What You Need To Know About Lyme Disease + A Natural Approach To Healing

As a functional medicine practitioner, here's what I wish more people knew about Lyme disease:

It's a bacterial infection: the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria is transmitted to humans when they're bitten by an infected tick. These parasites are often so tiny that most people don't see them or even notice the bite. Depending on where you live it could be:

In acute Lyme, within about a month of a bite, the symptoms may include:

But in some cases, symptoms can persist. In mainstream medicine, the idea that these symptoms are due to a persistent infection is controversial, and "chronic Lyme syndrome" is largely unrecognized. Still, some functional medicine doctors and organizations, such as the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), insist that chronic Lyme is a growing problem, and one that should be recognized. Some of the recurring symptoms post-treatment might include:

So why might Lyme be so hard to detect and recover from, even after antibiotics? Here are three main theories:

Borrelia is so smart that some research suggests that when it senses it's being attacked it can change to a dormant state, allowing it to live and survive antibiotics. Other studies suggest that Borrelia can undergo gene mutations that make it resistant to various antibiotics.

Only about half of all Lyme patients actually remember getting a tick bite. Plus, the classic "bull's-eye" rash that people associate with Lyme may not appear in all cases. And some research suggests that conventional Lyme tests may not be sensitive enough for diagnosis, especially during the later stages of disease. False-negative results can also be common.

The conventional approach to Lyme typically includes 10 to 28 days of antibiotics. Then what? Well, nothing. The problem with this is that some research suggests that as many as 25 percent of patients with Lyme disease still have some symptoms long after antibiotic therapy.

As a functional medicine practitioner, my approach to Lyme is different. Here's what I recommend:

I start by asking a lot of questions about your health history. In fact, so much so that one patient asked me if I was in the KGB. No, ma'am, just want to get to the root issues of what you're experiencing! Consider a free webcam or phone evaluation with my health center to get the conversation started.

It's important to catch Lyme as early as possible so it doesn't become chronic. In addition to using the two conventional tests accepted by the CDC, Elisa and Western Blot labs, I also often screen clients with these labs:

We might also consider other tests to dig a little deeper.

Biofilm is a thin, slimy film of bacteria that adheres to a surface. Biofilms are not bad in themselves. Biofilms are just a way that bacteria colonize. It's the composition of the biofilm that makes it probiotic or pathogenic. Functional medicine's goal is to promote a healthy biofilm through foods, lifestyle changes, and natural medicines. Some natural biofilm-modifying tools I might recommend include:

I recommend talking to your health care practitioner about what might help support your health.

At least 70 percent of our immune system is in our GI tract, and the microbiome is a foundational part of immune health. Addressing any underlying gut dysfunctions, such as candida overgrowth, could help to strengthen the immune system to fight off infections.

I typically suggest blends of immunity support, such as Siberian ginseng, samento, sarsaparilla, guaiacum, astragalus, resveratrol, and cat’s claw. One study also suggests that stevia could be as effective as antibiotics in treating Lyme disease.

Some functional medicine practitioners will suggest conventional antibiotics to reduce total bacterial load. For example, ILADS recommends 100 to 200 mg of doxycycline twice daily for a minimum of 20 days for all tick bites where there is evidence of tick feeding.

I also test my patients for viruses such as EBV (Epstein-Barr virus), HSV 1&2 (Herpes simplex viruses 1&2), HHV-6 (Human Herpes virus), as well as CMV (Cytomegalovirus). These viruses can put more stress on the immune system. In my clinic, I find that olive leaf, larrea tridentata, bee propolis, Melissa officinalis, L-lysine, zinc, and vitamin C can be good antiviral support options.

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