Lyme Connection Conference: Notes

On Tuesday, May 12, I attended the Lyme Connection conference in Danbury, CT where friends and I ran a Lyme Disease Challenge table, giving out quite a few limes and pictures. I also had the opportunity to hear Ms. Pat Smith from Lyme Disease Association and Dr. Richard Horowitz (Why Can't I Get Better?) speak. Following are notes from the conference. Any errors in reporting are mine. 

Pat Smith from LDA:  

Lyme is the 5th most common nationally notifiable disease

37% of reported cases are children, aged to 18

Children aged 5-9 and 10-14 are at the highest risk for contacting Lyme Disease

7% of the reported cases from 2001-2010 were aged 0-4 years old

Alan McDonald found evidence that LD is transmitted via placenta.

Dogs act as sentinels and are 50% more likely to get Lyme than people. Cats CAN get Lyme. Dogs are like canaries in the coal mine; if a dog gets Lyme, you've got Lyme Disease around.

The Lonestar tick is as far north as Maine now. This tick will actually RUN after you. It's very aggressive.

The Western black-legged tick is not safe and is found in CA and other areas.

Why do some doctors believe that it takes 24-36 hours for a person to be infected with Lyme? Well, the bacteria in the mid gut takes time to migrate up to the salivating glands. Dr. Burgdorfer said that sometimes the bacteria is ALREADY in the mouth. Therefore, a person can be infected upon the first bite. Indeed, prior notes on this site have quoted Dr. Jones as saying that he treated a 3 year old who was infected within the first 15 minutes of being bitten by a tick.

Sometimes ticks secrete immune modulators.

If you live in a nonendemic area and you get a bull's-eye rash, you might not get treated because the CDC changed their criteria. This bodes disastrously for people who have been infected.

Q-fever is on the rise.

There are 15 tick-borne diseases on the LDA pamphlet and its already out of date.

There is also the Heartland virus and the Bourha Virus.

Tick paralysis is caused by a toxin in the tick.

Meat allergy--the tick bite triggers an immune response to a carbohydrate in red meat, 3-4 hours after exposure.

The FDA wants to take over Lyme testing and specialty testing. 

The U.S. Military shows clusters where the military treats Lyme Disease. They have a program wherein they collect ticks and send in; have discovered that Lonestar ticks have been moving up into Connecticut. 

Legislation is the last resort; it's quite complicated.

Dr. Horowitz and his 16-point model:

Chronic disease accounts for 70% of deaths and 75% of healthcare costs in the USA per the CDC.

Doctors don't want to hear about or treat chronic Lyme. Use the term Multiple Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome (since that is what it becomes.)

Global warming is increasing ticks; ticks came out three weeks earlier this year.

Overlapping viral infections are showing; these also can result in joint pain.

16% of dogs in Vermont have Lyme Disease.

Relapsing fever infections- borrelia Hermsii:  the standard 2-tier test won't show this!

Babesia is in 40% of the ticks in Hudson Valley, NY.

The mother tick transmits borrelia myamoti to its larvae.

If you have central nervous or peripheral nervous system symptoms, 30 days of doxycycline will not be enough to cure the disease.

Borrelia Myamoti can also cause an EM rash. 

Must treat Lyme in all its forms (cell wall, cystic, biofilm as well as spirochete.) Doxy alone will not cure you.

Do you have a pain syndrome that is resistant to treatment?

Hormones have to get back in to balance; the pituitary gland is affected--this must be fixed in order for recovery.

Biofilm infections: Salmonella persists because of biofilms; chronic sinus infections also persist because of biofilms.

"You're allowed to have more than one disease." -People can have another disease besides LD.

Adrenals are low in 40% of people; there are also many mineral deficiencies.

Eva Sapi is studying mycoplasma now.

Co-infections are the RULE if you're not getting better.

Babesia: cough, air hunger

Brucella and Babesia are causing problems in our population

Lyme mimics psychiatric disorders; People with the most trauma in their life are the most difficult to treat

Neuro-dysfunction: memory and concentration problems caused by LD can result in the "dumbing down of America"--heavy metals can affect these processes as well.

More men have low testosterone because of LD

Sleep Disorders! Drugs get you to Stage 3 & 4 sleep

Stool: CSDA comprehensive stool sampler: Babesia and parasites often overlap. Use of Alinia and other meds.

Doctors can cure LD in 75-80% of cases in the first 30 days but can't pick up the antibodies then.

Do cytokine panel--cytokine signature--but how does this change with babesia and bartonella?

Detox: Alka Seltzer Gold, Sodium bicarobnate, oral liposomal glutathione, clay, charcoal; you have to pull the neurotoxins fromt eh body

Cowden and Zhang work in 70% of cases.

Candida can mimic Lyme with joint pain and fatigue

You have to go after inflammation. 

Low dose Naltrexone

NrF2-in mycoplasma of cells, stimulates genes to increase detox and reduce inflammation

-eat broccoli, cauliflower, kale, curcumin

The wrong diet can stimulate cytokines; get off sugar and gluten

Cadmium is showing up in more people

Aluminum is also showing up and this can cause memory issues

Use glutathione, Nac, B vitamins

Do a full hormone panel