Lyme is not a single story. It is connected with immense other stories and conditions.
Individuals presenting with overlapping syndromes, underlying infections, various alternative modern therapies, diagnostic tests related to it, and antibody timelines that shift everytime.
This article focuses on three places where the clinicians and informed readers often slip. The objective is quite practical and it can aid you in every way possible.
Co-Infections at a Glance
1.Babesia:
- The classical signs of Babesia infection are fever, sweat, shortness of breath, fatigue, chills, and so on.
- The diagnosis can be done by peripheral blood smear. It is a standard method.
- Babesia coexisting along with Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria is not rare and it can progress and worsen the illness. Around 10-20% of individuals with Lyme disease have this infection coexisting.
- According to a report, “air hunger” was reported in certain cases.
2.Bartonella
- Neurological and vascular manifestations are reported.
- Severe symptoms are associated with Bartonella such as regional lymphadenopathy, endocarditis, and so on.
- There is no evidence that ticks transmit Bartonella to the masses. Usually, if it exists- it is due to cat exposure.
3.Others: Mycoplasma, viruses, other Ixodes-borne pathogens
- Mycoplasma pneumoniae: As Lyme disease can also be due to seasonal outbreaks, it can coincide with respiratory conditions caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
- Powassan virus: This is a flavivirus that can cause neurological conditions. And it does not have conventional therapies related to it, only supportive care can aid.
- Borrelia miyamotoi (hard-tick relapsing fever): This is carried by the Ixodes ticks. It presents with fever, fatigue, headache, and so on. PCR/ Serological evaluations can help in diagnosis and planning further treatment plans.
Concluding, coinfections are quite common when an individual is affected by Lyme disease. Borrelia burgdorferi and Babesia microti are most common to co-exist. Identifying at the right time will help diagnose and treat effectively.
Bee Stings & Lyme Bee Venom Therapy (BVT)
There is an anaphylaxis reaction when the bee stings. However, individuals with Lyme disease are always exploring unconventional approaches to manage their symptoms. One of the unusual therapies is Bee Venom Therapy (BVT) or Apitherapy.
- Of course, this is not the mainstream or conventional approach but it has gained attention in the Lyme community.
- In this therapy, the bee stings deliberately or the bee venom extract is applied to the affected areas. One can also apply it on the acupuncture points.
- Mechanism of Action: While the exact mechanism is still unknown, it is said that bee venom consists of various compounds that have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial action. The compounds such as melittin and apamin are said to aid in modulation of the immune system. Due to its antibacterial properties, it is used in managing the symptoms in Lyme disease.
- Benefits (As reported by the Patients)
- Elevated energy levels
- Decreased Joint Pain and Inflammation
- Improved cognition issues
- Reduction in Muscle Stiffness
- Adverse Effects and Concerns to Be Taken Care of:
- Localized reactions such as itching, redness, swelling or even pain at the site of the sting are quite common. Proper care should be taken.
- Allergic Responses can be caused by bee venom extract. As discussed, it can cause anaphylactic reactions in the body. Epinephrine should be administered immediately under medical guidance.
- Interaction with existing conditions should be taken care of. It might as well cause flaring of the existing symptom or advance to the later stages of Lyme disease.
- There is limited evidence and research on proving the effectiveness of Bee Venom Therapy (BVT) in treating Lyme disease in humans.
- There is no guideline recommendation for the use of BVT in Lyme.
- Safety Standards:
- As I suggest, always administer any treatment approach under proper medical guidance. Avoid self- administration. Natural medicines can be powerful but it must be used and administered wisely.
- Perform a patch skin test to avoid any allergic reactions.
Testing Lyme Differently
Timing Matters! Let us see what one can do if they think they have Lyme disease.
- Initial weeks: Diagnosis and clinical evaluation plays an important role while dealing with Lyme disease. Diagnosis possesses challenges as the serological tests give false results in the initial few weeks. However, once the symptoms have been identified we can manage with proper antibiotic therapy for a while without any further delay if necessary.
- Week 2-6: If the initial serology gives false results, but you are quite suspicious about Lyme— then run two- tier serological tests.
- >30 days of symptoms:
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- Ignore the false positives and focus on managing the symptoms. One can opt for ELISA or immunoblot tests.
- PCR tests can be performed for direct detection. However, it is not recommended routinely, as it likely gives false results.
- The importance of diagnosis of Lyme disease is accurate and in time. Each of the ELISA, Western Blot, and PCR have a critical role to play in reinstating the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi, the streptococcal bacteria which causes Lyme disease.
- Although the ELISA test is an effective screening test, the western Blot and PCR also provide accurate information, particularly on confirming the diagnosis, as well as knowing the active phases of the disease.
- In the end, we can say that although Lyme disease is controversial, the knowledge of the act on the tests and the significance of the early diagnosis can help a lot to prevent the development of long-term complications.
