Lyme ACA Treatment Info
Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA)
Treatment Issues
Lucy Barnes
Standard Treatment information (IDSA/CDC) is located here. It is from the same people who brought you the failed early Lyme treatment protocols, the notoriously bad tests, the unsuccessful treatment protocols and the failed Lyme vaccine. Please review the information they provide, but know in advance these protocols are often not successful and are not science based.
To date, there are no known treatment protocols proven to "cure" the Lyme ACA presentation (manifestation of chronic Lyme disease) and very little effort is being put into finding anything that will work.
Clinical experience and older foreign studies have shown a simple 4-6 week course of oral penicillin VK is typically the most successful in reducing the symptoms and allowing a break or remission from the current presentations. It can also slow down the progression. Chances are there will be a relapse within months, or sometimes if you are lucky it will not return until after a year or maybe longer.
In other words, you may need repeated short courses of antibiotics to keep it at bay, but when it works it does help quite a bit. Long term treatment doesn't seem to be any more effective and can have side effects.
IV Rocephin has also been reported to be somewhat successful, however, it is a second choice to penicillin due to its effectiveness, cost for patients and the IV set up.
The cost of oral penicillin is minimal compared to Rocephin and many other pharmaceuticals. I refer to the penicillin as the "rock gut" kind because it is cheap and has a pungent odor/taste that is unique.
As for the accompanying ACA nerve pain- topical applications of lavender oil and/or Tea-Fu oil can be very helpful in reducing minor discomfort or even some severe pain. RX strength ibuprofen (taken with food) may help reduce the associated pain and inflammation, but it typically it does not feel as if it is helping when the pain and symptoms are severe.
To address the swelling phase- 2 cups of hot dandelion root or leaf tea (diuretic) per day for several days often helps. You can mix it with green tea to make it more palatable. Might want to drink the tea early in the day so you aren't tempted to wet the bed or be stuck having to jump up and down all night to use the porcelain throne.
NONE of the above suggestions have been scientifically proven to cure Lyme ACA or any other diseases. Until the science can provide more answers this may be the best we can do to try to relieve Lyme ACA symptoms.
Be sure to consult with your health care professional before starting or changing any medications or supplements.
Lucy Barnes
November 2016