Archive for the ‘Treatment’ Category

Tick Prevention 2019

Tick Prevention 2019

It’s that time.  

Similar to Lyme/MSIDS treatment, tick prevention is a multi-pronged effort and includes protecting yourself, your yard, and your pets.  

How to protect yourself

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Dress for success:  Research has shown permethrin treated clothing causes ticks to drop off or renders them unable to bite: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/05/27/study-conforms-permethrin-causes-ticks-to-drop-off-clothing/.

  • wear light colored clothing
  • tuck pants into socks
  • wear a long-sleeved shirt and tuck into pants
  • wear a hat
  • wear shoes & socks
  • spray or soak all of it with permethrin. Permethrin is not recommended for the skin. You can also purchase pre-treated clothing. Wisconsin Lyme Network (WLN) is selling socks. Proceeds go toward training WI doctors: https://wisconsinlymenetwork.z2systems.com/np/clients/wisconsinlymenetwork/giftstore.jsp
  • Spray exposed skin with DEET or picaridin. Picaridin is less toxic and approved for kids. For instance the top 3 scores for repelling deer ticks was: pump spray Sawyer Picaridin 20% which lasted 8.5 hours, aerosol Ben’s 30% Deet Tick and Insect Wilderness which also lasted 8.5 hours, and pump spray Repel Lemon Eucalyptus which lasted 7 hours. Please know that “natural” products using things like essential oils have NOT been proven to repel ticks.  Go here to learn more:  https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/prev/natural-repellents.html
  • An FDA-approved organic compound found in grapefruit skin and Alaska yellow cedar trees that is a natural deterrent for many insects including the deer tick is being worked on by LSU researchers. Nootkatone has already proven to be both safer and more effective than existing commercial repellents, but is too expensive for consumer insect repellents.
  • stay in the middle of trails
  • when returning indoors, dry clothing on high heat for at least 10 min. Washing clothes will not kill ticks. High heat will.
  • take a shower and do a tick check. Have someone else look on your back and back of head.
  • If an embedded tick is found, remove it promptly by using a pointy tick removal tweezer. Get as close to the mouthpart as possible and pull steadily straight up without squeezing or twisting. Do not touch the tick with bare hands. Put in ziplock freezer bag and put in freezer you plan on having it tested. Remember; however, testing isn’t 100% accurate and you will not want to wait for results if you’ve been bitten. Your doctor should treat you prophylactially. It’s not worth the risk of infection. http://
  • be vigilant and educate others
  • For a video put out by Wisconsin DHS:  http://
  • Great video on how to educate kids on how to be tick smart:  http://

How to protect your yard

baseyardSOURCE: TickEncounter Resource Center. For an interactive map: https://tickencounter.org/faq/tick_habitat

  • Do not invite wildlife: There are numerous things you can do to discourage wildlife from your yard. Don’t put food outside, including bird feeders. Birds are probably the #1 transporters of ticks. Plant undesirable plants. Install fencing. Apply deer repellents. Clean up brush and leaves, and move woodpiles away from daily activity.
  • Spray your yard or use granules: Target areas where ticks live as well as perennial beds and along trails and paths in wooded areas. Normally, treatment is not needed in open and sunny lawns with short grass (although there are exceptions!).  http://
  • Eliminate Tick Habitat: ticks love wooded, shady areas that are humid. Rake leaves, trim shrubs and trees, and treat border areas, stone walls, sheds, and wood piles. Creating borders of wood chips or stone will remind you of tick-risky areas and danger zones. They particularly like Japanese Barberry, honeysuckle, and buckthorn: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/01/20/manage-barberry-lower-ticks/. From experience I’ve learned not to use natural stone for landscape walls. Chipmunks burrow into the crevices bringing loads of ticks with them. I will only use interlocking stone now.     

5456904Remove Japanese Barberry, honeysuckle, and buckthorns

  • Target mice & rodents: Since ticks become infected by feeding on reservoir animals such as mice, chipmunks, squirrels, and deer, targeting these animals will help reduce the tick population. Ticktubes are tubes filled with permethrin treated cotton balls you place in rodent accessible areas so they will take the cotton back to their nests and they will rub their bodies against the treated cotton. Ticks feeding on the mice are then killed by the insecticide. Studies have shown risk to be reduced by 97% when using tick tubes. More info on how many you need for the size of your yard, etc.:http://www.ticktubes.com/facts.html

ticktube

How to Protect your pets

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  • Contain your pets: The easiest way to protect your pets is to keep them away from ticks, by create a safe zone. This can be done by using fencing (solid or invisible) and or putting them on a chain where they can only go in certain areas.
  • Groom pets:  Keep hair short to be able to identify ticks quickly. Brush hair and remove any ticks before bringing pets into the house.
  • Keep pets off all furniture and never let them into your bed.
  • Apply Tick control products on pets.  For an excellent example of products:  https://tickencounter.org/prevention/tick_control#top. There is a Lyme vaccine for dogs; however, it can cause Lyme disease symptoms just as the failed Lymerix vaccine did on humans. Cats also need tick protection. Make sure to discuss options with you veterinarian as they are educated with current information. Read all labels from products carefully.
  • Some tick facts: http://
  • More tick facts: http://

Resources:

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/05/11/tick-prevention-and-removal-2017/

https://tickencounter.org

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/lyme-vaccine-dogs/

https://www.petmd.com/cat/parasites/evr_ct_10_ways_to_stop_ticks_from_biting_your_cat

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Prevention, Ticks, Treatment

Lyme Disease & Neurological Changes in Children

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lyme-disease-neurological-changes-children-somer-delsignore/

Lyme Disease and Neurological Changes in Children

Clinically we find a multitude of neuro-psychological symptoms that present with children afflicted with tick-borne illnesses. Many of those symptoms did not exist prior to  exposure.  The number of children with anxiety disorders, OCD, mood dysregulation, ADHD, bipolar disorder, gender dysphoria and others are prominent and included in the working diagnosis and treatment plan of Lyme and other tick bhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/somerdelsignorekidslyme/orne diseases.

There are countless studies linking neuro-psychological impairments with Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses many of which suggest a larger percentage of children are affected.

A review of literature reveals studies by Brian Fallon and others that link Lyme disease to neurological and psychological ailments. New onset depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and other mental illnesses were postulated to be the result of a Lyme disease exposure. Fallon outlined several supportive strands of evidence throughout his research. He noted the incidence of mental illness is greater in those with Lyme disease versus other medical conditions. These psychiatric conditions were new onset and did not exist prior to contracting Lyme disease. Lastly, these mental illnesses improved after administering courses of antibiotic therapy. 

So what is thought to contribute to the psychological changes? Further evaluation thru single photon emission tomography or SPECT scans as it’s known revealed that those with

“Lyme disease typically have multifocal areas of decreased perfusion in the cortex and subcortical white matter” Fallon et al. 1997.

Cortical and subcortical perfusion is studied extensively with PTSD patients. The pattern of poor perfusion is similar to those who also suffer from a tick-borne illness. A result of poor perfusion can lead to  breakdown of the neural pathways  that provide an interconnectedness between all regions of the brain. Specifically, the subcortical regions play a significant role in emotional regulation. This is where your fight or flight response stems via control of Dopamine and other neurotransmitters.  Your cortical regions control sensory, motor and visual response. In the presence of Lyme disease, which has an affinity for the neurological system, inflammation occurs contributing to this poor perfusion state. It’s plausible to suggest neurological and psychological changes as it relates to tick-borne illness.

Studies directed specifically at the pediatric population were conducted by Rosalie Greenberg, a pediatric and adolescent psychiatrist. Although small, Dr. Greenberg studied 14 children diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She noted

  • 6 had mycoplasma
  • 3 had B. Burgdorferi the bacteria that causes Lyme disease
  • 10 had Babesia
  • 4  had Bartonella
  • ALL had tick borne diseases
  • Out of the 14 only 1 described typical joint pain associated with Lyme disease

Bransfield and others discuss links for autism spectrum disorder development in children as evident by the spirochete that causes Lyme can be passed from an infected mother to her unborn child. This can lead to neurological ailments as well as significant immune dysfunction. Supportive evidence showed upwards of 30% of those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder had a positive blood test for Borrelia Burgdorferi, the spirochete that causes Lyme Disease. I’ll certainly delve into autism and links to infection in the coming weeks as I’m fascinated!

Children present differently. Perhaps it is the vulnerable blood brain barrier or naïve immune system that contributes. We know in children the brain continues to develop until they reach their early 20’s.  Studies looking closer at the link between childrens’ neurological status and tick-borne illness speculates around 70% to present with onset of headaches, fatigue, mood disturbance, irritability and acute outbursts where symptoms did not previously exist. Anecdotally, I too have witnessed these accounts.

Let’s postulate, just for fun, out of the 4 million children currently diagnosed with mental illness at least 30% or more of those have a tick-borne illness. That’s roughly 1.2 million children whom could be cured of their mental illness by merely treating the infection with courses of antibiotics and/or natural remedies.

This certainly would present a fundamental paradigm shift within the mental healthcare community but isn’t it worth it? Shouldn’t we all Think Differently about mental illness?

The take home message here for parents. If your child (or you) present with sudden onset of neurological changes, mood swings, ADD/ADHD, sleep disturbances, motor or vocal tics, fasciculations, unfounded anxieties and fears, rage, impulsivity, concentration issues, dyslexia, regression with milestones etc, seek out an evaluation for tick-borne illnesses.

Should your primary care provider refuse to perform the test or argue otherwise….find someone else!

Recent Tick-Task Force initiatives, passed by NY state legislators and championed by Senator Sue Serino, secured 1 million dollars to fund research that allow better understanding of the link between Lyme, tick-borne diseases and mental health issues. These funds will also help support preventative actions as well as raise awareness. It’s solid movement in the right direction. This recent legislation would direct the Office of Mental Hygiene and Department of Health to conduct these studies. Fingers crossed for the follow thru! You can find more information about critical legislation passed recently in the NY senate and full description of the tick-borne illness initiatives by visiting serino.nysenate.gov.

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**Comment**

More and more coming out daily on how pathogens are implicated in brain diseases and mental disorders.  This article should be shared widely as there are multitudes of children being misdiagnosed with mental illness that could be cured by treating the underlying infection(s).

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/07/missing-links-connect-the-dots-between-lyme-mental-health/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/03/26/lyme-its-known-involvement-in-mental-health/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/10/08/misdiagnosed-how-children-with-treatable-medical-issues-are-mistakenly-labeled-as-mentally-ill/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/10/03/treat-the-infection-psychiatric-symptoms-get-better/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2015/10/18/psychiatric-lymemsids/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/09/19/three-things-for-parents-to-watch-for-regarding-tbis/

One prominent Wisconsin Lyme doctor states that 80% of his Autistic and PANS patients have Lyme/MSIDS.  Please share widely.

 

 

 

 

 

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Psychological Aspects, research, Ticks, Treatment

New Health Center Opens For People With Tick-Borne Diseases in Pennsylvania

https://wnep.com/2019/04/10/new-health-center-opening-for-people-with-tick-borne-diseases/  News Video in Link

New Health Center Opens for People with Tick-Borne Diseases

POSTED 4:31 AM, APRIL 10, 2019, BY

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Testing, Ticks, Treatment

Reminder: FREE LDN Talk in Madison – April 24, 2019

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

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/30/ldn-an-overview-of-clinical-applications/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/03/19/sjogrens-syndrome-clinical-benefits-of-low-dose-naltrexone-therapy/

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

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/07/16/low-dose-naltrexone-for-lyme-living-with-lyme-podcast/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/01/16/ldn-cbd/

Category:

Activism, Treatment

Cancer: ‘Off-the Shelf’ Stem Cell Treatment Enters Clinical Trial

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324916.php?

Cancer: ‘Off-the-shelf’ stem cell treatment enters clinical trial

Published
By
Fact checked by Isabel Godfrey

In a first-of-its-kind trial in the United States, researchers are testing a stem cell-derived natural killer cell immunotherapy in people with incurable cancer.

Natural killer cells

 

Cancer follows heart disease as the secondbiggest killer worldwide. In the United States, an estimated 606,880 people will die due to cancer in 2019.

With the advent of immunotherapy, researchers hoped to boost a person’s immune system to fight and destroy tumors effectively. Although this type of therapy has completely changed the treatment landscape for cancers such as melanoma, there remain a significant number of people whose tumors can evade their immune system.

Joining the likes of adoptive cell transfer and checkpoint inhibitors on the list of immunotherapies are natural killer (NK) cells. These specialized white blood cells come equipped with a potent armory of tools to make short work of cancer cells.

Now, researchers at the University of California (UC) San Diego School of Medicine are running a clinical trial with industrial collaborator Fate Therapeutics to investigate NK cells both alone and in combination with checkpoint inhibitors in people with advanced solid tumors.

One particular factor sets this study apart from others using NK cells for similar purposes.

This “off-the-shelf” NK immunotherapy trial is the first in the U.S. to use cells that the researchers have derived from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.

Using stem cells to kill cancer

Scientists first developed iPS cells in 2006 by switching on four dormant genes in skin cells. Doing this completely changed the characteristics of these cells and reverted them to an embryonic-like state.

Now widely hailed as an alternative to embryonic stem cells, iPS cells can, like their embryonic counterparts, develop into any type of cell.

For scientists who work on cell therapies, this provides a solution to a major stumbling block in advancing their technologies to clinical application.

Many therapies make use of a patient’s own cells or cells from a donor. While this type of personalized treatment is the mainstay of current cell therapy applications, it is costly and time-consuming.

The use of iPS cells, on the other hand, allows researchers to produce a never-ending stream of cells. All that they need is a robust method to turn iPS cells into the particular cell type that they require.

A single iPS cell can thus become an “off-the-shelf” source of cells for therapy, which it is easy to produce time and time again.

Back in 2013, Dr. Dan Kaufman — professor of medicine in the Division of Regenerative Medicine and director of cell therapy at UC San Diego School of Medicine — and his team developed a method of expanding large numbers of NK cells from human iPS cells for cancer therapy.

They published the method in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine.

After extensive preclinical testing, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave Dr. Kaufman and Fate Therapeutics the go-ahead last November to set up a phase I clinical trial to test their iPS-derived NK immunotherapy in people with advanced solid tumors.

First ‘off-the-shelf’ cancer immunotherapy

The phase I trial started in February and will include up to 64 people with advanced, untreatable cancer. The main aim of the trial is to assess the safety of the treatment. The other objectives are to determine the extent to which the tumors respond to NK cell therapy and to find out how long the cells stay in the participants’ bodies.

The team will administer the cells once per week for 3 weeks, either on their own or in combination with one of three checkpoint inhibitors, namely nivolumab, pembrolizumab, or atezolizumab.

The study is an open-label trial, which means that all of the study participants will know which treatment they are receiving.

“This is a landmark accomplishment for the field of stem cell-based medicine and cancer immunotherapy,” explains Dr. Kaufman in a press release. “This clinical trial represents the first use of cells produced from human-induced pluripotent stem cells to better treat and fight cancer.”

“Together with Fate Therapeutics, we’ve been able to show in preclinical research that this new strategy to produce pluripotent stem cell-derived natural killer cells can effectively kill cancer cells in cell culture and in mouse models,” he continues.

The first person to receive treatment as part of the trial was Derek Ruff. After 10 years in remission, Mr. Ruff has stage 4 colon cancer, which is progressing despite aggressive treatment.

“Coming to a [National Cancer Institute] cancer center means a lot to me. My options aren’t otherwise good. Some people may not opt for a clinical trial, but for me, I want a chance at a cure.”

Derek Ruff

It will be a while before the results of the trial are available, with expectations being that the study will run into 2022. However, it paves the way not only for a new generation of immunotherapies to treat cancer but also for other iPS-derived cell therapies to follow.

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Basic article on stem cells:  https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323343.php

Many Lyme/MSIDS patients have tried stem cell treatment with mixed results.  They are also very expensive.

 

 

Category:

Activism, Treatment