Can anyone explain the 28 day lifecycle of the spirochete? Is it the lifespan, or is this when the reproduce?
I'm confused as to why herxes happen in approx. 28 day intervals. So this means that every single spirochete in our bodies are deciding to reproduce at exactly the same time?
Why would they all be on the exact same schedule? They're like little synchronized swimmers, apparently?
I'm noticing that I'm herxing (or at least having symptoms) every 4 wks, but it just doesn't make sense to me. Are they easier to kill during this time?
Are there any research papers on this?
Thanks!! V
Posted by cleo (Member # 6646) on :
up I waould like an info on this too.
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
I think they are easier to kill during this time, thus once you kill more, more toxins are released causing some people to herx.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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While not exactly answering your question, this might help illuminate regarding length of treatment for a new case (chronic cases would take longer):
CONTROVERSY CONTINUES TO FUEL THE "LYME WAR" - By Virginia Savely, RN, FNP-C
As two medical societies battle over its diagnosis and treatment, Lyme disease remains a frequently missed illness. Here is how to spot and treat it.
Excerpt:
" . . .To treat Lyme disease for a comparable number of life cycles, treatment would need to last 30 weeks. . . ."
- Full article at link.
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Also remember that cysts can break open at any time and introduce spirochetes that may have their own idea about timetables and cycles.
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Posted by david1097 (Member # 3662) on :
If ones looks at relapsing fever as a model, the bacteria changes its outer protiens on each cycle. The cycles are repeatable but what causes this to happen is not entirely clear.
There are many parasties that have fixed and very predicatable multi day life cycles but these are the result of a complex life cycle. With Lyme, I suspect that the cycle is somehow programmed into the organism but what exactly is going on is by no means clear.
I think what is clear is that as each cycle occurs, the bug fine tunes its self to become less and less visible to the immune system. This stealth nature is for teh entire bug, not the fragemements. When the bacteria is hit bu antibiotics, they are killed and the fragements light up the immune system, thus the herhiemer reaction.
Since the antibiotics kill the bug during replication, and since the abx produce the herxhiemer reaction in about 72 hours on a consistent basis, then I think it is safe to assume that the replication time is NOT 4 weeks. This would further support the concept of surface protien effect similar to what is seen with relapsing fever.
Note that it is in theory possible for the bug surface modification to be syncronized after a having being exposed to the immune response. If the bugs change the surface and are seen by the antibodies they are killed, leaving only the ones that not seen very well. Given that there is a time lag between the bug modification and the immune build up I suspect that an over damped closed loop control loop is created with the result being the cyclical nature that is seen.
My cycles are 2 weeks, not 4. Some others have seen this effect also but it is not clear why, although there is a japaneese strain of lyme that does display the 2 week cycle.
Needless the say, the 4 weeks cycle is bad news for woman trying to seek diagnosis as the symptoms cyles often coincide with other cycles.
Posted by Wimenin (Member # 15294) on :
My LLMD said that the easiest way to understand Bb is to think of an egg. The three forms...are.. the outside shell (cyst), the inner white (cell wall deficient), and the yellow center yoke (spirochete).
Every 28 days, the Bb breaks open, and the center leaves the middle, goes out and starts its own cycle...reproducing, etc, etc. The growth every 28 days, is the part of the reason for the flare ups. The other reason for feeling it is because when the Bb is active (spirochete), its more recognizable to your immune system, and to the antibiotics, and therefore easier to kill. Kill the Bb, get the toxin release, feel the herxes stronger.
If you want to draw out the Bb...make them active... exercise, take abx to bust open the cysts, raise your body temp, oxygenate, etc, etc... more activity, the worse you feel, etc..
Posted by VB (Member # 16824) on :
Interesting. Thank you. Any other ways to draw them out?
Although, my head is hurting so badly right now that I'm not sure I want to...
![[Frown]](frown.gif)