Posted by ed_uk2010 on March 22, 2018, at 12:05:43
In reply to Re: bleauberry - had my blood drawn today » Jeroen, posted by bleauberry on March 22, 2018, at 6:44:27
>But you already know what is going on.
Except that we don't actually know. Mental health is a complex area with many possible causes and contributing factors. To suggest that we really do know is a major assumption. I'm not saying the doctors don't make assumptions too, because they do.
>The test won't tell you anything you don't already know.
It shifts the probability away from Lyme, and hence towards something else. Lyme isn't as common in these parts of Europe as is it in the US. J believed he might have had an exposure many years ago. It seems improbable that antibodies would not have been produced by now, if it was still present. Also, physical symptoms would be expected.
In terms of latent infection, other agents such as Toxoplasma are far more common in Europe. Although usually asymptomatic, possible links between Toxoplasma and mental health are interesting and worthy of further investigation.
Interestingly, doxycycline is one of the antibiotics with anti-toxoplasma activity. Although chronic latent infection is very hard to eradicate.
>As you know, the Herxing can be vicious and terrifying. I have experienced what you described and it is indeed scary.
I think it's important to be cautious RE assumptions that we have experienced what others have experienced, especially when it's not clear what they have experienced.
Although the term Herxheimer reaction is now used by some people to describe almost anything that happens after taking an antibiotic, I think this is confusing. I don't think it's fair to assume that panic symptoms in the absence of typical physical symptoms such as fever represent a Herxheimer reaction (endotoxin release syndrome).
Anyway, with respect to the possibility of latent infection (and it is a possibility not a fact), I think it would be useful for J to look away from Borrelia and towards organisms such as Toxoplasma which are more common here.
Studies have reported that individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia, compared to controls, have a higher prevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma. Although this is an association rather than proof, I do think it's very interesting, especially since Toxoplasma is so prevalent in cats here.
poster:ed_uk2010
thread:1097287
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20180212/msgs/1097566.html