Information about Lyme Disease Treatment

by

Peter Hutch

Lyme disease, sometimes referred to as Lyme infection, is a bacterial illness, transmitted to humans by the bite of deer ticks (Ixodes ticks) carrying a bacterium known as Borrelia burgdorferi. The disease has been reported in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, North Central, and Pacific coastal regions of the United States and in Europe, where it was first described almost 100 years ago. It is most prevalent in the northeastern states of the United States, with about half of all cases clustered in New York and Connecticut.

Oral antibiotics usually doxycycline for adults and children older than 8, or amoxicillin or cefuroxime axetil for adults, younger children and pregnant or breast-feeding women are the standard treatment for early-stage Lyme disease. These drugs often clear the infection and prevent complications. A 14- to 21-day course of antibiotics is usually recommended, but some studies suggest that courses lasting 10 to 14 days are equally effective. In some cases, longer treatment has been linked to serious complications.

Bb contains beta lactamases, which, with some strains, may confer resistance to cephalosporins and penicillins. This is apparently a slowly acting enzyme system, and may be overcome by higher or more continuous drug levels especially when maintained by continuous infusions (cefotaxime) and by depot preparations (benzathine penicillin). Nevertheless, some penicillin and cephalosporin treatment failures do occur and have responded to sulbactam/ampicillin, imipenim, and vancomycin, which act through different cell wall mechanisms than penicillin and the cephalosporins.

High-pressure (hyperbaric) oxygen is legitimately used to treat deep sea divers suffering from decompression sickness (“the bends”) and smoke inhalation, and to help treat several other conditions. There are 300 hyperbaric facilities in the United States. Some of these facilities have been used to treat AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, and Lyme disease. The Lyme patients subjecting themselves to long hours in these small chambers apparently hope that high-pressure oxygen will enhance oxygen-dependent immune mechanisms and kill spirochetes lurking beyond the reach of antibiotics.

Doxycycline (also effectively treats most other tick-borne diseases; not given to children under age 9, pregnant women, or women who are breastfeeding because it can stain the permanent teeth developing in young children or unborn babies)

Doxycycline – bacteriostatic properties stops synthesis of bacteria replication. Inhibits bacterial protein synthesis. Amoxicillin – bacteriostatic properties do not kill bacterium, but do halt bacterial growth by inhibition of cell wall synthesis. Ceftriaxone – (intravenous therapy) bactericidal properties kill bacterium. Wear a hat and a long-sleeved shirt for added protection. Wear light-colored clothing so that ticks can be spotted more easily. Wash all clothes after leaving tick-infested areas, and bathe and shampoo your child thoroughly to eliminate any unseen ticks.

Intravenous therapy is usually started in a healthcare provider’s office or emergency department. It can be continued at home and monitored by a visiting or home health nurse. Patients receiving home intravenous therapy should monitor themselves for symptoms of infection or inflammation at the site of the IV line (pain, redness, and swelling) and symptoms of blood clots in the vein (pain and swelling in the arm or armpit).

A 3- to 4-week course of antibiotic treatment using doxicycline or amoxicillin is generally effective in early disease. Cefuroxime axetil and erythromycin are alternatives. Oral penicillin is usually prescribed for children. When given in the early stages, these drugs can minimize later complications.

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