Infection With Lyme Bacteria Can Lead To Long
Its usually called chronic Lyme disease. But not everyone believes its real.
If you think your symptoms might be the result of a Lyme infection past or present Forum Health believes you. Our functional and integrative doctors will listen to you and start treatment based on clinical judgment even if tests are negative. Then well keep exploring.
We can treat chronic Lyme disease. Through a combination of antibiotics, IV therapies, and lifestyle changes, well work to address the root causes and get you well.
What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Lyme Disease
Lyme disease can affect different body systems, such as the nervous system, joints, skin, and heart. The symptoms of Lyme disease are often described as happening in three stages. Not everyone with Lyme has all of these, though:
The rash sometimes has a “bull’s-eye” appearance, with a central red spot surrounded by clear skin that is ringed by an expanding red rash. It also can appear as an growing ring of solid redness. It’s usually flat and painless, but sometimes can be warm to the touch, itchy, scaly, burning, or prickling. The rash may look and feel very different from one person to the next. It can be harder to see on people with darker skin tones, where it can look like a bruise. It gets bigger for a few days to weeks, then goes away on its own. A person also may have flu-like symptoms such as fever, tiredness, headache, and muscle aches.
Are Llmds Infectious Disease Specialists
No. While it is possible for a LLMD to be an infectious disease specialist, LLMDs can come from any field or background. Many LLMDs are general practitioners or family doctors, while others may specialize in a specific type of medicine, such as naturopathic medicine.
For more information on finding a LLMD, read IGeneXs blog How to Find Doctors Who Can Help with Your Tick-Borne Disease.
Don’t Miss: Do At Home Lyme Disease Tests Work
Searching For A Provider
Project Lyme educates about the many different types of medical professionals available with the understanding that to help you heal from tick-borne disease. Given what is known about treating chronic cases, you will likely need a combination of therapies. Focusing on knowing your body, and advocating for the best care will lead you on a path to health and happiness.
For more help finding a doctor, click the link below.
Healing Chronic Lyme Disease With Antibiotics And Herbal Treatments
The lab results determine the appropriate course of action for you. An integrative, Lyme literate doctor would likely first recommend the use of antibiotics or a combination or antibiotics and herbals.
Some of the most effective natural treatments for chronic Lyme disease include grapeseed extract, otoba bark and cats claw. Herbal treatments are a personalized medical intervention based on your immune systems ability to handle the treatment. Some functional medicine doctors may also recommend antimalarial drugs for certain strains of Lyme which resemble malaria.
Also Check: Lyme Disease Doctors In Alabama
Ilads Doctors Treat Chronic Lyme Disease
At first, most doctors recognized Lyme disease as a chronic disease. Very shortly, though, some medical associations began to call Lyme disease only an acute infection. The CDC takes the perspective that Lyme disease is acute unless it lasts longer than six months after the antibiotics are given. In that case, it calls the problem Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome.
ILADS doctors, on the other hand, recognize that there are people who have a chronic form of Lyme disease, as well as other people who only have a short-lived acute infection. If you have chronic Lyme disease, you might have any of the following symptoms.
- Neuropathic pain
- Musculoskeletal problems
Many of the symptoms of Lyme disease also appear in other illnesses. For example, you might have flu-like symptoms with chronic Lyme disease. The truth is that you could have chronic Lyme disease and never think of attributing it to a tick bite. In fact, you might not even remember the bite. Thats why a careful, thorough, and intelligent look at all your symptoms is needed, along with medical testing.
When Should I See My Healthcare Provider
If you feel sick after having spent time in areas where ticks might live, you should make an appointment with your healthcare provider.
If you received a Lyme disease diagnosis and you dont feel well after taking all of your antibiotics, contact your provider. This is especially true if you have symptoms like a stiff neck or mental confusion.
Read Also: Do Dogs Get Lyme Disease
Testing For Lyme Disease
About a month after the initial infection, blood tests may be administered to check for antibodies to the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Still, Dr. Friedstrom stresses, “the diagnosis remains controversial and here’s the reason: We don’t have great blood tests for it and we have to use a blood test to diagnose it … We have to rely on immune tests tests that detect antibodies.”
These tests do not detect the presence of the disease itself, but test to determine whether the individual’s body has developed antibodies to fight the bacteria associated with the disease.
Another issue with blood tests is that they could draw false positive or false negative results, and therefore should not be used to diagnose Lyme disease in individuals who do not have obvious symptoms or other reasons to believe they have been infected with Lyme.
Ilads Campaign Highlights Importance Of Doctor
Bethesda, MD, December 9, 2021 The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society is running a powerful public awareness campaign to highlight the importance of doctor-patient relationships in the treatment of Lyme and other chronic diseases. The campaign debuted this week on a jumbotron in New York Citys Times Square.
The jumbotron video highlights the challenges doctors face from bureaucratic institutions when trying to treat patients. The video sends viewers to the ILADS.ORG website for more information. .
ILADS supports a doctors freedom to treat and a patients right to choose the best treatment options available, without bureaucratic interference. A doctors primary duty is to put the patient first. Outside interference restricts a physicians ability to provide optimum care.
We want to restore real healthcare for our patients and allow doctors to prescribe the best possible treatments without interference from insurance companies and other bureaucracies, said Dr. Steven J. Bock, president of the ILADS Board of Directors.
The jumbotron is anything but invisible. The giant video screen is 29 feet tall and 56 feet across and is strategically positioned at 1500 Broadway on the corner of 44th Street and 7th Avenue in New York City. The spot will run 5 times per hour for 36 days. It is estimated that 1.6 million people pass through Times Square each day. The spot will remain in place during the December holidays and New Years Eve celebration for bonus exposure.
Read Also: Letsgetchecked At Home Lyme Disease Test
Can Lyme Disease Be Prevented
Most people with Lyme disease get the infection during the late spring, summer and early fall when immature ticks are out feeding. In warm climates, few tick bites take place during winter months.
Deer ticks are most often found in wooded areas and nearby grasslands. Theyre especially common where the two areas merge, including neighborhood yards where deer occasionally roam. Ticks dont survive long on sunny lawns. They dry out quickly and die.
Although only about 1% of all deer ticks carry Lyme disease-causing bacteria, there are areas in which over 50% of the ticks carry the bacterium. The diseased ticks are often found in the U.S. Northeast and upper Midwest areas. Ticks also live in coastal areas.
Black-legged ticks can get the infection from animals other than deer. Mice, voles and some squirrels can carry the bacteria.
How can I prevent tick bites?
The following tips can help you avoid tick bites:
Thermotherapy/use Of The Infrared Sauna
Since Lyme bacteria appear to be extremely sensitive to heat, many naturalists recommend infrared sauna therapy. While the heat doesnt always kill the bacteria, it helps deactivate them, resulting in fewer symptoms in people with Lyme.
Infrared sauna therapy is one of the natural cures for Lyme disease that is also useful for detoxifying the body. The skin is the largest organ in the body, and sauna sweating is one of the most effective detoxification methods. While we can all benefit from a detoxifying sweat from time to time, skin detoxification is especially beneficial for people with Lyme, whose liver and kidneys are exposed to high levels of toxicity that are often associated with chronic infections.
Recommended Reading: Lyme Literate Doctors In Ma
Symptoms Of Lyme Disease
A circular or oval shape rash around a tick bite can be an early symptom of Lyme disease in some people.
The rash can appear up to 3 months after being bitten by an infected tick, but usually appears within 1 to 4 weeks. It can last for several weeks.
The rash can have a darker or lighter area in the centre and might gradually spread. It’s not usually hot or itchy.
The rash may be flat, or slightly raised, and look pink, red, or purple when it appears on white skin. It can be harder to see the rash on brown and black skin and it may look like a bruise.
LARRY MULVEHILL/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/259371/view
Some people also get flu-like symptoms a few days or weeks after they were bitten by an infected tick, such as:
- a high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery
- tiredness and loss of energy
Some people with Lyme disease develop more severe symptoms months or years later.
This is more likely if treatment is delayed.
These more severe symptoms may include:
- pain and swelling in joints
- nerve problems such as pain or numbness
- trouble with memory or concentration
Are There Lyme Disease Home Remedies
Health departments in areas with high rates of infection have undertaken campaigns to raise public awareness and educate the public on facts about Lyme disease.
- It is known that certain outdoor areas are highly infested with deer ticks and should be avoided if possible these include woods and brush areas.
- Generally, the tick counts on suburban lawns are much lower.
Lyme disease should never be treated with home remedies alone. Antibiotics are needed to cure the illness, however, some home remedies may help ease symptoms as you recover. Consult a doctor before taking an herbal supplement or natural remedy as they may interact with medications you already take or may cause unwanted side effects.
- Doctors will treat primary or early Lyme disease with oral antibiotics, including doxycycline , cefuroxime , penicillins, amoxicillin , or erythromycin . In early stages, the disease can be curable with just this antibiotic treatment.
- Pregnant women are usually treated with penicillins or erythromycin. Doxycycline is generally avoided as it may affect the development of the fetus.
- Doctors may treat late-stage cases of neurological, heart, or arthritic Lyme disease with intravenous antibiotics in the hospital or as an outpatient.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen may be recommended to help relieve pain and inflammation.
Recommended Reading: How Can You Get Rid Of Lyme Disease
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.
How Is Lyme Disease Diagnosed
A healthcare provider will diagnose Lyme disease based on symptoms, physical findings and whether or not you’ve been in an area populated by infected ticks.
Many people dont remember or know that theyve been bitten by a tick. This is because the tick is tiny, and its bite is usually painless.
Your provider will confirm the diagnosis using a blood test. If your first blood test is negative for Lyme disease, you won’t need another test. If the first test is positive or equivocal, your provider will conduct the test again. You have to have two positive results to be diagnosed with Lyme disease.
Read Also: Bee Sting Therapy For Lyme Disease
Proven Or Alleged Unethical Activities Of Some Llmds
Some LLMDs, advocacy organisations for patients, and certain diagnostic laboratories have interconnections, presenting potential conflicts of interest for these LLMDs in their multiple roles as advisors, personal physicians, and recipients of grants from activist organisations. Many of these physicians are represented by the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society , located in Maryland, USA. Two of the most vocal patient-activist organisations are the Lyme Disease Association in New Jersey, and the California Lyme Disease Association , USA.
The Infection That Launched A Thousand Protests
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and transmitted by Ixodes species ticks. The infection is non-fatal, non-communicable from person-to-person, is responsive to antibiotics, and is limited in range both geographically and seasonally. The most common clinical manifestation is a characteristic skin lesion that occurs at the site of the tick bite. Within weeks, some untreated patients might develop nervous system abnormalities or cardiac symptoms within months, arthritis can develop, most commonly affecting the knee. In addition to these objective clinical manifestations, some patients have several subjective complaints that are usually most prominent early in the infection. These symptoms include fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia, headache, stiff neck, and impaired concentration symptoms that are common in many infectious and non-infectious disorders.
Don’t Miss: Elisa Test For Lyme Disease
Is There An Effective Treatment For Lyme Disease
Dr. Dane was introduced to a new treatment for Lyme disease in 2017. It was not an antibiotic, nor was it an herbal remedy. It was a mineral compound produced in liquid form that could be turned into a gaseous state and nebulized. The product essentially acts as a fumigator and blasts the body with a blend of minerals that kills the spirochetes and improves immune function. Skeptical at first, Dr. Dane tracked eight patients over the course of a year that she had treated for the neurological effects of Lyme disease. Much to her amazement, seven of those patients were clear of Lyme just over a year later. Symptom relief varied from completely gone to 50% better. However, some effects of CLD cannot be reversed.
The mineral product is called Lyme-N, and, like many aspects of Lyme disease, its effectiveness is controversial. But this is the only treatment Dr. Dane has seen eradicate the spirochetes associated with CLD.
Dr. Dane has witnessed many patients put their trust in her after becoming frustrated with more traditional Lyme disease treatments at other medical facilities. The Carolina Brain Centers way of treating patients is built upon the tenets of functional neurology, which use a combination of medical technology and brain therapy to produce healing where possible and the easing of symptoms in other cases.
How Is Lyme Disease Treated
In most cases, the more quickly a patient is treated, the better the chances are for recovery. In the early stages of infection, before any potential neurological complications, oral antibiotic drugs will be prescribed to kill the infectiona combination of doxycycline and amoxicillin.
For Lyme disease that has begun to affect the nervous system, there is strong evidence that parenteral antibiotics work well to combat infection. These parenteral antibiotics include ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, and penicillin.
If neurological symptoms persist for months after initial treatment, patients will be treated with antibiotics again. But patients will not be treated with antibiotics for more than four weeks, because there is no evidence that prolonged treatment improves the symptoms of lingering neurological complications.
Don’t Miss: What Is The Lyme Disease Vaccine For Dogs
Herbal Treatment For Lyme Disease Symptoms Popular Home
Herbs for Lyme disease symptoms help treat Lyme disease, an infectious bacterial disease caused by Borrelia Burgdorferi, a spirochete organism. Usually, it is introduced into the system through a tick bite.
More people in the northeastern US appear to be prone to Lyme disease, although cases have been reported in all of the lower states. In the early stages, it can be treated with antibiotics, but often it is not detected in time. A rash is a characteristic of Lyme disease, but many patients never develop it. Because there are so many symptoms in the later stages, its difficult to properly diagnose them. Medical tests are often still imprecise.
Herbs for Lyme disease symptoms work as a natural treatment for Lyme disease. They are generally less toxic than drugs. Some of the most effective herbal treatment for Lyme disease symptoms are:
Cats Claw :
- Cats claw without the tetracyclic alkaloid oxindole has strong antibiotic properties. In a 10-week study, patients with Lyme disease showed significant improvement in symptoms after using Cats Claw without T.O.A.
Natural Biotic Silver:
- The effectiveness of this non-pharmaceutical antibiotic has been the subject of much research in the treatment of Lyme disease. The natural biotic silver mineral has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. It also helps reduce inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, supports healthy bowel function, and makes any detoxification process effective.
Stephen Buhner Lyme Protocol: