Re: Lyme increase at seasons change? & flare cycles

[Guest guest]

>

> Just wondered what any of you have heard or have experienced with an increase

in Lyme at the change of seasons?

It is difficult to say if such experiences are objectively true, e.g. many

people think symptoms are worse with full moon, but in general (not just for

Lyme) this is caused by the fact that - to untrained observers - there is a full

moon for about 2 weeks a month. Observations tend to fit the expectation of the

observer (just like it works for the IDSA docs ...).

In Germany they suggest using a special computer program to make records of all

your symptoms, so you can check them over the long run. In Netherlands patient

groups have also looked at this, to see if the flare cycle is a common occurence

(don't know the conclusion, I think it wasn't clearcut).

My own experience is a worsening of symptoms in winter, and I have heard this

from other chronic lymies as well. When my Lyme problems started I had severe

shooting pains that occured in winter (about november - march), gradually faded

in spring and hardly any trouble in summer/autumn. Then the next winter they

returned again.

After my 'treatment' with ABX and later Buhner herbs, which did not really cure

the lyme, I had a severe relapse in the first 1-2 weeks of the year, for three

years in a row now. Is it a yearly cycle, is it caused by lower winter

temperatures, less light, less outdoor activity, less movement in general during

winter time? I don't know ...

There is some consensus about a 4-5 week flare cycle for Lyme, especially for

those under treatment. This is supposed to be caused by interaction between Bb

and the immune system. But I have heard a few times that patients also

experience a yearly flare cycle. I don't think there is scientific concensus

about that though. Obviously, a yearly (or seasonal) cycle is much more

difficult to detect objectively, because you need to observe the patient for a

very long time.

[Guest guest]

It used to negatively affect my ability to walk every March for some reason. But

my worst effects were always in summer. The heat would keep me in constant brain

fog and direct sun would wipe me out. Even now that I'm mostly better, summer is

my worst time.

> >

> > Just wondered what any of you have heard or have experienced with an

increase in Lyme at the change of seasons?

>

>

> It is difficult to say if such experiences are objectively true, e.g. many

people think symptoms are worse with full moon, but in general (not just for

Lyme) this is caused by the fact that - to untrained observers - there is a full

moon for about 2 weeks a month. Observations tend to fit the expectation of the

observer (just like it works for the IDSA docs ...).

>

> In Germany they suggest using a special computer program to make records of

all your symptoms, so you can check them over the long run. In Netherlands

patient groups have also looked at this, to see if the flare cycle is a common

occurence (don't know the conclusion, I think it wasn't clearcut).

>

> My own experience is a worsening of symptoms in winter, and I have heard this

from other chronic lymies as well. When my Lyme problems started I had severe

shooting pains that occured in winter (about november - march), gradually faded

in spring and hardly any trouble in summer/autumn. Then the next winter they

returned again.

>

> After my 'treatment' with ABX and later Buhner herbs, which did not really

cure the lyme, I had a severe relapse in the first 1-2 weeks of the year, for

three years in a row now. Is it a yearly cycle, is it caused by lower winter

temperatures, less light, less outdoor activity, less movement in general during

winter time? I don't know ...

>

> There is some consensus about a 4-5 week flare cycle for Lyme, especially for

those under treatment. This is supposed to be caused by interaction between Bb

and the immune system. But I have heard a few times that patients also

experience a yearly flare cycle. I don't think there is scientific concensus

about that though. Obviously, a yearly (or seasonal) cycle is much more

difficult to detect objectively, because you need to observe the patient for a

very long time.

>

[Guest guest]

I wonder if the yearly flare cycles might be caused by interference of vitamin D

with bodies immune system; that is; perhaps the worse symptoms in winter are a

herx or rather that one may feel worse in the summer like ones immune system is

being shut down. Their is some research these days that show that vitamin D-25

and vitamin D1,25 have some profound effects on these receptors by binding to

them marshallprotocol.com , but it is hard for me to know for sure whether these

are herx symptoms or not. A simple way to know is to have BOTH these steroids

measured in the blood though the 1-25 D must be frozen on ice before

transporting to the lab.

> > My own experience is a worsening of symptoms in winter, and I have heard

this from other chronic lymies as well. When my Lyme problems started I had

severe shooting pains that occured in winter (about november - march), gradually

faded in spring and hardly any trouble in summer/autumn. Then the next winter

they returned again.

> >

> > There is some consensus about a 4-5 week flare cycle for Lyme, especially

for those under treatment. This is supposed to be caused by interaction between

Bb and the immune system. But I have heard a few times that patients also

experience a yearly flare cycle. I don't think there is scientific concensus

about that though. Obviously, a yearly (or seasonal) cycle is much more

difficult to detect objectively, because you need to observe the patient for a

very long time.

> >

>

[Guest guest]

>

> I wonder if the yearly flare cycles might be caused by interference of vitamin

D with bodies immune system; that is; perhaps the worse symptoms in winter are a

herx or rather that one may feel worse in the summer like ones immune system is

being shut down. Their is some research these days that show that vitamin D-25

and vitamin D1,25 have some profound effects on these receptors by binding to

them marshallprotocol.com , but it is hard for me to know for sure whether these

are herx symptoms or not.

agree that Vitamin D could be a factor, and it could work both ways. If Vit.D

stimulates the immune system one could expect stronger herxes in summer,

assuming that the immune system cannot control the infection anyway. If one has

mostly symptoms in winter it could be because too low Vit.D level causes

insufficient immune activity to keep the Bb in check. It's al a guess ...

According to the MP one would normally expect worst problems in summer, because

they think excess Vitamin D is the culprit (I'm simplifying things here, but

that is what it comes down to). On the MP people try all kind of things to lower

Vit.D levels in order for the Vitamin D receptor te become functional again.

IMHO all the MP VDR stuff is purely theoretical, I think it is a factor but I

don't think they are right about the VDR.

I would like to see Vit.D levels checked for chronic Lymies that are treated

(even better if you can find some values from before people got ill ...). I'm

not aware of any longterm studies about this, and even if there is a relation it

would be difficult to say what is cause or effect.