Why Treating The Adrenals Matters In Lyme Disease

When I got knocked down by Lyme disease nearly four years ago, before I knew what in the heck was wrong with me, I instinctively felt as though my problem, whatever it was, had something to do with my adrenal glands being "burnt out", and was perhaps even caused by this. At the time, I didn't know a lot about chronic illness, but I was aware that it was possible for adrenal function to become compromised by environmental stress. And I had just about any and every kind of stress weighing heavily upon me during that time of my life.

Now that I have stuffed nearly four years of medical research into my brain, along with the knowledge that I have Lyme and its accompanying messes, I still believe that adrenal dysfunction as a result of stress may have been the trigger for all my woes.

Yes, Lyme disease causes adrenal insufficiency, but for some, like me, I believe that the adrenal insufficiency came first, weakening my immune system so that my body could not stand against Lyme disease.

And lately, I have been wondering if Lyme disease is more difficult to cure in those whose adrenal glands were severely compromised prior to infection.

Why? Well, for starters, the adrenal glands play a vital role in fighting illness, and are heavily involved in many of the body's metabolic processes. They also help to regulate blood sugar and blood pressure. Cortisol is one of the body's three major hormones; that is, it is involved in and governs the production of other hormones and is responsible for a multitude of activities in the body. Without cortisol, we would not be alive.

Also, Dr. Gerald Poesnecker, a naturopathic physician who specialized in adrenal fatigue and who treated patients with this condition for many, many years, believed that if a person's adrenal fatigue were severe enough, then the body wouldn't mount an immune response to any treatments that were given to it. In his book, Mastering Your Life,, he writes, "The bodies of patients with a low adrenal adaptive ability (a state found in most CFS patients) have lost much of their ability to create the needed reaction to produce a cure. On the contrary, when the body is not able to use the energy of these therapies (his) constructively, they actually tend to produce a worsening of the underlying condition because, to the body, they become a stress and not a cure. This is especially true of drug therapy, with its well known side effects."

Hmmm. Kind of makes me wonder whether some people aren't healing from Lyme disease because their adrenal glands aren't able to mount an appropriate response to the antibiotics or the herbs that are being given to them? After all, it's not the drug that heals the body; it's the immune system, and without cooperation from the immune system, of which adrenal gland hormones play a vital role, then it doesn't matter what kind of treatment you throw at the body. It simply won't work.

What's more, if you had adrenal insufficiency prior to Lyme disease, killing the bugs probably won't get rid of all of your symptoms, as some of these are likely to be directly attributable to adrenal insufficiency, and not infections.

Dr. Horowitz, LLMD, at the LIA Conference last month, mentioned that supporting the adrenal glands is important for recovery from Lyme disease. He has treated over 10,000 patients with Lyme disease, so I'm sure the guy knows a thing or two about the subject! Another good friend of mine contends that he would not have recovered from Lyme--indeed, that he would have died--had he not supported his adrenals during treatment.

Nobody is totally deficient in cortisol. Unless you have Addison's disease (and believe me, you would know), your adrenals produce enough cortisol to keep you alive and even puttering about a little every day. But do they produce enough to mount a sufficient immune response against Lyme disease?

That has been my question lately. And the more I chew on it, the more I think that some of us won't heal unless our adrenal glands are adequately supported.

Healing the adrenals is a tricky endeavor, however, because they like a lot of TLC. A multi-faceted approach to treatment is required, including changes to diet, lifestyle and thinking patterns. Nutrition that is specifically geared towards the adrenals is also vital, in the form of vitamins, minerals, and adrenal glandular formulas. And quite often, doing everything "right" is still not good enough. I know because I have tried and yet I feel that adrenal insufficiency remains my biggest obstacle to full recovery. At least that's what my gut and my god seem to be telling me.

So since I am not "there" I can't offer you a wonderful magic formula for healing the adrenal glands. Just know that adrenal insufficiency may be one of your road blocks to healing, and then treat them the best you can.

Lest you think that I am thinking myopically here, I do realize that a full recovery from Lyme requires that all of the body's organs and systems function in an optimal manner. But as a diverse group of people with different Lyme symptoms, some of us will have greater problems in certain areas than others, and experience will lead us to focus on those areas that are most problematic for each one of us. For me, it's my adrenals and since it's what I know about, it's what I write about.

As an example of how adrenal insufficiency can hinder healing, I surmise that one of the reasons why the vitamin C and sea salt protocol did not work well for me was because the body needs aldosterone, an adrenal hormone produced from cortisol, in order to uptake salt into the body (along with renin, a kidney hormone). My low levels of aldosterone (evidenced by my inability to stand for long periods and low cortisol levels) have meant that I can take copious amounts of salt, and the critters won't die, because my body isn't using much of that salt.

If you suspect that you have adrenal insufficiency and that this might be affecting your treatment outcomes, I suggest you check out Dr. Poesnecker's work, as well as the book Adrenal Fatigue, by Dr. J. Wilson. In other posts, I have provided suggestions for supporting the adrenals, in the form of nutrition, lifestyle changes and supplements. Since the list is long, I won't mention what those are here.

I have been tempted to think that supplementing with synthetic or natural cortisol is necessary for those with moderately severe adrenal insufficiency, but not everyone responds well to cortisol. Dosing it is tricky and too much can actually suppress the immune system. I am currently experimenting with ACE, a natural adrenal corticol extract containing active cortisol but not adrenaline, which is found in other hormonal supplements. I have also tried products such as Isocort in the past, with mixed results. My adrenals are capricious, and whereas my body once responded extremely favorably to Isocort, the second time around they responded to the hormone by lowering their own production of cortisol, no matter what dose I fed them.

Also, if you already take thyroid replacement hormone, this can exacerbate your adrenal fatigue if your adrenals aren't being supported, because hypothyroidism is often a direct result of adrenal fatigue and treating the thyroid before treating the adrenals often "pushes" the adrenals to work harder. Also, it may obscure the effectiveness of adrenal hormone replacement, as having too much thyroid may make the body hyper-sensitive to additional cortisol, or may, at the very least, render other adrenal strategies less effective.

Finally, to help ascertain whether adrenal insufficiency may be compromising your recovery from Lyme disease, get a saliva cortisol test and clinical diagnosis of symptoms. An adrenal fatigue expert, such as Dr. Neville at the Clymer Healing Research Center, can help you to discern whether your adrenals need help, and what can be done for them, if so.

Seriously, don't neglect your adrenal glands! They are important players in your recovery from Lyme disease.

The Bionic 880...The Next Great Lyme Disease Treatment?

I'm fond of energy medicine. Perhaps because it has helped me to heal to a greater degree than traditional Lyme disease strategies. So I was excited when I learned about the Bionic 880, a bio-photon device from Europe that has been extensively used in Germany, England and France over the past eight years to treat a multitude of maladies, including Lyme disease.

Bio-photons aren't some modern, in-vogue invention, by the way. These weak electromagnetic waves exist in the body, and are essentially "light" that cells use for communication and other purposes. Without this "light", cells become injured and cannot function properly. Yes, science is catching on to the fact that besides the molecular interaction of biochemicals, energy is important for proper functioning of the body. Many phenomena cannot actually be explained by biochemical action; they instead have their origins in information and energy.

Photon therapy aids the body in a number of ways. First, by affecting metabolic processes, including cell division, oxidation, phosphorylation, synthesis of hemoglobin, collagen and other proteins. It also positively affects the production of leukocytes, lymphocytes, enzymes, prostaglandins and connective tissue. It stimulates cells, modulates the immune system, regulates hormones and neurotransmitters, reduces pain (by increasing endorphins) and harmonizes the body and psyche in other ways.

Using a contact device, the Bio-photon 880 distributes bio-photons through the skin, which are then absorbed and distributed throughout the body, where they promote their health-promoting activities.

How does the Bio-photon get rid of borrelia, exactly? I don't know the exact mechanism, but I have heard that when its light is injected into cells, it forces pathogens out of the cells, where they are then mopped up by a now-stronger immune system. Since photons aid in cellular communication, this device also increases the ability of the immune system to recognize and destroy pathogens. And, by balancing the body, the Bionic 880 creates an inhospitable environment for critters, so that they cannot exist there.

One practitioner, (check out: www.biophoton.de) has treated over 500 borrelia patients with a 96% success rate using this device. While most conditions can be treated in 3-10 sessions, most chronic Lyme patients will require more than 6 treatments. Those who have previously taken antibiotics will need more, and the success rate for these patients is lower (at around 90%). But those aren't bad odds for a bug that refuses to go away with most kinds of treatment! What I don't know is if these statistics represent the overall improvement in health experienced by patients, or simply the eradication of borrelia. That is important to know, as most of us are not just sick because of a borrelia infection. Apparently, practitioners in Europe use homeopathic nosodes and various detoxification strategies along with the Bionic 880 to help support the body as it gets rid of the junk. A higher success rate is realized by doing this. Those who have extensive organ and tissue damage as a result of Lyme disease may also not receive immediate and dramatic results, as healing these takes time and no device is a miracle worker in this area.

Finally, the Bionic 880 can help to heal a multitude of symptoms and conditions, including: acne, arthritis, depression, inflammation, neuralgia, pain, osteoarthritis, sleep disorders, tinnitus and ulcers. As well, it can heal wounds. Most interesting, it was actually first used in France to cure people of smoking addictions, with a 90% success rate after only four days of use!

This device is not used by practitioners in the United States (although it may be in the near future). If you don't want to fly to Germany, however, you can purchase one and have it delivered. Supposedly, they have been allowed into the United States. They aren't cheap, though, so unless you have an inheritance, you might want to get a group of people together to share in the cost, which is somewhere between $9,000-$12,000 (my Lyme brain doesn't recall the exact price). While it's not pocket change, if it heals more than a few, then it might be worth starting a fund raiser so that you can and your Lyme friends can get one. Sheesh, I wish I could!

Getting Off The Hamster Wheel

Not too long ago, I realized that treating chronic Lyme disease is like being in a hamster wheel.

Go, go, go! You race to the next Lyme disease treatment. Faster, faster, faster!

You stop, and gasp for air. Boy, that last one really hit your body-and your pocketbook good, didn't it?

You put your paws to the rungs and keep going. Around and around...until after awhile, a quiet voice whispers, "When will you ever get off this thing?"

You stop. Are you really getting any better from all these treatments? I mean, you do feel better from all that running, don't you? Yes, but...

But what?

You wonder if you will ever get off the wheel. Every new treatment promises to get you "there" but are you really going anywhere?

That depends on how you view healing from Lyme disease.

If you are new to this game, then you must know that this disease is like no other. The pathogens are reticent to leave the house that is our body, and most of the time, we chronic Lyme sufferers never seem to know for how long they will stay, or how many will stick around. So will we have them as our companions, 'til death do we part?

We may attain remission from symptoms, but the critters may yet be lurking in our organs and tissues, awaiting an immune crisis before notifying us that indeed, they have been faithful to stick around.

Or we may become "functional" again (however you want to define that gray term), but not return to our former level of well-being, due to the continued presence of pathogens or the damage that they have done to our bodies.

And because of their tenacity, we stay in the wheel, with the hope that we can one day be certain that our guests are gone. We treat and keep on treating because the road to a cure is endless. And like the frustrated rodent, we become ever more passionate in our pursuit of the next rung--until the wheel overtakes us and we flop forwards in exhaustion.

The fact is, many of us will treat this thing for the rest of our lives, expending endless amounts of time, money and energy, just to maintain a functional life.

We'll continue to run for the next treatment, until we're forced to pause and rest just long enough to realize that we're still not "there."

But again, here is where we must ask ourselves, where is "there"? And what does it mean to heal, or to just get off the darned wheel?

If it's true that a few bugs may remain within us for a lifetime-(loyal foes that they are), then perhaps we can get off the wheel by simply accepting that health means maintaining functionality, and not a total absence of symptoms. Or perhaps we can get off at the next hamster stop by ceasing to worry and fret over what we should be doing next to treat the bugs. Maybe we need to stop treatments altogether, or realize that, while it's good to treat the elusive, it's not always beneficial to spend the bulk of a lifetime pursuing the next wonderful treatment, or fighting until the bugs are totally eradicated.

Some of us may be blessed enough to attain an absence of symptoms. But the rest of us will have to watch out for an obsession with our little round toy, that keeps us forever running...

Combatting Confusion With Strategies for Simplicity

I've been in Costa Rica for awhile. Sometimes, I feel more at peace here than back home in Denver, and I used to attribute it to the slower pace of life that I lead here. Lately, however, I've been thinking that there's more to it.

If you suffer from neurological symptoms of Lyme disease, as I do, then you know how easy it is to get confused by things. A desk full of papers waiting to be organized can leave you in tears. Making five phone calls to order five different supplements just feels like too much to remember, and God forbid, what do you do with all those receipts? Going into Wal-Mart is a nightmare. How in the world are you ever supposed to find toilet paper in a place with so much STUFF? How do you choose amongst two hundred different brands of cereal in the grocery store? (Oh wait, never mind, you don't eat cereal, do you? Nah, me neither, although I do miss my Cheerios!). How do you find that new vitamin store in a city that's so big and confusing?

It has often been said that it's more difficult to immigrate from a less developed country to a more developed one, because the latter is more complex and complicated, and learning about how things are done can be a challenge for those who have lived a simpler way of life. I surmise that my life since coming to Costa Rica has been made easier because of this factor.

But that's not all. I came here with three fifty pound suitcases, and, since I have not invested in building a permanent life here, I have pretty much been living off the contents of those suitcases over the last nine months. I don't have a television, blender, stereo system, alarm clock or many of the conveniences I had back home. I have been listening to the same twenty CD's and (gasp!) wearing the same set of jammies since I got here. I have one dish towel and one bathroom towel, with none to spare for guests. (So it's BYOT, Bring Your Own Towel, if you come to visit me!). In my kitchen are four forks, and four plates. If I want to have a party, I have to borrow tableware from my neighbors. And, instead of nine hundred books on my bookshelf, I have nine. I don't own a cell phone, fax, printer or any other piece of technology that most "normal" writers keep around.

Because I've scaled down, I'm less confused.

And while I sometimes long for my multitudinous collection of books or the latest nutritional supplement, my Lyme brain sighs in relief that there is literally less for it to worry about. It is liberating for a mind to not have to keep track of so much junk mail; to not have to choose amongst fifteen different pairs of shoes to wear; to not have to wonder where that favorite CD is because there just aren't that many places for it to hide.

Beyond having to scale down on stuff, my foggy, froggy brain is soothed by the small size of San Jose; the short amount of time and energy required to get from place to place, and the willingness of locals to show me the way if I DO happen to get lost here. Add to that the slightly smaller selection of cereal in the grocery store, fewer mega-marts, and a society that spends more time in communion than in consuming (although thanks to globalism that is changing), and I can't help but find my brain-knots unraveling.

I'm not writing this to promote life in Costa Rica. Indeed, as any country, it has its own drawbacks and life in a foreign nation, especially for a neurological Lyme disease sufferer, is actually confusing at the outset. Why I am writing this is to suggest to you one way to save your sanity, which is to simplify your life, however possible, because Lyme disease is depressing when every task feels insurmountable; when the little decisions don't feel so little or are just too many. When I was at my worst with this nasty illness, I once recall spending three hours in a clothing store, trying to decide which winter coat to purchase. I left in tears at the confusion that assaulted me from having to decide from amongst too many clothing options.

Yes, too many clothing options can also happen in Costa Rica, but I think you get my point.

If you find your Lyme brain besieged by confusion, look for ways to simplify your life. Paperwork is a real hair-puller. You might consider, for instance, stowing all those medical records in the basement, where they will be out of sight, out of mind. Or how about having your bills automatically deducted from your bank account on-line, so that you can reduce your paper trail and don't have to keep track of when you need to pay what? Think big here. Give your clothes away if it takes you an hour to decide what to wear in the morning. Stop filling your brain with so much information from books and the internet-or you'll fret endlessly over which supplement to take and which therapy you should be doing (believe me, I know). Be content to try a strategy and stick with it for awhile. If your city feels large and looming, consider moving, especially if you have to regularly travel long, convoluted routes to accomplish your daily tasks.

And before you go to the big, scary mega-mart, ask yourself if you really need the next this or that to complicate your already complicated Lyme existence. Believe me, the stuff matters. Too much stuff equals too much stimulus equals Lyme craziness...

Why Sequential Homeopathy May Be Better Than Antibiotics

Homeopathy seems to be one of the in-vogue Lyme treatments of 2008, and perhaps rightfully so. I haven't personally known anyone who has completely healed from Lyme disease with homeopathy, but that doesn't mean it can't cure a person, or that it is less effective than other remedies.

Homeopathy has several advantages, which make it a potentially preferable treatment to pharmaceutical antibiotics. First, there are no harmful side effects! No candida, no immune suppression. By the way, yeast overgrowth as a result of antibiotics is a BIG deal. If you have candida in your gut, you won't properly metabolize your food, and you will create an environment in which other kinds of pathogens can flourish. And how in the world is your immune system ever supposed to fight Lyme disease if it doesn't have the nutrients it needs to function properly, and it has to waste resources on fighting candida?

The second advantage that homeopathy has over pharmaceutical drugs is that it doesn't turn your current bugs into Super Bugs. Medications, while they may kill some of the critters, only damages the cell walls of others, which makes the bugs MAD. They don't like holes being punched in their armor, and may respond by clothing themselves in biofilm armor, or becoming more virulent in some other way so that the antibiotics no longer become a threat. It is partly for this reason that antibiotics in Lyme disease patients must be consistently rotated, and even then, this doesn't always solve the problem. Evidence shows that bacteria, even when exposed to just ONE kind of antibiotic, can subsequently develop immunity to multiple antibiotics. That is scary. Perhaps it is also why those who have chosen to take antibiotics often relapse. Furthermore, we have no evidence that Lyme disease is completely eradicated by antibiotics. We may be trying to kill the un-killable, which may make homeopathy a better choice.

What's more, homeopathy addresses healing on a holistic level, since remedies can be designed not only for borrelia and other infections, but also for the detoxification of heavy metals and chemicals; for addressing physical and emotional traumas, and most factors that contribute to a person's overall symptom picture.

Classical homeopathy has typically been the basis for all homeopathic approaches. It uses a single, perfectly matched remedy as a means of addressing all of a sufferer's ills, while supporting his or her innate "constitution." A different type of homeopathy, however, used by the Homeopathy Center of Houston, called Sequential Homeopathy, while it also supports a person's innate "constitution", views illness as a series of layers that needs to be treated with various remedies, rather than just one, as is typically the case in classical homeopathy. Furthermore, because illness also results from blocks to healing, such as emotional trauma, these must be dealt with in order for other remedies to effectively work. The Homeopathy Center of Houston believes that each "layer" of illness--whether an infection, toxin or trauma--should be healed at the moment when it presents itself, or when the body is ready to deal with that issue.

For this reason, Sequential Homeopathy (as all other Lyme disease treatments) is a process that requires months of treatments, in order for symptoms to be eradicated. But, unlike antibiotics (for some, anyway) homeopathy is about true healing, not managing and living with the symptoms of illness.

Pharmaceutical antibiotics may be important for some Lyme disease sufferers; however, if you haven't used them, and are contemplating treating Lyme with either antibiotics or homeopathy, I encourage you to try the latter first, as it is less harmful to the body, and its effects, more permanent. The moment you decide to take antibiotics, you incur the potential of turning your bugs into Super Bugs, at the same time that you risk damage to your gut and immune system.

New Herbal Product For Babesia and Parasites

Over the past few days, I've had the strangest herx. Strange for me, anyway. I never get sore throats and pressure in my ears and head as the result of bug-killing strategies, but I'm kind of glad that I feel like I'm underwater, because it's a clear sign that the artemisia-clove sample that I took the other day is kicking some major bug butt.

Made by BioRay, Artemisia and Clove is a broad spectrum anti-parasitic combination herbal remedy that may also be effective against babesia. I don't know what it killed in my body, but it sure got some nasty little bug, that's for sure.

And no wonder. There's more to this product than just artemisia and clove. It also contains olive leaf (a potent anti-viral, since parasites are like the Russian-doll factor, and when you kill them, bacteria and viruses often emerge), green walnut hull, grapefruit seed extract, red clover, hericium and wild American ginseng. Two varieties of artemisia are used, including artemesia annua vera and artemisia absyntium (wormwood). It's potent stuff, but supposedly a few of the ingredients (probably grapefruit seed and ginseng) have been included to help the body deal with any toxic effects from the product, as well as pathogen by-products.

I have not tested it at length, but the response I got after my single dose of the stuff makes me wonder what effects it has upon babesia, when taken long-term. Because anti-parasitic formulas tend to be powerful, however, it may not be advisable to take Artemisia and Clove long-term. Then again, and as I have mentioned in earlier blog posts this month, current herbal and antibiotic regimens for babesia haven't been working that well, so perhaps it's time to try something new.

The Big Deal About EMF's and Solutions for Greater Health

I know about the damaging effects that cell phones and other EMF devices have upon the body. I am aware that electromagnetic frequencies alter cellular behavior. So why am I so dismissive about that huge fan in my bedroom which I turn on at night to drown out the noise of my neighbor who is apparently too deaf to turn his television down a few decibels?

In a blog post that I wrote last year on EMF's, I mentioned that we tend to spend less time and energy eliminating EMF's than other toxins from our lives, because the damage done by EMF's is generally harder to measure and quantify and, let's face it--out of sight, out of mind. You can't see EMF's, so they might as well not be a threat. Maybe that's why I'm so nonchalant about the fan. (Although, I once recall my sister (who used to live in Italy) telling me that Italians don't use fans because they believe that they make people sick! I wonder if the EMF's have something to do with that belief).

Sure, perhaps we realize that sitting in front of our computers for ten hours gives us a headache, but do we really know how much damage they are doing to our bodies?

At the LIA Conference in June, during his speech, Dr. Klinghardt, M.D., demonstrated the use of a device that measures EMF levels. He switched it on, measured the energy in the room where we, the conferees were sitting, and declared that the EMF levels were so high, that if a pregnant woman were to sleep in that room for nine months, her baby would be born with autism (because EMF's have been found to be a significant contributing factor in autism). No wonder I had a headache all week in that room.

Yes, the wise doc, with his demonstration, had once again reminded me that EMF's are a big deal! Some physicians, like Dr. Klinghardt, would probably say that exposure to them can even make or break a person's recovery from Lyme disease.

So what can we do? Like me, you probably have to work on a computer at least part of the day, and since we ALL love the internet (sicko junkies that we are), I'll start my list with a suggestion to use DSL instead of wireless internet, as wireless internet emits high levels of EMF's. Sticking a diode on the back of your computer, close to the power connection source, will help to mitigate the effects of EMF's from your computer itself.

Now go to your body, and exchange that lovely heart pendant you're wearing (I know your dear beloved Aunt Lulu gave it to you for Christmas, but try taking it off until your body is a bit stronger) for an EMF pendant, such as the Ener-CHI-Zer, found at: www.stairwaytohealth.com. These pendants ward off EMF frequencies by creating a protective shield around your body.

You can also purchase diodes for other electrical appliances, such as cell phones. I got one for mine about a year ago, and the thing has since turned brown and crinkled at the edges. I wonder if that would have been my brain--brown and crinkled--had I not purchased that $30.00 piece of Wonder Sticker.

In his presentation, Dr. Klinghardt also emphasized unplugging appliances in the bedroom at night and turning off other devices (such as computers) wherever possible. Since the body re-generates at night, it is especially important to get rid of EMF's in your sleeping quarters. For those who really have trouble with EMF's, he also advocates investing in a Faraday cage. These "cages", which are a huge piece of fabric that you drape over your bed posts to make a canopy of sorts, act a shield against EMF's.

So I guess I need to get rid of my fan, and especially since one study I read presented evidence that the greater the oscillation of a device, the more damaging the EMF's from that device. So hairdryers, blenders and fans...not good. Since my neighbor is deaf and has rejected my pleas to turn down his television, either I learn to live with the nighttime noise, or I find another home. Or maybe I could just keep the fan and use it for emergencies, such as when my neighbor has found a 2:00 AM flick that he's really into...

Addressing The Three "I's" Of Illness ....According To Dr. Horowitz

Dr. Richard Horowitz, MD, in Hyde Park, New York, has treated over 10,000 Lyme disease patients. Whoa. That's a lot of people. So when he recently spoke at a LIA (Lyme-Induced Autism) conference, I really listened. I figured, somebody who has treated thousands of people has got to know a thing or two about how to treat this confetti of infections we call Lyme disease.

I listened to Dr. Horowitz speak at a LIA webinar on April 18th and if you read my blog post from that day, you'll notice that I briefly mention Dr. Horowitz' approach to Lyme disease, which includes addressing what he calls the "three I's" of illness: Infections, Immune Issues and Inflammation.

And you thought it was just about killing some bugs. Or maybe you understand a thing or two about the other "I's", and are working on treating the aspects of healing that I am about to describe. Maybe you even incorporate some of Dr. Horowitz's strategies into your own healing protocol.

First, it is important to treat for infections,and not just the commonly known co-infections of Lyme disease, such as babesia, borrelia, and bartonella. Think categories and think big here! A multi-bug protocol involves treating: 1) Bacteria, from such diverse agents such as Q-fever (yup, I bet you didn't think of that one, did you?), 2) Parasites, including multiple strains of babesia. By the way, I have tested positive for five babesia infections, so just because you test negative for one of the two common strains, doesn't mean that you don't have babesia! As another rabbit trail (because I just can't help but hop from subject to subject), babesia patients, according to Horowitz, are four times sicker than those with just a borrelia infection. Not that I know of any lucky Joe Shmoe who has nothing more than a simple borrelia infection! 3). Viruses. Herpes-6 is a popular one found in Lyme patients, and anti-virals are not very effective against it. It is found to cause chronic fatigue; hence, treating it is vital for resolution of symptoms. 4) Candida. Take it for granted that if you have immune dysfunction, candida is going to be an issue. 5) Mold and fungus. These pernicious infections can be a big deal. Mycotoxins (from mold) can cause just as many symptoms as borrelia and other co-infections. Getting rid of them is important.

According to Dr. Horowitz, the most problematic, or most difficult, infections to eradicate include: bartonella, mycoplasma, chlamydia, rocky mountain spotted fever, typhus, tularema, and q-fever. (And, as Lyme disease sufferers, we are likely to have an assortment of these, as well as others). The difficulty in their eradication lies in the fact that all of the aforementioned are intracellular organisms; that is, they hide inside of human cells. I infer from this information that one of two things then happens; either the body attacks its own cells in an attempt to get the bugs, thereby creating auto-immunity in the body, or/and the bugs remain protected from certain treatments because the cell acts as a safe, comfy fortress for them to hide from the big, bad immune system. Also, not all antibiotics can reach organisms inside the cells, therefore multiple interventions are required to get rid of the ones that find refuge here.

For treatment of infections, Dr. Horowitz combines antibiotics with herbal protocol. I won't mention specifics of these protocol in this post for the sake of space and your sanity, but suffice it to say he believes that incorporating herbs such as smilax (sasaparilla), andrographis, stephania root and japanese knotweed into an antibiotic protocol can decrease a patient's possibilities for relapse. Not only do herbs fight infection, they also decrease inflammation and increase immune function.

Which brings me to the second "I": Inflammation, which, according to Horowitz, causes free radicals and oxidative stress that damage cell membranes, mitochondria, and nerve cells. Pro-inflammatory cytokines also create symptoms through other mechanisms. In addition to antioxidants, such as fruits and vegetables, magnesium, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids and CO-Q10 (see my post on April 18th), Dr. Horowitz advocates low dose Naltrexone (one of the new buzz drugs of 2008) to modulate cytokine response, and glutathione for "pulling" cytokines out. Glutathione, by itself and when taken daily, improves Dr. Horowitz's patients' symptoms by an average of 20%. That is significant.

Treating the third "I", Immune Issues, is just as important as dealing with inflammation and infections. It is, remember, your body that heals you; the drugs don't do it. They can only help. Thus, strengthening the immune system is paramount for healing. This is accomplished through multiple interventions, which also overlap and assist with the second aspect of healing--treating inflammation, (as inflammation is part of immune system response).

We all know that the infectious agents of Lyme disease are masters at making a mess of the immune system. Borrelia suppresses NK cell production; neurotoxins damage nerve and other types of cells; auto-immunity results from antibodies that are produced to infections that cross-react with our own tissue antigens, and the cumulative effects of environmental toxins and infections results in the destruction of cells, including those of the immune system. And this is just for starters.

A multi-faceted approach to strengthening the immune system includes:

1)Detoxifying the body, which includes the following components:
a) Ensuring that the body is well-hydrated
b) Loading up on antioxidants, through a healthy diet and with the help of alpha-lipoic acid
c) Supporting the liver with glutathione and glutathione precursors such as N-acetyl-cysteine, as well as B-vitamins (There are a multitude of ways to support the liver; however, I am mentioning only a few that Dr. Horowitz noted in his presentation)
d) Optimizing mitochondrial function (Where energy is made in the cell) with products such as CO-Q10, NT Factor, and NADH)
e) Minimizing toxic exposures by eating a "clean" diet, high in organic protein and vegetables; living in a clean-air environment, and so on.
f) Optimizing bowel health, with probiotics, fiber, and colon cleanses
g) Assisting and balancing bio-transformation with NAC, glycinate and B-vitamins

Dealing with heavy metal toxicity is likewise important. For this, Dr. Horowitz uses 100-200 mg of DMSA and a product called Algas (10 drops), along with split-cell chlorella and 600 mg NAC. Also DMPS, EDTA, and Med Caps DPO (which contains B-vitamins, NAC and alpha-lipoic acid).

As another rabbit trail...Dr. Horowitz believes that broccoli sprouts are the most effective herbs for opening up phase two liver detoxification pathways (Liver detox takes place in two phases).

2) Healing allergies, by avoiding common food allergens such as wheat, dairy, corn, nuts, and shellfish. (Indeed, you are lucky if you are able to incorporate even one of the above into your diet. Many Lyme disease sufferers cannot have ANY of these. And that is my opinion, not that of Dr. Horowitz). Also, allergies are often related to candida and leaky gut syndrome, so healing the gut can often alleviate allergy problems. Enzyme therapy and NAET (an allergy technique) are likewise beneficial.

3) Treating nutritional and enzyme deficiencies, with essential vitamins, minerals, fatty and amino acids. In my humble opinion, nutrient deficiencies in Lyme disease sufferers are so severe that taking supplements is necessary, in addition to eating a balanced, healthy diet which includes protein, fats and plenty of low-glycemic vegetables.

4) As mitochondrial membranes are particularly susceptible to free radical damage, supporting energy production with CO-Q10, NADH and L-carnitine can also give power to the immune system.

5)Dealing with the psychological factors of Lyme disease. Dr. Horowitz notes that many patients with chronic Lyme disease have a history of depression, anxiety, OCD, post-traumatic stress syndrome and abuse. What's more (and how lovely), Lyme can cause previous psychological patterns to intensify, or cause new ones to emerge. I definitely found this to be true in my own experience with Lyme disease. Dr. Horowitz suggests medication, stress reduction techniques such as Tai Chi or yoga, calming herbs and Journey work (Brandon Bays) as protocol for treating this aspect of illness.

6)Treating endocrine abnormalities. Lyme affects the HPA, or hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in profound ways, and supporting it with hormones and nutrients is vital for recovery. I was not surprised when Dr. Horowitz confirmed a suspicion that I have always held; that healing from Lyme disease cannot happen if you have adrenal insufficiency. According to Horowitz (and I concur with his opinion) adrenal insufficiency in Lyme can be caused by any form of chronic stress, whether physical, emotional, psychological, environmental or as a result of infectious agents. Getting a saliva cortisol test through Aeron, Metametrix, Genova or Diagnostek is one reliable way to ascertain adrenal fatigue. A complete thyroid panel is also necessary, as the thyroid and adrenals work in concert with one another, and Lyme affects thyroid function as well. Blood tests are acceptable for thyroid testing, although Dr. Horowitz notes that the "normal" ranges for results on blood tests may not be valid indicators of thyroid function. As with adrenal cortisol tests, often, patients must have hormone levels that fall within the higher range of "normal" in order to see clinical improvement.

7) Fixing sleep disorders. If you don't sleep, your body won't re-generate and heal. Plain and simple. There's no way out of the Lyme labyrinth if you don't get restorative sleep, because a lack thereof correlates directly with impaired immune function. Dr. Horowitz suggests Lyrica, trazodone, gabitril, seroquel and Xyrem as medications that will encourage deeper stages of sleep. (In my limited research on this subject, and in my experience, I have found that no drug encourages stage 4 REM sleep, but I could be wrong!...Except, perhaps for that Xyrem stuff, which would knock out an elephant). In any case, medications can help when all else fails. Dr. Horowitz also advocates balancing neurotransmitters with 5-HTP and other interventions to aid with sleep.

8) Healing autonomic nervous system dysfunction. This also relates to treating endocrine abnormalities. Taking salt (particularly sea salt), at a minimum of 3-4 grams per day is important. Taking Florinef (for aldosterone deficiency) and Cortef (for cortisol deficiency) may also be necessary.

9) Healing Gastrointestinal disorders. You want to know if you have leaky gut? Avoid gluten products, and see how you feel. When your gut "leaks", gliadin, the protein found in gluten, gets into the bloodstream, causing inflammation. You don't feel good, and this is a great indication that it's time to throw that croissant out the window. Other indications of leaky gut and hence malabsorption, according to Horowitz,include lab results that show low levels of calcium, magnesium, B-12, iron, potassium, and albumin. Other tests such as Anti-gliadin AB and TTG can also be helpful.

10) Dealing with elevated liver enzymes.
Most Lyme patients, at some stage during illness, have elevated liver enzymes. Well, are you surprised? The liver has a lot of work to do getting borrelia and associated gunk out of the body, and thanks to Leaky Gut, it doesn't have the tools it needs to do its job properly. Dr. Horowitz recommends milk thistle, Hepa #2 (a traditional chinese medicine remedy) NAC, (n-acetyl cysteine) and alpha lipoic acid for improving liver function.

11) Conditioning the body with exercise.
According to Dr. Horowitz, patients need to be on a regular exercise program, as soon as their physical condition permits. But start slow!

12)Dealing with issues of drug use and addiction.
No, the doc isn't talking about crack here, but rather the fact that narcotics, while they may help patients who have severe pain, when taken too often, also interfere with regenerative sleep. Rebound pain and headaches often result which then become part of a chronic symptom complex that becomes difficult to treat. He advises patients trapped in this cycle to consider a pain management specialist and detoxification program.

We Need New Babesia Treatments!

I have some news for you, my dear Lyme friends. Traditional pharmaceutical and antibiotic regimens that are typically prescribed for babesia are failing to eradicate the infection in most Lyme disease sufferers.

According to Dr. Horowitz, a Lyme-literate MD who has treated over 10,000 Lyme disease patients, the current regimens need improving. That patients "are getting better" just isn't good enough. (And just how nebulous is the term "getting better", anyway?). No, we need to be seeking out solutions that will provide cures.

Why?

Well, according to Dr. Horowitz, artemisia, the wonder anti-parasitic herb, has not been curative, in most cases. He suggests that doses of 800 mg daily (which is higher than those typically prescribed for daily dosing) may be more helpful, but physicians are concerned that these doses may cause neurological side effects.

The antibiotic Mepron is too expensive, and doesn't always eradicate the organism. Dr. Horowitz suggests Malone, as a less-expensive substitute.

Enula has shown to be useful for four different types of parasites, and may therefore be another potential remedy, as may the herb cryptoleptis. Neither of these has been tested extensively in Lyme patients; however, Dr. Horowitz believes that a more beneficial (perhaps even curative?) protocol may be formulated by combining these herbs with pharmaceutical antibiotics.

Personally, I wonder if anything can kill babesia. Some believe MMS to be the babesia wonder drug, but I have taken MMS for three months (and at times, doses of 30 drops a day for three to six days around the full moon), and I still test positive for the infection. Perhaps higher, and more prolonged, doses are needed. I don't know.

What I do know is that this organism, like its counterparts borrelia and bartonella, is tenacious, virulent and difficult to eradicate, and no ingestant may be powerful enough to eliminate it, without harm being done to the body.

So what about focusing upon strategies that will instead repel the organism, and strengthen the immune system, rather than throwing anti-babesia bombs at the bug in the hopes that we can destroy it?

As I mentioned recently in a blog post, strategies found in bio-energetic medicine, such as LED (Laser Energetic Detoxification therapy), homeopathy, bioresonance, Immune Response Training, and Quantum Techniques, focus upon harnessing the body's (and the organisms')energies to empower the immune system to eradicate and repel pathogens. This approach may be more effective than trying to kill the infections with a biochemical substance, partly because energy medicine strategies tend to address infection in the entire body, thereby leaving less opportunity for any bugs to get "left behind."

What's more, energy medicine treatments are gentler than pharmaceutical or herbal antibiotics (that has been my experience, anyway), because the body is able to eliminate toxins at a pace that it can afford, and because fewer neurotoxins are generated when the organisms are "repelled" instead of directly killed by antibiotics.

I don't know. The latter is purely speculation on my part, but I'm fast learning that when it comes to Lyme disease, even the best of the best must speculate to some degree. This is the "nobody knows" disease, and we might as well get used to it!

I am encouraged by the fact that energy medicine is advancing and rapidly gaining in popularity, however. This means that new, improved strategies against babesia and other Lyme infections will continue to be developed. At the same time, as we learn more about new, effective herbal and pharmaceutical combinations, better strategies may be devised in traditional medicine, as well.

I'm not discounting Dr. Horowitz' solutions; indeed, he is a wise physician with many years of experience in treating Lyme disease patients. But even he believes that we need something better for babesia. And while that something better may be found through new herbal-antibiotic combination remedies, perhaps it's also wise to keep our minds open to the best of what is, and what will be developed, in bio-energetic and other forms of natural medicine.

The In-Vogue Testing Device of 2008

Wouldn't it be great if you knew about each and every little infection in your body? What if you could discern your toxin levels, and the organs in your body that need the most help?

Wait...now you can! An exciting new (well, relatively speaking) device called the Asyra, can tell you all these things, and more.

One of my Quantum Techniques practitioners used one of these devices to discern where borrelia was hiding out in my heart, and he tested me on the device from a distance, over the phone. That is, while I was in Costa Rica and he was in Hawaii. Don't ask me how he did it; I know it wasn't voo doo, but rather, some technique based on bio-energetic principles and which seemed to be quite effective.

At the LIA conference, I had the honor of meeting Asyra face to face, and as I grasped its two brass electrodes in my hands, it began spitting out on a computer screen a voluminous list of all the garbage in my body, which was then displayed on a larger screen in the background, for all the passersby to see.

"Your toxin levels are low," the Asyra representative informed me, "but you have a fair number of auto-immune processes going on."

Great. Lately, I've been learning that those "auto-immune processes" are part of the complication of treating Lyme disease. You can get rid of all the bugs and toxins that you want, but if your body doesn't know that the war is over, you're still going to have problems.

But never mind that. How did the Asyra discover these things, in just thirty seconds flat? Well, by screening for energetic disturbances in my body's electrical system. These disturbances reflect imbalances in my physiology, as well as the presence of toxins and pathogens. The Asyra then provided a list of suggested therapies to correct those imbalances. As well, it is capable of imprinting “balancing” homeopathic frequencies into a liquid carrier medium, so that homeopathic preparations can be made for different imbalances.

The Asyra can test and treat a multitude of problems, from allergies, to hormone imbalances, infections, miasms, musculoskeletal issues, vertebral misalignments and other imbalances.

A machine that can accurately detect every single problem in the human body, from hangnails to hangovers, sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? Maybe it is. Since it measures energetic imbalances and not the actual presence of pathogens, I have to wonder if it is 100% accurate in its diagnosis of Lyme and co-infections. For instance, my "sample" test revealed energetic frequencies for not one, not two, but THREE strains of babesia (in addition to the two that I have already treated for and supposedly eliminated!). Since none of these babesia strains can be tested for in conventional labs, I don't know whether or not to believe that these infections actually exist in my body. On the other hand, if the results of my test are accurate, then this could mean that the Aysra's capability for detecting Lyme and co-infections is far greater than any other testing method out there.

And what about the homeopathic preparations that can be made from the results? How do they compare to traditional antibiotics, herbs, or other energy-medicine remedies?

Hmmmmm...

Asyra intrigues me. If you know more about this device, please feel free to comment below! And if this is the first you have heard about this amazing machine, consider treatment with a Lyme-literate practitioner who uses it, as a potential source for accurate testing and treatment of borrelia and other infections.

New Conclusions About Lyme Disease...Based On One Amateur's Opinion

Do you ever ask yourself, "Will this Lyme disease journey EVER end?"

I know this blog is supposed to be a site of encouragement and hope but...today I'm going to give you a dose of reality. My dear Lyme friends, I don't think this journey is ever going to be over, for most of us. I mean, I don't think that we will ever get rid of all the bugs, and as long as we have them, we will need to periodically perform Lyme disease treatments.

I don't know why the reality of this hasn't sunk in before; I guess I thought that "remission" from Lyme meant now and forever, and that a fair number of people actually get to that place and stay there.

Silly me.

Being at a Lyme disease conference this past week for the first time in my Lyme life, gave me a spectacular bird's eye view of what this disease is about, and even more, what to expect in the healing process.

Plenty of coffee during the day alternated with benzos at night enabled me to remain just alert enough to receive the volumes of information presented at the conference. But it was only later, as I sat by the hotel pool in a sweltering 110-degree heat, waiting for the sauna-like effect of the sun to spill sweat-induced toxins all over my beach towel, that I really began to digest this information and formulate conclusions about healing, such as the one I mention above.

Since things quickly change in the world of Lyme, bear in mind, the hairball of hypotheses which I am now choking down like a wheezing cat, are subject to revision. I suspect I will have a different opinion a year from now, but for now, at the center of my hypotheses is the belief that we won't ever get rid of all of the infections.
(Unless God decides to work some holy magic in the body, which is entirely possible).

What's more, I think that for most of us, ongoing, open-ended treatment regimens will be necessary in order to maintain the gains we have made.

The bugs just don't go away that easily. They may retreat for awhile, until an antibiotic is removed or a stressful life event occurs, but there will always be a few of 'em, on the ready, for whenever the proliferation ground looks promising again.

The reasons for this are multiple. First, not only are Borrelia and its cronies adept at immune and antibiotic evasion, they are fond of morphing within themselves, and with other infections, too, creating new and improved little cross-breed critters that may require separate treatments. Add to that suspicions that they cloak themselves in protective blankies of biofilm, and getting rid of all the bugs becomes an implausible proposition. Other reasons exist and I will discuss these more in-depth in future blog posts.

Being that the critters have such superb survival mechanisms, my next hypothesis is that the strategies that will work best in the long run, are those found in energy medicine and homeopathy, because these harness the power of the brain and the immune system to recognize and destroy pathogens, and can directly repel ALL pathogens of a particular variety, without leaving any borrelia crumbs behind. That's not to say that energy medicine is currently more efficient than antibiotics or herbs at ridding the body of Lyme disease; indeed, energy medicine is still in its infancy in the western world, and I believe we have a long ways to go before we can fully harness its power, but some applications in the treatment of Lyme disease show great promise. At the same time, antibiotic-like interventions are beneficial for quickly ridding the body of huge layers of bugs, but my experience with those whom I met at the conference--those who have done years and years of antibiotics--is that these drugs don't get all of the critters and wherever antibiotics are used, the immune system also becomes weakened. And nobody can predict exactly how detrimental this will be to a Lyme sufferer, down the road.

I'm sorry for the sobering information, but I wouldn't be doing you any favors if I left you in la la land with false promises of total healing. Of course, people DO attain remission from symptoms--just be prepared for the fact that healing from Lyme disease may be a life-long endeavor, no matter which strategy you use. And there are more reasons for this than simply the presence and intelligence and morph-o-rama tactics of pathogens. Shutting off auto-immune processes induced by Lyme is also difficult, and being exposed to ever-increasing amounts of environmental toxins further complicates healing (But these are topics that I will save for another post).

In the meantime, take my reality with a grain of salt, and press on with the journey. Indeed, like many things in life, healing from Lyme may be more about the journey, not a final destination.

A Few Photos From The LIA Conference

Have you ever wondered who your long-distance Lyme buddies are? Ever wanted to put a face to those Lyme docs who are in the trenches, helping others to heal from Lyme?

The LIA Conference (Lyme-induced autism) provided me with the opportunity to capture a few of these faces, at a dinner gala held one night at the conference, and which I share with you here.

The first photo featured here includes (from left to right):
Dr. Nicola McFazdean, ND, Kris Newby, Senior Producer of Under Our Skin, Dr. Amy Derkson, ND, (and behind Amy, oh sheesh, I forgot his name...he was a really nice guy, though! Can I blame it on Lyme?) and next to Amy, uh, well....there goes my Lyme again...She might have been a patient or practitioner, I am not sure. Okay, well at least I can stick a few names to a few faces. I must be somewhat healed from Lyme if I can do that!

The second photo is of yours truly and Scott Forsgren, (aka Better Health Guy and one of the foremost researchers in the Lyme disease field...and No, I'm not really THAT much taller than Scott--I'm wearing heels in this photo!

The below photograph is of me again with Tamara Gebhardt, fellow Lyme disease sufferer (but doesn't she look SO good?...Geez, it must be an automatic phrase now...). Yes, that IS a glass of wine in my hand (shame on me, but it was my birthday! C'mon, it's okay to cheat on your diet on your birthday, isn't it?)

The meat of the conference will follow in this blog, once I get some rest after my long plane ride home...