Archive for the ‘Lyme’ Category

Hugging it Out: How Physical Connection Helps Us Heal

https://globallymealliance.org/hugging-it-out-how-physical-connection-helps-us-heal/

by Jennifer Crystal

RESEARCH SHOWS THAT HUGGING IS GOOD FOR OUR HEALTH

I remember vividly a scene from the medical show “Grey’s Anatomy” that aired years ago. All that happened in the scene was that a doctor grew overwhelmed and cried, eventually having a panic attack. Slowly, two other doctors embraced her from either side and held her tight. When a fourth doctor came in and asked what was going on, one said, “We’re hugging it out.”

That scene struck me because I saw how the simple act of human touch quelled a serious physiological reaction to emotional stress. Within minutes, the upset doctor’s sobs subsided and her breathing slowed. The original problem that had set off her distress wasn’t gone but her fight-or-flight reaction was.

I have thought of that scene many times during my decades-long journey with chronic illness. So much of that time was spent alone. Patients battling tick-borne or other long-term illnesses are often bedridden with little to occupy their minds besides worry and pain. They may see family members or roommates in the evenings or on weekends, but the endless days of lying in bed can get downright lonely. There were so many times when I thought, I just want a hug.

And there were many times when I got one. When I was convalescing at her home, my mom gave me a hug every day when she came home from work. Friends hugged me when they came to visit. They sent me funny emails and left me voicemails that made me laugh. I sometimes felt hugged even when I didn’t have physical connection with someone.

But I also often felt desperately alone. Lyme disease can be especially isolating because on top of the loneliness that comes from being bedridden, patients often feel misunderstood or invalidated by the people closest to them and by medical professionals. One night I woke from a terrible nightmare with my arms wrapped around myself in a self-hug.

As the “Grey’s Anatomy” scene displayed, physical touch is important for everyone, not just for the infirm. Research shows that hugging is good for our health. In an NBC news report, Michael Murphy, Ph.D., a research associate at the Laboratory for the Study of Stress, Immunity, and Disease in the Department of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University said, “…touch deactivates the part of the brain that responds to threats, and in turn, fewer hormones are released to signal a stress response, and your cardiovascular system experiences less stress.” Human touch can also stimulate the feel-good hormone oxytocin.[i]

Moreover, touch can help our physical wellness, too. A study by Dr. Murphy’s colleagues, also mentioned in the NBC news report, found that “those who felt socially supported and were hugged more often also experienced less-severe signs of illness.” Physical touch can also boost immunity.

Family therapist Virginia Satir is known for her quote, “We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.”  That’s a tall order for a bedridden patient, but there are still ways to get the connection we need. We can ask for or initiate hugs with people with whom we are close. Caregivers and friends can think about giving more hugs to their loved ones who are ill (the benefits go both ways!). The touch aspects of therapies like integrative manual therapy or light massage can also be soothing. And for those who aren’t comfortable with physical touch or who live alone, simply connecting with others—whether it’s through social media, email, an online or in-person support group—can simulate the benefits of hugging and make you feel less alone.

Hugging won’t cure illness, or emotional stress, or the woes of the world, but it can lay the groundwork for subsequent healing. In our technological age, it would behoove us to follow the advice of the old song: “Reach out and touch someone.”

1 https://www.nbcnews.com/better/pop-culture/health-benefits-hugging-ncna920751

jennifer crystal_2

Opinions expressed by contributors are their own.

Jennifer Crystal is a writer and educator in Boston. Her memoir about her medical journey is forthcoming. Contact her at lymewarriorjennifercrystal@gmail.com.

 

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For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/02/20/lyme-mental-health-discussion/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/01/03/lyme-mind-podcast-dr-leigner-dr-horowitz/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/09/17/ignoring-psychiatric-lyme-disease-at-our-peril/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/06/04/ld-diagnosis-took-forever-because-of-mental-health-stigma/

Category:

Lyme, Psychological Aspects, research

5-Week Old Girl With Lyme Disease Podcast

LYME PODCAST: 5-WEEK-OLD GIRL WITH LYME DISEASE

Lyme Disease Podcast: 5-week-old girl with Lyme disease

Welcome to an Inside Lyme case study. I find that the best way to get to know Lyme disease is through reviewing actual cases. In this case study, I will be discussing a 5-week old baby girl with Lyme disease. This case series will be discussed on my Facebook and made available on podcast and YouTube.

By

In this episode, I will be discussing a 5-week old baby girl with Lyme disease.

This case was described in the journal Pediatrics, written by Handel and colleagues in 2019.

This paper reminds parents of the need to look for a tick bite and Lyme disease even in babies. The authors described a healthy 5-week-old girl who was diagnosed with Lyme disease. The baby girl lived in Long Island, New York, an area endemic for Lyme disease.  The baby was rarely outdoors, but the family dog was allowed outdoors. The dog could have brought the baby in contact with the tick.  Other researchers have reported a higher risk of Lyme disease in pet owners.

The parents did not report seeing a tick. Instead, the parents removed “an engorged, black “bug” from behind her left ear six days before symptoms started.” writes Handel. This highlights the difficulties parents can face in recognizing a tick.

The fact that the presumed tick was engorged was also important. The risk of Lyme disease from an engorged tick is much higher.  The number of spirochetes rises as the tick takes a blood meal. The spirochetes in a tick have more time to multiply and migrate from the midgut of the tick to the salivary glands.  The higher numbers of spirochetes in the salivary gland, the more likely the bite will lead to a tick-borne disease.

The baby girl was diagnosed with early disseminated Lyme disease.  The rashes were typical with “multiple flat rings with peripheral blanching erythema, a central clearing, and outward expansion without tenderness or peripheral scaling” writes Handel.  He added, there was also a rash near the bite.  Early disseminated Lyme disease often occurs without the initial erythema migrans rash when the bacteria have already spread throughout the body.

The doctors hospitalized the baby.  The baby had a fever 101.1 and was irritable.  The tick-borne tests were negative, which is common in early Lyme disease. The western blot Lyme disease test was not performed, as the ELISA screen was negative.

The doctors were concerned that the baby might suffer from Lyme meningitis.  This is an uncommon but important concern for the doctor treating Lyme disease.  The spinal tap was not successful. The doctors treated for Lyme meningitis with intravenous antibiotics since they were still concerned the baby might have Lyme meningitis. The baby girl was discharged from the hospital after two weeks of intravenous ceftriaxone.

There were no complications on follow-up, according to the doctor.

The authors noted that there are few cases of babies being treated for tick-borne illnesses in the published literature. That does not mean that young children aren’t contracting tick-borne diseases in practice.  Children under the age of 5 years-of-age are the most likely to be infected with Lyme disease according to the CDC.

What can we learn from this case?

  1. Babies can be infected with a tick-borne infection even with little outdoor exposure.
  2. The family pet can bring a baby into contact with ticks.
  3. It can be difficult to determine if a baby has Lyme meningitis. The spinal tap in this 5-week-old baby girl was unsuccessful.  Even if the spinal tap had been successful, the spinal tap may be negative in neurologic Lyme disease.

What questions does this case raise?

  1. Would it have been helpful if the parents had recognized the “bug” as a tick?
  2. Would the parents or the doctor have recognized Lyme disease if the rash were single or atypicial?  The most common rash is a flat red rash in one study.
  3. Would the baby have been successfully treated with oral antibiotics rather than intravenous antibiotics?
  4. What if the baby did not have a rash? Would the doctor have been willing to use clinical judgment to diagnose Lyme disease in a baby?
  5. Would the IgM western blot test for Lyme disease have been positive if the doctor had ordered a western blot test?  The IgM western blot test is often positive in early Lyme disease.
  6. Would antibiotic treatment at the time of the engorged tick bite have prevented the need for a 24 days hospitalization, a spinal tap, and intravenous antibiotics in the baby girl?
  7. When is it important to perform a spinal tap?
  8. Will the baby girl develop a co-infection like Ehrlichia, Anaplasmosis, and Babesia? This is particularly important as the intravenous ceftriaxone prescribed for the baby would not be effective for these tick-borne infections.
  9. Will two weeks of intravenous antibiotics prevent chronic manifestations of Lyme disease?

TREATING TICK-BORNE DISEASE IN MY PRACTICE

In my practice, each individual requires a careful assessment. That is why I order tests a broad range of tests, including blood counts, liver and kidney function, thyroid disease, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis in addition to tests for tick-borne infections. I also arrange consultations such as neurologists, rheumatologists, and ophthalmologists.

Many patients are complex, as highlighted in this Inside Lyme Podcast series.

We need more doctors with skills diagnosing and treating Lyme disease in children. We could use a reliable test to determine who has Lyme disease and a test to be sure Lyme disease has resolved. We need to determine the best course of treatment for babies.  In this case, were there oral antibiotics that would have been effective? We hope that if a professional sees a baby that they can use this case to remind them to look for Lyme disease and treat accordingly.

We also need to give doctors the freedom to treat these difficult cases without undue interference by colleagues, insurance companies, medical societies, and medical boards.

Inside Lyme Podcast Series

This Inside Lyme case series will be discussed on my Facebook and made available on podcast and YouTube.  As always, it is your likes, comments, and shares that help spread the word about this series and our work. If you can, please leave a review on iTunes or wherever else you get your podcasts.

Sign up for our newsletter to keep up with our cases.

References:
  1.  Two Neonates With Postnatally Acquired Tickborne Infections Andrew S. Handel, Harriet Hellman and Saul R. Hymes Pediatrics 2019;144;

Category:

Lyme, research, Testing, Treatment

Latest Look at Lyme – Dr. Waters

latest look at Lyme july 2018Paper Here

Written by Dr. Robert Waters, https://www.watersbiomed.com

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Waters’ 8 pronged approach to treating Lyme/MSIDS:  https://www.watersbiomed.com/integrative-approach-to-lyme-disease.html  All of which are discussed in the paper above.

He also discusses typical deficiencies patients have and the importance of supplementation to boost the body’s ability to fight for itself.

For Doctor Waters’ presentation:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2015/04/18/dr-waters-presentation/

You can also watch videos, read published papers, and read newsletter on various topics.

Category:

diet and nutrition, Gut Health, Herbs, Inflammation, Lyme, research, Treatment

Borrelia Burgdorferi Hijacks Cellular Metabolism of Immune Cells: Consequences For Host Defense

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32035898/

2020 Feb 3:101386. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101386. [Epub ahead of print]

Borrelia burgdorferi hijacks cellular metabolism of immune cells: Consequences for host defense.

Kerstholt M1, Netea MG2, Joosten LAB3.

Abstract

Changes in cellular metabolism have proven to be important factors in driving cell behavior. It has been shown that cellular metabolism of immune cells changes when exposed to or infected by several pathogens: while this is often an adaptation of the host cells to the infection, sometimes it represents a mechanism through which the pathogens evade immune activation. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis, is a pathogen that highly depends on the host to survive, as the bacterium lacks many central metabolic pathways to generate its own nutrients. It is therefore quite likely that the bacterium interacts with host cells to obtain these metabolites and thereby affects metabolism in the host. Previously, several studies have assessed metabolic pathways in B. burgdorferi s.l. and how it adapts to its different host species. However, few studies have looked into how the interaction with the bacterium might affect the host cell metabolism. In this review we present the major metabolic pathways activated during Lyme borreliosis, viewed from both bacterium and host metabolism, and we discuss how these pathways interact with each other, and how they influence pathogenesis of Lyme borreliosis.

 

 

Category:

Lyme, research

Is Lyme Disease Being Overlooked During Infectious Disease Consultations?

https://danielcameronmd.com/lyme-disease-overlooked-infectious-disease-consultations/

IS LYME DISEASE BEING OVERLOOKED DURING INFECTIOUS DISEASE CONSULTATIONS?

Infectious disease doctors at one center in France looked at 355 patients who were referred for consultation for presumed Lyme disease. Only 48 of those patients were diagnosed with Lyme disease using the European Union Concerted Action on Lyme Borreliosis (EUCALB) criteria. Could Lyme disease have been dismissed in any of the remaining 86% (n=307) of individuals?

By

In their article “Functional signs in patients consulting for presumed Lyme borreliosis,” Voitey et al. found that in the 48 patients diagnosed with Lyme disease, the most common functional symptoms were arthralgia (23%), neuropathic pain (23%) and asthenia (17%). Asthenia is characterized by abnormal physical weakness or lack of energy. 

“Unlike published data, arthralgia and myalgia were more frequent in our study: 30% and 6% of cases respectively,” writes Voitey.

Another 8 patients were diagnosed with probable Lyme, writes Voitey.  Each of these cases reflects the complexity of the diagnostic process.

  • 5 patients with “meningoradiculitis (suggestive clinical signs and symptoms, positive serology but the lumbar puncture was not performed and regression of symptoms was observed after treatment)”
  • 1 patient with “myositis (persistent localized muscle pain with positive Lyme serology and cure after antibiotic therapy)”
  • 2 patients with “sensory polyneuropathy (axonal involvement assessed by electromyogram, positive Lyme serology, no CSF pleocytosis, but positive index for intrathecal synthesis in CSF).”

The infectious disease specialists concluded that the remaining 196 individuals suffered from another condition.

“A differential diagnosis was made at the end of the consultation for 196 (64%) patients, mainly rheumatologic diseases (25.5%), psychiatric disorders (25%), neurological disorders (11%), infectious diseases (9.6%), and dermatological disorders (9.6%),” writes Voitey.

Infectious disease doctors find 36% of patients referred for consultation did not have Lyme disease. Or did they? CLICK TO TWEETHowever, the authors were not able to make a diagnosis for the remaining 111 individuals.  “No diagnosis was found or suggested at the end of the infectious disease consultation for 36% of patients.”

Yet, these individuals (not diagnosed with Lyme disease) were more symptomatic than those who were diagnosed.  The non-Lyme group exhibited asthenia (59%), myalgia (32%) and general pain (31%).

The authors did not question the EUCALB Lyme disease criteria, which is dependent, in large part, on patients having positive serologic tests or spinal tap confirmation.

The criteria also does not include other manifestations of Lyme disease, such as neuropsychiatric Lyme and post-Lyme disease syndrome.

Nor did the authors question the reliability of their diagnosis of other conditions.

“No systematic multidisciplinary meeting was held, and patients were referred to a specialist based on the initial clinical presentation and on the infectious disease specialist’s advice,” writes Voitey.

Related Articles:

Study finds misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis common for Lyme disease patients

How many Lyme disease patients don’t meet strict diagnostic criteria?

Dismissing chronic Lyme disease for somatic symptom disorder diagnosis

References:
  1. Voitey M, Bouiller K, Chirouze C, Fournier D, Bozon F, Klopfenstein T. Functional signs in patients consulting for presumed Lyme borreliosis. Med Mal Infect. 2019 Nov 10.
  2. Stanek G, Fingerle V, Hunfeld K-P, Jaulhac B, Kaiser R, Krause A, et al. Lyme borreliosis: clinical case definitions for diagnosis and management in Europe. Clin Microbiol Infect 2011;17:69–79.

 

Category:

Lyme, research, Testing