BS: health question: ALS/LYME connection?

Subject: BS: health question: ALS/LYME connection?
From: open mike
Date: 14 Dec 09 - 06:11 PM

I have been helplessly watching as a friend has struggled with increasing dis-ability. He has been doubly held back by mis-
diagnosis, which has delayed proper treatment. He is partially
paralyzed, with stroke-like symptoms, but has been told that he
has not had a stroke. He is experiencing difficulty speaking, swallowing and coughing. One cause may be Lyme's Disease, and
another possibility is ALS/Lou Gehrigs' disease ( also known as
Motor Neuron Disease in UK) Now i see several references to a
link between these....has anyone else had info about this?

Please send good wishes to my friend Dale-He has been so strong
and able-bodied and is not taking this very well. Here are some
links, including info about a film called Under Our Skin .

http://www.aldf.com/--American Lyme Disease Foundation

"Learn About Lyme Disease," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc. gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme

International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, www. ilads.org

http://www.canlyme.com/gazette_martz_2006.html

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=515

http://www.alsforums.com/forum/people-als-pals/574-connection-
between-amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis-lyme-disease.html

http://www.healthboards.com/boards/archive/index.php/t-13332.html

http://www.personalconsult.com/articles/alsandlyme.html

http://www.mdjunction.com/forums/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis-discussions/general-support/322705-als-and-lyme-disease

http://www.mdjunction.com/forums/lyme-disease-support-forums
/general-support/608677-under-our-skin-movie

http://www.underourskin.com/watch.html

film trailer - http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/under_our_skin/

A dramatic tale of microbes, medicine and money, this eye-opening
new film investigates the untold story of Lyme disease, an emerging epidemic larger than AIDS. Each year thousands go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, told that their symptoms are "all in their head."
Following the stories of patients and physicians as they battle for their lives and livelihoods, the film brings into focus a haunting picture of our health care system and its ability to cope with a silent terror under our skin.

http://www.wellsphere.com/lyme-disease-article/als-caused-by-lyme-disease-with-babesia-co-infection/733679

Babesia...another tick transmitted blood disease--
a protozoan parasite of the blood that causes a hemolytic disease

Subject: RE: BS: health question: ALS/LYME connection?
From: Rapparee
Date: 14 Dec 09 - 09:17 PM

Was your friend Dale in Vietnam? ALS is now on the list of Agent Orange related diseases, and setting foot in VN is presumptive of exposure to AO.

If he was, get in touch with the VA immediately.

Subject: RE: BS: health question: ALS/LYME connection?
From: Rowan
Date: 14 Dec 09 - 10:11 PM

I take it that your friend has never eaten cycad seeds nor used tinctures of them on open skin lesions. Cycads are toxic but, in most areas of the world where cycads occur, indigenous locals have processed them as food and in all except (as far as we know) Australia there is an endemic syndrome that has been conflated with at least some versions of ALS in the past. Most versions of processing for food seem to remove the cycasin (the alkaloid that confers the toxicity but processing to produce tinctures may not.

Looking up "Guam disease" or cycasin should provide more info.

All the best. Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: health question: ALS/LYME connection?
From: Ebbie
Date: 14 Dec 09 - 10:34 PM

I had no idea that Lyme Disease is so prevalent lately - and getting worse - or so devastating in its effects until I read 'West of Jesus' a surfer's account of his long time battle against it. Still a young man, he was bedfast for several years.