I thought I would list this as there wasn't a central place for all Bart symptoms. The first batch below are new based on the work from "The Better Health Guy" working with the Bart Experts.
Bartonella Symptom List from "Unravelling the Mystery of Bartonellosis" from the Townsend Letter - July 2015
-Cardiovascular / Circulatory: Endocarditis, myocarditis, pericarditis, hemolytic anemia (through invasion and destruction of RBCs), hypertension, pulmonary embolism, systemic vasculitis, arrhythmias, ischemic stroke, cardiomegaly (enlargement of the heart), heart valve problems, palpitations
-Gastroinestinal: Poor appetite, weight loss, mild sore throat or feeling that one is about to get a sore throat, gastritis, muscle weakness leading to changes in speeded / strength / coordination of digestive organs, difficulty swallowing, elevated liver function tests (LFT), hepatomegaly (enlargement of the liver), GERD (acid reflux), jaundice, gallbladder dysfunction, granulomatous hepatitis, peliosis hepatis, abdominal pain
-Head and Neck: Headaches (can be severe or ice pick-like), migraines, vision changes or deficits, blurred vision, double vision, dry eyes, red eyes, conjunctivitis, neuroretinitis (ocular inflammation), ocular neovascularization, uveitis, retinal vasculitis, eye pain, floaters, photophobia, Parinaud’s oculoglandular syndrome, papilledema, tinnitus, hyperacusis, nonhealing infections of the jawbone, cavitations, devitalized teeth
-Skin: Skin rashes, papules or papulovesicular rash, striae (stretch-mark appearance), acne, crusty scalp, Henoch-Schönlein purpura (purple spots on the skin), bacillary angiomatosis, petechiae, spider veins, varicose veins
-Lymphatic: Splenomegaly (enlargement of the spleen), lymphadenopathy (enlargement of the lymph nodes)
-Musculoskeletal: Fibromyalgia pain, pain in the soles of the feet (especially in the morning), ankle pain, rheumatoid arthritis, myositis inflammation of the muscles), myalgia, systemic lupus erythematosus, osteomyelitis, joint pain, knee pain, pain in the chest or sternum, twitching or fasciculations, subcutaneous nodules, osteolytic lesions, bone destruction, stiff legs, shin bone pain, granulomatous inflammation
-Neurological: Hallucinations, peripheral neuropathy, polyneuropathy, multiple sclerosis-like symptoms, transverse myelitis, encephalitis, meningitis, hyporeflexia or areflexia (below normal or absent reflexes), seizures, crawling sensations, burning sensations in the skin, vibrating or shooting sensations, tremors, cognitive deficit, memory loss, radiculitis, transverse myelitis, chronic demyelinating polyneuropathy, brain fog, temperature dysregulation, hyperesthesia (increase in sensitivity to stimuli)
___Joint pain and stiffness (often both Left and Right sides as opposed to Lyme which is often on one side only with pain and stiffness that changes locations)
___Muscle pains especially the calves; may be twitching and cramping also
___Foot pain, more in the morning involving the heels or soles of the feet (sometimes misdiagnosed as plantar fasciitis)
___Nerve irritation symptoms which can be described as burning, vibrating, numb, shooting, etc.
___Tremors and/or muscle twitching
___Heart palpitations and strange chest pains
___Episodes of breathlessness
___Strange rashes recurring on the body often, red stretch marks, and peculiar tender lumps and nodules along the sides of the legs or arms, spider veins
___Gastrointestinal symptoms, abdominal pain and acid reflux
___Shin bone pain and tenderness
From Dr. B's Guidelines:
BARTONELLA & ”BARTONELLA-LIKE ORGANISMS”- · Gradual onset of initial illness. · CNS symptoms are out of proportion to the musculoskeletal ones- if a patient has no or minimal joint complaints but is severely encephalopathic (see below), then think of Bartonella/BLO. · Obvious signs of CNS irritability can include muscle twitches, tremors, insomnia, seizures, agitation, anxiety, severe mood swings, outbursts and antisocial behavior. · GI involvement may present as gastritis or abdominal pain (mesenteric adenitis). · Sore soles, especially in the morning. · Tender sub-cutaneous nodules along the extremities, especially outer thigh, shins, and occasionally along the triceps. · Occasional lymphadenopathy. · Morning fevers, usually around 99. Occasionally light sweats are noted. · Elevated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) occurs in a minority, but the degree of elevation correlates with activity of the infection and may be used to monitor treatment. · Rapid response to treatment changes- often symptoms improve within days after antibiotics are begun, but relapses occur also within days if medication is withdrawn early. · May have papular or linear red rashes (like stretch marks that do not always follow skin planes), especially in those with GI involvement.
Indicators of BLO infection include CNS symptoms out of proportion to the other systemic symptoms of chronic Lyme. There seems to be an increased irritability to the CNS, with agitation, anxiety, insomnia, and even seizures, in addition to other unusually strong symptoms of encephalitis, such as cognitive deficits and confusion. Other key symptoms may include gastritis, lower abdominal pain (mesenteric adenitis), sore soles, especially in the AM, tender subcutaneous nodules along the extremities, and red rashes. These rashes may have the appearance of red streaks like stretch marks that do not follow skin planes, spider veins, or red papular eruptions. Lymph nodes may be enlarged and the throat can be sore.
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Wow! This is really nice! Thanks for taking time to put it all together.
Posted by purplehaze (Member # 40385) on :
oh my god, never in all my time have I seen such a comprehensive symptom list for Bartonella
I was always pretty much convinced that it is Borrelia I had but after seeing this I think Bart is a very real possibility [or a combination of both]
Posted by mulelover31 (Member # 6266) on :
Well I am so thankful for this list. I have had most of these symptoms along with the lyme. I have really been having trouble with a rash on my leg by bad veins. I have had treatment of 4 antibiotics that it has gotten better with then came back. I am no on augmentin and have been for 3 weeks. It is a rash that looks like poison ivy. Yesterday it started to itch again and back was the tiny blisters. I have lost 60lbs. deliberately for my leg and work out etc. I also was diagnosed about 12 yrs ago and have been off treatment for a few yrs. until last yr. What antibiotics do they give for this? I am at my wits end too. I have all the psychological symptoms just about and lots of the other. I have heart palpitations,dizzy spells oh lots of all this crap so I will not bore you all with it! Tremors etc.
Posted by Jordana (Member # 45305) on :
I have so much of this stuff. Including gastritis and a lytic lesion on my vertebrae.
I've even thought a couple of times that I don't have Lyme at all, just Bartonella.
Posted by Silverwolf (Member # 9196) on :
Thanks <<<<< bcb1200 >>>>>,
This is great information, I have a lot of the symptoms mentioned. I am glad you put this info' up !!
Jus' Silverwolfi
Posted by bluelyme (Member # 47170) on :
Thanks. ..overlapping sx hmmm
Posted by bcb1200 (Member # 25745) on :
up
Posted by lightfoot (Member # 2536) on :
Thanks! Amazing!
Posted by bcb1200 (Member # 25745) on :