In considering the treatment of Lyme, and related infections, it is important to
remember that while Borrelia b. (Bb), Babesia and any other infectious
agents you may be living with have their own characteristic morphology, pathological
presentation, susceptibility and resistance to any given therapeutic substance, YOU ARE
AN INDIVIDUAL. As such, your therapies are best designed based on your personal
strengths and weaknesses, any preexisting conditions you had before Lyme disease, and
what you are willing to do. The treatment, to cure, is not generally easy if you do not
have an acute, 'new’, case, and I would strongly recommend multiple overlapping
therapies. It is best that you are working with a physician and or a practitioner well
versed in the therapies you choose to do.
I am by no means assuming to know the best therapies, for you, that may be directed at
eradicating any organism(s) from your body and will not be doing any diagnosing or
prescribing in this context.
What is to follow are suggestions about how you may assist the therapies you are
doing that are aimed at specifically targeting Borrelia b. and suggestions
as to how you might protect and rebuild tissues/systems which or often vulnerable
and damaged during a Lyme infection. Also, there are links and references to
therapies other than antibiotics for the elimination of Bb.
Some of the suggestions I am making may be totally foreign to many of you. Some
will seem like the obvious, and some may be uncomfortable or overtly offensive.
Most of the therapies I will suggest have been used by hundreds of my patients
over the many years I have been treating chronic disease. These are
therapies that have proven beneficial over and over and have been prescribed by
many naturopathic doctors (as well as many like minded practitioners who may not
be naturopaths).
DISEASE CANNOT EXIST IN A VESSEL FILLED WITH BLISS
“Oh yeah right! I was happy before I got Lyme disease.” Maybe.
Or maybe not.
Resent research in the field of psychoneuroimmunology has proven what many
of us have known; ‘ the immune system functions in relationship to
the psychology of any individual’. Basically, our immune system
responds to our neurochemistry. The chemistry of happiness results
in a properly functioning immune system. The opposite is true as well.
Don’t take my word for it. Read any of these books.
Stress and Health: Biological and Psychological Interactions
(Behavioral Medicine & Health Psychology) by William R. Lovallo
The Link between Religion and Health: Psychoneuroimmunology
and the Faith Factor by Harold G. Koenig
The Healing Mind: The Vital Links Between Brain and
Behavior, Immunity and Disease by Paul Martin
Mind-Body Medicine: A Clinician's Guide to
Psychoneuroimmunology by Alan Watkins
Though not specifically about psychoneuroimmunology;
West of Jesus: Surfing, Science and the Origins of
Belief by Steven Kotler
is a good read related to the mind body connection.
The reality is, our bodies function best when we feel good
mentally and emotionally and, we could all be happier.
O.K., its true, there were days when I was suffering so
intensely from the symptoms of Lyme disease that it was hard
not to think of killing myself. Even though I was
unable to walk a hundred feet I tried to take pleasure in just
feeling the brush of nature against my skin as a breeze past.
This is IMPORTANT! Find things to do which give you
pleasure. Live, if only for moments a day, with
passion. Your immune system needs the help.
Living with passion and as close to happiness as we can not
only potentates our immune system, it creates a healthy
energetic state throughout our bodies. By this I mean
‘electromagnetic energy’. This is the energy that all life
revolves around and many of the therapies to follow are useful
because they work by manipulating this form of energy. These
therapies include; Rife machines, KMT, homeopathy,
acupuncture, mindful meditative practices, Qi gong, and
others. Resonating in healthy frequency ranges decreases the
ability of pathogens to become problematic.
Having a chronic debilitating disease will change your
life. You get to decide what some of those changes will be.
Making lifestyle changes are difficult, but fear is a great
motivator. It will serve you best to make changes that nurture
your spirit and your vital energy. These are not temporary
changes until you are better, they are lifelong changes. So,
pick the ones you feel good about, there is evidence they will
promote improved health. Choose ones you can live with,
forever!
THE SPECIFICS
Many of the following techniques and supplements can assist
a person who is dealing with any chronic disease. They are
also good, when done regularly, at helping to prevent chronic
degenerative diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer,
hypertension and more. They work by keeping the systems of the
body performing well and eliminating the toxic burden from our
tissues. It would be good to continue some of these therapies
after you are better from Lyme disease.
ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY;
It is important for me to touch on this form of therapy.
The use of antibiotics in the treatment a recent infection
with Bb or in a case of Lyme disease can be very beneficial.
If you know you have recently been bitten and either have the
classic ‘Bull’s Eye’ discoloration at or near the bite sight
or you have recovered a Bb positive tick from your body,
antibiotics are for you. This is the best time to use
antibiotics and using them could prevent developing Lyme
disease. Antibiotics can also be useful during a full-blown
case of Lyme disease and have resulted in major improvements
in many people. And, there are problems with antibiotic
therapy for the treatment of Lyme disease. They can be hard on
a person, especially one with a previous imbalance of
intestinal bacteria or a fungal overgrowth. Unfortunately most
docs don’t recommend that a person receiving antibiotics take
probiotics (acidophilus) in conjunction with the antibiotics.
The use of probiotics is very important as will be discussed
later. Intravenous antibiotics can be very expensive, but
justifiable if life isn’t worth living. And of course they may
not work or be discontinued to soon (read about this
controversy on the ILADS
link). The main problem with antibiotic therapy is that
patients and the prescribing doctors almost always use them as
the sole therapy in the treatment of Lyme disease. This is a
great disservice as Bb is smarter than that and it needs to be
hit from multiple angles, not the least of which should be our
own immune system. Some of us feel that Bb may be a lifelong
infection but not necessarily a continued disease. In other
words, we must be vigilant in keeping ourselves healthy in
order for our immune system to keep Bb in-check. This is not
some out-there guessing. We do this everyday with potentially
life threatening organisms like strep, staph, herpes, E coli,
etc. This is why I recommend herbal and other
nutritional/orthomolecular substances (supplements)
with or without the use of antibiotics. These other
therapeutic agents are especially important for weeks to
months after a course of antibiotics and I feel that the high
rate of relapse in Lyme disease is a result of not
implementing a good follow-up program after antibiotics.
Lyme disease runs the gamut. Some people are mildly
affected and some are incapacitated. Being Infected with Bb
doesn’t mean illness. Many of us are infected with one or
another of the retroviruses, i.e. herpes, but we may only
rarely exhibit the symptoms of the disease state. The young
woman I previously mentioned, while discussing Lyme
diagnosis, had been
asymptomatic for 5 years after she was bitten by a tick. Her
disease began when she developed symptoms. Incidentally, she
responded very well and quickly to daily doses of Lyme 30c
followed by her constitutional homeopathic remedy. She is
young and vital and passionate about life.
A WORD ABOUT CO-INFECTIONS
You will read about co-infections that are related to Bb
infections. These are Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia etc. The
CDC and other ‘mainstream’ thinkers believe a co-infection is
one that occurs at the time a person is infected with the main
pathogen. As you may know, the biting bug that transmits Bb
can also, and at the same time, infect a person with the above
bad agents. These certainly are a form of co-infection but not
the only and often not the most important to be addressed. I,
and others, believe a co-infection to be any organism in a
patient with Lyme disease that is also causing symptoms or
negatively impacting the immune system. Dietrich Klinghardt
M.D. Ph.D. has a very good write up about this in his
Lyme article. These coexisting infections can be any of
the following and more; parasites, mold/fungi/yeast, viruses
or bacterial. Infections in this category almost always
predate the Bb infection and will certainly make the Lyme
disease symptoms worse. They need to be dealt with
aggressively as your immune system will not have what it takes
to overcome the most stealth of the pathogens, Borrelia, if it
is compromised.
Though I am not going to specifically tell you what you may
have and how to deal with it, the following suggestions will
dramatically enhance any specifically targeted therapies you
may choose. Also, there are some
supplements I have formulated that are be good broad
spectrum formulas for the treatment of Bb or some of the
co-infections mentioned.
NOW FOR SOME THERAPIES
Therapies will be divided, initially, into systems of the
body and will include substances and techniques that will help
to prevent damage to those systems. Again, I am not
prescribing these for any of you and you must determine for
yourself which of the following may suit your own needs. And,
the techniques and supplements recommended have proven to be
safe and helpful for many, many people.
CIRCULATION
There are three main circulatory systems in the body.
1. the heart and blood vessels
2. the lymphatics
3. the energy channels
The heart and blood vessels of the heart can be
dramatically impacted by Bb. The spirochete actually
penetrates the walls of the vessels and the cells of the
heart. A major bad actor this Bb. The inflammation alone is
enough to create problems but Bb cranks it up a few notches
and can actually induce apoptosis in cardiac cells. Apoptosis
basically means that the cell ‘kills itself’. As if that
weren’t sufficient, either by direct insult of the organism or
as a result of neurotoxins Bb often creates heart arrhythmia
(irregular beating).
General body blood vessels can also be affected. A simple
magnesium deficiency can create high blood pressure due to
constriction in the vessel walls. Imbalances of magnesium can
also affect coronary arteries and electrical conduction in
coronary nerves and cardiac muscle.
It is vitally important to ensure that the heart/vessels do
not become damaged while you are dealing with Lyme disease and
there are herbs and nutrients which can offer protection as
well as repair of the heart and vessels. See
supplements for examples and
rationale.
Blood vessels transport blood, wow my brain’s working now!
Blood transports all of our nutrients, healing and
maintaining, and the byproducts of metabolism, infection,
inflammation, etc. It seems obvious that the better blood flow
is, especially micro-blood-flow, the better able we are to rid
our tissues of the harmful substances and bring healing
nutrients to our cells.
THINGS THAT ENHANCE BLOOD FLOW
EXERCISE;
Many people report feeling better from some of the symptoms
of Lyme disease from exercise. This must of course be done
within your own limitations. Walking in fresh air is great
though more brisk activity seems to move the toxins better.
Speaking of which, where are those things going? Read on.
If you are fatigued to the point that the thought of
exercise makes you tired then expend your energy wisely.
Choose that which will provide the most benefit for the energy
you will put into the activity, like Qi Gong or Thai Chi.
SAUNAS;
This may provide the most overall benefit of any single
activity. Saunas have been used for centuries for their health
benefits. The largest organ of elimination we have is the skin
and most of us do nothing to enhance its function in this
regard. Saunas increase the heart rate and blood flow.
Increased blood flow to the skin increases its ability to
expel toxins via the sweat. There is controversy about what
type of sauna is the best. What is known however, is that the
temperature of the sauna must be between 105-115 max. Hotter
saunas make the body want to use the skin as a radiator for
cooling thereby producing a watery sweat (which can further
deplete the tissues of electrolytes). A low temperature sauna
causes the skin to produce a more oily sweat and many toxins
are oil soluble. Herbicides, pesticides and petroleum products
fall into this category. There have been claims that the body
can rid itself of heavy metals through the skin but I haven’t
found proof of this yet. General detoxification of the blood
and tissues will help your immune system and free-up nutrients
and detoxification pathways so you are better able to deal
with the Borrelia.
Infrared saunas are probably the best form to use and that
brings up the controversy. Is far infrared or near infrared
the best? I don’t know. I use a homemade near infrared that
cost me $60.00. I feel this was one of the best things I did
in treating myself and I continue to use it regularly. I am
planning to add a far infrared element to my sauna to cover
the controversy better.
Remember, anything that produces heat in your body will
create increase heart rate, increased blood flow and increase
the elimination of toxins through the skin.
Another benefit of heating the body while it is at rest is
the formation and release of heat shock proteins (HSP). There
are other names for these and as this is a relatively new
field of study the name will probably change many times as
more is learned about them. What is known now is that some of
these HSP, those that are also released during a fever when
our bodies are fighting an acute infection, stimulate our
immune system. There is also some evidence that others of
these HSP stimulate the repair of damaged cellular DNA. This
is a very good thing!
Saunas should be used with caution, especially if you are
weak or fatigue easily. I suggest Larry Wilson's book about
sauna therapy though he has a fair amount of info on his web
site as well as directions as to how to construct your own
near infrared sauna.
drlwilson.com
You will also find info about saunas at
mercola.com
I recommend building your sauna in the corner of a room and
using tuff-R insulation panels for the top and other 2 sides.
Be sure to use aluminum tape, 2”, to seal the seams and
prevent out gassing of the insulation.
THE LYMPHATICS
Just where do those toxins in the body go and how do they
get there? Most acutely formed toxins are removed from the
blood by the kidneys or broken down into less harmful
substances by the liver and recycled into useful substances or
sent to the kidneys or bowels for elimination. Some acute
toxins move through the lymphatic channels in a liquid called
lymph fluid. This is most evident when there is an infection
in the skin as is seen in those red streaks which can move up
the arm or leg. The lymph nodes are also part of the lymph
system as is the spleen. Most of us have a less than optimally
functioning lymph system due to chronic infection, including
Bb, and the burden of living in a time of daily exposure to
external toxins in the form of man-made chemicals. It is
important to have a well working lymph system when dealing
with Lyme disease. Bb has a penchant to inhabit interstitial
spaces, the space between cells. The only way our bodies can
eliminate toxins and the debris from the die-off of organisms
and/or the products of inflammation and chemical toxins from
this space is via the lymphatics. So lets get it moving!!
Muscle contraction is the main ‘pump’ of the lymph
therefore exercise is important to a properly functioning
lymph system. Massage can also move lymph and decongest
lymphatic channels and there is a form of massage called
"lymphatic massage" which is specialized for this. Massage has
many benefits in the treatment of Lyme disease and is
recommended. Again, saunas can be very beneficial for aiding
movement of lymph and offering an alternative path - sweat to
the skin - for the elimination of toxins.
Babesia, a co-infection one may get with Bb from the same
bite, often invades the spleen. This can cause swelling and
pain in the spleen. Castor oil packs to the spleen can
alleviate some of the swelling and discomfort as well as
increase the function of this organ. See therapies. Also the
herb Ceanothus is a specific for the spleen. See Stephen
Buhner’s book.
ENERGY
CHANNELS
Energy Channels are the channels along which the vital
energies of the body flow. Many of these are acupuncture
meridians though there are others. The energy of these
channels is often disrupted by disease and it is important to
normalize the flow. Acupuncture and or moxa will often move
energy in a more healthy pattern. Acupuncture is very helpful
and often dramatic in alleviating symptoms and it would be
good to find a trained acupuncturist to help you. I don’t feel
that acupuncture alone can cure Lyme disease, unless you find
a very skilled practitioner. There are practitioners who also
utilize chinese herbal formulas and this combination can cure
Lyme disease in some of us.
There are techniques you can do at home to facilitate the
flow of energy in your energy channels. It would be good to do
at least one of them daily, with the focused intent of healing
yourself. You can easily find a diagram of the acupuncture
meridians on the body to use as a guide for these techniques.
1. Dry brushing. Using a soft bristled
brush rub along the meridians of the arms, legs and back in
the direction of the flow of the meridians.
2. Everyone's favorite, cold showers. At
the end of your normal warm shower turn the hot off, or at
least down considerably, and direct the spray along the
meridians. Don’t miss under the arms and the groin areas as
this technique decongests the lymph and there are high
concentrations of lymph nodes in these areas. This also
increases blood flow. Using a shower head that is attached to
a flex tube will allow you to better direct the spray and also
allow you to concentrate the treatment on specific organs like
the liver and gallbladder. This is a great therapy and best if
done after your sauna.
3. Moxa. Moxa has been used for centuries
as a method of moving congested energy or Qi though the
meridians of the body. It is also a means of adding energy to
the body and can be very useful in this regard. The easiest
form to use is a moxa stick. Be sure to get one made with
whole artemisia, the herb traditionally used. The “smokeless”
moxa is just a big chunk of charcoal and while it can be used
to disperse stagnant energy and congestion, it will not add
energy to your meridians. The advantage to this kind of moxa
is that it doesn’t fill up the house with smoke that smells
like you had a party with 5 or 6 friends and a large water
pipe that you kept burning up marijuana in. It is best to use
moxa outside. A note of caution; if you live in a state that
has a medical compassion law currently on the books and you
use marijuana for the treatment of your insomnia or headaches,
make sure your paperwork is in order as your neighbors may be
feeling the need to protect the world by calling the police
when they smell your moxa.
Like acupuncture, moxa and the choice of points to apply it
to is best done by a trained practitioner. Even so there are
general and specific points you can do at home which can be
very effective.
First some general points: kidney 3, spleen 6, stomach 36,
large intestine 4. If you have general weakness, heating the
abdomen along the line between CV(Ren)3-6 often helps.
Specific points are harder to determine without being
examined but here are some guide lines.
To treat gallbladder problems i.e. headaches at the base of
your skull and or the sides, liver area pain, intolerance to
fats, some forms of dizziness I firstly recommend the formula
available at the supplements
link, or something similar if you can find it. Points to try
are; liver 14, gallbladder 31.
For abdominal discomfort with loose stools; stomach 25,
spleen 10, large intestine 11. Moxa is to be avoided in the
abdominal area if you have constipation.
Muscle aches and spasms; find a point near the focus of the
affected area and apply moxa. Also it is often beneficial to
apply moxa to points near the hands or feet on the same
meridian as the point you have chosen near the muscle. For
example, if gallbladder 27 is used for hip muscle pain then
gallbladder 34 could also be used. If triple heater 15 is
used, also heat triple heater 35.
IMPORTANT: avoid heating points on
the heart meridian, around the heart, and on the pericardium
meridian.
General rules about moxa.
1. use in well ventilated area away from children
2. hold hot end of stick about 1-2 inches from skin
3. heat point for 1-2 minutes to just below the pain level
keeping it that hot (if heating points below the wrists or
ankles, 30-60 seconds will do)
4. remove ash from the end of stick often to provide optimal
heat
5. heat points symmetrically, i.e. the same point on both
sides of your body, except for mid line meridians like CV
5. start slowly, treating only a few points initially to see
how you respond
6. extinguish stick by burying lit end in a bowl of clean, dry
sand leaving it there until you will be using it again
7. do not use moxa on the neck or face or in areas where you
may have numbness
8. treat as often as needed, 2-5 times a week works well but
it can be done daily for 1-2 weeks
You will find it useful to buy a small book on moxa
therapy. These are available on line and at most health food
stores, where you are most likely to find moxa.
ARE YOU GETTING THE SENSE THAT THIS IS NOT
GOING TO BE EASY???
It is safe to say that if you have gotten this far in this
site you are either frustrated and/or disappointed with the
treatment you have previously been offered or you just want to
be more proactive in your treatment of Lyme disease. Hopefully
you are beginning to understand that the more involved you are
and the more support you provide your body in this effort the
better the response will be.
THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
This system offers a plethora of potential problems either
associated with Lyme or the preexisting conditions which
complicated the treatment of Lyme disease. It is also a system
you can greatly impact with therapies at home.
First, the subject all of my patients know coming in will
be address and the one that they least like:
DIET
TO CREATE SOLUTION YOU FIRST HAVE TO STOP
FEEDING THE PROBLEM.
It would be a rare find to know a person who is not eating
at least a couple of foods which aren’t good for his or her
body. So, it is with confidence that I can suggest to you that
your body will function better if you identify and eliminate
the offending foods in your diet.
Just so you know you aren’t alone in this, I had to
eliminate coffee, chocolate, and BEER! I love dark chocolate,
brew my own beer and have often roasted my own coffee beans.
But, when I realized the screaming headaches I was
experiencing were worse with chocolate it was “adios cacao”.
Other symptoms were affected by either beer or coffee. I am
now drinking some coffee and rarely have a little beer. I
haven’t gotten rid of my brewing equipment and plan to brew
again soon.
I am not sharing this with you to be able to preach the
virtues of an improved diet from a higher platform. I am
telling you because though difficult, these changes in diet
not only helped in my recovery they were easily identified
hindrances, and it not only didn’t cost money to discover
them, I saved money. I missed these palate orgasm substances
but I would gladly give them up again if eating them meant
going back to where I’ve been.