Lyme Disease Symptoms and Treatments

By Dr. Wendy Wells, NMD

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• The history of Lyme Disease
• Lyme Disease stages
• First symptoms of Lyme Disease
• A spectrum of signs and symptoms
• Lyme confused with other diseases
• What to do if you notice Lyme Symptoms
• Alternative and Conventional Treatments
• Antibiotics commonly used in Lyme Treatment
• The risks of antibiotics

The History of Lyme Disease

In Lyme, Connecticut in 1975, following a breakout of what seemed like juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, an arthropod vector was suspected due to the summer, early fall onset.  In 1982, Willy Burgdorfer isolated spirochetes from Ixodes ticks and demonstrated these matched those in the serum of patients with Lyme.  Hence the name of the spirochete was Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb).

Nick Harris of ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society) states that Lyme is grossly under-reported.  Dan Kinderleher, M.D., another expert stated on the Today Show on June 10, 2002 that the number of cases may be 100 times higher (18 million in the United States alone) than reported by the CDC.

Dr’s W.T. Harvey and Patricia Salvato of Diversified Medical Practices in Houston, Texas discovered that Lyme was transmitted through more vectors than just ticks.  Bb can also be carried by mosquitos, fleas and mites.  More evidence suggests that Lyme may be sexually transmitted.  Some children were found to be born with Lyme, or contracted it through breast-feeding, according to Charles Ray Jones, MD, and the worlds leading specialist on Lyme disease in children.  The Center for Disease Control stated that there is evidence that Bb is not affected by the blood processing prior to blood transfusions. 

Unfortunately, many Lyme patients go undiagnosed due to the similarity of the symptoms to other illnesses.  The American Lyme Disease Alliance (ALDA) conducted a study in which 31 patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  Lyme was the cause of the illness of 90.3% or 28 of 31 of these patients. 

Lyme Disease Stages

First Stage:  First symptom of Lyme is usually the appearance of a bull’s eye rash on the skin within 1-2 weeks after a deer tick bite.  It can appear as early as three days and as late as one month.  Sometimes the first symptoms are flu-like symptoms such as joint aches, fatigue, and fever.  The flu symptoms are the most common.  They can last from 5-21 days.

Second Stage: If the disease goes untreated, it can spread to the blood and lymph system and affect the joints, the nervous system, and cardiovascular system.  Weakness and paralysis can occur.  Bell’s palsy is common during this stage, especially if untreated.

Third Stage:  A persistent infection occurs, which can lead to long periods of painful arthritis and neurological problems including brain fog, lack of concentration, severe fatigue.

First Symptoms of Lyme Disease

The first symptoms of the rash can be like a pimple that expands over days to a purple circle or arc.  The center of the circle clears or can turn bluish and other rings can appear to make a bull’s eye pattern.  The rash can grow to be up to 20 inches across.  In 2002, a study was released that stated that only 9% of patients with Lyme presented with this classic rash. There were 60% who had a general rash, 32% has a circular red rash.  Almost all rashes disappear after 3-4 weeks. 

The joints are affected by aches, swelling, stiffness, usually the large joints – knee, shoulder and elbow.  The arthritis symptoms last for days to weeks and then improve.

The most common early neurological symptoms can be headaches, sleep disturbance, memory loss and mood disturbance.  These often resolve in weeks to months regardless of treatment.   In 10 - 15% of cases, symptoms of meningitis occur.  Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes around the brain and can cause episodes of severe headache, stiff neck, and light sensitivity.  The headache is not soothed by other the counter medications.  Some patients experience depression, irritability, “pins and needles”, and “creeping crawling” sensations, feelings of numbness in arms or legs. 

If the infection enters the conduction system of the heart, its rhythm can be affected.  One may feel short of breath, palpitations, dizziness, chest pain.  The most affected may be patients with existing heart conditions.

Spectrum of Signs and Symptoms

According to Patricia Kane, Ph.D., the following represent the range of Lyme disease symptoms.

List of illnesses possibly confused with Lyme - Jo Anne Whitaker, M.D.

Due to the myriad of symptoms in various organ systems, this disease can mirror many other health problems.  Dr. Jo Anne Whitaker, has compiled a list of illnesses that can be confused with Lyme.

What can you do?

Most importantly, once you notice the first symptoms, one should get tested for Lyme.  Better to rule it out than risk the consequences.  Treatment for Lyme in early stages is more likely to be successful.  Conventional medicine offers antibiotics as treatment with some success, especially in early stages. There are many alternative treatments that have had success.  Some of them are described below.  As for anyone, eating whole, unprocessed organic foods will be of benefit.  Also, eliminating sugar, saturated meal fats, alcohol, and common food allergens (such as wheat, dairy, and corn) from the diet can lessen the body’s burden so it has energy to fight the Lyme spirochetes. Exercise is very important for Lyme sufferers because it supports the lymph and cardiovascular systems which are pushing out wastes from the immune system and pulling in fresh nutrients to the body to improve its healing ability.

Testing for Lyme Disease

There's currently no gold standard test for Lyme.  What is most often done is an ELISA test, followed by Western Blot (IgG, IgM).  New tests are on the horizon: PCR, QriBb, Lyme Antigen Test, and the Stricker panel which tests CD57 cells.  The unreliability of tests today have led many physicians to diagnose Lyme based on the symptomology or the clinical picture of the patient. 

Dr Cameron M.D. of New York, a prominent Lyme physician completed a "Cameron Surveillance Database."   His analysis of clinically diagnosed Lyme patients found that:

• ELISA is Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay that is rapid and detects Lyme disease antibodies.

Western Blot detects antibodies, used to confirm ELISA.  It is used for chronic Lyme infections. 

PCR is Polymerase Chain Reaction which detects the DNA of the Lyme bacteria.  This test is expensive and there is a risk of false-positive results.

Lyme Antigen Test by Central Florida Research using flow cytometry.  Found to be more accurate than IgM, IgG antibody tests.  See their website at http://centralfloridaresearch.com/lab/content/view/18/33/

• Q-riBb Test

This test is currently still in the research phase, it is performed by physicians who have been trained in the technology. 

The Q-RiBb test is an antigen assay based on the proprietary technology of US Patent 6,838,247, noteworthy both for its sensitivity and quick testing time. In Q-RiBb, the patient’s whole blood, body tissue or other body fluid is reacted with fluorescein-tagged Bb antibody to bind any Bb antigen that may be in the sample. Upon completion of the serial dilution, each diluted sample is observed under a dark-field fluorescent microscope to identify live fluorescing cellular structures. 

For more information, see the following website: lymeresearch.com/id2.html

Stricker Panel, testing CD57 Natural Killer (NK) cells.  This is not a diagnostic test, it is a panel of blood tests used to track the body’s response to the therapies.  The panel of tests can be done by Lab Corp or any standard lab.  Dr’s Stricker, Burrascano and Winger have found that patients with chronic Lyme disease often have a decrease in CD57 cells.  They found that patients in relapse had lower NK counts and patients who were coming out of relapse and feeling better, had higher NK counts. 

• Other Lyme Disease tests

Co-Infection Tests that are helpful to find other possible infections involved. 
Bartonella IgG/IgM
Babesia IgG/IgM
Ehrlichia IgG/IgM
Aanaplsma IgG/IgM
Bartonella

Lyme Disease Treatments

TOA free Cat’s Claw or Samento is a botanical medicine from the rainforest.  In general, it has been shown to profoundly affect the immune system.  It increases white blood cell counts and their ability to destroy and digest foreign substances in the body.  It is also well know for its ability to decrease inflammation in arthritis.  Recently, it has been shown promise in Lyme patients.  William Lee Cowden, M.D., Hamid Moayad, D.O. , Joan Vandergriff, N.D. , Luis Romero, M.D., Ph.D., and Svetlana Ivanova, M.D., Ph.D. were the investigators in a 6 month pilot study with 28 advanced chronic Lyme patients.  The patients all tested positive for Borrelia burgdorferi using the Western Blot.  The control group of 14 patients received antibiotic treatment.  At the end of the 6 months, 3 slightly improved, 3 worsened, 8 had no change in symptoms.  The group receiving Cats Claw free of TOA (tetracyclic oxindole alkaloids) had dramatic results.  After the 6 months, 85% tested negative for Borrelia and all patients reported improvement in symptom picture. 

According to Austrian research, 1% TOA’s can cause a 30% reduction in immune system benefits.  This is why they must be removed from the plant before being used for Lyme. The benefits are primarily from the component in Cats Claw called POA’s or pentacyclic oxindole alkaloids. 

Allicin is the active ingredient made from crushing garlic.  This molecule is very small and has the ability to penetrate and kill viruses, fungi, bacteria, parasites and perhaps the Lyme spirochete.  The problem with garlic in high quantities is the gastrointestinal problems not to mention the strong odor.  A new patented process developed has given us Allicin without the garlic issues.  The product is called Allimed.  It contains the killing power of 150 cloves of garlic in 6 drops.   Allicin not only kills bacteria, but also Candida (cause of yeast infections) and Clostridium difficile (cause of serious diarrhea).  Candidia and C. Diff are two common problems that can occur while on a course of antibiotics.  Allicin is safe for long term use and beneficial for those on antibiotics as well. 

Rife therapy is a method of healing using resonance frequencies applied to the body.  It was developed by Royal Rife and John Crane in the 1950’s.   The Rife “machine” produces this resonance frequency that has the ability to kill the Lyme spirochete in the body.  Bryan Rosner, author of a well-known book on Lyme, found Rife therapy to be very beneficial to Lyme sufferers.  He himself has had the disease and using Rife therapy, has undergone a slow steady reversal of his symptoms.  

Bee venom has proteolytic enzymes which digest the coating on the spirochete cysts.  It also has the ability to inhibit spirochete growth and replication through the action of bee venom polypeptides. 

Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber treatments, 85% showed statistically significant improvement.  This treatment, though possibly effective, can cost a patient thousand of dollars. 

http:/hbotoday.com/treatment/clinical/researchstudies/effectsonlyme.shtml

Colloidal Silver is a well-known and well researched natural anti-biotic.  The spirochete is unique in its cell wall which has three layers, this helps in its spiral shape.  This cell wall is similar to Gram negative bacteria, however, does not stain the same in the laboratory.  Lyme spirochetes need to use silver stains, with silver nitrate.  This is the proposed mechanism of using colloidal silver in Lyme disease.

Another tool that which shows promise is the Quantum Biofeedback System using the EPFX. This device picks up stressors that may signify Lyme and by delivering energetic frequencies those stressors may be cleared allowing the immune system to deal with the disease more effectively. For more information on this device email Jolin Brandes at iamjolin@cox.net.

Oral Salt Therapy is the process of taking high quantities of salt internally.  High amounts of sodium stimulate the white blood cells to release elastase, an enzyme that begins a cascade of events that leads to boring a hole in the spirochete or other infectious organism, and hence killing it.

Antibiotics Commonly Used in Lyme Treatment

According to the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), there are three categories of Lyme presentations.  Symptoms may continue despite 30 days of treatment (persistent Lyme disease).   The patient may relapse in the absence of another tick bite or erythema migrans rash (recurrent Lyme disease), or be poorly responsive to antibiotic treatment (refractory Lyme disease). 

Summation of ILADS guidelines in regards to antibiotics

• Since there is currently no definitive test for Lyme disease, Laboratory results should not be used to exclude an individual from treatment
• Lyme disease is a clinical diagnosis and tests should be used to support rather than supersede the physician’s judgment
• The early use of antibiotics can prevent persistent, recurrent and refractory Lyme disease
• The duration of therapy should be guided by clinical response, rather than by an arbitrary (i.e., 30 day) treatment course
• The practice of stopping antibiotics to allow for delayed recovery is not recommended for persistent Lyme disease. In these cases, it is reasonable to continue treatment for several months after clinical and laboratory abnormalities have begun to resolve and symptoms have disappeared

A recently completed NIH study of 107 chronic Lyme patients (sick for an average of 4.7 years) found that they had a quality of life worse than diabetics and recent heart attack patients. The average delays for treatment of Lyme disease were 6 months due to delays by the patients and 2.2 years due to delays caused by physicians, who often misdiagnosed Lyme as spider bites, torn cartilage, cellulitis, water on the knee, sinusitis, fibromyalgia, migraines, and Epstein Barr. Given that patients with delayed treatment have a much higher rate of treatment failures (52% vs. 15%); he suggested that the medical community emphasize the importance of following the ILADS treatment guidelines in order to prevent regular Lyme from becoming Chronic Lyme.

The Risks of Antibiotics

According to the Merck Manual, people who receive antibiotics through an IV catheter are at increased risk of developing serious infection at the site where the catheter is inserted and in the bloodstream. Pain, redness, and pus at the catheter insertion site, or chills and fever (even in the absence of problems at the insertion site) are signs that a catheter-related infection may have developed.

Common side effects of antibiotics include upset stomach, diarrhea, and, in women, vaginal yeast infections. Some side effects are more severe and, depending on the antibiotic, may disrupt the function of the kidneys, liver, bone marrow, or other organs. Blood tests are needed to monitor such adverse reactions.

Antibiotics can also cause allergic reactions. Mild allergic reactions consist of an itchy rash or slight wheezing. Severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) can be life threatening and usually include swelling of the throat, inability to breathe, and low blood pressure.

Some people who receive antibiotics develop colitis, an inflammation of the large intestine. The colitis results from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium difficile, which grows unchecked when other bacteria are killed by the antibiotics.

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Lyme Disease Tick Bite Photos (Erythema Migrans)

A key component of early diagnosis is recognition of the characteristic Lyme disease rash called erythema migrans. This rash often has a bull's-eye appearance and is observed in about 80% of Lyme disease patients.

Multiple Erythema Migrans. - This 12-year-old boy developed multiple annular red plaques scattered over much of his body. © Dermatlas

Multiple Erythema Migrans © Dermatlas

Single Erythema Migrans with Central Clearing © Dermatlas

Single Erythema Migrans lacking Central Clearing © Dermatlas

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