Lyme Disease and Supplements - Why They Don't Work
Many patients are spending a lot of time and money on self-treatment for Lyme disease. Oral supplementation of vitamins, herbs, minerals, and amino acids has provided some relief and assistance to patients but it's just not enough. Nearly 100 percent of the patients that come to us have done some supplement therapy to no avail but what they needed the whole time was a specialized functional integrative medicine approach to chronic Lyme disease. Treatment needs to come from a more detailed diagnosis of all infections, immunity and other genetic issues, including and not limited to toxin and heavy metal exposure. This is all done to zero in on a better treatment plan. Only after a detailed diagnosis can a correct treatment plan be put in place to deliver the therapeutic levels of care needed to our patients.
Patients have specialized needs and this is where our decade of experience shines through. Some treatment methods cannot be done through supplements because the Lyme infection is a pleomorphic organism, which means it shifts and changes in the body, many times hiding deep in the tissue and central nervous system. So whether you are using nutrients or Chinese herbal patent formulas (many of which are laced with impurities or medications), what is always lacking is the delivery of the medications to the correct regions in your body. Dosing, bioavailability and correct prescriptions really make the difference to a supplement working or not. In addition, many supplements are unregulated and could be potentially harmful.
The main reason why supplements won't fix your Lyme disease problem lies in the concept of bioavailability (absorption rate). Here is a brief list of the type of ways you can supplement your body from worst to best: Tablet – 10 percent, Capsule – 20 percent, Gel caps, Liquid – 90 percent, Intra muscular – shot – 90 percent, IV - intravenous – 100 percent. Most of the supplements that you will find over the counter are tablets, which according to our research will only give you 10 percent bioavailability and benefit. As you can see, intravenous or IV is 100 percent bioavailable and it is the best way to introduce treatments into the body. When we use IV Vitamin C to strengthen a patient's immune system, for example, it is being 100 percent utilized. Oral administration only provides 10-20 percent bioavailability in most cases and is clearly inferior to our method of administration. If you have ever been prescribed oral medication it is not nearly as potent or bioavailable as using an IV; something you should definitely think about when finding suitable treatment for Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is a complex problem, and there are many factors involved in it. Supplements only scratch the surface of remedying Lyme disease. This is not to say that supplements don't have their place, however, because they do seem to work better after the bulk of patient's heath has been balanced within a medical center setting. This is because now the patient is taking the supplements to maintain supportive nutritional, herbal, mineral and amino acids; not trying to resolve the entire complex problem of Lyme disease with them. For complete treatment we must: rebuild the immune system, strip biofilm, eliminate heavy metal/toxins, and address all co-infections all at the same time with precision. Can supplements do that? The answer, in our clinical experience, is no. That being said, supplements can help with maintenance and supportive care and they can work adjunctively to medical care. As a patient, it is your responsibility to find the best physician and type of treatment that will address your complete needs, and only through your own informed research can this be accomplished. We wish you the best of health and if you have any questions or concerns about Lyme disease and possible treatment options, don't hesitate to contact us.
