Challenges to Lyme Disease Treatment Discussed on Audio Series, 'Interviews with Experts'
Raphael Stricker, MD, discusses challenges to Lyme Disease treatment on the audio series, 'Interviews with Experts'. Stricker talks about the inaccuracy of the available Lyme disease tests, and addresses the usefulness of long-term antibiotics in the successful treatment of Lyme. He says the restrictive IDSA guidelines pose a serious problem for chronic Lyme patients. The IDSA guidelines are currently under review as the result of an antitrust investigation. The interview series offers Lyme specialists a program where they can talk about Lyme disease symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. http://www.lyme-disease-research-database.com/lyme_expert_interview_series.html
Asheville, NC (PRWEB) May 14, 2008 -- Raphael Stricker, MD, discusses challenges to Lyme Disease treatment, the inaccuracy of available Lyme disease diagnostic tests, and defends the use of long-term antibiotics in the successful treatment of chronic Lyme. He says one problem facing Lyme patients are the Infectious Disease Society of America's (IDSA) restrictive guidelines, which are currently under scrutiny as a result of flaws discovered during an antitrust investigation. The interview is part of a unique series providing physicians a platform for talking about Lyme disease symptoms, diagnosis and treatment in an effort to help educate health care providers and patients about the illness.
Dr. Stricker served as president of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) from 2005 to 2007. He says medical doctors' ignorance about Lyme disease is widespread even in regions where the illness is known to be endemic. The IDSA considers Lyme to be a trivial disease easily treated, and their guidelines have been problematic, he says.
"The guidelines of the IDSA restrict the diagnosis to a very narrow group of patients, and exclude the vast majority of patients who have a more chronic form of the disease," says Dr. Stricker.
The 2006 IDSA guidelines for the treatment of Lyme are currently under review as a result of flaws in the writing process revealed during an antitrust investigation conducted by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. The hearing is required to be broadcast live on the IDSA's website. Results of the hearing could positively impact Lyme patients' ability to get the treatment recommended by ILADS. Learn more about the IDSA guidelines on the LDRD blog- http://www.lyme-disease-research-database.com/lyme_disease_blog.html
"We know from experience, from years and years and thousands of patients, that when you do treat patients long-term with antibiotics, who have chronic Lyme disease, they get better." says Dr. Stricker.
The 'Interviews with Experts' series, available online at the Lyme Disease Research Database, offers a reliable source of information for people affected by Lyme disease. In other interviews, Eva Sapi, PhD, talks about significant discoveries in recent Lyme disease research, and W. Lee Cowden, MD, discusses herbal alternatives to pharmaceutical antibiotics and the importance of detoxification when healing from Lyme disease.
For additional information on the Lyme Disease Research Database, visit http://www.lyme-disease-research-database.com/about_lyme_disease_database.html.
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