Bartonella:
Bartonella has been described as a common co-infection found in people with Lyme disease. When some people with Lyme disease do not improve with treatment, it may be due to the presence of co-infection. Practitioners may focus on Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, rather than co-infections of Bartonella, Babesia, and various protozoa. As common as Bartonella may be; in those with Lyme disease, it can certainly exist on its own. Many people with Bartonella alone may not express symptoms severe enough to be recognized and may be asymptomatic carriers. Over the long term, carrying Bartonella chronically may cause a variety of common human diseases including arthritis, arteriosclerosis, and a host of other conditions. Bartonella is known to be immunosuppressive in humans.
Bartonellosis is a poorly understood and is routinely overlooked by mainstream medicine. As a result, many cases go undiagnosed, leading to significant and unnecessary human suffering and substantial costs to society. Bartonella can present in many different ways. But the range (of symptoms) is quite substantial. From joint pain, skin lesions of different kinds. All the way up to a full-blown neuropsychiatric illnesses including schizophrenia and psychosis. And even, worst case scenarios, suicide.
The more common symptoms of Bartonella include swollen lymph nodes, gastritis, sore soles of the feet most noticeable in the morning, fasciculations (muscle twitching), headaches, abdominal pain, striae (irregular areas of skin that look like stretch marks), skin rashes, tender subcutaneous nodules in the extremities, fevers, anxiety, depression, anger, and obsessive compulsive thoughts or behaviors.
Bartonella Symptoms
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Bartonella: Neuro-Psychological Symptoms
Neurological Symptoms:
Some common neurologic symptoms include blurred vision, numbness in the extremities, memory loss, balance problems, headaches, ataxia (unsteady gait), and tremors. Also associated are hallucinations, peripheral neuropathy, polyneuropathy, multiple sclerosis-like symptoms, transverse myelitis, encephalitis, meningitis, hyporeflexia or areflexia (below normal or absent reflexes), seizures, crawling sensations, burning sensations in the skin, vibrating or shooting sensations, tremors, cognitive deficit, memory loss, radiculitis, transverse myelitis, chronic demyelinating polyneuropathy, brain fog, temperature dysregulation, hyperesthesia (increase in sensitivity to stimuli.
Psychological Symptoms: Bartonellosis also sometimes triggers psychiatric manifestations. Irritability, panic disorder, agitation, impulsivity, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive thoughts or behaviors, anger, rage (often termed “Bartonella rage”), combative behavior, suicidal feelings, bipolar disorder, hallucinations, confusion, disorientation, mood swings, antisocial behavior have all been documented in Bartonellosis.
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Bartonella: Lymphatic Symptoms
Swollen glands are typical of Bartonellosis, especially around the head, neck and arms. However, other Bartonella species infections may have no lymph node swelling at all. Patients with Bartonellosis report more neurological symptoms and are more likely to have visited a neurologist than members of the general population.
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Bartonella: Dermatological Symptoms
Early signs of bartonellosis include fever, fatigue, headache, poor appetite, and an unusual streaked rash that resembles “stretch marks” from pregnancy. Skin rashes, papules or papulovesicular rash, striae (stretch-mark appearance), acne, crusty scalp, Henoch-Schönlein purpura (purple spots on the skin), bacillary angiomatosis, petechiae, spider veins, varicose veins
Education: Neuro Psychiatric Complications of Bartonella
Can Bartonella species be associated with adult psychosis?
The potential role of pathogens, particularly vector-transmitted infectious agents, as a cause of psychosis has not been intensively investigated. Here is reported a potential link between Bartonella spp. bacteremia and neuropsychiatric symptoms, including pediatric acute onset neuropsychiatric syndrome and schizophrenia. The purpose of this study was to further assess whether Bartonella spp. exposure or infection are associated with psychosis.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1388442/full
Can Bartonella Bloodstream Infection Cause Acute Neuropsychiatric Syndrome in an Otherwise Normal 14yr. Boy?
Between October 2015 and January 2017, a 14-year-old boy underwent evaluation by multiple specialists for sudden-onset psychotic behavior (hallucinations, delusions, suicidal and homicidal ideation) He was eventually diagnosed with Pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) is characterized by an unusually abrupt onset of cognitive, behavioral, or neurological symptoms. Underlying this diagnosis was a diagnosis of Bartonella. With the advent of more sensitive culture and molecular diagnostic testing modalities, Bartonella spp. infections have been documented in blood and/or cerebrospinal fluid specimens from patients with diverse neurological symptoms.
Can Tick Borne Illness Such as Bartonella Be The Root to Understanding Mental Health Issues Among People Without Homes?
Prior serologic data has suggested that B. quintana infection was relatively common among those who are homeless, and infection was often associated with substance abuse. Symptoms were nonspecific, and serology was often insensitive relative to blood cultures. In suspected cases, blood cultures should be held for least 14 days. Finally, homeless shelters should institute measures to reduce pediculosis, which remains the key mode of B. quintana transmission.
https://www.jwatch.org/na55087/2022/07/08/bartonella-quintana-infection-among-people-without-homes
