LymeNet Flash: Garinii strain/ Europe or USA?

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Posted by bokeron (Member # 52224) on :

Hello Everyone!!

I have recently been diagnosed with Lyme disease, garinii strain. Garinii is the European strain type of Borrelia.

I am currently based in Spain and there's barely any lyme here. That's why I have been researching LLMDs mostly in USA. However, since my strain is Garinii, do you guys think I should be treated in Europe or do you think a LLMD in USA is a better choice. In the USA they are definitely more knowledge about lyme in general but I don't know about garinii in particular.

Thanks a lot in advance

Stay safe out there.

Posted by Brussels (Member # 13480) on :

how do you want to get treated, with antibiotics or with more natural treatments?

I had Garinii and my daughter too.
We live in Switzerland.

Posted by Garz (Member # 52095) on :

I'm not sure enough is known about the response of the different strains to antibiotics or herbs yet.

the Garinii Strain is known to tend towards causing more neurological symptoms so treatment choices tend to be driven by that more than anything else at the moment.

so especially if CNS symptoms are pronounced, LLMDs will typically select antibiotics known to have better blood-brain barrier penetration ( eg small molecules like minocycline and the newer Disulfiram ) or even IV treatments if the symptoms are very severe.

herbs are selected based on symptoms anyway eg Buhners CNS anti-inflammatory herbs.
(knotweed, Kudzu root, Chinese Skullcap, Uncaria Rhynchophilia etc)

by the way - whilst Lyme may not be recognized as a major issue in Spain, recent research in Europe has found migratory birds such as robins and blackbirds and other members of the thrush family (all ground-feeding birds) to be active hosts carrying both Borrelia Garinii and the ticks that transmit it.

in Finland for instance - the seasonal variation in Lyme cases was very well associated with the migrating population numbers of thrushes.
and in the UK about 1/2 of the robin population migrates here from Spain and Portugal.

so it seems likely these migrations result in active reservoirs and transmission in the countries these hosts migrate to and from.

Posted by Bartenderbonnie (Member # 49177) on :

Found this for you bokeron

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC153919/#!po=75.0000

Posted by Garz (Member # 52095) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Bartenderbonnie:
Found this for you bokeron

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC153919/#!po=75.0000

interesting Paper - but a great deal of variability in susceptibility even withing the different strains of Garinii

so yet another source of variability apart from, host genetics, the host immune system, the co-infections, other co-morbidities etc

no wonder everyone responds differently and many LLMD's simply try rotating ABX

Posted by Phoiph (Member # 41238) on :

Bokeron,

I also had Garinii (plus multiple co-infections).

Do you know how long you have had the infection?

Having an acute vs. chronic illness would affect your treatment decisions.

My illness did not respond to traditional antibiotic treatment, but I was misdiagnosed for 1-1/2 years until I was in the chronic stage.

I am 100% well now thanks to mild hyperbaric, but it was a long, hellish journey before I discovered that treatment.

I'm happy to share any information.