclonal antibodies for Lyme, the pandemic has impacted how we test, treat and think about Lyme disease for better and for worse.

First, the bad.

Daniel Solomon, an infectious disease doctor at Brigham and Womens Hospital, said people have become accustomed to at-home rapid tests with COVID. But he cautions against adopting a similar approach to at-home Lyme tests. Many of them are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and he says they don’t work well early in a Lyme infection.

While I think it’s been really, really helpful to have these at-home COVID tests, the at-home Lyme tests aren’t quite ready for prime time, he said.

Now, the good.

There are some positive spillover effects from COVID. The pandemic has brought an infusion of resources and interested in long-COVID, and Solomon thinks that may help push forward research on Lyme disease, particularly post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, or PTLDS. This is a syndrome that happens when a person has lingering symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog and poor concentration long after the actual infection clears up.

That syndrome of post-treatment Lyme disease and what we are currently calling long-COVID have an unbelievable amount of overlap. These syndromes really look similar, Solomon said.

Treatment Of Lyme Disease

Developing New Guidelines on 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.

Also Check: How To Fight Lyme Disease

What Vitamins Help Lyme Disease

“Vitamins that boost your immune system and with anti-inflammatory properties are the best in fighting Lyme disease. Vitamins B, C, D, and Zinc can improve your immune system and are highly recommended for people diagnosed with Lyme disease. Lyme disease clinical trials are always on the lookout for the latest treatment plan, and you can help with the next breakthrough. Find a clinical trial that has requirements that you can meet by going to Power. It’s the easiest way to find a clinical trial that is tailored to your overall condition.” – Anonymous Online Contributor

Can You Get Lyme Disease Without A Tick Bite

Lyme disease can only be transmitted when an infected tick bites you. It means that you cannot be infected even by close contact with a person who currently has the infection. Clinical trials aim to develop a new drug or vaccine for Lyme disease. These trials require participants subject to some requirements to help with the studies. If you are interested in participating in one of the clinical trials, visit Power to help you match with a clinical trial according to your condition and location.” – Anonymous Online Contributor

Read Also: How To Control Lyme Disease

Eradication Of Lyme Disease

I hope that it will continue moving forward in development and will become the first therapeutic to treat Lyme disease, Lewis says. It will be very important to see whether treating with hygromycin A will diminish the probability of developing chronic Lyme.

But the plans go even further: Lewis team has also shown that feeding hygromycin-laced bait to mice can eliminate Borrelia burgdorferi infections. Theoretically at least, putting out such bait could eradicate Lyme disease from entire areas or even entire countries.

This idea is not entirely new: A field trial with doxycycline baits was successful. But widespread use of this drug for that purpose is undesirable because it could lead to many microbes developing antibiotic resistance. In the case of hygromycin, however, Lewis studies indicate that it is extremely difficult for Borrelia burgdorferi to develop a resistance.

The first field trial against Borrelia burgdorferi is scheduled to start next summer. And Lewis team is also investigating whether hygromycin A can treat other diseases caused by spirochetes, such as syphilis, which is caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum.

This article was translated from German.

Ticks a plague for humans and animals alike

What Is The Prognosis Of Lyme Disease

New Lyme Disease treatment clinic coming to Scarborough

Prognosis is excellent and most patients recover completely, especially if treated early with appropriate antibiotics. Sometimes a recurrent infection can occur with certain strains, but Lyme disease can be managed well with medication. Co-infection by other organisms transmitted by the same tick bite can occur.

Don’t Miss: Lyme Disease Treatment Home Remedy

Protocol For Lyme Disease At Dvc Stem

DVC Stem uses cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells ethically sourced from AATB certified, US-donated, full-term human umbilical cords. We administer over 300 million cells that are all thoroughly tested for viability before treatment. These cells are NOT a blood product therefore, it is extremely safe and does not require HLA or phenotypic matching.

All patients undergo therapy in our VIP treatment room located within our advanced clinic. Patients are under constant supervision from both our medical director and the supporting medical team.

We typically recommend patients stay a minimum of 4 days in Grand Cayman for treatment.â

References:

1) Department of Health. âProper Precautions Can Help Prevent Lyme Disease and the Spread of Tick-Borne Illnesses.â DOH, DEC and State Parks Remind New Yorkers to Protect Against Ticks, Department of Health, Apr. 2019, www.health.ny.gov/press/releases/2019/2019-05-24_lyme_and_ticks.htm.

2) Meyerhoff, John D, and Herbert S Diamond. âLyme Disease Treatment & Management: Approach Considerations, Treatment of Early Lyme Disease, Lyme Arthritis.â Lyme Disease Treatment & Management: Approach Considerations, Treatment of Early Lyme Disease, Lyme Arthritis, 12 Nov. 2019, emedicine.medscape.com/article/330178-treatment#d7.

3) Melia, Michael T., and A. Berende. âTime for a Different Approach to Lyme Disease and Long-Term Symptoms: NEJM.â New England Journal of Medicine, 31 Mar. 2016, www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMe1502350.

Treatment For Erythema Migrans

People treated with appropriate antibiotics in the early stages of Lyme disease usually recover rapidly and completely. Early diagnosis and proper antibiotic treatment of Lyme disease can help prevent late Lyme disease.

Treatment regimens listed in the following table are for the erythema migrans rash, the most common manifestation of early Lyme disease. These regimens may need to be adjusted depending on a persons age, medical history, underlying health conditions, pregnancy status, or allergies. Consult an infectious disease specialist regarding individual patient treatment decisions.

Treatment regimens for localized Lyme disease.

Age Category
30 mg/kg per day orally, divided into 2 doses 500 mg per dose

*When different durations of antibiotics are shown to be effective for the treatment of Lyme disease, the shorter duration is preferred to minimize unnecessary antibiotics that might result in adverse effects, including infectious diarrhea and antimicrobial resistance.

NOTE:For people intolerant of amoxicillin, doxycycline, and cefuroxime, the macrolide azithromycin may be used, although it is less effective. People treated with azithromycin should be closely monitored to ensure that symptoms resolve.

Read Also: Old Colony Beach Old Lyme Ct Rentals

Treatment For Other Forms Of Lyme Disease

People with other forms of disseminated Lyme disease may require longer courses of antibiotics or intravenous treatment with antibiotics such as ceftriaxone. For more information about treating other forms of Lyme disease, see:

The National Institutes of Health has funded several studies on the treatment of Lyme disease that show most people recover within a few weeks of completing a course of oral antibiotics when treated soon after symptom onset. In a small percentage of cases, symptoms such as fatigue and myalgia can last for more than 6 months. This condition is known as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome , although it is also sometimes called chronic Lyme disease. For details on research into chronic Lyme disease and long-term treatment trials sponsored by NIH, visit the visit the National Institutes of Health Lyme Disease web siteexternal icon.

Transmission Of Bb Via Ixodes Spp Vectors

Availability of New Treatment for Lyme Disease

The black-legged ticks, Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus on the West Coast, are the primary vectors of Bb in the USA. In endemic areas, the proportion of Ixodes spp. ticks infected withBb can be remarkably high. One recent survey of the pathogen burden of 197 Ixodes scapularis ticks collected from New York and Connecticut where LD is endemic, revealed 111 ticks were infected with Bb and 37 were co-infected with more than one human pathogen . The high pathogen burden is consistent with previous tick surveys in the same region . In contrast, the percent of infected ticks in other regions of the USA is much lower. In recently published surveys across California, for example, fewer than 5% of Ixodes spp. ticks were infected . Ixodes ticks sometimes carry multiple strains of Bb that may impact the course of disease in people that are co-infected. One tick survey showed that 39% of Ixodes ticks in North America are infected with multiple genotypes of Bb .

Recommended Reading: Lyme Literate Doctors In Colorado

Overuse Of Mice As Test Subjects

Embers also says that treatment study results may be skewed by the overuse of mice as test subjects. Mice are cheap, but theyre lousy stand-ins for humans. Theyve evolved alongside ticks to serve as a living holding tanks for the Lyme bacteria, so they dont get as sick as humans when infected.

Lyme disease is the fastest vector-borne illness in the United States, with an estimated 476,000 new cases a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Approximately 10 to 20% of those treated with antibiotics go on to experience disabling long-haul symptoms, such as severe fatigue, joint/muscle pain, brain fog, and neurologic symptoms.

There have been no human treatment studies published in over 20 years, and only 0.30% of the National Institutes of Health Lyme research budgethas been focused on human treatment studies in the last five years .

At the end of lecture, Dr. Embers cited several lab studies and animal studies showing that a cocktail of three antibiotics are highly effective in eradicating the Lyme bacteria. But of course, clinical trials are needed to validate these findings.

Why Do Doctors Not Treat Lyme Disease

“Some medical establishments refuse to treat a Lyme disease patients because the bacterium that causes it hides deeply in tissues like ligaments, tendons, bones, eyes, brain, and scar tissue. This disease is persistent in the body and makes it difficult to treat. Clinical trials promise new drugs that may help with the treatment. However, one must meet the eligibility requirements before they are accepted into the trial. Power can help you find a clinical trial that matches your current condition and within your preferred location.” – Anonymous Online Contributor

Recommended Reading: First Signs Of Lyme Disease In Dogs

How Disulfiram Might Help Treat Lyme Disease

In 2016, a lab at Stanford University was studying the effects of drug candidates on borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, and found that disulfiram showed a lot of promise.

Building off of that, Dr. Kim Lewis, the leader of Northeastern Universitys Antimicrobial Discovery Center, and his team compared disulfiram to a few well-known drugs used to treat borrelia. They found that it completely sterilized the culture, meaning it killed off all of the Lyme-causing bacteria.

Stage : Late Disseminated Lyme Disease

New Lyme Disease Scan Technique Reveals Brain Inflammation with Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome

Stage 3 or late disseminated Lyme disease is the final stage of the disease. A person may enter this stage if they did not receive treatment for Lyme disease in the early stages, or if their symptoms persisted despite treatment. As such, doctors sometimes refer to this stage as chronic or post-treatment Lyme disease .

Stage 3 Lyme disease can occur after an infected tick bites a person.

A person with stage 3 Lyme disease may experience additional symptoms, including:

  • severe joint pain and swelling, known as chronic Lyme arthritis
  • heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat, due to Lyme carditis
  • inflammation of the brain and spinal cord
  • mental fogginess

You May Like: What Type Of Doctor Treats Lyme Disease

Potential Risks And Side Effects Of Disulfiram For Lyme Patients

As with any drug, there is the potential for complications and side effects. Serious side effects arent common, but they can include neuropathy and optic neuritis.

There have been reported cases of psychosis in patients taking Disfulfiram, including the very first trial patient. The practitioners Ive talked to who are using this therapy havent seen this in their patients but it is something to be aware of.

There is also some evidence that the medication can be neurotoxic due to an excess of copper. Some patients are prophylactically taking zinc, which can offset some of the problems caused by copper.

Other potential side effects include drowsiness, weight gain, headaches, rashes, and a metallic taste in your mouth.

Practitioners and patients have found that many of these problematic side effects correlate with how aggressive the therapy is. In their experience, starting at a low dose and building up can often negate these effects.

It is important to avoid ANY products containing alcohol as they can trigger that disulfiram reaction and make you feel really ill. This includes beer, wine, and liquor, drinks, but it also includes products like mouthwash, cooking vinegar, perfumes, certain medications, and foods with sugar alcohols, vinegar, extracts, and other ingredients that can contain alcohol.

Common Conditions Requiring Medication Treatment For Lyme Disease

Lyme disease requires medication treatment. If you dont take proper medication, your condition can get much worse. It is important to continue seeing your doctor, even if you are feeling better, until your doctor says you are free of the disease. Be sure to share if you are getting new symptoms or have found your symptoms are not improving.

Read Also: What To Take For Lyme Disease Pain

Don’t Miss: Can Lyme Disease Cause Spinal Stenosis

What Is Lyme Arthritis

Lyme arthritis occurs when Lyme disease bacteria enter joint tissue and cause inflammation. If left untreated, permanent damage to the joint can occur. Lyme arthritis accounts for approximately one out of every four Lyme disease cases reported to CDC. Because of reporting practices, this statistic may overstate the frequency of arthritis among patients seen in routine clinical practice.

Also Check: Antibiotics To Prevent Lyme Disease

Does Lyme Disease Stay With You Forever

New Paradigms in Lyme Disease Treatment: 10 Top Doctors Reveal Healing ...

“Once treated, Lyme disease does not stay for years. However, some people may still experience the after-effects of the disease for months and even years. There are clinical trials that involve participants who are suspected to have Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome to help in understanding the disease even further and develop new treatment plans. If you are interested in joining a clinical trial, go to Power to quickly find one that also matches your current condition.” – Anonymous Online Contributor

Also Check: What Does The Rash Of Lyme Disease Look Like

Can Lyme Disease Be Cured

  • Can Lyme Disease be Cured? Topic Guide
  • Early Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics such as doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime axetil. When treated early, Lyme disease can be cured and most patients will recover completely.

    Even when treated in later stages, most patients will respond well to antibiotics, though there may be some chronic damage to the nervous system or joints.

    Lyme disease is an illness transmitted to humans via tick bites, from infected ticks of the genus Ixodes . The tick bite spreads the germ that causes Lyme disease to humans .

    The type of tick that carries Lyme disease feeds on deer and mice, and can only infect a human if it remains attached to a person for at least a day and a half.

    You May Like: Dr Horowitz Lyme Disease Treatment Protocol

    More articles

    Popular Articles