By Ben Everill, PGATOUR.COM Jimmy Walker celebrates his 2016 PGA Championship with his wife Erin and son Beckett. (Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
KAPALUA, Hawaii – Jimmy Walker spent most of last season battling the effects of Lyme disease and now his wife Erin must also fight the good fight.
Erin revealed in her blog on Thursday that after ironically spending the good part of nine months trying to raise awareness for the disease that had her six-time PGA TOUR winning husband wrecked with fatigue – she had also been diagnosed.
In an in-depth essay about Jimmy’s problems throughout 2017 Erin said she was diagnosed on December 15 last year and is now undergoing treatment. She is hopeful the early detection will ensure a quick recovery, unlike her husband.
Since winning the 2016 PGA Championship Jimmy has struggled with his game, mainly due to the effects of the disease.
Neither know how they contracted the illness which is non-transferable from human-to-human but comes from tick bites. (Please read my comment below)
They believe Jimmy may have caught it on a hunting trip while Erin could have picked up a bite walking a golf course – but neither saw a tick or the associated bull’s-eye rash that follows a bite.
Erin revealed her husband went through bouts of depression after getting flu-like sickness several times throughout the year and also began to have “brain fog.”
He actually tested positive for Lyme, Mono, two different types of pneumonia, West Nile Virus and a virus common to children called CMV.
“He had good days, and bad days. Good hours and bad hours. His mood continued to decline and in hindsight he has said he was possibly depressed. We still aren’t sure if the Lyme caused the depression and mood issues, or if it was the fact that he felt awful all of the time,” Erin wrote.
“Jimmy had no energy to practice, so his golf suffered. He didn’t have energy to play with the kids or help in normal activities around the house. Getting up to go to the golf course for his tournament rounds was the only energy he could muster and most days he felt like sitting down on the tee boxes in-between holes.”
“One of the biggest symptoms he was experiencing was brain fog. From difficulty to remembering simple tasks such as, leaving tickets for friends and family, to putting on a pot of water to boil and then leaving the house, he was experiencing these types of symptoms on a daily basis.”
Jimmy is hoping to resume his PGA TOUR season later this month while Erin is hoping to continue her competitive horseback riding despite the diagnosis and re-evaluate the situation after a month of treatment.
While this is a sad story, we need to learn from it. The CDC states emphatically that Lyme is NOT a STD, yet so many couples are infected.
There is pitiful research on the topic – which is pretty sad when you consider Lyme to be the top vector borne disease and the sheer numbers of folks infected each and every year.
And while I appreciate all the tick research being done, nobody is truly digging into the STD potential as well as other modes of transmission such as bodily fluids.
Willy Burgdorfer was infected in a lab with infected rabbit urine. Urine is a common way dogs are infected with leptospirosis, a spirochete similar to Bb in both symptoms and treatment:http://buhnerhealinglyme.com/co-infections/leptospirosis/
Again, don’t get me wrong, all this is quite interesting, but shouldn’t we be investigating issues like transmission? Not only modes and means but ditching the myth that it takes 24-48 hours to contract it when there are cases of the inability to walk in about 6-8 hours? https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/12/07/igenex-presentation/
Call me nuts, but inquiring minds want to know about the STD issue as that will affect our choices.
All I can tell you from personal experience is ALL my symptoms were in the pelvis initially. I had NO idea of the probability of it being a STD so didn’t even consider it. I’m not alone. This is how people are thinking due to the assurance by groups like the CDC/IDSA/NIH that we are safe.
Now I know better. And you do too.
My husband and I meet with infected couples upon request as there is a lot to navigate in these shark infested waters. You think being infected is bad? Try both partners once.
Then there’s that pesky detail of not having enough studies on the effectiveness of formaldehyde killing the virus making it “inactive” which explains why some get the flu after getting the vaccine: http://www.thevaccinereaction.org/2018/01/formaldehyde-doesnt-always-kill-viruses/This happened before when 40,000 kids were given the Salk IPV and got polio. OOPS!
What authorities don’t tell you about vaccines for the immunocompromised, such as Lyme/MSIDS patients, is that a vaccine which is created to lower your immune system so that your body mounts an immune response can activate latent infections. https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/12/02/scottish-doctor-gives-insight-on-lyme-msids/ Within this link you will also see a connection between the HPV vaccine and Bartonella. I just finished “Lyme Madness,” by Lori Dennis. Her son’s Lyme/MSIDS activated after a flu shot. I hear these stories over and over.
So rather than be frightened and reach for what seems like an easy button, this article will hopefully give you practical tools to use at home to lower your flu risk or lessen infection time.
The following video by NPR shows how viruses turn our cells into mini viral reproductive factories.
Approx. 3.5 Min
Approx. 6 Min
In this video Dr. Axe shares his top seven remedies to cure a cold fast. These specific remedies can help you get rid of your cold in 24 hours or less. They are most effective when taken upon initial flu/cold symptoms.
1. Echinacea
The research using Echinacea tea is not consistent. The studies that demonstrated the best effect at shortening the length of a cold occurred when you drink two to three cups of Echinacea tea per day starting on the first or second day of your cold.
2. Elderberry Syrup or Extract
In one study, elderberry syrup reduced the severity of flu symptoms and shortened their duration by about four days. Elderberry extract is also known for inducing sweating, and helps relieve congestion.
3. Vitamin C (1000mg 5x day)
A very potent antioxidant; use a natural form such as acerola, which contains associated micronutrients. You can take several grams every hour (use the liposomal form so you don’t get loose stools), till you are better.
4. Garlic (capsules or cloves)
In the singular study identified by the Cochrane group, those who took garlic daily for three months had fewer colds than those who took a placebo, and, when they did come down with a cold, the duration of illness was shorter — an average of 4.5 days compared to 5.5 days for the placebo group.
5. Oregano Oil/ Oil of Oregano (4-5 drops in water)
The higher the carvacrol concentration, the more effective and most active antimicrobial agent in oregano oil which has potent antibacterial and antiviral effects. In one study, researchers found when in spray form in combination with four other aromatic plants it could immediately reduce the side effects of a cold. This treatment was no longer effective after three days of use. Oil of oregano should not be used by children, women who are pregnant or nursing or who plan to become pregnant.
6. Zinc (100mg a day)
A Cochrane Database Review of the medical research on zinc found that when taken within one day of the first symptoms, zinc can cut down the time you have a cold by about 24 hours. Zinc was also found to greatly reduce the severity of symptoms. Zinc was not recommended for anyone with an underlying health condition, like lowered immune function, asthma or chronic illness. Dr. Mercola does not recommend taking more than 50 mg a day, and does not recommend taking zinc on a daily basis for preventive purposes as you could easily develop a copper imbalance that way.
7. Apple Cider Vinegar (2 Tbsp in water 3x a day)
Cold viruses increase the acidity of your body. Apple Cider vinegar reduces the acidity and has acetic acid that helps prevent the growth of viruses.
Eliminate sugars from your diet, add in a real vegetable soup a day, consume chicken broth, and citrus fruits. For more information on getting rid of a cold check out this article: http://draxe.com/natural-cold-remedies/
1. Meditation – has significant positive effects on heart rate, brain function, stress reduction and blood pressure. Research also has demonstrated lasting positive effects on brain function and immune system. Imaging demonstrated an increase in activation in the left frontal region of the brain associated with lower anxiety, and blood work showed larger increases in antibody production in participants who meditated in the study.
2. Exercise – if all symptoms are above the neck, such as sneezing, sniffling and watery eyes, then breaking out in a sweat is generally considered safe. The immune system functions better when you exercise regularly and is a good preventative measure. Walking, jogging, yoga and slow biking are among the best exercises when you have a cold, while endurance sports, team sports, weightlifting and exercising in the cold weather are among the worst. Exercise may help you feel better but may not shorten the length of your cold. If you are involved in strenuous exercise it depletes the energy needed to fight the virus and can actually make your symptoms worse.
3. Sleep – Sleep has a strong regulatory influence on your immune system and promotes the influence of cytokines stimulating the interaction between antigen-presenting cells and T-helper cells necessary for your body to fight virus infections. Most people need between about eight hours of sleep a night and plenty of rest during the day.
4. Nasal Saline Rinse – Although researchers can only speculate how saline nasal washes are effective in treating and preventing virus infections and recurrences, the fact is they are effective. Use only sterile normal saline water in the rinse. Tap water can increase the inflammatory response in the sinus passages and carry parasites that can infect your brain.
5. Hydrogen Peroxide – In 1928, Dr. Richard Simmons hypothesized that the cold virus entered your body through the ear canal and not the nose. His theory was dismissed by the medical community; however, in 1938, German researchers had great success using hydrogen peroxide in the ear canal to treat colds and the flu. You must start treatment in the first 24 hours to have a significant impact on reducing the length of the cold. Take a capful of hydrogen peroxide and while lying on your side, pour it in, letting it bubble for a few minutes. Switch sides and repeat.
6. Chicken Soup – Ateam of researchers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center found evidence that chicken soup — both homemade and from the can — had anti-inflammatory properties that could prevent the side effects of a cold. Avoid the canned varieties in favor of a home-cooked version with homemade broth.
9. Coconut Oil – has both antibacterial and antiviral properties. Rub coconut oil over your skin. It is readily absorbed into your body and, as an added benefit, will soften your skin too. Add one-half teaspoon to your coffee or tea when you have a cold and cook with it.
10. Baking Soda – reduces the acidity of your body in the treatment of colds and flu. However, I have pushed the body pH in the opposite direction and achieved the same results, shortening the length of an infection. The administration of baking soda is simple, relatively harmless and easy to test on your own cold. Simply dissolve the recommended amount of baking soda in a glass of cold water and drink it. Recommended dosages from the Arm & Hammer Company for colds and influenza back in 1925 were:
Day 1 — Take six doses of one-half teaspoon of baking soda in glass of cool water, at about two-hour intervals Day 2 —Take four doses of one-half teaspoon of baking soda in glass of cool water, at the same intervals Day 3 — Take two doses of one-half teaspoon of baking soda in glass of cool water morning and evening, and thereafter ½ teaspoon in glass of cool water each morning until cold symptoms are gone This should only be used as an occasional (not chronic) treatment, however, and be careful not to consume excessive amounts, which can cause serious electrolyte and acid/base imbalances.
11. Lifestyle Choices – eliminate or drastically reduce your alcohol intake and smoking. Both of these factors negatively impact your immune system, making it more difficult for your body to fight the viral infection.
12. Steam – will not shorten the length of your cold, but it will help to break up the mucous secretions in your sinuses, reduce the inflammation in your nasal passages and help you to breathe better.
13. Stress Reduction – Practicing meditation, yoga or Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) are simple and effective practices to support your immune system and prevent other damage caused by stress.
14. Hand Washing – is a deterrent for infection by viruses and against further infection while you are sick. It will also reduce the spread of the virus to other family members, but it will not shorten the length of your cold. Remember that too much hand washing is almost as bad as not enough. Frequent washing strips your skin of protective oils, causing the skin to crack and bleed.
15. Eat Real Food – and avoiding processed foods will give your body the necessary tools to fight a viral infection. It will also reduce the potential you’ll suffer a quick recurrence of the infection.
Development and Validation of a Serologic Test Panel for Detection of Powassan Virus Infection in U.S. Patients Residing in Regions Where Lyme
Disease Is Endemic
Thomm AM, Schotthoefer AM, Dupuis AP II, Kramer LD, Frost HM, Fritsche TR, Harrington YA, Knox KK, Kehl SC.
/mSphere/. 2018 Jan 10;3(1). pii: e00467-17. eCollection 2018 Jan-Feb.
Powassan virus (POWV) is an emerging tick-borne arbovirus presenting a
public health threat in North America. POWV lineage II, also known as deer tick virus, is the strain of the virus most frequently found in
/Ixodes scapularis/ ticks and is implicated in most cases of POWV encephalitis in the United States. Currently, no commercial tests are
available to detect POWV exposure in tick-borne disease (TBD) patients.
We describe here the development and analytical validation of a serologic test panel to detect POWV infections. The panel uses an indirect enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to screen. EIA-positive samples reflex
to a laboratory-developed, POWV-specific immunofluorescence assay (IFA).
The analytical sensitivity of the test panel was 89%, and the limit of
detection was a plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) titer of
1:20. The analytical specificity was 100% for the IgM assay and 65% for the IgG assay when heterologous-flavivirus-positive samples were tested.
On samples collected from regions where Lyme disease is endemic,
seroprevalence for POWV in TBD samples was 9.4% (10 of 106) versus 2% when tested with non-TBD samples (2 of 100, /P/ = 0.034). No evidence of
POWV infection was seen in samples collected from a region where Lyme
disease was not endemic (0 of 22).
This test panel provides a sensitive and specific platform for detecting
a serologic response to POWV early in the course of infection when
neutralizing antibodies may not be detectable. Combined with clinical history, the panel is an effective tool for identifying acute POWV infection.
*Importance*
Approximately 100 cases of POWV disease were reported in the United
States over the past 10 years. Most cases have occurred in the Northeast
(52) and Great Lakes (45) regions
(https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/statistics.html). The prevalence of POWV in ticks and mammals is increasing, and POWV poses an increasing threat in a greater geographical range.
In areas of the Northeast and Midwest where Lyme disease is endemic,
POWV testing is recommended for patients with a recent tick bite, patients with Lyme disease who have been treated with antibiotics, or patients with a tick exposure who have tested negative for Lyme disease or other tick-borne illnesses and have persistent symptoms consistent
with posttreatment Lyme disease. Testing could also benefit patients
with tick exposure and unexplained neurologic symptoms and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients with known tick exposure.
Until now, diagnostic testing for Powassan virus has not been
commercially available and has been limited to patients presenting with
severe, neurologic complications. The lack of routine testing for Powassan virus in patients with suspected tick-borne disease means that little information is available regarding the overall prevalence of the virus and the full spectrum of clinical symptoms associated with infection. As /Ixodes scapularis/ is the tick vector for Powassan virus
and multiple other tick-borne pathogens, including the Lyme disease
bacterium, /Borrelia burgdorferi/, the clinical presentations and long-term outcomes of Powassan virus infection and concurrent infection with other tick-borne disease pathogens remain unknown.
IN FRANCE – 300 people with Lyme disease will file criminal complaints in early January 2018 against the State, the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) and the National Reference Center (CNR) in Strasbourg for influence peddling, abuse of company or government assets, concealment of abuse of government or company assets, endangering the lives of others, violation of the principle of independence of experts and conflict of interests.
This complaint aims in particular “to uncover the links of interests maintained between the National Reference Center of Strasbourg and the laboratories”. The complainants believe that screening tests are unreliable.
The director of the CNR, is an expert mandated by the State and the ANSM, who also collaborates with the laboratories that manufacture these tests and participates in the validation committees of the tests. He may be charged with criminal offense, influence peddling, corruption and misuse of corporate assets.
The plaintiffs also target the State and the ANSM for endangering the lives of others and manslaughter (patient suicides) and also lack of vigilance in the choice of experts and the quality of tests.
According to one of the plaintiffs’ lawyers, by imposing a single testing technique, a single screening protocol and favoring a certain number of laboratories, the health authorities “did not play their role of supervisory or regulatory authority, but actually became employees of the pharmaceutical industry.”
Today there are tens of thousands of patients who have not been diagnosed and many of them are in absolutely catastrophic medical, material and moral situations.
The lawyers claim the responsibility of the actors of public health, but also $611,345.00 of damages per patient.
“Absurd” tests: Today, the Elisa test is used to find out if a patient has Lyme disease. Elisa is the only test that exists in France to detect the disease. If it is negative, the exams stop there for the patient. If it is positive, the doctors give a second test to the patient, much more precise, the Western Blot.
Except that the first test detects only 3 to 5 different bacteria that can cause Lyme, whereas in reality, there are more than ten. To find out if they have Lyme or not, some patients have to go to veterinary tests, much more accurate, or go to other countries like Germany, where the tests are more advanced.
Some doctors do not stop at the negative test and continue to see patients to determine if they have Lyme or not, but they are then sued by the College of Physicians and Health Insurance for ‘non-compliance’. The lawyers therefore ask for the withdrawal of these tests that they consider “absurd”.
https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/09/25/speaking-of-fake-science-fifty-seven-million-anti-trust-lawsuit-against-cdc-lyme-tests/The CDC is accused of violation of the antitrust law in suppressing a direct testing method to diagnose an emerging infectious disease (Lyme borreliosis), which the CDC itself has called the ‘fastest growing vector borne disease in the USA’.One of the purposes of the current lawsuit is to make the Exhibits public, so that Lyme disease patients can ask their lawyer to use the Exhibits to file their own SF-95 form for damages due to delayed diagnosis. If he wins his case, Dr. Lee intends to donate the money to a non-profit organization to set up nested PCR/16S rRNA sequence diagnostic laboratories in hospitals located in Lyme disease-endemic areas so that all Lyme patients can be diagnosed early within a few days of first symptomatic presentation and receive timely and proper treatment.
Promising malaria medication tested
New combination of drugs proves effective and well-tolerated; further studies planned
January 19, 2018
Universitaet Tübingen
Summary:
An international research team has conducted successful phase II clinical tests of a new anti-malaria medication. The treatment led to a cure in 83 cases.
FULL STORY
Researchers tested the efficacy, tolerability and safety of a combination of the drugs Fosmidomycin and Piperaquine.
An international research team has conducted successful phase II clinical tests of a new anti-malaria medication. The treatment led to a cure in 83 cases. The new combination of drugs was developed by Professor Peter Kremsner of the Tübingen Institute of Tropical Medicine and the company DMG Deutschen Malaria GmbH. The study was recently published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and is freely accessible.
In the study, the researchers tested the efficacy, tolerability and safety of a combination of the drugs Fosmidomycin and Piperaquine. The twofold medication was administered for three days to patients aged one to thirty who were infected with malaria via the Plasmodium falciparum pathogen. In the 83 evaluable cases, there was a 100% cure rate. Patients tolerated the treatment well, and it led to a swift reduction of clinical symptoms. Safety issues were limited to changes in electrocardiogram readings, as had been described for Piperaquine.
The study was conducted at the Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL) in the African country of Gabon; CERMEL has close ties with the University of Tübingen. Financial support came from the nonprofit organisation Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV).
“This study represents a milestone in the clinical research into Fosmidomycin,” says Tübingen Professor of Tropical Medicine Peter Kremsner. The substance was originally extracted from Streptomyces lavendulae and today can be produced synthetically. It blocks a metabolic pathway for the production of Isoprenoid in the malaria pathogen. This makes the malaria pathogen unable to metabolize or reproduce. Because Isoprenoids are formed via a different synthesis path in the human body, humans have no target structures for Fosmidomycin. For this reason humans tolerate the drug well and suffer barely any side effects. In addition, this unique mechanism excludes the possibility of cross-resistance to the drugs used in earlier malaria treatments.
The new combination meets WHO guidelines for combination therapies. The two drugs mechanisms against differing target structures means that they attack the parasite in the bloodstream independently of one another. This meets WHO requirements for a fast and effective treatment of the acute phase of infection, and for protection against relapse due to reappearance of the infection. The researchers say the effective mechanism helps to delay the formation of a possible resistance. Further studies are in planning to optimize dose.
Journal Reference:
Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma, Jonathan Remppis, Moritz Sievers, Rella Zoleko Manego, Lilian Endamne, Lumeka Kabwende, Luzia Veletzky, The Trong Nguyen, Mirjam Groger, Felix Lötsch, Johannes Mischlinger, Lena Flohr, Johanna Kim, Chiara Cattaneo, David Hutchinson, Stephan Duparc, Moehrle Joerg, Thirumalaisamy P Velavan, Bertrand Lell, Michael Ramharter, Ayola Akim Adegnika, Benjamin Mordmüller, Peter G Kremsner. Efficacy and safety of fosmidomycin-piperaquine as non-artemisinin-based combination therapy for uncomplicated falciparum malaria – A single-arm, age-de-escalation proof of concept study in Gabon. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2017; DOI: 10.1093/cid/cix1122
Collaborator: Centre de Recherche Médicale de Lambaréné
Brief Summary: The objective of this study is to explore the role of fosmidomycin and piperaquine as non-artemisinin-based combination therapy for acute uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum when administered over three days. Together, fosmidomycin and piperaquine fulfil the WHO criteria for combination therapy by meeting the three key parameters of having different modes of action and different biochemical targets while exhibiting independent blood schizonticidal activity. Like the artemisinins, fosmidomycin is fast-acting, has an excellent safety record and is active against existing drug-resistant parasites. Piperaquine has a long half life protecting fosmidomycin as a much shorter lived molecule against selection of resistant parasites and will provide post-treatment prophylaxis.
Experimental: Fosmidomycin-Piperaquine
Fosmidomycin sodium capsules 450 mg, dosage: 30mg/kg twice daily for 3 days Piperaquine phosphate tablets 320 mg, dosage: 16 mg/kg once a day for 3 days
______________
**Comment**
It appears this works for Babesia as well: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0019334&bw=1Babesia divergens, a related parasite that also infects human erythrocytes and is also known to induce an increase in membrane permeability, displays a similar susceptibility and uptake behavior with regard to the drug. In contrast, Toxoplasma gondii-infected cells do apparently not take up the compounds, and the drugs are inactive against the liver stages of Plasmodium berghei, a mouse malaria parasite.
The big caveat; however, is that many Lyme/MSIDS patients are persistently infected with Babesia and need far more than 3 days for acute treatment: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/01/16/babesia-treatment/Dr. Krause published in the New England Journal of Medicine that when a patient has Lyme and Babesia, Lyme is found three-times more frequently in the blood, proving Babesia suppresses the immune system.
Testing which is poor as these organisms are not often found in high enough numbers in the blood, as well as people present subclinically. In other words, their Lyme case is more severe and they have malarial-type symptoms, but they can’t find Babesia in the blood in a Giemsa stain. It takes a trained eye to identify Babesia, which produces a Maltese Cross form, which may or may not be present in a particular smear. Also, doctors have been taught that besides the day and night sweats and chills, patients are supposed to get hemolytic anemia and their liver functions go up or their platelet count might go down (thrombocytopenia). The fly in the ointment is that only certain strains of Babesia do this. Many strains do not cause these symptoms – but doctors aren’t educated on these finer points. Also, to hide from the immune system, the various species produce offspring that have different exterior proteins, or genotypes. http://www.townsendletter.com/July2015/babesia0715_2.html According to Dr. Schaller, there is immense variation and pre-2015 treatments were “weak and showed ignorance of the power of Babesia – it is vastly harder to kill than malaria.”
Jimmy Walker celebrates his 2016 PGA Championship with his wife Erin and son Beckett. (Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
