Girl With Tics Bucks Doctors, Blames Lyme Disease

•May 15, 2013 • 3 Comments

Excerpted from ABC News: (05/13/2013)

Although Lori had tested negative for Lyme disease in 2009, two years before her tics started, Dr. Daniel Cameron said he diagnosed her with it in 2012 based on blood tests and her medical history, which included a swollen knee, the year she was tested for Lyme. Cameron said Lori probably had a false negative test in 2009, and that the bacterium had smoldered and gotten worse over time, causing neurological symptoms.

.On Dec. 19, 2011, Lori Brownell, who was 17 at the time, shot a YouTube video of herself as she talked about the tics she’d developed weeks earlier. She twitched her body, fluttered her fingers and made noises in her throat as she described her fainting and seizing episodes.

“When I do this, there’s this weird feeling that goes up and down my spinal column,” she explained to the camera shortly before going into a fit of clapping.

“If anyone wants to talk about this or if anyone’s starting it, I’ll be willing to talk,” she said, signing off on the video that would eventually get more than 250,000 hits.

She would soon make national news.

Within a few months, 18 high school girls and one boy in western New York came down with the same Tourette’s syndrome-like symptoms as Lori’s, sparking a national media frenzy and a medical mystery.  Although Lori lives in Corinth, N.Y., she became lumped in with the majority of the tic-ing girls 250 miles away in Le Roy, because she’d driven through the town with a friend on her way to a softball game in Ohio.

As the Le Roy girls appeared on talk shows, one doctor suggested they had Pandas, a pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infections. Another doctor suggested the tics were caused by the HPV vaccine Gardasil. Soon, famed environmental activist Erin Brockovich said she suspected groundwater contamination from a 40-year-old chemical spill caused the tics.

For more: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/girl-tics-bucks-doctors-blames-lyme-disease/story?id=19128125

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The Lyme Doctor

•May 10, 2013 • Leave a Comment

Excerpted from the Ottawa Citizen: (05/09/2013)

Dr. Ernie Murakami says he treated 3,000 patients for Lyme disease before he  was forced into retirement.

The B.C. physician can no longer prescribe the long-term antibiotics he  believes are necessary to treat chronic Lyme. But retirement hasn’t stopped him  for directing people to physicians in the U.S. and Europe who diagnose and treat  Lyme disease.

By his own count. Murakami has offered free advice to more than 7,000 people  looking for help. He will be in Ottawa May 13 for a speaking engagement.

Murakami was the subject of a College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C.  investigation that began in 2005 and agreed to retire in 2008. He says his story  has frightened physicians from treating chronic Lyme with long-term  antibiotics.

In the world of conventional medicine, few agree that chronic Lyme exists.  They maintain that Lyme is a convenient explanation for chronic fatigue and  mysterious pain that is hard to diagnose, backed up by conspiracy theories and  an increasingly powerful Lyme advocacy lobby.

In September 2011, the influential medial journal The Lancet published an  essay authored by 13 medical experts from institutions like Harvard Medical  School and Yale University who argued that people searching for information on  the Internet see the websites of Lyme advocates and doctors as reliable sources,  drawing attention away from evidence-based medicine.

Long-term antibiotic treatment is profitable for “Lyme-literate” doctors,  they wrote. And it can be falsely reassuring to patients to believe they have a  chronic infection so they don’t seek diagnosis and treatment for something  else.

But Murakami says denying chronic Lyme is “a big, major lie.”

And he’s not backing down.

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Lyme+doctor/8363919/story.html#ixzz2SvDwDbHU

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Gibson: Lyme disease a major health problem

•May 8, 2013 • 3 Comments

COLUMBIA COUNTYExcerpted from the Register-Star: (05/05/2013)

COLUMBIA COUNTY – Columbia County has “become ground zero” for Lyme disease, Rep. Chris Gibson, R-19, said recently.

It’s a “major public health scourge,” he said, especially in the Northeast — and it’s spreading across the country.

During a Lyme forum held in early March, he said ever since he took office, Lyme disease has been at the top of his constituents’ minds. During an April 18 phone interview, he said a symposium held in May 2012 in Saratoga on Lyme disease was “constituent driven.”

But this “public health scourge” also weighs heavily on his mind. Gibson grew up in Kinderhook and after retiring from the Army in 2010, he, his wife and three children, moved back to his hometown. He said he’s “very concerned on a personal level,” as he has family and friends afflicted with Lyme disease.

As a resident in “ground zero,” this may make him one of the best champions for better Lyme disease awareness, testing, treatment and research.

Gibson has teamed up with U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, who called Columbia County home not that long ago, and Richard Blumenthal. The three legislators have partnered with the Tick-Borne Disease Alliance (TBDA) to build support in the fight against Lyme disease. The alliance is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness and promoting advocacy to find a cure for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

The forum held in March brought together a panel of doctors, experts, advocates and even nationally syndicated cartoonist John McPherson, creator of the “Close to Home” comic, who has had Lyme disease since 1998.

During the forum, Gibson noted some of the investments are starting to take root and that last year, there was $8.75 million in appropriations for better testing.

Calling from his Washington, D.C. office, he said the five areas of Lyme he’s focused on are awareness, testing, treatment, health care coverage and tick suppression.

With awareness, he said, there are steps individuals can take to lessen exposure, like wearing clothing in particular settings or when returning from certain areas, take a shower, check vulnerable areas on the body and tumble-dry clothes.

For more: http://www.registerstar.com/news/article_aac7094c-b77e-11e2-86c2-0019bb2963f4.html

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The Global Search for Education: The Netherlands and Ticks

•April 21, 2013 • Leave a Comment

Excerpted from the Huffington Post: (04/21/2013)

Lyme (Borreliosis), Anaplasmosis /Ehrlichiosis, Babesiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Bartonella, Tularemia, and more recently, Borrelia miyamotoi (a distant relative of Lyme Borreliosis) are recognized tick-borne infectious diseases in the United States of which The Center for Disease Control (CDC) claims Lyme disease is the most common and fastest growing illness. With spring finally here, have you taken the right steps to ensure that your children and family can enjoy the outdoors without the fear of contracting a potentially severely incapacitating tick-borne illness?

The challenges faced by those trying to combat the silent epidemic of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases are overwhelming. They include better reporting of incidence (24,000 confirmed Lyme cases reported in the U.S. in 2011 but the CDC believe this represents only 10-12 percent of all cases), better education and prevention strategies, more funding for research to develop reliable diagnostic tools (there is currently no diagnostic tool that is even 60 percent reliable), and better treatments. In contrast to the U.S., as you will discover in today’s Q&A, the Netherlands had as of 2006 approximately 17,000 reported cases a year in a population that is 6 percent the size of the U.S., shedding further doubt on the reported US incidence figures.

Tick tock, tick tock — the clock is ticking and each day it seems another expert agrees that global warming is only accelerating the tick problem. Unfortunately, like all of us, those little buggers enjoy international travel.  How is the rest of the world combatting these unwelcomed tourists?  Over the next few months, I will be sharing the global perspectives of leading experts involved with tick-borne illnesses. Perhaps we will see commonalities and explore new ideas, and so discover ways we can make progress on this growing global public health danger.

This week I am pleased to welcome Dr. Leo Joosten from the Department of Medicine at the Radboud University in the Netherlands. Joosten has been involved in Lyme disease research for several years.

For the complete interview: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/c-m-rubin/lyme-disease_b_3113544.html

 

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Braintree teen’s tick study makes CDC take notice

•April 1, 2013 • Leave a Comment

Excerpted from the Boston Globe: (04/01/2013)

BRAINTREE — Jacqueline Flynn knew she was on to something, when, one by one, the ticks began to die. The science sleuth had been holed up in front of a clothes dryer for hours, watching and waiting as small mesh bags full of blacklegged deer ticks whirled.

How long can ticks resist heat before perishing? she wondered.

Not long, it seems.

That discovery by the 16-year-old Braintree High School student has won top local science prizes and has caught the attention of scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the nation’s massive health watchdog.

As part of its tick prevention recommendations, CDC literature urges tumbling tick-infected clothing in a dryer on high heat for at least an hour as one way to eliminate the bloodsucking arachnids. But the agency had not studied the method further.

Flynn’s work concluded that it should take only five minutes at low heat.

“This could have significant implications for Lyme disease prevention,’’ said Christina Nelson, an epidemiologist at the CDC’s office in Fort Collins, Colo., who became intrigued by the teenager’s finding. “If it is true that five minutes in a dryer kills ticks vs. a full hour, that is a lot easier for people, and that could also spark further investigations.”

The CDC’s attention has surprised Flynn, who began her research as a project for her 10th-grade science class. She had only stumbled upon the heat experiment after trying to figure out how to adequately remove ticks from her own clothing.

“I’m really surprised,’’ said Flynn. “I didn’t realize it would go that far.”

For more:  http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/03/31/braintree-student-tick-experiment-catches-attention-cdc-scientists/eH2Sga4HgeDandLJDFwQKI/story.html

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New Lyme Disease Treatment Program Cures Patient in 8 Weeks: Giving Hope To Lyme Sufferers

•March 22, 2013 • Leave a Comment

Excerpted from the SF Chronicle: (03/22/2013)

NeoGen  (http://www.lymediseaseneogen.com), a  world leader in Medical healing programs, announces a new and unique Lyme  disease healing program, which has led to cures in some patients within  8 weeks.

NeoGen Anti Aging, a world leader in providing unique medical anti-aging,  detoxification, and natural healing programs to people from all over the world,  is excited to announce that their Lyme disease treatment program is proving  highly successful at offering hope of a cure to Lyme disease sufferers.

Dr. Theodore  MD from NeoGen, explains why this revolutionary program is different from a  typical Lyme treatment program.

“Lyme disease is a multi-factorial disease process triggered initially by the  Borrelia bacteria, however it in most cases leads to a multi pathogen infective  process affecting numerous body systems”

He adds: “Neogen’s unique approach to healing focuses on all the aspects of  Lyme disease, and uses a wide array of therapies that act synergistically to  help the body eliminate not only the Lyme bacteria, but also all the  co-infections, including viruses, molds, fungi, and parasites – all of which  contribute to the ongoing disease. Without eliminating all of these pathogens  Lyme disease will not be cured, hence why standard antibiotic treatments  often fail.”

“Detoxification is a key step in the healing process” Dr. Theodore adds, “without rapidly removing the very dangerous Lyme neuro and endo-toxins,  permanent damage the body can and does occur. This program is unique in that it  uses very powerful detox therapies such as whole body oxygen and ozone therapy  to rapidly and quickly remove toxins from the blood and body, while at the same  time killing and eliminating the Lyme bacteria as well”.

Lyme disease is an epidemic and thousands of people every year are now  suffering serious long-term pain and disability after contracting this serious  illness. The disease, caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, is thought to  be transmitted following a tick bite, however many other modes of transmission  have now been identified including: mosquitos, sexual contact, and even mother  to unborn baby.

Unless the disease is treated with antibiotics within the first 24 hours of  exposure the bacteria, there is a very strong chance that the infection will  become chronic and be resistant to further antibiotic treatment. Many doctors  advocate the long-term use (often years) of numerous very strong and dangerous  antibiotics, which have not been shown to offer much of a long-term solution to  this disease.

Now NeoGen is able to offer hope: by using a combination approach of various  highly effective, yet very safe treatment modalities that have been carefully  selected to work synergistically together, Lyme disease NeoGen has created what  is arguably the worlds most effective Lyme disease treatment program.

For more:  http://www.sfgate.com/business/prweb/article/New-Lyme-Disease-Treatment-Program-Cures-Patient-4372440.php

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NY Mets great and Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver feeling better, winning his battle with Lyme disease Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/madden-tom-nearing-terrific-day-mets-legend-winning-battle-lyme-disease-article-1.1289293#ixzz2NccZoNWB

•March 15, 2013 • Leave a Comment

Excerpted from the Daily News: (03/13/2013)

TAMPA — The voice on the other end of the phone was once again that of a joyful winemaker whose lust for life, fun and good spirits has known no bounds.

But as Tom Seaver confided, in and around expressing his elation at what it was like just to feel good again for more than one day, his life over the last nine months has been anything but joyful.

In fact, it’s been a living hell of uncertainty, confusion, depression and downright fear. The Mets’ “Franchise,” author of 311 career victories and the highest vote plurality (98.84%) of any player elected to the Hall of Fame, was back at work at his vineyard in Calistoga, Calif., when I reached him.

“You caught me on a good day,” he said. “In fact a very good day because this is the fifth straight day I’ve felt really good. You have no idea what that means — to feel good, to feel normal, for five straight days.”

For more: http://www.nydailynews.com/madden-tom-nearing-terrific-day-mets-legend-winning-battle-lyme-disease-article-1.1289293?post_id=100001711140339_613407495340011%3FpmSlide%3D0

 

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