Lyme Disease, Bacteria Borrelia Burgdorferi: Health Blog
Lyme Disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. This bacteria is particularly hard to kill, and the use of antibiotics, in most cases, only temporarily suppresses it -- allowing it to resurface with even greater intensity down the road. When dealing with Lyme, the key is twofold:
- Attack the bacteria directly.
- Optimize your immune system so that it can hold the bacteria in check.
The Baseline of Health program is designed to do both of these things and is highly recommended when dealing with Lyme, but that said, a general program that can be helpful would include:
For 30 Days
- Olive leaf extract, but make sure you use one that's 20% oleuropein kills bacteria.
- Grapefruit seed extract kills bacteria.
- Colloidal silver kills bacteria. Note: I am not normally a fan of colloidal silver, he has said that it may help with Lyme disease. If you can use the colloidal silver for 30-60 days to kill the bacteria. Then you can rebuild your intestinal flora with a good probiotic.
- Proteolytic enzymes at detox level doses can actually "digest" the bacteria in the blood.
- Immune builders such as Echinacea and Acemannan.
After 30 Days
- Stop the olive leaf, grapefruit seed extract, and colloidal silver to rebuild your intestinal flora.
- Probiotics will be needed to rebuild the intestinal bacteria.
- The use of a garlic based formula will help continue to attack the bactera, but without harming the intestinal flora.
- Continue with the immune builders.
- Continue with proteolytics at detox levels for 90 days, then take down to maintenace levels.
As a side note, some people have reported great success using my Super Viragon formula (which contains a number of the antipathogens listed above) with Lyme disease. Others no. Since no one has reported exactly how they used the formula, it's tough to evaluate. The protocol for using Super Viragon aggressively involves using a bottle a day for the first 2 days and then 10 droppers a day for the next 2 weeks. I don't know how many of the people who said that the Super Viragon did not help with their Lyme disease actually used that protocol, so the verdict is still out.
On another note, some success has been claimed for intravenous vitamin C treatements with Lyme disease. You might want to explore that on the net.
Comments
I have worked with quite many people dealing with lyme disease. I recommend you find someone doing kinesiology testing that could help you fine tune dosage and frequency and adjust it over time. In my experience depending on the severity and length of time someone had lyme, these tinctures should be taken for at least 6 months but often 1 year or longer as lyme goes dormant and hides in the body and then comes out of hiding often under a different shape and inactivity to reinvade the system. Lyme is a shape shifter making it harder for the immune system to keep track of it. It is also recommended to support with other herbal remedies or homeopathic remedies organs and body systems that are the most affected by lyme.
Lyme and its many co-infections can be tough to beat but it is possible with these herbs. As Jon mentioned, antibiotics, unless taken immediately after being beaten and getting all the classic symptoms of lyme (red bull's eye, cold/flu feelings, achyness, ...), are not very effective. They will only temporarily relieve symptoms but not cure lyme. I have seen people who had been taking heavy amount of antibiotics for long periods of time 6 month to a year, sometimes even IV antibiotics to only get short term relief and see lyme symptoms come back after getting of the antibiotics. Lyme is a very smart bug and will mutate and hide from the antibiotics. Another good resource is Dr. Zang 's book "Lyme disease & chinese medicine" that uses various herbal preparations including an extract from garlic to kill lyme. He also doesn't recommend using antibiotics for the same reasons mentioned above.
Hope this helps.
What is your comments on taking olive leaf as a regular supplement for immune boosting? Is there any concerns that it kills good bacteria? What are other options to boost immunity for a child with mild allergy problem?
Regards
Catherine
Olive leaf is not really an immune booster. It is a pathogen destroyer. It kills pathogens that are present at the time you take it. As such, it makes sense to use it on a more selective basis. For a list of immune builders and pathogen destroyers, check out Your Immune System and the Flu.
I have read that olive leaf can deactivate antibiotics. Is this true?
Emily, this is actually a great question.
Yes, many sites give warning that olive leaf extract may deactivate antibiotics. However, there is little scientific research to support the warning. The reason for the warning is that many antibiotics are created from mold and fungi. (Think penicillin and moldy bread.) Therefore, taking olive leaf extract might kill the mold and neutralize the antibiotic. But antibiotics don’t actually contain the original mold or fungus. Antibiotics are chemical substances that can inhibit the growth of, and even destroy, harmful microorganisms. They are derived from special microorganisms or other living systems, and are produced on an industrial scale using a fermentation process. During fermentation, the organisms produce the antibiotic material, which can then be isolated for use as a drug.
Bottom line is that there is little likelihood that olive leaf extract will deactivate an antibiotic since it is an isolated biochemical. The reason you see so many warnings on the net may be as simple as people copying the warning from site to site until it acquires authenticity from endless repetition.
On the other hand, if you are taking an antibiotic (or any medication for that matter), you should not be using any alternative health formula without your doctor’s knowledge and approval. Your doctor’s understanding of how the drug they are giving you interacts with your body is based, for the most part, on using that drug in isolation or familiar combinations. Adding unfamilar elements to the mix can only serve to confuse your doctor -- and put you at risk.
If you wish, you can actually check for known interactions between olive leaf and any particular antibiotic you might be taking at Drug Digest.
I was diagnosed wit MS about 12 years ago through a spinal tap and blood tests. Recently I have had 2 different people tell me of individuals they know who had many of the same symptoms I have, but they have been diagnosed with Lyme disease. How are you tested for Lyme disease? I'm trying to decide if this is something I should pursue to determine if I have been misdiagnosed.
Your doctor can order a blood test to identify if you have lyme disease. A healthy adult has no antibodies to the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium. If you test positive, you have been exposed to the bacterium and most likely have Lyme Disease. If you test negative, you could still have the disease, but your antibody level is too low to detect. In that case, your doctor will treat you according to your history and symptoms. Note: Antibodies to the bacteria can stay in the blood for a long time; therefore if you have ever been infected with Borrelia burgdorferi previously, your blood test might still be positive, even though you may no longer have Lyme disease.
PS: Antibiotics can interfere with the test results, so if you are being treated with antibiotics before being tested for Lyme disease, make sure your doctor knows.