Lyme time
Spring in New England is synonymous with two things: mud and ticks. Well, it’s not ALL bad…the sound of peepers fills the air and the maple sap starts running. But really…the tick problem kind of overshadows all that, and certainly ups the stress game for anyone going outdoors. The tick season seems to be lengthening with less severe winters, and its habitat increasing…which is incredibly worrying as contracting Lyme can go on to cause debilitating chronic symptoms. Since I’ll be visiting soon, I’ve created a “Lyme Kit”, everything I need to deal with a tick bite properly and provide immediately immune and anti-bacterial support…and I want to share it with you!
Early, or acute Lyme typically presents with these symptoms:
Rash – red, pink or bullseye-type
Headache
Joint pain
Fever
Fatigue
However, symptoms vary, some do not have any symptoms, experience only a few, or have all of the above…and sometimes more. If the infection spreads, chronic Lyme disease can develop, which can eventually cause more symptoms, including extreme fatigue, headaches, muscle pain, arthritis, numbness, tingling, nerve pain and weakness, heart problems, psychiatric symptoms (anxiety, depression, irritability, psychosis, etc.), sleep issues, cognitive issues, and and problems with vision and hearing.
Symptoms of chronic Lyme can vary from person to person, and sometimes take years to develop, which is why it is extremely important to prevent chronic Lyme by addressing the acute infection as soon as possible.
We also differ from the CDC in that we know that a longer course of antibiotics is often necessary (3-6 weeks), which is consistent with the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society guidelines. It is also clear that antibiotics alone (or one type of antibiotic) may not be enough, here’s why:
Borrelia exists in different forms: the typical, spirochete form (pronounced spy-ro-keet), round body (aka cyst) and the bleb state, and some antibiotics do not treat all the forms.
Research has found that when spirochetes are exposed to the antibiotic Doxycycline, they convert to the more treatment-resistant round body form, which can persist in a dormant state and withstand antibiotic treatment.
Borrelia uses biofilms, a physical barrier which protects them from antibiotics, and mechanisms called efflux pumps to remove antibiotics from its inside, both of which can make it really challenging to successfully treat with antibiotics alone.
Borrelia can live both inside and outside our cells, and some antibiotic families only treat the extracellular space.
For example, Penicillins & Cephalosporins treat the spirochete outside the cells; Tetracylines & Macrolides treat the spirochete inside and outside the cells; Azoles & Rifamycins treat the spirochete and round bodies inside and outside the cells.
For this reason, combining a commonly prescribed Tetracycline like Doxycycline which works both inside and outside the cell, with medicinal herbs that effectively break biofilms and kill the round bodies is my preference. You can also talk to your doctor about combining two types of antibiotics to ensure you are treating both inside and outside the cellular space. Antibiotic combinations are also used to treat co-infections.
My DIY Lyme Toolkit includes recommendations for herbs and supplements that can be used alongside antibiotics to treat acute Lyme. The kit also includes tips on prevention and what to do directly after a tick bite. You can download it HERE
Remember to support your immune system, which will be working hard after a tick bite. Start with these 5 THINGS and don’t underestimate the power of staying hydrated.
Remember, one-on-one professional guidance is just a click away, book your free discovery call here.
You deserve to be well!
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The views and nutrition, naturopathic and herbal recommendations expressed by Camille Hoffman and Hoffman Natural Health’s programs, website, publications and newsletters, do not constitute a practitioner-patient relationship, are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service and are for informational purposes only. The statements and content found in these programs, website, publications and newsletters have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The treatments described may have known and unknown side effects and health hazards. Each user is solely responsible for their own healthcare choices and decisions. Camille Hoffman advises the website user to discuss these ideas with a healthcare professional or physician before trying them. Camille Hoffman does not accept any responsibility for any positive or adverse effects a person claims to experience, directly or indirectly, from the ideas and contents of this website.
SOURCES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Lyme Disease. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/index.html
The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Education Foundation. (2022). Lyme Disease. Retrieved from https://iladef.org/
Miklossy J., et al. (2008). Persisting atypical and cystic forms of Borrelia burgdorferi and local inflammation in Lyme. Journal of neuroinflammation, 5(1), 1-18. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1742-2094-5-40
Pathogen transmission in relation to duration of attachment by Ixodes scapularis ticks. (2019). Tick Born Diseases, 9(3), 535–542. Retrieved from https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.ttbdis.2018.01.002
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control . (2016). Factsheet about Borreliosis. Retrieved from https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/borreliosis/facts/factsheet
Lyme Disease Association of Australia. (2022). Australian Lyme? Retrieved from https://lymedisease.org.au/lyme-in-australia/australian-lyme/
Cameron, D. J., Johnson, L. B., & Maloney, E. L. (2014). Evidence assessments and guideline recommendations in Lyme disease: the clinical management of known tick bites, erythema migrans rashes and persistent disease. Expert review of anti-infective therapy, 12(9), 1103-1135.