Lyme Persists
An educational initiative meant to be shared with everyone.
Bacterial persistence refers to the ability of some bacteria to survive antibiotic treatment, a phenomenon well documented in other diseases.
Despite an abundance of peer-reviewed evidence, the idea of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme Disease, persisting is brushed off by conventional medicine.
Our Lyme Persists initiative is here to highlight this evidence in an easily digestible, easily shareable format, to spread awareness, and help patients educate those in their lives who don’t quite understand Lyme Disease.
DESPITE ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT
Symptoms can linger
No study shows Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme Disease, can be completely eradicated from the body.
SUPPORTED BY
A mountain of evidence
Studies dating back to the 80’s, and even one from 1979, suggest tick-borne infections can persist against antibiotics currently recommended by the CDC.
LYME DISEASE FORMS
ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT BIOFILMS
Biofilms are complex, continuously rearranging microbial colonies covered with a protective layer to shield them from hostile environments.
EVIDENCE OF PERSISTENT INFECTION
FOUND IN VITAL ORGANS IN AUTOPSY
The patient had been treated multiple times with CDC recommended antibiotics. Significant inflammatory markers were found near Borrelia burgdorferi biofilms, suggesting that they may cause chronic inflammation.
LYME SPIROCHETES CAN CHANGE INTO
ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT ROUND BODIES
In a 2016 study, all antibiotics recommended by the CDC for Lyme did not fare well against round body forms of B. burgdorferi. Two of these antibiotics, doxycycline and amoxicillin, have even been shown to induce spirochetes into round bodies.
FOR ACUTE AND PERSISTENT LYME DISEASE
THE OPTIMAL TREATMENT HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED
Studies from Johns Hopkins have found promising treatment options for persister cells (biofilms and round bodies), yet the CDC still stands by archaic treatment shown to be ineffective against these cells.
CDC RECOMMENDED ANTIBIOTICS
FAILED TO CLEAR LYME IN MICE
In a 2019 study, doxycycline and ceftriaxone both failed to eradicate Lyme in mice that were infected with antibiotic resistant forms. Doxycycline was unable to eradicate even a seven day old infection with spirochetes highly susceptible to antibiotics.
100% OF STUDY PARTICIPANTS
CONFIRMED ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT FAILURE
All 12 patients reported having persistent symptoms despite receiving CDC recommended antibiotic treatment. Lyme spirochetes were grown from samples collected from all 12 patients.
IN NON-HUMAN PRIMATES
28 DAYS OF DOXYCYCLINE FAILED TO CLEAR LYME
Non-human primates whose symptoms, disease progression, and treatment response closely mimic humans were infected with B. burgdorferi. Despite treatment, evidence of persistent, active Lyme was found.
ANTIBIOTIC REGIMEN TARGETING PERSISTER CELLS
Put 45% of long-term patients in remission for at least a year
The original three patients treated with the protocol were in remission for 2-3 years at the time the study was published. These overwhelmingly positive results indicate that persistent infection can cause lingering symptoms after antibiotic treatment.
12 MONTHS AFTER ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT
LYME REACTIVATED
Not only did mice treated with CDC recommended antibiotics relapse after 12 months, their antibody levels also waned over time and remained low despite the resurgence of Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes.
This, along with declining antibody levels over time in infected mice who had not been treated, highlights the potential of antibody tests for Lyme to yield false negatives, which are the most commonly used type of Lyme test.
PERSISTENT LYME WAS FOUND IN AN AUTOPSY
YEARS AFTER ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT
The patient had received multiple courses of CDC recommended antibiotics over a 15 year period but continued to test positive for Lyme. Some of the courses yielded significant benefit, but the patient relapsed upon stopping them.
COMBINATION ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY
SHOWS EFFICACY AGAINST PERSISTENT LYME
Using a group of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs, they treated mice infected with Lyme disease. They found that using just one antibiotic was not effectibe as none of them alone eradicated persistent Bb. However, when they combined antibiotics, borrelia and persistent symtpoms was eradicated.
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