Search and Discover

Month 34 of my treatment is in full swing and I still have no idea how to answer the "when are you going to get better" question. The review of this book is short and worth the read. It explains, at a high level, why I still can't answer that question. Here are two points that speak to my current situation:

• “You should never believe someone who says, ‘this is the best treatment for Lyme disease, period.’
•  “I have observed that the patients who do the best are those who take control of their own recovery, become educated, and learn to be the captains of their healing ships.”

As I mentioned last time, the new doctor ran a lot of tests in order to figure out what is disrupting the balance of my body. It has been a little over three weeks since my follow up appointment, and to say the results of the testing were a lot to digest would be the understatement of the year. The good news comes in the form of no autoimmune diseases or additional tick borne illnesses on top of what I'm already being treated for. Below is the list of newly discovered issues that are plaguing me:

1. Elevated DHPPA -- I am producing a large amount of DHPPA which led the doctor to tell me that I have "tetanus of the intestines". From what I can understand there is a class of bacteria called anaroebes (which are unfriendly germs which live in the intestines) and they secrete neurotoxins which paralyze the muscles surrounding the intestine and cause constipation. Clostridia bacteria, the tetanus germ, is one of these anaerobic organisms. The germ’s presence is easy to spot in an organic acids urine test through the DHPPA (dihydrophenylproprionic acid) marker. This marker itself is not dangerous but the tetanus germ secretes many other damaging toxins, some of which get to the brain to cause autism and other neuropsychiatric disorders.

2. Thyroiditis -- My thyroid gland is inflamed but it is not autoimmune related and most likely related to the Lyme disease or to the antibiotics I am on, or both. We'll be keeping an eye on my thyroid as my new treatment progresses.

3. Maldigestion -- Maldigestion is the inability of an individual to digest food in the gut. I am not digesting fats or carbs very well and I am also protein deficient. Q: What caused the maldigestion? A: Exposure to mercury. I tested high for mercury, yet I don't eat sushi or tuna or have mercury fillings which are the usual culprits.

4. Amino Acids -- Amino Acids help produce antibodies, among other important things, and the majority of mine are low. Here are a couple of highlights:

• My glutamine is very low. By low I mean depleted. Glutamine helps improve immunity and plays a key role in protein synthesis. 
• My levels of tryptophan and tyrosine are also extremely low. Low tryptophan and tyrosine are markers of depression. But I am not depressed.
• The doctor told me that my body is very economical in the way it is using what is available to it, because it is producing a lot of dopamine and serotonin even though the amino acids I just mentioned are so low. During our conversation he said, "It is actually ridiculous that your body is able to do this. Your body is efficiently using its limited amount of amino acids like you are either a long time athlete or you've been a vegetarian for your whole life". I told him I was a long time athlete on a temporary hiatus. 
• I am waiting for the results of more blood work to see if my body is producing antibodies and how much I have in store. If my stores are low or my body isn't producing them at all I will have to start getting monthly immunoglobulin shots before the doctor will work with me on discontinuing the use of the antibiotics I am on. Fingers crossed that my amazingly efficient body is producing antibodies even though my amino acids are so low.

5. Nitrogen Deficiency -- I am very deficient in nitrogen and my body is trying to hold on to it. The body needs nitrogen in order to make proteins in its muscles, skin, blood, hair, nails and DNA. The body obtains nitrogen from protein-containing foods. The body needs the nitrogen in amino acids from protein foods to make other amino acids it uses to synthesize human proteins.

6. Drug Resistant Bacteria -- I have two different bacterias in my gut that are drug resistant to 4 out of the 5 antibiotics they were tested against and one fungus that is drug resistant to 1 of the 3 antibiotics that it was tested against.

7. Candida -- Overgrowth of yeast confirmed.

8. Leaky Gut Syndrome -- "Leaky gut syndrome" is something of a medical mystery, it is said to have symptoms including bloating, gas, cramps, food sensitivities and aches and pains. Leaky gut syndrome isn't a diagnosis taught in medical school, it really means that you have a diagnosis that still needs to be made. A possible cause of leaky gut is increased intestinal permeability. This can happen when tight junctions in the gut, which control what passes through the lining of the small intestine, don't work properly and allow substances to leak into the bloodstream.

• Here is a list of food that I now have allergic reactions to: Almond, Banana, Basil, Pinto Bean, Cashew, Clam, Cocoa, Ginger, Gluten, Lettuce, Malt, Cows Milk, Mushroom, Mustard, Nutrasweet, Orange, Peanut, Black Pepper, Black Walnut, Wheat, Bakers Yeast, Brewers Yeast and Yogurt

9. Iron Deficiency Anemia-- This is the most common nutritional deficiency in the United States and it causes a lot of fatigue. Fatigue occurs because the body doesn't have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to its many parts.

10. Etc. -- I also have multiple vitamin and fatty acid deficiencies... no need to bore you with the endless list.

I am not going to lie, I was both overwhelmed and relieved while receiving this information from the doctor. Overwhelmed by the amount of issues discovered, but relieved that none of them were autoimmune diseases. Without a baseline for the majority of the tests that were run, coupled with the fact that I never asked the doctor for his thoughts on cause (like I mentioned, I was overwhelmed), I cannot give you a definitive answer regarding the origins of my numerous maladies. My opinion is that while the majority of this stems from long-term antibiotic use, some of these issues were brewing before my Lyme treatment began and have gotten worse. The one thing I do know is that I am glad that I decided to steer my healing ship in a new direction.