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Chronic Lyme Disease Controversy
by Gael Riverz, ND
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Chronic Lyme Disease Controversy
By Gael Riverz, ND
The first time I saw David and his wife, Julia, in my office he was walking gingerly, not able to lift his feet
beyond a shuffle, and he wore shorts and a t- shirt despite the cold weather.
He told me, “I think I have Lyme disease.”
“Have you been diagnosed with Lyme?” I asked.
“No,” he answered, “The tests were negative.”
This scenario is becoming more and more common across our country. In David’s case he was a 32 year old
man who had enjoyed an active lifestyle until he began having shoulder pain and twitching in his arm. His
joints began to ache, fatigue was constant, his body temperature was erratic with bouts of profuse
sweating, and his mind was foggy and unclear. David felt as though he were suffering a severe case of the
flu that just wouldn’t end. After lengthy blood testing, MRI’s, and neurological profiles, he was told by his
doctors that he had an indeterminate neuromuscular disease. Regretfully they sent him home and wished
him well.
David is a computer specialist who would not accept a ‘no hope’ diagnosis. He began his search on the
internet for others who had similar experiences, and unfortunately, he found many. In just one year from the
onset of David’s initial symptoms his fingers became crippled and his muscles were so tight that walking was
difficult.
Lyme Disease, if caught early, is characterized by a tick bite that may or may not show up as a bulls-eye
rash. A two or three week course of antibiotics will knock out the pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi, and in many
cases the patient is well and does not suffer a recurrence. However, it is a very small percentage of people
who manage to catch the disease in early stages.
Chronic Lyme sufferers are not only infected with B. burgdorferi, but often have several other co-infections
such as Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Bartonella, Tularemia, and more. These infectious toxic pathogens have,
over time, developed the ability to be carried in the tick bite along with B. burgdorferi.
It’s probable that many years in the past, Borrelia was the only pathogen found in the tick bite. Planetary
changes such as climate warming, extinction of species, and loss of wildlife habitat give viruses and bacteria
a chance to mutate and adapt. Our earth has become polluted and out of balance with the natural course
of things, and so as residents of this planet, we will suffer consequences of this imbalance.
Chronic Lyme disease has reached epidemic proportions in our country. It is a devastating disease that is
debilitating and even life threatening. The incidence of lyme has increased 40% in just the last two years.
The Center for Disease Control reported 35,198 cases of Lyme for 2008. These are just the reported cases,
not including those that go unreported, and yet Chronic Lyme remains unrecognized by the majority of
allopathic medical doctors.
When a person is first bitten by a tick and discovers the bull’s eye rash, a blood test within the first two
weeks will generally reveal a ‘positive’ result for lyme. However, this tiny seed-sized tick often goes
undetected and resultant mild flu symptoms or achiness goes away and the patient does not suspect
anything amiss. The B. burdorferi is a spiral shaped spirochete which burrows into tissue and can remain
undetected for years. This spirochete can drill through any part of the body, including the blood brain barrier,
releasing bacteria and overwhelming the immune system.
Lyme has been described by researcher and pathologist, Alan MacDonald, MD, as a genetic cousin to
syphilis. And like syphilis it can mimic other illnesses, including chronic fatigue, multiple sclerosis, lupus,
fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and ALS. Dr. MacDonald found that lyme spirochetes can colonize and
develop a gel-like barrier that makes them undetectable to normal testing. This colonization also allows the
spirochetes to hide from antibiotics and to hide from the normal immune response, and according to Dr.
MacDonald it also explains why the disease is so difficult to treat and can often relapse.
By the time I saw Lauren she had been experiencing extreme fatigue for almost a year. She first noticed a
worsening of her vision and saw her optometrist who told her that her sight had not changed. Shortly
thereafter she began having burning knee pain and at only 26 years of age she thought this was unusual.
When daily headaches began, with often sharp and stabbing pain, she decided to seek help. Lauren saw
medical doctors, neurologists, and a rheumatologist, who all looked over her inconclusive test results and
told her that her symptoms were ‘in your head’ or ‘...don’t talk to me about Lyme, your labs are fine’. Lauren
was beginning to have moments of foggy thinking, and at times she groped for words while teaching a
subject that she knew well. On more than one occasion, while driving, she became lost in an area that she
had traveled again and again. Lauren told me, “I come home from these doctor visits and just cry. The pain
I feel is real, it’s relentless, and I’m tired all the time. I am not imagining this! ”
Medical doctors who are called ‘lyme literate’ know that tests like blood tests, Western Blot, or ELISA often
produce a false negative result. These doctors have learned that they must rely largely on clinical symptoms
for diagnoses of a tick-borne infection. Lyme is very difficult to diagnose because it is not always detectable
in the whole blood, even in active Lyme, and antibodies may only be present for a short time. Yet there have
been advances in testing, including a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, that is highly sensitive and
detects the presence of the DNA of the Lyme bacteria.
The treatment by lyme literate doctors varies from patient to patient. It often involves intravenous
antibiotics over a long period of time, along with herbal and vitamin supplementation. Many medical Lyme
doctors also staff naturopathic doctors for nutritional considerations. Often Lyme sufferers who were
bedridden have responded well to these treatments and are able to walk again and return to a fairly normal
lifestyle, although it may take several years of treatment.
Many of these doctors are risking their livelihood to help Chronic Lyme patients. Dr. Jemsek, MD had his
license suspended by the North Carolina Medical Board for using ‘unconventional treatment’. Most often it is
the insurance companies, unwilling to pay for long term care, who report these doctors. Dr. Joseph Jemsek,
MD feels, “Hundreds of thousands may have Lyme and don’t know it.”
The IDSA, Infectious Diseases Society of America, developed guidelines regarding Lyme that, in essence, say
Lyme Disease is easily curable with a short term of antibiotics and that chronic Lyme, also called post-Lyme
Syndrome by IDSA, does not exist. With this, chronic Lyme has become a political and economic disease as
much as it is a bacterial or parasitic infection. Guidelines define the disease and thus allow the insurance
companies to control the outcome.
Many states do not have lyme-literate doctors available to patients, and so people have to travel. In
addition, the expense of long term treatment can soar into thousands of dollars since insurance companies
will generally not cover chronic Lyme.
Chris is from Wisconsin, where only a few Lyme-literate doctors have long waiting lists. He travels monthly
with his parents to see a medical doctor in NYC who treats with antibiotics and supplements. Chris, at age
24, enjoyed hunting and fishing until pain and fatigue became so great that he could no longer go on his
annual trip to Canada. After multiple testing to the tune of $10,000, and consulting five doctors, he was
sent home with a diagnosis of ‘anxiety’. Although Chris’s blood tests were negative for Lyme, his new lyme-
literate doctor conducted a more accurate IGx test which revealed a diagnosis of Lyme and the deadly co-
infection, Erlichiosis, which is also carried by ticks.
An iridological profile cannot determine chronic Lyme anymore than it proposes to diagnose illness at all.
However, iridology can determine the inherent capabilities of the immune system. In the first iris photo we
see a stress axis which greatly influences hypothalamic energies. In addition, the presence of a radial furrow
observed from pupil through the collarette suggests the need for nerve repair and nourishment. In the
second iris a rhomboid lacunae represents a genetic footprint of the hypothalamus and presses into the
collarette.
The hypothalamus, although a tiny neural gland, exerts enormous influence over nervous, immune, and
endocrine systems. Among other things, the hypothalamus directs immune system reactions, activity of the
Autonomic Nervous System, and temperature control. Therefore, understanding compromise of the
hypothalamus can steer the practitioner in proper intensity of treatment and protocol. With bacteria being
one of the many negative influences to the hypothalamus, it is imperative to consider the role of and
inherent strength of, the hypothalamus in chronic Lyme. Also consider the role of natural killer cells in
treatment of Lyme, and since these cells populate largely during sleep we are again brought back to
consider healthy hypothalamic balance. Poor sleep patterns will affect the hypothalamus and reduce natural
killer cell production. Treatment which may include acupuncture, cranio-sacral, meditation, blood sugar
balancing, immune system modulation through probiotics and nutritional therapies will all be important in
returning balance to the hypothalamus.
Some people experiencing symptoms of chronic Lyme have benefited from long term antibiotics alone, some
have recovered with both antibiotic and alternative treatment, and many have chosen to work solely with
natural health practitioners and achieved positive results.
Chronic Lyme disease is a national health crisis that is being ignored. It is far more difficult to treat in the late
stages and less effective. Since ticks are now capable of carrying multiple organisms it is no longer just Lyme
we might be dealing with, and patients are much sicker than in the past.
Willy Burgdorfer, PhD, who discovered the Lyme bacteria in 1980 said, “The controversy in Lyme disease is
shameful. I say that because it is tainted. ….This includes physicians who don’t have the courage to tell the
patient, ‘You have Lyme disease and I don’t know anything about it.’”
For those people who suffer and decline from a complicated disease that is largely disregarded by
mainstream medicine, this is a tragedy. Of course, what lies beneath this is the quagmire of conflicts of
interest in medicine, healthcare, and insurance reform. Awareness of chronic Lyme and its potential long
term disabling outcome is essential for all healthcare practitioners.
References: ”Under Our Skin” by Andy Abrahams Wilson, www.LymeWisconsin.com, ”The Lyme Disease
Solution” by Kenneth B. Singleton, M.D., M.P.H, “Advanced Topics in Lyme Disease” by Joseph BurrascanoJr.,
M.D.
Gael Riverz is a Traditional Naturopathic Doctor, a Board Certified Iridologist, Certified Sclerologist, CNHP, and
author of “Inner Visions –Iridology- Discovering the Whole You”.
She has an office in Delafield, WI. Website: www.drgaelriverz.com
By Gael Riverz, ND
The first time I saw David and his wife, Julia, in my office he was walking gingerly, not able to lift his feet
beyond a shuffle, and he wore shorts and a t- shirt despite the cold weather.
He told me, “I think I have Lyme disease.”
“Have you been diagnosed with Lyme?” I asked.
“No,” he answered, “The tests were negative.”
This scenario is becoming more and more common across our country. In David’s case he was a 32 year old
man who had enjoyed an active lifestyle until he began having shoulder pain and twitching in his arm. His
joints began to ache, fatigue was constant, his body temperature was erratic with bouts of profuse
sweating, and his mind was foggy and unclear. David felt as though he were suffering a severe case of the
flu that just wouldn’t end. After lengthy blood testing, MRI’s, and neurological profiles, he was told by his
doctors that he had an indeterminate neuromuscular disease. Regretfully they sent him home and wished
him well.
David is a computer specialist who would not accept a ‘no hope’ diagnosis. He began his search on the
internet for others who had similar experiences, and unfortunately, he found many. In just one year from the
onset of David’s initial symptoms his fingers became crippled and his muscles were so tight that walking was
difficult.
Lyme Disease, if caught early, is characterized by a tick bite that may or may not show up as a bulls-eye
rash. A two or three week course of antibiotics will knock out the pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi, and in many
cases the patient is well and does not suffer a recurrence. However, it is a very small percentage of people
who manage to catch the disease in early stages.
Chronic Lyme sufferers are not only infected with B. burgdorferi, but often have several other co-infections
such as Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Bartonella, Tularemia, and more. These infectious toxic pathogens have,
over time, developed the ability to be carried in the tick bite along with B. burgdorferi.
It’s probable that many years in the past, Borrelia was the only pathogen found in the tick bite. Planetary
changes such as climate warming, extinction of species, and loss of wildlife habitat give viruses and bacteria
a chance to mutate and adapt. Our earth has become polluted and out of balance with the natural course
of things, and so as residents of this planet, we will suffer consequences of this imbalance.
Chronic Lyme disease has reached epidemic proportions in our country. It is a devastating disease that is
debilitating and even life threatening. The incidence of lyme has increased 40% in just the last two years.
The Center for Disease Control reported 35,198 cases of Lyme for 2008. These are just the reported cases,
not including those that go unreported, and yet Chronic Lyme remains unrecognized by the majority of
allopathic medical doctors.
When a person is first bitten by a tick and discovers the bull’s eye rash, a blood test within the first two
weeks will generally reveal a ‘positive’ result for lyme. However, this tiny seed-sized tick often goes
undetected and resultant mild flu symptoms or achiness goes away and the patient does not suspect
anything amiss. The B. burdorferi is a spiral shaped spirochete which burrows into tissue and can remain
undetected for years. This spirochete can drill through any part of the body, including the blood brain barrier,
releasing bacteria and overwhelming the immune system.
Lyme has been described by researcher and pathologist, Alan MacDonald, MD, as a genetic cousin to
syphilis. And like syphilis it can mimic other illnesses, including chronic fatigue, multiple sclerosis, lupus,
fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and ALS. Dr. MacDonald found that lyme spirochetes can colonize and
develop a gel-like barrier that makes them undetectable to normal testing. This colonization also allows the
spirochetes to hide from antibiotics and to hide from the normal immune response, and according to Dr.
MacDonald it also explains why the disease is so difficult to treat and can often relapse.
By the time I saw Lauren she had been experiencing extreme fatigue for almost a year. She first noticed a
worsening of her vision and saw her optometrist who told her that her sight had not changed. Shortly
thereafter she began having burning knee pain and at only 26 years of age she thought this was unusual.
When daily headaches began, with often sharp and stabbing pain, she decided to seek help. Lauren saw
medical doctors, neurologists, and a rheumatologist, who all looked over her inconclusive test results and
told her that her symptoms were ‘in your head’ or ‘...don’t talk to me about Lyme, your labs are fine’. Lauren
was beginning to have moments of foggy thinking, and at times she groped for words while teaching a
subject that she knew well. On more than one occasion, while driving, she became lost in an area that she
had traveled again and again. Lauren told me, “I come home from these doctor visits and just cry. The pain
I feel is real, it’s relentless, and I’m tired all the time. I am not imagining this! ”
Medical doctors who are called ‘lyme literate’ know that tests like blood tests, Western Blot, or ELISA often
produce a false negative result. These doctors have learned that they must rely largely on clinical symptoms
for diagnoses of a tick-borne infection. Lyme is very difficult to diagnose because it is not always detectable
in the whole blood, even in active Lyme, and antibodies may only be present for a short time. Yet there have
been advances in testing, including a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, that is highly sensitive and
detects the presence of the DNA of the Lyme bacteria.
The treatment by lyme literate doctors varies from patient to patient. It often involves intravenous
antibiotics over a long period of time, along with herbal and vitamin supplementation. Many medical Lyme
doctors also staff naturopathic doctors for nutritional considerations. Often Lyme sufferers who were
bedridden have responded well to these treatments and are able to walk again and return to a fairly normal
lifestyle, although it may take several years of treatment.
Many of these doctors are risking their livelihood to help Chronic Lyme patients. Dr. Jemsek, MD had his
license suspended by the North Carolina Medical Board for using ‘unconventional treatment’. Most often it is
the insurance companies, unwilling to pay for long term care, who report these doctors. Dr. Joseph Jemsek,
MD feels, “Hundreds of thousands may have Lyme and don’t know it.”
The IDSA, Infectious Diseases Society of America, developed guidelines regarding Lyme that, in essence, say
Lyme Disease is easily curable with a short term of antibiotics and that chronic Lyme, also called post-Lyme
Syndrome by IDSA, does not exist. With this, chronic Lyme has become a political and economic disease as
much as it is a bacterial or parasitic infection. Guidelines define the disease and thus allow the insurance
companies to control the outcome.
Many states do not have lyme-literate doctors available to patients, and so people have to travel. In
addition, the expense of long term treatment can soar into thousands of dollars since insurance companies
will generally not cover chronic Lyme.
Chris is from Wisconsin, where only a few Lyme-literate doctors have long waiting lists. He travels monthly
with his parents to see a medical doctor in NYC who treats with antibiotics and supplements. Chris, at age
24, enjoyed hunting and fishing until pain and fatigue became so great that he could no longer go on his
annual trip to Canada. After multiple testing to the tune of $10,000, and consulting five doctors, he was
sent home with a diagnosis of ‘anxiety’. Although Chris’s blood tests were negative for Lyme, his new lyme-
literate doctor conducted a more accurate IGx test which revealed a diagnosis of Lyme and the deadly co-
infection, Erlichiosis, which is also carried by ticks.
An iridological profile cannot determine chronic Lyme anymore than it proposes to diagnose illness at all.
However, iridology can determine the inherent capabilities of the immune system. In the first iris photo we
see a stress axis which greatly influences hypothalamic energies. In addition, the presence of a radial furrow
observed from pupil through the collarette suggests the need for nerve repair and nourishment. In the
second iris a rhomboid lacunae represents a genetic footprint of the hypothalamus and presses into the
collarette.
The hypothalamus, although a tiny neural gland, exerts enormous influence over nervous, immune, and
endocrine systems. Among other things, the hypothalamus directs immune system reactions, activity of the
Autonomic Nervous System, and temperature control. Therefore, understanding compromise of the
hypothalamus can steer the practitioner in proper intensity of treatment and protocol. With bacteria being
one of the many negative influences to the hypothalamus, it is imperative to consider the role of and
inherent strength of, the hypothalamus in chronic Lyme. Also consider the role of natural killer cells in
treatment of Lyme, and since these cells populate largely during sleep we are again brought back to
consider healthy hypothalamic balance. Poor sleep patterns will affect the hypothalamus and reduce natural
killer cell production. Treatment which may include acupuncture, cranio-sacral, meditation, blood sugar
balancing, immune system modulation through probiotics and nutritional therapies will all be important in
returning balance to the hypothalamus.
Some people experiencing symptoms of chronic Lyme have benefited from long term antibiotics alone, some
have recovered with both antibiotic and alternative treatment, and many have chosen to work solely with
natural health practitioners and achieved positive results.
Chronic Lyme disease is a national health crisis that is being ignored. It is far more difficult to treat in the late
stages and less effective. Since ticks are now capable of carrying multiple organisms it is no longer just Lyme
we might be dealing with, and patients are much sicker than in the past.
Willy Burgdorfer, PhD, who discovered the Lyme bacteria in 1980 said, “The controversy in Lyme disease is
shameful. I say that because it is tainted. ….This includes physicians who don’t have the courage to tell the
patient, ‘You have Lyme disease and I don’t know anything about it.’”
For those people who suffer and decline from a complicated disease that is largely disregarded by
mainstream medicine, this is a tragedy. Of course, what lies beneath this is the quagmire of conflicts of
interest in medicine, healthcare, and insurance reform. Awareness of chronic Lyme and its potential long
term disabling outcome is essential for all healthcare practitioners.
References: ”Under Our Skin” by Andy Abrahams Wilson, www.LymeWisconsin.com, ”The Lyme Disease
Solution” by Kenneth B. Singleton, M.D., M.P.H, “Advanced Topics in Lyme Disease” by Joseph BurrascanoJr.,
M.D.
Gael Riverz is a Traditional Naturopathic Doctor, a Board Certified Iridologist, Certified Sclerologist, CNHP, and
author of “Inner Visions –Iridology- Discovering the Whole You”.
She has an office in Delafield, WI. Website: www.drgaelriverz.com