Archive for the ‘Lyme’ Category

Bannwarth Syndrome in Early Disseminated Lyme Disease

https://danielcameronmd.com/bannwarth-syndrome-lyme-disease/  Video Here

Bannwarth syndrome in early disseminated Lyme disease

Man with Bannwarth syndrome and lyme disease huntched over and holding his lower back.

Welcome to another Inside Lyme Podcast with your host Dr. Daniel Cameron. In this episode, Dr. Cameron will be discussing the case of a 66-year-old man with Bannwarth syndrome with urinary retention in early Lyme disease.

By

Omotosho and colleagues described this case in an article entitled “A Unique Case of Bannwarth Syndrome in Early Disseminated Lyme Disease.”¹

The man presented to the emergency room with generalized myalgia, fatigue, and severe neck pain. The symptoms had been occurring for two weeks and began shortly after he was bitten by two ticks while performing yard work.

The patient reported having dull mid-back pain, intermittent headaches, and neck stiffness. His doctor initially suspected he had pneumonia and prescribed an antibiotic. But his symptoms worsened.

“His pain then radiated down his entire spine into his upper and lower extremities, leading to right arm weakness and new urine retention onset,” the authors wrote.

“His paraspinal tenderness and diminished deep tendon reflexes bilaterally.” His pain score was 8 out of 10. The ESR rate was 100 and C-reactive protein of 8.8 mg/L.

“Physicians need to be aware of the rare neurological manifestations of [Lyme neuroborreliosis] … Prompt diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics can reduce unnecessary imaging, patient anxiety, and, most importantly, avert debilitating complications.”

Test results indicated a white blood cell count of 12 k/uL, C-reactive protein of 8.8 mg/L, sedimentation rate of 100 mm/h, and creatinine kinase of 27 units/L.

Western blot and ELISA Lyme disease tests were positive and confirmed an early stage infection with Borrelia burgdorferi. In addition, a spinal tap showed lymphocytic pleocytosis and a positive Lyme disease titer.

The man was diagnosed with Bannwarth syndrome (BWS) based on his severe radiculopathy, upper extremity weakness, and urinary dysfunction. “All of these findings are pathognomonic for [Bannwarth syndrome],” wrote the authors.

Typically, Bannwarth syndrome affects a person’s limbs. In this case, Lyme disease induced sacral radiculitis leading to neurogenic urinary dysfunction.

The authors were not sure why the patient’s urinary tract was affected. They suggested, “the influence of the radiculitis on innervating fibers” and “direct invasion of the spirochetes into the bladder wall” might have played a role.

“Early recognition of this rare presentation associated with Lyme disease and treatment with antibiotics can prevent disease progression and detrimental neurological sequelae.”

The man was treated with a 21-day course of IV ceftriaxone and “his symptoms improved with complete resolution of his urinary retention,” the authors wrote.

About Bannwarth syndrome

Bannwarth syndrome has been reported most often in Europe. And despite disputes over its incidence in the United States, “the condition does occur but is often misdiagnosed.”

BWS is characterized by a wide range of symptoms including:

  • radicular pain (100%)
  • sleep disturbances (75.3%)
  • headache (46.8%)
  • fatigue (44.2%)
  • malaise (39%)
  • paresthesia (32.5%)
  • peripheral nerve palsy (36.4%)
  • meningeal signs (19.5%)
  • paresis (7.8%)

The syndrome can cause severe pain. “BWS typically manifests itself with severe zoster-like segmental pain that is worse at night,” the authors wrote. “The pain has a burning, stabbing, biting, or tearing character and usually responds poorly to all common analgesics.”

Author’s Conclusion:

“The constellation of neurological symptoms, particularly when associated with a recent or suspected tick bite in an endemic region, should prompt thorough evaluation for [Lyme neuroborreliosis] and assessment for BWS,” the authors wrote.

The following questions are addressed in this Podcast episode:

  1. What is Bannwarth syndrome?
  2. How is BWS diagnosed and treated?
  3. What is radicular pain?
  4. What is the significance of the spinal tap findings?
  5. What is the significance of an elevated sedimentation rate and c-reactive protein?
  6. Why is BWS rarely diagnosed in the USA?
  7. What can we learn from this case?

Thanks for listening to another Inside Lyme Podcast. Please remember that the advice given is general and not intended as specific advice to any particular patient. If you require specific advice, please seek that advice from an experienced professional.

Inside Lyme Podcast Series

This Inside Lyme case series will be discussed on my Facebook page and made available on podcast and YouTube.  As always, it is your likes, comments, and shares that help spread the word about this series and our work. If you can, please leave a review on iTunes or wherever else you get your podcasts.

References:
  1. Omotosho YB, Sherchan R, Ying GW, Shayuk M. A Unique Case of Bannwarth Syndrome in Early Disseminated Lyme Disease. Cureus. Apr 25 2021;13(4):e14680. doi:10.7759/cureus.14680

For more:

Category:

Lyme, Pain Management, research, Testing, Ticks, Treatment

Brain Surgery Helped Thomas ‘Appreciate’ How ‘Lucky’ They Are

https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/rob-thomas-how-my-wife-marisols-brain-surgery-changed-me    5 Min Video Here

Two decades of experience. Rob Thomas has been married to Marisol Maldonado for over 21 years — and after she was diagnosed with several diseases following brain surgery, he realized how thankful he is for their life together.

The Matchbox Twenty singer, 49, exclusively told Us Weekly that he doesn’t have a big secret to a long-lasting marriage. He just really loves Maldonado, 51.

“We’re friends. Above everything else, she’s my best friend,” Thomas told Us. “She’s the one that I like to spend the most time with. If something’s happening and she doesn’t know about it, it doesn’t feel like it’s happening.” (See link for article and video)

_______________________

**Comment**

For those of you who are unaware, Marisol suffers with Lyme/MSIDS.

Excerpt:

Marisol’s late-stage diagnosis and presence of multiple infections means it’s harder to manage. Her treatment is constantly tweaked according to which infection is flaring up most, and involves a mixture of pharmaceutical meds and holistic therapies, some of which are not easily obtainable due to being commercially unviable.

Category:

Activism, Lyme

STARI & Lyme Disease

https://danielcameronmd.com/southern-tick-associated-rash-illness-stari-and-lyme-disease/

Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI) and Lyme disease

Welcome to another Inside Lyme Podcast with your host Dr. Daniel Cameron. In this episode, Dr. Cameron will be discussing the case of a 63-year-old woman who was diagnosed with Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI).

By

In their article “Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness: Florida’s Lyme Disease” Abdelmaseih and colleagues describe the woman’s case, highlighting the differences between STARI and Lyme disease.¹

WATCH PODCAST BELOW

http://

The patient was bitten by a lone-star tick on her right leg while camping in Gainesville, Florida. She noticed a pruritic target erythematous lesion after removing the tick.

Two weeks later she was evaluated and reported having a persistent fever, headache, and diffuse myalgias for 4 days following the tick bite. On presentation, she had a fever of 100.5 F and a tachycardia of 127 BPM, low white count, anemia, low platelet count and elevated liver function tests.

Fortunately, the patient’s symptoms resolved with a 14-day course of doxycycline.

The authors discuss the differences and similarities of STARI and Lyme disease:

  • “The associated rash is similar if not indistinguishable from Lyme disease erythema migrans, with lymphocytic dermal infiltrate.”
  • Both the diagnosis of STARI and Lyme disease are based on clinical evidence. “At the present time, there is no approved diagnostic modality to identify STARI; thus, the diagnosis must be made on clinical evidence including erythema migrans and tick exposure.”
  • The diagnosis of STARI and Lyme disease often rely on geography. “Diagnosis usually relies on geographic association (STARI from central Texas and Oklahoma eastward across the southern states and along the Atlantic coast as far north as Maine, versus Lyme disease in northeast, mid-Atlantic, and upper mid-west).”

However, the authors did not address reports documenting the presence of lone-star ticks in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and upper Midwest and of deer ticks in the South.

It has been assumed that STARI does not have any long-term sequelae.

“A recent study has suggested that STARI is transmitted by the lone-star tick Amblyoma americanum; however, it may take some time before all the necessary data can be collected, since much is still unknown about STARI.”

The treatment of STARI is also uncertain. “STARI is often treated as Lyme disease with doxycycline twice daily for 14 days; however, there is no approved treatment yet.”

The authors conclude, “STARI is an emerging Lyme-like illness that causes the characteristic rash, erythema migrans. The current incidence of STARI remains unknown as it is not nationally reportable.”

The following questions are addressed in this Podcast episode:

  1. What is STARI?
  2. Are there differences between STARI and Lyme disease rashes?
  3. Are there differences in the ticks?
  4. How is STARI diagnosed, compared to Lyme disease?
  5. What clinical evidence does one need to diagnose STARI?
  6. What are the consequences if Lyme disease or co-infections is overlooked?
  7. What do we know about ticks in the South?

Thanks for listening to another Inside Lyme Podcast. Please remember that the advice given is general and not intended as specific advice to any particular patient. If you require specific advice, please seek that advice from an experienced professional.

Inside Lyme Podcast Series

This Inside Lyme case series will be discussed on my Facebook page and made available on podcast and YouTube.  As always, it is your likes, comments, and shares that help spread the word about this series and our work. If you can, please leave a review on iTunes or wherever else you get your podcasts.

References:
  1. Abdelmaseih R, Ashraf B, Abdelmasih R, Dunn S, Nasser H. Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness: Florida’s Lyme Disease Variant. Cureus. May 28 2021;13(5):e15306. doi:10.7759/cureus.15306

___________________

**Comment**

When I speak with experts they state STARI IS LYME.  Southerners have fought to be heard.  Patients have been turned away undiagnosed and untreated and are told, “You can’t have Lyme because Lyme doesn’t exist here,” which of course is asinine.  Until the birds quit flying, rodents quit crawling, lizards and humans quit moving, and transporting ticks everywhere they go, ticks will continue to travel.

Category:

Lyme, research, Testing, Ticks, Treatment

The Mishandling of Two Pandemics & Recent Pushback

http://  Approx. 4 Min

Communication Between FBI & Pfizer about Project Veritas

Jan. 18, 2022

  • Project Veritas previously published videos of a Pfizer scientist discussing the strength of natural COVID-19 antibodies versus the vaccine with an undercover reporter.
  • Then in October, Project Veritas obtained internal company documents from a whistleblower which showed admissions from Pfizer management that aborted fetal cell lines were used in the company’s vaccine program, but that employees should just stick with Pfizer’s polished narrative omitting any mention of aborted fetal cell lines to avoid any issues with the public.
  • Pfizer scientist admits COVID antibodies pass through umbilical cord during pregnancy, and that the shot ‘just doesn’t work in some people.’
  • Researcher who blows the whistle on data integrity issues in Pfizer’s vaccine trial is promptly fired.  Claims Pfizer falsified data, unblinded patients, employed inadequately trained vaccinators, and was slow to follow up on reported adverse events.
  • Pfizer whistleblower confirms that COVID shots are bioweapons.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/doctor-suspended-for-promoting-ivermectin-sues-houston-methodist-hospital-covid-data-financial-reports

Doctor Sues Hospital for COVID Data, Financial Reports

Sarah Taylor

January 19, 2022

Dr. Mary Bowden, who was previously suspended from Houston Methodist Hospital for spreading what the hospital said was “misinformation” surrounding COVID-19 and who later quit her job there, is suing the hospital, the Texan reported.

Bowden, a private-practice otolaryngologist, promoted ivermectin as a viable COVID-19 treatment in 2020 — a move with which her employers took grave issue.  (See link for article)

  • Bowden contends medical freedom has been hijacked by hospitals, big pharma, insurance companies, and federal agencies.
  • She is requesting hospital financial documents on all revenue generated throughout the COVID-19 “vaccination” program, reimbursements/payments from government, insurance companies, patients, and any financial arrangements with pharmaceutical companies for COVID treatments.
      • A “free” required PCR test in the Emergency Room or upon admission for every patient, with government-paid fee to hospital.
      • Added bonus payment for each positive COVID-19 diagnosis.
      • Another bonus for a COVID-19 admission to the hospital.
      • A 20 percent “boost” bonus payment from Medicare on the entire hospital bill for use of remdesivir instead of medicines such as Ivermectin.
      • Another and larger bonus payment to the hospital if a COVID-19 patient is mechanically ventilated.
      • More money to the hospital if cause of death is listed as COVID-19, even if patient did not die directly of COVID-19.
      • A COVID-19 diagnosis also provides extra payments to coroners.
      • CMS implemented “value-based” payment programs that track data such as how many workers at a healthcare facility receive a COVID-19 “vaccine”. This is why many hospitals implemented COVID-19 vaccine mandates. They are paid more.  Source

https://www.change.org/p/the-us-senate-calling-for-a-congressional-investigation-of-the-cdc-idsa-and-aldf/u/30058346

The Mishandling of a Pandemic

Carl Tuttle
Hudson, NH, United States

Jan 12, 2022

Senator Rand Paul
167 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC, 20510

Dear Senator Paul,

In reference to the mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, thank you for keeping the pressure on Dr. Anthony Fauci.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JNPDf9DZDo

Americans are getting a first hand look at how our public health officials control the narrative to promote a vaccine. The Lyme disease patient population has been shouting from the rooftops for the past thirty years as this life-altering/life-threatening infection has been destroying lives, ending careers while leaving its victim in financial ruin. I provided Dr. Anthony Fauci with solid references and a 1033-page document with patient testimony identifying Lyme as a life-altering/life-threatening infection. An astute fifth grader would easily recognize something is seriously wrong here as the patient experience does not match the existing CDC disease representation. (“Hard to catch and easily treated”)

The rush to create a vaccine led to the mishandling of the disease as a chronic relapsing seronegative disease did not fit the vaccine model and the diagnostic testing was manipulated to facilitate vaccine development. (Dearborn Conference) The criteria for positive results are far too strict leaving many with false negative results. The serious consequences of untreated Lyme disease are avoided by our public health officials as the disabling stage of Lyme is denied.

I have sent many emails to Dr. Fauci over the years and have included a few below for your review.

Respectfully submitted,

Carl Tuttle
Hudson, NH

Member of Gov Chris Sununu’s Lyme Disease Study Commission
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/statstudcomm/committees/default.aspx?id=1515Calling for a Congressional investigation of the CDC, IDSA and ALDF
https://www.change.org/p/the-us-senate-calling-for-a-congressional-investigation-of-the-cdc-idsa-and-aldf
97,000 Signatures 951,373 Views and 27,324 SharesEmails to Dr. Anthony Fauci….

Date: 07/31/2018 8:40 AM
Subject: Re: Tickborne Diseases — Confronting a Growing Threat

Dr. Fauci,

Below I have listed nine randomly selected comments from disabled Lyme patients across America. These comments were collected from the petition calling for a congressional investigation into the mishandling of Lyme disease. I have THOUSANDS of these comments describing an illness that is destroying lives, ending careers, causing death and disability while leaving victims in financial ruin.

You can download the entire comment file here: (1033 pages)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qwuo4yss38ov1f3/petition_comments_June%2018%202018.pdf?dl=0

How long will you continue to ignore these patient experiences without challenging what has been deceitfully established by the CDC/IDSA and American Lyme Disease Foundation which is simply a clearinghouse for the propaganda and disinformation?

All of the honest scientific evidence/patient testimony is showing that Lyme belongs in the same health threat category as AIDS.

As you read the comments below I ask the question; does this sound like “Aches and pains of daily living”?

Comments:

1. My 16 year old daughter has late stage, neurological Lyme Disease. I have watch over the past several years as she has had to give up so much. She has stopped playing sports (basketball, soccer, and softball), dancing, eating many different foods, going to school, and even just spending time with friends. We have been to many different doctors with many different specialties looking for answers and have finally received a clinical diagnosis of Lyme Disease from two doctors who are working together to try to help her. The challenge now is to get her strong enough to endure the treatment that she is facing. We are told it may take years of treatment to get her to a reasonable quality of life. It is devastating to see my daughter struggle with all of this at a time when her friends are enjoy things like prom, graduations, and even just youth group activities while she sits at home suffering. This is a terrible disease!
Catherine Weakley, Virginia Beach, VA

2. My best friend’s life has been devastated by Lyme Disease for the last several years. If only her doctors had taken her concerns and symptoms seriously in the beginning and administered the proper tests, she may not have gone through so many years of pain. I accompanied her to these appointments and watched first hand as her symptoms were ignored and mis diagnosed over and over again. She has gone through years of suffering that could have been prevented had she been diagnosed at the start and given antibiotics. For the sake of her and the many others who are suffering needlessly I urge you to investigate this matter fully and support education, awareness, acceptance and action throughout the medical community.
Samantha Erin Barragar, Malibu, CA

3. I have been suffering from Neurological Lyme Disease since I was 15 years old. A year and a half ago, I had a serious flare up that has left me disabled with seizures, tremors, cognitive issues, immobility, and chronic pain. The severity of this disease should not be overlooked, and warrants significant research. The outdated and immoral IDSA guidelines must be investigated for the sake of all current and future persons infected with Lyme. Our voices deserve to be heard!
Caren Dandeo, Middletown, NJ

4. I’m positive for lyme and co infections and was getting better with treatment, then insurance stopped paying. I’m wheelchair bound now and cannot stand, move, or take care of myself. United HealthCare cited the CDC guidelines of 28 days of antibiotics of treatment. THAT’S NOT ENOUGH.
Doug Frenz, Hudson, OH

5. I’m only 20 years old and I’ve suffered from Lyme Disease for the past 6 years of my life. For the first few years of my disease I went undiagnosed; doctors would tell me I was crazy, and I continued to get sicker and sicker. My 15 year old sister is also really sick with Lyme and has been for years. It breaks my heart. There has to be something serious done about this epidemic, and fast.
Niki Mitchell, Binghamton, NY, NY

6. My 4 Lyme tests came back “negative” according to my PCP’s. I was “negative” for 8 years while I did indeed have Lyme. When I visited 2 LLMD’s they both verified that I had Lyme. Had it been caught 8 years prior it could have been cured. Instead, it spread to all parts of my body and brain. I in turn became a burden on the healthcare system and lost all of my assets. Accurate testing MUST be developed!
Serenaty S, New York, NY

7. I am disabled, in a wheelchair, and currently on IV medicine to try and kill off Lyme, Babesia, and Bartonella. I am in huge debt because insurance refuses to pay for anything – not doctor visits, not medicine, nothing. Too many are sick and dying. Enough.
Wendy Vogt, Redwood City, CA

8. My husband has been diagnosed with neurological lyme and the coinfections of bartonella and babesia. We spent years going form doctor to doctor trying to find out what he has. His illness reached the point where he is no longer able to work. Our insurance company will not approve the IV antibiotics he needs to get better due to the current CDC guidelines. The illness does not just affect the patient but the entire family. Lyme needs to be addressed.
Kathy Wilder Bichler, Fair Lawn, NJ

9. Spent over $100,000 dollars to get our son well in Oklahoma. 21 doctors would not recognize Lyme disease because of ignorance. We went out of state to find a LLMD. It is an awful disease and in so many ways. His Lyme test only had one band positive so according to the CDC is not proof of Lyme. Well wrong…he was pulled 5 ticks off himself and 3 days later severally I’ll for the next 2 1/2 years of being homebound. We where lucky we had a savings but I took our retirement money.
Diana Clock, Bixby, OK

PRIORITY # 1 MOVE LYME DISEASE TO HIGHEST ALERT AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THIRTY YEARS AGO!

Carl Tuttle

Lyme Endemic Hudson, NH

Lyme Disease: Call for a “Manhattan Project” to Combat the Epidemic
Raphael B. Stricker, Lorraine Johnson
Published: January 02, 2014DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.100379
http://www.plospathogens.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.ppat.1003796

“In summary, preliminary studies from the CDC indicate that the Lyme disease epidemic has reached an unprecedented level with at least 300,000 people and as many as one million people, a majority of them women and children, diagnosed with Lyme disease each year in the United States. The staggering magnitude of the epidemic should prompt the CDC to show leadership in developing new guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease. A coordinated “Manhattan project” similar to the attack mounted against the HIV/AIDS epidemic is urgently needed to address the serious worldwide threat of Lyme disease.”

Cc: Attorney Daniel Dutko of Hanszen Laporte

Representatives Chris Smith and Colin Peterson

________________________________________

On July 30, 2018 at 4:26 PM Carl Tuttle <runagain@comcast.net> wrote:

Dr. Fauci,

This is a second request for acknowledgement and response to my email dated July 26, 2018.

As an MD you are well aware that untreated syphilis leads to progressive disability and dementia while untreated HIV infection progresses to AIDS with significant disability and death. 

Again I ask the question Dr. Fauci; “What happens to the Lyme patient who went months, years or decades before diagnosis?”

Late stage Lyme disease is a horribly disabling disease and to hide this from the public while ignoring patient testimony is ethically and morally inexcusable yet this is exactly what has been taking place for the past three decades while the focus was to discredit the sick and disabled comparing the disease to the “aches and pains of daily living.” (Wormser term)

Based on the article you coauthored in the NEJM it would appear that you haven’t been entirely straightforward while omitting the facts and references I presented in my previous letter.

Please hit “Reply All” when responding to this inquiry so that those involved in Lyme disease legislation and litigation can hear from you directly. (Not a correspondence officer)

Sincerely,

-Carl Tuttle

Lyme Endemic Hudson, NH

_________________________________________________

On July 26, 2018 at 9:16 AM Carl Tuttle <runagain@comcast.net> wrote:

Tickborne Diseases — Confronting a Growing Threat

Catharine I. Paules, M.D., Hilary D. Marston, M.D., M.P.H., Marshall E. Bloom, M.D., and Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.

This article was published on July 25, 2018, at NEJM.org.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1807870

Excerpt:

“Although most cases are successfully treated with antibiotics, 10 to 20% of patients report lingering symptoms after receiving appropriate therapy.”

July 26, 2018

Office of the Director,
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID),
National Institutes of Health,
Bethesda, MD 20892
Attn: Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Director

Dear Dr. Fauci,

There has been a thirty year fixation on the acute stage of Lyme disease (with bulls-eye rash) after early treatment however patients with a prolonged exposure to the pathogen before diagnosis and initial treatment are almost always incapacitated.

You know that untreated strep throat progresses to rheumatic fever causing irreversible heart damage. What happens to the Lyme patient who went months, years or decades before diagnosis? Dr. Neil Spector required a heart transplant after his Lyme went undiagnosed for four years while his laboratory tests (serology) were repeatedly negative. [1]

Singer/songwriter Kris Kristofferson was being treated for Alzheimer’s disease when discovering he had undiagnosed Lyme disease. [2]

Autopsy results identify the destructive nature of Borrelia as evident in Vicky Logan’s liver (nutmeg liver), kidneys, heart, lungs and brain. The patient died after the insurer refused additional IV antibiotic therapy. [3]

There is a growing patient population of this class of disabled patient who has been ignored for nearly four decades. Lyme disease is a life-altering/life-threatening infection misclassified as a low-risk and non-urgent health issue through an elaborate racketeering scheme as outlined in the SHRADER & ASSOCIATES, LLP racketeering lawsuit. [4] The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has aligned themselves with the seven defendants/academics named in this RICO lawsuit.

From your article:

“Nonserologic platform technologies may also improve diagnostic capabilities, particularly in identifying emerging pathogens. Two previously unknown tickborne RNA viruses, Heartland virus and Bourbon virus, were discovered by researchers using next-generation sequencing to help link organisms with sets of unexplained clinical symptoms.”

When Sanger sequencing identified a case of chronic Lyme disease, the CDC stopped all communication with the Director of Milford Molecular Diagnostics. [5], [6]

The recently published Middelveen paper reported persistent infection as the majority of patients were culture positive for infection even after multiple years on antibiotics so there was no relief from current antimicrobials. Some patients had taken as many as eleven different types of antibiotics. [7]

_______________________

Dr. Fauci; your “Perspective” published in the New England Journal of Medicine does not mention anything I have presented here so it would appear that you are caught up in this racketeering scheme to suppress the severity of a disease that is destroying lives, ending careers, causing death and disability while leaving victims in financial ruin. There are no Public Service Announcements informing the public that you could become horribly disabled or die from Lyme disease.

It is time to move Lyme disease to HIGHEST ALERT and remove the CDC’s stronghold over the progress to find a curative approach for the late stage Lyme epidemic. [8]

Acknowledgment and response to this letter is requested.

Respectfully submitted,

Carl Tuttle
Lyme Endemic Hudson, NH

Cc: Attorney Daniel Dutko of Hanszen Laporte
Representatives Chris Smith and Colin Peterson

REFERENCES: (Please read them!)

1. What It’s Like to Have Severe Lyme Disease
https://www.thecut.com/2015/06/what-its-like-to-have-severe-lyme-disease.html

2. A Slow Slipping AwayKris Kristofferson’s Long Undiagnosed Battle with Lyme Disease.
https://www.lymedisease.org/members/lyme-times/2016-fall-news/kris-kristofferson-lyme-disease/

3. Vicky Logan’s Autopsy results
1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/5ykib95sfp66adb/Logan%20Autopsy%201.JPG?dl=0

2 https://www.dropbox.com/s/lysfqd3vjc63bkl/Logan%20Autopsy%202.JPG?dl=0

3 https://www.dropbox.com/s/zq7kj953f7mejkn/Logan%20Autopsy%203.JPG?dl=0

4 https://www.dropbox.com/s/uqkgxynm5bn88jg/Logan%20Autopsy%204.JPG?dl=0

5 https://www.dropbox.com/s/id8bbppoiscxuiq/Logan%20Autopsy%205.JPG?dl=0

6 https://www.dropbox.com/s/mnms2un02g19kg7/Logan%20Autopsy%206.JPG?dl=0

7 https://www.dropbox.com/s/nfvqbidao16yynf/Logan%20Autopsy%207.JPG?dl=0

4. SHRADER & ASSOCIATES, LLP racketeering lawsuit
https://www.dropbox.com/s/18uyrli878ug51m/LymeDisease%20RICO%20Lawsuit.pdf?dl=0

5. $57.1 Million Lyme Disease Lawsuit Filed Against CDC
https://www.change.org/p/the-us-senate-calling-for-a-congressional-investigation-of-the-cdc-idsa-and-aldf/u/22752033

6. COMPLAINT:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zem4v9sceg1v63d/Lee%20CDC%20Complaint%205-15-2018.pdf?dl=0

7.  Persistent Borrelia Infection in Patients with Ongoing Symptoms of Lyme Disease
http://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/6/2/33

8. Lyme Disease: Call for a “Manhattan Project” to Combat the Epidemic
Raphael B. Stricker, Lorraine Johnson

Published: January 02, 2014DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.100379

http://www.plospathogens.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.ppat.1003796

Thanks to your support this petition has a chance at winning! We only need 52,304 more signatures to reach the next goal – can you help?

For more:

The problem is researchers in academia obtain money from the government.  Dr. Fauci, holds the keys to the coffer.  Hopefully by now it is evident to all that he is one of the most corrupt individuals on the planet and he will do whatever it takes to get what he wants – lie, cover up, deny, and hide.  He is not only behind the COVID debacle, but the Lyme debacle as well. 

Public health has become nothing more than a pharmaceutical arm and patients are the losers. 

I write about the similarities between how COVID and Lyme has been handled here: 

Category:

Activism, Lyme, vaccines, Viruses

High Cost of Treating Lyme Arthritis in Children With Surgery

https://danielcameronmd.com/high-cost-lyme-arthritis-children-surgery/

High cost of treating Lyme arthritis in children with surgery

lyme arthritis in children being treated by doctor wrapping knee

A study by Tout and colleagues investigated how operative management impacts the clinical course and health care costs of pediatric patients hospitalized with Lyme arthritis.

“We hypothesized that surgery does not improve clinical outcomes for children with Lyme arthritis but does increase resource utilization and cost,” the authors wrote.

By Dr. Daniel Cameron

In their article “The Impact of Operative Intervention in Pediatric Lyme Arthritis,” Tout et al. described 149 children admitted to a tertiary care children’s hospital in Pennsylvania who had been diagnosed with Lyme arthritis between 2008 and 2018.¹

All of the children met the CDC case definition, had Lyme arthritis, and were culture negative. The average age of the children was 6.7 years with a range of 4.5 to 9.7 years.

Out of the 149 patients, 47 underwent orthopedic intervention.

The study found:

  • 1 in 3 children underwent surgery
  • 2 out of 3 underwent open surgery
  • The remaining children underwent arthroscopic surgery. One child underwent arthroscopic surgery followed by open surgery. And, just over 50% of the children underwent a synovectomy.

Two children were re-admitted for surgical complications — one for wound dehiscence and the other for “persistence of arthritis in the setting of inappropriate initial antibiotic therapy (first-generation cephalosporin).”

“This retrospective cohort study demonstrates that operative intervention for Lyme arthritis does not improve outcomes, though it does increase cost and health care utilization.”

“One child was admitted due to persistent symptoms despite appropriate antibiotic therapy (doxycycline) for therapeutic arthrocentesis,” Tout wrote.

Cost and Outcome for Operative Intervention

The length of stay for children undergoing surgery was longer (3.17 vs. 1.40 days) and the cost was higher ($27,850 vs. $10,716) than children who did not have surgery. However, the outcome was the same for both groups (98% for each).

The two children who did not experience symptom resolution were diagnosed with a rheumatologic condition (e.g., juvenile idiopathic arthritis).

READ MORE: Preventing unnecessary surgery for children with Lyme arthritis

The authors were not able to definitively comment on why each child was admitted and why a subset underwent surgery.  One reason may have been the turnaround time for Lyme disease testing, as this was “typically 3 to 8 days, which is generally considered too long to wait if there was a concern for a septic joint.”

Authors’ Conclusion

“This retrospective cohort study demonstrates that operative intervention for Lyme arthritis does not improve outcomes, though it does increase cost and health care utilization.”

The authors emphasized the need for “rapid Lyme diagnostic testing in Lyme-endemic areas, the importance of increased provider awareness of the expanding distribution of Lyme disease when assessing acute undifferentiated arthritis, and the need for additional research in elucidating factors that can distinguish Lyme arthritis from septic arthritis.”

Editor’s perspective: The authors did not address the long-term cost of surgical intervention after open knee surgery and/or synovectomy.  I always examine children diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis for evidence of a persistent tick-borne infection.

Successful treatment for Lyme arthritis after knee surgery
Diagnosing Lyme arthritis of the hip in children
Will steroid injections help children with lyme arthritis of the knee?

References:
  1. Tout AR, McClincy M, Anderson A, Nowalk A, Campfield BT. The Impact of Operative Intervention in Pediatric Lyme Arthritis. J Pediatr Orthop. 2021 Nov-Dec 01;41(10):e911-e916. doi: 10.1097/BPO.0000000000001959. PMID: 34483307.

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**Comment**

Of course the obvious issue this study doesn’t address is persistent/chronic infection which often improves or eradicates symptoms with appropriate antimicrobial treatment. Researchers/medical professionals continue to view this through a myopic, simplistic lens and until that changes patients will not obtain help from mainstream and will continue to have to hunt for experienced Lyme literate professionals.

Regarding knee arthritis, please also see: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/05/09/rheumatological-presentation-of-bartonella-koehlerae-henselae-a-case-report-chiropractors-please-read/

I suspect Bartonella plays a major role in my knee/joint popping, which started when I became infected and has persisted to this day. I’ve struggled with a Baker’s cyst in my knee now for 6 months. I’ve tried many things over the years for inflammation/pain including DMSO & MSM, systemic enzymes, Class IV lasers, and biomats utilizing PEMF & red light therapy. The cyst has me pounding the pavement once more for possible treatments and relief. Here’s what I’ve discovered so far:

  • http://www.doctoryourself.com/index.html  This wonderful website by Dr. Saul that is chuck full of conditions and remedies. When you click on the arthritis links on the far right hand side, you will discover that juicing (getting micronutrients already broken down), sprouting (more living micronutrients), and vitamins D, A, C, and niacinamide have miraculously helped those with severe arthritis.  I’ve begun all of these modalities, some of which I was already doing, but now am spreading the niacinamide doses throughout the day which is making a big difference.

It has been found in the treatment of joint dysfunction that the manner in which the daily dosage of niacinamide is divided has an important bearing on the the therapeutic results achieved; e.g., 300 mg niacinamide given three times daily (900 mg/24 hours) is inferior in its therapeutic action to 150 mg niacinamide administered every 3 hours for 6 daily doses (900 mg/24 hours).

I have found this to be the case as well.

I’ve already had noticable results with the juicing, sprouting, and vitamin C/niacinamide supplements.  Pain has diminished by over half and cyst is shrinking, allowing a greater range of movement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Category:

Lyme, research