posted
One Lyme doctor claims ammonia is the principal toxin produced by lyme. High ammonia is known to cause encephalopathy, which can cause horrible neurological symptoms, and progress to coma and death.
As such, I think all lyme patients should have their ammonia levels checked. Ammonia blood tests can be ordered through a direct-to-consumer website (one has it as low as 30 bucks), unless you live in New York State.
And--dare I say it--several of the real new-wave commercial doctors putting out info on their interpretation of genetic test results believe that certain mutuations (such as certain CBS mutations, and some specific methyltransferase mutations) can--ultimately--lead toward a favorable environment for metabolic ammonia production/accumulation.
I believe the target level is to keep ammonia below 70 mcg/dL.
Supplements:
L-Carnitine and Acetyl-L-Carnitine can both lower brain ammonia levels and prevent or reverse hepatic encephalopathy caused by ammonia excess in the brain.
L-ornithine (by itself) or L-ornithine-L-aspartate (which you can but in a supplement) is also thought to be effective.
Other options are lowering protein intake, probiotics (I don't understand this as intestinal bacteria are a major source of plasma ammonia) and then prescription medicines for severe cases (which include non-absorbable antibiotics, as well as a sugar that renders ammonia less re-absorbable).
And all this is one more reason to drink in moderation (only if you are over lyme and co-infections, or not at all).
If you do drink, a study among British middle-aged women found that drinking even a small amount EVERY DAY is WORSE for the liver than drinking a larger amount on non-consecutive days. And while it is all bad and the take-home shouldn't be grounds to drink more on fewer days, it is more reinforcement that drinking everyday, in any amount, is a very bad idea.
Posts: 200 | From Ohio | Registered: Apr 2016
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Jordana
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 45305
posted
The whole point is to keep your liver as healthy as possible so that it can process a lot of toxicity.
In my opinion though, in healthy people, there's nothing at all wrong with alcohol. The liver is built to process alcohol into acetylaldehyde and it does a darn good job of doing that. Every day even without drinking alcohol the gut transforms some small percentage of the food we eat into alcohol which is then metabolized by the liver.
Most people can drink plenty and be ok. Just not Lyme patients.
Posts: 2057 | From Florida | Registered: Feb 2015
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posted
Alcohol intolerance is one of the principal symptoms of a lot of the chronic illnesses, such as "fibromyalgia," CFIDS, Lyme, etc. I'm putting quotes around fibromyalgia because I suspect it is more of a symptom than it is a disease unto itself.
I know I can't drink anymore. If I do, I really pay for it. I can't even have 1 drink and be okay. I don't particularly miss drinking, but it is something I've noticed.
-------------------- "Looks like freedom but it feels like death.. It's something in between, I guess"
Leonard Cohen, from the song "Closing Time" Posts: 822 | From California | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
As for ammonia levels, I think it is a good thing to be aware of. I have had horrid bouts of head pain and cognitive disturbance that I suspect are related to ammonia. I do have the gene defect that indicates this may be a problem for me (heterozygous).
-------------------- "Looks like freedom but it feels like death.. It's something in between, I guess"
Leonard Cohen, from the song "Closing Time" Posts: 822 | From California | Registered: Jan 2006
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TX Lyme Mom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3162
posted
I have a Lyme friend who has terrible problems with ammonia which she manages by using Jernigan's neurotox (or anti-tox) formula. (link below) She swears by it, after having tried almost everything else which is supposed to help with excess ammonia without any benefit at all. She takes quite a lot of it (3-4 bottles per month) but she functions at a very high level in spite of her many serious Lyme problems. http://www.jernigannutraceuticals.com/Neuro-Antitox%20II%20long%20new.html
This friend runs a wild animal rescue sanctuary in the SW desert, and she credits Jernigan's Neuro Antitox product with saving the life of several of her adopted animals (including a horse, a burro, a dog, and a rabbit) when they suffered venomous snake bites which would have been fatal otherwise. She used to be a veterinary technician in in earlier years, so she is used to handling veterinary emergencies.
PS -- I'm editing to add that my friend told me that only Jernigan's Neuro Anti-tox formula with alcohol has worked extremely well for her and that the same formula with vinegar does NOT work for her at all.
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