Archive for the ‘Lyme’ Category

“What is Happening Here is Criminal and If You Don’t Believe Me, Ask Anyone With Lyme.”

https://www.change.org/p/the-us-senate-calling-for-a-congressional-investigation-of-the-cdc-idsa-and-aldf/u/33514992?

“What is happening here is criminal and if you don’t believe me, ask ANYONE with Lyme.”

Carl Tuttle
Hudson, NH, United States
May 11, 2025

All Tuttle family members experienced this travesty so everything you are about to read in this Facebook post is true and it has been ongoing for three decades. It is criminal and all a result of the rush to create a vaccine. A chronic relapsing seronegative disease does not fit the business model of patent royalties, vaccine development and pharmaceutical profits. So deny the chronically infected and your patent royalties continue to reap benefits. 

In other words, patent royalties and pharmaceutical profits over lifesaving care.

Those who have colluded to suppress evidence of antibiotic resistance (chronic Lyme) should be prosecuted and sent to jail.

Everyone happy with the way our Public Health Officials handled Covid?? The sick and disabled Lyme community has been SHOUTING from the rooftops for decades!!! Everyone knows someone who has been horribly affected by Lyme disease… SHARE WIDELY!!!

Kegin Freedom

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=30451510191160844&set=a.199275693477692

I’ve tried explaining this a few times and I won’t stop until people get it. This isn’t like cancer or any other disease where I can go to a Dr that’s covered by my insurance and receive treatment. What is happening here is criminal and if you don’t believe me, ask ANYONE with Lyme.

First, you have to get a Dr to agree to do a Lyme test. Don’t ask me why but they don’t like doing them. Most Dr’s believe Lyme is extremely rare. It’s not btw so if they agree to do it, great. Now you’re gonna go home for up to 10 days while you wait on this test. In the meantime, you’re gonna be sick as hell. You’re gonna be so tired you can’t get up. You’re gonna be dizzy even while lying down. You’re gonna see floaters in your eyes 24/7. When you get up to pee, your legs are gonna weigh 500 pounds. You’re gonna feel like your insides are on fire. You’re gonna not have much of an appetite and you’re gonna possibly lose weight. Now imagine having Ebola and you can’t get any meds because hey, you’re waiting on that test. Now imagine that test comes back with two bands. They are looking for antibodies to Borrelia. Ok, so you got two bands. Dr tells you it’s negative. The CDC says you have to have FIVE bands. You go home and you don’t get better, but hey Dr says you don’t have Lyme. There is no reason to have five bands other than outright lies and denying Lyme exists. Any bands mean you have Borrelia. Now there’s IGG AND IGM. IGM means you have active Borrelia in your blood. IGG means past infection. Drs don’t even know how to read these tests. Do you get that? They don’t know. I had to educate myself. So let’s say my Dr told me I was negative and I didn’t know any better and was sent home. Do you realize what that means? That means to this day I wouldn’t know what was wrong with me. Now let’s move to the next step, let’s say the Dr believes you and says ok you have Lyme. Now you’re gonna get Doxy for a week or two. Do you understand that you can’t get better in that short amount of time? Don’t believe me? Find me one person that did. Just ONE! You can’t. It takes a minimum of 3-6 months. That’s minimum!!!! Ok, so now you’ve got your two weeks of doxy and you’re supposed to be better now. Are you getting it yet?

Now all this time you’ve probably needed IV ABX and if you’re not one of the lucky ones that got that, guess what’s happening? As you’re body is infested with Borrelia, it’s now drilled itself into your tissues. Remember I told you Borrelia is the cousin of syphillis and it’s a corkscrew shaped bacteria that is literally drilling into every tissue. Brain, heart, lungs, thyroid, etc., Now you’ve got arthritis, now you have heart problems, thyroid problems. Now you’re really sick. Guess what comes next? You start reading. You realize you’re in big trouble. You call your Dr back. They say look you’re on the Doxy so you go to two more specialists. They do more bloodwork, tests, MRI’s, CT scans, but they can’t find anything wrong with you. All the tests are great! You’re a specimen of great health!

If you’re still with me, hang in there, this is where it gets good. So you have enough sense still to start researching, and you realize you probably have other diseases the tick gave you called co infections (Babesia, Bartonella, etc.,) You try to get your Dr to test for those. Well, maybe insurance will cover that. Maybe not. So here’s where Lyme _ _ _ _ _ you every which way. Your immune system has now shut down. Just like AIDS so now you’re lucky if you show up positive for these things because you’re body isn’t making antibodies. You still following me? Here’s where it gets good. You start hearing about Lyme Dr’s. You’re like great! Finally! _ _ _ _ _ _ _ help! But you call and they say cash only. We don’t accept insurance. You’re like what kind of nightmare am I in? Here’s where you’re in trouble if you don’t have the money. Now what do you do? Who’s gonna help you without being able to pay these Lyme drs. And you have to be careful, there’s a lot of Dr’s out there preying on the weak and desperate and that’s exactly what we are by this point. Even these celebrities who have millions are trying anything to get well. You haven’t seen anything like Lyme in your life! I’m tired of trying to explain what we go though. We don’t want your sympathy! We want you to care enough to change our laws! There are so many out here suffering and it should be a crime what’s happening! The testing is inaccurate. The treatment doesn’t work (that doxy for a few weeks) its not enough. Now imagine you’re this sick with Lyme (Borellia) and all these co infections. Lyme isn’t done with you yet. Now that immune system I told you about. Now anything you’ve ever had is going to come out because your immune system can’t fight it off. You ever had chicken pox? You got it now in addition to Lyme. You ever had hand, foot, and mouth. Yeah, me either but I do now because I clearly have been exposed to it probably from my kids. Ever had cold sores? You do now! Do you get it yet? What does this sound like? It sounds like AIDS doesn’t it? It sounds like an immunosuppressive person. Welp, try getting a Dr to see it that way. Now add into all that _ _ _ _ show people telling you you’re not that sick. Add into that everyday life that goes on whether you’re sick or not. Lyme has an astronomical suicide rate. Do you still need to ask why? If you know someone with Lyme, please share this post

Any questions?

Carl Tuttle
Independent Researcher
Hudson, NH

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

2. Under our Skin 5min extended trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxWgS0XLVqw

3. The Quiet Epidemic – Official Trailer (2min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4C71N290co

“In the fullness of time, the mainstream handling of Chronic Lyme Disease will be viewed as one of the most shameful episodes in the history of medicine because elements of academic medicine, elements of government, and the entire insurance industry colluded to deny a disease.”    -Kenneth B. Liegner, MD, Internal Medicine, New York

_______________

**Comment**

Hit the nail squarely on the head.

For more:

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Testing, Treatment

GLA Grantee Publishes Two Studies in Leading Journal

https://www.globallymealliance.org/news/gla-grantee-publishes-two-pivotal-studies-in-leading-journal?

GLA Grantee Publishes Two Pivotal Studies in Leading Journal

by Admin at Global Lyme Alliance on April 23, 2025

<span id="hs_cos_wrapper_name" class="hs_cos_wrapper hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field hs_cos_wrapper_type_text" style="" data-hs-cos-general-type="meta_field" data-hs-cos-type="text" >GLA Grantee Publishes Two Pivotal Studies in Leading Journal</span>

April 23, 2025–Global Lyme Alliance (GLA) is proud to announce that Dr. Brandon Jutras, a GLA grantee and researcher at Northwestern University, has published two pivotal studies in Science Translational Medicine, which were selected for the journal’s cover, highlighting the significance and innovation of the work.

The twin studies were published online today. In the first study, Dr. Jutras and his team demonstrate that fragments of the Borrelia burgdorferi cell wall, called peptidoglycan, can persist in the livers of mice and in the joints of patients with Lyme arthritis. These bacterial remnants may act as a trigger for continued inflammation even after the infection has been treated. 

In the second study, the researchers explore the use of piperacillin, a beta-lactam antibiotic, as a novel therapeutic strategy in Lyme disease. While piperacillin was highly effective at killing B. burgdorferi in both in vitro models and mice, it was shown to cause less disruption to the gut microbiome than other commonly used antibiotics, an important advantage in reducing unintended harm to beneficial bacteria.

“The new publications represent a significant step forward in Lyme disease research, at a time when the geographic range of Lyme disease–transmitting ticks is expanding and more individuals are at risk of both acute infection and long-term complications” said GLA’s Chief Scientific Officer, Armin Alaedini, PhD. “Dr. Jutras’s research provides important insights into how bacterial remnants may contribute to persistent inflammation and points to promising new directions for both diagnosis and therapeutic intervention.”

GLA’s funding of these studies is part of its ongoing mission to advance innovative, high-impact science that can transform outcomes for the millions affected by Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

About Global Lyme Alliance:
Global Lyme Alliance is the leading Lyme disease nonprofit dedicated to fighting Lyme disease through research, awareness, and patient support.

Media Contact:
Please email info@gla.org for media inquiries.

Publications:

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.adr9091 

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.adr2955

______________

**Comment**

I hate to let the air out of the balloon but this is not new news.  Knowing that bacterial fragments can cause inflammation has been studied ad nauseum:

When is persistent infection going to be studied?

We need a redo regarding Lyme/MSIDS research.  It’s all based upon a false premise by those with conflicts of interest:

Category:

Lyme, research, Treatment

Charting a Path Towards New Treatments for Chronic Lyme Disease

https://www.lymedisease.org/charting-a-path-towards-new-treatments-for-chronic-lyme-disease/

Charting a path towards new treatments for chronic Lyme disease

Last year, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) convened a committee of experts to review the research on chronic Lyme disease and figure out what it would take to develop better treatments.

Now, that committee has completed its report, entitled Charting a Path Toward New Treatments for Lyme Infection-Associated Chronic Illnesses.

Click here to download a copy of the report.

On May 9, NASEM will host a public webinar explaining the report and answering questions about it.

Click here to register for the webinar.

_______________

**Comment**

I haven’t read this sucker yet – it’s 253 pages, but I’ve become so jaded with research for tick-borne illness that I’m dreading it already.

Until we start OVER, and I mean from square one, research is all tainted and based on false premises.  Don’t believe me?  Listen to Willy himself:

http://

Willy Burgforfer, Ph.D. Lyme Disease ‘Discoverer’

Category:

Lyme, research

Back Pain Mystery Solved – It Was Lyme Disease

https://danielcameronmd.com/back-pain-lyme-disease/

Back Pain Mystery Solved… It Was Lyme Disease

Posted By: Dr. Daniel Cameron
4/8/25

Back pain is one of the most common complaints in medicine. For most people, it’s caused by something mechanical—disc degeneration, a pinched nerve, or muscle strain. But sometimes, the cause isn’t physical at all. I had a patient whose back pain defied every explanation—until we found an answer where no one had thought to look: Lyme disease.

Surgery and Rehab: A Promising Start

My patient had a long history of lower back pain. After struggling with it for years, he underwent back surgery and engaged in a dedicated course of physical therapy. For the first time in years, he was pain-free. He felt like he had his life back. He returned to daily activities, enjoyed time with his family, and was finally free from the constant burden of discomfort.

The Pain Returns—Worse Than Before

Months later, his pain came back.

But this time, it was different. It was severe, deep, and unrelenting. He hadn’t lifted anything heavy. There was no trauma. His physical therapy routine had remained consistent. Yet the pain—centered in his lower back—grew worse by the week.

He returned to his neurosurgeon. Imaging showed no new issues—no disc herniation, no surgical complications, nothing to explain the pain.

A 9-Month Search for Answers

He was referred to pain management. Tried anti-inflammatories. Tried physical therapy again. Tried trigger point injections. Nothing helped. The pain was taking a toll—physically, emotionally, and socially. He couldn’t sleep well. He avoided movement for fear of worsening his pain.

For nine months, every path led to a dead end.

No Tick Bite. No Rash. But Something Was Off

What made this case even more puzzling was the absence of any red flags we usually look for with infections. There was no tick bite, no erythema migrans rash, and no fevers. Lyme disease wasn’t even on the radar.

But other symptoms began to appear—fatigue, low mood, brain fog, and a growing sensitivity to heat and cold. It no longer seemed like just a spine problem.

A Broader Workup—and a Surprising Diagnosis

Because his symptoms were no longer isolated to his back, we broadened the differential diagnosis. We tested for autoimmune conditions, neurologic disorders, and chronic infections.

That’s when a Lyme disease test came back positive—specifically, multiple IgG Western blot bands consistent with a late-stage infection.

The pieces started to fall into place.

How Lyme Disease Can Cause Back Pain

Lyme disease is caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. While many associate Lyme with joint pain or flu-like symptoms, it can also cause inflammation of nerve roots—a condition known as radiculitis—which can feel exactly like sciatica or disc-related back pain.

In some patients, Lyme disease affects the central nervous system and causes neuropathic pain that does not respond to typical treatments like surgery or anti-inflammatories. And in late-stage Lyme, patients often do not recall any early signs of infection. Studies estimate that 30% or more of patients with Lyme disease never see the tick or develop a rash.

Treatment—and Recovery

Once diagnosed, my patient began antibiotic treatment tailored to neurological Lyme disease. Within a few weeks, his pain began to improve. Slowly but surely, the deep, burning back pain that had plagued him for nearly a year began to fade. So did the fatigue, brain fog, and other symptoms.

Within a few months, he was functioning well again—and back to enjoying his life.

What This Case Teaches Us

This case highlights something crucial: Lyme disease doesn’t always follow the rules.

  • You don’t need to have joint swelling or fever.
  • You don’t need a textbook presentation for it to be real.
  • When conventional explanations fall short, it’s time to think more broadly.

Five key takeaways:

  1. Chronic back pain may have non-mechanical causes.
    Not all back pain stems from disc problems or muscle strain. Sometimes the root cause is something unexpected—like a persistent infection such as Lyme disease.
  2. A normal MRI doesn’t rule out a serious problem.
    Imaging can appear normal even when significant symptoms are present. Lyme-related nerve inflammation may not be visible on routine scans.
  3. Failed back surgery syndrome may not always be surgical failure.
    When pain returns after a successful procedure, it may not be the spine at fault. An undiagnosed infection or inflammatory process could be the real culprit.
  4. Pain that doesn’t respond to standard treatment deserves further    investigation.
    If physical therapy, injections, and medications fail, it’s time to look beyond conventional explanations and consider underlying systemic causes.
  5. Lyme disease can cause neuropathic and radicular pain.
    Lyme disease can inflame nerve roots, creating symptoms that mimic sciatica or spinal disorders—without any visible structural damage.

When to Suspect Lyme Disease in Back Pain

Consider Lyme disease in patients with unexplained back pain when:

  • Imaging doesn’t match the severity of the symptoms
  • Pain worsens despite appropriate treatment
  • There are neurologic symptoms (numbness, tingling, burning pain)
  • Fatigue, brain fog, or mood changes are also present
  • The patient lives in or has visited a tick-endemic area (Northeast, Midwest, or Pacific Northwest)

Final Thoughts: Look Deeper When Pain Persists

Lyme disease can mimic many conditions. This patient’s story reminds us that when the usual explanations fall short, we must keep asking questions and consider less obvious diagnoses.

Back pain is common. But if it’s unresponsive to treatment and comes with a set of symptoms that don’t quite add up, look deeper.

Because sometimes, it’s not the spine—it’s the infection you didn’t know was there.

________________

For more:

Category:

Lyme, Pain Management

Live Lyme Awareness Events

Dr. Rawls Live Lyme Awareness Event

Lyme Awareness Month is well underway, and the stories and conversations happening in the #WeSeeYou space are already inspiring real connection and momentum.
We’re especially excited for our featured event this Friday at 1 PM ET, where we’ll be joined by Nicole Bell, author of What Lurks in the Woods.
Nicole will share her powerful journey through illness, caregiving, and advocacy—shining a light on what it means to search for answers in the face of the unknown.
Now the CEO of Galaxy Diagnostics, Nicole brings a unique blend of personal and professional insight into the challenges of chronic illness and the urgent need for better diagnostics and deeper understanding.

New Podcast Conversations with Dr. Rawls

This month, Dr. Rawls has been sharing his insights on chronic illness and recovery through a series of podcast interviews.

Catch him on:

  • Culture Apothecary – A heartfelt discussion on healing, trauma, and resilience in chronic illness. Listen or watch here »
  • Ancient Health Podcast with Dr. Chris Motley – A dynamic conversation covering chronic infections, herbal therapies, and how cellular health is key to recovery. Listen here »

Save the Date and RSVP:

Join us next week for a live conversation with Olivia Abrams, co-founder and CEO of TiCK MiTT to hear her powerful story of being impacted by Lyme disease as a child and how it led her to create a tool with her father that’s changing prevention for others! Hosted by Ali Moresco.

Event Date: Wednesday, May 14th, 2 pm ET

RSVP here »

We hope to see you at an upcoming event soon!
– The RawlsMD Team
P.S. Get a pair of our limited edition Lyme Awareness Sunglasses at Vital Plan! Buy a pair for your self or a loved one or get a pair for free with any order over $50 at Vital Plan.

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Uncategorized