Glen's Lyme Alert Apdate

[Guest guest]

Lyme Disease Alert

I have had Lyme disease for about six years. I say about six years,

because I don’t know when I got bit or where. I was taking care of my wife

who was suffering from MS, so I didn’t go very far from home or for too

long a time. If I had to guess, I would say it might have been while

watching my dogs in a little fenced in area, or mowing the lawn, especially

behind the pool where there was underbrush and some low hanging tree

branches in our yard on Street in High Bridge. I know the deer were

in all our back yards on that street that year, and they are there this

year too. I know others on my street, in my town, in our State and places

from Pennsylvania to New England who are also suffering form Lyme disease

or Lyme and co-infections that can come along with a tick bite. Like many

other, when I first began to feel unusual symptoms, I visited a local

doctor who found nothing particularly wrong with me, but suggested that I

get more rest and time away from the stress of care-giving. Like many

others too, I never had the classis “bulls-eye rash” that allows doctors to

identify a tick bit as transmitting the Lyme organism. But I was

lucky. One day, when going to my pharmacy to get supplies for my wife, I

told my pharmacists, at Grayrock Pharmacy, how I had been

feeling. immediately raised his eyebrows and looking at me, without

a moment’s hesitation suggesting that I had Lyme and should get to his

doctor in as soon as possible for testing. He told me that he too, and

many of his family members had Lyme and were all being treated as a family.

I am very glad knew what was wrong with me and told me to been seem

immediately; otherwise I would have lost valuable time in getting

treatment. Because of his families involvement with this disabling

disease, has many important resources for his customers, such as the

classic symptoms list to check which he showed to me, and Dr. ph

Burrascano’s treatment guidelines. Pharmacist continues to update

his Lyme information and recently began carrying a line of very effective

herbal formulations that have been safely and effectively used to fight

Lyme and co-infections. I have found that he has helped innumerable

customers learn about Lyme prevention and treatment and recommends that

anyone ask questions when they are there, as he is always more than willing

to help. Grayrock Pharmacy is located at 1802 Rt. 31 in Clinton, and can

be reached at 908-638-4000.

This year Lyme disease is proliferating at a rapid rate. Right

now, the State of Pennsylvania has the fastest rate of increase in

cases. The entire Northeast is effected by this disease and it is now

showing up in states that have never seen it before. In fact, there is an

unexpected and surprising 30% rise in tick borne pathogens in Rhode Island

this year that indicates some undiscovered factors in the environment that

make prediction difficult. The CDC indicates that there were just 17,730

reported cases of Lyme in 2000. But many cases of Lyme are not reported,

and the guidelines for reporting are limited in its definition of the

disease. Doctors on the front line of fighting the disease say that now it

is more likely that yearly cases are as high as 200, 000, with as many as

20 million people in this country currently infected. New Jersey is one of

the states with the highest rates of infection, with Hunterdon Country is

on the top of the list.

Not all ticks cause Lyme, and Lyme is not caused by only

ticks. Recently it has been discovered that some flees, mosquitoes and

mites are also carriers. There is also now evidence that human-to-human

transmission occurs. More controversial is the issue of whether Lyme is

transmitted sexually. Dr. Bach of Colmar, Pennsylvania has found

substantial evidence for sexual transmission and teaches caution in his

workshops. Another issue is that the carriers of the ticks include rodents

as well as deer. This means that we all must take precautions when outside

between June and November (or until the first hard frost), the months when

ticks are active.

How can you protect yourself from Lyme? Use a DEET-free insect

repellant such as Shoo-Bug on your cloths. Tuck pants in socks, and wear

long sleeves. Stay away from brush, dead leaves and heaven

undergrowth. Treat your dogs with Frontline. Check yourself for ticks

after hikes or camping, but keep in mind that ticks carrying Lyme can be as

small as the point of a pencil and very hard to find. If you do find a

tick, remove it with tweezers by grasping the jaw area and pulling it

straight out. Place the tick or ticks in either a glass jar or resealable

sandwich bad, date it, and put it in the freezer. Don’t contaminate the

tick by adding alcohol, insecticides, or petroleum jelly, or burning it

with a match. The tick can be checked later for infection, but only if it

is uncontaminated.

Generally the tick needs to remain attacked 12 or more hours

before it can pass on the infective material, so check yourself and remove

the tick as soon as possible, and treat the skin around the bite with

alcohol. Adult deer ticks must be attached for 48 hours to transmit the

Lyme disease pathogen, while nymphs, which are tiny and difficult to see,

need only be attached for 24 hours to transmit a Lyme infection. It is the

tiny nymphal

stage that is active now.

What are the symptoms of Lyme and Co-infections? This has really

two answers first, it is not just a matter of looking for a specific

symptom, and second, Lyme is known as the “great imitator”. This means

that while there is a list of typical symptoms for Lyme in general, it is

important to realize that Lyme is a “systemic” disease, effecting the whole

body or body/brain making symptoms very different in many individuals. For

those who first get Lyme, the symptom list is very helpful, but for those

who are not diagnosed until later, the symptoms imitate a startling number

of other conditions, making it more likely for the non-Lyme specialist

doctor to diagnose the patient as having one of as many as 350 other

diseases or conditions!

First, here are the most typical symptoms to watch for after a

tick bite or a suspected infection from Lyme.

· From 3 to 30 days afterward: the bull’s-eye rash at the site of the

bite (in maybe half of the cases); fever, shills, headache, muscle and/or

joint pain, fatigue. (I will add in my own case, the first symptoms were

rapid heart beat and irregular heart beat)

· From days to weeks afterwards: multiple rashes, facial paralysis

(Bell’s palsy), stiff neck, fever, headache, weakness, numbness, or pain in

the arms or legs, irregular heart beat, weakness and fatigue.

· Weeks to months afterwards: arthritis in the lower joints (usually

the knees), nervous system problems. (In my case, the infections crossed

the blood-brain barrier and quickly became neuro-psychological, which

included, dizziness, ringing in the ears (tenitis), paranoia, anxiety, word

order problems, short term memory loss, vision and hearing problems, mood

swings and depression).

It is also important to know that some people remain asymptomatic until a

traumatic experience or high stress level lowers the immune capabilities.

The most common co-infections in our area are Babesiosis,

Ehrlicheosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The symptoms for these

infections are similar to Lyme, but will not be eradicated with the same

treatments, so it is important to make sure you are tested for

co-infections as well as for Lyme if you suspect a tick bit.

Because Lyme is the “great imitator” it makes diagnosis more

difficult and misdiagnosis more likely. As an example from my own

experience, many patients previously diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis have

made real recovery when tested and treated for Lyme disease. I have seen

them out of their wheel chairs in my own Lyme doctor’s office. As

mentioned above, Lyme can mimic over 350 different medical

conditions. Such a list would be too long here, but, after reading just a

few, you’ll see how widespread the problem of Lyme has become: amyotrophic

lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease), Parkinson’s disease,

Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Bell’s palsy, chronic fatigue

syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, fibromyalgia, schizophrenia, irritable

bowel syndrome, coronary artery disease, heart failure, heart palpitations,

attention deficit disorder chronic pain syndromes, sleep apnea, mitral

valve prolapse, endometriosis, polycyctic ovary syndrome, Meriere,s

disease, esophageal reflux, gallbladder inflammation, and various

autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome,

lupus, and scleroderma. From this sort list, you can see how Lyme can be

misdiagnosed.

Keep in mind that the spirochete associated with Lyme can burrow

into every tissue and organ in the body, causing widespread inflammation

and destruction. Over time, it diminishes your immune system’s ability to

mount a proper defense, which opens the door to other pathogens like those

mentioned above. Additionally, each of those pathogens releases powerful

neurotoxins that tend to gravitate toward the fat molecules that make up

nerve and brain cells. This tendency helps explain problems like extreme

pain, headaches, sudden deafness, reflex problems, and muscle weakness that

many Lyme patients experience when their first bout of symptoms appears; we

well as the more severe neurological problems that follow.

Testing and treatment are also areas of controversy. There are

several blood tests for Lyme. The most widely used is the Western Blot,

which check for antibodies the body makes to fight proteins in the

organism, but the Lyme organism changes form (from a spiral shape to a cyst

shape) and is then “in hiding”, thus leaving little, if any, indication

from this test. Also, many doctors not familiar with Lyme don’t realize

that patients taking steroids, antibiotics, or anti-inflammatory mediations

(even ibuprofen or naproxen) well get a false negative from this test. For

an accurate reading patients should be off all medications of these types

for at least six-weeks, or (as some say) up to six months before the

test. As mentioned early in this article, doctors sometimes find no

symptoms until patients suffer traumas or stressful events. Diagnosis is

also complicated by the presence of co-infections like the bacterium

Ehrlichia phagocytophilia, or the protozoa (similar to malaria), Babesia

microti.

Treatment for Lyme and co-infections has its problems as

well. There are widely differing opinions on length of time necessary for

treatment and which medications are most effective. Some medical

practitioners suggest that 30 to 60 days of antibiotics is enough, while

others say this is woefully inadequate. Doctors to want to treat chronic

Lyme with long-term antibiotics sometimes face the loss of their medical

licenses for over treatment. Even with this, many Lyme Literate Medical

Doctors (LLMD) continue to use long-term treatment as the only way to

eradicate the infection. Current therapy consists of either oral

antibiotics (such as Biaxin or Zithromax) or intravenous (such as

Rocephin), often combined with anti-protazoal (for co-infections) like

Mepron (which I was treated with). It actually takes from 8 to 16 months

of continuous use to eradicate the Lyme spirochete and other pathogens. An

inadequate treatment period results in a relapse and those who suffer from

“chronic Lyme.”

I must be pointed out that there are also effective natural

treatments including homeopathic and herbal products, special diets,

exercise and psychological techniques that maintain positive mental states

as well as reducing stress. Many “naturopaths” are effectively treating

Lyme, and these techniques are also sometime combined with the more

traditional antibiotic protocol.

My personal story has also recently been published along with

thirteen other patients whose lives where challenged by Lyme disease and

its co-infections, and by unanticipated medical obstacles. The book also

has valuable resources for anyone who wants to be protected from getting

this disease and for those and/or their family members or friends who

already have the disease. These stories and resources will open your eyes

to the pitfalls and time consuming problems with diagnosis and treatment

that could mean saving unnecessary suffering and damage from chronic

infection as well as giving hope and courage in reading these wonderful

stories. The book is “Confronting Lyme Disease: What Patient Stories Teach

Us”, by P. Yerges and Rita L. Stanley, Ph.D, with a forward by Lesley

Ann Fein, M.D., MPH, a well known Lyme doctor in New Jersey. The official

book web site is http://www.confrontinglyme.com and is available locally as

well as at Amazon.com and at http://www.booksurge.com/bookstore.php3.

Finally, some good support and sharing are available on line in

the Lyme Email Lists and associated Web Pages, such as e. Many

towns and localities also offer support groups and provide lectures my

well-known doctors and specialists. There is an increased need for public

education as well as State and Federal Funding for research and treatment

of Lyme disease. This disease is quickly reaching epidemic proportions and

has caused untold suffering, financial hardship, human relations problems,

family break-ups and disability. We must all be made aware of its

prevalence, its difficulty to diagnose and treat, its ability to mimic many

other conditions, and its long-term consequences. If you have any

suspicion you have been bit by a tick, or are suffering any symptoms like

those described in this article, do not hesitate to be tested for Lyme

disease, as prompt action is crucial.

Here are a few helpful resources that are available and may prove

invaluable to your prevention and health.

Lyme Disease Foundation, Inc. P.O. Box 332, Tolland, CT.

06084-0332. http://www.lyme.org/ or E-mail

mailto:lymefnd@.... 860-870-0070 and 800-886-LYME (5963) 24-hour

information hotline.

International Lyme and Associated Disease Society. P.O. Box 241461,

Bethesda, MD 20827. http://www.ilads.org. 301-263-1080.

Lyme Disease Association, Inc. 5019 Megill Road, Farmington, NJ

07727. http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org/. E-mail:

mailto:lymeliter@....

Glenroy Barrett Wolfsen.