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Posted by Boomerang (Member # 7979) on :
 
Sorry to be a pest, but I have a question about Babs. Husband has bad brain fog, so I've heard some suggestions about babs. I plan to ask the LLMD doc about it on Friday.

I've been reading up on babs, and it sounds like it usually runs with fevers? My husband doesn't have fevers, he usually runs with a low 97.3 body temp.

Would he still have a low body temp, and not have the fever problem, if he had the babs infection?

Thanks.
 

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Posted by SForsgren (Member # 7686) on :
 
Yes, definitely you can have Babs and still have low temp which is likely from a thyroid issue caused by the Borrelia/Lyme itself. I have seen this many times.
 

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Posted by Boomerang (Member # 7979) on :
 
Thanks for letting me know. That just seems so strange to me.
 

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Posted by Michelle M (Member # 7200) on :
 
Lack of the classic "sweats" and fever was what caused me to put off testing -- I couldn't see any way I could have it.

HAH!

WRONG!

(PS This lack of testing was NOT my LLMD's advice, by the way - just me being financially very challenged at the beginning of treatment).

(PSS Not that I'm not STILL financially challenged...!)

(PSSS Or otherwise challenged....!)

(PSSSS OK, that's really enough parentheticals...)




Michelle
 

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Posted by Lymied (Member # 6704) on :
 
I never ran high fevers...instead my temperature dropped into the 96s at times. I had Babesia, Ehrlichia and Lyme.

For me Babesia caused seizure like migraines. Just really awful symptoms but then I know people who have antibodies that have more chronic dehabilitation that was not accute but extremely damaging over twenty years...

so everyone is different but absolutely get tested.

I recommend the IgeneX Labs FISH test for babesia because it tests for multiple strains instead of only one or two.
 

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Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
 
I tested negative for babs, but my LLMD is certain I have it because I have so many of the symptoms, especially the sweats.

I did not have fevers, rather a low body temperature -- about 97. I've been on Mepron, Artemisia, Biaxin, and Doxy for a month now and my temps have gone up a whole degree! That has to be good for me and bad for the Lyme!!

I still have a long way to go though ... days like today I can hardly get out of bed.
 

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Posted by Beverly (Member # 1271) on :
 
Hi Boomerang,

I didn't have some of the *classic* symptoms of Babesia, but still had it. I had some night sweats but never drenching. I did run fevers on and off, but had low body temp too. I also have low thyroid, but when I did run the fevers it would go up to 101.

My son also has Babesia, he had so many of the same symptoms as me, but tested negative. However when he started Babesia meds, he would sweat in his sleep.


You may have already read this...but this is wonderful information by Tincup.


Dual Infection Worsens Lyme Disease Symptoms

People with concurrent Lyme disease and babesiosis suffer a greater number of
symptoms and a longer duration of illness than patients with either infection alone,
concludes a June report in the Journal of the American Medical Association co-authored
by several NIAID grantees.

Coinfection with both tick-borne pathogens occurs in about 10 percent of patients in
certain areas of southern New England. In these and other areas where both infections
exist, the authors write, "the possibility of concomitant babesial infection should be
considered when moderate to severe Lyme disease has been diagnosed."

1. The prospective, longitudinal study included all cases of Lyme disease and babesiosis
identified during May through September from 1990-1994 in an island community in
Rhode Island and during 1992-94 in two Connecticut medical clinics.

Of 240 patients diagnosed with Lyme disease, 26 (11 percent) were coinfected with
babesiosis. Coinfected patients more frequently experienced fatigue, headache, sweats, chills, anorexia, emotional instability, nausea, conjunctivitis, and an enlarged spleen than
those with Lyme disease alone.

Exactly half of the coinfected patients had at least one
symptom, primarily fatigue, that lasted for 3 months or longer compared with just 4
percent of the 184 patients afflicted with Lyme disease only. The ten patients diagnosed
with only babesiosis also had fewer symptoms and a shorter course of illness than did
patients coinfected with Lyme disease.

Babesial parasites invade red blood cells and cause a malaria-like illness characterized by
fever, chills, drenching sweats, muscle pains, headaches, and malaise. In contrast, the
Lyme disease spirochete homes to various tissues and causes a flu-like illness, rash,
arthritis, and less often, inflammation of the heart and nerve disorders.

The life cycles of both pathogens depend on the same reservoir host, the white-footed
mouse, and the same transmission vector, deer ticks. Thus, the possibility of coinfection
is of potential importance, the report cautions, to the many people who live or vacation in
sites in the northeastern and Great Lakes regions of the United States where these
infections are emerging. "Physicians caring for patients with moderate to severe
Lyme disease," they write, "should consider obtaining diagnostic tests for babesiosis
and possibly other tick-borne pathogens in regions where these diseases are
zoonotic...."

NIAID grantees David Persing, M.D., Ph.D., of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and
Sam R. Telford III, Sc.D., and Andrew Spielman, Sc.D., both of Harvard University in
Boston, contributed to this study.

A second study led by Drs. Telford and Persing raises the possibility of coinfection with still a third pathogen. This study found that the deer
tick also is the primary American vector of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE), an
infection first identified in people just two years ago. In addition, the white-footed mouse
is the main reservoir of HGE infection.
******************************************
These are some of my notes from things I studied...

Babesiosis symptoms include:
Fatigue *
Arthralgias*
Myalgia*
Drenching sweats*
Headaches*
Emotional lability*
Depression*
Dark urine*
Splenomegaly*
Dizziness*
Nausea and vomiting*
Cough* Dyspnea*
Fever* Chills*
Hepatosplenomegaly*
Jaundice*
Malaise*
Shortness of breath*
Bleeding tendencies, bruising*
Thrombocytopenia*
Hemoglobinuria*
Hyperesthesia*
Pulmonary edema*
Encephalopathy*
Low to normal range leukocyte counts*
Possible elevated levels of
dehydrogenase, bilirubin, transaminase* Anorexia***

Approximately 25% of Babesia
patients are known to be co-infected with Lyme disease. "As with malaria, these
symptoms can continue over a protracted period or abate, then recur."

A chronic infection would normally show a low titer (IgG). An acute or current infection may show a high reading on the IgM test results.
Quinine Sulfate is contraindicated in persons with optic neuritis, which is one of the
problems many Lyme patients have developed.
This medication lists precautions for
those with Vitamin K deficiencies and clotting disorders which are often found in
patients with Lyme disease. "Seven days of treatment with Quinine" has been proven to
"be ineffective in cases that are chronic".

Mepron/Biaxin combo or Mepron/Zithromax
are the preferred methods of treatment. It may take a year or more of these
combinations. It is recommended that patients who take Mepron for Babesiosis should
eat fatty foods to aid in the absorption process. Ginger is found to be helpful to ease
nausea in some patients.

There are a number of references warning of false negatives for the Babesia tests, but no
references for false positives tests. (Smears, antibodies, PCR, and FISH)

Toxic overloads (HERXHEIMER REACTION) are seen in many cases after medication
for Babesiosis is given, generally appearing first on the third to fifth day, and then about
every three to five weeks, thereafter.

"Although high titers (even at 1:4096) have been detected in patients in the acute phase, a
cut off point of 1:64 is generally accepted as diagnostic in IFA testing." The literature
states that a "Titer of 1:64 (is) indicating a chronic or subclinical infection."
"Co-infection increases the severity of the disease, therefore, it is important to diagnose
and treat both infections." Complications include "relapses". It is recommended to treat
Babesiosis before Lyme Disease in order to increase the effectiveness of Lyme
treatments.

The highest risks for death: "The elderly, immunosuppressed patients, and
splenectomized patients are the typical populations at risk for severe infection.
Patients who are co-infected with Lyme disease have a higher risk of life-threatening illness
than with either disease alone.

Of the ticks collected (in the NE US) and sent to the IgeneX Lab by Dr. Richard Ostfeld
at the Institute of Ecosystems Studies, 43.3 % of the ticks were infected with
Babesia microti (November 1998). Serum samples sent to IgeneX Lab in California, by
Dr. Richard Horowitz in 1998, reveled 66% tested positive by RNA and/or PCR.

Medical/legal pitfalls- "Failure to initiate immediate therapy in high risk individuals".


to all...
 

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Posted by Boomerang (Member # 7979) on :
 
Back from LLMD visit. The snowstorms in the midwest made everything interesting, but we made it okay.

Hubby is now going to go on the clindamycin/plaq/biaxin protocol for 40 days. Then he'll do the Rifampin after that if necessary.

The doc said that many of his patients who were like my hubby at this stage, had good success with these combinations. He said after this last round, we'd have to move to the IV. So we're supposed to line up a doctor who is willing to do this.

Doc also wanted to do tests on thyroid levels. Also did the usual kidney/liver/bone marrow work up.

Anyone know of any docs in TN area who will do the IV, if it's necessary?

He talked again about my hubby's test from Igenex and what a high load of bacteria he had. Said it would just take time. (Hubby was ++++ on band 31) Yes that is four pluses, and not a typo.

Thoughts?
 

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Posted by Boomerang (Member # 7979) on :
 
Bump to first page .....
 

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Posted by Dave6002 (Member # 9064) on :
 

quote:

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IgeneX Labs FISH test for babesia because it tests for multiple strains instead of only one or two

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