In severe cases, individuals with late-stage Lyme disease may experience impaired concentration, irritability, memory and sleep disorders, and painful nerve dysfunction. Dr. Michael Benros emphasizes that most people do not develop severe mental health issues after Lyme borreliosis .
Can Lyme disease damage your brain?
Lyme disease can affect the lining of the brain , a disorder known as meningitis. Other than causing fever and bad headaches, this form of meningitis is remarkably benign; nobody has ever died of it, and it has rarely — if ever — caused significant damage to any patient’s brain.
Can Lyme disease cause altered mental status?
Early disseminated Lyme disease can have a myriad of central nervous system manifestations. These run the gamut from meningitis to radiculopathy and cranial neuropathy. Here we present a case that manifested with only acute mental status change in the setting of central nervous system involvement with Lyme disease .
Can Lyme disease cause severe depression?
Lyme Disease, or Lyme Borreliosis, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi and spread by ticks, is mainly known to cause arthritis and neurological disorders but can also cause psychiatric symptoms such as depression and anxiety .
Can Lyme cause bipolar?
Case studies suggest that Lyme Disease can be associated with symptoms common to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder , including paranoia, delusions, olfactory, auditory and visual hallucinations, catatonia, and mania.
Can Lyme disease mimic schizophrenia?
Lyme disease has been reported to be associated with various psychiatric presentations. Borreliaburgdorferi (Bb) can present with symptoms similar to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder .
Can Lyme cause confusion?
In some cases, Lyme disease can cause encephalopathy. Its effects include memory loss, confusion, difficulty forming words and thoughts, difficulty focusing, and personality changes.
Can Lyme disease cause aphasia?
Guest blogger Caroline Trujillo shares her experience with Lyme-induced aphasia . During the second year of graduate school, a strange thing happened. I was sitting in class and it was my turn to speak. The room turned gray and I struggled to get my words out.
What Happens If Lyme disease goes untreated for years?
Untreated Lyme disease can cause: Chronic joint inflammation (Lyme arthritis), particularly of the knee . Neurological symptoms, such as facial palsy and neuropathy. Cognitive defects, such as impaired memory.
What Lyme brain feels like?
Encephalitis, inflammation of brain tissue, though possible is uncommon in Lyme disease. Patients with encephalitis may present with sleepiness, abnormal mood swings, confusion, cognitive changes, personality or behavior changes, hallucinations, or seizures .
Does Lyme disease cause suicidal thoughts?
The investigators found that people with Lyme disease had a greater risk of mental problems and suicide attempts . They also had a 42% higher incidence of depression and bipolar disorder, and a 75% higher rate of death by suicide, compared with people without Lyme disease.
Can Lyme cause permanent brain damage?
Varying degrees of permanent joint or nervous system damage may develop in individuals with late-stage Lyme disease . Most individuals with Lyme disease respond well to antibiotics and have full recovery.
Can Lyme cause anger?
Rage is one of many mental health issues people with Lyme Disease face. A study in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment found that 68 percent of Lyme patients experienced explosive anger , homicidal thoughts, and/or suicidal thoughts.
Can Lyme disease affect antidepressants?
It may be important to remain on an antidepressant even after a diagnosis of Lyme disease is made to help stabilize one’s mood . Typically after effective treatment of late-stage Lyme disease, people are able to wean off of their psychotropic medications.
Can Lyme cause OCD?
Lyme disease could be linked to the onset of obsessive-compulsive symptoms through “inflammation and impact on the central nervous system.” Previous research has established links between Lyme and neurologic and psychiatric symptoms.
Is Lyme disease a permanent disability?
Can Lyme Disease Be Disabling? Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness that ranges widely in presentation and severity. The infection can cause a diverse number of physical and mental symptoms, which can vary in severity from mild to debilitating. Yes, for many, the condition results in short and/or long term disability .
What is late stage neurological Lyme disease?
Late or chronic Lyme disease refers to manifestations that occur months to years after the initial infection, sometimes after a period of latency . Signs and symptoms of chronic Lyme disease are primarily rheumatologic and neurologic.
Does Lyme brain fog go away?
More than 1 in 10 people successfully treated with antibiotics for Lyme disease go on to develop chronic, sometimes debilitating, and poorly understood symptoms of fatigue and brain fog that may last for years after their initial infection has cleared up .
Is Lyme disease neurological?
In about 15 percent of cases, Lyme disease affects the central nervous system. When it does, it is known as neurologic Lyme disease . Sometimes, people who think they may have Lyme disease find out they have MS (an immune-mediated central nervous system disorder).
What is Lyme encephalopathy?
Lyme encephalopathy is a rare neuropsychiatric disorder, predominantly affecting memory and concentration [3–7]. Other associated symptoms and signs may include headache, mild depression, irritability, fatigue, or excessive daytime sleepiness [3].
Does Lyme disease show up on brain MRI?
Lyme disease symptoms may also have a relapsing-remitting course. In addition, Lyme disease occasionally produces other abnormalities that are similar to those seen in MS, including positive findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brain and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
How do you test for neurological Lyme disease?
The most common testing for Lyme disease is conducted on the blood . However, when central nervous system Lyme disease is suspected, the spinal fluid should be tested as well. When Lyme arthritis is suspected and the fluid in the joint is aspirated, the joint fluid may be tested for evidence of Lyme disease.
Can Lyme disease cause Mini Strokes?
Introduction. Lyme neuroborreliosis is a nervous system infection caused by spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi with diverse neurological complications. Stroke due to cerebral vasculitis is a rare consequence of neuroborreliosis and has been described in just a few case reports .
