What is Bartonella?

Bartonella is a gram negative bacteria transmitted by fleas, ticks, animals, even spiders, but few people know about it. Gram-negative bacteria are particularly resistant to drugs and antibiotics. Clinically the symptoms and extent of human infections are poorly understood, which further complicate getting treatment.

Dr. Edward Breitschwerdt, Professor of Internal Medicine, North Carolina State School of Veterinary Medicine, has pioneered research of Bartonella infections for both animals and humans. Definitely look him up if you aren’t already familiar with his work. He believes that Bartonella is the stealth cause of many neurological, inflammatory and chronic diseases in humans. I am particularly fond of Breitschwerdt for one thing he said during a webinar. In sum he pointed out that mothers are the ones who push researchers to look further into something – he used the example of Lyme having been discovered because of pushy moms.

Bartonella is a systemic infection and therefore can affect every organ in the body. Some of the documented areas of infection include lymph nodes, adrenals (causes weakness due to low cortisol levels), liver, spleen, heart, lungs, breast and eye tissue, and the central nervous system. Bartonella infects red blood cells and endothelial cells (which line blood vessels). As the lining of the blood vessels become inflamed, it is believed that is what causes seizure like movements. Bartonella is very tough on the brain because it can hide in red blood cells and cross the blood-brain barrier, which can manifest as difficult to treat psychiatric symptoms (rage was mine) and neurological events like seizures and partial paralysis. Bartonella also triggers the production of inflammatory compounds called cytokines. I recommend reading about cytokine cascades.

Most people can clear Bartonella from their bloodstreams effectively. But among the subset of people who can’t eliminate the bacteria, there is little help in mainstream medicine – you will need to find a good LLMD or a clinic which specializes in difficult to diagnose cases. My symptoms included heart (tachycardia, bradycardia, palpitations), brain (rage, confusion, foggy head, headaches for days, difficulty walking and seizures), facia of my back muscles, ribs, shins and joints. For years, I hurt all over, was rundown and just not feeling right. Prior to diagnosis I would tell friends I feel like my blood is “poisoned” thinking that didn’t make sense. Well, turns out I was right.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing Bartonella can be tricky. The recommended process for diagnosing is to have a triple draw (3 blood draws on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) in hopes of catching this elusive bacteria. My culture was negative after two triple draws done a month apart, BUT my IgG titer and symptoms point to an active infection. So I decided to pursue treatment with various antibiotics.

(Galaxy Labs states) Detection of Bartonella spp bacteria in patient samples is extremely challenging, as these bacteria are immune-evasive and infect patients at exceedingly low levels, thereby requiring the use of amplification techniques for diagnostic detection.

I was diagnosed as immunocompromised. My NK (Natural Killer Cells) and T cells were low. I had high antibodies for 4 herpes viruses with the dominant one being EBV (Epstein Barr Virus). Treatment is 2000 mg daily of Acyclovir. Doctor wanted me on 3000 mg, but I just couldn’t tolerate it. Side note: Dr. Jose Montoya at Stanford University is conducting clinical trials for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. From what I have read, it is my understanding that he believes CFS and ME are caused by infectious diseases. I really enjoy listening to his presentations. He is so open to listening to patients, colaborating and considering various possibilities.  Dr. Montoya speaking about CFS

My diagnosis of Bartonella was based on symptoms and a positive IgG titer for antibodies to Bartonella Henselae (Cat Scratch) and Quintana (Trench Fever). Interesting thing about diagnosing Bartonella is that many doctors do not consider IgG indicative of an active infection. Traditionally IgM is indicative of a newly acquire, active infection, but in researching this infection further, IgG is considered by Mayo Clinic Lab Services to be either an active or previous Bartonella infection. Mayo Medical Laboratories

We followed up with an infectious disease doctor at Stanford who disagreed with this diagnosis, but again, Western medicine has a rather narrow view of these infections. Having been sick for over 5 years and having so many inconclusive tests, I am willing to try anything. Literally on paper I look like a very healthy person (by Western medical definitions). But the specialist I saw who conducts research (using the Montoya treatment protocol) pointed out antibodies for viral infections were high, cortisol was really low (like bedridden low), and my symptoms and antibodies said “Look. Bartonella!” So even if you get a nay-sayer, read, ask questions, and keep seeing doctors until you find one who is willing to help you. And just listen to your body.

According to Western medical beliefs, most individuals can fight Bartonella infection and have resolved the infection within a few weeks. It is estimated that only 5% of those infected with Bartonella will go on to have a longterm infection that results in chronic symptoms. But doctors and researchers working with patients with Bartonella disagree, siting many cases simply go undiagnosed.

I was diagnosed and treated for this rare, illusive infection by Dr. David L. Kaufman of Center for Complex Diseases.  centerforcomplexdiseases

Note about Epstein-Barr

Epstein Barr Virus can cause muscle weakness, balance and vision problems. This is caused by the immune system attacking the body’s nervous system.

Labs used for blood work

Galaxy Labs ran the cultures for Bartonella. I had triple draws (one in August, the other in September). My ePCR cultures came back negative twice, but I had positive IgG titers for antibodies to Bartonella.
(apx expense $1800)

iGenX specialize in Lyme. I tested negative for Lyme and other aspects of my blood results were not indicative of Lyme.
(apx expense $1200)

Quest Labs in-depth blood analysis which revealed low NK and T cells and high antibodies for Epstein Barr. Also revealed that I was vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D deficiency may have contributed to the numbness and tingling in my extremities.
(apx expense $8000)

This bacterium is perhaps the most challenging of all the co-infections to identify. Common strains of Bartonella, such as B. quintana and B. henselae, cannot usually be detected using antibody tests that are available at most medical laboratories. The PCR test can also be used to screen for Bartonella. Galaxy is the best lab to perform Bartonella PCR testing.

Antibody tests may fail to detect Bartonella even when it is present by PCR testing. Many times the diagnosis of Bartonella is a clinical diagnosis, in that it is based on a patient’s symptoms, the doctor’s examination, and the elimination of other possible diagnoses.

There is one test that is useful in screening patients suspected of being infected with Bartonella or who are currently being treated is “vascular endothelial growth factor” (VEGF). This test measures a substance that is produced by the Bartonella microbe in order to facilitate its entry into the body tissues it likes to inhabit. Elevated levels of VEGF often (but not exclusively) mean that a patient is infected with Bartonella. By monitoring VEGF levels during the course of treatment, physicians can monitor the progress of treatment. When VEGF levels return to normal, it generally means that the antibiotics have been successful and can be discontinued. The VEGF test is available from standard commercial laboratories.

(Sharing personal expenses. Doctor’s appointments, lab work, medications and supplements, after insurance covered a portion were $5563.33 for 7 months. I’m still undergoing treatment, but really not too bad of a financial hit for treatment. I easily spent $5000 on chiropractic in 2013 to manage the pain before I knew what was causing the pain.)