Archive for the ‘Lyme’ Category

The Link Between Lyme Disease and Dementia

https://www.bca-clinic.de/en/the-link-between-lyme-disease-and-dementia/

The Link Between Lyme Disease and Dementia

19. September 2019in BCA-clinic

Lyme disease results from infection with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans through the bite of some ticks. Common early symptoms of the illness include fever, headache, fatigue and a characteristic red rash (erythema migrans) at the site of the tick bite.

Early diagnosis is crucial. The sooner Lyme disease is recognised, the easier it is to cure fully with a course of oral antibiotics. As the infection progresses, it may become a lot more persistent. If left untreated for a long time, Lyme disease may enter a chronic phase. The infection can spread throughout the body and cause serious joint, heart and neurological symptoms.

Since the erythema migrans rash is absent in 20–30% of patients and the other symptoms can mimic other illnesses, Lyme disease is often difficult to diagnose. The available laboratory tests are also unreliable in the early stages of the illness. Therefore, doctors have to consider factors such as the patient’s history of tick bites and recent visits to high-risk areas, in addition to any physical signs and symptoms, when making a diagnosis.

Lyme Disease and the Brain

Some common questions about Lyme disease and the brain are ‘Can Lyme disease cause dementia-like symptoms?’ and ‘Does Lyme disease cause memory problems?’ To answer these, let’s take a look at the stats.

Lyme disease leads to profound effects on the brain in about 15% of cases. Some sources suggest that this proportion may be even higher, since thousands of cases are believed to remain undiagnosed every year. A small percentage of patients continue to experience neurological symptoms after receiving timely antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease. This phenomenon is often referred to as ‘post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome’, and its possible cause is a widespread inflammation of the brain.

Neurological Symptoms of Lyme Disease

Chronic Lyme disease develops when the infection remains unrecognised and untreated for a long time. In patients with strong immune systems, the initial symptoms can be very mild and may even go unnoticed. The bacteria can live inside the cells and not cause any problems for several months or even years.

Serious symptoms of chronic Lyme disease tend to first appear when immune function becomes disrupted due to another illness, stress or environmental factors. This is when the bacteria begin to proliferate at a greater pace, and travel to various different tissues and organs.

When Lyme disease becomes chronic and the bacteria spread to the brain, the resulting condition is referred to as neuroborreliosis. Common neurological and psychological symptoms of neuroborreliosis are cognitive decline, memory impairment, mood swings, decreased energy levels, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances, disrupted fine motor control and vision changes.

In rare cases, neuropsychiatric Lyme disease can cause paranoia, hallucinations, mania and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. In children, the most common symptoms of neuroborreliosis are headaches, behavioral changes, learning difficulties and sleep disorders.

Patients with chronic Lyme disease often report extreme fatigue. They can sleep for as many as 10 to 12 hours, yet not feel rested after waking up. Increased sensitivity to light and loud sounds can also develop.

Diagnosing Neurological Lyme Disease

In addition to serological testing, patients with suspected neuroborreliosis may benefit from a brain MRI scan. The scan may reveal lesions similar to those caused by multiple sclerosis. Spine lesions have also been observed in some cases. Other diagnostic methods to consider are nerve conduction studies and neurocognitive tests.

Secondary Dementia Due to Lyme Neuroborreliosis

Severe dementia resulting from neuroborreliosis is extremely rare. However, dementia-like syndromes associated with Lyme disease have been reported on occasion.

In a few cases, the condition has seemed to trigger primary dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Persistent chronic Lyme disease is normally treated with several courses of intravenous antibiotics, but it’s unclear whether serious neuropsychiatric symptoms are completely reversible.

Lyme Disease and Dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease

The dementia and other signs of cognitive decline caused by severe neuroborreliosis tend to resemble the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Some research studies have indicated the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, suggesting a possible link between the two conditions. While Lyme disease can be successfully cured with antibiotics in most cases, the exact causes of Alzheimer’s disease remain unknown, and no effective treatment currently exists.

So how does Lyme affect you in old age? Well, one 2014 study aimed to determine if there was an actual relationship between Lyme and Alzheimer’s. The scientists collected data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the incidence of Lyme disease and deaths associated with Alzheimer’s disease. They then analysed the information in search of any significant correlations.

One of the findings of the study was that the 13 states with the highest prevalence of Lyme disease actually had the lowest number of deaths from Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, the seven states with the highest incidence rates of Alzheimer’s were among the 13 states with the fewest number of Lyme disease cases. Vermont was the only state reporting a high incidence of both conditions. Any other potential associations were found to be statistically insignificant.

The link between Lyme disease and dementia remains unclear, but considering the other possible implications of contracting chronic Lyme, it’s better to be safe than sorry and protect yourself against tick bites altogether.

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For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/06/10/the-coming-pandemic-of-lyme-dementia/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/05/30/why-lyme-disease-is-causing-a-mental-health-crisis/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/06/22/dementia-from-illness/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/03/10/baseballs-tom-seaver-diagnosed-with-dementia/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/03/25/a-brief-history-of-neuroborreliosis-research-dementia-an-inside-look-at-two-researchers/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/06/03/borrelia-hiding-in-worms-causing-chronic-brain-diseases/

Category:

Alzheimer's, Lyme, Psychological Aspects

Study of Biofilm Could Lead to New Class of Anti-Infective Drugs

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31784893

2019 Nov 29. doi: 10.1007/s00430-019-00644-3. [Epub ahead of print]

Interaction with the host: the role of fibronectin and extracellular matrix proteins in the adhesion of Gram-negative bacteria.

Vaca DJ1, Thibau A1, Schütz M2, Kraiczy P1, Happonen L3, Malmström J3, Kempf VAJ4.

Abstract

The capacity of pathogenic microorganisms to adhere to host cells and avoid clearance by the host immune system is the initial and most decisive step leading to infections. Bacteria have developed different strategies to attach to diverse host surface structures. One important strategy is the adhesion to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins (e.g., collagen, fibronectin, laminin) that are highly abundant in connective tissue and basement membranes. Gram-negative bacteria express variable outer membrane proteins (adhesins) to attach to the host and to initiate the process of infection. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of bacterial adhesion is a prerequisite for targeting this interaction by “anti-ligands” to prevent colonization or infection of the host. Future development of such “anti-ligands” (specifically interfering with bacteria-host matrix interactions) might result in the development of a new class of anti-infective drugs for the therapy of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. This review summarizes our current knowledge about the manifold interactions of adhesins expressed by Gram-negative bacteria with ECM proteins and the use of this information for the generation of novel therapeutic antivirulence strategies.

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For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/07/19/biofilms-what-are-they-how-do-they-impact-chronic-infections/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/29/microscopy-of-spirochaete-biofilm/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/05/29/mixed-borrelia-burgdorferi-helicobacter-pylori-biofilms-in-morgellons-disease-dermatological-specimens/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/19/first-study-showing-borrelia-chlamydia-mixed-biofilms-in-infected-human-skin-tissues/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3721268/  Bartonella & Brucella – Weapons and Strategies for Stealth Attack

Great article on Biofilm: https://www.bayarealyme.org/blog/straight-talk-biofilms-new-answer-treating-lyme-disease/

Another one on possible treatments: https://www.tiredoflyme.com/biofilm.html

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/02/13/lyme-disease-treatment/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/01/03/bartonella-treatment/

Some patients have found remarkable improvement after addressing biofilms. This is what can make heparin such a help for those with hyper coagulation (thick blood).

 

 

 

 

 

Category:

Lyme, research, Treatment

Study Identifies 189 Children With Lyme Carditis

https://danielcameronmd.com/study-identifies-189-children-with-lyme-carditis/

STUDY IDENTIFIES 189 CHILDREN WITH LYME CARDITIS

In reviewing medical records from a Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database between 2007 and 2013, clinicians identified 189 children diagnosed with Lyme carditis.

“The burden of Lyme disease and Lyme carditis in U.S. children’s hospitals has increased in recent years,” writes Beach and colleagues in Pediatric Cardiology.

By

In their article “Increasing Burden of Lyme Carditis in United States Children’s Hospitals,” Beach et al.¹ reveal the rise in Lyme carditis cases throughout the U.S. The largest increases, they write, were found in the Midwest, including the Ohio valley.

According to the authors, the children with Lyme carditis were older than children with Lyme disease, who did not have Lyme carditis. On average, they were 13 years old and more likely to be male.

“Encounters for Lyme carditis are dramatically costlier than those for Lyme disease without carditis,” the authors explain. In fact, the median cost of treating a child with Lyme carditis was $9,104 with a range of $3,741 to $19,003. The median cost of treating a child with Lyme disease without Lyme carditis was $922 with a range of $238 to $4,987.

None of the 189 children identified in the database died. However, the database did not include out-of-hospital outcomes.

In the study, there was a broad range of cardiac codes identified among the 189 children. The authors could not be sure of the accuracy of the cardiac codes or whether there were pre-existing cardiac cases.

The list of cardiac cases is much broader than heart block, as identified in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) surveillance case definition.

Cardiac codes for 189 children with Lyme carditis

Out of the 189 children, cardiac codes identified in the database included:

First degree AV block – 28%
Acute myocarditis – 27%
Complete AV block – 17%
Second degree AV block – 15%
Heart disease NOS – 9%
Non-specific ECG abnormality – 4%
Cardiomyopathy – 4%
Premature beats – 3%
Right bundle branch block – 3%
Acute pericarditis – 2%
Atrial fibrillation/flutter – 2%
Suspected cardiovascular disease – 2%
Paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia – 2%
Cardiac arrest – 2%
Congestive heart failure NOS – 2%
Conduction disorder NOS – 1%
Left bundle branch block – 1%
Anomalous AV excitation – 1%
Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia – 1%
Paroxysmal tachycardia – 1%
Pericardial disease NOS – 1%
Other cardiac dysrhythmias – 38%

Additional costs

The authors were not able to address other costs due to Lyme carditis. “In addition to this financial burden, it is important to consider the additional costs of missed school and work, long-term morbidity, and emotional distress when considering the importance of preventing, diagnosing, and treating Lyme carditis,” writes Beach.

“The increasing number of serious cardiac events and costs associated with Lyme disease emphasize the need for prevention and early detection of disease and control of its spread,” the authors conclude.

Related Articles:

Lyme carditis presenting as atrial fibrillation treated successfully

Five cases of Lyme carditis in Canada: multiple hospital visits to diagnose

Lyme disease induces severe cardiac problems in 15 year old boy

References:
  1. Beach CM, Hart SA, Nowalk A, Feingold B, Kurland K, Arora G. Increasing Burden of Lyme Carditis in United States Children’s Hospitals. Pediatr Cardiol. 2019 Nov 14

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For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/06/04/how-vector-borne-diseases-impact-heart-health/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/06/03/heart-problems-tick-borne-disease/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/11/04/suspect-lyme-carditis-start-empiric-antibiotics-case-report-suggest-and-lyme-carditis-is-not-rare/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/03/10/when-lyme-hurts-your-heart-warning-signs-solutions/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/07/02/new-uva-study-tentatively-links-ticks-to-heart-disease/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/11/27/what-happens-if-lyme-disease-goes-untreated/

Category:

Heart Issues, Lyme, research

The Role of Host Response in Chronic Illnesses

https://www.galaxydx.com/the-role-of-host-response-in-chronic-illnesses/

written on

The Role of Host Response in Chronic Illnesses

Here at Galaxy Diagnostics, we are often asked “Why do symptoms for bartonellosis vary between patients so much?” and “How do I know that my symptoms are related to Bartonella species infection?”

The simple yet frustrating answer for patients and physicians alike is that chronic flea- and tick-borne illnesses are complex and typically do not follow a predictable course. Multiple body systems can be affected, including the brain and heart, resulting in a broad spectrum of symptoms.

Furthermore, the same patient can experience symptoms that affect different parts of the body throughout the course of the infection. The spectrum of symptoms often creates a unique web that is specific to each patient and difficult to untangle.

How can a single species, like Bartonella henselae, cause these harmful symptoms in one patient while another infected person appears to be healthy?

Emerging research on bartonellosis and Lyme borreliosis is increasingly showing the role of the host response in mediating the diverse clinical symptoms that patients present with. The host response is the way the infected individual’s immune system responds to cellular/tissue damage (pathology) caused by a pathogen. Some patients may have a more extreme immune response to the damage, resulting in a higher degree of inflammation and a related set of symptoms. Likewise, immune-deficient patients may experience more symptoms caused by the pathogen.

Factors that affect the host response to a pathogen include:

  • Immune status (immunocompetent vs. immunocompromised)
  • Genetic variances
  • Previous and current immune exposures (pathogens, proteins, etc.)
  • General health and well-being (stress, nutritional status, etc.)

For Bartonella henselae, the effect of host immune response was shown in extensive research conducted on HIV patients in the 1990s. Symptoms in immune-deficient patients may be atypical and unexpected. For example, researchers found that HIV patients infected with Bartonella henselae, or cat scratch disease, experienced bacillary angiomatosis and bacillary peliosis at a higher rate than immunocompetent patients.

The host response can continue to cause symptoms after a pathogen is gone. Recently, a study showed that arthritic symptoms persisted in mice infected with Borrelia burgdorferi. The researchers found that the mice developed an irregular immune response that resulted in T-cells targeting joint tissue even after the bacteria were eliminated. This aberrant immune response is like that seen in autoimmune diseases where the body is basically attacking itself.

Other recent research has suggested that measles infection can suppress the immune system for up to three years, leading to other illnesses. Meanwhile, parasitic worms that suppress the immune system may reduce heart disease in some communities. The immune system itself is extraordinarily complex, and identifying these influences is only the start of understanding how it is modulated by different exposures.

The web of influences on the host response is only just beginning to be understood, including the influence of flea and tick-borne pathogens in chronic symptoms. A better understanding of the host response, better genetic and biomarker tools to measure it, and better diagnostic tools to determine exposure and current infection of a wide variety of pathogens is necessary to overcome today’s frustrations and develop personalized treatments that will improve health.

References

Chaplin, D. D. (2010). Overview of the immune response. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 125(2, Suppl 2), S3-S23. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2009.12.980 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2923430/

Resto-Ruiz, S. et al. (2003). The role of the host immune response in pathogenesis of  Bartonella henselae. DNA and Cell Biology, 22(6), 431-440. doi:10.1089/104454903767650694 https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/104454903767650694

Lantos, P. M. et al. (2014). Detection of Bartonella species in the blood of veterinarians and veterinary technicians: A newly recognized occupational hazard? Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 14(8), 563-570. doi:10.1089/vbz.2013.1512 https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/vbz.2013.1512

Carroll, L. (2018). Malfunctioning immune system may explain chronic Lyme symptoms. Today.com. Retrieved from: https://www.today.com/health/chronic-lyme-may-be-due-malfunctioning-immune-system-t122207

Huber, B. R. (2015). A deadly shadow: Measles may weaken immune system up to three years. Retrieved from: https://www.princeton.edu/news/2015/05/07/deadly-shadow-measles-may-weaken-immune-system-three-years

Gupta, S. (2019). Life lessons from the native tribe with the healthiest hearts in the world. CNN.com.Retrieved from: https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/19/health/bolivia-heart-disease-chasing-life-gupta/index.html

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**Comment**

I obviously missed this article when it was written in May.  I post it here because it brings up important points for consideration.

  1. Is the Lyme patient coinfected with other pathogens? Research has shown that this issue of being coinfected is a reason for immune suppression, setting the patient up for a tougher case. Mainstream medicine still hasn’t grasped this fact. They are throwing the mono-therapy of doxycycline at this which is a joke when you stop and ponder it.  While doxy is a great front-line drug, it will not touch Babesia in 1,000 years – nor parasitic worms for instance.
  2. Past pathogen exposure. Similarly to vaccines being able to reactivate latent infections, tick/insect bites are nature’s dirty needle and can also potentially activate latent infections be they bacterial or viral. Again, mainstream medicine has its head in the sand.
  3. Chronically infected patients do not follow a predictable course. Mainstream medicine still believes that Bartonella (Cat Scratch Fever) is a simple disease that only affects those with compromised immune systems – specifically HIV.  They also believe that in most people it is easily cured.  My experience as a Lyme/MSIDS patient and advocate that it is even more persistent than Lyme disease – the pathogen that gets all the news coverage.
  4. There is the issue of persistent symptoms.  While research has shown that host response is to blame for some patients, the issue of persistence of the organism still has not been fully embraced and accepted.  For a great read on this: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/02/25/medical-stalemate-what-causes-continuing-symptoms-after-lyme-treatment/  There are over 700-peer reviewed research articles showing persistence that somehow isn’t being reviewed by most doctors: Peer-Reviewed Evidence of Persistence of Lyme:MSIDS copy
  5. The general health of the patient is important. This is true of all disease but particularly with tick-borne illness as this monster goes everywhere in the human body causing havoc.  I’ll never forget Dr. Burrascano’s words regarding Lyme/MSIDS patients, “Now is the time for pristine health habits.” Truer words were never spoken.

 

Category:

Bartonella, Inflammation, Lyme, research

Why Mindset Matters in Healing Lyme Disease

One Hour 15 Min

Why Mindset Matters in Healing Lyme Disease

Dr. Ingels and Dr. Moorcroft

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**Comment**

I always appreciate talks that help patients rethink this complex illness.  I would caution the reader; however, that this is NOT a “mind over matter” disease.  This is a serious, serious complex illness that requires much more than positive thinking.  It requires a savvy, educated, experienced treatment plan that includes antimicrobials, detoxification methods, supportive elements to replace whatever you are deficient in, things that help with pain, sleep, and very possibly mental health help.

When you become infected with Lyme/MSIDS, you’ve hit the jackpot of diseases that often can affect nearly every system within the body.  And, on top of this, every single patient presents differently and has different issues that require attention, and patients respond differently.  Talk about a quagmire!

That said, our attitude is important.

I must confess at this juncture that I went through the stages of grief when I became infected and it probably wouldn’t hurt reading about them:  https://grief.com/the-five-stages-of-grief/

In short they are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.  Kessler’s written a book on the 6th stage called “finding meaning.”  Without reading the book, I can say that sounds reasonable to me.

I will that depression for me went hand in hand with how I felt physically.  If I was herxing particularly bad, I was almost always depressed.  It’s pretty hard to feel cheery when you feel lousy physically.  If you are depressed, try and track everything around it and determine when you are depressed.  Also, I felt worse mentally when I was in a lot of pain.  Lyme/MSIDS can cause pain unimaginable.  The next issue that affects mental status is whether or not you are getting good sleep. Insomnia is a hallmark symptom with Lyme/MSIDS.

Another issue issue is that these pathogens can actually cause the mental health issue.  For instance, my husband all of a sudden developed horrible anxiety.  This is Bartonella. When he went on effective Bartonella treatment, that anxiety went away.  Not too long ago, a report came out about a young boy who developed schizophrenia-like symptoms who was also found to have Bartonella. Lyme can cause depression, post traumatic stress disorder, rage, depersonalization, forgetfulness, and a host of mental health issues. Often, it can be the inflammation these pathogens cause in our brains that can be addressed along with antimicrobials to effectively help patients through those rough patches. For more on psychiatric symptoms: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2015/10/18/psychiatric-lymemsids/

As you can see, patients have very good reasons for having mental health issues!

Another problem is that mainstream medicine doesn’t accept and acknowledge these issues. This isolates patients because family and friends tend to believe mainstream medicine. So now you have a horribly sick person in a corner all alone. It’s quite easy to see why patients suffer mentally.

But, herein lies the answer: continue to fight! Don’t quit!  If you have issues affecting your mental outlook, find answers to them.  Go to support group, read on your own, ask your doctor and those who have had success and be willing to try things. (Word of warning: you can spend a lot of money trying things. Make sure you do your homework first to determine if it shows good promise.  But as our grannies used to say, “Necessity is the mother of invention!”)

In short, learn from the bulldog.  Bulldogs fight by latching onto their enemy’s neck and not letting go.  This tiny dog wins by literally hanging on!  And so, we must develop this bull-dog mentality of not letting go.  Don’t get me wrong – there will be days you are completely deflated and broken.  Very normal.  Just don’t stay there!

I have found many things I never even knew existed before becoming sick that can help all of the issues mentioned in this article. Sharing this information gives me great joy as my goal is to see people improve.  If I can be a part of that – well, it probably fits in that 6th stage of grief that Kessler calls “finding meaning.”  If I can help others on the pot-holed journey, there is meaning to mine and there is mutual benefit.

Looking back – two things really helped me: 1) Knowing I could get better.  I contacted a person who had gotten better.  True to form, this person got right back to me and encouraged me that YES, in fact, I could get better. What that means is different for everyone – but I didn’t have to stay where I was.  Effective treatment could get me to a place I wanted to live again, and sure enough, that person was spot on.  I’m not saying it was easy.  I’m not even saying everyone will get back to where they were before they became infected, but I am saying you can achieve a place where you look forward to life again.  That was good enough for me.  2) This same person told me, “Don’t be depressed about being depressed.”  In other words, accept that you are going to have bad days and don’t feel badly about it.  This allowed me to let myself off the hook and accept those dark days of depression where death actually seemed appealing.  During these dark times, take particularly good care of yourself.  Do things that lift you up and encourage you.  Put on music that inspires you or read a book or watch a movie with a particularly inspiring message. Remind yourself of the things you are thankful for.  There’s an old song: “Count your blessings name them one by one,” that would remind me that even though I was horribly sick, I still had much to be grateful for. And lastly, get help from a mental health professional if you need it.  Don’t feel guilty about this either.  This may be just the thing that changes your course.  I encourage you; however, to get a referral to a professional who is at least “Lyme friendly,” so they won’t make matters worse by bullying or gas lighting you.  Unfortunately, abuse has occurred at the hands of ignorant mental health professionals.

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Psychological Aspects