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Could Lyme disease be another infection associated with the onset of Guillain-Barre Syndrome?
Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a life-threatening illness in which the body's immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system. It's characterized by a rapid onset of muscle weakness which can lead to respiratory distress and death. The initial symptoms are typically tingling and weakness in the feet and legs. The exact cause is unknown, but GBS is usually preceded by an infectious illness such as a respiratory infection or stomach flu. While many infections have been associated with GBS, Borrelia burgdorferi, the pathogen causing Lyme disease, has rarely been connected with the syndrome. According to a study by Patel and colleagues, only four cases have been reported in the literature. [1]
Babesia cases skyrocket in Wisconsin with a 26-fold increase
Surveillance data from Wisconsin published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) demonstrates the seriousness and warranted concern over the spread of the tick-borne disease, Babesia. In 1985, the first case of Babesiosis in Wisconsin was documented. The disease became officially reportable in the state in 2001. Since then, the number of individuals contracting the disease has soared.
Low gratitude observed among fibromyalgia patients
A study by Toussaint and colleagues from Luther College, Iowa, aimed to identify the impact gratitude, or a positive attitude, can have on patients with fibromyalgia and the degree to which it can effect their quality of life. The authors define gratitude as “an orientation toward noticing and appreciating the positive in life.” [1]
Doctors favor personalized care over IDSA guidelines
Many doctors prefer the treatment approach for Lyme disease espoused by the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), which recommends personalized care relying on clinical judgment when fixed antibiotic regimens fail. [1] That is in contrast with the guidelines put forth by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), which calls for fixed antibiotic therapy of no more than 4 weeks unless the patient is presenting with Lyme arthritis. [2]
‘Doctor says you are cured, but you still feel the pain.’
Thirty-one percent of Lyme disease patients presenting with an erythema migrans rash remained in severe pain after three weeks of treatment with doxycycline, according to a 2017 report published by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the journal Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology. [1]
Could low-dose naltrexone help Lyme disease patients?
Lyme disease patients presenting with an erythema migrans rash have been found to have elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. According to Aucott and colleagues, from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, these levels can remain high in patients even after three weeks of antibiotics. [1]
One tick bite: six diseases
Doctors created the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) in recognition of the need for a medical organization to address the growing number of tick-borne illnesses.
Lyme carditis causes complete heart block in 26-year-old man
In the June issue of Clinical Case Reports, doctors describe a 26-year-old man with complete heart block due to Lyme carditis. The man, who had no significant medical history, had been on a fishing trip three weeks prior to being admitted to the hospital. He reported having a mild erythematous rash, along with a tick bite on his right second toe, which became swollen but resolved within 2 days. Two weeks later, he began having episodic fevers and chills and developed a well-circumscribed macular rash on his left upper abdomen.
Atypical presentation of early disseminated Lyme disease
A case report by Kantamaneni and colleagues demonstrates the difficulty in diagnosing patients with atypical presentations of Lyme disease. The authors describe an 80-year-old woman, living in Pennsylvania, who was admitted to the hospital in June 2015 with nonspecific neurological symptoms including fever, confusion, headaches, bilateral lower extremity weakness, and an episode of stool incontinence. [1]
12-year-old boy suffers cardiac arrest due to Lyme disease
In the February 2017 issue of HeartRhythm Case Reports, doctors describe what they believe is the first case of a Lyme disease patient presenting as fulminant myocarditis and cardiac arrest. Lyme disease has been associated with junctional ectopic tachycardia (JET) and fascicular tachycardia. In this instance, JET was secondary to fulminant myocarditis.
