The 5 Most Common Lyme Disease Blocks To Recovery
The nature of Lyme disease is to infect and down-regulate the body in complex ways. It forms allies with other disease-causing agents, and leaves almost no system of the body un-stressed.
Given the tangled web that Lyme disease weaves, it’s no wonder that there are difficult to uncover roadblocks to healing.
Over the past 2 decades of specializing in the holistic treatment of chronic infectious disease in one of highest Lyme endemic areas in the US, I’ve seen many people, exhausted and sick even after antibiotic treatment, and frustrated and scared that they will never get better.
Fortunately, we’ve come to recognize some of the most common Lyme disease blocks to recovery. This increases our success rate because we actively look for these roadblocks, and treat accordingly, thereby accelerating the pace of recovery.
#1. Toxic Congestion.
It’s invisible. It accumulates in the body’s tissues over time. It insidiously sets the stage for chronic disease and infection. It’s so normal we don’t think twice about it, or even recognize that it’s not acceptable that our bodies should be so burdened by toxic waste.
But burden your body it does, and when Lyme enters into the picture, it takes full advantage of the acidity, congestion, and compromised tissues that toxic accumulation provides.
The most common symptoms of toxic congestion are fatigue, headache, aches, stiffness and pains of the joints and muscles, constipation and sluggish digestion, and a sense of “getting old.”
There is a high percent of overlap when comparing the common symptoms of Lyme disease with those of a toxic body.
Inflammation, infection, and toxicity are a triad of disease progression that can snowball out of control. It’s important to address each level of momentum, but too much antimicrobial action will increase toxin levels and inflammation, making you feel worse.
And it’s difficult to substantially diminish inflammation when the disease and toxin burden remains high.
Effective detoxification (based in practices, not products) is the #1 way to accelerate your recovery process, decrease inflammation across the board, diminish symptoms, and support your success with natural or pharmaceutical antibiotic regimens.
#2. Other Undiagnosed & Untreated Infections.
These may by tick-borne co-infections such as the difficult to diagnose Bartonella or Babesia; it may be mycoplasma, parasites, yeast overgrowth, mold, or viral in nature. It’s very common among persistent Lyme sufferers to harbor multiple chronic infections.
Often these are difficult to diagnose, and unless a doctor or alternative health practitioner not only specializes in Lyme disease but has also been deeply immersed in a study of how to recognize these other diseases, they are easily missed, and therefore go untreated.
Sometimes parasites, babesia, or any of these other chronic infections are causing more of the symptoms and represent a heavier disease burden than the Lyme itself. Therefore treating the Lyme on- going doesn’t make sense if there’s no response and improvement to that treatment.
Instead, discovering the infection(s) that ARE the primary culprits of active disease at this time in your body and treating those with targeted natural or pharmaceutical antimicrobials is what will create forward movement in healing.
#3. Lack Of Focus On Gut Health
It may seem unrelated – your symptoms are shortness of breath, headaches, night sweats and joint inflammation – what’s it matter that you have chronic indigestion, bloating, or constipation too?
Actually, it matters a lot.
Even if your digestive weakness developed long before Lyme disease came along and you wouldn’t recognize your body if you didn’t produce gas, nausea, and upset stomach after a meal, the fact that your digestion is weak means that your ability to recover fully from Lyme disease is significantly compromised.
You see, the gut doesn’t only digest your food. It also houses a large part of your immune system. Gut function is also interwoven with your brain and emotions, AND, when your digestion is chronically weak, the gut is most certainly a source of inflammation that fuels the both the Lyme infection and your symptoms.
Healing the gut takes time, persistence, and commitment, but it is necessary if you want to make a complete recovery and develop stellar health and disease resistance long-term.
#4. Adrenal Fatigue
Like toxicity, symptoms of adrenal fatigue mimic those of Lyme disease. Lyme disease stresses the adrenal glands, and weak adrenals mean a weakened immune system, low energy and motivation, and can keep you stuck in the dumps both physically and mentally.
As you can see, this creates another viscious disease cycle that won’t be broken by only treating for Lyme infection. When adrenal fatigue is present, it too must be addressed in order for you to recover your energy, immunity, and begin to feel more like yourself again.
The best way to evaluate your adrenal cortisol levels is with a 24-hour adrenal cortisol saliva test.
#5. Lack Of Consistency
This one is not a physical health problem. It stems from the common problems of overwhelm, distraction, and the fears and challenges that arise when you attempt to create change.
As a holistic practitioner, I don’t rely on drugs to make people better. I rely first and foremost on strategic health practices that support the body’s innate ability to heal. All the herbs and antibiotics in the world won’t work if your liver and colon remain congested and toxic, for example.
If you doubt that more antibiotics is the answer to your health problems, then you’re looking at learning how to do things differently so that your body can powerfully release its toxin and disease burdens, heal the gut and damaged tissues, restore its hormones and energy, and regain its vitality.
That is the promise of holistic Lyme recovery, it simply requires consistency over the long-term. When your body is given the right kind of support for enough time, healing happens!
Now that you are aware of these potential roadblocks, you can become better educated about whether one of these issues is a reason that your recovery has come to a halt, perhaps in spite of on- going antibiotic or alternative treatments.
Once you hit on your current roadblock, if your recovery progress has been halted, it will cause welcome changes and propel you towards the finish line.
If you are wanting holistic treatment for Lyme or other similar complex chronic diseases, simply call us at 845-687-6211 or email info@uprootinglyme.com to set up an in-person or virtual holistic Lyme consultation at reasonable rates. Together we’ll co-create a strategic holistic treatment plan. Receive the support and guidance you need to regain your health, strength and resilience. Contact us now!