Some LLMD’s have turned to a new therapy to help chronically infected MSIDS patients (multi systemic infectious disease syndrome – or Lyme with friends). This therapy is called LDA and LDI and is used to retrain and restore your body’s immune tolerance. The reason this is thought to be helpful is two fold, the first being to get your body to quit reacting to things we are around like food, pollen, and various chemicals, and the second to get your body to quit reacting to infections like Epstein Barr (the Mono virus), numerous strains of borrelia (the causative agent of Lyme Disease), strains of Bartonella, and other pathogens. The theory is that since these infections have been around from the beginning of time with folks handling them just fine, it’s really a 21st Century problem caused by an immune response. To fix this, the body is introduced to minute amounts of substances to build up a tolerance over time so the immune system doesn’t go haywire. The current standard of care for auto immune diseases is to take immune-suppressing drugs, anti-inflammatory agents,and monoclonal antibody therapies, all of which have dangerous drawbacks.
http://www.drshrader.com/lda_therapy.htm
“LDA includes over three hundred allergens including inhaled pollens, danders, dust and mites, fungi, yeast (including Candida species), molds, foods, many food additives, most common chemicals and perfumes and formaldehyde, and is used in extremely low doses that uses broad-based mixtures.
After 1 to 2 Intradermal injections of .05 (1/20) cc on the forearm or leg, there is an increase in T regulator cells (Treg). These cells address rogue cellular responses to substances promoted by CD4 (helper), CD8 (killer) and B Cells. Simply put – LDA shuts off the adverse response.
Along with the allergens, beta-glucuronidase, an enzyme, is included in the shot with an ultra-fine 31 gauge needle to stimulate production of T-suppressor cells which will help the body not react to normal substances.
Initially, LDA injections are usually taken at two month intervals. Gradually the interval between injections is extended until they are taken at yearly intervals. Most patients can either go a long time between injections or stop entirely after about 16 to 18 injections, with most patients noticing improvement within the first three doses.”
What’s the difference between LDA and other conventional allergy therapies?
Conventional allergy therapies block antibodies which inhibits the histamine releasing ability of the mast call. The higher the level of blocking antibody produced, the greater the success, but this requires high doses of allergens causing nasty side effects which can be dangerous – even causing anaphylactic shock. Also, only inhalants can be treated leaving food, chemicals and other important issues not dealt with. LDA, on the other hand, treats many disorders, many of which aren’t even considered immune or allergy related.
http://www.specialtynaturalmedicine.com/our-services/allergy-shot-treatments/The Safety of Low Dose Allergy Immunotherapy Also, “LDA uses a natural pathway of immune modulation at a strength less than that which occurs in nature. An initial study of over 10,000 patients done in the US from 1993-2001 found no significant adverse reactions to LDA. In a United States study, repeated ear infections in children responded to LDA better than any other condition (we find that ear infections are most often caused by a reaction to foods). Many double-blinded studies have proven the effectiveness and safety of the LDA treatment.”
There is a bit of trial and error in the beginning of treatment until doctor and patient find the “sweet spot” of the correct dose. There also might be some localized swelling, itching, and redness at the injection site and rarely swelling of the lower arm which is temporary. There could also be a temporary flare of symptoms especially after the first one to three treatments, which is a good sign it’s working. Make sure to tell your doctor of any allergen reactions you are aware of before starting treatment.
LDA has been used to treat
Environmental inhalant allergies (dog, dust, hay fever, mold etc.) and chemical sensitivities
Food allergies
Food and inhalant related conditions
IBS, inflammatory bowel (Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis)
Autism spectrum
ADHD spectrum
Chronic ear infections
Depression
Tonsillitis
Skin allergies/conditions: dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea
Asthma, pharyngitis, rhinitis, sinusitis
Food triggered headaches and migraines
Auto immune conditions: inflammatory bowel, inflammatory arthritis, reactive arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, ITP, interstitial cystitis, auto immune thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s), SLE
Endometriosis
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Lyme disease
Chronic joint and muscle pain
NAFLD
Nephritic syndrome
Re-current strep
PANDAS
Chronic vaginitis
Chronic sinusitis
Studies have shown that 60% of patients note a significant positive response with their first treatment and almost all patients respond positively by the third treatment. Alternatively, about 1 in 25 patients does not respond with strongly positive results until having had 6 treatments. The overall response rate for all conditions treated with LDA is approximately 65% to 95%, depending on the condition being treated.
Three days before starting treatment It’s important to avoid all supplements, environmental, chemical, and known triggers, as well as anti-histamines, pain relievers, and icing the injection site during treatment. LDA should be avoided during pregnancy but is safe for nursing moms and children over 2 weeks of age.
Doses include over 300 allergens such as perfumes, environmental chemicals, food additives, mixed pollens, insect, kapok and fiber mixes, and much more acting universally.
Half of patients can stop LDA after 8-18 treatments. The other half can go for long intervals of 1-4 years between treatments. Children typically respond quicker.
http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/87271/low-dose-immunotherapy-a-new-healing-tool As a veteran integrative family physician working in Alaska and Hawaii, Dr. Vincent realized that the Low Dose Antigen (LDA) program developed by Dr. Schrader could be expanded to include a wider range of healing possibilities. In addition to its long and excellent track record with allergies of every type, this new tool can be useful of treating Lyme disease and co-infections, and Candida, Interstitial Cystitis and a lot more. This is called LDI or Low Dose immunotherapy.
http://www.treatlyme.net/treat-lyme-book/ldi-bring-on-the-regulators (Short 5 min video with Dr. Ross)
According to Marty Ross, practitioners are reporting improvements in up to 90% of people. LDI was created by Ty Vincent, not a LLMD, based on his work with LDA (explained previously in this article). He believes antibiotics aren’t necessary for Lyme and that regulating an over active immune system is all that is needed. Ross, who has Lyme, strongly “disagrees.” He does feel LDI can be used in conjunction with antibiotics and/or herbs. Ross theorizes that LDI could suppress the immune system which would allow the germs to overgrow, which could cause future issues.
LDI has the same beta-glucuronidase as LDA, but instead of allergens, the second part is comprised of minute doses of dead germs. Ross warns that there is NO RESEARCH showing that Tregs increase when beta-glucuronidase is mixed with dead germs, and this is the entire theory behind using LDI for MSIDS.
In LDI, like LDA, – it’s all about finding that “sweet spot” of dosing.
Ross feels LDI should never be used as a replacement for antibiotics in acute Lyme. He feels using LDI with an acute case could cause chronic Lyme later on. He does feel LDI could be considered in someone who does not respond to typical Lyme treatment within 1-2 years.
For Lyme Disease treatment reference:
https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.wordpress.com/2016/02/13/lyme-disease-treatment/
Ross also has suggestions to try if treatment isn’t working: http://www.treatlyme.net/treat-lyme-book-why-cant-i-get-better-do-this
http://www.betterhealthguy.com/ldi
Read Scott Ferguson’s, Better Health Guy, experience with LDI. He also provides many other links, including a LDI Facebook group to better equip yourself with knowledge on this treatment.
http://www.betterhealthguy.com/images/stories/PDF/LDI%20for%20CFS%20and%20Lyme.17.10.2015.pdf Here’s an excellent pdf that is full of golden nuggets. I found the information in 6.3.3. particularly enlightening:
“Borrelia b. does not produce toxins or proteases that are directly responsible for tissue damage upon colonization, thus, tissue spread and dissemination may be facilitated by the utilization of host’s proteases. In contrast, the bacterium produces multiple molecules that activate host’s responses and can lead to localized and generalized inflammatory pathogenic responses 96. During the late stage of Lyme borreliosis, persistent inflammation after eradication of the pathogen (as in the antibiotic- resistant Lyme arthritis) and after the long-lasting infection evading host’s immunity (as in acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA)) has been observed 113. Besides, differences in the severity and spectrum of disease among patients infected with Bb are due to both genetic differences among strains of the bacterium and differences in the host’s responses. Accordingly, results in mice showed that symptoms might not correlate with bacterial load 96.”
Reading the sections on LD in this pdf further show why systemic enzymes are often the ingredient that will bring down this chronic inflammation that often results in pain reduction. Please read this article for more information on systemic enzymes: https://
madisonarealymesupportgroup.wordpress.com/2016/04/22/systemic-enzymes/
http://betterhealthguy.com/vincent Here is an interesting interview with Dr. Ty Vincent about LDI for Autism, Pediatric Lyme, and PANDAS.
http://www.betterhealthguy.com/finding “Finding Your Way With the Complicated Patient.”
Also, Alice Prescott DO spoke on “Safely Detoxing the Toxic Patient” and shared:
“• The start of LDA/LDI treatment was EPD (enzyme-potentiated desensitization) and was discovered in England. It was later brought to the United States by Dr. Shrader under the name LDA.
• It required a very heavily restricted diet for 3 days around the injection at the time. Editor’s Note (Scott Ferguson): I did this in the late 90’s and had to order special potato flour bagels from Texas and that combined with oven-baked potatoes was all I ate for 3 days each time I did the injections.
• The proper dilution is the one that talks to the immune system the best; it is like trying to find the volume and then staying there.
• LDA/LDI is done very 7 weeks and can also be done sublingually.
• Ty Vincent MD took LDA and applied it to infections to shift the immune response.
• Sensitive patients can still have very strong reactions to LDI.
• In LDI for Lyme, there are 74 different species of Borrelia, Bartonella, Babesia, Ehrlichia, and Coxiella.
• Autologous LDI can be made from nasal washings, stool, urine, and other fluids.
• There may be a role for LDI in the treatment of children with PANDAS/PANS which is often related to strep.
• Good results have been seen with LDI from stool and constipation may improve.
• Detoxification starts with hydration – volume, purity, pH, container, and messages (EMFs, love). Looks at ADH and aldosterone levels.
• Trehalose, Dalektro, and Endure are options to help the body hold water.
• Bowel health consists of diet, bugs, bad chemistry, permeability, and inflammation. Enterohepatic recirculation is a problem for effective detoxification. Aldehydes, indoles, and phenols may come from microbial overgrowths.
• Starts with probiotics and sponges (binders).
• For constipation, thyroid may be a factor. Magnesium or lactulose (can feed bugs in some) may be used; Byron White A-P, chlorella, or Huperzine may be helpful.
• Diarrhea may be related to C. Diff. May use binders, treat dysbiosis and parasites. May consider LDI.
• For gallbladder, may do an ultrasound; if calcified stones, Chanca Piedra may be helpful. If no stones, may treat parasites and dysbiosis.
• Porphyria or Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome could be a reason for a hypotonic gallbladder. Chelidonium majus is excellent to stimulate bile.
• For the liver, if nauseated or have migraines or worsening neuropathy, could be a liver issue. apo-HEPAT, TOX-EASE, TOXEX, methylation, thyroid, structural work to calm the sympathetic and increase parasympathetic nervous system, neural therapy.
• For kidneys, NEO-40, serrapeptase, nattokinase, lumbrokinase, RENELIX, nettle, Equisetum arvense. Structural work.
• For lymphatics, walking, rebounding, hydrotherapy, dry skin brushing, breathing, structure work, ITIRES.
• For cell membranes, good fats, Phos Choline, Omega-3, coconut/MCT oils.
• Had one lady that had been “floxed” by prior antibiotic treatment that did very well with Phos Choline.
• For lungs, nebulized glutathione, NAC, LDA for chemicals/molds/foods, LDI for infections.
• For skin, sweating, Epsom salts, clay, hydration.
• Looks at 23andme and uses molybdenum and other minerals based on the teachings of Paul Anderson ND and methylation protocols. Considers porphyrias (often flare with Rifampin and do badly with Actos), pyroluria (more psych/anxiety presentation), high histamines (can build up due to methylation issues or be the results of Mast Cell issues; LDI/LDA may help with Mast Cell Activation Disorder). Uses urine porphyrin testing.
• Grapefruit juice slows the cytochrome P450 pathway.”
My opinion: As I’m not a medical professional, I’m only giving this as a MSIDS patient and advocate, and someone who reads a lot, and talks to many people. I’m with Dr. Ross on this one until further notice. Having lived through this nightmare on steroids for over 3 years, and now helping people with difficult cases on nearly a daily basis, I know all too well what this stuff can do. My husband and I were both cases saved by extended antibiotics. I mean saved. I doubt I’d be writing this article or even debating this issue were it not for extended and varied antibiotics. Early in treatment, when I read numerous articles, books, and opinions, I read that herbs alone have about a 70% success rate. That wasn’t good enough for me. I wanted more. I do; however, strongly believe in a judicious usage of antibiotics. I do not believe, and experience has shown me, that you do not need to necessarily take high doses of antibiotics day after day after day. Take the dosage that is effective and often you can pulse antibiotics as many of the pathogens have slow reproductive rates. I do believe antibiotics can cause major problems with people and I’ve seen it first hand. Without all the arms of healing: killing, detoxing, supplementing, supporting, repairing, and I’m probably forgetting something, you will NOT recover from this. It takes everything AND the kitchen sink. By the way, I’ve used herbs with wonderful results after I used antibiotics for a period of time. Without a doubt, they both have an important place in this journey. Some can not tolerate antibiotics at all, and I’m glad there are numerous options. But, you will never hear me vilify antibiotics. And while I respect Dr. Vincent, and perhaps in time I will change my mind, after I hear success story after success story about chronically infected LD patients over time who have improved with LDI, I’m going to side with a doctor who has had this and has treated others for years who have it.
I once heard a quote, “You don’t get Lyme until you HAVE Lyme.” I can’t even begin to express how true this is. Even people who have had the acute form of Lyme/MSIDS don’t “get it,” because they have not experienced the depths this disease(s) can take you. And, it will take you to the precipice. The very edge of the precipice. This desperation will keep some like me from trying LDI until further notice. This same desperation will drive others, who have tried everything under the sun and are still suffering, to do LDI in a heartbeat. Until you have to decide between buying meds or food, spending anywhere from $10-$30 K or more out of pocket per year for years at a time, not being able to sleep for months to years, having pain that made one patient break all her fingers with a hammer to get her mind off her shoulder pain (true story), lose your memory, hear voices and have nightmares that you can’t distinguish from reality, have body parts twitch, burn, itch, and move on their own volition, have doctors yell, abuse, marginalize, refuse to test, and then inadequately treat you, have to fight depression and yet keep working to keep the lights on and pay for treatment, open your mouth and have complete gibberish come out, worry if you are going to give this to your spouse and children, and then have the startling reality of needing to pay for treatment for numerous family members, trying to keep various meds and appointments straight, attempt to be “normal,” worry about your kids completing school, not be able to handle “normal” stressors, and lashing out like a monster over stupid issues, and seriously fear if you are ever going to feel normal again, you can’t begin to understand. And I’ve left out the stuff I’ve blocked out. So, I do not judge anyone trying LDI. In fact, I’d love to hear how it’s going for you. Please keep me abreast on developments. And know – I wish you the best always and will rejoice with your successes and mourn your set-backs.
Madison Area Lyme Support Group 