Christer Edlund - the founder of Borrelia and TBE association "I didn't want to live"

This is another article about Lyme that is from the series of articles. This one is about the man who founded the Borrelia and TBE assocition in Sweden, he suffer/ed from Lyme a long time.
I can identify in a lot that is said by this man, as I bet many of you do too.

Original article with picture:


http://www.aftonbladet.se/kropphalsa/article2924321.ab


Increasingly getting better "I did not want to live anymore. But now, my health has improved by 80 percent, "said Christer Edlund, 58 yo. Since last autumn, he receives antibiotics straight into the blood against borrelia in an American clinic.

(In the picture Christer gets a monster dose of antibiotics)

Christer symptoms when he felt the worst


Extreme fatigue, dizziness, poor balance, tinnitus, pain throughout the body, numbness of the face, legs and arms, tingling, crawly feelings, cramps, flu like symptoms, joint pain, lactic acid in muscles, memory, concentration, writing, reacing heartbeats, palpitations, hearing problems, loss of muscle mass with a very sharp weight loss of 24 kg.


Christer Edlund, 58: "This is my only hope"

Christer Edlund, 58, receives antibiotics intravenously against borrelia. The treatment is controversial. Few doctors dare to give it in Sweden. It is contrary to the Medicines recommendations. But for Christer it means everything.

Christer Edlund, 58, was so ill that he was close to get early retirement.

Since last autumn, he receives antibiotics - straight into the blood - against borrelia.

-- Today, I feel much better, "he says.

Christer is sitting in a striped armchair in Glömstapoolen in Huddinge. Manager Christina Sundqvist is sticking a needle in his right arm and put on a dropping bottle. The antibiotics are flowing straight into the blood while Christer is drinking coffee. The treatment takes 20 minutes.

Christer receives strong doses of antibiotics (Doxycyklin) intravenously three days a week, since ten months. In addition, he ingests antibiotics orally every day against his difficult symptoms. We are taling "monster size dosages".

-- This is my only hope. I have feel 80 percent better, "said Christer.

The prolonged antibiotic treatment is not accepted in Sweden. It is contrary to the Medicines recommendations for borrelia that has spread to the nervous system and joints. Only very few doctors dare, therefore, give it.

But Christer receive it on prescriiption by a German doctor.

*The discovery - a red ring*

Christer Edlunds troubles started to appear on a day in july in 2003, when he camps outside Nynäshamn. He got a high fever and headache firecrackers.

-- I stagger, everything spins, he says.

He had received both encephalitis and meningitis. And was diagnosed with TBE, a tickborne virus that can not be cured.

Two months later discovered Christer a red ring on the inside of the left knee - the classic sign of borrelia - and was given antibiotics in twelve days. Then, he would be healthy.

-- But I got violent dizziness and other strange symptoms. My doctor said it was restsymptoms of TBE and that the borrelia treatment was complete. Another doctor said, 'Some have these symptoms in several years, not everybody can get rid of them, some people die. "

Christer became only worse and worse. Doctors were perplexed.

-- In the end neurologist said "It's psychosomatic." I went through the roof!

Christer appeared to be confused. He got terrible bad memory and concentration.

-- It was as dementia. I had personality changes.

*Early retirement*

He was extremely tired, with dizziness, aches and cramps. He lost lots of weight - from 86 to 62 kilograms - although he doubled his food intake. Christer had no strength to anything. It took a whole day to prepare dinner for his sons, now 16 and 20 years.

-- I was in hell, he says.

After 33 years as a system engineers at Ericsson Christer had to go through a rehabilitation process - with occupational therapy, physiotherapy and memory traingin. He had to retired earlu.

-- Doctors found that my chances to get back to work was microscopic. I was terribly frustrated. In the end I felt, 'This is no life. I prefer death. "

How could Christer become so ill? What was the problem? And why couldn't he get better?

-- I became more and more convinced that it was borrelia, "he says.

2005 Christer Edlund started the Borrelia and TBE Association in Sweden. He heard about a doctor in Germany, Wolfgang Kleman in Pforzheim, which - contrary to Swedish doctor - was giving intravenous antibiotic treatment for several years against chronic and difficult borrelia.

Then Christer managed to get two longer cures, for a total of eight months, in Sweden, and doubled the dose at their own discretion.

-- I was immediately better. Most of it was released after a week, except fatigue and suffering. After a months, I took my first tour with the car - which I had not run for three years because of dizziness!

*Searched the help of Germany*

In spring and summer of 2007, he was almost symptom free and began to do some work rehabilitation programs. But after six months without medication the symptoms came back.

-- My doctor said that he could not help me anymore.

That was when Christer decided to seek help in Germany.

-- The German doctor said that I had borrelia in the late stage and that the bacteria had put themselves in the tissues.

Since then, he is on medication prescribed by a German doctor.

Christer pays medicines and treatments himself. Cost: 8 000 kronor a month (almost 1300 dollars)

He has a second mortgage on the apartment in order to afford the treamtent, but recently he received money from a fund.

Each month, a Swedish doctor controls Christers liver and kidneys to see if there has been any damage.

How are you today compared to earlier?

-- It is like night and day. The symptoms decline more and more. I have regained my energy, even if I feel wiped out some days. Now I can drive a car again, when the dizziness is gone.

How long have you treated?

-- Doctor Kleman believe that we are dealing with at least two years.

Will you be cured?

-- I hope so. I plan to start work next year - it is my hope.

Christer has regained his will to live.

Thanks to the Good Samaritan."



Follow up article: "The patients do feel better"

This article is an interview with a clinic manager and her comments on the treatment that Christer Edlund receives.

Original article with picture:

http://www.aftonbladet.se/kropphalsa/article2924320.ab


"Patients do feel better"
Christina Sundqvist, chief of the clinic.


-- We do just do this treatment if there is a referral, "says manager Christina Sundqvist.

Since november Christer Edlund receives intravenous antibiotic against borrelia in Glömstapoolen, a private clinic who engage in preventive health care.

-- We must have a referral from different doctors in Sweden, and when we do we only perform the service asked for, "says Christina Sundqvist.

The clinic is not medically responsible for the patients, but it is the doctors.

Are there more people than Christer receiving intravenous antibiotic against borrelia with you?

-- Yes, we have seven patients in the day. We may also get requests from other parts of Sweden. We have received these patients since 2007. The duration of treatment varies, up to several months.

Do you see improvements in the patients?

-- Yes, mainly. They tell us that pain and the symptoms subsided. This is evident in their body language - they move more freely. Tweet