As before, forgive any transcription/comprehension errors!
Rather than starting lots of threads, I'll put my notes on all 3 integrative medicine talks in this one. ------------------- Dr. M, ND: The Role of Naturopathy and Herbs in Treatment of Tick-Borne Illness
The speaker began by emphasizing the need to �go back to the gut� and investigate digestive function. --Must address inflammation, especially in the mucosal lining --Inadequate enzymatic activity in the gut can prevent nutrients from being absorbed --This can cause protein deprivation and other nutritional deficiencies.
Using herbs synergistically allows you to use lower doses of each individual herb, since �the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.� One single herb can have many effects. They are better accepted by cells because they are food.
Extracts with glycerine are better able to reach the cells. Glycerine is stable, helps remove toxins, increases salivation which turns on enzymatic activity and aids digestion.
Herbs aid detox: they are high in vitamins, amino acids. They can be antioxidants, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiviral.
She also emphasized the importance of keeping methylation pathways open, for example with glutathione, SAM-E
Some single herbs that she mentioned:
--Oregon grape (aka mahonia?): active against gram pos. and neg. bacteria, fungi, protozoa --Thyme: anti-bacterial/microbial/fungal; effective for newly-formed biofilms --Sylvatica: traditionally used for syphilis, so may be effective for Bb --Sasparilla: another anti-spirochetal, also anti-inflammatory --Plantain leaf: used for candida, liver protection, intracellular issues --Rosemary: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antifungal; good for drug-resistant infections; may have anti-tumor activity; used for BLO accompanied by cardiac issues. --Buckthorn: antifungal
Examples of herbal blends that target particular problems:
Detox: slippery elm (gentle colon cleanser) bilberry elderberry red clover (blood purifier) dandelion (provides nutrition and liver support) mullein (also helps with respiratory issues and inflammation)
Core immune support: astragalus lowers the risk of re-infection (she did not mention Buhner�s caution about use of astragalus in chronic Lyme)
[ 10-31-2011, 09:20 PM: Message edited by: viva ]
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Wow, Viva, you are lobbing the tennis balls right across the net today.
Thanks for this follow up set. -
Posted by viva (Member # 8183) on :
Keebler,
Everyone at Lymenet has been such a help to my husband over the years. I literally don't know what we would have done without all of the collective wisdom on this site (definitely including yours!). This is just a small way to express my gratitude, and share what I learned yesterday.
I'm also so grateful that ( technical difficulties aside), ILADS chose to make this info available.
Just hope the info is reasonably accurate, and helpful!
Posted by viva (Member # 8183) on :
Dr. B: Overview of Integrative Patient Care
Functional medicine is based on evaluation of organ function, not organ pathology. Health is more than the absence of disease. You can be negative on lab tests for disease, but still have dysfunction.
He made the distinction between horizontal disease (e.g. acute event) versus vertical disease (you�re still standing). If you have horizontal disease, Western medicine is best. For vertical disease, integrative medicine is better.
He recommended a book called �Life at the Edge of Science.�
Doctors must be very attuned to the specific effects of treatment: what gets better, what gets worse, and why. Signs/symptoms tell you how you have affected the body�s homeostatic (yin/yang) balance. Must be as specific as possible about what has gotten better/worse.
He spoke of the Lyme wheel of function, which includes: Bb, co-infections, metals, candida, mold, immune function, sleep (too many to write down!). Approach includes killing organisms, detoxing (including dysbiosis, candida), and building up (nutrition, accupuncture, Ondamed--pulsed electronic frequencies).
He uses Vitamin C for building up the immune system, for herxes, fatigue, arthralgias, inflammation.
Yeast: signs include pruritis (itching), coated tongue, bloating, dermatitis, sinusitis, mold sensitivity, cognitive dysfunction. Treatment: no sugar, no yeast. Nystatin. Diflucan, Sporanox if yeast is systemic. Address food allergies, mold.
He notes that the symptoms of food allergies are similar to those of Lyme, including headache, fatigue, GI issues, arthralgia.
Testing for food allergies: --history --food sensitivities --food allergy testing: must test both IgE, IgG --Best test is elimination diet: 8 days without the food in question, with journaling, then challenge on the 9th day.
Adrenal function: --He likes saliva testing of cortisol across the day --Treatment options for low adrenal function: salt, Florinef, DHEA. Pregnenolone is a precursor of DHEA that can help with cognitive functioning. --He referenced a book called �Safe Uses of (Physiologic?) Cortisol� --Herbals: rhodiola, ashwaganda
Hypothyroidism: --symptoms include cold intolerance, weight gain, mental sluggishness, low basal temperature --He talked about decreased conversion of T4 to T3 as a sign of hypothyroidism (so must test them both). This impaired conversion may be caused by stress, selenium deficiency, mercury, chronic inflammation.
Ondamed: He also talked about electromagnetic pulse biofeedback with an Ondamed machine, which helps detect areas of inflammation and stagnation. The assessment involves seeing what frequencies the pulse reacts to; these frequencies are stored, and then used for treatment. He was skeptical of this approach at first, but was convinced by its diagnostic accuracy and treatment effects (with his wife being an early �test� patient).
Q and A portion: --He does use herbs, including Buhner, Beyond Balance, Byron White formulas. --He thinks cat�s claw gets at cysts --If a patient is positive for parasites, he uses Flagyl, or Alinia pulsed 3 days on/3 days off, or 5 on/5 off. --He says Nystatin can work systemically if the overall candida burden is decreased, but generally it stays in the gut.
Posted by willbeatthis (Member # 31111) on :
Viva: Thank you! These posts are terrific! I have had chronically low protein and other nutrients and I am going out to buy digestive enzymes in the am. Thanks so much... Maybe this is a key to my body becoming stronger!
Thanks again!
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Viva,
Thanks, again for a splendid set of notes. I really appreciate this. -----------------
For anyone wanting to order a DVD of any of these:
More educational detail about the presenters can also be found through a Google Search of their names. Some have their own websites. -
[ 10-31-2011, 02:08 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posted by viva (Member # 8183) on :
Last round of notes. Not super-complete--she used a lot of technical terminology about types of molds/toxins that I was not familiar with. Hopefully I have captured some useful information!
Dr. N: Environmental Illness and Mold Exposure in Patients with Persistent Lyme
Dr. N frequently referred to a specialized clinic in Dallas that treats multiple chemical sensitivities. She provided this website: ehcd.com.
She believes that environmental illness is always a potential factor to consider, with or without Lyme: When a person gets a tick bite, �Are they an environmental patient witha positive Lyme test?�
Mold suppresses the immune system. She often sees a white cell count in the 3.5 -4.0 range. The combination of mold exposure and adrenal insufficiency can rsult in chronic fatigue.
Mold exposure is often a result of indoor mold growing as a result of water instrusion. If a basement smells musty, strongly consider mold.
She has also found that sensitivity to clothing tags occurs in her mold patients.
(Sketchy here) You can test for mycotoxin with a urine test. If urine is positive for trichothecenes, then you can test dust samples to see if they are contaminated.
Associated issues:
If hypothyroid: build adrenals first (for example, using Cortef) POTS must be diagnosed and treated.
She advocates use of infrared sauna, but this may cause dysautonomia. If you are very toxic, she advises to work up to 20 minutes of sweating.
For mold illness, she uses compounded cholestyramine (CSM), away from medication.
If there are food sensitivities, she advocates a rotational diet, each food type for 4 days at a time.
She strongly recommends making your bedroom an �oasis� that is free of toxins/irritants: charcoal air filter, no books/magazines (dust), no chemicals.
No fabric softener. Drink from glass, not plastic. She likes Mountain Valley brand water.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Merci Beaucoup, Viva !
TF also has some notes from this presentation at this thread:
in Patients with Persistent Lyme Disease -
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
Wow, Viva, you took wonderful notes! I missed this because we had a big nor'easter and our power was our for days. Thank you for sharing this with all of us.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)