Thanks Sian, interesting thread.
Luckily, I've had a recurring rash where I was bitten by a tick so I'm not sure I need to get tested except maybe for coinfections. I'm planning on trying Buhner's protocol which uses herbs rather than prescription antibiotics. I realize Buhner might be biased, but he seems to think herbs are more effective overall. Based on what sianrecovery posted it seems maybe the problem isn't necessarily prescription antibiotics, but rather that the right kinds and/or right combinations aren't always used. Since I can't afford to see a Lyme specialist right now my only option is to take supplements. Has there been any advances in Lyme antibiotic drugs in the past few years or are the same ones used now the ones that were used a decade ago?
I've just read Buhner's book and he actually says that antibiotics plus herbals are better than antibiotics alone, he writes that he's anti antibiotics but not in the case of Lyme. according to him herbals can make antibiotics more effective but also help with other issues like immune strengthening, repairing tissue damage, etc.
At the end of the day you can't eradicate Borrelia and the best antiborrelia treatment is a fully functioning immune system that can fight it because the illness is very immunosuppressive.
In this respect, checking nagalase can be helpful. And then I think it's a bit artificial consider Borrelia as the only problem.
When you get bitten you are usually injected with several microbes together with borrelia, particularly parasites, which most doctor don't seem to consider or treat as antibiotics are ineffective against those.
But if you noticed, the antibiotics that appear to work best against Lyme are those few that also have an effect against certain parasites. Sapi in more recent research also mentioned the use of Ivermectin. In my case, I have never been completely sure of whether I have Lyme or not but coincidence or not Flagyl and Ivermectin have been very effective.
Introduction
Lyme disease is caused by the species of bacteria,
Borrelia burgdorferi, and is transmitted to humans by a vector ticks,
Ixodus scapularis. (1-2) Many investigators, including the University of New Haven Lyme disease research group, focused on identifying novel tick-borne bacteria, viruses and fungal co-infections in ticks or in patients with a tick bite history. (1-2) Despite these efforts and the introduction of novel treatment protocols, there are little improvements in the outcome of some of the Lyme patients.
Can species other than bacteria, virus or fungus be responsible for these chronic problems found in Lyme patients? It has been proposed that certain parasites could also be a factor in Lyme disease. European doctors have already incorporated Ivermectin, an antihelminth drug, into their Lyme disease protocol with surprising success. Ivermectin is well known for its effectiveness against filarial nematode infections and is often used by veterinarians to eradicate parasitic infections. (3)
Can Lyme disease patients have filarial nematode co-infection and can they acquire this infection from ticks? The only evidence reported of filarial worm presence in ticks was from a study by Burgdorferi’ in 1984 where thirty microfilarial worms (species not identified) were found in one adult Ixodis dammini tick in Shelter Island, NY. (4) Black flies have already been identified as vectors of filarial nematodes. (5)Interestingly, ticks can also be used as an
in vitro experimental vector system to study the transmission of filarial nematodes and it was shown that the infected nymphal stage could transmit the filarial worms. (6) If filarial nematodes could be a tick-borne co-infection of Lyme disease patients, their eradication would require additional treatments using specific filaricidal drugs, which could explain why standard antibiotic based protocols often fail in some chronic Lyme disease cases. (7)
Preliminary research data on the potential presence of filarial nematodes in ticks from the University of New Haven research group, suggested that Ixodes tick could harbor filarial nematode DNA sequence and these sequences have high similarity to one of the filarial nematode species called Onchocerca (Presented at ILADS conference on October 29th, 2009 and at the University of New Haven Lyme Disease Conference on May 8th 2010.)
Filariasis infects more than one hundred and twenty million men, women, and children throughout the world (8). There are a number of nematode species that use mosquitoes as their vectors, causing different lymphatic filariasis infections. Onchocerca volvulus, for example, is responsible for river blindness.(9) However, it is very possible that the species we have found in deer tick is a novel Onchocerca species due to that there are only being partial similar to known Onchocerca species. A phylogenetic approach is being used now to determine the exact filarial genus and species similarity.
Identification of this potential novel tick-borne pathogen could help to design more specific tests and treatment for patients with a tick bite history and could provide a novel therapeutic target for physicians to explore for those chronically ill Lyme disease patients.
This study is supported by the Turn the Corner Foundation to E.S.
1. Krause, P.J. et al. 1996. Concurrent Lyme disease and Babesiosis: Evidence for increased severity and duration of illness. JAMA; 275: 1657-1660.
2. Adelson, M.E. et al. 2004. Prevalence of
Borrelia burgdorferi,
Bartonella spp.,
Babesia microti, and
Anaplasma phagocytophila in
Ixodes scapularis Ticks Collected in Northern New Jersey. J. Clin. Microbiol; June 1, 2004. 42(6): 2799 - 2801.
3. Mullen, G. & Durden L. 2009. Veterinary Importance. Med. Vet. Entomol; Academic Press. 2nd Ed. 263.
4. Beaver, P.C. and Burgdorferi W. 1984. A microfilaria of exceptional size from the Ixodid tick, Ixodes dammini from Shelter Island New York. J. Parasitol; 70: 963-966.
5. Walsh E. 1983. Sampling simuliid black flies. Pest and Vector Management in the Tropics: 93-99.
6. Olmeda-Garcia A.S. & Rodriguez J.A. 1994. Stage specific development of filarial nematodes in vector ticks, J. Helminthol; 68, 231-235.
7. Stricker, R.B. 2007. Counterpoint: long-term antibiotic therapy improves persistent symptoms associated with Lyme disease. Clin Infect. Dis; 45(2):149-157.
8. Rajan, T.V. 1990. Molecular biology of human lymphatic filariasis. Exp. Parasitol; 70: 500-503.
9.Morales-Hojas, R., Cheke, R.A. & R.J. Post. 2007. A preliminary analysis of the population genetics and molecular phylogenetics of Onchocerca volvulus (Nematoda: Filarioidea) using nuclear ribosomal second internal transcribed spacer sequences. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. Nov; 102(7): 879-882.
http://www.lyme.no/index.php/gjesteskribenter/335-eva-sapi-phd
