Lyme and PANS Newsletter – November 2019

In this issue

• Latest Research Findings!
• ILADS 2019 Conference Highlights
• Introducing Dr. Sylvia Sichol
• Anti-inflammatory Eating Group
• Join our Monthly Meditation Series
• Customized Small Group Yoga

Meditation Series

Second Wednesday Self-Care

Join us on the second Wednesday of every month for focused small group sessions.

Dec 11: Peaceful Heart Openers

Jan 8: Stress Relief

Feb 12: MOOD LIFT Yoga

$25 per person (min 4, max 6), must preregister to attend: 781-923-7000

Customized Self-Care Groups or Individual Sessions

Prefer a different date or session theme? Round up your family/friends (great GIRLS NIGHT OUT idea) & schedule a customized session around YOUR OWN theme such as...

Stress Taming Movements
MOOD LIFT Yoga for Seasonal Affective Disorder
Brain/Belly Connections
Tech Neck Release
Roll Away Tension (with balls and foam rollers)

Treat yourself (or gather friends/family) and spend some time nurturing your nervous system! Amy will guide you through yogic and therapeutic ways to care for your whole self through breathing, yoga flows, essential oils, and meditation. Tuck in, restore, have fun and soothe your nervous system throughout the cooler seasons.
Call to schedule your own private or small group session with Amy: 781-923-7000.

LPTC is excited to welcome Clinical Psychologist, Sylvia Valeri Sichol, Ph.D., to the treatment team. Dr. Sichol earned her doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles. She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior of Brown Medical School and afterwards was appointed to the research faculty. As Assistant Professor (Research), Dr. Sichol was a co-investigator for NIMH-funded studies involving the assessment and treatment of child and adolescent mood disorders. With a breadth of experience in diverse clinical and research settings, Dr. Sichol is accepting referrals for psychotherapy. In addition to working with patients with Lyme and/or PANS, she is accepting youth and adult clients suffering from anxiety, depression or other clinical presentations. Dr. Sichol is a dedicated and passionate clinician who will provide evidence-based interventions to address both psychological and health concerns and promote well-being. More background information can be found at www.lymeandpanscenter.com.

INTERNATIONAL LYME AND ASSOCIATED DISEASES SOCIETY SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE 2019 HIGHLIGHTS
LYME and CANCER

Researchers at UNH and elsewhere are digging into the topic of tick-borne diseases and breast cancer. An increased presence of borrelia and/or bartonella has been detected in breast cancer biopsies. Dr. Neil Spector presented his research, “Bartonella henslae Infection of Human Breast Epithelial Cells Triggers Pro-Tumeroigenic Molecular Effects.” Lyme and bartonella have long been known for being immunosuppressive and inflammatory in the body, but now researchers are showing that breast cancer samples harbor Lyme, and especially Bartonella DNA. Studies are being done now to determine to what extent having bartonella might increase cancer risk.

MOLD

Researchers’ confidence in the link between persistent Lyme and mold exposure has gained even more strength. Exposure to mold spores or mold toxins in the air can be very dangerous for even healthy individuals. For example, mold exposure can lead to brain fog, dizziness, fatigue, sensitivity to foods, worsened allergies or asthma, inflamed nasal passages or lungs, and a weakened immune system. If this is what mold can do a healthy person, what might it do to patients with Lyme? At the very least, presenter Dr. Jill Crista, and other Lyme-literate environmental medicine doctors, such as Dr. LaCava at LPTC, warn that mold exposure contributes to suffering and slows recovery from Lyme. At its worst, untreated mold exposure can be life-threatening.

What can you do? Keep your spaces dry! This includes your basement, ceilings, behind your appliances, everywhere. Ensure that school and work spaces are mold free. Avoid vacationing in moldy environments. Ask yourself if the air smells musty – mold emits a musty smell as it eats materials. If you suspect mold is a problem in one of your environments, seek a true mold specialist. Mold expert, Corey Levy, explained in his lecture that a home inspection by a knowledgeable mold specialist should take 2 or more hours. For more information about his mold inspection process or company, see https://yesweinspect.com/ .

If you are stuck in a moldy environment, take many fresh air breaks outside. Use carbon air filters. Dr. Crista advises using thyme essential oil as a cleaner, and consuming certain foods such as artichokes as they offer protection from mold’s harmful effects on the immune system. Ask your doctor or naturopath if it is safe for you to add garlic, vitamin D, aloe vera, bioflavonoids, Pau D’Arco, or quercetin to your regimen. Importantly, be sure your health practitioner appreciates the potential effects of mold exposure on your wellness, and knows how to safely monitor your care. (Practitioners at the Lyme and PANS Treatment Center can help diagnose and treat mold exposure.) Finally, talk to your provider about the safe use of binders and probiotics.

AUTISM and CONGENITAL LYME

Several researchers, including Magdalena Cubala-Kucharska, M.D., Ph.D., presented research and shared clinical case studies about tick-borne diseases as an underlying factor in autism. Several lines of research are suggesting an increased risk of autism in children with prenatal exposure to infections such as Lyme disease. Dr. Cubala-Kucharska asserted that tick-borne diseases (particularly bartonella) should be evaluated and ruled out in individuals with autism who exhibit aggression or psychotic symptoms. With the steep increase in autistic spectrum disorders and concurrent rising incidence of tick-borne diseases, the topic of congenital Lyme disease is receiving more attention. There are now 46 peer-reviewed published studies demonstrating congenital Lyme disease; in other words, Lyme disease can be passed from mother to child during pregnancy.

MAST CELL ACTIVATION and the BLOOD-BRAIN-BARRIER

Mast cell activation syndrome is a condition in which a patient becomes more sensitive to nearly any type of “irritant.” Mast cells generally lower a person’s threshold for an inflammatory response cascade and amplify autoimmunity. As long ago as 1990, Dr. T. Theoharides at Tuft Medical Center, published a study (MAST Cells: The Immune Gate to the Brain) in Life Sciences about how mast cells may play a role in neuroinflammation. Last week, Dr. Theoharides presented research about how (in mice) mast cells can surround the blood-brain-barrier, increase its permeability, and let toxins cross into the brain, affecting the activity level of the amygdala, hypothalamus and more. Practitioners from the Lyme and PANS Treatment Center wonder about the implications of Dr. Theoharides’ research for our patients with PANS/PANDAS.

Signs of mast cell activation include increased reactivity to allergens/foods/toxins, dark circles under the eyes, brain fog, and certain elevated interleukin levels in the blood. Mast cell activation can be evaluated using both clinical and laboratory findings. Meanwhile, if you suspect mast cell activation, experiment with a low-histamine diet for 3 months, avoid all mold exposure, and talk to your provider about supplements such as vitamin D that may offer some protection. For assistance with a low-histamine diet, schedule an appointment with a Health Coach at the Lyme and PANS Treatment Center.