POTS Patients With Brain Fog Have Neurocognitive Deficits

July 31, 2020

https://danielcameronmd.com/pots-brain-fog/

POTS PATIENTS WITH BRAIN FOG HAVE NEUROCOGNITIVE DEFICITS

Patient with POTS and brain fog writing on hand "don't forget"

Individuals with POTS, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, often complain of cognitive problems, like the inability to focus, difficulty concentrating and forgetfulness. These cognitive symptoms are often referred to as “brain fog” and are commonly seen in POTS patients and other illnesses, including Lyme disease.

By

 

A recent study by Wells and colleagues ¹ confirms findings from previous studies which demonstrated that POTS patients with brain fog have impaired short-term memory and diminished alertness.

POTS is characterized by a substantial increase in heart rate and sometimes a drop in blood pressure when the individual stands up. This can cause lightheadedness, heart palpitations and in some cases, a loss of consciousness.

The authors measured short-term memory problems and alertness in 11 POTS patients with brain fog using neurocognitive testing and compared them with 8 healthy controls.

They found that “POTS patients demonstrated significantly longer latency in delayed match to sample response time and greater errors in attention switching task.”

While previous studies have shown neurocognitive deficits in POTS patients with evidence of impaired cerebral blood flow, Wells and colleagues report that such deficits can occur in patients with POTS “even in the absence of impaired cerebral blood flow.”

Editor’s note: I have seen individuals with Lyme disease who suffer from “brain fog” and POTS. I would appreciate a study to determine how often brain fog occurs in Lyme disease patients presenting with POTS.

Related Articles:

POTS: An autonomic dysfunction in Lyme disease patients

What exactly is POTS: postural tachycardia syndrome?

Could POTS and Lyme disease patients suffer impaired cognitive function when standing?

References:
  1. Wells R, Paterson F, Bacchi S, Page A, Baumert M, Lau DH. Brain fog in postural tachycardia syndrome: An objective cerebral blood flow and neurocognitive analysis. J Arrhythm. 2020;36(3):549-552.

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**Comment**

Great example of how Dr. Fauci’s “Big Science” has continued to fail Lyme/MSIDS patients.  We either don’t have any studies OR we have studies that are rigged for a predetermined outcome.  They utilize flawed testing and severely narrow entrance criteria leaving out the sickest patients.

The “Eye or Mordor” has swung to COVID, meanwhile people are still becoming infected with tick-borne illnesess that will be misdiagnosed or undiagnosed.  Even IF they manage to test positive, they will be treated with the unscientific and antiquated mono therapy of 21 days of doxycycline – no matter what their symptoms are and if they are coinfected with other pathogens.

Lyme/MSIDS patients, after 40 years, continue to be caught in a Catch-22.

For more on POTS:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/09/17/the-lyme-pots-connection-what-you-should-know/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/02/07/qbs-wife-has-lyme/

 

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Overcoming Lyme Disease GI Issues

July 30, 2020

https://globallymealliance.org/overcoming-lyme-disease-gi-issues-with-kate-farms/

by Christina Kovacs

PATIENTS WHO HAVE LATE DISSEMINATED (POST-TREATMENT, CHRONIC, OR NEUROLOGICAL) LYME ARE USUALLY TOLD TO REDUCE FOODS THAT CAUSE INFLAMMATION OR SENSITIVITY. THIS MEANS ELIMINATING GLUTEN, SOY, AND DAIRY.

Lyme Disease is known as ‘The Great Imitator’ because it has the unique ability to create a range of body-wide symptoms—muscular, neurological and endocrine among them—which can appear to indicate other diseases. This is why Lyme is so difficult to diagnose.

My Lyme disease symptoms first showed up as GI issues that hit me hard. I went from a thriving full-time college student to someone who spent half of her nights on the bathroom floor in a ball of pain. My stomach pains would continue to plague me for years as more mysterious aches and pains piled one on top of the other.

Before finding Kate Farms, my medical journey had many low points. In the fall of 2010, my weight plummeted to 85 pounds. I was too nauseous, too exhausted, and in too much pain to eat much of anything. I spent the next several months force-feeding myself enough to stay out of the danger zone, but the talk of hospitalization constantly followed me around.

Force-feeding was a short-term solution as my weight dropped again, this time to 88 pounds, in the spring of 2012. At this point, I was bed-bound and too weak to start treatment for my now diagnosed neurological Lyme disease. From that point on I would yo-yo between being in a scary low weight zone to just barely managing to pull myself into the low 90-pound range in order to survive. This continued for years. I began to fear the worst.

In late 2016, I was dealt another blow when my GI issues ramped up ten-fold. I had never felt pain like that in my life. Lyme disease is known to cause such dysfunction of the immune system that it often leads to secondary autoimmune illnesses. In my case, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and I had to live on a liquid diet. The trouble, though, was that I had so many food allergies and sensitivities that regular store-bought meal replacement shakes were not suitable for my needs.

I tried to make shakes at home from scratch, but they couldn’t supply the calories nor the nutrition that was needed to survive. This was the make-or-break moment when I knew that I wouldn’t make it unless I found a long-term solution, so I tirelessly searched the Internet for help. Finally, after four months of living on air, essentially, I found Kate Farms shakes, and they changed my life.

Kate Farms formulas are plant-based, so they’re made without common allergens. Moreover, they are organic, nutritionally complete, and easily digestible. The Peptide 1.5 sole-source nutrition formula gave me 500 calories per 325 milliliters, and it saved me. I lived solely on Kate Farms shakes for months while I pulled myself out of the depths of that initial Crohn’s flare. For the first time in more than seven years, I was able to hit a weight over 100 pounds and maintain it. Not only did these shakes give me the calories I desperately needed, but also renewed my energy as my body drank up the nutrition it had been lacking for so long.

Since 2017 Kate Farms has been a part of my daily life. During times when GI issues flare-up, I live solely on the shakes, but even when I can eat solid food, I still drink at least one Kate Farms shake a day because they taste great and are great for my health. I wish I knew about Kate Farms sooner and I hope that my story can lead others, just like me, in the right direction.

For a limited time, Kate Farms, in partnership with Global Lyme Alliance (GLA), is offering a special promotion. To receive a discount of 20% off your first order of any Kate Farms products, use coupon code KATEFARMS20. For every order, Kate Farms will donate 10% of sales to GLA. This offer expires on 9/16/20.

About Kate Farms:

Kate Farms was founded in 2011 when a little girl named Kate Laver was failing to thrive because she couldn’t tolerate any of the available tube feeding formulas. Her determined parents had the transformative idea to develop a better formula using the highest-quality, organic, plant-based ingredients without the synthetic ingredients and common allergens—including soy, dairy, and corn—found in traditional formulas. Today Kate is a thriving teenager and her parents and healthcare professionals are driving a movement that says tolerance is no longer the acceptable measure of effectiveness in medical nutrition.

Covered by Medicare, Medicaid, more than 2,000 private insurance plans and a growing number of WIC plans, Kate Farms is made of easily digestible pea protein, prebiotics from organic agave inulin, and a clinically effective phytonutrient blend that delivers antioxidants. Kate Farms flows easily through a feeding tube but can also be taken orally because of its great taste. Kate Farms is on formulary with many of leading children’s and adult hospital systems across the country.

*In order to advance our mission, GLA occasionally partners with brands to develop mutually-beneficial fundraising campaigns, co-branded merchandise and partnerships/sponsorships that bring the Lyme community together for the purpose of having a greater impact in the fight against Lyme disease. If you are interested in becoming a brand partner or sponsor, please email: marketing@gla.org

Opinions expressed by contributors are their own.

Christina Kovacs is an advocate and writer who runs the blog Lady of Lyme. You can find her @Ladyoflyme on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook.

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**Comment**

GI issues can be horrific – as presented here.  Interestingly, Bartonella is often a culprit and specific treatment will help or eliminate it altogether.  Often people blame the antibiotics/antimicrobials for GI issues when it’s the pathogen causing the problem.  The challenge is keeping the treatment down – which is sometimes where IV antibiotics can be helpful.  Unfortunately, ‘authorities’ have come down hard on this treatment stating it is risky, but like any other treatment/drug, risk vs benefit must be weighed.  For a great read on this:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/06/23/no-bias-in-mmwr-for-any-other-infectious-disease-requiring-iv-antibiotics-except-for-lyme/

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diet and nutrition, Lyme

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Bartonella Causing Encephalitis

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32675979/

. 2020 Apr 24;33(3):440-441.

doi: 10.1080/08998280.2020.1756141. eCollection 2020 Jul.

Cat scratch disease causing encephalitis

Jerry Fan 1, Hameed Ali 1

Free PMC article

Abstract

Cat scratch disease is often a benign infection caused by Bartonella henselae, which is transmitted from scratches or bites from kittens. Presentations can vary from localized lymphadenopathy to neurologic manifestations. We present a case of a 22-year-old man with a 3-week history of an enlarged inguinal lymph node who presented with status epilepticus.

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**Comment**

Unfortunately, many still consider Bartonella “benign” when for many it is extremely severe and tenacious.  I would consider it as bad if not worse than Lyme in many respects.  Many also do not have lymph node involvement. Some patient’s only manifestation is psychological.

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/category/bartonella-treatment/  There is a checklist within this link of symptoms.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/05/05/good-news-for-bartonella-patients-identification-of-fda-approved-drugs-with-higher-activity-than-current-front-line-drugs/  My husband and I use Berberine for Bartonella maintenance successfully.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/24/human-bartonellosis-an-underappreciated-public-health-problem/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/07/16/5-questions-to-discuss-with-your-physician-when-bartonellosis-is-suspected/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/02/27/advanced-imaging-found-bartonella-around-pic-line/

 

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Bartonella, research

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Breaking Down COVID-19 & Face Masks Do Not Work

 Approx. 18 min.  July 6, 2020

Breaking Down Covid-19 by Dr. Victory

Dr. Victory is a straight-shooter who lays it all out simply without fanfare or politics.  Listen if you want to be encouraged and led away from the fear you are constantly being given by mainstream media and ‘authorities’.

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/05/22/new-study-hcq-zinc-greatly-reduces-covid-19-health-risk/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/06/26/math-protocol-shows-profound-impact-on-survival-from-covid-19/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/06/15/the-functional-medicine-approach-to-covid-19-virus-specific-nutraceutical-botanical-agents/

Then for an audio-version of things I’ve posted already on the ineffectiveness of face-masks, Dr. Popper goes through the research in this video:

http://

Approx. 14 Min.

July 30, 2020

Besides going over the research stating masks do not work, she also hits on the over-the-top disinfecting going on.  I’ve witnessed this first hand at various stores who grab the cart from you with complete fear in their eyes as if you’ve just wiped it down with the Bubonic Plague.  Popper cites studies on the CDC website, particularly one that shows passive contact with bleach (what they are wiping the carts down with) was associated with a major increase in self-reported influenza.  

Most importantly she states that in a second round of aid hospitals will be paid, under the Cares Act, $50,000 per eligible COVID patient admission – showing hospitals have a financial incentive (conflict of interest) to diagnose people with COVID, similarly to the financial incentives given here:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/04/11/hospitals-paid-extra-to-list-patients-as-covid19-3x-as-much-if-the-patient-is-on-a-ventilator/  Hospitals, BTW, are hurting financially due to the fact they are mainly empty and have cut out many services due to COVID.  Dr. Jensen, the senator who revealed this, is now under fire from the state medical board:  https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/dr-scott-jensen-says-hes-being-investigated-by-medical-board-for-spreading-covid-19-misinformation

I just learned the great news that the investigation has been dropped:  https://www.swnewsmedia.com/chaska_herald/news/local/sen-scott-jensen-says-medical-board-dismisses-investigation/article

Excerpt:

The press release said on July 27, the board “completed a thorough investigation and dismissed the allegations,” according to Jensen.

“We are all entitled to our own reasoning. In a nation built on free speech, this right must be protected,” he said in the release. “I was forced to respond to allegations from accusers I could not face. These people threatened to uproot my practice, my profession, and my life. But cancel culture didn’t win this time.”

Lyme doctors go through this ring of fire constantly due to their clinical treatment of Lyme/MSIDS which is outside the CDC “guidelines” which are actual mandates.  For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/07/30/how-the-cdc-uses-their-own-guidelines-to-rig-the-system/, https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/04/26/cdc-playbook-learning-from-lyme/

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Activism, Viruses

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How the CDC Uses Their Own ‘Guidelines’ To Rig the System

By Alicia Cashman, MS, Lyme patient and advocate

July 30, 2020

Recently I read an astute article by the Children’s Defense Fund which brought up many important points about COVID and children attending school in the fall. The following statement was given and should set off alarm bells with Lyme/MSIDS patients and for those of you familiar with the Lyme debacle due to its familiarity:

These new and unnecessary guidelines were instituted by the CDC in private, and without open discussion among qualified professionals that are free from conflicts of interest.  https://childrenshealthdefense.org/news/if-covid-fatalities-were-90-2-lower-how-would-you-feel-about-schools-reopening/

If I say the words, “CDC Lyme Guidelines,” every single Lyme/MSIDS patient will wince. 

That’s because these politically self-serving mandates, not guidelines, have been used for over 40 years keeping patients from diagnosis and proper treatment. And these mandates are still being used against patients.

The same CDC which is creating new COVID guidelines behind closed-doors did the same thing for Lyme disease.

In this historical piece, Pam Weintraub outlines the chronology of all the behind closed door shenanigans:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/02/10/the-bitter-feud-over-lymerix/

Unlike the of loose parameters to be labeled COVID, Lyme disease has very strict CDC standards that hardly any patients meet.

The article points out a travesty that occurred at a Dearborn, Michigan conference that changed testing criteria by eliminating two borrelia proteins specific to Lyme disease which essentially resulted in many of the sickest patients no longer meeting the CDC’s already strict and arbitrary standard. The reason for this was these proteins interfered with the lucrative Lyme vaccine they were working on.

Important quote:

“The CDC said the standard was not to be used for diagnosis,” said Nick Harris, president of IgeneX, a California reference laboratory that tests for vector-borne diseases, “but they did not seem to realize how difficult they were making that choice for local physicians, who look to CDC definitions for guidance and take test results at face value – positive or negative – without reading between the lines. Without OspA or OspB to serve as markers, many of the sickest patients no longer met any diagnostic standard,” Harris says. “By excluding these patients from diagnosis, we excluded them from treatment as well.”

Other correlations between the handling of the two diseases is the hurried push for a vaccine and conflicts of interest.

Regarding the Lyme vaccine, researchers were pressured to quickly complete clinical trials so the vaccine could become approved.  Many were damaged by this vaccine:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/01/28/the-secret-x-files-the-untold-history-of-the-lymerix-vaccine/

It seems history is repeating itself with a pushed COVID vaccine:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/05/14/dod-hhs-award-138-million-for-project-jumpstart-rapid-usa-for-prefilled-covid-19-vaccine-syringes/  What is the likelihood there will be vaccine damage due to an experimental DNA vaccine never used before in humans which is known to induce chronic inflammation, gene mutations, DNA replication issues, autoimmune responses and activation of cancer-causing genes that is skipping important animal safety studies?

The handwriting is on the wall for anyone looking.

Regarding conflicts of interest, we learn from Weintraub that nine voting consultants on the Dearborn panel hired by the CDC had multiple patents and authorship in studies used to create the Lyme disease case definition: ConflictReport

Interestingly, we see this same thing with COVID:  https://principia-scientific.org/a-tale-of-2-drugs-deep-state-chose-money-power-over-lives/

For a painful refresher of the CDC Lyme Disease treatment guidelines:  https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/treatment/index.html  (Hint: it’s a measly 21 day course of the mono-therapy of doxycycline, despite the fact nearly every antibiotic study done to date shows relapses after treatment)

Standing in opposition to the CDC mandates is ILADS, a group of physicians who read and understand worldwide research which clearly shows prolonged illness and infection in many patients:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/08/05/controversies-challenges-in-treating-lyme-other-tick-borne-diseases/

Similarly to doctors standing up to the CDC’s narrative on COVID-19 who are being maligned and censored, doctors who oppose the CDC narrative on tick-borne illness are also censored, maligned, and discredited:  

COVID:  

Compare and contrast this censorship with the treatment of those who treat Lyme/MSIDS:

Lyme:  

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/04/26/cdc-playbook-learning-from-lyme/

 

 

 

 

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Treatment, Viruses

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