For many Lyme sufferers, living with the disease is part of everyday life. Between 10-20% of people diagnosed with Lyme disease report lingering symptoms despite treatment. For a long time, Sophia Denison was no different. She had been suffering from Lyme since she was a young girl.
Sophia’s strength is undeniable, but a lifetime of aches and pains prompted her to seek alternative medical advice and new treatment modalities. Sophia was open to anything, though not much seemed to be helping.
She kept searching, and one day, she heard from a neighbor about a treatment being done at a clinic in Germany. The treatment, called hyperthermia, promised hope where other methods had failed. And finally, it was this breakthrough therapy that changed Sophia’s life for the better.
As she shared in a recent episode of Whole Body Health with FLCCC Senior Fellow, Dr. Saleeby, “I got diagnosed and got proper treatment after many trials and tribulations. And I am 100% symptom-free now. I’m in remission.”
Could this be the treatment that Lyme sufferers have been hoping for? Hyperthermia may sound new, but it has actually been around for a long while, used in various forms of medicine. Sophia’s triumph can teach us so much about this promising treatment for Lyme disease. So, let’s learn more!
Sophia’s Journey to Treat Lyme Disease
Sophia Denison, a college student at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, has been battling Lyme disease since she was seven years old. For over a decade, she struggled with a myriad of debilitating symptoms, including severe abdominal pain and even psychiatric manifestations.
Despite numerous doctor visits and countless medications, Sophia remained undiagnosed and untreated until she was 19. “I was perpetually anxious; like, my stomach would just drop over and over and over again,” she shared while describing her experience to Dr. Saleeby.
If you know anyone with Lyme, the entire episode is a must-watch. Sophia describes her symptoms in great detail, and Dr. Saleeby weighs-in as an integrative medicine doctor with years of experience treating Lyme patients.
Watch the entire video below!
The Challenge of Treating Lyme
Treating Lyme disease is notoriously challenging. The CDC estimates up to 476,000 Americans are diagnosed and treated for the tick borne disease every year. Many Lyme patients face misdiagnosis and ineffective treatments, leaving them in a state of chronic illness. The bacteria responsible for Lyme, Borrelia burgdorferi, can evade the body’s immune system and form protective biofilms, making it resistant to conventional antibiotic therapy, especially if patients are undiagnosed and untreated for too long.
Patients with Lyme disease often experience a range of symptoms, including mood alterations, that can complicate treatment further. As Dr. Saleeby explains, “Almost 50% of people with Lyme disease have some mood-altering psychiatric manifestations that to a trained psychiatrist, they would think that’s totally functional.” Of course, when you experience a range of symptoms with no clear diagnosis, it’s only natural to feel like you’re going mad. The uncertainty and lack of effective treatment can lead to significant psychological distress, compounding the physical symptoms and making the journey to recovery even more daunting.
The symptoms of Lyme disease often overlap with conditions such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia. Patients may experience persistent fatigue, widespread pain, and cognitive difficulties, which are also common in CFS and fibromyalgia. This overlap can lead to further confusion and misdiagnosis. The complexity and variability of symptoms make it challenging for both patients and doctors to pinpoint the exact cause of their suffering.
Hyperthermia brings the promise of a treatment program capable of completely neutralizing this chronic infection. So, let’s learn how it works!
About Hyperthermia Treatment
The use of fever to combat infections dates back to ancient civilizations. For example, ancient Greeks and Egyptians used heat therapy to treat various illnesses. Hippocrates, often seen as the “Father of Medicine,” advocated for the induction of fever to treat certain diseases. He believed that fever was a natural defense mechanism of the body to combat illness.
Jumping ahead to the early 20th century, you’ll find a great example of hyperthermia therapy. Julius Wagner-Jauregg, an Austrian physician, won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1927 for his work on malaria fever therapy. He discovered that inducing fever through malaria infection could help treat syphilis patients. The high fever caused by malaria was effective in killing the bacteria responsible for syphilis before the advent of antibiotics.
Hyperthermia treatment partly works due to heat shock proteins (HSPs). When body temperature rises, the HSPs produced are said to:
- Repair Proteins: Refold and fix damaged proteins.
- Protect Cells: Prevent cell death and stabilize structures.
- Boost Immunity: Enhance immune response by promoting antigen presentation.
- Reduce Inflammation: Modulate and decrease excessive inflammation.
Hyperthermia is also used for other illnesses besides Lyme disease, including cancer treatment, where it helps to weaken tumor cancer cells, making them more susceptible to radiation and chemotherapy. This method, known as oncologic hyperthermia, involves heating the body or parts of the body to high temperatures to enhance the immune response and improve treatment outcomes.
The higher temperatures are also said to assist in detoxification, improving blood flow and clearing stubborn pathogens out of the body. This also may have the effect of improving immunological function and empowering the cells that fight infection.
How Hyperthermia Works for Lyme
Hyperthermia has immense potential in the treatment of Lyme disease.
Whole-body hyperthermia works by heating the body to temperatures as high as 107 degrees Fahrenheit, effectively mimicking a high fever. This process breaks down the biofilms protecting the Lyme bacteria, allowing antibiotics to eliminate the bacteria more effectively. As Sophia describes, “They heat your body up to 107.24 degrees for a few hours and intravenously give you antibiotics to kill the spirochetes.”
Sophia traveled to Clinic St. George in Germany to undergo this treatment. The process included comprehensive detox therapies, such as blood ozone therapy and colonic cleanses, to mitigate herxing (a reaction to the release of toxins from dying bacteria). “For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel full body pain. And my brain immediately felt like I could think,” she recalls.
Hyperthermia, in combination with a whole-body approach, is leading to a complete reversal of symptoms. Could this be the long sought-after cure? Rest assured, Dr. Saleeby and FLCCC’s clinical team will continue to monitor this incredible treatment protocol.
Looking Ahead for Lyme
The success of hyperthermia treatment for Lyme disease, as experienced by Sophia Denison, offers hope to many suffering from this debilitating illness. While traditional treatments have their place, exploring alternative therapies like hyperthermia can provide a much-needed solution for those who have not found relief. As Dr. Saleeby continues to advocate for integrative approaches through his platform, Whole Body Health, patients can look forward to more innovative treatments on the horizon.
Sophia’s journey from chronic illness to remission is a testament to the resilience and determination of Lyme patients. Her story is inspiration for others battling Lyme disease, proving that perseverance and exploring new treatment options can lead to astonishing recoveries.
