So I definitley have Babesia and Borrellia. Tested positive for both of those. Been tested twice through Igenex for Bartonella and other tests but always negative.
Im not sure I have any Bartonella symptoms yet. I thought that the EXTREME anxiety I had was related but that got better after 3 mos. of Lyme treatment.
Just wondering if that is enough to assume I have Bartonella? I do have mental issues like anger, depression, and crying but that always comes out with herxing too.
Other than those I don't have bumps, streaks, foot pain ect..
Is there anything else that would indicate that Bartonella is present?
Posted by lululymemom (Member # 26405) on :
A few other symptoms could be chronic fatigue, chest pain, GI symptoms especially gastritis..
I have dealt with Bart a long time and never had the foot pain, although I did have spasms in my feet.
Posted by lymeboy (Member # 24769) on :
I didn't have bumps, streaks, and I had minimal foot pain. However, my neuro stuff was through the roof. When I wasn't raging and unable to focus on ANYTHING, I was wishing I would die. ...Itching, muscle twitches, bad headaches behind the eyes and on top of the head. I tested negative 3 times. Once I started Cipro, I started getting better within 3 weeks. I now have more good days than bad.
Posted by Jamers (Member # 28016) on :
Lulu-Do have chest pain but thought that was babs. Not a lot of GI symptoms but I'm knocking on wood now...
Lymeboy-Those symptoms sound like me. A lot of raging and actually saying I want to die (Im not suicidal) but a lot of feeling like I just can't take it. Extremely irritated and moody. I also just recently started getting itching (really bad last night) and twitching in my right hand. Hmmm, now Im convinced!!
Thank You.
Posted by Jamers (Member # 28016) on :
Forgot to ask if either of you have swollen lymph nodes from Bartonella. Got these bad once I started treating Babs but didn't know what infection they were. Not Lyme though.
Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :
You can have sensitive nodules that hurt when you find them under the skin and press them. Usually they are on the outside of the thighs or backs of arms. Look for other skin changes like crusty moles, dark pea size pigment and/or loss of pigment in the skin, tiny blood blister, swelling anywhere on the body that does not dent - it is not edema , lumps along the shin bone.
Bartonella has out of proportion neurological symptoms. It irritates the nerves so yes, your are irritable. You also have muscle twitching.
Also causes insomnia, belly pain, bladder pain (or feeling you have an infection).
Your temperature will be higher in the morning than in the afternoon. Bb is opposite, lower in the morning and higher in the afternoon.
I am watching Dr. B right now on a DVD.
Posted by lululymemom (Member # 26405) on :
Yes, lymeboy is right about the neuro stuff.. I got alot of brain fog and headaches. My daughter got the bart rages as well.
The chest pain for me has always been bart.. It does go away with treatment. I had it for at least 10 years until I started treating.
Lymph node swelling and sore throat are also classic bart symptoms and was my first symptom.
Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :
Also hot flashes with thick sticky sweet. It can cause seizures too. Symptoms are persistent, not waxing and waning like Bb.
Listening to Dr. B describing bart right now.
The rashes look like stretch marks but do not follow the normal longitudinal plain - they are wiggly and look like comets.
Sore feet in am.
Posted by lululymemom (Member # 26405) on :
I have to second the muscle twitching as well..
Posted by Jamers (Member # 28016) on :
Wow, thank you all for the valuable information. I think my Bart symptoms are coming out now since treating Babesia. Having some weird symptoms mentioned above, like muscle twitching and that weird bladder pain. I also have had the frontal headaches. This definitely makes sense to me now.
Posted by Jamers (Member # 28016) on :
Lulu-what are you using to treat?
Posted by lululymemom (Member # 26405) on :
I am no longer treating.. I was using A-Bart, resveratrol, red root, teasel, colloidal silver, cat's claw, several things some of which I don't remember.. I don't claim to be cured, but the only symptom I have left that bothers me is neck pain.
Posted by lymeboy (Member # 24769) on :
I would ask for Levaquin or Cipro at your next dr.'s appt. That seems to be the favorite, and for me, I started feeling excellent after 3 weeks. I think Levaquin and Cipro are the best to start with, personally. and if you have not yet used MEpron or Malarone, Levaquin is good. some babs meds are said to reduce the effects of Levaquin.
Posted by Jamers (Member # 28016) on :
Lulu-I thought the neck pain was Babesia. These symptoms overlap so much.
Lymeboy-Can't do Levaquin since Im on Mepron now. My doctor wants to do Rifampin and I'd like to try a-Bart. I guess I have to wait until Im done with Mepron but im adding in Bactrim. I hear thats supposed to hit bart too.
Posted by philly78 (Member # 31069) on :
Bart rage? Heh...so that's what is wrong with me. I get the H/A and muscle twitches too. The H/A ia always on the top of my head. I'm also having problems with spider veins.
Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :
It is Rifampin you cannot do with Mepron, not Levquin. If you are fighting all three infections you can do Malarone and zithro with levaquin.
Rifampin reduced the serum levels of many medication including Mepron. That is why you don't use it together. As you only absorb 47% of Mepron (taken with fatty meal) it sure would be a bad idea to further reduce it's absorption. Way too expensive!
The back of the neck pain can be Bb Your neck is also "crunchy" when you move it.
Posted by lymeboy (Member # 24769) on :
Why would my doc prescribe rifapmin with Mepron? This isn't making sense to me. He certainly costs like he should know everything about Lyme & co.
Posted by lululymemom (Member # 26405) on :
Jamers, to be honest I'm not sure which is causing the neck pain, but I don't have any other babs symptoms so I've always attributed it to Bart or lyme.
Posted by 4Seasons (Member # 14601) on :
I would think that trying a Bartonella med or herbal to see if you herx would be one way to determine if you have this coinfection. The symptoms of different infections overlap so much.
My Bartonella test was positive, but I can't clearly identify with any of the symptoms. (my doc has me on Hottunyia currently)
My daughter's test was negative, but she had many symptoms (mainly neuro and psychological) and she responded to the Bartonella treatments (bad herxes on Rifampin, good improvement on Bar-1)
Posted by jalama (Member # 14600) on :
Can you have Bartonella without foot pain? I've had increase in anxiety and anger... I feel like I'm going totally nuts.
Posted by 17hens (Member # 23747) on :
My family of four all have Bartonella. We all have different symptoms. I'm the only one with foot pain, three of us have anxiety and anger, all of us have skin markings (although all different), but it's all Bart.
Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :
I never had foot pain either. My shins hurt though. I also never had the classic comet like streaks or the stretch marks. Perhaps what I had/have was the BLO.
The last LLMD I had said I did not have bart because I did not test positive for it but the LLMD before that said it was my primary infection (at that time) and gave me levaquin which I quickly responded to. After getting tendonitis I used HH for many months. Following the relapse on HH, Rifampin did nothing but a year of Bactrim DS seemed to suppress it entirely. I am now treating babs.
My symptoms that have gone away were depersonalization (disconnected, apathetic), irritation/rage, painful shins, feeling I needed to urinate frequently, pain in bladder, hot flashes with sticky sweat (now have babs hot flashes with different kind of sweating), muscle twitching, crusty moles, pea size brown marks on skin mixed with loss of pigment ( my tan is even now), swelling around lower legs (still have small amount). . . .
Posted by tickbiter (Member # 31829) on :
Ughh...im suspecting bartonella even though i tested igenex negative (why is the testing so godawful?) i suspect it due to the rage and high anxiety ive been feeling especially since i took a break from doxy which was the only thing hitting bart, also cumanda makes me herx like crazy...now on ceftin, biaxin and plaquenil so i suppose i need get some rifampin or bactrim in the mix
Posted by Lala (Member # 29864) on :
What doses are needed for bartonella? I was on rifampin 300mg daily+doxy 200mg daily+azi 250mg MWF. Is that enought or does bartonella need higher doses?
Posted by Cattail (Member # 24357) on :
When I was on those 3 meds for Bart I took double what you take for each med, they sound like low doses to me.
Posted by amk33 (Member # 13206) on :
What is the foot pain like? I get foot pain, but it feels like it's in my foot bones and ligaments. No way can I wear heals..I only can wear Born shoes (most comfortable) now. It doesn't feel like burning skin pain. I have alot of the other symptoms...anxiety, moods, shin pain, lots of twitching, trouble falling asleep, etc. Does this type of foot pain sound like bart?