Neuropathy in Tick-borne Infections and Mold Toxicity
In chronic Lyme disease it is common to have nerve injury in locations outside of the brain and spinal cord – also called peripheral neuropathy. Common symptoms of peripheral neuropathy include:
- numbness,
- burning sensations,
- and/or sharp, stabbing or electric feelings.
In this article Marty Ross MD reviews:
- laboratory evaluation of neuropathy in chronic Lyme disease and
- a functional medicine approach to remove nerve insults and to repair nerve injury.
Marty Ross MD Discusses
Peripheral Neuropathy in Lyme Disease
Neuropathy Laboratory Evaluation
A basic laboratory evaluation of neuropathy may include:
- Vitamin B6 (too much Vitamin B6 causes neuropathy)
- Vitamin B12 (low Vitamin B12 causes neuropathy)
- Vt D3 (levels around 40 ng/ml to 80ng/ml support healthy nerve function)
- CBC
- CMP (evaluation of kidney and liver function)
- TSH, Free T3, and Free T4 (evaluate for low or high thyroid function)
- TTG-IgA & EMA (for possible celiac disease)
- heavy metal urine testing (see the end of the article for when to do this)
Functional Medicine Neuropathy Repair
Steps to repair nerve injury include:
removing the nerve insults
- correcting abnormal labs including thyroid, Vitamin D, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12
- stopping RX meds that may cause neuropathy
- decreasing infections
- correcting mold toxicity
repairing the nerve damage
- repairing nerve cell and mitochondria power plant membranes,
- increasing the master cell repair antioxidant glutathione,
- increasing the nutrient Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
- taking acetyl-l-carnitine if you do not eat red meat,
- decreasing inflammation, and
- using the peptide BPC-157.
Remove Nerve Insults
Address Infections
The three major infections seen in Lyme disease (Borrelia (Lyme), Bartonella, and Babesia can lead to nerve injury. Of these, Borellia and Bartonella have a greater chance of causing this condition. For information see: A Lyme Disease Antibiotic Guide, The Ultimate Bartonella Guide, and Kills Babesia: A Brief Guide.
Stop RX Meds that Cause Neuropathy
There are a number of medications that can cause neuropathy. You should review your list of medications with your physician or health care provider. There are three classes of anti-microbials used in Lyme treatments that can lead to neuropathy.
- azoles including fluconazole (Diflucan), metronidazole, tinidazole, and itraconazole
- Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine)
- disulfiram
Correct Mold Toxicity
Elevated mold toxins may injur nerve function and damage nerve cell mitochondria. See Mold Toxin Illness & Tick-borne Diseases for more information about how to diagnose and fix this problem.
Address The Nerve Damage
Step One: Support Healthy Nerve & Mitochondria Function
These steps below to fix nerve membrane and mitochondria injury can take up to six months. If they are working, you should see improvement by two months. After four to six months, if nerve injury remains, consider adding BPC-157 peptide support described in Step Three.
Nerve Cell and Mitochondria Outer Membrane Damage
In neuropathy often the outer membrane of the nerve cell is damaged. This membrane is composed of phospholipid fats called phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine.
Sometimes the energy factories found in nerve cells (and in every other type of cell) called mitochondria also get injured. When the mitochondria are injured, nerves cannot generate enough energy to repair. In mitochondrial injury the outer membrane of the mitochondria is damaged. This membrane too is composed of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine.
Phospholipid mix with mitochondrial nutrients including CoQ10 helps improve mitochondrial function. Adding PQQ improves the manufacture of additional mitochondria (mitochondrial biogenesis). Keep in mind CoQ10 should not be used in Babesia regimens that include atovaqone (Mepron and Malarone) because it interferes with their ability to kill this germ.
Suggested Dosing
- Phospholipid Mix + CoQ10 + PQQ 3 pills 1 time a day.
- Phospholipid Mix 2 pills 3 times a day for 2 months, then 1 pill 3 times a day.
Increase Glutathione
Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant that repairs cell injury. It is made in every cell. Liposomal glutathione is the best form. This type of glutathione is microscopically wrapped in phospholipid fats which increases its absorption. One can also breath glutathione in using a nebulizer or take it by IV. The nebulizer and IV versions may work more effectively in some than the liposomal oral form. Read more about the nebulizer and IV versions including dosing and how frequent to take them in the article Glutathione: The Great Fixer.
An alternative to glutathione is to take a building block of glutathione called N acetyl-cysteine (NAC). Inside cells NAC is used to make glutathione. My preference is liposomal glutathione but in some it does not work or is too expensive.
- Liposomal Glutathione 500mg/5ml take 5ml 1 or 2 times a day. OR
- N Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) 500mg 1 pill 3 times a day.
Add CoQ10
CoQ10 is a key nutrient used in chemical reactions inside mitochondria that create cell fuel. Most people do not get enough of this essential nutrient in their diets.
- CoQ10 400mg 1 pill 2 times a day.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine
Carnitine is a transport vehicle that carries fat to the inside of a mitochondria so that it can be burned into cell fuel through chemical reactions. The key source of carnitine is red meat. So if a person does not eat red meat, they may not be able to fuel up mitochondria. The most absorbed and used source of carnitine is acetyl-l-carnitine.
- Acetyl-L-Carnitine 500mg 1 pill 2 times a day for 1 month and then 1 pill daily.
Step Two: Decrease Nerve Inflammation
To lower nerve inflammation caused by inflammatory cytokines take curcumin which is a component of the seasoning turmeric. Read more about curcumin on this site. Be sure to use a liposomal variety of curcumin. Liposomal curcumin is wrapped microscopically in fat which increases absorption.
- Liposomal Curcumin 500mg 1 pill 3 times a day.
Step Three: BPC-157 Peptide Support
There are over 100 peptides made in the human body. Some of these are very useful in repairing inflammation and injury caused by Lyme disease. For more information about peptides see: The Best Oral Peptide Guide for Lyme, Tick-borne Infections, & Mold Toxicity.
The peptide BPC-157 comes from the stomach. Think of BPC-157 as the Swiss army knife of peptides. The key ingredient may:
- promote healthy intestinal function,
- improve leaky gut,
- modulate healthy Th1 and Th2 immune function,
- aid in tissue repair of joints, tendons, ligaments, and nerves,
- promote healthy mitochondria (cell energy factory) function,
- balance mast cell activation, and
- have antimicrobial effects.
Here is how you dose BPC-157.
- BPC-157 Extended Release 500 mcg 1 pill 2 times a day. Over a month, a person can increase this up to 3 pills 2 times a day if needed, but usually 1 pill 2 times a day is enough.
Heavy Metal Detoxification
Heavy metals like lead and mercury can injure nerves. By six months doing the above, if there is inadequate improvement, then consider testing for heavy metal toxicity. If heavy metals are elevated then a chelating agent can lower the metals. Read more about this in Heavy Metals: The Problem and Best Test.
Give It Time
Nerve repair takes time. Give Steps One and Two four to six months to see if they will help. If they do not, then proceed to Step Three, and give the BPC-157 at least two to three months to see if it will help. Note you can take BPC-157 with each of the supplements found in Steps One and Two.
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