Am I Losing My Mind, Or Is It Lyme Disease?

Am I Losing My Mind, Or Is It Lyme Disease?

 

Do you feel like youโ€™ve got brain fog? Are you having trouble with problem-solving and decision-making? Is it getting harder for you to concentrate or pay attention? Are you struggling with memory problems? If so, you could be feeling like youโ€™re losing your mind.ย ย 

If youโ€™re like most people, you might head to your primary care physician to complain about these issues. In some cases, you might be told itโ€™s just part of the normal aging process, you might leave with a prescription for ADD/ADHD medication, you might get a recommendation to visit a psychiatrist, or you might be told you have Alzheimerโ€™s disease. Itโ€™s highly unlikely, however, that you will be tested for Lyme disease.

Thatโ€™s what happened to actor and singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson. For years, he was told he was suffering from Alzheimerโ€™s disease or some other form of dementia. His memory continued to deteriorate, and he was taking numerous medications. Eventually, the Hall of Fame singer went to Dr. Mark Filidei, an integrative medicine doctor who diagnosed Kristofferson with Lyme disease and treated him with antibiotics and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. After a few treatments, the singer reportedly told his wife, โ€œI feel like Iโ€™m back,โ€ and has done much better.

What is Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) is a bacterial infection that is caused when a person gets bitten by an infected black-legged tick, or deer tick as it is commonly known. However, many people with Lyme disease donโ€™t recall being bitten by a tick and who did not get the typical โ€œbullโ€™s-eyeโ€ rash that is considered a telltale sign of the infection. When left untreated, the infection can cause devastating, life-changing issues.

Psychiatric Symptoms of Lyme Disease

All of the neuropsychiatric issues mentioned above are considered symptoms of Lyme disease. In fact, 70% of people with Lyme disease say they experience negative changes in memory and mental sharpness. In some people, Lyme disease can also cause paranoia, mania, obsessive compulsive tendencies, anxiety, depression, and hallucinations. But many healthcare professionals are unaware of the debilitating psychiatric effects of the disease. For this reason, many people are treated with medications that donโ€™t help, and in many cases, produce harmful side effects that make things worse.

How is Lyme Disease Diagnosed?

Lyme disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose. When laboratory testing for the infectious disease is performed by mainstream labs using the standard โ€œWestern blotโ€ test, it can often give a false-negative result. If your results are negative, you could still have Lyme disease. Itโ€™s important for testing to be done at specialty labs that are better trained to detect the disease.

Because lab testing is not always definitive, Lyme disease is typically diagnosed by a โ€œLyme Literate Medical Doctorโ€ (LLMD) who is a member of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS). These trained healthcare professionals generally take a detailed clinical history, perform a thorough physical exam, and do appropriate laboratory testing.

Brain imaging studies using SPECT can also help. Brain scans of people with infections like Lyme disease tend to show low overall blood flow and have a toxic appearance. When a brain looks toxic, it prompts a psychiatrist or other medical professional to dive deeper into what the root cause may be. It increases the chances of Lyme disease being investigated.

Hope for Lyme Disease

Just as singer Kristofferson saw an improvement in his symptoms when properly diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease, there is hope for other sufferers. With an accurate diagnosis and a personalized treatment plan, people can experience a reduction in symptoms and a greater quality of life.

At Amen Clinics, we have seen hundreds of patients with resistant complex psychiatric symptoms or cognitive problems who tested positive for Lyme disease and got significantly better when it was treated. Dr. Mark Filidei, who diagnosed Kris Kristofferson with Lyme disease, is the director of integrative medicine at Amen Clinics, where we commonly use specialty labs to help diagnose Lyme disease.

If you are having issues that arenโ€™t getting better with traditional treatment, itโ€™s important to get a comprehensive evaluation that includes brain imaging and lab testing for possible infection. Reach out today to speak with a specialist at 888-288-9834 or schedule a visit online.

 

7 Comments »

  1. When are you going to have a London office?

    Comment by h pinchen — August 12, 2019 @ 3:02 AM

  2. Hello,when it comes to muscle testing or kinesiology Lyme testing is fast and accurate.

    Comment by John Szewczyk — August 12, 2019 @ 3:17 AM

  3. Amen clinicsโ€™ Dr. Ken Stoller diagnosed my teen son who had Lyme. No one else could figure it out. He is currently attending college and capable to follow the life path he wanted before Lyme. This is a gift because his faculties were taken away and he had no hope. It was hard work and it took time. WORTH IT!

    Comment by Teresa Conville — August 12, 2019 @ 12:42 PM

  4. how long ago was your son diagnosed by the Amen Clinic? How long did it take with treatment? Which office did you go to?

    My son was diagnosed with Lyme & 2 of its co-infections 15 yrs ago. He was treated at that time with 8 wks of antibiotics & we were told he was “cured”. Over the years it has resurfaced with many different symptoms & he was diagnosed with different things each time. Two yrs ago it came back again with a vengeance. This time he was treated (and has been treating) with a LLMD. He just had his initial appointment @ the Amen Clinic. What can I expect looking forward?

    Comment by Kathy — August 13, 2019 @ 1:25 PM

  5. Thank you for the follow up… It is so nice to learn I made a difference for your family.
    KP Stoller, MD

    Comment by Doc Stoller — November 13, 2019 @ 7:08 PM

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