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» LymeNet Flash » Questions and Discussion » Medical Questions » Electroconvulsive therapy & Lyme ? anyone have thoughts to share?

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Author Topic: Electroconvulsive therapy & Lyme ? anyone have thoughts to share?
MaryMi
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My brother from NY caught Lyme a few years after I did, EM rash, symptoms, etc. His health issues led to divorce after nearly 30 years of

marriage, this really put him in a tail spin and has been very depressed for the past 4 years. During this time he also had a total breakdown.

Treatment for Lyme for a bit, but no Dr. in his area of NY believes in Chronic Lyme. He has
many, many Lyme symptoms ( he knows he still has

it) was healthy as a horse all of his life. Being a Biologist in Wild life and Fisheries he was at a great risk for Lyme. Out of

desperation, he has been undergoing electroconvulsive therapy, results are questionable at this time, but it seems his Lyme

symptoms are getting worse, fatigue,joint pain, very weak, etc. Is it possible for this therapy to be stirring up Lyme in a big way?

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This is only my opinion and/or experience with Lyme Disease. I am not a medical professional.

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Keebler
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With the EM rash and the history and symptoms you describe, lyme sounds like a strong possibility. I'd also guess that bartonella is to blame. There are many other tick-borne infections that often go along with lyme but most doctors are clueless to that.


I am not a doctor nor any kind of medical professional. I am far from well myself, but my mind, my mood are fairly stable after severe turmoil when I was at at the worst of this.

From what I've read and what I've experienced with severe depression, misdiagnosed bipolar and nearly undergoing electroconvulsive therapy myself (due to suicidal impulses) about 14 years ago (who knew lyme was the cause? Certainly no doctor in my state!) . . .


I strongly urge your brother to NOT undergo even one more second of electroconvulsive therapy. Not only is it possible for this to stir up lyme in a big way, but lyme can be fatal and the extent that ECT is exciting the spirochetes is of major concern.


Your brother needs to see an expert LLMD who is ILADS-educated or an ILADS member.


It is nearly midnight and I need to get off computer. There may be much more about this but, in Dr. B's guidelines, he does not even want lyme patients getting any electrical stimulation from a physical therapist - and that would be just for a shoulder or a knee.


I've had that sort of electrical stimulation with physical therapy for my limbs - and other "microcurrent" and the seizures that I experienced afterward nearly killed me. It stirred up lyme, big time, but I had not know then that I had lyme - and 2 other tick borne infections.


I've never had a LLMD but once I had the proper tests and a couple consults with LLMD or LL ND, I have never had severe depression as I did before addressing the infections in my brain.

So many of the psych meds I had taken made me much worse. Magnesium and fish oil make me better. B-vitamins, too.


=======

http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/B_guidelines_12_17_08.pdf

Treatment Guidelines, 16h edition, October, 2008
Joseph J. Burrascano, Jr., M.D.

Page 31:

. . .

LYME DISEASE REHABILITATION

. . .

Ice (vasoconstriction) and electrical stimulation (muscle spasm and trauma) should not be used!

. . . .

=====================


http://www.thehumansideoflyme.net/

The Human Side of Lyme


======================

You might also search the work of doctors Brian Fallon and Jenifer Nields (MD or Ph.D.?) they have written about neurospysch issues with lyme. Cross search them with the Columbia Univ. Lyme research center.

=======================

Is your brother taking magnesium and fish oil supplements? Those would be a huge help. A gluten-free diet, too, can ease depression like a miracle.

He can start that today.

It is clear that your brother needs to stop going to doctor who are ignorant in this area. He deserves an educated and experienced doctor.

I wish you the very best of luck. And, in the event that no doctor is accessible, I've achieved some success on my own. PM me if you need suggestions but it sure is best to have a good LLMD or a good LL ND (naturopathic doctor) who is expert and ILADS-educated.

============

He might also consider seeing a doctor who specialized in orthomolecular (sp?) medicine - meaning using nutrition and IV vitamins and minerals.

It would be best to have someone like that who is also LL (Lyme literate), but first, just getting his nutrition in order for a week or two might save his life.

My guess is that he is severely magnesium deficient. IV magnesium, alone (and also with B-vitamins) can do wonders.

My guess, too, is that your brother's endocrine system (adrenal, HPA axis - hypothalamus/pituitary/adrenal axis) are just "fried" from lyme and further from the shock treatments. He likely needs serious attention to adrenal support.


Again, best of luck. Please keep up posted -

-

[ 06-30-2009, 03:32 AM: Message edited by: Keebler ]

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Cass A
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ECT is brain damage.

Period.

This is not therapy.

I recommend you look into MindFreedom. They have a site on the internet.

Best,

Cass A

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Keebler
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Also, since July 4th is this weekend, I suggest your brother hunker down and rest and create quite space for himself.

This is THE hardest "season" of the year for me with my tender brain and noise sensitivities. If your brother is sensitive to stimuli (and after elec. shock, he will be even more so) . . . please help him build a nice cocoon for this weekend with enjoyable activities that soothe.

Ear muffs and ear plugs may be required for Friday and Saturday evenings. Again, magnesium and fish oil can calm the brain. B-6, too.

It would also be understandable were your brother to develop PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) as a result of the ECT. With fireworks going on, this could really trigger some severe symptoms.

Knowing this in advance may help him prevent it. I so hope he finds doctors who will not poison or torture him but doctors who will know how to properly treat him.

Peace to you both.
-

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Keebler
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Can you say WHERE in NY state ? I know of one LL ND (naturopathic doctor) upstate who could help while he waits to get into a LLMD.

Does he have friends or family in other places where he might obtain medical tx?

-

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MaryMi
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Thanks for your replies.

Keebler, my brother is near Ithaca, very close to Cornell University. Please PM me with LL ND info when you can. He is coming "home" to Michigan in July, I will share all the info with him.

Thanks again.
ps
His ex has been dx with MS in the past couple of years....go figure.

--------------------
 -
This is only my opinion and/or experience with Lyme Disease. I am not a medical professional.

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MaryMi
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Keebler, I forgot to add, he plans on moving back to MI within a year and may be able to see a LLMD within an hour of me.

But until then, he really needs help now.

--------------------
 -
This is only my opinion and/or experience with Lyme Disease. I am not a medical professional.

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blaze
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quote:
Originally posted by MaryMi:
Is it possible for this therapy to be stirring up Lyme in a big way?

Yes, if his underlying problem stems from overexposure to electromagnetic radiation (cell phone and wifi towers) like mine does...

Listen to Dr. Klinghardt's audio interview below. He even mentions chronic Lyme several times at the very end of the interview as being triggered by exposure to EMF. If Dr. Klinghardt is correct about EMFs being to blame for "chronic Lyme", electroconvulsive therapy may do more harm than good. What he may need is LESS exposure to electromagnetic radiation, not more...

http://electromagnetichealth.org/audio-archives-and-more/#patients

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glm1111
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Mary,

has he been treated for Parasites and Worms? They play a MAJOR part in Lyme disease. Along with the spirochetes,

Willy Burgdorfer found Adult Filarial Worms in the ticks he dissected. Check

www.lymephotos.com

Also check the symptom list at

www.humaworm.com

Gael

--------------------
PARASITES/WORMS ARE NOW
RECOGNIZED AS THE NUMBER 1 CO-INFECTION IN LYME DISEASE BY ILADS*

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seibertneurolyme
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Hubby had 3 psych admits early in his illness -- was undiagnosed at that time. I am very thankful that we politely refused all the requests that hubby have elctroshock. The side effects from the psychotropic meds were bad enough.

As Dr Virginia Sherr puts it on her website -- Lyme is a brain infection. You might want to read some of the articles posted by this LLMD psychiatrist who had Lyme and coinfections herself.

http://thehumansideoflyme.net

Bea Seibert

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GiGi
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Hi there Mary Mi - It has been ages since Brownsville- hasn't it?

Electroconvulsive----- if pathogens are involved, they are so much smarter than we are and find every nook and cranny.

http://www.klinghardtneurobiology.com/library.htm
and somewhere start www.allergie-immun.de -- it is probably the most important one if the problem is no longer acute, but chronic. Also check out KPU/HPU - per Dr. K. it is a universal problem an all chronic matters.

Love to hear from you and about you and family!

Take care.

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