Lyme Disease is one of the leading Vector Borne Illnesses in the world, but has the strongest potential to pass undetected by doctors. Although awareness has increased, education about best treatment practice has left doctors confused and helpless when it comes to dealing with the inflammatory cascade that occurs with treatment of chronic infections. Doctors often cease treatment or believe that their patients are allergic to the particular formulation when ultimately it was because they were not detoxifying at optimal levels, and inevitably causing a Herxeimer reaction. Dr Matheson has a special interest in infectious causes of Complex Chronic Illness. This presentation utilizes research combined with Dr Matheson’s most effective treatments for chronic conditions arising from Herxheimer reactions. She also highlights the cytokine storm and the factors that contribute to Herxheimer reactions as well as the difference between a Herxheimer reaction and a relapse in treatment. Included in the presentation will be discussion of protocols and clinical pearls for treating patients suffering with Herxheimer reactions, as well as effective ways to decrease these types of reactions. Delegates will come away with a firm understanding of how confidently treat Herxheimer reactions for Monday morning takeaway.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lecture, the clinician will be able to:
- Understand the cause and reason for patients who undergo Herxheimer reactions
- Learn about other factors that influence a person’s recovery from Vector-Borne Illness- the interconnection of Lyme disease and co-infections
- Understand why a patient can have a strong reaction to treatment and why the cytokine pathway occurs
- Identify the important role of detoxification and sequencing of treatment when trying to decrease the herxheimer reaction
- Learn how to recognize the difference between a herxheimer reaction and the progression of a person’s illness- is it a herxheimer or are they just getting worse
- Learn the clinical pearls for treating chronic conditions arising from Lyme and associated co-infections, including ways to get patients out of the inflammatory storm
CE CREDITS
CONO: Category A General – 1.0 credit
British Columbia: Category C General – 1.0 credit
AANP: General – 1.0 credit
OANP/OBNM: General – 1.0 credit
Dr Marie Matheson, BSc, ND
Dr Marie Matheson is the founding clinician of BioHeal Ottawa. Her professional interest lies in determining the infectious and toxic causes Complex Chronic Illnesses. Her family practice focuses on patients with Chronic Parasitic/ Fungal/Viral Infections, PANDA’s/PANS, Autism (ASD), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, MCAS, Fibromyalgia, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, SIBO, and desensitizing severe Environmental and Food Allergies. Through all of this she has become a leader in the treatment Mold Illness (CIRS) and Lyme Disease and other vector-borne illnesses.
Dr Marie believes in preventative medicine and the importance of determining the causal chain of illness by addressing toxicities at a cellular level. Using her assessment tool of Auricular Medicine, Dr Marie uncovers blockages and underlying imbalances that have created symptoms, to allow the body to self-heal and auto-regulate.
Grounded in general practice skills, Dr Marie thinks of herself as somewhat of a health detective for chronic illnesses, specifically when it comes to figuring out the underlying causes. Her willingness to freely share clinical pearls of wisdom among colleagues has led to her being a sough after speaker at conferences. This along with her professional reputation lead to her being asked to be author of a chapter within Connie Strasheim’s groundbreaking book New Paradigms in Lyme Disease Treatment.
She is also a member of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), and completed their Physicians Training Program with Dr Charles Ray Jones, MD in Connecticut, who is arguably one of the top Lyme Disease practitioners in the US. It’s hard to improve on the Naturopathic refrain, “fix the terrain”, but this is the mission at the heart of Dr Marie’s practice.
