Guest column: Data show long-term treatment of Lyme disease ineffective Ashford, Conn. --
With tick season fast approaching, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the nation's largest medical society of infectious disease doctors and researchers with more than 8,600 members, wants to help people understand Lyme disease.Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States, and Connecticut leads the nation in reported cases.
The disease is transmitted by the bite of a deer tick that is infected with a bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi. If an infected tick is not removed from the skin within a day or so, a person may develop Lyme disease.Most commonly identified by a circular, red ``bull's-eye'' rash, the infection can spread to affect the joints, heart and nervous system if left untreated.
Extensive research shows a short course of antibiotics is highly effective, and the vast majority of people recover in a couple of weeks with no lingering effects.Unfortunately, Lyme disease has been drawn into the center of controversy by a small group of physicians and patient advocacy groups who attribute a wide range of symptoms to what they call ``chronic'' Lyme disease.
The self-described ``Lyme-literate'' community claims that months or even years of high-dose antibiotics, often delivered intravenously, are required to rid the body of infection.
However, scientific evidence to date does not support long-term antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease.
In our 2006 treatment guidelines, IDSA experts combed through the medical literature -- and even examined evidence provided by ``Lyme-literate'' physicians -- and did not find convincing evidence that this treatment works better than placebo.
In fact, long-term antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease is not only expensive and ineffective, but can be extremely harmful to a patient's health.
Such treatment can cause infections and reactions to the drugs, and also can foster the development of life-threatening drug-resistant superbugs.Science is constantly evolving, and if convincing evidence emerges that long-term antibiotics do more good than harm, we would gladly support it.
Right now, however, we cannot endorse this protocol.We encourage patients who receive a ``chronic'' Lyme disease diagnosis to get a second opinion from a physician with experience treating a wide range of diseases and conditions.
It is essential for patients to receive the correct diagnosis so they begin the right treatment for their ailments -- and avoid treatments that cause unnecessary harm to their bodies.In the meantime, there are simple measures to prevent Lyme disease, including avoiding tick-infested areas, wearing protective, light-colored clothing when outdoors, and applying tick and insect repellent to your exposed skin and clothing.
Anne Gershon is president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, headquartered in Arlington, Va., and with members across the country.
posted
LOL, maybe a media blitz will work for them??? this looks like another of their standard form letters. Smells like horsey poop to me.
-------------------- "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"--Carl Sagan Posts: 317 | From Kansas and New Jersey | Registered: May 2008
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Leelee
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 19112
posted
They just never give up , do they?
-------------------- The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Martin Luther King,Jr Posts: 1573 | From Maryland | Registered: Feb 2009
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Tracy9
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posted
Does it list "Ashford, CT" as the source in other papers?
13 years Lyme & Co.; Small Fiber Neuropathy; Myasthenia Gravis, Adrenal Insufficiency. On chemo for 2 1/2 years as experimental treatment for MG. Posts: 4480 | From Northeastern Connecticut | Registered: Jun 2005
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bettyg
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posted
4 comments so far; i'm copying here since the 1st one was solid block text, and knowing the author, i'm sure they are INFORMATIVE and accurate!
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KM****son 1 day ago
IDSA appears to be starting a new, Spring-Collection-of-Bullship campaign about how Lyme is not a chronic infection, despite the fact that the very data they refused to turn over to CT AG Richard Blumenthal in his lawsuit was their own
1) treatment failure data,
2) the fact that 'Lyme Disease' is a hoax as demonstrated by the Primers Shell Game (there are, literally, an infinite number of Relapsing Fever Spirochetes out there since each single spirochete undergoes antigenic variation),
3) and what happened at Dearborn - the fact that none of their own clique even agreed with Allen Steere's 'Here-I-Am-Alone-in-Germany-with-this-Ignorant-Student-Frank-Dressler' Dearborn proposal for a diagnostic standard for 'Lyme Disease' -, and
4) the entire, international history of Relapsing Fever and Parasitic Spirochetes in general, for the last 100 years, has been that these are permanent infections, including syphilis.
They're going to get the USDOJ up their butts very soon. And they know there is no statute of limitations on murder.
The data the IDSA wouldn't turn over to Attorney General Richard Blumenthal can be found on this site: . http://www.lymecryme.com ********************************** . Please go and see the patents many of the IDSA/CDC personnel own, ****************************
and how they narrowed the disease defination of Lyme to profit off the sick and dying. .
View LymeCryme Overview PowerPoint presentation: . http://wwwttp://www.lymecryme.com/rich_text_18.html . HELP END THE SUFFERING! . EMPOWER yourself, EMPOWER others... *********************************************
Lymepatient 3 hours ago
Annie sure does get around. I have seen a version of this letter in several papers now.
Maybe what she should do is actually READ the science before commenting. **********************************
LymeCheryl 3 hours ago
Speaking of a 'Small Group', the IDSA is one of them.
Who or what agency would know better about treating and testing for Lyme and the other infections that Ticks, Fleas and other blood ****ing insects may carry than the Doctors and the International Lyme And Associated Diseases Society (ILADS)?
IF this was such a small group of doctors and patients that suffer this dibilatating disease, and IF antibiotics long term doesn't work, then just ask yourself WHY is there so much information out there to the contrary?
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kathy dickson has some outstanding comments as usual!!
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Tracy9
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7521
posted
How in the world did they happen to pick the town of "Ashford CT" to make this story from? It was in the Norwich Bulletin, which is not anywhere near Ashford, nor is it a newspaper which covers Ashford.
Ashford is a teeny, tiny town without even a high school. Since I'm pretty sure Ms. Gershon doesn't live in Ashford, nor is the IDSA headquartered in Ashford, I have to wonder what DOES come from Ashford:
1. The Ashford Lyme Group, which has published many articles on Chronic Lyme Disease in several Local papers and started a support group.
2. wwww.lymefriends.com, which is quickly becoming well known around the lyme community, and was started by Blake and Tracy Will who live....where? ASHFORD CT.
3. Also happens to be ASHFORD CT where the parents who stepped forward in the Dr. Jones case, who are now key witnesses to his defense, live.
So is this a coincidence? How does a newspaper randomly choose a town hardly anyone has even heard of with a population of 4,000 no where near them as the originating source of a story????
13 years Lyme & Co.; Small Fiber Neuropathy; Myasthenia Gravis, Adrenal Insufficiency. On chemo for 2 1/2 years as experimental treatment for MG. Posts: 4480 | From Northeastern Connecticut | Registered: Jun 2005
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