Description and Treatment Protocol
Dr. Zenia Richler, DBE, NMD, FAAIM
Academy of Bio-Energetics
Every physician encountering a patient afflicted with Lyme Disease knows the challenges he or she faces. Hopefully, the disease has been discovered in the early stages of infection. In many situations, however, the patient may have been infected not only months, but years before. In such cases suffering can be intense and conventional treatment has not produced desirable results.
The cause, Borrelia burgdorferi, is a spiral-shaped bacterium similar in shape and appearance to the spirochete which causes Syphilis. It is often accompanied by two fellow travelers, Babesia microti and Ehrlichia. One is a parasite and the other is a bacteria. This is a combination that plays havoc with the human body defying successful treatment. Those who contract this disease generally display a particular set of symptoms that have been defined into three progressive stages.
Stage I Symptoms: Early infection - one to four weeks
About 60 to 90% of those infected with Borrelia burgdorferi experience a rounded rash surrounding the area where the tick bite occurred. This rash can appear from one to four weeks following the bite. The rash is called an erythema chronicum migrans (ECM). Such a rash is usually a sure sign of Lyme Disease.
Because the rash is not associated with pain, itching or other discomfort it is easily ignored. Others can be more pronounced. These are flu-like symptoms as in:
Ø Ø Chills
Ø Ø Fever
Ø Ø Recurrent headaches
Ø Ø Fatigue
Ø Ø Joint & muscle pains
Ø Ø Loss of appetite
Stage II: Early infection - one to four months.
Several weeks or months following the tick bite 5 to 10 percent of those infected with Borrelia may experience transient heart dysfunction. Such symptoms can exist undetected by the patient, but are apparent to a physician under close observation. These heart irregularities usually persist for a week to ten days and then disappear.
In addition, neurological abnormalities may begin to show. These can include headaches, profound fatigue, Meningitis, cranial nerve problems (neuropathies) including facial palsies. Sensory and motor nerve problems have also been observed.
Other symptoms during this period may include mild musculosketetal disturbances, where patients complain of vague, migrating pain without swelling in muscles, tendons, or joints, including the temporomandibular joint. As with other symptoms, severity may decrease and disappear after a period of weeks or months and then recur at a later time.
Stage III Symptoms: Late persistent infections.
If Lyme Disease is not treated promptly following infection there is a strong danger that severe "arthritic" symptoms will develop. These manifestations will relate to the joints, nerves, skin and brain.
Approximately ten percent of Lyme patients suffer from chronic arthritis. Joint swelling and pain will last for months at a time, often for a year or more. About sixty percent may experience at least one episode of arthritis with symptoms that are significantly one-sided with pain and discomfort as with one knee rather than both. The larger joints, like the knees, seem to be more commonly afflicted. Compared with symptoms commonly experienced with Rheumatoid arthritis, one generally finds pain and discomfort in joints on both sides of the body.
Neurological problems ultimately appear in approximately 20 percent of untreated patients. One such condition is Bell’s Palsy, generally considered a Rheumatoid disease. When this occurs, however, the clinician should look for more than one causal factor. Other potential neurological problems include:
1. Meningitis (sensitivity to light, stiff neck, headache)
2. Encephalitis (sleepiness, mood changes, memory loss)
3. Radiculoneuropathy (where the roots of nerves that stem from the spinal cord to the periphery of some level of the body, becomes irritated. These regions of the body may become painful, tingle or even experience numbness.)
Borrelia produces neurotoxins which reportedly cause many of the symptoms of encephalopathy. It may also cause an ongoing inflammatory reaction manifested as some of the virus-like symptoms common in the later stages of the infection. It has been suggested that the longer one is ill with the disease the more related toxins are present in the body, often found in fatty tissues. Once present, the influence will persist for a long period of time.
The Borrelia Spirochete
The Borrelia Spirochete produces a complex illness because it can invade virtually any of the organs of the body. This in turn complicates that matter of diagnosis since each organ can produce its own variety of symptoms. This characteristic is similar to that encountered with the syphilis spirochete.
Another important finding is the very common incidence of co-infection involving the parasite Babesia microti and the bacteria Ehrlichia. However, because over a dozen other known protozoa’s can be found in ticks the matter of co-infection is magnified even more.
Following infection by the tick bite, Borrelia undergoes a rapid hematogenous dissemination. As soon a twelve hours after entering the bloodstream it can be found within the central nervous system. It penetrates deeply into the cellular tissues, including the eye. Evidence shows Borrelia’s presence within cells such as macrophages, lymphocytes, endothelial cells, neurons and fibroblasts. Here it hides, protected in these intracellular niches from the effects of antibiotics.
In addition, Borrelia reportedly, can coat itself with host cell membranes where it secretes a glycoprotein that can encapsulate the organism (an "S-layer). This glycoprotein binds host IgM making it possible that the host protein as well as the cell membrane hide the Borrelia antigens. These coatings interfere with immune recognition, thus affecting the clearing of the Borrelia spirochete. This could well explain why some patients seem to continually relapse following prolonged administration of antibiotics.
In order for treatment to be successful, the clinician must pay careful attention to certain details. These include:
1. Non-compliance. Since some treatment may result in an exacerbation of symptoms, the patient must be encouraged to stay with the program.
2. Alcohol use (on a regular basis). Regular alcohol consumption will act to compromise the immune function.
3. Failure to obtain proper rest. Advise the patient to arrange their schedule so they might rest comfortably before the inevitable mid-afternoon fatigue sets in.
4. Consumption of Aspartame. Aspartame locks the Lyme Disease spirochete into the body.
When the Borrelia spirochete finds itself in a hostile environment it appears to change into a cyst form and become dormant. One cause of a hostile environment is antibiotics in the body serum. However, when the environment becomes favorable to its growth, the cyst will open and the spirochete is released. When in the cystic form conventional antibiotic therapy will not destroy the Lyme spirochete.
Because Lyme Disease is devastating to the immune system there appears to be an increased susceptibility to co-infections including the following:
Ø Ø Viruses (including HPV or Condylomata)
Ø Ø Chlamydia
Ø Ø Giardia
Ø Ø Herpes
Ø Ø Brucellosis
Borellia Series Therapy: Use at least one Series Therapy Kit. If more than a single kit is needed, administer each successive kit in reverse order. It is important to inform the patient that generally between administration of the second and fourth vial of the ten vials contained in the kit, the symptoms related to the Lyme Disease can become quite exacerbated with significant discomfort. Thus, to insure patient compliance they must be forewarned.
Smart Silver: 1-Tablespoon BID or TID.
Test for 1M and 10M vials of Borellia at the beginning of series therapy and at the end.
If the tick bite is fresh have the patient apply drops of LYM topically to the area QID. Usually a pustule will come to a head and heal. LYM is a very gentle remedy and can be used with children.
Lymph Drainage is essential while detoxifying for Lyme Disease because the lymph system can backup when detoxifying. Use with all cases of Lyme Disease.
Aspartame MSG is an important consideration in the detoxification process because Aspartame locks Lyme Disease in the body.
Samento herbal extract from Nutra Medix is incredibly important for Lyme Disease in the brain. It crosses the blood-brain barrier with amazing results.
Patients who have constant exposure to the possibility of tick bites should keep the LYM Remedy in their medicine cabinet. Should additional exposure occur, apply topically to the bite are and take internally as well.
In the event one or both knees develop into a major source of discomfort, apply Trauma Relief Gel and LYM drops topically, PRN.
With Lyme Disease Magnesium Deficiency is often a very important consideration. Clues that could indicate such a condition are:
Ø Ø Hyper-reflexia
Ø Ø Muscle twitches
Ø Ø Myocardial irritability
Ø Ø Recurrent tight muscle spasms
Since magnesium deficiency can cause Lyme encephalopathy of the brain, test for Serotonin and Ginkgo Biloba. Also, since neurally mediated hypotension (NMH) has been noted in some cases it would be wise to check each of the following:
Ø Ø Electrolytes
Ø Ø Hydration
Ø Ø Sodium
Ø Ø Potassium
Paying attention to these factors could result in the lessening of fatigue, palpitations, wooziness and also increase stamina. Solutions can be B12/Folic Acid and Mag/Cal/Potassium products.
Activation of the inflammatory cascade has been implicated, and there is blockage of cellular receptors. One example of this is insulin resistance. This may partially account for the weight gain that is noted in many chronic Lyme patients.
One clinic, located in Ontario, Canada, tracked the results realized in their treatment of 40 Lyme Disease patients. In each case the patients were cleared of their Borrelia infection as determined through testing with their EDS equipment. In only one case was the Borrelia cleared after a single Borrelia Remedy treatment. In the remaining 39 cases it took three or four series.
NOTE: These patients were treated only with Borrelia Series Therapy. With the addition of Smart Silver and other protocols noted above, results may be improved.
This article is excerpted from a 45 page presentation taught by “Dr. Zenia Richler at the “Academy of BioEnergetics”. Website: www.academybe.com