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I have babesia, now what?

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Posted 2/4/2014 6:28 PM (GMT 0)
On my co-infection panel, I just found out I have babesia. This is in addition to the previous tests that indicated Lyme. I find it very odd because I have no typical symptoms of babesia. This is a parasite right?
Posted 2/4/2014 6:44 PM (GMT 0)
Here's what I have read about it:

Babesiosis is an infection caused by a malaria-like parasite, also called a “piroplasm,” that infects red blood cells. Babesia microti is believed to be the most common piroplasm infecting humans, but scientists have identified over twenty piroplasms carried by ticks. Ticks may carry only Babesia or they may be infected with both Babesia and Lyme spirochetes.
Posted 2/4/2014 7:16 PM (GMT 0)
You need anti-malarial drugs. You may have symptoms; who knows.

Margaret
Posted 2/4/2014 7:17 PM (GMT 0)
You could have Babesia Duncani instead of microti which is less likely to cause sweats and be more neurological.

Other symptoms like dizziness, heart palps, air hunger, headaches, bruising from low platelets can all be from Babs. Do you experience any of those?
Posted 2/4/2014 7:51 PM (GMT 0)
I don't have any of those symptoms either. The only thing I can think of would be the neurological portion of it. My total symptoms are arm numbness (positional only), sleep disturbances 30 to 50 times per night, chronic lower back pain, cold hands/feet, IBS. My arms go numb very fast if I elevate them the slightest bit. None of these symptoms really match up with babesia though. I was hoping to pin my sleep disturbances on bartonella.
Posted 2/4/2014 8:08 PM (GMT 0)
The other thing that happens fairly frequently is that the symptoms of an untreated infection will make themselves known as the bacterial loads of the infections being treated are lowered.

In other words, the further into Lyme treatment one goes, there's a possibility that symptoms of other infections that the person didn't even realize they had suddenly start showing up. This is what happened to me as I was treating my Lyme and Bartonella, I suddenly started experiencing strong Babesia symptoms.

Be sure to get treatment for Babesia though - if you tested positive, you have high numbers of the protozoa in your body.
Posted 2/4/2014 8:32 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks. I should add my WBC, RBC, and platelets counts are all normal. This is strange.

Also, it is babesia duncani. WA1 IgG antibody, IFA High

Post Edited (cppoly) : 2/4/2014 1:44:43 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/4/2014 9:33 PM (GMT 0)
I'm with Traveler...my Lyme bacteria load has gone down and Bartonella is gone. But now is big bad Babesia, Mycoplasma and Candida (yeast). But my Babesia is mostly neuro stuff and the shortness of breath. The list of symptoms I have left all correlate with Babesia. We are treating it with herbs and tinctures. Also a lot of detoxing. Same for Myco and Candida. It was laying low for a long while but now it's not being friendly.

You want to start treating for it soon so it can go away in time and won't cause you problems down the road.
Posted 2/4/2014 11:03 PM (GMT 0)
I tested positive for Babesia Duncani - I don't have any of the typical symptoms that are listed with Babesia either - i.e. night sweats, air hunger.

I find it interesting that you list your symptoms as cold hands/feet and numbness.

I just started A-BAB (really my first time treating babesia) and I haven't had much reaction other than - my feet are going numb and my hands and feet feel frozen all the time.

I have not had this symptom in 2 years since. I used to have it all the time when I lived in Dallas. I thought it must be my thyroid or something causing lack of circulation - but my thryoid was fine (they ran reverse t3 and tv and everything).

I am wondering if this version of Babesia manifests this way - cold hands/feet and numbness.
Posted 2/4/2014 11:39 PM (GMT 0)
Interesting SLML. Didn't think it was possible for someone else to match symptoms with me especially since I don't have the typical symptoms.

My doctor is putting me on artemisinin by researched nutritionals. Here's a link to their website but apparently it can only be bought by a participating doctor:
/www.researchednutritionals.com/store/item.cfm?code=CRN135
Posted 2/5/2014 1:40 AM (GMT 0)
@cppoly. I am so grateful you happen to post your non-standard babesia symptoms because this week I just started ramping up the a-bab and here comes all the numbness and most noticeably the cold hands and cold feet. As I type right now they are like little ice bricks!

Maybe post back and tell us how you fare with the artemesinin and what symptoms or symptom relief you get with it. I would love to know! We can learn so much from each other!
Posted 2/5/2014 3:59 AM (GMT 0)
@cppoly. One more thing. I wanted to say I was really surprised I tested positive as well because I didn't have the classical symptoms.
Posted 2/5/2014 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
Just a thought about those cold hands and feet - do you know if you have Thrombophilia (hypercoagulability of the blood)? I had to take herbs to improve my micro circulation while I was in treatment for Babesia.

Just a thought.
Posted 2/5/2014 9:03 PM (GMT 0)
I don't think I was ever tested for this traveler. What is the test? Also, curious what herbs you took.
Posted 2/6/2014 1:24 AM (GMT 0)
Because I used an Alternative medicine doc who is not allowed to order testing in my state (which I think is wrong), I don't know what test would be recommended. Hopefully others will know this answer.

It was a combination of herbs that I used to improve my micro-circulation - and remember I used Traditional Chinese Medicine for my treatments - called "Dan Gui Si Ni San".
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