Archive for the ‘research’ Category

Suicidal & Homicidal Lyme Concerns Podcast

https://danielcameronmd.com/suicidal-and-homicidal-lyme-concerns/

SUICIDAL AND HOMICIDAL LYME CONCERNS

Suicidal and homicidal Lyme concerns

Welcome to another selection from my book “An Expert’s Guide on Navigating Lyme disease.” The books highlights the findings of my first 600 Lyme disease Science blogs.  In this episode, I will discuss suicidal and homicidal concerns in Lyme disease patients.

By 

Dr. Robert Bransfield from Rutgers-Robert Woods Johnson Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, has described suicidal and homicidal concerns in patients with Lyme and related tick-borne illnesses in his private practice. Likewise, in my practice I have seen patients with suicidal thinking.

SUICIDAL AND HOMICIDAL BEHAVIORS IN LYME DISEASE.

Dr. Robert Bransfield reports observing suicidal and homicidal behaviors in patients with Lyme and related tick-borne illnesses. Out of 253 patients, he found:

43% were suicidal; 32% were suicidal but not homicidal; 11% were both suicidal and homicidal. No patient was homicidal without also being suicidal. 25% had explosive anger but were not homicidal or suicidal. 10% had pre-existing depression. 97% reported depression after infection. Patients were ill an average of 8.4 years before being diagnosed and treated. Read more.

“Further disease progression contributed to him feeling desperate as a result of multiple late-stage symptoms.”

THREE PSYCHIATRISTS SHARE SUICIDAL AND HOMICIDAL CASES.

Three psychiatrists share published case reports supporting Bransfield’s concerns (Munir et al., 2017). “A 44-year-old male without any past psychiatric history presented with a third unsuccessful suicide attempt and was later diagnosed as having a Borrelia infection” (Bransfield, 2017). One month of medical therapy with intravenous ceftriaxone improved his mental status and resolution of suicidal ideation (Banerjee 2013).

Fallon described two cases in a 1995 paper. “I treated both of these patients, and in addition, I have been able to follow the status of Patient B over a span of 30 years. This patient was highly suicidal, had horrific intrusive images of killing others, and had violent impulses, which were eliminated with treatment. Patient A was also suicidal, violent, and physically assaultive to her son. Combined antibiotic and psychotropic treatment helped both patients.” Read more.

HOMICIDE, TWO ASSAULTS, AND SUICIDE IN LYME DISEASE PATIENT

An article entitled “A Fatal Case of Late Stage Lyme Borreliosis and Substance Abuse,” describes a patient exhibiting aggressiveness, violence, and homicidality. Like many Lyme disease patients, the man experienced a delay in diagnosis and treatment. (One study reports that subjects enrolling in a trial of Lyme encephalopathy were ill an average of two years before being diagnosed.)

The patient’s Lyme disease symptoms progressed. “Further disease progression contributed to him feeling desperate as a result of multiple late-stage symptoms,” wrote Bransfield et al.  According to Fallon et al., the number of Lyme disease patients who feel desperate is not clear.

Based on more than 30 years of experience treating Lyme disease patients, Dr. Bransfield previously described a wide range of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Lyme disease patients. “… neuropsychiatric symptoms, usually presenting with significant comorbidity which may include developmental disorders, autism spectrum disorders, schizoaffective disorders, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety disorders (panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, intrusive symptoms), eating disorders, decreased libido, sleep disorders, addiction, opioid addiction, cognitive impairments, dementia, seizure disorders, suicide, violence, anhedonia, depersonalization, dissociative episodes, derealization and other impairments.”

“A 44-year-old male without any past psychiatric history presented with a third unsuccessful suicide attempt and was later diagnosed as having a Borrelia infection.”

The patient’s condition worsened.  “The pathophysiological effects of the infection resulted in an increased number and severity of multisystem symptoms, disability, and substance abuse,” the authors wrote. “He experimented with multiple substances in an effort for relief.”

The authors added, “During acute deterioration of his mental state from phencyclidine withdrawal, NMDA agonism increased, he committed a homicide, two assaults, and suicide.”

In an earlier study, Dr. Bransfield described substance abuse, cannabis use, and intoxication in Lyme disease patients.

Bransfield and colleagues advised prompt diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease to help prevent addictive disorders, substance abuse, and death.

“More effective diagnosis and treatment and attention to substance abuse potential in these patients may help prevent some cases of addictive disorders, substance abuse, and death.” Read more.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States. Anyone with the following concerns can call, text, or chat 988:

  • Mental health-related distress.
  • Thoughts of suicide.
  • Substance use crisis.
  • Emotional distress.
  • There are specialized services available for veterans, LGBTQ individuals and other groups.
  • People who are worried about a loved one who may need support also can call.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available by simply dialing 988, is a 24-hour, toll-free, confidential suicide prevention helpline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. When someone calls the helpline, his or her call is routed to the nearest crisis center. The Lifeline’s national network, consisting of more than 250 local crisis centers, provides crisis counseling and mental health referrals day and night.
Related Articles:

Mental health in COVID-19 and Lyme disease patients

Lyme disease and depression

Lyme disease patients at risk for suicide

Category:

Lyme, Psychological Aspects, research

The Lyme Puzzle: Interview With Professor Nicole Baumgarth

https://podcast.tickbootcamp.com/episode/8bc4afa1/the-lyme-puzzle-an-interview-with-professor-nicole-baumgarth

Episode 364: The Lyme Puzzle – an interview with Professor Nicole Baumgarth

July, 2023

Introduction

  • In this episode of Tick Boot Camp, our hosts Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen had the opportunity to talk with the remarkable Professor Nicole Baumgarth, director of the Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Institute at Johns Hopkins University. Baumgarth brings a unique interdisciplinary background in veterinary medicine, immunology, microbiology, and pathology offering fresh insights into the complex world of Lyme disease and tick-borne illnesses.

Lyme Disease Research

  • Baumgarth and her team are investigating why we don’t mount an effective adaptive immune response to Lyme as we do with influenza (the flu).
  • She reveals their interesting finding about how Borrelia may alter the host’s gut microbiome to enhance its survival.
  • Baumgarth and her team are currently investigating why macrophages, immune cells that gobble up pathogens outside of our cells, don’t eat up Lyme bacteria as they do with other bacteria and viruses.
  • They are also investigating the impact Lyme has on obliterating our lymph nodes, which are critical agents in receiving signals from our body and mounting a specified immune response with targeted B cells and T cells against things like Lyme disease, as well as deploying long term memory immune cells and plasma cells which would give us long-term immunity to Lyme.
  • The Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Institute is focusing on investigating why mice get infected with Lyme, the infection persists, yet they never get sick from the infection.
  • If the team can identify human immune system deficits causing any of the above, they could identify immune therapies to overcome these shortcomings and treat all stages of Lyme disease.
  • Baumgarth and her team are also looking into the impact of tick-borne co-infections. They argue that it’s critical to study these diseases together rather than in isolation.

Autoimmune Responses and Lyme Disease

  • Professor Baumgarth suggests that Lyme disease may cause an autoimmune response, which can be particularly concerning for those with genetic predispositions to autoimmunity.
  • She cites several studies, both in the human model and mouse model, proving that Lyme disease creates an unnecessary increase in other antibodies from our immune system that aren’t Lyme-related, resulting in an autoimmunity phenomenon, increased inflammation, and potential immune system burnout.

Understanding Lyme Disease: A Veterinary Perspective

  • Professor Baumgarth’s veterinary background has allowed her to approach Lyme disease from a macro perspective. She emphasizes that Lyme, being a zoonotic disease, is fundamentally an infection that moves from animals to humans.
  • Lyme disease is often a natural infection in animals such as small rodents and birds, where ticks can bite them and transmit the disease.

Investigating the Human Immune Response to Lyme Disease

  • Our hosts discuss how humans’ immune responses to Lyme vary significantly. Some people are bitten by ticks multiple times without falling ill, while others suffer from chronic Lyme after just one bite.
  • This discrepancy might be due to factors such as genetic predispositions, environmental stresses, or an individual’s microbial load.

The Complexity of Eradicating Lyme

  • Eliminating Lyme is not as simple as wiping out a certain animal species, as the bacteria Borrelia can infect a variety of different rodents and even birds.
  • Borrelia is a complex bacterium that replicates slowly and requires a tick to infect a host. It’s constantly evolving and it’s not a simple task to eradicate Lyme from our ecology.

The Role of Antibiotics and Their Impact

  • Despite their potential long-term impact on our immune response, antibiotics are currently the most common form of treatment as soon as Lyme disease is diagnosed. Professor Baumgarth emphasizes a variety of risks when using antibiotics to treat Lyme disease.
  • While antibiotics can help in the short term, their effect on our long-term immunity to future infections is still unclear and Professor Baumgarth strongly warns against prolonged use of antibiotics.

Final Thoughts

  • Baumgarth is hopeful about the future of Lyme disease research. Despite the challenges and controversies, she believes that continued progress is possible with dedicated research and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Episode Wrap-up

  • Professor Nicole Baumgarth’s interview provides an enlightening look into the intricate world of Lyme disease and its complex interaction with our immune system. Her unique veterinary perspective coupled with her background in immunology, microbiology, and pathology as well as her research findings shed light on the challenges we face and offer hope for future breakthroughs in the fight against Lyme and tick-borne diseases.

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**Comment**

My husband and I probably would not be on planet earth without long-term antibiotics so I’m glad this researcher didn’t treat us.  She’s just touting the safe narrative that is expected of academics working in research institutions that get their bread and butter from government grants with many strings attached, controlled by agencies that are completely corrupt.

Nobody denies the risk of prolonged use of antibiotics; however, Lyme/MSIDS can kill you in a myriad of ways.  This never seems to be discussed in the same sentence as prolonged antibiotics.  We would all love a safe, effective, affordable treatment.  Why aren’t researchers looking into this?  I’ll answer you: there’s no money in it, and it doesn’t fit with their narrative for a lucrative cash cow in a Lyme “vaccine.”  

It’s easy to be an arm-chair quarterback when it isn’t your neck on the chopping block.  All I can say is, whatever your opinions are about antibiotics before contracting Lyme/MSIDS, I guarantee they will change as you trod this pot-holed riddled, devastating path.  I hadn’t used antibiotics for 20 years before becoming infected.  I would use ANYTHING but antibiotics.  After I got infected I literally bathed in them for years.  I’m not proud of this, but they worked for both my husband and I, and many others.

It takes savvy to treat this complex illness and while anti-microbials are a MUST, there are many other important treatments required.  Please see the first link below for many treatments that experienced LLMDs have used with success.

For more:

Category:

Lyme, research, Treatment

The Great COVID Charade: Biden Suspends Funding to Wuhan Lab As Secret Chinese-Linked Lab Discovered in CA: 20 Infectious Agents Found Including COVID & Malaria

https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/the-great-sars-cov-2-charade?

The Great SARS-CoV-2 Charade

The U.S. government continues to ignore the crucial role of American scientists, institutions, and companies in creating the virus that causes COVID-19.

PETER MCCULLOUGH, MD
MAY 21, 2023

By JOHN LEAKE

Author’s Note: The following is Chapter 1 in a four-part series about the true origin of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19 illness. Chapters 2 and 3 have already been posted (see links below). Chapter 4: Ending the Great Charade/ A New Path to Truth & Justice, remains a work in progress.

Chapter 1: Background and Context

Chapter 2: Events Between 2015 and 2020

Chapter 3: Catastrophe, Coverup, and the Great Charade.

(See link for article)

________________

Go here to watch a brief blast from the past clip on why we can not trust anything this man says.

https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/biden-admin-suspends-funding-to-wuhan

Biden Admin. Suspends Funding to Wuhan Lab

The Great SARS-CoV-2 Charade quietly winds down.

JUL 19, 2023

By JOHN LEAK

Excerpt:

This morning a friend sent me a brief, rather muted report that was just published in the New York Times about the Biden Administration’s suspension of funding to the Wuhan Lab. I wasn’t surprised to see this, as it is consistent with how I suspect the U.S. government is going to handle the disaster—that is, take quiet steps to distance itself from the scientists who created the biotechnology, and from the Chinese laboratory that used and augmented it to create SARS-CoV-2.

The U.S. agencies that supported the development of the biotechnology—most notably USAID and the NIH—want the story to go away. Other institutions and people who participated in the cover-up—who insisted that the Lab Leak Hypothesis was a wild conspiracy theory—also want this story to go away.  (See link for article)

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https://www.theblaze.com/news/secret-biotech-lab-california-covid

Secret Chinese-linked biotech lab uncovered in California with nearly 1,000 mice, 20 potentially infectious agents, COVID tests, and human blood

July 29, 2023
PAUL SACCA

Following a months-long investigation, local and federal officials uncovered a secret biotech lab with nearly 1,000 mice and 20 potentially infectious agents, according to authorities.

Fresno County authorities discovered an “unlicensed laboratory” inside a warehouse in Reedley, California. The secret lab was owned by Prestige BioTech – a company registered in Las Vegas, Nevada. Prestige BioTech claimed it moved assets to the warehouse from the now-defunct Universal Meditech Inc.

On March 3, a code enforcement officer reportedly noticed a garden hose attached and coming out of a wall in the back of the warehouse.

Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba told KSEE, “Frankly, we knew that should not have been there and when she went to investigate, she found that there was activity or operation or something happening within that building.”

The Fresno County Public Health Department obtained search warrants and made the shocking discovery on March 16.

“Certain rooms of the warehouse were found to contain several vessels of liquid and various apparatus,” court documents stated. “Fresno County Public Health staff also observed blood, tissue and other bodily fluid samples and serums; and thousands of vials of unlabeled fluids and suspected biological material.”

(See link for article)

___________________

**Comment**

Why send money overseas when you can just send it down the street via U.S.P.S.?

According to Fresno County authorities, they found hundreds of mice bioengineered “to catch and carry the COVID-19 virus.”

Go here for Dr. Judy Mikovitz’s explanation of this mysterious lab. She first gives a history of her own take down by Dr. Fauci for discovering a mouse retrovirus in vaccines that cause chronic illness.  Dr. Mikovits says the company behind the biolab is not Chinese. The fact the lab is located next to a U.S. military base is nothing new and that the samples in the lab came from Reno, Nevada.

The FBI likely raided the lab to cover up and control the narrative.

A few points:

  • The medical industrial complex knows the public is now watching their every move and no longer trusts them.
  • Tony Fauci knew the blood supply was contaminated but called it “chronic lyme disease” instead.
  • Forces within the American government are responsible for biolabs located across the nation.
  • The biolab in Fresno was storing the cell lines that had been isolated from people with diseases like cancer and autism.
  • American taxpayer dollars have been used to create pathogens that have been released onto the public.
  • This was done to make the public life long customers of Big Pharma.

Another important point here is the discovery of malaria.  Please go here to learn how Spanish researchers point out that interstitial pneumonia & Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) are not causing the death of COVID patients, which proves why ventilators have killed up to 70% of patients. These patients are really suffering from disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) – a medical term for blood clotting causing a lack of oxygen.  The mRNA shots have also caused thrombocytopenia and microscopic blood clots that will build over time and explain the frightening clots embalmers are finding in the deceased who were “vaccinated,” as well as all the cases of myocarditis.

Guess what else causes hypercoagulation/thrombosis/blood clotting?  Yep.  Malaria.

This is why things like HCQ, zinc, aspirin, ivermectin, and azithromycin work.

Lyme/MSIDS patients, please take note here: Lyme and numerous coinfections can also also cause thrombosis, and Babesia is a cousin to malaria.

A criminal investigation by federal agents is ongoing.

Well, that makes me feel worlds better.

I’m sure the wolf will find the hen-house in perfect order.

Category:

Activism, research, Viruses

2 Insects, 2 Bites, 1 Patient: A Lyme Disease & Jamestown Canyon Co-infection

https://www.cureus.com/articles/161559-two-insects-two-bites-one-patient-a-lyme-disease-and-jamestown-canyon-co-infection#!/

Two Insects, Two Bites, One Patient: A Lyme Disease and Jamestown Canyon Co-infection

Nicholas S. Weiler • Eric Niendorf • Igor Dumic

Published: June 10, 2023

DOI: 10.7759/cureus.40222

Peer-Reviewed

Cite this article as: Weiler N S, Niendorf E, Dumic I (June 10, 2023) Two Insects, Two Bites, One Patient: A Lyme Disease and Jamestown Canyon Co-infection. Cureus 15(6): e40222. doi:10.7759/cureus.40222

Abstract

Lyme disease (LD) is the most common tick-borne illness across the United States, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and transmitted to humans by the bite of infected Ixodes ticks. Jamestown Canyon Virus (JCV) is an emerging mosquito-borne pathogen found mostly in the upper Midwest and Northeastern United States. Co-infection between these two pathogens has not been previously reported since it would require the host to be bitten by the two infected vectors at the same time. We report a 36-year-old man who presented with erythema migrans and meningitis. While erythema migrans is a pathognomonic sign of early localized Lyme disease, Lyme meningitis does not occur in this stage but in the early disseminated stage. Furthermore, CSF tests were not supportive of neuroborreliosis, and the patient was ultimately diagnosed with JCV meningitis. We review JCV infection, LD, and this first reported co-infection to illustrate the complex interaction between different vectors and pathogens and to emphasize the importance of considering co-infection in people who live in vector-endemic areas.

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For more:

Category:

Lyme, mosquitoes, research, Testing, Ticks, Viruses

Documentary: Why Am I Still Sick? The Silent Role of Biofilm “Culturing Methods Detect Less Than 5% of all Known Bacteria”

http://  1 hour 30 min

The Silent Role of Biofilm in Chronic Disease

This film explores bacterial biofilm infections and how they cause debilitating illnesses for tens of millions of Americans. People with “sub-clinical infections” suffer for months, years or even decades; others will lose life or limb because of the failure to treat chronic wounds or hospital acquired infections. More than 550,000 patients lose their lives annually because of hospital infections and twice that number will acquire sepsis. The majority of hospital infections involve bacterial biofilms and affect every area of specialized medicine and every part of the human body.

Paradoxically, the applications of biofilm eradication methods are slow to propagate into the many silos of western medicine. With patients and doctors in the dark about what is truly causing chronic diseases, millions of people remain undiagnosed and are denied effective treatments for their medical problems.

This ground-breaking documentary explores a new disease model on a scientific and human level. This film leverages interviews from top clinical experts with patients affected by bacterial biofilms to reach as wide an audience as possible. By breaking down complex topics of biofilm infections to a human level, showing staggering statistics, and using high quality animations, the message becomes accessible, compelling and obvious: biofilm infections are a gargantuan problem that has been overlooked by American society, and we as a nation are paying a terrible price.

However, with the advent of new molecular diagnostics, and a new way to understanding disease, Americans can effectively catalyze credible healthcare change by sharing this information that helps eliminate needless suffering, save lives and reduce the costs of health care.

Why Am I Still Sick? https://whyamistillsick.com/

Please donate to our foundation: https://www.adrsupport.org/donations/

John G. Thomas, MS, Ph.D. International Educator and Global Microbiologist Professor, WVU Dept. of Pathology, School of Medicine Clinical Professor, WVU Dept. of Periodontics, School of Dentistry Director(s) WVU High Complexity Laboratory & Biofilm Research Laboratory for Translational Studies

J. William Costerton, Ph.D. “The Father of Biofilms” Director, Microbial Research, Department of Orthopedics, Allegheny General Hospital Director, Biofilm Research, Center for Genomic Sciences, Allegheny-Singer Research Institute

Dr. Randy Wolcott, MD CWS Medical Director, Southwest Regional Woundcare Center Founder, Pathogenius Laboratories Timothy K. Lu, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor Synthetic Biology Group MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science MIT Synthetic Biology Center

Wilmore C. Webley, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Microbiology University of Massachusetts Amherst

Vincent A. Fischetti, Ph.D. Professor and Chairman Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Immunology The Rockefeller University

Michael Wilson, GRSC, MSc, PhD, DSc, FRCPath Professor of Microbiology Eastman Dental Institute, University College London

David C. Kennedy, DDS Past President International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology

Doyle Williams, DDS Chief Dental Officer Delta Dental of Massachusetts

Eva Sapi Ph.D. Associate Professor and University Research Scholar Director of Lyme Disease Program Department of Biology and Environmental Science University of New Haven

Rodney M. Donlan, Ph.D. Research Microbiologist Biofilm Laboratory Clinical and Environmental Microbiology Branch Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

L. Clifford McDonald, MD Senior Advisor for Science and Integrity Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH, FACE Oral Healthcare Expert Founding Member American Academy of Oral Systemic Health

Trisha E. O’Hehir, RDH, MS Editorial Director of Hygienetown Magazine President of Perio Reports Press

Nicolas G. Loebel, Ph.D. Chief Technology Officer & President Ondine Biomedical Inc.

Kris Koss, D.V.M. Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Carlene Patterson, D.V.M. Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Sheep Meadow Animal Hospital Thomas Webster, Ph.D. Associate Professor Division of Engineering and Orthopedic Surgery Director of Nanomedicine Laboratory Brown University

Carolyn Cross Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ondine Biomedical, Inc.

Steve Holland, MD Chief, Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases Chief, Immunopathogenesis Section National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Garth D. Ehrlich, Ph.D. Executive Director, Center for Genomic Sciences Allegheny-Singer Research Institute

John P. Kennedy, R. Ph., Ph.D Assistant Professor South University, School of Pharmacy Savannah, Georgia

Dr. “Lon” H. Jones, D.O Retired Osteopathic Family Physician Founder, Xlear, Inc. Author, No More Allergies, Asthma or Sinus Infections Tom Masterson Operations Manager Ondine Biomedical, Inc.

Scot E Dowd, Ph.D. Molecular Microbiologist & Microbial Geneticist Molecular Research LP

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For more:

Category:

Activism, Biofilm, research, Testing