When I was in chiropractic school, Lyme disease was not even discussed in our pathology classes. It was thought to be such a rare and unimportant disorder, that not too much time or material was devoted to it. However, what is surprising is the amount of misinformation still around about this disease even though there was quite a bit known about Lyme over 20 years ago!

Lyme disease was first recognized in 1975 because of a close geographic clustering of cases in the small community of Lyme, Connecticut. The disease was traced back to the bite of a deer tick which was infected with the bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi. The popular symptoms of Lyme disease were arthritic in nature, but according to the Merck Manual, frank neurological abnormalities were also being observed including lymphocytic meningitis, chorea, cerebellar ataxia, cranial neuritis (Bell's palsy), motor/sensory abnormalities and myocardiac disturbances. And yet, even with this knowledge regarding the disease, little research or attention was given to it...until now.

What we now are discovering about Lyme is amazing and scary at the same time. Lyme can work it’s way into every tissue in the body and cannot be cured with a dose of penicillin. It is a spirochete (bacterium), that can change its shape to avoid detection by the body’s immune system and therefore avoid conventional antibiotics. Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), can exist without a cell wall, which is how most antibiotics work (by destroying the cell wall).

Even more has been discovered about Lyme since it’s discovery in 1975. It is now known that Lyme can be contracted by ticks, mosquitoes, gnats, fleas and mites. There is also compelling evidence that Lyme probably can be transmitted by non-vector means: person-to-person (blood, urine, tears, semen, breast milk, etc.)

Lyme can mimic over 350 medical conditions or symptoms in any combination. It causes widespread inflammation and destruction including tissue damage with neurologic involvement and complications. It produces a large suite of biotoxins that have tissue (cells) affinity, mainly NEUROTOXINS with high molecular tropism for lipid structures, i.e., the CNS, PNS, muscles, joints, lungs, heart, organs and many others. The biotoxins are more cellular than toxemic (bloodstream).

Borrelia biotoxins can alter specific sites (neurotransmitters, pre and post synapse membranes, altered dopamine, serotonin, GABA and acetylcholine molecules, thereby blocking membrane receptors, altering normal molecular action of enzymes, coenzymes and hormones).

Standard blood tests are questionable regarding the presence of Borrelia – they are full of false negatives AND positives. But, symptomology, VEGA testing, muscle testing and Q-RIBb testing are highly accurate means of detecting Lyme.

Lyme may exist in a person for years without any symptoms or until it is triggered by some traumatic or stressful event. If ignored, the early symptoms may disappear but more serious problems can develop months or years later. These symptoms are often intermittent lasting from a few days to several months or even years.

As mentioned, there could be quite a few folks already infected who are either not having symptoms, or are mistakenly being treated for some other condition! Additionally, if one spouse is Lyme-positive, there is a good possibility the other spouse may have it as well, although they may not be manifesting any symptoms.

In chronic cases, co-infections usually exist that must be addressed: Ehrlichia phagocytophila (bacterium), and Babesia microti (protozoa).

There are three main stages of Lyme: Stage I exhibits flu-like symptoms, sore throat, headaches, chills, fatigue and muscle aches. Stage II: strong muscle aches, fatigue, loss of appetite with weight loss, migratory joint pain, generalized chronic malaise. Stage III: severe neurological and/or cardiological symptoms.

Treatment:

Now that we know what it is and what it can do, how do we treat it?

The typical allopathic choice of treatment is antibiotics, either oral or intravenously. However, the problem with this type of treatment has already been mentioned. Conventional antibiotics work by attacking and destroying the cell wall of the invader, but the Lyme bacterium can survive without its cell wall, thus rendering allopathic antibiotics ineffective. Some antibiotics have been shown to have some slight effectiveness. For example, the Sinatra Health Report recommends the antibiotic Rocephin in Stage III Lyme since it can cross the blood-brain barrier to reach the infected cerebrospinal fluid, but even Rocephin is limited.

So is there a treatment for Lyme that works? There is and it's much more effective than conventional medicine.

Many studies have been done and case histories have shown that alternative treatments are much more effective than current allopathic ones. The key is to find herbs that will specifically attack this highly resistant bacteria. One such herb is Cat's Claw or Uncaria tomentosa. Cat's Claw is known to cross the blood-brain barrier, but is much more effective than typical antibiotics WITHOUT the side effects! It's what I began using to treat my Stage III Lyme Disease. A very important quality of Cat's Claw is that it must be "TOA-free". Most store-bought Cat's Claw contains TOA or tetracyclic oxindole alkaloids. These TOAs can actually be harmful to the human central nervous system and negate the positive effects of the herb. intraMax contains TOA-Free Cat's Claw and in a synergistic blend of other nutrients which began to work noticeably on my Lyme within 24 hours!

A drawback to Cat's Claw taken in larger quantities is what's called Herxheimer reactions. These occur as the body begins to release the stored up toxins rapidly. Unfortunately, the reactions are often worse than the original symptoms and can be extremely painful and difficult to go through. I was very thankful that due to the smaller, but highly absorbable form of Cat's Claw found in intraMax, I not only didn't experience any negative reactions, I made more progress in a few days than I had in 2 months prior using other products.

Other important steps of Lyme eradication are: Detoxification of the colon, liver and kidney is vital. Maintaining pH and good bacterial flora in the lower intestine through the use of probiotics and fermented foods. Proper liver function and glutathione are crucial. These can be increased by eating cruciferous vegetables, whey protein powder and supplementation with N-acetyleysteine (500 mg NAC) and milk thistle (the last two are helpful in reducing Herxheimer reactions. Also eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water, take vitamin C, electrolytes, EFAs, Vitamins A,D,E, and K, seeds, nuts, free-range eggs, omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids. Guess where most of these can be found? :-)

Until next time, may peace, health and joy be abundant in your lives. Sincerely, Dr. Michael W. Roth