Efficacy of Short-Term High Dose Pulsed Dapsone Combination Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Lyme Disease/Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS) & Associated Coinfections: A Report of 3 Cases & Literature Review

June 22, 2022

https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202204.0296/v1?bbeml

Efficacy of Short-Term High Dose Pulsed Dapsone Combination Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Lyme Disease/Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS) and Associated Co-infections: A Report of Three Cases and Literature Review

Richard I. Horowitz*

and Phyllis R. Freeman

Abstract

Lyme disease and associated co-infections are increasing worldwide and approximately 20% of individuals develop chronic Lyme disease (CLD)/Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS) despite early antibiotics.
A 7–8-week protocol of double dose dapsone combination therapy (DDDCT) for CLD/PTLDS results in symptom remission in approximately 50% of patients for one year or longer, with published culture studies indicating higher doses of dapsone demonstrate efficacy against resistant biofilm forms of Borrelia burgdorferi. The purpose of this study was therefore to evaluate higher doses of dapsone in the treatment of resistant CLD/PTLDS and associated co-infections. Twenty-five patients with a history of Lyme and associated co-infections, most of whom had ongoing symptoms despite several courses of DDDCT, took one or more courses of high dose pulsed dapsone combination therapy (200 mg dapsone X 3-4 days and/or 200 mg BID x 4 days), depending on persistent symptoms.
The majority of patients noticed sustained improvement in 8 major Lyme symptoms, including:
  • fatigue
  • pain
  • headaches
  • neuropathy
  • insomnia
  • cognition
  • sweating

where dapsone dosage, not just treatment length, positively affected outcomes. High dose pulsed dapsone combination therapy may represent a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of resistant CLD/PTLDS, and should be confirmed in randomized, controlled clinical trials.

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For more:

Please remember that the often touted 20% of individuals who go on to suffer symptoms despite early treatment only include those who are diagnosed and treated early and omit a much larger subset of patients like myself, my husband, and nearly every patient I work with who are diagnosed and treated later.  For more on this, please see:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/02/25/medical-stalemate-what-causes-continuing-symptoms-after-lyme-treatment/

Important excerpt:

10-20% of Lyme disease patients who are promptly diagnosed and treated with an antibiotic within the first few weeks of infection, still end up with chronic disease. This is PTLDS.

30-40% of Lyme disease patients who have been infected for weeks to months before getting diagnosed, and THEN treated with an antibiotic, still end up with a chronic disease. This subgroup has no specific label but it has been referred to as “chronic Lyme disease,” or CLD.

60% of Lyme patients end up with chronic symptoms

And this, of course, doesn’t even take coinfections into consideration.

Category:

Lyme, research, Treatment

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