I'm looking for information about the link between Lyme and ALS. I recently found out about two different people who have ALS and I would like to help educate them if I can.
Can anyone give more info about this subject? Links, articles, what you've read, what you know, etc.
Thanks so much!
Posted by adamm (Member # 11910) on :
lyme-info.net and lyme-rage.org have some studies on it.
Posted by shelly23 (Member # 16124) on :
HOw old are they? Male female
Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :
Try a search of lymenet archives. This has been discussed quite a bit in the past.
Posted by Troup Brazelton (Member # 6297) on :
In my opinion there isn't a link. ALS is simply a symptom Dx. Lyme is a disease that causes ALS like symptoms.
Anyone with ALS symptoms should see an LLMD and get a clinical Dx and blood testing to identify the disease causing the symptoms.
Treat the lyme and the symptoms should go away.
Posted by Marnie (Member # 773) on :
Amotrophic lateral sclerosis diagnosis is based on clinical and electrophysiological findings.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation and MRI can show abnormalities which are not specific, but which can confirm upper motor neuron involvement.
The other tests are performed to exclude differential diagnosis.
Tests which should be performed in every cases are: medullar MRI, blood counts, erythrocyte sedimentation, serum protein electrophoresis, calcium, phosphore, serological tests for HIV, siphylis,
Lyme disease.
Other tests are made in some clinical circonstances to exclude genetical disease or metabolic disorders (SMN gene, Kennedy gene, Hexosaminidase A, very long chaine fatty acids), haematological or paraneoplasic disorders (anti-neurons antibodies, PSA, CT of chest and abdomen, mammography, bone marrow biopsy) or inclusion myositis (muscle biopsy).
PMID: 17128090 Rev Neurol (Paris). 2006 Jun;162 Spec No 2:4S50-4S56
We talk about co-infections all the time, right?
If Bb skews us towards a Th1 immune response and we need the Th2 pathway to kick in to destroy OTHER pathogens that trigger other diseases, Bb thus puts us at risk for other diseases that require a Th2 response.
Lyme may "set the stage for" ALS to "happen".
Posted by electrolite (Member # 16404) on :
Shelly23 -- One is a male in his 30s and the other is a male in his 50s.
Thank you all for the information so far!
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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Read about Dr Martz's recovery from misdiagnosed ALS that turned out to be tick-borne infections: