I am so glad your dad has decided to see a lyme specialist! Welcome to LymeNet. We will help you here all we can.

I have been helping lyme patients find good doctors for at least 12 years. I have nearly 6,000 messages from lyme patients. Many of them talk about their doctors, often complaining about them and looking for someone better. So, this is how I have amassed information on the east coast doctors--who is good and who isn't.

I keep up with who is retiring, who has "gone bad" (stopped diagnosing or treating lyme properly), who is no longer taking new patients, etc. When I recommend a doctor to someone, it is the best lyme doctor currently available. So, that is the name I will give you. It is Dr. Daniel Jaller in Rockville, Md.

Below is my standard message recommending him. It is geared toward someone new to lyme, so it is LONG. But, it includes a lot of info about Jaller.

I had undiagnosed lyme disease (and babesiosis and b! artonella ) for at least 10 years before a doctor thought to test me for lyme. I suffered with undiagnosed lyme disease for 10 LONG years going from doctor to doctor. Still, I got rid of it. It has been over 11 years now since I completed my lyme treatment! Praise God! I have the same life I had before lyme disease.

I know most of the big name lyme doctors on the east coast and all the lyme doctors in Md, southcentral Pa, D.C. and northern Va. This is what I learned in my over 13 years of being in the lyme world: many doctors treat lyme disease, but only a very few know enough to get rid of it for a person. Your job is to find one of those few. I know a few of them.

You should be able to see Dr. Jaller quickly. Many get an appointment within a few days.

The top lyme doctors on the east coast are not taking new patients right now. This has been going on for at least 2 years and will continue indefinitely from what I am hearing. The top docs are Dr. Ric! hard Horo witz in Hyde Park, NY and DNP Ginger Savely in Washington, D.C. (Horowitz has a 2-year waiting list so he has now stopped adding even to his waiting list.)

This is very common. So, people always have to start out with a lesser lyme doctor and then work their way up to the top notch lyme doctors if necessary. You always have to wait, wait, wait to get in with the very best lyme doctors.

Ginger is now basically retired and has moved away. I believe she is living in Mexico. However, she returns to D.C. once every 3 months and will see her current patients then. If you want to try to get in with Ginger, you need to send her an email and tell her your situation. Her email is: LymeDC@gmail.com She will decide whether or not she wants to take you as a patient.

Her webpage is: gingersavely.com If you could get in with her, you would be very fortunate. After the first in-person appointment, you would do telephone appointments with her. You would onl! y have to travel to D.C. once every 6 months to be seen in person again. She is a real class act!

Right now, it is likely at least 5 months before she can see a new patient.

Fortunately, not every lyme patient requires a top notch lyme doctor. So, hopefully, Dr. Jaller should be able to take care of you with no problem. Folks sick many, many years (like 30 or more) or those who are bedbound, having seizures, or are total zombies from lyme generally need a top notch doctor to get well.

Dr. Daniel Jaller follows the Burrascano protocol (meaning high doses of antibiotics and antibiotic combinations) even though he thinks he is following his OWN lyme protocol.

I got rid of lyme disease by going to a doctor who followed Burrascano. Then, I sent 5 of my friends to Burrascano type doctors and they also got rid of their lyme disease.

Since I have seen it work over and over again, I believe in the Burrascano protocol. For that reason,! I only r ecommend lyme doctors who follow this protocol. The protocol is here:

http://www.lymenet.org/BurrGuide200810.pdf

It is also permanently at the top of Medical Questions on LymeNet.

If you have not already done so, I suggest you read and STUDY this document to get an education on lyme disease and how it should be treated.

I don't know if you know it or not but there is no standard treatment for lyme disease. A lyme specialist is free to do what he wants. So, some use only herbs, some give very low doses of antibiotics for very long times (5 or more years, etc.), some follow the Marshal protocol or the Liegner protocol, some "do their own thing" (whatever they have discovered that seems to help people) and some follow Burrascano.

For that reason, it pays to understand what protocol a lyme doctor believes in before going to him. This way, you know how your lyme will be treated.

Here are a few points from Dr. B's ! guideline s:

You must attack both the regular and cyst (or other) form of lyme simultaneously--requires at least 2 different antibiotics taken together to do so.

You must test the patient for all co-infections and other physical ailments (thyroid, etc.) and treat everything the person has.

You must treat all co-infections the patient has(including babesiosis, bartonella, ehrlichia, mycoplasma, etc.) or the patient will not get well.

You must use Igenex for most of these tests--they are a tick-borne disease speciality lab in Calif.

You must use very high doses of antibiotics to kill the diseases (batericidal doses).

You must give the patient supplements, probiotics, herbs such as artimesinin if babesiosis is suspected, and require adherence to rules such as low carb diet, no alcohol, no smoking, rest, and exercise as the patient is able to do it.

You must treat at least 2 months after all symptoms have disap! peared (i f sick at least 1 year).

These are just a few of the important points you will see in the guidelines. If possible, you want a doc who does EVERYTHING Burrascano says to do. He treated lyme for over 25 years, and compiled what he learned so that other docs could benefit from it. He was the most successful lyme doctor on the planet. They came from every country in the world to be treated by him.

Jaller is not a top lyme doctor by any means, but he is good. Since he just became a full-time lyme doctor 3 years ago, he has plenty of openings right now. You can get in with him in a few weeks or even less. This is a rare opportunity. Normally, the wait to see a lyme specialist is at least 3 to 6 months. The best ones often aren't taking new patients.

Here is a little cut and paste information about him:

Dr. Daniel Jaller. Just know that he is not as good as the top notch doctors (Dr. Horowitz in Hyde Park, NY and DNP Ginger Savely in D.C! ). He has only been treating lyme for about 8 years, and that was almost all part-time. (He took a few lyme patients as part of his regular medical practice and then limited them to one lyme patient per day.)

Nine or more years ago he got lyme himself. That is generally what causes a doctor to begin to treat lyme disease. That is when they find out that the IDSA (Infectious Diseases Society of America) 30 days of treatment with doxy doesn't cure people.

In May 2013, Jaller left his regular medical practice and set up a full-time lyme practice. Now, he no longer takes insurance. It is $600 for the first visit (plus $200 for the blood testing and if you get the additional blood smear he recommends it will bring the total to about $820). Routine visits after that are much less. I am hearing $290. You must give a $100 deposit to hold the first appointment date.

These prices are not bad compared to what other lyme doctors are charging, by the way. Savely! was char ging $900 for the first visit before she stopped taking patients ($600 second and $300s for 1/2 hour follow ups). Horowitz is over $1,000 ($1,500 I believe) and the doc who cured me is $800 last time I checked a few years ago.

The first visit will be at least an hour with the doctor. That is why it is so costly.

After that, you generally see/talk with the lyme doctor monthly. So, that gives you an idea of what it will cost you for lyme doctor visits. On top of that will be prescription medications and some blood tests.

Jaller follows the Burrascano protocol. I only recommend doctors who do. That means he will give you high-dose combinations of antibiotics. You will not be on just one antibiotic at a time.

He has written the lyme blog called LymeMD for years. It is well read and received by those on LymeNet. Read it and you will get an idea of his knowledge and treatment of lyme disease.

I have been told that he has cur! ed at lea st 3 people of lyme. One wrote to me and told me about his case. He had lyme for a few years by the time he saw Jaller. Another person wrote and told me that Jaller cured two cases of people sick with lyme for less than 1 year each.

So, that makes 3 people that he has cured of lyme. A good rule to follow is to only go to a doctor who has cured at least 1 person you know of for sure of lyme disease. Curing 3 people that you know of for sure is the best criteria for picking a lyme doctor.

This is the necessary criteria because MANY doctors treat lyme disease, but FEW have ever cured anyone of the disease. VERY FEW have ever cured anyone. So, you want to find one of those very few doctors.

The typical experience of a lyme patient is to treat and treat for years and never get cured. I wasted 2 years with my second lyme doctor. I took his antibiotics daily all that time. But, every time he told me to stop the meds, my symptoms came roaring back w! ithin 2 w eeks. Within 2 weeks, I would be a basket case in bed just as sick as the day I started.

Then, I switched to a Burrascano type doctor and I was symptom-free in 8 months and finished with treatment in 13. That was over 11 years ago now.

So, I am trying to spare you the typical lyme experience. I stick around LymeNet just to help people through the lyme doctor learning curve. I don't want others to waste years trying to get well. That isn't necessary if you do a good job of researching doctors and if you are willing to travel and pay the money to see a great lyme doctor.

Let's hope Jaller can do it for you. If, after 8 months or so, he has not gotten you to wellness, then start seriously trying to get in with Horowitz or Savely.

Now, here is the contact info on Dr. Jaller.

Daniel Jaller, MD
Paradigm Medicine
http://www.drjaller.com/
15245 Shady Grove Rd.
Suite 315
Rockville, MD 20850
301 528! 7111 pho ne
301 528 5824 fax
paradigmmedicine@gmail.net

Look at his website.

Dr. Jaller will do skype or telephone appointments after the first in-person appointment. So, you will not have to travel to the D.C. area every month. (Good lyme doctors see/contact their patients monthly.) Problems in between appointments are generally handled by phone or email.

If you are local, go to see him every appointment. You cannot submit telephone appointments to insurance for reimbursement. In person is better, and you may as well get some of your money back.

Jaller will do 2 telephone appointments before you have to come again in person. So, you will only have to make the trip every 3 months.

Here are some recent patient reports from patients who went to Jaller at my suggestion:


Patient #1 from New Mexico, Jan. 2014:

Hi, I just wanted to get back with you about my experience with Dr. Jaller.
Overa ll, it was truly what I needed, and I am so thankful for the referral. Dr. Jaller is knowledgeable, available, and takes the diagnosis and treatment seriously. He was careful to get my full medical history, he examined me fully, spent a lot of time with me, and the prices quoted to me before my visit were exactly the prices I was charged, despite the fact that my appointment went well into overtime (no extra charge)!

He was worth the money. After some additional tests were run, he started me on oral tindamax and doxycycline. The doxy made me vomit, however. After a follow up visit and no improvements in my health, we decided to continue the tindamax orally, and start ABX (rocephin initially, though we may add/switch others depending on how I respond) by PICC line.

Another thing I really appreciate about Jaller is that, after the initial in-person visit and follow up, he is willing to do regular Skype appointments with me so that I can return to my hom! e in NM ( New Mexico). He's also easy to get on the phone and will call you back personally if you have any concerns after the visit.

That said, I'm also glad that you warned me about his bedside manner. Every patient should be given a disclaimer about him (just kidding...sort of)! He comes off as very standoffish, abrupt and often mumbles to himself. He comes off as a bit rude sometimes. However, if you can look past his personality, he is a very good doctor. It's great that he can see patients on short notice, too.

So, for your records, I'm a very satisfied patient and would definitely recommend him to others. But patients beware of the very odd bedside manner!

Thank you so much again for your help. Taking your advice is one of the best decisions I have made for my lyme so far


Patient #2 from Florida, April 2014:

We flew to the DC area last week to see an LLMD. LOVED him, by the way. He found symptoms that my daughter n! ever thou ght to mention, and no other doctor bothered to notice. His office just informed us that my daughter's blood work was positive for lyme, babesia and rocky mtn spotted fever. They said, however, that the rocky mtn could be a false positive. At last, a reason for my daughter's pain that makes sense!

Haven't actually had our follow-up with the doc yet. But I'm trying to figure out how to go about getting treatment. I really want him to provide her care, but he said that we may not be able to get his prescriptions filled in FL (Florida).

[Note: it turned out that there was no problem getting the prescriptions filled in Florida.]

Then, Sept. 2015:

I just wanted to post a thank you for the referral we got to an LLMD about a year and a half ago. I don't remember who recommended him, but you have saved my daugter's life!

Our LLMD figured out my daughter's lyme, babesia, and mast cell activation disorder after 5 years of misdiag! nosis by others. When we first went to see him, my teenager was completely disabled, unable even to do homeschool. Now, a year and a half later, she's been able to graduate from high school, is going to college, and wants to get a job. I would say she's 95% better, and I have my daughter back!

I don't recall specifically who recommended this particular LLMD, but thank you so much!


Patient #3 from Tennessee, May 2014:

He does charge $200 extra for a blood smear. He is knowledgeable about spotting babesia (the correct strain for the area) and brats in the samples and has better success than the labs so I did it.


Patient #4 from Virginia, May 2014:

Hi there,

Just wanted to give you a quick update- I called Dr. Jaller's office last Wednesday and he was able to see me on Friday! He confirmed my Lyme diagnosis and started me on antibiotics right away. I did not find him to be socially inept in the least. I actua! lly thoug ht he was personable, curious, efficient, knowledgable and straight-forward. He did have several other tests run, including the blood smear for Babesia. I will be seeing him again next month. I am very excited to be working with him, so I wanted to thank you for the referral. After getting such a run-around with other doctors, he was quite refreshing to deal with!! (This patient had been with another lyme doctor, but he went on medical leave due to illness.)


Patient #5, from Ontario, Canada:

May 2014:

Hi,
I had my first appointment with him three weeks ago and he is great! I am on a cocktail now for the Lyme and co-infections. He believes my TN could have a viral cause. He is very smart. It really helped to know about his manner, I can understand that some might think he is rude or a bit strange but because you gave me a heads-up, it didn't throw me off. I am going to see him again in two weeks. He did say he prefers more local pa! tients bu t I am willing to travel so it is not a problem for me. He will be willing to do Skype appointments in the future he said.
I will let you know how I am progressing. I definitely would recommend him.
Thank you very much for your help and advice!

(Dr. Jaller was at least the second lyme doctor this patient had seen.)

Patient #6 from Pittsburgh, Pa, July 2014:

Hi TF,

I wanted to let you know I emailed Dr. Jaller with some questions and he actually emailed me back...I was pleasantly surprised. [This was before she became a patient of his!]

Then, Aug. 2014:

I wanted to let you know that I had my first appointment with Dr. Jaller and it went very well. You are right, he does have a quirky way about him but I found him to be extremely thorough, kind, intuitive and we even shared a few laughs. I can see how he might seem strange to some but I liked him a lot.

He zeroed right in on my situati! on and qu ickly diagnosed problems that I have asked every other dr. about to no avail. Specifically, he diagnosed POTS and confirmed the ND diagnosis of Adrenal fatigue.

He said he usually does not start treatment on the first visit but I had extensive files, labs, etc. and apparently a clear cut case of Nuero Lyme and Bartonella as well as the POTS, so he prescribed Doxy, Rifampin and Tinidazole.

I have to do a Tilt table test, labs and go back in a month. He has a guy there who does their blood work for live blood smears and also sends out for Lyme (can't remember the lab but it's not Igenex) which I did.

One Caveat, his receptionist is totally ditzy.

I found Dr. Jaller to be a genius re. everything Lyme. He seems to think I will get to feeling better soon with the Bart treatment which sounds great to me! I am continuing treatment with my ND here in Pittsburgh for the Adrenal fatigue, parasites, nutrition, etc. as Dr. Jaller does not ! advise mu ch on things of that nature.

Thank you so much for encouraging me to see him. He is worlds above the other guy! Interesting that he prescribed Rifampin on the first visit and I've been asking the other Dr. for that for 4 months!

I'll keep you posted. Thanks again!


And, here is another example of how Jaller treats:

Patient #7, Dec. 2013:

After my first appointment, Dr. Jaller prescribed the following:

CEFUROXIME AXETIL (Ceftin) 500 mg., 1 tablet twice daily

TINDAZOLE (Tindamax) 500 mg., 1 tablet twice daily

WELCHOL 625 mg., 2 tablets twice daily

Jan. 2014:

I saw Dr. Jaller again on Friday, and he added Mepron and Zithromax for Babesia, and Cortef for adrenal fatigue


Patient #8 from Maryland, Nov. 2014:

Just checking in .... I just returned today from my 3rd visit with Dr. Jaller -

We think I am kicking Lyme very well, ! and I hav e responded great to the Artimisinen treatment for Babesia. I will be starting additional RX for Babesia tomorrow with a positive outlook of successfully conquering it.

I may be a 'potential' cure story for Dr. Jaller if things continue to go as well as they have.

I did not know how bad off I was until I started seeing Dr. Jaller. I am somewhat an annomoly because I was in very good health prior and have also followed a strict GF, DF and low sugar diet since diagnosed.

Thanks so much for your help and steering me in the right direction. I hope to someday give back as well to others with respect to Lyme disease education, support and help.

ps: I have pointed several others to this site and Dr. Jaller (seems like 2/3 of the people I speak with have either had Lyme themselves or have a close relative/friend/family member dealing with it now.)

Patient #9, Oct. 2015 from Texas:

Hi TF,

I can't think yo! u enough for pointing me to Dr. Jaller. He diagnosed me with Lyme, babesiosis, mast cell activation disorder, brain inflammation and said I have multi system problems.

He just started me on treatment last Wednesday! Soooooo excited.

I finally have hope. I haven't had that in ten years. There have been glimpses of hope rarely in the past, but now I have real hope.

I like his quirky personality. More importantly, he is compassionate and extremely wise. I am quite impressed with him. Thank you for pointing me on the path to get well.

Then, in Nov:

I have made improvements since seeing dr. Jaller. I've had more good days. I actually enjoy his quirky personality.


Patient #10 from New York state, Feb. 2016:

I have been bitten by a number of ticks over the years. I live in The Catskills. After the most recent tick bite in May, what had been mild and annoying symptoms became devastating. I could barely get! out of b ed and I am the sole support for my family.

Both my Lyme tests that my GP did came back negative but my Western blot had 2 positive bands.

When I went to Dr. Jaller, he retested me for everything and started treating me for Lyme (which was still inconclusive) and for Babesia, which I tested positive for.

He started me on heavy doses of 2 antibiotics and Rifampin and pulsing with Arteminisin every 10 days. After 6 weeks at my next visit, I was already feeling better. In between appt #2 and #3 I had a few very bad days, unable to go to work and very fatigued and achy, but overall, I started gradually improving.

A life time power-walker, I was taking the subway just 6 city blocks instead of walking to work, I was in so much pain and so exhausted at my first visit. Now, after a few months of treatment, I am back to walking 2 miles a day. My brain and memory issues are gone! Thanks goodness, I was wondering how I would keep my job! ! The fatig ue is gone. My aching muscles now ache when they should - after a long hike or walk. I feel sooooo much better I am eternally grateful for your help.

We're now working on the symptoms that have not abated - the night sweats, some achiness that migrates, and chest pains and air hunger, so Dr. Jaller is now focusing on the Babesia by adding 2 new Rx. I pick them up tonight at my pharmacy.

I've had some bad reactions - thrush on my tongue and throat during the 1st 4 weeks, but Dr. J added Fluconazole and it went away.

I have lots of bloating / gas / stomach issues and I am taking heavy duty probiotics, but that is a small price for me to pay to have my energy levels and my memory back.

I love Dr. Jaller by the way. He is kind, compassionate and VERY smart. He is so well- versed on Lyme and I enjoy speaking to him. His receptionist, while incredibly busy is always helpful and his phlebotomist is so kind. Only person to ever take bl! ood from me without hurting me. I have no "good veins" and always need blood taken from my hand. He was great.

I paid $820 total for my first visit. $595 for the visit / consult, $200 for some lab work and $25 for another blood smear. The other 3 labs were sent out and covered by my health insurance and so far, all my Rx's have been covered by my health insurance.

My first appt lasted 1 hour and 30 minutes and my 2nd appt though scheduled for 30 minutes, lasted 1 hour as his next appt cancelled, he spent more time with me. Appt # 3 was 45 minutes. Unheard of - all my specialists last year spent no more than 15 minutes with me. Follow up appts have been $275.

He is well worth the drive and the money. I'm so glad he was out there as an option. My best friend spent over $14,000 treating her Lyme. Her specialist charged $1,000 for every visit.

Your recommendation has been a lifesaver for our family - many thanks!

[end of patient ! reports]< br />
Note: I have 2 complaints about Jaller's mumbling during telephone appointments. Evidently, he thinks out loud and the patient then is unsure as to the treatment being recommended. Other than that, the only other complaint is a comment Jaller made about a patient's parents that the patient was offended by. (Jaller said the parents should pay for a $1,000 test the patient needed.)

Notice that Jaller can come off as rude or socially inept at times. So, don't be upset if he acts that way with you.

If you have never tested positive for babesiosis and you want a good test for it, you can pay Jaller $200 for his blood smear test that he evidently does in-house.

For lyme and other coinfection testing, Jaller often will send your blood to a local lab he is affiliated with (Clongen Labs in Gaithersburg, Md.) plus Stony Brook unless you specify that you want tested through Igenex in Calif.

IMPORTANT: If you want Igenex (which I h! ighly rec ommend), then make your first appointment on a Monday, Tues, or Wed. You don't want your blood draw late in the week. This ensures that your blood will not sit in a post office over the weekend while it travels to California. If it does, it will clot and you will get a negative test result rather than a true result.

Be prepared for lyme and coinfection testing to cost you over $800 at Igenex. You must pay up front for Igenex testing. They do not take insurance. But, you can submit a claim to your insurance and hopefully get some reimbursement.

Also, it appears that Jaller follows the Burrascano protocol when it comes to prescribing the antibiotics. However, it will be up to you to add in the supplements and herbs that Burrascano says are necessary. Also, you must be sure you eat the anti-yeast diet described in Burrascano and do the exercise required by Burrascano (1 continuous hour of weight lifting every other day).

All 4 of these (meds, d! iet, supp lements, and exercise) are required to get rid of lyme. That is what Burrascano says, and that is what my lyme doctor told me right off the bat. He said that if I didn't do the exercise, I would NEVER get well. Burrascano says that the weightlifting boosts the immune system and so aids in recovery and prevents a relapse. Read about it in the Guidelines. So, don't ignore any of the 4 prongs of the Burrascano protocol.

If you go to Jaller, I would appreciate your input on how it went--bad OR good. I will share your information with others so that they can have the benefit of your experience. But, of course, I don't give out your name.


p.s. Until about 14 months ago, Dr. Jaller had charges pending against him by the Maryland state Medical Board for treating people for lyme without CDC positive lyme tests. This is the persecution that brave lyme doctors endure.

This is what makes more and more lyme doctors afraid of treating patients that! don't ha ve a "positive" test for a tick-borne disease. (Note: you don't need a CDC positive test in order to have lyme disease.)

Dr. Jaller's charges were discussed extensively on LymeNet recently. He has basically been cleared of them all. Everyone is so happy about it!

Be sure to read some of his blog!