ALS Caused by Lyme Disease with Babesia Co-infection Posted March 15, 2008
After experiencing difficulty speaking during his nightly radio show, Charles McPhee was diagnosed with a bulbar (neck and throat) presentation of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), or Lou Gehrig's disease, on June 23, 2006. After researching the possible causes of ALS, Charles decided to treat his ALS with a combination of antibiotics (ceftriaxone, Flagyl, azithromycin) and anti-protozoals (Mepron and Malarone). His rationale for using them is based on a recently documented link between ALS, Lyme Disease, and Babesia.
In a paper published October 22, 2006, Dr. David Martz of Colorado Springs, CO, outlined a harrowing journey through ALS... and back. He was diagnosed in April of 2003, and soon was unable to drive, dress himself, or walk. Over the next few months his health continued to deteriorate rapidly, and he was forced to retire from his medical practice. Eight months later, while bedridden and confined to a wheelchair, he learned from a friend who sent him a newspaper clipping that it was possible he really had been infected with Lyme disease, an infection commonly carried by ticks.
After 6 negative tests for Lyme (late-stage Lyme is notoriously difficult to detect in the human body), an antibiotic-provoked urinary PCR test in December, 2003, finally showed positive for Borrelia Burgdorferi (Bb), the spirochete bacteria that causes Lyme disease. During a visual scan of his blood, rings around his red blood cells were also detected, indicating a probable co-infection with Babesia microti, a malaria-like protozoa that is estimated to be transmitted in over 60% of Lyme infections.
Based on this new information, Dr. Martz began using a combination of antibiotics and anti-protozoals to treat his ALS. He noticed dramatic improvement in his symptoms. Within 12 weeks he was walking again without assistance, and in February, 2005, one year after initiating the antibiotic and anti-protozoal treatment, he was declared to be free of motor neuron disease by his neurologist, Steven A. Smith, M.D. That same month Dr. Martz was fully recovered and once again began treating Chonic Disease sufferers in private practice in Colorado Springs.
Read the fascinating account of Dr. Martz's recovery from ALS here.
Read Dr. Martz's Power Point presentation (in PDF) here.
Read the ILADS Treatment Hints and Guidelines by Dr. Joseph Burrascano, here.
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Posted by SForsgren (Member # 7686) on :
That was his experience. It does not mean all Lyme and Babesia patients have or will have ALS
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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THANK YOU for this.
I'd been waiting to see Martz' research published and just have not run into to before today.
I know he retired so that he could get his research published and I'm glad to see him sharing that.
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Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
SF, re-read the article. It did not say that everyone with Lyme and Babesia would have ALS. This guy got diagnosed with ALS and then he treated for Lyme and Babesia and got better.
Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :
Martz could not get it published in an American journal. Guess they couldn't find it in their hard hearts to share a good news event. It was finally published in a small Scandanavian journal.
What I wonder is how McPhee is doing in his treatment. He is the "dream doctor." As in a doctor of dreams.
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
I wonder how many ppl have died of ALS because they didn't know that there was at least the possiblity of a treatment.
Posted by swachsler (Member # 18155) on :
Often people compare my symptoms/situation to ALS, particularly because one of my symptoms has been aphasia (loss of ability to speak). I wonder sometimes if some of those dx w/ALS actually have Lyme and/or babs. I also wonder if aphasia as a symptom is a byproduct of having both Lyme and babs, as it doesn't seem very common (complete loss of ability to speak for most of the last 1 1/2 years, not just slurring, hoarse, etc.), so maybe it's related to the interaction of the 2 or more infections?