Babesia: A Malaria like Lyme co-infection
What is the co-infection Babesia?
Babesiosis (Babesia) is caused by a malaria-like protozoa piroplasmida parasite and is a common Lyme disease co-infection. Since ticks can carry dozens (if not more) of diseases, people with Lyme are not usually just infected with Borrelia (Lyme), they are usually infected with other diseases as well which we call co-infections (such as Babesia). Both insects and arachnids (ticks, mosquitoes, etc.) can spread Babesia which is why using a mosquito and tick repellent when outdoors is important in preventing this disease, but other means of infection for Babesia such as blood transfusions are impossible to prevent because Babesia is not screened for when people give blood, and many people who have Babesia do not experience any symptoms. The more co-infections a Lyme patient is infected with, the harder it will be for the Lyme patient to get better and the worst their symptoms will be. People who are infected only with Babesia may not experience any symptoms because the hosts immune system can suppress the disease, but once a person has their immune system hindered by a second parasite infection such as Borrelia, or by an autoimmune disease, the disease becomes painful.
There are at least 12 discovered strains of Babesia, but we are discovering more and more each year. Each strain acts differently, and some strains do not respond to certain antibiotic treatments that other strains respond well to. The current diagnosis tests do not test for newer strains of Babesia and there can be false negatives so patients should be aware that just because they get a negative test result for Babesia, patients with symptoms of Babesia should either be tested again using another test, or find a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor for a clinical diagnosis.
(Discovery TV: Monsters Inside Me: Chronic Lyme disease and Babesia)
Symptoms of Babesia:
Babesia can cause the same symptoms of Lyme disease, but there are additional symptoms that stick out with those who are infected with both Babesia and Lyme disease. If any one of the symptoms below are more painful or more present than the other symptoms, it is possible that a person can be infected with Babesia. (more diagnosis strategies can be found here http://www.wayneanderson.com/pages/diseases/babesia)
- Night sweats
- Flushing
- Severe pressure-like headaches
- Violent nightmares
- Vivid dreams
- Significant shortness of breath
- Frequent sighing and dry coughing in the absence of cardiac issues
- Neck pain
- Fatigue
- Gradual, nonspecific rash occasionally popping up
- Chills
- High Fevers intermittent
- Malaise
- Low grade fever
- Sudden onset of Temporomandibular disorders
- Sudden pain within each tooth or entire jaw
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Weight loss
- Diarrhea
- Enlarged liver
- Swollen spleen
- Lower belly fat
- Eye problems
- Bloodshot eyes/sore eyes
- Sensitivity to light
- Headache
- Neck stiffness
- Sore throat or cough
- Pallor
- Brain fog
- Jaundice
- Heart problems
- Tachycardia
- Congestive heart failure
- Band pressure around the heart
- Low blood pressure
Treating Babesia is difficult because of the diverse strains of Babesia that exist, and especially since we have not discovered all the strains that are infecting Lyme patients still yet. The more easier strains to kill include Babesia microti which takes
about 4 to 6 months of Mepron which costs about $1,000 USD per month,
but then there are more resilient strains which include Babesia
duncani which requires Lariam (Mefloquine) and Plaquenil, or
Chloroquine and Primaquine which are usually around the same prices as Mepron, but these antibiotics are hard to
tolerate for patients because of how hard they are on the body.
Supplements and herbs
The
most common herbal treatments for Babesia include Artemisinin,
Dihydroartemisinin, or Artesunate, but clinical trials show people still fail their treatment with these herbs. Whether it is due because these herbs only treat certain strains of Babesia just like the antibiotic Mepron treats only certain strains of Babesia, or because these herbs are not as effective for Babesia as other treatments are, it is hard to say. If patients want to go the herb route for Babesia, they should understand that they should combine one of these herbs with another protocol. Some protocols that were already designed which people can try include:
Stephen Buhner's supplement guide includes:
Artemisinin capsuls (100 mg) 3x daily
for 30-40 days
Red root (ceanothus spp) tincture:
one-half to one and one-half teaspoons (30-90 drops) to 4x day
Boneset tea (eupatorium perfoliatum) 2-4 cups daily for
shaking chills, sweats and fevers
Stephen Buhner has changed his Babesia protocol to:
Sida Acuta: 1/4 to 1/2 tsp 3x daily
Ailanthus: 5 drops 3x daily to 1/4 tsp 3x daily
(Combined Sida acuta/ Cryptolepis/ Alchornea cordifolia blend: 1/4 to 1/2 tsp 3x daily.)
http://buhnerhealinglyme.com/basics/dosages-for-current-babesia-herbs/
Byron Write Formulas
The Babesia formula includes several different herbs which include:
http://www.wayneanderson.com/pages/formulas/abab
Gou Teng, Cat’s Claw, Noni, Sam Bong, Neem, Curcuma Xanthorrhiza, and Yarrow
You need a physician for these formulas which you can find here http://byronwhiteformulas.com/index.html?formulas/practitioners.html
Disclaimer: Not intended for medical use. Consult your licensed physician for all medical decisions.
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