Dr. Steven Harris is one of the worlds leading Lyme & tickborne disease doctors and has been my doctor for 11 years.

In 1975, there was an outbreak of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in children in Lyme Connecticut.  A young rheumatologist, Alan Steere, went to visit and determined it was the result of a viral infection.

It wasn’t until 1982 that doctors realized it was actually a spirochete type bacteria. 

Lyme acts as an immune disrupter – it isn’t just in the blood, it can enter cells, it can move to different locations, it can hide, it divides very slowly and doesn’t need much oxygen to grow. These characteristics make it extremely difficult to kill in the body.

The original data stated that a few weeks of antibiotic treatment was sufficient.  The IDSA and other American specialists have determined (based on 3 studies) that the infection is gone after a short period of antibiotics.  But there has not been a double blinded, placebo controlled multi-institution study proving the necessary length of treatment.  

Shawn’s Note: I have been treating for 11 years, including 5 years of antibiotics during which time I had a picc line for 4 years and treated with as many as 3 IV antimicrobials 5 days a week. A few months ago, I retesting showed I still have borellia (Lyme), babesia & bartonella. The latter 2 were seen visibly under a microscope using FISH assay. So no, a short treatment of antibiotics is not sufficient.

The tell tale symptom of Lyme is MIGRATING ARTHRITIS

Only 7 diseases cause migrating arthritis (as noted in the discussion with Dr. Horowitz):

1. IBS w chrons or ulcerative colitis 
2. Ghonococcal arthritis
3. Strep with acute rheumatic fever
4. Writers syndrome
5. Systemic lupus 
6. Hepatitis 
7. Lyme

Order of Treatment

1. Stop over inflammatory state where body is hyper reactive to everything.
2. Prepare the body to accept a long term treatment process.
3. Patients who have been sick a long time are likely malnourished and needed extra preparation (fix the gut, balance amino and fatty acids, nourish the body.
4. Modulate/normalize the immune system (it may be over or under reactive).
5. Preparatory detox protocol (not a harsh detox, just getting the body ready to handle a heavy detox load).
6. Antimocobrials (largest infection to smallest) – this can last years.  These may be herbs or medications.
   • Work on heavy metals after infection is treated – if treated too early, it creates chaos in the body.
7. Maintain and sustain the body during treatment and recovery (may include more treatment, detox, etc).
8. Rejuvenation – repair damaged tissue, exercise, diet, return to youthfulness. 

This is a starting outline. It will change based on how a patient responds and what their body needs.  They also will likely need to jump back and forth.

Response to treatment is often more important than labs.  If a patient responds well to treatment, they get better and then you stop and they get worse, it’s clearly active tickborne disease.

Patients who insist on strictly meds or herbs – he provides the data and lets them choose.  Some patients do amazing with herbs and not with antibiotics.  Patient preference is important, but they also need to understand that they may need both.

You can read the first chapter of his book online: Calm The System

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