Numerous studies are being done with Bee Venom Therapy (BVT) for its effect against Parkinson's Disease, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Cerebral Palsy and Multiple Sclerosis. I've also seen BVT used for scar therapy, mole removal, bone spurs, even pain relief! Thanks to medical practitioners like Dr Klinghardt for incorporating BVT into a complementary treatment protocol .
The
Treatment of Lyme Disease with Bee Venom
by Dietrich K. Klinghardt, M.D., Ph.D.
PART 1
Introduction
Lyme
disease has become, after AIDS, probably the fastest spreading infectious
disease. "Classical" Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by
a spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, which is passed to the patient by a tick
bite. Since several other infections that cause similar symptoms can be
transmitted by the same tick bite, and other infectious agents not transmitted
by a tick can cause similar symptoms, the term "New Lyme Disease" is
used by most holistic physicians. Lyme disease is not only a frequent
underlying causal factor in chronic human illness, but also extremely common in
pets, especially in dogs and horses.
The
following microorganisms have to be considered when making the diagnosis of
"New Lyme Disease."
Borrelia
burgdorferi;
Babesia
microti (a protozoan intracellular invader);
Ehrlichiosis;
Mycoplasma
pneumoniae (associated with MS, ALS, Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia);
Chlamydia
pneumoniae;
Bartonella
henselae;
Rickettsia
rickettsiae.
The
following symptoms can be caused by Lyme disease:
Chronic
Fatigue (more severe in the early afternoon);
Lack of
endurance;
Non-healing
infections in the jaw bone, devitalized teeth, dental pain;
Fibromyalgia;
Joint pains
(especially in the spine);
Multiple
Chemical Sensitivity;
Cranial
Nerve Problems:
- Facial
nerve: Bell's palsy (60% are caused by Lyme disease, 30% by one of six common
viruses from the herpes family, such as EBV, Herpes simplex type I, type II,
type 6 etc);
-
Trigeminal nerve: sense of vibration in the face, TMJ and facial pain,
headache, tension and cramps in the face/skull/jaw;
- Ears
(VII, VIII): tinnitus, vertigo, and hypersensitivity to noise;
- Eyes (II,
III, IV, VI): decreasing and changing eye sight (fluctuates during the day),
light sensitivity, floaters;
- Vagus
(X), Glossopharyngeal nerve (IX) and Hypoglossus (XII): difficulty swallowing,
faulty swallowing, reflux, hiatus hernia, heart palpitations, supraventricular
arrythmias.
CNS
problems:
- Physical:
epileptic seizures, insomnia, tremor, ataxia, movement disorders (torticollis,
etc.);
-
Emotional: irritability (key symptom in children), depression, bi-phasic
behaviour (manic-depression), bouts of anger, listlessness;
- Mental:
confusion, difficulty thinking, poor short term memory, increasingly messy
household and desk, difficulty finding the right word, feeling of
"information overload;"
- Mixed
pictures: can resemble or imitate any known psychiatric illness.
Peripheral
nervous system problems:
Paraesthesia,
burning, vibration, numbness, shooting pains.
Pelvis:
interstitial cystitis, prostatitis, sexual dysfunction, loss of libido, pelvic
pain, menstrual disorders.
Immune
system failure: with all known secondary illnesses such as herpes virus
infection, intestinal parasites, malaise.
General
symptoms: hair loss, loss of zest for life, sensitivity to electric appliances.
Laboratory
Testing
Until
recently laboratory testing has been unsatisfactory with a detection rate of
probably below 30%. In the past it was believed the laboratory evaluation of
the spinal fluid was a reliable way to confirm or refute the diagnosis of Lyme
disease. This has been proven wrong. The test with the broadest detection rate,
the Western Blot ELISA test, has low specificity. The test with the highest
specificity but with a fairly low detection rate was the PCR test. The B.
burgdorferi is a master at evading the body's immune system and evading
laboratory detection by modulating and changing its surface antigens. It can
form a cystic stage, which is resistant to antibiotics, evades laboratory
detection, and gives birth to healthy spirochetes once the antibiotics are
discontinued.
A new test
has become available recently: the C6 Lyme Peptide ELISA test (BBI Clinical
Laboratories, Tel.: 1-800-866-6254 or 860-225-1900, test code: 556 - C6LPE. The
test is based on the discovery of six peptides on the surface of the
spirochete, which are consistently present and do not evade detection by the
laboratory as many of the other surface antigens of B. burgdorferi do. This
test detects all B. burgdorferi strains and genospecies. It is highly specific
and more sensitive than conventional tests for chronic Lyme disease. It is also
sensitive in early Lyme disease (which used to be problematic) and can be used
for accurate antibody results for Lyme vaccinated patients.
Treatment
Treatment
has often been unsatisfactory in spite of correct diagnosis. Multiple
antibiotic regimes have been tried with varying successes. The cystic stage
responds only to one antibiotic: metronidazole (Flagyl). This drug should be
given intravenously. The oral version is less effective and hard on the liver.
It should always be given together with the herb "milk thistle"
because of its liver-protective effect. A less toxic alternative is tinidazole,
a Flagyl-derivative that is available in compounding pharmacies.
I use
proteolytic enzymes for the purpose of breaking up the cyst wall and making the
dormant form of B. burgdorferi inside the cyst vulnerable to both the host's
immune system and the medications given for treatment.
Dosage:
Wobenzyme, 8-10 tablets three times/day between meals and first thing a.m.
Treatment
protocols using antibiotics are outlined in the website of J. Borrescano, MD:
www.lymenet.com. I use, in selected cases, a combination of azithromycin or
clarithromycin 250-500 mg two times/day in combination with trimethoprim 100 mg
twice/day for 6-8 weeks.
My
preferred treatment is a combination of enzymes, herbs, specific transfer
factors and the injection of honeybee venom.
Herbs
I follow
the recommendations of Dr. Zhang, MD, LAc of New York
(http://www.dr-zhang.com).
His special
garlic extract with a high concentration of Allicin:
2 mg
Allicin/kg of bodyweight per day for 6 months; HH (Houttuyniae Herba):
3 tablets
three times/day for 6 months.
His special
Artemesia (wormwood) combination: 1-2 tablets three times/day for 6 months
(usually
recommended when Babesia is involved).
In addition
I use the specific herbal combinations from the Monastery of Herbs in Los Angeles
(Tel.:
818-360-4871). These are very effective 18-day programs. I use Autonomic
Response
Testing to
determine the most effective combination.
I rotate
different regimes over the 6-month treatment period.
Specific
Transfer Factors
When a
pregnant cow is infected with a certain illness, her first milk (colostrum)
after the calf is born contains specific peptides that prevent the illness in
the calf. Based on this principle, specific transfer factors have become
available for the treatment of B. burgdorferi, Babesia, Mycoplasma pneumoniae
etc.
Most
readily available are oral capsules with dried peptide extracts (Chisolm
Biological Laboratory,
Tel.:
803-663 9618 / ext. 9777). By adding the specific transfer factors into the
treatment regime, the success
rate can be dramatically increased.
To be
continued …
RESOURCES
FOR INFORMATION
Books,
Booklets and Literature
Beck, B.
F., MD (1997) The Bible of Bee Venom Therapy. Health Resources Press, Inc.,
Silver Spring, MD, USA, book, ISBN 1-890708-03, pp. 238. Reprint of the
original 1935 edition of Dr. Beck: Bee Venom Therapy - Bee Venom, Its Nature,
and Its effect on Arthritic and Rheumatoid Conditions. (available from
Apitronic Services: Tel.: 604-271-9414)
Broadman,
J., MD (1997) Bee Venom - The Natural Curative for Arthritis and Rheumatism.
Health Resources Press, Silver Spring, MD, USA, book, ISBN 1-890708-01-3,
references, index, glossary, foreword by Harold Goodman, DO, pp. 224 (available
from Apitronic Services: Tel.: 604-271-9414)
Klinghardt,
D. K., MD (1990) Bee Venom Therapy for Chronic Pain. The Journal of
Neurological & Orthopedic Medicine & Surgery, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp.
195-197
Klinghardt,
Dietrich, MD
(1999) Treatment Protocol for Bee Venom Therapy. Apitherapy Education Service -
Apitronic Services, Richmond,
BC, Canada,
booklet, 11 pp.
Lubke, L.
L. and Garon, C. F. (1997) Bee Stings as Lyme Inhibitor. J. Clin. Infect.
Diseases, July, 25 Suppl. 1, pp. 48-51
Marinelli, Rick, ND and Klinghardt, Dietrich, MD
(1999) Methodology for Injectable Bee Venom Therapy. Apitherapy Education
Service - Apitronic Services, Richmond,
BC Canada,
12 pp.
Mraz,
Charles (1994) Health and the Honeybee. Queen City Publications, Burlington, VT,
USA, ISBN
0-9642485-0-6, pp. vii+92 (available from Apitronic Services: Tel.:
604-271-9414)
Organizations
American
Apitherapy Society, Inc., 5390
Grande Rd., Hillsboro, OH 45133 USA, Tel.: 937-364-1108, Fax: (937)
364-9109, e-mail: aasoffice@in-touch.net, web page: www.apitherapy.org/aas
American
Academy of Neural Therapy, Inc., 410 East Denny Way, Suite 18, Seattle, 98122
USA, Tel.: 206-749-9967, Fax: 206-723-1367, e-mail: neuralt@aol.com, web page:
Internet Resources:
American Academy of Neural Therapy, Inc.
Bee Venom
Therapy Supplies and Books
www.beevenom.com
Apitherapy
Bookshop
www.apitherapy.net
Apitherapy
Reference Database
www.saunalahti.fi/~apither/
Bee Venom
Therapy Supplies and Books Bee venom products and therapy related books,
literature and Apitherapy Education Service.
Apitronic
Services
9611 No. 4
Road
Richmond, BC
Canada, V7A 2Z1
Ph./Fax:
604-271-9414
e-mail:
msimics@direct.ca
Conversion
Table 0.10 ml = 0.10 cc0.60 ml = 0.60 cc 0.20 ml = 0.20 cc0.70 ml = 0.70 cc
0.30 ml = 0.30 cc0.80 ml = 0.80 cc 0.40 ml = 0.40 cc0.90 ml = 0.90 cc 0.50 ml =
0.50 cc1.00 ml = 1.00 cc
Thanks to the Apitherapy Commission for reprinting this article.
Randomized fifty patients with RLPP received
Apitherapy (n = 25) and placebo (n = 25) every week. Both treatments were
injected into lesions at weekly intervals for a maximum of 12 treatments.
Following up was 6 months later. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) level was
measured at pre-study and at 12th week. 
