As a physician, I often get asked my opinion on various Lyme treatments. While herbal therapy is my preference for the majority of those with chronic Lyme disease, I’m always learning and educating myself on different treatments and therapies that might make it easier for people to get their lives back. Based on my research, experience, and medical opinion, I developed a rating system to evaluate potential treatment options according to safety, efficacy, and cost.

Antibiotics
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Bee Venom Therapy
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Coffee Enema
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Colloidal Silver
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Dapsone
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Disulfiram
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Frequency Specific Microcurrent
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Glutathione
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Herbal Therapy
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Hygromycin A
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Hyperthermia
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Infrared Sauna Therapy
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Intravenous (IV) Vitamin Therapy
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Ketogenic Diet
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Laser Therapy
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN)
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Methylene Blue
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS)
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Nosodes
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Ozone Therapy
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Phage Therapy
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Probitoics
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Qigong
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Rebounder Therapy
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Rife Therapy
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Stem Cell Therapy
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Stevia
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Transfer Factors
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

UV Light Therapy
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Vital Plan Diet
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Xylitol
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Yoga
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

Zeolite
Efficacy:
Safety:
Cost:

To evaluate the potential success and pitfalls of various treatments, I use a grading system based on my research, experience, and medical opinion. My criteria includes:

• Cost: What are the out-of-pocket expenses for a particular treatment?
• Efficacy: Is there any evidence the treatment works?
• Safety: What’s the potential for the treatment to cause harm to the person who’s using it?
• Ways to administer: What’s the route by which the treatment is given to a person?

Using my rating system, I’ve created a treatment guide so that you can learn about and compare a variety of treatments and therapies. You’re likely to hear some success stories with nearly every intervention or modality on this list. But measuring your options according to efficacy, potential risks, and cost, in partnership with your healthcare provider, will go a long way in helping you make the best decisions for you and your recovery.

Bill Rawls, MD
Medical Director and Cofounder of RawlsMD.com