Herbals For Lyme Treatment

The sadly, many who have Lyme are denied treatment either by their doctor, their insurance company, or by lack of a Lyme literate doctor in their location.  Traveling alone to seek treatment in another state seems overwhelming to someone so sick with Lyme, as well as cost prohibitive.  If you are like me, I have to work everyday.  I can't just leave work for months to seek treatment.  I am one of the lucky ones who found a Lyme disease doctor in my town.

I have heard stories of people spending $50,000 going to Mayo Clinic or Cleveland Clinic for Lyme treatment, just to be told that they don't know what is wrong.  Others have been told that there is no such thing as chronic Lyme disease.  One would think that these two places would provide the very best care and diagnosis for Lyme disease.

I have been reading a lot of stories about herbals for Lyme.  This might be something to try if you cannot find a Lyme doctor.  There may be an herbalist or Chinese herbalist in your area who could help when conventional medicine cannot.

Some people claim that you can be cured by simply taking Olive Leaf extract.  Others claim that Serrapeptase will draw the bacteria out of tissues, bones, and organs.  Some claim that coconut oil has antibacterial properties that can kill Lyme.  Still others claim that Cat's Claw herbal will eliminate the bacteria. I have read that teasel root extract used as a tincture can cure Lyme in just 7 weeks.  One woman claims that her whole family was cured of Bartonella by taking cinnamon leaf oil from Sri Lanka.

I hope that some of these cures do work.  I would be especially leery of so-called over night cures.  It took a long time for your Lyme infection to progress to the tertiary stage, and it will take weeks, if not months to get well.

Some of the remedies that I have read about seem harmful, dangerous, or even deadly. Some recommend treatments that can cause deafness.  It is probably best to seek treatment from an herbalist, a doctor, or a pharmacist before trying these.  At the very least, do some research or ask others who have used these products and be aware of side effects.

Will You Ever Get Better?

I am sure that many tertiary stage Lyme patients ask this question.  I know that I ask myself these questions almost every day: Will I ever get better?  Will I ever feel the same way that I did before Lyme disease?  Is this the new normal?  Once I stop treatment, will it come back?  Have my muscles, joints, nerves, and tendons become permanently damaged?

There seems to be no consensus among health care professionals as to whether this disease ever goes away completely.  Some doctors think that a cure is possible.  Others think that the bacteria can only be kept in check with lower numbers of bacteria being held at bay by a healthier immune system.

I have posted an article that addresses the debate as to whether or not someone could be cured of Lyme:

http://www.tiredoflyme.com/can-i-ever-completely-get-rid-of-lyme-disease-opinions-from-the-most-popular-lyme-doctors-and-healers.html#.VR298_nF-Sq

Could Bee Sting Therapy Offer A Cure?

Some people think that Lyme disease could be cured by bee sting therapy.  Bee stings are thought to help arthritis and multiple sclerosis patients ease debilitating symptoms.  The practice can be both dangerous and controversial.  Some patients of these diseases are so desperate for relief that they will try anything.  Some patients feel that they have nothing to loose.  Little research has been done to test the effectiveness of bee sting therapy.  Scientists and doctors are not sure exactly how the venom works to cause relief of symptoms of these diseases.  Since bee stings can cause shock for many people, it should be administered by a professional.

Below is a link to an incredible story of one patient who was eventually cured by bee sting therapy:

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150327-how-a-bee-sting-saved-my-life?fb_ref=Default

More about bee sting therapy:
http://www.mnn.com/family/protection-safety/stories/can-apitherapy-treat-the-symptoms-of-lyme-disease

Lyme Disease and Thyroid Disease

Many Lyme patients also suffer from hypothyroidism.  I happen to suffer from both of these conditions.  Some health care professionals think that there may be cause and effect relationship between Lyme and thyroid disease.  Further research needs to be done to confirm this theory.  Some patients have reported that when Lyme disease was cured, thyroid levels became normal.  Thyroid disease can have a variety of causes that could include Lyme disease.  It would be interesting if someone could complete a simple survey to see what percentage of Lyme patients also have thyroid issues.  Below is an article that touches on this theory:

http://drhedberg.com/hashimotos-thyroiditis-and-lyme-disease/

Identification of Ticks

Many doctors will tell you that a tick has to be attached to your skin for three days in order to become infected with Lyme disease.  Not true!  You can become infected by any deer tick bite, regardless of the duration.  My advice is to see antibiotics immediately after a tick bite.  If you can safely remove the tick yourself, put the tick in an empty pill bottle or zip lock bag and have the tick tested for Lyme disease.

I am posting a link to an article that identifies the different types of ticks in North America.  It was interesting to note that homes can become infested with ticks.  Pets can be the source of these infestations when they spend time outdoors. This is something that I did not realize.  The article also says that people can even contract Lyme disease in large, urban areas such as New York City.  This article is definitely worth reading.  I thought that I knew everything there was to know about ticks, but I was wrong!


http://www.southernstates.com/articles/know-your-ticks-dog-tick-deertick.aspx

If you suspect that you have Lyme disease, use this handy check list below and consult a local Lyme Literate doctor.  Click the link below:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjYW5nZXRiZXR0ZXIyfGd4OjViM2FhOTFjYWViY2RmNzI

Advances In Lyme Disease

Pennsylvania, a state with a high incidence of Lyme disease infection, is planning a conference on better ways to treat patients with this disease.  The conference is slated for April 10-11, 2015 and is for health care professionals who treat Lyme patients.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/03/lyme_treatment_ticks.html

Here is a link to register for the conference:

http://www.ilads.org/lyme_programs/drexel/ilads-drexel-lyme-conference.php

Lyme Disease App For Your Phone

Take a bite out of Lyme Disease with a Lyme Disease App for your phone.

Lyme disease can be a lonely illness that seems like there is no end. It is not something that you can truely understand if you have not experienced it yourself.  There are several apps for your mobile devices that can help you navigate the ups and downs of a long-term illness like Lyme disease.  You can purchase these in the I Tunes Store.  If you are like most Lyme patients, you take help where you can get it.

A few to follow are:

• ilog Lyme ($1.99)
• Lyme Disease Plus (.99)
• Understanding Lyme (.99)
• Lyme Disease Tick Map (free)
• Lyme Found (free)
• Tickborne Diseases, CDC.  This app was designed for health care professionals to identify various tickborne illnesses, symptoms, and treatments.  Available in the Apple store for I Phone and Android. (free)

I did not write these, but you might find these useful as you are learning more about your own illness and how to heal.