I thought I read somewhere about the bad effects of using any steroids when having Lyme.
Anyone have any input?
Leonard
Posted by luvs2ride (Member # 8090) on :
Hi Leonard,
You are right about the steriods. They suppress the immune system which effectively stops the symptoms, but ultimately allows the microbes free reign to grow and damage.
It is well known too that steroids eventually cause cartilage damage. Perhaps because they have essentially tied the hands of your immune system behind its back for so long, preventing it from doing its job of protecting and promoting health in your body.
Luvs
Posted by David95928 (Member # 3521) on :
It's important to make a distinction between corticosteroids (prednizone, dexamethozone, kenalog, etc...) which are anti-inflamatory but also suppress the immune system and anabolic/androgenic steroids (testosterone). Corticosteroids are to be used with a great deal of caution because of they immune suppression they can cause.
Anabolic/androgenic steroids seem to be used a fair amount because so many male lymies have low testosterone and the associated problems of low libido, sexual dysfunction, low energy, depression, and impaired cognition.
Posted by timaca (Member # 6911) on :
do a search on lymenet for "steroids" and you'll find lots of comments.
A steroid shot to my knee set off latent lyme in me. I got seriously ill for a year and a half before figuring out it was lyme disease. No one knew what was going on (including the orthopedic doctor who gave me the steroid shot).
I've yet to recover the health I had.
Timaca
Posted by MariaA (Member # 9128) on :
where does cortef/hydrocortisone fit into this?
Posted by pq (Member # 6886) on :
Antibiotics and Steroids From: Lyme Disease 1991: Patient/Physician Perspectives from the U.S. and Canada Lora Mermin, editor
by John Drulle, M.D. "Corticosteroids, or steroids as they are commonly called, are very important drugs in a wide variety of medical conditions. They exert an anti-inflammatory effect and suppress the immune system. This may be life saving in some diseases such as asthma and malignancies. On the other hand, steroids are rarely curative, and are associated with harmful side effects if used for prolonged periods of time. These include bone loss, cataracts, sodium retention, weight gain, abnormal fat distribution and predisposition in other infections.
"The use of steroids in infectious diseases has always been controversial. It is well known that steroids can reactivate dormant tuberculosis infections.
Recent studies have shown that in meningitis infections steroids may decrease the incidence of post infectious complications. However, in cases of septic shock, their ability to improve survival rates is dubious. We have been traditionaly taught that in bacterial infections an intact, well-functioning immune system is necessary in order to recover. Steroids in the face of bacterial infections may alter the prognosis and in tuberculosis may actually increase the risk of fatality.
"Since Lyme is a bacterial infection, the question naturally arises as to what is the role of steroids in Lyme disease. Before the bacterial nature of Lyme was discovered, it was common to treat the arthritis complications and heart blocks with steroids. Early reports suggested that the heart blocks responded well to the steroids. However, in one report dealing with patients with Lyme arthritis, steroid injections into the joints prior to antibiotic therapy were associated with a worse prognosis when antibiotics were finally given.
We have seen literally dozens of patients with Lyme who were initially treated with steroids who reported a dramatic worsening rather than improvement as would be expected. Dr. Joseph Burrascano has coined the expression, ' Steroid Disasters, ' to describe these patients.
"It is interesting to note that in dogs who had Lyme disease, injections of dexamethasone, a corticosteroid, enabled Borrelia burgdorferi to be cultured from blood drawn on the following day. This was done by Dr. Elizabeth Burgess at the University of Wisconsin. This suggests that the steroid suppresses a mechanism for keeping the bacteria out of the circulatory system, since ordinarily it is difficult to grow the Lyme organism from the blood. Entrance of the bacteria into the bloodstream can allow seeding of other organs.
"I have used steroids in Lyme patients, but only in very selected circumstances. In patients who have presented with eye involvement with rapidly deteriorating vision, such as optic neuritis or uveitis, the combination of high dose steroids appears to restore vision more rapidly than by using antibiotics alone. I have also used steroids in combination with antibiotics in patients who presented with a Lyme induced polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).
"PMR is a common disease of elderly people characterized by pain and stiffness in the muscles of the upper arms and legs, fevers, malaise and weight loss. The ESR, sedimentation rate is elevated. In its classic form, the cause of the condition is unknown, and the dramatic response to steroids is in itself diagnostic.
I have personally seen three cases of Lyme induced PMR, which did not respond to steroids alone or antibiotics alone, yet when the combination was given the response was dramatic.
"In conclusion, the decision to use the steroids in a Lyme patient must be given considerable thought and the possible benefits must be weighed against the risks. I would not use steroids unless the patient was also on antibiotics."
The following information has been added by J. Gruber: * JD Bleiweiss "When to Suspect Lyme" * JJ Burrascano "ADVANCED TOPICS IN LYME DISEASE - DIAGNOSTIC HINTS AND TREATMENT GUIDELINES FOR LYME AND OTHER TICK BORNE ILLNESSES" o specifically his chapter "Course During Therapy" * Links provided by A Doherty o http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Oasis/6455/lyme-links.html#J-H o http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Oasis/6455/newsgroups-links.html * J. T. M. FRIELING et al., Differential Induction of Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Cytokines in Whole Blood by Bacteria: Effects of Antibiotic Treatment, ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY, July 1997, p. 1439?1443 Vol. 41, No. 7 * Burrascano's Guidelines and Immune Response Modeling o J Gruber, Burrascano's Guidelines and Immune Response Modeling o J Gruber, Evaluation of the long-term inflammation in neuroborreliosis o J Gruber, Lyme Disease: Statistical Evaluation of a Symptom Log and an Empirical Theory of Flare Cycles * Andrew R. Pachner, Lyme Borreliosis in Rhesus Macaques: Effects of Corticosteroids on Spirochetal Load and Isotype Switching of Anti-Borrelia burgdorferi Antibody, Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology;Vol.8, No. 2, (March) 2001: 225-232 Location of this page is http://www.Lymenet.de/literatur/steroids.htm Home of this server is http://www.lymenet.de/
[ 27. January 2007, 08:58 PM: Message edited by: pq ]
Posted by pq (Member # 6886) on :
theres also a study by diego cadavid, m.d., neurologist, on maque monkies + borreliosis + steroids. autopsy results done.
Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :
Steroids should be avoided but! in one case if its life threating and I mean it would be the only choice. Other than that always avoid them when you have lyme or any other disease that would benifit from the immune system being shutdown.
Posted by 3carolyn (Member # 10762) on :
My son was just put on a steriod cream formulated to regulate the low hormonal and mineral and electrolyte situation.
The hormones in his cream are....dmae,l-theanine, pregnenalone, melatonin, other ingredients:ala,beta glucan, folic acid, l-glutmine,l-ornithine, l-taurine, l-tyrosine,potassium, super oxide dismutase, vitamin b-12, vit e
Anyone have any input as to whether ot not these hormones are immune suppressing? I would appreciate the input! Carolyn
Posted by NatalieA (Member # 7714) on :
Hi- I am on 60 mg Prednisone because I have no platelets. My lyme is getting worse again, I am in pre-diabetes( high glucose), my BP is high and I am practically pyschotic at times. Had my llmd appt. yesterday and am waiting for test results back..CD 57,etc. I WAS finally starting to get better before I had to start these steroids. Unfortunately, I don't have much choice right now. My opinion is avoid them if you can..they do not help you recover from lyme. Regards Natalie
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by MariaA: where does cortef/hydrocortisone fit into this?
It is a natural steroid and in SMALL doses is OK. I take it myself.