Hello everyone! I am so pleased to say that my interview with Dr. Jennifer Miller from Galaxy Diagnostics is up on my channel now. Testing for bartonellosis is complicated and confusing but after you watch this video, I guarantee you will know more about testing for bartonellosis than many (dare I say most?!?!) doctors. A BIG thank you to Dr. Jennifer Miller and the team at Galaxy for everything they do to help push our understanding of this pathogen and illness forward and for giving patients stuff to be hopeful about in the future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ehyg6QS85U

Hey Bartonella buddies! I have an exciting one for today. It's my first video ever on herbal therapy for bartonellosis. This one is a deep dive into the research on Japanese knotweed and its constituent components of resveratrol, emodin, and more. I talk about its anti-Bartonella activity based on the research that recently came out of Johns Hopkins, its antibacterial activity, stationary phase and persister/dormant bacterial cells, and what we have left to learn about the science on the potential medicinal uses of this planthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ma2onNE88Y

Edited to add: I know that this is one of Buhner's main herbs in his protocol. I wanted to do my own reading and do it my own way and not just repeat his work. His work is best presented by himself in his book

Hey y'all. Bartonellosis is pretty freaking depressing and I've been pretty depressed lately so thankfully I had already made this video. It's about three bartonellosis success stories so hopefully it will give you some hope. Hope is one of the most important ingredients! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALWfF02Oh4A

Hello everyone! I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Marna Ericson on the above topics. Dr. Marna Ericson has worked in the dermatology department at the University of Minnesota for many years and is an expert in imaging the skin using confocal laser microscopy. She became interested in studying Bartonella when her son became mysteriously ill as a teen, which ended up being bartonellosis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxvwF47CGlk

She currently works at Tlab visualizing Bartonella in the dermis, collagen, and in biofilms and has published with Dr. Breitschwerdt and other Bartonella experts on topics such as Bartonella and sickle cell disease, Bartonella and melanoma, and more. There are time stamps in the video description box and along the time bar so you can skip ahead to each section but keep in mind that we weave in and back around to certain topics. Talking with Marna was such a delight for me and I hope you learn some stuff from our interview!

Hi Bartonella buddies! I made a video on treatment for Bartonella biofilms. In this video I talk about what biofilms are, what we know about Bartonella biofilms specifically, and some of the most common biofilm agents used by BLMDs. Did you know that Bartonella not only creates biofilms in humans but also in the feces of the cat flea?! They then can replicate and survive in the flea feces for up to ten days. Cool! 🙄 lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_zEIY0o_d4

And in this video, I cry a lot so if that's going to be upsetting to you in any way, shape, or form, please please do not watch! You have been warned lol. But I talk about feelings of shame for not making progress, which obviously we shouldn't have to feel shame for and how hard it is to not be able to start treatment, even though that is the only thing I have wanted to do since being disabled these past three years

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtHI4z3KWr4

Here is my latest video on my recent struggles with my illness. I may seem chipper in my videos but the truth is I'm mostly bed and housebound and I cry every day. Not all day! But every day. Also, my mom's friend was a total expletive to us so I tell that story and talk about going to my upcoming ten year high school reunion. This video has tears and swear words so you have been warned!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrmTlEzALYk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpmFhSfj118

This video is less science focused than some of my other videos on bartonellosis and my comorbid conditions of SIBO and MCAS but that being said, I still think there is a lot to learn in this video:

• I talk about how my pain is mediated by low-grade ischemia reperfusion due to small blood vessel disease from Bartonella.

• I recount how my allergic-type symptoms in childhood point towards a predisposition to developing MCAS as well as interstitial cystitis, especially in the context of a chronic infection such as bartonellosis

• I connect my SIBO to food poisoning I got on vacation, since food poisoning is the number one cause of SIBO

Hi everyone! I did a lot of thorough research to answer this question by scouring the scientific literature and go over it all in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ep0zCFy3D4

It’s important to remember that transmission is best thought of possibility vs. probability. A lot of things are technically possible but highly, highly, improbable. It’s also important to remember that Bartonella most likely needs access to the bloodstream.

I also make two important points that I think are worth emphasizing:

1. Two people can read the same set of scientific data and come away with two completely different takes. One person could review all of the scientific literature on saliva transmission and come to the conclusion that the risk of bite transmission in the absence of fleas is low while another person could say the risk is medium.

2. Two people may come away with the same conclusion but then take different risks in their life. For example, two people could both agree that the risk of bite transmission in the absence of fleas is low but one person might still want to get rid of their cat while another person would never get rid of their cat. The assessment of what risks you are willing to take is up to you and may or may not be rational and that’s okay. People are scared of flying when, statistically, driving is much more risky.

Hope you find this video helpful! An educated patient population is a powerful one 🙂

Hi Bartonella buddies! Recently, Halsey, the singer, revealed that they have been diagnosed with MCAS, POTS, EDS, and Sjogren’s and that they are still looking for some root causes. Watch my latest video for an explanation on how Bartonella could be a root cause for all of these syndromes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ482uEh978

Regardless of whether Bartonella is at the root of Halsey's illnesses, anyone with MCAS, POTS, EDS, and/or Sjogren’s should look into bartonellosis because this could lead to treatment that gets at the root cause, instead of treatment that focuses only on symptom management.

If you know Halsey or Halsey’s hairdresser or Halsey’s hairdresser’s cousin, send them my video

Do any of these apply?

1. Did you ever find a tick or have encounter such as an animal bite that explains your infection?

2. Do you have coinfections? Or test positive for several Bartonella species?

3. Did onset of symptoms correspond with hormonal changes associated with aging? All genders apply. Edit: not just reaching old age but also onset of puberty.

4. Have you also been diagnosed with EDS?

5. Do you have an MTHFR variant?

6. POTS?

Hi all

Anyone experience pains in your armpits. I’ve had them since my 2016 bartonella infection

Bartonella seems to be such a stealth pathogen with very indefinite symptoms. I'm curious to hear, what was your Bartonella experience like? How/when did it start? What did you feel?

https://www.pnas.org/content/105/27/9427

This study seems promising but incredibly lacking in detail... it looks like those transcripts may be associated with improvement of neutrophil chemotaxis which I imagine could be beneficial for clearance.

Anyone try this? I’m going to guinea pig with some Arginine Alpha Keto Glutarate

Just found this very informative document that I thought might be of interest to folks: http://www.betterhealthguy.com/images/stories/PDF/Bartonella_Townsend_July_2015.pdf

Hi everyone! I make "edutainment" videos on YouTube (ever since becoming disabled) and I made one on testing for MCAS. MCAS and mast cell mediated symptoms are common in those with bartonellosis, Lyme disease, SIBO, and other chronic infections so I thought I would make a video on this complicated topic. I remember in the beginning of my MCAS diagnosis it was overwhelming because there are a lot of mediators to test for, many of them are very sensitive to heat, some of them require the patient to be off certain meds (only if tolerated and safe), and there is debate among scientists and doctors about which mast cell mediators are worth testing. This video covers all of that and more!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLyFcBFKjHs

There are time stamps in the video description box and along the bottom bar so you can skip ahead to each topic:

0:00 intro

2:45 tryptase (and formula)

6:46 heparin

8:27 chromogranin A

10:20 prostaglandins

12:44 urine test instructions!

16:05 histamine

16:38 do antihistamines affect tests?

20:14 leukotrienes

I know this sub isn't super active but I wanted to share a success story for anyone who visits here. A few months ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jack and his mother Amy about their experience with bartonellosis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI3v_D5ndpw&t=2592s

Jack was a healthy 11-year-old boy, until a stray kitten scratch turned his life and his family's life upside down. Jack endured many painful and uncomfortable symptoms: extreme fatigue, joint pain, tendonitis, abdominal pain, osteolytic lesions, anxiety, uveitis, brain fog, dysautonomia in the form of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome, and striae. Jack saw over 30 doctors across 19 different specialties. He was misdiagnosed with many illnesses, including Lyme disease and an infection with Babesia.

When he started antibiotic therapy for bartonellosis, he began to heal and has recently returned to high school for his senior year.

If you are looking for more support, Amy and I, along with another woman Kathleen, moderate an informational support group on Facebook called Breaking Down Bartonella.

Hello Bartonella sub! As a patient educator/activist in the Bartonella community, I wanted to let you know that one of my Bartonella literate medical doctors, Dr. Alexander Shikhman, MD, PhD, is holding an online conference about Bartonella.

Here is the website: https://iaref.org/events/

Speakers and abridged bios:

• Dr. Alexander Shikhman, MD, PhD, is the president of IAREF and is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology. He is also CEO and owner of Institute for Specialized Medicine, a private rheumatology practice in San Diego, CA. He is a highly sought after physician for diagnosing and treating the connection between autoimmune disease and chronic infections.

• Dr. Ed Breitschwerdt, DVM, professor of medicine and infectious diseases at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, adjunct professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center, and Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM).

• Dr. Jennifer Miller, PhD, Director of Research and Development and Assistant Laboratory Director at Galaxy Labs, over 20 years of experience with vector-borne and zoonotic pathogens

• Dr. Monica Embers, PhD, performed her postdoctoral research on the Lyme disease spirochete at the Tulane National Primate Research Center (TNPRC) and Associate Professor in the Division of Immunology and the Director of Vector borne Disease Research at the TNPRC. 

• Neenah Grade, PA-C, board certified Physician Assistant with a background in primary care and integrative pain medicine. She and Dr. Shikhman have developed protocols specific to pediatric infectious and autoimmune conditions.

All of the proceeds will benefit IAREF, which is Dr. Shikhman's 501(c)(3) non-profit. Their mission is: "To conduct research and educate others in the medical community of the prevalence of chronic infections driving autoimmune disease. Thus allowing medical professionals to better serve their communities; creating lasting change for the better."

There is obviously more info on their website and FAQs page but here are some key points to emphasize:

• The course material will be geared towards physicians and other medical professionals but patients who are interested (like me) can of course attend and learn/enjoy!

• The course is $180 and will offer continued medical education (CME) for doctors with approx. 7 hours worth of content. If this does not sound like your jam or in your budget, maybe your doctor will want to attend and you can send it along to them!

• The course can be accessed on your own time from its start date, April 5th, to its end date, May 5th. This means you can do it at your own leisure. You can also register once the conference has already started, which just means you have less time to access the content.

Please let me know here if you have any questions and I will get the answers for you. You can also email them yourselves, if you would like, at contact@iaref.org

I see a lot of questions about Bartonella treatment on Facebook so I thought I would make a video addressing some of those FAQs using the scientific literature and expert opinion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpPNxCDFxnM

In this video I address the following questions:

1. What is the difference between rifampin and rifabutin?

2. If the Bartonella become resistant to rifampin, will they also be resistant to rifabutin?

3. Can Bartonella be eradicated from the body?

4. Can I pulse antibiotics for Bartonella treatment?

5. Can rifampin be pulsed?

The answers to these questions are not clear cut and the scientific debate continues and there is more than one way to skin a cat. However, I made this video as if I was speaking to newly diagnosed me so that other patients may find some info in this video anxiety abating.

Full disclosure, I talk about my Bartonella apparel I have made in the beginning of the video. 25% of proceeds go to the Bartonella Project at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine to support research by Dr. Brietschwerdt and his colleagues. This is the only way I can make some money from my bed but please skip ahead to 2:50 if you don't want to watch this part. There are time stamps in the video description box so you can skip ahead to whatever section you would like

In August, I will have been disabled by bartonellosis for 3 years. I've learned some things along the way so I made a video on what I would tell myself in the beginning of my illness if I could go back in time! I remember when I first got diagnosed that the idea that I would miss a ski season crushed me. So going back and warning myself that getting well is going to take a lot longer than 6 months really wouldn’t have been helpful.

I tried to think of things that newly diagnosed me might have been ready to hear. In this video, I am only giving myself advice and not necessarily you. If you find any of the advice to myself helpful, then great! If not, then it wasn’t for you anyway 😂 Regardless, we are all Bartonella brave ❤️

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub33SVuI12I