Lyme is a bacteria. It is a spirochete (spiral) type of bacteria. it is called borrelia burgdorfi.

I agree. Lyme disease is a multi-system bacterial infection. The bacteria,Borrelia burgdorfer (Bb), is a spirochete bacteria which is similar to the syphilis bacteria.

I knew the borrelia was a bacteria but my doctor had said the actual Lyme disease in the cysts is a virus.When the Lyme has been in your systems a long time, the cysts develop and not just the borrelia. Is this not true.I guess I'm a little confused.

Hi Cheppie. Lyme can develop into a cyst form. I have never heard it being called a virus.

Flagyl or Tinidazole can be used in conjuntion with another antibiotic to treat the cyst form.

also wondering what effects caffeine has? Anyone know?

Hi Cheppie. Dr. Burrascano was one of the top Lyme doctors in the country. Many Lyme doctors follow his treatment protocols. He advises elimiating caffine,sugar, alcohol and processed carbs.

He lists diet, exercise and supplement recommendations starting on page 25 of his guidelines at http://www.ilads.org/burrascano_0905.html

Doesn't seem logical that a bacteria can mutate into a virus. But I do know that the bacteria changes shape as a defense, to elude the antibiotics.

Caffeine affects me, but I have neurological lyme. It helps me think but it can also make my tremors worse. It's a necessary evil for me, right now.

Sparkling Spirit: Neurological lyme? How does that affect you? Lyme certainly seems like a complex disease and that there is alot to learn about it. How did you ever get diagnosed with this...in short, tell me your whole story! :)

Hi Cheppie,

My whole story? Well in a nutshell: I was diagnosed with neuro-lyme (and the co-infection Babesia)by my Lyme doctor last year. Neurological Lyme occurs when either Lyme Disease does not get diagnosed (or for me it was a decade of going to various doctors and getting misdiagnoses) or is treated improperly (with just a few weeks of antibiotics which is not enough to kill the bacteria). The bacteria then spreads and starts attacking other systems (such as the central nervous system-brain/spinal cord) in the body.

So basically, anyone whose Lyme Disease isn't caught right away and treated with a few months of antibiotics at onset, will start getting migraine headaches, tremors and jerks, heart palpitations, light and sound sensitivity, severe fatigue, shooting pains, dysautonomia, electrical jolt sensations, facial palsy, nerve pain, tinnitus, brain fog, many other symptoms which resemble: Parkinson's, MS, ALS, and various other neurological illnesses.

That's the best I can explain it.

Today I sae my chiropractor again and asked him again about the virus/ bacteria thing. He reaffirmed that Lyme is a bacteria but that many times the co-infections are viruses. Lyme seems to destroy the immune system and people with Lyme disease get everything under the sun. Hence the need to treat both bacteria and virus. Anyone else ever heard this? Chepping

Never heard of that. Lymies can get a bunch of secondary infections. I had 2 types of pneumonia not typically seen in healthy individuals.

What do you treat a virus with?

I am on a bunch of things to strengthen the immune system because of the strain from having undiagnosed Lyme for so long

I know Babesia (what I have) is a parasite with symptoms similar to Malaria and is even treated with anti-malarials.

Many Lyme patients also get Mycoplasma Fermentans which is also a bacteria though, not a virus. With suppressed immune systems, I'm sure we are more likely to get viruses.

My lyme doc does not recommend the flu shot, however.