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Question:
I have been diagnosed as having "Lyme's disease." My doctor has placed me on tetracycline. Is there anything else I should do?
Answer:
Lyme's disease is caused by a microorganism that is transmitted to humans by ticks. It usually begins as a red spot on the skin that can expand to a diameter as large as 10 to 20 inches. Patients with Lyme's disease may experience malaise, fatigue, chills and fever, headache, and joint pains as well as other symptoms.
Lyme's disease was first recognized in 1975 in the small community of Lyme, Connecticut, hence its name. Cases have now been reported throughout the U.S., but is most common along the northeastern coast from Massachusetts to Maryland, in Wisconsin, and in California and Oregon. It is most common in the summer and early fall, and usually affects children and young adults who live in wooded areas where ticks are common.
The medical treatment of Lyme's disease has focused on antibiotics like tetracycline and penicillin. In the initial stages this may be warranted, but antibiotics are thought to provide only limited benefit in chronic cases. Patients with Lyme's disease who go on to develop arthritis and nerve problems are not helped to any large extent by continued use of the antibiotics.
My recommendations are to follow your doctor's advice if you are in the initial stages and if the tetracycline is given for no more than ten days. To support your body during the initial phase I would also recommend the following:
- Zymactive High Potency
- 2 Tablets twice daily on an empty stomach
- Vitamin C
- three to six grams per day in divided
doses
- Goldenseal root extract (8-12% berberine
content)
- 500 mg three times per day
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- 10 billion live organisms daily
If your case is a chronic case and you
are experiencing arthritis, I would recommend following protocol given for Rheumatoid Arthritis.
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