posted
Hi, I'm new to this, but hopefully someone can help with advice or resources. I have a good friend whose daughter has Lyme Disease. The daughter, age 33, has been told that because she had not been breast fed, she was especially susceptable to the disease and as a consequence, blames her mother (my friend) for the problem. This has caused a lot of tension in the family. What they need is some reliable information on the subject
Now, I'm not sure I want to debate the relative merits of breast feeding on the general well being of an infant. These days, there doesn't seem to much argument about the benefit. But 33 years ago, this was not nearly so well appreciated and my friend's doctor advised her at the time not to breastfeed for other medical reasons.
So, here's the question(s). Is there a credible link between breastfeeding and adult susceptability to Lyme Disease? Would anyone have known about it 33 years ago? And, is there any literature addressing this particular problem. Thanks. Your help will help settle a lot of angst. UG
Posts: 5 | From Chapel Hill | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:Originally posted by ugwerks: . Is there a credible link between breastfeeding and adult susceptability to Lyme Disease? Would anyone have known about it 33 years ago? [/QB]
Breastfeeding when you HAVE Lyme disease can result in the baby receiving the disease.
I myself doubt that breastfeeding an infant when you are disease-free would protect the infant from Lyme. If you get bit, you'll get the disease if the tick carried the disease.
Thirty-three years ago, Lyme had not been discovered, though it has been around for centuries.
posted
This may not be a popular answer, but I think that your friend needs to grow up.
Regardless of whether breast-feeding would have provided her with additional immunity that might (or might not) have made a difference in her succumbing to Lyme disease, her mother did what she thought (and was told) was best at the time.
It sounds like there are problems here well beyond this issue, and even if you find documentation to dispel her notions, she will find something else to blame her parents for.
If she were my friend and I wanted to help her, I would suggest professional help to determine why she needs to blame her parents for her illness.
Much better to focus her energy on getting better.
-------------------- Suzanne Shaps STAND UP FOR LYME Texas (www.standupforlyme.org) (Please email all correspondence related to protecting Texas LLMDs to [email protected] with copy to [email protected]) Posts: 977 | From Austin, TX, USA | Registered: May 2004
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quote:Originally posted by ugwerks: Hi, I'm new to this, but hopefully someone can help with advice or resources. I have a good friend whose daughter has Lyme Disease. The daughter, age 33, has been told that because she had not been breast fed, she was especially susceptable to the disease and as a consequence, blames her mother (my friend) for the problem. This has caused a lot of tension in the family. What they need is some reliable information on the subject
Now, I'm not sure I want to debate the relative merits of breast feeding on the general well being of an infant. These days, there doesn't seem to much argument about the benefit. But 33 years ago, this was not nearly so well appreciated and my friend's doctor advised her at the time not to breastfeed for other medical reasons.
So, here's the question(s). Is there a credible link between breastfeeding and adult susceptability to Lyme Disease? Would anyone have known about it 33 years ago? And, is there any literature addressing this particular problem. Thanks. Your help will help settle a lot of angst. UG
Posts: 5 | From Chapel Hill | Registered: Mar 2006
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To all above, First, I'm messing up trying to reply to you all. Sorry. I think I now have it figured out.
Thank you all for your thoughts. I will forward them and the resourses you mention on to my friend. Lymex5&counting, thanks too for your PM. I will forward it as well. I think this will help put my friend's mind at ease and hopefully encourage her to find ways to help her daughter. Thanks again. UG
Posts: 5 | From Chapel Hill | Registered: Mar 2006
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-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Linda LD
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6663
posted
She sounds like a 33 year old spoiled child.
I was not breast feed and have Lyme disease.
My husband was breastfeed by his mother and has Lyme disease--my husband is sicker than me.
Both my children were breast feed, one for two years the other for one year before I was told to stop. I gave my children Lyme disease through the breast milk or placenta. I had no idea I was sick. I was told to stop breastfeeding because my thyroid was screwed up and my milk was "bad." Was it ever!
My oldest had Bell's Palsey at his six week well-baby exam. When I asked the doctor why his lip dropped the doc told me that he was sorry my child wasn't symetrical enough for me.
Tell this woman to GROW UP!
The majority of Moms do the best they can with the skills they have. Unless her mother is a borderline personality or total narcicist that woman needs a reality check! And if the mother does have a major personality flaw the daughter needs to keep her distance--not hurl stones!
With all the problems people have here...I'm speachless. She needs to get busy treating her disease and quit wasting precious energy throwing stones...
Linda
Posts: 1171 | From Knoxville, TN US | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
I am 34 and my mother did not breast feed me so I better go over to her house right now and yell at her for making my life miserable...
Seriously..thats crazy to actually put blame on someone for something like this....and very hurtful and unfair to the mother.
If I had a child I wouldnt breast fed so that I did NOT pass on Lyme to my child
So what if my child then got Lyme sometime in his/her life... should they blame me?
I think that her daughter should focus on educating herself about Lyme and make choices that she feels is right for her to start to feel better. But not put blame on others.
It can also be with Lyme she is not thinking clearly... which can make our minds go in places we wish we didnt.
Posts: 437 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
I was breastfed for 2.5 years and I have lyme... I honestly think that being breastfed has nothing to do with whether or not you get this disease.
posted
Wow- that sounds like a strange circumstance. To my knowledge there is no evidence anywhere to show that if you were breastfed you will not get lyme.
However, the scariest thing of all is that the spirochetes have been found in breastmilk and placentas. I go to Dr. B on Long Island for my husband and I and Dr. J in Conncticut for my kids. Both are extremely knowledgeable and have studied the disease for years. They truly believe it can be passed on through those processes. And that is why my 2 sons have it.
Lyme can make many psychiatric symptoms come out and also a lot of rage. I suggest the daughter truly do some research and get better treatment than she may be getting now.
In the meantime the breastfeeding issue has to come to the forefront in the medical community. I myself didn't know I had it because at the time of giving birth and feeding, the symptoms were mild. AFter years of being misdiagnosed the symptons finally came to head. I look back and say only if I knew...
How many other mothers don't know they have the disease and are breastfeeding? Many I believe- just my opinion. There are many sick kids growing up with weird ailments and I truly believe that some of this could be due to lyme/coinfections.
Please pass this message on to your friend. Thanks.
Posts: 238 | From Bethlehem, PA | Registered: Oct 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Naomi: I was breastfed for 2.5 years and I have lyme... I honestly think that being breastfed has nothing to do with whether or not you get this disease.
Dear Hides 1 and Naomi. Thanks very much for your experiences. I'm passing them all along. UG
Posts: 5 | From Chapel Hill | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
I totally agree the young woman is out of line blaming her mom.
So, the advice for your freind, the mom, is no reason to blame yourself. But also, your daught is sick with lyme disease, which causes mood, anger, and other neuro symptoms. She is not herself right now. If you can stay supportive and there for her htru this ordeal and not take things too personally(very, very hard Im sure), it will help her (even if your not appreciated right now).
From my time on rocephin I know that uncontrolled thoughts can lose your support network just when you need it most. Please forgive her and be as supportive as you can
Posts: 222 | From Santa Cruz Mountains, CA USA | Registered: Nov 2004
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