quote:

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Originally posted by lymeloco:
Is there certain places where one would contract babesiosis? I don't think I've been tested because I was told it is on the Vineyard.

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I have babs, and I've never been 1,000 miles of the Vineyard. You can get babs from any tick, and I believe from any mosquito that carries it.

We did a poll on where people got babesia....but I was unable to bring it up. I think it got erased.
 

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Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
 
PS...This thread is about bartonella!

Sorry, joe!!
 

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Posted by cbb (Member # 788) on :
 
I have found the info in "Bartonella Alert" to be very helpful.
It was written to be a 1 page handout.
Info was from 150 - 200 pages of info.

http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/008362.html

I've heard that testing for co-infections is not any more reliable than testing for Lyme.
So sad!!

You mentioned Babesia treatment.
What are you taking & for how long?
Babesiosis can be very difficult to deal with.
 

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Posted by liz28 (Member # 4946) on :
 
I had bart for years, and started getting better immediately with rifampin + ketek treatment. If there is any chance at all you have it, you have to treat for it. The symptoms can be interchangeable with Lyme, and even worse, they can be partially suppressed by Lyme drugs.

Without any treatment, bart begins as a relapsing fever that has neurological side effects: disorientation, mood changes, difficulty with reading, concentration, mild attention deficit disorder. As it progresses, you get splitting headaches, swollen lymph nodes, sore throats, shin splints, body aches, severe neurological disturbances, severe ADD, insomnia, extreme fatigue, scratchy eyes, thyroid problems, blood seeping continuously from your nose, and eventually psychosis. Yes, you read that right.

I've been thinking about a PICC line as a last resort for the most hard to reach Lyme. With bartonella treatment, however, I went from being almost completely disabled by relapsing fever and fatigue to 90% remission in a couple of months. I still have mild symptoms of everything, but at least I can hold down a job and exercise again. Although I always had one personality while I was sick, I had lousy impulse control and would get angry over nothing. The final destination would not have been pleasant.
 

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Posted by jloisu (Member # 7538) on :
 
cbb,

I have only been doing Babs treatment for 1 month now. No matter what, IV or not my LLMD want me to continue that for at least a total of 3 months.

As for Bartonella, I think it is a long shot. But most of my main symptoms are neuro w/vasculits on my SPECT.

Liz28 - I understand what you mean - I don't see my final destination as pleasant either if I don't start making some headway here. That is why I'm trying to decide if I should treat Bart. before IV or not.

Can they treat Bart. while on IV? Can Bart be transmitted any other way? My LLMD said the only confirmed case he treated was from a cat bite or something like that? Does that make sense?

Kara - you said you were infected by a cat bite right?

Thanks,

jloisu
 

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Posted by BOEJR (Member # 1734) on :
 


I have lyme and Bartonella and I have never been bitten by anything other than a tick...

As to the symptoms mine where all neurological. Thats typical of bartonella.

Julia
 

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Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by jloisu:
My LLMD said the only confirmed case he treated was from a cat bite or something like that? Does that make sense?

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Bartonella is cat scratch fever, but most here got their bart from a tick. Maybe your LLMD doesn't test for bart??
 

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Posted by micul (Member # 6314) on :
 
There should be some physical evidence that you have Bart. This is what Dr B says are the signs and syptoms of Bartonella :

BARTONELLA
 Possibly the most common tick-borne disease in our area
 Gradual onset
 Rarely a rash- can be stretch marks, raised red dots, painful ``spider veins''
 Symptoms- ``brain fog'', irritability, low grade fevers, sore nodules deep under skin, sore soles, enlarged lymph nodes

BARTONELLA RASHES
Photos taken by Dr. Martin Fried, with thanks to the Lyme Disease Association

Red bumps- may form scabs
Linear rashes- look like stretch marks
Spider veins (often tender)
 

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Posted by jloisu (Member # 7538) on :
 
Thanks guys!

Hey Lymetoo - got the impression from your (and possibly soon my) LLMD that the testing for Bart. was worse that for Lyme so you treat based on symptoms and look for improvement to rule it out.

That appears to be part of his normal protocol per his handouts he has preprinted out and appears to give to all patients. Cover all coinfections at least once before IV.



Thanks,

jloisu
 

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Posted by lymelady (Member # 6207) on :
 
Bart from a cat (henslae) is different than from a tick. Bart from a cat is a self limiting disease that can easily be cured with meds, bart from a tick bite is a totally different situation.

so I have read from research I have done on bart since I have it also. Bart can really do a number on your eyes, heels, shins, skin and electric shocks as well I think (unless that is lyme?)

So hard to know what is what.

Lymelady
 

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Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
 
back at ya, joe! I thought maybe you were talking about the other LLMD. I'm sure Dr C has seen plenty of bart....but I know he rarely tests for it...just treats.

Lymelady, you are correct about the cat scratch, etc. Tincup used to have a great link on the difference. Anybody still have that link??
 

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Posted by Kara Tyson (Member # 939) on :
 
jlo, yes. A cat bite. Years ago. Well before Lyme. I have actually had 3 major cat bites:


***
Actually, Bartonella henselae (cat scratch from a cat) HAS been found in ticks and Igenex has started testing ticks for Bartonella h.

Igenex Information: 290 TICK TEST by PCR for Bartonella henselae 87

Even the CDC admits that ticks can be infected with Bartonella henselae:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol9no3/02-0133.htm

And the American Society of Microbiology has said the same thing since 2001:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/04/010413083109.htm

***


Ticks can carry bartonella h but also other strains of bartonella.

But with Bartonella h. , there does seem to be a differance in the severity by method of infection (tick bite vs. cat bite) even though both are the same strain. It is a mystery.

It could be that something happens during transmission--something that does not happen with the cat bite. What that something is...who knows.
 

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Posted by lymelady (Member # 6207) on :
 
The presence of lyme spiroketes is what makes the difference I think, it is the bart in combo with the lyme that makes it so trecherous; these coinfections I believe are all horrible because they are hand in hand with lyme
Lymelady
 

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Posted by Kara Tyson (Member # 939) on :
 
Lymelady,

True. And I suppose the tick could be infected with muliple strains of bartonella, not just cat scratch...poor cats get the blame.
 

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Posted by blackbirdsings (Member # 7972) on :
 
Is there a link to the pictures of rashes you can get with bartonella? Those sound very familiar to some places I have gotten...would like to see the pictures. Thanks!
 

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Posted by Kara Tyson (Member # 939) on :
 
I never had a rash with it--more like ulcerations. The main thing is swollen lymph nodes which can get really really large.








 

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Posted by patchas (Member # 5156) on :
 
About 2 years ago my doctor said I went negative on bartonella, after testing positive for about a year. So I believe I had it for sure.

I am now experiencing the same symptoms exactly - that I had when I thought I was initially infected with lyme, but am re-thinking it was bart from this thread.

What I experienced was a bad cold, swollen lymph node on my right side of my neck.

This time I have the same, but with a mole on my back that is swelling and has black spots on it, and is sore.

I am thinking I have been re-infected with bart.

What I am wondering is - I have a dog that just scratched me. Would that give one bart?

But in reality - it may once again be a tick bite.

Or, perhaps I was never cured - because many red freckles remained after the diagnosis.

The bart may have been in remission?

Also, so a post - tried of trying.

My thoughts exactly - seems never ending.

Pat
 

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Posted by Kara Tyson (Member # 939) on :
 
First off, dogs can get baronella h.

In fact, it has been found that dogs in the SE US have a high rate of infection. Here is a vet report from last year:
http://www.edpsciences.org/articles/vetres/pdf/2004/05/V4022.pdf?access=ok

Being from a tick bite doesnt exclude the possibility of transmission from a dog. An infected tick can be living on an infected dog.

I have never heard of remission with bartonella but if you have a great immune system, who knows. Perhaps it is possible.
 

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Posted by homelandstockfarm (Member # 7757) on :
 
I may be wrong but I thought it was actually the fleas from cats that transmitted the bartonella to humans and not the actual scratch or bite itself?

WV Hillbilly
 

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Posted by Lisianthus (Member # 6631) on :
 
My twin sons have had the "Bartonella stretch marks" on their stomach and under their arms. Since they have been on minocycline the stretch marks have been disappearing. They were a deep red purple, but are now fading.

BTW-- they both had negative tests for Bart... Hmmmm. My opinion is, they don't have a test for every strain of Bart either.

Lisi
 

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Posted by lyme_suz (Member # 7628) on :
 
Should we consider getting rid of our cats?
 

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Posted by Lisianthus (Member # 6631) on :
 
I hope that was a joke lyme_suz

Cats can be treated for Bartonella. I have three kitties myself and I won't be getting rid of them anytime soon.

I have, by the way, treated all of my cats.
 

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Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by patchas:
This time I have the same, but with a mole on my back that is swelling and has black spots on it, and is sore.

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quote:

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Originally posted by micul:
BARTONELLA
 Possibly the most common tick-borne disease in our area

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