Lyme Handbook

“Patients infected with Lyme disease are at risk of developing one or more co-infections, tick-borne illnesses that can worsen the severity and/or the duration of Lyme symptoms,” says Dr. Harriet Kotsoris, Medical Director at Time for Lyme, a Greenwich, CT-based Lyme disease research, advocacy and education group. “These co-infections must be independently diagnosed and in some cases, treated with entirely different medications and protocols than the primary Lyme infection.”

Multiple diagnostic methods are available; each has its own benefits and limitations. Often a series of tests must be done over a period of time since the parasites and bacteria that cause the infections are only detectable in the bloodstream for a short time. For one patient, it took four months of testing before Bartonella appeared and eight months until Babesia appeared.

Excerpted from PRWEB  ( Posted: 05/27/2010 )

Dr. Harriet Kotsoris on 5 five common misunderstandings about Lyme co-infections

Greenwich, CT (PRWEB) May 27, 2010 — An early spring with summery temperatures lures more people into the great outdoors. Yet the downside to this beautiful weather is that it can also mean a heavy tick season. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there were 35,198 reported cases of Lyme disease in 2008, a 28% increase over the 2007 statistics. With a spike in Lyme disease cases there is also a spike in Lyme co-infection. Ticks that transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme also carry numerous other pathogens that cause infection and can complicate treatment, compromise the immune system, and result in a more devastating illness. Tragically, some of these co-infections can be fatal.

“Patients infected with Lyme disease are at risk of developing one or more co-infections, tick-borne illnesses that can worsen the severity and/or the duration of Lyme symptoms,” says Dr. Harriet Kotsoris, Medical Director at Time for Lyme, a Greenwich, CT-based Lyme disease research, advocacy and education group. “These co-infections must be independently diagnosed and in some cases, treated with entirely different medications and protocols than the primary Lyme infection.”

Studies suggest that patients who have Lyme disease together with a co-infection may remain mysteriously ill and unresponsive to standard treatment. The three most common co-infections are: Babesiosis, a parasitic infection, Ehrlichiosis (HME or HGE) and based on some reports, Bartonellosis, both bacterial infections.

“Many Lyme patients have these co-infections,” says Dr. Kotsoris. “However, they are not routinely tested for them.” According to the Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 2/3 of patients with Lyme disease have at least one of these co-infections; however, many specialists believe the actual count is higher.

Misconceptions about co-infections abound because experts disagree on their diagnoses and treatment. Dr. Kotsoris offers counterpoints to these five common misunderstandings based on their findings.

For the full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/prweb/20100527/bs_prweb/prweb4047984_1

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Focus on the Co-Infections

https://lymehandbook.com/2013/08/12/focus-on-the-co-infections/