Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs
1. What is Lyme disease?
- The most important pathogens of Lyme disease are Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia garinii and Borrelia afzelii (3 Borrelia strains / spirochete bacteria) which are related to the syphilis pathogen Treponema pallidum.
- After the infection the pathogen spreads in almost all organs, including the synovial membrane.
- The illness can be described as a "chameleon" and makes high demands on diagnosis and therapy.
You will find further information here (
Link).
2. Is chronic Lyme disease curable?
Lyme disease is curable, even for the predominant number of chronic cases (> 70%) and also for those disease patterns which have been existing for years. The BCA article Lyme disease, the tick-borne disease is curable in most cases - The BCA helps chronically ill patients suffering from Lyme disease with a holistic approach to therapy - (
Download) gives an overview. Here you will find further information about the Lyme disease stages and the symptoms of the disease (Link).3. Do I really have to take antibiotics and why are “accompanying therapies” so important?
Main issue of every therapy is a sufficiently high dose of antibiotics for several weeks under the supervision of the attending physician. The Borrelia bacteria are fought in the body and the body´s defences of the immune system will thereby be supported.
According to our experience the successful treatment of chronically ill Lyme disease patients demands additional “accompanying therapies” and a “change of life style” of the patient. You will find further information
here. Please note: depending on the patient’s wish and in case of specific indications (e.g. intolerance of antibiotics, etc.), an alternative therapy plan can be offered instead of the usual antibiotic treatment and applied in the BCA (e.g. based on photon-therapy in combination with natural remedies and other accompanying therapies). If there are still symtoms after this antibiotic treatment, it is said that this is due to other chronic inflammations but not from Borrelia.
4. Why could my GP be suspicious about the long-term antibiotic treatment?
In the German medical literature chronic Lyme disease is still negated and is said to be the incurable "Post-Lyme Syndrome". The scientific community that agrees with this statement believes that Borrelia are completely destroyed after 2-3 weeks of antibiotics.
This opinion is not shared by the BCA, BCB or the German Borreliosis Society. The rely on extensive research by the ILADS (
www.ilads.org) and their own experience and knowledge. According to their view Borrelia bacteria are "intelligent", locomotive spirochaetes, that know how to escape the body's immune defense and also some antibiotics. You might have heard that Borrelia are "persistent", which means that they can "camouflage" and "hide" themselves.
The participating physicians of the German Borreliosis Society and the BCA recommend a long-term antibiotic treatment over several months, possibly with altering antibtiotics. These physicians are experienced with the broad range of antibiotics and recommend accompanying therapies to compensate possible side effects of the antibiotics from the beginning onwards.
Both Lyme disease centres, in the North (BCB) and the South (BCA) base their diagnosis and therapy concepts on scientific research including the following articles in .pdf format:
- Counterpoint: Long-Term Antibiotic Therapy Improves Persistent Symptoms Associated with Lyme Disease (IDSA Lecture 2006), Raphael B. Stricker M.D., ILADS – option for download http://www.ilads.org/files/publications_stricker_06_2007.pdf
- Advanced Topics in Lyme Disease – Diagnostic Hints and Treatment Guidelines for Lyme and Other Tick Borne Illnesses, Joseph J. Burrascano Jr., M.D. (16th edition, October 2008 – option for download: http://www.lymediseaseresource.com/BurrGuide2008.pdf
- Macrolide therapy of chronic Lyme Disease (2003), Sam T. Donta, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA, U.S.A. – option for download http://direct.bl.uk/bld/PlaceOrder.do?UIN=141748603&ETOC=RN&from=searchengine
For further information please ask your physician, a member of staff of the BCB or view the following books/documents:
- The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) Evidence-based guidelines for the management of Lyme Disease - option for download http://www.ilads.org/files/ILADS_Guidelines.pdf
- Very comprehensively written is "The Lyme Disease Solution" by Kenneth B. Singleton, M.D., M.P.H. (ISBN 978-1-934812-00-6 / Brown Books, Dallas) http://www.lymedoctor.com
5. Why is “self-help” so important for the success of the therapy and which efforts should chronically ill patients undertake to strengthen their body’s defences (immune system)?
The effectiveness of the immune system is crucial for the success of the treatment. Activate your „self-healing capacities“ and support your body’s defences (immune system) during the healing process.
Pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements are helpful and necessary – But: Without your own contribution in terms of life style changes and the acknowledgement of simple rules you can block or delay the healing process remarkably. Futher information can be found
here.6. Why chronically ill Lyme disease patients should make use of the “Intensive treatment and rehabilitation” program in the day medical clinic in the BCA?
Our experience: Chronic Lyme disease is curable in >70% of all cases. A long-term antibiosis is a "must" in most cases. Accompanying therapies and self-help by the patient can improve the effect of the medication (antibiotics, etc.), strengthen the immune system, fight borrelia effectively and decrease chronic inflammations. For chronically ill and long-term illness patients we recommend the day medical clinic program Lyme disease "Intensive treatment and rehabilitation” for 5 days (Mon-Fri) and longer (Recommendation: min. 2-3 weeks and up to 4 months). The therapists support and coach you during the often necessary change of lifestyle (mental/activity/nutrition). If you cannot spare the time for a long-term treatment in the BCB, we will introduce you to the therapies and will instruct your attending doctor at home to continue the treatment.
Selected measures from the range of "Therapies“ (
Link) and "Accompanying therapies“ (Link) of the intensive programme within the day medical clinic are offered from 8.00 am to 4.30 pm. The programme is specially designed for chronic Lyme disease patients and for patients wishing to strengthen their immune system for better body’s defences. You can find further information
here.7. Why is the "Medical Partnership" organisational and economically separated from the B-C-A Borreliose Centrum Augsburg GmbH & Co. KG (
Structure of the BCA)In Bavaria, Germany, doctors can only offer their medical services if they are separated spatially, organisationally and ecomonically from a commercial business (according to the Medical Association's professional code of conduct of doctors in Bavaria). Therefore a separate Medical Partnership exists in which doctors offer a very wide range of medical services and invoice patients privately on a private medical practice basis.
Find more information about the structure of the BCA here.
8. Why does the “Medical Partnership” only treat and invoice patients privately according to the private medical practice basis? What costs can I expect and how much do health insurance companies cover?
All medical services are only provided on a private practice basis and also invoiced as such. This is necessary due the following reasons:
- the treatment of Lyme disease (diagnosis and therapy) is very time-consuming and
- is by no means covered by the flat-charge of the compulsory health insurance.
- Furthermore, Lyme disease treatment demands the prescription of expensive medication for a long period (e.g. antibiotics). This has lately led to extended charges by the compulsory health insurance companies towards CHI physicians.
On demand patients are provided with an “estimate for treatment costs”. Thus the patient can find out beforehand from his compulsory or private health insurance company, which costs would or would not be covered.
Note: Unfortunately, some health insurance companies are very restrictive about the recognition of chronic Lyme disease and therefore do not pay or only partially pay for the costs of the treatment (see Point 4 above). Dr. Nicolaus and Dr. Schwarzback are active and very engaged member of the German Borreliosis Society and ILADS (USA) and are working towards the recognition of the disease.