Nal
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6801
posted
I have Bart too and I am also having trouble finding good info on it. All I know is that it can mimic and cause the same sort of symptoms that Lyme can. My dr just started treating me for it and I may be experiencing a herx from it now. If I find any info on line about it, Ill let ya know.
posted
After all the links that you have been supplied regarding bartonella, the only things that I would like to add is that my LLMD gave me a paper that is only about bartonella. He states on his paper that bartonella infections are way more common than borrelia so that means that definetely most lyme patients have bart... The key symptoms for bart according to his paper are gastritis and other digestive complications (as me!!),memory problems (as me!!..y would get to the point of sometimes feel retarded)sore soles specially in the morning plus other symptoms as encephalytis, swollen limph nodes,etc According to other good LLMD eyes are affected too (itchy).
Posts: 983 | From The sky | Registered: Feb 2005
| IP: Logged |
Kara Tyson
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 939
posted
I got Bartonella years ago from a stray cat and was given Keflex.
Posts: 6022 | From Mobile, AL | Registered: Apr 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Even though I have it, I don't know much about it. But the symptoms are different than Lyme. What I experienced was:
splitting sinus headache swollen neck glands severe insomnia scritchy eyes short fuse
Also, these symptoms were continuous, as opposed to Lyme, which relapsed in cycles.
The two drug combinations people talk about most on Lymenet for bart are levaquin + doxy and rifampin + zithromax. Since ketek just came out as the next generation of zith, and it's much more effective, you may be able to use it, but there isn't enough information out yet to recommend it without a doctor's explicit say-so.
As you Google research on bart, you will probably note another unfortunate fact about it, which is that it can be dangerous when paired with Lyme. This is one where it's okay for a medical civilian to strongly urge you to get treatment and go for the strong stuff.
Having tried these two combinations, I prefer rifampin, but both have great track records.
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
oops! 
Printer-friendly view of this topic