Archive for the ‘Supplements’ Category

The Lyme Solution: My Comments

 Approx. 3:45 Min

Dr. Ingels, author of The Lyme Solution

In this video, Dr. Ingels (ND) presents his firsthand experience with LD.  He had many symptoms and even the “classic” bullseye rash.  LD took a toll on his job, relationships and overall health.  He initially used antibiotics over 8-9 months and felt worse.  He says conventional medicine failed him and that he believes in the body’s innate capacity to heal.  “The Lyme Solution” is a 5-part plan:  • fix your digestion and heal your gut • teach you to eat food that nourishes your body and reduces inflammation • treat your infection naturally • remove toxins that affect your immune system • get the best sleep and exercise If you’ve been feeling any combination of these symptoms and you haven’t discovered why you feel this way, then it’s time to find out if it’s Lyme disease. Find out now at his website at http://www.DarinIngelsND.com

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**Comment**

Conventional medicine didn’t fail him – it just wasn’t enough and rarely is.  In response to feeling worse before better that’s how this disease rolls.  Syphilis is similar in this regard.  It’s called a herxheimer reaction.  When you take antimicrobials like antibiotics, your body experiences an autoimmune type response when it finally identifies dead pathogens floating around in your blood stream.  The immune system all of a sudden understands who the bad guys are.  The body’s reaction of inflammation and pain are the outcome of successfully killing pathogens.

Experience has shown me that people often do not give credit to antibiotics.  He admits he took them for 8-9 months effectively reducing pathogens.  The unfortunate truth about Lyme/MSIDS treatment is you are going to feel worse before you feel better.  The herxheimer reaction is very real:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2015/08/15/herxheimer-die-off-reaction-explained/.  LLMD’s all admit that one of the challenges is in balancing killing with the ability to detox, thereby reducing the herx as much as possible.

This complex disease will sift you like wheat and take you to some very low places.  It is unlike anything you’ve ever dealt with before.  I felt like death on a stick for over 4 years of treatment using antibiotics, blood ozone with UV light, IV vitamins, hormones, herbs, detox treatments, probiotics & supplements, and more I’ve probably forgotten.  But antibiotics WORKED!  At times they worked too well and the herxes were surreal.  But, my husband and I are living examples that taking oral antibiotics for years can work.  We are off all treatment but a maintenance dose of herbs to keep things at bay.

One of the most difficult aspects of this journey is people can not believe how badly they feel, how poorly doctors are educated, necessitating their own advocacy, and how long it takes to recover.  In my experience it’s also quite common to need numerous doctors.  Lyme/MSIDS can affect every organ in your body and wreak unbelievable havoc.  Doctors typically have their specialities or “hobby horses” they know well.  Lyme/MSIDS patients often “out grow” their own doctors and need help from other sources whether it be diet/nutrition, psych help, heart issues, bone/joint issues, dermatology, pain relief, and on and on.  I know patients that see 3-4 different medical professionals for very real issues.  Don’t be afraid to seek out help from other sources.

Please notice Ingel’s treatment took 3 years.  His approach is NOT a magic bullet. Nor is it curative in that it eradicates all pathogens (at least regarding Bb).  Treatment takes YEARS and there are many facets to successful treatment but never underestimate the killing prong of treatment that antibiotics can accomplish.  Dr. Horowitz, a knowledgable Lyme literate doctor, has gone on record stating herbs alone have about a 70% success rate in his practice.  Some patients have severe psych and cognitive issues.  Would you treat tertiary Syphilis with herbs alone?  Neuro Lyme is no different.

In my experience the folks that do poorly on antibiotics can not detox properly or are using the wrong drugs or wrong dosage.  If they can fix their detox pathways, and get the proper drug and dosage, antibiotics work, if they can’t, they often have to choose something else.  I am thankful there are options.  Never diss something that doesn’t work for you because it will work for someone else.

Another reason for treatment failure is NOT EVERYTHING IS LYME.  There are other coinfections necessitating other drugs, as well as the fact borrelia has 3 forms necessitating antimicrobials that address each form.  There’s a lot of guess work involved in treatment and a lot of experimentation.  One of the reasons I write about the different pathogens is that so you can understand how they work and what it takes to effectively deal with them.  Beyond that complexity there’s the importance of supporting the immune system, obtaining refreshing sleep, detoxing, addressing the gut, psychological/cognitive needs, addressing things like mold and MCAS, and so on to infinity.  Every patient is different requiring different components of individualized treatment.

I don’t want any of you to come away thinking there’s a “magic bullet” to tick borne illness – that this book or one particular treatment is going to “cure” everyone.  If someone claims that they are selling something.  A magic bullet doesn’t exist for everyone.  Period.

I had an extremely negative experience with well-meaning people who attempted to make me feel guilty about taking antibiotics.  It was probably when I was at my lowest and very vulnerable. Mind you, I hadn’t taken antibiotics for my entire adult life so I’m not even a huge fan; however, they were the most effective treatment I’ve used, and were for my husband, as well as many, many patients I’ve dealt with over the years.  Again, we used many other adjunctive therapies as well.

Bottom line:  Give credit where credit’s due.  Antibiotics work.  Don’t get a “mightier than thou” attitude & diss treatments you don’t like or didn’t work for you.  Remain open minded regarding treatment – remembering we are all different.  Don’t be afraid to try numerous things.  Stick with those that work.  When you reach a plateau, work with your practitioner and switch things up and remain open to that one thing that might really make a difference for you.  And mostly, remember that this complex illness is unlike anything you’ve ever treated before and will require savvy, wisdom, knowledge, open-mindedness, patience, and most of all humor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Category:

Activism, diet and nutrition, Gut Health, Herbs, Inflammation, Lyme, Supplements, Treatment

Can’t Sleep? 18 Plants & Herbs Can Help

vitalplan.com/blog/natural-sleep-aids?

Natural Sleep Aids
18 plants and herbs for better sleep

by Beth Janes | Posted March 30th, 2018

We’ve all been there: Exhausted, but sleep just isn’t happening. Maybe your brain won’t shut down, or you can’t get comfortable. Or perhaps you did manage to drift off, but woke up feeling like you ran 8 miles, not slept 8 hours.

What gives? It’s likely a disruption in the normal tides of brain chemicals that are tuned into your circadian rhythms, says Dr. Bill Rawls, medical director of Vital Plan. And these rhythms are what either keep us awake or put us to sleep.

“During the day, levels of the stress hormone cortisol are elevated, which helps us get through day-to-day activities,” Dr. Rawls explains. In the evening, cortisol and its cohorts are supposed to ebb, making way for the flow of a new set of relaxing chemicals that induce and sustain sleep. However, stress and other factors, such as stuffy sinuses or aches and pains, can throw off the chemical tides—and your Zzzs.

While you may be tempted to pop a sleeping pill, they can come with dependency and other unwanted side effects. Instead, consider turning first to nature’s pharmacy. Research shows it’s stocked with plants that can promote a healthy sleep environment and may help you unwind, drift off, and wake up feeling energized and refreshed.

Here are three tips and a garden of options to try:

1. Bring nature into your bedroom

Not only do studies suggest that simply being around plants can help you feel calmer, certain varieties are especially effective at scrubbing the air of pollutants that cause sleep-disrupting symptoms, according to a paper in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Others, meanwhile, give off rest-promoting aromas.

• Air purifying houseplants

Take your pick of Areca, lady and bamboo palms, English Ivy, Boston fern, peace lily and Ficus. All are on the top-10 list of best houseplants for their ability to remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from indoor air, as assessed by a NASA researcher. Many building and household materials like paint, carpeting, and cleaning supplies release VOCs, which are known to irritate eyes and airways and trigger headaches and fatigue—in other words, symptoms that mess with sleep.

• Calming houseplants

Scents are known to affect the nervous system, and science shows that lavender, jasmine, and gardenia are especially calming. For example, researchers at Wesleyan University found that when people sniffed lavender oil before bed, they spent more time in deep sleep and felt more energized and refreshed in the morning. In another study from Wheeling Jesuit University, people were exposed to jasmine scents while sleeping, causing them to move around less, indicating better-quality sleep.

2. Sip your way to better sleep

There’s something immediately calming about cupping your hands around a warm mug of herbal tea and breathing in the steam that wafts up. But the right mix of steeped herbs in your cup could make the ritual even more effective.

Here are three teas to look for:

• Passion flower

“Passion flower helps bring on calm, and it also promotes muscle relaxation,” says Dr. Rawls. Those two benefits make this Amazonian plant especially effective for promoting sleep. In fact, people who drank passion flower tea for a week reported better sleep quality than when they drank a placebo tea, according to a study from Monash University in Australia.

• Chamomile and valerian

Perhaps the two most common herbal ingredients found in bedtime teas, their sleep-supporting benefits are well supported by research. For example, postnatal women who drank chamomile tea for two weeks reported less sleep interference from physical symptoms, according to a study in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

Just be sure to listen to your body if you try these teas. While chamomile works well for many, it may keep others awake, Dr. Rawls says. Likewise for valerian: “About 25 percent of people who take it can feel agitated,” he says.

3. Use herbal supplements for temporary support

Certain herbs are believed to help you rest by affecting the brain’s gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a key neurotransmitter that induces sleep, Dr. Rawls says. The caveat: They work best if taken only intermittently — a few nights in a row to deal with occasional sleep trouble.

“If you use anything that hits the GABA system every night, whether it’s herbs or drugs, it can suppress natural GABA over time,” says Dr. Rawls. “That can cause a rebound effect that makes insomnia worse.”

Here are a few Dr. Rawls recommends for occasional sleep support:

• Passion flower

Tea isn’t the only way to take advantage of the calming properties held in the leaves of this pretty plant. For instance, a study in the Journal of Anesthesia found that patients about to undergo spinal anesthesia who took passion flower extract felt calmer than those who received a placebo. Another study found that a combination of passion flower, valerian, and hops worked significantly well for improving occasional sleeplessness.

• Bacopa

An herb native to India, bacopa has been used for thousands of years and is best known to help support memory, focus, and mental function. But it’s also calming and has a mild sedative effect, Dr. Rawls says. One study, for example, showed the herb could help mitigate some of the effects of stress.

• Motherwort

Although it originated in central Eurasia, this member of the mint family has long been used in herbal medicine, and it now grows in gardens in temperate areas of the world. “It’s a nice, calming herb that affects dopamine and has sleep-promoting qualities,” Dr. Rawls says. Russian researchers found that in subjects with high blood pressure and sleep problems, 80% of those who took motherwort saw significant or moderate improvement in low mood and related sleep trouble.

• Ashwagandha, magnolia, and phellodendron

“The key to a good night’s sleep isn’t what you do at bedtime, but instead it’s what you’re doing during the day,” Dr. Rawls says. Herbs like ashwagandha, an adaptogen that hails from India and parts of Africa, as well as magnolia and phellodendron help moderate daytime stress and may set the stage for healthy sleep.

Utilizing houseplants, teas, and supplements may be all you need for a good night’s rest. But for the best and lasting results, Dr. Rawls recommends combining plants with lifestyle changes that are known to improve sleep long-term.

“Regular exercise and other stress-reducing activities, as well as practicing healthy sleep hygiene like limiting screen time at night, are also essential elements for enjoying optimal sleep.”

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**Comment**
Lack of sleep is a huge problem with Lyme/MSIDS patients.  We slump through the day, feeling exhausted and depleted, and then roam the halls like zombies all night long.
I tried many, many things over the years and frankly, the best thing that helped me was Lyme/MSIDS treatment.  Get rid of the bugs and you can sleep again.
However, some other things that had limited effect were melatonin & valerian root tincture for me, and 5-HTP, & Gabapentin for my husband.  I know many patients who have to resort to stronger medications to get relief.
Some other hacks I learned through the years:
  • Try and determine if you can’t get to sleep or stay asleep, or both, as that will help your doctor pin point your problem and help you find the right remedy.
  • Get away from all blue-screens (computers, phones, iPads, etc.) preferably hours before bedtime, as that type of light tricks the body into thinking it’s day.
  • Establish a night time routine.
  • Perhaps take a nightly bath in epsom salts for detoxing and relaxing.
  • Read a book that will relax you – or even comics.
  • If you have a racing mind, keep a notebook and pen by your bed to write wandering thoughts or “to-do” lists so you can free your mind up.
  • Sleep in a completely blackened out room as any light will affect melatonin production.  If you can’t obtain that, wear a sleep mask.
  • If noises bother you, wear ear-plugs.
  • Exercise is important, but don’t do it too close to bedtime as it will rev you up.  And, speaking of exercise, do what feels good.  We have enough pain without adding more.  I walked.  Walking, as it didn’t give me pain, helped me tease out what was Lyme/MSIDS related pain as I knew it wasn’t due to walking.  If you are just starting up; however, you will notice it in your calves, shins, hips, and perhaps feet until your body adjusts.  Start by walking to the mailbox.  Add distance as you are able.  Wear good walking shoes.
Make sure you work with your doctor and be honest about inability to sleep as it is such an important aspect of healing.

Category:

Activism, Adrenals, Herbs, Lyme, Supplements

Lyme Biofilm & Efflux Pumps – Dr. Christine Green

 Approx. 17 Min.

Published on Mar 15, 2018

Dr. Christine Green on Lyme Biofilms and Efflux Pumps

Dr. Christine Green, a Lyme-treating physician who serves on the board of LymeDisease.org, recently spoke on the topic of Lyme biofilms and efflux pumps–two factors that can directly affect treatment for Lyme disease.

https://www.lymedisease.org/green-biofilms-efflux-pumps/

In this second talk, Dr. Green explains how biofilms function within our bodies. A biofilm is a jelly-like barrier created by organisms to protect against environmental stress. There are both healthy biofilms and those that contribute towards illness. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that 80% of all chronic infections are associated with biofilms.

Research shows that Borrelia burgdorferi, the pathogen that causes Lyme disease, also forms biofilm. This helps protect the bacteria from antibiotics. Adding biofilm busters to antimicrobial treatment may be one way to combat chronic Lyme disease.

In addition to biofilm, Borrelia have something called “efflux pumps” that help the bacteria survive in hostile environments. The efflux pumps push out heavy metals and other chemicals, but they can also expel antibiotics before they’ve had a chance to work. Current research is looking at ways to deal with the problem.

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For More:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/08/18/drexel-prof-lyme-persists/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/10/26/lyme-wars-part-3/

Great article on biofilm & natural biofilm agents:  https://thescienceofnutrition.me/2015/03/13/natural-anti-biofilm-agents/ (Includes: garlic, NAC, xylitol, coffee, cranberry, enzymes, chelation, & more)

MSM makes cell walls permeable which is why it helps with detoxification and is an important oral chelator:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/03/02/dmso-msm-for-lyme-msids/

 

 

 

 

Category:

Biofilm, Detoxing, Lyme, Supplements, Treatment

Mushroom Extract Shows Promise For LD

http://www.rheaheraldnews.com/online_features/health_and_wellness/article_f766b28f-313c-57f4-81e8-79c29707a6ae.html  North American Precis Syndicate Mar 26, 2018 

Unique Mushroom Extract AHCC® Shows Promise For Lyme Disease

(NAPSI)—Once almost unheard of, Lyme disease is now a household word. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there are 20,000 new cases a year, and 10 percent of Americans say they know someone with chronic Lyme disease.

Yet the illness is tricky to diagnose. In the early phases, Lyme disease causes symptoms that can easily be mistaken for a case of the flu. And while some people see a distinctive bull’s-eye−shaped rash, not everyone does, and the rash doesn’t always look the same. As a result, it can take weeks or even months to get a correct diagnosis.

Worse yet, as time elapses, the bacterium that causes the disease becomes much harder to eradicate—making it more difficult to treat it effectively. Fortunately, a new pilot study shows that AHCC, a proprietary medicinal mushroom extract developed in Japan, can help alleviate the symptoms of both early and chronic Lyme disease.

Lyme disease: A hidden time bomb

Spread by black-legged ticks, Lyme disease initially causes symptoms such as rash, headaches, fatigue, fever, muscle aches, and joint pain. Timely treatment with antibiotics can be effective, but if the disease is not caught and treated early, more serious symptoms such as short-term memory loss and heart palpitations can emerge, as the bacterium spreads to the brain and heart.

Although early-detected Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics lasting 14 to 21 days, untreated chronic Lyme disease can continue for weeks, months, or even years after the tick bite. Those who have reached the chronic stage of Lyme disease run the risk of symptoms worsening and becoming long-term—causing emotional and physical stress.

AHCC: a potent immune system modulator

AHCC is an extract of the mycelia (root systems) of medicinal mushrooms and the best-selling immune supplement in Japan. It has been shown to modulate the body’s immune system in more than 20 human clinical studies and is used in more than 1,000 health care facilities around the world.

Rather than being directly anti-bacterial, AHCC increases the numbers and/or activity of several kinds of immune cells such as natural killer cells, T cells, and dendritic cells, as well as cytokines, the chemical messengers of the immune system.

Thanks to this ability to dial up immune response, AHCC has been shown to help prevent or treat a variety of bacterial and viral diseases such as HPV and hepatitis C in humans, and MRSA, influenza, and West Nile in animals. That impressive track record inspired a group of scientists to study how taking AHCC would affect Lyme disease patients.

Lead researcher says study results are “a truly exciting finding”

The study, conducted at The Salerno Center for Complementary Medicine in New York by Dr. John Salerno, enrolled 12 patients with a definitive diagnosis of early or chronic Lyme disease.

The participants took three grams of AHCC per day for eight weeks. At the beginning of the study, after four weeks, and again after eight weeks, Salerno and his associates measured symptoms such as rash, flulike symptoms, lymph node swelling, neck stiffness, and issues with the eyes, joints, and muscles, as well as neurological and cardiovascular symptoms. In addition, they looked for evidence of the bacterium and examined markers of immune activity.

After eight weeks, AHCC had improved the following symptoms: flulike symptoms; eye, joint, and muscle problems; and neurological and cardiovascular issues. Of the three patients who tested positive for IgM antibodies (produced by the body at the beginning of a Lyme disease infection) at the beginning of the study, none still had the antibodies at the conclusion. Of particular note, AHCC also significantly decreased inflammation.

“Inflammation is what makes Lyme disease so debilitating,” Salerno commented. “The fact that AHCC could reduce inflammation and improve Lyme symptoms is a truly exciting finding.”

AHCC may offer protection against Lyme disease infection

It is possible that taking AHCC proactively could prevent Lyme disease infection in the first place. A weak immune system makes the body more vulnerable to any kind of infection, whether from a virus, parasite, or bacterium. The stronger your immune system, the more likely it is to either prevent infection in the first place or clear an established infection more quickly.

In the case of Lyme disease, giving the immune system an assist in the form of more immune cells—and more active immune cells—could mean the difference between the infection being eliminated by the body in the early stages or developing into chronic Lyme disease, with its more serious symptoms. And as the new study demonstrated, even for those with chronic Lyme, AHCC can help mitigate debilitating symptoms through reducing inflammation, offering new hope for those who often feel hopeless.

How AHCC works:  http://ahccresearch.com/how-ahcc-works.html

For more information about AHCC or this study, visit www.ahccresearch.org.

On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)

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Comment:  Inflammation is a killer.  Anything you can do to lower that will help you.  Many things are available including DMSO & MSM:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/03/02/dmso-msm-for-lyme-msids/  These, cheap, effective, and safe substances are available over the counter and help with pain, inflammation, detoxing, chelating, and more.

 

 

 

 

Category:

Activism, diet and nutrition, Inflammation, Lyme, research, Supplements, Treatment

LDN Talk March 15

Want to Know More about Low-Dose Naltexone?

Hoey Apothecary is hosting an informational seminar on how LDN can be used in autoimmune disease & chronic pain.

WHEN?  Thursday, March 15, 2018
TIME?  6:30-8pm
WHERE?  Door Creek Church 6602 Sprecher Rd, Madison, in lower level

They will review current research along with information regarding optimal dosing and timing for a variety of medical conditions.  They will also share the results of the internal survey provided to their LDN patients detailing their impressions of LDN.

You will also hear from a number of their patients on their personal experiences with LDN.

All are welcome – light refreshments served!

RSVP:  davidy@hoeyrx.com. or 608-221-4639

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More on LDN:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/12/18/ldn/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/06/12/ldn-reduced-pro-inflammatory-cytokines-in-fm-after-eight-weeks/

 

 

 

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Supplements