"The antibiotic doxycycline is the current gold standard treatment for Lyme.
However, doxycycline and other generic antibiotics, wreak havoc on the microbiome, killing beneficial bacteria in the gut and causing troubling side effects even as it kills Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme.
In addition to its negative impact on the gut, doxycycline also fails to help between 10 and 20% of individuals who take it,
and it is not approved for use in young children — who are at the highest risk of tick bites, and therefore, of developing Lyme.
More effective, or at least more specified, treatment options are needed as climate change extends tick seasons and Lyme becomes more prevalent.
Northwestern scientists identified that piperacillin, an antibiotic in the same class as penicillin, effectively cured mice of Lyme disease at 100-times less than the effective dose of doxycycline
. At such a low dose, piperacillin also had the added benefit of “having virtually no impact on resident gut microbes,” according to the study."
Great info to share with doctors and advocate for this drug.
The article also talks about possible causes for chronic Lyme. Although one study talks about if for weeks or months not years.
I know they don't call it chronic Lyme anymore, but I still do.
Posted by nature24 (Member # 52800) on :
wow thanks for sharing that study, what an incredible discovery. I hope that the findings are put into practice? what are the chances of that happening?
Posted by Phoiph (Member # 41238) on :
An alternative early treatment that doesn't destroy gut biome could make all the difference.
Since Piperacillin is already FDA approved for pneumonia, I am wondering if any practitioners would consider prescribing it off-label now...prior to Lyme-specific human studies.
Posted by Phoiph (Member # 41238) on :