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BORRELIA INFECTED TICK
Hi B,My son was bit by a tick that I had tested and it came back positive for Borrelia. I removed it within the first 24 hours, I think! I had him start on Ledum 30 3 pallets 3x a day as per our functional doctor.
What does the Ledum do? Or how is it meant to help?
Is there anything else he should be on?
Can he have been infected and not show symptoms for months/years? Or would he show symptoms before?
(Kind of freaking out )
Thanks!
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5 Replies
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Hi – I know how scared you must be, but hopefully knowing what to look out for and what to do next will help you feel more empowered and in control.
First off, just because the tick was positive for Borrelia, it doesn’t mean that your son will develop an infection.
You have already taken many positive steps… you removed the tick quickly, got it tested, saw a naturopath and gave your son Ledum. (way to go mama!)
Ledum is a homeopathic remedy specifically for bites and puncture wounds of any kind, and is known to prevent infections from tick bites and reduce pain and swelling if any.
The recommendation is to take Ledum 30c, 3 to 4 doses per day until the bite looks 90% better or until it fully resolves. 1 dose is 2 pellets. Since you’re working with a naturopath, please follow her suggestions on specifics for dosing as we can only offer general guidelines here.
How was your son’s health in general before you found the tick? Is he very healthy (diet, weight), active, sleeps well, etc? A strong immune system can fight off pathogens – including bacteria carried by ticks. So the overall health of the individual, their microbiome health and therefore immune status plays a big role in how his body will react.
Vitamins A, D and zinc are critical for immune health. Testing these and making sure his levels are optimal would be helpful.
You’ll want vitamin A and RBC zinc to be in the upper 2/3rs of the clinical reference range. And this handout discusses Vitamin D levels and can help you figure out supplementation dosages to replenish low vitamin D levels.
Another important factor is to work on opening drainage pathways. We have to ensure that he’s not constipated, drinks plenty of water, and sweats when he plays/exercises daily so his body can detox effectively. Here’s a video in our library you can watch on opening drainage pathways and how to support each one if there is a weak point. Here’s a video on how you decide which pathway to work on first.
If his drainage pathways are open, you can discuss with your doc if it’s appropriate to give him CellCore’s IS-BORR which is targeted for Borrelia infections, along with their BioToxin binder. B Better members have access to these products using practitioner code: 7SWpI1xR
Biocidin is another great broad spectrum herbal formula that can help. (Create an account with Fullscript to access supplements here. Members get 20% off the entire catalogue)
Other recommendations really depend on his current symptoms. Can you share a bit more about your son’s health? Diet? Aside from the recent tick bite, does he experience any symptoms? Ex. gas, bloating, heartburn, frequently gets sick, mood issues, etc.
It’s also good to know about the signs and symptoms to be looking out for over the next few days and months.
Early signs & symptoms to keep an eye out for:
A small, red bump, similar to the bump of a mosquito bite, often appears at the site of a tick bite or tick removal and resolves over a few days. This normal occurrence doesn’t indicate Lyme disease. However, these signs and symptoms can occur within a month after one has been infected:
• Rash: from 3-30 days after an infected tick bite, forming a bulls-eye pattern. It’s typically not itchy or painful but might feel warm to the touch. It is one of the hallmarks of Lyme disease, although not everyone with Lyme disease develops the rash. Some people develop this rash in more than one place on their bodies.
• Other symptoms: fever, chills, fatigue, body aches, headache, neck stiffness, and swollen lymph nodes can accompany the rash.
Later signs and symptoms:If untreated, new signs and symptoms of Lyme infection might appear in the following weeks to months. These include:
• Rash: may appear on other areas of the body.
• Joint pain: bouts of severe joint pain and swelling are especially likely to affect the knees, but the pain can shift from one joint to another.
• Neurological problems: one might develop inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain (meningitis), temporary paralysis of one side of your face (Bell’s palsy), numbness or weakness in your limbs, and impaired muscle movement.Regardless of symptoms and for your own peace of mind, I would recommend testing for Lyme & co-infections in 5-6 weeks because antibodies against tick-borne infections take 4-6 weeks to show up on labs. Your naturopath has probably already mentioned this to you, but just wanted to share in case it wasn’t discussed.
Hope this helps give you some things to consider in the meantime and hopefully eases some of your concerns.
Awaiting your reply to my questions above so we can help guide you further.
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Thanks Bernadette! He is generally in good health , eats and sleeps well. I am supplementing with Magnesium, Vit D, and Zinc as per Dr Roze’s recommendation ( btw you are very lucky to have Dr Roze in Dubai! I have looked everywhereee in Europe for a biological dentist and it’s been impossible)
Would the CellCore IS-BORR be given as a prophylaxis or only if he shows signs?
I’ve also been reading a lot about testing and it seems not many tests are reliable, so not sure if I should test in a few weeks. The good news is the pediatrician here told me they get many kids per week with tick bites but very few develop into Lyme
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Hi – yes, Dr. Roze is great! We had him and his wife as our guests in B Better. You can watch that recording here.
Can you share the brand, type and dose of zinc you’re giving your son please? Reason I ask is because you really want to be careful when giving single minerals as they all “dance together” as I say.
After Covid, I’ve seen so many copper deficiencies and as a result, LOWER immunity and anemia because of the excessive and continuous zinc supplementation. Zinc and copper compete with each other so taking one can deplete the other if not careful. My intention is not to scare you, but to inform you so you’re aware.
Here’s a video from our Mineral Balance course on how to test for zinc. And if there is a deficiency, here’s a video on how to correct it. If you’re curious about what a zinc deficiency looks like, here’s a video on that too.
I have videos on copper as well (and other minerals)… they all follow a similar structure: risk factors for deficiency, signs and symptoms of excess or deficiency, how to test, and how to correct. Feel free to browse through that course as needed.
Regarding IS-BORR, it’s more for treatment if he starts to present with signs and symptoms.
Regarding testing, the reason why most doctors say it’s not reliable is because the immune system can react in different ways. It’s like food sensitivity testing. It’s not that it’s not accurate or reproducible, it’s that we have many different types of immune responses. For example, we have IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE and also T cell immunity.
In an ideal world to assess an infection, a practitioner should look at both sides of the immune system response, in other words, Eli-spot for the T cells/cellular response and IGG/IGM for humoral/B cell/antibody response.
And there are tests that cover both of these. To check for an active infection with the T cells, the Elispot is recommended along with the antibodies. For the Elispot, you can look into the TickPlex Plus assay which contains a new antigen for round bodies/persister forms of Borrelia. As a B Better member, we can help get access to these tests.
And yes, as I mentioned to you before, just because the tick was infected does not mean your son will develop an infection. If you’re not keen on testing, then do keep an eye on symptoms over the next few weeks and months as I shared in my previous reply. Hope you’re feeling a little more at ease, armed with this info…
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These are the supplements I’m giving both my sons (6 and 8) . I haven’t been giving them for long . They hated the taste but about a week ago I started consistently sneaking them into their smoothie.
Thanks for all the information, I do feel a lot more at ease. [73467bd5-e180-414d-97bc-9210d19d52d8.jpg]
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great – your zinc supplement has some copper in it!
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