Continuing with the notes of "Why Can't I Get Better" by Richard Horowitz from pages 300-400:
- Neurological symptoms of Lyme disease include memory and concentration problems, difficulties with processing new information, word-finding problems, mood disorders (such as depression), anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, etc.
- A list of neurological problems include: autonomic nervous system disorders, Bell's palsy or pain disorders affecting the face, changes in hearing and vision, dizziness and balancing problems, headaches and migraines, insomnia, light and sound sensitivity, memory and concentration problems, mood disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, psychiatric disorders, seizures.
- Affected peripheral nerves leads to symptoms of radiculitis (inflammation in the nerve root coming out from the spinal column) and peripheral neuropathy which causes symptoms such as tingling, numbness, burning, and hypersensitivity of the skin.
- Psychiatric case reports linked to Lyme include: paranoia, thought disorders, delusions with psychosis, schizophrenia, with or without visual, auditory, or olfactory hallucinations, panic attacks, mood lability with violent outbursts, personality changes, catatonia, dementia, etc.
- Other disorders: atypical bipolar disorder, depersonalization/derealization, conversion disorders, somatization disorders, atypical psychoses, schizoaffective disorders, intermittent explosive disorders.
- In children and teenagers, there can be developmental delays, ADHD (inattentive subtype), oppositional defiant disorder, anorexia, Tourette's syndrome, etc.
- Psychiatric manifestations are often the result of a physical health problem. Microbes as well as toxins, free radical stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction can all impair mental health.
- In the chronically sick individual, there can be multiple causes for psychiatric symptoms: autoimmune disorders (i.e. lupus cerebritis), B12 and/or folic acid deficiency, carcinoma of the brain or pancreas, chronic inflammation from infections (i.e. Borrelia and mycoplasma), defects in mitochondrial function, endocrine abnormalities, endogenous toxins (i.e. from bacteria) and environmental toxins (i.e. mercury, lead, aluminum), inadequate detox pathways, temporal lobe epilepsy, viral brain infections, Wilson's disease with copper overload.
- The following features have helped to make or support a diagnosis of an underlying infection:
* Atypical features of a psychiatric disorder (i.e. absence of typical early signs or symptoms, unusually acute onset without new traumas or life changes, uncharacteristic constellation of symptoms).
* Absence of a family history of psychiatric disorders.
* Presentation of a psychiatric disorder at an older or younger age than is typical (i.e. autistic behavior at age six, forgetfulness at age 35, first manic episode at age 45).
* Lack of expected response to psychotropic medication.
* Adverse response to previously well-tolerated medication.
* Lack of expected correlation of symptoms to psychological triggers. (mood lability without apparent cause).
- Infections can lie dormant and reemerge months or even years later, producing neuropsychiatric symptoms at any point in the life span, regardless of when the initial tick bite occurred.
- Cognitive and concentration issues can range in severity and be mistaken for Alzheimer's or other dementia, especially if other illnesses were ruled out: hypothyroidism, gluten sensitivity, B12 deficiency.
- Insomnia and profound fatigue worsens the symptoms. Women often experience Herxheimer reactions with treatment and their mental health can worsen while taking antibiotics, subsequently they will improve.
- Infections causes an ongoing pro-inflammatory cytokine production which worsens everything and any underlying disease.
- Co-infections which influence psychiatric symptoms. Elrichiosis, Babesia, viruses, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia. Worst neurological problems are seen when there is Lyme disease, Mycoplasma and Bartonella simultaneously, with or without other co-infections.
- Eye involvement seen in Bartonella: inflammatory conditions such as episcleritis, optic neuritis, conjunctivitis, uveits, iritis, pre-auricular adenopathy, neuroretinitis, etc. Bartonella also causes seizures.
-Quinolones (i.e. ciprofloxacin) are very helpful in cases of resistant neurological Lyme disease associated with bartonellosis.
- He discuses several medications and alternative methods to palliate Herx reactions and psychiatric symptoms related with infections. From Bach flower remedies, breathing exercises, meditation to mainstream meds. Care must be taken between drug and antibiotic interactions. Some people need mainstream medication to palliate sleep and other problems which might worsen the "cytoquine storm". He has seen people who will not improve no matter what until an underlying traumatic event from childhood would be processed through emotional release techniques or psychotherapy.
- Mycoplasma (i.e. m. fermetans discovered by Garth Nicolson) may increase demyelination in patients who have been exposed to Lyme disease and mercury.
- He does mention the ketogenic diet in the chapter of neurological disorders :)
- To be continued.
- Neurological symptoms of Lyme disease include memory and concentration problems, difficulties with processing new information, word-finding problems, mood disorders (such as depression), anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, etc.
- A list of neurological problems include: autonomic nervous system disorders, Bell's palsy or pain disorders affecting the face, changes in hearing and vision, dizziness and balancing problems, headaches and migraines, insomnia, light and sound sensitivity, memory and concentration problems, mood disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, psychiatric disorders, seizures.
- Affected peripheral nerves leads to symptoms of radiculitis (inflammation in the nerve root coming out from the spinal column) and peripheral neuropathy which causes symptoms such as tingling, numbness, burning, and hypersensitivity of the skin.
- Psychiatric case reports linked to Lyme include: paranoia, thought disorders, delusions with psychosis, schizophrenia, with or without visual, auditory, or olfactory hallucinations, panic attacks, mood lability with violent outbursts, personality changes, catatonia, dementia, etc.
- Other disorders: atypical bipolar disorder, depersonalization/derealization, conversion disorders, somatization disorders, atypical psychoses, schizoaffective disorders, intermittent explosive disorders.
- In children and teenagers, there can be developmental delays, ADHD (inattentive subtype), oppositional defiant disorder, anorexia, Tourette's syndrome, etc.
- Psychiatric manifestations are often the result of a physical health problem. Microbes as well as toxins, free radical stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction can all impair mental health.
- In the chronically sick individual, there can be multiple causes for psychiatric symptoms: autoimmune disorders (i.e. lupus cerebritis), B12 and/or folic acid deficiency, carcinoma of the brain or pancreas, chronic inflammation from infections (i.e. Borrelia and mycoplasma), defects in mitochondrial function, endocrine abnormalities, endogenous toxins (i.e. from bacteria) and environmental toxins (i.e. mercury, lead, aluminum), inadequate detox pathways, temporal lobe epilepsy, viral brain infections, Wilson's disease with copper overload.
- The following features have helped to make or support a diagnosis of an underlying infection:
* Atypical features of a psychiatric disorder (i.e. absence of typical early signs or symptoms, unusually acute onset without new traumas or life changes, uncharacteristic constellation of symptoms).
* Absence of a family history of psychiatric disorders.
* Presentation of a psychiatric disorder at an older or younger age than is typical (i.e. autistic behavior at age six, forgetfulness at age 35, first manic episode at age 45).
* Lack of expected response to psychotropic medication.
* Adverse response to previously well-tolerated medication.
* Lack of expected correlation of symptoms to psychological triggers. (mood lability without apparent cause).
- Infections can lie dormant and reemerge months or even years later, producing neuropsychiatric symptoms at any point in the life span, regardless of when the initial tick bite occurred.
- Cognitive and concentration issues can range in severity and be mistaken for Alzheimer's or other dementia, especially if other illnesses were ruled out: hypothyroidism, gluten sensitivity, B12 deficiency.
- Insomnia and profound fatigue worsens the symptoms. Women often experience Herxheimer reactions with treatment and their mental health can worsen while taking antibiotics, subsequently they will improve.
- Infections causes an ongoing pro-inflammatory cytokine production which worsens everything and any underlying disease.
- Co-infections which influence psychiatric symptoms. Elrichiosis, Babesia, viruses, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia. Worst neurological problems are seen when there is Lyme disease, Mycoplasma and Bartonella simultaneously, with or without other co-infections.
- Eye involvement seen in Bartonella: inflammatory conditions such as episcleritis, optic neuritis, conjunctivitis, uveits, iritis, pre-auricular adenopathy, neuroretinitis, etc. Bartonella also causes seizures.
-Quinolones (i.e. ciprofloxacin) are very helpful in cases of resistant neurological Lyme disease associated with bartonellosis.
- He discuses several medications and alternative methods to palliate Herx reactions and psychiatric symptoms related with infections. From Bach flower remedies, breathing exercises, meditation to mainstream meds. Care must be taken between drug and antibiotic interactions. Some people need mainstream medication to palliate sleep and other problems which might worsen the "cytoquine storm". He has seen people who will not improve no matter what until an underlying traumatic event from childhood would be processed through emotional release techniques or psychotherapy.
- Mycoplasma (i.e. m. fermetans discovered by Garth Nicolson) may increase demyelination in patients who have been exposed to Lyme disease and mercury.
- He does mention the ketogenic diet in the chapter of neurological disorders :)
- To be continued.
