Archive for the ‘Testing’ Category

Peripheral Neuropathy Evaluation & Repair in Lyme Disease

https://www.treatlyme.net/guide/neuropathy-repair-heal-that-tingling-numbness-pain

Updated: 4/24/2023

Neuropathy in Lyme Disease

In chronic Lyme disease it is common to have nerve injury in locations outside of the brain and spinal cord – also called peripheral neuropathy. Common symptoms of peripheral neuropathy include:

  • numbness,
  • burning sensations,
  • and/or sharp, stabbing or electric feelings.

In this article Marty Ross MD reviews:

  • laboratory evaluation of neuropathy in chronic Lyme disease and a functional medicine approach to remove nerve insults and to repair nerve injury.

Neuropathy Laboratory Evaluation

A basic laboratory evaluation of neuropathy may include:

  • Vitamin B6 (too much Vitamin B6 causes neuropathy)
  • Vitamin B12 (low Vitamin B12 causes neuropathy)
  • Vt D3 (levels around 40 ng/ml to 80ng/ml support healthy nerve function)
  • CBC
  • CMP (evaluation of kidney and liver function)
  • TSH, Free T3, and Free T4 (evaluate for low or high thyroid function)
  • TTG-IgA & EMA (for possible celiac disease)
  • heavy metal urine testing (see the end of the article for when to do this)

(See link for video and article)

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For more:

Neuropathy Laboratory Evaluation

A basic laboratory evaluation of neuropathy may include:

  • Vitamin B6 (too much Vitamin B6 causes neuropathy)
  • Vitamin B12 (low Vitamin B12 causes neuropathy)
  • Vt D3 (levels around 40 ng/ml to 80ng/ml support healthy nerve function)
  • CBC
  • CMP (evaluation of kidney and liver function)
  • TSH, Free T3, and Free T4 (evaluate for low or high thyroid function)
  • TTG-IgA & EMA (for possible celiac disease)
  • heavy metal urine testing (see the end of the article for when to do this)

Functional Medicine Neuropathy Repair

Steps to repair nerve injury include:

removing the nerve insults

  • correcting abnormal labs including thyroid, Vitamin D, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12
  • stopping RX meds that may cause neuropathy
  • treating infections
  • correcting mold toxicity

repairing the nerve damage

  • repairing nerve cell and mitochondria power plant membranes,
  • increasing the master cell repair antioxidant glutathione,
  • increasing the nutrient Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
  • taking acetyl-l-carnitine if you do not eat red meat,
  • decreasing inflammation, and
  • using the peptide BPC-157.

Category:

Lyme, Supplements, Testing

Lyme-Induced Cardiac Problems Persist Despite Antibiotic Treatment

https://danielcameronmd.com/lyme-cardiac-antibiotic-treatment/

LYME-INDUCED CARDIAC PROBLEMS PERSIST DESPITE ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT

lyme-cardiac

In their article, “An Unusual Presentation of Lyme Carditis and Adenosine-Sensitive Atrioventricular Block,” Alexandre and colleagues present the case of a 20-year-old female with Lyme disease and cardiac manifestations, who continued to experience cardiac problems despite 4 weeks of antibiotic treatment. [1]

By 

The young woman was admitted to the emergency department with acute pleuritic chest pain and shortness of breath. (Pleuritic chest pain is characterized by sudden and intense sharp, stabbing, or burning pain in the chest when inhaling and exhaling.)

The woman exhibited only mild tachycardia (100/min). However, “Considering the suspicion of acute myocarditis, the patient was admitted to an intensive cardiac care unit,” the authors state.

During hospitalization, cardiac monitoring revealed several asymptomatic episodes of paroxysmal AV block, including second-degree Mobitz I AV block, second degree AV block, and high-grade AV block.

Although there was no evidence of tick exposure or skin lesions, clinicians ordered testing for Lyme disease, which was positive by Western blot. “… an IgM Western-Blot test was performed, confirming positivity and recent Borrelia spp. infection.”

The patient was diagnosed with Lyme disease with cardiac manifestations of high-grade AV block. She was treated with a 4-week course of IV ceftriaxone, which led to a complete resolution of chest pain and shortness of breath.

However, the AV conduction disturbance continued after 4 weeks of antibiotic treatment. And subsequently, the woman was given an alternative diagnosis of extrinsic idiopathic paroxysmal AV block (“adenosine-sensitive AV block”).

This could be an extremely rare course of Lyme carditis, or the patient may have had asymptomatic AV conduction problems that surfaced when she developed Lyme disease, according to the authors.

“The patient was started on theophylline 400 mg twice daily, and after one week of treatment, the Holter monitoring demonstrated a significant reduction in AV conduction disturbances,” the authors state.

At her 18-month follow-up appointment, the woman continued to have fewer AV conduction disturbances, no cardiac complaints, and no need for a permanent pacemaker.

Authors conclude:

“This case illustrates a challenging scenario of [Lyme carditis] with high grade AV block, which persisted after appropriate antibiotic treatment and had key features supporting the diagnosis of extrinsic idiopathic paroxysmal AV block (‘adenosine sensitive AV block’).

References:
  1. Alexandre A, Ribeiro D, Sousa MJ, Reis H, Silveira J, Torres S. An Unusual Presentation of Lyme Carditis and Adenosine-Sensitive Atrioventricular Block. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2024 Jan;121(1):e20230228. Portuguese, English. doi: 10.36660/abc.20230228. PMID: 38324857.

For more:

Category:

Heart Issues, Lyme, research, Testing, Treatment, Uncategorized

Hormone Secrets

http://

 Approx. 2.5 Hours

Hormones Secrets: Feel Great and Age Well Using the Bio-Identicals

By Dr. Robert Yoho

USE NATURAL HORMONES TO STAY HEALTHY, FEEL FANTASTIC, AND AVOID OVERPRICED, TOXIC DRUGS

Are you all worn out and wonder if it’s your hormones? Do you have questions about menopause or testosterone replacement? Have you heard that hormones cause cancer and heart disease?

Hormone Secrets will clear up the controversies for you.

Robert Yoho is an award-winning author who spent a career studying and prescribing hormones. He is retired, so he can tell you the truth. Hint: big Pharma and big money are involved, and you have been listening to lies.

Are some hormones dangerous? YES, and this book explains which ones. You will go to your doctor armed with exactly what to ask for. Is hormone replacement expensive? NO, not if you learn the secrets from Hormone Secrets.

THE PROMISE: Study this book and you will know more about hormones than 99 percent of doctors. THE GUARANTEE: I will help you find a doctor who can help. Hormones are difficult for physicians to prescribe—they are pressured to use toxic, expensive patent drugs instead.

http://

Hormone Secrets Part 2

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Category:

Activism, Hormones, Testing, thyroid, Treatment

Superior Efficacy of Combination Antibiotics Therapy Versus Monotherapy For Lyme Disease in Mouse Model

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1293300/full

Front. Microbiol., 20 November 2023
Sec. Infectious Agents and Disease
Volume 14 – 2023 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1293300
This article is part of the Research TopicInsights in Infectious Agents and Disease: 2023View all 11 articles

Superior efficacy of combination antibiotic therapy versus monotherapy in a mouse model of Lyme disease

Yasir Alruwaili1,2,3Mary B. Jacobs2Nicole R. Hasenkampf2Amanda C. Tardo2Celine E. McDaniel2Monica E. Embers2,3*

Lyme disease (LD) results from the most prevalent tick-borne infection in North America, with over 476,000 estimated cases annually. The disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) sensu lato which transmits through the bite of Ixodid ticks. Most cases treated soon after infection are resolved by a short course of oral antibiotics. However, 10–20% of patients experience chronic symptoms because of delayed or incomplete treatment, a condition called Post-Treatment Lyme Disease (PTLD). Some Bb persists in PTLD patients after the initial course of antibiotics and an effective treatment to eradicate the persistent Bb is needed. Other organisms that cause persistent infections, such as M. tuberculosis, are cleared using a combination of therapies rather than monotherapy. A group of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs previously shown to be efficacious against Bb in vitro were used in monotherapy or in combination in mice infected with Bb. Different methods of detection were used to assess the efficacy of the treatments in the infected mice including culture, xenodiagnosis, and molecular techniques. None of the monotherapies eradicated persistent Bb. However,

  • 4 dual combinations (doxycycline + ceftriaxone, dapsone + rifampicin, dapsone + clofazimine, doxycycline + cefotaxime)
  • 3 triple combinations (doxycycline + ceftriaxone+ carbomycin, doxycycline + cefotaxime+ loratadine, dapsone+ rifampicin+ clofazimine) eradicated persistent Bb infections.

These results suggest that combination therapy should be investigated in preclinical studies for treating human Lyme disease.

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**Comment**

This research demonstrates clearly why many do not get better.  Mainstream doctors are still in the Dark Ages regarding all things Lyme/MSIDS and treat with the antiquated and unscientific IDSA Lyme Guidelines which have never worked and never will.

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Category:

Lyme, research, Testing, Treatment

The Dark Reality of Living With Lyme Disease

https://www.lymedisease.org/bredberg-dark-reality-lyme/

The dark reality of living with Lyme disease

By Kyle Bredberg

I have lived in New Paltz, New York, my whole life and throughout that time, have grown accustomed to many of the seemingly odd local rituals that our town performs.

One of these oddities is that in elementary school, New Paltz students learn to tuck their jeans into their socks, stuffing them full until their feet look like weird upside down sock puppets before departing on a field trip.

This is all part of the general awareness for ticks that the Hudson Valley strongly promotes to its residents. Students learn to buddy up and do tick checks and their noses often become normalized to the scent of DEET as parents worryingly spray down their clothes.  (See link for article)

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**Comment**

Bredberg admits that he became infected when tick awareness was nowhere near what it is today.  Similarly to others in Lymeland, despite severe hallmark symptoms all tests returned ‘negative.’

If it wasn’t for a relentless mother, he probably never would have gotten help.

Unfortunately he uses the wrong statistic that up to 20% go on to suffer long-term symptoms when in reality it’s somewhere between 40-60%. I also must disagree that ‘research, treatment, and awareness has come a long way from where it was 10 years ago.’

Despite climbing numbers, we are no further along in understanding why some develop chronic Lyme/MSIDS and others don’t, and how to effectively treat it.

While awareness efforts have increased, this is entirely due to sick people who have done what they can in their sphere of influence.

For more:

Sadly, the stories are plentiful, but nothing changes in the world of Lyme/MSIDS.

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Prevention, Testing, Ticks