Functional medicine Lyme Disease treatment at BionwoRx.

Lyme disease

A functional medicine approach to Lyme disease.

Dealing with diarrhea can be a real hassle – it’s uncomfortable and can be downright embarrassing. But the good news is, there are effective Lyme disease treatments that can provide lasting relief. This page covers:

Understanding your condition

What is Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is a multi-faceted infectious illness caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. Humans can contract Lyme disease through the bite of an infected tick. In North America, two types of ticks are known to carry and transmit Lyme disease:

  • The black-legged tick (also called the deer tick) spreads Lyme disease across the East Coast and Midwest regions.
  • The Western black-legged tick transmits the disease on the West Coast.

While other biting insects may potentially spread Lyme disease, this idea remains controversial and requires further research to confirm.

While Borrelia burgdorferi was the first bacterium linked to Lyme disease, recent research indicates that other Borrelia species, like Borrelia miyamotoi and Borrelia hermsii, can also cause similar illnesses. In fact, Lyme disease has now been detected in all 50 U.S. states, and it’s found in the majority of Indiana’s counties.

Ticks can transmit more than just Borrelia bacteria. They may also carry other harmful pathogens, including Babesia, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Bartonella, Rickettsia, and even Powassan virus. So a tick bite can potentially expose you to a variety of dangerous infections.

Lyme disease

A natural treatment for Lyme disease.

Our functional medicine Lyme disease expert takes a personalized approach to helping people with Lyme disease find safe and effective natural relief. We’re here to support your recovery from Lyme disease and help you build a solid foundation for lasting, vibrant health.

Functional medicine Lyme disease treatment at BionwoRx.

Common Lyme disease symptoms.

The symptoms of Lyme can vary widely, depending on whether the illness is acute or chronic. Many people mistake the acute symptoms for a common summer flu, overlooking the underlying Lyme infection.

Acute symptoms.

Lyme disease can cause a variety of symptoms, though not everyone experiences all of them. The classic “bulls-eye” rash, known as erythema migrans, only affects a minority of those with Lyme. The rash can also take other forms that don’t have the classic bull’s-eye shape.

Some other common Lyme disease symptoms include:

  • Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Day and night sweats
  • Chills
  • Muscle aches and joint pain that can migrate or move around the body
  • Neck pain
  • Sleep issues

Chronic symptoms.

The symptoms of chronic Lyme disease are often mistaken for other illnesses like arthritis or mental health conditions. However, Lyme can also cause a wide range of other concerning neurological and physical symptoms:

The diverse and shifting nature of Lyme symptoms can make it a challenging condition to diagnose and treat. Increased awareness and recognition of the full spectrum of Lyme-related issues is important for ensuring proper care for those affected.

Just to note – the acute and chronic symptom lists we provided aren’t exhaustive. There are potentially other symptoms of Lyme disease that aren’t included.

Other symptoms.

Dr. Horowitz, a leading clinician and researcher specializing in Lyme disease, developed the Horowitz MSIDS Questionnaire. This questionnaire, officially known as the “Horowitz Multiple Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome Questionnaire,” helps differentiate patients with probable Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses from healthy individuals or those with non-tick-borne chronic conditions.

While some symptoms on the questionnaire can be associated with other illnesses, Dr. Horowitz identified several symptoms that are unique to Lyme disease, including migratory joint, muscle and nerve pain.

How does Lyme disease impact the body?

Borrelia, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, is a potent stimulator of inflammation. When a person becomes infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, it triggers a widespread inflammatory response that can impact tissues throughout the body – from the brain to the heart. In fact, Borrelia has particularly powerful neuroinflammatory effects, igniting inflammation within the brain and central nervous system. As a result, these neuroinflammatory processes may lead to depression, anxiety, brain fog, and other distressing neuropsychiatric symptoms.

The Lyme disease bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, may trigger mast cell activation, potentially contributing to mast cell activation syndrome.

Borrelia, the bacteria that causes Lyme, can weaken the immune system. This makes it easier for the bacteria to avoid detection and stay in the body. With a weakened immune system, the person is also more likely to get other infections. Antibiotics used to treat Lyme can also disrupt the healthy gut bacteria, allowing harmful microbes like Candida to grow. That’s why a functional medicine approach, using a mix of antibiotics and other antimicrobial therapies along with gut-healing protocols, can be so helpful. This approach is gentler on the body compared to heavy-handed antibiotic use.

Autoimmune response.

The bacteria that causes Lyme, called Borrelia, may trigger an autoimmune response in the body. This means the immune system starts attacking the body’s own healthy cells and tissues. Chronic Lyme disease can also promote autoimmunity through a process called cross-reactivity. In this process, the antibodies made to fight the Lyme bacteria end up also attacking the body’s own proteins. This explains why Lyme has been linked to conditions like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease.

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Lab testing – Lyme disease.

Conventional testing.

The CDC and Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) recommend a two-step process for testing Lyme. First, you take an ELISA test that checks for antibodies to the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. If that’s positive, you then do a Western Blot test. This looks for antibodies to 10 different proteins in the bacteria. The two-tier testing strategy poses several problems.

The two-tier approach for Lyme disease has some significant limitations. First, it has a low sensitivity of only 30-40% in the early stages of the disease. This means it fails to detect the infection in a large percentage of people who actually have Lyme. Additionally, the two-tier testing often misses many naturally-occurring strains of the Borrelia bacteria that can cause Lyme. Finally, the Western Blot test used in this approach is prone to methodological issues, further reducing its reliability.

Functional testing.

When diagnosing Lyme disease, we often start with serologic tests like the ELISA, Western Blot, and Immunoblot. These tests can detect antibodies to the Lyme bacteria. This new serologic test is more sensitive than the Western Blot and is designed to replace it.

If the serologic tests come back negative but Lyme is still strongly suspected, we may recommend molecular testing, such as the test offered by Global Lyme Diagnostics. The GLD tests look for antibodies to different species and strains of the Lyme bacteria, which can expand the range of what gets detected.

We may also suggest Elispot T cell activation tests, which are run by labs like InfectoLab and Armin Laboratories. These tests look at T cell responses to the Lyme pathogens, which can be a better indicator of current or recent infection and lead to a more accurate diagnosis.

It’s important to remember that testing for Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses is still imperfect. We always focus on your individual case and symptoms when making a Lyme diagnosis, as it is primarily a clinical diagnosis. The tests are used to provide supporting information, not as the sole basis for diagnosis.

Lyme disease treatment – the conventional approach.

The conventional medicine community claims that Lyme disease is uncommon and easily cured with a short course of antibiotics. However, many patients continue experiencing symptoms even after this treatment, yet they are often dismissed or told their issues are “post-Lyme syndrome” or “all in their head.” This ongoing debate around the medical treatment of Lyme disease has become quite controversial.

Conventional medical treatments for Lyme typically involve a short course of oral antibiotics like doxycycline or amoxicillin, for most early Lyme disease cases. For more complex cases, conventional treatments typically include three to four weeks of antibiotic therapy.

The BionwoRx functional medicine approach.

Natural treatment for Lyme disease .

The functional medicine Lyme disease specialist at BionwoRx takes an in-depth, personalized approach to treating Lyme. They conduct an extensive investigation into each patient’s medical history, symptoms, medications, diet, allergies, nutritional deficiencies, and environmental factors. This allows them to develop a tailored treatment plan with a range of effective strategies.

We take a unique approach to Lyme disease. We don’t just help you recover – we also work with you to build a solid, sustainable foundation for your long-term health. For natural relief from Lyme disease, a multi-pronged approach can be effective. This may involve a combination of remedies, such as:

Gut health.

The human immune system is largely concentrated in the gut, making gut health a critical factor in recovering from Lyme. Gut support is especially important when antibiotics are part of the Lyme treatment plan. To assess each patient’s gut health and identify areas for improvement, we utilize a range of gut-focused testing methods. Strategies for enhancing gut health may involve personalized nutrition and dietary changes, herbal and natural antimicrobial botanicals, probiotics and prebiotics, and prescription antibiotics when deemed necessary.

Hormonal balance.

The body’s hormonal balance and stress-response system (the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal or HPA axis) can take a real beating from chronic illness. At BionwoRx, we thoroughly investigate each patient’s hormonal health and provide a range of solutions to restore balance and build resilience – from herbal remedies and nutritional supplements to pharmaceutical treatments and personalized lifestyle changes.

Detoxification.

Our modern world exposes us to an unprecedented array of toxins unlike anything our ancestors encountered. Research shows many of these toxins compromise our immune function and trigger inflammation. While our bodies have systems to handle toxins, they can become overwhelmed by the daily onslaught in our environment. Unfortunately, a heavy toxic load can make Lyme disease recovery challenging by impairing the immune system’s ability to fight infection and worsening treatment side effects.

At BionwoRx, we use comprehensive toxin testing and detoxification protocols to identify and address the toxic barriers that hinder healing.

Nutrition.

Nutrition is a crucial yet often overlooked component of Lyme disease recovery. A diet filled with processed, refined foods can trigger inflammation and worsen the inflammatory response associated with Lyme. On the other hand, an anti-inflammatory, nutrient-rich diet is a powerful tool for reducing Lyme-induced inflammation and enhancing immune function, gut health, hormonal balance, and overall resilience.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to diet for Lyme disease. Conditions like mold illness, mast cell activation disorder, and gastrointestinal issues frequently accompany Lyme and may require additional targeted nutrition interventions. Our functional medicine Lyme disease practitioner can work with you to customize a diet plan that suits your unique needs and accelerates your Lyme recovery journey.

Anti-microbial treatments.

At BionwoRx, we take a comprehensive approach to treating Lyme disease. We utilize the most effective conventional and natural therapies, carefully prescribing antibiotics and evidence-backed botanicals that are proven to help. Once we’ve reduced the infectious burden on your body, your immune system can often regain its strength and become more adept at fending off harmful microbes on its own.

Left untreated, Lyme disease can lead to serious health concerns, so it’s best to consult a Lyme disease specialist like the trusted functional medicine practitioner at BionwoRx. Our functional medicine approach is designed for long-term success. Our practitioner will provide all the support and guidance you need to easily implement your plan and achieve the results you’re after.

FAQs.

What does a Lyme disease flair-up feel like?

During a flare-up, you may experience a range of unpleasant symptoms. These can include increased fatigue, difficulties with memory and concentration (often called “brain fog”), and extreme sensitivity to bright lights, heat, cold, and noise.

What are the neurological symptoms of Lyme disease?

Lyme disease can cause a range of neurological complications, typically in the second stage. These often include numbness, pain, weakness, Bell’s palsy (temporary paralysis or weakness on one side of the face), visual disturbances, and meningitis-like symptoms such as fever, stiff neck, and severe headache.

What triggers Lyme disease flair-ups?

Lyme disease can be triggered by a variety of factors that differ from person to person. These can include emotional stress, such as going through a divorce, dealing with the loss of a family member, or experiencing an accident. Physical stress on the body, like undergoing surgery, sustaining an injury, or suffering a concussion, can also serve as a trigger. Additionally, general life stress and stressful events can contribute to the onset of Lyme disease.

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