Treatment Blurbs From ILADS

Here, in my laziest blog post ever, I will be sprinkling about little bits n' pieces of information on Lyme disease treatments, which I received from the experts at the latest ILADS conference. These are random blurbs that you may find helpful for treating your Lyme disease, or one of the million infections and/or other conditions that accompany it. I call this post "lazy" because it involves little more than a straightforward copying of my notes from the conference, and the "blurbs" are in no specific order. Most are from the presentations of Drs.' Burrascano and Horowitz, although information from other physician presenters is included. This is by no means a comprehensive or exhaustive list of the information presented at ILADS, just bits and pieces of the larger whole!

*Severe symptoms of Lyme disease can be a clue that Babesia is present, since Babesia makes Lyme symptoms worse, and Lyme treatments less effective. If response to Lyme treatments is slow, this is another indication that Babesia may be present

*Orthostasis, which involves problems with blood pressure regulation when moving from a sitting to standing position, can be a direct result of infections, but when prolonged, is an indication of adrenal fatigue

*Slow reflexes indicate hypothyroidism. Hyper reflexes indicate magnesium deficiency

*Some people get too comfortable in their illnesses. This blocks their healing process

*The ELISA test is worthless for detecting Lyme disease

*The CD-57 test sometimes reflects the degree of damage that Borrelia has done to the immune system, and can be an indirect measure of the severity and duration of illness. Relapse is likely if a person's CD-57 score remains low at the end of his/her treatments

*When taking antibiotics, it's important to also rotate generous amounts of probiotics, as well as take several different kinds

*Calcium and magnesium can aid in the formation of biofilm. These minerals should only be taken after antibiotic therapy has been initiated. Oral magnesium may feed bugs, so transdermal magnesium may be a better option.

*NT Factor (a type of transfer factor specific to Lyme) helps mitochondria to recover and can be an extremely helpful supplement for healing

*Co-infection tests are unreliable. Most people with Babesia will test negative on a PCR test

*Lyme disease isn't just about Borrelia and the usual well-known co-infections, Babesia, Bartonella and Ehrlichia. Consideration must be given to others, as well. There are probably other infections that people have that we (in the medical commmunity) are unaware of. Other infections sometimes found along with Borrelia include: Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Q-fever and Tularemia

*Traditional doses of Mepron (2 tsp/day) are insufficient to get rid of Babesia

*Taking a tetracycline medication, along with a macrolide and zithromax, can shut down the ribosomal growth patterns of some organisms

*Bicillin injections are a good alternative to oral medications, since they bypass the gut and thereby reduce the possibility that the person will develop candida

*LDN (low-dose Naltrexone) is an excellent medication that reduces Herxheimer symptoms

*Reducing inflammation is important! People do not get better unless inflammation is addressed

*Sleep deprivation exacerbates inflammation; therefore, it is important to get insomnia under control

*Pekana homeopathic drainage remedies and herbs open up detoxification pathways and help to mitigate Herxheimer reactions

*Glutathione shuts down cytokine/auto-immune reactions. Glutathione, along with Pekana drainage remedies, may be two of the single most effective supplements to reduce Herxheimer reactions and inflammation

*Brain fog may persist after treatments due to the continued presence of quinolinic acid in the brain. Toxin binders must be taken in order to rid it of this neurotoxin

*At least forty percent of those with Lyme disease also have adrenal dysfunction, and will not get better unless the dysfunction is treated with natural supplements and/or hydrocortisone

*Many people with Lyme disease believe that they don't deserve to be well. This belief in turn increases inflammatory reactions in the body. Changing this belief is important for healing

*Grapefruit seed extract can whack Borrelia cysts

*Neurotoxins may be the cause of ongoing symptoms in a person who has extensively treated his/her Lyme disease

*Wellness Pharmacy makes an excellent oral glutathione supplement

*When people fail traditional treatments for Babesia--that is, Mepron and zithromax--adding Septra can produce more favorable outcomes

*Traditional treatments for Babesia aren't working. Physicians and patients may want to consider other medications besides Mepron and Malarone, such as Cleocin, Larium and Quinine.

*There is some evidence that Babesia duncani is related to Thileria parasites. This may be one reason why current treatments aren't working well for this strain of Babesia. A different treatment approach may be required

*A small percentage of people with Lyme may also have Q-fever. This is a ricketssia-like disease that causes endocarditis. Like Lyme, it can create many symptoms

*Two percent of the ticks in NY carry Powassan Encephalitis. This infection causes severe cognitive dysfunction, fevers, seizures and other neurological symptoms

*Mycoplasma Fermentans has been found to be related to neurodegenerative diseases like ALS and MS

*Mycoplasma interacts with lymphocytes to produce auto-immune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis

*How do you differentiate CFS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, from Lyme disease?
Symptoms of Lyme disease are cyclical, whereas CFS presents no migratory symptom patterns

*All people with Lyme disease have heavy metal toxicity. Symptoms of this toxicity overlap with those of Lyme. Resistant Lyme disease symptoms often improve when heavy metals are treated

*POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) is common in Lyme disease. This is a result of damage to the HPA axis

*According to Dr. Charles Ray Jones, mothers with Lyme who don't take antibiotics during their pregnancies have a 50% chance of passing the disease on to their children. For mothers who take antibiotics during pregnancy, however, the risk drops to %5

*Lyme is transmitted through breast milk. Mothers with Lyme should avoid breastfeeding

*Situational stress causes relapses. This stress doesn't have to be significant (ie; the death of a loved one)

*Low levels of serotonin blunt the body's TSH (thyroid hormone response)

*5-HTP can help those who feel "wired but tired"

*Some indicators of adrenal insufficiency include: orthostatic dysregulation, decreased stamina, weight loss and decreased immune function

*Artemisinin makes a peptide that inhibits its absorption in the small intestine, so this herb should be dosed on a rotating schedule of two weeks on, two weeks off

*People with high levels of mercury should not take methyl B-12

*Dry saunas are the only way to rid the body of organic toxins

*Beware of deep massages. They release many toxins

*Cytokines (inflammatory markers) in the body often keep people sick. When the immune system can't shut down their production or detoxify them, people remain sick. Thus, addressing cytokines is important!

*EDTA suppositories and low dose DMSA may be a good heavy metal detox protocol for some

*The Journey Technique has proven to be effective for getting over emotional blocks to healing

*Salt, fluid and Florinef can help to normalize autonomic nervous system dysfunction and POTS. It is important to address POTS, as, without intervention, not enough blood can get to the brain and as a result, the body/brain will not heal

*People who have failed all Babesia protocol may respond to the drug Riamet

*Artemisia is insufficient to cure Babesia

*HHV-6 (Human Herpes Virus 6) creates chronic fatigue. All adults have been exposed to this virus. Anti-viral medications do not cure it. Olive leaf may be a better treatment option

*Bugs shed "blebs", which activates auto-immunity, that may manifest in positive ANA and other auto-immune markers

*Glutathione may improve cognitive function, since it pulls cytokines out of the brain

*Alka-Seltzer Gold (taken 4 times a day), as well as abundant lemons and limes can help to alkalize the body during Herxheimer reactions

*10 drops of burbur and parsley, when taken every ten minutes for two hours, can quickly clear a Herx reaction

*Antioxidants, such as fish oil, magnesium, zinc, Vitamin C, and alpha-lipoic acid, are also important for reducing inflammation