I watch "House" as I write this and play the medical detective myself. I googled inflamation and the others, and inflamation is connnected to all of our major symptoms. I was much impressed by the young woman whose Lyme symptoms were eliminated by the adminstration of IV Gamma Globulin by Dr. Katz at Yale. My understanding of that treatment was that the GG shut down the immune response, but did not impact the infection directly. Very expensive and not likely covered by insurance. Someone posted on another thread about his substantial symptom aliviation by the use of large doeses of ginger and turmeric(sp?). Steere achieved some relief for patients early on by treating with steroids which reduced inflamation. I am thinking that inflamation aliviation by herbs may be a low cost path well worth taking. Comments, please. I am not a medical person. and am only speculalting.
Posted by AlisonP (Member # 7771) on :
Hi Greatcod,
That sounds like a great idea to me, and actually one that I am sort of re-pursuing - tackling the inflammation monster through herbs and foods.
One book I am using is called the Fat Resistance Diet by Leo Galland. Three weeks of recipes all with food aimed to reduce inflammation. My only caveat is that I will not use tomatoes or anything from the nightshade family because that increases my pain and inflammation.
I'm also trying to cook with a lot of anti inflammatory stuff, will definitely be upping my Indian food cooking and using lots of turmeric, but of course, a lot of this is also avoiding the inflammatory foods as well.
Alison
Posted by kelmo (Member # 8797) on :
Wonderful thread.
I have a friend who has never been tested for Lyme, but has all the symptoms. He has been doing IV GG for years.
It has only given him relief, not remission.
Thanks for that.
Kelly
Posted by Greatcod (Member # 7002) on :
I know from experience that avoiding tomatoes and the nightshades helped me with fibro pain.
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Interesting- I try and incorporate all those things in my diet for same reason!!!
And other things that are anti-Lyme!!!
A person I know who is in full remission and who I had thought was not doinG ANYTHING re treatment I found out has been doing IV IGG for past few years to keep self in full remission. Feels this keeps it at bay!!! Once a month!!!
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
I became very interested in the inflammation aspect of Lyme after reading about the Marshall protocol, which uses Benicar to reduce inflammation.
Since I couldn't write myself a prescription for Benicar, I looked for anti-inflammatories.
Fish oil is anti-inflammatory. Systemic enzymes are anti-inflammatory.
Someone else on LymeNet posted that a Dr. Stephen Sinatra advised the use of Wobenzym and cat's claw to treat Lyme.
Since I was already taking cat's claw, I began to look into Wobenzym, a blend of systemic enzymes.
The European doctors have done a lot of research with Wobenzym and other enzymes, so if you do a search, you'll find lots of information.
I had already tried Serrapeptase, without any noticeable results.
I started taking Wobenzym, and ramped up to a larger dose than suggested on the bottle.
Within two weeks, my constant headache was reduced in intensity, and I no longer woke up every day with a splitting headache.
I considered this a success, even though I still am getting headaches. The headaches I have now are more easily treated.
Carol
p.s. Have you read Stephen Buhner's book, Healing Lyme? Posted by frakktured1 (Member # 13028) on :
See now it just goes to show ya how different some people can be with this disease...
ANYTHING STEERE has to offer I would STEERE CLEAR OF.
HE IS NOT OUR FRIEND.
I would'nt touch steroids with a ten foot pole. Not with this disease. Due to misdiagnosis I was initially prescribed steroidal and then non-steroidal anti-inflammatories.
I have to tell you.....these things damn near killed me.
They made my immune system so weak that within two weeks of taking the first steroidal anti inflam, I had terrible foot pain and at the end of the day I walked humped over.
By the time I got my diagnosis for lyme, I was physically bedridden, for the most part and a real basket case mentally.
I have used successfully some herbs from the nightshade family...one in particular helped me rather than hurt me... I dont recall its name right now...
however,
it never worked as well as say two advil, spaced one half hour apart from each other.
While advil is an anti-inflam it is one of the weaker ones which won't bring your own autoimmune system to it's knees.
Its been written that advil is as affective as the newer cox2inhibitors or any of the steroids and nonsteroidal anti inflams.
If we're talking a knee joint or ankles I would even recommend ice and elevation over meds.
Inflammation is why we get pain. As the joint swells it pushes on surrounding nerves. Pinching the nerves is what brings on the pain.
The TBD bacteria attacking the joints is what activates our immune systems to send out the healing things to attack the bacteria.
Along with our natural healers comes fluids. Perhaps the battle that rages on, creates more fluids that are not readily washed away.
Thus swelling and pressure on the nerves and pain.
IF I remember correctly even Dr B's guidelines warn against a particular anti inflam.
If as you say the IV of GG brings down inflammation without helping to disseminate the bacterial load then go for it, if you like.
I only want antibiotics going in my IV.
I also tried the cats claw or the fancy name for it....
Although it made me sick...I don't think I can call it a true herx.
FXD
Posted by luvs2ride (Member # 8090) on :
Let me recommend a website that Wallace recommended under another thread. It is written by someone who was chronically ill and after all meds failed her and doctors could give her no answers, she began to research diet and this is what ultimately cured her. www.dyingtogetwell.com
I am not recommending you throw away your drugs and just count on diet. But eating is something we all have to do, so if we can eat in a manner that supports our healing process, then we should. Right?
This person's book is free for reading online or downloading (160 pages). I downloaded as it is easier to read that way. I read it all and she says most disease comes about from autointoxication which causes inflammation. The book is well worth reading.
For my inflammation I tried all the herbals without any noticeable change. What helped me most was removing foods from my diet to which testing showed I was allergic. For me that was dairy, soy, eggs. Advil is a very effective pain killer but it wrecked my gut and ultimately caused me more harm than good.
Also, current doctor found I am still infested with H. Pylori dispite treatment in 2004 and 4/07. She said they didn't treat long enough. She has me on prolonged PrevPack treatment and I am feeling better and better. BTW, my lyme progressed to Rheum. Arthritis. Currently I have most days of no pain. Sometimes inflammation will flare up in a joint or two. When that happens, I soak in apple cider vinegar and epsom salt baths.
Drinking lots of water helps move toxins and inflammation from the body.
Something else I am doing and since I began doing these two things, my pain level has dropped and held at zero. 1-Oil pulling and 2-rebounding. I think both of these help clear toxins.
I was very slow to adopt oil pulling. I would try it and it would seem so dumb. But after months of abandoning it, I awoke one night with slightly swollen gums and throbbing teeth. I remembered the oil pulling and got up right then and did it. After pulling the oil for 20 mins, I follow up with warm salt water rinses. These rinses may well be the healing aspect of this ritual. Anyway, the gum swelling went down and the teeth stopped throbbing. I continue oil pulling daily. I am not sure how soon afterward I was able to start rebounding. Rebounding is hard to do with arthritis in your ankles, feet, knees. Now I can rebound easily for 10 mins and sometimes longer. I do it at least once a day.
Since I began rebounding and oil pulling, the pain in my neck is gone. I wake up mornings now without any swelling. In the rheumatoid world, no swelling in the morning equals full remission.
In addition, I am on ammoxy and biaxin for the H.Pylori. So far, if I increase the biaxin to the level dr wants for killing babesia, my joints flare. She wants to put me on methotrexate, humira, etc to stop the reaction so we can up the dose and kill the babesia. I have not yet begun those drugs but will soon.
Meanwhile I do everything natural I can to help this process along. I do not want to be on MTX or Humira any longer than I have too. Bad drugs!
Really check out diet. Food allergies cause inflammation.
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