Benefits of Hyperbaric Therapy in Lyme and M.E
25 February 2016a) from Nicola: "we know from test results that I am basically functioning as a 'facultative aneorobe' ie my blood can saturate normally with oxygen but it then cannot transport oxygen into the cells efficiently, meaning I am effectively always trying to function on anaerobic energy rather than aerobic, constantly starved of oxygen. (A bit like your body trying to live life at a sprint with no recovery in between, all its reserves constantly get used up and cannot replenish with enough oxygen and nutrients for the cells and muscles, including heart muscle, to function properly)". It is the underlying infection that causes this 'facultative anaerobic state' and leads to, amongst other problems, dire cardiac and neurological symptoms including hypoxic seizures and severely reduced cardiac capacity/output.
We also know that the borrelia and co-infections (that infect every part of the body but in particular the brain, heart, kidney/urinary tract and central nervous system) are anaerobic. Thus by increasing the oxgyen concentration to hypersaturate the cells, not only are we giving my body a chance to oxygenate properly but we are making the environment aerobic and therefore as unsuitable an environment as possible for the anaerobic organisms that are causing the illness.
b) The benefit of the hyperbaric approach is also is that it is systemic - the oxygen hypersaturates every part of the body and brain and reaches the bugs that the antibiotics alone cannot easily target (Borrelia and co-infections are extremely difficult to treat as they hide in the deep muscle tissues and brain and often evade the immune system). It is also effectively 'broad-spectrum' ie it will kill all the infections and in all the phases of their life cycle or forms (eg cystic phase, cell wall form, cell wall deficient form) unlike antibiotics and antivirals that are limited to their particular specificities.
c) Hyperbaric therapy is showing significant benefits for patients with various forms of brain injury, stroke and neurotoxicity, including that seen in Lyme and M.E patients. (The neurological aspects of M.E and neuroborreliosis are essentially an 'infectious brain injury with extreme neurotoxicity and distinct cerebral hypoperfusion', often with evidence of multiple 'mini-stroke' like episodes or brain injury).
d) Hyperbaric medicine reduces inflammation, a crucial aspect in treating Lyme/M.E as the inflammatory pathways in these illnesses become overexpressed, creating many of the neurological and immune symptoms associated with the illness.
e) Many people with M.E/Lyme have genetic mutations that contribute to the chronic nature of this illness. These mutations need to be addressed in order to have any significant chance of reversing the illness and regaining any quality of life. We will be testing for these mutations and utilising various treatments to address these issues however the hyperbaric therapy will automatically aid in this treatment, with patients showing positive changes in epigenetic expression post-treatment. ('Epigenetic expression' refers to the fact that the genes/mutations themselves cannot be changed but the right treatments can 'switch off' the expression of the offending mutations and 'switch on' expression of beneficial genes).
f) Hyperbaric treatment shows a significant increase in stem cell production after the duration of treatment, significantly aiding in the recovery from progressive chronic illness
g) Hyperbaric therapy is non-invasive and no on-going adverse side effects, when utilised correctly. This is in stark contrast to many treatment options (including chemotherapy, which has been shown to be useful in some M.E/Lyme patients and was discussed as an option for Nicola but we felt it was too experimental with too many negative side effects for too little promised gain)