Got Fibro & Sensitive to Everything? Part 6: Bartonella

This is the last part of my series "Got Fibro & Sensitive to Everything."

In people with the most severe environmental sensitivities, Lyme disease and its co-infections are important to consider. When sensitivities and severe anxiety are present, the Lyme co-infection Bartonella is especially suspect.

This health topic is far too complex to even attempt a do-it-yourself approach. Instead, if you suspect you may have this condition, you should look for a Lyme literate physician to consult. You can find one at the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) website.

You may have Bartonella if you have the following symptoms:

• Intense sensitivity and reactivity.
• Intense anxiety with emotional instability and mood swings.
• An uncomfortable weird  feeling of vibration over parts of the spine.
• Bell's palsy, inflammation of the other cranial nerves or optic nerve, or meningitis.
• Pseudoseizures or other very unusual neurologic sensations.

There is no reliable testing for this infection. Diagnosis is based on having the symptoms and how you respond to treatment. Treatment typically includes the antibiotics Rifampin, Septra, azithromycin (Zithromax ) and Clindamycin.

The herbal supplements A-BART™ or MC-BAR-1™ can also help you if you have Bartonella. More information on this can be found in the book Toxic, by Dr. Neil Nathan.

Lee Cowden, MD, has developed a series of herbal tinctures that can be helpful for Lyme disease and Bartonella. And Dr. Nathan has found Banderol and Houttynia to be particularly beneficial for Bartonella.