Lyme Disease question- PLEASE help me figure out what to do

[James Q]

I have a very good friend and client who 5 years ago was diagnosed with Lyme Disease- turned out she's had it, undiagnosed, for ~27 years prior to diagnosis. She was also told at that time that she had fibromyalgia, and that the fibromyalgia was a result (side effect?) of the Lyme Disease.

I've been very careful in our sessions; if she ever comes in or calls presenting with symptoms other than just "being tired", I will question her very carefully before working on her, and have declined to work on her more than once because I was not comfortable with her symptoms at the time.

She was supposed to come in last Friday, but was late, so I called her. She had her times mixed up, but it turned out VERY good that I'd called her because she'd been bitten by another tick, and was experiencing some pretty severe symptoms. I told her not to come in, but to go see her doctor and ask him specifically about getting massage (once her acute symptoms dissipate).

I just spoke with her a few minutes ago, and she said she's "about the same". She's been given a very strong (and expensive) cough medicine... , an inhaler, and an antibiotic (Doxycyclene (sp?)). She said she has 6 days left of the antibiotic. She said that the doctor told her that he has no problem with massages "in general"- which kinda tells me that while he's not against them, he probably doesn't "get" the deeper effects of bodywork.

She doesn't sound like "herself" on the phone, although I could tell she was trying to "show a good face" for me. I told her that I will not touch her AT LEAST until after she's finished the antibiotic, and that I wanted her to consult with her doctor again about all this. I also told her that I was going to ask here for advice. She comes in as regularly as she can for massages, which she says really do her a LOT of good with her fibromyalgia. We would both hate for her to have to stop getting massages. I am very nervous with this "prior Lyme Disease + new Lyme Disease" stuff going on.

Can ANYONE give me any feedback on this situation? I have some books I plan to study up with, and I will do some research online, but I also would like to hear "from the horse's mouth", so to speak, how experienced MT's might look at this situation. I love my friend very much- enough to never charge her for a massage, and certainly enough to STOP working on her if it could be dangerous for her (as of course I would with any client, but this is "larger than life" for me right now because it is HER, IYKWIM).

 

[Asche]

Lyme Disease question- PLEASE help me figure out what to do

I'm sorry about your friend. I did a mini review on Lyme disease when I was in school and it really can mess with any organ/body system if its been undiagnosed for any length of time. depends on where the bacterium travels. My understanding, massage is contraindicated if she's in the acute seforum.xxxe - right at the beginning and if there is inflammation or fever. Once the treatment starts (usually antibiotics) massage can be helpful, but is done with the clients comfort. As long as the client has sensation and is comfortable with massage, it is indicated. If the joints are inflamed (a later seforum.xxxe issue, often confused with arthritis or having arthritis like symptoms) massage is contraindicated.

keep in mind, always with client comfort: pressure, slow careful movement of joints, bolster use and positioning for comfort, duration of massage may need to be adjusted, flexible scheduling taking into account periods of inflammation. Work with the clients Dr. the Dr. hopefully can tell you if her nervous or circulatory systems are affected, in which case massage may not be appropriate.

I hope this helps and maybe there is more information out there now, but this is what I have.

good luck and best wishes to your client.

 

[MyLoveYourLife]

Lyme Disease question- PLEASE help me figure out what to do

Thanks, Ellie. All this I have done for her (the considerations you've mentioned). So it seems as though my "gut instinct" is right-on then; I can work on her, as long as she's not presenting with acute symptoms. It's going to be a long few days/weeks until she gets rid of the coughing (is that associated with lyme disease? I don't remember!), inflammation, etc.. I will also talk to her about letting me talk to her doctor myself. I know SHE won't mind; I just don't know if her doctor will "give me the time of day" or not. Time to find out, I suppose!

 

[farraj]

Lyme Disease question- PLEASE help me figure out what to do

I googled Lyme and coughing and it does appear that for some its a symptom. Sometimes the coughing starts when the antibiotic treatment has begun. not sure if the coughing would contraindicate massage - maybe only if its too uncomfortable for the client, or if it seems to involve infection. sounds like Lyme coughing is a dry cough? but I do not know. I'm certainly not an expert. I do really suggest though, that your friend see a Dr. who does know more about Lyme. I have read that it takes long term antibiotics to get relief especially if she's had it for a long time.

 

[Erma B]

Lyme Disease question- PLEASE help me figure out what to do

Sadly, my poor friend is limited in whom she can see based on what she calls "crappy insurance". She is, alas, one of those whom "traditional medicine" wrote off, for the most part, when she ran out of money.

I do know that the coughing started before she started the antibiotics; I did speak with her before she went to see the doctor on Friday and she mentioned it then.

 

[Pompal 09.]

Lyme Disease question- PLEASE help me figure out what to do

My mom had Lyme for a year before they tested her. At first it was just a cold that did not seem to go away. She was put on antiboitic by IV so far she has been fine since, but I don't think people really fully recover

 

[Pompal 09.]

Lyme Disease question- PLEASE help me figure out what to do

Lyme is such a strange thing to deal with... The symptom picture is often very different from person to person, but it can cause anything from joint & muscle pain to damage to the heart, brain, digestive system, etc. It wouldn't surprise me if any particular system in the body is a weak point that it would attack that region. My husband has been dealing with Lyme related issues for years, as have others I've known. It has a nasty habit of seeming to be "cured", but when you have an injury, or illness it often reappears. So keep in mind it can go into hiding (remission???) and then show up again without being re-exposed.

Some homeopaths seem to have good results - so perhaps your friend would be open to seeking one out, or a naturopathic doctor? She would likely have to pay out of pocket, but it may well be a better solution anyhow, as regular doctors don't seem to have much in the way of effective treatment for those who have been dealing with this condition over the long term.

Best of luck with this for your friend!

 

[WildCatSaborFang]

Lyme Disease question- PLEASE help me figure out what to do

Renee - herbs are great for Lyme Disease. Does your friend have access to an Herbalist?

 

[jennifer31]

Lyme Disease question- PLEASE help me figure out what to do

Oh, uhmmm... through me, yeah. I'm a student of herbs, and I can consult with my teacher/classmates. However, while she is the *perfect* massage client- even down to taking notes on her symptoms and how our sessions affect her, getting her to try/change/stop/start various "stuff" is more challenging. She is on a bunch of medications. Far fewer than previously, of course- when we first met, she was swallowing 52 pills a day. She's gotten off of *most* of them, but says the last doctor she can find to treat her refuses to do so unless she remains on "X, Y, and Z" medications.

Please- tell me what you know about herbs and Lyme Disease (here or in a PM is fine, either way), and I'll look it up and see what I might be able to help her with.

 

[letsJUMP!]

Lyme Disease question- PLEASE help me figure out what to do

Unfortunately, I really don't know enough about specifics...I just know that there are herbal protocols that have worked wonders for people and animals with Lyme. One herb that has worked is Teasel Root in tincture/extract form (which is a Matt Wood's protocol). I know there are many others though. Ask your teachers, I'm sure they would be able to point you in the right direction. I'll check around in my notes and local resources to see if there is more specific info I can pass along, too!

 

[Janet]

Lyme Disease question- PLEASE help me figure out what to do

The easiest thing for me to do is refer you to Herbalists that I have personal experience with:

Lichenwood Herbals

Greenwood Herbals - I see she formulates a "Core Lyme" blend (link goes to page, scroll to bottom, ingredients are not listed)

Maybe you could order a blend, see how it goes and formulate your own from there. At the very least, you could inquire with the Herbalists above for more info. I'm still going to go through my notes, but in the meantime you've got some resources to research.

 

[Masrya Tool El 3omr <3]

Lyme Disease question- PLEASE help me figure out what to do

I might try this...

Lyme disease is a doozy because it's at least 3 different bacteria, and these little buggers are HARD. CORE. They like to borrow. They like to hide. And they reproduce on a funky schedule. And you almost don't want to kill them because when you do, it releases a wave of undesirable symptoms due to their toxin.

If I were diagnosed with Lyme tomorrow, the first thing I would do is find a DO (or DC if your state allows DCs to administer IV treatment) and get on a bag of pure, genuine colloidal silver. I have personally had several entire IV bags of colloidal silver run through my own vessels. A bag takes an hour and a half. Feels great. Anything that is hiding or tough to kill, colloidal silver often does. I've even used it topically for abscessed teeth, thus avoiding expensive and detrimental root canals. My colloidal silver IVs were done by a TX ND, operating waaaay under the radar. (NDs are not licensed in TX and can't legally do IVs. But DOs can!)

Colloidal silver literally does kill any single-celled pathogen - this goes for virus, bacteria, fungus, parasites, etc. The only thing it doesn't do well against is mold or multi-cellular parasites. Yes, I've seen post-treatment bloodwork where an HIV-positive person showed up with HIV readouts so low they were undetectable. Did it cure AIDS? Probably not. But did it help a ton? I'm sure it did. Did it save me from a 3rd root canal? Yep. Do I wish I had known about it before I'd had the first 2 done? Hell yes.

So, that's what I would do. Colloidal requires a minimum 6 minutes contact with the infected area (called 6 minutes' kill time) to pretty much sterilize it. This stuff does work on internal environments, too. I can't promise anything, but to me, it'd sure be worth a try.

No I don't sell it Just a satisfied IV user LOL

PS: Might take more than one, especially considering how chronic this has been, and the fact that Lyme is soooo tricky! But you never know