posted
I just read an abstract of an article on PubMed, where "Long-term treatment ..may be indicated". I also seem to recall that one of the authors(VK) was(?) in the Steere camp.
Let me know what you think.
1: Adv Ther. 2006 Jan-Feb;23(1):1-11. Related Articles, Links
Atovaquone Plus Cholestyramine in Patients Coinfected With Babesia microti and Borrelia burgdorferi Refractory to Other Treatment.
Shoemaker RC, Hudnell HK, House DE, Van Kempen A, Pakes GE.
Center for Research on Biotoxin-Associated Illnesses Pocomoke City, Maryland.
Ten percent of US patients with Lyme disease are coinfected with Babesia microti. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial enrolled 25 patients with confirmed Borrelia burgdorferi/B microti coinfection, abnormal visual contrast sensitivity (VCS), and persistent symptoms despite prior treatment with atovaquone and azithromycin. Patients were randomly assigned to atovaquone suspension or placebo plus cholestyramine for 3 weeks, were crossed over for 3 weeks, and then received open-label atovaquone and cholestyramine for 6 weeks. Symptoms and VCS scores were recorded at baseline and after weeks 3, 6, 9, and 12. Improvements in symptoms and VCS deficits were observed only after at least 9 weeks of treatment. At week 12, 5 patients were asymptomatic, and 16 had a notable reduction in the number of symptoms. The entire cohort demonstrated significant increases in VCS scores. Adverse effects were rare. Patients coinfected with B burgdorferi and B microti derive measurable clinical benefit from prolonged treatment with atovaquone and cholestyramine. Longer-term combination therapy may be indicated.
Posts: 109 | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
Long term = 12 weeks by their definition. For babesia, that's not too far away from ILADS guidelines. Not bad.
However: Only 10% of us have coinfections? At the Hope the Heal Conference, presenters agreed that coinfections are the rule rather than the exception.
-------------------- Jeff Posts: 533 | From CA | Registered: Mar 2006
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Ann-OH
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
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posted
I couldn't find an exact website for Advances in Therapy Journal. But here is where the abstract can be seen.
I split it up for easier reading. This study was to prove this medication works on "refractory" patients or people who are resistant-to-usual-treatment.
Dr. Shoemaker has been working on this study for quite some time. Good to see the results.
As far as I know, he doesn't have a connection with the Steere Camp.
1: Adv Ther. 2006 Jan-Feb;23(1):1-11. Related Articles, Links
Atovaquone Plus Cholestyramine in Patients Coinfected With Babesia microti and Borrelia burgdorferi Refractory to Other Treatment.
Shoemaker RC, Hudnell HK, House DE, Van Kempen A, Pakes GE.
Center for Research on Biotoxin-Associated Illnesses Pocomoke City, Maryland.
Ten percent of US patients with Lyme disease are coinfected with Babesia microti.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial enrolled 25 patients with confirmed Borrelia burgdorferi/B microti coinfection, abnormal visual contrast sensitivity (VCS), and persistent symptoms despite prior treatment with atovaquone and azithromycin.
Patients were randomly assigned to atovaquone suspension or placebo plus cholestyramine for 3 weeks, were crossed over for 3 weeks, and then received open-label atovaquone and cholestyramine for 6 weeks.
Symptoms and VCS scores were recorded at baseline and after weeks 3, 6, 9, and 12.
Improvements in symptoms and VCS deficits were observed only after at least 9 weeks of treatment.
At week 12, 5 patients were asymptomatic, and 16 had a notable reduction in the number of symptoms.
The entire cohort demonstrated significant increases in VCS scores. Adverse effects were rare.
Patients coinfected with B burgdorferi and B microti derive measurable clinical benefit from prolonged treatment with atovaquone and cholestyramine.
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