Meet my sister-in-law, AKA, Tessie. She not only is a fine chef, but a stickler for research. If you tell her any type of information, she will locate the research or do it herself. Here-see what I mean:

Soup is a winter delight that is not only nourishing, but warms the cockles of your heart. Since

bones are the base for making soup, you want them to be from animals that didn’t ingest a lot of

contaminants, because you are what you eat (and digest!).

One poorly designed study done 5 years ago in Limeyland found lead in bone broth made from

chickens. But, as bad as the study was, it did raise the question about whether the bones I use

released lead into my soup. So, I decided to test the bones and the subsequent broth with a

qualitative lead test kit, widely available in hardware stores and big box places. 3M LeadTest

swabs. A set of 2 swabs costs under 10 bucks, and a set of 8 costs under $25. To test the

bones, you just squeeze the vial, shake it up, and apply the swab to the bones. It will turn red if

any lead is present. To test the broth, I took a sample and let it dry on a piece of wood before

testing it with a swab. I tested local beef bones from Top of the Hill Farm (Wolfeboro, NH), as

well as nationally available Rumba Beef Bones (Cargill Corporation, Kansas). Local Wotton

Farm (Ossipee, NH) chicken bones were tested, as well as nationally available Oasis chicken.

One turkey was tested, and it came from Market Basket (Hooksett, NH).

The good news is that none of the bones or broth tested positive for lead! Phew, my heart and

tastebuds are relieved! Money well spent.

Tessie from Wolfeboro, NH

The post Bone Broth and Possible Lead Contamination appeared first on Living With Lyme.

What can happen after a tick bite?

How can a tick make you sick?

Of course these are all great questions but why does it have to be so complicated? Here is a short blog post to help you understand the different stages of Lyme disease. Remember no two people will have the same symptoms in the same exact order.

Lyme disease is a global health concern. It is spread by an infected tick, which is part of thelxodes species. Ticks can be found on every continent except Antarctica, where the weather is too cold for their survival. There are several different types of ticks all over the world, that are responsible for a variety of infections.

Ticks have a two-year life span, and three life stages; larvae, nymph and adult. For a tick to advance into the next stage they need a blood meal. Ticks become infected when they feed on an infected animal. Deer are the first to come to mind, but we cannot leave out the white footed mouse. The bacterium, Borrelia that causes Lyme disease, can be part of these animals’ normal flora, but not ours. Ticks can also carry other types of infections at the same time, called co-infections.

Borrelia is a spirochete, which is a cork-screw shaped bacteria with flagella, that propel this nasty critter in the body. The spirochetes live in the gut of the tick.

Ticks are found in tall grass areas, back yards, under leaves, hiking trails, campgrounds and in the park. Just about anywhere they can have shade. Ticks hitch a ride on a piece of your clothing and then search for skin. Once they settle on a spot, they burrow their mouth pieces into and under the skin. Ticks have a special ingredient in their saliva that actually acts like an anesthetic agent, making their bite undetectable. After a tick attaches itself, it begins to draw blood into its body. Once there is enough blood, the tick has the ability to regurgitate the liquid portion of the meal and save the more solid component. This is how spirochetes invade the host. It may or may not take more than 24 hours for this to occur, so it is important to do frequent tick checks and remove any ticks appropriately. There are labs that can test ticks to see if they carry infections. Not all ticks are infected-Thank the Dear Lord!

Many people never find a tick on their body, especially since ticks in the nymph stage are the size of a poppy seed. Some but not all people develop a “Bulls Eye” rash called Erythema Migrans. This is an early sign of Lyme disease. This classic rash is associated with the Early Localized Stage. This can occur within days to a few weeks. Some people can also develop a fever and flu-like symptoms during this stage. Treatment with appropriate antibiotics during this stage offers the best chance to kill the spirochetes at this localized area before they multiply and spread.

If the tick goes unnoticed or there were no obvious symptoms of illness, and therefore no treatment, the spirochetes will multiply and further invade the body traveling by way of the bloodstream. This is the Early Disseminated Stage which can occur over weeks to months. Spirochetes have a unique way of disguising themselves from the immune system. They can change their outer coverings and take on a cyst form or group together in a colony called biofilms. A type of biofilm is plaque on your teeth that encase bacteria. These changes make the spirochetes difficult to treat. The multiplying Borrelia infection can move freely throughout the body burrowing into organs and tissue, such as the brain, heart, musculoskeletal and nervous system to name a few. Disruption can cause serious issues as well as a multitude of symptoms including, but not limited to: persistent, extreme fatigue, memory issues, heart palpitations and pain, Symptoms can be different from one person to another. For this reason, Lyme has been called the Great Impersonator.

As time progresses without a correct diagnosis, which often occurs due to the fact that testing can be inaccurate, patients may progress onto the Late Disseminated Stage. Patients have been known to develop symptoms similar to Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s and ALS, (Lou Gehrig’s disease).

The best was to prevent Lyme disease and co-infections is awareness. Frequent tick checks on ourselves and our pets will help prevent exposure. Use of a safe tick repellent made with essential oils and repellent infused clothing, especially socks, can also offers some additional protection. Nature provides a spectacular experience, one that should not be avoided. Simple steps can help everyone enjoy the great outdoors.

Sending you all Health, Joy and Laughter,

Cindy

The post Did You Even Know That There Are Different Stages Of Lyme Disease? appeared first on Living With Lyme.

Cindy

Lyme disease is one of the most misunderstood diseases of our time. How could such a small bug wreak such havoc in one’s body?! Strangely enough, it really does. And because it is such a small infector, most times, the person infected has no idea they were bitten. Symptoms start to surface that bring you to multiple doctor appointments, prescribed multiple medications, and most times there are no real answers to the problems.

As a nationally certified classical homeopath, I see people who have been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, general malaise (weakness), irritable bowel syndrome, joint pain, dizziness, flu-like symptoms and more. Each of these sets of symptoms CAN be treated with homeopathy but when Lyme Disease is the primary contributor to these symptoms, the picture is much more complicated.

Though I can talk about how homeopathy can help with Lyme symptoms, for now I want you to know about Katina Makris. Katina is a certified classical homeopath as well as a Lyme disease survivor with an incredible story to tell and first-hand advice on how to get better. In her first book “Out of the Woods: Healing from Lyme Disease for Body, Mind and Spirit”, she describes in vivid detail her seven-year painful journey of symptoms, treatments tried, the collapse of her marriage, and so much more. Sadly, I am sure there are many out there who resonate with her struggle.

In her second book, “AutoImmune Illness and Lyme Disease Recovery Guide”, she provides a smorgasbord of valuable information about Lyme testing, healing protocols, healing disciplines, the mind-body connection, and so much more. She includes a Lyme Disease Symptom Checklist in the back of the book as well as related useful resources peppered throughout the book.

I have read and highlighted a lot in both of these books and have learned much about Lyme Disease, what it is, what it can look like and more importantly, what resources are needed to get better. I highly recommend both of these books though the second one is more practical with concrete things a person can do to start their road to healing from Lyme.

Abby Beale CCH RSHom(NA) is a nationally certified classical homeopath who enjoys sharing the healing power of homeopathy through workshops, her study group and writing articles. She is also the current Board President for the National Center for Homeopathy(www.HomopathyCenter.org) where you can find a practitioner and learn more about homeopathy. For more about Abby, visit www.HomeopathyHealings.com.

The post Homeopathy Can Help Lyme Symptoms appeared first on Living With Lyme.

Cindy Kennedy received this tip from one of her podcast subscribers and thought it would be a good item to share.

Bernard Richard is from Western Massachusetts. He is fighting the over abundance of ticks, which transmit a whole host of infections, including Lyme disease, by using a product he researched. Here is what he said.

Hello Cindy,

You had requested the name of the product that I had been using to eliminate ticks from my property.  I had originally hired a professional service to spray my property , and realized that it was a concentrate that I could buy from Amazon.

Essentria IC3 Concentrate

I use a heavy dose at the beginning of the season (8 oz. per gallon of water), then a reduced amount (4-5 oz. per gallon of water) on a three week schedule throughout the season. What I like about the product is that it is organic without any chemical insecticides. It contains Rosemary Oil and Peppermint Oil along with additional ingredients which makes it even safe to use around animals.

Regards, Bernard Richard

https://www.domyown.com/essentria-ic3-insecticide-concentrate-p-1954.html

Please note that the Essentria also kills: Aphids, ants, bees, boxelder bugs, centipedes, cockroaches, crickets, darkling beetles, firebrats, fleas, ground beetles, fowl mites, mites, millipedes, pillbugs, silverfish, sowbugs, spiders, ticks and wasps and others. Please refer to the product label for the complete list.

Before using a new product read the instructions, ingredients and any warnings on the label. I have not yet used this product and I am not endorsed by the company. This information is for general use only.

 Cindy Kennedy 

The post Protect Your Yard From Ticks appeared first on Living With Lyme.

“It’s time to make our invisible illness visible with our voices!”

We can make a difference with our Lyme stories.  Join me and help Vickie Gould, Lyme sufferer, bring our personal accounts to life in her Anthology of Lyme Stories.      https://vickiegould.com/lyme-anthology-2018/

Cindy Kennedy MS, FNP-BC

Vickie shares her story here:

I waited an extra 20 to 30 minutes in the doctor’s examination room. It was a little chilly as usual, but this time what happened next was different. I didn’t get the normal, “There’s nothing wrong with you.”

As he entered the room with my file, sat on his black, round stool on wheels, my doctor turned to face me and said, “Your labs came back positive for Lyme Disease. “

“Hallelujah!” I thought. Now I can finally get better. It wasn’t Lupus like they said half a year ago.

Little did I know that the diagnosis wasn’t going to make my life easier. In fact, I’d soon find out it made my life more complicated. And I didn’t get better. I got worse.

I thought that having a name for what was making me feel so miserable meant that doctors could cure me. I didn’t realize that the next 4 years of my life would be spent searching and bouncing around to doctors, trying countless protocols, using alternative modalities – some things that people told me I was crazy to try.

I didn’t realize at the time that Lyme Disease never comes to the party by itself. It brings a slew of friends like coinfections, gene mutations, detox problems, hormone issues, heart issues, and mold complications.

I didn’t realize that I would eventually end up in bed 16-18 hours a day, not be able to keep my balance well, not be able to go out or drive more than 10 minutes away, or that I would lose my sense of self – that I would feel so useless as a wife, mother and person.

I didn’t realize that I would need to to do my own research to find my treatments and that those treatments wouldn’t be covered by insurance.

Some days, just driving to get treatments was enough to do me in for the whole week. I could barely get there and back, much less make dinner and take care of the kids. Showering meant an hour of laying on my bed recovering before I could finish getting ready. And at night while the whole house slept, I would cry on the cold bathroom floor by myself.

There were doctors that laughed me out of their office. They didn’t listen and thought there was nothing wrong with me. There even was a neurologist who said I was fine because my handwriting was neat.

But what hurt most were the people and places through the years who I had helped who disappeared, never asked and never came by to help me out.

I watched my children grow up by the side of my bed and I knew I had to do something to participate in my life again. I couldn’t accept this slow type of death for the next 40+ years.

Well, I was one of the lucky ones. I saw my Lyme brothers, sisters and children die. I cried for the life they never got to finish. I’ve done ok with my research and with my Lyme doctors and I was able to get back to being alive again.

Now I want to share our voices and what we’ve gone through in a book.

Being misunderstood with Lyme is a type of pain on top of pain that is hard to grasp. I want to honor the valiant fighters each day who live with Lyme Disease and I want to share the truth about what’s been shoved under the rug.

Lyme is more rampant than HIV. Testing is inaccurate and outdated. And there’s much much more.

It’s time to make our invisible illness visible with our voices and that’s why I’m putting together a Lyme anthology, not just to share the truth about what we’ve gone through, but also to share HOPE because the leading cause of Lyme death is suicide and that just can’t continue.

Please join me in sharing your story and voice of Lyme. If you’re interested in sharing, please go to https://vickiegould.com/lyme-anthology-2018/

The post Vickie Gould – Anthology of Lyme Disease Stories appeared first on Living With Lyme.

My Best to You,

Cindy Kennedy MS, FNP-BC

Eat to Lower Inflammation & Pain

What you eat today builds your bones, organs and tissues of tomorrow. With Lyme disease what you eat today also influences how you feel today tomorrow and maybe next week. Start to pay attention to what you eat and how you feel.

Food is foreign to your body before digestion. Inflammation is your body’s response to foreign material that gets into your blood stream.  If your gut is stressed or leaky from Lyme this is a problem.  You need to figure out which foods cause a reaction for you and eliminate them.  Then begin to add nutrient dense foods that your body recognizes and can convert to the amino acids, sugars and micronutrients you need to thrive.

“One of the most important questions that you and your progressive Lyme-aware practitioner must determine is how much of your problem is due to chronic persistent Lyme infection (or co-infections) versus chronic inflammation/damage caused by the Lyme.”
― Kenneth Singleton, The Lyme Disease Solution

Eating foods you know are going to make you feel rotten is like shooting yourself in the foot. Low inflammation eating is a big way to quench the inflammation from Lyme disease.  How do you start to change?

Get the Help You Need

Talk to a Lyme literate doctor, a holistic nutritionist or health coach.  My doctor suggested I follow the general guidelines in the paleo diet, but also did some allergy testing. The results took more foods off the table. So I did a 3 week elimination diet to gradually remove the foods the doctor identified as a problem for me.

At the time I was a vegetarian.  I ate all kinds of carbs.  But I made the change to help cool off my runaway inflammation. Because I was anemic, exhausted, my finger joints were dislocating and I could barely hold a phone, I was willing to eat anything to help fix things.

Here are some good books on elimination diets.  The Lyme Diet   by Nicola McFadzean, ND The Lyme Disease Solution by Kenneth  B. Singleton MD and The Hormone Reset Diet  by Sarah Gottfried MD are books that outline the process. It is very like doing a cleanse.

Remember it is not forever, you are eating this way to unload inflammation from your digestive track and body.  You figure out what is triggering inflammation and pain. Keep removing foods and note how you feel.  In total I eliminated, wheat, gluten, corn, dairy, eggs, peanuts, beef, pork, shell fish, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, soy, eggplant, sugar and alcohol.

Kick the Troublemakers to the Curb

Low inflammation eating means kicking allergens to the curb.  Start with the big 8, these cause most of the problems in the body.

1. Dairy
2. Peanuts
3. Eggs
4. Tree Nuts
5. Shell fish
6. Fish
7. Wheat(Gluten)
8. Soy

In Addition Stop

• Eating personal allergens
• Empty foods like sugar and alcohol.
• Low Nutrient quality foods
• Low Nutrient Density foods.

You might say What’s Left?

While eliminating allergens add leafy green vegetables, sprouts, all kinds of green things. Greens are naturally cooling to the body and the boost nutrition. Add color to your plate at every meal. Add herbs and spice like ginger and turmeric to actively interact your inflammation pathways.

Stay away from hot peppers while on the elimination plan. Move toward eating more whole foods, more organic foods and less boxed foods.  Have fun shopping the perimeter of the store.  Drink more clean water.

When you are finished with your three week adventure, check in.  Are your symptoms lowered or gone?  Begin to add foods you miss back to your eating plan one at a time.  One at a time it is much simpler to feel the effects of each food.  I could tell if add back food say tomatoes were a problem. I got to add lots of things back, but gluten dairy and eggs still don’t work for my body.

With Lyme eat as close to 100 % of the time with health in mind as you can.  With food allergens 80/20 doesn’t work and you will still feel awful. A slip or accident and stoke the fires of inflammation for weeks. Let go of old attachments or convenience as the primary drivers in your meal planning. Get the help you need to figure this out.  Raise Nutrients lower Inflammation and boost flavor to find the sweet spot that helps you feel your best.

Try some different foods.  Build a new recipe book with ingredients that don’t trigger an inflammation response. (https://autoimmunewellness.com/cookbook/) Get a good low inflammation eating cookbook for a starting point. Play and adapt the recipes to meet your needs. Raise nutrients lower inflammation and boost the fun in your food future.

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.  Take small steps and before you know it, your diet will become improved and second nature.

Best of Health to You,

Mary

You can reach me at www.daretoselfcare.com

The post Key Recommendations to Lower Inflammation Through Diet appeared first on Living With Lyme.

What does one consider a challenge for a 23 year old? Peyton Leonard will tell you her story and teach you a lesson in strength from religious beliefs.

Cindy Kennedy MS,FNP-BC

Living with Lyme disease as a 23-going-on-24 year old woman can be very challenging. My day is mostly spent at home, unless I have a church meeting I have to go to. Sometimes I can’t even make it to the meetings because of my health. Lately, I have been working with my dad and networking on LinkedIn. I’m currently in school for an English degree. I’ve been taking it slow with exams and everything. My goal is to graduate by the end of 2018, but we’ll see how things go. I usually take a nap some time during the day because of fatigue. If I’m in the mood for it, I’ll play piano and sing one of my originals. I was diagnosed with Lyme when I was 19 and have gone through a hellish journey with this debilitating disease. My current symptoms are neuropathy throughout my body, joint pain and swelling, sciatic pain down my right leg, brain fog, mental and physical fatigue, and muscle aches. Every now and then I’ll get heart palpitations so I’m keeping an eye on that. But it hasn’t been all bad. Some days are better than others, especially now that I take gabapentin for the pain. I also take Cymbalta for depression and neuropathy, Abilify for hallucinations from borderline personality disorder, and I take a probiotic called Culturelle. I’ve been working on drinking more fluids and I think it’s been helping me lose weight and helping ease my joint pain. Since getting on gabapentin, I’ve been able to travel with friends from church and meet new Christians. I’m so grateful for my brothers and sisters in the church and their friendships. They have really rallied around me and encouraged me through this difficult time. I’ve joined a lot of support groups on Facebook and have been able to share my faith with many people. I feel very grateful for my parents, whom I live with, and their undying, selfless support. Despite having Lyme, depression, bipolar disease, a porn addiction (was introduced to pornography when I was six), and so much more, I still have a hopeful and bright future ahead of me. I am a published author with a sci-fi novel on the way and a professionally trained singer that will be recording some originals this year with my Grammy nominated coach. Before getting sick, my goals were to become a singer, author, actress, and composer. I feel like God has opened doors for me to be able to pursue my dreams. I’m working on partnering with Lyme organizations to bring more awareness. God has taught me so much about His love and compassion through my suffering. I don’t regret having Lyme and I’m not going to let it destroy my life. It almost had in the past. I felt like I had lost so much time because of this disease. A scripture in Proverbs comes to mind: “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.” Likewise, I feel that nothing can thwart the plans of God, not even Lyme disease. My name is Peyton Leonard and I’m proud to be a Lymie.

For more information about my story, check out my book on Amazon: Lyme & Not the Fruit!

www.amazon.com/dp/B01J9EQFPG

The post “God has taught me so much about His love and compassion through my suffering” appeared first on Living With Lyme.

Cindy Kennedy MS, FNP-BC

Lori Dennis

HOW LYME SUFFERERS TREAT THIS

‘DO-IT-YOURSELF’ DISEASE

 by Lori Dennis, Author Lyme Madness

Chronic Lyme disease is a ‘do-it-yourself’ illness. For the most part, chronic Lyme sufferers are forced to diagnose, treat and navigate this disease on their own, without much help from the mainstream medical community.

Most allopathic doctors have turned their backs on tens of millions of sufferers worldwide giving us no choice but to turn to alternative forms of healing. Functional, integrative, biological and energy medicine are now at the forefront of treatment for chronic illnesses like Lyme disease, as they are more likely to help us address the root cause. There is a new paradigm of medicine afoot, creating a veritable sea change.

When it comes to treating chronic Lyme disease, there is no silver bullet or one-size-fits-all.  In fact, most Lyme sufferers are given no option but to try everything and anything they can to get better, even if there isn’t sufficient evidence to support it.

‘Healing’ often requires a three-pronged approach, and not always in this order:

• Part 1: Antibacterial agents to kill the spirochetes and other infections
• Part 2: Detoxification to release the bacteria from organs and tissues
• Part 3: Immune and gut-strengthening support

All three steps must be repeated multiple times, and all three steps are necessary to get well—without knowing how or when, in what combination, or in what sequence.

Do-it-yourself. Trial and error. Hit and miss. Bewildering to say the least.

Below is a list of the treatment protocols that Lyme sufferers are using to reclaim their health. This list is by no means exhaustive. There are many more protocols than those I’ve listed here being used to treat Lyme.

I do not offer many details about each of these treatment protocols as there is plenty of information readily available online. I offer this list only for the purpose of helping you understand what Lyme sufferers are up against in deciding how to treat their illness.

Many of the following protocols—listed in no particular order, other than antibiotics which are typically the first line of defense—are summarily dismissed and even mocked by members of the medical profession. We are accused by the “old Lyme guard” of living in a pseudoscientific echo chamber, of being delusional and succumbing to quackery and snake-oil promises of renewed health and magical healing. Lyme sufferers are desperately sick people willing to use desperate measures—measures that can, at times, be more efficacious than anything conventional medicine has to offer thus far.

Perhaps if the medical profession were doing its job and working on solutions rather than mocking us and forcing us to find our own protocols, we wouldn’t have to go on such a desperate search for things that may or may not help. Perhaps if we had more so-called evidence-based research on some of these protocols, they wouldn’t seem so ridiculous after all.

Here are just some of the treatments that Lyme sufferers use in their desperate search to escape this medical nightmare:

Extended antibiotics. Oral, intravenous (IV), and intramuscular (IM). Typically, a rotation of tetracyclines, penicillins, macrolides, cephalosporins, and aminoquinolines. Antibiotics are the go-to, first-line treatment for chronic Lyme. The best approach seems to be pulse-dosing. Antibiotics can only be prescribed and administered by a licensed medical doctor, with the exception of naturopaths in British Columbia and perhaps elsewhere. In the case of chronic Lyme, long-term antibiotic treatment is administered—usually quietly and under the radar—by Lyme-literate doctors. Most doctors refuse to acknowledge the disease and will not prescribe at all, some may prescribe antibiotics for twenty-eight days if they “believe in” Lyme, or they may be part of a small subset of doctors who have been brave enough to prescribe outside of the limited IDSA guidelines but at a cost to their personal and professional life, including having their practices shut down. In Canada, with a few rare exceptions (as revealed in Chapter 8), you cannot find a doctor who will give you antibiotics beyond the IDSA twenty-eight-day sanctioned antibiotic protocol. Most Canadians have to travel to the US for antibiotic treatment. In order to function at all, the majority of chronic Lyme sufferers are on antibiotics for months and even years, and most do so with the help of just a small handful of US LLMDs.

Probiotics. Taken daily to avoid intestinal yeast overgrowth from long-term antibiotic use. Cindy Kennedy suggests Master Supplements.

Gluten-free/sugar-free/dairy-free diet. To keep yeast at bay, regulate blood sugar, strengthen the immune system and the gut.

The Gerson diet. A natural treatment that activates the body’s extraordinary ability to heal itself through an organic, plant-based diet, raw juices, coffee enemas, and natural supplements.

Herbal protocols. Developed by a number of practitioners, including Lee Cowden, Stephen Buhner, Byron White, Dietrich Klinghardt, and others. Some Lyme sufferers use these antimicrobial protocols instead of, or as an adjunct to, antibiotics.

Cannabidiol. Also known as CBD, from hemp seed with minimal THC (psychoactive properties). Read about Dr. Ernie Murakami and check out Dr. Sanjay Gupta for more details.

Bee venom (apitherapy). Google Ellie Lobel for her remarkable story and how bee stinging became a popular Lyme protocol. Many people are stinging themselves with live bees in the hopes of healing, and often swear by their success.

Rifing. The Rife machine, developed by Royal Raymond Rife in the early 1930s and replicated by modern manufacturers. With his machine, Rife claimed he could cure cancer and other diseases by weakening or destroying pathogens using specific frequencies of electromagnetic fields that vibrate at the same frequency as the bacteria cells.

Low-level laser. Cold laser and low-level laser therapy using LED (light-emitting diode) light. The energy in the light waves is absorbed by the ATP in the mitochondria in our cells. When a cell isn’t getting enough oxygen and blood sugar to make energy, this additional energy will help the mitochondria work better, and the cell returns to health. Wounds can heal more quickly, muscle spasms may relax, and inflammation can be reduced.

Genetic testing. 23andMe or Younique, for example, determine pathways and genetic sequencing that can help you with personalized molecular medicine.

Infrared saunas. Detoxifies, relaxes, relieves pain, and improves circulation and immune function.

Detox baths. Detoxifies the body and relieves pain, but it also seems to stop many infections quickly and helps the body regain balance. Air and water purifier. Removes contaminants in your water and air, lessening the body’s toxic load.

BioMat. A state-of-the-art medical device that delivers therapeutic, far-infrared rays and negative ions, relieving pain and improving immune function.

Acupuncture. Regulates immunity and manages pain. Lymphatic massage. Stimulates the lymph flow within the lymphatic system, as it can become sluggish while battling Lyme disease.

Chiropractic medicine. Can help with aches, pains, and improve immune system.

Craniosacral therapy. Improves and balances the flow of the fluids (cerebrospinal fluid)—bathing the brain and spinal cord, which in turn helps calm and relax the entire nervous system.

UVLrx—ultraviolet light. A form of intravenous therapy where low light energy is introduced directly into the circulatory system to support red blood cell oxygenation and a healthy immune system.

Diamond Shield Zapper or Hulda Clark Zapper. A multifrequency zapper that offers six important improvements, including sweeping, microcurrents, and constant voltage.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized room or tube.

IV ozone therapy. Ozone is injected into the bloodstream to kill pathogens and boost the immune system. Bio-oxidative medicine. Introduces small amounts of medical ozone (O3) or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into thebody for the prevention and treatment of disease.

Cryotherapy. Noninvasive cold therapy focused on athletic recovery, pain management, and overall health.

Low-dose immunotherapy (LDI). Helps restore immune tolerance to the environment outside and inside the body.

Advanced cell training (ACT—formerly immune response training). Uses the same premise as muscle memory.

Bicom/MORA/bioresonance. Electromagnetic waves used to diagnose and treat human illness. Vega machine testing. A type of electro-acupuncture device used to diagnose allergies and other illnesses as well as sensitivities to supplements.

Ondamed/Amp Coil. Pulsed electromagnetic frequency devices designed with principles based on biophysics.

Colloidal silver. Antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral. Vitamins, minerals, lipids, enzymes, and amino acids. To support immune system and organs.

Yoga, qigong, tai chi, Reiki, and other energy work. For balancing your system.

Oil pulling Lyme in mouth and teeth. An ancient Ayurvedic remedy mentioned in Charaka Samhita. Dr. Dakin’s solution. Twenty parts water to one part bleach in Waterpik for teeth and gums where spirochetes hide.

Ritchie Shoemaker mold protocol. Cutting-edge research and treatment for mold.

Colonics/enemas. Eliminates waste buildup, detoxifies, and reduces fatigue.

Lyme bomb. Cocktail of Young Living Essential Oils (YLEO)—Thieves, frankincense, and oregano. Cindy Kennedy is a Young Living essential oil distributor. See her information under the resource tab.

Heavy metal detox. Cilantro and Sun Chlorella.

IVIG. A plasma protein replacement therapy used to treat disorders of the immune system or to boost immunity.

GcMAF. Rebuilds the Immune system to destroy cancer, infections and chronic diseases.

Marshall protocol. A medical treatment used by physicians worldwide to treat a variety of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, including (but not limited to) sarcoidosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Zhang formula. A combination modern Chinese medicine treatment protocol designed to kill Lyme and its coinfections, as well as support various organ systems in healing.

A Lyme sufferer who writes the Will There Be Cake blog ran an informal survey for five weeks to determine who does what for Lyme treatment. When asked the question, “Which treatment options have you personally tried upon receiving a diagnosis of Lyme disease?” the results ranged from 66.7 percent who tried conventional antibiotics and herbal protocols to 21 percent who tried the Rife machines or similar, to 1.5 percent who tried Zhang.

As to which protocol(s) work best and in what combination, your guess is as good as any.

Lori Dennis, MA, RP is a Registered Psychotherapist and the author of LYME MADNESS, named #1 NEW RELEASE in Immune System Health on Amazon. LYME MADNESS is available on Amazon. For more information on Lyme Madness, go to loridennisonline.com. 

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We all know that women are complicated.  I’ve been one my whole life and I get a little confused at times. It could be the Lyme, but more likely it’s just that I have the prerogative to be complicated by gender.  I spoke with Carol Petersen and asked if she would let me post her article as a blog.  She agreed and it gives credence that women plus Lyme makes us more complicated.

– Cindy Kennedy, FNP

Hormones and Chronic Lyme Disease

Written by Carol Petersen, RPh, CNP – Women’s International Pharmacy

As of 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that there are approximately 300,000 new cases of Lyme disease per year in the US, which is 10 times more than the number of cases officially reported. And there are potentially many more “victims” who have yet to discover that they have the disease because the symptoms can mimic other disorders, such as arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s disease.

An article entitled “Lyme, Neurotoxins and Hormonal Factors, an interview with Nancy Faass, MSW, MPH,” which appeared in the July 2014 edition of the Townsend Letter, offers further insight into the complexity of diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Wayne Anderson, ND, and Dr. Robert Gitlin, DO, were the experts interviewed for the article.

Chronic Lyme disease patients experience a myriad of complications that make it difficult to diagnose, much less treat and restore the patient to wellness. Lyme disease patients are likely to be struggling with a whole host of problems beyond the infection from the Borrelia bacteria from the tick bite, including but not limited to co-infections such as Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, and Mycoplasma, along with assaults from mold toxins, petrochemicals, and heavy metals.

Adding to the complexity, some of the symptoms associated with the Borrelia infection are the same as symptoms caused by hormone imbalance. Dr. Gitlin finds that the vast majority of his Lyme disease patients are in a state of adrenal depletion, which needs to be addressed before addressing other hormone depletions.

In patients with Lyme disease, the hypothalamus is affected by the neurotoxins produced by the infectious agents. The hypothalamus is the master gland that ultimately affects the production of thyroid hormones, as well as the sex and adrenal hormones, so supplementing hormones can help offset the deficiencies.

To make matters worse, when Lyme disease symptoms are present, hormone transitions may be more difficult. Dr. Anderson suggests that, if you are directing your patients with bioidentical hormone therapies and they are not responding, chances are good that this patient also has Lyme disease and should be evaluated further.

Low testosterone levels provide an opportunity for infections to take hold. Starting during perimenopause and continuing after menopause, women get about half of their testosterone from the conversion of adrenal DHEA, as opposed to only about 10% in men. Consequently, menopausal women with Lyme disease will suffer even more than men with this disease.

The sex and adrenal hormones tend to have anti-inflammatory actions, so the decline of these hormones in all Lyme disease patients is even more critical, and some patients will present with chronic pain. Dr. Anderson will treat more aggressively with hormone therapies, in order to take advantage of the anti-inflammatory effects the hormones provide in these situations.

Progesterone and pregnenolone are both adrenal hormones, and are precursors to creating more cortisol and DHEA. Because the chronic stress of Lyme-related infections deplete these hormones, supplementing progesterone, pregnenolone, and DHEA can help.

Some patients with Lyme disease present with liver and/or gall bladder tenderness. Dr. Gitlin observes that, because most hormones are metabolized in the liver, using hormones at this point is likely to fail, and patients will not tolerate the hormones. It would be more prudent to address the infection and other toxicities first.

Low levels of DHEA impair liver detoxification and the flow of bile from the gall bladder. (Bile is needed absorb fats from the diet, and structurally it is related to the sex and adrenal hormones.) As a result, the liver becomes even more congested with toxins. As evidence of this, low DHEA levels and subsequent poor detoxification are also associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.

In addition, magnesium, which is an essential element and necessary for hormone balance, becomes critically depleted in patients with Lyme disease. The presence of mercury, a toxic heavy metal, may also be found with Borrelia infections.

Thyroid optimization is another key in helping Lyme disease patients, but only after adrenal support has been added. Hashimoto’s disease tends to be the result of an inflamed gastrointestinal tract, but a Lyme disease infection may also be part of the problem. In fact, Dr. Gitlin has observed the presentation of Hashimoto’s disease, a low white blood cell count, and an increased bilirubin levels (Gilbert’s disease) pattern, which he thinks may be a hallmark of Lyme disease.

Understanding the impact of Lyme disease on hormones (and vice versa) can help create the perspective needed for successful treatment. For example: Why do hormones not work as effectively in some patients? Why do some women suffer much more at menopause transitions? And, why do women tend to be more symptomatic with hormone imbalances than men?

Considering the possibility that Lyme disease may be present and addressing the dimensions noted may increase the chance of success.

References

• Lyme Disease.
• “Prevalence of Lyme Disease in the US Is 10-Times Higher Than Previously Reported” by Dr. Mercola, Sept 4, 2013.
• “Lyme, Neurotoxins and Hormonal Factors, an interview with Nancy Faass, MSW, MPH,” Townsend Letter,July 2014. http://www.townsendletter.com/July2014/lymeneuro0714.htm

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LDN, (Low-dose naltrexone) is classified as an opioid receptor antagonist. That means the naltrexone looks for and binds to opioid receptors. These receptors are located in different parts of the body such as the gut and the brain. It is thought that LDN causes the blocking of opioid receptors, in turn causing the body to increase its production of endorphins. The “feel good” chemical!

The major mechanism of LDN involves blocking the body’s opioid/narcotic receptors. This lasts for just a few hours and not 24 hours. These are the same receptors that binds the body’s endorphins. The body reacts to this by increasing its endorphin production. These levels remain increased all day after the blocking produced by LDN has ended. Endorphins are very important to the strength of the immune system.

LDN has been beneficial to many for reducing pain and increasing energy. The mechanism is thought to be reducing inflammation. Those affected with a variety of inflammatory diseases, including Lyme disease, can reap benefits from using LDN. It has also been touted to assist in the regulation of the immune system which is critical for those suffering from Lyme disease. I have read that LDN may offer symptomatic relief from the dreaded Herx reaction as well. Lyme sufferers that have already been on antibiotics for a period of time seem to benefit most from LDN.

The best way to start LDN is low, between .5 and 1.5 mgs. daily and work up to as much as 4.5 mgs. It had been previously thought that dosing should be limited to bedtime, however further studies have shown that if it interferes with sleep then mornings are acceptable.

Most side effects associated with LDN are mild and often resolve in time. Symptoms caused by LDN can be handled by reducing, or slowly increasing the dose.

If a patient has a history of liver disease then it would be important to have liver function testing before starting LDN. Alcohol should not be consumed while taking LDN. The LDN will block the “Wine Buzz”, though your blood alcohol level will rise. If having surgery that would require pain medication after, then LDN would need to be stopped within the few weeks before the procedure.

LDN can be used as an important part of a treatment plan, in order to improve your immune system, reduce the pain and inflammation caused by advanced Lyme disease. Talk to your provider about trying LDN. It is not available through a regular pharmacy, you will have to locate a compounding pharmacy that prepares LDN. Another issue is; insurance most likely does not cover this treatment, however the good news is that it is not that expensive. Please email me if you need a provider that prescribes LDN or a pharmacy that compounds LDN.

My Best To You!

Cindy

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