The New 'Kid on the Block'... Dietrich Klinghardt ~ MD PhD

Lyme disease - a look beyond antibiotics.

"The new kid on the block is Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) and some of us have looked at it for a long time as possibly being the bug that opens the door for all the other infections to enter the system.

Lyme disease has become a buzzword in the alternative medical field. Since none of the recommended treatments are specific to either one of the microbes, we can never assume that we really know what we treated once a patient has recovered."

"In the last decade the majority of outcome-oriented physicians observed a major shift: we realized that it was neither the lack of vitamins or growth hormone that made our patients ill.

We discovered that toxicity and chronic infections were most often at the core of the client’s suffering.

We watched the discussion, which infection may be the primary one: mycoplasma, stealth viruses, HHV-6, trichomonas, Chlamydia pneumoniae, leptospirosis, mutated strep, or what else?"


http://www.klinghardtacademy.com/images/stories/Lyme_Disease/Lyme_protocol_Jan06.pdf

Lyme disease: A multi-systemic disease

There are many more symptoms for Lyme disease than the ones listed in this link. This is because Lyme is a multi-systemic disease. Aches and pains come and go and move about the body with consistent inconsistency...!!

This information is only meant to help you decide if you need to seek medical treatment to increase the quality of your life.
Just remember tho, a bit bite is not something to be ignored. The sooner you can get treatment, the less chance you have of developing Neuroborreliosis.

http://www.lyme-symptoms.com/1Lyme-Symptoms.html


Lyme is often Misdiagnosed as other Diseases and Disorders.
This is because it tends to mimic about 300 different illnesses which makes it very important to rule them out.
If you have ever experienced bites from ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, lice, biting flys, do not discount them.
You will do so at your peril !

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


Comparison of Lyme disease and co-infection symptoms.

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

Tick-borne encephalitis or meningoencephalitis: is a bacterial infection of the brain, such as Lyme disease. The symptoms of encephalitis range from mild to severe and can be life threatening. Possible symptoms: Fever, headache, nausea, decreased alertness, malaise, visual disturbances, stiff neck and back decreased consciousness, tremor, seizures. Encephalitis can last from a few days to several months. Permanent neurological consequences may follow recovery in some cases. Consequences may include personality changes, memory loss, language difficulties, seizures, and partial paralysis. Tick-borne meningoencephalitis is caused by a virus and may be a coinfection of lyme.

Lyme Meningitis inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord called the meninges. It often occurs when an infection elsewhere in the body spreads through the blood and into the cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid that circulates in the spaces in and around the brain and spinal cord). One form of bacterial meningitis is related to Lyme disease. Lyme meningitis is generally less severe than other forms of bacterial meningitis and is not fatal. Lyme meningitis may be the first evidence of Lyme disease, occurring without a history of erythema chronicum migrans or flu-like illness. Symptoms in milder cases of encephalitis usually include: headache, fever, stiff neck, sensitivity to light, nausea, sleepiness, confusion.

Chronic meningitis is a slowly developing inflammation of the subarachnoid space (located within the layers of tissues covering the brain and spinal cord) associated neurological involvement affecting the lower extremities. The infection and inflammation develop more slowly, over weeks and months that lasts a month or longer. If symptoms have been present for a month or more, meningitis is described as chronic. People may have a fever, a stiff neck, a headache, double vision, or difficulty walking, or they may become confused. Headache lasting weeks to months persistent/severe/ head pressure /congestion /burning. Burning in the brain and sometimes the neck and spinal cord or parts of the head, forehead or most of the head.

Aseptic meningitis(The space between middle and inner layers of tissues covering the brain and spinal cord (meninges) is inflamed.) Sometimes aseptic meningitis is diagnosed when meningitis is caused by bacteria that are hard to identify, such as the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, syphilis, or tuberculosis. Symptoms Headache, stiff neck, malaise, nausea and muscle aches may develop over days. Usually, aseptic meningitis causes symptoms that are similar to those of bacterial meningitis (fever, headache, vomiting, sluggishness, and a stiff neck). However, people do not become as ill. People may not have a fever, particularly when the cause is not an infection.

http://www.lyme-symptoms.com/2Lyme-Symptoms.html#meningoencephalitis

The Official ILADS Guideline for treating Lyme disease and other tick borne infections.

These Guidelines should be a Bible for any doctor who cares enough to treat his or her patients for any tick borne infections.

One week of antibiotics is NOT enough to kill off the soup of bacteria which can eventually lead to the patient developing severe illnesses from tick bites. Sadly, many people have suffered permanent disability through this oversight and many lives have been ruined both physically and financially. Not to mention the mental anguish caused to the patients by this shortsightedness.

http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/B_guidelines_12_17_08.pdf

DIAGNOSTIC HINTS AND TREATMENT GUIDELINES FOR LYME AND OTHER TICK BORNE ILLNESSES
by JOSEPH J. BURRASCANO JR, MD
SEPTEMBER, 2008

In general, you can think of Lyme Borreliosis as having three categories:
acute, early disseminated, and chronic.

The sooner treatment is begun after the start of the infection, the higher the success rate.

However, since it is easiest to cure early disease, this category of Lyme Borreliosis must be taken VERY seriously.

Under-treated infections will inevitably resurface, usually as chronic Lyme, with its tremendous problems of morbidity and difficulty with diagnosis and treatment and high cost in every sense of the word.

So, while the bulk of this document focuses of the more problematic chronic patient, strong emphasis is also placed on earlier stages of this illness where closest attention and care must be made.



If you suspect that you may be affected by a tick borne infection like Rickettsia, Lyme disease and it's many co-infections, please take a look at this link which has invaluable information.

http://chronicfatiguesyndrome.co.za

Forgive them All, for they know not what they should now... !!

If you have seen 15+ Specialists and you still have no idea what is wrong with you.... Then it IS Lyme... !!

A Daughter’s Experience of her Mom’s Lyme Disease

Read this poignant story of a teenager whose Mother was diagnosed with Lyme disease and how she overcame the difficulties of not understanding what was happening to her Mother. It is very heart warming.

"The whole experience was one of the hardest times of my life. However, my relationship with my mom is stronger than ever. She is my mother and my best friend. I go to her with everything I need to and she does the same with me. Our relationship is now a two-way street, which is more fulfilling than the more childish one I had as a teenager. I love being my mom’s friend and I love when she comes to me with happiness, sadness, confusion, and enlightenment. I will always take care of my mom and she will always take care of me. It’s an absolutely perfect way to be and the experience was hard, but nonetheless perfect."


http://www.lymethriving.com/a-daughters-experience-of-her-moms-lyme-disease/

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/

Borrelia (Lyme) Neurotoxin

Research has shown that Borrelia (Lyme bacteria) produce neurotoxins in the body and can cause symptoms which are similar to encephalopathy as well as on-going inflammation within the body. They are also know to interfere with hormonal activity by blocking the hormone receptors.

The longer a person has been ill with Lyme disease, the more neurotoxins will be found in the body. The neurotoxins are thought to be stored in fatty tissues of the body and once they get there, they persist for a long time.

http://www.healthcentersofamerica.com/information.cfm?id=146

Comparison Chart of Lyme Disease and Co-infections Symptoms

This is a link to a Comparison Chart of Lyme Disease and Co-infections Symptoms. It lists all the co-infections and provides back links to even more information.

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

YOU CAN GET ANYTHING... OR NOTHING from a tick bite!!

When you get bitten by a tick, you don't know what you can be getting... you can get Anything or Nothing !! It is like Russian Roulette !!

There is a silent disease that is lurking around the world. It is in the USA, in Europe, in Australia and even in South Africa... and most countries attitudes are - "not in OUR backyard"... !!

It is no good playing like an ostrich with its head in the sand... it won't make infection by tick bite go away... it just makes the chances of being correctly diagnosed pretty remote, with very little chance of finding a doctor who will treat them accordingly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ao75lCItDVA#!

Arthritis, Co-infections and Lyme

Demonstration of Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr virus in atherosclerotic coronary arteries, nonrheumatic calcific aortic and rheumatic stenotic mitral valves by polymerase chain reaction.
Bayram A, Erdoğan MB, Ekşi F, Yamak B.

Source
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University, Turkey. aysenbayram@hotmail.com

Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this study was to investigate whether bacterial and viral infectious agents can be demonstrated in atherosclerotic lesions of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) as well as in stenotic aortic and mitral valves from patients undergoing heart valve replacement.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21466993

Iceman Autopsy - Otzi reveals Borrelia was around 5000+ years ago in Europe.

Otzi, the famous Neolithic mummy lay for 5,300 years in icy conditions which preserved his body after he suffered a fatal attack that had left the Iceman dead, high upon a mountain.

Austrian authorities first recovered the mummy in 1991. Over the years, many invasive explorations of the mummy were conducted, including x-ray and CT scan imaging studies and an analysis of the mummy's mitochondrial DNA.

In 2001, a radiologist named Paul Gostner noticed a detail that had been overlooked in the images. An arrowhead was found to be buried in the Iceman's left shoulder, indicating that he had been shot from behind.

It is hypothesized, that if he had not been shot, Otzi would probably would have died of a heart attack or stroke in ten years.

"Perhaps most surprising, researchers found the genetic footprint of bacteria known as Borrelia burgdorferi in his DNA—making the Iceman the earliest known human infected by the bug that causes Lyme disease."


http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/11/iceman-autopsy/hall-text

When ALS is Lyme disease...

When ALS is Lyme :
Examining the link between ALS and Neuroborreliosis.

"FACTS DO NOT CEASE TO EXIST BECAUSE THEY ARE IGNORED." ~ Aldous Huxley


THE IMMUNE SYSTEM CANNOT KILL THE BORRELIA IN THE BRAIN...
See Page 149 of the above link.

"The brain is am Immune-privileged site. T-Cells do NOT circulate in the brain - they are not able to pass the blood-brain barrier. So that's it ! The bacteria are in the brain and they are there to stay !!...

This is NOT good news for us... !!

On page 151 - there is comment as to why Neuroborreliosis does not show up on Lyme tests which is also very interesting. Ms Kathleen Dickson, has always maintained that what we know as Lyme is in fact Relapsing Fever.

Kathleen Dickson is a Analytical Chemist who used to work for Pfizer.

http://www.als-cure.com/ALS.pdf

Reasons for False Negative Test Results in Lyme Disease

It is very important when getting tested for Lyme disease to have these tests done at a reputable laboratory that is well set up for the testing of Lyme disease and it's many co-infections.

Once you have your results, it then becomes VERY important to have a doctor who is Lyme literate and well versed in all things Lyme... There are many factors which can affect the results, so a Lyme literate medical doctor (LLMD) is a MUST in this next step of interpreting your results.

A list of reasons has been compiled from the Lyme Disease Foundation and the Lyme Alliance by Melissa Kaplan, 2003:

Nine Reasons for False Negative Lyme Disease Blood Test Results
From the Lyme Disease Foundation brochure, Frequently Asked Questions About Lyme Disease.

Also, Tom Grier of Lyme Alliance gives Reasons Why A Seronegative Test Result Might Occur.

See this link:

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

Borrelia theileri : A Review

Live spirochetes were first found in the blood of cattle in South Africa by Sir Arnold Theiler in 1902. Since its original description in South Africa, B. theileri has been found in southern Russia, Bulgaria, Australia, Texas, Mexico and South America.

two other species of Borrelia infect cattle: Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia coriaceae.


http://www.lyme.org/journal/journal/vol5f-w98/v5nw-review.pdf

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/

Chronic Lyme disease mimics 350 different diseases

See this link for an interesting video on this subject.  Chronic Lyme disease is really complex multi-system, multi-neuroendocrine, multi-infectious disease that mimics over 350 different inflammatory diseases.  You can get Lyme disease from a tick bite, in-utero or it can be sexually transmitted.  Left improperly treated, you will go on to develop Chronic Lyme disease.

Envita

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

Babesia... a co-infection of Lyme disease...

The Babesia parasite is considered to be an emerging infectious disease and is being found more and more in blood samples from countries around the world.  More concerning is a report of congenital Babesiosis.  Although considered a co-infection from a tick bite, it is closely related to the malaria parasite.  It finds its way to the red blood cells and makes itself at home there...  The Babesia parasite will interfere with the process of iron uptake by the red blood cells.  Where there is Babesia more often than not you will find Bartonella lurking.


Some of the symptoms of Babesia to look out for include:

Air hunger, Cough, Fatigue, Fevers, Headache, Imbalance without true vertigo, Mild encephalopathy, Shaking chills, Sweats

For more info on the symptoms you can read this webpage.http://www.anapsid.org/lyme/symptoms/tbi-symptoms.html


Abstract:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/18/8/11-0988_article.htm

"Babesiosis is usually acquired from a tick bite or through a blood transfusion. We report a case of babesiosis in an infant for whom vertical transmission was suggested by evidence ofBabesia spp. antibodies in the heel-stick blood sample and confirmed by detection of Babesiaspp. DNA in placenta tissue."


" The mother was asymptomatic during and after her pregnancy. The infant was delivered vaginally and full term at 3,430 g without complications. The infant’s mother had visited parks in Westchester and Dutchess Counties in New York during the pregnancy but was unaware of any tick bites. The infant had no known tick exposure, and neither mother nor infant had a history of blood transfusion."

"This case provided convincing evidence for congenital babesiosis because of prepartum infection involving the placenta in the mother. On the basis of experience with congenital malaria, we assume that Babesia spp. parasites cross the placenta during pregnancy or at the time of delivery. In congenital malaria, increasing evidence suggests that the malaria parasites are most often acquired antenatally by transplacental transmission of infected erythrocytes."

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...

Lyme Crymes... Lyme is the Yuppie AIDS.

Ever heard of Lyme Crymes ?  Well here is your opportunity if you have never heard this term before.  http://www.actionlyme.org/CRYME_DISEASE.htm

"Corruption is like a sinister mountain which obscures everything, makes everything reek, spreads darkness over everything, infects everything, when evil is once there, it is like an epidemic which carries off throngs of people. Virtue, on the contrary, has much more difficulty flourishing. It is not so easy, not so attractive, not so widespread. " -- Allida, an angelic demon, from the Choir of Archangels.