Topic: Complications after bone marrow transplant- Lyme?
ktkdommer
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 29020
posted
I really need your help! I have Lyme, gave it to my kids and possibly husband. Chance he had it previously from living in upstate NY.
He was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (not melanoma) cancer in May. I demanded he have IgeneX testing prior to treatment in case he had Lyme. Igenex showed: IgG 30+, 31 IND, 41 IND and IgM 41 IND
My ILADS doctor said testing was indeterminate and wanted to do further lab work. My husband refused. The office is closed currently.
My husband is now 2 weeks post bone marrow transplant and is having new unidentified fevers. He feels mostly fine (fluish which can be expected in his case) and all massive amounts of testing are negative.
I am struggling with the idea of bringing up the possibility that he has Lyme disease and had it prior to BMT. My husband will not like that I brought it up as he believes it is a shut case.
Could this be Lyme or coinfections acting up but only presenting with a fever right now?
If they wanted to test him in the hospital, where should testing be from? IgeneX for western blot and what else? I thought maybe they could do his CD57, ECP and VEGF.
How do you view his IgeneX results?
Would a BMT and the chemo prior have killed Lyme?
Sorry I'm scrambling. They nickname Multiple Myeloma as a cancer of the immune system. Makes me wonder if Lyme and probably bartonella were the triggers to his cancer all along.
Thanks for any help you can give.
-------------------- Things are never dull. After 3 fighting Lyme, 2 are in remission. Youngest is still sick, age 22. He has new diagnosed Chiari Malformation and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Posts: 1366 | From Perrysburg, Ohio | Registered: Nov 2010
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posted
I would suggest testing for ehrlichia, anaplasma and Babesia. All of these infections have been found in bone marrow - humans and dogs both I think.
It is possible that an infection could have resulted from the bone marrow transplant that he received.
Is your husband receiving steroids or other immunosuppressive drugs?
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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ktkdommer
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 29020
posted
Good questions.
His transplant was autologous or his own stem cells, harvested prior and frozen. So no introduction of new bacteria.
He is not taking any steroids as he is completely immunossuppressed just 15 days post BMT.
Got off phone with doc and he said to test for toxoplasmosis also. All other Lyme testing will take so long. Don't know what the answer is going to be. Who at a major hospital in a BMT unit is going to listen to what I have to say?
Thanks for the reply!
-------------------- Things are never dull. After 3 fighting Lyme, 2 are in remission. Youngest is still sick, age 22. He has new diagnosed Chiari Malformation and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Posts: 1366 | From Perrysburg, Ohio | Registered: Nov 2010
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posted
I have just been rereading Stephen Buhners book on Bartonella, and he notes that Bartonella can live in the bone marrow.
Also fever of unknown origin is well known to be caused by Bartonella. Being so difficult to test for, hospital tests may not show anything.
I wish you all the best in getting to the bottom of this soon, and am so sorry your husband is sick after all your family has gone through.
Posts: 187 | From Connecticut | Registered: Jun 2013
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