Spring Break
Prof: Chronic Lyme Disease A Lemon
Findings Cause Treatment Controversy
Andrew Peters
Issue date: 11/27/07 Section: News
Feder said some treatments for chronic Lyme - such as intravenous antibiotics - can do much more harm than good.
"IV antibiotics can cause clots or severe infections," Feder said. "The risks are real; the costs are tremendous."
Regardless of the risks, Feder doesn't think his report will sway chronic Lyme advocates.
"People who believe are not going to change - it's almost like a religion," Feder said. "I can't say they're wrong, but I can say science is not on their side."
"There is a counterculture of physicians who seem to blame every unknown ill on Lyme disease," Feder said. "A lot of things get blamed on Lyme that are not Lyme's fault."
He estimated there are thousands of patients in Connecticut alone who believe they have the illness - probably dozens at UConn alone.
"Maybe [chronic Lyme patients] are stressed, depressed, have chronic fatigue or chronic migraines," Feder suggested instead. "But they don't like some of those answers."
"Many patients with intermittent or selflimited symptoms may feel better over time as a result of the natural course of their condition, and controlled trials indicate that nearly 40 percent of patients with post-Lyme disease symptoms have a positive response to placebo," according to the article.
But it would take much more conclusive research to convince doctors like Cameron that antibiotics can't help.
"I always welcome discussion of benefits and drawbacks of treatment," Cameron said. "What I don't like is when strong recommendations are made without discussing limitations of the data."
Contact Andrew Peters at
Andrew.Peters@UConn.edu.
"IV antibiotics can cause clots or severe infections," Feder said. "The risks are real; the costs are tremendous."
Regardless of the risks, Feder doesn't think his report will sway chronic Lyme advocates.
"People who believe are not going to change - it's almost like a religion," Feder said. "I can't say they're wrong, but I can say science is not on their side."
"There is a counterculture of physicians who seem to blame every unknown ill on Lyme disease," Feder said. "A lot of things get blamed on Lyme that are not Lyme's fault."
He estimated there are thousands of patients in Connecticut alone who believe they have the illness - probably dozens at UConn alone.
"Maybe [chronic Lyme patients] are stressed, depressed, have chronic fatigue or chronic migraines," Feder suggested instead. "But they don't like some of those answers."
"Many patients with intermittent or selflimited symptoms may feel better over time as a result of the natural course of their condition, and controlled trials indicate that nearly 40 percent of patients with post-Lyme disease symptoms have a positive response to placebo," according to the article.
But it would take much more conclusive research to convince doctors like Cameron that antibiotics can't help.
"I always welcome discussion of benefits and drawbacks of treatment," Cameron said. "What I don't like is when strong recommendations are made without discussing limitations of the data."
Contact Andrew Peters at
Andrew.Peters@UConn.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 16
Gordon Sell
posted 11/27/07 @ 6:36 PM EST
Feder ignores the fact that Lyme bacteria often persist after the initial antibiotic treatment, especially when there has been a late diagnosis. This is the tradgedy of chronic lyme. (Continued…)
John
posted 11/27/07 @ 7:11 PM EST
Interesting article but yet once again fails to outline what infact medical science has done to prove there right and we're wrong. I would ask that Feder provide the general public with his so called findings, what tests has he done to come to such a conclusion?. (Continued…)
Common Sense
posted 11/27/07 @ 10:42 PM EST
Professors like this aren't doctors, they're people trying to gain intellectiual superiority for egos sake. Doctors try to help!
This yahoo should find a microscope and keep his mouth shut!
AJL
posted 11/27/07 @ 11:21 PM EST
What is strange about this particular disinformation campaign is that it is so very, very easily checked. There is PLENTY of scientific evidence that Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, survives several weeks of antibiotic treatment. (Continued…)
Randy Sykes
posted 11/28/07 @ 11:22 AM EST
The Greater Hartford Lyme Disease Support And Action Group has posted a $20,000 reward to any MD that can prove that the Bb infection is cured in 42 days, not 21 days of treatment. (Continued…)
Dr. Feder is the Lemon
posted 11/28/07 @ 11:47 AM EST
This letter to the editor (written by me) which was published in the Oct. 11, 2007 Hartford Courant suggests that Dr. Feder's claims about the lack of hard science supporting chronic Lyme disease are dishonest:
http://www. (Continued…)
Lorraine Thompson
posted 11/28/07 @ 12:15 PM EST
[Continuing to show symptoms] does not mean you're still infected," Feder said. "That's part of this controversy."
How about getting worse, with the presentation of new symptoms? That suggests an ongoing infection. (Continued…)
Theresa Denham
posted 11/29/07 @ 12:04 AM EST
While Feder claims that ILADS is "junk science" he fails to recognize that published in prestigous journals is science in line with ILADS and out of line with his propaganda. (Continued…)
Angela Stone
posted 11/29/07 @ 7:58 PM EST
If the use of prolonged antibiotics is "not warranted", then why, exactly could doctors not figure out why I was so sick until one of them (Dr Charles Ray Jones, a LIFESAVER) tested me for Lyme? And why did I make significant progress after being put on many coctails of antibiotics?
In elementary and middle school, it was common for me to miss almost half of the year. (Continued…)
Dr. Steere Violates IDSA/NEJM Protocols
posted 11/30/07 @ 2:41 AM EST
Dr. Steere has yet again published research and made statements which contradict the short-term treatment protocols mandated by the IDSA guidelines, of which he is an author. (Continued…)
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