Hyperthermia for Lyme Disease
Hyperthermia, while growing more and more popular with its entrance into the lymelight as a successful treatment option for cancer (pun intended), it has actually been around for a very long time—think ancient Egyptians. It is a non-invasive procedure in which the bodies core temperature is raised slowly, over the course of many hours, to approximately 106-107F. This happens in a contained space where the patient gets naked, is then put under local anesthesia and, essentially, lays under heat lamps. The whole process can take about 7-8 hours.
Heat can, of course, cause immense damage to the body and the living cells which is why the process of heating up the body is a very slow one. Patients are only held at the highest temperature for a very short amount of time. Example: Of the eight hours it took, I was held at 106F for 2 hours and 107F for two minutes, the rest of the time was spent slowly bringing me up and slowly bringing me back down.
When used correctly, the bodies immunological defense mechanisms will become activated, along with its natural killer cells, allowing the Lyme bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi) to be more easily eliminated. In addition, the bacteria are unable to withstand temperatures that high and will naturally begin to die as the temperature in the body rises.
This absolutely sounds scary. Think of it this way; you catch the flu, to recover from this infection your body needs to heat up, naturally creating a fever so as to kill off the stuff inside that is making you sick and in a few days you’re feeling better. Hyperthermia is inducing your whole body into a fever state to kickstart your body’s own ability to heal itself.
This procedure comes with heavy monitoring of the internal temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, etc. and during this process fluids, such as electrolytes, will be administered. When done in conjunction with IV antibiotics, detoxification and other immune boosting therapies and as such this procedure has been successful for many.
PROS:
If effective, the patient should notice immediate improvement in physical and neurological symptoms.
The focus is on the Lyme bacteria only, though it has been shown that the procedure can have a positive effect on Bartonella in the body, as well. The potential to rid the body of the Lyme bacteria completely is there, which is why it is often suggested that there be two Hyperthermia sessions spanned one week apart.
While expensive, as far as Lyme treatment goes, it is just a onetime payment with the goal being that you’ll only need maintenance treatment once the Lyme has been eradicated from your system.
Europe has a long history of research and success with regards to hyperthermia as an effective form of treatment.
CONS:
As it is neither FDA approved, or popular in the U.S., this procedure is very expensive. It is very hard to find someone/a facility in the U.S. that will do this in conjunction with other therapies to help strengthen the immune system.
Due to limited research on the topic of coinfections and heat, it has been noticed that Babesia has shown no signs of being affected by the bodies rise in temperature.
If the patient suffers from a herpes simplex, they will likely have a flare up after the procedure.
The die-off symptoms (herxing) can be pretty intense as the bacteria leaves your body.
The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.