Author Archive

CDC Fails To Acknowledge Neuropsych Symptoms of Lyme & Other TBDs

https://www.lymedisease.org/neuropsych-symptoms-lyme-tbds/

CDC fails to acknowledge neuropsych symptoms of Lyme and other TBDs

Lyme disease and co-infections can bring on a variety of neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as pain, seizures, and cognitive impairment. Yet, patients often find that their doctors don’t understand the connection.

In a recent study, Sarah Maxwell, PhD, and co-authors compared official public health information, case reports, medical literature, and the self-reported symptoms of patients with Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. In the following article, she explains what the researchers found.

By Sarah Maxwell, PhD

Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not recognize most neuropsychiatric symptoms of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. This leaves medical providers with scant information regarding the full extent of possible symptom presentation, to the detriment of patients.

Patients would be better served by improved public health recognition and communication regarding the full spectrum of possible tick-borne disease related symptoms, some of which can be quite frightening, such as hallucinations.

In our recent lead article in Healthcare, we found that neuropsychiatric symptoms are prevalent in the medical literature and among patients’ self-reports, but are not recognized by public health officials, specifically the CDC’s: Tickborne Diseases of the United States: A Reference Manual for Health Care Providers.

In the article, we note that, “The complexity of diagnosis originates from patients presenting with non-specific and multisystem symptoms, with potential misattribution of symptoms by practitioners, regarding psychiatric and associated neurological problems.”

Our mixed-methods approach included a systematic review of the literature on psychiatric and neurological symptoms of tick-borne diseases. We then compared the medical literature to the CDC’s publication: Tickborne Diseases of the United States: A Reference Manual for Health Care Providers.

CDC only recognizes a few neuropsych symptoms

We found that out of all the neuropsychiatric symptoms reported in the medical literature for common tick-borne diseases, only a few were fully recognized by public health officials.

The table below summarizes the symptoms presented in our study. Column one lists symptoms. Column two lists the tick-borne diseases associated with those symptoms in the medical literature. The third column lists the tick-borne diseases that are associated with the symptom, if any, as recognized by the CDC. The final column shows symptoms that are reported in the literature but not recognized by the CDC.

For example, in the medical literature, the symptom, “difficulty with, or slurred speech (dysarthria),” is associated with five tick-borne diseases: Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, Powassan virus disease (PVD), and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF).

However, the CDC does not recognize dysarthria as a symptom of any tick-borne disease, as noted in the fourth column.

Panic attacks and hallucinations are additional examples reported among Lyme disease patients, but also not recognized in public health guidance to physicians.

Make the comparison

Table 1. Symptom comparison from medical literature and the public health reference manual for common tick-borne diseases.

(RMSF—Rocky Mountain spotted fever; BMD—Borrelia miyamotoi diseases;  PVD—Powassan virus disease; TBRF—Tick-borne relapsing fever.)

Symptom Reported in Scientific and Medical Literature Reported by the CDC Reported in the Scientific Literature, but Not Recognized by the CDC
Headache Lyme disease, BMD, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, tularemia, anaplasmosis, RMSF, and PVD Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, RMSF BMD, PVD, and tularemia None, headache is the most common presenting neurological symptom among all TBDs
Confusion/Altered Mental Status Lyme disease, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, and PVD Confusion: BMD

Altered mental status: ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, RMSF, and PVD

 Lyme disease,

anaplasmosis
Pain Lyme disease, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, tularemia, RMSF, and PVD Lyme disease, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, tularemia, RMSF, and PVD PVD
Seizures Lyme disease, RMSF PVD Lyme disease, RMSF
Vertigo/Dizziness Lyme disease, RMSF None Lyme disease, RMSF
Tingling/Numbness Lyme disease None Lyme disease
Cognitive Function (concentration, memory difficulty, and word recall) Lyme disease None Lyme disease
Paralysis: difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) or Bell’s palsy Bell’s palsy: ehrlichiosis

dysphagia: Lyme disease

 Bell’s palsy: Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis

dysphagia: none

 Dysphagia: Lyme disease
Difficulty with, or slurred speech (Dysarthria) Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, PVD, and RMSF None Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, PVD, RMSF
Low Blood Pressure (hypotension) babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis (also present in TBRF) babesiosis ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, and TBRF
Fainting (syncope) Lyme disease, babesiosis None Lyme disease, babesiosis
Depression Lyme disease, babesiosis babesiosis, but uncommon Lyme disease
Anxiety Lyme disease (also present in TBRF) None Lyme disease
Fatigue and malaise Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and tularemia (and other TBDs) None, fatigue and malaise are commonly agreed upon as classic symptoms of TBDs
Mania, panic attacks, delusions, or hallucinations Lyme disease None Lyme disease

We also compared patient self-reported neuropsychiatric symptoms to those recognized by the CDC and the medical literature.

We discovered that patient self-reported symptoms aligned well with the medical case reports, but generally were not recognized by the CDC.

Through an online survey using a convenience sample of patients with self-reported tick bites and concomitant Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, we evaluated patient reports of neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Anxiety, depression, panic attacks

Anxiety, depression, panic attacks, hallucinations, delusions, and pain—ranging from headaches to neck stiffness and arthritis—were common among patients who report a tick-borne disease diagnosis.

Overall, pain and psychiatric symptoms were dominant presentations among survey respondents across all TBD diagnoses, with the majority reporting anxiety, depression, and panic attacks.

Additional reported symptoms also included those not acknowledged by public health officials, including delusions, hallucinations, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

In contrast, Bell’s palsy, often noted as a classic sign of Lyme disease by public health officials, was reported less frequently by the respondents than psychiatric presentations.

Public health guidance does not align with the medical literature or with patient self-reported symptoms in our study.

We conclude that, “Given the multitude of non-specific patient symptoms this study indicates the need for a revised approach to tick-borne disease diagnosis. Our findings suggest the need for improved awareness of the wide range of associated symptoms and communication from official public health sources regarding tick-borne diseases.”

Click here to read the full article.

Sarah Maxwell, PhD, is an assistant provost and associate professor at the University of Texas at Dallas. Her research and grants focus on tick-borne disease surveillance and patient experiences with Lyme disease. She also serves on the scientific board of the Texas Lyme Alliance.

Category:

Lyme, Psychological Aspects, research

CDC Makes Public Health Decisions Based on Politics

https://popularrationalism.substack.com/p/cdc-citing-natural-immunity-calls

CDC, Citing Natural Immunity, Calls COVID-19 “Over”, Proving Political Motivation in their Response

With only a small percentage of Americans accepting COVID-19 vaccine second shots, CDC calls for an end to quarantine, screening and offers a mild nudge toward masking. Timing says it all.

James Lyons-Weiler

Proving that public health’s response to COVID-19 was skewed by politics, two days after the FBI raided former President Donald J. Trump’s personal residence in the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, CDC announces the end of COVID-19.

Citing that a majority of Americans “now” have “some amount of immunity” (a condition that has been in place for a long, long time), CDC now says there is no need to screen, no need to quarantine if you have been exposed. They also called for an end to social distancing.  (See link for article)

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Further proving the politicization of public health, Fauci recently urged people to vote out members of Congress who are spreading “total lies” about COVID, but then promptly lied himself by stating that vaccines don’t kill people, when nine deaths from a combination of blood clotting and low blood platelet levels have been determined to be “causally associated” with the J&J shot according to the CDC.  The Pfizer and Moderna shots have also triggered cases of heart inflammation which have led to “vaccine”-related deaths.

NIAID, predictably, didn’t respond to requests for comment. 

The ‘powers that be’ have made it virtually impossible to keep track of adverse events & deaths due to Fauci telling our government NOT to do autopsies on COVID patients, and due to VAERS underreporting. Doctors state autopsies should be done on each and every case of sudden adult death syndrome (SADS). 

https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19

CDC Drops Quarantine Recommendation for Those Exposed to COVID

Aug. 11, 2022

SUMMARY:

  • Instead of quarantining when exposed to COVID, the revised CDC guidelines state you should wear a mask for 10 days and get tested on or after day 5, irrespective of “vaccination” status.
  • The president of the IDSA states the revised guidelines are “a positive sign that advances in vaccines and treatments have significantly lowered the risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death.”  Please see the following reality:

This article is wearing me out.  If you want to read about the other ineffective and dangerous “FDA approved” drugs, including Paxlovid, go here:  https://sph.unc.edu/sph-news/remdesivir-developed-at-unc-chapel-hill-proves-effective-against-covid-19-in-niaid-human-clinical-trials/

They ALL have big problems, but our corrupt public health ‘authorities’ will use ANYTHING but cheap, effective, safe treatments being used all over the world by front-line doctors.

Category:

Activism, Treatment, vaccines, Viruses

Dr. Flemming: COVID is a Bioweapon. Dr. Yeadon: ‘Respiratory Viruses Don’t Exist’

https://doezelfnormaal.nl/news/dr-richard-m-flemming-covid-19-is-een-biologisch-wapen-nederlands-ondertiteld-interview/  Video Here (Approx. 54 Min)

Dr. Richard M. Fleming: “COVID-19 is a biological weapon”. Nederlands interview

by | aug 7, 2022

Dr. Richard M. Fleming – PhD, MD, JD.

I think it is time the FDA and CDC do their job instead of giving it lip-service.” Dr. Richard Flemming

COVID injection DANGER: Pfizer jab causes blood clots under microscope

“Add the Pfizer vaccine and the red blood cells lose their oxygen carrying capacity and the red blood cells start to clot... This is exactly what we are seeing with the VAERS reporting. This is exactly what we are seeing with neurologic harm, with cardiac harm, with blood clots occurring in the body. This is proof positive that these vaccines cause this type of damage under the microscope just by simply being added to the blood of a human being… ~ Dr. Richard Fleming

For more:

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https://rumble.com/v1en3fl-dr.-mike-yeadon-concludes-respiratory-viruses-do-not-exist.html  Video Here (Approx. 2 Min)

Dr. Mike Yeadon Concludes Respiratory Viruses DO NOT Exist

Aug. 3, 2022

“I realized, over time, I could no longer maintain my understanding of respiratory viruses as I thought I knew them. And then I learned a new bit of information recently, and it just collapsed the possibility that respiratory viruses as described exist at all. They don’t.” ~ Dr. Yeadon

Yeadon admits people are ill, but that we don’t know what causes these cold/flu-like illnesses.

Go here for “Diving Deep on Terrain Theory” with Dr. Andrew Kaufman and Dr. Tom Cowan

Summary

  • On this episode, the two men who need no introduction walk us through the purpose and of antibodies, antibody dependent enhancement, genomic sequencing of viruses, and other terrain related topics. If you haven’t already explored the other episodes regarding virus isolation (specifically episodes 1, 9, and 14).

Go here for “Statement on Virus Isolation” with Dr. Andrew Kaufman, Dr. Tom Cowan and Sally Fallon Morell.

This is the last part of Ep. 212 leading up to and including the Statement on Virus Isolation that puts the record straight.  Statement-of-Virus-Isolation-SOVI-by-Morell-Cowan-and-Kaufman

And go here for a very thorough article discussing the existence of viruses.

For more:

COVID testing is not validated, does not differentiate, can not identify variants, and is not authorized to show contagiousness, so proof remains illusive.

Go here for an excellent article on the history of the PCR test (never intended to diagnose patients), and the virus isolation/purification issue.  Understanding the mismanagement of testing and “viruses” is paramount for today.

Category:

Viruses

Things I Didn’t Know About Lyme Disease Until I Got It

https://www.globallymealliance.org/blog/things-i-didnt-know-about-lyme-disease-until-i-got-it

Things I Didn’t Know About Lyme Disease Until I Got It

by Jennifer Crystal on June 6, 2022

<span id="hs_cos_wrapper_name" class="hs_cos_wrapper hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field hs_cos_wrapper_type_text" style="" data-hs-cos-general-type="meta_field" data-hs-cos-type="text" >Things I Didn’t Know About Lyme Disease Until I Got It</span>
Here is some important information about Lyme disease that I only learned after having contracted it.

Before I was accurately diagnosed with Lyme disease (and other tick-borne infections)—eight years after being bitten by a tick and developing symptoms—my basic understanding of the illness was that it was transmitted by ticks, it caused a bulls-eye rash, and you got it in the woods. Some of what I knew turned out to be only partially true. When I got diagnosed, began treatment, and started really living as a Lyme patient, I realized there was much more to Lyme disease than I thought. Here are some things I learned that surprised me and might surprise you, too:

1. Not everyone gets a rash.

An Erythema Migrans (EM) rash is a hallmark sign of Lyme disease, but unfortunately, less than 50% of patients develop or see one. If you get one, you unequivocally have Lyme disease and should be diagnosed and treated immediately. If you don’t get one, though, it doesn’t mean you don’t have Lyme; you might just have other symptoms.

2. Not all Lyme rashes look like a bulls-eye.

While EM rashes often present in a bulls-eye shape, they don’t always. Some are red and circular; some are blotchy or spotted; some get crusty. The rashes can look different depending on the shade of your skin, and can be harder to detect on darker skin. If you get a rash that isn’t a bulls-eye, it still may very well be from a tick bite.

3. You don’t just get Lyme disease in the woods.

Ticks are indeed prevalent in the woods, and you should absolutely be Tick AWARE if you are going hiking or if you or your children and pets are spending time in a wooded area. But ticks live other places, too. They’re on playgrounds, on playing fields, in gardens, in long grasses, in beach dunes, in leaf litter, and on stone walls. If you spend time outdoors, you should take precautions against ticks.

4. You can get Lyme disease outside of New England.

Along with the myth that you can only get Lyme disease in the woods, I used to think that you could only get it in New England. In fact, Lyme disease has been documented in all 50 U.S. states except Hawaii, and there are other strains of Lyme disease in other parts of the world.

5. Lyme can come with co-infections.

Lyme is not the only disease transmitted by ticks. Black-legged ticks can transmit other diseases like babesiosis, anaplasmosis, Powassan virus, and possibly Bartonella, some of which require different treatment than Lyme disease (for more information, see my post “Is it Lyme or a Coinfection? Knowing the Difference Can Make a Difference”). There are also other types of ticks that can transmit other diseases (see GLA’s Tick Table). Before I was diagnosed with Lyme disease, babesiosis, and ehrlichiosis, I had never heard of the last two, but they significantly impacted my health. I still struggle with babesiosis symptoms today.

6. No two cases of Lyme disease are alike.

Some people who notice a bullseye rash and get treated immediately get better in a few weeks, which is what’s known as a “typical” or “standard” case of Lyme disease—the only kind I knew of before I got it myself. In actuality, 10-20% of those people go on to experience persistent symptoms—different ones for different patients—and in long-haul cases like mine, Lyme can be much more difficult to treat. Some people experience more neurological symptoms, some experience cardiac symptoms, and others experience joint and muscle pain. Each person’s case is affected by their own immune system, how long it took them to get diagnosed, and whether they have co-infections. There is no set protocol for Lyme disease.

7. There is controversy around Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment.

Before getting diagnosed with Lyme disease, I had maybe heard of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) in passing. I had no idea that IDSA represents one “camp” of Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment, while the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) represents another. I never would have guessed that as a result of this dispute, I would struggle to get insurance coverage for treatment. I was shocked to find that that some doctors would “believe in” my illnesses, and some wouldn’t. I learned quickly that I needed to find a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor (LLMD), explore resources, and be my own best advocate.

Knowledge is power. The more you learn about Lyme disease, the better chance you will have of preventing a tick bite or getting appropriate treatment if you do get one

Writer

Jennifer Crystal

Opinions expressed by contributors are their own. Jennifer Crystal is a writer and educator in Boston. Her work has appeared in local and national publications including Harvard Health Publishing and The Boston Globe. As a GLA columnist for over six years, her work on GLA.org has received mention in publications such as The New Yorker, weatherchannel.com, CQ Researcher, and ProHealth.com. Jennifer is a patient advocate who has dealt with chronic illness, including Lyme and other tick-borne infections. Her memoir about her medical journey is forthcoming. Contact her via email below.

Email: lymewarriorjennifercrystal@gmail.com

For more:

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Uncategorized

Caudwell on Son’s Fight With Lyme: ‘Many Times We Thought We’d Lost Him’

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1597999/phones4u-john-caudwell-lyme-disease

‘Many times we thought we’d lost him’ Phones4u’s John Caudwell on son’s Lyme disease fight

THE BILLIONAIRE founder of Phones4U John Caudwell tried to hold back tears as he opened up about his family’s battle with Lyme disease.
By Luke Whelan

The entrepreneur from Birmingham is estimated to be worth over one and a half billion pounds. Despite the family’s immense wealth, the Caudwells have been just as vulnerable to the tick-borne illness as anybody else. In a recent interview, he said he felt “powerless to help” his son who suffered severely from the condition. Caudwell himself was infected with the disease as well.  (See link for article & video)

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For more:

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Uncategorized