If you have Lyme disease, this post is meant to be both a warning and call to action for you.....please read and take it seriously!
It literally took me months and months and months to get serious about testing for hypercoagulation (i.e., "thick blood"), after one of my friends in a Lyme disease forum urged me to do so.....and sure enough, I've got it!
One LLMD claims that out of 900 patients, at least 90% have had hypercoagulation issues. While only 5% of the "normal" population are ever diagnosed with hypercoagulation!
My doctor ordered the following blood tests for me: Hemex Laboratories' ISAC (Immune System Activation of Coagulation) test panel and Hereditary Hypercoagulation test panel. My blood coagulation results were very abnormal.
So what exactly is hypercoagulation?
It's a condition in which your blood will clot more quickly than normal, and it causes your actual blood flow, especially through the smallest capillaries, to be slower than usual.
Why is this such a bad thing? Well, if your blood is clotting too quickly and easily, and the various clotting factor levels (fibrinogen, fibrin, thrombin/antithrombin complexes, fragment 1+2, and Factor II (prothrombin) activity) are too high, this can even lead to a stroke.
At the very least, your body will not receive oxygen, nutrients, or medications as rapidly as it would if your blood was actually flowing at normal speed. The smallest blood vessels (capillaries), are only about 8 microns in diameter. A 7-micron-wide red blood cell may not be able to make it through a capillary with sludge-y deposits of fibrinogen attached to its walls....this could ultimately lead to cellular anoxia, starvation and death.
And It DEFINITELY makes your heart work harder!
Apparently this is a favorite tactic of the Lyme bacteria (i.e., increasing the coagulation components in your blood); they prevent your cells from getting the nutrients they need, while creating hiding places for themselves to avoid Lyme treatments....the fibrin clumps clinging to the endothelial surfaces of the capillary walls make nice little nests to hide in.
So what can be done about hypercoagulation??
My LLMD has prescribed subcutaneous heparin injections, 1 cc (5000 units) twice a day. I started them a couple of days ago. It's really not that hard to give yourself subcutaneous injections. Just type "how to give yourself a subcutaneous injection" into Google and you'll get a bunch of hits, very helpful.
My online friend has told me that the heparin shots she's been taking for months have made a HUGE difference in how she feels.
Now, yes, there are "natural" remedies too, I believe, but I've read that they are not as effective as heparin. One LLMD claims that heparin is not only a blood thinner, it is also anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, and may even be anti-cancer.
Hi JoAnn, we did discuss this at our last SLO Lyme Group meeting and I was supposed to get back to you. I'm sorry, but I forgot. Out of about 15 people there two of us, including me, had been diagnosed with hypercoagulation issues. I spoke about it, though I don't know as much as you do. We two are also doing Heparin injections twice a day (bruised tummy, no fun) and I am also on Lumbrokinase (Bouluke) for this. I was "diagnosed" through my naturopath who uses ART (energetic muscle testing), not a blood test.
ReplyDeleteSo far I have seen an increase in my circulation - not such cold hands and feet, but not much else.
Nice blog. See you at the next meeting, maybe?
Marla
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ReplyDeleteThanks Maria!
ReplyDeleteYes, I will try to make it to the next meeting for sure. I've been quite ill lately and it's also tough because I don't drive (I had my license taken away a year ago by my primary care doctor because I made the mistake of telling her about my vertigo and double vision!).
I'm currently trying to get my license back; that will make it SO much easier for me to attend the Lyme group meetings!
Sorry to hear that you're having hypercoagulation problems too! I know what you mean....I have bruises all over each thigh, both upper arms and in a wide ring around my navel. Ouch!
Heparin is also "Rat" poison
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if aspirin and/or ginko would help thin blood enough to prevent stroke
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I don't know. That would be a good question to ask your LLMD though. :)
DeleteInteresting about Lyme and hypercoagulation. My doc told me I had "sticky" blood and prescribed Boluoke. In a later appointment, he decided to try some of the natural meds used in the Cowden treatment, starting with Cumanda first at 5 drops. Ever wary of experiencing a terrible herx, I dropped the dose to 1 drop and took it with my Boluoke capsule. This combo induced a mighty herx and I felt BAD for 3-4 days...BUT...I have not experienced any Lyme symptoms since, and that was more than 3 years ago. (Caveat: I had beat back Lyme pretty good via a series of protocols prior to this and suffered only 1-3 minor relapse events a year.)
ReplyDeleteWonder if our sticky blood is the result of bacteria biofilms and Boluoke busts them up so Cumanda or another agent can kill them. Interesting stuff.