Clinical experience and in-depth testing have begun to point to Lyme disease complex, co infections, and weakened immunity, which could answer the question of that all over flu-like symptoms experienced by fibromyalgia sufferers. More than likely, since your illness is regrettably linked to those infected with Lyme disease, most you have tucked away that negative report you received when you first reported your illness.
Lyme is characterized by an infection called Borrelia, which is a tube-like bacterium that works by releasing bacterial lipoproteins (BLPs). These BLPs are a type of neurotoxin that lead to memory problems; hormonal imbalances; burning neurological pain; generalized inflammation; gastrointestinal discomfort and numbness; not to mention symptoms like swollen lymph nodes; fever and chills; headache and stiff neck; muscle and joint paint; and the most common symptom, lack of energy.
These spirochetes are covered in antigens, which act like fingerprints that make them easy to mark in the immune system. When your Killer T Cells find these antigens, they know to destroy the invading bacteria. However, when the borrelia spirochete burrows into the body, its antigens are smeared over healthy tissue, which the killer T cells attack because they cannot differentiate between healthy and unhealthy tissue. When this happens, it can produce an autoimmune disease or fibromyalgia. The more the spirochete moves through the body, the more BLPs it releases which impairs the immune system, creates inflammations, irritations and wreaks havoc to the peripheral and central nervous system.
Because of this, the early stages of Lyme disease complex can be very difficult to diagnose, even with a blood test. In addition to physical examination results, most doctors will rely on environmental factors such as exposure to ticks. Yet, most patients don't remember getting bitten by a tick.
Here's something you may be unaware of- Patients can contract an infection at any point in their lifetime, but the symptoms can very well lay dormant until the individual is weakened (immune compromised), usually by a traumatic experience such as a major injury, giving birth, receiving a vaccine or even extreme emotional trauma such as divorce or death. Such trauma will undoubtedly affect the HPA axis.
The HPA axis is where experts have argued there is a genetic link to FMS. Chronic Lyme disease complex can affect the Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in two ways: via neurotoxins and genetic shifts. So if imbalances in the HPA axis can lead to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, depression, insomnia and generalized pain, all of which is related to fibromyalgia, then it seems there is a strong link from Lyme disease complex and its coinfections to FMS.
If you think treating Lyme disease complex is tough, you're right. If it's caught early, antibiotics may nip the problem in the bud. However, this is rarely the case, if Lyme disease is detected at all. Second, the oral antibiotics are usually administrated in a 4-to-6 week period, meaning once that treatment ends, the borrelia will make a comeback, causing the patient to relapse. Furthermore, the antibiotics do not strengthen the immune system and do little to address the co-infections, the secondary infections, the BLP neurotoxins or strip away the protective biofilm, which is a sludge produced by the bacteria to protect itself from antibiotics.
Couple this with trying to find a knowledgeable physician that will be willing to treat you on symptamologies alone since most patients will test negative to Lyme disease. Nonetheless, I have to admit, with more medical journals I read, there are more and more doctors specializing in this field and understanding that conventional medical practices may have to be stepped up a bit to help us. The trick is finding one.
Lyme is characterized by an infection called Borrelia, which is a tube-like bacterium that works by releasing bacterial lipoproteins (BLPs). These BLPs are a type of neurotoxin that lead to memory problems; hormonal imbalances; burning neurological pain; generalized inflammation; gastrointestinal discomfort and numbness; not to mention symptoms like swollen lymph nodes; fever and chills; headache and stiff neck; muscle and joint paint; and the most common symptom, lack of energy.
These spirochetes are covered in antigens, which act like fingerprints that make them easy to mark in the immune system. When your Killer T Cells find these antigens, they know to destroy the invading bacteria. However, when the borrelia spirochete burrows into the body, its antigens are smeared over healthy tissue, which the killer T cells attack because they cannot differentiate between healthy and unhealthy tissue. When this happens, it can produce an autoimmune disease or fibromyalgia. The more the spirochete moves through the body, the more BLPs it releases which impairs the immune system, creates inflammations, irritations and wreaks havoc to the peripheral and central nervous system.
Because of this, the early stages of Lyme disease complex can be very difficult to diagnose, even with a blood test. In addition to physical examination results, most doctors will rely on environmental factors such as exposure to ticks. Yet, most patients don't remember getting bitten by a tick.
Here's something you may be unaware of- Patients can contract an infection at any point in their lifetime, but the symptoms can very well lay dormant until the individual is weakened (immune compromised), usually by a traumatic experience such as a major injury, giving birth, receiving a vaccine or even extreme emotional trauma such as divorce or death. Such trauma will undoubtedly affect the HPA axis.
The HPA axis is where experts have argued there is a genetic link to FMS. Chronic Lyme disease complex can affect the Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in two ways: via neurotoxins and genetic shifts. So if imbalances in the HPA axis can lead to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, depression, insomnia and generalized pain, all of which is related to fibromyalgia, then it seems there is a strong link from Lyme disease complex and its coinfections to FMS.
If you think treating Lyme disease complex is tough, you're right. If it's caught early, antibiotics may nip the problem in the bud. However, this is rarely the case, if Lyme disease is detected at all. Second, the oral antibiotics are usually administrated in a 4-to-6 week period, meaning once that treatment ends, the borrelia will make a comeback, causing the patient to relapse. Furthermore, the antibiotics do not strengthen the immune system and do little to address the co-infections, the secondary infections, the BLP neurotoxins or strip away the protective biofilm, which is a sludge produced by the bacteria to protect itself from antibiotics.
Couple this with trying to find a knowledgeable physician that will be willing to treat you on symptamologies alone since most patients will test negative to Lyme disease. Nonetheless, I have to admit, with more medical journals I read, there are more and more doctors specializing in this field and understanding that conventional medical practices may have to be stepped up a bit to help us. The trick is finding one.
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