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written by reader Lyme Disease and Other Tick-borne Illnesses: A Conundrum

Doc Gumshoe looks at the blood-suckers

By Michael Jorrin, "Doc Gumshoe", October 7, 2013

[ed note: Doc Gumshoe is our favorite medical writer, and he usually pops in to explore a topic or answer questions readers have posed a couple times a month — he’s not a medical doctor and, as always, his opinions are his own.]

Let’s start this off with a hypothetical case, or rather, three hypothetical cases: three sisters – Maxine, Patty, and LaVerne – go for a lovely walk in the woods on a fine summer day. These young women are not dedicated hikers. They do not wear long pants tucked into their socks, they do not wear boots, they do not spray themselves with insect repellent. On the contrary, they wear nifty short shorts, sleeveless blouses, and cute open-toed sandals. They look like jazz babes, and they have a terrific time.

Maxine’s Story

About a week later, Maxine starts to feel a bit strange. She’s unusually tired. She has chills and a headache. She’s surprised to find that she’s running a temperature – about 102°, in fact. She thinks she’s picked up some kind of a virus, and she figures that she’ll likely develop some other symptoms pretty soon.

After a couple of days, she feels worse – genuinely lousy – but no other symptoms have appeared. Her sisters urge her to get herself to the doctor, and she does so.

Her doctor looks her over, and in the course of the physical examination, he notices several round reddish rashes on her upper legs and lower back. They are over an inch wide and show no signs of a bite. There are small reddish areas in centers of the rashes, surrounded by a lighter area, and then darker slightly raised red ring at the edges, making the rashes look like bull’s eyes.

The doctor tells Maxine that she almost certainly has Lyme disease. She was bitten by a tick when she went for that nice walk in the woods, and the tick – Ixodes scapularis, also called a deer tick or a black-legged tick infected her with a micro-organism, a spirochete called Borrelia burgdorferi. He explains that spirochetes are nasty little creatures, hard to eradicate, because they tend to travel far from the site where they enter the body and hide deep in the tissues where the antibiotics that are used to kill them don’t easily penetrate. A particularly dangerous spirochete is Treponema pallidum, the pathogen that causes syphilis, which – if not properly treated early on – can penetrate the tissues and cause dementia, cardiac damage, and liver damage many, many years after the initial infection. The Lyme pathogen is thought by some to have the same potential. That’s why early, aggressive treatment is crucial. A four week treatment with any of several oral antibiotics eliminates the Lyme pathogen most of the time.

The doctor does not do any further testing. Maxine’s symptoms and her bull’s-eye rashes are enough to diagnose Lyme disease, and, in any case, the blood tests for Lyme depend on the formation to antibodies to the pathogen, and antibodies wouldn’t yet have formed. There’s no reason to delay treatment pending confirmation by a blood test, and every reason to start treatment right away, to kill those evil little pathogens before they further conceal themselves.

Maxine’s bull’s-eye rashes – known as erythema migrans – are not the sites of the tick bite, by the way. The tick probably landed on Maxine’s leg as she brushed against a bush on her walk. Then it wandered over her body until it found a nice spot to dig in, which might have taken a full day or even longer. Then the tick buried itself in Maxine’s tender flesh, feasted on her blood, and dropped off when it had had enough. Maxine would likely have felt nothing when the tick bit her – tick bites don’t sting or itch. As her doctor explained, if Maxine had felt the tick bite, she would have likely brushed the tick away, and the tick would have gotten no free lunch. Ticks are not quick, like mosquitoes, which can get their blood meal in a few seconds before you swat them.

Maxine’s doctor prescribes a 28-day course of a common antibiotic, probably doxycycline (although a number of other oral antibiotics work just as well – he checks first to see whether Maxine has demonstrated any allergies or sensitivity to doxycycline). And he firmly tells her that she must complete the full 28-day course, even if she feels perfectly fine after a week or so.

However, about a week later, Maxine develops another very distressing symptom. She feels numb on the left side of her face, and she has trouble fully closing her mouth on that side. In fact, she dribbles her food, and she’s afraid she’s had some kind of stroke.

She runs back to her doctor in a state of considerable concern. But her doctor reassures her: she has a touch of a temporary neurologic condition called Bell’s palsy. The emphasis here is on “temporary.” It will certainly pass in a few days, and she will be totally back to normal. Episodes of Bell’s palsy are quite common with Lyme disease, and Maxine should not worry.

Indeed, in a few days, the numbness in her face is gone, the bull’s eye rashes have disappeared, and Maxine is feeling like her old self again. The next time she’s invited to go for a walk in the woods, she will cover up and use insect repellant, resuming her more glamorous outfit when she’s on the boardwalk at Coney.

Patty’s Story

About a year later, Patty develops troubling pains in her knees. She racks her brain to try to remember anything she has done that would account for these pains, which seem to be a combination of soreness and stiffness. The pains are in both knees, and they seem to originate in the joint itself and to spread to the sides of the knees. They aren’t sharp pains, and they don’t really prevent her from doing anything she needs to do. But they slow her down, and, more than anything else, they are puzzling and disturbing. After all, she says to herself, I’ve just turned 40, and there’s no reason for me to be developing arthritis or anything like that.

So Patty goes to the doctor, and the doctor examines her and orders blood tests. The doctor explains that it’s possible, although unlikely, that Patty really is developing rheumatoid arthritis – women as young as their mid-30s sometimes develop rheumatoid arthritis – and it’s important to make sure Patty does not have this disease, because if she does, she needs to be treated quickly and aggressively to make sure the disease does not progress. There are also other possibilities that might need to be considered, including fibromyalgia, but the top priority is to rule out rheumatoid arthritis.

But at the same time, the doctor, remembering that Patty’s sister Maxine had Lyme disease the year before, decides to do a blood test for Lyme disease.

The rheumatoid arthritis tests all come back negative. But the test for Lyme antibodies – the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, or ELISA – came back positive. ELISA is a type of test, and ELISA tests can be used for a very wide variety of conditions, or even just for the presence of a large number of proteins. The advantage of ELISA tests is that they are relatively quick and inexpensive. However, they are far from definitive. There can be false positives, meaning that they appear to identify an antibody when in fact that specific antibody is not present, but the test reagents have responded to a different antibody. And there can be false negatives, meaning that the reagents have failed to respond to an antibody that may be present, but perhaps at insufficient levels.

However, a positive ELISA for Lyme disease at least requires further investigation, so Patty’s doctor orders the next level of test, a Western blot test. This is a more complex and more expensive test, and it evaluates several immunoglobulin types, typically about 10 immunoglobulin M (IgM) bands and 3 immunoglobulin G (IgG) bands. According to the Centers for Disease Control, a Western blot test for Lyme disease is considered positive if either 5 of the 10 IgG bands or 2 of the 3 IgM bands are positive. Western blot bands are distinguished by the size of proteins that migrate through a series of gels, as measured in kiloDaltons (a kiloDalton is 1000 Daltons, one Dalton being equivalent to the weight of one nuclear particle). Some particular Western blot bands are thought to be specific to Lyme disease, while others are not considered to be specific.

In any case, the point of this perhaps unnecessarily technical blather is to make it clear that the positive identification of Lyme disease is not simple. For most infectious diseases, identifying the pathogen is relatively straightforward. A tissue or blood sample is cultured, and colonies of the pathogen grow out in the culture and are usually fairly easily identified microscopically, frequently with the aid of stains. But Borrelia burgdorferi doesn’t grow in cultures, or at least not quickly enough to diagnose and treat the patient, so clinicians and the lab folks are stuck with trying to identify the antibodies that the wicked little pathogens elicit as they go around making mischief. And identification of Lyme antibodies is not always absolutely accurate; the best the lab is able to do is track correlations. For example, proteins in the 39 kiloDalton band are found in the serum of patients with established Lyme disease frequently enough so that proteins of this size are thought to be specific indicators of Lyme. The sensitivity and specificity of Western blot ranges is in the low to mid 90%s, which is good, but not perfect.

No surprise, Patty’s Western blot test comes back positive, and her doctor now has to recommend a course of treatment. Available options include oral, intramuscular, and intravenous antibiotics. The doctor and Patty talk it over, and the decision is to try a course of oral treatment first and see if it leads to improvement. There are a number of antibiotic candidates, with no single candidate having an edge over the others. Patty sticks with her antibiotic regimen for the recommended 28 days, and gradually begins to feel better.

LaVerne’s Story

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And, about a year after Patty’s experience, LaVerne develops problems of her own. Only these problems are a good deal more complicated and troubling. Yes, she has pains in her joints. But she’s having other problems as well – headaches, problems with her memory, difficulty concentrating. She feels truly lousy and in a bad mood. And she’s definitely worried.

Her doctor, knowing about Maxine’s and Patty’s Lyme disease episodes, immediately suspects Lyme, even though, like Patty, LaVerne had none of the typical Lyme symptoms after that historic walk in the woods. But the doctor knows that many patients overlook the initial symptoms. The erythema migrans doesn’t always take on the bulls-eye appearance, and the other symptoms, even if the appeared at all, might have been so mild that LaVerne shrugged them off. So, of course, the doctor orders the standard Lyme disease tests, the ELISA and the Western blot.

But they both come back negative. Or rather, the ELISA comes back negative, and the Western blot doesn’t meet the Centers for Disease Control standards for diagnosis of Lyme disease. Only one of the bands was positive, and it was not considered specific for Lyme.

LaVerne’s doctor still thinks that Lyme disease is a possibility; however, other possible sources of LaVerne’s symptoms need to be investigated and either confirmed or ruled out. So the doctor recommends to LaVerne that she consult with two other physicians – a neurologist and a rheumatologist.

The appointment with the rheumatologist comes up first. After reviewing LaVerne’s symptoms and her medical history, the rheumatologist orders blood tests to rule out rheumatoid arthritis, because RA, although unlikely, could be a real threat to LaVerne’s long-term health. LaVerne has tenderness and stiffness in several joints, and also at several points in her body which are not joints. While joint pain is characteristic of RA, the other pains that LaVerne is experiencing are not typical RA symptoms, so the rheumatologist thinks it’s not likely that LaVerne will turn out to have RA. But LaVerne should not take the risk of ignoring the possibility, since untreated RA can lead to permanent joint damage in as little as a few months. Fortunately for LaVerne, the RA blood tests – erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RF), and antinuclear antibody (ANA) all come back negative.

This leaves the rheumatologist to explore the possibility that LaVerne is suffering from fibromyalgia. This condition is genuinely difficult to diagnose precisely, and treatment is by no means straightforward. The causes are uncertain, and there are some who question whether fibromyalgia is a bona fide disease entity and not just a cluster of unrelated symptoms. A theory about the cause of this condition or syndrome that has many adherents is that fibromyalgia is brought about by low levels of serotonin. This is supported by the observation that women typically have lower levels of serotonin than men, and also that women, by a large ratio, are more susceptible to fibromyalgia than men. This has led to the use of drugs that boost serotonin levels, such as antidepressants of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class – e.g., Prozac – and, indeed, these drugs do relieve some of the fibromyalgia symptoms in many cases.

LaVerne demonstrated some of the typical fibromyalgia symptoms, and the rheumatologist, in consultation with LaVerne’s main physician, suggests that LaVerne at least try a course of an SSRI. LaVerne agrees to give it a shot.

After about a month on the SSRI, LaVerne’s general mood, not surprisingly, improves. But the tender and painful areas in her body have not improved, and she is taking large doses of over-the-counter pain medications – non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs – just to get through the day. Her doctor does not think that long-term chronic NSAID use is a good option for LaVerne, and urges her to keep her appointment with the neurologist.

The neurologist, as the rheumatologist had done, examines LaVerne and reviews her medical history. Once again, the question of Lyme disease comes up. In spite of negative ELISA and Western blot results, the neurologist thinks that Lyme is a possibility. The other leading possibilities have been, if not entirely eliminated, reduced to “highly unlikely” status, and there’s no evidence of trauma or repetitive stress that could lead to LaVerne’s symptoms.

The neurologist recommends one more test – a spinal tap. The sample is sent for analysis to two different academic laboratories, and one of them reports identification of antibodies to the Lyme pathogen.

At this point, the treatment decision is fairly straightforward. LaVerne should be treated with intravenous infusions of an antibiotic that has optimal penetration, such as a cephalosporin. After consulting both with LaVerne’s primary care physician and an infectious disease specialist, a four-week course of ceftriaxone is recommended, and LaVerne should be closely monitored for signs of relapse.

but what if LaVerne’s Lyme tests had all been negative?

Maxine’s and Patty’s cases were relatively simple. Maxine had the usual definitive Lyme symptoms, and Patty’s tests came back positive. LaVerne’s doctors, in the face of symptoms that weren’t easily explainable, went to the next step and had her spinal fluid tested, and Lyme antibodies were detected. But what would have been a reasonable course if the spinal fluid tests had also been negative?

I’m not prepared to pronounce whether it’s a reasonable course or not, but there’s a contingent of clinicians out there that strongly hold the view that seronegative Lyme disease is a reality, and requires treatment. What is meant by “seronegative” is that no test, whether ELISA, Western blot, or spinal fluid analysis, reports the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies. An organization called the International Lyme Diseases and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) issued guidelines in 2004 calling for antibiotic treatment of patients with a long list of symptoms associated with Lyme disease, regardless of whether their sera test positive for Lyme antibodies. Here is the list of symptoms, taken directly from their published guidelines:

Lyme Disease Symptoms:

  • Fatigue
  • Low grade fevers, “hot flashes” or chills
  • Night sweats
  • Sore throat
  • Swollen glands
  • Stiff neck
  • Migrating arthralgias, stiffness and frank arthritis
  • Myalgia
  • Chest pain and palpitations
  • Abdominal pain, nausea
  • Diarrhea
  • Sleep disturbance
  • Poor concentration and memory loss
  • Irritability and mood swings
  • Depression
  • Back pain
  • Blurred vision and eye pain
  • Jaw pain
  • Testicular/pelvic pain
  • Tinnitus
  • Vertigo
  • Cranial nerve disturbance (facial numbness, pain, tingling, palsy or optic neuritis)
  • Headaches
  • Lightheadedness
  • Dizziness

The ILADS are suspicious of laboratory testing for Lyme disease. Here’s what they say about it:

Treatment decisions should not be based routinely or exclusively on laboratory findings. The two-tier diagnostic criteria, requiring both a positive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blot, lacks sensitivity and leaves a significant number of individuals with Lyme disease undiagnosed and untreated. These diagnostic criteria were intended to improve the specificity of tests to aid in identifying well-defined Lyme disease cases for research studies. Though arbitrarily chosen, these criteria have been used as rigid diagnostic benchmarks that have prevented individuals with Lyme disease from obtaining treatment. Diagnosis of Lyme disease by two-tier confirmation fails to detect up to 90% of cases and does not distinguish between acute, chronic, or resolved infection.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers a western blot positive if at least 5 of 10 immunoglobulin G (IgG) bands or 2 of 3 immunoglobulin M (IgM) bands are positive. However, other definitions for western blot confirmation have been proposed to improve the test sensitivity. In fact, several studies showed that sensitivity and specificity for both the IgM and IgG western blot range from 92 to 96% when only two specific bands are positive.

And here’s what they would say about LaVerne if all her tests had come back negative:

Seronegative Lyme Disease

A patient who has tested seronegative may have a clinical presentation consistent with Lyme disease, especially if there is no evidence to indicate another illness.

Although many individuals do not have confirmatory serologic tests, surveillance studies show that these patients may have a similar risk of developing persistent, recurrent, and refractory Lyme disease compared with the seropositive population.

In other words, LaVerne’s likelihood of having Lyme disease is the same whether her lab tests were positive or negative? My warning antennae go up sharply!

What this come down to is a “diagnosis of exclusion.” If LaVerne does not have RA, and probably does not have fibromyalgia, and none of her doctors can come up with a clear diagnosis that explains her symptoms, then it’s Lyme disease by a process of elimination – especially when you look at that list of symptoms, many of which are quite commonplace.

What’s wrong with this? In my opinion, there are two problems. The first is a logical failing: it’s tempting to try to come up with a single diagnosis to explain a disparate array of symptoms. A few years ago I was having, at the same time, a persistently stiff neck and also upper GI pains. The stiff neck disappeared when I got a prescription for eyeglasses that let me look at my computer screen without tilting my head down to look over the top, and the upper GI pains were due to reflux. But they could both have been Lyme disease symptoms – and I did have Lyme disease, complete with bull’s eye rash, about 12 years ago!

The second, and a good deal more serious, is that a decision to treat so-called “seronegative Lyme disease” would likely lead to lengthy antibiotic treatment courses that might not be necessary and could produce definitely negative consequences. Such treatment would probably kill all or most of the beneficial micro-organisms in the GI tract, and lead to really troublesome opportunistic infections such as Clostridium difficile, which is nasty and difficult to deal with. And it could very well produce resistant strains of some of the bacteria that normally colonize our bodies, causing serious soft tissue and upper respiratory infections.

The ILADS are in outspoken disagreement with the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA), which is the professional organization to which most infectious disease specialists adhere. The IDSA, and the infectious disease community as a whole, casts doubt on the notion of seronegative Lyme disease; their view is that if the Lyme pathogen is present it would be bound to leave some traces. And the ILADS are also in disagreement with the Centers for Disease Control. It’s worth pointing out that neither the President of ILADS, Dr Daniel John Cameron, nor the members of the working group that prepared the Lyme disease guidelines, are board certified in infectious diseases. Moreover, their guidelines, which were initially listed by the National Guidelines Clearinghouse (NGC), are no longer listed.

All of this said, it’s certainly possible that some people have seronegative Lyme disease. There’s no doubt that the pathogen is exceedingly elusive, and the antibody tests are far from perfect. Nevertheless, I don’t think that it’s remotely reasonable to conclude that there’s anything like an even chance that a person with someof the symptoms on that long list, whose Lyme tests are all negative, actually has Lyme disease. My guess is that an experienced and wise physician would go slowly in a situation of that kind, perhaps suggesting topical analgesics for pain. It might be nerve-wracking for the patient, but I doubt whether such a physician would initiate aggressive antibiotic treatment without some indication as to what pathogen was the culprit.

However, the wise and experienced physician would do well to consider other possibilities, such as …

other possible tickborne illnesses

In LaVerne’s case, the positive spinal fluid test made further investigation unnecessary. One could say that she was lucky. Other patients may not be so lucky. The same species of deer ticks, Ixodes scapulari, that carry the Lyme pathogen, may also carry at the same time other pathogens.

Babesiosis

The more common of these other pathogens is babesia, a parasite or piroplasm that infects erythrocytes (red blood cells). The initial symptoms are fairly similar to those of Lyme disease. The bulls-eye rashes don’t appear, but then, in many Lyme patients these don’t show up until well after the other symptoms appear. A potentially useful difference between babesiosis and Lyme is that, whereas in Lyme disease, patients tend to get over the first wave of symptoms as the little spirochetes migrate to other parts of the body, in babesiosis, patients tend to feel worse as the infection progresses. That’s because the parasite is actually destroying their erythrocytes. Erythrocytes are the cells that latch on to oxygen in the lungs and convey it to all the cells in the body, so as the babesia parasite destroys blood cells, the body is deprived of oxygen even though the lungs themselves are working just fine. The condition is called hemolytic anemia, and in some people it can be life-threatening. Treatment for babesiosis is usually double therapy – an anti-parasitic drug called atovaquone plus an antibiotic of the macrolide family, such as erythromycin.

Erlichiosis/anaplasmosis

These are similar tick-borne illnesses caused by different, but related, bacterial pathogens. Both attack types of white blood cells – monocytes or granulocytes – and the result can be severe damage to several organ systems. These illnesses are uncommon, so far – the emphasis is on so far! Erlichiosis is somewhat more common in the middle-Atlantic states and the south, whereas anaplasmosis is more common in the Northeast. The number of reported cases of these two illnesses is relatively small, but there is evidence that many more persons have been infected without developing symptoms. Treatment usually consists of relatively short courses of doxycycline.

The risk from these diseases is somewhat aggravated by their relative rarity. A health-care worker who has not had experience with them might tend to stop the diagnostic process once the more usual suspects had been eliminated. Difficult diagnoses can lead to delays in treatment, or to misdirected treatment. If the patient should happen to be infected with the babesia parasite, but the physician is convinced that Lyme is the default option, the initial treatment is apt to fail, and the patient may be put at considerable risk. The situation may call for patience on the part of the physician – and fortitude on the part of the patient!

A Lyme disease vaccine?

Currently, no Lyme disease vaccine is available – for humans, at least! (There’s one available for dogs, and it works prettty well.) A vaccine was developed by SmithKline-Beecham (now GlaxoSmithKline – GSK), but was taken off the market in 2002 because of lawsuits claiming that the vaccine caused Lyme disease. The vaccine was administered as a series of three injections, and it had a reported efficacy rate of 78%. There never was any evidence that the vaccine caused Lyme. Objections to it were based on the way it was licensed, which was interpreted as resulting in the vaccination of lots of people who would be highly unlikely ever to be exposed to the tick. This might have been a bit of overreach on the part of the developer, who obviously wanted to have the vaccine used as widely as possible.

In the light of that fiasco, pharma is treading lightly. Other vaccines are in clinical trials. We’ll have to wait and see how effective they turn out to be, and how they fare in an environment which has become (in some quarters at least) highly suspicious of vaccines. I’ll have more to say about vaccines in a future piece, but an effective Lyme vaccine would be a Good Thing.

* * * * * * *

I look forward to seeing your comments and criticism of this, and will try to address them. I note a comment that I should not use the “Doc Gumshoe” nom de plume, since I am not a doctor and don’t pretend to be. But calling myself “Medical Writer Gumshoe” is a bit awkward, don’t you think? I hope you don’t mind if I stick with Doc Gumshoe. I think of myself as a guy to whom folks put the question, “What’s up, Doc?” My answers will be based on curiosity, skepticism, and, as always, applying myself.

— Michael Jorrin, (aka Doc Gumshoe)

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Kenton V
Member
Kenton V
October 8, 2013 10:25 am

I have been bitten 3 times this year alone with no symptoms of Lyme. I was bitten in Alabama in May and found it buried in my hip. I had a difficult time removing the tick. Growing up in Northern Wisconsin I am used to dealing with ticks and the different ways of removing them. I felt compelled to write to tell everyone to tweezers and get as close to the head as possible and pull straight out. Do not burn it or twist it or squeeze it near the belly, these can cause the tick to spit more of the pathogens into your blood stream. Good luck out there!

Sandra
Member
Sandra
October 8, 2013 11:19 am
Reply to  Kenton V

PLEASE do not use Tweezers to remove a deer tack…never…under any circumstances.
The best way to remove a deer tick is to DROWN it! When my son was 8 years old, he had spent a number of hours at the building site where I was having our home built. He came back very dirty so I got him in the tub to give him a bath. That was when I noticed the tick on his leg. Within a very short amount of time of his leg being submerged in the water, the tick released from his leg and floated off. I live in a heavily deer populated area so when spending the day outside, a bath at the end of the day is standard practice (including submerging the head)…not really to get clean but to make sure no ticks attached themselves. A shower and shampoo after the bath to get clean came next. I have been living here for almost 21 years now and no one in my family has Lyme, yet we have numerous neighbors that do. Just taking a shower is not sufficient in getting rid of the ticks because the tick is probably not going to be submerged long enough to drown them. Those of you suffering from Lyme…I really feel for you…it is a horrible disease.

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Leo
Leo
October 8, 2013 10:54 am

I was also treated for Temporal Arteritis with prednisone for 18 months. This does a terrific job of destroying your immune system. After that my headaches started. That was another reason for doing the herb thing, to re-build my immune system. Prednisone is counter-indicated if Lymes is suspected. Of course western-minded doctors just go to the next pill.

Terry Kelsey
Guest
Terry Kelsey
October 8, 2013 1:49 pm

As someone who has been down the Lyme Disease rabbit hole, I would suggest that after awhile, it becomes difficult to determine which symptoms are related to the tick disease and which are the result of antibiotic use. Prior to contracting the disease 25 years ago, I had no adverse reactions to any type of foods. After a long course of antibiotics at that time without being told to replenish my body with probiotics, I developed several food allergies. The result of these allergies and an unbalanced yeast situation can sometimes be more debilitating than the original disease and I believe are the real source of symptoms in many who believe that they are the victims of “Chronic Lyme Disease”. By trying to eliminate dairy, whole grains and sugar as much as possible, in addition to adding daily probiotics, I feel considerably better. But as anyone who has tried to eliminate these foods, it is close to impossible.
My advice for anyone who feels that they have Lyme Disease, be prepared to lose considerable faith in the medical establishment. The worst part of the experience was how casual the dozen or so “specialists” were that I saw over the years. I yearned for the doctor who would have just been honest and told me that he didn’t know what I had. Instead, they sent me down several wrong trails with their educated guesses disguised as a knowledgeable diagnosis. At one time or another, I was told that I had Lupus, MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, even mental illness. Lyme Disease is called the great imitator for a reason. Ultimately, I was the one who asked to be tested for Lyme Disease after recognizing some of the symptoms while reading an article on the subject. This was in the late 1980’s and there was very little being said about this disease.
To all those dealing with this or any other disease, you have to educate your self and don’t take no for an answer when dealing with doctors. They will never care as much about you as you do about your self. Good luck!

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lakelivin1
lakelivin1
October 8, 2013 6:10 pm
Reply to  Terry Kelsey

Your comment is the main lesson I have learned. Did you know that those specialists hear Lyme and they abuse, ignore and run. Other’s who have not gone through the experience will not understand. Not only did I have all the symptoms to the extreme and a positive “Good” Test that I paid $1000+ out of pocket for, but had a Fiance who had 10 Bands out of 10. Neighbors with it and am in ground zero for Lyme. Was told by Specilists that having Lymph nodes enlarged up and down my spine so that I was told I had Hodgkins, then having it self resolve and be told it was Fibromyalgia or”In my Head” by an Oncologist with the CAT scan to prove it besides my Physical symptoms that were visible? Have lost 60 lbs and had my Spinal diisks eaten away and most Joints so that I have gone fron 5’11” to 5’7 “.Pain is incessent in 50%+ of body.Being Hospitalized becauuse of GI tract on overdrive, and being told that it is “Normal” to lose a pound a day for over a year+. Md’s do not want to even treat Lyme much less say the word outloud. Professionals in the medical field that were friends become distant or enemys. You end up having to pay for most everything yourself. Developed a very agressive Cancer and have had the full treatments to Surgery in a non- cancer Family because of destroyed immune system. Watch the Medical establishment test and explore every other disease possibility than the one I have. Pure Hell. Should be having a wonderful young, early retirement, but can barely function. The sceniaro of the Three Sisters with the Doctor suspecting Lyme is a joke. 99% of Md’s will run, or test or treat you for everything but Lyme, and know nothing about it. You have to self educate. For those non believers, Pray that you or a Loved one never contracts it. Unless very very lucky, you will lose everything you have.

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Bruce Hempel
Bruce Hempel
October 8, 2013 8:46 pm

The subject of the Gumshoe email that got me here was “What’s up with the blood-suckers?”. The blood-suckers intended are the deer ticks, but it can also refer to the doctors that suck you dry for dubious treatment, or the IDSA that says you don’t have Lyme (when you actually do) so that insurance companies won’t have to pay for your treatment.
I live in the most Lyme-infected part of the country (Dutchess and Columbia Counties of NY state) and know many people whose health has been destroyed by Lyme or other tick-borne diseases. What is desperately-needed is a new way to confirm a Lyme infection that does not depend on testing for antibodies. Progress is being made on this, and it holds a lot of hope for getting treatment for folks who are being denied today.

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Darcy
Member
Darcy
October 8, 2013 9:14 pm

Here is comment from my sister who has been a horrific battle with not only years of chronic Lyme but doctors in denial;
===================================
He’s got all the details there….and the story is a good way to show all the complications and variations. What he describes is a best case scenario for all three sisters who have doctors doing a very thorough job.
What maybe should have been included in the story to make it realistic is a sister visiting 40 doctors who would say there is nothing wrong with them and that there is no such thing as chronic Lyme and that there are lots of crazy people around spreading ridiculous rumours about Lyme disease.
Story should have had a psycho prick infectious disease doctor leaning on the the doctors to stop all treatment.

well written and well told. it is complicated.

nice to see the article. more and more info is out there. I really am blown away by doctors that are continuing to dig in and remain ignorant. no excuse!

cheers,
thanks for sending the article

xo
maggie

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Steve
Member
Steve
October 8, 2013 9:19 pm

Living here on Cape Cod, arguably now tick capital of the U.S., I have had a number of brushes with this topic. Twenty-five years ago I was misdiagnosed with Lyme and treated for a month with doxycycline with no result, then proved conclusively by Alan Steere, M.D., Lyme researcher, to have never had Lyme. I was then diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I would rather have had Lyme as fibro has been a lot nastier than those happy Big Pharma folks pushing Lyrica at 1800 hours on tv during the national news would have you believe.
A point I would like to make is to reiterate that the other tick born diseases mentioned should be considered, as weak as the tests are for them, whenever those complex and quirky symptoms arrive. A friend liviing here recently nearly died from babesios before the her doc figured it out. As an aside, as a psychologist, I tested an adolescent with Lyme who was quite similar to individuals with organic brain disease on cogntive tests. After very rigorous antibiotic treatment she recovered completely bu these diseases are not to be taken lightly. If you visit the Cape and hike around, max percentage DEEt on clothes or invest in permethrin infused clothing, worth the cost IMO.

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Karen Miller
Guest
October 10, 2013 7:40 pm
Reply to  Steve

Lyme disease IS an organic brain disease. Did you mean “another organic brain disease”?
Also, You can buy a permethrin spray and treat your clothes yourself at a much lower cost.

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Steve
Member
Steve
October 10, 2013 10:46 pm
Reply to  Karen Miller

Yes, “another organic brain disease” is correct, though decades ago when I was asked to evaluate this girl, Lyme was not seen in quite the same light and I was shocked at her results.
I didn’t know you could spray your own permethrin; too bad for Bear Grylls’ clothing sales! I know a local entomologist tested permethrin infused (forget the right word) clothes a few months ago on local ticks with great results but when I wore the clothes in Belize a few months ago I got a lot of chigger bites.

Jonathan Dean
Jonathan Dean
October 8, 2013 9:42 pm

Terrific article and lively discussion. Lyme disease is something we all need to understand. A couple of points are worth mentioning:
1. The novelist Any Tan has a valuable essay on her Lyme Disease. She was exposed to ticks on a brief visit to the East, and her physicians in California had no background and never even thought of the Lyme disease diagnosis. She said that she began getting the terrifying cognitive problems, couldn’t write, began even having trouble driving, and ended up self-diagnosing and locating a physician who was familiar with Lyme disease who agreed with her but it was a very late diagnosis.
2. Two Junes ago I spent a week on Cape Cod. The deer ticks were everywhere–I removed 30 or 40 from my dog’s fur every night and five or six from myself and my wife. I returned to Akron where I began to get most of the first six of the listed symptoms. My family physician insisted that I did not have have Lyme disease (he did not believe that the red area with its center between two toes was a legit symptom) but at my urging he gave me three weeks (I hope it was enough!) of a common antibiotic. My symptoms disappeared.
3. At various times I have had the pleasure of traveling in Africa and South and Southeast Asia. I was warned about bilharzia and Dengue fever, and given a somewhat controversial prophylactic against malaria. However, it now seems more dangerous to go for a walk in the woods in New England than to travel somewhere more exotic.
I certainly share Doc Gumshoe’s hope for a vaccine and will get if for my dog when we move back to New England.

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Karen Miller
Guest
October 10, 2013 7:47 pm
Reply to  Jonathan Dean

We have plenty of Lyme disease and many other tick-borne diseases here in California. Most counties are officially endemic areas. Unfortunately, the only lab that tests for anything other than strain B31 (a New York strain) is ignored by public health labs that are in charge of reporting cases to the CDC. It would be very enlightening to find out how many cases are ignored in California each year.

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lakelivin1
lakelivin1
October 8, 2013 9:44 pm

The Co-infections are just as brutal and the Test’s, basically worthless. As a note, the Test for Bartonella that we can get and Insurance will pay for only checks for”One” Strain. The good and available test you have to pay for if you find an MD to order it. It looks at 26 strains I believe and is 99% accurate vs 24% for 1 strain. 49 States have approved it, and you pay for it. For some reason, New York State is the “Only” State that has not approved the test yet even though it will cost them nothing. I wonder why? Could it be that they’ll find that Bartonella is an Epidemic since it usually comes with Lyme? Bart is also “Cat Scratch Fever very simplified, but brutal and there are many variations. My MD won’t even submit the form to NYS for a waiver for an unapproved Lab test, that’s fine in 49 other States. Stiill takes my money and watches me suffer though. Besides Lyme,”Verified”, I have all the classic Bartonella symptoms. Am beyond Oral Medication, but can’t get IV here. This is 2013, not the Stone Age in Medicine. There’s no money in Healthy or Cured People. Try finding another Primary right now. You won’t, or will have to wait until you’re Dead

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Lymenator
Guest
October 9, 2013 3:03 pm

Great article and surrounding discussion.
From someone who understands the frustrations that surround diagnosis of Lyme, we wanted to reach out with an option IF, prior to infection, you actually find the tick. Many people actually do find the tick when it’s attached then are left wondering how long it was attached and if they’ve become infected.
For those that do indeed find the tick, there’s an easy and simple solution. Lymenator (for people) and Lymealyzer (for animals) are both instant tick tests that allow a user to instantly test the tick after removal and within 5-10 minutes, you know whether the tick that was attached to you or your pet carries the borellia bacteria which causes Lyme Disease.
According to the CDC guidelines, which we all know are not always up to date, a tick has to be attached for 24-36 hours to transmit the bacteria. BUT, we’ve talked to numerous people that tell us they’ve contracted Lyme when the tick was attached for as little as 2-4 hours and have even developed the bull’s eye rash.
Both Lymenator and Lymealyzer are early warning systems, if you will, to potential risk of contracting Lyme disease. Any positive test should be discussed with your physician or vet to determine the correct course of action.
Animals are not wholly protected with a vaccine or topical medications. Make sure you check between the animal’s paws as we talk with many, many people that tell us even though they give their pet the vaccine or use medications every month, they STILL end up finding ticks between the paws.

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Sandra
Member
Sandra
October 9, 2013 4:45 pm
Reply to  Lymenator

I have my dogs vaccinated for Lymes every year. When I bring them in for their Lyme shot their Vet ALWAYS asks why I want them vaccinated since Lyme is not prevalent in our area, when in fact, it is. I don’t know why he keeps insisting on this as a number of my neighbors have Lymes and they contracted after living here. I only know of one friend of mine whose dog has Lymes. Not that other dogs don’t have it here, just this dog is the only one that I am aware of.

Another thing I don’t understand is why a Lyme’s vaccine has been developed for animals but not for humans. Really has to make you wonder about the American medical institution…
I do want to extend my heart-felt sympathies to those suffering from this disease. Some of you have really been through hell.

Lymenator
Guest
October 10, 2013 10:53 am

We feel there is one fundamental piece missing to the Lyme puzzle. The medical community does not have any sort of ‘standard’ on treating or recognizing Lyme. Many physicians still claim Lyme doesn’t exist in their part of the country, so they don’t give it a second thought. Other physicians will not ‘code’ their patient as having Lyme, they’d rather say it’s a liver condition or something else because a lot of insurance companies will not cover any treatment for Lyme. So, the CDC revising their estimation of Lyme cases from 30,000 to 300,000/year in the US is probably much higher than that even since physicians are reluctant to call it Lyme.

To give you an example of the huge gap in the medical community, we spoke with a young couple who had a 3 yr old daughter. The daughter got a tick in the crease of her ear. The young parents took her to the emergency room to have the tick removed. They were met with the following statement ‘Oh, don’t worry about it, after the tick’s done feeding, it will fall off on its own’! How outrageous is that? At least the parents had enough sense to take the daughter to a different emergency room where they promptly said ‘what? No way…we have to remove the tick immediately!’

In addition, many of those we speak with claim they’re looked at as if they’re crazy, many claim their physicians are telling them it’s all in their head, others say they have the bull’s eye rash and the doctor still won’t treat them…or they have to actually ‘fight’ the doctors to even conduct the blood tests.

There truly needs to be a standard in place not only to recognize the signs, but how to treat Lyme so that each Lyme sufferer is given the same attention. Too many physicians are simply not even trained to recognize the signs of Lyme and have never even studied the disease.

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lakelivin1
lakelivin1
October 10, 2013 1:35 pm

To Doc Gunshoe: Thank you for posting on this subject. On to your 10:33 Post. Lme is in every State in the Union. You can give the Md verfied positive result, CAT and MRI scans of you bodys destruction, depending on the time in Months or decades you have had it. You may get 3 or 4 weeks of oral Medication, or none. But it is not a bloodstrean disease, just briefly initally. It then hides in areas that have poor blood supply, quickly masks itself from immune system attack, and Antibiotic penetration. With time it becomes nearly invisible. Only the proper and sustained therapy will effect it and it’s friends. With time it morphs into a cystic form that is nearly impermiable. Other medications are needed to penetrate that shell so it can be killed, and in any form, if penetrated, the organism will release Cytotoxins into the Blood stream that will produce symptoms that can be worse than the disease itself. The pain will become so severe that many treatment failures are due to the Patients inability to handle or manage the Pain and other effects, and they stop treatment because it becomes unberable, especially in late stage disease. The fear on the MD is not from the treatment complications, but from the State , Medical Board, or Insurance provider. Their risk is not Patient centered, but a Legal one. That Oath they take becomes seconday to their own survival. Lyme is mostly a Clinical diagnosis, with testts as a seconday confirmation. A vaccine can prevent contraction of a part of this complex disease, but would not be a cure once contracted when it has so many complexitys.Will one Vaccine prevent all Cancers if one becomes developed? No. Same here, and not after the fact. Just check and see how many MD’s have lost their ticket for successfully treaating Lyme with no Patirnt complaints. What’s another Patient when a Dr has so much to lose. Call it what you want but this is the general attitude. In most cases, the needs of the many in the Medical field, outweigh the needs of the Patients. Those who still treat do it at great risk and are almost impossible to find. Lyme treatment has for all intents become an underground Disease. An end to the denial, Education and elimination of ego’s will be the route to a cure or control. It’s all out there. One just has to look, or God forbid, go through the experience, and as a Patient, you will learn quickly. Thank You..

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blufox
October 10, 2013 3:09 pm

Living in a rural area of the Catskill mtns where I raise fruit and nut trees (over 300) I have been exposed to Lyme disease multitudinous times. But, an interesting story, about 10 years ago when I heard about a Lyme disease vaccine I was one of the first to sign up for it and had 2 of the 3 required innoculations. Subsequently the vaccine was taken off the market because some developed Lyme disease presumably because of the vaccine.
I have never gotton Lyme disease though I am outside in the grass for many hours during the warm (and cold) days when ticks flouish.
Here’s my point. This vaccine apparently worked except for the above cited defect, that some individuals got Lyme disease post vaccination. So what should be done? From my point of view, given that Lyme is a terrible disease and that one company was almost there, this is something that should be totally government funded. For the trillions we spend on defense, if we took a tiny percentage of that and funded useful research into Lyme, Cancer et al, made it somewhat profitable and easier for scientists to do research we would have cures for many diseases. And instead of continually killing people our defense would be against ‘bugs’ that infect not humans.
Btw I am one of the few farms that specialize in pawpaws as well as nuts:)
That’s it.
/* Phil */

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Bryan
Member
Bryan
October 12, 2013 2:59 pm

Thanks to all the people who took the time to ‘educate’ us about this terrible disease and their own experiences on how to get it diagnosed and treated. I have a friend that I hope will gain from this information.
Also is it possible to get the names and contact information for doctors who have actually been able to help you get tested and treated for Lyme.

Bill
Guest
Bill
October 12, 2013 3:22 pm

Lyme is an epidemic, but unrecognized due to undereporting and the antilyme group. Five people in my family have it and coinfections, all from different locations in Virginia. I have Lyme and Babasios and was near death before my umteen doctor diagnosed me. Since only 40% of tick lyme bites get the charactistic bulleye rash, get tested by Igenex labs. Labcore gets a butch of false negatives.

David Otis
David Otis
October 12, 2013 3:23 pm

I live in Sequim, WA, on five acres, and deer do pass through and spend the nite in our grassy meadows. I noticed a 1/4 inch red spot on a leg, and thought it strange. Within a few weeks I began to notice strange symptoms – – a joint pain, a swelling in one leg, etc. I did not see a doctor, as were leaving to spend the winter in Borrego Springs, CA. The first nite in Borrego I woke up and said to myself “Lyme disease!”. I saw the doc within a few days, and although no Lyme D. had bee reported in the area, he believed my story about exposure to deer in WA. So he ordered the blood test, and reported that I either had it now or in the past. He put me on antibiotics for one or two weeks (I forget how long). The symptoms almost immediately disappeared. Several years have passed with no recurance. Upon returning to WA the following Spring, I attempted to report it to the local medical authorities. I left phone messages, but there was never a response. I told our neighbors. They showed no interest or concern. They thought I was asking for sympathy. Strange! Thank you Doc for a great article.

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jhindia
jhindia
October 14, 2013 4:19 am

I read this with interest last week which is strange for me because I hate reading this kind of stuff. I grew up on a farm and have been bitten dozens of times as a kid. I never, ever heard of Lyme’s disease until I met my wife (in my late 20’s) who is/was, to my mind annoyingly, absolutely freaked out about ticks and bites.
Now I owe her big apologies!!
While my little family history is interesting I’m sure the reason I post is I just came upon this: http://electrocleansing.com/lyme.php and specifically the “Using Rife Machine to Defeat Lyme Disease” section. Would love to hear Doc Gumshoes opinion of this???

jh

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woo131
Guest
October 14, 2013 1:33 pm

I wanted to add a couple of comments regarding your terrific exposition of this more and more widespread problem.

First, Lyme disease causing B. burgdorferi is now carried not only by deer ticks, but by all ticks, although not each and every tick is so infected.

Second, the tick has to actually make contact with your blood in order to cause an infection, not just touch you. A fed tick is much bigger than one that has latched on but not fed.

Third, sometimes the tick is found and broken off, leaving the head imbedded. This is bad because there is an entity called “tick paralysis” which has to do with the retained tick head. So, when removing the tick, don’t use tweezers or other hard devices which can break the tick; instead there are cheap plastic tick removers which work very well. In addition fingers are well designed too.

Finally, not everyone believes that fibromyalgia is a disease separate from a combination of depression and wussiness. And unbelievably doxycycline which used to cost $4 for a 10 day course now goes for around $100 all due to big pharmas lack of interest in selling stuff cheaply. Fortunately Amoxicillin, still cheap, also works well.

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Jonathan Dean
Jonathan Dean
October 15, 2013 10:55 am

It’s Lyme Disease, named after Old Lyme Connecticut. Not Lyme’s disease.

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earnest thompson
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earnest thompson
October 16, 2013 3:00 am

This is the first time I have read a “DOC” Gumshoe article. I kept waiting for some stock recommendation or what companies to look at and …nada. So why are you here at this site “DOC”? Yes the article was well written for laymen but I thought we were here for economic reasons. I am a bit confused.
As a medical professional I don’t mind you using “DOC” anymore than Doc Watson , or Doctor John ….of musical fame ,as long as you state you are not a medical doctor ,…as you have done.
To all the commentators, let me remind you that medicine has made remarkable improvements since the 50’s but it remains an “art form” albeit with a strong dose of science attached. Do they make mistakes ? Of course. Are they infallible ….no. Do people expect too much from them? Yes sometimes and some doctors really should learn to tell patients, “I have no clue what is wrong with you”. That said, some patients should also be prepared to accept that , i.e.; that no one knows what your problem is. Problem is people watch toooooo much television and want to believe HOUSE is actually how the health care world works or could work….NOT!
My main advice is , yes do study your illness and yes you need to take ownership of your illness by learning about it BUT Don’t buy into every quack out there who has a “cure” for you!

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lakelivin1
lakelivin1
October 16, 2013 10:35 am

This is a reply to a previous post. Maybe this is a Stock information site, but Medical information that effects the Economy, related Companys in Healthcare, the Politics of a Disease that encompass the ability for all to make Money , which seems to be your main concern. Would your opinion be the same if you or a Loved one had or experiencced the effects of this disease? Maybe you should keep abrest of the largest and growing epidemic in the Country instead of watching House on TV or use it as a talking point. All the information is out there. Read that and the Abatracts and Studies. Discover that is tied in to other diseases that are misdiagnosed because of lack of care, outdated Test’s, and ignorance to the disease. The CDC has finally admitted that their numbers are low, and during the Summer, NIST had a seminar with Lyme, Co-infections, and major problems with all aspects of this disease. Keeping current in Medicine is a never ending process. Unlike Lord Kelvin who stated in 1895 that, “Everything that can be invented – has already been invented,”, Maybe investng in a Company that makes a Lyme Vaccine or develops a Test, or a drug Company that finds a cure will be to your liking. Respectfully, one must keep current and an open mind. One is free to pick and chose the articles that are presented here. I believe that small investment is still safe. I also did not see any “Quack” selling Snake Oil or promote TV. Learning was promoted and awareness. Nothing more.

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ET
Guest
ET
November 8, 2013 5:24 pm
Reply to  lakelivin1

Lakelivin 1 :Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you but I work for a living taking care of sick. ill and terminal patients on a daily basis. You have this rather holier -than -thou attitude. You know the “walked a mile in my shoes” self righteousness attitude , eg; “Would your opinion be the same if you or a Loved one had or experiencced the effects of this disease”. Well Lakelivin, you can substitute ANY disease you want in that space. Have you had cancer, HIV, psychosis? Do you know what they are like? Lyme may be your or your loved one’s disease but it is not the only disease worthy of our attention out there.
As for “House” , in fact, I do NOT watch it and used it as an example of what the real world of medicine is NOT about…so this begs the question did you actually read and REFLECT upon what I wrote ? I think not. You also feel that one must keep a “current and open mind”. Fine ..how about keeping a critical and skeptical mind based upon evidence based medicine? Also as for “keeping abreast” of current treatment modalities and studies…well good luck with that. Just exactly which ones of the thousands of papers written each year on every illness under the sun should we keep up on? Even the specialists have a hard time at that.
Ex Animo, (L)
ET

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lakelivin1
lakelivin1
November 8, 2013 7:52 pm
Reply to  ET

Sorry for my late reply, but yes I have studied incessantly for over two year’s for I can do little else due to Lyme and it’s Co-infections. Hives of endemic areas are in NY and VT, and Doctors, to a point have had to learn, but whether they will treat is a different story. And Cancer you ask? Yes. Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer,(not one of the better), was found two years ago, and I still have it. It was found by accident due to a second ER visit in 1 week at a different Hospital, neither of which wanted me around because of Lyme and what it has done to me, and others, and the risk most MD’s feel in properly treating it. I thank the Radiologist that spotted a Tumor 54mm x 23mm, and the ER didn’t even want to order a CAT scan, plus I live in a non-cancer Family that has a 90 year Life average. So yes to two surgery’s, Chemo and Radiation, and no, the Chemo did not kill the Lyme and Friends. A wreaked immune system after a dozen+ years of being bounced from one MD to the next with all the Clinical symptoms, and finally a Test that I had to pay for over two years ago that proved Lyme to them on a piece of paper, but get treatment. Proper treatment after years of denial. It is an epidemic up here so yes, MD’s are very aware of it. I respectfully understand that an Md cannot be an expert for all things, but fear based Medicine when knowing a Diagnosis cures no-one. I will remain the optimist I am, but 90 does not look like something I will see. Keep the DEET handy, and I wish you and all well. If you have your Health, that is priceless, besides Love of others. “Keep the Faith”. ET.. Sincerely, Lake

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ET
Guest
ET
November 8, 2013 10:18 pm
Reply to  lakelivin1

Lake …You are a good example of how folks should be proactive and know their bodies. I completely understand your frustration with the medical system. I personally think that medicine in the hands of capitalist corporations is a CRIME. MD’s these days and nurses ,all have lawyers looking over their shoulders and if a doc orders too many tests the insurance companies start to complain and the young docs have 2-3 hundred $$$ in student loan debts and feel the pressure to keep moving the pt case load along…and on and on it goes. The “fear” is coming from the insurance companies and lawyers. Yes our system stinks and we are all its victims except for the filthy rich. I for one truly wish you the best of luck in your health care and keep pushing them to do the right thing…Listening to the patient is an art. To think I just wanted to be a kind of doctor like Albert Switzer!

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Sandra
Member
Sandra
November 9, 2013 7:49 am
Reply to  ET

ET – You are SO right about the corporatization of the Medical industry…it IS a crime! The only way to end this diabolical practice of harming the patient is to get the insurance companies out of our heath care system…SINGLE PAYER! Unfortunately, our politicians receive mega bucks from the lobbyists…money they need for their campaigns. Therefore, contributions should be illegal and limited federal funds equally distributed amongst the politicians, for their campaigns, should be the order of the day. That way there is no corporate interest to pollute our medical system and, with Single Payer…our medical system will function the way it should with people actually being healed instead of being thrown on the quick-fix pill conveyor belt for the remainder of their lives. Ahhhh…but why would our politicians want the system to be fixed when they can make $millions for their personal coffers via the lobbyists? Take for instance, Senator Feinstein who has never worked in any private industry job…only in politics and is now worth $MILLIONS! Pray tell…how did she come by all that money? Institute Federal funding for elections…Single Payer and you will have politicians in DC that will truly be looking out for the American people…not themselves.

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ET
Guest
ET
November 9, 2013 9:52 am
Reply to  Sandra

Sandra,
Well, that is a heck of a stump speech! What office are you running for? : ) Just kidding ,… but I can see you have a political persona. I know this is not a political forum per se but since you mentioned it let me just say I personally have a rather different analysis of how the system works.
Sen. Feinstein cut her teeth as mayor of San Francisco back in the day and is the quintessential liberal Democrat. No more corrupt than say the vast majority of senators from both parties. Still ,you believe the system can be reformed . I do not and I gave up on that belief many years ago .In my personal view ,the system cannot be reformed because the government is simply run by capitalist corporations . They control and elect all the braches of the government. We are no longer a republic but rather an imperial capitalist empire run by oligarchs. We have been imperialists since the Spanish-American War (capturing the Philippines, Cuba and Puerto Rico), and have been akin to the British and Roman Empires since WW II. In short, the capitalist powers that be cannot be reformed.
So it begs the question …what to do. In my personal view since the root of the problem is capitalism, then capitalism must be removed , destroyed, vanquished — take your pick. Well, the obvious conclusion is then, that we need world wide SOCIALISM. Nothing short of that will substantially change the system.
Well , I will leave it at that or else I will be giving my own “stump speech” !! Thank you for your comments Sandra. Live Long & Prosper.
ET

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blufox
November 8, 2013 9:34 pm
Reply to  lakelivin1

Earnest,
I appreciate your comment and tend to agree with you and Travis’s reply is excellent as well. As an elderly person who has traded stocks for quite a while and one whose father was on of the top cardiologists in NYC I do understand you POV (Point of View) and, as cited above, agree with it and your responses herein.

all my best,
/* Phil */

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Travis Johnson, Stock Gumshoe
October 16, 2013 12:02 pm

Hi Earnest,

I asked “Doc” to join us once or twice a month to share some thoughts on medicine and health — partly because the marketing push for health newsletters and supplements is almost as crazy as that for investment newsletters (and many of the publishers are the same), and partly because it’s a big area of interest for a lot of Stock Gumshoe readers, and I know he can explain things well to non-experts and bring a useful perspective. He does occasionally write about specific drugs or companies, and when he does I try to chime in with an investment perspective on the relevant stocks, but that’s not his focus.

I should probably shunt his stuff off into a separate “Doc Gumshoe” site at some point, but we’re really still experimenting with this. Thanks for your feedback.

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ET
Guest
ET
November 8, 2013 4:29 pm

Thank you for your reply Travis and I think “Doc” does a good job at laymen presentation of the subject at hand. In looking further at his writings I see that he is mindful to not get lost on only antidotal evidence. He also has a healthy skepticism of vitamins and “alternative” medicines. I can also appreciate that most of your readers are probably older folks with an increasing amount of maladies that older folks get. My main concern is , is that we don’t promote hypochondrism . Just look at TV …endless commercials for prescriptive drugs and lately Testosterone. This should be banned from TV just like cigarette commercials. My personal urologist has complained to me about how every Tom, Dick and Harry who comes into see him, tells him they need a testosterone test., even 90 year olds!
Let me just close by saying I appreciate your cynicism and sarcastic comments and I think you should have an annual convention party in some remote Nebraska corn field or a deadly ghetto where even the body guards …need body guards… like E. Saint Louis.
Good day,
ET

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