The Lyme+ Podcast

Global Lyme Alliance

Lyme+ is the podcast for anyone living with, caring for, or researching Lyme disease and tick-borne illness. Produced by Global Lyme Alliance, each episode features conversations with researchers, specialists, advocates, and survivors. Hosted by Lyme patients Kenzie Vath and Dan Wagner. Real stories. Real science. Real answers. New episodes every other Wednesday. Topics: chronic Lyme | Babesia | Bartonella | co-infections | diagnostics | treatment | tick-borne illness | patient advocacy

  1. 3d ago

    Healing the Terrain: The 10-B Framework, Herbal Medicine, and Root-Cause Lyme Protocols with Dr. Myriah Hinchey

    Why is effective Lyme disease recovery so much more than just taking an antibiotic to kill a microbe? In this episode of the Lyme+ Podcast, host Kenzie Vath sits down with Dr. Myriah Hinchey, a licensed naturopathic physician, founder of TAO Center for Vitality, Longevity & Optimal Health, co-founder of LymeCore Botanicals, and founder of Lyme Bytes. Practicing in Connecticut—ground zero for Lyme disease—Dr. Hinchey shares her integrative roadmap for treating complex vector-borne illnesses, co-infections (like Bartonella and Babesia), and environmental triggers. She breaks down her proprietary 10-B Framework, detailing why nervous system regulation, blocking inflammatory cytokines, restoring gut integrity, and supporting cellular detox must happen before you go after the bugs. Dr. Hinchey also dives into the science of botanical medicine, explaining why micro-dosing single herbs often fails and how full therapeutic, synergistic doses can transform recovery. In this episode, we cover: • Beyond "Just Lyme": Co-infections (Bartonella, Babesia), viral reactivations (EBV, HSV), mold/mycotoxins, and environmental spike protein damage. • The 10-B Treatment Framework: Background checks, Band-aids, Blocking inflammation, Buffering stress, Balancing immunity, Bolstering detox, Binding endotoxins, Blasting bugs, and Breaking down biofilms. • The Missing Link in Recovery: Why buffering the autonomic nervous system, toning the vagus nerve, and getting out of "fight or flight" is often the most overlooked barrier to healing. • Food as Medicine: Using an anti-inflammatory, polyphenol-rich, organic diet to prevent endotoxin overload and build immune resilience. • The Power of Botanical Medicine: Why trading pharmaceutical antibiotics for herbal antibiotics misses the point—and how herbs modulate inflammation, break down biofilms, and heal the gut. • Dosing & Bioavailability: Why herbal tinctures often beat capsules for bio-absorption, and why taking herbs 3x daily is essential to maintaining cellular concentration. • Neuropsychiatric Lyme in Youth: A case study of a varsity athlete misdiagnosed with primary psychiatric disease who achieved full recovery after treating underlying vector-borne infections. Connect & Resources: • Clinical Practice: TAO Center for Vitality, Longevity & Optimal Health • Herbal Medicine: LymeCore Botanicals • Education: Lyme Bytes Symposium & Podcast • Recommended Brain Retraining Programs: Primal Trust, Wired for Healing Disclaimer: The views expressed on Lyme+ are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Global Lyme Alliance, Inc. or its affiliates. The content is provided for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.

    Healing the Terrain: The 10-B Framework, Herbal Medicine, and Root-Cause Lyme Protocols with Dr. Myriah Hinchey
  2. Jul 23

    Organized Crime in the Microbiome: How Hidden Infections Drive Alzheimer’s, Autoimmunity, and Chronic Disease with Nikki Schultek

    What if diseases like Alzheimer's, interstitial cystitis, or severe asthma aren't just mysterious autoimmune failures, but are actually driven by hidden, stealth infections? In this eye-opening episode of the Lyme+ Podcast, hosts Dan and Kenzie sit down with Nikki Schultek, Principal and Founder of Intracell Research Group, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Alzheimer's Pathobiome Initiative, and Founding Director of Pathobiome Research at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM). After surviving a year of terrifying, multi-system illness—including air hunger, severe asthma, debilitating bladder pain, and neurological symptoms mimicking MS, Nikki turned to medical research to save her own life. Her late-night Google search unveiled the connection between stealth pathogens like Chlamydia pneumoniae and chronic inflammation, completely altering her life's work. Now, Nikki works alongside world-renowned scientists to pioneer diagnostic consensus protocols and research how polymicrobial "organized crime" in the body drives neurodegenerative and chronic conditions. Connect with Our Guest & Resources Mentioned: Research Initiatives: Learn more about the Alzheimer's Pathobiome Initiative and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) Pathobiome Research Center. Diagnostics Mentioned: Galaxy Diagnostics (NanoTrap urine testing for Borrelia), antibody testing for Chlamydia pneumoniae. Literature Referenced: Alzheimer's & Dementia (2023) paper on infectious dementia Dr. Bernard Raxlen & Allie Cashel (Lyme Disease: Medical Myopia) Organization Highlight: International Lyme and Associated Diseases Educational Foundation (ILADEF). Don't miss an episode of the Lyme+ Podcast! Find us and subscribe on your favorite streaming platform:🎧 Spotify | 🎙️ Apple Podcasts Disclaimer: The views expressed on Lyme+ are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Global Lyme Alliance Inc. or its affiliates. The content is informational and not medical advice. Always consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment.

    Organized Crime in the Microbiome: How Hidden Infections Drive Alzheimer’s, Autoimmunity, and Chronic Disease with Nikki Schultek
  3. Jul 11

    Justin Carlson on CIRS Recovery and Building Tools to Find Safe Places to Stay

    Justin Carlson lived with unexplained fatigue from the time he was in school. Six years ago, everything escalated. Over a period of months he developed inflammatory and neurological symptoms severe enough to leave him bed-bound for weeks at a time, unable to drive, while every standard test came back completely normal. A urine mycotoxin test finally broke the case open. His levels were extremely high, and that result led him to mold illness, Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), and the Shoemaker protocol. Living in Marquette, Michigan, in the remote Upper Peninsula, Justin had no local specialists. He pieced together his care through telemedicine with Shoemaker-certified doctors and spent over a year and a half learning his own body's limits, taking steps forward and steps back, and discovering the hard way that trying to rush recovery only made it take longer. Then he started building. First came a Discord healing community for people navigating CIRS and toxic mold exposure, which grew to over 500 members and was intentionally designed to be the opposite of the negativity that dominates so many chronic illness spaces. Then came Mold Map, a crowd-sourced platform where users rate and review hotels, apartments, and vacation rentals so people with mold illness, mast cell activation, allergies, and asthma can find safe places to stay. The MVP launched this spring, and future versions will personalize ratings to your individual sensitivity level. Justin also walks us through Mold Guide AI, a tool that predicts mold risk for nearly any address using factors like the year a building was built, flood damage likelihood, neighborhood characteristics, and local humidity. And he shares the project he once thought was impossible: Airlume, a handheld real-time mold sensor inspired by how mold detection dogs work, now the subject of an NIH SBIR Phase 1 grant proposal. Woven through it all is the mindset piece. Justin opens up about fear and distrust of his own body, how resisting symptoms kept him stuck in a defensive state, and the meditation practice that gave him relief from his fatigue within twenty minutes. Today he is biking, running, hiking the trails around Marquette, and lifting weights for the first time in 15 years. His message: it is possible to heal from virtually anything, but you have to build beliefs that run contrary to what your body is telling you, and surround yourself with people who believe it too. To find Mold Map visit: https://moldmap.io/ on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moldmap/ & Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moldmap.io/

    Justin Carlson on CIRS Recovery and Building Tools to Find Safe Places to Stay
  4. May 21

    Is it Anxiety or Lyme? PANS/PANDAS, Neuroinflammation, and Pediatric Chronic Illness with Dr. Somer DelSignore

    What happens when a vibrant, energetic child suddenly faces severe anxiety, mood changes, OCD, or physical tics? Today on Lyme+, Kenzie Vath and Dan Wagner sit down with integrative pediatrician Dr. Somer DelSignore to pull back the rug on a hidden epidemic: pediatric neuroinflammation. When a child's personality flips overnight, mainstream medicine frequently rushes to a purely psychiatric label. But as Dr. Sommer explains, the nervous system does not exist in a vacuum. In this episode, we dive into the clinical reality of PANS and PANDAS, why commercial laboratory blood tests miss up to 50% of active tick-borne pathogens, and how stealth infections like Borrelia, Bartonella, and Babesia can cross a child's vulnerable blood-brain barrier to trigger an autoimmune attack on the brain. We also break down the hard data surrounding congenital Lyme and map out a comprehensive, root-cause protocol to restore a child's health from the cell up. The views expressed by guests are based on their personal clinical experiences and research. This podcast is for educational and storytelling purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Global Lyme Alliance does not endorse specific alternative treatments, private laboratory facilities, or commercial health products. Always consult with a qualified, literate healthcare professional for pediatric diagnosis and treatment. Connect with Global Lyme Alliance Dr. Somer Delsignore: Hudson Integrative HealthInstagram: @drsomerdelsignoreConnect with Global Lyme Alliance (GLA): Website: GLA.org Instagram: @GlobalLymeAlliance

    Is it Anxiety or Lyme? PANS/PANDAS, Neuroinflammation, and Pediatric Chronic Illness with Dr. Somer DelSignore
  5. Apr 27

    The Bag of Toxins: Surrendering the Struggle and the Power of Proactive Coaching with Jake Mayers

    What happens when your "Type A" drive to heal actually becomes a barrier to your recovery? Inside the Episode: [09:21] The Perfect Storm: How a trip to India and a snowboarding accident triggered a decade of undiagnosed illness. [14:40] Rock Bottom in Portland: The moment mold toxicity broke Jake’s "mind over matter" strategy. [17:57] The Bag of Toxins: A look inside the apheresis process in Germany and the power of "visualizing" the detox. [24:30] The 20% to 80% Jump: Why stopping treatment and surrendering to faith accelerated Jake's healing. [33:10] The Mad Libs Framework: A tangible tool for communicating your struggle to doctors and loved ones without losing your power. [37:30] Case Overviews: How to turn a four-inch binder of medical records into a one-page "strategic strike" for your next appointment. [41:30] The Dental Connection: Why biological dentistry and "cavitations" are the missing piece for many chronic Lyme patients. [51:50] The 2-Minute Rule: A simple digital wellness habit to protect your nervous system every morning. The "Jubu" Path: How Jake integrated Eastern mindfulness (Tai Chi) and Western faith to find internal ease amidst physical chaos. Self-Advocacy: Why you must be the "Driver" of your health journey, while practitioners serve as the "Support Crew." Biological Dentistry: How hidden infections in the jawbone (cavitations) can constantly release toxins into your system, blocking recovery. Connect with Jake here: Lyme Warrior Workshop: https://calendly.com/jakemayerscoaching/from-invisible-to-heard Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakemayerscoaching/ Substack: https://substack.com/@jakemayers Digital Resources (Daily Dose + Case Overview): https://www.etsy.com/shop/GoodDayGuides Book a Free Consultation: https://calendly.com/jakemayerscoaching/chronic-illness-consultation

  6. Apr 21

    From Medical Gaslighting to Building a Healing Community: Sami Kirschbaum on Lyme Resilience

    Episode Title:From Medical Gaslighting to Building a Healing Community: Sami Kirschbaum on Lyme Resilience Episode Description: Sami Kirschbaum was undiagnosed with Lyme disease for nearly a decade. Growing up in Wisconsin, symptoms started in elementary school. Stomach issues, constant trips to the health room. Things escalated when she contracted Epstein-Barr virus at 16, landing her on bed rest for four months. Every year brought something new: joint pain, migraines, neck pain, fatigue that never lifted. No one connected the dots. When a surgery during grad school sent her health into freefall, a doctor told her it was "just depression." Sami pushed for testing. Her Lyme test came back positive. Then they took the diagnosis away because she had four CDC bands instead of five. That experience lit a fire. In this episode, Sami shares how she found whole body hyperthermia treatment at Clinic St. George in Germany. A 6-hour procedure under anesthesia that heats the body to temperatures Lyme bacteria cannot survive. She was inpatient for 35 days, completed two rounds, and walked away with the thing she wanted most: her cognitive function back. Sami also gives a live demonstration of brain spotting therapy with host Kenzie Bath. She breaks down how the modality works and why "where you look affects how you feel." Unlike talk therapy, brain spotting accesses the subcortical brain where trauma is actually stored, making it especially effective for the grief, medical PTSD, and chronic pain that so many in the Lyme community carry. Sami is a licensed therapist in Minnesota, currently completing her training at the Brain Spotting Institute with graduation on May 7th, and working with the Rocky Mountain Brain Institute. We also cover mold illness: how it compounds Lyme symptoms, how to navigate testing and remediation, and the emotional toll of losing your home and belongings to a problem you didn't know existed. Sami lived in a camper for two years after mold forced her out of her house before relocating to Scottsdale, Arizona for dry heat, more vitamin D, and a fresh start. Today, Sami is the founder of the Lyme Resilience Collective, where she offers individual brain spotting sessions, a 4-week Nervous System Regulation Support Group, and free monthly community meetups. She partners with the Ticked Off Foundation to provide reduced-fee services for patients facing financial hardship and recently delivered her first presentation educating mental health therapists on the impacts of Lyme disease on mental health. Her message: healing takes time, the dark seasons don't last forever, and the fact that you're listening means a part of you already knows you can get better. CONNECT WITH SAMI Email: sam@lymecollective.com Instagram: @lymeresilencecollective TikTok: @lymeresilencecollective MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Lyme Resilience CollectiveClinic St. George (Germany)Ticked Off FoundationEnvita Medical CenterBrain Spotting InstituteRocky Mountain Brain InstituteMold Finders (Brian Karr)

    From Medical Gaslighting to Building a Healing Community: Sami Kirschbaum on Lyme Resilience
5
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

Lyme+ is the podcast for anyone living with, caring for, or researching Lyme disease and tick-borne illness. Produced by Global Lyme Alliance, each episode features conversations with researchers, specialists, advocates, and survivors. Hosted by Lyme patients Kenzie Vath and Dan Wagner. Real stories. Real science. Real answers. New episodes every other Wednesday. Topics: chronic Lyme | Babesia | Bartonella | co-infections | diagnostics | treatment | tick-borne illness | patient advocacy

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