We treat people
not diseases
Each one of us is unique and no two treatments are identical
Our paths to wellness can be similar while reflecting our own specific needs
Tick Borne Illness
Lyme, Babesia and Bartonella are the primary tick borne infections we treat in people with chronic Lyme disease. Common symptoms of these infections can be:
- Solid or bull’s eye rash - 50% of Lyme disease sufferers never recall a rash
- Chronic Fatigue
- Severe headaches and neck stiffness
- Joint swelling and/or pain
- Neuropathic symptoms - nerve pain, numbness, hot/cold sensations, tingling
- Cognitive dysfunction
- Memory impairment
- Unprovoked pain which may interfere with sleep
- Palpitations or chest pain, shortness of breath
- Lightheadedness, fainting
- Gastrointestinal symptoms including abdominal pain, nausea, gas and bloating, change of stool
- Psychiatric symptoms- including depression, anxiety, and mood changes (extremely common!)
- Most of the time, the symptoms wax and wane
- Nightsweats, chills, Shortness of breath can indicate the co-infection called Babesiosis
- Body pain, numbness and tingling, brain fog, eye ball pain, headaches can indicate a co-infection called Bartonella
There are many other often bizzare symptoms associated with Lyme disease you can read about here (Lyme Disease Association, ILADS - International Lyme and Associated Disease Society).
Diagnosis comes first, then, we formulate a treatment plan.
Predisposing factors
What are the predisposing factors that contribute to why you are having such a difficult time with this infection? Some folks have milder symptoms and others become incapacitated. I often find if someone, prior a Lyme infection, has a tendency to inflammation, from whatever cause, that this is a HUGE factor in how quickly and easily they recover from Lyme disease and co-infections. More inflammation means longer recovery time needed. Commonly, someone will not recover fully from Lyme and co-infections until the underlying and pre-existing cause of their inflammation is adequately addressed.
Tick borne infection treatments
Treatments commonly used are:
- Plant medicines addressing stress, inflammation, infection, repair and metabolism
- Hormonal balancing - testosterone, progesterone, estrogen cortisol, aldosterone, etc.
- Intravenous therapy - IV laser,IV ozone, IV chelation, IV nutrient therapy, IV glutathione
- Dietary modification if needed
- Exercise is essential for complete recovery
- Sleep help if needed
- Relaxation therapies to calm down the stress response and anxiety.
- The judicious use of antibiotics is commonly employed to reduce the infectious load and begin the healing process.
What about my gut?
Yes, taking antibiotics changes the balance of microbes in your gut and minimizing their use is crucial to maintaining a healthy microbiome (the ecosystem of gut bacteria). There are times, however, that taking antibiotics can be extremely helpful in your recovery from Lyme disease. Weighing the gut disturbance from the antibiotics versus the damage Lyme and co infections have on your body and mind sometimes tilts the balance in favor of a trial of antibiotics on a case-by-case basis. Some individuals cannot take antibiotics so we explore other options. I would be happy to speak with you regarding alternatives to antibiotic therapy.
Alternatives to antibiotic therapy
There are other options to pharmaceutical antibiotics. Decreasing inflammation in your body can help your immune system fight the infection more effectively. Finding the right diet for you, the use of plant and nutritional medicine, optimal gut health, adequate sleep, exercise, relaxation training, detoxification, and hormonal balance are all crucial tools used to help you fight the infection. There have been a number of studies demonstrating the effectiveness of specific plant medicines used as antibiotics to combat Lyme disease and I generously employ these to assist getting you well. Toxic metals (especially lead and mercury) can interfere with an effective immune response and detoxification so measuring and removing them from your body can be helpful. Treating the whole person is the most effective way to help you feel better in all ways.
“When we treat Lyme disease, we treat the whole person”
“To understand optimal treatment of Lyme disease, one has to understand optimal functioning of the whole person”
“If in the throws of chronic persistent Lyme disease, the whole person needs to be adequately addressed including their body, mind and spirit”
Schedule your
free consultation
Please let me know how I can help you! We offer no charge 10-minute consultations to learn if what ails you is within my expertise to help.
Low Testosterone in Men and Women
Testosterone naturally declines with age, but commonly a man can have premature testosterone loss. In either case, many of us end with “low T” as we navigate our later years. This decline in vitality and “life force” is natural and it fine for many of us. However there is a growing body of evidence demonstrating the symptoms and risks of low T may not be best for a happy and healthy life ahead.
Symptoms of Low Testosterone
- Fatigue
- Low motivation and drive
- Depression and low mood
- Low libido and sexual interest
- Erectile dysfunction (ED)
- Low bone density
- Low muscle mass and high body fat
- Muscle soreness and injury
- Cognitive decline
- Health Risks of Low Testosterone
- Increased muscle mass which affects a wide variety of systems in your body
- Increased cardiovascular risk
- Increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer (more dangerous)
- Bone fracture
- Diabetes and Obesity and all the associated misery
First, assessment of your symptoms, then measurement of your hormone levels is the beginning of your road back to health. We always try to find a cause of your testosterone levels. Stimulating testosterone production is always our first priority and oftentimes testosterone replacement is not needed. If testosterone is needed, I prescribe topical or injectable preparations to replace your deficient levels.
Why not just coast into our later years with low T?
Allowing your testosterone to decline over time is totally acceptable and a fine choice. And for those of us men out there who want to be maximally active and continue to pursue activities we did as younger men (think muscle powered activities like cutting wood, kayaking, skiing, hiking, etc.) we will much more be able to keep our muscle mass, strength and drive if our testosterone levels are somewhat near the middle of the laboratory reference range. We will also have more motivation to keep interested in life, intellectual pursuits and socializing. By the way, your sex life may be better too!
For women. Testosterone as given with a holistic approach to bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, can help memory, bone density, and fat metabolism. Some of the longest-lived women on our planet (Blue Zone) are the women of Sardinia, Italy who have the highest Testosterone levels.
Please call me to discuss if hormonal assessment and balancing is right for you.
Schedule your
free consultation
Please let me know how I can help you! We offer no charge 10-minute consultations to learn if what ails you is within my expertise to help.
Your Gut
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (aka, SIBO)
If you have abdominal bloating, gas, pain, diarrhea and/or constipation, you may have irritable bowel syndrome, also known as IBS. Almost all cases of IBS are due to having small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, also known as SIBO (both terms can be used interchangeably, and I prefer SIBO because it describes the cause). This functional illness often is excessive bacteria high up in your intestines.
When we eat a meal, the sugars that naturally occur in our food provide an energy source for our intestinal bacteria and they multiply, releasing gas. Normally, most of the gut bacteria reside in the lower intestines. If these gut bacteria are too high up in our intestines in excessive numbers, bloating and pain, constipation and/or diarrhea may results, causing:
- Intestinal inflammation and ‘leaky gut syndrome’
- Mal-absorption of nutrients
- Osteoporosis
- Insomnia
- Food and environmental allergies
- Inflammation causing body pain
- Inflammation causing memory decline
Diagnosis of IBS/SIBO is often simple and consists of a good history and a breath test looking for these gasses secreted by intestinal bacteria. I often test for leaky gut syndrome as well, as this can be associated with IB/SIBO and can have monumental implications for health, as leaky gut can be a primary cause of inflammation in your body and brain.
Treatment options are many, both herbal (which work quite well!) or pharmaceutical, depending upon which kind of SIBO you have. Treatments are aimed at restoring the natural motility of the intestine and reducing the numbers of bacteria high up in your gut. Specific diets, herbal and nutritional supplements and digestive enzymes may have a place in maintaining your healthy gut.
Please let me know if I can help you!!