If you have been diagnosed with Lyme disease and have started researching the topic, you probably have discovered that the whole subject is controversial from testing to treatment.

Dr. Darcy Dane of the Carolina Brain Center believes this is due to widespread disagreement in the medical community about the veracity of claims regarding “chronic Lyme disease.” Because not every doctor subscribes to the idea that this is a true condition, Dr. Dane feels it is her and her staff’s duty to treat patients who have suffered brain disorders due to the presence of long-undiagnosed chronic Lyme disease in North Carolina.

The Carolina Brain Center approaches Lyme disease from a functional neurology perspective. This involves holistic healing of many types, which Dr. Dane calls “exercise for the brain.” If you are looking for reliable, compassionate functional neurology in North Carolina, continue reading to learn about the Carolina Brain Center’s perspective on Lyme disease and its treatment options.

What Is Lyme Disease?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Lyme disease is caused by the bite of a tick carrying the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. This bacterium is a spirochete, which means it is twisted spirally. However, while a spirochete is a bacterium, research has shown that B. burgdorferi does not share factors common to many bacterial pathogens. This is why Dr. Dane believes antibiotic therapies are not a cure for chronic Lyme disease.

Symptoms of Lyme typically include fever, headaches, fatigue, and skin rash. If left untreated, the disease can spread throughout the body, including the heart, joints, and nervous system. 

A tick on a white background

Is Chronic Lyme Disease Real?

Chronic Lyme disease (CLD) is considered controversial. Patients finally diagnosed with CLD by a Lyme disease specialist are often discouraged, to say the least, within the medical community. It often takes years to be diagnosed, and that is if they run across a “Lyme-literate” doctor. 

With Google at people’s fingertips, more patients are being diagnosed and treated than ever before. But the controversy keeps escalating. Many traditional doctors do not “believe” in CLD. And, if they do, they frown upon long-term antibiotic therapy. This is where Dr. Dane agrees with the more widespread medical community.

Knowing that spirochete populations can cause nerve damage in the body, the question that must be asked is, “Can Lyme disease lead to brain disorders?” The simple answer is a resounding yes. Some research suggests links between Lyme disease and Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, autism, dementia, and a range of other psychiatric conditions.

What Are the Best Tests for Lyme Disease?

The first step to receiving appropriate chronic Lyme disease treatment is to see if you test positive for the disease.  At the Carolina Brain Center, we recommend two tests. One is DNA Connexions, a urine test. The other is MacTech Imaging, a saliva test.

The DNA Connexions test identifies co-infections common to Lyme disease. MacTech Imaging picks up where the DNA Connexions test leaves off by giving doctors an idea of a patient’s overall microbial load. Each saliva sample is scanned for spirochetes and then given a graded score.

These two unique tests allow us to proceed confidently with chronic Lyme disease treatment. Post-treatment analysis informs doctors as to whether a patient is clear.

Is the Western Blot Test a Valid Form of Testing?

The western blot test involves separating blood proteins to find those that suggest an infection is present. Whether the western blot test is a valid form of Lyme testing is difficult to answer because too many false negatives exist. Therefore, the western blot test should not be considered the only indicator of whether someone has Lyme disease. Even with adding the C6 peptide ELISA with the two-tiered western blot, the sensitivity for identifying Lyme improves only slightly.

Lyme disease bacterium is a spirochete, which means it is twisted spirally

Do Antibiotics Kill Lyme Disease?

In acute cases, or when taken prophylactically soon after a bite, antibiotics can be helpful. However, Dr. Dane always recommends follow-up testing with DNA Connexions and MacTech Imaging just to be certain. 

Keep in mind not everyone bitten by a tick will develop Lyme disease. However, it is becoming more broadly accepted that increased numbers of patients experience treatment failure and end up with long-term, debilitating symptoms. These may include pain, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction. This is why extra testing with a lyme disease specialist is worth the effort.

Long-term antibiotic therapy for treating CLD has negative effects on the immune and venous systems if the antibiotics are given intravenously. But the main disadvantage of this type of treatment is that patients do not get the satisfaction of saying unequivocally that they beat the disease. Even Lyme-literate doctors will say antibiotics help to manage symptoms but do not eliminate the disease. This is true.

Antibiotics place Lyme infections into a dormant state, which of course results in the patient feeling better. The problem is that symptoms return as soon as antibiotics are stopped. Herbals do basically the same thing. The spirochetes go into a cystic formation and cover up with biofilm.

Spirochetes associated with CLD have great anatomical advantage. The way they are built allows them to live easily in viscous areas of the body, such as the mouth. The biofilm that forms over them makes them especially resistant to antibacterial treatments.

Effective Chronic Lyme Disease Treatment

Dr. Dane was introduced to a new treatment for Lyme disease in 2017. It was not an antibiotic, nor was it an herbal remedy. It was a mineral compound produced in liquid form that could be turned into a gaseous state and nebulized. The product essentially acts as fumigation and blasts the body with a blend of minerals that kills the spirochetes and improves immune function. 

Skeptical at first, Dr. Dane tracked eight patients over the course of a year that she had treated for the neurological effects of Lyme disease. Much to her amazement, seven of those patients were clear of Lyme just over a year later. Symptom relief varied from completely gone to 50% better. However, some effects of CLD cannot be reversed.

The mineral product is called Lyme-N, and, like many aspects of Lyme disease, its effectiveness at treating Lyme is controversial. But Lyme-N is the only treatment Dr. Dane has seen eradicate the spirochetes associated with CLD.

Get Treatment for Lyme Disease in North Carolina

Dr. Dane has witnessed many patients put their trust in her after becoming frustrated with more traditional chronic Lyme disease treatments at other medical facilities. The Carolina Brain Center’s way of treating patients is built upon the tenets of functional neurology, which uses a combination of medical technology and brain therapy to produce healing where possible and the easing of symptoms in other cases.

If you’re seeking Lyme disease treatment in Raleigh or another nearby area of North Carolina, set up a consultation with Dr. Dane to see how the Carolina Brain Center can address your chronic Lyme disease.

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Dr. Dane brings 20 years of experience to the Triangle and has helped many people achieve a healthier brain and body.

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