Friday, March 29, 2024

Treatment For Chronic Lyme Disease In Humans

Must read

Rhus Toxicodendron Homeopathic Treatment For Lyme Disease With Arthritis

Lyme Disease is a Growing Problem. Where, Symptoms, Treatments, and Prevention (Part 1)

The homeopathic medicine Rhus tox is prepared from poison ivy- a vine-like shrub. This shrub is found naturally all over North America and belongs to the Anacardiaceae family. The leaves and stalks of this shrub are collected at night to prepare Rhus Toxicodendron. Rhus tox has given tremendous results in arthritis, especially of knee joints in Lyme disease patients. There is stiffness and painful swelling of the knee joint which becomes better by warmth. It is also indicated for joint problems in the elbows and ankles in some instances of Lyme disease. A tingling sensation in feet and other places of the body is also treated with this remedy.

Key Indications for using Rhus Tox for Lyme Disease

Knee Joint Arthritis Tingling Sensation

Diagnosis And Management Of Lyme Disease

WILLIAM F. WRIGHT, DO, MPH DAVID J. RIEDEL, MD ROHIT TALWANI, MD and BRUCE L. GILLIAM, MD, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland

Am Fam Physician. 2012 Jun 1 85:1086-1093.

Patient information: See related handout on Lyme disease, written by the authors of this article.

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the United States. It is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, and is transmitted primarily by the deer tick . Following its discovery in children and adults in Lyme, Conn., in 1977,1 its incidence has increased steadily in the United States.2

SORT: KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Erythema migrans rash following a tick bite is the only clinical manifestation sufficient to make the diagnosis of Lyme disease in the absence of laboratory confirmation.

A = consistent, good-quality patient-oriented evidence B = inconsistent or limited-quality patient-oriented evidence C = consensus, disease-oriented evidence, usual practice, expert opinion, or case series. For information about the SORT evidence rating system, go to .

SORT: KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Erythema migrans rash following a tick bite is the only clinical manifestation sufficient to make the diagnosis of Lyme disease in the absence of laboratory confirmation.

Early Lyme Disease Treatment

ILADS doctors are likely to recommend more aggressive and longer antibiotic treatment for patients. They may, for instance, treat high risk tick bites where the tick came from an endemic area, was attached a long time, and was removed improperly. They may treat a Lyme rash for a longer period of time than the IDSA recommends, to ensure that the disease does not progress. They are unlikely to withhold treatment pending laboratory test results.

You May Like: Lyme Disease And Neurological Problems

What Are The Risk Factors For Post Treatment Lyme Disease

Risk factors for Post Treatment Lyme Disease include:

  • Delay in diagnosis
  • Increased severity of initial illness
  • Presence of neurologic symptoms

Increased severity of initial illness, the presence of neurologic symptoms, and initial misdiagnosis increase the risk of Post Treatment Lyme Disease. PTLD is especially common in people that have had neurologic involvement. The rates of Post Treatment Lyme Disease after neurologic involvement may be as high as 20% or even higher. Other risk factors being investigated are genetic predispositions and immunologic variables.

In addition to Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, there are several other tick-borne co-infections that may also contribute to more prolonged and complicated illness.

The Numbers On Chronic Lyme

Pin by Carina Mok on dystonia

Because Lyme disease is commonly missed or misdiagnosed, statistics vary on how many Lyme patients go on to experience chronic symptoms. The following research nonetheless paints a basic picture of the problem.

  • An estimated 5-20% of patients may have chronic symptoms after getting Lyme disease, according to the Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
  • The treatment failure rate for chronic Lyme disease patients was estimated at 26-50% in 2004, compared to 16-39% for early Lyme patients, according to Lymedisease.org.
  • Up to 15-40% of late-stage Lyme patients develop neurological disorders, which are responsible for many common symptoms of chronic Lyme disease.

Experts dont know for sure why some people experience persistent symptoms, even with treatment. However, some believe the Lyme infection may trigger an auto-immune response that manifests in the chronic symptoms detailed below.

Recommended Reading: Lyme Disease Joint Pain Symptoms

Symptoms Of Post Treatment Lyme Disease

  • Include severe fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, & cognitive problems
  • Can significantly impact patients health and quality of life
  • Can be debilitating and prolonged

Our research indicates the chronic symptom burden related to PTLD is significant. Although often invisible to others, the negative impact on quality of life and daily functioning is substantial for PTLD sufferers.

The chronic symptom burden related to Lyme disease is considerable, as shown on the left side of the graph above, and statistically significantly greater than the aches and pains of daily living experienced by the control group, on the right.

What’s The Best Way To Prevent A Tick Bite

Ticks can’t fly or jump. But they live in shrubs and bushes and can grab onto you when you pass by. To avoid getting bitten:

  • Wear pants and socks in areas with lots of trees and when you touch fallen leaves.
  • Wear a tick repellent on your skin and clothing that has DEET, lemon oil, or eucalyptus.
  • For even more protection, use the chemical permethrin on clothing and camping gear.
  • Shower within 2 hours after coming inside. Look for ticks on your skin, and wash ticks out of your hair.
  • Put your clothing and any exposed gear into a hot dryer to kill whatever pests might be on them.

How do you know if you’ve been bitten?

Since ticks are so small, you’ve got to have pretty good eyes to see them.

If you have a small, red bump on your skin that looks like a mosquito bite, it could be a tick bite. If it goes away in a few days, itâs not a problem. Remember, a tick bite doesnât necessarily mean you have Lyme disease.

If you notice a rash in the shape of a bull’s-eye, you might have a tick bite. Talk to your doctor about treatment.

If you have an allergic reaction to ticks, you’ll notice a bite right away.

Recommended Reading: Most Effective Treatment For Lyme Disease

The Chance Of Getting Lyme Disease

Not all ticks in England carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

But it’s still important to be aware of ticks and to safely remove them as soon as possible, just in case.

Ticks that may cause Lyme disease are found all over the UK, but high-risk places include grassy and wooded areas in southern and northern England and the Scottish Highlands.

Ticks are tiny spider-like creatures that live in woods, areas with long grass, and sometimes in urban parks and gardens. They’re found all over the UK.

Ticks do not jump or fly. They attach to the skin of animals or humans that brush past them.

Once a tick bites into the skin, it feeds on blood for a few days before dropping off.

Belladonna Homeopathic Treatment For Lyme Disease With Constant Headache

Lyme Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment for People and Pets

The homeopathic medicine Belladonna is prepared from the Belladonna plant. Belladonna plant is also known by other names such as nightshade, devils cherry, and Atropa belladonna. It is a herbaceous plant, and it belongs to the Solanaceae family. Belladonna is a perennial plant and is found in Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. The entire belladonna plant is used to prepare the belladonna medicine. Belladonna is a top graded medicine for migraine in patients of chronic Lyme disease. The headache is pulsating and throbbing in character. There is a feeling of extreme fullness in the head. Noise and light seem to worsen the headache of Lyme disease patients. Cold air, head bath with cold water acts as aggravating factor for the migraine. Applying hard pressure on the head helps relieve the pain.

You May Like: Can You Get A Test For Lyme Disease

What Is Late Lyme Disease

Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is caused by an infection with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. This bacteria is disseminated through tick bites. Infected ticks usually bite small mammals, who do not develop any kind of infection from the bacteria. When humans are exposed to B. Burgdorferi from a tick bite, however, they can develop Lyme disease.

People who work outside or spend time in woodland areas, where there is greater potential for exposure to tick bites, are most at risk of infection.

Lyme disease is a condition which progresses in stages:

  • A person will initially develop early localized lyme disease, in which the bacteria have not yet spread through the body. At this stage, which generally has its onset days or weeks after the tick bite, a personâs symptoms will usually include a fever, fatigue, and a rash, called the Erythema Migrans rash, which has a distinctive bullsâ eye shape and affects around two thirds of people who develop Lyme disease. See this resource for more information on symptoms and treatment of early localized Lyme disease.
  • If Lyme disease is not diagnosed in either of these early stages, and is not treated effectively with antibiotics, the bacteria that cause LD can spread throughout the body from the site of the tick bite, resulting in late disseminated Lyme disease, or late lyme disease. The onset of symptoms and complications of late disseminated Lyme disease is usually around 6-36 months after the original infection.
  • The Chronic Lyme Disease Controversy

    Chronic Lyme disease is a poorly defined term that describes the attribution of various atypical syndromes to protracted Borrelia burgdorferi infection. These syndromes are atypical for Lyme disease in their lack of the objective clinical abnormalities that are well-recognized in Lyme disease and, in many cases, the absence of serologic evidence of Lyme disease as well as the absence of plausible exposure to the infection. The syndromes usually diagnosed as CLD include chronic pain, fatigue, neurocognitive, and behavioral symptoms, as well as various alternative medical diagnosesmost commonly neurologic and rheumatologic diseases. Perhaps the most recognized and contentious facet of this debate is whether it is effective, appropriate, or even acceptable to treat patients with protracted antibiotic courses based on a clinical diagnosis of CLD.

    You May Like: Best Lyme Disease Doctors In Usa

    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.

    What Are The Symptoms Of Chronic Lyme Disease

    Treating Lyme Disease with Essential Oils

    Home » Tick Talk » What Are the Symptoms of Chronic Lyme Disease?

    Despite some skepticism in the medical community, chronic Lyme disease is a growing epidemic in the U.S. This stems partly from the shortcomings of many of the officially recommended Lyme disease tests, which leave too many patients with untreated infections that then become persistent and debilitating.

    The following article will cover what you should know about chronic Lyme and provide an introductory but non-exhaustive chronic Lyme disease symptoms checklist.

    Read Also: What Does A Lyme Bite Look Like

    How To Avoid Tick Bites

    To reduce the chance of being bitten:

    • cover your skin while walking outdoors and tuck your trousers into your socks
    • use insect repellent on your clothes and skin products containing DEET are best
    • stay on clear paths whenever possible
    • wear light-coloured clothing so ticks are easier to see and brush off

    Chronic Lyme: What Happens When Lyme Goes Untreated

    The Lyme community typically uses the term chronic Lyme disease to describe a range of physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms that crop up after getting Lyme disease and persist for months to years after infection.

    The risk of chronic Lyme increases the longer a Lyme infection goes untreated or undertreated. In other words, patients are more likely to recover fully if their Lyme infection is detected and treated as early as possible after the discovery of a tick bite. This stage is usually marked by symptoms such as fevers, chills, muscle aches, and sometimes rashes.

    When left untreated or undertreated, however, Lyme disease can spread throughout the body and affect:

    • The central nervous system
    • Muscles and joints

    As Lymedisease.org points out, these symptoms can evolve, disappear, and reappear at different times.

    Read Also: Best Lyme Disease Doctors In Nj

    Option 2 Supplement And Prescriptions:

    In my experience, this prescription antibiotic-based option has a 10 percent better chance of working than the supplement-only option above. For best results use the two prescription medicines and the supplements at the same time. Note: This option is also a full Lyme infection support and treatment.

    • Clarithromycin 500 mg 1 pill 2 times a day. AND
    • Rifabutin 150 mg 2 times a day or 2 pills 1 time a day or Rifampin 300 mg 2 pills 1 time a day. AND
    • Liposomal Cinnamon, Clove, and Oregano Oil Combination 1 pill 2 times a day.

    Ledum Palustre Homeopathic Treatment For Lyme Disease With Skin Rash

    W5: Canadians fight for Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment

    The homeopathic medicine Ledum palustre is prepared from Ledum, also known as marsh tea. Ledum or wild rosemary is a herb which is found in the marshlands all over the United States, Canada, and northern Europe. The fresh herb is dried and then powdered to prepare this remedy. Ledum belongs to the family Ericaceae.Ledum is known for its antiseptic properties and is useful in preventing infections. Ledum palustre is a well-indicated remedy for insect stings, including tick bites. It is also indicated for a twitching sensation around skin rash. The area of the tick bite is cold to the touch.

    Key indications for using Ledum Palustre for Lyme Disease:

    Tick Bite-Twitching Sensation around the rash

    You May Like: Can Lyme Disease Go Away

    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
    100 mg, twice per day orally N/A
    500 mg, three times per day orally N/A
    500 mg, twice per day orally N/A
    4.4 mg/kg per day orally, divided into 2 doses 100 mg per dose
    50 mg/kg per day orally, divided into 3 doses 500 mg per dose
    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.

    Get An Accurate Diagnosis

    To get an accurate diagnosis, you must first find the right doctor specializing in Lyme disease. Do the research and look for a doctor who has extensive knowledge, licensure and certification, and a high success rate working with patients.

    This doctor may not be in the United States. One of the most well-renowned infectious diseases clinics is Lyme Mexico.

    You may be thinking you cant travel to Mexico for help, but you can. You can spend the same amount of time and money visiting multiple doctors near your home without results. Or, you can meet with a top expert in Lyme disease and receive the treatment that gives you back the life you deserve.

    Lyme literate doctors have modern and more aggressive treatments to help heal your Lyme disease. Lyme specialists not only know about more aggressive treatments, but they also provide them in their clinics on an outpatient basis.

    Also Check: How Long Do Lyme Disease Test Results Take

    How Chronic Lyme Is Treated

    Because chronic Lyme disease is still poorly understood in the medical community, there is currently no definitive treatment protocol offered through mainstream medicine. Thankfully, however, many people with chronic Lyme are reporting success in resolving their ongoing symptoms by retraining their brains.

    Before we delve into how to support chronic Lyme recovery from a neurological perspective, lets discuss common traditional and alternative treatment options and the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.

    Persistent Symptoms After Treatment For Lyme Disease

    What Having Lyme Disease Taught Me About Love

    It is well-recognized that some patients experience prolonged symptoms during convalescence from Lyme disease, and a subset suffer significant functional impairment., The most common complaints among such patients are arthralgias, myalgias, headache, neck and backache, fatigue, irritability, and cognitive dysfunction .

    A working definition was developed to categorize patients with post-Lyme disease symptoms , those patients with persistent clinical symptoms after treatment for Lyme disease, but who lack objective evidence of treatment failure, reinfection, or relapse . PLDS is not strictly speaking a coherent clinical diagnosis its primary value has been to define a patient cohort for further study. Nonetheless, it is worth considering how it conceptually differs from CLD. To meet criteria for PLDS, patients must have unequivocal documentation of appropriately treated Lyme disease, lack objective manifestations of Lyme disease, and have persistent symptoms that cannot be explained by other medical illnesses. Thus, of patients with chronic symptoms that have been attributed to Lyme disease, those meeting criteria for PLDS are those for whom infection with B burgdorferi is most plausible. This makes the studies of PLDS paradigmatic for the understanding of CLD.

    Don’t Miss: Foods That Kill Lyme Disease

    More articles

    Popular Articles