Lyme disease therapy involves the administration of antibiotics for several weeks. In selecting the active ingredients and the dosage, the doctor considers the stage of the disease and the age of the patient. Read all important information about Lyme disease treatment here!
Lyme disease therapy: start early!
The most important factor in Lyme disease therapy is the time. The earlier a treatment is initiated, the sooner Lyme disease is curable. At the same time the complication rate decreases with early and correct treatment. Lyme disease is a serious disease that, if left untreated, can cause severe sequelae.
The borreliosis therapy consists of the gift of antibiotics, The drugs are especially effective in the early stages of the disease. In chronic Lyme disease, the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy is less well documented.
Lyme disease treatment in the early stages
In the early stages of Lyme disease (wandering redness) adults usually get that antibiotic Doxycycline in the form of tablets. The drug must be taken daily, usually for two weeks. Alternatively, the Lyme disease therapy can also be done with other antibiotics, such as when doxycycline is not tolerated. Then the doctor can prescribe cefuroxime axetil, for example.
Pregnant women are not allowed to take doxycycline. Instead, they are treated with early-stage borreliosis therapy with amoxicillin. The intake is also usually here for two weeks. The same Lyme disease treatment is recommended in breastfeeding women with Borrelia Tortoise.
Lyme disease in children
Also in children are antibiotics the most important component of Lyme disease treatment. Children over the age of nine can be treated like adults with doxycycline. Younger children, on the other hand, usually receive amoxicillin, sometimes other drugs such as cefuroxime. The reason: Doxycycline can interfere with bone and tooth growth.
Lyme disease therapy in the late stages
For the Lyme disease treatment in the late stage of the disease are preferred antibiotics Ceftriaxone, cefotaxime and minocycline are recommended. The first two are administered directly into a vein (intravenous administration) in order to guarantee the highest possible level of effect in the blood. Minocycline, on the other hand, is available in tablet form.
The duration of Lyme disease treatment at this stage depends on the course of the disease. If an antibiotic does not work as desired, the Lyme disease therapy should be switched to another drug at the earliest after four weeks.
In addition to the antibiotics, the doctor may if necessary Analgesics and anti-inflammatories from the drug group of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) prescribe. These include, for example, diclofenac and ibuprofen. Such drugs may be indicated, for example, in patients with chronic arthritis as a result of Lyme arthritis.
Treatment of neuroborreliosis
The acute neuroborreliosis is preferably treated with doxycycline tablets for 14 days. Alternatively, other antibiotics may be administered directly into a vein (such as an infusion), for example, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, or penicillin G. This intravenous borreliosis therapy is useful, for example, when a patient responds delay to doxycycline.
Also one chronic neuroborreliosis is often treated with intravenously administered antibiotics. If the active ingredient penicillin G is used, experts recommend a treatment period of 14 days. For other antibiotics such as ceftriaxone or cefotaxime the optimal duration of therapy is still unclear. Most antibiotic therapy is recommended for two to three weeks.
If patients still have symptoms six months after the antibiotic therapy, a CSF / cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample should be taken again and examined in the laboratory. If she still has an increased white blood cell count, antibiotic therapy should be repeated.
Some patients receive the antibiotics from the outset for months or even years. Such Long-term treatment with antibiotics (Long-term antibiosis) can have serious side effects. In addition, there is no evidence that it works better than antibiotic use over two to three weeks. Experts therefore advise against long-term treatment with antibiotics.
Homeopathy in Lyme disease therapy
Some also rely on a homeopathic treatment to relieve the symptoms of Lyme disease. However, homeopathy is not suitable as an alternative to the antibiotic therapy of Lyme disease, but can only be used as a supplement.
The concept of Schüßler salts and their specific efficacy are controversial in science and not clearly established by studies.
Lyme disease vaccine
The best protection against Lyme disease would certainly be one vaccination, Lyme disease bacteria have various mechanisms to outsmart the immune system. In addition, several sub-forms (serotypes) of the pathogen circulate in Europe. Both together make it difficult to develop a vaccine. So far, it has not been possible in Europe to develop a safe and effective borreliosis vaccine that has gained acceptance among experts and professional societies.
In the US, on the other hand, there was once a vaccine against Lyme disease. For commercial reasons, however, he was withdrawn from the market after a few years.
As long as no effective Borreliosis vaccine is available, the Lyme disease therapy the most effective protection against serious long-term consequences of the disease.