Q & A - Lyme Disease -

[Guest guest]

This article is part of a pdf file newsletter by the Allergy Reseach Group

- Breakthroughs in Lyme Disease. There are several articles here. best

wishes, Shan

 

 

Excert from.........

Lyme Q & A:

A Panel of Experts Answer Our Questions About Lyme

_http://www.samento.com.ec/sciencelib/addons/ARGFocus_Oct2003.pdf_

(http://www.samento.com.ec/sciencelib/addons/ARGFocus_Oct2003.pdf)

 

Luis Romero, M.D., Ph.D.

Svetlana Ivanova, M.D., Ph.D.

Sue Massie, CNHP, N.D. Candidate

Rick David Bierman, L.Ac

 

Q: Can you run through the advantages and disadvantages of the basic tests

such as Elisa, Western Blot, etc.?

 

A: Massie: The advantages and disadvantages of the common tests are

numerous. I feel the most reliable are the Western Blot blood test; the

antibody

assay for Bb by Igenex Labs, the RIBb test (Rapid Identification of Bb) by

Dr. Whitaker, and Dr. Mattman's culture test using live cultures done under

a fluorescent microscope. It has to be understood though, that these are

still not 100% reliable, but are the best currently available.

(http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm)

 

 

Q: Can you comment on the reported Herxheimer or toxicity effects

associated with either natural or synthetic antibiotic treatments? What are the

best ways to offset this toxicity? How should treatment proceed in relationto

the quite significant toxicity/Herxheimer reactions that occur?

 

A: Massie: I have personally experienced Herxheimer reactions and toxicity

accumulation with both allopathic prescription medications, as well as

natural remedies for Lyme. I am currently experiencing Herxheimer reactions

because I just started treatment with Artemisinin for Babesia and have been

symptomatic with chills, fever, flu-like symptoms and fatigue. Herxheimer

reactions can last anywhere from a day or two to a month at a time. I have

been bedridden at times because of them. Be sure that patients drink plenty

of water, rest, and build the immune system. I recently learned about a

great product called Chitosan that can also help quite a bit with Herxheimer

reactions. As far as toxicity, I feel it is crucial for all patients to do

internal cleansing, which includes thorough colon cleansing and liver

detoxification, followed by kidney detoxificaton, etc. It is also imperative to

balance patients’ pH. With Lyme, it is believed that it is the toxicities or

“

die-off' that keeps many patients sick for years. By cleansing the

toxicity, patients improve dramatically. Since each patient is different,

individual assessments and protocols are a necessity. (There are over 300

strains of

Bb and the co-infections also vary greatly.) I start every client slowly

so that the

Herxheimer reactions are not too extreme.

 

Bierman: The severity of Herxheimer reactions appears to be related to a

number of issues including mineral status, pH balance, toxicity of the liver

and gall bladder, general health of the patient, cranial sacral movement,

heavy metal toxicity, etc. There is anecdotal evidence to show that many

patients do not have to go through severe Herxheimer reactions in order to

get well. Severe Herxheimer reactions, in my opinion, are a result of an

overload of toxins. Relief can be achieved by pH balancing using electrolytes,

green

drinks, and buffered vitamin C; opening up the cranial flows with cranial

sacral therapy, etc., increasing the general vitality of the body,

providing adequate mineral support and various detoxification protocols. It may

be

a mistaken belief that the severity of the Herxheimer reaction always means

that more microbes are being killed. It may be more of a sign that the

person's body is more toxic to begin with. Contact info:

_rickb_

(rickb)

 

 

 

Q: Can you say something more about the potential contagious aspects of

the disease?

 

A: Massie: Lyme disease is potentially contagious. There are numerous

scientific abstracts, documented cases, websites, etc. to prove this statement.

According to Dr. Charles Ray Jones, Pediatric Lyme specialist, " Of more

than 5,000 children I've treated, 240 have been born with the disease. Twelve

children who've been breast-fed have subsequently developed Lyme. Borrelia

bacteria (Bb) can be transmitted transplacentally, even with in vitro

fertilization; I've seen 8 children infected in this way. People from Asia who

come to me with the classic Lyme rash have been infected by fleas and

gnats. " Dr. Gregory Bach, D.O., presented a study on transmission via semen at

the American Psychiatric Association meeting in November 2000 in which he

confirmed Bb DNA in semen using the PCR test. Dr. Tang states " Transmission

may also occur via blood transfusion and through the bite of mosquitoes or

other insects. " I do not believe we all need to panic, but we should take

necessary precautions. I have found time and time again that when one spouse

is Lyme-positive, the other spouse usually has Lyme as well.

 

 

Q: Do you find that if one family member has Lyme, the other family

members have it as well?

 

A: Massie: What I have found time and time again (myself included) is that

people diagnosed with Lyme usually find that several, if not all of their

family members, are Lyme-positive as well. There can be several re asons

for this. First of all, families are exposed because they share the same

environment. For instance, a

family can have a home in Howell, NJ, which is rural and highly endemic

for Lyme. Their backyard can be all woods, with the family taking walks

together. Also, they may have a family dog/cat that frequents the woods,

bringing

the ticks back to the home, lying on beds/couches, etc. The family is now

highly exposed. When I work with a new client, I always ask about other

family members and their health. Every time I hear how a

son/daughter/husband/mother/aunt has MS, ALS, kids with ADD/ADHD, fibromyalgia,

chro n i c

fatigue, Alzheimer’s, etc., I get suspicious. These are often a misdiagnosis

and I usually recommend that these family members all be tested for Lyme.

Lyme can also be transmitted person-to-person.

 

Q: Can you tell us more about the natural remedies that have been

successful for you? And your recommended dosages?

 

A: Massie: I feel B a b e s i a is the most difficult co-infection to

cure. For years, I have done many prescription combinations for the infection

with no success. I tried Zithromax, Mepron and Flagyl with no lasting

results. Then I tried the natural herb artemisia and that alone helped, but

still

did not quite eradicate the infection. Then I tried artemisinin, and THAT

did the trick! I experienced an intensifying of symptoms right from the

start, which included night sweats, chest compression /shortness of breath,

chills, and body aches (flu-like symptoms). It has been suggested that when

working with these co-infections, a six-month minimum time period is re

commended. I now recommend artemisinin to my clients and have had tremendous

feedback re g a rding its effectiveness. I highly suggest this product to

anyone who has been told they were negative for Babesia , but experience

symptoms which may include night sweats, chills/fevers, shortness of breath,

chest compression , heartpain, loss of appetite, etc. Tests are unreliable and

if a patient has Babesia and does not address it, they will not show

improvement - all co-infections must be addressed. The typical dosage I

recommend

for artemisinin is 1 capsule 3 times per day, 1 hour away from

prescription medications and other natural supplements. One more product I want

to

mention is Chitosan which I recommend for Herxheimer reactions . Chitosan is

wonderful in assisting the body with bowel transit time because it is a

dietary fiber, and increases stool bulk and hydrates as well. (Chitosan is made

from the shells of crustaceans so caution to patients who are allergic to

shellfish.) Also, high quality essential fatty acid supplements and fat

soluble nutrients, i.e. Vitamins A, D, E and K should be taken 1 hour away

from Chitosan. In addition, I have clients drink a minimum of 8 glasses of

water per day. The typical dosage I recommend is 2 capsules taken 1/2 hour

before one meal per day to start. I usually follow this moderate dosage

schedule for 2-3 days to confirm tolerance, and then increase as needed.

 

 

Q:Are you aware of the Visual Contrast Test? Can you say something about

the Visual Contrast Test and neurotoxins?

 

A: Dr. Ivanova: In patients with neuroborreliosis (chronic Lyme disease

with CNS involvement), the chronic inflammatory lesions can be located in any

part of the visual pathway, causing a deficit in retinal processing (due

to damaged retinal cells and/or conduction block of the retinal nerve

fibers), in ocular nerve fiber processing (due to chronic ocular neuritis), and

in cortical visual processing (due to impaired neuron interaction in the

brain). All of these damages result in various clinical symptoms: blurred

vision, progressive visual deterioration, changes in visual fields, increased

light sensitivity, etc., and can be assessed using the Visual Contrast Test.

 

 

Q: What about the neurotoxins produced by the organism? How do they affect

patients? Is this believed to be the causative factor of the psychiatric

symptoms?

 

A: Dr. Romero: A great deal of global research exists on microbial toxins

and the evaluation of their clinical and molecular toxicology on cells.

This includes both tissue direct effects and effects on the bloodstream

(toxemia). In particular, Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme borreliosis) toxicant

production and its direct effect on cells, tissues and organs is a highly

relevant topic in terms of both the mechanism of action and showing targets for

proposed and potential therapies.

 

There are reported cases of patients with diseases today known to be Lyme

borreliosis mimics, who have received Pentacyclic Chemotype Uncaria

tomentosa and have shown remarkable clinical and physical improvement within a

period of as little as 24 to 72 hours. These are individuals who have been

suffering for years and have been treated with conventional and CAM therapies.

The rapid response to this treatment may be assumed to be toxicant

blockage/inhibition more than immune system response or spirochete bactericidal

effects in a very short period of time.

 

 

 

Since 1819, when James Parkinson described Parkinson’s disease (PD) by

stating, “No pathologic finding was conclusive to brain-specific lesions as

the true clue for the origin and evolution of PDâ€, we have more questions

than answers about the etiology of PD and other diseases such as Multiple

Sclerosis, Alzheimer's and many others. This leads to the reality of NOT having

good and effective treatments (with no side effects), and more importantly,

treatments that control, stop, or reverse these diseases.

 

Current molecular and clinical toxicology have permitted the introduction

of the term “Biotoxin-induced illness,†the most important in this

category being Lyme borreliosis, which is a rapidly-spreading worldwide

epidemic.

From the molecular toxicological point of view, as stated by Dr. C.

Shoemaker, M.D., and H. Kenneth Hudnell, Ph.D., “Borrelia burgdorferi produces

a

large suite of biotoxins that have tissue (cells) affinity, mainly

NEUROTOXINS with high molecular tropism for lipid structures, i.e., central

nervous

system (CNS), peripheral nerves, muscles, joints (synovial fluid

composition and joint cartilage), lungs, and many others. Bb’s biotoxins are

more

cellular than toxemic (bloodstream)â€.

 

If this is true, the origin and evolution of, and complications from,

chronic degenerative diseases such as PD in young adults is much more

understandable. In many cases, autopsies performed on individuals in their

early 30’

s have not demonstrated the “degenerative process†of basal brain ganglia

associated with their diagnosed brain-altering diseases.

 

These deaths seem to have been caused by the introduction of biotoxins

that have altered a specific site (i.e., neurotransmitters – pre- and

post-synapse membranes, altered dopamine, serotonin, GABA, and acetylcholine

molecules, thereby blocking surface membrane receptors of different kinds,

altering normal

molecular action of enzymes, coenzymes and hormones). All of these, and

many more are widely demonstrated to be the route of action of different

biotoxins.

 

Finally, in explaining the lack of energy and fatigue that is almost

invariably present in Lyme borreliosis and in the list of more than 300

illnesses reported to be “related†to Bb’s biotoxins, one molecular

toxicology

fact has been correlated: The calcium channels’ normal functioning may be

altered by Bb’s neurotoxicants. Therefore those neurotoxins will act on cell

membrane surfaces and receptors, within the inner cell membrane sub-molecular

components, and in the cytosol. There are published reports attesting to

the toxicant effects on cell granules - even at RNA and DNA expression

levels.

 

Uncaria tomentosa Pentacyclic Oxindoles Chemotype may have three “

modulating†and direct actions on individuals suffering from Lyme borreliosis

and

related illnesses: a) the proven immune system modulator effect; b) the

proven broad spectrum anti-microbial effect; and c) the modulating

“blockingâ€

effects on the adverse bioneurotoxin molecular actions. Nonetheless,

further research is indispensable in this matter.