Do you believe you could have Lyme Disease (Lyme Borreliosis) ?

Do you think your symptoms seem very Lyme like...? Have you had a Lyme test and your doctor has told you the test was Negative? Not all tests that come up with a negative result are in fact 'Negative'. There are several reasons why you may well have Lyme disease but tests show up as negative. This is my favourite link which explains so well how this can happen.

http://www.anapsid.org/lyme/lymeseroneg.html


Still wondering what the heck to do... ??

Follow your gut. Be informed, learn as much as you can about this horrible illness that South African doctors in general don't believe in, and DEMAND proper testing and treatment !!

My GP basically laughed at me when I told him in 1996 that I was 100% sure I had Lyme disease. He told me we don't get Lyme in South Africa...!! I suggested it had another name... he told me I was way off line... It was either, MS, Guillain-Barr, Sjogren's, Lupus, etc., etc... For 16 years I had no treatment from him despite feeling so ill all the time. I had the odd dose of antibiotics but only for about 3 or 5 days and never tetracycline.

You can imagine how angry I was in Feb 2010, when at my absolute lowest I was diagnosed clinically with Lyme disease and the blood test confirmed this with several co-infections. Medical people tell you, you cannot get the strain of Lyme bacteria here in SA (Borrelia burgdorferi)... well, despite never having set foot in either Europe or the USA, I have the Borrelia burgdorferi strain from the USA and Borrelia garanii strain from Europe. Imagine That !!

In the meantime, I have lost the ability to work because I did not receive proper treatment all those years back. I suffer awful neurological problems - I've gone from being 'a pretty sharp knife in the draw... to a pretty blunt one' !!

No one understands what it is like to feel your life force draining from you and there is nothing you can do. People berate you, they speak behind your back about how useless you are... You will even find that if you try to claim a disability grant or policy, they will tell you, you will be well in 3 months and they don't pay disability in cases of 3 months or less. You look fine on the outside so WHY can you no longer do what you were pretty darn good at before...

During the last 6 months of my employment (December 2009 to May 2010) I was unable to function as a School Administrator at a local SA University. I got ZERO support from the University and financially I am now in the DWANG with only enough money to live for another year... I have been following various forms of treatment now for 3 years. What happens if I do get better now... I won't have enough money to live on...

LYME STEALS YOUR LIFE IN EVERY WHICH WAY !!

PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN TO YOU. I KNEW NO BETTER.


I know it is not easy to fight back when you are not well. I believe I would have had a strong case had I taken matters further either via CCMA or legally, but I did not have the fight or financial means to do so. But FIGHT as much as you can to get back your health from this Lyme!!

There is nothing worse than being stripped of your mental capabilities - you become a 'Mere Shell' of the person you were before.
People like to talk you in circles, or make out you are an idiot, unable to reason. They say your illness is 'in your head'... Yes, that is so! The Lyme bacteria can cause Brain disease.

My story is about what the Lyme bacteria can do to you, if left to take over your body unchecked for all those years!!


This link has some very useful information as well.

http://www.lyme-symptoms.com/

Lyme insights... by Brian Rosner

Did you know there are about 300 conditions which mimic Lyme disease? 

If you know anyone who is suffering with any of these conditions in this link, they really should be encouraged to get tested for Lyme disease by a Lyme Literate medical Doctor as any of these conditions could be related to Lyme Borreliosis:

Some of the more commonly known conditions are:

Alzheimer's disease
ALS
Arthritis
Autism
Parkinson's disease
Motor Neuron disease
ADD
ADHD
Carpel Tunnel syndrome
Dementia
Depression
Epilepsy
Epstein Barr virus
Fetal death
Fibromyalgia
Guillain-Barré Syndrome
ME / Yuppie flu
Schizophrenia
Stevens-Johnson syndrome
Vasculitis



http://lymebook.com/blog/testing-diagnosis/misdiagnosed-diagnosis-mimics-great-imitator/

ILADS Guidelines for treating Lyme disease and co-infections.

"In early 2004, The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) released the first evidence-based comprehensive set of Lyme Disease Treatment Guidelines to assist physicians, public health officials and organizations involved in the evaluation and treatment of Lyme disease. The Lyme Disease Association (national) and the California Lyme Disease Association endorsed the Guidelines which were then peer-reviewed and made available to professionals and to the public.

Lyme is the number one tick-borne illness in the US. The CDC reports there are 24,000 new cases of Lyme disease in the US but the CDC says that figure could be under reported by tenfold. ILADS believes newly diagnosed cases of Lyme may occur at a rate five times higher than the number of new AIDS cases. Chronic Lyme is reported in up to half of patients treated for Lyme.

ILADS Lyme Treatment Guidelines suggest more aggressive treatment for people at risk."

Sadly, people are not recognizing that this illness is to be found in just about every corner of the world today.  How it got there, is anyone's guess.  But, it is in South Africa and you better believe it !!
Ever had a tick bite and some years later feel that your body is falling apart...  Don't overlook this emerging disease.  Unexplained aches and pain, fatigue, arthritis, loss of memory... the list goes on !
http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/treatment_guidelines_summary.html

GUIDELINES:
http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/treatment_guidelines.html

Finally a Research Article that admits that Chronic Lyme Disease DOES exist and needs to be addressed by the medical fraternity so that we can find solutions...

Daniel J Cameron      Proof that Chronic Lyme Disease Exists...

Antibodies linked to long-term Lyme symptoms

Why is it that some people respond better to treatment for Lyme disease than others.  Is it possible they may have had a second infection they were not aware of... ? According to this study, certain patients diagnosed with post-Lyme disease syndrome have antibodies that suggest they carried the infection for an unusually long time. References :  Chandra A. et al. Clin. Immunol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clim.2011.06.005 (2011).

Lyme cover up rages on and on....

Contrary to what you may have been told, Lyme disease is NOT RARE and you can get it on just about every continent.  They say you can't get it in Antartcia.  In fact, not only is Lyme disease not rare, it is BIGGER THAN AIDS.... This is serious.   Click link above for full story.

"What have you heard about tickborne Lyme for the last 30 years? That it’s rare, scary, acute, treatable… The government warns about its spread and implores people to go to a doctor upon seeing the telltale bulls-eye rash. What happens when they actually do?

Many have researched the controversial beginnings of Lyme disease, but this article focuses on what happens to victims when they contract it and what they can do now.

Under Our Skin is a documentary that lends a voice to the many who in fact suffer from chronic Lyme and are victims of a greater abomination.

Why do conventional doctors tell them it’s in their head? Why won’t they quickly test for it? Treat it? Acknowledge it? Why do medical boards shut down doctors who can treat and cure Lyme?

ALS Lou Gehrig's Disease, MS, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's... it could really be Lyme

ALS Lou Gehrig's Disease, MS, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer' ...   it could really be Lyme Disease !!

Dr Dietrick Klinghardt states in this video that he has never had an ALS - Lou Gerhig disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's or Alzheimer's patient who has NOT tested positive for Lyme disease (Borrelia bordorferi).

Please watch the link for the video.  You owe it to yourself !

L-Form Bacteria : What you should know !!

(click link above for more detailed info).

Did you know that these bacteria are able to change shape (mutate) at will, basically? They can change shape and size over their lifetime. One of the phases of mutation is called L-Form or cell wall deficient bacteria.  Not much is known about L-Form bacteria despite 100 years of research.  However they are partly responsible for chronic illness.

"Some of the species of L-form bacteria that have been implicated in chronic disease include Bacillus anthracis, Treponema pallidum, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Helicobacter pylori, Rickettsia prowazekii, and Borrelia burgdorgeri. Not all species cause disease."

They are about 0.01 micron and cannot be seen with  normal optical microscope.  Cell wall deficient bacteria often cannot be killed by many of the commonly used antibiotics.

L-Form bacteria cause inflammation.  They are able to activate proteins that increase the activity of Nuclear Factor Kappa B.  This inturn turns on a variety of genes that cause the release of inflammatory cytokines, proteins that generate pain and fatigue. In this way, an inflammatory response is linked with diseases caused by L-form bacteria.

"An inflammatory immune response - is one of the body’s primary means to protect against infection - defines multiple established infectious causes of chronic diseases, including some cancers."

David Relman, MD

Inflammation drives many chronic conditions that are still classified as (noninfectious) autoimmune or immune-mediated.  For example... systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease).  Both play critical roles in the cause, development, and effects of these inflammatory syndromes.

Therefore, inflammation is a clear potential link between infectious agents and chronic diseases.

"People are exposed to L-form bacteria in many places. Because they cannot be killed by pasteurization or chlorination, L-form bacteria can be found in milk, food, and water. They can be transmitted via sperm, intimate contact, and can be passed from mother to child during childbirth. Since they are too small to be filtered during the purification processes used in pharmaceutical manufacturing procedures, they can be transmitted through injectable medicines. They have even been cultured from dry soil."

Babesia may not show symptoms.... by Jenna

I was diagnosed with Lyme disease in Fberuary 2010.  I have not been diagnosed with Babesia, I believe because we don't test for this co-infection of Lyme disease in South Africa.  However, recent results of  'life blood tests' have shown 'malaria' parasites in my red blood cells...  As I have never had malaria or been in malaria risk areas, I am left wondering if these 'malaria parasites' are in fact Babesia...  Click the title for more info.

Babesia : A Lyme co-infection not recognised in humans in SA

For me this is a particularly intersting article.  I have been treated with anti-malarial drugs but never fully understood the reason until I read this article.  Recently whilst doing a deox and having live blood analysis, malaria parasites were seen to be in my red blood cells.  Over a period of 6 weeks, a parasite or two was seen under darkfield microscope on five of these six occasions.  What is even more amazing, this is just in a pin prick of blood...   I wouls love to see a significant sample of my blood under microscope... or would I !!

"Babesiosis is an infection caused by a malaria-like parasite, also called a “piroplasm,” that infects red blood cells. Babesia microti is believed to be the most common piroplasm infecting humans, but scientists have identified over twenty piroplasms carried by ticks."

"Symptoms of babesiosis are similar to those of Lyme disease but it more often starts with a high fever and chills. As the infection progresses, patients may develop fatigue, headache, drenching sweats, muscle aches, nausea, and vomiting. Babesiosis is often so mild it is not noticed but can be life-threatening to people with no spleen, the elderly, and people with weak immune systems. Complications include very low blood pressure, liver problems, severe hemolytic anemia (a breakdown of red blood cells), and kidney failure."

Is there a reason that certain people develop Lyme disease...?

Laura Bruno's Blog :  I found this thought provoking article and want to share it.
(Click title for full article)

"I will share some of those things in this article. As I explain in the book and in other articles, Lyme Disease tends to affect people who have big things to offer the world."


"Lyme seems to show up like a roto-rooter, forcing people to dig deep and remove ALL blocks to creativity and healing."

Why is Borrelia so hard to kill ?

This is a very informative video put together by Connie Strasheim.  I finally understand what Biofilms are now. :-)

The Complexities of Lyme Disease: A Microbiology Tutorial by Thomas M. Grier M.Sc.

"Why is Lyme disease such a mystery?

Why does it mimic so many other disease?

Why is it so difficult to detect?

The reasons come from the microbiology of the bacteria that causes Lyme Disease."

"The division time of Borrelia burgdorferi is very long. Most other pathogens such as Streptococcus, or Staphylococcus, only take 20 minutes to double, the doubling time of Borrelia burgdorferi is usually estimated to be 12-24 hours. Since most antibiotics are cell wall agent inhibitors, they can only kill bacteria when the bacteria begins to divide and form new cell wall.(35,59-62)

This means: Since most antibiotics can only kill bacteria when they are dividing, a slow doubling time means less lethal exposure to antibiotics. Most bacteria are killed in 10-14 days of antibiotic. To get the same amount of lethal exposure during new cell wall formation of a Lyme spirochete, the antibiotic would have to be present 24 hours a day for 1 year and six months! Note: Antibiotics kill bacteria by binding to the bacteria's ribosomes, and interrupting the formation of cell wall proteins"

Lyme disease bacteria love to feed on the brain tissue and CNS.

This says it all... !

"The infection is not just bacterial as all say, trying to dismiss the severity of Lyme Disease; 

the infection are parasites who look for food and for a place to make their camping (ground)! 

When they invade the blood, the anemia is severe; the malaria parasites go inside the red blood cells, one bug per one red blood cell; 

while the Lyme parasites are three at a time invading each red blood cells, three times worse than malaria - this is the Babesiosis - and the Borrelia that is always called a "resistant bacteria" it is just another "intracellular bacteria" which certainly means another type of parasite malaria like.  

So after having such infection in the organism the body breaks. The sudden anemia causes fatigue and from there tons of symptoms start.  

The bugs stay in the blood for a short period of time but soon they migrate to other places,

they want to hide in the smaller veins to hide from the attacks of the immune system and or antibiotics when the person receives treatment, and they're hungry too,  

so they go where they can feed and reproduce better.  

The malaria parasites go to the liver and the brain, that's why they kill their host so fast.  

The bugs of LD are smarter, they migrate to many places to not kill their host, there are many cases of people living with Lyme for more than 20 or 30 years and all the time symptomatic and suffering; 

yes many others die from a heart attack and other complications but these bugs do not pretend to kill just to live long."

Chronic Mycoplasmal Infections

Click this link for more on Chronic Mycoplasmal Infections in Gulf War Veterans' Children and Autism Patients.

The cause of Autism has not been fully established, however many young children with Autism have tested positive with the Lyme bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi.  Some researchers report as many as 7 out of 10 children tested.  That is quite a significant number in my humble opinion.

Immune dysfunction and antibiotics and neurological problems

Ever had a Live Blood Test?  

It is quite awesome to see what is running around in a tiny pin prick of blood under the microscope. Bacteria like busy little bees buzzing about.  If you are unlucky enough to be chronically ill, you could see parasites,  fungi and even possibly cholesterol crystals.

"People of the ILADS/chronic Lyme disease community, have long claimed that Lyme disease infection (Borrelia spirochetes) is immunosupressive: this, it is argued, why co-infections, erstwhile opportunists, are able to easily grab a foothold."

Lyme disease cannot be overlooked if a patient with neurological problems has ever been bitten by a tick.

We're Misunderstood

This blog is written by a young lady who was diagnosed with Lyme disease in January 2011.

As she says:  "Lyme disease is an epidemic larger than AIDS, West Nile Virus, and Bird Flu combined. The "great imitator", Lyme affects each person differently. Millions are silently suffering, improperly diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, ALS, Alzheimer's, Psychiatric Disorders, and many others."

It is bad enough dealing with Chronic Lyme Disease and the many co-infections that go with it, but sometimes it is even harder trying to deal with the may sceptics and critics who pass comment when they are ignornant about the ravages of these illnesses.  It really is like having the sword of Damocleas hanging over you.


This blog is truely inspirational and the article "We're Misunderstood" could have been written by me, but after 30 years of battling this illness with no diagnosis, I don't think I could have stated it so well.

Soaking out the Spirochetes

Above is an intersting blog link called "Soaking out the Spirochetes" which discusses our Blogger's routine for a detox bath soak to get rid of body pain as well as getting at the spirochetes.  It is very important to detox the body whilst on medication to kill off the Lyme bacteria.  Since the skin has the largest area for detoxing, a soak in a hot bath will help in your detox programme.

Starting with a Dry Brush of the body from toes to head to get rid of dead skin and then a good soak will help you on your journey back to health.

A really excellent read.

Winning Lyme/co-infection lawsuits in court

Here is a report of a lawsuit from 1999 from one of the Lyme forums.   In South Africa the Department of Health still tell me that a person cannot get Lyme disease in South Africa...  I did !!  and I wonder how many more people have been bitten by a tick in this beautiful country and are walking aorund with a mis-diagnosis as a result of this attitude.  The Department will not even engage with with to consider the possibility / consequences.

I 'knew' in 1996 that I had Lyme disease as a result of personal research on the intenet.  I told my GP this and he said IMPOSSIBLE - Lyme is ONLY in the US... !!  I recall saying to him well maybe it goes by another name here - to which I got a blank stare.  No blood tests were ever done and I started the downward spiral to ill health from then until February 2010 when I was diagnosed with Ricketsia, Mycoplasma, Q Fever and Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi).

I wonder if I could lay claim to sonthing like this?  Not likely!! since the mighty Department of Heath in South Africa deny the existence of Lyme on our land... !!

Why are we experiencing an Epidemic of Lyme disease around the world... ?

Could it be that Lyme disease can be passed from person to person, or from blood transfusions where the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi is immune to the 'cleanin process' donated blood undergoes...  See the link above for some interesting comment.