Archive for the ‘Babesia’ Category

Antibiotics vs Herbs: One Doc’s Experience

https://www.treatlyme.net/guide/recovery-crystal-ball-of-odds-and-timelines

In my free Lyme Q&A Webinar called Conversations with Marty Ross MD, people ask me questions related to recovery. Here are some of those questions.

  • Do herbal antibiotics work?
  • Do prescription antibiotics work better than herbal antibiotics?
  • How long will it take me to recover from Bartonella, or Babesia, or Borrelia?
  • Can I recover from chronic Bartonella, Babesia or Borrelia?

Video Article

In the video in the top link, I answer these questions based on my extensive twenty year clinical experience treating persistent tick-borne infections like Lyme, Bartonella, and Babesia using the best herbal and prescription antibiotic approaches. What I discuss is based on my experience. Unfortunately the research answering these questions is very limited or even non-existent.  (See link for article and video)

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**Comment**

Please remember, this is simply ONE practitioner’s experience.

Dr. Horowitz recommends treating Babesia for 9 months to a year.  I agree with this and it was our experience.

Regarding Lyme disease, I believe it has more to do with how long you have had it as well as how many other coinfections and comorbidities you have.  The more coinfections and comorbidites – the longer it’s probably going to take – particularly the older you are.  Mold, MCAS, allergies, etc. all play a large role in this a – and are as important as the infection(s).  

For reference, it took FIVE years of treatment followed by 3-4 relapses necessitating treatment before we reached ‘remission.’  Maintaining  the immune system is imperative and that means balancing hormones as well as minerals, vitamins, etc.  I guarantee you WILL NOT get better if you live in a moldy environment or do not deal with these other factors.  

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Category:

Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichiosis, Herbs, Lyme, Mycoplasma, Parasite Treatment, Rickettsia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tickborne Relapsing Fever, Toxoplasmosis, Treatment, Tularemia

Ross Lyme & Tick-borne Diseases Protocol Version 4

https://www.treatlyme.net/lyme-disease-treatment-guidelines

About The Ross Lyme & Tick-borne Diseases Protocol—Version 4

New in Version 4

The Ross Lyme & Tick-borne Diseases Protocol–Version 4 update, released 6/17/24, has a number of significant changes.

Name change. In Version 4, I have updated our name to include “tick-borne”. This recognizes that people can have Bartonella, Babesia, or other tick-borne diseases, separate from having Lyme (Borrelia) infection.

But there are more significant updates than our name change. Version 4

  • Emphasizes plant-based foods recommendations in Part 2. Diet;
  • Promotes healthy intestinal microbiome—even on antibiotics with a new Part 3. Healthy Intestinal Microbiome; and
  • Includes an herbal antibiotic only option to treat the three Bs (Borrelia, Bartonella, and Babesia) simultaneously in Part 12. Lyme Infection and Part 13. Bartonella & Babesia Infections.
  • Moves lifestyle, and related areas, of sleep, diet, healthy intestinal microbiome, and exercise to the front of the protocol to emphasize the key role these areas have in recovery.

Introduction

These are support and treatment guidelines to treat chronic Lyme or tick-borne infections. This protocol addresses most problems that keep a person from getting well. It is more comprehensive than the antibiotic focused Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA), International Lyme and Associated Disease Society (ILADS), and United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. While herbal and prescription antibiotics may decrease the germ load in chronic Lyme and tick-borne infections, they often do not correct the underlying problems that cause ongoing symptoms.

The Ross Lyme Support Protocol includes essential steps for the beginning and throughout a chronic Lyme disease or tick-borne infection treatment. It is designed to:

  • boost the immune system,
  • improve detoxification,
  • speed recovery,
  • kill the infections, and
  • protect and repair from the harmful effects of the infections and the herbal or prescription antibiotics.

While the following Lyme disease and tick-borne infection treatment approach focuses on a limited number of areas, it may correct most of the problems like:

  • low energy,
  • pain,
  • insomnia,
  • brain, neurologic, and thinking problems (brain fog), and
  • immune compromise and suppression.

Herxheimer Reactions. When a person starts a Lyme disease or tick-borne infection treatment or changes herbal and prescription antibiotics, it is common to experience some worsening in symptoms. See Herxheimer Die-off Reaction: Inflammation Run Amok for more information about this and the steps you can take to treat it.

Treatment Length and Persistence. Generally, it takes a minimum of six months to see if these supports and treatments will help. Supplements can speed recovery, but treating Lyme still takes time. Once you have marked improvement, then you can likely stop many of these nutritional supports except for probiotics, curcumin, ashwagandha, and a good multivitamin. See Getting Healthy: Will I? When? How Do I? for more information about Lyme disease and tick-borne infection treatment length and persistence.

About Supplements. Throughout this protocol I include supplements as nutritional supports based on their known functions. Basic research and my clinical experience show they may help the various symptoms and problems in Lyme disease and tick-borne infections.  (See link for article)

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**Comment**

Lots of great info here.

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Category:

Babesia, Bartonella, Detoxing, diet and nutrition, Lyme, Pain Management, Sleep, Supplements, Treatment

Atypical Babesia Symptoms in Elderly Man

https://danielcameronmd.com/babesia-symptoms-elderly-man/

ATYPICAL BABESIA SYMPTOMS IN ELDERLY MAN

babesia-symptoms

Babesiosis is a tick-borne illness that can cause a wide variety of symptoms, making it difficult to diagnose. The number of cases in the U.S. has been rising – particularly concerning given that Babesia can be transmitted immediately following a tick bite or unknowingly through a tainted blood transfusion. Furthermore, this illness can be deadly or cause serious complications in immunocomprised patients.

By 

In the article “An Atypical Case Presentation of Babesiosis,” Allen and colleagues describe a unique patient who contracted Babesiosis but did not exhibit many of the typical Babesia symptoms, such as night sweats, chills, shortness of breath and weight loss.¹ Instead, his symptoms were limited to weakness, fever, tachycardia and leg pain.

CASE REPORT

A 75-year-old man was admitted to the emergency department with generalized weakness that had been ongoing for one week, a fever and tachycardia. He also had mild swelling of his left leg and leg pain, which he described as intermittent stabbing pain in his left thigh.

The man had a past medical history of hypertension and hyperlipidemia. His initial laboratory test results revealed mild anemia, thrombocytopenia, and renal dysfunction. All other testing was normal.

The patient was treated empirically with acetaminophen and intravenous ceftriaxone and vancomycin.

“On the first day of hospitalization, blood parasites were noted to be present on the patient’s complete blood count (CBC),” the authors’ state.

His treatment was switched and he was prescribed a 10-day course of azithromycin and atovaquone for a possible diagnosis of Babesiosis. However, the patient’s condition deteriorated rapidly.

“The patient’s renal function, anemia, thrombocytopenia and mental status progressively worsened and by hospital day 3 the patient was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit.”

He was then treated successfully with a red blood cell exchange and plasma exchange therapy.

“The patient’s kidney function improved, along with his anemia and thrombocytopenia,” the authors’ state. “The percentage of parasitemia had decreased to 1% from a maximum of 22% on Day 1 of admission.”

Subsequently, PCR testing for Babesiosis was positive for Babesia microti.

Authors’ conclude:

  • “Tick-borne illnesses should be included in the differential even in low-risk populations and non-endemic regions due to the severity of disease complications.”
  • “When patients present with vague symptoms, it is important to keep a broad differential.”
  • “In this case, it could have been beneficial to inquire if the patient spent time outdoors or had any pets or other means by which he may have been exposed to a tick.”
Related Articles:

How long does it take for a tick to transmit Babesia?
Neurologic complications of Babesia
Patient contracts Babesia from a blood donor

References:
  1. Allen D, Getto L (May 10, 2024) An Atypical Case Presentation of Babesiosis. Cureus 16(5): e60036. doi:10.7759/cureus.60036

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**Comment**

Babesia parasitemia load can vary from 1%-80%, but >10% is considered high, and those who have one of the following: severe hemolytic anemia and/or severe pulmonary, renal or hepatic compromise should be considered for exchange transfusion.

Since this poor man had a high level of parasites and was going downhill in a hurry, lowering the parasite load was crucial to his turnaround.  Just shows you how quickly these cases can escalate.  I’m thankful the authors remind doctors to consider TBIs even in non-endemic regions, although, these are becoming less and less by the day.

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Category:

Babesia, research, Testing, Ticks, Treatment

Podcast: Advancements in Babesia Research

https://www.globallymealliance.org/videos/the-lyme-insider-podcast-a-conversation-with-dr.-choukri-ben-mamoun-and-gla-cso-dr.-tim-sellati?

The Lyme Insider Podcast: Advancements In GLA Funded Babesia Research And Clinical Implications

by Admin at Global Lyme Alliance on April 3, 2024

http://  Approx. 1.5 hours

Advancements in Babesia Resarch and Clinical Implications

Lyme Insider

Episode 1

Host Dr. Tom Moorcroft, DO, joins GLA-funded researcher Dr. Choukri Ben Mamoun and GLA Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Tim Sellati on the Lyme Insider Podcast. Together they unpack the recent GLA-funded study led by Dr. Mamoun, “Tafenoquine-Atovaquone Combination Achieves Radical Cure and Confers Sterile Immunity in Experimental Models of Human Babesiosis.”

The conversation navigates key findings, such as the promising outcomes of combination therapy in Babesia treatment and the potential for enduring immunity. They discuss nuances between tick-borne infections and the challenges of translating research into clinical applications, emphasizing the imperative for further research on dosing strategies and therapeutic indexes for Babesia treatment.

You won’t want to miss this conversation, as it highlights the implications for patient care and the evolving landscape of infectious disease management.

Key Takeaways:

  • Combination therapy with tafenoquine and atovaquone has shown promising results in the treatment of Babesia infection.
  • Immunocompromised mouse models are valuable tools for studying the efficacy of different treatments.
  • Understanding the differences between tick-borne infections is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
  • Further research is needed to determine optimal dosing and the therapeutic index of different drugs for Babesia treatment.
  • Recrudescence and treatment failure are important considerations in Babesia treatment.
  • Combination therapy can reduce the probability of resistance in parasites.
  • Dormant parasites may be responsible for relapse in Babesia infections.
  • The terminology used in scientific research may differ from the general public’s understanding.
  • Factors like sleep, stress, and nutrition can contribute to immunocompromised states.
  • Diagnostic testing for Babesia needs improvement to reduce false negatives and false positives.
  • The ultimate goal is to help patients get better by finding the right diagnosis and treatment.
  • There is a need for collaboration between clinicians, researchers, and patients to advance the understanding and treatment of tick-borne infections.

Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Overview 03:00 The Study and Key Findings 06:35 Understanding the Research and Clinical Implications 11:56 The Importance of Animal Models 14:43 Immunocompromised Mouse Models 23:22 Differences Between Tick-borne Infections 26:34 Combination Therapy: Tafenoquine and Atovaquone 32:26 Dosing and Therapeutic Index 36:48 Artemisinin as a Treatment Option 46:20 Recrudescence and Treatment Failure 48:23 Combination Therapy and Resistance 50:24 Dormant Parasites and Relapse 53:18 Terminology and Immunocompromised 56:15 Immune Dysregulation and Cold Exposure 59:14 Diagnostic Testing for Babesia 01:03:22 Improving Diagnostic Testing 01:12:12 The Goal of Helping Patients 01:20:22 Caring and Finding the Truth

Link to the paper we discussed: Tafenoquine-Atovaquone Combination Achieves Radical Cure and Confers Sterile Immunity in Experimental Models of Human Babesiosis – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38169… 

For more:

Category:

Babesia, research, Treatment

NYC Ticks Found to Carry 5 Different Infections

https://www.lymedisease.org/nyc-ticks-found-to-carry-5-different-infections/

NYC ticks found to carry 5 different infections

People often associate ticks with being in rural or suburban areas. But the infection-carrying arachnids can be found in densely populated cities as well.

In a study recently published in the Journal of Medical Entomology, researchers collected 2500 ticks from parks in four New York City boroughs—Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Brooklyn.

When they tested the ticks, they found pathogens for five human diseases:

  • Lyme disease
  • ehrlichiosis
  • babesiosis
  • anaplasmosis
  • Rocky Mountain spotted fever

You can read the open-access journal article here.

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Category:

Activism, Anaplasmosis, Babesia, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, research, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever