By: Ron Stram, MD and Jennifer Enos, NP
TREATMENT OPTIONS
Having attended the International Lyme and Disease Society (ILADS) conference last month in Toronto, we came home both reassured about the treatment options we offer and with additional therapies to improve our treatment options for our growing number of lyme patients at the Stram Center for Integrative Medicine, Delmar office. One of many interesting developments was discussed by Dr. Richard Horowitz on the topic of Babesiosis diagnosis and treatment, for example: usage for an herbal supplement used in Ethiopia to treat malaria, cryptolepis, has been shown to be effective in this co-infection.
CHANGING SYMPTOMS REQUIRE CLOSE EXAMINATION
We came away more reassured about the complexity of this growing, insidious disease and the treatments we already offer our patients: an integration of modalities with antibiotic therapies, nutritional support and herbal supplements are the most effective way of treating this disease. In addition, and not to be understated is the utmost importance of the ongoing and compassionate listening required of the practitioner because of the ever changing and evolving symptom response to treatment. This perhaps is the most challenging part of the management of lyme and of living with the disease itself. Therapies must be flexible in response to one’s changing symptoms.
PATIENT ADVOCACY IS ESSENTIAL TO EFFECT CHANGE
Dr. Daniel Cameron, past president of ILADS, strongly urged that patient advocacy will be the leading force to aiding LYME to become a recognizable disease in the medical community. Therefore, we encourage you, as people either afflicted personally, or are affected by afflicted members of your family or friends, to become as active as possible in your communities to effect change on the front line for recognition of this verifiable, debilitating and tragic disease.
Please contact your nearest Lyme Advocate Association to help make this change happen.
