Is there a "CURE"?

Something I have been wondering and haven't been able to figure out...

Can Lyme be completely "cured" and gone from your body forever (if you've had it longer than those initial first few weeks before diagnosis)?

The reason I am confused is because often times I read things saying there is no actual "cure", but you can be treated and end up healthy without symptoms, etc, but that you will always technically "have" Lyme.

But then I read people who talk about how they are cured.

Is it more of a remission and not a cure? I know sometimes there are so many technicalities with these words. What are your guys thoughts/expertise on this? I have no idea what to think on this topic.

Somebody asked me the other day if it's possible to get rid of it for good and be completely cured, or if it's something I'll always have and be more in a remission, keeping symptoms at bay, etc, and I honestly wasn't sure how to answer that question.

This is the great debate. It's like asking what the best break-in procedure is for a new car... Eveyone has their own opinion.
Mine: yes, yes it is curable. There are plenty of success stories out there and I personally know people who don't look back, aren't even takin suppelemetns or anything.

This is true, Or it could mean they don't have any.

Great question! One that has many debating!

And to add to all of this....what about reversing the damage it has done even if in remission?

Like endocrine issues and autoimmune diseases? Can hypothyroidism be reversed? My doctor says once we heal the lyme & co infections, then we can wean off the thyroid meds. But I am terrified that I will be dependent on thyroid meds forever.

Sometimes I think the symptoms we deal with as a result of the damage done can be confused with lyme symptoms. So one may clear out the lyme, but because the immune system is out of whack with autoimmune antibodies or the endocrine system has been damaged, we still suffer with similar symptoms (brain fog, food intolerances, neuropathy, joint pain, etc)

All I can say is that the last time I looked into this (admittedly that was a couple of years ago though), every brain that was looked at that had come from a Lyme patient had Lyme bacteria that was found in it.

Can I say that everyone that has Lyme has those bacteria left in their brain? No, but everyone brain that has been checked has had the bacteria found.

If someone can find newer reports showing that this information is no longer holding true, please do share!! But, from what I've learned over the years:
www.lymeneteurope.org/info/the-complexities-of-lyme-disease
By Tom Grier (Microbiologist that had Ehrlichia and Lyme)

...
"It appears that Borrelia are able to change their surface antigens many times, and can do it quickly. In one study by Dr. Andrew Pachner MD, he infected mice with a single strain of Borrelia burgdorferi. After several weeks, he was able to isolate two slightly different forms of the bacteria. The bacteria from the bloodstream was attacked and killed by the mouse's immune sera, but the bacteria isolated from the mouse's brain was unaffected by the immune sera. The bacteria isolated from the mouse's brain had a new set of surface antigens. It appears that contact with the CNS caused the bacteria to change its appearance. Since the brain is isolated from the immune system and is an immune privileged site, the bacteria became its own separate strain. "

"What happens when the infection gets to the brain? In the case of Lyme disease, every animal model to date shows that the Lyme spirochete can go from the site of the bite to the brain in just a few days."...

"Since the brain has no immune system, it prevents infection by limiting what can enter the brain. The capillary bed that surrounds the brain is so tight that not even white blood cells are allowed to enter. Many drugs can't enter either, making treatment of the brain especially hard. For the first ten days of a Lyme infection, the blood brain barrier is virtually nonexistent. This not only allows the Lyme bacteria to get in, but also immune cells that can cause inflammation of the brain.


I can spend time looking for more, but I would encourage you to do have a look for yourself. The information I found was from the late 90's I believe - so more current research could prove it wrong, although I haven't seen any yet.

Nobody can claim "cure" because there is no 100% accurate test to prove cure.

How do you know if it's in your brain? I was told I have it in my central nervous system. I also had an MRI and have white spots on my brain and was told that signifies severe migraine headaches or MS. I had a few migraine headaches when I had anaplasma but have not had them throughout my life. I read somewhere that white spots are a sign of Lyme. I was told my bloodwork no longer shows an anaplasma infection. Is the bacteria for anaplasma much easily cured?

I actually believe in cure. there are lots of people that beat these infections just by continually taking antibiotics. Even the ranger from Under our Skin was on abx for 7 years, but now he's completely done. Eventually if you keep putting pressure on them they die out and go away. It might take a few treatments, and even re-treatment but I personally believe it to be possible as many people have been cured.

I'm not going to stop treating until I'm cured. I take a stand on yes it can be cured. Even the bacteria inside the biofilms eventually die out.

So far there are no LLMDs that have reported any antibiotic resistance for Lyme Disease.  It's too slow growing of a germ, and only cycles about once every month.  That is like an ultra slow growing germ compared to many other bacteria. 

The only reported resistance I am aware of are from people who self treated long term over the course of years with just doxycycline alone.  They eventually said the doxy isn't working anymore. 

" there are lots of people that beat these infections just by continually taking antibiotics."
How can anyone consider themselves truly "cured" if they have to continually take abx???

"Cured" indicates that there is no more bacteria so there would be no need for treatments - ie, abx. But still, without an accurate test, one would never know if it's "cured" or just in remission with some bacteria still there, just not replicating. And since it's been proven that there are some Lyme bacteria that just hang around and don't replicate, and since we don't have any tests that are completely accurate, there is absolutely no way of knowing.....without an autopsy, which I don't plan on having one of those for quite some time yet!!