Most Lyme disease patients in the middle of progressing through the illness have probably been through a variation of the following scenario:

Some time ago, you started experiencing a range of non-specific, hard-to-explain symptoms that caused you to seek help from your regular doctor, who put you through a battery of tests that didn’t reach any clear diagnosis. So, you continued testing for years or even decades. At some point, almost by accident, you were diagnosed by a doctor who was more versed in Lyme disease, and you heaved a sigh of relief.

Once you knew what you were dealing with, you could treat it and get it over with. Instead, you’ve been on a range of treatments and your doctor only seems to be trained in antibiotics, pharmaceutical pain relievers and mood enhancers.

Most of these things have only brought about short-term improvement or haven’t worked at all; some of them have caused symptoms of their own. Your symptomology is either plateauing or getting worse, which is causing you to feel upset. Your doctor notices this and suggests you see a psychiatrist. Now, what do you do?

Instead of giving up, here are a few areas to examine to see if they may be causing a treatment block that can be removed to help you get to where you want to be. None of these should be taken lightly, and all of them will need to be dealt with before any major improvement breakthroughs can be expected.

STRESS
Most holistic practitioners understand that the following three forms of stress can not only cause disease in the body, but also thoroughly block treatment improvement.

Physical stress: A powerful injury to the body, a concussion or a trauma from a car accident or fall can cause a healthy person’s immune system to go offline until the injury is healed. If any of these things happen in the middle of treatment, they can block the effectiveness of the treatment.

Chemical stress: Ingesting toxins from an unhealthy diet; being exposed to toxins like heavy metals, mold or rotten food; or being exposed to viral or bacterial infections, can all cause disease. These can impair treatment if a patient is exposed in the middle of an illness.

Emotional stress: Intense stress at a job, the death of someone close or disruptions in finances can all impact someone so intensely that it can bring down the immune system. Remaining in a constant state of emotional distress, grief or panic will make it almost impossible to heal until the issues are addressed.

DETOXING
Expecting treatment improvement while ignoring toxin buildup caused from die-off action is like continuously filling a balloon with air and not expecting it to burst. Toxins and inflammation-causing cytokines that are naturally released during the pathogen destruction that happens in most treatment can build up over time and lodge in a patient’s fat cells and tissue—causing long-term symptoms even after a patient discontinues treatment. If a patient is regularly detoxing during treatment, the buildup of long-term toxins can be avoided, and the patient can stay on treatment with less discomfort.

DIET
Most patients understand the importance of regulating their diet during treatment. However, certain foods can block treatment and bring about symptoms of their own. Refined sugar and dairy products in particular are both inflammation-causing, mucous-forming and have been proven to feed a variety of pathogens, most of which Lyme patients are attempting to eradicate. Processed foods that have artificial ingredients can cause symptom crashes, and processed grains like wheat, corn and soy can trigger further sensitivities. Alcohol consumption (even moderated to a single glass of beer or wine per day) can block certain treatments, while promoting intestinal yeast.

ENVIRONMENT
Where the patient spends the majority of their time can have a large bearing on treatment success. Patients who live or work in moldy environments or buildings that emit chemical toxins or excess electro-magnetic frequencies (EMF), can suffer from extra symptoms and treatment plateaus.

Similarly, patients who spend most of their time around hostile co-workers, relatives or significant others can suffer from similar symptoms. The remedy is to remove the patient from these situations before symptom improvement can be expected.

PARASITES
For Lyme patients who have plateaued or feel “stuck” in their treatment, well-known doctors like Dr. Lee Cowden and Dr. Jay Davidson point out that internal parasites can hinder improvement and should be addressed before trying to move on in treatment.

Intestinal parasites are one of the common culprits in creating symptoms and blocks during treatment, and they are much more widespread than most people realize. Patients who experience extended digestive distress, bouts of diarrhea or constipation, bloating after eating, stomach pain and discomfort and strong fatigue directly after a meal, should consider treating for parasites. Effective treatment should last at least three consecutive months and include binders, enemas and ways to expel the parasite bodies, eggs and toxins they generate.

Gregg Kirk is an author, energy healer and Lyme disease advocate who runs a clinic in Darien, where he incorporates herbal treatments to help patients with Lyme disease. Connect at LymeRecoveryClinic.com or GreggKirk.com. See ad, page 2.