Lyme
disease
This insidious infection is precipitated by a spirochete bacterium
(Borrelia) carried and transmitted by the eastern Deer Tick. These
arachnids are very small and difficult to spot during regular ‘tick
checks’ after hiking; more often than not, the first sign
of infection will be the telltale ‘bull’s eye’
rash around the bite. If this rash occurs after 1-4 weeks of going
hiking in eastern woods, or is accompanied by a fever and/or systemic
pain and inflammation, the Borrelia spirochete may be involved.
The crucial point in this protocol is patience and long-term thinking:
unlike most infections, this will take between 4 and 6 months to
be eliminated fully.
Treatment
Goal(s):
· Eliminate the bacterial infection, enhance immunity, tonify
physiology.
Primary
Treatment:
· Administer extracts of Coptis canadensis (Goldthread),
Berberis aquifolium (Oregon grape root), and Cryptolepsis in high
doses, 2ml each, three to five times daily depending on severity
of symptoms.
· Administer extract or whole-food, raw preparations of Allium
sativum (Garlic), up to 1 head daily or its equivalent.
· Increase circulation using Zingiber officinalis (Ginger)
and Capsicum (Cayenne) and stimulate diaphoresis. This may be best
accomplished by blending a specific infusion formula.
Supportive
Treatment:
· Appropriate herbs for managing related symptoms, which
can range from non-specific systemic pain and inflammation, to insomnia,
loss of memory (use Ginkgo biloba in this case), debility, arthritis,
and fatigue.
· Dipsacus (Teasel) root has received extensive proving in
helping resolve painful symptoms.
· Consider adding medicinal mushrooms such as Ganoderma (Reishi),
Cordyceps, and/or Maitake to strengthen immunity.
· Reduce or eliminate sugars and caffeine from the diet if
possible.
· Increase immunity using Astragalus and adaptogens (such
as Eleuthero – Siberian Ginseng) if there is no active fever.
Differential diagnoses, cautions, and other considerations:
· Effective treatment will see increased energy and vitality,
decreased disruption of physiological patters such as sleep and
digestion, and decreased pain, inflammation, and headaches.
· If the infection is detected early (from a primary lesion
– “bull’s eye” rash – rather than
from associated secondary symptoms), conventional antibiotic therapy
in combination with herbal support is often the best treatment.
At later stages, antibiotics are rarely effective because of the
encapsulation of the Borrelia organisms.
