Biofilms make Lyme disease 1,000x harder to nix

Experts are calling 2017 “the year of the Lyme plague” due to a surge in Lyme-carrying ticks. Infections are now found in all 50 states, and Richard Horowitz, M.D., author of Why Can’t I Get Better? says 75 percent of his patients have Lyme. Despite the prevalence, 85 percent of sufferers don’t know they have it since fewer than 25 percent get the telltale bull’s-eye rash and blood tests fail to diagnose the condition half the time.

Risk of infection is high right now— especially for women over 40. Why? Lyme-transmitting ticks are most active in the fall. And studies show production of the immune cell that fights Lyme falls with age, so women born before 1977 are less able to fend off infection.

Complicating matters: Lyme bacteria armored with biofilms are resistant to drugs. Antibiotics can quickly kill Lyme bacteria not encased in a thick, sticky biofilm coating, but studies show that once this barrier forms, the bacteria are 1,000 times harder to eradicate.

To diagnose Lyme, experts advise two tests: a C6 ELISA (which picks up all strains of Lyme) and a Western blot (to test for Lyme antibodies in the blood). If caught early (before biofilms form) antibiotics can bring relief.

A $28 natural cure can help when antibiotics alone don’t work, says Dr. Horowitz. Banderol ($28 for 1 oz.,

NaturalHealthyConcepts.com) breaks apart biofilms and kills Lyme bacteria. And he says a protocol including rifampin (a drug to eradicate biofilms) and dapsone (to kill bacteria) has helped 100 percent of his patients.

Also smart: Eating an immunity-boosting diet. Dr. Horowitz suggests a Paleo/Mediterranean hybrid high in anti-inflammatory produce and probiotic-rich kimchi and yogurt.