Does lyme cause increased gutlamate in brain?

Just wondering if Lyme can increase glutamate in the brain? I often wonder if this was the cause of some of the scary neuro symptoms I had or was it from the inflammation? Today I am doing much better slowly. added in gou teng to my regiment. I also am able to concentrate longer and find words faster. It feels like my old self is ever so slowly coming back.
I know that excess glutamate can kill your brain cells. I was wondering if there is anything that I can do to clean it up. Two years ago I displayed dementia-like symptoms along with a sudden onset of psychological symptoms. I as well experience a host of symptoms besides nuero. The brain stuff scares me the most though. I often worry I have a form of picks or early Alzheimers. At only 35.

I came along way and I am having better days. I frustrate myself because I have a bad week here and there. I think it is still cycling because I get a flair every month around the same time. The flares are less and less every month. Did any of you guys recover your brain enough to get back into a job that requires mental strain than brawn?

I am pretty sure it does, which is why I along with others on this forum have had such a hard time getting off benzos. A lot of people who struggle with benzo withdrawal end up getting diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease. The withdrawal causes a lot of glutamate rebound because GABA receptors are weakened.

Some prescriptions that help with glutamate excess are Lamictal (lamotrigine) and Namenda (memantine) if you want to go the prescription route. Or avoid ingesting high glutamate foods, especially bone broth. That really set me back a lot.

Those are scary symptoms, woodduck! I am glad that you are doing a little better now. I always thought I might have high glutamine too, dose anyone know if excess amounts can cause depersonalization, I have been struggeling with that for years? Dose anyone know the name of the supplement that lowers glutamine. I usally go the natural route but I would be interested in trying lamictal since I do suffer from migrInes and I know it can be used for that reason alone, has anyone tried it?

Post Edited (CalmLittleBuddha) : 6/10/2019 10:03:41 AM (GMT-6)

CalmLittleBuddha said...


I always thought I might have high glutamine too, dose anyone know if excess amounts can cause depersonalization, I have been struggeling with that for years?

I'm fairly certain that excess glutamine can be one of the causes of Depersonilazation in some people. Especially since one of the main drugs to help treat Depersonilazation is Lamictal.

I have been taking NAC for biofilms 1200mg a day. does anyone take a higher dose?

I think it has. I was just taking it because I was trying to go with a broad spectrum of supplements. Antiviral, fungal, and bitotic. I have been getting better scince taking it. It takes time but it might be the NAC or the herbs. Maybe both along with time. I hope in another six months are so my OCD is completely gone.

Taurine is good...

Since im "cured" here is my "chime" on lyme brain (but not on gutlamate):

My brain was so fried on ABX it was like I had brain damage. I talked like a drunk retard, was accused/questioned of using recreational drugs/ alcohol ect. Had no memory ect. 90% better now. Avoided people at all costs for three years.

I took no supplements with the intention of "fixing" my brain, since ,well, how do you tell what it needs? You dont know unless you experiment a lot. Its different for all of us. Ex: Gaba helps many, but made me worse.

For those with anxiety, well, that alone effects the rest of your brain too, cant think with anxiety. So I took many anti-anxiety herbs, supps, and amino acids. Gaba help many, but made me worse.

I see "Depersonilazation" a lot here, but not so sure I know what that is (?).

MA10, that's good that lamictal has helped you, what dose are you on?

Calmlittlebuddha, I am on 300 mg/day. When I remember to take it all.

Glutamate is not bad per say. If we didn't have glutamate in our bodies or gultamic acid we'd be a dead fish without memory. HOWEVER, if you go on to pubmed or google scholar type in Glutamate and borrelia or nmda receptor over firing/apoptosis.

Borreliosis or so called Lyme causes these awful, bizarre neuro disturbemces and conditions because of neuroinflammation, menengitis, brain scarring on hypocampus in neuroborreliosis third stage, which is completely reversible if treated with strong glutamate inhibitoris.

For example, glutamate works on the nmda receptors in the brain and elsewhere. Now when one has neuroBorreliosis or borrelia that has passed rhe blood brain barrier (no bacteria should be in your brain tissue), your immune system uses microglia and marcrophages to kill the pathogens. What happenes?

Well the microglia in particular release a excitoxic, neurotoxic chemical called quinolonic acid or QUIN. It is regulated via thr L-tryptophan pathway. L-Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that we get from food such as turkey or bananas. Our body goes through a process of breaking down this amino acid and converting it through the two pronged L-Tryptophan pathway. One pathway on the right creates downstream serotonin derivitives such as 5HTP and at the very end melatonin, which we ALL need for a good night sleep. Only a very little of the L-Typtophan is used for this pathway.

On the left we have the IDO enzyme pathway and some neurotoxic and neuroprotective derivitive chemicals. The IDO enzyme is activated, modulated inhibited by a host of chemicals from medicinal plants, cytokines and many other chemicals and substances.

Downstream of the IDO enzyme via thr L-Tryptophan pathway are kynurenines, kynurenic acid a fewe other chemicals, Wuinolonic Acid and NAD+. This pathway is almost always messed up in ALL neurodegenerative diseases, this includes borreliosis. Studies found that QUINOLINIC ACID a potent neurotoxic chemical that microglia secrete to kill pathogens, is a nmda recepter agonist. It simply overfires the nmda receptors causing apoptosis or cell death/destruction of these receptors. Sometimes this can lead to a very rare neurological disorder called nmda receptor encephalitis which causes a quick onset of dellirium and nonstop schizophrenic episodes. Funny enough, steroids and certain anti-inflammatories can cure or combat these symptoms. However, for borreliosis sufferers a study found that quinolinic acid was found in excess in nearly all patients compared to controls. Suicide patients also have HIGH QUIN in the brain as do MS patients.

The kynureines are also seen in excess or low and have direct correlations between OCD tendencies, kynurenic acid low and kynurenine high and autistic tendencies, where kynurenic acid is high, a potent nmda receptor antagonist. Meaning, this pathway does have neuroprotective kynurenines but even these, when out of whack, can cause problems.

QUIN though, is detrimental and a neurotoxin.

Because QUIN is high in borreliosis sufferers and is a potent nmda receptor agonist or it over fires GLUTAMATE in the synapse causing eventual apoptosis, because ammonia is also an nmda receptor agonist and borreliosis patients have ammonia in excess and because most food nowadays is filled with glutamate especially dairy and that too is a nmda receptor agonist, welp, that's a no good triple edged sword.

Interestingly enough, low dose ketamine (not high enought to cause psychedelic hallucinations) is a nmda antagonist and modulates/prevents nmda over firing. However, take a large dose and it will completely antagonize nmda receptors causing paycosis and hallucinations. This is very similar to what antinmda receptor encephalitis does in a psychological sense. Your immune system attacks these receptors BECAUSE OF OVER FIRING THUS causing apoptosis or destruction to try to create an equilibrium.

CalmLittleBuddha, the dosage recommended for Taurine on my BulkSupplements bag is 500mg, I believe it is well-tolerated in higher doses up to 2 grams (2000mg).

it helps me in a pinch when my thoughts race anxiously like a scattered phosphene fever dream or fast heartbeat after a meal from with much monosodium glutamate, or

MSG: aka. yeast extract, which is in most junk foods, potato chips etc, so it's really easy to eat too much of it; they just keep changing the name on the nutrition labels,

"MSG occurs naturally in ingredients such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract, soy extracts, and protein isolate, as well as in tomatoes and cheeses," source: FDA.gov website 2019

but they keeping adding tons of it to food and this neuro-toxin msg is the same bad old stuff and (I forget which documentary talked about it) but apparently it was and is very irresponsible of the Big Food companies with full FDA approval to put these insane amounts of umami-taste (yes it sounds and is delicious but that's why we eat more of what Big Food Cos put in processed foods along with sugar) to the detriment of our collective health...

I guess everything in moderation, too much sugar and synthetic-flavor you know...

And it sounds like a few folks here have a more fine-tuned grasp of the glutamate function in organisms than I do, I just know that in my experience Taurine neutralizes much of the ill effects of a junk-food binge.

Thanks so much for the info borrelio, do you take it as needed or everyday and if everyday do you know how long I should take ot to level out my glutamate? I know that foods with MSG make me really dizzy and spacey so I avoid them and that has helped but added get this in might help me even more. Girlie, that quote about not knowing who you are anymore is really sad and it dose sound like depersonalization. Mine is more where other people don't feel real called derealization, like you said it's very weird and scary, I'm glad you are not expediting it anymore.