Preventing the Failed Patient – Detoxification
Environmental toxicants impair cellular functions. Lyme/tick-borne disease/co-infections, parasites, and viruses all modulate immune function to their advantage and the host disadvantage. With exposure, the immune system is overactivated, causing hypersensitivity, allergies, mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and/or autoimmunity. The immune system may also be misdirected, and does not mount an appropriate response to infection.
Most of our patients who present with long standing Lyme disease have evidence of a high environmental toxicant load through clinical history and laboratory results. They respond well to therapies that reduce the toxicant load, which leads to normalization of the immune response. Everyone benefits from detox, but in these patients, it is mandatory.
Toxicants that hinder the healing cycle may include: mold toxins, biotoxins and other neurotoxins, heavy metals, high EMF exposure or high sensitivity to it, environmental toxin burden such as high perchlorate, PCBs, glyphosate (Roundup), other pesticides and other chemicals.
Consider whether you:
- Live/lived in a home with mold or water damage?
- Live/lived near or on a farm or vineyard? how far from?
- Live/lived near freeway? How far from?
- Live/lived in an industrial location?
- Live/lived in home while it was being renovated?
- Ever worked with chemicals – artist, dark room, painting/renovating homes, industrial work?
- Use pesticides, insecticides, herbicides in your garden or your neighbors use them in their gardens?
- Have metal amalgams in your mouth?
Treatment for toxins needs to precede and be concurrent with herbal and antibiotic treatment of persistent tick-borne disease. It includes appropriate oral, IV and physical detoxification therapies PLUS MCAS treatment. If mast cell activation is on a hair trigger even detox may cause flares.