Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Have Test – Can Travel

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Lyme disease is under-reported and increasing in the United States, with as many as 300,000 new cases a year. But did you know that Lyme disease is not just here in the United States? With 68 million Americans traveling abroad last year alone, business travelers, vacationers, and people in the military should be aware of the facts: Over 80 countries of Europe and Asia have reported cases of Lyme, with more than 360,000 cases reported over the last two decades. Mexico reports cases of patients being infected when visiting the forested areas. Canada describes the increasing numbers of infected black-legged ticks. Not all countries have mandatory reporting, so these statistics do not account for all of the cases of disease. At least three species of Borrelia may be responsible:
*Borrelia burgdorferi
*Borrelia garinii
*Borrelia afzelii

Because of this, travelers returning to the U.S. showing symptoms of a tick-borne illness should be tested for more than Borrelia burgdorferi.

Coppe Laboratories is the only commercial reference laboratory testing for multiple genospecies including these European strains.

Using selective antigens (VlsE and OspC), Coppe’s Lyme panel is highly sensitive, which increases the likelihood of detection of antibodies from multiple strains of the Borrelia bacteria. Densitometry software is used to read the immunoblots, rather than relying on visual identification. Indeterminate results are less than 1% providing clear interpretation and actionable results.

In addition to the high–quality testing of Borrelia, Coppe Laboratories provides testing for Babesia and exclusive testing for Powassan virus. As a courtesy, Coppe will file insurance on behalf of the patient.

For more information, please visit our website at www.coppelabs.com.

Category:

Educational handouts, Lyme, Ticks, Uncategorized

Alzheimer’s – Byproduct of Infection?

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/06/09/alzheimers-disease-brain-infection.

Harvard Researchers are saying that beta-alyloid proteins are part of your innate immune response and may be beneficial as they trap foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses; however, these traps form the plaque seen in Alzheimer’s.

Study author Rudolph E. Tanzi, Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital states, “Each plaque had a single bacterium at its center.”  Mice that didn’t produce beta-amyloid were at greater risk of dying from the infection and did not have any plaques in their brains.”

They are theorizing that a small amount of beta-amyloid is protective whereas larger amounts could be damaging, and similarly to leaky gut syndrome, we tend to have a leaky blood-brain barrier the older we get.

Ruth Itzhaki, Ph.D., professor emeritus of molecular neurobiology at Britain’s University of Manchester, and colleagues in 1991 linked Alzheimer’s to herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) – the type that causes cold sores.  There are currently more than 100 studies supporting this link.

Itzhaki states,
” … [W]e propose that infectious agents, including HSV-1, Chlamydia pneumonia, and spirochetes, reach the CNS [central nervous system] and remain there in latent form.  These agents can undergo reactivation in the brain during aging, as the immune system declines, and during different types of stress (which similarly reactivate HSV-1 in the periphery).  The consequent neuronal damage — caused by direct viral action and by virus-induced inflammation — occurs recurrently, leading to (or acting as a cofactor for) progressive synaptic dysfunction, neuronal loss, and ultimately AD [Alzheimer’s disease].  Such damage includes the induction of Aβ [amyloid beta] which, initially, appears to be only a defense mechanism.”

In addition to viruses, bacteria, and fungus, an infectious protein called TDP-43 (think prions and Mad Cow Disease) has also been linked to AD as well as low Vitamin D (helps build the immune system and brain chemicals that protect brain cells).  

http://www.examiner.com/article/kris-kristofferson-has-lyme-disease-memory-loss-misdiagnosed-as-alzheimer-s  Singer, Kris Kristofferson, went through this private hell.  He was wrongly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s but had Lyme Disease.  For years doctors told Kristofferson it was either Alzheimer’s or dementia, and may have been the result of blows to his head from boxing, football and rugby.  The medication he was given gave him bad side effects and didn’t help.

Sound familier?

Since starting treatment for Lyme Kristofferson “has made remarkable strides.”  His wife Lisa said,

“all of the sudden he was back.” Although he still has some bad days, there are other days when he is “perfectly normal,” she said.

Please tell your family and friends who have an Alzheimer’s or dementia diagnosis this story.  We need to look out for one another.

Category:

Lyme, research, Uncategorized, Viruses

Dr. David Baewer – Coppe Labs

Approx 1 hour:  Published on Jun 6, 2016
Dr. David Baewer, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of Coppe Laboratories, Waukesha, WI presents information about the relation of arboviruses to MSIDS (multi systemic infectious disease syndrome – or Lyme with friends) to the Madison Area Lyme Support Group

While there is no “standard” treatment for most viruses, please know there is much you can do to make your body a tough target:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/03/28/combating-viruses/

Coppe is collecting ticks for their research.  If you are interested in being a part of some excellent research, put your tick(s) in a baggie in the freezer and contact them at:
Coppe Laboratories
W229 N1870 Westwood Dr.
Waukesha, WI 53186
(262) 574-0701
(262) 574-0703
info@coppelabs.com
They will send you what you need to get them to the lab alive.

Coppe is a CLIA-certified lab that is the only lab besides the CDC who tests for Powassan Virus.  They also provide advanced testing for leukotropic herpesviruses: EBV, CMV, HHV-6A and HHV-6B, as well as tick-borne pathogens, and their tests distinguish between latent and active infections.  Their Lyme panel uses recombinant VlsE and OspC antigens to increase sensitivity as well as tests multiple strains of borrelia, the European species B. garinii, B. afzelii, and B. miyamotoi.  Testing recommended 4-6 weeks after initial tick bite.

For those of you who are new to this, please do not wait 4-6 weeks to be seen by a doctor if you are bitten by a tick.  Time is of the essence with MSIDS.  The longer you wait, the deeper the pathogens travel making treatment infinitely more difficult.  You have a few options – see your regular practitioner if you are certain they will treat you immediately.  Chances are very high you can nip this in the bud with doxycycline; however, the fear is if you have remaining symptoms.  Some practitioners will allow you a second round of doxy which may do the trick.  If not, and you have symptoms, do not mess around.  Get to an LLMD (Lyme Literate Doctor – someone trained by ILADS) immediately.  Remember, Lyme (borrelia) rarely travels alone.  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/02/13/lyme-disease-treatment/

Also, be careful about feeling “safe” if a tick has not been attached for 24-48 hours.  This video, created by Lyme Action Network shows that transmission times have never been experimentally determined with humans.  All the transmission times have been determined using animal studies and transmission has occurred in under 16 hours.  They have no idea of the transmission times of the various co-infections; however, they estimate it only takes 15 minutes for transmission of Powassan Virus.   

Also worth noting:  I believe strongly it’s just a matter of time before science conclusively shows Lyme (borrelia) and various coinfections to be STD’s as well as passed congenitally and via breast milk:

Borrelia found in semen and vaginal secretions – with couples having the identical strain: Presented at the Western Regional Meeting of the American Federation for Medical Research, Carmel, CA, January 25, 2014. http://afmr.org/Western/.

http://www.lymerick.net/Transmission-Bb-contact.htm

Spirochete-like bacteria in vag smears

https://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-basics/lyme-disease/children/

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mothers-may-pass-lyme-disease-to-children-in-the-womb/

 

Category:

Uncategorized

The Coffee Enema

The MSIDS (multi systemic infectious disease syndrome – or Lyme with friends) patient learns fairly quickly that treatment includes killing pathogens, detoxifying, and supporting the body.  For a primer on what this entails, please read:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2015/12/06/tips-for-newbies/

There are a thousand ways to do all of these things and many are listed in the above article, but one that has much success is the coffee enema.  Unlike a standard enema, only 1-2 Cups of organic, cooled, coffee is used and held for approximately 15 minutes.  It’s purpose is also slightly different in that the coffee enema is absorbed into the enter-hepatic system which causes the liver ducts and bile ducts to empty toxins into the sigmoid colon. Also, the alkaloids in the caffeine stimulate production of glutathione-S-transferase, an enzyme that encourages detoxification.  And, unlike drinking the coffee, which has to travel through the digestive tract, the coffee enema remains in the sigmoid colon – so it’s safe for those sensitive to caffeine, but if you still feel the effects of being wired, reduce the coffee amount by half for a few days or weeks.  You can gradually increase as the body adjusts.

In the following video, Dr. Jay Davidson explains what he considers to be some missing links in standard coffee enema practice.  For one, he feels it important to do two enemas back to back.  He also recommends taking activated charcoal to bind with the toxins that are released by the enema.  He recommends taking a few tabs prior to and after the enema for best results.  He gives trusted brands as well as information on where to get supplies.  And lastly he recommends taking LB (Liver Gallbladder by Systemic Formulas) to soften the thick bile for a greater release.  He recommends taking this a week prior to taking the enema.

http://drjaydavidson.com/coffee-enema-missing-links/  This link goes into much more detail and has videos as well as sources.  Coffee enema info starts about 7 minutes into the video.  

Category:

Detoxing, Uncategorized

Tiny Tick Big Controversy ABC Special Report

  Published on Feb 4, 2016 WMDT-TV Channel 47 Documentary on Lyme.  Approx. 25 minutes

See local Lyme patients, hear interviews with specialists, as well as medical professionals who don’t necessarily believe in chronic Lyme disease. Emily Lampa, senior reporter for WMDT-TV, courageously took on this challenge and created the documentary, “Tiny Tick Big Controversy”.

The prevention of tick-borne illnesses is much more complicated than just avoiding ticks. One of the major reasons is that the diagnosis and treatment of the most common vector-borne infection, Lyme Disease, is still such a mystery and so often clouded by controversy.

 

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Ticks, Uncategorized