Lyme-Disease
by Glen M. Swartwout, A.B., B.D., O.D., D.N., F.I.C.A.N., F.C.S.O.
©: 1996, 2002

Symptoms:

Bull’s eye rash or small raised bumps around deer tick bite (or sometimes covering entire torso) caused by reaction to a virus-like spirochete bacterial infection. This initial reaction can last from one day to several weeks. This can be accompanied by flu-like aches and chills, fever, nausea and vomiting. Weeks or months later may follow muscle spasm, muscle degeneration, backache, stiff neck, joint pain and stiffness, arthritis, headache, facial paralysis, arrhythmia, bladder complaints, extreme fatigue, swelling of lymph glands and the spleen.

Nutritional Considerations

Cleansing considerations:

• Eat a simplified, whole food, organic, cleansing diet for 2-3 months (e.g. Macrobiotic, Rotation, etc.)
• Potassium broth (twice a week) or Potassium supplement (aspartate or citrate)
• Green drink, fresh green salad or Pycnogenol + antioxidants (daily)

Supplement considerations:

• Oxygen therapies: octocosanol, DMG and TMG, Energessence, oxozone, and Microwater (alkaline) for all drinking and cooking water
• Ester-C (2 to 6 capsules, taken 3 times a day with meals), adding Esterified vitamin C powder (1/4 tsp/hour) during acute symptoms
• Germanium (30 to 200 mg/day) - not widely available in America at this time. Check StarBuck directory for source. Also available from Remission Foundation.
• Energy support: Energessence (1 tsp 3 times a day), plus possible additional Royal jelly (1 tsp/day), and Suma (2 capsules 3 times a day)
• Specific remedy: Shark Essence (1 tsp 3 times a day), plus possible additional Shark cartilage and Shark liver oil
• Liver remedies: Silybum complex (30 drops 3 times a day in Microwater)
• Blood building remedies: Spleen Blood Activator (homeopathic complex 10 drops 3 times a day under tongue on empty stomach), and Red Clover tincture (20 drops 3 times a day)
• Antimicrobial remedies: Allium sativa Garlic (1 tablet 3 times a day), Shields Up (1 capsule 3 times a day) and Mild Silver Protein (1 tsp 3 times a day)
• Probiotic flora supplementation: Friendly-Flora (3 times a day), plus consider adding FOS (3 times a day) and/or Whey (1 tsp 3 times a day) to feed flora
• Anti-viral remedies: St. Johns Plus (1 capsule 3 times a day) or Lomatium/Hypericum complex (30 drops 3 times a day)
• Essential Nutrients: Primrose Oil (4-6 capsules a day), Beta carotene (100,000 to 150,000 IU/day), Phosphatidyl Choline (PhosChol 900: 3 times a day), L-Selenomethionine (200 mcg per day), Vitamin A (1 twice a day), Unique E (one a day in addition to StarGold), Opti-L-Zinc (1 capsule 3 times a day for 4 days - may be repeated monthly if necessary)
• Stress support: Stamina Plus (1/2 to 1 tsp twice a day)

Therapy:

• Hot hydrotherapy applications or Far Infra-Red therapy

Exercise:

• Health bounce on soft-bounce rebounder (10 minutes daily)

Avoid:

• alcohol
• tobacco
• refined food
• caffeine
• sugar
• commercial red meats
• wheat (gluten)
• flour products (excess starch, refined)

Prevention:

• repel and kill ticks: Myrrh oil
• kill ticks on clothing: place in dryer for at least 30 minutes

Selected References:

• Balch JF, Balch PA. Prescription for Nutritional Healing, (Garden City Park, New York: Avery Publishing Group, 1990) p 233-4.
• Page LR. Healthy Healing, (Sacramento, California: Spilman Printing Co., 1990) p 208.

Lyme Disease Research

The following summary was compiled by Dr. Glen Swartwout using the IBIS database of alternative medicine research. The program is available to licensed or certified health practitioners. For individualized recommendations, ask for a Biofield Analysis.

Definition:

A zoonotic inflammatory disorder recognized clinically by an early skin lesion, erythema chronicum migrans (ECM), that may be followed weeks to months later by neurologic, cardiac, or joint abnormalities. Cryoprecipitates (resulting from cooling), and immune complexes may occur in the serum early in the condition, as well as in the synovial fluid.
Lyme disease appears to be a systemic, immune mediated inflammatory disorder that becomes localized to the joints.
Patients tend to have increased IgM levels in the prearthritis phase.
By the time arthritis appears, immune complexes are no longer found in most serum samples but are found in the synovial fluid.

Etiology:

Tick-borne infection of spirochete Borrelia burgdorferai. The disease was first recognized by mapping close geographic clustering of cases in the small community of Lyme, Connecticut. Endemic foci exist in other areas.

The condition usually persists for some weeks or months, with transition from ECM to neurologic or cardiac symptoms then arthritis. The arthritic stage may remit and exacerbate for years; and may lead to chronic arthritic conditions. Conventional sources suggest that administration of tetracycline during the ECM stage may reduce the severity of later stages. The distinctive skin lesion (ECM) has an indurated central area with heavy infiltration of all layers of the epidermis with mononuclear cells. It begins as a red macule or papule that expands to as large as 50 cm. Most patients report being bitten by a tick 3-12 weeks before. The lesion is usually hot to the touch. Soon after onset many patients develop multiple, smaller lesions without indurated centers. ECM usually lasts for several weeks.

The most common symptoms accompanying ECM are:

• malaise and fatigue
• chills
• fever
• headache
• stiff neck
• Other less common symptoms include myalgia, nausea, sore throat, lymphadenopathy, and spleen enlargement.
• Arthritis may occur 2 weeks to months after ECM, in various joints but with the knees being very susceptible.
• Neurologic abnormalities may occur in about a quarter of the patients with ECM and before onset of arthritis. These may last for months but resolve completely. They include lymphocytic meningitis, chorea, meningoencephalitis, cerebellar ataxia, cranial neuritis, bilateral Bell's palsy, motor and sensory radiculoneuritis, myelitis.
• Myocardial abnormalities may occur in one in ten patients. They include varying degrees of atrioventricular blocks, myopericarditis, and cardiomegaly.
• ESR may be elevated.
• Synovial membranes in affected joints appear similar to those seen in RA.

Lab findings:

• specific antigen/antibody studies available for spirochete
• Lyme disease must be differentiated from juvenile RA. Lyme disease does not usually have morning stiffness, subcutaneous nodules, iridocyclitis, mucosal lesions, rheumatoid factor, antinuclear antibodies.
• Rheumatic fever
• Spondyloarthropathies are differentiated by the lack of axial skeletal involvement in Lyme disease.

Therapeutic foods:

• foods that tonify the Kidney
• foods rich in organic sources of Sodium (e.g., celery)
• Foods for rheumatoid arthritis (see IBIS)

Herbal remedies:

• Apium graveolens: with mental depression (British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, p. 29)
• Arctium lappa
• Bryonia alba (toxic): acute, muscular pain (with Cimicifuga racemosa), worse with movement, joints of fingers and hands (Ellingwood, p. 91)
• Capsicum frutescens
• Caulophyllum thalictroides (toxic): rheumatoid pain (Felter, p. 282)
• Cimicifuga racemosa: rheumatoid pain, with Menyanthes trifoliata (Felter, p. 466, British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, p. 66)
• Equisetum arvense: diuretic, antidyscratic, antihumoral (Weiss, pp. 238-239)
• Glycyrrhiza glabra: anti-inflammatory
• Guaiacum officinale: anti-inflammatory; combine with Zingiber officinale, Menyanthes trifoliata, Apium graveolens according to indications (British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, p. 108)
• Harpagophytum procumbens: pain, decreased mobility (Weiss, p. 265)
• Iris versicolor (toxic): chronic rheumatic conditions (Priest and Priest, p. 75)
• Menyanthes trifoliata: with Apium graveolens or Cimicifuga racemosa (British Herbal Pharmacopoeia p. 144)
• Phytolacca decandra (toxic): chronic rheumatic conditions (Priest and Priest, p. 75)
• Salix spp.: externally: pain, inflammation (NCNM Botanicals)
• Solanum dulcamara (toxic): antidyscratic (Weiss, p. 264)
• Taraxacum officinale: chronic rheumatic conditions (Weiss, p. 260)
• Urtica spp. (Weiss, p. 261)
• Xanthoxylum americanum (bark): peripheral circulatory insufficiency (British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, p. 237)

Complementary herbs and formulae:

• use an antidyscratic + laxative + carminative (Weiss, p. 258)
• for bone pain add: Phytolacca decandra (toxic) or Zingiber officinale or Echinacea spp. (Sherman)
• Populus trichocarpa + Salix spp. + Arctium lappa or Chimaphila umbellata; equal parts of each (NCNM Botanicals)
• other formulas and external applications, see Weiss, pp. 257-270
• formula: rheumatism:
  Caulophyllum thalictroides (toxic), 1 tbsp.
  Xanthoxylum americanum, 1 tbsp.
  Achillea millefolium, 1 tbsp.
  Sassafras officinale, 1 tbsp.
  Viburnum opulus, 1 tbsp.
  To use powder: boil designated amounts in 1 quart water for 30 minutes. Strain.
  sig: powder concoction: 2 tbsp. a.c.; tincture: 10 minims q.i.d. (Sherman 1979)

Chinese herbal combinations:

Forsythia 18 (patent): Wind-Heat: for inflammation of skin, lymph nodes, arthralgia
(Dharmananda, 1990, p. 67)
• Astragalus 10+ (patent): to build immune system and increase vitality
(Dharmananda, 1990, p. 11)
• Clematis 19 (patent): for inflammatory joint swelling (Dharmananda, 1990, p. 42)
• San She Tan Chui Feng Wan (patent): Wind-Damp: joint pain (Fratkin, p. 112)After assessing the person and palpating, consider these patterns:
Wind-Heat and/or Wind-Damp; Heat in the Xue (Blood); Damp-Heat; Liver Wind

Palpate and consider:

• GB-20 (-): disperses Wind-Heat and Wind-Cold; dissipates Internal Wind; dissipates Heat; clears the Brain; harmonizes Qi and Xue (Blood); frees the channels and invigorates the collateral vessels; "Wind Pond"
• GV-14 (-): dissipates Wind and Cold; drains Heat; stimulates immune system, increases white blood cell count, and prevents or slows inflammation; clears and awakens the Brain and Mind; opens and restores the Yang by spreading Yang Qi through the Du Mai (Governing Vessel) and whole body; regulates and stimulates the flow of Qi; regulates the Xue (Blood); relaxes the sinews and tendons
• Bl-12 (-): disperses and eliminates Wind; ventilates and dispels pathogenic Heat from the Yin channels; disperses Yang Shi (Excess) in all Yang channels without draining body fluids; dispels Dampness; strengthens the dispersing function of Lung; regulates Qi circulation; Gate for entrance and departure of Feng Qi (Wind Qi); Shu point of Bones and Xue (Blood) (Banever, p. 59)
• Bl-17 (=): tonifies the Qi; regulates and invigorates the Xue (Blood); clears Heat from the Xue (Blood); enriches Yin; strengthens Xu (Deficient) conditions and increases stamina; Diaphragm Shu Associated point; Hui Reunion and Master point of the Xue (Blood)
• Bl-54 (-): clears Heat from the Xue (Blood) to cool fever and treat skin diseases (bleed); transforms Damp-Heat; relaxes the sinews and muscles; benefits the lower back, hips, legs and knees; Bladder He Sea Uniting and Earth point
• LI-11 (=): clears Heat and eliminates Wind; regulates and harmonizes Qi and Ying; regulates, cools and harmonizes Xue (Blood); improves immune function (Finkelstein, p. 9); tonifies Metal to cool inflammatory processes; harmonizes the Stomach and regulates the Intestines; eliminates Dampness through the Intestines; benefits sinews, tendons and joints; Large Intestine Upper Earth and Tonification point; Master point of Heat in the body (Finkelstein, p. 9)
• LI-4 (=): pacifies the Shen; activates Wei (Protective) Qi and stimulates the immune system; regulates Qi and Xue (Blood); dispels Wind-Heat; reduces fever; sedates pain; stimulates dispersing function of Lung; tonifies Lung Qi; tonifies Metal to cool inflammatory processes; cools and drains Lung Heat; clears Toxins; relaxes sinews and tendons; Large Intestine Yuan Source and Entry point
• TW-5 (-): relieves Exterior and Hot conditions; dissipates Wind; clears Heat, esp. from Triple Warmer channel; opens and moves the Yang Wei Mai (Yang Linking Vessel) and regulates the Dai Mai (Girdle Vessel); dissolves Toxins; tonifies Wei (Protective) Qi; frees the channels to facilitate the circulation of Qi in the channels; invigorates the collateral vessels; strengthens and relaxes the sinews and tendons; alleviates pain; Triple Warmer Luo Connecting point; Master point of the Yang Wei Mai (Yang Linking Vessel); Couple point of the Dai Mai (Girdle Vessel)
• Sp-10 (-): expels Wind and clears Heat; harmonizes and tonifies Ying (Constructive) Qi; regulates and invigorates the Xue (Blood); cools Heat, dissipates Wind, and transforms Damp-Heat in the Xue (Blood); "Sea of Blood"
• St-36 (+): expels Wind and eliminates Dampness; facilitates the Lung and regulates Wei (Protective) Qi so as to resist External invasion; disperses noxious Yang and brings down high fever; calms the Shen; regulates and strengthens Qi and Xue (Blood); regulates and replenishes the Middle Warmer; regulates Ying (Constructive) Qi; spreads Liver Qi and benefits the Gall Bladder; nourishes Kidney, Liver and Spleen; frees the channels and invigorates the collateral vessels; Stomach He Sea Lower Uniting, Earth and Horary point; Sea of Nourishment point
• St-43 (-): dispels Wind; clears and drains Heat from Yang Ming (Stomach and Large Intestine); transforms Dampness; Stomach Wood point
• GB-34 (=): clears Dampness and cools Heat; facilitates and harmonizes the Liver; extinguishes Liver Wind; tonifies the Spleen; strengthens and relaxes sinews (tendons, ligaments) and tendons; benefits joints, esp. knees and hips; frees the channels and invigorates the collateral vessels; alleviates pain; Gall Bladder He Sea Uniting and Earth point; Hui Reunion point of Jin (sinews and tendons)
• GB-39 (-): pacifies the Liver; extinguishes Liver Wind; relaxes the neck; tonifies the Bone Marrow and promotes leukocytosis; clears Marrow Heat; clears Heat and communicates the superficial with the internal of the three Foot Yang channels; relaxes the muscles and sinews; strengthens the Bones; expels Wind-Damp and otherwise frees the channels and connecting vessels; Hui Reunion point of the Marrow
• Lv-3 (-): expels Wind; relieves headache; clears and regulates the Liver and Gall Bladder; promotes smooth flow of Qi and Xue (Blood); spreads Liver Qi Stagnation; cools and drains Heat and Fire from the Liver and Gall Bladder; calms and extinguishes Liver Wind; tonifies Liver Xue (Blood); opens the channels and relaxes convulsions and spasms; sedates pain; Liver Yuan Source and Earth point; Independent Associated point for spasms
• Lv-2 (-): calms the Shen and eases the Mind; drains and clears Fire of Liver and Gall Bladder; soothes and loosens Liver to release Liver Qi; disperses Stagnant Qi of Liver and Gall Bladder; eliminates Interior Wind; cools the Xue (Blood); relaxes spasms and convulsions; Liver Fire and Dispersion point

• St-36 and GV-14: strengthen immune system (Finkelstein, p. 20)
• TW-5, GV-14 and LI-4 (-): clear Heat, dispel Wind-Heat, and induce diaphoresis (Finkelstein, p. 62);
• TW-5, LI-4 and GB-20: remove Wind and Heat (Finkelstein, p. 62)
• Sp-10 and Sp-6: clear Heat in the Xue (Blood) and reduce fever (Finkelstein, p. 29)
• Sp-10, Bl-17 and Bl-54: expel toxic Damp and clear Heat in the Xue (Blood) (Finkelstein, p. 30)

Homeopathy:

• Arsenicum album: skin eruption resembling red petechia, from the size of a flea bite to that of a lentil; burning and itching parts painful after scratching; peripheral neuritis; fever with great restlessness
• Antipyrinum: erythema, fever with excessive perspiration
• Belladonna: erythema of skin; high fever; shifting rheumatic pains; joints swollen, red, shining, with red streaks radiating; headache with much throbbing and heat
• Mercurius vivus: erythema upon which vesicles form and pour out a thin clear fluid; vesicles quickly broken, contents dessicate, redness remains for a week or ten days; fever with profuse perspiration and creeping chilliness; dropsical swelling of feet and legs
• Rhus toxicodendron: erythema, rapidly progressing to vesiculation, often accompanied by edema and with the final formation of pus and scabs; surface about eruption is red and angry looking; fever with chills; rheumatic pains spread over a large surface at rape of neck, loins and extremities; > motion; pain stiffness in small of back; headache in occiput

Flower essences:

• dill
• garlic
  (Gurudas, p. 212)

Color:

• green (is antimicrobial and acts as a disinfectant and antiseptic) on whole body (Dinshah, 1985, p. 100)

Chinese psychophysiology:

• Liver ≈ Gan is the home of the Hun (Ethereal Soul); it relates to decisiveness, control, and the principle of emergence; stores and cleanses the Xue (Blood); maintains smooth flow of Qi and Xue (Blood); controls the muscles, ligaments, and tendons, especially the contractility of the muscles and moistening of the sinews; expresses itself in the nervous system; and reflects emotional harmony and movement.
• Healthy expressions are kindness, spontaneity, and ease of movement.
• Liver Wind derives from Liver Yin Xu (Deficiency) and/or Liver Xue Xu (Blood Deficiency) and their subsequent inability to embrace the Yang, and can manifest as joint stiffness, dizziness, tremor, paralysis, convulsions, rashes, itching, and neurological problems.
• Gall Bladder ≈ Dan is the source of courage and initiative, and is responsible for decision-making as the bodily Minister of Justice; controls circulation of the nourishing and protecting energies [Ying Qi and Wei (Protective) Qi]; expresses itself through the sinews (ligaments and tendons); and opens into the eyes. Its channel purifies Yang energy in the body.
• Healthy expressions are kindness, decisiveness, control, and spirit of initiative.
• Gall Bladder Xu (Deficiency) signs include insomnia; wandering pains; chest and side pains; swollen breasts (Seem, p. 29); weakness in muscles and tendons of the legs; difficulty standing; asthenia; vertigo; chills; timidity; cowardice; indecisiveness; and excessive sighing.
• Gall Bladder Shi (Excess) signs include tiredness; sighing; irritability; bitter taste in the mouth in the morning; pain in all joints; edematous knees and legs (Seem, p. 29); tinnitus; lateral headache; heaviness in head and stomach; muscular spasms; and limbs slightly cold.
• Anger, frustration, and resentment can cause stagnation of Liver Qi which, in turn, can produce Heat which affects the Gall Bladder.

Imagery:

• related materia medica listings: imagery for immune enhancement (see IBIS)

Process paradigm: (experientially oriented)

What is the symptom preventing me from doing? What is the symptom making me do? (see process interview: immune system)

Related materia medica listings:

• the shadow and physical symptoms
• converting a symptom to a signal
• imagery for immune enhancement
• imagery: precautions
• imagery: techniques
• process paradigm