Lyme and MS. MSsers, pls read!!

[Guest guest]

Lyme Disease

From The MS Information Sourcebook

(http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Sourcebook.asp) produced by the

National MS Society.

Lyme disease is an illness caused by the organism Borrelia

burgdorferi, a bacterium known as a spirochete that is carried by a

deer tick. The spirochete can be transmitted to people or animals

by the bite of the tick. Some of the neurologic symptoms of Lyme

disease are similar to those of MS.

The first signs of Lyme disease develop within days to months after

the tick bite. From 60-80% of those infected with Lyme disease get a

large, reddish rash sometimes described as a bulls-eye. Other

symptoms include a flu-like illness with fever, headache, stiff

neck, and muscle and joint pains.

Neurologic Symptoms Can Be Similar to Those of MS

There may also be delayed neurologic symptoms similar to those seen

in MS, such as weakness, optic neuritis producing blurred vision,

dysesthesias—sensations of itching, burning, stabbing pain, or " pins

and needles " —confusion and cognitive dysfunction, and fatigue. Lyme

disease symptoms may also have a relapsing-remitting course.

Lyme disease occasionally produces similar abnormalities in tests

that are used to diagnose MS. These include MRI (magnetic resonance

imaging) scans of the brain and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid.

All these similarities in symptoms and test results have led some

people with MS to be tested for the presence of antibodies to

Borrelia, with the expectation that their neurologic symptoms are

the result of Lyme disease not MS. The distinction is important

because Lyme disease, especially when treated early, often responds

to antibiotic therapy, whereas MS does not.

Studies Examine Overlap in Diagnosis of Both Diseases

Two recent studies have examined the overlap in diagnosis of MS and

Lyme disease. The studies were conducted in parts of Long Island,

New York, an area where Lyme disease is endemic, or regularly found.

In the first study, people who had Borrelia antibodies in their

blood and had a variety of neurological symptoms considered " MS-

like, " were evaluated with MRI, evoked potentials, and cerebrospinal

fluid analysis including a test for the presence of Borrelia

antibodies in the spinal fluid.

While those with the MS-like illness had the highest incidence of

abnormal MRIs and were the only ones among those studied with

abnormal evoked potentials and oligoclonal bands (indicating an

abnormal immune response) in the spinal fluid, they did not prove to

have any Borrelia antibody in their spinal fluid. The researchers

concluded that the few patients with the MS-like symptoms probably

had these symptoms due to MS and had also been exposed to the

Borrelia bacteria.

A companion study looked for the presence of Borrelia antibodies in

the blood of 100 people with the diagnosis of possible MS. Of 89

people who in fact turned out to have definite MS, only one had

Borrelia antibodies. The researcher concluded that " ...infection

with Borrelia is infrequent in MS patients who live in an endemic

area. Lyme disease is unlikely to be a significant factor in the

differential diagnosis of MS. "

[Guest guest]

BTW ITS NOT MY MEANING TO MAKE THIS AN MS GROUP, BUT FOR THE MSSERS

WITH FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS WHILE TAKING LDN IT MIGHT BE IMPORTANT TO

KNOW.

CHEY

--- In low dose naltrexone , " cheystay " <c_chey@h...>

wrote:

> Lyme Disease

>

>

> From The MS Information Sourcebook

> (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Sourcebook.asp) produced by the

> National MS Society.

>

> Lyme disease is an illness caused by the organism Borrelia

> burgdorferi, a bacterium known as a spirochete that is carried by

a

> deer tick. The spirochete can be transmitted to people or animals

> by the bite of the tick. Some of the neurologic symptoms of Lyme

> disease are similar to those of MS.

>

>

>

> The first signs of Lyme disease develop within days to months

after

> the tick bite. From 60-80% of those infected with Lyme disease get

a

> large, reddish rash sometimes described as a bulls-eye. Other

> symptoms include a flu-like illness with fever, headache, stiff

> neck, and muscle and joint pains.

>

>

>

> Neurologic Symptoms Can Be Similar to Those of MS

>

> There may also be delayed neurologic symptoms similar to those

seen

> in MS, such as weakness, optic neuritis producing blurred vision,

> dysesthesias—sensations of itching, burning, stabbing pain,

or " pins

> and needles " —confusion and cognitive dysfunction, and fatigue.

Lyme

> disease symptoms may also have a relapsing-remitting course.

>

>

>

> Lyme disease occasionally produces similar abnormalities in tests

> that are used to diagnose MS. These include MRI (magnetic

resonance

> imaging) scans of the brain and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid.

>

>

>

> All these similarities in symptoms and test results have led some

> people with MS to be tested for the presence of antibodies to

> Borrelia, with the expectation that their neurologic symptoms are

> the result of Lyme disease not MS. The distinction is important

> because Lyme disease, especially when treated early, often

responds

> to antibiotic therapy, whereas MS does not.

>

>

>

>

>

> Studies Examine Overlap in Diagnosis of Both Diseases

>

> Two recent studies have examined the overlap in diagnosis of MS

and

> Lyme disease. The studies were conducted in parts of Long Island,

> New York, an area where Lyme disease is endemic, or regularly

found.

>

>

>

> In the first study, people who had Borrelia antibodies in their

> blood and had a variety of neurological symptoms considered " MS-

> like, " were evaluated with MRI, evoked potentials, and

cerebrospinal

> fluid analysis including a test for the presence of Borrelia

> antibodies in the spinal fluid.

>

>

>

> While those with the MS-like illness had the highest incidence of

> abnormal MRIs and were the only ones among those studied with

> abnormal evoked potentials and oligoclonal bands (indicating an

> abnormal immune response) in the spinal fluid, they did not prove

to

> have any Borrelia antibody in their spinal fluid. The researchers

> concluded that the few patients with the MS-like symptoms probably

> had these symptoms due to MS and had also been exposed to the

> Borrelia bacteria.

>

>

>

> A companion study looked for the presence of Borrelia antibodies

in

> the blood of 100 people with the diagnosis of possible MS. Of 89

> people who in fact turned out to have definite MS, only one had

> Borrelia antibodies. The researcher concluded that " ...infection

> with Borrelia is infrequent in MS patients who live in an endemic

> area. Lyme disease is unlikely to be a significant factor in the

> differential diagnosis of MS. "