Lyme Disease News Blog

Matthew Wood tells how teasel works

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2010-03-06T12:21:10-05:00

I feel great! It could be the sunshiny weather, or the fact that I am not Lymie anymore, having survived a recent herx. But I think what really lifted my spirits was talking with herbalist Matthew Wood, about the effectiveness of the herb teasel on Lyme and co-infections. I got a major energy boost from listening to him describe the way teasel works. After our conversation I immediately went to Amazon and ordered his book, The Book of Herbal Wisdom: Using Plants as Medicines which has a comprehensive chapter all about this strong herbal medicine. I can't wait to learn more about it.

Teasel is considered a common weed that can frequently be found growing alongside highways. It is not an herbal antibiotic. Matthew explains that instead of killing the bacteria itself, it actually changes the environment in the body in order to engage the body's own capabilities to kill off Lyme bacteria. By warming the cells and muscles, it invites the Lyme bacteria into the bloodstream, where the body can then detox.

The detox or herx reaction from teasel is apparently a force to be reckoned with. In Matthew's experience, people using it as a part of Lyme treatment notice this reaction starting in about the second week of use. Only a very few drops of this powerful herbal tincture can cause reactions. He is well-known in herbalist circles for recommending low dosages, and tells about a woman who called him after treatment with the happy news that she could tell the teasel was working at a very deep level of healing.

Matthew's latest book was co-written with Wolf D. Storl. Wolf is a German man who writes about healing himself of Lyme disease using teasel, in Healing Lyme Disease Naturally: History, Analysis, and Treatments. It is due out from Amazon in April and can be pre-ordered.

Matthew lives and practices in Minnesota, and teaches about herbal wisdom all around the world. He is a Registered Herbalist and holds a Master of Science degree from the Scottish School of Medicine at the University of Wales.

LDRD members, please login to access interview.

Darryl Crews' Olympic Gold-style healing tips

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2010-02-20T10:30:02-05:00

Darryl's interviews are among our very favorite stories here at the LDRD. This guy walks his talk. When it comes to beating Lyme, he is as inspiring to me as any Olympic Gold medalist. Please click here to listen to his updated story, if you haven't already heard it.

Some of you asked him to comment a little more about what it takes to get well. Here's what Coach Darryl has to say.

To me, getting well is a compilation of the following things:

1. PATIENCE, DETERMINATION, WILL POWER, DEDICATION, DISCIPLINE: Your chances of recovery are good if you happen to possess these qualities.

2. MEDICATION: Treat all known infections thoroughly with specific antibiotics. Treat aggressively until infection load is reduced to a point where the immune system can take over. Consider IV if you have neuro symptoms or fail to respond to orals. Learn to embrace herxes and avoid under treating at all costs.

3. DETOX: Address die-off daily to decrease toxins and reduce herx intensity. Consider using supps/herbs, sauna, Epsom salt baths, coffee enema, colonics, etc.

4. SLEEP: There's no such thing as too much. Quality deep sleep is a vital part of healing. Lyme causes fractured sleep. Auto CPAP is my all-natural sleep-aid of choice.

5. SUPPLEMENTS/HERBS: Daily support is required to assist the body with balancing nutrients, detoxifying and boosting your immune system.

6. EXERCISE: Thick blood harbors infections and toxins. Daily exercise will keep the blood flowing. Keep it basic for 10-15 mins twice a day (calisthenics, walk, cycling, swim, stair climbs or yoga.)

On another note…Be sure to tune into the Olympics for a bit of Visual Sports Therapy. Olympic athletes have overcome so much to get where they are and their stories are very motivating and inspiring. Beating Lyme requires the same drive.

Thanks for the kind wishes…all the best and full recoveries to everyone!

Darryl

Please also note: For further info about Darryl: WrongDiagnosis.com: Read about Darryl's misdiagnosis

And in addition, here's where Darryl goes for VO2 Exercise testing on his bike: Useful info throughout site.

Sweet seduction: Valentine's Day temptations

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2010-02-12T16:34:56-05:00

Whether you're snuggling close with your sweetie at the movies, or you doubt the merits of all this Valentine's Day mush, the challenges of a Hallmark holiday can strain the discipline of even the most determined person. When boxes of chocolates appear in every store window, and someone hands you a dish of Candy Hearts bearing messages such as "Be Mine" and "Tweet Me," how easy is it for you to just say no?

The emotional link between good times and sweet treats begins early in life. For some, candy or soda pop was the reward offered for being "good," quiet or out-of-the-way. For others, a piece of cake is sheer comfort. And heaven is a plate-full of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Later in life the pattern continues, reflected in the sensual language used to describe our desire for instant gratification. That gooey chocolate cake looks quite tempting. The box of See's isn't simply sitting on the table. It's trying to seduce you into peeling off the cellophane and lifting the cover.

Under certain circumstances, our resistance to sugary enticements can take on mythic dimensions. You don't want to hurt your lover's (or your friend's or your mother's) feelings, which seem to pivot on whether or not you accept their sweet offering. For some this is a willpower test of Biblical proportions.

Except when you have Lyme disease, and you know that indulging comes with a price. Remember how much it hurts to herx? That's all it takes. Just think back to the brain fog and headaches, or the last time your knees ached non-stop, or when even the satin sheets felt like sandpaper on your hypersensitive skin.

If you have an urge for some sweetness in your life, instead of splurging on a dessert try this: give yourself a present. A little luxury doesn't have to cost a lot, and it's a powerful way to help break a pattern you might have established in childhood. Sugar doesn't equal happiness. Buy tickets to a movie you've been wanting to see. Curl up with a new mystery novel and a cup of ginger tea sweetened with stevia. Call a friend. Rent a comedy. Pop some popcorn and pass it around, but when it comes to Valentine's candy, think about how really great you'll continue to feel if you simply say no thanks. And that will be the icing on the cake.

Wake up call: Lyme symptoms return

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2010-02-01T13:12:05-05:00

About six weeks ago I got a nasty wake-up call. My Lyme symptoms began to return. To cut to the chase, I am getting things under control again slowly, but it's been a trial.

Has that ever happened to you?

"It's a rotten deal" to quote my dear old auntie, but it's more than that. I'm trying to keep the perspective that most of all it's a powerful reminder about the importance of staying firmly rooted in my healthy routine.

I forget that I share my body and mind with a bunch of Lyme bugs. When I've got the situation under control, I kill them off slowly and without too much herxing, they don't act out, and I feel good. I can think and talk and walk and work and live and love, just like I was designed to do. The problems start when I forget (as I did six months ago) about the delicate balance I've got going on. Last year I was feeling so incredibly good, so Lyme-free, that I slowly let little things slip. I re-introduced some sugar into my diet. I let myself indulge in a beer now and again -- figuring it's got protein, B vitamins, minerals, magnesium, selenium, iron and it's a stress-buster in reasonable quantities. After all, I rationalized, it was surely not a recipe for disaster, right?

But then, following a few months of slippage, the perfect storm hit.

Literally. Our region was hit by snow-pocalypse in mid-December, leaving us without power for several days. It was cold. I was cold the whole time. We were snowed-in for over three days. My partner was dealing with a health concern of his own, which stressed us both out as we could not get out to get what we needed. In addition, I'd been sick with a flu prior to the storm, so my exercise routine was interrupted. I'd stopped taking a few of my mainstay supplements, and other stuff...you get the picture. When the snow melted and the power came back on I began to make up for lost time (or so I thought) by exercising twice as much, even introducing African dance classes into the mix, which, if you've ever done, is quite the workout!

Anyway, the symptoms have had a hay-day with me, the bugs have been partying, and I'm finally, but ever-so-slowly returning from the brink of a really painful six-week herx. My worst since I was first diagnosed in 2005.

The point is, we each have to determine what the right healing path is for us. For me, the two biggies are keeping up with my supplements and herbal therapies and not slacking on a sane amount of exercise. Also, it's about staying warm, as my body temp runs low, which is typical of people with a Lyme infection. Through trial and error I've also figured out which other things contribute to my personal homeostasis.

And I'm freshly vigilant for the Lyme bugs, who have somehow not quite managed yet to eat my common sense (completely). I'm not going to slip again.

Darryl is back--Listen to his success story

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2010-01-09T20:17:56-05:00

Pro bike racer Darryl is counting the days to an upcoming race in April. Twenty-one months of hardcore antibiotic treatment are now behind him, including IV Rocephin, Zithromax and a go-round of Flagyl and Mepron last summer.

Since this new chapter of life began, Darryl counts among his athletic successes the "Beach and Back" fun bike race, a twenty-six mile, grueling uphill bike course that kept him "in the saddle" for four-and-a-half hours. I don't know about you, but I can hardly stay seated for more than one hour, and that's without peddling of course, without having to stretch and take water breaks. You can hear the surprise in his voice, and the satisfaction at his accomplishment as he describes the effort it took to finish that ride.

Darryl's impressive athletic achievements are no accident. A self-described "numbers guy," he has long been a devout record keeper, tracking his heart rate and other bodily systems with the eagle eye of a master coach. In fact, he is a coach, and takes his role seriously. A handful of Lyme patients have been lucky enough to come into Darryl's orbit, and he helps keep them on track with their Lyme-related needs. Knowing the hell that awaits someone with a positive diagnosis of Lyme disease, he aims to mitigate the bureaucratic and other various challenges that await them.

Some of Darryl's key points for beating Lyme:

Be a warrior. Don't allow anything to stop you from seeking treatment. Darryl saw 35 doctors before receiving a positive diagnosis for Lyme. He is passionate about standing up for yourself in the face of stubborn insurance company policies. His advice when your insurance company refuses to pay for tests and/or treatment that you and your doctor know are necessary? Appeal, and stay with it. Do not give up the fight. If you can't do the fighting, get someone who can fight for you until you can.

Be organized and monitor your progress. Keep your medical files together in one place. Statistics such as test results, enzyme counts, heart rate, weight and the dates of measurement are important, and so are their fluctuations. I love this--Darryl uses spreadsheets to track his numbers. Why didn't I think of that? Carefully monitor your progress. Keeping track of meds, supplements and foods on a spreadsheet is a great idea too.

Put yourself first. We hardly even need to mention this one. While it seems like such an obvious point, it is nevertheless quite difficult for a lot of people to pull this one off. Are you the main caretaker for a busy family? Find a way to take time for yourself every single day. Get enough sleep. It takes whatever it takes to get well. Your family might have to adjust, but rest assured they'll be overwhelmed with relief when you get better.

And finally, exercise, exercise, exercise. That's a direct quote. Even Darryl's mom (who also has Lyme) rides the bike he gave her indoors, in front of the telly. Do what you can to sweat out the toxins every day. Build muscle, which will help your immune system build strength. Darryl addresses this whole issue of exercise with compassion for those of us who suffer with crushing fatigue. He's been there too.

The really, really great news? Darryl's better!

Get your water bottle, jump on your stationary bike, hop onto your mini-trampoline and put on your headphones. Listen to Darryl's interview here.

Listen to the entire interview with Darryl for free!

Podcast - This is a long interview, so it may take awhile to load, please be patient.

Healthy New Year to you

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-12-31T13:42:35-05:00

The media is having fun commenting on the end of the Ought decade (or the Naught, or the Naughty, depending on whatever appellation you choose). One decade comes to a close and another begins.

We're always smarter in retrospect. Looking at back at this decade as if it were a pack of cards that can be ordered, and reordered or shuffled around as you like, it's very easy to see where things went off track. Or got back on track.

Thank you for your support and your notes of kindness. We wish you a very Happy New Year, and most of all we wish you health. It really is the most important thing.

Warm up with hot vegetarian chili

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-12-21T15:15:40-05:00

Lyme is an inflammatory disease. Following an anti-inflammatory diet can help reduce pain from many Lyme symptoms, such as rheumatoid arthritis and skin rashes.

In some stages of Lyme, you may not feel much like eating, or you may not know what to eat at all. Everything is so different, even your taste for certain old favorites. If you've altered your diet because of Lyme, sometimes you really just crave "normal" food.

Chili is hearty and healthy. It's nice and normal, and one of our favorite comfort foods around here. Here's the basic recipe. Trust me - it's simple and won't make you think too hard. Plus, it'll make your house smell great. Sometimes I switch out the peppers for carrots, or skimp on the chili powder. The herbs are the key to making this dish really scrumptious and satisfying. Add some simple corn bread and you've made a wonderful winter dinner.

Vegetarian chili

Ingredients

2-3 cans dark red kidney beans (drained)
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
2-3 T olive oil
1 28-oz can whole tomatoes
3-4 cloves garlic
3-4 T chili powder
2-3 T cumin
1-2 T fresh parsley
2-3 T oregano
1 1/2 cups of water
1 cup cashews
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Heat oil in large pot; saute onions until clear, then add celery, green pepper, and garlic; cook for 5 minutes or so. Add tomatoes (with juice; break the tomatoes into small chunks) and kidney beans; reduce to simmer. Add chili powder, cumin, parsley, oregano, water, cashews, and raisins (opt.) Simmer as long as you want. Garnish with fresh parsley or grated cheddar cheese (if you like cheese, try goat, which is easier to digest).

Happy Winter Solstice to everybody.

Here's to your health!

Tick saliva may hold key to Lyme vaccine

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-12-14T16:41:07-05:00

Erol Fikrig, MD, and other researchers at the Yale School of Medicine may be hot on the trail of creating a new Lyme vaccine.  

 What makes this Lyme vaccine different from the one that was taken off the market in 2002?  

 From a recent post on Science Blog:  

 "Traditionally, vaccines have directly targeted specific pathogens. This is the first time that antibodies against a protein in the saliva of a pathogen's transmitting agent (in this case, the tick) has been shown to confer immunity when administered protectively as a vaccine."  

 Apparently the old Lyme vaccine "utilized just the outer surface proteins of the bacteria."

"The authors [of this study] believe this new strategy of targeting the saliva - the 'vector molecule' that a microbe requires to infect a host - may be applicable not just to Lyme disease but to other insect-borne pathogens that also cause human illness."

"We believe that it is likely that many arthropod-borne infection agents of medical importance use vector proteins as they move to the mammalian host," Fikrig explained.

If their scientific hunch proves correct, this study may also have positive implications for treatment of other illnesses that are spread by insects.

"Currently, we are working to determine if this strategy is likely to be important for West Nile virus infection, dengue fever, and malaria, among other diseases."

Treatment issues for children with Lyme

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-11-27T11:38:02-05:00

Dr Charles Ray Jones is a man with three ordinary names - yet he couldn't be any more extraordinary in his service to chronically ill patients, the children he treats every single day.

A reader sent a note last week that brought tears to my eyes -- the joyful kind.

Here is part of her note:

"My 11 year old is now under the care of Dr. Jones and is making incredible progress in his path to wellness. I appreciate what you are doing. Thank you for being willing to get the word out. What a frustrating journey this has been but I finally have my medical support system in place. It took a while. I was told by an infectious disease specialist in Maine that I was crazy and that my son was perfectly healthy. Dr. Jones is a saint and he has given my little boy his life back. He is again running and climbing trees and happy and bubbly...a far cry from last year at this time. I wish all of you the best and again, thank you. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving."

Unfortunately, too many moms can relate to being told by a medical professional that there is nothing wrong with their kid, when the reality is that if Lyme bacteria is present, treatment could restore the child's health (and the mother's sanity).

Dr Jones has been called (by a colleague of his), "an international treasure - a courageous, selfless, inspirational, and outstandingly gifted clinician who has helped thousands of the most severely ill children with Lyme disease from around the world to regain their health and their lives."

Dr Jones talked with me a few weeks ago, about Connecticut Governor Rell's June 2009 decision to allow doctors to treat Lyme disease. He also talked about the significance of the recent IDSA Lyme treatment guidelines hearing in Washington, DC, and the future of Lyme disease treatment.

Listen to our brief conversation.

Readers write about Lyme brain

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-11-21T08:55:01-05:00

"Kmart" sent these comments in response to last week's post:

1 - I once lost my truck key on the job (gardener). I had three people (customers), for thirty five minutes, looking all over their house and property for it. I must have checked my pockets thirty times and even flipped out my front pockets like a rabbit. Yes (you all have done this) while just standing in confusion & embarrassment my stomach fluttered & face grew red as I had to suddenly admit that I found my key in my right front pocket while casually just standing there. Oops, my bad. There is still no way to explain lyme brain to others.

2 - Having read through the protocol, how in the heck is someone with stage 3 suppose to remember all that? I believe any attempt (at a protocol) is a good one for fighting Lyme. Seriously, there is no way I could stay on this as I am still looking for my keys!

***

Success stories usually, if not always, follow failure. The classic example is learning to ride a bike. If it took falling over nine or ten times before you finally got the balance thing down, than those nine or ten times were more about succeeding than failing.

Healing from Lyme has been sort of like that for me. Starting with getting a diagnosis, which doctors kept getting wrong. I've talked to people for the success stories who said that they went to more than 30, or in some cases more than 40 different doctors before getting a correct diagnosis!

It still makes me shiver to think about the dermatologist who wouldn't even look me in the eye while he was examining my skin rash. I'd brought in a notebook with questions I had jotted down, because I knew I wouldn't be able to remember them unless I wrote them down. The minute I opened it and read my first question, he stopped making eye contact with me! It felt as though he saw me as some sort of weirdo to protect himself against. I absolutely did not feel like I was in the supportive hands of a healer. Of course, it didn't help that I stuttered terribly whenever I tried to talk. He was one of the docs who had prescribed prednisone for my "excema." He was sure he was right. I was sure I was getting worse, not better. At that time I had no clue that the medicine itself was making my disease spread inside my body and brain, quickly rendering me unable to think, talk or keep my balance while walking.

Lyme brain can definitely be funny in retrospect, but I know it's absolutely terrifying when you've got it.

Whether your stories are humorous or scary (or both!), I invite you to share one of yours here. You can either email me directly: ldrd.support@gmail.com or put it in the comments.

All good wishes for healing to every one of you,
Suzanne

P.S. Kmart, I know what you mean about remembering the protocol. I kept notebooks full of schedules for when to take which antibiotic or supplement, to take it before meals, between, whether to take it with water or juice, or put it under my tongue, and how many drops of this and that, when to increase or decrease...It got to where I was either taking a medicine or writing about having taken it. Having Lyme is hard -- but healing from Lyme can be just as tough!

Working with Lyme brain - Under Our Skin

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-11-14T10:21:11-05:00

Under Our Skin filmmaker Andy Abrahams Wilson discussing his film on The Wrap.

I have to laugh now, because in retrospect it's funny, but at the time it was embarrassing. It's a memory of my interview with Andy, which I conducted a few years back before the Turn the Corner Foundation stepped in to help fund his film. I'm sure he didn't think much of the incident.

In our conversation, Andy was very gracious. He spoke eloquently about his sister's trouble with Lyme disease, and later, his feeling of helplessness when a close friend of his then discovered she also was suffering from late-stage Lyme. He'd been so moved to do something about the misunderstandings around Lyme symptoms and Lyme treatment, that he entered into the long process of making Under Our Skin, which is still gaining ground and helping the Lyme community to get the word out.

The embarrassing part was that in interviewing him, I couldn't get my phone recording equipment to start correctly. Lyme brain was so intense at the time for me, that I couldn't fix the problem. I had to hang up and call him back. I was too proud to admit that I was having a hard time that day. I couldn't tell whether it was the equipment or me who was glitching. However, Andy was incredibly kind and generous, and allowed me to reschedule our talk for later that day.

It wasn't the first time that had happened. A month earlier, I'd gotten through an interview with Dr Christine Horner, but I could barely hear her the entire time. My tinnitus was roaring, but that wasn't it. It was that awful, foggy Lyme brain again. It took away my ability to multi-task and hold two thoughts at a time. Normally I'm a fairly good troubleshooter, but there was no way I could troubleshoot and conduct an interview at the same time. It didn't even occur to me to ask if we could reschedule. When the interview was complete I hung up, and discovered that I'd put my earphone in backwards. No wonder she'd sounded faint the whole time.

These are not pretty memories.

However, remembering the bad times allow me to measure how far I've come back into balance. Using my brain is one of my favorite hobbies. I guess I'm grateful for all my Lyme experiences now, since I've come out on the other side, and can actually work my recording equipment pretty smoothly again...usually.

What about you? Care to share a Lymie memory? Please share your story in the comments!

Veteran's Day

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-11-11T12:38:41-05:00

This is Veteran's Day. Let's take a moment of silence and give thanks to all the veterans who serve our amazing country. In the UK, November 11 is known as Remembrance Day, and in other countries this is Armistice Day.

This post is dedicated to my dad, who served in WWII in the US Navy. Dad was a radio operator and spent many months undersea, working inside Navy submarines. He and mom raised five kids, and he never lost his love for the ocean. Miss you still, dad!

Harold "Bud" William Arthur (1923 - 1974)

Dr Cowden's updated Lyme protocol

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-11-06T17:20:31-05:00

Are you treating Lyme disease symptoms after having received a late-stage diagnosis? The problem for many of us who are healing from Lyme is that we know antibiotics are tough on our systems. While I have no doubt that longer term antibiotic protocols are key in killing the Lyme bacterial complex, I've talked to a lot of people who are either severely allergic to antibiotics, simply can't tolerate them after a long period, or have no health insurance coverage and can't pay out of pocket.

Which leaves us with what alternatives? It's very scary to hear your doctor tell you that in order to treat you for Lyme you must have antibiotics, when you a) can't tolerate them physically, or b), you can't afford them financially.

A friend of mine asked me about Lyme the other day. She'd heard that I'd been very sick and wondered if I was feeling better. It was such a huge pleasure to realize that I hadn't mentioned Lyme once to her, since we met a year or so ago. Speaking from my own experience only, I have found that treatment with a combination of methods, including behavioral changes, nutrition and diet and rigorous exercise has worked really well. Not as quickly as I'd like, that's for sure! But these days I consider myself to be living a healthy, Lyme-free life. In part, I achieved that goal with the help of Dr Cowden's protocol, using Samento and Cumanda and a host of other supplements.

Dr. Wm Lee Cowden says that he has discovered that “antibiotics do seem to work fairly well in a lot of patients. But, if they've had the illness for longer than six weeks, the chance of antibiotics getting rid of the infection, in my experience, is pretty unlikely, pretty remote. So, they're basically just guaranteeing that they'll stay on antibiotics for the rest of their life."

“The problem with staying on the standard pharmaceutical antibiotics long term," he says, "is that you kill off the friendly bacteria in your gut, and you cause an overgrowth of fungus in your gut, so then you trade one problem for another."

(The above quote is from my article on the effectiveness of Dr Cowden's Lyme protocol, in the Townsend Letter - The Examiner of Alternative Medicine, April 2007.)

PROTOCOL FOR LYME BORRELIOSIS From Wm. Lee Cowden, MD

Please also note Dr Cowden's condensed support program, updated February 17, 2009.

North Carolina recognizes risk of Lyme

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-10-25T17:41:57-04:00

Are you living in a state where the medical board--or worse, your own doctor--won't acknowledge Lyme disease?

Until recently, many North Carolina residents and physicians have presumed that the risk of getting Lyme within state borders was nonexistent. Casualties have included not only residents who contracted the disease, but also Dr Joseph Jemsek's Charlotte, NC medical practice. (Please note: Dr Jemsek moved his clinic to Fort Mill, SC in 2008.)

Dr Carl Williams performs disease surveillance for the North Carolina State epidemiology department. His office is in the tick-counting business. He says that unfortunately, the risk of contracting a tick-borne illness is nothing new in NC.

"Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is still a greater risk than Lyme in North Carolina, and you can catch both of them here," says Dr Williams.

Risk of Lyme disease in NC has now been officially acknowledged. "However," he adds, "skepticism is high because counts are low." That is, the numbers of confirmed cases of Lyme are still lower than cases of RMSF. There has been one fatality due to RMSF in North Carolina this year.

"As far as prevention goes," says Dr Williams, "there is nothing new to recommend. The same old tried and true methods are still the most effective."

Cooler weather is no deterrent to ticks, so he recommends that we stay tick-aware at all times of the year. "Just because it's January, for example, don't think you can't take precautions or don't need to. We want people to recognize that there are a variety of ticks here in NC, and that it's important to take care and adhere to preventative measures."

What are those tried and true methods?

"Use DEET on areas of exposed skin, and Permethrin on clothes. Perform tick checks when you come in from an area where you may have been exposed to ticks, and realize that even though you can significantly reduce your chances of getting bitten by a tick, taking these safety measures is really not a guarantee. There is no failsafe mechanism to guarantee that a tick will not get onto your skin, or attach to it."

Interview with Functional Movement Specialist Katherine Dowdney

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-10-18T18:03:54-04:00

I'm pro exercise! I never had a regular exercise program until I was healing from Lyme, and its perks and positive effects have been countless. It is one of those amazing gifts that's come from dealing with Lyme and chronic problems.

And, I'm so inspired by CJ Jaffe, Perry Fields, and all of the other athletes and exercise enthusiasts we've interviewed here, who have kicked Lyme and continue to integrate a rigorous exercise program into their schedule of healing.

But when we're talking exercise, just how much is enough? How much is too much? Should you start an exercise program without consulting your doctor or medical adviser? After all, getting stronger and getting well are the goals, not wearing ourselves out.

Recently, I had an opportunity to talk about these issues with Katherine Dowdney, a Functional Movement Specialist with a private practice as an exercise and rehabilitation coach. She describes her experience in working with people who suffer with conditions brought about by chronic illness. She talks about the problems and concerns we all face, such as how to choose a good exercise coach and just how far to push ourselves when we're really sick or feeling out of balance.

Here is her bio and website:

Katherine Dowdney’s passion for anatomy and movement is evident in her teaching. She enjoys empowering clients to meet their personal fitness and wellness goals. Utilizing a combination of the Pilates method, yoga, traditional weight training, and additional corrective exercise modalities Katherine has a special interest in working with individuals with chronic conditions and pre or post rehabilitation. Katherine is a certified ACE personal trainer, a dual certified Pilates instructor through Peak Pilates and Balanced Body, an E-RYT 200 hour yoga instructor, an NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist, and an AFPA Post Rehab Specialist. She has received training in experiential anatomy, pre/post natal Fusion Pilates, Sadhana Chi yoga, Children’s yoga, and Structural Yoga Therapy. She recently attended an 8-day training in Therapeutic Yoga for Seniors at Duke Integrative Medicine. Her interests are in mindful movement, pain management, and corrective exercise.

Katherine is a founding member of Moving Women Dance Performance Ensemble in Asheville, NC where she choreographs and performs as a modern dancer. Along with dancing and teaching movement science, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Sam, and their dog, Ranger.

Her website is www.blissful-body.com
LDRD members, please listen to the conversation with Katherine here.

Vote for CJ! Our Lyme Hero

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-10-16T13:12:52-04:00

Need a shot of encouragement?

Some days we all do, and I'm glad to bring you an exciting piece of news about a young athlete and registered nurse whose story is chronicled on our Lyme Success Stories series.

Here is an update on CJ Jaffe, who remains a bubbling fountain of energy despite continued trials with Chronic Lyme symptoms. CJ is a triathlon competitor and one of our favorite success stories (read more about CJ's Lyme success story here).

We in the Lyme community don't have too many opportunities to get psyched about something fun. So, don't miss this chance to put a bit of excitement on your healing path. On November 22, 2009, CJ will be competing in her 2nd Ironman Triathlon with Chronic Lyme. More importantly, she will be raising money for the Turn the Corner Foundation to help fund further research.

Here's the fun part: You are invited to follow CJ online on the day of the race. Simply go to ironmanlive.com and click on "Athlete Tracker." Type in "JAFFE" and her stats will come up. So tune in, watch, cheer on CJ and get engaged.

Vote for CJ!

In addition, CJ has been nominated for the Ford Everyday Ironman Hero award, to be presented in front of a crowd of more than 5,000 people. If she wins, the prestigious award will help her build Lyme awareness. Plus, she would receive an extra $1,000 for her charity, the TTC foundation. Please cast your vote for CJ Jaffe for the Ford Everyday Ironman Hero award by emailing helen@nasports.com The more nominations the better!

"I have been feeling okay, considering being treated for the symptoms I have," says CJ. "But, I'm still focused on athletics and I am convinced that between athletics and keeping a positive outlook, it's saving my life. I think I'm going to continue on this road for a while."

There's more!

Stay tuned to the LDRD blog for further information about CJ's plans to launch CTJ, "Create The Journey," an athletic team -- local and national -- of athletes like her. People who are passionate about giving Lyme patients a reason to survive, while positively impacting society.

Call for Lyme success stories

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-10-10T12:21:53-04:00

I know from experience that when you're in the thick of an acute illness such as Lyme, all your energy is spent on getting better. The pain can be so constant and overwhelming that you lose sight of what being healthy is. You might not think you can get there ever again. Sadly, we know that this disease can sometimes take an irreversible tact. You don't have to search far to encounter grim stories of people suffering with Lyme.

However, many people do recover from this profound illness. I recently took a road trip with my significant other, attended a family reunion, and reconnected with friends I cherish. Life is so astonishing sometimes, so precious, that now I have complete days when I totally forget how sick I've been, and what a long, slow climb it was back to a state of health.

I've been collecting Lyme success stories almost from the time I was diagnosed, because I felt strongly that if someone else out there had healed from Lyme, then I could too. My parents brought me up to share good news, so I'm still gathering success stories that others can learn from and be inspired.

Have you recovered from Lyme disease? Are you well on your way to a healthy, post-Lyme life?

People take so many different paths back to living a productive life. Many are able to follow a Lyme-literate doctor's protocol until they're Lyme-free. Many aren't able to afford that luxury, and so they use a combination of protocols and techniques that seem to help. Some are on a strict diet, and they claim that it has helped them walk away from Lyme. Some use herbal therapies and devices such as the rife machine. And considering how bone-crushingly weary Lyme can make us, I'm always impressed by the numbers of people who swear that rigorous physical exercise played a central role in their healing. Many of the people we've interviewed in our Lyme success stories, such as Darryl, who races bikes and works as a professional Hollywood stuntman, talk about applying the mental rigor, discipline and intense focus they honed as a competing athlete, to the path of healing.

Walking away from Lyme is something we all desire to do one day. If you've been successful in doing so, please consider sharing your success story with others. You never know when something you say might trigger an idea in someone's head and help them turn their health situation around for good. You won't be telling other people what to do. You'll simply be relating your own experience, which is in itself, a powerful sort of medicine.

Contact me directly for further information about sharing your Lyme success story.

Thank you.

Video--how to repel ticks

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-10-03T20:09:24-04:00

The harvest moon is rising outside my office window at this moment. It's full and bright and lovely. I noticed our neighbor's garden is burgeoning with ripe green peppers and orange squashes that need to be picked and enjoyed. Gardening and me don't exactly fit very well anymore -- not since Lyme revised my priorities. I leave it up to braver folks than I, who aren't as paranoid of tiny ticks. However, I still love the idea of gardening, and I'm always interested in discovering ways to do it safely.

How to Repel Ticks -- powered by eHow.com

This eHow video, posted by a gardener, explains the basics about how to protect yourself and your kids from ticks. She recommends the usual precautions, such as covering up head to toe with multiple layers of clothing. Then she mentions something I hadn't heard before. She suggests that on your hands and face, and any other body parts that aren't covered by clothing, you put on oil.

Her reasoning is that although the ticks are nearly impossible to repel once they've gotten onto your skin, they don't like oil because it causes them to slip, or reduces their success at sinking their sharp teeth into your skin. She says any kind of oil will do -- olive oil, lavender oil, baby oil, etc. She mentions DEET, as well, for its effectiveness as a tick repellent.

She also recommends putting your clothing into a hot dryer as soon as you come in from the garden, woods, forest, or wherever you may have been exposed to ticks. She claims that if you put your clothes into the washing machine, you risk setting them loose in the house. However, the hot temperature of the dryer should kill them.

I think I need to ask Dr Eva Sapi or some of our other Lyme experts about these claims before I believe them wholeheartedly. In our last interview, Dr Sapi told us that the biology graduate students in her University of New Haven Lyme research program couldn't even keep the ticks away using DEET, as they went hiking in the forest for a tick-gathering field trip.

What do you think? Have you ever used this oil trick? Is it effective?

Lymelife--see it on DVD now

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-09-30T18:18:51-04:00

Lymelife has just been released on DVD. If you missed it in the theaters, buy it or rent it this weekend. First and foremost, it's a heartbreaking story about falling in love and growing up, funny and powerful and poignant. But it's also a story about someone with Lyme. Through the character of Charlie, the movie reveals the unflinching pain--both physical and psychological--that people suffering with Lyme disease experienced in that era.

Even in the Lyme epicenter of Long Island, NY, in the 70s and 80s, Lyme disease was generally considered a made-up thing. Pain pills were subscribed to people who were suffering. Their struggle with sanity and physical debilitation was sad and frightful for their loved ones to witness, but if you were sick and there was no clear reason for it, you were basically left to fend for yourself. The disease was suspected to be psychosomatic, which meant that you somehow brought it on yourself.

Actor and director Steven Martini talked openly with me about the personal nature of his film, which is largely autobiographical. Sparked from the depths of his first experience with true love, the film turns on his character's recognition that life unfolds in tenuous, often dangerous ways. His girlfriend's father is inflicted with this mysterious illness, and the young man is confronted with complexities he is barely prepared to comprehend.

Listen to my conversation with Steven Martini about his latest film, Lymelife.

3 keys to better sleep

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-09-26T15:25:55-04:00

When was the last time you got a really good night of deep sleep? Sleep is a soothing tonic for anyone suffering with Lyme symptoms, yet peaceful snoozing can be elusive when you're in pain.

3 keys to better sleep:

1 - Therapeutic massage. Gentle, healing touch can help you relax and get a better night's sleep. Massage is helpful in lowering the anxiety which naturally arises when you have Lyme symptoms. Just the simple act of being touched with compassionate intention can be healing in and of itself. Before you make an appointment with a professional massage therapist, talk over your situation with them. Be certain you can communicate your needs clearly. She or he should be made aware of your illness and your threshold for pressure.

The Bowen Technique, developed by Dr JoAnne Whitaker, is similar in principle to acupuncture. It is a type of gentle massage designed to unblock energy and help the body maintain equilibrium so that healing can take place. Many people struggling with Fibromyalgia and CFS/ME report that this technique has accelerated their healing. (Incidentally, Dr Whitaker is one of the experts I interviewed for the LDRD Interviews with Experts series.)

2 - Maintain a regular schedule. Go to bed and rise at the same time every night and day. Even on the weekends. This is a good health-habit to cultivate even for people who aren't sick. Former surgeon Dr Christine Horner, author of Waking the Warrior Goddess: Harnessing the Power of Nature & Natural Medicines to Achieve Extraordinary Health, which received the “Best Book of the Year” for 2005 award from the Independent Book Publishers association in the category of health, medicine and nutrition, strongly believes in the body's innate ability to heal from any disease. Dr Horner recommends going to bed no later than 10 pm and rising at 6 am each day. (Note: LDRD members, please read the transcript of my interview with her, or listen to the audio version.)

Keeping a regular sleeping schedule helps your body to regulate its other autonomic functions, eating and making bowel movements. All of this can lead to more effective healing therapy. In addition, I'm a big fan of afternoon snoozing, and I usually get in about 20 minutes to one hour, daily. I'm convinced that my napping habit saved me during the worst of my illness. However, if you struggle with insomnia, you might get better results at night by limiting your naptime during the day.

3 - Allow yourself time to wind down before bedtime. This is a personal challenge for me. I'm either online with work or friends, or deep in conversation with my favorite person in the world, my partner Evan. I'm also a natural night owl, so if you are too, I'm sure you can relate. It can be tough to find the discipline to slow down at night, especially if you aren't in the thick of the disease and your mind is back to working order.

Cultivating a meditation practice, simply using breathing techniques from your yoga class, or relaxing in bed with an inspiring book can do wonders. Don't exercise for up to three hours before bedtime. Avoid stimulating drinks--especially during the afternoon and evening. No alcohol. Take a warm bath, and listen to soothing music. Let your loved ones know that they can help by gently rubbing your shoulders or neck. Stretching your arms and legs slowly and methodically before you get into bed can signal your body that it's time to drop off into dreamland.

Making your own herbal tonics

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-09-23T17:03:45-04:00

Like any serious disease, Lyme has gifts hidden in its pockets.

For me, Lyme's gift has been its power to teach. I've often thought that since dealing with this pernicious disease, I've learned more about my own particular healing patterns than I ever wanted to know. I doubt if I would have learned so much about keeping myself healthy if I hadn't gotten so sick in the first place.

Since Lyme has become my teacher, I've gotten really interested in making my own tinctures and teas. If this is something you're into as well, I recommend watching the short videos on Youtube by mountainroseherbs.com. These instructional videos are clear presentations that can help take the mystery out of the process. By making your own herbal concoctions you can save money as well.

And while we're on the subject, please check out this recipe for arthritis massage oils by author and master herbalist Stephen Harrod Buhner. In addition, see herbalist Leslie Tierra's wonderful massage oil recipes here.

ILADS training new Lyme docs Oct 24-25

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-09-20T15:04:49-04:00

Is your doctor Lyme literate? If not, suggest they get educated by the world's top physicians and researchers. Please tell them about this important upcoming gathering.

The annual 2009 Lyme Disease Professional Conference will be held on October 24 - 25 at the Gaylord National Resort in Washington, DC. The conference is an opportunity for Lyme-educated doctors and scientists to train the next generation of medical professionals interested in helping to improve the quality of care for people with Lyme.

ILADS recognizes that the growing numbers of people suffering with Lyme and other tick-borne related diseases can be helped immensely by educating health care professionals in every field. Last year's San Francisco conference was hugely successful, and this fall's lineup promises to be even better.

ILADS president, Dr Daniel Cameron, writes, "This ILADS conference also provides a forum for researchers to present their results in the emerging topic workshops setting or in the research workshop. Together the conference will provide the basis for the evidence-based treatment of Lyme disease."

Write lymedocs@aol.com or call 301 263 1080 if you have any questions.

Dr Burrascano's Lyme treatment guidelines

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-09-08T16:10:50-04:00

Looking for diagnostic hints and treatment guidelines? I want to call your attention to Dr Burrascano's Treatment Guidelines. Click on this link:

Advanced Topics in Lyme Disease

If you're struggling with Lyme, this no-nonsense PDF will give you a reference and perhaps even a place to start. Among other things, you'll find a list of supplements that may be very helpful, along with a reminder to exercise if at all possible. Gentle strength training is necessary to rebuild your muscles and help restore your energy level. In addition, exercise can raise the core body temperature and oxygenate the blood. The Lyme bacteria may be a tough bug to kill, but two things that can do the job for sure are heat and oxygen.

Dr Burrascano writes:

Despite antibiotic treatments, patients will NOT return to normal unless they exercise! This is because in most cases the chronic Lyme patient is deconditioned. More importantly, a properly executed exercise program becomes part of the treatment, as it can actually go beyond the antibiotics in helping to clear the symptoms and to maintain a remission.

What to eat on the weekend

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-09-05T13:40:01-04:00

I hope you're feeling well enough to join the fun this Labor Day weekend.

When everyone else reaches for chips & dip, reach into your picnic basket instead for these yummy snacks recommended for people on an anti-inflammatory diet:

Celery and carrot sticks, or radishes with hummus. Raw veggies are better for you at room temperature, and not cold straight from the fridge.
For a delicious protein snack, spread tahini or almond butter on rice crackers.

For breakfast, cook steel cut oatmeal. A generous dollop of coconut oil keeps it from sticking to the pan, and imparts a delicate sweetness to the oats. Try fresh spinach in the morning along with scrambled eggs. Greens are fresh and tasty, and will satisfy without giving you that over-stuffed feeling.

For lunch or dinner, soup and sandwiches are quick and casual.

Rye bread can be a tasty substitute for wheat bread, but read the ingredients to make sure there is no wheat flour. Good sandwich fixings include sliced turkey (or tofurky, my fave), avocado, tomato, ground mustard and goat cheese or feta. Feta is reportedly much easier to digest than cow cheeses. Add fresh chopped greens from your garden, or layer on the sprouts - use mung bean for a delectable crunchiness, clover, or broccoli sprouts.

If you're a soup nut like me, make a delicate butternut squash soup, or a fragrant tomato bisque. Fresh corn soup is also delicious paired with a spinach, beet, walnut and goat cheese salad.

Mexican food is fast and festive. Make fish tostadas, using tilapia or salmon, piled onto corn tortillas, with dark green leafy lettuce, ripe slices of tomato, black beans, fresh salsa and guacamole, if you like.

Lyme sufferers in need of help

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-09-02T14:33:30-04:00

I receive heartrending letters like these every week. Lymenet.org has a good forum, and I have urged these two to go there. If you have some sound advice for these predicaments, we welcome supportive comments.

Note: If you have thoughts of suicide, please call the Lyme Disease Hotline: 1-800-886-LYME (1-800-886-5963)

Hi,
My husband has Lyme disease, and we have health insurance with Blue cross/Blue shield through my job. My husband has been on IV for the past 3 months & is just starting to show some recovery. Now yesterday, 9/1/09, insurance says it will no longer pay, because this treatment is called "experimental IV". Has anyone else had this problem, if so what did you do? I am at a loss.

Hello,
I know I have Lyme, I was bit by a tick at age 4, and I am now 40. It has affected my brain, I have no sense of direction, I cannot remember anything anymore. My left arm feels like it has been cut off at my wrist making if difficult because I am left handed. I have boils on my face the size of golf balls, I can't go into public which being in sales isn't possible so I lost my job. The doctor has tested me for everything under the sun and I told him to test for Lyme. He did a IgG/ImG, something like that, and the blood test came back negative, so he said I do not have Lyme. I can't get out of bed. I now am having problems walking because of my left hip. Several years ago I was semi-diagnosed with MS because I had a case of Bell's Palsy. The tick that bit me in Maryland wasn't found for over 2 days. I was severely ill. My insurance has been canceled and I am losing control. I don't know what to do anymore. I have been thinking suicidal thoughts and am very scared. Please if someone could give me some advice on what to do next. I need some guidance in a really bad way.

Lymelife filmmaker turns pain into art

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-08-28T14:40:47-04:00

Actor, writer, producer, editor and composer Steven Martini's latest film is Lymelife. As one reviewer wrote, "Lymelife is a unique take on the dangers of the American Dream."

Steven and his brother Derick learned the craft of filmmaking while making Goat on Fire and Smiling Fish (1999), and wanted to "dig deeper" for their next film. The material they mined for Lymelife is largely autobiographical. Taking place in the late 70s, the story chronicles their childhood in the NE, a first searing adolescent love affair, and the dissolution of their family unit. Scott, 15, begins to see that nothing is quite like he thought it was.

In the story, Scott's girlfriend's father, Charlie, is inflicted with Lyme. In real life, Steven's girlfriend's father had Lyme as well. He watched her family try to deal with illness and found it terrifying. As Steven says, Lyme back then was considered mysterious, even psychosomatic. Sound familiar?

I got a chance to speak with Steven last week. He described the intensity of writing and producing this autobiographical tale. He talks about his creative process and his experience of making the film, and even tells what became of the real life character of Charlie.

Please listen to our conversation by clicking on the Podcast link below.
Podcast

Ted Kennedy dies. Will insurance reform survive?

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-08-26T17:10:18-04:00

Health insurance in the US is in the floodlights, especially with the news of Senator Ted Kennedy's passing. He carried the issue of health care insurance reform over the course of his long career in congress. Speaking up once again for this issue was, he said, his primary reason for fighting his illness last year. How will his passing affect the fierce fight for change?

Health care reform may end with passing of its torchbearer: Ted Kennedy
by Bob Graham, Insurance & Financial Advisor

From the article: Congress needs a Ted Kennedy to pull things together in the fall. Kennedy had the ability to cross aisles, to get Republicans and Democrats to join forces on key reform efforts. No one else had the power of Ted Kennedy to get Congress to act on these big-ticket items like No Child Left Behind, the American with Disabilities Act, voters and civil rights legislation, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Please share your thoughts on health insurance reform, as it relates to your experience with Lyme disease.

Listen to Tina Garcia's experience at the IDSA hearing

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-08-21T11:30:59-04:00

Patient advocate Tina Garcia is passionate about justice and fairness.

Disabled by Lyme in 2004, she soon discovered the injustices in Lyme treatment. Particularly, she was outraged to learn that patients in her position were frequently turned down for medical insurance coverage for the treatment of Lyme disease. Her own insurance requests for coverage were rejected as well, and like so many Lyme patients she had to pay for treatment out of pocket.

When Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal began the investigation into the IDSA standard of Lyme treatment, Tina submitted her rejected insurance claims to his office. However, her concern wasn't simply about her own welfare. Desire to help others inspired her to found the organization, LEAP Arizona, a Lyme Education Awareness Program. She began a dialog with the Assistant AG, which lead to her invitation to testify on July 30 at the historical IDSA hearing in Washington, DC.

Tina, who is still healing from Lyme, traveled to DC where she delivered her eloquent testimony to the hearing panel. On her website, you will find a link to listen to the IDSA hearing, and a copy of her testimony.

Tina spoke with me on Thursday, August 20, about her experience at the hearing. She describes the day's emotional highlights, in particular the presentations of Drs Ken Liegner and Steven Phillips. She also talks about her faith in the IDSA panel, who, in a matter of months, will be deciding whether or not to recommend changing the standard Lyme protocol.

I invite you to listen to our conversation by clicking on the podcast link.
Podcast

Anti-inflammatory diet for Lyme

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-08-17T12:26:17-04:00

I've been under the impression that medical practitioners, such as GP doctors and nutritionists, were familiar with the notion that inflammation is at the core of many diseases. However, it looks like the study of inflammation, and what to do about it, is newer than I thought. According to an Aug 17, 2009 article in the LA Times, Battling inflammation, disease through food, by Shara Yurkiewicz, medical practitioners are just beginning to put two and two together when it comes to inflammation and chronic disease.

"[Chronic inflammation] is an emerging field," says Dr. David Heber, a UCLA professor of medicine and director of the university's Center for Human Nutrition. "It's a new concept for medicine."

The article continues: "The theory goes that long after the invading bacteria or viruses from some infection [such as Lyme bacteria] are gone, the body's defenses remain active. The activated immune cells and hormones then turn on the body itself, damaging tissues. The process continues indefinitely, occurring at low enough levels that a person doesn't feel pain or realize anything is wrong. Years later, proponents say, the damage contributes to illnesses such as heart disease, neurological disorders like Alzheimer's disease or cancer." LA Times article, 8/16/09

When you get a splinter, or a mosquito bite, or suffer an injury such as a broken bone, your body's immune system instantly responds to the pain and offense by sending more blood to the wounded area. The tissue swells and reddens while the healing work gets underway. While it's fairly easy to see a mosquito bite or detect a broken bone, chronic silent inflammation inside the body, which is what Lyme disease may cause, may go unnoticed for years because, as the article states, it occurs at a low level and doesn't hurt. The immune system doesn't switch off.

What can be done? Although more studies are necessary to determine the results scientifically, many people (including me) believe that their eating habits affect their health and can even help bring down chronic inflammation. Choosing foods rich in antioxidants is probably smart, and may even help you feel better while healing from Lyme infection. Antioxidants may slow down or inhibit the tissue damage caused by free radicals at the sites of inflammation.

The Mediterranean diet, for example, is high in antioxidants, including dark green leafy veggies, whole grains such as steel cut oats, nuts, oily fish such as salmon, and bright-colored fruits such as blueberries, pomegranates, dark cherries and raspberries.

Following an anti-inflammatory diet also means eliminating, or at least reducing food that can cause inflammation. Such foods include those with saturated fats, trans fats, corn and soybean oil, refined carbohydrates such as white sugars, red meat and dairy.

Neem oil and ticks

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-08-15T12:36:29-04:00

Q: Will neem oil spray kill the ticks on my dog?

A: No, it's not likely. Mature ticks are not usually affected by neem. However, neem oil has been reported to cause female ticks to lay sterile eggs. In addition, neem oil repels ticks. Use it to reduce Sparky's chances of being bitten in the future. Regularly grooming, shampooing and then spraying your dog with neem oil may greatly improve the problem of ticks.

Clean and spray your pet's bedding with neem oil too. Protecting you and your family from tick bites means thinking about all the opportunities the little critters have to encroach on your living space. Clean and spray all the spaces where your pets hang out.

Think of this as a long-term solution, however, and not an immediate fix. Be wary of ads that promise results. Neem oil has been shown to be effective only with certain types of ticks, and cattle and other livestock have been tested more than dogs and cats.

Dogs and kitties (parrots and ferrets) add immeasurable love to our lives. Unavoidably, we take our chances with the dangers they may carry when they run freely outdoors and in, sleep in our beds and lounge on our sofas. Keep an eye on your outdoor pet, making regular tick checks a part of routine grooming. If you've found ticks on your pet, please take them to see your vet right away. Our cats and dogs are vulnerable to Lyme and related tick-borne diseases. The vets I've consulted with say there is often a good chance for recovery, especially if the animal is treated with antibiotics as soon after infection as possible.

Educate yourself about ticks

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-08-08T14:58:54-04:00

Summertime is so inviting, the trails around my house are shady, green and cool. Summer is also time to pay close attention to the small dangers in the woods and grassy fields. If you hike, camp or hang out in the great outdoors, or know anyone who does, please pass on to this information about ticks and tick-borne diseases.

Everything you always wanted to know about ticks (but were too chicken to ask) is included in this handbook, the new revised edition prepared by Kirby C. Stafford III, PhD Vice Director, Chief Entomologist of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven. It's an 84-page booklet that you can download as a PDF.

Tick Management Handbook

Clashing views at the IDSA hearing

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-08-01T13:44:17-04:00

Thursday's day-long IDSA hearing in Washington DC offered a fascinating glimpse into the opposing perspectives on Lyme disease treatment. Scattered into the testimony were flashes of tension and emotion. If you crave power point presentations, it was right up your alley. It was also an exercise in stamina for the participants. The entire hearing will be archived online for one year at idsociety.org.

As the hearing proceeded, I was most interested in the tension developing between the presenters' testimonies. For example, Eugene Shapiro, MD, a Lyme disease specialist at Yale University, stated that he thinks it is very important to engage in additional research about how to help persons suffering from medically unexplained symptoms. He also stated that in his view, there is "no scientific justification for changing current IDSA recommendations related to duration of antibiotic treatment of Lyme disease."

Then came Brian Fallon, MD, of Columbia Medical School. Notably, Dr Fallon began his presentation by stating that he is not a member of either IDSA or ILADS. He's a psychiatrist belonging to the American Psychiatric Association. In direct opposition to Dr Shapiro's statement, Dr Fallon referred to a blind study in which repeated antibiotic treatment has been found to be effective, yet is not recommended due to the risks. He also made it clear that repeated antibotics have been shown to be effective for the fatigue associated with Lyme disease. However, not for pain or any of the other symptoms related to Lyme.

Dr Fallon suggested that doctors could approach this risk factor by talking to patients about the risks. Discussing the risks of medications is something, he says, doctors do every day. He also mentioned that the testing has only been done on two specific antibiotics, and added that it might be a mistake to make recommendations based on those tests about antibiotics in general.

The most emotional moment of the hearing (that I saw) occurred when Dr Ken Liegner, ILADS member, showed a video clip of his patient Vicki Logan from June 22, 2001. Vicki had sought all kinds of treatment, according to Dr Liegner, in trying to deal with what he reminded the panel is still to be considered a "formidable pathogen." As the result of a misdiagnoses, she had been given coricosteroids early in her treatment. After all her treatment, spirochetes were found in her pericardium (the thin membrane that surrounds the heart).

The video was evidently recorded as Vicki lay dying in a hospital bed. She is so weak with advanced Lyme disease that you can barely make out the words as she says, "I hope that what happened to me will benefit others who wind up in the same situation." She also had words of praise for Dr Liegner, telling him on-camera that without his help she wouldn't even have lived as long as she did. It was a tearful moment for me.

I'm curious about your opinion. Does your doctor (or doctors) talk to you about the risks involved in the treatment options for Lyme disease?

IDSA hearing - message from Tina Garcia of L.E.A.P.

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-07-29T18:13:31-04:00

On the eve of the hearing in DC, patient advocate and panel member Tina Garcia sends us this message. I will be interviewing Tina very soon, so watch this blog - it will be posted for free to anyone who wants to hear directly from her what the hearing was like. Please feel free to forward the following note to any other Lyme groups who might be interested:

I just wanted to send out a huge thank you to all on Eurolyme and other groups who have shown me so much support! I am here in DC anxious to attend the Hearing!

I thought I'd write to let everyone know that the lime green ribbon campaign is being done in conjunction with media coverage of the Hearing and it is not a demonstration of any sort.

It is a way to get more media attention at the Marriott across from the Ronald Reagan Building, where the Hearing will be held. I am here and watching it all unfold and I assure you that it is an awareness campaign and not a demonstration. It is defintely not a campaign that will negatively effect the Hearing or offend the Review Panel in any way.

This is a very critical moment for the Lyme community, patients and docs. I would ask everyone to please focus strongly on the bond that we all share in this community and muster all the strength and courage we can to unite as a community. We must rise above the disagreements and conflicts that occur between advocacy groups and form a cohesive community of patients and doctors.

We must not allow our actions to be dictated by reactions to efforts that might make us stray from the path we are on. Let's unite and work together, for there is strength in numbers. United we stand -- divided we fall. We can stll hold on to the uniqueness of each of our advocacy groups, but at this crucial hour, we must be willing to work together and appreciate each other's uniqueness and admire each other's strengths and efforts to make a difference for all.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO ALL GROUPS AND LISTS AND DISCUSSIONS ASAP.
I AM PRESSED FOR TIME, SO IF YOU CAN ALL FORWARD THIS MESSAGE FAR AND WIDE, I WOULD TRULY APPRECIATE IT! THANK YOU!

In Solidarity,

Tina J. Garcia
Lyme Education Awareness Program
L.E.A.P. Arizona
www.leaparizona. com
P.O. Box 2654
Mesa, Arizona USA
480-219-6869 Phone
480-830-2788 Fax

Interview with the extraordinary Dr Jones

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-07-28T13:40:27-04:00

Dr Charles Ray Jones is a man with three ordinary names - yet he couldn't be any more extraordinary in his service to chronically ill patients.

To quote Sandy Berenbaum's introduction at a 2008 University of New Haven celebration to honor Dr Jones, a colleague of his has observed that he is "an international treasure - a courageous, selfless, inspirational, and outstandingly gifted clinician who has helped thousands of the most severely ill children with Lyme disease from around the world to regain their health and their lives."

Dr Jones spoke with me about Connecticut Governor Rell's recent decision to allow doctors to treat Lyme disease, the significance of this week's IDSA hearing in Washington, DC, and about the future of Lyme disease treatment.

Listen to the free Podcast of the interview with Dr Charles Ray Jones.

Watch the IDSA hearing live online

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-07-26T16:52:40-04:00

If you have ever had trouble getting treated for Lyme disease, or you are interested in long-term antibiotic treatment of Lyme, you probably already know about this Thursday's hearing. If you don't, then you may want to tune in.

The long-awaited IDSA hearing on Lyme treatment is finally happening, Thursday, July 30, '09. You can follow the entire broadcast live online.

Panel member Raphael Stricker, MD, an ILADS physician, is one of the doctors included in our experts interview series. Several of the healthy Lyme survivors included in our Success Stories series have included his patients. Tune in to listen to what Dr Stricker has to say.

We plan to interview many more members of the panel soon, starting with Tina Garcia, a dedicated Lyme patient advocate.

Click the link below for important information about the IDSA hearing:
http://www.idsociety.org/WorkArea/showcontent.aspx?id=14974

Eat your (fresh organic) veggies!

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-07-24T21:10:50-04:00

Summertime means fresh, organic veggies and fruits. I'm a sprouts fanatic. They're easy to eat and digest. I've always liked them, but even more so since I've been fighting Lyme. Sprouts are just so delicious and appealing.

On a sunny day it's nice to come home from the grocery store or farmer's market and toss together a mouth-watering salad of greens. You might add in fresh ripe tomatoes, peas, shredded carrots and/or beets, and top it with a handful of broccoli or clover sprouts and drizzle on your favorite dressing. I like to crumble bits of organic goat cheese on top too. Raw foods can be beautiful to behold, and so full of zest and prana. The nicest part is that afterwards, you don't feel sluggish. Just clean and energized.

Fresh, raw food diets have been used with success to ease the pain of many chronic diseases. But your body must be at a stage where eating raw foods can help boost your vitality, and not simply give it more work to do. During an acute stage of Lyme disease, raw foods may be too harsh to digest. Before you become a raw foodie, talk with your Lyme doc. If possible, consult a nutritionist who is educated about Lyme disease.

During early or acute stages of Lyme disease, your body might not be able to handle many raw foods. However, since raw veggies are rich in enzymes, they can be very beneficial in later stages of Lyme.

Sprouts, though, are a helpful food to eat during any stage of Lyme. You don't even have to go to the store or the market for these - grow your own!

Given the right conditions, teeny-weeny vegetable seeds grow into flavorful veggies. Sprouted broccoli, clover and radish seeds can contain many times the nutrients of the mature vegetable. Broccoli sprouts are one of my favorites because they contain sulforaphane, a long-lasting antioxidant that has powerful anti-bacterial qualities.

Going raw is a personal choice, up to you and your doctors. You can always add more leafy green vegetables to your diet without going totally raw.

Veggies with sulforaphane:

Bok choy
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Collard greens
Kale
Kohlrabi
Mustard greens
Turnips
Radish
Watercress

Find a Lyme doctor near you

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-07-21T14:34:19-04:00

Q: What should I do? I've had Lyme disease symptoms, but the time for early treatment has elapsed.

A: Contact a Lyme literate medical doctor near you. Please go to the Lyme Disease Association doctor referrals page.

Once you're on the LDA website, click on the link for "doctor referrals." Register using your email address. Once you've done so, follow the simple directions to find a doctor near you. The process doesn't take long and the directions are easy to follow. If you need a Lyme doctor, I urge you to find one as soon as possible.

You'll be asked whether you'd prefer a doctor who belongs to the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS). Keep in mind that Infectious disease doctors (IDSA) may not have the knowledge it takes to treat Lyme disease, especially when it has gone beyond the early stages. Infectious disease doctors may also lack the experience that ILADS specialists can offer in diagnosing and treating Lyme.

ILADS member and Registered Nurse, Ginger Savely, has diagnosed and treated over one thousand patients with Lyme symptoms. She is confident that with treatment, you can recover from Lyme disease.

Many experts agree that if Lyme is left untreated, or if it goes under-treated, the disease can be debilitating and even cause serious threats to health and well-being.

If you need help, please use the link above to find a doctor who knows how to diagnose and treat Lyme now.

And meantime, please take advantage of the work we've been doing over the past few years, collecting Lyme Success Stories. Listen to the Success Stories here on our website. Many of them are available for free. All we ask is that you sign up for our newsletter in order to hear them. LDRD members, who help make our work here possible, have access to many more stories, and we're adding new ones all the time. These people are so strong and enthusiastic, I love listening to them. They hail from all walks of life -- young, not-so-young, men, women and children. They will help you find the inner strength and confidence you need at this point. Some of them have specific information about how they healed from Lyme. They talk about how they found their Lyme doctors, they tell which medicines they took, and some describe their nutritional plans, exercise routines, and more.

When we're sick, we need encouragement. We need to hear from other people who've been down the same road. Nurse Ginger Savely told me, during our interview, that she fully believes that people can get better, when given the right treatment, even if they've suffered with Lyme symptoms for many, many years. She sees it happening every day in her San Francisco clinic.

"My year in HELL"

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-07-20T12:40:20-04:00

It's Friday, and I wanted to share this with you all. One our readers, Kim Jones, gave us permission to post this happy note. If you're sick, take heart and know that there are many, many people who are beating Lyme:

It has been a year since a nasty little tick gave me the disease from HELL. But I am back among the living. And living well. Feeling better than ever! Something I did not think was possible a year ago. Some days were so hopeless and I was too tired to read in bed or walk down my driveway to get the mail let alone work or go out with friends.

I dreaded the full moon and nights of restless sleep and days of endless exhaustion. The joint pain was incredible and I could not think through the brain fog to function in any normal sort of way. I will forever look back on May 2008 as the beginning of my year in HELL.

Nevermind the swirl of doctors and pills and tests that we have all gone through and the endless researching and reading to find an answer. I absolutely was consumed with finding a cure - I was not going to let this ruin my life. I was absolutely glued to my computer screen searching every LD site I could find.

Then later, when Under Our Skin came out (I bought an advance copy), I watched it over and over while I cried seemingly endless tears. But I refused to allow this to happen to me. Mine is a story of strength and perserverance and just plain stubborness on my part. Even from the beginning I made my mind up that this THING was NOT going to get me. I was going to beat it.

And I have beat it. Thanks to self-determination, excellent nutrition, LOTS of exercise, and meditative positive thinking. Also, with support from my husband and an excellent local LPN, the only one in the medical community who would listen and help me with meds and support, and a team of online supporters.

I have WON this battle. I am symptom free now for over 3 months. No meds, no brain fog, no fatigue, nothing. I really am free of this dreaded disease. I now have my life back - whoooooooppppppeeeee!

Speak up for Lyme survey

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-07-20T12:39:42-04:00

Patient survey

Patient advocate Lorraine Johnson, JD, MBA, of the California Lyme Disease Association (CALDA) will be testifying before the IDSA review panel on July 30. This survey, which takes about 5 minutes to complete, will be used to support her speech. Your identity will remain anonymous.

Lorraine writes:
You can get more information on what is happening with the hearing by visiting the CALDA website at www.lymedisease.org and visiting my blog there by clicking news and blogs and then Lyme Policy Wonk. You can also visit my blog by going to www.lymepolicywonk.org.

Please support the good work that CALDA does by becoming a member and helping us advocate for Lyme patient rights.

If you wish, you can watch the July 30 hearing live on the internet at the IDSA website (idsociety.org).

Dr Charles Ray Jones: upcoming interview

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-07-20T12:38:56-04:00

Coming soon: a very special interview with renowned Lyme expert Dr Charles Jones of Connecticut. Dr Jones celebrated his 80th birthday last month, and he continues to treat chronically ill patients. His life and work is a testament to caring and courage.

Here are a couple of links to help you read up on Dr Jones:

Dr Charles Ray Jones homepage
The State of Connecticut vs. Dr Charles Ray Jones - A Hangin' In Hartford - article by Rick Vassar, April 17, 2007

Please note: This interview will be posted for free access to everyone - not just LDRD members. As always, we thank our members for your support, which enables us to keep conducting and posting these interviews.

IDSA submits letter to Waxman

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-07-08T17:17:31-04:00

Things are heating up in Washington DC as the July 30 hearing approaches.

Below is an excerpt from a letter written on June 25, 2009 and sent by the IDSA to US Representative Henry Waxman, Chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee. In it, the IDSA makes clear that it opposes the bill regarding Lyme disease treatment (H.R. 1179), which was recently reintroduced in the House of Representatives.

Here is a partial excerpt:
We believe it is important that Members of Congress who are considering co-sponsorship of H.R. 1179 be fully apprised of IDSA’s view, which is aligned with the broader medical and scientific communities’ view, that the long-term use of antibiotics for the treatment of Lyme disease is unproven and potentially harmful to the patients being treated and to the public’s health (due to the potential creation of drug-resistant organisms).

Further, it is IDSA’s position that no reliable evidence exists that supports the designation of Lyme disease as a chronic disease. Two recent reviews -- one published in the New England Journal of Medicine (N Engl J Med 357:14; October 4, 2007) and the other in the American Journal of Medicine (2008) 121, 562-564 -- give evidence-based assessments of Lyme disease diagnoses and the recommended treatments which substantiate our position.

Where are the articles on Lyme disease?

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-07-06T16:13:42-04:00

Dr David L Katz, a medical doctor and blogger for Prevention Magazine, wrote this reductive "preview" of Under Our Skin last year. On the Prevention site, I posted my response to his claim that there is no such thing as chronic Lyme. In his article, Dr Katz admits that he hadn't yet the movie, yet he already had strong opinions about it. I went searching for his post this morning, but it has since been removed. There is very little trace of Lyme disease mentioned in his health blog. I am not singling out Dr Katz for criticism here. However, I find it curious that a popular magazine on integrative medicine doesn't seem to be concerned with Lyme disease anymore.

Here is an excerpt of his 4/25/2008 blog post, which he titled "From the (sub)Lyme to the ridiculous":

A Yale colleague and leading authority on Lyme Disease, Dr. Durland Fish, brought to my attention a documentary film, to be shown at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, highlighting the devastation wrought by chronic Lyme infection.

The only problem with that is...there is no such thing.

The best available science indicates that chronic infection with Lyme does not occur. There certainly can be, and are, chronic symptoms after Lyme infection- but that is very different from chronic infection. Consider, for instance, that after a bout of polio, some people have a permanent disability. That does not mean they are permanently infected with poliomyelitis- we know for a fact they are not.

There is, unfortunately, a cottage industry in treating "chronic Lyme." That treatment often involves lengthy courses of antibiotics, long after evidence of active infection is gone. Some clinicians are probably engaged in this practice in a genuine, if apparently misguided, effort to help. Others- a far more serious transgression- may be exploiting patient desperation for profit.

As far as I can tell, the documentary on chronic Lyme will be in equal parts compelling, and misleading. The terrible plight of the patients profiled will, and should, tug at your heart strings. But the implication that these are cases of chronic Lyme infection is at odds with the scientific evidence.

Here is my response:

Unfortunately, the vast and often seemingly disconnected array of symptoms, which can include rheumatoid arthritis, arrhythmia, memory loss and crushing fatigue, often lead patients from specialist to specialist, who never choose to investigate whether an underlying bacteria, treatable with antibiotics, could be at the root of their patients' problems. These clinicians could as well be "exploiting patient desperation for profit." Countless people have been misdiagnosed and under-diagnosed with Lyme disease, subscribed medicines that replicate the Lyme bacteria, causing the patient further, and even permanent, harm.

Comparison of the Lyme bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, with poliomyelitis proves very little. The spirochetal bacteria that causes Lyme disease is able to evade the body's immune system, and it is scientifically well-documented that tests for Lyme infection are often inaccurate.

Perhaps a "cottage industry," as you call it, has developed for a good reason. People are suffering. Many doctors are unwilling to consider Lyme infection as a cause of their pain. Numerous medical researchers and physicians recognize that gaps exist in our current understanding of the Lyme bacteria. More scientific studies and more medical research is necessary.

IDSA announces presenters for hearing

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-06-29T11:07:46-04:00

IDSA Announces presenters for its July 30, 2009 Hearing of the Lyme Disease Review Panel
Posted June 22, 2009 on the IDSA website

On July 30, 2009 (8:00 AM – 5:00 PM EASTERN), IDSA will hold an all-day hearing of its Lyme Disease Review Panel to hear testimony from patients, physicians and scientists on its 2006 Lyme Disease Guidelines. Individuals presenting and the order in which they will present follows:

* Tina Garcia, Lyme Education Awareness Program Arizona (L.E.A.P. Arizona, Inc.), Mesa, Arizona
* Lorraine Johnson, California Lyme Disease Association (CALDA), Ukiah, California
* Daniel Cameron, MD, International Lyme and Assoiciated Diseases Society (ILADS), California
* Phillip Baker, PhD, American Lyme Disease Foundation (ALDF), Bethesda, MD
* Ben Luft, MD, The State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY
* Allison Delong, ILADS, Providence, RI
* Barbara Johnson, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO
* David Volkman, MD, Nissequogue, NY
* Sam Donta, MD, Falmouth, MA
* Eugene Shapiro, MD, IDSA & Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT
* Brian Fallon, MD, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
* Sunil Sood, MD, Schneider Children's Hospital at North Shore, Manhasset, NY
* Ken Liegner, MD, ILADS, Armonk, NY
* Allen Steere, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
* Steven Phillips, MD, ILADS, Wilton, CT
* Art Weinstein, MD, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC
* Raphael Stricker, MD, ILADS, San Francisco, CA
* Gary Wormser, MD, IDSA & New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY

In-person attendance at the hearing is by invitation only. However, the Hearing will be broadcast live, in real-time via webcast from the IDSA Website (www.idsociety.org/lymedisease.htm) and will be archived on the web for viewing at your convenience. Information on how to attend via webcast will be posted on the IDSA website no later than one week prior to the hearing.

Alternative Lyme treatments

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-06-28T11:32:35-04:00

A friend asked for some advice about her Lyme protocol. She doesn't want to take antibiotics and would like to attempt an all-natural Lyme protocol.

I reminded her that I don't give advice. I'm an editor, not a doctor, and besides, it seems to me that depending on what stage of the disease you have, the symptoms of Lyme and the specific quirks of our immune systems truly complicate the challenge. The more people I interview about their experience with Lyme and its co-infections, the more I find out that I don't know. You've heard that old saying about the moment you recognize that you don't know anything is the beginning of wisdom? It's like that.

Although many of the Lyme-aware doctors we've interviewed for the "Interviews with Experts" series prescribe antibiotics for Lyme disease treatment, many people dealing with this multistage illness have incorporated other protocols into their routine at one point or another. Herbal tinctures, nutritional supplements and oxygen therapy are good examples of alternative or additional treatments, and I've had reports of excellent results with various combinations of these. Rife therapy has reportedly helped a lot of Lyme patients as well.

I've written about Dr Lee Cowden's herbal protocol in a special issue about Lyme protocols in the Townsend Letter, and he's featured in our Experts series. I'm interested in hearing more about the results of Dr Richard Horowitz's protocol, because he incorporates some of the Cowden herbs, and we're looking forward to adding his voice to our series.

I told my friend that the best advice I could offer is to tune in to the experts, and also listen to a catalog of stories about people from all walks of life, rich and poor, old and young, who have battled the tiger and now live vital, post-Lyme lives. I believe everyone has something to teach us, and that everyone is at least partially right. It's our job to decipher what's right, and what works, for us on our individual healing journeys.

I have had profound results from Dr Cowden's protocol. However, when I was first diagnosed my doctor insisted that I take antibiotics, which I remained on for six months.

I'm moved by my friend's sincere quest to heal from Lyme without going the pharmaceutical route. So, I thought I'd post this question to you: Have you had significant and long-lasting results from purely herbal protocols, such as the treatments recommended by Dr Lee Cowden, or Herbalist Stephen Buhner?

Lyme docs OK'd to treat with long-term antibiotics

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-06-22T12:43:33-04:00

Governor signs bill, shielding doctors in treatment of Lyme disease

It's Monday, and I've got good news. Let's all acknowledge this nod of compassion in Lyme disease treatment and send thank you notes in support of this decision made by the governor of Connecticut.

The following is an excerpt of a June 21, 2009 article by Jack Sanders in the Ridgefield Press.com:

Governor M. Jodi Rell said Sunday she has signed a bill allowing doctors to prescribe long-term antibiotics in the treatment of persistent Lyme disease – outside of standard guidelines – without fear of sanctions from state health regulators if the patient’s clinical diagnosis of the tick-borne disease and treatment have been documented by a licensed physician.

“Doctors in Connecticut – the absolute epicenter of Lyme disease – can continue to do what is best for their patients suffering from this complex illness. I think most people know someone who has been infected,” Governor Rell said. “The bill also recognizes that Lyme disease patients must have the freedom to choose which remedy or regimen best meets their needs.”

House Bill 6200, which gained broad bipartisan support in the Legislature, was prompted by an ongoing debate in the medical community. Some health organizations have questioned the existence of chronic Lyme disease and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has cautioned against the long-term use of antibiotics. Some physicians were hesitant to treat patients outside the IDSA guidelines because of potential reprimands from medical boards and insurance companies.

“Doctors will have the right to use treatment guidelines based on their clinical experience and best medical judgment,” Governor Rell said. “This bill does not, however, shield any physician who provides substandard care.”

Lymelife

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-06-15T13:43:44-04:00

A ragged-looking deer roams through Charlie Bragg's backyard on densely forested Long Island. Charlie (superbly portrayed by Timothy Hutton) suffers from mysterious symptoms that prevent him from working, and torture him perhaps even as much as knowing his wife is dallying with her machismo boss.

It's the late 70s. Lyme disease is beginning to grab the attention of NE residents. Some of them observed a correlation between a tick-bite and a litany of disturbing symptoms ranging from rheumatoid arthritis to mental derangement. In Charlie's house, prescription bottles crowd the bedside table. He's taking penicillin, but we aren't clear how effective it is on his illness. Sometimes he seems almost normal, stringing up Christmas lights. Sometimes when he's alone, he writhes in pain.

He's not the same man I married, rants his desperate wife. His teenage daughter feels compassion, but she's powerless to help. Her own inner conflicts and the pulls and stabs of young adulthood are more than enough for her to handle. A hint of rot underlies the nice suburban constructs, which are coming to a head most visibly in the character of Charlie.

Some of Charlie's scenes made me shudder. As bad as Lyme disease is, and as frustrating as the controversies around it have become, at least we're not still living in the 1970s, when it was new. Some headway has been achieved since then.

Have you seen the movie? What do you think?

(Members, watch for my upcoming interview with Lymelife producer, writer and director, Steven Martini.)

Tell your Lyme story to Obama

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-06-09T12:58:28-04:00

We were asked to post the following message about telling our Lyme stories to President Obama:

One of our San Diego support group members has made contact with a Barack Obama volunteer who is also partly responsible for getting the movie UNDER OUR SKIN shown in San Diego. This is an excerpt from their email:

"Hearing your story yesterday when we talked, helped me to be even more inspired to bring the message of Lyme Disease and Health Care Reform to as many people will listen. I encourage you to help bring to light the plight of Lyme patients. This is a once in a lifetime moment when we can share our health care stories. The Obama administration is listening and they want to help. Please visit
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/healthcarestory to share your story and take the time to encourage all Lyme suffers in your association to do the same and then forward this message on to more Lyme sufferers. The more Lyme stories received the more likely they will get recognition at the federal level. Lyme disease so poignantly illustrates all that is wrong with health care in America."

Regardless of your political opinions, this is an opportunity to get extensive media coverage about LYME Disease, which can only be a benefit to those currently suffering, and hopefully prevent the future suffering of others.

Effects of Cumanda & Samento in treatment of Lyme disease

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-06-03T13:10:46-04:00

This is a really useful report, especially for those of us who are using herbal therapies to complement antibiotic treatment. It is Dr Richard Horowitz's findings on his use of herbs, such as Samento and Cumanda, among others, in treating patients who have Lyme disease and co-infections.

Herbs, Hormones & Heavy Metals: A study of CAM therapies in the treatment of Chronic Lyme Disease.

This tidbit is from the opening of his paper. Gave me a chuckle:

The History of Medicine
• 2000 BC Here, eat this root
• 1000 AD That root is heathen. Here, say this prayer
• 1850 AD That prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion.
• 1940 AD That potion is snake oil. Here, swallow this pill.
• 1985 AD That pill is ineffective. Here, take this antibiotic.
• 2007 AD That antibiotic does not work anymore. Here, eat this root.

Dr Richard Horowitz
4232 Albany Post Road
Hyde Park, NY 12538
845-229-8977

Chronic Lyme or not - Get educated

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-06-01T10:59:54-04:00

A national coalition of health care workers, policy makers and others, the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD), is attempting to educate Americans about the significance of the crisis in our current overall state of health.

The PFCD mission:

* The PFCD believes that rising rates of chronic health problems pose a significant and unsustainable burden on the U.S. health care system, and that the viability and strength of the system presently and in the future relies on a willingness to enact policies that help Americans better prevent and manage chronic illnesses.

The PFCD and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) do not categorize Lyme as a chronic disease. Therefore, it seems unlikely that this organization will help Lyme patients who continue to suffer with Lyme symptoms even though they've already been treated according to the CDC guidelines--a 30-day course of antibiotics.

However, if you suffer with chronic Lyme you may be interested in these six "unhealthy truths" about chronic disease in the United States, which I copied from the PFCD website:

* Truth #1: Chronic diseases are the No. 1 cause of death and disability in the U.S.

* Truth #2: Treating patients with chronic diseases accounts for 75 percent of the nation's health care spending.

* Truth #3: Two-thirds of the increase in health care spending is due to increased prevalence of treated chronic disease.

* Truth #4: The doubling of obesity between 1987 and today accounts for 20 to 30 percent of the rise in health care spending.

* Truth #5: The vast majority of cases of chronic disease could be better prevented or managed.

* Truth #6: Many Americans are unaware of the extent to which chronic diseases could be better prevented or managed.

If you consider yourself ill with chronic Lyme disease, one "healthy truth" to embrace is to get better educated about how to manage your illness. I realize that it's the toughest job you can take on, especially while you're sick. Believe me, I know because I've been there. Although the status of "chronic" or "Post-Lyme Syndrome" may not be easily or quickly determined by the policy makers, your health is what counts here.

Get educated about ways to manage your health, such as eating foods that will nurture (organic greens and proteins), not harm you (refined sugar).

LDRD members, login to listen to Lyme experts.

chronic Lyme disease is just a name

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-05-29T16:43:27-04:00

When I was very sick with chronic Lyme, the scariest thing was not the agonizing pain in my skin and muscles, not that my shin skin had deteriorated into raw meat, and not even that I had trouble walking and could barely talk without stammering.

The scariest thing, the thing that blew my mind was that the infectious disease doctor I turned to for help REFUSED to treat me for Lyme. I had tested positive, yet she stood there shaking her head, insisting that I must have MS instead. She basically blew off the positive Western Blot and ELISA tests.

The doctor breezily observed my skin rash, which had become so severe that I had developed a staph infection that put me in ER, and told me, "You are too late."

Huh? I couldn't think very clearly because of the brain fog, but this response just sounded utterly wrong to me. I was speechless.

She then dashed off a prescription for corticosteroids, which she said was my last hope. I took them, and the Lyme bacteria multiplied rapidly. Needless to say, my condition went from bad to worse.

I was in terrible shape when I staggered up to the window in her clinic and requested my medical files. My legs could barely hold me, and my hands and voice were just as shaky and weak. I had begun seeing a naturopath who advised me to retrieve my records from the ID doctor's office and take them with me. He treated me for Lyme with antibiotics and a host of supplements to support my liver, kidneys, my whole body. He also informed me as gently as he could that Prednisone, the steroids I'd been prescribed, are contra-indicated when the Lyme bacteria is underlying. I must have seemed to him like the walking zombie that I felt like. Looking back, I wonder if he ever thought that I was too late as well.

As it turned out, I was not "too late." I was at the wrong doctor. An ignorant doctor -- one who needs to be educated about Lyme and doesn't even know it. I got better. Lyme symptoms are still a part of my life, and I still watch my health like a hawk. It has been a lot of work, but I'm stubborn and lucky and willing to work hard. I have no doubt that today I'd be very ill, confined to a wheelchair and on permanent disability, if I had listened to that ID doctor. Instead, every day is a miracle. I've achieved some of my wildest dreams, and I share my life with friends and family who are more precious than gold.

Now, of course, I also realize that my story is unfortunately not unusual among people with Lyme.

People who get better, even if it's only 90% better, often turn their heads and never look back. Who can blame them? But I don't want to forget. If it could happen to me, it could happen to anyone I love, my brilliant nieces and nephews, my mother, my life partner, my favorite teachers. More people need to be educated about Lyme, and controversies over what to call it -- whether it's chronic Lyme disease (CDL), or Post Lyme Disease Syndrome (PLDS), stand in the way of the badly-needed education about Lyme. Stephanie, whom I interviewed last week for the LDRD Success Stories series, mentioned she had just completed her degree as a registered nurse one month before she discovered she had Lyme. In her years in medical school, not one course instructor had even mentioned it.

I hope that as more doctors are educated, more will recognize that Lyme is a multi-stage disease, like syphilis (over which there is no controversy), and the controversy over late-stage or chronic Lyme disease will fade. By whatever name you call it.

Add spice, reduce inflammation

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-05-27T14:13:43-04:00

Do you have an appropriate Lyme disease diet?

Low-grade or chronic inflammation accompanies a bacterial infection such as Lyme disease. Chronic fatigue and lethargy are produced when the body is busy fighting infection. Reducing inflammation is key in regaining vitality and healing. It's smart to include foods in your diet to help achieve those goals.

Help your body reduce damaging inflammation with the following:

* Eliminate refined sugar and processed foods
* Reduce stress in your daily life
* Get enough early morning sunshine

Add some spice to your life -- specifically, turmeric and ginger -- to help reduce inflammation. They are both part of the same family of plants.

Turmeric is used to lend mustard its yellow color. It is used frequently, though sparingly, in Indian food. The active substance, curcumin, is a powerful, yellow dye that will stain countertops and plastic food containers. It's also a well-known anti-inflammatory. Turmeric can be taken in capsule form or you can sprinkle it onto your food. I like it on my eggs for breakfast, or added to the stir-fry veggies we often cook for dinner. A general rule of thumb is to use about a teaspoonful or less in cooking. More than that will make your food taste bitter.

Ginger root is the underground stem of the ginger plant. The powder and the grated root are often used in cooking and baking. Ginger has medicinal qualities, and due to its anti-inflammatory element has long been used to aid in arthritis and ulcerative colitis. Among other uses, ginger is antibacterial, and effective as a digestive aid.

Nearly all of the people we've interviewed for our Lyme success stories have said that modifying their diet has improved their health significantly.

* What changes to your lifestyle and diet are helping you heal from Lyme?

Stephanie's Lyme Story

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-05-21T15:21:20-04:00

You would never detect disabling pain in Stephanie's calm, cheerful voice. She sounds energized and prepared to face the future, confident that the protocol she's on will help her fully recover from Lyme. Although she feels better now, the 39 year-old has endured many years of suffering and misdiagnoses, including two years when she was confined to bed. She had recently graduated as a registered nurse when she discovered that her mysterious symptoms indicated that she had Lyme.

Her course instructors in medical school "never even mentioned Lyme disease," she says. "You'd think they would know something."

Stephanie and her husband want to have a couple of kids, but wish to wait until she gets the all-clear signal from her Lyme doctor. The illness has been tough on the couple financially. She lost her medical coverage because she could not continue to work outside her home, and she estimates that their total out-of-pocket expenses have topped $100,000. As a newlywed when she first discovered how sick she was, she's definitely looking forward to leading a fuller life with her husband.

"He's still looking forward to the 'in health' part of the marriage vow," she laughs. "He's done the 'in sickness' part."

She is optimistic about the future, now that she has been in treatment for six months with Dr. Daniel J. Cameron, MD , of Mount Kisco, New York. Dr. Cameron is the current president of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS).

Initially, doctors explained Stephanie's symptoms as being caused by a Brown Recluse spider. They told her that nothing could be done except bed rest. However, as she slowly began to put together the pieces of the Lyme puzzle, she eventually recognized that she had most of the classic Lyme symptoms, including rheumatoid arthritis and unbearable fatigue. Fortunately, her research led her to Dr. Cameron.

LDRD members, please log in to listen to Stephanie's story, and hear details of her antibiotic protocol and other supplements she has found helpful.

Reduce your chance of tick bite

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-05-20T11:12:42-04:00

Learn about tick bites.

• Avoid likely tick-infested areas such as wooded, bushy areas or places with high grass and leaf litter - especially from May through the fall, when ticks are most active.

• When in likely tick areas, wear insect repellent with 20 percent DEET or more.

• Light-colored clothing helps you spot ticks more easily. Also, wear long sleeves and pants, tucking your shirt into your pants and you pant legs into your shoes.

• Before going indoors, perform a tick check on yourself.

• If you find any, use a fine-tipped tweezer to remove. Grab the tick close to the skin, and do not twist or jerk.

Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

MSNBC prints story of Lyme suicide

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-05-19T10:51:18-04:00

MSNBC has posted a heartrending story by NBC news producer John Baiata about the suicide of his beloved sister Sue, who could no longer bear the pain she suffered from chronic Lyme Disease. Our thanks goes out to the Baiata family and to MSNBC for sharing this painful story. I urge our readers to drop them an email thanking and supporting them for helping us bring this issue to the greater public.

I know I'm not the only one of us who was moved (to tears) also by the overwhelming number of intense responses to the story. Among them was a statement by Pat Smith, reminding readers that children are at the greatest risk for Lyme, and that a valuable bill in support of Lyme disease research is still mired in political muck. Here is a partial quote of her comment:

"Another Congressman, Christopher Smith (NJ), who introduced the bill, HR 1179, said last year on the floor of the House, regarding Lyme disease, there is a "cover-up.” We echo that 1000 times over. MSNBC, I hope you will put all the power and resources you possess behind exposing that cover-up soon, as children ages 5-9 and 10-14 are at the greatest risk of acquiring Lyme disease, and the prevailing attitude is allowing government agencies to remove children from mothers who are having them treated with ANTIBIOTICS for Lyme disease by LICENSED physicians.

Meanwhile, our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the Baiata family. Many of us have experienced preventable suffering and tragedy due to this disease. However, the tragedy is usually not due to Lyme disease itself but to politics, cover-up, vested interests, and bias, often a much bigger threat than the Borrelia burgdorferi organism causing Lyme disease, which we could overcome if the cover-up were exposed fully in the light of day."

- Quoted from MSNBC.com article by John Baiata, All she lost: My sister's battle with Lyme disease, from a comment made by Pat Smith, President, Lyme Disease Association

Salt and chronic Lyme

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-05-15T20:04:19-04:00

Are you getting enough salt in your diet? Salt is essential for all animal life (except land plants). Too much or too little can cause havoc in the body. Studies report that as much as 80% of dietary salt comes from packaged and can foods, and from eating out. It's easy to take in an excess of salt by consuming fast foods, as restaurant dishes are often overloaded with salt.

A lack of salt can be just as harmful as too much, as this elementary mineral is necessary for maintaining the balance of bodily fluids, helping transmit nerve signals, keeping muscles functioning properly and creating healthy blood and lymph.

Many chronic Lyme patients don't eat out due to their illness, and most of us go through at least a short period feeling absolutely yucky enough to keep us out of the public and away from restaurants. A lot of us stay away from packaged foods as well, eating fresh veggies and organic foods as much as possible.

If you eat a diet that is deliberately salt-free, how do you know you're getting enough of the stuff?

Be wary of misinformation

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-05-11T17:40:25-04:00

Aside from ticks and tick-carrying deer in our front yards there is something else we must be vigilant about: Misinformation.

For example, one piece of advice I've read in a number of places says that you won't get Lyme disease if you pull a tick out of your skin before it's been there for 24 hours. These articles usually do not name their source of information, instead saying, "latest medical research indicates that..."

I wouldn't be so sure. I asked Eva Sapi, Ph.D., who directs the graduate studies in Lyme disease research at the University of New Haven, about this claim. She said there was no evidence to support the "24 hour" rule. She added that personally, she knew field researchers who had contracted Lyme from a tick that had only been embedded for a couple of hours.

Lyme Disease Pictures

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-05-08T14:33:12-04:00

I can now stand to look - objectively view a photo of a tick, or glance at pictures of a bad rash on someone's leg or neck. However, the last thing I could stomach when I was very sick with Lyme were Lyme disease pictures.

My universe consisted of my bed and my computer. Both were necessary for survival and healing. I slept. When I was not trying to sleep or in too much pain or too dizzy, I sat at the computer and researched Lyme disease. Can you relate?

A large percentage of the skin on my hands, arms and shins was hamburger. I quickly learned not to search for "Lyme rash" or "bull's-eye rash." I couldn't bear looking at the images on the screen. Way too close for comfort.

Sleep. High-quality food. Antibiotics. Supplements. Physical exercise. Time. Love. Liberal doses of these ingredients have miraculously repaired my body and brain, and now I can look (when I must) at a picture of a tiny tick, even though I still squirm at the sight.

Support while detoxing

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-05-02T16:47:56-04:00

With all the talk about Swine Flu, there's an abundance of common sense about how to stay healthy making the rounds on the Internet, such as washing your hands regularly and supporting the immune system. Immune support is as central to keeping the flu bug away as it is in healing from Lyme disease. And one important step in keeping healthy is detoxification. Detox is part of the one-two punch in Lyme management (along with antibiotics) that RN Ginger Savely describes in our experts interview series. But what happens when you try to detox too quickly?

Anyone dealing with Lyme is painfully familiar with stressful "Herxheimer Reactions," which occurs when toxins - Lyme bacteria - in the body die off faster than the organs of elimination can handle. Learning how to manage Herxes is important yet tricky business. Essentially experienced as an increase in symptoms, Herxes can include nausea, headaches, brain fog, vertigo or mood swings, bringing more stress to an already stress-loaded system.

Some experts and patients say the Herx just comes with the territory, that it's unfortunately one of the crummy things that Lyme patients must endure in order to get better. However, others claim that painful Herxes are more likely to occur when the organs of elimination lack sufficient support. For example, Jean Reist, RN, claims that the intensity of a Herx can be reduced and in some cases eliminated altogether. How? By supporting the lymph system, an important part of the immune system and a major player in elimination. The lymph must be maintained in order to carry toxins away from the cells. An act as simple as drinking plenty of water each day and routinely jumping on a mini-trampoline can help move the lymph, and reduce the effects of a Herx.

The organs of elimination include the liver, the bowel, kidneys, skin and lungs. Yes, deep breathing, which is used in meditation and yoga practice, is a way to remove toxins from your lungs, so remember to support your body in healing by taking a deep relaxing breath.

Vegetarians with Lyme disease

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-04-27T18:22:48-04:00

When I interviewed Jean Reist, RN, for our Lyme experts' series, I could hear the angst in her voice. She worries that her vegetarian patients do not get enough protein. As she explains, the lymph system doubles as a grocery delivery-person and trash collector in our immune system. The lymph carries the nutrients to each cell, then turns around and carries the trash away. Without sufficient amounts of protein, the lymph cannot do its job and the system gets slogged down.

Reist's Pennsylvania clinic is located in the heart of what many consider a Lyme epidemic, and a significant number of the patients she treats for Lyme disease are vegetarians. Her chief concern is that many patients calling themselves vegetarian don't actually eat many vegetables. According to NAVS , the North American Vegetarian Society, a vegetarian diet can factor into radiant good health. However, getting enough iron and protein takes some knowledge and a little mealtime planning. It's easy for people to make the mistake of assuming that the absence of meat in the diet equals a healthier diet. Not true--especially if it means they've stopped eating meat and simply replaced it with pasta, potatoes and bread.

Generally speaking, vegetarians seem to benefit from an impressive amount of health advantages, such as lowered risk of heart disease, fewer cases of chronic disease and Diabetes Type 2, and on average, they live longer. However, eating a vegetarian diet doesn't automatically guarantee better health. Reist strongly suggests that her patients add eggs, cheese or fish to their diet as they struggle to heal from Lyme.

If you're a vegetarian or vegan with Lyme, how do you know you're getting enough protein? Do you include a wide array of veggies in your diet, and do you include legumes, which are rich in iron?

Why should you share your success story?

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-04-14T19:35:15-04:00

Not too long ago, I was unable to think, walk, talk or write due to the Lyme bacteria attacking my brain and speech centers. When I think about how hopeless and helpless I felt then, I can hardly believe it. So thoroughly has my life turned around for the better that it's hard to conjure even a wisp of memory of the dread and fear that enveloped me. I wasn't myself.

I've recovered, fortunately, and now find that my experience is very typical of people who've recovered from Lyme. We don't want to think about the dark days, don't care to recall them. Living an engaged and vibrant life again is an experience more precious than gold. Who wants to remember a brush with death from a Lyme infection, when there is still a lot of living to do? However, those of us who have recovered (or are in the process) can do more good by sharing our success stories than by slamming the lid down on that sick, shadowy time in our lives.

Lyme is the fastest growing vector-borne illness in the US. Each day, more kids and more adults -- from every walk of life -- are experiencing the harrowing mental confusion and searing pain that can accompany this multi-stage disease. Lyme disease-educated doctors are in short supply, and even amid increasing numbers of people diagnosed with Lyme, a cloak of mystery and misunderstanding still surrounds this illness and its treatment.

Lyme has proved to be a very personal disease, affecting each of us differently and to varying degrees. However, sharing our personal experiences is a valuable way to help. What works for you may not work for another person diagnosed with Lyme. Yet hearing about your struggles and listening to the elation in your voice can work a world of wonder for someone who is hurting.

We collect Lyme success stories and share them with the people who need them most. If you're beating Lyme and you want to tell others, please feel free to contact us.

How to hike & garden: Tick-free

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-04-11T12:05:54-04:00

Ticks are incredibly resilient critters. They have lasted for millenia due to their wily survival tactics. We're not required to admire them for this, however, we should be as determined in our efforts to avoid them as they are persistent in going after their goals--namely, a warm meal and a ride.

How do you avoid ticks? In particular, how do you avoid them in tick havens such as the US NE region, and pretty much anywhere that constitutes wilderness (including the parking lot at work, if there are hedges, grasses, trees or bushes nearby).

Are you like me? Since being struck down by Lyme and making the long, slow climb back to health, I've really lost my taste for hiking and gardening, activities that were a constant of my pre-Lyme life. However, I don't want to be afraid of the outdoors, and I know you don't either, especially this time of the year when the air smells like flowers and tulips are blooming in the colors of little girls' Easter dresses.

Taking precautions on a hike can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. You may want to stop short of duct-taping yourself head to toe, as the mother does to her son in the new movie, Lymelife. Wear white or light colors so ticks can be seen easily and eliminated a.s.a.p. Use a strong repellent. Tuck your socks into your pant, and check yourself (and the kids) when you get home.

Gardening, for me, has moved indoors. Growing plants is just too fun to give up altogether. On walks through my neighborhood I admire the results of other people's green thumbs, but here at home I get great satisfaction from growing sprouts. Not only do you get quick results, you can save money on the store-bought varieties, and guarantee freshness. Broccoli and clover are the house favorites.

So here are the main points: Wear white. Tuck your pants into your socks. Perform tick checks thoroughly after you've spent time outdoors. Grow sprouts. Don't be afraid of the big bad tick. Just outsmart it with your own wiles and tactics.

Happy spring!

Review of Lymelife

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-04-06T12:20:30-04:00

Lymelife is categorized as a comedy, however, it's the sort of black humor that scorches because it strikes a chord. Charlie (Timothy Hutton) is depressed and on antibiotics for Lyme disease. Here's an excerpt of film reviewer Rob Nelson's critique of the movie, which previewed at the Sundance Film Festival last fall:

The film centers on thin, 15-year-old bully magnet Scott (Rory Culkin), whose older, bulkier brother, Jim (Kieran Culkin), prepares to ship off to military duty, and whose longtime crush, Adrianna (Emma Roberts), reluctantly begins to return his timid gaze.

Adrianna's pill-popping father, Charlie (Timothy Hutton), shoots self-made targets in the woods with a rifle, dressed in suit and tie.

Alec Baldwin plays Mickey, Scott's father, whose underappreciated wife, Brenda (Jill Hennessy), duct-tapes her youngest son from head to toe to protect him from Lyme disease. Periodic cutaways to wandering deer and the real or imagined threat of wood ticks -- not to mention scenes of believably harsh marital bickering -- serve the pic's point that these frightened, emotionally starved people, kids included, are animals at best.

Read the entire review of Lymelife from Variety online.

Lyme goes to the movies

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-04-04T11:56:51-04:00

Can it be a good thing when characters in movies and soap operas have Lyme disease? Yes. Getting the word out to movie fans and soap opera devotees can help shape and inform public opinion. Martin Scorsese produced Lymelife , starring Alec Baldwin, Cynthia Nixon and Timothy Hutton. The film will be available on Netflix, and is scheduled to be released on April 17, 2009. The story takes place in the NE in the 1970s:

15-year old Scott Bartlett's family life is turned upside-down after an outbreak of Lyme disease hits the community spreading illness and paranoia. Scott's parents -- a workaholic father, Mickey, and an overprotective mother, Brenda -- are on the verge of a divorce as his older brother Jim is about to ship off for war. Complicating matters, Scott has fallen in love with his next door neighbor, Adrianna...

Stories are powerful conductors of information. They portray genuine emotion and can move people to action. Of course, the appearance of Lyme on TV and in the movies may give some false information as well. We can almost count on a certain degree of misinformation being transmitted through fiction regarding Lyme disease, which is confusing enough to understand in real life. I had to laugh at the recap notes for TV's long-running soap, The Young and the Restless, as Kay was suspected of having Lyme disease on Wednesday and received a diagnosis on Thursday. This is particularly funny since I think of soaps as a medium where characters can remain pregnant for at least a year.

What are your thoughts on these stories? Are they doing a service, or adding to the misinformation about Lyme disease? Tell us what you think.

Top US Athlete beats Lyme

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-03-21T10:04:48-04:00

From the time she was three years old, Perry Louis Fields has wanted to be the world's fastest runner. Now 30, the US Track and Field competitor says she's training at the top of her game. What makes her athletic success so sublime? Perry's torturous encounter with Lyme disease in 2003, which she says she has now beat.

"I’m not only healthy," says Perry. "I’m healthier than I was before I was bitten (no kidding!). My training and racing proves that. I’m the fastest and strongest I’ve ever been."

Beneath Perry's easygoing persona and her honey-toned Southern accent, she has a fiercely competitive nature. After enduring a miserable four or five month period of powerful antibiotics, she decided to quit the conventional route and devote what little energy she had to researching and finding "the cure," as she calls it. Although her symptoms "made every day a nightmare," she willed herself to begin taking baby steps toward getting back to her goal of running again.

With the dedication and steel determination of a true winner, Perry achieved her dream of not only running, but training as a pro once again.

"What Lance Armstrong did for cancer, I hope to do for Lyme disease. I have sometimes told myself that I wish I had cancer rather than Lyme. Someone with terminal cancer may feel otherwise, but I’m truly upset that the research on this disease is so inconclusive. The treatment for Lyme is inconclusive. It’s like nobody has had any experience with it at all, yet hundreds of thousands of people get it every year (I think that number is more like millions.)"

LDRD members can login and listen to Perry tell her inspiring story about beating Lyme. For Perry's website, please go to beatlyme.com.

Become a LDRD member and listen to dozens of interviews with both Lyme experts and ordinary people like you that struggle with Lyme disease.

New Lyme book by PJ Langhoff

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-03-11T20:01:20-04:00

“The scientific community is not listening to patients, and these books offer a chance for our voices to be heard,” says PJ Langhoff. The latest book was written after studying thousands of documents, mostly accessible via the Internet — an information resource often used by patients when seeking answers for health issues, for which they are heavily criticized. “We are not a hysterical bunch inventing illness by way of electronics, we seek answers. The idea that Lyme disease is not serious or chronic, that it is easily curable in all patients after antibiotics, or even that current diagnostics are accurate, is ridiculous,” says the author. “The book illustrates that current research easily refutes those holding a restrictive, minimalist viewpoint, and any guidelines that may help to promote that mindset.”

Read the full press release here.

Lyme epidemic causing healthcare crisis

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-02-26T13:07:27-05:00

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb 24, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- An ongoing battle over the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness, is pitting doctors against doctors, prompting health insurance companies to deny medical claims at an alarming rate, and leaving suffering patients stuck in the middle.
Read the full press release here.

Legislative Forum Announcement

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-02-20T23:07:34-05:00

This Lyme legislative forum will provide education about the various ways Congress works and an opportunity to share your ideas and concerns. Meet other leaders from across the country and create a national dialogue on Lyme and tick-borne disease. This is a forum and everyone is encouraged to participate. This event is for anyone who wants to represent their Lyme community. What you will learn about the legislative process will be useful in your state activities, as well as our national efforts.

Please respond to the survey with YOUR ideas. We want to include everyone’s concerns and suggestions in the discussion. Also, please respond as quickly as you can. We can keep the preferential Holiday Inn rate only until the 27th of February.

Date: March 28, 2009

Keynote: Congressman Frank Wolf

A ONE DAY SEMINAR FOR LYME LEADERS: PLANNING AN EFFECTIVE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM FOR LYME & TICK-BORNE DISEASE RELIEF

Sessions include:

- Experienced former Congressional aides and Lyme Leaders

- Understanding the Legislative Process and the Need for Hearings

- Appropriate Goals and Objectives in the U.S. Congress

- Substantive Issues in Lyme Legislation and Congressional Solutions

- IDSA Guidelines Review Panel Input Process & April 27th Hearing

- Presenting a United Front Sessions will be facilitated by20faculty of the

George Mason University, Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution

(ICAR)

Your ideas on what we need from Congress and how to achieve it are welcome. Submit your suggestions at http://www.NatCapLyme.org/LegForum
or call NatCapLyme at (703) 821-8833; (301) 980-6788 or (703) 435-2080.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Holiday Inn, Ballston

http://www.hiarlington.com/

4610 N Fairfax Drive, Arlington VA 22203, 1-800-HOLIDAY (1-800-465-4329)

Reserve by February 27 for the NatCapLyme Special Promotional Rate of $85.

Anti-inflammatory diet can help

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-02-14T16:50:15-05:00

Inflammation is an immune system response to stress and toxins. Our bodies deal with Lyme infection by sending more blood to the irritated areas. The main features of inflammation are redness, swelling and pain.

It's difficult to eliminate the borrelia bacteria, so inflammation results, causing pain and wrecking all sorts of other havoc. On top of that, we must deal with the psychological or physical stress caused by the pain. And aside from the toxins that accompany and make up the borrelia bacterial complex, dealing with environmental toxins is generally a daily effort.

Antibiotics and herbal protocols are excellent help, but what else can be done about inflammation? This is where some people with chronic illnesses turn a critical eye on their diet and nutrition. And many claim that an anti-inflammatory diet can be a huge help in maximizing their healing protocols and helping to alleviate the intensity of Lyme symptoms and flaring herxes.

So, you're starting to feel a little normal after such a long fight with Lyme. Don't surrender to that deep dish cheese pizza! (Of course, a little treat now and then does the body good.) Steam delicious veggies instead, such as Swiss chard, kale, or mustard greens. Fix organic brown rice or rice noodles to go with them. If you can tolerate it, a bite of organic dark chocolate can make a yummy dessert.

Watch this blog for interviews with nutritionists and herbalists who work with Lyme patients, and delectable recipes for an anti-inflammatory diet. Remember, you don't have to change the way you eat forever -- you just have to give your body a break for a while, so your immune system response can strengthen. Eliminating foods made with wheat and dairy -- or at least, limiting them -- may boost your energy and reduce inflammation and pain.

Bring testing into the 21st century

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-02-06T13:44:22-05:00

How many times have you wondered why the flawed technology of the Western blot and the ELISA are still the standard test for Lyme? Hasn't anyone figured out a better, more sensitive test by now? New research is being done with twenty-first century technology, such as genomics and proteomics. More sensitive tests mean that greater numbers of people infected with borrelia would have a chance to begin treatment before Lyme enters the later stages. A person who tested negative for Lyme with the Western blot may actually test positive when tested for certain protein markers.

Pamela Weintraub, author of Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Epidemic, and senior editor at Discover Magazine, pulls no punches in a recent post about the IDSA's choice of panelists. The panel that has been assembled seems likely to merely reaffirm the old guard, and not consider new University-based scientific research.

"As someone who has traveled the country for six years interviewing these scientists to write my book, Cure Unknown, I can tell you unequivocally that many of the top researchers at the top institutions in the world do not think the original IDSA panel got it right," writes Pamela.

"Are recommended treatment protocols truly curing most of those with early, invasive borreliosis, as IDSA contends?"

"The answers won’t be found in the twentieth-century technology of the Western blot, by today’s standards crude yet still trotted out by IDSA as evidence absolute that they are right. (The Western blot for Lyme is so flawed that even its major manufacturer says he has found numerous "band" patterns more accurate than the one in use today.) Instead of relying on flawed 20th century technology, we must look to the science of the twenty-first century, including state-of-the-art genomics and proteomics that allows for the sequencing of every gene and protein involved in every stage of Lyme. With evidence of this calibre we won't have to fight over the truth: We will know what's going on."

Stay tuned for more LDRD interviews with top researchers, such as Dr. Eva Sapi of the University of New Haven. Dr. Sapi directs the graduate studies program for research into Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

Lyme review panel members stir concern

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-01-29T18:39:35-05:00

At last, the IDSA (Infectious Diseases Society of America) has selected members to review the guidelines for the treatment of Lyme disease. Lyme awareness groups are alarmed at the placement of Carol J. Baker, MD, as the committee chairperson. Notably, there are also no ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society) members on the review panel.

Lynn Shepler, MDJD, shares her concerns:

CAROL J. BAKER, MD, head of the new committee formed as a result of AG Richard Blumenthal's investigation, is Past-President of IDSA, and lists her chief interests as "VACCINOLOGY," "CLINICAL TRIALS," AND "VACCINE POLICY." She has published "more than 100 articles on vaccine research."

Dr. Baker is also a member of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Was Dr. Baker a member of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices of the CDC at any point when past or future Lyme disease vaccines have been discussed --- formally, or informally?

The team she is part of at "The Center of Vaccine Awareness and Research" in Houston, Texas describes itself as "dedicated to improving the health of children from infancy through adulthood by promoting vaccinations and educating families and health care providers on all available vaccines."

Uh, does this include the Lyme vaccine(s)? Dr. Wormser's principal conflict of interest was that he was consulting to pharmaceutical companies on Lyme disease vaccines --- something he knew about and refused to disclose to IDSA administrators.

Dr. Wormser was head of each of the two IDSA guidelines on Lyme disease that have been issued. In my personal opinion, both versions of the IDSA guidelines have been biased in favor of vaccine commercialization.

By my reasoning, the need to deny the existence of persistent infection is part of the drive to commercialize Lyme disease vaccines that are not otherwise ready for market. Persistent infection is an important scientific problem that needs to be solved before any vaccine trials can be done. Instead, Wormser et al simply lie, and maintain the patients are sick with "something else."

So, instead of Dr. Wormser, we have a prominent vaccinologist, and former President of IDSA as the head of the committee? On the face of it, I find this very alarming!

(Please post this information to any Lyme disease discussion board to educate patients about the possible biases on the part of members of this new committee).

Following is a list of Lyme review panel members:

Carol J. Baker, MD,
Chair Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX

William A. Charini, MD
Peabody, MA

Paul H. Duray, MD (retired)
Westwood, MA

Paul M. Lantos, MD
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, NC

Gerald Medoff, MD
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, MO

Manuel H. Moro, DVM, MPH, PhD
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD

David M. Mushatt, MD, MPH & TM
Tulane University School of Medicine
New Orleans, LA

Jeffrey Parsonnet, MD
Dartmouth‐Hitchcock Medical Center
Lebanon, NH

Cmdr. John W. Sanders, MD
U.S. Naval Medical Research Center Detachment, Peru

Stevia poses no health risks

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-01-23T21:12:23-05:00

When you have Lyme, you can't do sugar. Some people can't tolerate honey, either. So how do you sweeten your tea? What do you put in your oatmeal? Stay away from Splenda. It's a bad alternative to sugar and may even cause a relapse of your symptoms (see the post on Jean Reist, RN for an example of Splenda's negative effects on Lyme patients).

The answer is stevia, a plant-based sweetener that has been popular in Japan and other countries since the 1970s. Stevia has been available in the US, however, it hasn't been promoted as a sweetener. Its status has recently changed. Watch for products made by Coca-cola and Pepsi to containstevia, which recently been vindicated by the Food and Drug Administration and found to pose no health risks.

"The [FDA] agency has granted the all-natural sweetener status as "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) after Cargill and Merisant Company achieved a process called "Self-Determination of GRAS Status".

Valentine's day is closing in, and you can't get far from the heart-shaped boxes of sugar candies that are popping up in every store. If you've got a sweet tooth, be strong and ignore that chocolate urge. Be good to yourself while you're healing. Go get somestevia and try a couple of drops in your morning tea or steel cut oats. If you've never used it before, be forewarned: the stuff is strong! Go light. Couple of drops will do.

Expert Interview Series: Carol Fisch Part 2

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-01-17T12:56:31-05:00

We've just uploaded Part 2 of the interview with expert Lyme disease researcher, advocate and activist Carol Fisch. Adjunct Professor Emeritus of Laboratory Science, Carol discusses her experiences studying and teaching about the bacterial complex, Borrelia burgdorferi. Her students often ask her to give a simple explanation of Lyme. Below is a bit of her answer. For a more in-depth discussion please login and listen to the entire interview.

A simple explanation of Lyme disease in not possible, as Lyme is not a simple disease. It is not just an infection with Borrelia burgdorferi the causative agent of Lyme disease. We are dealing with an illness complicated by multiple infectious agents; many of them are immune suppressive.

The immune system has difficulty in detecting the organisms that cause Lyme due to multiple factors, not least of all, its ability to change shape in order to survive -- surely one of its best tricks.

From the moment the Borrelia burgdorferi complex enters the body, it has the ability to clock itself into our own DNA proteins. When hit by anything threatening its survival, it can go into cell wall deficient (CWD) stages or into the cyst stage, where it is protected from antibiotics and the immune system. An activated immune system, where the body is trying to find an enemy and can't, leads to reactivation of Herpes Virus 1 - 6, and auto immune issues.

Katy's story: Teens & Lyme

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-01-09T14:15:54-05:00

Katy says the hardest thing about having Lyme is that nobody understands.

She has trouble with word recall. She is susceptible to low blood sugar crashes. She is 15, and like so many others Lyme patients, at first her doctors misdiagnosed her condition, believing instead that she had a viral infection such as mononucleosis or Epstein Barr.

For six months Katy struggled against crushing fatigue and a painful skin rash, trying her best to keep up in school. Medications for the ailments doctors thought she had were only making her sicker. Her skin rash became so acute that her parents began to suspect their daughter might have contracted a flesh-eating virus. Fortunately, her grandmother, a registered nurse, listened carefully to her complaints and suspected that it might be Lyme. Her grandmother insisted Katy see a Lyme specialist. Katy's prognosis changed for the better when she received a correct diagnosis and subsequently began treatment with Dr. Chandra Swami, of Heritage, Pennsylvania.

Adults dealing with Lyme find it to be an alienating and frightening experience, but try being a teenager with Lyme -- and on top of that, a high-energy competitor. Katy excels in running and cheerleading and she is avidly honing her journalism skills and other pursuits. Her aim is to be a broadcast journalist, and in fact she is currently the "weather girl" for the local news station, which airs at her high school. Short-term memory loss isn't something that a young person should have to deal with. Imagine trying to survive the rigors of a normal school day!

For example, one day at school after diligently producing a video project and forgoing lunch, Katy experienced a vicious attack of low blood sugar. Recognizing that she'd better eat something immediately, she took out her sack lunch.

A school administrator snapped that she wasn't allowed to eat lunch sitting where she was. "Should I let all 900 students eat their lunch in here?"

"All the other 900 students don't have Lyme disease," countered Katy, put in the terrible position of having to defend herself for being ill.

One of the problems, says her mom, is that Katy looks great. She's vibrant and rosy-cheeked, and appears perfectly healthy. There's really no way for her teachers and school administrators to tell, simply by looking, that she struggles with painful symptoms every day.

Members, please login now and listen to Katy tell her story. Just wait until you hear what her lunchtime video project was all about, and why it was so engrossing that she forgot to eat. This young woman is a genuine inspiration.

Become an LDRD member an listen to all of our success stories and interviews with Lyme experts.

LDRD is on Squidoo

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-01-06T11:23:08-05:00

The LDRD is now on Squidoo. Please let all of your Squids know!

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Happy New Year

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2009-01-05T19:26:23-05:00

Best wishes for 2009! May your health improve!

Give yourself a pain break

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-12-23T18:53:31-05:00

Illness doesn't take vacations. You don't get to clock out for long weekends of R & R. There are no breaks, no furloughs, no specific date you can circle on the calendar, flipping the pages and counting the days. Dealing with Lyme is a full time gig, especially when your symptoms are acute or you're in the midst of a flaring herx.

Since nobody at Lyme Headquarters is going to pop their head out the door, shake your hand, and tell you to go home and put your feet up, we need to remind ourselves. Take the opportunity to take a break. The whole world celebrates at this time of the year. Being sick now feels a bit like being the kid at boarding school with no parents coming to pick her up for summer. So even if you feel lousy, you're in pain, you wish you could formulate a complete sentence without forgetting what you were talking about...take time out. I've done it, and you probably have too, so I know it's possible.

When I was in an acute stage, bedridden and miserable, pain-breaks were few and far between. I learned a couple of tricks, a little mental prestidigitation. One was to watch funny movies and laugh. Out loud. Belly laughter is more than physical, it's a state of mind. It takes complete control of your attitude. It's really hard to be miserable and laughing at the same time. And for those few precious moments, I didn't feel the pain. In fact I felt happy, normal, and like everything was going to be alright.

Another trick I discovered, which isn't a trick but really more of a visualization, is to imagine another person, someone you either know or don't know, who is suffering worse than you. Sadly, we don't have to look far. Hold a picture of that person in your mind, take a deep, relaxing breath, and as you breathe out imagine all the pain and sickness draining from them. Whenever I do this, I can vividly imagine that other person smiling and rosy-cheeked, and I instantly (even if only for a moment) feel better too.

A doctor friend of mine tells me these little tricks are very healthy. She says they can even help break the cycles of pain involved in many chronic illnesses, cycles known as the pain cascade.

So take a pain break. Get on the phone to a long-lost friend, or e-mail them if talking is too tiring. Send e-mail notes to all your loved ones wishing them a happy holiday -- e-mail is less expensive and less work. Cut and paste. Watch a comedy on TV or rent a funny movie and let yourself get caught up in the silliness. Find a kid and tell them a knock-knock joke. I bet they'll have one for you, and it just might make you feel better.

We'll be here after your break, to wish you well, as always.

Happy holidays, everybody. Cheerio.

Immune system support

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-12-21T19:57:36-05:00

A few subscribers have said they're curious about my own particular healing protocol. We all know that there's no silver bullet where Lyme is concerned (although we wish) and that what works for your cousin or someone on your Lyme forum may not work for you, and vice verse. So keep that in mind. For the record, I feel great these days -- nearly normal (what a concept! Was I ever?). My routine is a blend of Dr. Cowden's and master herbalist Stephen Buhner's Lyme protocols, with a handful of other stuff thrown in for good measure. I get enough sleep, eat organic vegetables and fruits, try to exercise every day, and take probiotics.

One thing that I've learned from my own experience, as well as from talking to Lyme specialists and others who are healing, is that when you take antibiotics you must replace the friendly bacterial flora in your gut. Otherwise, "you can cause problems for yourself that are just as harmful as the Lyme symptoms themselves," says cardiologist and Lyme researcher Dr. Lee Cowden, whose herbal protocol for Lyme disease has helped many people. Even long after you stop taking antibiotics, probiotics can assist in bringing balance to your intestines. The intestines play a central role in the human immune system, and getting better is in many ways dependent on supporting the immune system.

So I want to mention something else I also take daily, a lactobacillus-based supplement that supports my immune system. I take 2 to 4 capsules daily, more if I feel stressed. It's called Del Immune V. A friend of mine sent me some when I first got diagnosed and I haven't been without it since. She takes it religiously too, as part of her protocol for hepatitis C. I have seen its effect on her, and the stuff is good. It seems to banish dark circles under her eyes, and best of all it seems to help lift her back to her natural wise, warm and witty self.

Although I haven't taken pharmaceutical antibiotics for two years, I've continued to take this high quality probiotic from Bulgaria. Although I may run out of other supplements and let them slide from time to time, I try to never go without Del Immune. It's made from a strain of lactic acid bacteria -- lactobacillus -- more precisely known as Lactobacillus rhamnosus, DV strain. The lactobacillus is cultured, then digested with natural enzymes that are an exact match to the enzymes in the human intestine, creating a product that is made of cell wall fragments containing pieces of cell DNA.

No silver bullets, but smart choices. Like eating organic and treating your tummy, and your immune system, with care.

Expert Interview Series: Carol Fisch

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-12-19T16:59:05-05:00

Carol Fisch is Adjunct Professor Emeritus of Laboratory Science. She is also a stealth pathogens researcher, teacher, and, as she also suffers from Lyme disease, an advocate and activist for those suffering from stealth pathogens and neuroendocrine disorders. In her outreach education, she explores the possibility that people with a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are dealing with a bacterial complex that also causes Lyme disease, among other illnesses.

"Most medical professionals, when speaking of Lyme disease, are typically referring to an outdated and over-simplified version of the disease that was once taught and believed that the main causative agent being dealt with was the Borrelia spirochete. We now know there are many agents involved," explains Carol.

"Many patients given a CFIDS or Fibromyalgia diagnosis, or a Gulf War Syndrome or Neuroborreliosis Complex (Lyme disease) diagnosis, are dealing not only with a spirochetal disease that causes multiple damage to the host but a very complex organism that causes multiple damage to the host. It is indeed a very complex organism within itself. Borrelia burgdorferi is one of the players in Neuroborreloiosis Complex."

Carol says she would like to see the medical community work more harmoniously together in an effort to find answers to the complicated challenges of these illnesses. She is hopeful that such unity is possible and imminent. As she says, "we have a long way to go but in working together hopefully we can come up with answers that help all of us to live healthier and more productive lives."

Carol's experience includes having been a medical laboratory advisor for tick borne illness testing. She is well-versed in microbiology, immunology and parasitology and has an excellent understanding of Cell Wall Deficient Organisms (CWD). I spoke with Carol about the significance of her work and research on Dec 11, 2008.

Members can log in and listen to the interview.

Let's Get the Lyme movie on Oprah

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-12-14T12:32:52-05:00

Dr. Mehmet Oz of the Oprah & Friends Network aired a 45-minute interview with director Andy Abrahams Wilson and medical correspondent Kathy Fowler on his nationally syndicated talk radio show November 26, 2008. Dr. Oz, a renowned surgeon and health expert, said "I was so moved!" and called Under Our Skin "a beautiful film...a whole different way of thinking about reporting on health."

Moved as he was, Dr. Oz expressed interest in trying to get Under Our Skin on Oprah, where he is a regular guest contributor. But first, in order to gauge viewer interest, Dr. Oz and Oprah need to hear from you. Here's what you can do -- and please remember to praise Dr. Oz's coverage of the issue and the film.

So now we know that we are on Oprah's radar... that is a big deal. But so far, there has not been an impressive enough response to Dr. Oz's show.

We need more. Get your friends, family, co-workers, doctors, nurses, anyone and everyone you know to write Dr. Oz. There are Lyme groups around the world - everyone needs to be passing this info along and getting everyone to email in. Can everyone post it everywhere.. email in. Ask friends and other people who know what you are going through to contact Dr. Oz.

Getting on Oprah would be a very huge deal.

Here is the info again to Email Dr. Oz.

Also, you can leave comments on Oprah's community forum.

Memory games

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-12-12T14:25:34-05:00

One Lyme symptom I really hate is the word-finding problem. You know how it is. You're talking to a friend and suddenly the word you're looking for seems to have been sucked into a black hole. It's not merely gone -- it's non-existent. Frustrating, huh? The good news is, you can improve your word recall by playing memory games. It doesn't take long, maybe 10 or 20 minutes a day. As with physical exercise, when you're consistent you see improvement.

Wordjuxtapoz.com, lumosity.com and mybraintrainer.com offer different types of memory games, ranging from easy to very difficult. With practice, you can improve your brain processing speed and other cognitive functions. Games are addictive!

You don't have to go online, of course. Take that puzzle-in-a-box down from the shelf, dump out the zillion little pieces on a card table and pull up a chair. Our family always has at least one puzzle going around the holidays. It's a comfortable way to pass a rainy day together. Improving your concentration and recall by focusing on detail is an active, healthy way to participate in your healing journey. And you won't be thinking about Lyme bugs.

Natural-born killers

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-12-11T11:22:50-05:00

There's a spot of good news in Lyme research this week. Scientists trying to ferret out the role of NK (natural killer) T cells in white blood cells know that dysfunctional or deficient NK T cells seem to lead to autoimmune diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis -- the kind that plagues the knees of many chronic Lyme sufferers. It seems that these natural-born killer T cells play a big part in helping to clear out bacterial infection. Read on:

RESEARCHERS FROM LA JOLLA INSTITUTE AND ALBANY MEDICAL COLLEGE IDENTIFY CELL GROUP KEY TO LYME DISEASE ARTHRITIS

Research Shows Important Role of NK T cells in Fighting Lyme Disease

SAN DIEGO – (December 3, 2008) A research team led by the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology and Albany Medical College has illuminated the important role of natural killer (NK) T cells in Lyme disease, demonstrating that the once little understood white blood cells are central to clearing the bacterial infection and reducing the intensity and duration of arthritis associated with Lyme disease.

Click here for the full press release.

Getting enough protein

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-12-05T15:44:18-05:00

Jean Reist, RN, tells me she is concerned about her vegetarian or vegan Lyme patients. She worries that they aren't getting enough protein, which is crucial in a healing diet. Protein, she says, is required to maintain a fully-functioning immune system. Being one of those people who hasn't eaten red meat since 12th grade when I ditched school to sit and scarf down Macs and fries with my buddies, I listen carefully when I hear Lyme specialists discuss the need for protein.

Protein works through the lymph system to help carry nutrients to your cells, and carry away the waste. Jean says she practically begs her patients who won't touch meat or fish to consider eating an egg or a slice of cheese. Her concern is that many people who call themselves vegans and veggies often fail to educate themselves about alternative sources of protein. Instead of eating a balanced diet, they simply consume more pasta and grains: more carbs.

Carbohydrates increase inflammation, which is exactly what we Lymies are trying to avoid. So although it's very easy to fix up a plate of spaghetti with a quick and tasty marinara sauce when you're cold and tired, it may only exacerbate your Lyme symptoms.

Meat, cheese and fish is all good, if it works for you. However, many health and diet professionals believe it is possible to get enough protein on a high quality vegan or vegetarian diet. You must educate yourself. Protein is available in foods such as phytoplankton, beans and kelp. Mmm, right? I know some of you don't consider phytoplankton food, unless you're a Baleen whale fitted with a special feeding mechanism.

Although I haven't consumed fast food since high school days, I am not a vegetarian. I have a weakness for salmon and goat cheese. I do take supplements, however, like so many people dealing with Lyme, and because I know that protein is a must for keeping my immune system in check, phytoplankton capsules are high on my list of daily requirements.

If you're a vegan or vegetarian, how do you get enough protein? I'd love to hear from you.

Lyme bugs crave sugar

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-12-03T14:29:19-05:00

Lyme bugs love sugar. However, Lyme symptoms may flare if you help yourself to the enticing cookie buffet. Cravings for certain foods, such as holiday desserts, are emotional, not physical. A plate of sugar cookies and a steaming mug of hot cocoa goes so perfectly with gray skies and long winter nights, right? Lyme disease, and any chronic disease, re-educates us about our cravings and appetites. Sugar makes the bugs happy and carbohydrates can increase inflammation. Lyme forces us to reconsider what makes us truly feel good. What foods add value to your healing? What foods subtract from it?

Sometimes we think we're choosing a healthy substitute when we're actually only making the problem worse. Tod Thoring, ND, recommends that you work with not just one doctor on your healing journey, but several. If possible, consider consulting a Lyme-literate nutritionist or naturopath.

Jean Reist, RN, who treats Lyme patients at a Pennsylvania clinic, told me that one of her patients decided he'd quit sugar, although he was addicted to Coca-cola. She'd informed him that his daily habit would keep him from healing, and that was enough to help him quit cold turkey. He got well enough to return to work, so he went back to his construction job. However, he missed his daily fix, so he picked up some Diet Coke and swigged it down.

Within days, his energy was totally drained and he was feeling sick again -- too sick to go back to work. His Lyme symptoms returned. He dragged himself back to Jean's office and told her about switching to Diet Coke. She told him that although it didn't contain sugar, it contained an artificial sweetener called aspartame, which is also sold as NutraSweet. The effects of substitute were even worse than regular sugar.

If strings of Christmas lights and gently falling snow make you want to bake a pumpkin pie, think about the Lyme bugs. They want more sugar -- don't let them have it. Although the herbal sugar substitute stevia is not sanctioned by the FDA as an artificial sweetener, many people use it in place of sugar. Try some in a cup of hot green tea, with a thin slice of fresh ginger. Ginger has long been promoted by herbalists for its overall soothing and warming effects. It may not replace the hot chocolate, but it will help take the chill off the cold winter nights.

Members, please visit the Interviews with Experts page for interviews with Tod Thoring, ND, and Jean Reist, RN.

Dr. Oz interviews Under Our Skin filmmaker

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-11-24T14:52:33-05:00

We received a flood of comments about Oprah's interest in Lyme disease. She's listening! And now there's someone you'll want to listen to as well.

You can hear Oprah's Dr. Oz this week on XM Radio as he interviews filmmaker Andy Abrahams Wilson, whose Lyme documentary Under Our Skin is helping turn the tide of attention toward this controversial and misunderstood disease.

The show airs Wednesday, November 26th at 1 a.m. 7 a.m. and 6 pm EST. Oprah and Friends producers say people who don’t subscribe to the satellite radio can also listen by going to http://www.oprah.com/radio and clicking on the “Free 30 Day XM Radio Trial.” Register and you can listen online.

Dr. Oz asks for Lyme patients to tell their Lyme stories.

HBOT for Lyme

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-11-19T16:57:44-05:00

Like many serious diseases, Lyme disease causes an oxygen deficiency. One very distressing symptom is often called "air hunger," and it can make you feel like a fish out of water. No matter how deeply you breathe, you just can't seem to get enough air.

Increasing the available oxygen is a must for healing. Any sort of exercise that increases your oxygen intake seems to be invaluable for beating Lyme, and most of the people I've interviewed who are healing or healed from Lyme engage regularly in physical exercise, activities ranging from brisk walking, running to swimming and vigorous biking.

Some people use Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy as an adjunctive Lyme treatment. HBOT administers oxygen at high atmospheric pressure, saturating the body with oxygen and increasing the total available amount. To receive a treatment, you climb into a chamber where pure oxygen is delivered at three times the normal atmospheric pressure.

Among US doctors, HBOT is controversial, although it has been commonly used for many years to treat burns, injuries from car accidents, carbon monoxide poisoning, smoke inhalation and other sorts of trauma. It has also proven valuable in treating people with AIDS and HIV, and others who suffer from opportunistic infections resulting from immuno-suppression.

HBOT is widely used in Europe and other countries to treat people suffering with multiple sclerosis, those who are recovering from strokes, and people suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. Although HBOT is still controversial in the US, it is gaining acceptance and used by conventional and alternative doctors.

Have you used HBOT as an adjunctive Lyme treatment? If so, I'd love to hear about your results. Please drop me a line.

Lyme documentary filmmaker's speech

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-11-18T13:31:18-05:00

When filmmaker Andy Abrahams Wilson began making his Lyme documentary, Under Our Skin, he was driven by compassion and curiosity, two potent characteristics that led him to uncover the stories of many people who were struggling in silence. By winning the Vision of Hope Award from the prestigious Turn the Corner Foundation, Andy hopes the film will lend its weight to the collective tipping point needed to bring Lyme disease to the forefront of public awareness.

"My being was changed irrevocably by what I witnessed: suffering, injustice, and deafening silence. And above all: the courage of so many to persevere, to fight for life amidst the eclipse of light: the pain, fear, loneliness, and the mantra ‘It’s all in your head,’ " he says.

Read the full text of Andy Abrahams Wilson's acceptance speech for his Vision of Hope award on the Under Our Skin blog.

Joe's Lyme success story

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-11-14T14:28:26-05:00

"I beat Lyme. I'd like to share my story," wrote Joe. To someone hurting with Lyme symptoms, could there be any sweeter words than those?

Joe's story filled me with inspiration. "Don't give up hope," he says, and he should know.

Although he now resides in Europe, he grew up in a region of the US where ticks are a part of everyday life, especially for a kid with a dog. Sick during his childhood with mysterious symptoms that he was eventually told he had outgrown, he struggled with chronic pain many years later. After a vacation in Barcelona, he became very ill and dragged himself from doctor to doctor, as one after another refused to treat him for Lyme. He was desperate and suicidal during the roughest period, which lasted six years. At the end of that time he discovered a newly established Lyme treatment clinic in Germany, the Borreliose Centrum Augsburg, and his life took a dramatic turn for the better.

At the clinic, his recovery from Lyme officially began. He was placed on three months of IV antibiotics, but not a "cocktail" blend that some US Lyme doctors use. Immediately, he began feeling better. In addition to antibiotics, doctors at the clinic engaged him in several types of the supporting therapies, including infrared and oxygen treatments. He also uses the powerful herbal therapies from Stephen Buhner's book, Healing Lyme.

Today, Joe has returned to the working world. The terrible six year period now seems surreal to him. "It's an intense pain that doesn't go away, and nobody can understand it," he says. "It's confusing for the person who has it, trying to explain it to their friends and their employers."

Joe feels strongly that people who heal from Lyme should follow up with their doctors, so medical professionals can better track which Lyme treatments are working, and which are not. He has talked to doctors who tell him that often patients leave their care and never update the doctors about their condition. Unfortunately, it's easy to find stories of people suffering from Lyme disease, yet less common to hear about those who are healing and engaged in vital and productive lives again. There's plenty of bad news on the web. This is why we collect and share success stories.

LDRD members, listen to Joe tell his success story here. And please keep your eye out for an upcoming interview with Joe's doctors at the Borreliose Centrum Augsburg.

LDRD members can listen to the interview with Joe by logging in. Learn more about becoming a member.

Under Our Skin filmmaker honored

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-11-07T15:11:18-05:00

Congratulations to filmmaker Andy Abrahams Wilson, who is being honored this week at a Turn the Corner Foundation event in New York City. Andy's heartwrenching and eye-opening documentary film, Under Our Skin, exposes the medical establishment's frequent dismissal of people suffering with Lyme.

From the press release: Turn the Corner will present the Vision of Hope Award to Andy Abrahams Wilson, Producer/Director of Under Our Skin, a film that investigates the shocking human, medical and political dimensions of Lyme disease, for his efforts to raise awareness for chronic Lyme disease. Leading Lyme-literate physician, Bernard D. Raxlen, MD, will receive the Humanitarian Award for his dedication to treating patients with tick-borne diseases, including Lyme.

"TTC is doing important work for the Lyme community, and has been a great force behind Under Our Skin," said Andy Abrahams Wilson. "Thanks to our joint efforts, the mainstream medical establishment can no longer ignore or marginalize chronic Lyme disease and its sufferers."

Andy is a featured expert in the LDRD's interview series.

The Lance Armstrong of Lyme disease

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-10-31T15:03:25-04:00

Caryn "CJ" Jaffe is pure bottled sunshine, a powerful and amazing model for those of us who are sick and determined to get better. She calls herself the Lance Armstrong of Lyme disease. Although she is "bombarded with Lyme symptoms every day," she's worked hard and prepared to compete in an ironman event on Saturday, November 1. What's the lesson for the rest of us? We can do it too. Maybe not race in an ironman, however, we can find the inner strength to set a big goal and then work to reach it, no matter what obstacles are in our way.

"I found out my bib number is 81 (no idea how I ended up with such a low number...it doesn't mean anything but it's kinda cool!)," she told us. "People can go to ironmanlive.com and search for me by name or bib number on race day, 11/1/08."

"I am starting to get very emotional about being a part of this race," says CJ. "I honestly never thought I could make it back to being this kind of an athlete. It truly is a miracle of sorts. I cannot wait to race. Just to get to that starting line is leaving me speechless. I am excited to see what the journey holds during and afterwards!"

Please follow CJ's race online, and forward this story to anyone you know who could use a shot of inspiration. I recently interviewed CJ for our Lyme Success Stories, so members can also listen to her tell her remarkable story. This little firecracker is also going to make a huge explosion with the book she's writing about her struggles with Lyme disease and her grit and determination in fighting her way back to an active life, one that even Lance Armstrong would be impressed by!

It's no coincidence that many of the people who are beating Lyme are dedicated to regular physical exercise. Ask your Lyme-aware doctor about starting an exercise program that is appropriate for your condition.

Ready...set...get better!

Beating Lyme takes courage

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-10-10T21:56:36-04:00

Advocating for yourself requires courage. For years I've suspected that chronic Lyme patients have got to be some of the gutsiest people around. After listening to the personal success stories of a number of people who are beating Lyme, it appears that courage is an ingredient they have in common.

For example, Darryl tells about his fierce battle with Lyme symptoms, his struggle to find adequate medical help, and ultimately, his success. As he explains, he makes a living as a professional athlete, racing bikes and working for the studios as a stunt man.

Stunt work is dangerous. These guys and gals deal with a gamut of risky activities, such as faked accidents, explosions, and racing away from the scenes of television crime. It's safe to assume that a stunt guy would have guts.

But imagine the courage it took for Darryl to lose the physical ability to work, to have to begin advocating for himself without any help from friends or family members, to fill out form after form of insurance information. To live alone on disability for a period of three years. And all the while, to endure the intense symptoms that we've all experienced in varying degrees, thanks to this pernicious disease.

Of course, you can easily imagine his situation, because yours is probably not so different from his. You may not be a stunt guy (or gal), but your struggle has undoubtedly been just as difficult.

Are you beating Lyme? I would like to hear--and share--your success story. Write to me here.

ILADS to train more doctors

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-10-03T19:38:20-04:00

As you are probably all too well-aware, we have a desperate need for more Lyme disease specialists. Driving or flying thousands of miles to see a Lyme literate doctor is not a luxury that most of us can afford.

According to this article in MediLexicon, the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) has started a new training program to teach more doctors how to diagnose and treat chronic Lyme disease. With financial assistance from the New York-based Turn the Corner Foundation, the program aims to train 100 doctors over the next five years.

"With more than an estimated 200,000 of cases annually, Lyme disease has become the leading epidemic of our time," said Dr. Daniel Cameron, ILADS board president and internal medicine physician. "We need more physician-scientists who will be the future leaders in the treatment of Lyme and associated diseases."

Many physicians are not aware of the complexities of tick-borne diseases, and patients with Lyme symptoms are too often misdiagnosed, under treated or simply dismissed. The disease now known in the medical community as the Great Imitator can be a superb mimic of a hundred other conditions, especially if it hasn't been treated correctly when in the early stage. This is due to the complex nature of the Lyme bacteria, which has the capacity to hide from the body's immune system in order to protect itself. Doctors who are trained to recognize and treat Lyme symptoms will help increase awareness of the disease.

The ninth annual ILADS 2008 conference will be held on October 18-19 in San Francisco. Entomologist Willie Burgdorfer, who discovered the Lyme bacteria we know as Borrelia burgdorferi or Bb, is scheduled to be the keynote speaker. Several hundred physicians from across the globe will be in attendance. For Lyme researchers and medical specialists who treat Lyme patients, the conference offers an opportunity to collaborate and learn about each others' work.

Tell Oprah your Lyme story

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-09-30T19:45:42-04:00

UPDATE: The link for Dr. Oz has been removed by Oprah.com.

Oprah is interested in Lyme disease. Apparently the Lyme documentary, Under Our Skin, is getting under hers!

Click on the link below and tell your Lyme story to Oprah's Dr. Oz. If you want somebody to actually read it, keep it short, around 100 words. That's not a lot of room. Just include the date you were diagnosed, how--and if--you found a doctor to treat you, and what you're doing for Lyme treatment.

Dr. Mehmet Oz is professor and vice chairman of surgery at Columbia University in New York City, director of the Cardiovascular Institute and founder and director for the Complementary Medicine Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He is a regular contributor to The Oprah Winfrey Show and Oprah.com.

Darryl's Lyme success story

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-09-26T19:24:34-04:00

Darryl is a professional athlete. He races mountain and BMX bikes, and works as a stunt man in Hollywood. When I asked how he would classify his story, he didn't hesitate to call it a success. "I'm 100% better," he says, confidently. You can hear the relief in his voice. Talking about his future, he mentions his work and racing, but it's clear that suffering for so many years with undiagnosed Lyme has influenced his outlook as well. He's now devoted to telling his story wherever he can, and is passionate about helping others.

LDRD members, listen to the interview with Darryl.

Learn about becoming a member and listen to the interviews.

Lyme patients take the fight to DC

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-09-25T11:01:33-04:00

A bill that would direct 20 million dollars toward Lyme disease research is being held up by committee. Lyme patients showed up by the dozens this week on Capitol Hill to show Congress that increasingly, people are exposed to serious tick-borne diseases and are in dire need of more doctors who are educated about Lyme disease treatment.

Joe LeBlanc, Director of the Central Virginia Chapter of the National Capital Lyme & Tick-Borne Disease Association emailed an optimistic note yesterday from the Congressional Briefing. Joe reports that there was "standing room only" at the meeting, and despite the focus on the financial crisis, the briefing went very well. Now, we have to keep on top of our congressional representatives to keep up the momentum.

A big thank you to Joe and everyone who traveled to the Hill to speak up on all our behalf!

Watch the news video.

Read the article.

Stephen Buhner's DIY massage oil

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-09-19T20:17:57-04:00

For a treat, I asked herbalist, author and teacher Stephen Harrod Buhner to share a simple DIY recipe to help ease arthritis pain. Not only will it help reduce the pain, it smells wonderful! Plus, it's easy to make with simple ingredients you can find in a good healthy grocery store or co-op. And as the weather turns crispy heading into fall, a soothing massage will warm achy joints.

Stephen's book Healing Lyme, is much appreciated by many Lyme patients who can't tolerate antibiotics, or who suffer from chronic Lyme disease, have already reached their limit with standard Lyme treatment, or are simply looking for an alternative to Western medicine. He's a wonderful ally to have as we journey through our various healing paths. These are Stephen's recent books:

The Secret Teachings of Plants:
The Intelligence of the Heart in the Direct Perception of Nature
(Bear and Company, 2004)

Healing Lyme: Natural Healing and Prevention of Lyme Borrelosis and its related Co-infections
(Raven Press, June 2005)

Stephen Harrod Buhner's Arthritis massage oil formula:

Use essential oils and a carrier oil. Stephen says he normally uses olive oil as a carrier, though a lot of people prefer jojoba, which is lighter and less fragrant. The amount of essential oil used in the mix can be adjusted up or down depending on personal preference.

1) 8 ounces olive oil (or jojoba oil)
2) 1/4 tsp each of the following essential oils: juniper, lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus, German or Roman chamomile. (Alternatively, you can use peppermint, ginger, thyme, geranium)
3) Mix well.
4) Put into glass bottle, keep protected from sunlight.
5) When needed just pour a bit into the hand and massage into the affected area.
6) Let it work, takes a little while for it to penetrate the tissues.
7) Do not take internally.
8) Do not get on sensitive areas - i.e. eyes, reproductive organs, etc. or any areas of abraded skin.

Stephen Buhner's website is called Gaian Studies. He's featured in our experts interview series, talking about the challenges to Lyme diagnosis and treatment, and discussing his herbal approach to healing. Join here to listen.

Relief for painful joints

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-09-18T13:39:40-04:00

One of the most common Lyme disease symptoms is achey knees, fingers, and other painful joints. If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, you may find relief with moxibustion, which you can create with the heat from a lighted, tightly wrapped bunch of dried mugwort. Moxa is mugwort.

Author, Herbalist and acupuncturist Lesley Tierra, whose arthritis massage oil formula I've posted here, says many arthritis sufferers find relief from moxibustion. To use it on your knees or fingers, light one end of the moxa stick by holding it over a candle, or with a lighter. The flame will go out but the stick will still be burning, like hot coal. Hold the cool end and aim the hot end of the moxa over the achey place, close enough to feel the heat. Be careful not to touch the moxa to your skin. I've been using it on my aching knees for about ten minutes at a time, once a day. Sitting quietly for a few minutes and appreciating the soothing warmth flooding my joints has also helped remind me to slow down during a busy work week.

Moxibustion is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to warm a patient's skin and stimulate qi, the life force. You can obtain a moxibustion bundle from an acupuncturist, which is where I got mine. It's about the same size as a cigar, and while I think it smells a whole lot nicer than most cigars, it does create a fair amount of smoke and incense while burning.

Read more about Lyme disease treatment.

Send your doc to SF

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-09-16T21:33:39-04:00

When I was receiving Lyme disease treatment in California, where I lived at the time of my diagnosis, my family doctor was a naturopath who had studied with ILADS physician Dr. Raphael Stricker and others with CALDA. I was extremely fortunate to have his expertise as he helped me battle the fight of a lifetime. In turn, he said he felt lucky to have the expertise, experience, and excellence of these Lyme specialists behind him.

Your doctor doesn't have to live in California to attend. People from all over the country are planning to go. Help us spread the word about the CALDA Lyme conferences coming up in San Francisco. To sweeten the pot, here's a way for him or her to get reimbursed for a portion of the cost:

From the CALDA website:

CALDA will reimburse up to $800.00 out-of-pocket expenses for any actively practicing MD, DO, ND, NP or PA in any state to attend the annual conferences put on by the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) and the Lyme Disease Association (LDA). CALDA grants are limited and are only available to those qualifying professionals who are attending the conferences for the first time. Preference will be given to persons currently engaged in treating tickborne infections and who plan to attend both conferences.

The 2008 ILADS and LDA conferences will be held on October 17 – 19 at the Cathedral Hill Hotel in San Francisco. Please check the ILADS and LDA websites for details and to register at: www.ilads.org; www.lymediseaseassociation.org.

Jerry's Lyme success story

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-09-12T17:27:00-04:00

"Work with your doctors, be your own best advocate. Do research, and get a second, third, tenth opinion," says Jerry. "There is life after Lyme disease."

For Jerry, the difficulties of Lyme are a thing of the past. Although it took its toll on every day life, and his marriage couldn't hold up under the strain of the illness, he now leads a full, happy life. He's active and loves his work as a professional consultant, and proud of his two daughters, both college graduates. However, for several years during the 90s, Lyme was a force to be reckoned with.

In 1994, he and his family went for a weekend at their cabin in upper Lake Michigan. Upon returning home, he spotted a tick buried in the skin on his ankle. Over the next weeks and months, he experienced painful, swollen joints, especially his knees and fingers.

In January, 1995, Jerry was diagnosed with Lyme disease. Aside from joint pain his symptoms included severely bloodshot eyes and blurred vision that came and went. As a well-educated Lyme patient, he got used to toting a large notebook of his own to his doctor visits. A particular combination of antibiotics seemed to finally make the difference, especially when his doctor was willing to give him the winning combo for a whole year, as Jerry requested. He endured the repeated Herxheimer reactions in order to stay on the medicine long enough to fully eradicate the Lyme infection. But his problems weren't over yet. The next year, while Lyme was still active, he was also diagnosed with coronary artery disease.

While Jerry is not overweight, is an avid exerciser and non-smoker, his cardiac problems led to two different bypass operations and several angioplasties. To this day, he and his cardiologist wonder whether the Lyme infection had anything to do with his heart problems. Jerry believes that a lot of his health problems began with the tick bite.

The elements of this story are familiar, although in some ways Jerry's story is quite unusual. For example, over the entire course of his disease, his treatment was covered by a generous health insurance plan through his employer. I told him he was luckier than most. He agrees.

In March, 2007, he got a Golden Retriever to accompany him while pheasant hunting. One day, he took the dog for a run while riding his bike. A half a block from home, the dog bolted...the story continues.

LDRD members can listen to Jerry's interview. Learn about becoming a member.

$25,000 for Lyme research

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-09-11T16:51:42-04:00

I'm pleased to pass along a bright spot of news for chronic Lyme disease sufferers. According to an article in today's MarketWatch, researchers at a biotechnology company were gifted by an anonymous donor with $25,000 towards a new study to try to unlock the mystery of Lyme disease. Why do antibiotics only cure some cases of Lyme?

Researchers at Viral Genetics, Inc., are hoping to answer that question and more.

The article continues:
Research on chronic Lyme Disease, including symptoms related to the central nervous system and arthritis, has generated inconclusive and controversial results. Some researchers contend Lyme is driven by chronic infection and recommend patients be treated with antibiotics for the long term. Others support the hypothesis that the disease is the result of autoimmune T-cell activation that occurs subsequent to the initial infection or after the infection has cleared.

"Our hopes are that the information acquired from this very important study, may act as a bridge between those who contend that Lyme Disease is an active chronic infection and those who feel it is an autoimmune trigger. The answer to this question is of great importance for all those suffering in the Lyme community. Only through this information can we begin to formulate more successful treatment regimens for the chronically ill," said Dr. Steven Harris, co-investigator, Associate Professor Stanford University.

Going for Gold in spite of Lyme

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-09-08T12:46:53-04:00

23-year-old champion archer Mel Clarke of Great Britain was asked what it meant to be preparing for the Summer Paralympic Games in Bejing, which opened Sunday.

"The honor to represent your country at that level, it's incredible. I didn't think I was going to have the opportunity."

Lack of confidence in her athletic ability was not the reason for Clarke's doubt. Rather, it was a tick bite that had resulted in Lyme disease.

In 2003, Clarke was paralyzed and partially blinded by Lyme disease. She was told she'd never shoot the bow again. Since age 11, she has used a wheelchair due to arthritis. A fearless competitor, she rejected the notion of giving up her dream of gold. Instead she worked hard to heal from Lyme's brutal symptoms and recover movement, sight and agility. Three and a half years ago she began training for the 2008 Paralympic Games.

The Summer Paralympics began in Rome in 1960, for athletes with physical, mental or sensory disabilities. They are held in the same host city as the Olympic Games, and run by the same organization. They begin three weeks after the Olympics closing ceremony. "Para" is from a Greek word for "alongside," and is not related to "paralyzed."

Mel Clarke currently holds 20 county records, 10 national able-bodied records and eight world records. In addition to going for the gold in Bejing over the next few weeks, she is also eagerly anticipating competing in her home turf in the London Olympic Games in 2012.

Chronic Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-09-05T16:49:28-04:00

Chronic Lyme disease is controversial. It is what appears to affect those of us who still suffer from Lyme symptoms after finishing a standard IDSA recommended dosage of antibiotics. In some cases, chronic Lyme manifests in Lyme patients who received antibiotics for treatment, but weren't given a strong enough dose for a long enough time.

Some Lyme symptoms seem almost livable. Tinnitus, for example. Talking from personal experience only, I can live with it. This is not to say that I like it. On the contrary. I'm a classically trained musician, peculiarly sensitive to noise. You know those people who wince at the out-of-tune piano at the community concert? That would be me. I'm not exactly proud of that, just sayin'. So, losing my hearing partially to tinnitus has really sliced into my enjoyment of natural sounds. The tinnitus might go away some day. For now, it sure seems chronic. There are metallic crickets playing at varying volumes inside my head, 24/7.

Other chronic Lyme symptoms are far more serious. For example, medical evidence suggests that rheumatoid arthritis is one result of untreated, or undertreated Lyme disease. As many as 60% of people with untreated Lyme may develop chronic arthritis.

Central nervous problems, such as facial paralysis and meningitis are said to occur in 10 to 20% of people who are undertreated or never treated for Lyme.

Heart symptoms occur in a small percentage of Lyme patients. A jumpy, pounding irregular heart can vary the gamut from being not at all bothersome, to very scary. The jumpiness can occur either because of an infection in the heart, or an electrical conduction that requires the patient have a pacemaker implanted.

Chronic Lyme is controversial because doctors don't all agree that these long-term symptoms of Lyme are indeed still considered Lyme. Whatever you call them, they need to be tended to.

Deer ticks and other critters

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-09-01T13:00:23-04:00

"My dog has Lyme. Could I get it from her?"

No. If you are bitten by a tick, you may get Lyme. Your dog cannot give it to you directly. However, you may both get it from the same infected tick. Being bitten by a tick that crawled onto you when you were snuggling or letting her sleep on your bed is more likely. Ticks don't jump, like fleas. They crawl.

These ticks and others can be vectors for Lyme and other bad diseases. Vector means they are animals that can carry disease to humans.

* Deer Tick (Ixodes scapularis)
* Western Blacklegged Tick (Ixodes pacificus)
* Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum)
* Avian Tick (Ixodes auritulus)

Search Term: Lyme disease tick.

According to Eva Sapi, PhD, biologist and director of the Lyme research program at the University of New Haven, Connecticut, the ticks collected in the NE region of the US this year have shown a higher percentage of Lyme infection than in the past. Not only are there greater numbers of ticks than in the past, they're also more likely to be carrying Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme bacteria.

Your dog, cat, or horse might inadvertently share a Lyme-infected tick with you. Do be careful and perform regular tick checks all over your body whenever you've spent time with them. If you rarely venture into the woods or onto the seashore without slathering your body with DEET, and make your kids stay in your own yard to play, you may not think you are putting yourself or your loved ones in harm's way. Unfortunately, it's tougher than that to steer clear of tick habitat. Lyme researchers tell me there are plenty of ticks in our own yards, not just in the wild. Where we live in North Carolina, deer regularly walk along the side fence, where they're nicely hidden by the dense woods in the lot next door. I only spot them when I'm spacing out while staring past my computer monitor, out the office windows. One time I thought I saw a whole section of tree branches move away from the tree. On closer inspection, I realized with a start that I had been looking at a beautiful buck with a giant rack. Deer are survivors. They are excellent at adapting to living in urban areas, and they are often covered in ticks.

I'd love to have a yard full of guinea fowl, who find ticks a tasty treat to eat. However, they're super noisy and I'm afraid they'd drive me and the neighbor, who is also a writer and works at home, batty with their cry.

Tell me what you do to avoid (or control) ticks?

Lyme disease in dogs

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-08-26T13:46:37-04:00

Are you and your dog both at risk for Lyme? It's terrible to think so, yet those energizing hikes through the forest that you and your canine pal adore may be putting you at a greater risk for infection. Even if you're not a frequent hiker, you know how man's best friend loves to rummage through the bushes around the edge of the yard and snuffle through piles of leaves. Hedges and leaf piles are prime hiding spots for ticks.

Lyme is endemic in the northeastern US, and increasing incidences of the illness are being reported in northern California and the Pacific northwest. Dogs living in other parts of the country may be at less of a risk for exposure. But before you allow yourself to believe your dog is out of the woods (so to speak), bear in mind that Lyme infection has been reported in every state.

Lyme in dogs manifests differently than in humans. When bitten by an infected tick, 30 - 50% of people will develop a skin rash and flu-like symptoms. However, dogs are not likely to develop symptoms for many weeks or months. Your dog might exhibit signs of arthritis from painful joint inflammation, or he might run a fever. Your veterinarian can prescribe a course of antibiotics such as doxycycline or Amoxicillin, which many dogs respond well to. As in humans, all the bacteria may not be killed with this course. Long term or chronic Lyme may or may not be a problem for our beloved buddies.

According to an article by Wendy C. Brooks, DVM, DipABVP Educational Director of VeterinaryPartner.com, dogs do not tend to develop neurologic or heart issues.
However, kidney disease may occur in response to stimulation by latent pathogens over a long period of time.

Preventing Lyme infection might be possible with the use of powerful tick repellents and collars. However, even if you use these agents you should take the time to check your dog daily for ticks whenever you think there has been exposure. There is no hard evidence to prove that a tick must be attached for 48 hours before it can spew its Lyme bacteria into the animal on which it's feeding. If the tick is disturbed while feeding, it may dump its toxins into the bloodstream of the host animal.

If you find a tick on your pet, grasp the tick firmly but gently with a tweezers and pull it straight out without twisting or turning it.
Never suffocate the tick by putting anything on it, such as Vaseline or soap. Doing so may cause it to unload its bacteria before you remove it.

The bad news is that diagnosing Lyme disease in dogs is as tricky as it is for humans. Spirochetes are notorious for being able to hide masterfully from the host's immune system. Therefore, detecting antibodies to the Lyme bacteria is nearly impossible. If you and your vet suspect that your furry buddy might have Lyme, the good news is that a 2 - 4 week course of antibiotics should bring your pet relief from symptoms quickly, within 48 hours.

Marguerite's Lyme story

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-08-22T18:03:39-04:00

"It's been a rollercoaster," says Marguerite, who began looking for a Lyme literate doctor when she first contracted the disease many years ago. She had just experienced the death of her second husband. She had two adorable puppies, and was active in church, taking yoga, working and staying physically fit when she discovered she had Lyme disease. Living in the heartland of Lyme in Fairfield, Connecticut, she was bitten more than once.

She got herself to an infectious disease doctor the minute she detected a tick bite, and was given short courses of doxycycline, which she now suspects were not long enough. She even received the controversial Lyme vaccine, which was only available for a brief period of time due to its ineffectiveness.

This is a frustrating and familiar story: Marguerite's Lyme symptoms began as flu-like feelings and migraine headaches. Her severe low back pain and neurological challenges made it very difficult to work, even though her company allowed her to work from home. She developed apnea, insomnia, painful swelling in the joints and more. She's gone to three infectious disease doctors who she says won't even listen to her positive test results for Lyme. Today, she uses patches for pain control, and is actively looking for a Lyme aware doctor to treat her.

We wish you well, Marguerite!

Members can listen to Marguerite's story. Please consider joining the LDRD.

How to find a Lyme doctor

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-08-20T17:07:54-04:00

Currently, there are two standards of treatment for Lyme disease. If you have Lyme symptoms, or suspect you may have Lyme, please contact a Lyme literate medical doctor, or LLMD. Go to the Lyme Disease Association doctor referrals page.

You'll need to register using your email address, and follow the simple directions to find a doctor near you. It doesn't take long and it's easy to do. If you need a Lyme specialist, we urge you to find one soon.

Infectious disease doctors (IDSA) may not have knowledge of Lyme disease, and may lack the experience that ILADS specialists can offer in diagnosing and treating Lyme. ILADS member Ginger Savely, RN, has treated over a thousand patients suffering with Lyme symptoms. She says "you can get better!"

If Lyme is left untreated it can be debilitating. The good news is you can get better. Find a doctor who knows how to diagnose and treat Lyme now.

CJ's Lyme success story

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-08-19T11:58:57-04:00

"You've gotta hear this!"

That was the subject line in CJ's note to me the other day. Turns out she was right -- I did. I just hung up this minute from our conversation, and I'm still smiling. She's one of those sunshiny souls that just can't help but affect people that way. What does she do for a living? She's the office manager of a trapeze school. Not your normal occupation, but then CJ isn't your average person. Actually, she participates in ironman competitions. Does she still have Lyme? Yes. Does she let it bring her down? If she does, she's not letting it show.

CJ's success story, like everyone who has struggled to defeat the disability that can accompany Lyme disease, comes at a price. She was misunderstood and misdiagnosed for a long time. As a teenager, she attended music camp where she concentrated on her highly developed skills as a flautist. Gifted on both the flute and piccolo, and disciplined about practice, she was headed for a life of professional music.

However, a tick bite that she got at camp stopped her in her tracks. She called home, begging her puzzled mother to let her leave early. Her mom knew something was seriously wrong.

CJ's story takes many jogs and unexpected turns. She falls in love, marries, then deals head on with an unsupportive spouse (a bastard and a s^%#head, to quote her precisely). And the most remarkable thing happens. She finds inspiration in a nine-year-old leukemia patient facing two years of chemotherapy. She is a nurse. At his bedside, she tells him that she's going to run in a charity race on his behalf. He looks at her, asks "can you run?"

LDRD Members can login (to the left) and listen to CJ's story.

Become a LDRD member and get immediate access to all of our audio interviews.

Who inspires you?

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-08-11T10:44:54-04:00

I'm a huge Amy Tan fan. If you haven't read her novels, you're missing out on some super funny and insightful stories. Read this and whet your appetite. I remember when I found out shortly after my Lyme diagnosis that Amy Tan also suffered for years from misdiagnosis and severe neuroborreliosis. Reading her story, I hung on every word. Of course, I had to read s-l-o-w-l-y. At that point, it often took me hours to comprehend one page of information. I determined that if the brilliant Amy Tan could slip so low and still pull herself out, I could too. She knew how tough it was. You know how it is. I don't want to be in this club, but since I have no choice I'm going to look around and find someone to inspire me.

Musician Darryl Hall was diagnosed with Lyme the same week I was. I feel solidarity with him. Another fabulous novelist, Rebecca Wells, has Lyme. We've got some great role models. GW Bush has had Lyme, and the White House doctors say he's fully recovered. Alice Walker, another amazing writer whose work I've always loved, has had Lyme disease. Just knowing we're not alone, and in fact, we're in some pretty good company, makes me feel a smidge better. Tell me, who inspires you?

IDSA Lyme guidelines to be reviewed

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-08-07T15:52:44-04:00

The IDSA is now accepting applications for members to serve on the review panel of treatment guidelines for Lyme disease. Urge your Lyme aware doctor to apply. This is their opportunity to serve the people affected by this epidemic.

In May, 2008, the IDSA agreed to have an independent panel review the guidelines, to determine whether they need to be revised or not. The agreement was part of a settlement reached when Attorney General of Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal, called for an antitrust investigation into the writing process of the 2006 IDSA guidelines for Lyme treatment.

This is a historic moment in US medical history. Although review of treatment guidelines is a normal part of IDSA procedure, this is the first time it has been legally ordered to invite an independent panel of doctors and scientists to conduct the review.

From the IDSA website:

"A panel of eight to 12 physicians and scientists will be assembled to review and critically appraise the literature on Lyme disease. The panel will also consider data and other information submitted to IDSA and will hold a public hearing where individuals may present data to the panel for consideration. At the conclusion of this process, the review panel will evaluate whether each of the recommendations in the 2006 guidelines is supported by the scientific evidence and will make a recommendation to IDSA as to whether its 2006 guidelines should be revised or updated. Any proposed recommendations shall require a supermajority of 75 percent or more of the total voting members of the panel."

The review time is estimated to take 8 - 12 months. We'll be keeping an eye on the entire process, and posting our notes here. Especially interesting will be the public hearing, which will be available for viewing online at the IDSA website.

ABC Great Lyme Debate - Part 3

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-08-06T15:47:48-04:00

Part 3 of ABC's Great Lyme Debate.
Families and whole neighborhoods have contracted this debilitating disease.
Watch how experts gather ticks on a collecting expedition.

Please watch and share this educational video, and drop a note of thanks to journalist Kathy Fowler at ABC, for calling attention to Lyme disease. Our comments matter.

ABC covers Lyme debate - part 2

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-08-04T16:33:43-04:00

LDRD vlog
Watch the video

* Lyme disease tests are often misleading
* Lyme symptoms can mimic hundreds of other conditions
* Many Lyme patients do not receive a correct diagnosis until the Lyme bacteria has had a chance to replicate throughout their body

Does your doctor know how to test for Lyme? Is he or she Lyme aware? ILADS physician Dr. Raphael Stricker told us in an exclusive LDRD interview that the conventional Lyme tests have a "coin-toss sensitivity," meaning that you could get the same results if you just flip a coin.

Do you have to go outside IDSA recommendations to get the answers you need? The woman in this news story considers herself virtually cured of Lyme, after two and a half years of antibiotics therapy.

Are some conventional doctors beginning to understand that these tests, developed over 30 years ago, are outdated and inadequate?

Watch this brief news story on the great Lyme debate. Journalist Kathy Fowler continues the 3-part investigation. Leave your comments here and also send drop her a note at lyme@wjla.com Please share this link with others you know are concerned about Lyme disease symptoms.

ABC covers the Lyme Debate

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-08-02T11:51:28-04:00

LDRD Vlog: Lyme in the news

* Is Lyme disease an unrecognized epidemic?
* If left untreated, will it become chronic?
* Can Lyme be treated with long-term antibiotics?

Or do you believe, as IDSA docs do, that the Lyme epidemic is nonexistent? Is chronic Lyme disease all in the patients' head? Are long-term antibiotics dangerous?

These questions simmer at the heart of the great Lyme debate, which is played out every day in decisions made by IDSA doctors on one hand, and ILADS physicians on the other. The IDSA is currently reviewing its treatment guidelines.

Who's correct? Where do you stand? Anyone who has ever been doubted by their Infectious Disease doctor, and all of us whose lives are affected by Lyme will want to watch this three part story.

ABC News covers the Lyme controversy. Take a look. If you appreciate this report, please take a moment to call or email ABC and let them know. Our opinions as viewers matter to them.

Deer and mice survive Lyme

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-08-01T20:59:19-04:00

What should we take with a grain? Advice.

For example, I just read this: if your cat spends time outdoors and is acting lethargic, ask your vet to test for Lyme disease.

Um, buddy, I don't know about your cat....

I'm being a little facetious here. Of course it is wise to keep an eye on your pet. Our felines are strictly indoor beasts, so I worry less. However, if you've got a dog or a horse, a ferret or even a lazy outdoors cat, do what you can to protect them. Not only can Goldie or Jake fall sick from Lyme himself, he may also bring ticks, and their Borrelia burgdorferi poison, home to you.

Deer and mice, and many other critters, do not get sick from the Lyme bacteria for some reason. Deer can travel many miles in their lifetime, playing host to any number of vile little ticks, who can often be found around their neck or ears. When an infected tick bites a deer, the deer becomes part of the cycle. It doesn't get ill but it harbors the bacteria, which is then passed on to any uninfected ticks who come along to feed.

We can try, but we can't get rid of ticks. In fact, as the biodiversity of our environment shrinks, the tick population is exploding. And so are the numbers of ticks who are already infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, according to Dr. Eva Sapi, director of Lyme research at UNH, Connecticut. Deer and mice and the ticks they carry don't have as many natural enemies as they once did. Plus they're incredibly adaptive to change. These animals can survive in terrain that many of their predators cannot. Dr. Sapi says that another factor in the higher numbers of infected ticks may be the warmer temperatures in winter. Tick populations that used to die off in freezing temps now winter over.

Reputable Lyme researchers like Dr. Sapi and Dr. Alan MacDonald are working to figure out how to kill Borrelia burgdorferi, and how to cure Lyme. We hope you'll listen to these two skilled scientists, as well as the other Lyme experts who have participated in our Interviews with Experts series. Although the explosion of the tick population is unfortunate, it's also resulting in more media coverage on Lyme disease, and more money for researching Lyme as a serious disease.

We'll continue to scope out the most reliable, professional Lyme specialists available, and record them here for you.

Now, I'm off to wake up my lazy cat. Time for her to earn some kibble and catch this flying bug...

Borrelia Burgdorferi, Lyme bacteria

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-08-01T11:44:45-04:00

Borrelia burgdorferi, or Bb, is the notorious bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Bb is just one of three hundred strains of spirochetes worldwide. Other strains of spirochetes cause diseases such as relapsing fever and syphilis. Bb is a spiral-shaped microscopic organism that can scoot around inside the body by rotating in place, like a corkscrew. After its host, the tick, downloads Bb into the bloodstream of a critter or a person, the spirochete can leave the blood stream and invade the tissues and organs.

Although it can cause such frightful, wide-ranging symptoms, to glimpse this tiny pathogen requires a powerful microscope. The Bb spirochete is infinitesimally small. According to the Lyme Disease Foundation in Connecticut, as described in the book, Beating Lyme, it would take fifteen hundred of them laid end to end to equal one inch. "If bacteria were laid side to side, one hundred thousand Lyme bacteria would be required to equal one inch."

Willy Burgdorfer, PhD, was the entomologist who discovered the Lyme microorganism. Scientists honored Dr. Burgdorfer by naming the Lyme spirochete after him. I've just received a copy of Beating Lyme: Understanding and Treating This Complex and Often Misdiagnosed Disease, by Constance Bean with Lesley Ann Fein, MD, MPH. I think I'll pour myself another cup of green tea, settle in and read some more. Chances are you already know some of what's in the book, since Lyme patients tend to read voraciously in order to get educated about symptoms and treatment. We're adding book reviews to the LDRD, so keep an eye out for more news and expert recommendations.

Hear it from Lyme experts

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-07-25T23:41:35-04:00

Remember your second grade teacher telling you to use your 'thinking cap'? When I was in an acute stage of Lyme, searching for reputable sources of practical information online, I realized quickly that I was going to need to turn on my thinking cap when listening to people who meant well, but who weren't qualified medical experts. Where Lyme disease symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment are concerned, more information -- and unfortunately, more misinformation -- is becoming available every moment. Although forums and communities serve a noble purpose, and help reassure you that you're not alone, forums can also be a source of misinformation.

What you need more than anything, especially when you're weak, is to know that you can get better. I remember being so deathly ill (and also so ignorant about this disease), that I burst into tears of relief when my sister told me, over the phone, that a woman she knew had beaten Lyme, and was traveling, working, and living a perfectly happy life again. My symptoms were so painful, and my daily life and routines were at that time centered on Basic Survival 101. My world had shrunk to the point that I really couldn't even imagine living a 'normal' life again. Well, over the past three years since my diagnosis and treatment, my life has totally changed, but it's all for the better. As you may very well know, going through treatment, suffering Herx after Herx is not fun. It has never been easy. It's a slow road. I genuinely wish I could tell you there is a magic bullet that could set your life right again, or snap my fingers and make your pain disappear. However, there's no single pill that can do that for someone with an advanced stage of Lyme. Not yet. As you can hear our from our interviews with top Lyme disease research scientists, however, they are fervently devoted to finding a cure very soon. So keep your fingers crossed. When it happens, we'll tell you all about it!

Our mission here is to record real people's Lyme success stories, and interview world-class Lyme aware physicians so that you can hear them tell it like it is, and get the scoop directly. No mediators, no advertisers. This is the sort of meaty, practical information I hungered for when I first learned I had Lyme. We're grateful to be able to document all of these stories. Every one of our stories is important, each of them adds a small piece of the puzzle of Lyme and adds to our ability to heal. Listening to Rick's story, Karol's, and the others is one surefire way to fill your heart and mind with hope. And listening to the ILADS doctors and other medical practitioners in our 'interviews with experts' series is one very good way to learn, from reputable sources, how to get better. Because it may not be easy, but believe me, when you put on your thinking cap, as Ginger Savely, RN, who has treated a thousand Lyme patients at her clinic in San Francisco says: "You can get better!"

Become a member and get immediate access to the Expert Interview Series and the Success Stories.

Rick's Lyme success story

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-07-23T12:37:36-04:00

Rick, an active sports-lover, was married and starting a family. He was a runner, a cycler and a swimmer. His northern California lifestyle was the type most people can only dream of. "I would water-ski, snow-ski, do anything I pretty much wanted to, looking back. Then I'd hang out with my family, get into the car on the fly, and still have energy on the weekends," he says.

One day he woke up with a frozen shoulder. He was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Although Rick had been tested for Lyme, the tests had come back negative. His RA doctor told him, "Lyme doesn't exist in California. It's probably not that. You just need to consider that you have arthritis. Then he added, right in front of my wife, 'you have to trust the experts to help make you better,'" says Rick. He laughed. "I'm in sales," he explains. "Whenever I hear somebody say 'trust me,' I know I'm going to get f****d."

His RA doctor recommended surgery, which he had. The pain was still unbearable. He was sent from doctor to doctor and no one knew what the problem was. He spent over $25,000 in medical tests without receiving any answers. He was placed on medications that never seemed to help, and only made things worse. At one point, he was popping sixteen Advil per day, eight in the morning and eight at lunch. At night, he self-medicated with wine. The entire time he was sick, he hid his painful symptoms from everyone he worked with, and never complained, even to his wife. But he wasn't getting better and knew he couldn't go on like that.

Finally, at his wife's suggestion, he realized that he had to trust yet one more doctor. He had Googled "Lyme + doctor" and found a clinic in nearby San Francisco. He walked into the office of ILADS physician Dr. Raphael Stricker. When Dr. Stricker told him he had Lyme, he was flooded with intense relief. After only three weeks of treatment, his symptoms began to disappear.

Rick now considers himself to be about 90% better, and he's been able to return to some of the activities he loves. How did having Lyme change his life? In so many ways, he says. Specifically, his empathy for other peoples' hardship and pain. "My family says I'm nicer now," he adds, laughing.

LDRD members, you can listen to Rick tell his entire story in the members area.

Diet, exercise and sleep

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-07-22T15:37:04-04:00

Are you like me, a list-maker? Nothing satisfies like crossing something off your to-do list. Here's a list that I wrote for myself, but I haven't crossed anything off yet because I'm still doing them.

3 areas where you can help yourself while healing from Lyme disease:

1. Diet. Eat only healthy, whole organic foods whenever possible. Choose more fresh veggies, more alkaline foods. Read all packaged food and drink labels before you buy. I know that the mere mention of spaghetti and garlic bread makes you salivate, however, reduce (or eliminate) your intake of pasta and carbohydrates. They break down into sugar in your system. Sugar will feed the Lyme bacteria you're trying so hard to kill. Drink plenty of pure water, it will help you detoxify and stay alert. Drink green tea instead of coffee - you have no tolerance for coffee now anyway.

2. Exercise. Yeah, I know. You're too pooped to pop. Your eyelids suddenly gained five pounds each and came slamming down like little garage doors. However, the top Lyme experts recommend daily exercise...to help increase your energy level. That's right! Run, dance, ride a bike. Walk. Jump on your mini-trampoline. Most Lyme patients feel about as strong as melted butter. Build muscles. You'll gain strength, and being strong will also build your confidence. Unless you're in an acute stage, start sweating. Every Lyme patient tells me that regular exercise makes them feel better, even when they felt so wobbly they could barely manage to drag themselves around the block.

3. Sleep. While you're deeply snoozing, each one of your cells is being repaired and replaced with a new healthy cell. You need more rest than you think. Who cares if you need 10, 11, 12 hours of sleep? It takes what it takes. Go to bed by 10 pm. If you can't sleep, meditate. Meditate anyway. It helps you gain perspective. Then first thing upon awakening, take a shower (dry brush first, to help slough off icky toxins excreted during the night). Brew a cup of hot green jasmine tea. Sip while sitting in the morning sun. Stretch. Yawn. Pet your cat. Hug your significant other. Breathe deeply. Give thanks.

Lyme Expert Interview Series.

Waiting room - Lyme story

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-07-18T16:37:48-04:00

I was sitting in the crowded, stuffy waiting room, when the guy seated across the aisle started talking.

"I got a rash all over my chest," he said to no one in particular. "They gave me the wrong blood pressure medicine," he continued. "Can you believe that? I can't sleep, it itches so bad." He went on explaining the details of his story and the painful rash, eventually reaching up as if to unbutton his shirt to prove it. I buried my nose in my magazine. The man stopped, looked around to see if anyone was listening. No one was. He leaned toward me. "What's wrong with you?" he said. "You don't look sick."

My long skirt hid the white gauze bandages wrapped around both shins from ankle to knee. Beneath the gauze, the skin on my legs was hamburger from a mysterious rash that had been getting worse over the course of the past eight months. I'd been practically living on an alkaline diet, including lunches of delectable dandelion greens, and downing numerous turmeric capsules, since a holistic doctor had told me that I had eczema. I didn't drink, smoke, and I could count on one hand the times I'd taken antibiotics in my entire lifetime. I wasn't the type to get eczema, and that diagnosis had taken me by surprise. Even so, I religiously followed the doctor's suggestions. Still, I'd had no luck with the nasty rash. When the pain became so vicious that I could no longer even walk, my boyfriend drove me to the ER. Before walking into the waiting room, I'd spent the weekend on IV antibiotics. The ER docs informed us that I had almost died from a staph infection on the verge of going septic.

The man may not have noticed the cane leaning next to my purse. I smiled weakly. "I don't know," I shrugged. He narrowed his eyes, as if I was withholding something he deserved to know. Then he nodded and sat back.

My heart leaped at odd intervals, like a fish jumping in a shallow stream, making it hard to catch a deep breath. The one fan circulating in the room didn't do much to relieve the stuffiness. The dull headache I'd had for a week seemed worse under the florescent lights and the blaring TV high on the wall. An attendant in a green tunic appeared from the hallway and glanced at her clipboard. When she called my name, I stood and steadied myself with the cane and proceeded to walk as well as I could toward the hall. Vertigo gripped me, making me lose my balance. I almost bumped into the knees of the man with the rash. "M.S.," he muttered.

I stepped on the scale in the hall. The attendant adjusted it and recorded my weight. In the doctor's office, she took my blood pressure, handed me a hospital gown and left the room. I sat on the stainless steel table under the glare of the florescent lights, and waited again. So this is what public health care looks like, I thought. What was wrong with me? I had always been healthy, was always the one to choose carrot sticks over potato chips. On top of that, I was happily in love, and even starting a new business. In a million-zillion years, I never dreamed I'd be in this position. But here I was, in a small California coastal town, in the middle of my life, in such a weakened state that I could barely recognize the thoughts swimming through the thick fog that had descended in my brain.

Diagnosing Lyme: Lies & half-truths

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-07-17T17:19:35-04:00

It irks me to see inaccurate info about Lyme on health-oriented blogs. For example, I just read the sentence: "Lyme is completely treatable. No need to panic," and now I'm really bugged. No, I don't want everybody to panic. However, it's just such unfounded casualness about Lyme that creates the illusion that one needn't seek a Lyme aware doctor's advice right away, at the first suspicion of Lyme symptoms or the presence of a tick bite. There is absolutely no evidence that the person making the claim has any awareness of just how dangerous, and multi-stage, Lyme can be when left untreated.

The same blogger also cavalierly states that "a characteristic bull's eye rash will show up within 3 to 30 days." GRrrrrr! Not true. Up to 50% of people with a Lyme infection will never show signs of the circular, red skin rash. Diagnosing Lyme is a tricky thing, part art, part science. Even ILADS doctors differ in their approach to diagnosing Lyme. I skim the blogs like a watch-dog, looking for useful information. I'm vigilant. I can sniff out a lie about Lyme faster than you can say "neuroborelliosis."

How is the blog-skimming public supposed to become informed, with half-truths and lies circulating so freely? The mis-truths and misinformation all stems back to the opinion of the CDC -- in the form of the IDSA -- that Lyme is not a serious disease. I am really looking forward to following up on the results of the antitrust investigation into the IDSA's guidelines for the treatment of Lyme. Stay tuned. I'll be posting whatever I sniff out right here.

NY Times article on Lyme disease

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-07-16T15:56:25-04:00

There's a lot to admire about Jane Brody's recent NY Times article on Lyme disease, A Threat in a Grassy Stroll. It will inform some who haven't ever heard of the disease (yes, they're out there), or people who had heard of it but know squat about it, such as my Aunt Louise, who called to offer her condolences after I was diagnosed. ("Unfortunately, nothing can be done, dear. Eating rosemary is supposed to help.") The article may even throw a wrench in the common nonsense that Lyme is "hard to get, and easy to cure," a myth that originally began where? With an article in the NY Times, by Gina Kolata.

Perhaps what I appreciate most about Brody's piece is that alongside the statistics and experts she quotes, she offers her own personal observations. After presenting the simplified version of the IDSA's and ILADS conflicting views on treatment, she says, "Although I cannot state with authority which side is correct, I have encountered enough previously healthy people who have suffered for months or years after initial treatment to suggest that there is often more to this disease than 'official' diagnostic and treatment guidelines suggest." The article's meta-text is twofold. First: Don't believe everything you read. And second: Don't discount your own observations.

My problems with the article are fairly nit-picky, and my bias in support of ILADS makes me frustrated to see this global organization of highly-educated physicians and researchers referred to as "a nonprofit medical group," but okay, they are a nonprofit medical group. I also think it's a little weak on Brody's part to suggest the ISDA simply agreed to revise its Lyme treatment guidelines, since in fact the IDSA faced criminal charges of antitrust if they refused to do so. Furthermore, Eva Sapi, PhD, director of Lyme disease research at UNH, says that even 40% DEET wasn't strong enough to repel ticks when she and her students ventured out on their tick-collecting walks through Fairfield County, CT. She recommends permethrin-saturated clothing instead. And Dr. Sapi says that ticks have been known to transmit bacteria after only one or two hours -- not the 24 hours that Brody says the vile little critters need.

Some of these transgressions, even if they're small, can spread damaging half-truths to the overall message about Lyme. The truth is, it's a serious disease. Easy to get, and hard to cure. The lucky ones are cured following the simplistic guidelines of the IDSA. But the numbers of sick people who don't get better on that protocol tell a different story. In all, I have to say it's exciting to see good reporters talking about Lyme, bringing their own observations into the mix, and not simply mouthing the words of the CDC.

Listen to the experts themselves, and use your own good judgment.

Beating Lyme

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-07-15T12:21:54-04:00

Before Karol, a diagnostic technician, received a correct diagnosis for Lyme disease, she saw 14 doctors over a four year period. One after the other, these well-educated (though ignorant about Lyme) physicians tested her for many conditions. Karol lives in Texas, and according to the region's doctors, "you can't get Lyme in Texas." So, they searched for the cause of Karol's pain and sickness. Early on, she did get tested for Lyme, but since the test was negative it was ruled out and forgotten. She could have a brain tumor, they suggested. She might have multiple sclerosis. Whatever the reason for her seizures and dizziness, the doctors never suspected Lyme.

One day, she happened to catch a nurse practitioner on the television news, talking about the difficulty of diagnosing Lyme disease. Listening to Ginger Savely, FNP, Karol made the decision to go and see her. "I wasn't very optimistic," says Karol, about receiving a diagnosis. After all, it had been four years. When she did get positively diagnosed for Lyme and began antibiotic therapy, she was thrilled. "That's weird, I know, to be so happy about having a disease," she says. However, the affirmation gave her the strength to fight it. Like so many of us, she found the experience of not-knowing, for so many years, to be almost as debilitating as the disease itself.

Karol now describes herself as 95% better. Listening to her story is both familiar and uplifting. She's a testament to patience and persistence through suffering and confusion. She talks about the ways that Lyme changed her life. Her attitude is upbeat, and she believes that positive thinking has a definite place in her personal healing journey.

LDRD members can login and listen to Karol's story.

What do you want from the LDRD?

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-07-14T13:16:34-04:00

The LDRD is growing. Your feedback will help us grow in directions that benefit you. Please scan the list below and let us know if you see something you want to hear more about, by leaving a comment. If you have an idea that isn't listed, please let us know.

Lyme stories: Do you want to tell your story? Having Lyme is like being in a big club that none of us ever wanted to join. However, telling others about your struggles, frustrations and triumphs can help. Who knows? Your story may spread hope, bring comfort and enlighten other people fighting Lyme.

Scientific research: Lyme disease researchers toil at the heart of this mysterious illness, every day. I was saddened to learn that one scientist I interviewed this year has herself been infected by the disease. However, she is no pansy when it comes battling the fight against Lyme. She says her main goal in research is find out how to kill this bug -- and soon.

Lyme Aware Medical Practitioners interviews: Our heroes at the LDRD are, of course, the doctors and nurses who correctly diagnose their patients, help guide them through the nightmare of an acute Lyme stage, and care for them throughout the duration of their treatment. Whether these docs are more conventional in their treatment, or they lean toward the use of alternatives such as herbal therapies and other methods, we love these guys (and gals).

Articles on...

Symptoms
Diagnosis
Prevention
Tests
Lyme wars (such as the current pressures on the IDSA, etc.)
Transmission
Antibiotics
Herxheimer reaction
Herbal therapies and Lyme (Cowden, Buhner, etc.)
Alternative healing protocols (salt & C; hyperbaric oxygen therapy, etc.)
Body, mind & spirit (approaching healing through a combination of practices, including antibiotic therapy)
Lyme and children
Lyme and dogs & cats
Lyme and diet
Chronic Lyme

Thank you for taking the time to tell us what you want. I'll post the results here, so keep an eye on this blog.

Broccoli sprouts for healthy healing

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-07-12T17:59:08-04:00

Fresh organic vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds are good for you (have you heard?). Raw food diets have been used successfully in curing and easing the pain of many types of chronic illnesses. However, before you fill your plate with only raw ingredients, you should ask your doctor (or better yet, a nutritionist well-versed in Lyme disease) if you're at a stage where eating more raw foods could help boost your healing energy. One naturopath I spoke with advised that during an acute stage of Lyme, raw foods may be too hard for your body to digest. He did suggest that in later stages of Lyme, the enzyme rich foods would be quite beneficial. Sprouts, however, got a big 'thumbs up' at any stage of Lyme.

We're investigating the varying opinions on the benefits of raw food in a healthy healing diet. Since this is such a big subject, let's start small. Consider the lowly sprout. You know how tiny seeds, jammed with nutritious compounds, grow into scrumptious vegetables. Sprouted veggie seeds such as alfalfa, clover, and radish can contain many times the value of the mature veggie.

So which is better for you? Broccoli sprouts or mature broccoli? A study of the tiny, peppery-flavored broccoli sprouts done in 1997 at Johns Hopkins discovered that they contained 20 times more sulforaphane than mature broccoli. Both the sprouts and the fully-grown vegetable (which, by the way, we love steamed with a spot of Bragg's) contain high levels of sulforaphane, a long-lasting antioxidant with anti-bacterial and anti-cancer qualities. Be an organic gardener and grow your own baby veggies. Broccoli sprouts are easy to grow right in your own kitchen. Eat them around their peak of potency -- when they're about three days old.

Whether you go raw or not, it's always a good idea to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Eat more broccoli and other cruciferous veggies, in order to benefit from sulforaphane. Write these tasty foods on your grocery list: Bok choy, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, turnip, radish and watercress.

Herbs for Lyme

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-07-08T15:36:49-04:00

I recently got the opportunity to talk with Dr. Lee Cowden about using herbs for Lyme. His core Lyme herbal protocol, which he is continuously refining, has helped so many Lyme sufferers, including our editor (that would be me). I'll post the interview soon in our members' area so you can listen to the conversation. Dr. Cowden is one of my heroes in the Lyme wars, particularly because he devotes a great deal of his time teaching other physicians how to diagnose and recognize Lyme in their patients. I told him I would like more information on two of the herbal remedies he uses. In particular, Enula and Serrapeptase.

Enula is used for addressing at least one of several common Lyme co-infections. The powerful antimicrobial defense tincture contains an extract of elecampane. Nasty pathogens such as microfilaria and worms gang up to create the co-infection Babesia, which is, unfortunately, more the rule rather than the exception in many Lyme patients. Many of doctors I talk to refer to ticks as little sewage plants; whatever icky sludge they contain gets dumped into our bloodstreams when we're bitten.

Serrapeptase is a proteolytic enzyme, derived from silkworms, who use it to dissolve their chrysalis. Enzymes dissolve organic matter such as cysts and inflammation. They're often used in treating rheumatoid arthritis, even as an alternative to steroids and ibuprofen. Such a potent anti-inflammatory agent can be very useful in keeping your knees happy, and reducing the stress from arthritis pain. However, with enzymes, timing is everything. Take Serrapeptase between meals, leaving at least an hour on either side of eating. Do this so that the enzymes won't use up their healing power by digesting your food, instead.

Listen to the interviews with Dr. Cowden and other Lyme specialists.

20,000 cases? Sorry, you're wrong

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-07-06T17:16:35-04:00

Dear ABC Good Morning America,

Thank you for running the story on Lyme disease. However, I would like to challenge your reporters on one point. The number of new cases of Lyme per year is said by Lyme specialists to be ten to forty times higher than the 20,000 quoted by the CDC, and the number used in your report. Gross misdiagnosis and under-diagnosis is due in part to the notoriously inaccurate tests for Lyme that are currently in use by most infectious disease doctors in the US. These tests are the Western Blot and the ELISA.

The Lyme compound consists of the spirochetal Borrelia bacteria, plus any number of mycoplasma parasites and other pathogens. This compound is a particularly stealth bacteria that is able to evade the body's immune system, therefore protecting itself from the attack of antibiotics by drawing up a shield around itself, and hiding in various cyst forms throughout the patient's body and brain. The common tests for Lyme do not account for the sophisticated nature of this bacteria, according to researchers at the University of New Haven, Dr. Alan MacDonald and Dr. Eva Sapi.

Another reason for the misdiagnosis is the fact that no two Lyme patients present symptoms in the same way. In addition, it is not known how long the bacteria may lie dormant.

The irksome fact that the process of writing the IDSA treatment guidelines have been found to be in violation of the law has created quite a stir with patients of this devastating disease. The most profound problem is the existence of two standards of care for Lyme, which directly affects patients' health insurance and coverage of long-term antibiotics. ILADs physicians have told me that there are thousands of scientific models proving that Lyme can go chronic if undertreated or left untreated. The IDSA has ignored that scientific evidence. This is the heart of the Lyme debate.

Lyme story airs!

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-07-04T13:30:48-04:00

According to Brooke Landau, Lyme activist and TV news reporter, television stations listen and respond when they are deluged with requests from viewers to air stories about a specific topic. Viewers are their bread and butter. Please take the time to comment on the ABC website to let them know you appreciate the story they aired this morning about the documentary film, Under Our Skin. Here's my comment to them:

Thank you, thank you for bringing this growing epidemic to light. However, as many have already noted, the majority of people suffering with Lyme disease never saw a tick bite, and never had the bull's eye rash. In addition, the tests for Lyme have what one physician refers to as "coin toss sensitivity," meaning that if you toss a coin, you get results that are just about as accurate as using the ELISA or the Western Blot for testing positive. According to ILADs physicians I have interviewed for the Lyme Disease Research Database, the CDC has a long history of ignoring scientific evidence for the existence of chronic Lyme disease. Thanks to CT Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, the IDSA is now being forced to review its Lyme disease treatment guidelines. People who are suffering with Lyme due to misdiagnosis, under-diagnosis, and simple ignorance have long been forced to become their own health advocates, often at a time in their lives when they are extremely sick. I applaud you for airing this segment on the Lyme controversy, yet I am disappointed to see that your reporters did not bother to investigate the accuracy of the numbers of new cases of Lyme reported each year. As someone else commented, that 20,000 quote is hideously underestimated. Next time, I hope you have the courage to quote numbers that are closer to the actual truth.

In the Lyme documentary Under Our Skin, filmmaker Andy Abrahams Wilson (Open Eye Pictures) exposes the cruel dismissal that the medical establishment frequently gives people who are sick and suffering with Lyme. The film opened in April at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC. Andy is featured in the LDRD's interview series.

Good Morning America, where's the Lyme story?

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-07-03T11:15:37-04:00

Where's the story? I know I wasn't the only one who was sorely disappointed to see that Good Morning America did not air the Lyme segment. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt, and assume that due to a programming snafu, they rescheduled. Please use this link to the ABC News contact form. Let them know that you - and your family and friends - all want to see it.

Lyme is making headline news

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-07-02T13:06:06-04:00

A book and a film. How many times have you read a book, or seen a film, that shook your world view, opened your eyes, that made you take a second look at something you thought you understood. As a smart, sensitive person you've probably had that experience all throughout your life. Now is the time to pick up (and share) a phenomenal new book and go see a mind-expanding documentary film. Both deal head-on with the controversy surrounding the growing epidemic of Lyme disease. Be sure to watch the coverage on Good Morning America, ABC News, on Thursday July 3. It's important to let them know you're glad to see a story about Lyme on the mainstream news! Post your responses to their discussion on their website: http://abcnews.go.com/gma

Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Epidemic, is science journalist Pamela Weintraub's new book about her family's innocent decent into the living hell of Lyme, their tribulations and subsequent conquest over this grueling disease. According to Kaja Perina, editor in chief of Psychology Today, "This is an important and unforgettable book, destined to make a lasting contribution to the field of investigative health journalism.”

In the Lyme documentary Under Our Skin, filmmaker Andy Abrahams Wilson (Open Eye Pictures) exposes the cruel dismissal that the medical establishment frequently gives people who are sick and suffering with Lyme. The film opened in April at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC. Andy is featured in the LDRD's interview series.

Lyme disease controversy on Good Morning America, ABC TV

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-07-02T11:19:20-04:00

Lyme disease controversy to be discussed on Thursday morning July 3, Good Morning America , ABC TV.

PLEASE DISTRIBUTE:

FROM DR. BRANSFIELD

Hi,
The movie Under Our Skin and the book Cure Unknown have awoken interest in the Lyme disease debate. Good Morning America will be showing a news story on the Lyme disease controversy Thursday morning between 7:30 and 8:00 AM. This came up on short notice and I was filmed late
yesterday. Someone from the opposing IDSA school of thought was also filmed in the Washington area.

Best,
Bob

Robert C Bransfield, MD, DFAPA, PC
225 State Route 35
Red Bank , NJ 07701
Phone 732-741-3263
Fax 732-741-5308
Email bransfield@comcast. net
Website www.MentalHealthand Illness.com

Psychology Today on neuroborreliosis

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-06-09T12:32:41-04:00

Lyme disease can affect every system in the body, including the brain. So what happens when a doctor you respect tells you that your unbearable pain is all in your head? Read this hair-raising account of one family's journey to hell and back, in the latest issue of Psychology Today. In their story, you're bound to recognize parts of your own.

Read the article in Psychology Today.

Become a member and listen to the experts directly.

SELF writer describes Lyme nightmare

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-06-09T12:30:05-04:00

In the June 2008 issue, SELF magazine contributing editor Tula Karras vividly tells her story of misery and confusion before finally receiving a correct diagnosis of Lyme disease after suffering eight years of symptoms. Somehow she pulled through, keeping her obviously brilliant writing skills intact. Blessings to Tula! And kudos to SELF for printing this honest piece of writing about the challenge of Lyme.

Learn more about the benefits of becoming a member.

Lyme disease prevention

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-06-03T11:34:21-04:00

I don't like thinking about ticks. You don't like thinking about ticks. We don't like anything about the little buggers, least of all the fact that when you're outdoors on a lovely summer day, you must think about them! However, protecting yourself, your kids and your pets can give you a sense of control and actually help prevent infection or re-infection from a tick bite. Here are two ways to make you feel a bit safer from Lyme this summer.

First, check your body thoroughly (and teach older children how to check theirs) when you've been hiking or picnicking or doing anything outdoors where you suspect there may be ticks lurking. Give special attention to the area around your ankles, the backs of your knees, your waistband and your armpits. Ticks start out low to the ground and climb up. Shower when you get home, but remember that ticks do not wash off. You must remove them with a tweezers. To remove, gently grab the tick as close to the skin as possible, and pull straight out without twisting or turning. Some people recommend squeezing fresh garlic juice directly on the bite immediately. Antibiotic cream may work as well. Place the tick in a plastic baggie for testing.

Second, eliminate the habitats ticks love in your yard. Ticks don't like to hang out in the middle of the yard unless there are tall grasses to climb. They do like the moist, shady areas around the perimeter of the yard, ornamental plantings and gardens. Ticks like leaf piles. Rake leaves and get rid of them. Keep shrubs trimmed and cut off low branches. Have a professional spray the perimeter of your yard. Do a bit of research to see what types of tick control insecticides are recommended for use in your area. Tick killing agents are not as toxic to humans as they once were.

Read more about preventing lyme disease.

Become a member and gain access to the expert audio interview series and other resources.

Parasites and Lyme symptoms

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-06-03T11:31:39-04:00

Lyme disease symptoms are not only caused by the Borrelia bacteria. Co-infections from other bacteria transmitted through ticks, such as mycoplasma and parasites are also responsible. Antibiotics kill bacteria, but not parasites.

Dr. Eva Sapi, director of Lyme research at the University of New Haven, Connecticut, went online to search for information about a particular parasite with the official name of microfilaria nematode. There she found a European website with pictures of the microfilaria, and discussion about a protocol for treating Lyme with salt and vitamin C. Prior to stumbling across the website, she did not know about that particular protocol.

Although she is pleased and surprised to discover that patients have gotten help from the protocol, she expressed some concern that we in the US are behind in Lyme research. Apparently the salt and C protocol is treating a parasite connected with Lyme disease that researchers in the US haven't even begun to isolate.

"I talked to Lyme patients and some of them, like you, are very familiar with the protocol," Dr. Sapi told me, "and said that it even helped them tremendously."

We invite you to become an LDRD member so that you can listen to the full interview with Dr. Sapi, as well as other Lyme specialists.

Breaking News: IDSA guidelines under scrutiny

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-05-07T13:20:09-04:00

"Serious flaws in the IDSA's process for writing its 2006 Lyme disease guidelines" have been revealed during an antitrust investigation conducted by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. Reassessment of the guidelines must now take place with an outside arbiter and a "conflicts-free panel." The subsequent hearing is also required to be broadcast live on the IDSA's website.

Turns out it's not nice -- or particularly legal -- to stack the panel with people who stand to make loads of cash from drug and insurance companies, Lyme disease diagnostic tests and patents. Stay tuned for developments. It's bound to get wild in the coming weeks and months, especially with IDSA-loving Dr. Gary Wormser shrugging off the investigation and calling it "absurd." Conflicts? What conflicts?

This significant turn of events could soon impact your ability to get proper treatment. Meantime, we'll continue to interview physicians who specialize in Lyme and who can give us the inside scoop and help us understand the ramifications of the reassessment.

Please become a member to hear upcoming interviews with Lyme experts on this issue.

Read the IDSA's press release.

Lyme tests are inaccurate

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-05-06T15:58:38-04:00

Raphael Stricker, MD, talked with me last week about the pros and cons of the existing Lyme tests. As it turns out, there are mostly cons.

Dr. Stricker was the president of ILADS from 2005 to 2007, during which time the organization grew to nearly 400 members and accomplished a great deal of work on the behalf of Lyme patients, including the establishment of the guidelines for the treatment of Lyme.

The Western Blot and the ELISA tests are inaccurate. "They have 'coin toss sensitivity,'" Stricker says. "Which means if you flip a coin you get the same results as doing a commercial test.

"The current AIDS test has a 99.5% sensitivity, which means it misses one in two hundred AIDS cases. So, compare one out of every two Lyme cases that are missed? One in two hundred AIDS cases. I mean, that's a pretty big difference," he says. "What we need in Lyme disease is a test like the AIDS test, that is that sensitive, and that accurate."

You can listen to the interview as a member, please join

Obstacles to killing the bug

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-04-28T12:18:19-04:00

Eva Sapi, Ph.D., who teaches molecular biology for graduate students and does Lyme disease research at the University of New Haven, Connecticut, has one goal. "To kill the bug," she says. "And not in ten years, not even in six months, but soon!" She and her team of medical researchers are intent on figuring out why the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, the bug that causes Lyme disease, is so difficult to eradicate.

Lyme disease cases are increasing, and Sapi says she fears this year will be a bad one for ticks, and stresses the importance of prevention. Field research conducted this spring has yielded a disturbing find in her region, she says. The number of ticks carrying the infectious Borrelia bacteria has increased to 60%, up from previous years' 20-30%. She says one possible explanation for the increase could be changing temperatures. Recent mild winters may not have not dropped temperatures sufficiently long enough or frigid enough to kill the ticks.

Sapi is frustrated by the political controversy surrounding Lyme, saying that in her previous research into cancer, such obstacles were not a problem. Unnecessarily harsh criticism of her scientific findings having to do with the Borrelia bacteria has limited the number of publications where her research can be reviewed. However, significant support is increasing from other areas. Grants offered to ILADS from the Turn the Corner Foundation are currently helping fund Sapi's department at University of New Haven for research projects that hopefully, ultimately will help her reach her goal. And soon.

Dr. Sapi spoke with us on April 27, 2008. Members, please keep an eye out for our conversation about her research, to be posted soon to the Lyme Expert Audio Interview page.

Scientific evidence ignored

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-04-26T19:33:33-04:00

If you are struggling with late stage Lyme disease symptoms, the last thing you need is anyone telling you there is no such thing as chronic Lyme. Yet that is what doctors, many who seem genuinely interested in helping their patients, are doing.

Doctors who defend the IDSA's guidelines for the treatment of Lyme -- thirty days of antibiotic therapy -- as sufficient say there is no scientific evidence to prove that Lyme disease can enter a chronic stage. However, Ginger Savely, RN, FNP, who treats patients with Lyme, says that thousands of animal studies do offer scientific evidence that Lyme bacteria survive beyond the recommended one month course of doxycycline. Yet these studies are overlooked by the IDSA.

"Of course, we can't do the same kinds of experiments on humans as we can on animals. So just because we don't have the human studies out there, the IDSA always wants to ignore all the many, many animal studies that there are, basically just saying, well, those aren't people," says Savely.

Two approaches to Lyme symptoms

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-04-22T13:04:30-04:00

Ginger Savely, RN, FNP, who treats people with Lyme disease symptoms and other tick-borne diseases, says, "I always tell my patients that the approach is from two angles. One is to decrease bacterial load, by giving antibiotics to kill the bacteria. The other is to strengthen the immune system."

Detoxing and boosting the immune system must go hand in hand in the successful alleviation of Lyme disease symptoms. "Because if the immune system isn't functioning very well," says Savely, "you can give a person all the antibiotics in the world, they're not going to be able to fight the infection."

Savely says her approach is realistic, considering the complicated nature of the Lyme bacteria, which has the capacity to hide and evade the body's immune system for an unknown amount of time. The twofold approach can take time and effort, yet she says the hard work eventually pays off. "Hopefully, the bacteria levels decrease to a point, where the newly strengthened immune system can take over and keep the infection at bay," she says.

Become a member and listen to our exclusive audio interview with Ginger Savely and other Lyme specialists.

Lyme disease symptoms in families

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-04-21T16:23:09-04:00

RN and Lyme expert Ginger Savely says similar Lyme disease symptoms frequently show up in members of the same family. In her experience treating patients with Tick Borne diseases at health care clinics in Texas and San Francisco, CA, some families seem to be more keenly susceptible to falling ill from a tick bite. Genetic disposition may play an important part.

The Borrelia bacteria does not affect all people to the same degree. Lyme disease symptoms vary from person to person, but family members may present similar symptoms. And some may not get sick at all, exhibiting a stronger genetic resistance to succumbing to the infection.

"It is always impressive to me how many people do have this infection that are totally fine. Many times, I will check family members that are still healthy, and they actually test very positive for the disease, although they have no symptoms," says Ginger.

Ginger, a member of ILADS, follows their guidelines when treating Lyme patients. That means sticking with antibiotic therapy for as long as it takes. For certain patients, such as those who have suffered with Lyme disease symptoms for decades, treatment has taken up to four or five years. Neither Ginger nor her patients mind that treatment must be prolonged. As she says, "it does pay to just keep plugging along, and keep treating. Because eventually people do get better."

Read about the Expert Interview Audio Series and listen to the interview with Ginger Savely.

Doc examines Lyme & Alzheimer's link

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-04-11T16:49:16-04:00

Lyme disease symptoms can look a lot like other diseases' symptoms, not the least of which is Alzheimer's. In late-stage, or tertiary stage of Lyme, the bug has infected the brain. It may be hard to distinguish between the symptoms of somebody with late-stage Lyme, and somebody suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Such was the case of Paul Christensen, who was diagnosed with Lyme, treated, and then released from Stony Brook Hospital. Paul was a firefighter, yet he struggled for eight years with mental deterioration after his diagnosis of Lyme. Finally, he died due to Alzheimer's.

Paul's wife suspected that there was a strong link between her husband's diagnosis of Lyme and his death from Alzheimer's disease. If there was a connection, she was determined that other people should learn about it, in the event that it might help reduce their suffering. So, after Paul died she urged medical researcher Dr. Alan MacDonald to investigate her husband's case.

Dr. Alan MacDonald is a featured expert in the 'Interviews with Experts' series, which you can access here. In the 30 minute audio interview, he tells about the well-documented Christensen case, and he describes what he and other researchers are doing to understand the Lyme bug, so we can eradicate it.

Lyme is weird, spirochetes are crafty!

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-04-11T15:46:13-04:00

Lyme is weird. Spirochetes are crafty. Lyme disease symptoms can look different in everyone, because infection can occur in any system of the body. Some people never see a tick, yet they develop symptoms, go to the doctor and get antibiotics. Others can't persuade their doctors to even test for Lyme -- even if they caught the nasty little tick in the act, and display the classic symptom of a bull's eye rash. A significant number of people don't read their own symptoms right (like I said, Lyme is weird. Who can blame them for not suspecting it?) Therefore, they may not discover they've got Lyme (if they're 'lucky' enough to test positively for it) until the disease has reached the late stage. By then, according to some Lyme literate docs, the bug is very tough to catch, and v-e-r-y resistant to being killed.

What if, even after you test positively, and your doc is ready to treat you, you're turned down by your insurance company? And anyway, let's not pretend that only people with health insurance get Lyme disease. What do you do when you're sick and you're not insured? It's no secret that antibiotics are prohibitively expensive. Some herbal treatments that appear to be quite effective are less so, but if you aren't able to afford to see a Lyme literate doc in the first place, where does that leave you?

That leaves you right where untold numbers of struggling sick people find themselves: On your own. Left to your own devices. And here's the rub: Lyme brain! Anybody with this disease understands what a cruel joke the universe seems to have played. At the very moment you need your mind the most, your critical thinking faculties are all fogged up. What's a Lymie to do? Find smart people who've been down this path and ask a bazillion questions. Here's a shameless plug for our 'Interviews with Experts' series. Tune in and listen up. We've all got a lot to learn.

Persistent Lyme disease symptoms to be studied

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-04-04T17:56:58-04:00

Some people think Lyme disease symptoms are "all in your head." Others experience persistent challenges, including severe fatigue, cognitive disorganization and arthritis, and argue that in spite of their having completed antibiotic therapy the Lyme bug is still making them sick. Regardless of your position on whether or not chronic Lyme exists, the question remains: Why do Lyme disease symptoms persist, in some patients, beyond the recommended course of antibiotics prescribed by the CDC?

A recent study conducted at the UC Davis Center for Comparative Medicine offers assurance that scientists are attempting to answer that question. According to a news release distributed by UC Davis News Service on March 31, researchers found residual amounts of the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria lingering in the DNA of laboratory mice, after the infected mice had completed antibiotic therapy. Apparently the research suggests that although residual bacteria can be detected, there is no evidence that it is causing inflammation or disease. However, the study shows that it may, in part, account for persistent symptoms. According to lead researcher Professor Stephen Barthold, "this may explain why some Lyme disease patients recover slowly following antibiotic treatment, exhibiting what has been termed 'post-Lyme disease syndrome'."

Fortunately, we can look forward to further investigation into the cause of chronic Lyme symptoms, and perhaps even one day discovering therapies to stop Lyme's devastating effects. "The results of this study do set the stage for controlled laboratory research investigating potential therapies for persistent Lyme disease infections," researchers at the Center for Comparative Medicine say.

Read more about Lyme disease symptoms.

Keeping kids Lyme free

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-03-31T17:45:13-04:00

When you were little, your mom probably strapped your sandals on your feet and dressed you in shorts before she sent you out to the backyard to play. Now, if you live in a region where Lyme is rampant, and you're aware of the trouble caused by Lyme disease symptoms, you're likely to cover up your kids from head to toe and spray them down with bug repellent before sending them outside.

Although you may feel the need to take more precautions if you live near wooded areas where deer that harbor ticks roam, the reality is that ticks are found even in urban neighborhoods. Anywhere grasses or shrubs grow, ticks can hide. Ticks need warm-blooded animals or people to give them a ride and a hot dinner. They cannot get around very far by themselves, so they hang out on the tips of branches, leafy bushes, grasses, and hop on when they sense a convenient critter walking by.

Lyme disease is a growing endemic, and prevention is the best medicine. Keep your kids protected when you send them out to play, and make sure older children are taking precautions, especially as they head out to the woods and trails for hiking and playing.

Alzheimer's and Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-03-14T17:43:29-04:00

Alzheimer's and Lyme share many symptoms, an unfortunate circumstance that can result in misdiagnoses for elderly people whose caregivers suspect senility. The Alzheimer's Disease Association lists changes in mood or behavior, disorientation of time and place, and an inability to concentrate among the warning signals of the disease. Symptoms may also include problems with abstract thinking and difficulty performing familiar tasks, such as buckling a belt or preparing a simple meal.

Brain dysfunction or dementia, what used to be called 'senility', are commonly recognized as disabilities that afflict older citizens. Other potential signals of Lyme are joint pain, dizziness, and muscle aches, which are common complaints among seniors. For generations, the prevailing notion has been that old people simply tend toward absent-mindedness, arthritis and fatigue. Therefore, older people's symptoms are less likely to signal anything out of the ordinary to a doctor or health care practitioner. Doctors may easily miss the warning signs of Lyme, instead giving the patient a catch-all diagnoses such as Alzheimer's, heart disease or lupus. Seniors have been misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's, when the real problem is Lyme disease.

Antibiotics are prescribed to kill the Borreliosis bacteria, the bugs that cause the effects of Lyme disease. However, undetected by medical professionals, the patients are unlikely to get the medicine they need. Without proper treatment, Lyme can have devastating effects.

Neem Oil For Pets

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-02-29T15:58:32-05:00

How do you keep your pets safe from Lyme? Your pup longs to wiggle in the grass and charge after squirrels through the brushy hillsides. Now that spring is almost here, your little bud will be expecting more outdoors time. Thank goodness for dog parks, where you can let him run around with his doggy pals and burn off some of that exuberance. But in all these scenarios, you worry about his exposure to ticks. Read more about Lyme in dogs.

If you're looking for a natural or botanical alternative to harsh chemical pesticides, you might consider shampooing your furry friend with a pet shampoo containing Neem oil. The Neem is one of the trees in the magnificent Mahogany family, and the oil is made by pressing its seed kernels. Neem oil smells bitter, like garlic.

Neem oil is an excellent moisturizer with medicinal and insecticidal qualities, as well as potent antibacterial and antiseptic properties. It has been used with success to repel or kill fleas and ticks. It also kills mange mites, and will protect your pup from biting flies and mosquitoes. However, it is non-toxic to mammals, birds, bees and earthworms. So, let your dog out to enjoy a spring romp, and remember that keeping him safe from ticks enhances your chances of staying protected from Lyme and other tick-born diseases.

Spring Cleaning Helps Prevent Lyme

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-02-25T15:57:29-05:00

'Spring' and 'cleaning' are two concepts that fit together just right. Ticks that carry Lyme disease do not like clean spaces. Thoroughly cleaning both indoors and outdoors around your house or property can help you feel more protected against ticks. Wild animals are potential carriers of ticks and Lyme. Mice, skunks, squirrels, opossums, feral cats and dogs who roam around looking for a snug hideaway in the cold may squeeze through crawl spaces in your attic or basement.

With the vernal equinox now three weeks away, it's time to bring out the buckets and brooms. While you're sprucing up, keep the following three steps in Lyme prevention in mind.

* Deny access to host critters. Replace torn screens on vents and windows. Plug holes in walls with caulk or concrete. Reduce the gap in doorway thresholds.

* Sanitize your indoor space. Clean floors and carpets, thoroughly clean area rugs and upholstered furniture. Toss out infested pet bedding.

* Clean up your outdoors space. Remove all debris such as leaf and wood piles. Steam or vacuum spider nests.

Peppermint soap is reported to be a strong natural insect repellent. Use it in your daily shower and also while cleaning up your pet's bedding. While cleaning outdoors, always wear protective clothing and take extra precautions against the creatures, such as snakes and insects, that you may stir up. A little Lyme disease prevention goes a long way as anyone with Lyme disease symptoms now knows.

Lyme vaccine in development

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-02-21T17:59:51-05:00

On a frigid day in February, this article from the Czech Republic's online newspaper, the Prague Daily Monitor, provides a warm note of hope. All we have to do is hang in there for seven years:

Czech producer may have Lyme vaccine in 7 years
By ČTK / Published 21 February 2008

Olomouc, North Moravia, Feb 20 (CTK) - The development of a vaccine against Lyme disease (borreliosis) will take at least seven years though scientists from the Olomouc-based institute already have its formula, Evzen Weigl, head of the Immunology Institute of Olomouc university, told reporters Wednesday.

The vaccine is being developed by a five-member research team in Olomouc in cooperation with colleagues from the Bioveta pharmaceutical company in Ivanovice, south Moravia.

Bioveta director Libor Bittner told the Ekonom weekly in January that the vaccine is being tested in the Czech Republic and Germany and the results of the tests are expected by July.

"This information has become a media hit, but it has been slightly distorted. So far we have just a prototype of the vaccine, and only on the basis of preclinical trials' results we will seek a strategic partner for the production," said Weigl.

He added that a veterinary version of the vaccine was planned first.

"In the best case, the vaccine might be available in seven years," Weigl said. The vaccine development has continued for 13 years and cost several million crowns. Up to five research teams are working on this task in Europe, Weigl added.

Some 4000 people get annually infected with borreliosis, an infectious disease transmitted by ticks, in the Czech Republic. In 2006, 4370 people caught the disease in the country, which has been the highest figure in the past ten years.

Bioveta, founded in 1951, produces veterinary immunologicals and pharmaceuticals. It exports its products to some 40 countries.

Bioveta has already produced vaccine against Lyme disease for dogs.

The vaccine against encephalitis, another tick-borne disease, has already been developed.

Lyme Disease Mistaken for MS

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-02-17T17:58:53-05:00

Getting a correct diagnosis for Lyme disease is a significant step toward getting treatment, yet countless patients are misdiagnosed from the start. Here is a recent account of a North Carolina man who self-diagnosed, after having been put on medication for multiple sclerosis. The article below is from the Raleigh Newsobserver.com, February 19, 2008.

Patients push boundaries of Lyme disease debate.
Two factions hold opposing views on prevalence of tick-borne disease.

Jean P. Fisher, Staff Writer

Even as mounting evidence suggests the state may harbor more tick-borne illness than records indicate, patients with symptoms that match Lyme disease say doctors continue to turn deaf ears to their complaints. They say people are needlessly going untreated or misdiagnosed, leading to advanced illness and even disability. Read more about lyme disease diagnosis.

Dave Tierney of Cary thinks that's what happened to him. Plagued with unexplained fatigue, muscle aches, eye pain and other problems for years, Tierney was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis last year. In June, he left his job as a pilot with Delta Air Lines and began getting long-term disability benefits.

But after researching his symptoms on the Internet, Tierney became convinced he had chronic Lyme disease. An infectious disease doctor and a specialized laboratory test confirmed it. After three months of intravenous antibiotics, Tierney finds his Lyme symptoms much improved and he is back at the controls of an airplane.

"I could have been on MS medicine for the rest of my life," said Tierney, who returned to work this month.

read the entire article here

Guineafowl eat ticks

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-02-08T14:26:29-05:00
In 1992 in New York, Christie Brinkley was concerned about her daughter playing outside in what was known to be an area where tick numbers were high. So she enlisted the aid of her congressman, who initiated a commissioned study to investigate the effectiveness of Guineafowl as tick controllers. Guineafowl, originally from Africa, are feathery foragers with an unusual cry that sounds like "buckwheat, buckwheat!" These critters' diet includes about 90% arthopods, which means they eat ticks. The Duffy study illustrated that Guineafowl could indeed play a significant part in keeping tick numbers down.

Raising Guineafowl takes an effort, but it may be an option if your environment permits. The birds prefer to range throughout an open area, not woodsy, of about three to five acres. They make a loud noise when they're threatened by predators such as hawks overhead or the neighbors' dogs, and your local zoning codes must allow for them.

Guineafowl, like watchdogs, are good at raising an alarm when strangers approach, yet unlike dogs they will not attack. They will eat snakes and other noxious insects besides ticks, such as spiders and mites. If your circumstances allow and if you like the idea of controlling ticks through enlisting the aid of a flock of friendly little birds, Guineafowl can be an important weapon in the battle against Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. Causes of Lyme disease other than tick- born?

Hunting deer won't eradicate Lyme

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-01-22T14:25:02-05:00
Each Tuesday and Thursday through the end of February, the sound of sharpshooters hunting white-tailed deer will echo through the neighborhoods of suburban New Jersey. The deer overpopulate, eat the trees, and pose a traffic hazard. They also spread Lyme disease.

Intelligent management of the deer population is necessary for many reasons. However, it isn't prudent to assume that by killing the deer we can eradicate the spread of Lyme. Preventing the spread of Lyme disease, which is believed to be caused by the bite of a Ixode tick, is more complex than getting rid of the deer. While it's true that deer make excellent hosts, roaming and foraging in the brush where ticks are likely to be waiting for a ride, it is also a fact that even if the deer population was to altogether disappear, ticks would continue to survive simply by looking elsewhere for their immediate needs.

Birds, mice, and other rodents make a perfectly acceptable meal ticket for the lowly tick, who isn't picky. A tiny tick can only move within a limited space: about a nine foot range. Ticks generally occupy a space from the ground up to about three feet, clinging to grasses and brush, which is why it is important to wear protective clothing and use caution when you walk or hike through forested areas. They are intent on finding a host who can give them what they need to survive, and any convenient warm-blooded animal who ventures close enough to offer a ride and a hot supper will do. It doesn't need to be a deer.

lyme disease and fatigue

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-01-14T16:14:21-05:00
Do you get enough sleep? Or are you like so many people, getting by on just a few hours of shut-eye and rushing to begin your daily activities directly after the alarm goes off. In a sleep-deprived culture, surrounded by colleagues and friends who are running on coffee and bagels, it can be hard to tell when your level of fatigue is simply status quo, or if it's crossed the line to become a genuine symptom of Lyme. The garden-variety droop that comes with a busy life and a few nights of deprivation is generally a temporary problem. You can catch up and revitalize your adrenal glands with a couple of deep-sleep nights and a daytime nap or two.

On the other hand, bone-crushing fatigue, the kind that is symptomatic of Lyme, is hard to ignore. Your activities are limited because you just don't have the energy. You go to work, come home, fall asleep on the couch while waiting for dinner to cook itself. You go to bed early and try to sleep in till the last minute, but you don't wake up refreshed. You can't catch up. In fact, even after a good night's rest it can feel as if you hadn't slept a wink. You can't wash your face or tie your shoes without sitting down. In many cases, you may not even be able to hang on to your job, unless you're lucky enough to work from home.

Since that sort of fatigue is associated with a number of illnesses, including chronic fatigue syndrome or CFIDs, fibromyalgia, mononucleosis, and Lyme disease, medical testing is imperative to help you and your doctor ascertain why you are so tired. The tricky nature of the Lyme bug can make it difficult to eliminate Lyme as a possibility, even if you test negative. Your best bet is to find a doctor who is experienced in detecting Lyme disease symptoms, so that your overwhelming fatigue doesn't get ignored and written off as simple exhaustion.

Medical pro explains link between protein and healing

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-01-08T15:13:07-05:00
You know it's important to eat protein, but do you know why?

According to Jean Reist, R.N., one good reason to get sufficient amounts of protein in your diet while you're healing from Lyme is to keep your lymph system working effectively. The lymph, or lymphatic system, is a major part of the body's immune system. Protein is necessary for transporting trace minerals through what is known as the extracellular matrix within the lymph system. Imagine the matrix as the white of an egg that's just been cracked open. You don't want it to congeal, as an egg white does in a hot pan, because it would get clogged up with toxins. You want your matrix to stay loose, efficiently transporting nutrients to the cells, and transporting that toxic waste away.

Vegans and vegetarians often eat soy products to boost their protein intake. Yet Reist, who treats Lyme patients in her Pennsylvania clinic, worries that the patients who eat soy may risk getting too much copper in their diets. Soy is high in copper, and evidence suggests that patients trying to heal from Lyme must also get rid of an overload of metals, including copper, mercury, lead and aluminum. She asks her patients to consider eating animal protein such as eggs, fish or whey while fighting Lyme.

Reist observes that vegetarian patients sometimes eat a lot of pasta and grain, which may be easy to prepare, but are high in carbohydrates. She says that for Lyme patients, loading up on pasta and grain instead of protein is not a good idea, for many reasons. For example, the grains wash away magnesium, and she says that Lyme patients tend to have a magnesium deficiency. In addition, carbohydrates drive inflammation, and as you probably are already aware, a big part of overcoming Lyme is fighting the accompanying chronic inflammation.

Jean Reist, R.N., participated in our ongoing expert audio interview series, which is available online for LDRD members.

DOH wants your Lyme story

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2008-01-04T12:02:31-05:00
Want to tell the Pennsylvania Department of Health about your personal experiences with Lyme disease treatment? The Lyme Disease Task Force wants to hear from you. Linda Wales, co-leader of Lyme patient rights group NYPenn Lyme Disease Support Group, posted this letter to the editor of the Star-Gazette.com this morning:

Task force seeks input on Lyme disease
January 4, 2008

It is time for Lyme disease patients to be heard.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health established a Commonwealth Lyme Disease Task Force in 2007 to examine issues and draft recommendations regarding Lyme disease. It was decided feedback from Lyme disease patients is needed. NYPenn Lyme Disease Support Group received notification this task force will host a public hearing from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Keystone Building, Hearing Room 1, on Forster Street and Commonwealth Avenue in Harrisburg, Pa. Everyone is welcome; there will be question-and- answer sessions.

They recognize how important it is to receive a wide range of feedback and realize it would be impossible for many Lyme sufferers to attend. Therefore, letters explaining experiences with tick-borne diseases will be accepted through Jan. 31.

Please send to Dr. James Rankin, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Room 933, 7th and Forster Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120 or fax to (717) 772-6975.

Questions may be directed to Dr. James Rankin by telephone at (717) 787-3350.

Lyme disease is quickly becoming a serious health problem in Pennsylvania (and nationally). If you choose to remain silent or think you need to do nothing because someone else will, the Department of Health could believe it is no big deal and may drop the issue.

Linda Wales
Co-leader, NYPenn LDSG
Millerton, PA

ILADS advises treatment options

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-12-28T17:25:15-05:00
Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH, the president of ILADS, has recently voiced concern over the Connecticut Department of Public Health's decision to discipline Dr. Charles Ray Jones for treating chronic Lyme patients with a standard of care beyond the IDSA's recommendations. As he explains in his speech of December 18, 2007 in Hartford, CT, at the Connecticut State Capitol Building, ILADS is disturbed by the actions of Connecticut Public Health Commissioner Robert Galvin, who has stated that the department would not initiate cases against physicians who treat chronic Lyme disease, yet allowed the case against Dr. Jones to proceed.

In his speech, Dr. Cameron announced that he is appealing the the CT Department of Public Health to drop the case against Dr. Charles Ray Jones. He advises that the scientific and medical communities need to leave treatment options open in order to better understand controversial issues such as Lyme disease.

Some of the folks I know who are suffering with Lyme disease say they are only equipped to patch their lives together on a daily basis with the help of long-term antibiotics. These people deserve to have treatment options that allow them to gain back a quality of life, and qualified doctors who can advocate for them without fear of disciplinary action.

Lifelyme conference in January

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-12-22T21:21:50-05:00
We would like to share the following with you, regarding an upcoming conference for doctors and others dealing with Lyme and other chronic illnesses.

Dear Friend,

Lifelyme is pleased to announce we are jointly sponsoring a one day Lyme conference at the Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg, Florida on January 19th, 2008. Enclosed is a copy of our brochure. If you would like us to send you additional brochures please email or call me.

The title of our conference is:
"Similarities and Paradoxes in Chronic Illnesses".

This conference is bringing together some of the top Lyme and CFIDS doctors to share the latest information on these diseases. Registration can be made on the Internet at the University of South Florida website set up specifically for this purpose.

Go to: www.cme.hsc.usf.edu/lyme

This is a medical conference jointly sponsored by University of South Florida Medical College, Morton Plant Mease and The Lanford Foundation - Lifelyme, Inc. CME - Continuing Medical Education credits are being offered for health care practitioners. Please share this information with your physicians.

Registration fee: $150.00 Les Roberts Author of the Poison Plum will be selling/signing books at the event!
Fee includes a Buffet Lunch at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/tpasr-renaissance-vinoy-resort-and-golf-club/

Questions or Additional Information call:
The Office of Continuing Professional Development
(813-974-4296) or (800-852-5362)
or email: jahartfi@health.usf.edu

Looking forward to seeing you at the conference.

Warmest Regards,

Sandi Lanford, Founder/President
The Lanford Foundation - Lifelyme, Inc.
(850) 906-9108
www.lifelyme.org

Foods for winter

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-12-20T19:28:49-05:00
Traditionally, winter time is for retreating, going within, and restoring your health. Sometimes I think of dealing with Lyme as being in an extended winter, because chronic illness does encourage a person to become more reflective and conservative, energy-wise. The point of winter is to conserve energy, and build up your reserves for use while the days are short and nights are long. If you can, go to bed earlier and sleep in later. Hibernate, like the bears. Winter is not generally a time for extravagant activity, instead, the long evenings invite time for reflection, and for setting your health goals for the year ahead.

Eating foods that help keep you warm will also help you achieve better balance, and support your immune system. Curries and salsas, though they may seem to be warming foods, are eaten in countries with warm climates, to help induce perspiration and cool the body. What is important now, especially if you're healing from Lyme, is to eat foods that help keep your body temperature normal.

Delectable, fragrant soups simmering on your stove can cheer up long, dark nights, and in addition, are warming and help keep the body's inner fire burning. Include a variety of grains with your winter meals, potatoes and other root vegetables, along with leafy greens, aduki and black beans, winter squash, walnuts, and a bit of meat - if you eat meat, that is. Greens are always important, and many people healing from Lyme employ raw foods with great success. However, during the coldest part of the year you should avoid raw salads, in fact in some schools of thought it is said that in winter, all foods should be cooked.

Thanks to Lesley Tierra, L. Ac., Herbalist, for the above information which is gleaned from her book, The Herbs of Life: Health and Healing Using Western and Chinese Techniques.

Arthritis oils for massage

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-12-20T19:26:53-05:00
Winter is here, and with it, bone-chilling weather that can make your achy knees feel worse. Fortunately, herbal oils can make them feel better, especially when applied with regular massage. Rheumatoid arthritis, a frequent symptom of chronic Lyme disease, responds well to massage. As a bonus, these oils will also help take the bite out of the bitter cold.

Below are two possible formulas for arthritis oils from renowned herbalist Lesley Tierra's book, The Herbs of Life: Health and Healing Using Western and Chinese Techniques. (The Crossing Press: 1992) Use externally.

* Use equal parts: bay, eucalyptus, mugwort, rosemary, fresh grated ginger and cayenne. Add 1 tbsp medical grade turpentine oil (turpentine is sap from the fir tree) and 1 tbsp rosemary oil for every cup of oil.

* 1 tbsp camphor oil, 1 tbsp peppermint oil, 1 tsp rosemary oil, 1 tbsp juice from fresh grated ginger, 1 tbsp clove oil, 1 tsp eucalyptus oil.

Zeolite and Dr. Cowden's therapy

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-12-14T18:43:48-05:00
Chelation therapy helps detoxify the body by removing heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and mercury. This type of therapy is commonly used in treating lead poisoning and heavy metal toxicity, but is not supported by conventional doctors as a way to help patients heal from other serious conditions, such as cancer, heart disease, autism, and Lyme disease. However, some alternative medical practitioners and patients claim to get significant results with chelation. Cilantro and alpha lipoic acid are among the natural chelators used by many people seeking to remove low-level poisons such as mercury and lead, which can be transmitted from a polluted environment, from their systems.

Zeolite is another substance used as a chelator. What is it? Zeolites are natural minerals formed thousands or even millions of years ago, that work as other chelating agents do, absorbing metals from your system, and drawing them out so your body can eliminate them. When the body's immune system is supported its natural healing mechanisms simply work better.

Dr. Lee Cowden, a renowned physician who treats Lyme patients, and spends much of his time and energy teaching other doctors his method for treating Lyme patients, emphasizes the necessity to detoxify the body of metals in order to thoroughly treat Lyme disease and prevent reinfection. He recommends Zeolite as a chelator. You can now order Zeolite through Nutramedix (http://www.nutramedix.com), the company that offers all of the herbal supplements listed on Dr. Lee Cowden's core protocol for treating Lyme.

Cardamom Treat

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-12-13T19:01:21-05:00
Cardamom seed is a warming, fragrant spice. Herbalists believe it can help with problems associated with the spleen, stomach, lungs, and kidney. Many Lyme patients find it to be helpful in aiding digestion and eliminating lung congestion that can cause coughs and colds. Headaches, so frequently associated with Lyme disease, are sometimes caused by poor digestion and stagnant food in the stomach. When you are on antibiotics or even herbal therapy, you may need help calming your stomach and digestive tract.

For a yummy winter treat that will soothe your tummy and counteract mucus congestion in the lungs and sinuses, core a hard pear, drizzle honey into the opening and sprinkle in a teaspoon of cardamom powder, then bake it at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Adding cardamom powder to milk and fruit neutralizes the mucus-forming properties.

Dealing with Herxes

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-12-10T15:33:58-05:00

Herxing occurs when your body reacts to bacterial die-off, usually as a result of taking antibiotics. The herx itself isn't considered dangerous to your health, but it can be extremely unpleasant. Your body is cleansing itself of toxins, a crucial step. The problem is that this cleansing process stirs up symptoms and makes you feel sick. Doesn't seem fair, does it? Frequent or intense herxes can stress you out, and when you're healing from LD you need more stress like you need another hole in your head. However, herxing can help Lyme patients understand what's happening to them, and some folks say that observing their herxes helps them monitor the effectiveness of their therapy.

The naturopath I consulted while in the critical stage of Lyme agreed. He suggested that I use my herxes as a guide or measurement of sorts. When I was on antibiotics, a period of about six months, it was difficult for me to distinguish between a herx and the Lyme disease symptoms themselves. I came to the conclusion, at that time, that it didn't matter which was which. They were both equally devastating, and all I could do was deal with them the best way I knew how. I wasn't at liberty to lower my dosage of abx, because according to my doctor the Lyme bacteria were likely to replicate and get stronger if I did.

Some Lyme patients say they don't herx on certain protocols, such as Steven Buhner's herbal protocol, for example. Conventional antibiotic therapy does seem to cause intense herxing, which some would say is a good sign because it indicates that you're killing the bug. I found that there were several different ways to deal with a dismal, stressful herx that accompanies chronic Lyme.

Here are just a few:

* Number one: Drink more clean water all day long, even if you think you're already drinking a lot of water. That will go a long way toward flushing out the toxins.

* Number two: Have a bowel movement every single day. Get that stuff out of there!

* Another is to drink the juice of a lemon, straight. You can also blend a whole lemon with one or two tablespoons of olive oil, put the mixture into a glass of water or juice, and drink it down.

* Dry brushing is another favorite of mine for ridding your body of toxins. However, you can't use this method if your skin is rashy, because you may make it worse. If you don't have a rash, brush your dry skin gently toward your heart each morning before you shower. This method really helps your lymph system kick into gear, and toxins that have accumulated during the night wash away down the drain.

* Take a spoonful of vegetable oil, such as olive oil, first thing in the morning. This method is as yucky as it sounds, but it works for me. Hold the oil in your mouth and swish it around, but do not swallow it. After a minute, spit it out and rinse your mouth.

* Exercise, if you possibly can. (This also helps with #2 - the bowel movement.) Sitting around is one of the worst things we can do. We have to move the body, and assist the lymph system in its critical job of carrying nutrition to the cells, and carrying the garbage away. Jump on a rebounder for five minutes in the morning, and five at night, if that's all you can manage. It will really help.

* Watch a hilarious movie, or a stand-up comic you like. When you're laughing, your body's immune system kicks into high gear. You'll also find that your whole attitude improves, and you'll sleep better at night.

Herxing and finding the balance

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-12-06T15:44:24-05:00
How do you tell the difference between a herx and Lyme symptoms? A herx, aka Herxheimer reaction, is many things to many people. When you're suffering, it doesn't seem to matter whether the cause is a herx or symptoms that are acting up. You just want them to stop. When you are infected with the Lyme bacteria, your body is loaded with toxins that react within your body's multiple systems and make you sick.

You have to kill the bugs and get them out of your body. Detoxifying, therefore, is a primary aim in healing from Lyme, but unfortunately, detoxing can also make you sick. When you're healing from Lyme you must try to find the balance between killing the bugs and keeping the herxes under control, so it doesn't feel like they are trying to kill you. Finding that balance is like surfing a giant wave. You must be hypervigilant, sensitive to your environment, and able to react as elegantly as possible to the perpetual changes that encompass you and carry you along. Although, as anybody who has ever suffered the stress and pain of Lyme symptoms or herxes would say, I'd rather be surfing.

It seems that herxing can be triggered by a number of different factors. Stress, change of medication type and an increase in medication dosage (either herbal or pharmaceutical medications) are a few examples. Those in the Lyme community (albeit, an unwilling yet blessedly generous group of humans) deal with herxes in a wide variety of ways. That's the subject of my next post.

Until then, hang ten.

Lyme lowers body temperature

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-12-03T15:56:24-05:00

Lyme disease lowers body temperature.

Staying warm in the winter can be more challenging when you're fighting Lyme disease. You may even notice your symptoms increasing after you get a chill. When you wake up to a frosty morning, reach for a steaming hot cup of herbal or green tea to help shake off the fatigue. Add a slice of warming ginger. Lyme bacteria thrive in cool body temperatures, and many people suffering with LD actually have lowered body temps. That's why it's so important to get regular exercise and choose your beverages and foods wisely.

One of the nicest things (okay, sometimes the ONLY nice thing) about snowy weather is the occasional Snow Day. When I lived with roommates, and the snow happened to be piling up on a weekday night, we'd get up early and begin our Snow Day vigil at the kitchen table, where we could keep an eye out the front window. We'd make a big pot of coffee and tune into the local radio station to listen for the list of school closures, since we were all teachers at three different schools. I always wondered why I'd start to get chilled after my second cup.

One of the problems with coffee is that it cools your body, instead of heating it, like some spices and herbs will. For a real burst of warmth, add just a touch of cayenne. If you need sweetener, try agave nectar or a drop of stevia, not sugar, which is a no-no when you've got Lyme. Staying warm and healing is your goal through the chilly winter months.

Lyme Disease and depression

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-11-26T13:09:46-05:00
Depression. It isn't all in your head. Some of the symptoms related to the brain and nervous systems that have been observed in Lyme patients are headache, tremor, facial paralysis (Bell's palsy), tremor, burning or sharp stabbing sensations, numbness, irritability, dementia, and mood swings. Depressing, huh? Yet not all Lyme sufferers experience all these symptoms. Clearly, they are not only related to Lyme; they may also be indicative of another condition. Especially during the holidays, it can be tough to manage the stress brought on by financial pressures, travel, and a busy social calendar.

If you're healing from Lyme, you must slow down and nurture yourself first. Stick your regular routine as much as possible, and cut down on work if you can swing it. Cook nutritious meals, get plenty of sleep if you can, and cultivate a practice of relaxation through gentle Tai Chi, yoga, meditation, or deep breathing. If you're a mom, or accustomed to being the caretaker, it can be difficult to ask for help, but you need to get over that. Recruit help from your family and friends. This is a good time to learn how to ask for assistance when carrying in the grocery bags, making beds, or tidying up for your relatives' visit.

Brain and nervous system involvement is usually a sign of late stage, or what is referred to as chronic Lyme. Get professional medical help if you suspect you may have Lyme, even if you have not tested positive for it. Most of the tests for Lyme disease are notoriously unreliable at this point. If you are unusually depressed, or your mood swings are worsening, and you also have some of the other symptoms associated with the disease, such as crushing fatigue, fever, rash, or arthritis, it is very important to consult a Lyme-literate doctor with experience in recognizing Lyme symptoms.

In the meantime, nurture your spirit as well as your body. Spend time with folks you really love. Rent funny DVDs, look for the humor in your everyday situation. It's there, even in our suffering. Take inspiration from other people who have survived serious diseases and recovered to live happy lives. Above all, during the holidays and beyond, don't let depression get you down! Bear in mind these wise words: This too shall pass.

Lyme symptom-free

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-11-24T13:23:15-05:00
I am finally back to living a normal, Lyme-free life. There were days that I never, EVER thought I'd get here, but it's happening. I'm upright, I'm productive, and I'm getting on with it. I'm relatively symptom-free. Sometimes, like this morning when the birds are singing and I can smell the yummy omelets that my sweetie is cooking in the kitchen, I feel absolutely great. (Or maybe that's the Holy Basil) However, there are no magic bullets. There has never been a day when I woke up and thought, "Hey! I'm all better." Getting over Lyme is not like getting over the flu. It takes time. A lot of time. It's been two and a half years since my diagnosis, and more than three since I began to deal with mysterious symptoms.

A tiny muscle in my left eyelid is twitching, but I'm going to chalk that up to staring at this computer screen.

I took the herbal tinctures from the Amazon for about a year. Dr. Cowden's protocol worked really well for me. Currently, I'm taking a very high quality colloidal silver and a host of other helpful supplements. In October of 2006, I had a month-long herx that manifested as itchy rashes on my shins and ankles. That was always where the worst of the rashes had been, for the two years prior. I kept taking the herbs, but I was nervous that the rash might worsen, so I wasn't increasing the doses like I wanted to. I struggled with the decision to increase the doses and take my chances with more herxes, or just step back and take small amounts until I got over it and felt like I could risk a herx. I didn't increase the doses for about two months, then in about February I started increasing, and I didn't break out or feel Lymie. So I slowly started to increase more and built up to the full dose, then stayed on it until about September.

Since October of 2006 I have had no major breakouts, no problematic rashes, and every day I feel incrementally better. Symptoms, good riddance.

Accessing Free Database: Members Only

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-11-20T14:58:28-05:00
Just a reminder that the access link for accessing the free database is always included in the emails you recieve from the LDRD. If you are reading this in your email program, then you will see an access link. Please save this email to always have access to that link, or bookmark the web page once you are there.

Diagnosing Lyme Symptoms

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-11-16T14:24:22-05:00
Due to its many symptoms and its ability to mimic numerous other illnesses, Lyme disease remains tricky to diagnose. The bull's eye rash, with which the infection is frequently associated, is by no means the only symptom to be aware of. Indeed, only a relatively small percentage of people infected with the bacteria known to cause Lyme ever present with the bull's eye rash. Other symptoms include fatigue, fever, headache, joint pain, a rushing or jumpy heart, and an extreme sensitivity to bright lights, especially florescent lighting. Symptoms do not all appear in all Lyme patients, and they may present at different stages as the disease progresses.

Lyme is a multistage illness, and the first-stage symptoms mentioned above can all be mistaken as signs of another ailment. Joint pain can pass as arthritis, headache may be associated with other triggers such as workplace stress, eye strain, or menstruation. Fatigue is a universal problem, as many people suffer from lack of sleep, and when overcome by tiredness, tend to push themselves beyond a healthy limit with the assistance of caffeine. Because brain fog is primarily caused by a lack of sleep, there are many people who walk around each day trying to function normally while feeling mentally fuzzy. Thus it becomes confusing to discriminate in order to obtain a diagnosis. When is mental confusion, or the inability to make clear decisions, caused by a fatigue, and when is it part of a bacterial infection?

In advanced stages of Lyme, or in cases where the bacteria has affected the brain, called neuroborelliosis, inability to concentrate, memory loss, brain fog, speech problems such as stammering, and hallucinations are all potential symptoms, all of which, again, do not appear in every Lyme sufferer. Hallucinations can be expressed through any of the senses. They do not always manifest as visions. Some people hear voices or sounds which aren't there. Others feel sensations, such as a raging fever, when in actuality their body temperature is normal. Additionally, disorientation or a sudden onset of paranoia can be a symptom of this stage of Lyme disease.

There is no question that speech disorders, severe mental fog, and these other symptoms are upsetting and frightening. Yet once a clear diagnosis has been obtained, a Lyme patient can begin to heal using a multi-branched approach, including whatever is deemed needed by the patient and his or her team of medical support personnel. Painful and often torturous Lyme symptoms can be alleviated with effort and commitment to healing. Many Lyme sufferers eventually find themselves balanced and virtually healed from Lyme, often as a result of using a wide array of healing approaches, including pharmacological antibiotics, herbal and nutritional supplements, physical exercise, and mental and emotional support. Through heroic effort and a will to commit to their own healing, many people who have experienced even the severe and disorienting symptoms of neuroborelliosis have recovered from Lyme disease.

Ticks carrying lyme disease active in fall

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-11-09T12:29:36-05:00
Lyme disease treatments vary, and so do medical experts' opinions about which treatments are the most effective. Many physicians and Lyme sufferers advocate a balanced approach to treatment, emphasizing the importance of a high quality diet, supplements, exercise, plenty of sleep, and a positive mental attitude in addition to herbal or pharmaceutical antibiotics. Evidence suggests that the spirochetes, the agent that carries the disease throughout the body, are more effectively eliminated when a variety of treatments are employed. The bacteria are likely to hide in cyst form throughout the body's organs, such as the brain and the heart. When treatment is varied, either in type or timing, the bacteria are more likely to be "surprised," unprepared for attack, and thus killed.

Lyme disease attacks every level of the body, so it makes sense to use a multilevel approach to treatment. While seeking treatment, especially if you are drawn to exercise outside during temperate fall weather, bear in mind that this season is rife with risks for those of us who live in the western US. Adult western ticks are active in the late fall and winter. Many Californians are unaware of the potential for contracting Lyme disease, remaining under the false impression that it doesn't occur on the west coast.

Those who hike, bike and walk in the woods and on the scenic California trails are not the only ones who should be vigilant. Ticks who carry and can transmit Lyme disease can be found in urban and suburban neighborhoods as well as in the mountains and meadows. They are bloodsuckers, dependent on passersby for a living. They aren't picky whether the warm-blooded creature who passes is a dog, a mouse or a human, just as long as they can hop on. Ticks can only move around in about a nine foot circumference on their own. In order to get a warm meal and a ride, the tiny critters -- about the size of the period at the end of this sentence -- climb to the tips of grasses, waving their legs and waiting. You are wise to consider seeking treatment for Lyme disease if you suspect a tick bite, and have any of the common symptoms associated with the illness, such as fever, overwhelming fatigue, skin rash, and joint stiffness. Seeking early treatments for Lyme disease raises your success level in dealing with, and healing from, this serious bacterial infection.

Autumn leaves and Lyme disease anxiety

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-11-06T15:17:51-05:00
A picture arrived in my inbox this morning, my friends' adorable one-and-a-half-year old son playing in a giant pile of freshly fallen leaves. His chubby cheeks are rosy and he's smiling like an imp. But the picture made me itchy and uncomfortable. Immediately, I thought of Erythema migrans, or "bull's eye rash," which is a common symptom of bacterial infection in the early stages of Lyme disease. The rash is caused by the bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. The Bull's eye rash appears as a red, slightly itchy skin rash with a clear, or whitish central area. However, Erythema migrans is not always a symptom present in patients with Lyme disease.

Lyme disease symptoms don't always show up in the form of a rash, although many people believe the bullseye rash is the most common type of symptom. Other symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, and arthritic pain in the joints. Many people pass off the fatigue and headache as common exhaustion from an overly-busy schedule. The disease is stealthy, not always directly signaling that something's wrong.

Ticks naturally thrive during the warm summer months, but due to warmer weather in the fall and winter, it is still crucial to check for ticks, many of which carry the Lyme disease bug, AKA Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium. In many cases, the evidence suggests that if a tick is found on the body, its removal within 24 hours can prevent it from downloading its toxins into the skin. After a long struggle with Lyme disease and its crushing symptoms, my enjoyment of some of life's simple pleasures has been tainted, such as a picture of a cute little nature imp in a pile of leaves.

Lyme in the news

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-10-25T20:06:16-04:00
The Lyme Disease Research Database adds news feed. The "Lyme in the news" web page has been set up to run daily Lyme Disease news stories.

Healing Lyme Disease with Art

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-10-05T18:01:19-04:00
When I was super sick, a couple of years ago, I had constant skin pain, the medical term for which is severe neuralgia. I'd never experienced such horrid, continuous sensations. If someone had handed me a gun, I might have shot myself. Fortunately, I didn't get my hands on a gun. I picked up a paint brush instead. I only had enough energy to paint for short durations of time. I chose a small project that took me about three nights to complete, and spent about a half an hour each night painting. During the brief time that I was actually painting, I became completely absorbed in my work. I concentrated fully on how the paint looked on the brush, watched it with wonder as it came slowly off the brush and onto the canvas, curving in direct response to my idea of a design. Astonished, each night I would experience the pain returning as I put away my paints and cleaned the brushes. What was going on?

I called an artist friend, and she corroborated my suspicion. Art, or to be specific, any creative act, heals. Those few precious pain-free moments saved me. Eventually, the moments stretched out and now I live without pain. Looking back, I recognize that the full-on concentration I poured into that small art project created a break in the pattern of stress and pain that had become part of my moment-to-moment experience of living.

Stress is a big challenge when you're healing any serious or chronic disease, and Lyme patients must learn strategies for coping with it in a positive way. It's not as if stress is going to go away -- as everyone knows, it's a natural part of living. Out of despair at the realization that he could not heal me, and that he must accept the fact that I had to heal myself, my partner brought home paints and paintbrushes. I have a background in art, and yet until it was a life or death situation, I had no clue how the practice of painting -- of focusing on one simple creative act -- could help me begin to heal. So how do you deal with it?

One smart way to get a handle on stress is to cultivate a regular meditation practice. Sitting down, calming your mind, and focusing on your breath is something you can (usually) handle even when you're sick. It is a challenge to meditate when you're scared, or in pain, or when a coherent thought can't easily navigate your brain fog. But meditation needn't be long or grueling. Shoot for short sessions. Even sitting and clearing your mind for one minute is helpful, if that's all you can muster. Try going for five minutes next time, fifteen the next. One or two times a day has been proven to help the mind to learn more quickly, and integrate new information more efficiently. You don't have to follow any specific format in order to benefit from meditation practice. You can paint, like I did. Some people merely focus on their breath moving in and out. When the mind wanders, as minds will do, simply become aware of this fact and gently bring the focus back to the breath. This type of focus can't be underrated in terms of helping you get off of the pain train, even momentarily.

New LDRD site is complete

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-09-17T16:46:39-04:00
The new Lyme Disease Researh Database website is complete. We will now be shifting our focus on providing the best resources we can to help you with your quest for education about Lyme Disease.

LDRD News Update

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-08-10T22:09:10-04:00
we have been working solely on the LDRD website upgrade for the last two and half months. This was a necessary process to get through in order to allow for growth and to increase control and security around the up coming Multi-Media upgrades. We apologize for not being able to offer new interviews and resources during that time.

As of this time, we are in the middle of going live with the new site. We hope to have the new site fully optimized by August 15th. Starting in September we will be offering new interviews and affiliated resources.

Thank you for your patience and support.

Suzanne and Evan

Common mistakes in diagnosing and treatment

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-05-15T13:56:12-04:00
Deliberations and contestments continue over successful treatment of Lyme disease. Due to the difficulty of getting a correct diagnosis shortly following the initial infection, Lyme patients commonly do not seek treatment until the symptoms become painful. At the present, most physicians do not know how best to diagnose Lyme. If you or a loved one are suffering from symptoms you suspect may be associated with the disease, it is very important to seek a Lyme disease expert. Incorrect diagnosis, and subsequently, inappropriate subscription medication, can lead to serious complications for the person with an underlying infection due to undetected Borrelia bacteria.

Lyme disease in the family dog

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-04-29T15:55:36-04:00
Your dog is your little buddy, your furry kid. Nothing compares to the love your puppy has for you. You want to keep him or her as healthy and happy as you can. Lyme disease in a dog can be a devastating ordeal, not just for your dog but for you and your whole family. People frequently report that their main exposure to Lyme probably occurred because the family dog inadvertently brought a tick into the house.

Herbal protocols for Lyme

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-04-17T14:01:12-04:00
Lyme researchers and medical experts say herbal protocols such as Dr. Lee Cowden's are helping people who suffer with Lyme disease. Clinical studies have tested the effectiveness of a Peruvian herb that by now you've probably heard of: Samento. Other herbs from South America, Cumanda and Burbur, are also currently undergoing a clinical study for their effect on Chronic Lyme. These herbs are imported from Peru and available for use. If your doctor hasn't heard about them, ask her or him to investigate. Read more here.

Many people are finding that these herbal tinctures are safer to use and more effective than antibiotics, with the benefit of not having side effects. Dr. Cowden believes that detoxification of the body is just as important in long-term healing as finding and following a protocol that works.

Treatment of Lyme and CFS with Samento

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-04-04T13:54:16-04:00
Medical research reveals Lyme disease and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to share not only similar symptoms, but in some cases identical gene expression as well. In my conversation with Dr. Andrew Wright of the UK, he said he thinks that CFS is caused by a bacterial infection, and in many cases it seems to be the same bacteria, Borrelia, that is at the root of Lyme disease. He discussed the success of Samento, his preferred treatment of both illnesses, and his desire for more medical studies to be conducted on the long-term treatment of Lyme and CFS with herbal antimicrobials. As Samento has no effects, is safe and more well-tolerated than antibiotics, he says it's his first choice for treatment. Read more here.

Suspecting Lyme disease

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-03-29T13:39:42-04:00
Lyme's ability to mimic hundreds of other conditions complicates diagnosis of the disease. When is a skin rash just a skin rash? When it is cause for concern about Lyme disease? What types of rashes are suspect? Clinically diagnosing Lyme can be a complex process requiring intuitive, educated, Lyme literate physicians who won't simply dismiss seemingly unrelated symptoms.

Lyme research ignored by mainstream medical community

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-03-12T09:52:38-04:00
I recently interviewed Dr. Andrew Wright near Manchester, in the UK, who brought up an interesting fact about Lyme disease and the way it is contracted and spread. He cited a study that was done in New Guinea that found a majority of the population, 70%, were infected with Lyme disease. Since there are no ticks in the area, Dr. Wright and other medical practitioners and researchers wonder how these people are becoming infected.
Read more here.

Definitive Lyme test and Samento

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-03-01T10:51:29-05:00
Tests for Lyme seem to be deliberately confusing. Is there a definitive test or isn't there?

Dr. JoAnne Whitaker, Eleanor Fort and Lida Mattmann, PhD, have patented one. The Q-RiBb, which tests for antigens instead of antibodies is definitive because it locates actual Lyme bacteria in the body. Through the Bowen Research Lab in Florida, these physician/researchers have tested hundreds of people and found Lyme bacteria to be the cause of numerous misdiagnoses, among them MS, ALS, Parkinson's disease, fibromyalgia, CFIDS, rheumatoid arthritis and cardiac arrythmias. Dr. Whitaker has reason to suspect that Lyme is a pandemic that is being repressed by the medical-industrial complex.

People who have been misdiagnosed and subsequently treated for Lyme disease are getting well. The Lyme pathogen is hardy, tenacious and difficult to kill, but medical doctors with the courage to help their patients heal are finding holistic protocols that work. Samento, Cumanda and other Peruvian herbs, which have only become available in the US since 2001, are rising in popularity among the Lyme population, many of whom are quite sophisticated in finding ways to heal from a disease that the conventional medical community is too frightened to acknowledge.

For information about Samento and Cumanda, click here

Click here to join the LDRD and listen to our interview with Dr. Joanne Whitaker and many other Lyme literate physicians

Ticks love warm winters

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-02-27T16:50:40-05:00
Unusually warm winters make it easy for ticks and mosquitoes to survive. Although this is not generally the time you would think about protecting your dog or cat from ticks, these creatures can appear during the winter in surprising locales. If your local climate is warmer than usual for the beginning of January, you might consider treating your pets with a tick repellant. Be sure to check your pet's paws and coat thoroughly, lest she or he bring any of the little hitchhiking critters into the house.

If you allow your pet to sleep on your bed, take extra measures to keep them from introducing any tiny friends. Ticks can be as small as a piece of ground black pepper. They are extremely difficult to detect. It's better to apply tick repellant to your pet to be on the safe side. Check with your local pet supply store or veteranarian for an insecticide that is safe enough for your furry pal.

Lyme disease symptoms: Is herxing necessary?

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-02-15T11:43:48-05:00
Lyme disease symptoms are also referred to as Herxheimer reactions or herxing. Would you herx if you discovered you didn't need to? This is a question that Jean Reist, R.N., asks her patients to take to heart. Jean, who has treated hundreds of Lyme sufferers through her PA clinic, Journey to Wellness, has discovered that when Lyme patients tend to proper lymph system drainage they don't experience the stress of a herx. Jean discusses her findings in an audio interview as part of the Interviews with Experts series on the LDRD.

Herxheimer reactions, the healing crisis experienced by Lyme sufferers as a result of a die-off of Lyme bacteria, are a major source of stress for Lyme patients. Simply put, the more effective the medicine in killing the spirochetes, the greater the herx. Killing Lyme bacteria is a curious business. Agonizing pain and the recurrence of symptoms is often used as a measure for the dosage. In general the rule is: If you're herxing to a great degree, back off on the medicine. If you're not herxing at all, you may not be taking a high enough dosage. Each patient will react differently to treatment, and with a wide variety of alternative treatments available, it may take some time and experimentation before you find the right dosage.

Proper lymph drainage can facilitate the healing of Lyme disease and help reduce or even eliminate Lyme disease symptoms altogether. At the first sign of a herx, Reist advises, drink copious amounts of water, exercise, and reach for a detoxifying tonic herb such as Burbur or Parsley. Each organ in the body has a lymph "neck," which is where blockage can occur. Therefore, it's very helpful for the patient to work with a health care practitioner who can help you locate the blockage. The next step is to work on unblocking, which can be achieved in a number of ways, Reist says.

You can hear the entire interview as a member, join now and listen.

Stephen Harrod Buhner's book, "Healing Lyme"

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-02-03T16:50:21-05:00
Stephen Harrod Buhner's book Healing Lyme.
I think probably the most difficult thing Lyme patients have to deal with is the lack of understanding in the medical community and how they're treated by the medical community. So many of them are told it's all in their heads. So many of them are misdiagnosed. So many of them are told that after they do a regular course of antibiotics they should be well, and if they aren't, well, then that's their problem, it's something wrong with them, mentally.
- from my interview with Stephen Harrod Buhner, Nov 30 2006

If you're weary of being reduced by the medical-industrial complex and its outdated myths about Lyme infection and treatment, listen to Stephen. Buy his book. It's like a breath of sweet, fresh air.

How totally refreshing to hear his point of view, based on intensive research into Lyme and the spirochete, after so many eyeball-rolling physicians try to diminish their patients' own experience of illness by swatting it away like a fly. Buhner is an expert on indigenous and spiritual traditions, a master herbalist, teacher, and award-winning author of ten books about herbs and sacred plant medicines. Plus, he comes from a long line of healers and he's sublimely articulate about the Lyme infection, the spirochete and what he calls the "Lyme Wars."

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with him about his research and hearing his thoughts on Lyme activists, whom he considers an exceptionally sophisticated population. That's you, baby.

Want to read more? Stephen Harrod Buhner Interview .

Healing lyme with herbs

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-01-30T13:47:00-05:00
At this point in time, antibiotics are the clearest choice for killing spirochetes, with some caveats. Many people think of herbal approaches to treating Lyme borreliois as "experimental." The term is meaningless in relation to Lyme disease. With Lyme infection everything is experimental. -- Stephen Harrod Buhner, Healing Lyme: Natural Healing and Prevention of Lyme Borreliosis and Its Coinfections

The spirochetes are scavengers. They're adept at feasting off of their host and creating endless suffering from eating in their "favorite restaurants," as Stephen Harrod Buhner says: our knees, our skin, our hearts. In his book, this master herbalist and psychotherapist who writes about sacred plant medicine gives a keenly intelligent overview on Lyme disease, offers a core protocol for healing Lyme, and goes into detail about the many herbs that have acted as potent healers across time and tradition. His unique protocol is being followed by patients and physicians alike, either in conjunction with antibiotics or alone.

Stephen writes cogent and in-depth explanations about this natural healing protocol. He generously agreed to take part in the unique "Conversations with Experts" special feature on the LDRD website. Do yourself a favor: Listen to my interview with Stephen here.

Investigation into the October IDSA rulings

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-01-15T15:45:09-05:00
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, in an unprecedented historical move, has begun an investigation into the recent IDSA rulings regarding treatment for Lyme.

Click here to read the press release, which includes the President of the Lyme Disease Association (LDA) Pat Smith's statement of support. Let's all make sure Mr. Blumenthal knows how thankful we are that he's doing the right thing and tell him he's got our support.

Write to him at: attorney.general@po.state.ct.us

Q-RiBb is here

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2007-01-02T10:41:53-05:00
Q-RiBb, the newly patented Lyme test, is starting to get the kind of coverage it needs to become well-known. The word on the street is that the test was formally introduced at the Lyme conference in Philadelphia in October. Over 9,000 people have been tested this way. In sharp contrast to the lengthy wait (two or three weeks or more) for the results of the unreliable Western Blot, all of them received their diagnosed with Lyme in just one day!

The difference between the two tests is very easy to understand. The Western Blot tests for antibodies. The Q-RiBb tests for antigens, the bug itself. Simple.

Check it out at lymeresearch.com. And spread the word.

O, Thank You!

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2006-12-27T13:41:06-05:00
Okay kids, the thing we really really need is publicity, right? Acknowledgement and assistance from the medical profession and others. Well, here's Oprah to the rescue. It's a genuine pleasure to see the first ever national ad that calls attention to this national endemic.

Please check out the powerful ad from the Turn the Corner Foundation in the November issue of Oprah magazine, and then take just a moment to e-mail a thank you note for running it. Oprah has the potential to help break this story wide open. Isn't it about time?

Here is the link to e-mail your thanks O magazine for running the ad:

http://www2.oprah.com/omagazine/omag_wehear.jhtml

PBS interview with Kathleen Zabawa

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2006-12-21T12:39:52-05:00
Here's something I know you're going to want to see. Watch this PBS interview presented in Houston last week (Nov 3 2006). It's excellent. Kathleen Zabawa has Lyme and really tells it like it is. She's a brave patient and an advocate for us all. One of her most important points is that Lyme needs publicity. Did you know that there are less than 100 doctors in the U.S. who are even Lyme literate?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4726635875489946625

Watch it now and then send it to your family members and friends; it will help them understand you and all the weird symptoms. It's fantastic. I'm off to send a thank you note to this woman and the host of the show. There is hope for understanding and hope for healing! We've just got a lot of work to do.

The only thing that saddens me is that it doesn't look like Kathleen has tried Samento or Cumanda, and I've interviewed Lymies who are symptom-free and healthy again because of these powerful, effective alternatives to antibiotics. I wish I could snap my fingers and get everyone with Lyme to try them. But until their doctors recommend them, people are often reluctant to try anything new. Does that make sense, though, when the doctor knows less about Lyme than you do?

On the horns of an abx dilemma.

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2006-12-07T14:28:02-05:00
We know that antibiotics do help Lyme patients heal, although doctors have observed that abx do their best work when people start taking them soon after becoming infected. Many docs are advocating for the use of long-term abx in the case of chronic Lyme. They feel there is no other way to deal with it. No question, antibiotics are the modern miracle medicine, an irrefutable symbol of civilization. But the medical truth is, long-term antibiotics may do more harm than good.

If you're one of those people who never experienced Lyme disease symptoms until the stress of a life-changing event set it off, you may have been given abx long after you caught the bug. Are your chances of healing from Lyme now reduced? What are the alternatives to abx, and why should we give them a chance?

Read entire article here.

300 Protest IDSA guidelines

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2006-12-01T13:48:18-05:00
Among the protest signs held up by attendees was a little boy's that read, "All I Want For Christmas is My Medicine."

Reporter Liz Anderson of the Journal News in Westchester, PA, covered the rally which took place on November 30:

Protesters cheered Dr. Joseph Burrascano, vice president of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, which supports the use of long-term antibiotics in some cases and has called on the IDSA to retract the recommendations.

"If they weren't so seriously flawed, I would say it was a joke," he said of the guidelines. He urged those at the rally to fight back "by uncovering the truth."

Read the entire article here.

protest the IDSA guidelines

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2006-11-24T13:45:53-05:00
Read this comprehensive article published in Danbury CT that cuts to the heart of the matter:

Nov 28 2006 6:39 AM
Lyme disease activists to protest
By Robert Miller

THE NEWS-TIMES

Area Lyme disease activists, dismayed by recently released treatment guidelines for the illness, will go public with their protest Thursday, rallying at Westchester Medical Center/New York Medical College in Valhalla, N.Y., where the lead author of the guidelines works.

"They're highly restrictive,'' said Dr. Steven Phillips, a Ridgefield physician who is the former president of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society. "I just cannot understand why they've chosen to ignore all the data on this.''

"They were worse than we expected,'' said Maggie Shaw of the Newtown Lyme Disease Task Force.

"In a word, I think they're a disgrace,'' said Dr. Raphael Stricker of San Francisco, who is the current president of ILADS. "They're not relying on best science. They're relying on their opinion.''

The guidelines are so controversial that Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has intervened. His office is now investigating whether the group that wrote the guidelines, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, is a monopolistic organization trying to shape treatment of the tick-borne disease without allowing other treatment options to emerge.

"It's a medical issue but also a patient issue,'' Blumenthal said. "Their guidelines limit very severely the types of diagnosis and treatment available to patients. In a way, that's anti-competitive.''

The national guidelines issued by the Infectious Diseases Society of America recommend that doctors give patients with Lyme disease 10 to 28 days of oral antibiotics to treat the disease, with another month allowed for persistent symptoms.

But the guidelines -- now posted on the Web site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- deny the existence of chronic Lyme disease, saying there's no medical evidence that the bacteria that causes Lyme survives antibiotic treatment.

It also emphasizes using either the characteristic bull's-eye rash or blood tests to help correctly diagnose the disease -- two methods Lyme activists say can lead to Lyme cases being missed.

Diana Olson, spokeswoman for the infectious diseases society, said the 14 doctors who worked on the guidelines -- led by Dr. Gary Wormser, an infectious disease specialist at Westchester Medical Center/New York Medical College -- studied more than 400 published medical reports on Lyme disease before coming to their conclusions.

"This is the best science has to offer,'' she said.

Olson said the society could not take into account things like patients' anecdotal accounts of their Lyme disease treatment in writing the guidelines. Nor, she said, did it concern itself with whether insurance companies would pay for treatment outside those guidelines.

She also said that guidelines are just that, and that patients and doctors are free to find different treatments that work best for them.

She also said the society is cooperating fully with Blumenthal's office.

"In our experience, we've never heard of this kind of investigation,'' she said. "But we stand behind our methods and our recommendations.''

But Lyme activists and doctors who support a more liberal approach to treating the disease said the new guidelines are highly restrictive, not allowing doctors any latitude in treatment.

Perhaps the most contentious point is whether chronic Lyme disease even exists.

Many Lyme patients and their doctors contend the standard treatment for Lyme disease sometimes fails, or never gets administered to begin with.

When that happens, they say, the bacterial spirochete that causes the disease can re-emerge in the body, causing a bewildering array of symptoms -- including arthritis, chronic fatigue, heart problems, memory loss, depression, and neurological disorders including loss of sight and hearing.

To treat these symptoms -- and those of several other tick-borne illnesses, which can overlap -- these doctors recommend several months or even years of antibiotics, often using a mix of drugs.

The infectious disease society, however, said that these symptoms are "nonspecific'' and associated with many other illnesses, not Lyme infection. They also caution that there are medical problems -- including the development of drug resistance -- that should lead patients to avoid long-term antibiotic care whenever possible.

But Phillips of Ridgefield and Stricker of San Francisco said this approach ignores the hundreds of studies that now show the Lyme bacteria can bury itself in muscle tissue, lie dormant, then re-emerge.

"There (have) been 18,000 papers published on Lyme disease,'' Stricker said. "So saying you're looking at 400 means you've only looked at 5 percent of the research."

"The evidence just continues to grow and grow on this,'' Phillips said. "To ignore a whole section of this research, as if it doesn't exist, raises questions for me.''

Because of the prestige the infectious disease society carries, Lyme activists say insurance companies will now be even more adamant about refusing coverage beyond 28 days of antibiotics -- something, they say, that has already begun.

They also say the new guidelines will stifle new treatments, because doctors will fear they'll be disciplined if they step beyond the guidelines.

"This isn't theoretical,'' Blumenthal said. "It will come down to a matter of dollars and cents.''

Contact Robert Miller
at bmillernewstimes.com
or (203) 731-3345.

Getting Enough Sleep? Effects of Sleep on Lyme.

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2006-11-11T10:28:29-05:00
According to sleep researchers, a lot of us aren't getting enough hours in dreamland. If you have Lyme disease you're likely to have weird sleep patterns. Some nights you're out the minute your head hits the pillow – or even before that! Other nights you toss and fidget while the cats and dogs and everyone else in the whole neighborhood snoozes peacefully. We need to get adequate sleep if we expect to heal from this disease. While our bodies sleep, important cellular work gets done. Healing happens. The myriads of smart biological micro-elves that make up our amazingly intelligent bodies tend to the repair work that they cannot do while we're awake. Our bodies need at least 5 hours and usually no more than 8 hours of good solid sleep to make us better.

The time you go to bed is important too. Our bodies follow inner patterns known as circadian rhythms. I've noticed when I stay up past the witching hour – midnight – and sleep until after 9 a.m., I don't feel as rested as when I go to bed by 11 p.m. and wake up around 7. Dr. Christine Horner, who teaches how to use Ayurvedic practices to heal from cancer and other serious diseases, feels that we should go to bed by 10 p.m. and rise after 6 a.m. to maximize the potent healing force of sleep.

If you're a night-owl like me, 10 o'clock sounds really early. But for the sake of healing more quickly, let's make a promise, shall we? Whenever we can, we'll go to bed earlier than usual, lounge like housecats, and read a good book for a little while, then doze off. The world can turn without us. Our elves have work to do. Let's help them do it.

All In Your Head

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2006-11-02T16:24:36-05:00
File this under the heading It's All in Your CDC Study:

This week, researchers for the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) published a study that may go a long way towards validating Lyme disease sufferers who have been dismissed or ignored by their medical doctors. The study states that Lyme disease results in acute long-term disorders, or as authors Jill A. Livengood and Robert D. Gilmore Jr. write: “...the organism is able to evade the host’s immune defenses and mobilize to various host tissues eventually resulting in arthritis, carditis, and neurological manifestations."

While this study may impact physicians' attitudes toward patients (let's hope it's a positive impact), it can't undo the damage done to myriads of Lyme sufferers over the years whose doctors have hovered in their examining rooms with one hand on the doorknob, rolled their eyes and muttered, “it's all in your head.”

Thank you, Livengood and Gilmore.

Qigong and Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2006-10-31T15:25:53-05:00
If you are like many people and would rather have a root canal than exercise, listen up. In Chinese traditional medicine and complementary medicine, there is a belief that in order for us to stay healthy or to heal from disease, we need to maintain balance. One of the simplest ways to do this is with a bit of daily exercise. Qigong is a simple and easy way to help your body regain and maintain balance. You may know that Qigong is an ancient exercise that hails from China. Qi, or chi, refers to the life-force or energy. Increasing your qi leads to healing, but bear in mind that you must also practice patience with yourself, because healing probably won't happen all in one day. Create a simple, pleasant space where you can practice your daily routine. Express your determination, kindness and compassion for yourself and your unique healing path.

You can practice these gentle exercises by yourself in your living room, or maybe you're the type of person who needs the support and camaraderie of a group. Figure out what feels right to you, then just set your mind to following a routine. Dedicate yourself to healing. Asians have used these exercises for over 5,000 years to maintain health in mind, body and spirit. Qigong is only one form of exercise that you can do to help alleviate stress, increase your blood circulation, and calm your mind. I find that Qigong, like yoga, helps calm my mind. I recognize that I'm dealing with a serious illness that has changed my life, my relationships and my daily routines in every way. Anxiety is a natural result of all these changes. Anxiety arises when I feel my healing going two steps forward, one step back. A daily routine of calm and focused physical exercise helps me release the fears and find balance, literally and metaphorically.

Learn more abour exercise and it's effects on Lyme disease as a member.

Craving Sweets? Sugar and its effects on Lyme

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2006-10-17T13:24:26-04:00
I recently met a very sweet Coloradan named Bea who was diagnosed with Lyme disease about a year and a half ago. Same time as I was. (Coincidentally, also the same time as singer Daryl Hall was, but that's a blog of a different color.) Anyway, Bea told me that after six months of taking antimicrobial herb supplements she's healthy, finally, after a terrible nine year battle. She said she's also changed her diet. I asked her what the main change was. “I used to love Little Debbie's and ice cream,” she said.

Sugar is bad for our health. Pretty much everyone knows that. So why do we continue to eat it? Well, it's in more foods than you may know, including bread, breakfast cereals, peanut butter, mayonnaise and ketchup. Do you eat microwaveable meals? They're full of added, refined sugars. Why? Sugar is addictive. Giant food corporations know that if they can hook someone on the sweet stuff they've got a steady stream of cash flow from the junk food junkies.

One of sugar's major effects on our bodies is to raise the insulin level. As a result, it suppresses the growth hormones and depresses the immune system. Lyme bacteria feasts on sugar and replicates, while the sugar also destroys the body's natural defenses against disease. Sugar is what to eat if you want to stay real sick. Just ask Bea, who is a healthy survivor of Lyme disease. “Now I understand that sugar feeds the Lyme bacteria,” she told me. “So I don't eat that stuff anymore.”

Take An Interest In your Health

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2006-10-02T13:23:18-04:00
Headlines. Sometimes I don't know whether to laugh at them or cry. Yesterday's stuck with me. It was like medical news version of the common one we see in every woman's consumer magazine: Doctors Say Exercise and Eating Less leads to Weight Loss. Yesterday's headline was something like: Study Finds that People Who Take an Interest in their Own Health Likely to Heal Faster. Well, duh!

When I brought this up at the dinner table (yes, we ignore the rules about what can and cannot be talked about at dinner around here, and come to think of it, we don't even eat at a table, but never mind), I was reminded that in fact, many people don't take charge of their own healing. Not only that, but in our culture taking on responsibility for your own healing is a revolutionary act, a heroic act. A lot of people expect the doctor to make them better, presto change-o. Take this magic pill. Don't worry that the doctor doesn't even bother, to tell you what it is or what the generic name of it is, what the adverse side effects might be or even how long to continue taking it.

We live in a culture where we're unaccustomed to taking responsibility for our health. But healing, just as all art and acts of creativity, is way too important to be left solely up to the professionals. I love the advice I got from my Naturopath for healing Lyme disease. He recommended gathering a small group of medical advisors and consulting with them for the maximum of quality information. Imagine your healing journey as a road trip, he told me, and these advisors are in the car with you. Who do you choose to have along for the ride?

Expiration dates count.

Lyme Disease Research Database — 2006-09-21T12:02:16-04:00
Expiration dates count. Be aware of outdated information on Lyme disease research websites. It's astonishing to me how many doctors' and medical authorities' websites are still confidently proclaiming that Lyme disease can only be spread by ticks. I've only been researching this disease for a little over a year but it appears clear that ticks alone are not responsible for the epidemic of Lyme disease. The Lyme-literate doctors I've spoken with are convinced that only a small percentage of cases of Lyme are spread by ticks. There seems to be a lot of evidence to suggest that all blood-sucking insects are capable of carrying the bacteria that causes Lyme. One scientist I interviewed who researches Lyme stated that every single mosquito she had tested, from California to Florida, tested positive with the bacteria.

When searching online for good information on Lyme, it's crucial to keep in mind that medical research is dynamic and ongoing. This disease is a highly underrated epidemic, and the physicians who test their patients for it and diagnose it are not always able to publish about their results immediately. Old and out-of-date information about this disease seems to be prevalent on the web. Yet cutting edge information is available for those who are careful to critically screen the quality of information they find.

Screening out noisy rubble and finding good information about Lyme is like panning for gold. Many websites are helpful, some more than others. Some websites were once relevant, but now they're outdated. Look for the most updated discoveries to find what you need to know. This evening, I was reading through the site of a popular health advocate I once met and whose products I have used, to my great satisfaction. Her website, however, was stacked with information about Lyme disease that dates back to 1996. Over just the past year or two, the discoveries about new, successful treatments for Lyme are hopeful and deeply encouraging, but a person reading this health advocate's site would never get that impression. So watch the expiration date on the information you take to heart. Lyme patients find out quickly that it is to their advantage to get quality and timely research.