Have you ever wondered why you have Mast Cell Activation?

You’re wracking your brain, wondering what you did that caused your mast cell activation syndrome to manifest in the first place. Well, it could’ve begun manifesting years ago. And it could’ve all started with a pathogen-infected tick bite.

Whether you got Lyme Disease and were unaware of it, or you knew you got Lyme and got the conventional treatment for it (the standard round of antibiotics don’t always work), Lyme and Lyme Co-infection could still be the culprit behind the dysfunctions within your body…including mast cell activation syndrome.

What is Lyme Disease?

Lyme Disease is an inflammatory disease caused by bacteria that are transmitted by ticks. It is known for causing a rash (with a bullseye appearance), headache, fever, and chills, and later by possible chronic inflammatory and neurological conditions.

We are seeing an increase in Lyme disease because of climate change and their territories increasing. And with that, we are seeing more complications of long-term consequences of Lyme disease, as conventional medicine continues to under diagnose Lyme with their inaccurate testing and dismiss the idea of chronic Lyme infections.

Most Common Lyme Co-Infections

If you are infected with Lyme Disease, that’s not all you could be dealing with. It’s possible that your Lyme disease could be accompanied by some Lyme co-infections. These co-infections could cause additional symptoms, and even resist Lyme disease antibiotic treatments. 

What’s pesky about these co-infections is that they are smart. They know how to distract the immune system so they can thrive and grow within the body.

Borellia (Lyme)

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. If this goes unaddressed, it can lead to late stage Lyme and cause neurological effects. This is what happened to me. In fact, 15-20% of individuals with Borellia experience neurological symptoms because of the inflammation this infection causes to the nervous system.

Bartonella and Lyme

Bartonella is most often associated with cat scratches and causes symptoms like fever, headaches, fatigue, poor appetite, brain fog, muscle pain, and swollen glands. But typically if you have Bartonella, it doesn't cause issues and it lies dormant. 

However, if your immune system weakens for any reason, like Lyme, a virus, intense or chronic stress, childbirth, or mold toxicity, this bacteria can grow and even go into cells, so your immune system (and treatment) has a harder time finding and eliminating it. This causes issues with MCAS cases because Bartonella and Lyme can trigger the nervous system and immune system to overreact.

Babesia and Lyme

This is a malaria-like parasite that tags along with tick bites and Lyme. It infects your red blood cells, and can manifest as symptoms long after experiencing the tick bite when your immune system is weakened. Babesia symptoms include sweating at night, frontal headaches, extreme brain fog, shortness of breath described as air hunger, and hallucinations.

Anaplasma and Lyme

A Lyme co-infection, called anaplasmosis, is found in about 5% of patients with Lyme disease. People with anaplasmosis will often have fever, chills, headaches, and muscle aches. It typically doesn’t cause a rash. If you don’t seek treatment early, as time goes on, it can weaken your immune system, leaving you more susceptible to other infections and makes healing more difficult.

Mycoplasma and Lyme

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is an 'atypical' bacterium that causes lung infection. It is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia and causes symptoms like fever, cough, bronchitis, sore throat, headache and fatigue.

Difference Between Acute and Chronic Lyme Infections

While acute Lyme causes fever, chills, and headaches, when Lyme is left untreated, synonyms can become significantly more severe. Chronic Lyme disease manifests as a range of physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms that arise or persist months to years after the initial infection. The longer a Lyme infection goes untreated or undertreated, the more risk you have of suffering from chronic Lyme.

Chronic Lyme Disease is often called the "great imitator" because it mimics other conditions, often making it hard to diagnose or often misdiagnosed as something else. It can lead to depression, anxiety, headaches, brain fog, immune dysfunction (like MCAS) and inflammation, heart issues, neuropathy, and even Alzheimer’s disease.

Also, many physicians use Lyme antibody tests which is not a reliable test. The best test for identifying for Lyme are IGeneX or Vibrant Wellness labs.

What is MCAS?

Mast cell activation syndrome is when your immune system, more specifically, your mast cells, becomes overactive and releases mediators that cause inflammation and allergy-like symptoms and more in severe cases. This can cause you to have random flare-ups of itching, redness, puffiness, shortness of breath and even GI issues. You can read more about what MCAS is here. 

The Connection Between MCAS and Lyme Disease

You may be wondering, “What Causes MCAS in the first place?” That’s the million-dollar question, right? Why did you happen to get mast cell activation syndrome? 

The two most common main root causes of MCAS are Lyme Disease & Lyme co-infections and mold toxicity (read about mold toxicity here).

But whether you are aware that you previously had Lyme or not, or even if you thought you successfully addressed your Lyme Disease, you could still have it. In fact, underlying Lyme disease and Lyme co-infections could be triggering your MCAS, causing random and severe reactions and flare-ups in your symptoms.

What happens is that Lyme disease may be the first issue that causes insults to your immune system. Then additional factors, like stress, toxin exposure, toxic relationship, trauma, mold exposure, heavy metals, and other insults to your body could weaken your immune system, making you more vulnerable to additional infections and preventing healing from occurring.

“What if I Treated My Lyme Disease with Antibiotics. Could It Still Trigger MCAS?”

There is a common misconception that Lyme disease is easily treated with a few weeks of antibiotics. But what people don’t know (and even many doctors, still don’t know) is that even if you have antibiotic treatment, the bacteria that causes Lyme, Borrelia Burgdorferi, can persist in your body, or Lyme Co-infections, like Bartonella, can be resistant to Lyme antibiotics. This is why so many people struggle with relapses of their Lyme disease or never feel like they fully recover after their diagnosis.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease

Since symptoms of MCAS and Lyme Disease and Lyme co-infections overlap, it may be hard to decipher which you have (or both). 

• Fatigue

• Insomnia or sleep disturbances

• Rashes

• Joint pain

• Muscle pain

• Dizziness or vertigo

• Anxiety/Depression

• Poor short-term memory 

• Numbness and tingling

• Brain fog

• Headaches

• Chronic abdominal pain/ GI issues

MCAS Treatment When Lyme Disease is the Main Root Cause

Keep in mind that you may have many root causes. Some individuals have MCAS with mold toxicity and without Lyme, some have MCAS and Lyme, and some have MCAS, Lyme, and Lyme Co-infections. It is vital to know what you are dealing with first, before jumping into an MCAS treatment protocol.

If you suspect Lyme disease, it's vital to get tested. But since these tests may be unreliable and aren’t 100%, clinical data should also be considered when determining if Lyme is a root cause of your MCAS. Lyme is difficult to detect because it can evade detection by the immune system with its adaptive ability. 

If you have tested positive for Lyme, the Lyme can continue to trigger your mast cells, making it much harder to find relief and calm your immune system without a protocol that accounts for both Lyme, MCAS, and any other root causes you have.

Simple cleansing and detoxification techniques and herbal medicine can make a huge difference in your Lyme and MCAS symptoms. It’s vital to work with a professional when you are attempting to heal from intense infections such as these.

Overcome Your Chronic Symptoms & Heal Holistically

Are you looking to get to the root cause of your symptoms? We can help you.

We use holistic approaches and functional medicine lab testing to investigate what is triggering your chronic symptoms so you can address them at their source and start to feel better faster. Our health coaches are masters at guiding the healing of multiple root causes in a personalized order that gets you wellness results that last. We also help you maintain good health and minimize your disease risks.

by sarah southerton

Certified Integrative Health Practitioner (IHP2) & Functional Medicine Health Coach

I specialize in helping people heal chronic illnesses and achieve optimal health. After my own battle with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Lyme disease, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Post Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), I was thrust into the world of alternative medicine, herbal healing, and low-tox/low-stress living. I have since restored my health and no longer suffer with debilitating symptoms and I’m passionate about help other people who are suffering, so they can feel better a lot faster than I did.

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