Are Mycobacterium Drugs Effective for Treatment Resistant Lyme Disease, Tick-Borne Co-Infections, and Autoimmune Disease?

Introduction: PTLDS/chronic Lyme disease may cause disabling symptoms with associated overlapping autoimmune manifestations, with few clinically effective published treatment options. We recently reported on the successful use of a mycobacterium drug, Dapsone, for those with PTLDS. We now report on the novel use of another mycobacterium drug, pyrazinamide, (PZA), in relieving resistant symptomatology secondary to Lyme disease and associated co-infections, while decreasing autoimmune manifestations with Behçet’s syndrome. Method: Disabling multi-systemic/arthritic symptoms persisted in a Lyme patient with co-infections (Bartonella, tularemia) and overlapping rheumatoid arthritis/ Behçet’s disease, despite several rotations of classic antibiotic and DMARD regimens. Dapsone, a published treatment protocol used for Behçet’s syndrome, recently has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of PTLDS/chronic Lyme disease and co-infections. It was superior to prior treatment regimens in relieving some resistant chronic tick-borne/autoimmune manifestations; however, it did not effectively treat the skin lesions and ulcers secondary to Behçet’s disease, nor significantly affect the granuloma formation, joint swelling, and pain associated with Lyme, Bartonella, and RA. PZA, in combination with Plaquenil, minocycline and rifampin, relieved her resistant symptomatology secondary to Lyme and co-infections, her Behçet’s ulcers, as well as granulomatous skin changes. In addition, a quadruple intracellular combination of a tetracycline (doxycycline), combined with rifampin, Dapsone, and a quinolone (moxifloxacin) was effective in treating reactivation of her tularemia. Conclusion: Further scientific studies are needed on the role of intracellular bacteria and mycobacterium drugs like Dapsone and pyrazinamide in the treatment of both chronic persistent bacterial infections and resistant autoimmune phenomena.