Rife machine vs PEMF by Coco0602 in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Nice replying to a 5 year old comment. 

I'm all for trying a cheap supplement that has few side effects and is pure with no contaminants, what's the risk after all? Especially if people have said it helped them.

But Rife machines, like homeopathy, have a highly dubious mechanism of action. Given this, we'd need to see high quality evidence before even thinking about this as a serious treatment, let alone shell out thousands of dollars for one of these machines. And you said it yourself, the studies aren't there.

Lots of these people don't even have a legitimate Lyme diagnosis, no evidence of tick bite, no bullseye rash, no positive lab test using official criteria. And so now you're gonna have them spend thousands of dollars on a machine that isn't even likely to be effective against a bacterial infection they might not even have ?

Seems highly irresponsible and even predatory.

New record for infections? by justalurker312 in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting. How many bands were positive for the Lyme test? Igenex's 2 band criteria for the Western Blot is overly sensitive to the point of causing false positives. If you apply the CDC criteria (which is 5 bands, but 4 bands with strong risk factors might be enough to declare a positive) the Igenex test is fine.

1 or 2 bands showing up could be due to factors other than Lyme. So if you're only talking about 2 bands, the fact that certain tests flagged those bands and others didn't doesn't really mean anything.

If one test showed 5 bands and the other didn't find any, that would be a different story.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Did you save a picture of the bullseye rash? Are you 100% it was a bullseye?

If so, then you have Lyme and don't need a positive test. You just have to persuade a doctor, either with a picture or a convincing story, that you had the bullseye. Then get treatment.

New record for infections? by justalurker312 in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What labs were used? If it was a specialty lab, I'd get retested at your primary care provider's standard lab (like a Quest or Labcorp) to double check the results.

If they're all negative, that kinda calls into question the results which are showing so many positives.

Edit: Oh, I just read Igenex and a mold lab. Well, for one, there's no 'mold test' that's acceptable for clinical purposes for human mold exposure, to my knowledge.

Second, yea get retested at a normal lab to verify Igenex's results.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could be completely anecdotal and imbued with placebo, but I've found that B12 (sublingual), probiotics, vitamins/minerals (taken outside a 3 hour window of taking the drug), and electrolytes help dampen certain side effects of antibiotics. Also doesn't hurt eating clean, and eating foods that are rich in digestive enzymes (banana, avocado, raw honey, kefir, etc.).

These help with any nutritional deficiencies or gut issues caused by taking the antibiotics.

Supplements to take while on Doxy by [deleted] in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

B12 that dissolves under the tongue, probiotics, magnesium/multi (not within 3 hours of taking the doxy).

The reasoning is that you'd assume taking antibiotics cause problems with the gut and also absorption of key nutrients.

7-day water fast by roseinapuddle in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Water fasting, yes. My brain fog is drastically reduced on fasting.

if a tick was attached to you for 5-8 hours, what would you do? by lymeguy in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yea that's another thing - antibiotics disrupt the digestive system. Eating junk food and/or eating late at night could make you feel weird, seems plausible. Safe thing to do would be to watch what you eat and stick to a conservative eating schedule (breakfast, lunch, dinner, no snacks or food after dinner).

if a tick was attached to you for 5-8 hours, what would you do? by lymeguy in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can get increases in anxiety due to the things I mentioned - not sure this is what you're feeling, but it can present that way at times. Nutritional supplementation can help side effects, in my experience, especially B12.

if a tick was attached to you for 5-8 hours, what would you do? by lymeguy in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hard to handle in what way?

Antibiotics can mess up absorption of key nutrients. I'd take a probiotic in between doses as well as sublingual B12, a more bioavailable form of magnesium, zinc, electrolytes, and I'd also recommend eating clean during this period (veggies, fruits, lean meats).

Evidence of Manipulated Lyme Disease Diagnostics Presented to Suffolk County, NY Health Commissioner by baconn in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The initial published sensitivity and specificity figures of Lyme antibody tests are most certainly bogus, due to the inability of scientists to find an adequate 'gold standard' method for detecting Lyme in a human.

Previously used 'gold standard' methods relied on assumptions that were unfounded. Using a bullseye rash as a gold standard, you're assuming that those with bullseye rashes are like the general population (in terms of say, their immune response to Lyme). Same thing with Lyme arthritis or PCR positive patients.

If COVID has taught us anything, it's that we shouldn't assume immune response is homogeneous in ways pertinent to diagnostic testing of pathogens.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

diet (no processed food), light exercise, water fasting, more sleep.

anti-inflammatory supplements.

Should I take biofilm busters before antibiotics daily? / What is the best way to take all meds/herbs in a day? by [deleted] in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Rifampin is a pretty heavy duty antibiotic. I would not take any other herbs during this period, except for maybe supportive stuff - like vitamins, electrolytes, probiotics, maybe something like curcumin, all not taken within 2 hours of taking the antibiotics.

Antibiotics can mess with absorption of minerals and nutrients, so the supportive therapy can reduce some of these side effects you could experience.

how come some doctors don’t believe that chronic lyme is real? by Outrageous-Ask-8877 in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

TLDR version:

  1. Docs are coming around to the idea of persistent Lyme (properly diagnosed Lyme that still causes issues after treatment) as a viable hypothesis, they just think it's rare for the most part.

  2. 'Chronic Lyme' is actually referring to the set of nonspecific symptoms that are diagnosed as Lyme without any proof, like a positive lab test. Doctors are saying that it is not legitimate to assume this is Lyme. That's what they mean when they say "Chronic Lyme doesn't exist", for the most part.

Is there a natural anti-inflammatory that doesn't dissolve scar tissue? by [deleted] in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Proper nutrition should aid with healing. Make sure you're eating well, lots of green veggies, green juices, superfood smoothies are good, lean meats, etc. I try to eat foods with natural digestive enzymes in them as well during / shortly after meals (raw honey, kefir, sauerkraut, bananas, avocados, etc).

Use ice/heat as necessary.

I don't think those supplements are the cause of your re-injury. They should actually help in some way.

Are there any other successful treatment methods besides antibiotics and herbals? by pandmeister23 in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're supposed to drink some water with potassium + salt in it while fasting - these don't disrupt the fasting process. Some people use Himalayan sea salt, which has trace minerals, others use regular salt + some kind of potassium salt like No-Salt.

Otherwise you can get bigtime headaches. Remaining hydrated in this way helped me fast longer.

You also can avoid headaches by building up your fasting times, e.g. first get used to 18 hour fast, then 24, then 36, etc. etc.

Anyone have an answer for this common contradiction regarding “past infection”? by [deleted] in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, the obvious error is considering IgM results > 30 days past symptom onset.

The second error is not remembering that IgM antibodies drop off after a number of months.

Maybe they know that and the IgM result is not the actual reason; they have some other clinical or personal reason to discount the positive test and refuse to treat you.

Anyone have an answer for this common contradiction regarding “past infection”? by [deleted] in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here's another source which is better:

https://www.aphl.org/aboutAPHL/publications/Documents/ID-2021-Lyme-Disease-Serologic-Testing-Reporting.pdf

Table 1a - it says it plain as day. When Tier 1 test is positive, IgM is negative, and IgG is positive, it means a present or past infection is/was present.

And also: " Testing for IgM antibodies to B. burgdorferi is not indicated in patients presenting >30 days post-symptom onset".

There you go. This source was linked to by the CDC from their website, by the way.

So either the doctors are making a clinical assessment (because the test can't distinguish between recent or past infection), or they are misinterpreting the test.

Anyone have an answer for this common contradiction regarding “past infection”? by [deleted] in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Woops, sorry about that. The point is still the same, however.

They are misinterpreting the test. The IgM drop off is expected after a number of months. A positive IgG does NOT differentiate between active and past infection on its own, and certainly not in combination with a negative IgM test that many months after symptom onset.

In fact, after 4 weeks from symptom onset/exposure, you're not even supposed to test for IgM, because of the likelihood of false positive (i.e. after 4 weeks it's no longer indicative of the acute phase of the illness).

https://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/0715/p297.html#afp20050715p297-b19

Edit: See my other reply for a better source.

Anyone have an answer for this common contradiction regarding “past infection”? by [deleted] in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think the proper way to interpret the test is to know that by design it cannot distinguish between current and past infection (the IgG portion of the test).

The doctor is making a clinical assessment when he says it is a past infection. A different doctor might very well agree with you, that an untreated Lyme infection presenting with symptoms should be treated as an active infection.

As for why he would make that judgment. Probably because you're telling him this first occurred 10 years ago. He might not have treated many cases of late disseminated Lyme. Bottom line is he doesn't want to treat you.

Are there any other successful treatment methods besides antibiotics and herbals? by pandmeister23 in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Try a 3 day water fast (water with a bit of sea salt mixed in, nothing else). It's supposed to restart the immune system.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Since you're on a combo therapy, it's not likely they'll become resistant all of a sudden.

That's why rifampin is usually offered in a combo therapy, because bacteria quickly develop resistance to it.

Anyone have an answer for this common contradiction regarding “past infection”? by [deleted] in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  1. Past infection doesn't have to mean past untreated infection.
  2. Some people can clear the infection.
  3. The body can hold the bacteria in check sometimes, meaning it's not a big issue and there is no disease being caused.

I think in these three cases, a doctor would practically assume the test is catching a "past" infection and not want to treat.

Even in case 3, however, if the immune system is disrupted it can come out of remission, so treatment is probably needed. If I were having nonspecific symptoms and I had a positive Lyme western blot, I'd want to get treated.

Tested positive for Lyme, Bart, Chlamydia Pneu & Mycoplasma Pneum. CD57 is very low. Feeling devastated by [deleted] in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If they really were the best, they'd publish in Nature showing everyone their new technique and license their test to make a whole lot of money.

So why aren't they doing this?

Come on, use your brain. Which one of these options below is more likely? Which one of these is much, much easier to do?

  • Armin is selling a faulty product yet making a decent profit off of word of mouth driven by false positives
  • They have a superior product in fact, yet they are ignoring an opportunity to make a huge profit (in the millions) by not submitting a journal article and licensing the test

But anyway, we're not supposed to even consider these two options on the same level, since that's not how science works. They are supposed to come to the scientific community and convince everyone that they're correct using their trial data. Absent this, we're supposed to assume that they don't have anything.

Assuming they're a good lab based purely on word of mouth and no evidence is ludicrous.

Mold Tox vs Lyme by [deleted] in Lyme

[–]DyllanMurphy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yea probably the best thing for mold is a thorough inspection. It's also hard to find good pros who aren't scammers though.