Fixing the gut first to kick Lyme?

I think diet has helped me not get as sick as the “average “ person with chronic Lyme. But it didn’t cure me. And I think the benefits I got from GAPS have “worn off” after 10 years. So I think Lyme damages the gut and if all you do is try to heal without killing the Lyme you probably won’t be able to outrun it.

before i knew i had lyme and bart - or rather was told by infectious diseases experts that i counnt possibly have it - i reasoned that i may just have a gut health issue - driven by SIBO or dysbiosis as this can certainly drive systemic symptoms.

breath tests and stool tests and OAT tests all confirmed this - so i spent a long time trying to treat these conditions with very little success. this included a really comprehensive gut dysbiosis protocol for 12 weeks which was super tough to get through. the literature says to keep going till symptoms reduce - but they never did so at 12 weeks i had to stop as it was clear it wasn't going to suddenly improve.

then i got a positive lyme test and later confirmed bart by microscopy - and no under stand that while gut dysfunction due to bart and lyme is real - fixing the gut fully without first fixing lyme/bart is just not possible - or not for me in any case.

further reading shows that lyme/bart driven inflammation in the gut changes the microbiome and leads to dysbiosis and leaky gut - so you can see the reasons why.

that is not to say you cannot help your situation by addressing diet - i made the single biggest step forward by moving to a wholefoods ketogenic diet. the lower carbs and lower fibre intake associated much improves the dysbiosis / SIBO involved and improves quality of life dramatically. ( this made a huge difference for my partner and a little less for me - but still the biggest step forward).
i also started to make forward progress in my overall condition only after making this change - and think this is mainly due to it taking a large inflammatory load off the system - and allowing my immune system to function a little better now that it is less bombarded with stuff from my gut.

so it can definitely help and even be a necessary 1st building block in the treatment plan - but unfortunately if i stray off the diet by more than 1 day i get more of the old symptoms back - so its only a helping hand - not a cure.

Sdarrah,

As far as strength, Brenda’s green smoothies helped a lot. They also have avocado, so it includes some fat. Eat as much as you can afford to.

I often added a 1” chunk of peeled, fresh ginger.

I used an orange and would just remove the outer peel and leave the white pith, as that is citrus pectin and is good for you.

Sometimes I substituted parsley with cilantro.

Here’s the recipe: https://realfoodrebel.com/super-healthy-green-smoothie/

EDIT: Beware of too many nuts. They trigger MCAS and UTI irritation for me.

yep - nuts can be an issue for many of us with gut issues
high in fibre also which can irritate inflamed gut conditions

i am gaining weight on ketogenic diet and getting stronger in my workouts also
i simply add healthy fats as needed to each meal
i eat eggs and the less lean cuts of meat already for the fat content
but i add either organic cold pressed coconut oil or extra virgin organic olive oil to each meal as needed - using it like a dressing
sometimes organic butter also - as i do not seem to have an issue with a little dairy

coconut oil in particular is mostly absorbable without digestion so can be a good source of extra energy and calories for anyone struggling with weight gain or absorption.

fats are basically the most energy dense food you can eat and especially useful if your gut is having issues with digestion/ tolerating other calorific foods - like carbs

I have an appointment on 6/9 with DR LT from VT, she is the president of the ISAEI, and I hope to god she can help me, it has been over 5 years.

Might seem overwhelming at first, but "you are what you eat."

Most who eat healthy (for their gut and immune system) shop at more than one store. Any grocer has the basic whole foods, but healthier snacks can be hard to find based on your requirements....Walmart even has more and more healthy options between all the normal " junk" snacks.

Almost anyone can eat skinless baked or grilled chicken and green leafed veggies which is usually the "safest" whole foods around.........so that's usually a safe start for your main meal. For salad dressing I use a low sugar, gluten and dairy free, most larger stores carry something like that.

That said, turkey of all things, releases cytokins in my blood per the Leap MRT test. Other common "US" meats are fine with my immune system.

Low to zero sugar and lower carb intake is usually a safe bet if one has not had testing.

sdarrah said...
I am so desperate for help

Candida and dysbiosis is not difficult to treat, I had success from ozonated oils, essential oils and enzymes for candida. No need to starve the body with crazy diets.
I too treated gut theories of SIBO, leaky gut etc for 6 years, had no success.

Candida and SIBO do feel different. Candida is upper GI, SIBO is much lower. Both have conventional medical tests for it.

Candida reacts (grows) with general sugars and carbs, SIBO reacts more in some people when eating fodmap foods. I would not say treating these with not eating certain foods all that crazy.

Eating excess sugar and comfort foods is not the best idea when you have tick infections. Less of these will create a healthier gut environment.

In early stages there are herbs and supps that can treat. If either get more advanced, then people do need eradication Rx for it. When our guts are messed up, its easy for these to come back.