Bartonella > See the Complete List
Bartonella is a bacterium that lives inside the lining of the blood vessels that is caused by a deer tick bite. Like Lyme, they are both vector-borne bacterium and have interrelated symptoms. Often times, Bartonella is present as a co-infection of Lyme disease and therefore testing for Bartonella should be performed when symptoms present. Symptoms can vary depending on the person, however, common symptoms include fever, insomnia, fatigue, brain fog, memory loss, blurred vision, loss of coordination, muscle pain, swollen glands around the neck, arms and head, and headaches.
Any assessment of Lyme disease will most often include several of the co-infections such as Bartonella. It is important to note that pharmaceutical and supplementation interventions to treat this tick born illness may be different than that used for the treatment of the Lyme bacteria. Therefore, treating co-infections as one would Lyme is not only ineffective but also inappropriate. The Stram Center has been diagnosing and treating Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses since 2003 and has seen more than 15,000 Lyme patients. This extensive clinical experience allows the Stram Center providers to recognize and properly diagnosis. In addition, we understand that testing alone is not a sole diagnostic tool, as currently the tests available can present with unreliable results. While we may use labs that offer better, more sensitive tests than what is conventionally used, the clinical diagnosis is paramount and in line with the CDC’s recognition of this fact. We do not follow the outdated guidelines for diagnosis and treatment set by the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) which is what most health insurance companies align with. For this reason, among others, we do not contract with insurance which allows us to diagnose and treat properly using specific antibiotics, sometimes for extended periods, other medications, along with supplementation and dietary interventions, IV therapies and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, when indicated. We are proud to say that we have helped 1,000’s of patients regain their lives from chronic untreated/misdiagnosed Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.
