Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Treatment For Untreated Lyme Disease

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Hunting For Alternative Drug

Living with Late Lyme Disease

Frustrated by the lack of treatment options for Lyme disease patients with lingering symptoms, Rajadas and his team began hunting for a better alternative in 2011. In 2016, they published a study in Drug Design, Development and Therapy that listed 20 chemical compounds, from about 4,000, that were most effective at killing the infection in mice. All 20 had been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for various uses. One, for instance, is used to treat alcohol abuse disorder.

Jayakumar Rajadas

In this most recent study, azlocillin, one of the top-20 contenders, was shown to eclipse a total of 7,450 compounds because it is more effective in killing B. burgdorferi and causes fewer side effects. Lyme disease affects more than 300,000 people annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can affect various organs, including the brain, skin, heart, joints and nervous system, and cause heart problems and arthritis if untreated. Symptoms include fever, headaches, chills, and muscle and joint pain.

Traditional antibiotics, such as doxycycline, are effective as an early course of treatment for the infection in the majority of patients, but it remains unclear why these drugs fail to treat 10% to 20% of patients, Rajadas said.

Why A Lyme Literate Doctor

Working with a Lyme literate doctor is essential to success in overcoming your symptoms. While most doctors are familiar with the disease, Lyme literate doctors have specialized in it. Meaning, they have more knowledge of newer treatments. They have the cutting edge equipment to perform the latest treatments in their office. They can create a protocol of multiple alternative therapies based on your specific symptoms rather than a generic, one-size-fits-all antibiotic treatment.

As you already know, there is no one-size-fits-all treatment that works because symptoms are different for each person with Lyme disease. Further on are a few therapies with great reviews.

Can You Prevent Lyme Disease

The best way to prevent Lyme disease is to protect yourself from ticks. Cover up as much skin as you can when you’re going to be in wooded or grassy areas. Wear a hat, a long-sleeved shirt, and long pants with the legs tucked into your socks. And keep in mind that it’s easier to see ticks on light-coloured clothes.

Use a bug repellent that has the chemical DEET to keep away ticks. Use products that contain 0.5% permethrin on your clothing and outdoor gear, such as your tent. You can also buy clothing already treated with permethrin. Permethrin is not available as an insect repellent in Canada, but travel health clinics may be able to advise you on how to buy permethrin or permethrin-treated gear.

Check your pets for ticks after they’ve been outside. You can’t get Lyme disease from your pet. But your pet can bring infected ticks inside. These ticks can fall off your pet and attach to you. Check your clothing and outdoor gear after you have been outside. Remove any ticks you find. Then put your clothing in a clothes dryer on high heat for 1 hour to kill any ticks that might remain.

Also Check: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Vs Lyme Disease

Azlocillin Comes Out On Top

The drug, which is not on the market, was tested in mouse models of Lyme disease at seven-day, 14-day and 21-day intervals and found to eliminate the infection. For the first time, azlocillin was also shown to be effective in killing drug-tolerant forms of B. burgdorferi in lab dishes, indicating that it may work as a therapy for lingering symptoms of Lyme disease.

Pothineni and Rajadas have patented the compound for the treatment of Lyme disease and are working with a company to develop an oral form of the drug. Researchers plan to conduct a clinical trial.

Rajadas is also a professor of bioengineering and therapeutic sciences at the University of California-San Francisco.

Other Stanford co-authors are Hari-Hara S. K. Potula, PhD, senior research scientist postdoctoral scholars Aditya Ambati, PhD, and Venkata Mallajosyula, PhD senior research scientist Mohammed Inayathullah, PhD and intern Mohamed Sohail Ahmed.

A researcher at Loyola College in India also contributed to the work.

The study was funded by the Bay Area Lyme Foundation and Laurel STEM Fund.

  • Tracie White

Can One Die Of Lyme Disease

PPT

Lyme disease is an inflammatory disease typically marked by a fever, headache, chills, and bulls-eye rash, and later by arthritis, cardiac, and neurological disorders, caused by bacteria that are spread by ticks. Lyme disease is common in North America, Europe, and Asia and is caused by the bacterium borrelia burgdorfi, and infected ticks spread the disease by biting people and/or animals. There are two kinds of ticks that carry Lyme disease in the U.S. They are the deer tick, found in the Northeast and Midwest, and the western black-legged tick, predominantly found along the Pacific coast in northern California and Oregon.

Read Also: What Are The Long Term Symptoms Of Lyme Disease

Chronic Lyme Disease Patients Profoundly Debilitated

Many patients with chronic Lyme disease are profoundly debilitated. Investigators of the four NIH-sponsored retreatment trials documented that the patients quality of life was consistently worse than that of control populations and equivalent to that of patients with congestive heart failure. Pain levels were similar to those of post-surgical patients, and fatigue was on par with that seen in multiple sclerosis.

An LDo published survey of over 3,000 patients with chronic Lyme disease found that patients suffer a worse quality of life than most other chronic illnesses, including congestive heart failure, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and arthritis. Over 70% of patients with chronic Lyme disease reported fair or poor health. Similar results have been found in other studies. Many of the symptoms associated with Lyme disease are common in other diseases. The CDC surveillance criteria for confirmed cases specifically exclude most of the symptoms that patients report, including fatigue, sleep impairment, joint pain, muscle aches, other pain, depression, cognitive impairment, neuropathy, and headaches. However, these common symptoms can be severe and may seriously affect quality of life.

Signs And Symptoms Of Untreated Chronic Lyme Disease

Acute symptoms can turn chronic after several months of going untreated. Chronic Lyme disease can be debilitating, preventing you from functioning in activities you once enjoyed. As the bacteria spread throughout your body, so does inflammation.

You may begin to feel numbness and tingling in your limbs, dizziness, shortness of breath, tremors, respiratory infections, frequent sore throats, and severe stiffness in your neck. Headaches can become migraines the brain or spinal cord can become inflamed, facial paralysis and heart palpitations also appear.

Mentally, you can experience severe depression, anxiety, paranoia, rage, and even hallucinations.

The longer you go with an incorrect diagnosis and without proper treatment, the harder it can be to eliminate your symptoms.

However, just because they may be hard to eliminate, it does not mean impossible.

The first line of treatment for anyone with Lyme disease includes the use of antibiotics. Unfortunately, depending on how long your Lyme disease went untreated, antibiotics may not be enough.

The good news is that there are many new alternative treatments and therapies for Lyme disease sufferers showing great success. Alternative medicine in the fight against Lyme disease should only be administered by a Lyme literate physician.

Read Also: How Do You Contract Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease Treatment & Therapy

  • Antibiotics

For Bells palsy

  • Eye drops for affected eye
  • Medications such as steroids to reduce inflammation of nerve and decrease pain
  • Surgery
  • Treatment of underlying inflammatory condition, if present

If experiencing weakness, pain, or inflammation

  • Ask your doctor about special therapeutic shoes or a knee brace
  • Take safety measures to compensate for loss of sensation
  • Lyme disease is curable, if treated early

Treatment For Lyme Disease

Lyme disease cases on the rise in several provinces

Here at Poseidonia Healthcare, we offer a full range of treatments for Lyme disease, here are a few benefits of the more popular treatments:

Stem Cell Therapy

The injection of Pluripotent Stem Cells has the immediate effect of strengthening the immune system. The first benefit from Stem Cell Treatment is the increased capacity of the body to defend itself from the pathogen invasion.

The second level of benefit is usually observed after a minimum of 3 injections when the different organs that have been damaged by the disease start to show signs of repair. PSC is especially efficient at reversing brain neurological problems. Patients on anti-depressants were able to cease taking them when entering the 4th week after the treatment. Some showed improvements a little later but most patients show a remarkable improvement in all neurological related symptoms.A major improvement is also observed in the joint inflammation within 4 weeks of the treatment.

Many Lyme patients, unfortunately, will suffer for a long time before they receive a correct diagnosis. Many times they are misdiagnosed and prescribed incorrect medications and very often are medically mistreated. Even when a correct diagnosis is reached, few are fortunate enough to find an effective treatment for this debilitating disease along with all of the coinfections and other symptoms.

HBOT

One of the pros of this multi-therapeutic approach is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy .

Ozone Therapy

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How Is Lyme Disease Diagnosed

Lyme disease may be difficult to diagnose because many of its symptoms mimic those of other disorders. In addition, the only distinctive symptom of Lyme disease, the red rash, does not happen or is not noticed by one-fifth of those who become infected. Many people cant recall having been bitten by a tick, because the tick is tiny, and its bite is usually painless.

If no rash is present, doctors will make the diagnosis on the basis of a detailed medical history, a careful physical examination, and laboratory tests to confirm their suspicion.

No test is perfect and the current testing for Lyme disease is no exception. Very early in the disease, testing will be negative as the body has not had time to develop a response that can be measured. Once the body responds, the positive test may persist for years even if Lyme is treated properly. Current research efforts are working to develop improved testing for Lyme disease.

What Increases Your Risk

The main risk factor for Lyme disease is exposure to ticks that are infected with Lyme disease bacteria. In areas where Lyme disease is widespread, such as the eastern and south-central areas of Canada, southern British Columbia, and northeastern United States, several factors may increase your risk, including:

  • Spending time outdoors during the warm months of the year when ticks are most active. This is usually between May and November, with peak activity in June and July.
  • Having indoor/outdoor pets. They can bring infected ticks into the house. Although dogs and cats can become infected with the Lyme disease bacteria, they cannot pass the illness to humans. But the infected ticks can drop off the animal and then bite and infect a person.
  • Having a stone fence or a bird feeder near your house. Stone fences often become homes for mice, and mice may feed on spilled seed from a bird feeder. Where there are mice, there are ticks.

Remove ticks right away, as soon as you notice them. Your risk for getting Lyme disease increases the longer a tick is attached to your body. Ticks generally cannot transmit Lyme disease until they are attached for at least 36 hours.

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Symptoms Of Lyme Disease

Lyme disease causes a range of symptoms that change and intensify as the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, first introduced by the tick, spread to the rest of the body. Untreated cases can cause serious problems or lead to a fatal condition. Whats tricky, too, is that the onset of initial symptoms occurs anywhere from three to 30 days after exposure.

Clinically, there are three stages of Lyme disease: early localized disease, early disseminated disease, and late disseminated disease. Early localized disease, the initial manifestation, is characterized by:

  • Bullseye rash and swelling,the most notorious symptom, occurs in 70% to 80% of cases. Clinically referred to as erythema migrans, its appearance variesit can be a different color or shapeespecially in people of color. It arises about a week after exposure to the bacteria.
  • Other symptoms of the first stage include fever, fatigue, headache, and joint pain. Very often, those with the conditionespecially if there is no rashfeel as if theyre experiencing the flu.

Disseminated Lyme disease symptoms arise as the bacterial infection works its way to other bodily systems, organs, and structures. Typically a month or more after exposureand potentially chronicsymptoms have changed and include:

In its late disseminated phase, the bacterial infection has begun affecting nerve and joint structures, causing significant complications. Chronic arthritis, continued swelling of the brain , and nerve damage can all result.

What Are The Symptoms

Patient With Long Term Untreated Lyme Disease is Raising ...

One sign of Lyme disease is a round, red rash that spreads at the site of a tick bite. This rash can get very large.

Flu-like symptoms are also common. People in the early stages of Lyme disease may feel very tired and have headaches, sore muscles and joints, and a fever.

These symptoms can start at any time, from 3 days to up to a month after you have been bitten. Some people don’t have any symptoms when they are in the early stages of Lyme disease. And they may not even remember getting a tick bite.

If Lyme disease goes untreated, you can have more serious symptoms over time. These include:

  • Swelling and joint pain .
  • Tingling and numbness in your hands, feet, and back.
  • A lack of energy that does not get better.
  • Trouble focusing your thoughts.
  • Weakness or paralysis in your face muscles.

Also Check: Late Stage Lyme Disease Treatment

Two Lyme Disease Tests

The ELISA and the Western Blot tests are the main tests doctors have today to test Lyme disease patients. These tests are accurate less than 50% of the time.

The two tests, even when used together, test for antibodies of Lyme disease in your bloodstream. Antibodies are tricky and quickly learn to hide within your system. Meaning, if they are in hiding when your blood is tested for Lyme disease, your test results could come back as negative.

Thats right you could test negative but have Lyme disease. Some doctors refuse to test further or treat Lyme symptoms if you receive a negative test result. This can be dangerous. It allows your Lyme disease to move from acute to chronic, creating a lifetime of problems for your physical and mental health.

You must be an advocate for continued Lyme disease testing and treatment. You can start by known signs and symptoms that can often appear with Lyme, symptoms that may be classified as the flu or depression, or other disorders. If you have these symptoms and no other treatments are working, seek the help of a Lyme literate doctor immediately.

How To Remove A Tick

Removing a tick is the same for humans and animals. Its important you do not crush or damage the tick because it could cause Lyme bacteria to pass from the tick into your bloodstream.

  • Use fine-tipped tweezers and grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible.
  • Do not use a lit match or cigarette, nail polish or nail polish remover, petroleum jelly , liquid soap or kerosene to remove the tick.
  • Pull the tick straight out, gently but firmly.
  • Do not jerk or twist the tweezers while pulling the tick out.
  • Do not squeeze the tick you might crush it.
  • How to remove a tick.

  • Once you have removed a tick, wash your skin with soap and water and then disinfect your skin and your hands with rubbing alcohol or an iodine swab.
  • Before disposing of the tick, call or check the website of your local public health unit to get advice on how to identify the tick. You can also submit a photo of the tick to etick.ca for identification.
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    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.

    How You Get Lyme Disease

    Lyme Disease, Causes, Signs and Symptoms, DIagnosis and Treatment.

    If a tick bites an animal carrying the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, the tick can become infected. The tick can then transfer the bacteria to a human by biting them.

    Ticks can be found in any areas with deep or overgrown plants where they have access to animals to feed on.

    They’re common in woodland and moorland areas, but can also be found in gardens or parks.

    Ticks don’t jump or fly. They climb on to your clothes or skin if you brush against something they’re on. They then bite into the skin and start to feed on your blood.

    Generally, you’re more likely to become infected if the tick is attached to your skin for more than 24 hours. Ticks are very small and their bites are not painful, so you may not realise you have one attached to your skin.

    Recommended Reading: Breakthrough In Lyme Disease Treatment

    Where Blacklegged Ticks Live

    We continue to track where infected and uninfected blacklegged ticks are being found.

    Public Health Ontarios Lyme disease page has a map that shows areas in Ontario where they estimate you are more likely to find blacklegged ticks.

    Blacklegged ticks are spreading to new areas of the province because of climate change. They can also spread by traveling on birds and deer. While the probability is low, it is possible to find an infected tick almost anywhere in Ontario.

    Ticks are most active in spring and summer, but can be found at any time of the year when the temperature is above freezing.

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