Hemobartonella Or Mycoplasma

I mentioned in a previous update that I would post my Bart (or whatever) pix. Here it is.

I've looked around the web for other pix of Bart, but didn't see any that looked like mine. Most show little dots floating around both inside and outside of the cells.

I'm becoming increasingly focused on this aspect of my infection. I recently read this by Dr. Burrascano...

"Indeed, there seems to be a fairly distinct clinical syndrome when this type of organism is present in the chronic Lyme patient. However, several aspects of this infection seem to indicate that this tick-associated strain of Bartonella is different from that described as "cat scratch disease".

For example, in patients who fit the clinical picture, standard Bartonella blood testing is commonly non-reactive. Furthermore, the usual Bartonella medications do not work for this- they suppress the symptoms but do not permanently clear them. For these reasons I like to refer to this as a "Bartonella-like organism" (BLO), rather than assume it is a more common species.

Indicators of BLO infection include symptoms involving the central nervous system that are out of proportion to the other systemic symptoms of chronic Lyme. There seems to be an increased irritability to the CNS, with agitation, anxiety, insomnia, and even seizures, plus symptoms of encephalitis, such as cognitive deficits and confusion.

Other key symptoms may include gastritis, lower abdominal pain (mesenteric adenitis), sore soles, especially in the AM, tender subcutaneous nodules along the extremities, and red rashes.

These rashes may have the appearance of red streaks like stretch marks that do not follow skin planes, spider veins, or red papular eruptions. Lymph nodes may be enlarged and the throat can be sore.

Because standard Bartonella testing, either by serology or PCR, may not pick up this BLO, the blood test is very insensitive. Therefore, the diagnosis is a clinical one, based on the above points.

Also, suspect infection with BLO in extensively treated Lyme patients who still are encephalitic, and who never had been treated with a significant course of specific treatment."

I find what he says to follow along with my situation. I've been treating for a year, have not experienced any dramatic resolution in symptoms, tested negative for Bart via Igenex and have CNS symptoms that are off the charts in relation to any typical Lyme symptoms. In fact, they seem to be the only symptoms I have. The only thing I don't have from that description is the rash. I've never experienced that.

If anyone has any insight into successful Bart treatment, please shoot me an email. I'd love to talk to you about it. I want to gather as much info as I can before my next LLMD appointment in a few weeks. My email address is ChronicTriathlete (at) gmail.com.

Comments

[darla]

You posted this so many months ago. Have you found any relief with your BLO? I am in the exact same position as you and am embarking on some natural remedies now that antibiotics just aren't doing the trick. Have you found anything helpful?

[Stuart]

Have you looked at the organism named FL1953, a blood parasite identified by Dr. Stephen Fry (Fry Labs)? One of its stages resembles what you're showing in the picture and it's hard to treat because unlike most protozoan parasites it builds rather than consumes extracellular biofilm. Check it out and good luck.