Archive for the ‘Treatment’ Category

Lyme Disease: Multifaceted & Misunderstood!

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lyme-disease-multifaceted-misunderstood-darin-ingels-nd/?

Lyme Disease: Multifaceted & Misunderstood!

Darin Ingels, ND

Darin Ingels, ND

Public awareness of Lyme disease is largely overlooked by healthcare professionals and the public at large. As a general community, we know that Lyme disease is on the rise.

We also know that it is a very difficult disease to properly diagnose and treat. It is primarily transferred from tick bites, although new evidence suggests mosquitos and other insects may be carriers as well. It’s a disease that is often misunderstood. At one point, it was used as an excuse for the poor behavior of a contestant on a reality show.

There is a plethora of information on the complexities of Lyme disease. However, it can be extremely misleading and somewhat confusing for the average person to grasp. Understanding Lyme disease is very important because it can lead to a more informed and better treatment plan with your health care practitioner.

1. Lyme Disease is known as a bacterial infection, which is different from illnesses caused by viruses.

An example of a viral infection is the common cold or flu. A bacterial infection requires a different response from the human immune system and therefore may require powerful herbs and even specific antibiotics to treat. These antibiotics can be effective against Lyme disease, but sometimes the side effects from these can outweigh the benefits.

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2. Lyme Disease is not be caused by a single species of bacteria.

Lyme Disease is generally thought of an infection from a single bacterial species, primarily Borrelia burgdorferi. Why this may be the causative agent in most cases of Lyme disease, there are actually many other species of bacteria that also contribute to Lyme disease symptoms. There are over 300 known species of Borrellia in the world, so it is unlikely than one is the sole cause of Lyme disease.

Additionally, tick bites can also transmit other bacteria, called coifections. Coinfections can be transmitted along with Borrelia burgdorferi and can cause additional symptoms associated with Lyme.

Coinfections are also diverse in the ways that they hide in the body from the immune system, so getting a comprehensive test to evaluate for these coinfections is important.

These tests allow us to have better insight as to which specific co infection an individual may have. This way, we can be more prepared at devising treatment protocols on a case-by-case basis.

3. Ticks might not be the only carrier of Lyme disease.

Ticks are referred to as “vectors” for Lyme disease. This means that the tick is a specific route, or pathway, for Lyme disease to reach the human body. Vectors, therefore, are delivery systems for viral or bacterial infections.

Lyme can be transferred primarily through tick bites and secondarily through other insect bites.

Though there is less research done on other insects, there are cases where patients have presented with Lyme disease symptoms after getting bitten by fleas and mosquitos. However, there still isn’t enough information at this time.

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4. One disease, many different symptoms.

Lyme is multifaceted. There is no one set of symptoms that it follows, although brain fog, muscle soreness and joint stiffness, fatigue, anxiety, higher levels of stress, lack of sleep, headaches and even cardiac issues are just some of the more common ones I hear from patients.

Symptoms tend to come on gradually and can build up over time. This makes it difficult to get a proper diagnosis early on.

Lyme Disease has an impact on the nervous system and endocrine system, which is why so many symptoms exist. Lyme and its coinfections look for weaknesses in the body and try to magnify the impacts of those weaknesses.

5. Lyme Disease can be treated.

There are ways to lessen the impact of Lyme disease and in some cases, get rid of the infection altogether.

Nutrition, herbal therapies, low dose immunotherapy, homeopathy and pulsed electromagnetic frequency devices can help the body get over the hump of Lyme disease. An effective strategy can be developed to support the body & immune system in order to combat Lyme disease.

If you think you might have Lyme disease or you have been suffering from multiple unexplained symptoms for a long time, seek a Lyme-literate healthcare provider to get tested and proper treatment.

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**Comment**
My only comment is that the treatments suggested may not be enough.  This is a complex illness with many pathogens often involved.  It takes a nuanced, open minded approach that is willing to try many modalities to achieve wellness.  Serious antimicrobials should be a part of this treatment plan.
You can look up other treatments by scrolling down the website and looking on the right hand side of the page.  There are articles for Babesia, Bartonella, Mycoplasma, parasites, viruses, Anaplasmosis and more.

Category:

Lyme, Treatment

Access to Homeopathy Threatened by Latest FDA Action

https://homeopathyusa.org/about-aih-2/position-statements-letters-2/access-to-homeopathy-threatened-by-latest-fda-action.html

Access to Homeopathy Threatened by Latest FDA Action

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced a new guidance that could lead to the end of homeopathy in America in less than three months.

The consequential action taken by the FDA involves the elimination of the administrative framework for homeopathy that the agency used for 30 years, one that allowed manufacturers of homeopathic remedies to thrive while ensuring the quality and purity of homeopathic medicines. We are referring to the withdrawal of Compliance Policy Guide (CPG) 400.400 which has served the industry and consumers well.

Homeopathic medicines are now in real danger. The newly revised Draft Guidance, if adopted as currently written, will be a recipe for the destruction of homeopathy as we know it in America.

Under the new guidance ALL homeopathic medicines will be considered illegal. This is because the Draft Guidance declares all homeopathic medicines to be “new drugs” which have not undergone the agency’s pre-market approval process known as a New Drug Application (NDA). This “new drug” designation makes this new guidance particularly damning for homeopathy. Homeopathic medicines cannot be patented and therefore cannot justify the enormous expenditures that an NDA entails. If the FDA insists that a homeopathic medicine be put through the NDA process, the agency will essentially be issuing a potential  ban on that medicine in the United States.

If the Draft Guidance is adopted unchanged ─ and especially if the designation of all homeopathic medicines as “new drugs” is allowed to stand ─ consumers will likely begin to see homeopathic medicines disappear from store shelves and practitioners’ offices as the FDA takes aim at one homeopathic medicine after another.

What’s more, if the Draft Guidance is finalized, the FDA will have little trouble defending its actions in any administrative procedure or court. The danger is real because the designation of homeopathic medicines as “new drugs” makes all of them illegal and the FDA can remove any illegal drug from the marketplace without notice and without additional justification merely because it is illegal.

It would be a simple matter for the American Institute of Homeopathy to produce evidence showing that homeopathy is extremely safe, with excellent clinical results backed by an extensive medical literature including hundreds of clinical trials which demonstrate its safety and effectiveness.  We could also point to the very real public health emergency around antibiotic resistance and the immense potential for homeopathy to save lives as reason alone to protect homeopathy.

Sadly, none of that will matter if those who support and rely on homeopathy do not immediately unite to seek a better framework from the FDA.

If you’d like to do your part to protect your access to this extraordinary system of medicine in America, please take these steps immediately:

  1. Submit a comment to the FDA docket about homeopathy telling the agency that we need a 180-day extension in order to respond adequately to the FDA’s latest proposed rules. When you’re ready to do that, click here: https://homeopathychoice.org/fda-comments-landing/
  2. Encourage all of your contacts, patients, and family members to also submit a comment to the docket by sending them a copy of this email.

We can and must save homeopathy in America but we must act now.

The Board of the American Institute of Homeopathy

Category:

Activism, Treatment

Hormones & Emotional Health

https://www.womensinternational.com/blog/hormones-and-emotional-health/

Hormones and Emotional Health

Adapted from Moods & Emotions a Connections e-Book
A publication of Women’s International Pharmacy

hormones and emotional healthEmotional health is inseparably linked to our hormones. Hormones are powerful substances, with even small quantities able to produce profound effects on health. Moods may be affected by many factors, including:

  • Social and physical environment
  • Diet
  • Exercise
  • Sleep patterns

These factors are also connected to hormones, which regulate the brain’s response system and thereby determine moods. When hormonal conditions are unbalanced, emotions may become “out of whack.”

Sex Hormones, Mood Fluctuations, and Women’s Mental Health

Sex hormones play an important regulatory role in the sense of well-being. From puberty through menopause, women experience a continuous cycle of hormonal fluctuations that affect brain chemistry and, by extension, their moods. This physiological fact of life may partially explain why “depression and anxiety disorders are 2-3 more times more common in women than men,” according to Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet.

There is a “previously unrecognized connection between declining hormone levels in perimenopausal women and the high incidence of depression and anxiety disorders,” Dr. Vliet states. She reported on research conducted at Rockefeller University, which indicated that sex hormones are the most potent chemical signals affecting the brain. Changes in the levels of these hormones influence neurotransmitters (such as dopamine and serotonin), which in turn affect moods.

Dr. Vliet also reported on a Yale study, which concluded that hormone therapy over a six-month period appeared to result in an improvement in all categories of perimenopausal symptoms, including:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety attacks
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Short-term memory problems

Mood Changes and Estrogen Imbalance

Estrogen levels have a domino effect on brain chemistry and moods. Aside from estrogen’s many roles in sexual and developmental health, it is also known to be a neuro-stimulant with anti-depressive effects. Dr. Phyllis Bronson states that

“high levels of estrogen produce an imbalance in the system that aggravates or causes symptoms of tension and anxiety.”

Most women tend toward either estrogen dominance or estrogen deficiency, yet a woman will often experience both high and low levels due to hormonal fluctuations relative to her “normal” estrogen level. For instance, normal fluctuations occur during premenstrual syndrome (PMS), while perimenopause causes irregular fluctuations. During these fluctuations, women may experience mixed symptoms as their hormonal balance shifts.

Some women with high estrogen levels may be predisposed to anxiety and panic attacks. On the other hand, low levels of estrogen can lead to episodes of depression. Mood changes associated with a woman’s declining estrogen levels tend to respond well to estrogen therapy; upon receiving treatment, women often report feeling more alert and energetic.

Anxiety and Progesterone Deficiency

The estrogen-progesterone ratio may be the key to properly treating mood disorders. A study by Dr. Bronson found that “a deficiency of progesterone is clearly implicated as a primary factor in mid-life anxiety patterns.” She observed that when estrogen levels were high and progesterone levels low, patients “would exhibit extreme rage, followed by [a] conciliatory, self-defeating demeanor.”

The largest concentration of progesterone receptors is in the limbic area of the brain. This is the center of emotion and is also called the “area of rage and violence” by animal physiologists. Progesterone has a calming effect on the brain, suggesting that its deficiency may lead to anxiety.

Progesterone for PMS, Postnatal Depression, and Menopausal Mood Swings

Premenstrual syndrome and postnatal depression both may occur with a sudden drop in progesterone and may include considerable anxiety. Dr. Katharina Dalton found that these conditions may be effectively treated with progesterone, especially if administered before symptoms develop. For PMS, she suggested supplementing with progesterone from ovulation until menstruation; for preventing postnatal depression, she recommended beginning progesterone therapy immediately after delivery, tapering off until menstruation returns.

Dr. Bronson agrees that progesterone may be an effective treatment for anxiety in perimenopausal women. However, she found higher doses (specifically, 400-600mg daily administered on the skin) to be more effective, with most of her patients reporting significant improvements in emotional health. To achieve the best results in progesterone therapy, both Dr. Bronson and Dr. Dalton’s findings emphasize the importance of using bioidentical progesterone instead of synthetic progestins.

Stress and Thyroid Hormones

The thyroid gland produces several different hormones that have powerful and far-reaching consequences to health. The primary thyroid hormones are thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). These respond to pituitary thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) as part of the body’s complex system that regulates endocrine gland secretions.

Thyroid hormones affect every cell in the body in one way or another, including the parts of the body that regulate emotions. Thyroid deficiency inhibits the brain’s neurotransmitters, potentially leading to depression. Thyroid hormones also influence blood glucose levels and the release of stress hormones, two contributors to mood fluctuation.

Insulin, Glucose, and Dietary Factors in Mood Fluctuations

Dr. Dalton noticed a correlation between aggressive, emotional outbursts and blood sugar levels while treating women suffering from PMS. When asked about the time of day or circumstances immediately preceding such outbursts, her patients frequently reported that they occurred later in the morning after missing breakfast, or the evening while preparing a meal (especially if that was occurring later than usual). Many women also reported confusion or forgetfulness during the time surrounding these outbursts.

Paying careful attention to what and when you eat is important to emotional health. In Depression-Free for Life, Dr. Gabriel Cousens identifies foods according to a glycemic index, comparing their impact on blood sugar and mood. For example, eating foods that are high on the glycemic index (such as white flour products, refined and sweetened cereals, and candy bars) should be avoided, as they tend to cause “wild swings in blood sugar, a high followed by a low.”

Other Substances Affecting Mood

Many other hormones, amino acids, and nutrients also affect moods, making difficult to diagnose mood disorders because each individual’s biochemistry has unique needs. We are still learning about how these substances work together to influence emotions. For example:

  • Either too little or too much of the hormone melatonin can lead to depression,
  • People with depression also often have elevated cortisol levels
  • Amino acids (such as glutamine) can affect the neurotransmitters
  • Nutrients such as vitamin B6 and other trace minerals also play an important role in regulating our moods

Conclusion

Because moods are complex, with a wide variety of possible causes or combinations of factors, symptoms of mood disorders may vary significantly from one person to the next and from one day to the next. The common approach of prescribing mind-altering medications may not be the best answer for everyone, particularly if any possible underlying hormonal imbalances are not addressed. However, emotional as well as physical health is a vital contributor to our quality of life, so it’s important to continue exploring how hormones affect mental and emotional well-being to help develop effective treatments for each patient’s needs.

For more information, read our Connections e-Book:  Moods and Hormones: Emotional Health and Well-Being Throughout the Life-cycle

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For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/10/26/5-thyroid-lies-your-endocrinologist-may-try-to-tell-you/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/11/12/is-it-mental-illness-or-hashimotos-thyroiditis/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/12/02/why-test-neurotransmitters-hormones/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2015/06/10/audio-on-hormones-and-adrenal-support/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/03/21/how-do-hormones-affect-the-heart/

Category:

Psychological Aspects, Supplements, Treatment

Patients Can Die When Lyme Carditis Is Not Treated

https://danielcameronmd.com/patients-die-lyme-carditis-not-treated/

PATIENTS CAN DIE WHEN LYME CARDITIS IS NOT TREATED

Lyme carditis can cause a broad range of symptoms. Patients may initially appear to have only a flu-like illness, however the severity of symptoms can change rapidly. In the article “Fatal Lyme carditis in New England: Two case reports,” Marx and colleagues highlight the importance of early recognition and treatment, even empirically, as Lyme carditis can be deadly when left untreated.

By
“Death can occur when Lyme carditis is untreated,” writes Marx, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the Annuals of Internal Medicine. “Before this report, only 9 fatal cases were reported in the literature.”

Case 1: Waiting for infectious disease appointment

“A 57-year-old man from Vermont presented to a primary care physician after 1 week of fever, fatigue, shortness of breath, and chest pain,” writes Marx.

The evidence for Lyme disease included a disseminated erythema migrans rash, heart block, and a positive Lyme ELISA and IgM Western blot test. Yet, the patient was not treated.

Eight days later, the man presented to an emergency room with worsening symptoms. Physicians suspected Lyme disease, but antibiotics were not prescribed. Instead, a consultation with an infectious disease doctor was scheduled. Unfortunately, it never happened.

Only 12 days after his “initial presentation and before his scheduled appointment, the patient was found unresponsive,” writes Marx.

Case 2: Before the first dose of antibiotics

“A 49-year-old woman from Massachusetts presented to an emergency department with severe headache, nausea, and vomiting,” writes Marx. She was diagnosed and treated for a headache.

“Two weeks later, she saw her primary care physician and reported 2 episodes of syncope with bowel and bladder incontinence, persistent fatigue and nausea, and shortness of breath.”

“An ECG during the office visit showed atrioventricular dissociation.” Lyme disease tests were ordered.

Two days later, Lyme disease tests revealed a positive ELISA and IgM Western blot.

Lyme carditis can cause sudden death. These 2 cases highlight the importance of early recognition. And treatment, even if it’s empirical, may save lives. CLICK TO TWEETShe was prescribed doxycycline. But the next day, before she took the first dose, “her cardiac monitoring recorded atrioventricular dissociation evolving to ventricular tachycardia after an R-on-T electrical impulse,” writes Marx.

In both patients, an evaluation of postmortem heart tissue found lymphohistiocytic pancarditis with immunohistochemical and molecular evidence of the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi.

“Spirochetes were directly visualized in endocardial tissue [taken] from the Massachusetts patient,” writes Marx.

Lyme carditis was high on the list of possible diagnoses, according to Marx. Yet, neither patient was treated empirically with antibiotics when Lyme disease testing was performed.

The patients might have received treatment had the guidelines been followed.²

“Guidelines recommend simultaneous initiation of empirical antibiotic therapy and Lyme serologic testing when Lyme carditis is suspected,” states Yeung et al.

“Lyme carditis can progress rapidly,” explains Marx, “waiting for confirmatory diagnostic therapy to initiate antibiotic treatment may result in negative outcomes.”

Related Articles:

Study identifies 189 children with Lyme carditis

5 things to know about Lyme carditis

Lyme carditis causes complete heart block in 26-year-old man

References:
  1. Marx GE, Leikauskas J, Lindstrom K, Mann E, Reagan-Steiner S, Matkovic E, Read JS, Kelso P, Kwit NA, Hinckley AF, Levine MA, Brown C. Fatal Lyme Carditis in New England: Two Case Reports. Ann Intern Med. 2019 Oct 22.
  2. Yeung C, Baranchuk A. Diagnosis and treatment of Lyme carditis: JACC Review Topic of the Week. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019;73:717-26

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**Comment**

This is just asinine.  Doctors are so afraid of Lyme/MSIDS they would rather have patients die before prescribing antibiotics.  Things must change.

The body count continues to mount in Lyme land.

Category:

Heart Issues, Lyme, research, Treatment

Risk-Benefit Analysis of Tick-Borne Disease Treatments

https://globallymealliance.org/risk-benefit-analysis-of-tick-borne-disease-treatments/

image of the word risk

by Jennifer Crystal

ASKING IMPORTANT QUESTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO LYME TREATMENT. DO THE BENEFITS OUTWEIGH THE RISKS?

At the 2019 International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) conference in Boston, there was a lot of buzz about two up-and-coming Lyme treatments: Disulfiram and Dapsone. Both medications have shown powerful efficacy against Lyme, and Disulfiram may also treat babesia. Learning of the success stories of late-stage Lyme patients who have taken these medications—subsequently enjoying remissions of six months or more—makes many people want to run out and try them. I am among them.

However, like most medications, these drugs also come with risks. Both can cause strong Herxheimer reactions, especially if taken at too high a dose too quickly. Disulfiram, more commonly known as Antabuse, a drug used to treat alcoholism, causes a severe reaction if the patient comes in contact with alcohol. And not just from having taken a sip of a drink; the slightest contact with alcohol-based lotions, hand sanitizers, mouthwashes, shampoos, or other products can make the patient vomit and feel extremely hungover. More rarely, the drug may cause psychosis.

If I were bedridden with tick-borne illnesses, as I once was, I would be eager to try one of these medications. At that time I was so sick I would have tried anything. My head throbbed with migraines; I was plagued with insomnia, and when I did sleep, I had hallucinogenic nightmares. I felt tied to my bed as if by the world’s worst case of flu. This went on for years. Eventually, antibiotic and antimalarial treatments, combined with nutritional supplements and adjunct therapies like neurofeedback and integrative manual therapy, helped me into remission. After one serious relapse, I have stayed in remission for over a decade, seeing steady improvements.

At 80% of restored health, I am living a good life. I can work part-time, write, socialize, and exercise. However, I also still have to stick to a strict sleep schedule; I still have to take low-dose antibiotics and other medications, and I still have to take a nap every afternoon. As I listened to doctors talk about  Disulfiram and Dapsone at the ILADS conference, I wondered, “Could one of those medicines help me get even better? Could it eliminate my afternoon nap, or reduce my reliance on antibiotics?”

I asked one of the panelists, a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor (LLMD), this very question. “Let’s say a patient was at 80% restored health after years of battling tick-borne disease,” I said, explaining all the things this hypothetical patient could and could not do. “Is that a case in which you would prescribe Disulfiram or Dapsone, or are those medications better for someone in the acute stages of the illness?”

“That’s up to the patient,” the doctor replied. “Are they satisfied with their 80% lifestyle? Are they willing to feel terrible when they’re on the medication in order to feel better afterward? It’s really a question of risk-benefit analysis.”

This was a term I’d heard in my early days of Lyme treatment, and one I wrestled with many times as I tried new protocols. At each juncture, I had to consider, do the risks of taking this medication outweigh the benefits or vice-versa? For example, when I started taking sleep medication, I worried that I would become addicted. My doctor reasoned, “But you aren’t sleeping. You can’t get well without sleep. So the benefit of the medication outweighs the risk.”

I also did a cost-benefit analysis years ago when I was trying to decide if I should continue with oral antibiotics or try intravenous antibiotics through a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC). My doctor said that intravenous antibiotics would get at the infection faster, and would take the pressure off my gut, since oral antibiotics come with their own adverse side effects, intestinal yeast overgrowth among them. I was managing that risk with a specialized diet and probiotics, but intravenous antibiotics would help.

However, intravenous antibiotics also came with risks. Herxheimer reactions could be more severe. The PICC line could clot. I had to be very careful not to get it wet, or water could go in the line, to my heart. Moreover, the specific intravenous antibiotic my doctor recommended could, in rare cases, cause gallstones.

At that point in my journey, I was so sick that I wanted to try the strongest, fastest course of action possible. To me, the possible benefits of intravenous antibiotics outweighed the risks, so I made the choice to get a PICC line.

My Herxheimer reactions were indeed severe. My line did clot once, and a nurse had to make an emergency visit to my home to fix it. As if that weren’t enough downside, I also developed gallstones and had to have my gallbladder removed (Note: Not all intravenous antibiotics have this side effect, and there are now medications to help counter it). Despite these complications, the PICC line helped move me towards remission within a year, so I feel the treatment was worth it.

Now that I’m doing well, my view of the risks and benefits of new medications is different. If I were still as sick as I once was, I absolutely would try Disulfiram or Dapsone. But in my current life, I can’t take time off to battle severe Herxheimer reactions, nor do I want to. I don’t want to run the risk of losing the gains I’ve earned. I’d love to give up my afternoon nap, but I’m not currently willing to feel worse in order to possibly make that happen, especially with no guarantee. I certainly don’t want to get to a point where I say, “Remember when I was doing so well that all I had to do was take an afternoon nap?”

For now, I’m content making smaller tweaks to my treatment protocol such as adding supplements and lowering antibiotic doses that might improve my energy. The risks of these moves are relatively low. At some point, I may want to take a larger leap. After more research is done on Disulfiram and Dapsone, I may decide their benefits do indeed outweigh their risks and try one of them.

Another patient in my shoes might feel differently. They might be willing to possibly go back to 50% if that meant they could get 100% wellness eventually. I respect that. The bottom line is that you have to do what’s right for your body, and you and your LLMDneed to weigh the risks and benefits of choices for your specific case. At the end of the day, you’re the one living with Lyme disease and possibly other tick-borne infections, so you get to decide what risks you do and don’t want to take.

jennifer crystal_2

Opinions expressed by contributors are their own.

Jennifer Crystal is a writer and educator in Boston. Her memoir about her medical journey is forthcoming. Contact her at lymewarriorjennifercrystal@gmail.com.

 

 

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Perfectly stated!

Category:

Treatment