Archive for the ‘Treatment’ Category

Nova Scotia’s Top Doctor Takes Heat Over Retweet Dismissing Chronic Lyme Disease

https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/local/strang-retweet-raises-ire-of-sufferers-279636/

Nova Scotia’s top doctor takes heat over retweet dismissing chronic Lyme disease

*Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health, retweeted a tweet that called into question the existence of chronic Lyme disease. – Contributed*

HALIFAX, N.S. – A recent retweet by the province’s top doctor dismissing chronic Lyme disease as a condition based on pseudoscience and supported by a chronic Lyme cult, is being met with sharp criticism by one of Canada’s top tick experts.

“There are a lot of people who are sick and belittling them publicly is trivializing their illness and their suffering, so it’s deeply unfortunate given all of the science work and medical work that needs to be done around Lyme disease,” said Vett Lloyd, a biology professor at Mount Allison University. She also leads the university’s Lyme Research Network. “Chronic Lyme disease is not a cult. It’s not a myth.”

On Wednesday, Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s chief medical officer of health, retweeted the anonymous tweet from an account named LymeScience.

“As a former victim of the chronic Lyme cult, I feel it’s pretty important that they stop controlling the narrative around Lyme disease with their pseudoscience and misinformation,” read the opening line of the tweet.

“They’ve been called a threat to public health for good reason. But it would help to remember not everyone who falls for it is an idiot. The cult is well-funded and only growing. I’d hope most people can see more needs to be done to stop this anti-science movement.”

The Twitter account is linked to the website LymeScience.org, which offers a slew of information attempting to debunk chronic Lyme disease. But the website is not affiliated to any particular person or group.

The Chronicle Herald attempted to reach Strang to find out his motivation behind the retweet, but he declined comment.

Besides calling the statements false and inflammatory, Lloyd also said she was confused by the tweet because chronic Lyme has a couple of different meanings. She says chronic Lyme could refer to advanced untreated cases of Lyme disease or cases of the illness where the bacteria persists after treatment and the person still has infection symptoms. It’s more likely that Strang’s retweet is taking aim at the latter category, says Lloyd.

Strang told the Herald last September that the standard short-term antibiotic treatment for Lyme in the province is effective. He declined to say chronic Lyme exists and that bacteria could persist after a short course of antibiotics. But he said in some cases people have residual symptoms after being treated.

Lloyd, a Lyme disease survivor, says there’s ample evidence showing chronic Lyme is real and that short-term antibiotic treatment doesn’t always work. Lloyd was forced to travel to the U.S. to seek long-term antibiotic treatment after her standard treatment at home failed to work.

“There’s quite a bit evidence that you can have bacterial persistence after short-term treatment. My experience was that the standard treatment was not enough to return me to health.

“I required longer-term treatment to recover my health outside of Canada. I spent many years in Canada being diagnosed with everything under the sun and getting sicker and sicker but when I was treated for Lyme disease in the U.S. I got better in short order.”

She says Strang should be working to bring people on both sides of the chronic Lyme debate together instead of furthering the divide by resorting to name-calling.

Dr. Richard Dubocq, a Maine-based doctor currently treating 140 Lyme patients from Canada with long-term antibiotics, says about half of his Lyme patients live in Nova Scotia. Like Lloyd, he says he was shocked by Strang’s retweet, calling it irresponsible and an attempt to raise fear and paranoia.

“I’m just surprised that he’s allowed to send this out on the airwaves because on so many different levels it delivers false information,” said Dubocq.

Dubocq follows treatment guidelines set down by the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS). But those guidelines that recommend long-term antibiotic treatment in chronic or persistent cases of Lyme are not widely accepted by the North American medical community. Mainstream doctors, including in Nova Scotia, follow the standard Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines for the treatment of Lyme.

Donna Lugar, the Nova Scotia representative for the advocacy group the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, says hundreds, if not thousands, of people are struggling in Nova Scotia with a tick-borne disease.

But in recent years several U.S. states have passed doctor-protection laws that fall in line with ILADS guidelines, allowing physicians to treat Lyme more aggressively with longer-term antibiotics. No such laws exist in Canada.

“I recently attended the 19th annual ILADS conference in Chicago attended by over 1,000 health-care providers from around the word,” said Dubocq. “The quality of data was impeccable.”

Health Minister Randy Delorey would not make himself available for an interview but in an email statement said people should consult the department’s official Twitter account for information about Lyme disease. He did not weigh in on Strang’s retweet or offer his stance on chronic Lyme disease.

“The department reminds Nova Scotians that our clinical guidelines for the testing and treatment of Lyme disease are evidence-based and derived from national clinical guidelines,” said Delorey.

Donna Lugar, the Nova Scotia representative for the advocacy group the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, said Strang’s retweet is inexcusable.

“Hundreds, if not thousands, of people are struggling in this province with a chronic illness,” said Lugar. “What are we ill with, if not Lyme and/or other tick-borne diseases? Are we all mentally ill, as some doctors would suggest?”

________________

For more: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/04/17/persistent-borrelia-infection-in-patients-with-ongoing-symptoms-of-lyme-disease/ Conclusions: Using multiple corroborative detection methods, we showed that patients with persistent Lyme disease symptoms may have ongoing spirochetal infection despite antibiotic treatment, similar to findings in non-human primates. The optimal treatment for persistent Borrelia infection remains to be determined.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/01/16/study-shows-diminished-pathogen-specific-antibody-production-in-coinfected-mice-contributing-to-persistent-infection/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/30/study-shows-lyme-msids-patients-infected-with-many-pathogens-and-explains-why-we-are-so-sick/ For the first time, Garg et al. show a 85% probability for multiple infectionsincluding not only tick-borne pathogens but also opportunistic microbes such as EBV and other viruses….In addition to tick-borne co-infections and non-tick-borne opportunistic infections, pleomorphic Borrelia persistent forms may induce distinct immune responses in patients by having different antigenic properties compared to typical spirochetes32,33,34,35. Nonetheless, current LD diagnostic tools do not include Borrelia persistent forms, tick-borne co-infections, and non-tick-borne opportunistic infections.

http://norvect.no/230-peer-reviewed-studies-show-evidence-of-persistent-lyme-disease/

http://lymerick.net/persistent-borreliosis.htm Microscopy, Culture or PCR-verified cases of persistent [seronegative] Lyme Borreliosis

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/04/13/chronic-lyme-post-mortem-study-needed-to-end-the-lyme-wars/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/07/23/exploring-the-controversial-concept-of-chronic-lyme-disease/

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Treatment

Lyme & Herxheimer Reactions – Dr. Rawls

https://rawlsmd.com/health-articles/lyme-herxheimer-reactions-your-guide-to-feeling-good-again?

lyme-disease-and-herxiemer-reactions

Lyme + Herxheimer Reactions: Your Guide To Feeling Good Again

by Carin Gorrell & Dr. Bill Rawls
Updated 1/21/19

It’s one of life’s cruel jokes: You discover a new therapy for Lyme disease and are really optimistic about your odds of finally feeling better. Then, within a day or two of starting the regimen, your symptoms take a turn for the worse—intense fatigue washes over you, and you feel like you did during your last fight with the flu. Could it be the dreaded Herxheimer Reaction you keep hearing about from fellow Lyme sufferers?

Unfortunately, answering that question is no easy feat. So we asked Dr. Bill Rawls, author of the bestselling book Unlocking Lyme, to help explain Herx Reactions and the best ways to differentiate them from other possible issues. Keep reading for his advice, plus steps you can take now to feel better—without derailing your recovery.

Herxheimer Reactions, Defined

Herxing was first observed in syphilis patients by dermatologists Adolf Jarisch and Karl Herxheimer in the late 1800s and early 1900s, who noticed that sufferers receiving treatment often got worse before they got better. The phenomenon was dubbed the Jarisch-Herxheimer Reaction, and has since been shortened to Herxheimer Reaction or simply, herxing.

“The classic explanation of a Herxheimer Reaction in Lyme sufferers is that when Borrelia bacteria are killed off by an antibiotic or herbal therapy, parts of dead bacteria called endotoxins are shed,” explains Dr. Rawls. “These endotoxins then circulate throughout the body and cause an intense whole-body inflammatory reaction. And that makes the war against microbes that’s already going on inside your body worse.”

In general, Herx Reactions are more common and more intense with conventional antibiotic use than with use of herbs, says Dr. Rawls. “With herbs, the bacterial die‐off is more gradual and the immune response is less intense.”

Either way, the intensification of your symptoms can be disconcerting, and if you’re treating Lyme, the odds are good you’ll experience herxing: While there’s no clinical research on the prevalence of herxing, anecdotally it seems the majority of Lyme sufferers experience it at some point. And that’s actually good news: “It’s often a sign that the therapy is working,” says Dr. Rawls.

How To Tell If It’s Herxing—Or Something Else

Herx Reactions can feel like a red herring, for a few reasons.

For starters, symptoms vary from person to person, says Dr. Rawls, and they’re easy to confuse with other health concerns that are also highly likely in chronic Lyme sufferers, including a disease flare-up, adverse reaction to a new Lyme treatment, or food sensitivity (digestive issues are highly common in Lyme sufferers). What’s more, the timing of any of these issues can also overlap, making it difficult to track your symptoms to their source.

For help clearing up the confusion and determining what’s to blame for your symptoms, check out these helpful identifying characteristics from Dr. Rawls:

HERX REACTION

Symptoms: Intensified fatigue, muscle pain, and flu‐like symptoms such as headache, nausea, GI distress. You may also experience symptoms not listed here; Herx Reactions are highly variable between individuals.

Onset: Symptoms intensify in tandem with starting a new therapy.

Telltale signs: Symptoms may gradually improve with continuation of therapy, and worsen again when you increase the dosage or add a new therapy.

LYME FLARE-UP

Symptoms: Intensification of fatigue, arthritis (joint pain, swelling, and stiffness), flu-like feelings, GI distress, recurrence of your usual Lyme symptoms

Onset: Symptoms are often precipitated by any type of extra stress to your system (including emotional stress, poor diet, toxin exposure, physical stress, lack of sleep, or a new tick bite). Symptoms are not related to starting a new therapy, though the two may coincide if you experienced stress just before starting the therapy.

Telltale signs: Your best clue is timing: A Lyme relapse typically occurs while taking a stable dose of treatment and in reaction to some type of stress, so look for recent lifestyle changes (i.e., diet changes, travel, sleep deprivation, relationships trouble).

ADVERSE TREATMENT REACTION

Symptoms: An allergic-like reaction (hives, itching, skin rash, runny nose, watery eyes, wheezing). This is common in people with chronic Lyme disease, whose entire immune system is in disarray and more easily activated.

Onset: Symptoms develop within about an hour of taking a new medication or herb

Telltale signs: Your symptoms get better when you take an allergy remedy such as an antihistamine. *See your doctor as soon as possible if you experience signs or symptoms of a drug allergy. Call 911 if you experience signs of a severe reaction or suspect an anaphylaxis after taking a medication.

FOOD SENSITIVITY

Symptoms: Fatigue, joint pain, muscle pain, general achiness, brain fog, irritability

Onset: Symptoms occur within hours to a couple of days after an offending food is consumed.

Telltale signs: Your symptoms get better when you eliminate the food(s) from your diet. Doctors can order testing for food sensitivity and heavy metal toxicity, however the best determinant of food sensitivities is an elimination diet.

If these guidelines don’t describe your experience with herxing exactly, take heart. In the beginning, you may go back and forth between knowing whether what you’re experiencing is Herx Reaction or something else, but with time, you will become better at distinguishing herxing and riding it out.

It’s Herxing. When Will It End?

If you’ve determined (or strongly suspect) that you’re herxing, your next question is likely: How long will it last?

Unfortunately, there’s no cut-and-dry answer — everyone’s experience is individual, says Dr. Rawls. Some may feel better after a few days or a few weeks; others may experience herxing for as long as two to three months (though symptoms tend to wax and wane throughout that time).

The good news is, there’s a lot you can do to help ease a Herx Reaction and move beyond the symptoms more quickly. The quickest solution would be to discontinue your Lyme treatment. But that’s not necessarily the best solution, says Dr. Rawls.

“Fundamental advice with herx is to continue therapy at whatever dose you can tolerate. Sometimes you will have to reduce the dose to stay comfortable, but you can increase again later” says Dr. Rawls. “If your symptoms improve over days to a couple of weeks, that suggests confirmation that it’s a herx.And as your symptoms improve, you can gradually increase the dose until the desired therapeutic dose is reached.”

If your symptoms do not improve, it may be an indication that the therapy is not working. In this case, Dr. Rawls suggests either increasing the dose or adding other herbs or other therapy. If symptoms gradually start getting better, then you know you’re on the right track.

That said, if your symptoms are debilitating, back off on your treatment dosage or even stop altogether, advises Dr. Rawls. Then, once your symptoms are tolerable, you can gradually increase your dosage again.

Smart Ways to Ease Herxing

The number one way to find relief from herxing is to address the underlying cause for needing Lyme treatment in the first place: chronic immune dysfunction.

“An impaired immune system is what makes people vulnerable to chronic Lyme,” explains Dr. Rawls. “Restore your immune function, and not only will your body be better at battling Lyme microbes, it’ll be stronger at withstanding the side effects of treatment and overcoming herxing as well.”

To begin, work your way through what Dr. Rawls calls System Disruptors, factors that can contribute to inflammation and intensify either a Herx reaction or a Lyme relapse. These include poor nutrition, emotional stress, environmental toxins like air pollutants and mold, physical stress, and excessive exposure to radiation from modern sources like computers, cell phones, and microwave towers.

Once you’ve begun to take the pressure off of your immune system by decreasing your exposure to these disruptors, your body will be better equipped to handle both microbes and the endotoxins they create as they begin to die off. The result: You start to feel better.

From here, there are a number of additional lifestyle habits you can adopt to help alleviate a Herxheimer Reaction—all of which also contribute to restoring immune function and thus contribute to Lyme recovery, says Dr. Rawls. Here, his recommendations:

1. Hydrate with fresh ginger tea.

A lot of liquids in general is a good idea, but fresh ginger tea in particular has potent systemic anti-inflammatory properties for reducing Herxheimer symptoms.

2. Add some natural therapies to your regimen.

Some good ones to try:

Turmeric and Boswellia They’re excellent for reducing systemic inflammation associated with Herxheimer reactions, and it’s hard to take too much of either. Dr. Rawls recommends 175 mg of turmeric and 75 mg of Boswellia, twice a day for each.
Marine source omega-3 fatty acids They offer anti-inflammatory support, especially for high-fat tissues such as the brain. Both fish oil and krill oil reduce inflammation, but krill is better absorbed and also contains the antioxidant astaxanthin, which provides extra anti-inflammatory support. The suggested dose for krill oil is 500 mg, 1-3 times daily.
Red Root This herb is very good for stimulating clearing dead cellular debris from the lymphatic system. It also supports a healthy liver and spleen, optimal immune function, and swollen lymph nodes.
Chlorella Consistently taking this freshwater algae does wonders for healing an irritated stomach and restoring digestive function. It’s also great for detoxing and healing in general. The typical maintenance dose is 5 to 7.5g total a day. For additional support, we suggest 10g total a day. Chlorella can be taken any time of day. For best results, take with food. (Avoid products that also contain spirulina, a blue-green algae that potentially contains toxins.)
Adaptogenic herbs. These help reduce herxing and moderate the effects of stress. Some to try: Chinese skullcap (450 mg, twice a day), Cordyceps(450 mg, twice a day), Reishi mushroom (175 mg, twice a day), and Rehmannia (50 mg, twice a day).

3. Take enzymes.

There are a variety that will work to help break down immune complexes and reduce inflammation. Bromelain (from pineapple) is a good choice; the dose is 500-1000 mg, one to two times daily. It’s sometimes found in combination supplements for joint health. In general, it’s best to take enzymes on an empty stomach so they are absorbed directly.

4. Apply heat.

Heat can be very soothing during Herx reactions. A far infrared (FIR) sauna and/or a hot bath are excellent for removing toxins from the body. Adding Epsom salts to your bath can also help soothe muscles and joints.

5. Get outside and breathe fresh air.

Forests and beaches or shores alongside open water are especially beneficial. Take your shoes off and walk barefoot: called “grounding,” it’s a good practice for reducing inflammation in the body.

6. Relax.

Decreasing stress is key to normalizing the body’s adrenaline/cortisol response. Some ideas:

Meditate
Get a massage, or try abhyanga (the Ayurvedic practice of self-massage)
Practice Qigong or yoga
Try acupuncture or energy healing

7. Sleep.

Make 7-8 hours of shuteye a nightly goal.

8. Say “no” more often.

Only agree to doing what’s necessary, and let the rest go until you are back on your feet.

9. Avoid coffee and green and black tea.

They tend to dry and irritate the stomach lining.

10. Eat steamed cabbage.

It’s great for soothing an inflamed stomach.

11. Use lavender essential oil.

Research suggests it may be beneficial for easing insomnia, anxiety, stress, and postoperative pain. Apply it to the bottom of your feet before bed to help with sleep.

12. Laugh lots.

It raises your immune system and just makes you feel good.

Thoughts on Herx Prevention

There’s a decent chance that if you increase the dosage of your current treatment or introduce a new one to your Lyme regimen, the herxing may return. It’s not entirely avoidable, says Dr. Rawls, but there are steps you can take to help fend off and reduce symptoms.

A few days before you change up your therapy, Dr. Rawls recommends adding some turmeric and krill or fish oil to your daily routine; these help support a healthy immune response. He also suggests using calming essential oils such as lavender and frankincense to reduce your stress response.

And in general, the most successful approach to feeling your best is to focus on restoring healthy immune function. Do that, and you’ll rebound faster from herxing and most other maladies that may come your way.

Dr. Rawls is a physician who overcame Lyme disease through natural herbal therapy. You can learn more about Lyme disease and recovery in Dr. Rawls’ best-selling book, Unlocking Lyme. You can also learn about Dr. Rawls’ personal journey in overcoming Lyme disease and fibromyalgia in his popular blog post, My Chronic Lyme Journey.

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**Comment**

For those of you just starting treatment: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2015/12/06/tips-for-newbies/

More on Herxing: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2015/08/15/herxheimer-die-off-reaction-explained/

https://www.lymedisease.org/lymesci-herxing/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/06/28/jarisch-herxheimer-a-review/

Enzymes: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/04/22/systemic-enzymes/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/03/05/how-proteolytic-enzymes-may-help-lyme-msids/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/24/herbs-habits-to-revive-your-gut/

MSM – another detoxifier, gut support, & inflammation & pain reducer: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/03/02/dmso-msm-for-lyme-msids/

One of the hardest things to understand about this complex disease(es) is that you feel a whole lot worse before you feel better and this can take considerable time. Managing the herx is a challenging job. Many find sauna’s to be of great help.

Category:

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

FREE Lyme/MSIDS Q&A Thursday With Dr. Ross

https://www.treatlyme.net/lyme-webinar-marty-ross-md

Improve Your Life

“Bring your questions, insights, and a computer with a good internet connection. In this live forum I will respond to any comments or questions you have about Lyme Disease treatment, prevention or diagnosis.” – Marty Ross MD

Lyme Disease Q&A Webinar

This live webinar is a 90 minute question and answer session on Lyme disease. It does not include a prepared presentation. You and the other participants create each show with your questions while Marty Ross MD provides the answers.

Price: Free

When: Thursdays: 6 to 7:30 PM CST (Austin, TX Time)

Where: Wherever you are with a computer, tablet, or smart phone; a good internet connection; your favorite pet; and a good cup of herbal tea.

To view previous Q & A’s: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2rR9VdwTEuXvrJ5tt7j6yw?feature=embeds_subscribe_title

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Treatment

Biological Dentistry & Lyme/MSIDS Talk

A Biological Dentistry and Lyme/MSIDS talk will be given at the next Madison Lyme Support Group Meeting.

When: Saturday, February 16, 2019

Where: East Madison Police Station Community Room, 809 S. Thompson Dr., Madison, WI.

Time: 2:30-4:30pm

Who:

Dr. Supriya Shetty is a graduate of New York University School of Dentistry. Since joining Integrative Dental Solutions in 2007, she has completely embraced the concept of holistic dentistry.

Intuitively, Dr. Shetty understands that health centered dentistry is in the best interest of the patient and considers it her mission to restore and maintain the natural health, function and beauty of her patients’ mouths.

Dr. Shetty is a member of the Huggins Alliance, the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT), the International Academy of Biological Dentistry and the International Association for Orthodontics. She is also great with kids and one of her specialties is children’s dentistry. Dr. Shetty is also a graduate of the Dental Sleep Medicine Mini Residency at the University of Pacific and can screen, evaluate and manage patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Professional Biography

A.B.S.M. Institute 1999 — Bachelor of Dental Science

New York U. School of Dentistry 2005 — Doctor of Dental Surgery

Accredited member of the IAOMT
Graduate of Dental Sleep Medicine Mini Residency – University of the Pacific
Graduate of TMD Mini Residency – AACP

Member

•International Academy of Oral & Medical Toxicology (IAOMT)- Accredited

•International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine

•American Dental Association (ADA)

•Wisconsin Dental Association (WDA)

•Dental Society of Waukesha County (WCDS)

•International Association for Orthodontics (IAO)

•American General Dentist (AGD) – Pre-Fellow

•Fellow of the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain

•American Academy of Sleep Medicine

•The American Academy For Oral Systemic Health

Continuing Education

•Longitudinal Tooth Fractures

•Update in Pediatric Dentistry

•Precision – Base Endodontics

•Impression Materials and Techniques

•Immediate Provisionalization of Single Tooth Implants

•Invisalign Certification

•IOAMT Fundamentals of Biological Dentistry

•Mercury Rention Toxicity Proof of Occurrence & Biochemical Effects on Humans – Boyd Haley, PhD

•Toxic Metal – Focus on Detoxification and the Iniquitous

•Effect of Hypertension & Cardiovascular Disease

•Thimerosal & Search for Environmental Links to Autism – Thomas Burbacher, PhD

•Oxygen/Ozone Therapy for Arrestment of Periodontal Disease – Philip Mollica, DMD

•How to Practice Mercury-Safe Dentistry: Minimizing Occupational Exposure to Mercury – Thomas McGuire

•Exodontia: The Organ System

•Advanced Invisalign Certification, Chicago, IL

•Dr. Huggins Protocol Training

•Introduction to Orthodontics – Dr. Rondeau

•Completed Oral Sedation Training and Certification

•Cerec Advanced Training

•Clinical Hands-on Prep & Bond

•Diode Lasers in Dental Application – Laser Certification

•Dental Sleep Medicine

•Orthodontics for Prevention and Phase 2 by Dr. Ed Lipskis

•Sleep Disorder by Dr Robert Talley

•Tongue and Lip Tie by Stacy Cole

•Radiograph and CT Imaging by Dr. Tally

•JAV & Magnetic Resonance Imaging by Simons

•Craniofacial & Neuropathic Pain Syndromes by Dr. Shankland

•Tigger Points and Tigger Point Therapy by Dr. McCarty

•The NTI Appliance – Theory & Fabrication by Dr. Shankland

•Pathology & Disease Processes of TM Joints By Dr Shankland

•Pharmacological Management of CFP by Dr. Shankland

•Diffential Diagnosis of Osteocaviataion Lesion by Dr. Shankland

•Treatment Planning by Dr. Shankland

•Cerec Mastery – Rapid Integration into Your Practice

•Graduate of Dental Sleep Medicine Mini Residency – University of the Pacific

•Graduate of TMD Mini Residency – AACP

•BaleDoneen technique certified

•Bioclear

•Ortho-Tain certified

What is Biological Dentistry?

Understanding the Mouth-Body Relationship

A biological, natural or holistic dentist is one that understands the mouth-body relationship and only performs dental procedures backed by scientific studies and evidence.

The American Dental Association continues to tout the safety of mercury-silver amalgam fillings. For years, they steadfastly denied that any mercury was released from these fillings and based this on 150 years of “safe” use. Several years ago, they finally changed their position in the face of the facts presented by scientific studies, and admitted amalgam fillings do indeed release mercury. However, their position now is that these amounts are “insignificant.”

Like the wishful thinkers that once thought that the earth was the center of the universe, those supporting the placement of toxic materials in patients’ mouths are now seeing their position crumble in the light of scientific evidence.

While biological dentists are sometimes made out to be quacks (ironically taken from the “quacksalver”, a term derived from the German word for mercury, first used to describe those using mercury-containing medications), it is in fact the Biological dentists that are attempting to initiate a scientific debate on the subject.

If you are like most patients seeking alternative care, you have fought your share of battles with conventional healthcare practitioners. Rest assured, you have come to the right place.

Maybe the biggest difference you will notice at a biological dentistry office is the individualized approach to care. Our philosophy is that every patient is different and needs to be treated according to their specific needs. The days of “one size fits all” dentistry are on the way out.

It All Starts With a Healthy Mouth

Supriya ShSetty, DDS

Approx. 30 Min.

Category:

Dentistry, Lyme, Treatment

Novel Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Drug Discovered by HKU Researchers

http://outbreaknewstoday.com/novel-broad-spectrum-antiviral-drug-discovered-hku-researchers-14115/

Novel broad-spectrum antiviral drug discovered by HKU researchers

by PRESS RELEASE

January 18, 2019

The world has been repeatedly plagued by infectious disease outbreaks, including SARS and MERS coronaviruses, avian influenza viruses, and Zika virus. A team at the Medical Faculty of The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) led by Professor Yuen Kwok-yung and Dr Shuofeng Yuan of the Department of Microbiology, has discovered a novel broad-spectrum antiviral drug that would be strategic for epidemic control and early treatment with better clinical outcome.

US provisional patent application has been filed for this important discovery. The finding is now published in a leading scientific journal Nature Communications.

Background

*Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV)/Cynthia Goldsmith; Azaibi Tamin*

It is difficult if not impossible to predict the coming virus epidemic. It will definitely come but do not know which virus. Thus it is not possible to develop a drug that will specifically inhibit that coming yet unknown virus. It would be ideal if we have an antiviral drug which targets a host pathway that is essential for virus replication. Our past experience shows that respiratory viruses are the most likely emerging virus that can cause huge morbidity, mortality and socioeconomic disruption such as the 1997 H5N1 and 2013 H7N9 avian influenza viruses, and the 2003 SARS and 2012 MERS coronaviruses. The study of these diseases and their pathology showed that coronaviruses often use the lipid membrane synthesis pathway of human host to produce intracellular lipid membrane vesicles as the machinery for producing virus particles. If we can find a host target which control lipid production, we can find a drug that targets this host target and therefore stops virus replication.

Key findings

Using integrative transcriptomic and lipidomic analyses, it was shown that cellular lipid metabolism is profoundly upregulated with MERS coronavirus infection. Followed by this, a bioactive lipid library was screened and AM580 was identified as a potent and broad-spectrum antiviral (respiratory or emerging RNA and DNA viruses) with high selectivity indexes in cell lines, and as a safe and effective anti-MERS and anti-influenza treatment in mouse models and human organoids. Using click-chemistry, the sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs), which are transcription factors regulating cellular lipid homeostasis, were identified to be the target of AM580.

Significance of the study

The novel findings in the current study demonstrates that SREBP, a host factor which is essential for viral replication but can be temporarily non-essential for the host metabolism, represents an ideal target for the development of broad-spectrum antiviral therapeutics. Notably, a chemical derivative of AM580, tamibarotene which is not a cytotoxic but a differentiation drug, has been used clinically for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia with little side effects. With the clinical experience of tamibarotene, AM580-related compounds could be modified as a safe and broad group of antiviral therapeutics.

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For more:

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/03/28/combating-viruses/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/05/23/cdc-warns-about-7-new-tick-viruses/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/08/23/ebv-chronic-fatigue-connection-podcast-dr-rawls/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/04/11/diagnosed-with-ebv-had-lyme/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/11/04/24514/ EBV – A Key player in chronic illness & Tips to Treat reactivated EBV

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/04/25/ebv-protein-can-turn-on-genes-for-autoimmune-diseases/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/01/15/schizophrenia-linked-with-abnormal-immune-response-to-epstein-barr-virus/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/29/why-everything-you-learned-about-viruses-is-wrong/

Category:

Activism, Treatment, Viruses

Madison Area Lyme Support Group

Archive for the ‘Treatment’ Category