Lyme's disease

[Ellen Madono]

Hi,

I am wondering how to think of lyme's disease suppressed as causation for
severe fatigue. In Radar 8 EH Roger Morrison says Puls is excellent for Lyme's
disease. Puls would work for her constitutionally. I am also having trouble
find the rubric for whole body hot flashes without sweat.

Since the fall of 2003, My friend's more severe problems seem to have cleared
through homeopathic treatment (nat mur), but she has lingering hot flashes with
menopause that was prolonged with hormone replacements. She has stopped taking
those hormones. She is now 62 and complains about the lingering fatigue. The
hot flashes are not as bad as the fatigue. She loves to read, but can't stay
awake with a books.

20 years ago she had severe chronic bronchitus suppressed with anti-biotics,
and when it came back as an aggravation of Nat Mur, I though it was the 20 year
old bronchitus. Recently, I remembered 5 years ago she was suppressing
bronchitus with anti-biotics although we had not discussed those more recent
attacks, I am thinking that the Nat Mur was bringing up the more recent problem
in a very helpful way. So, according to Herring's law, currently she is back
to the lyme's disease suppressed 10 years ago and that better describes the
current fatigue. (I have not found much information on the symptoms of lymes
disease, but she was very fatigued before she was treated. For many years, I
have watched her fall asleep in classes. She stays very active to avoid
falling asleep. A need for much sleep was also a problem in her 20's.

I would be grateful for any suggestions.

Blessings,
Ellen Madono
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Shannon Nelson]

Hi Ellen,

For all of this, I'd just look for the presenting picture. You say that
Puls "would work for her constitutionally" -- if she does indeed fit a puls
picture, why not give it?

Shannon
on 8/3/04 6:46 PM, Ellen Madono at ellen.madono@verizon.net wrote:

[muthu kumar]

Drowsiness, Depression etc. suggest Gelsemium/. Sleeping while
reading is also in Tabacum.(knerr)I have used this for this
condition. For children and adults sleeping in class room improves
with Tabacum.
I think Gelsemium would help at least for the fatigue and drowsiness.
How about Oophorinum- she has had so much climacteric problems and
also hormonal supplements.
Drowsiness seems an important symptom as this has been there from
early days.
causation for
excellent for Lyme's
having trouble
have cleared
flashes with
stopped taking
fatigue. The
can't stay
biotics,
the 20 year
suppressing
more recent
recent problem
she is back
describes the
of lymes
years, I
avoid
20's.

[muthu kumar]

Also take a look at Nux mos. Sleepiness ( sleeping sickness)+ want of
perspiration is there.

--- In minutus@yahoogroups.com, Ellen Madono
wrote:
causation for
excellent for Lyme's
having trouble
have cleared
flashes with
stopped taking
fatigue. The
can't stay
biotics,
the 20 year
suppressing
more recent
recent problem
she is back
describes the
of lymes
years, I
avoid
20's.

[H. Balasubramanian]

Dear,

"hahnemannian2002" wrote:
Please add the following :

Sleepiness and falling to sleep when listening to scientific discourses. Day sleepiness and yawning when sitting. (j.h.c) taraxacum

Sleepiness, while listening to a lecture. (k.r.) Cinnabaris

Sleepiness in students. (k.r.) Gelsemium
BE HAPPY AND MAKE OTHERS HAPPY.

With best wishes,
H.B.
from India

visit: http://education.vsnl.com/susceptibilit ... doctor/com
---------------------------------
ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - all new features - even more fun!

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Kristy Lampe]

To add to the Lyme’s discussion:
Ericaceae Family and Lyme Disease, By Will Taylor, MD(Audio Tape)
http://www.wholehealthnow.com/homeopathy_pro/wt11.html

An Anamnesis of Lyme Disease - Applying the process of determining the Genus Epidemicus to a Sub-acute Miasm by Will Taylor
http://toddhoovermd.com/articles/lyme-disease.html
Homeopathic Lyme Disease Evaluation and Treatment
By Todd A. Hoover, MD
Other strains besides Borrelia burgdorferi include:
-Borrelia afzelii.

-Borrelia crocidurae.
-Borrelia garinii.
-Borrelia lusitaniae.

-Borrelia sensu stricto.
-Borrelia b.s.1(New yet-to-be-named strain).
Reference: http://www.lymebook.com/africa-europe-c ... ed-kingdom
Peter Alex, German clinician and author of The Homeopathic Treatment of Lyme Disease has fifteen years’ experience with Lyme.

He states that the following protocol results in no chronic Lyme symptoms, and a NEGATIVE Lyme test:
1. Remove tick with a "tick pliers" as this removes the tick’s head reducing spirochete transmission.
2. Ledum 30C in 1-2 doses per day the first three days.
3. Aurum-ars 200C on the 6th and 12th day.
Peter Alex says Lyme is a new miasm which affects all the major systems of the human body as well as animals:
1. The brain.
2. The mind.
3. The nervous system.
4. The digestive system.
5. The musculoskeletal system.
6. The reproductive system.
7. The major organs (skin, kidney, liver, spleen).
This epidemic is affecting other countries besides the U.S.

Germany gets TEN times the annual Lyme cases we do here (U.S.). In fact, 250,000 cases per year.
This epidemic isn't going away. It is snowballing with the climate changes that are shortening our winters (cold kills ticks).
Homeopathy helps late-stage Lyme disease sufferers - when conventional treatment does not - by Susanne Saltzman, MD
After it has had its fill, the black-legged deer tick (Ixodes), often no larger than a poppyseed, may also inject you with Borrelia burgdorferi, a spiral-shaped bacterium that causes Lyme disease. If you’re in CT, DE, MD, MA, MN, NJ, NY, PA, RI or WI, you are at risk of being bitten and subsequently infected. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 93% of the 64,382 reported Lyme disease cases from 2003 to 2005 occurred in those 10 states.
Experience from the trenches

I have treated many people infected with Lyme. I am happy to report great success using homeopathy for those with later-stage Lyme disease or post-Lyme disease syndrome who have not responded to antibiotic treatment. Many suffer for years, visit doctor after doctor, and take multiple rounds of antibiotics—yet still suffer with symptoms. So it is gratifying to help them regain their health with such a safe, effective, and non-toxic treatment as homeopathy!
Early-stage Lyme disease is another story, however. Antibiotics are often very effective at eradicating the Lyme organism at this stage before it has a chance to cause deeper disease. In fact, I recently took antibiotics myself because, in a strange twist of synchronicity, while writing this article I was bitten by a tick and developed the characteristic red rash ring indicative of Lyme disease! But more about that later.
The facts of Lyme

The disease got its name because it was first identified in the city of Old Lyme, Connecticut, in the 1970s. It has since become the most common tick-borne illness in the US and Europe. The tiny nymphal (i.e., baby) ticks do most of the biting, and since they are no bigger than a pinhead, they often go unnoticed as they attach to the skin and feed for several days, eventually swelling with blood. The nymphs are most active in May and June, so June, July, and August are prime times for people to notice Lyme symptoms and seek treatment. Children aged 5 to 9 have the highest incidence of the disease (61% of reported cases are children from age 5 to 14), followed by adults aged 55 to 65. Diagnosis of Lyme disease can be tricky because many people never see the tick, 25% of people never develop the classic Lyme rash, lab test results may be inconclusive especially in the early stage, and symptoms of the disease can vary widely.
Stage 1—just bitten!

Approximately 70-75% of people infected will experience local symptoms from 3 to 30 days after a tick bite. A red, ring-like rash called erythema migrans (EM) occurs at the site of the bite and enlarges over several days. In 40% of cases, this rash has a central clearing called a “bull’s-eye.” The rash is often accompanied by flu-like symptoms such as low-grade fever, headaches, malaise, muscle pain, joint pain, and enlarged lymph nodes.

During this early stage, the standard medical treatment of a 10- to 21-day course of antibiotic therapy (typically doxycycline in adults, amoxicillin in children) is usually very effective in eradicating the bacteria before it has a chance to cause deeper, more invasive disease.* Blood tests for Lyme in stage 1 will often be negative since it can take up to six weeks for antibodies to show up in testing. A characteristic EM rash with or without accompanying flu-like symptoms is enough to warrant a 10- to 21-day course of antibiotic treatment without blood testing.
Homeopathic or conventional treatment?

Although a number of homeopaths have reported using remedies acutely such as Ledum, Arnica, Belladonna, and the Lyme nosode (i.e., remedy prepared from the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium) to treat patients during this first stage, I myself would be reluctant to use homeopathy alone because of the invasive nature of Lyme disease and the high success rate with early antibiotic treatment. However, I would use homeopathy alongside conventional treatment to speed up the recovery process. Also, after antibiotic therapy, I would use homeopathy to treat the patient constitutionally—in order to strengthen the body and reduce any likelihood of treatment failure.

For those who worry about antibiotics suppressing the illness and causing a worsening of health, I can only say that in my 15 years of practice, I have never seen the appropriate use of antibiotics (e.g., for severe bacterial infections) to be a problem. Of course the key word here is “appropriate.” It is the overuse and inappropriate use of antibiotics that cause the most harm to the body (in terms of disruption of intestinal flora and other possible effects) as well as globally (through the emergence of resistant bacterial strains such as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections known as MRSA).
Stages 2 & 3—many symptoms

Approximately 25% of people infected with Lyme first seek help during stage 2 of the illness—weeks or months after the tick bite. They may now have multiple, small, oval- shaped EM rashes along with flu-like symptoms, migratory arthritis in various joints, and fibromyalgia-type symptoms (fatigue, weakness, muscle aches and pains). Less commonly, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane surrounding the brain), carditis (inflammation of the heart resulting in other heart problems), and cranial neuropathies (such as Bell’s palsy) can occur.

People with stage 3 Lyme, occurring months to years after a bite, usually experience chronic monoarthritis (warmth, swelling from fluid build-up, and limited range of motion in one joint) especially of the knee. About 10% develop meningitis, encephalitis, or neurological symptoms such as confusion, impaired memory, blurry vision, speech difficulties, mood changes, sleep disturbances, numbness and tingling in the extremities, and facial paralysis. They may develop heart complications such as chest pain and shortness of breath, enlargement and inflammation of the heart, palpitations, lightheadedness, and sudden fainting. Although it can be difficult to distinguish between stages 2 and 3, stage 3 symptoms are usually more severe and resistant to conventional treatment.

To confirm Lyme during stages 2 and 3, a screening enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) is performed first. Borderline or positive results will be followed by a Western Blot test. Although false positive and false negative results do occur, most patients with Borrelia burgdorferi infection will eventually show a positive Western Blot test, even after antibiotic treatment.** Fortunately, because homeopathic treatment of Lyme is patient-specific rather than disease-specific, the occasional patient who comes to me with a presumptive diagnosis of Lyme (where testing was equivocal) can still benefit greatly from homeopathic treatment.
What can homeopathy offer?

Most people who seek help from me for Lyme do not come during stage 1 of the disease but rather during the later stages. In most of these cases, stage 1 was misdiagnosed, mistreated, missed by the patient entirely (the EM rash is usually neither painful nor itchy and may occur on the back), or never occurred. Most of these patients have already been on and off antibiotic therapy for months or even years. Many are suffering from “post-Lyme syndrome” (persistent Lyme symptoms after antibiotic treatment). Whether this is some kind of immunological reaction to the original infection or persistent active infection has been argued within certain infectious disease circles. A comprehensive article in a recent edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, however, concluded that there is insufficient evidence for the persistence of B. Burgdorferi infection in antibiotic-treated patients and that the chronic use of antibiotics for persistent post-Lyme symptoms is inappropriate and potentially dangerous.**

As a homeopathic practitioner, I have had great success treating post-Lyme syndrome patients. In most cases, symptoms completely resolve within 6 weeks of the correct constitutional remedy. In the case of a boy with later-stage Lyme encephalitis described on page 40, just one dose of a homeopathic remedy was all that was needed for a complete cure. In other instances, however, increasing potencies of the remedy over time may be required before lasting improvement is achieved. Such was the case with Mary.
A missed diagnosis for Mary

Mary was 14 years old when I saw her in February 1997 for late-stage Lyme disease. She reported having been perfectly healthy until July 1995 when she began to experience fatigue, chronic sore throats, and muscle aches. Her mother said that when Mary first became ill she had a hive-like, itchy rash that waxed and waned, but their pediatrician did not test for Lyme because it did not look like a typical Lyme rash. Mary continued to suffer with the above symptoms on and off for months until her mother took her to another physician who performed a Western Blot test that came back highly positive.

The girl was placed on amoxicillin for one month, and she felt better initially, but her symptoms returned once treatment ended. She began missing school again from continued fatigue, muscle aches, and chronic sore throats. For the next year until I saw her, Mary was placed on a myriad of antibiotics including doxycycline, cefuroxime, and IV rocephin. Each time she received the drugs, she felt better initially only to feel worse again when the treatment was discontinued.
Heavy doses of antibiotics

By the time I saw Mary, she was on 7 grams of amoxicillin a day! (A usual dose for more common bacterial infections, such as a middle ear infection, might be 1 to 2 grams per day.) Even so, she complained of many additional symptoms including dizziness, chest pain, constant twitching of her eyelids, extreme sensitivity to light and sound, swollen ankles, and severe migraine headaches. At this point, she had nervous system involvement as evidenced by her extreme sound and light sensitivity, and problems with focusing and short-term memory. An honor student, Mary was very concerned that she was missing so much school.
Mary appeared sweet, shy, and reserved in my office. Her mother described her as very responsible, perfectionist with her schoolwork, and neat with her possessions. Sitting in front of me was a girl whose case beautifully fit the indications for the homeopathic remedy Natrum muriaticum, as indicated by her emotional sensitivity, reserve, light sensitivity, and migraines. From my earlier experience treating the boy with late-stage Lyme encephalitis, I suspected that the heavy doses of antibiotics she was taking might interfere with the action of the homeopathic remedy, so I asked Mary’s mother to withdraw them. She was nervous about this but agreed. I explained that Mary might have an aggravation of her symptoms for a day or two after taking the homeopathic remedy, but that they should try not to treat it. I gave Mary Natrum muriaticum 200c.
Back to her old self

Within 24 hours of taking the remedy, Mary complained of intense fatigue and a severe migraine—a worsening of her symptoms. By the second day, however, she was feeling better and her symptoms steadily improved over the next several weeks. At her follow-up visit one month later, Mary’s mother stated that for the first 3 weeks, her daughter was back to her old self—happy, energetic, and making jokes at the dinner table. Mary had been completely free of symptoms until just a few days ago when she woke up with a sore throat, fatigue, and headache. I prescribed another dose of Nat mur 200c. She did well again for two weeks and then relapsed. This pointed to needing higher dose, so I gave her Nat mur 1M. She remained asymptomatic for the next six weeks until she relapsed again. At this point, I gave her Nat mur 10M.

Mary did great for the next two years! She remained mostly asymptomatic—no headaches, no fatigue, no aches and pains, no chest pain, no dizziness. Her mother was thrilled! The only symptom that remained was ankle swelling when Mary engaged in intense physical activity (she was back on the field hockey team). Then a few of her old symptoms began to creep back... she started to complain of feeling a little fatigued, her headaches returned (though mildly), and her mom said she was getting more irritable. I gave Mary another dose of Nat mur 10M, and she did beautifully for the next nine years! She is now a 24-year-old medical student.

It is interesting to note that Mary needed several doses of her remedy initially over the course of three months, whereas the boy with Lyme encephalitis was cured with only one dose of his remedy. I suspect that this was because Mary had been on high doses of antibiotics for two years, which probably acted suppressively and weakened her immunity. We can be thankful, however, that the human body has a tremendous capacity for healing, and with the correct homeopathic remedy (as well as a healthy diet, exercise, and a good attitude), people can often spring back from a lifetime of bad habits and/or excessive suppressive therapies and enjoy excellent health and wellness.
Unique symptoms point the way

Homeopathy is patient-specific, not disease-specific. Every offending agent, whether it is the Lyme spirochete or any other organism, causes the person’s vital force to respond in ways that are unique to the individual based on his/her genetic predisposition, individual temperament, life experience, etc. These unique mental/emotional and physical characteristics of the patient will lead the homeopath to the correct remedy.

In almost every case of Lyme I have treated, the common, everyday symptoms of Lyme disease have not led me to the restorative homeopathic remedy. Instead, most important were the symptoms unique to the person, or unique to the disease. For example, many patients with Lyme disease will have headaches—it is a common symptom of Lyme and therefore unremarkable. Few, however, will have such severe migraines as Mary did. Because of their unique intensity, I considered Mary’s migraines to be an important characteristic symptom of her Lyme disease and therefore crucial to the selection of a curative remedy.
Lyme can magnify constitutional symptoms

Because Lyme is a stress on the system, the vital force may also respond with an exacerbation of the person’s underlying constitutional tendencies. For example, a man with constitutional Stramonium tendencies (i.e., whose overall pre-Lyme constitutional state was consistent with the indications for the homeopathic remedy Stramonium) came to see me years ago with post-Lyme syndrome—severe fatigue, musculoskeletal aches and pains, and “foggy brain,” which are all common Lyme symptoms. Along with this, however, he was experiencing an exacerbation of his longstanding tics, more irritability and anger than ever, and renewed flashbacks of his extremely abusive childhood when he was beaten repeatedly by his father. Tics, anger, and fear of violence and/or violent behavior are common in people who need Stramonium. A dose of this remedy promptly cured his Lyme symptoms—which never reoccurred—and helped alleviate his anger and mental anguish.

Another Lyme patient came to me after having been on several courses of antibiotics for years because of her severe fatigue, fibromyalgia-like symptoms, and headaches that would disturb her sleep. While taking her case, I noted that her constitutional tendencies seemed consistent with the remedy Lachesis. She had an intense almost suspicious type of personality with a history of severe pre-menstrual symptoms (irritability and anger) that were greatly relieved each month as soon as her period began. The key to selecting Lachesis (besides the above symptoms and her headaches being worse at night during sleep) was an intense jealousy of her husband that became especially profound during the years of her illness to the point where she had him followed day and night for a suspected affair. Strong jealousy and suspiciousness is a Lachesis tendency. After just two doses of Lachesis (a 30c followed some weeks later by a 200c potency), not only did her Lyme symptoms dissipate, but she began to recognize her unhealthy behavior. She visited a therapist to help her deal with her husband’s possible infidelity and her strong fears of abandonment. Eventually, she was able to confront her husband, and they entered marital counseling.
Help for Lyme sufferers

Of course, prevention of Lyme infection is the ideal but this requires hyper-vigilance if you live in a deer-tick infested area—and during the spring and summer months, no less, just when we want to kick back and relax! If, despite your best efforts, Lyme disease strikes and you get the characteristic rash and/or flu-like symptoms, see your doctor immediately for a course of antibiotics.

You may also want to take a few doses of homeopathic Ledum, the most commonly reported remedy for stage 1 Lyme disease, or another well-indicated homeopathic remedy. For example, if the rash is purplish and/or feels very sore and is tender when touched, with a bruised sensation in your body, then Arnica would be the remedy of choice. A rash that is hot to touch accompanied by a high fever with red face and/or throbbing headache would indicate the need for Belladonna.

If you have Lyme that has not responded well to antibiotics, see your homeopathic professional today. Thankfully, homeopathy has an excellent track record for helping in such cases, and you have a superb chance of regaining your health and wellness.
* Note that a 2003 study determined 10 days of doxycycline just as effective as 21 days for early Lyme disease with the classic EM rash but without neurological or cardiac involvement. See G.P. Wormser, et al. Annals of Internal Medicine, 2003, May 6; 138(9):697-704. Duration of antibiotic therapy for early Lyme disease. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
** Henry Feder, MD, et al. New England Journal of Medicine, October 2007, Volume 357:1422-1430, A Critical Appraisal of “Chronic Lyme Disease.”
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/357/14/1422

[Maria Bohle]

This is the best article I have seen on Lyme Disease and I concur completely. This also reflects my almost 25 years of practice and experience with this disease.

I am a homeopath because of Lyme Disease, I was quite ill, on antibiotics for 3 years and not getting better, until a homeopath saved my life with one dry dose of
calc carb 200C. I got it again about 20 years later and another homeopath gave me one of the Aurum remedies that dispelled all of those symptoms.

Do note that I still have an extremely high Lyme titre, and will for the rest of my life, but I am totally Lyme symptom free and have been for many, many years.
Interestingly, with my first case of Lyme never got a bulls eye rash (either time), and the first time never had a titer sp never tested positive, in those days they did not have the extensive tests we have today.
I did test positive the second time, and after homeopathic treatment of that one my titre doubled.

I do like the protocal of ledum and aurum along with the antibiotics when someone has the rashes.

Warmly, Maria

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[Shannon Nelson]

Hi Maria,

When you say your Lyme titre doubled, does the titre reflect antibody levels, simply meaning you were exposed? Or is there more?

Shannon
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[Maria Bohle]

I think it indicates exposure.

Second time I had Lyme they did about 12 blood tests. 5 affirmatives indicated Lyme. I tested high positive on all 12.
Said no thanks to the doctor and called Bill Shevin who was treating me at the time. He gave me a remedy and all sx disappeared.

About a year later was going in for a routine blood test and had the Titres run again while I was there, I expected ‘normal’ as I was sx free for the whole year.

Titres all doubles. The allopathic doctor freaked out. ( fired me after that as a patient) I called a md homeopath friend who was trained in South America and told him, he said great, it means your body is fighting.

Two years ago had the tests run again, still high and I am still sx free.
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[Tanya Marquette]

I know with some holistic, raw feeding pet owners they use blood titers to avoid getting their dogs vaccinated for rabies or other things.

Guess I never really took in that titers means the body fighting infection as the vets seem to read it as immunity

t
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