Hi,

Wanted to pass this site with great info along.....Borrelia burdorferi infection (lyme disease) can
cause autism.....


http://www.ilads.org/insurance.html

I will check this out later when I have time to read. The interesting thing is my husband is for sure Asperger syndrome so the genetic thing is strong in our case. I hate to think I gave this to my son through breast milk. But certainly worth testing my son at some point.

Molly

Hi,

Yes, you are right, it's worth checking out. I know there is more good literature out there about the lyme/autism connection.

Take care!!!!!!!!!!

Hi,

One reason why autism and Asperger's can seem to run in families if it is actually a chronic lyme infection is because often whole families are infected since they live and spend time outdoors in the same places.


Testing is not foolproof, but Igenex lab in CA is the very best. The lyme ELISA is useless and other labs do not test for all bands on their western blots.

If anyone wants to get tested the Dr should order a western blot IgG and IgM, test #188 and #189...total cost $200...has to be prepaid. They do accept medicare.

www.igenex.com

You can call or email them for a free test kit with prepaid fedex label and all the paperwork inlcuding the Dr's order form.

Blood should be drawn on a Mon or Tues so it arrives at Igenex by Thurs via 2 day fedex.

Lyme is a clinical diagnosis though...means it is based on history and symptoms.

Lyme is never ruled out by just a negative lab test.

It usually takes a skilled Lyme literate MD to know how to diagnose and treat it.

If anyone wants to go to a board with lots of intelligent people with good info, you should visit lymenet.org...click on flash discussion...sign up for free like you did here...and post questions on the Medical Questions, Seeking a Dr, or General Support board and others.

If this theory was not so ridiculous it would almost be funny!! But it is not. It is pitiful.

The Journal that this was printed in is not a scientific journal. It is all about hypothesis. Here is how the Journal explains itself and what kind of articles it uses.

"Guidelines for Authors on the construction of articles

The purpose of Medical Hypotheses is to publish interesting theoretical papers. The journal will consider radical, speculative and non-mainstream scientific ideas provided they are coherently expressed.

Medical Hypotheses is not, however, a journal for publishing workaday reviews of the literature, nor is it a journal for primary data (except when preliminary data is used to lend support to the main hypothesis presented). Many of the articles submitted do not clearly identify the hypothesis and simply read like reviews."

This is not a credible medical journal.

Correlation does not mean causation. Everyone drinks water. Everyone dies. So water causes people to die?

Since so many people test positive according to ILADS definition of Lyme you could probably come up with the same hypothesis for blue eyed people and Lyme.

Of course everything needs to be checked out. Yes anyone can get Lyme.

But this information which is only based on correlation, as well as a flawed theory of how Lyme is diagnosed, is such a disservice not only to the parents whose children have Autism, but also the children themselves.

I find this post presumptuous.

gap





[This Message was Edited on 05/21/2009]

Developing a hypothesis is indeed a critical part of the scientific process BUT taking data from different sources to fit a hypothesis is pseudoscience. The scientific process involves more than simply making a hypothesis.

Of course correlation suggests causation -- that is what correlation is all about. "A" might cause "B" but not necessarily because there are too many other variables that can cause the outcome. That is why there is correlation because you can never adequately prove "A" is the only cause of "B". Correlation does not PROVE causation. So Gapsychs comment is entirely correct in that "correlation does not mean causation".

The study you quoted from is so extremely scientifically flawed, it's laughable.

Kina.

It's hard to say, but the fact that I remember having the bullseye rash at around age six and then my subsequent problems in school, I think it is Lyme induced.

I used to have severe panic attacks in the lunchroom of my school when I was in kindergarten and up through first and second grade. But the panic attacks would come from severe sensory overload. I couldn't take the sights, sounds, smells. It was all sensory overload. But I had no words for it. I didn't know why I felt that way. I used to puke in the lunch room. It got so bad that the principal let me and two other kids eat lunch in his office every day for a year because we couldn't take the lunchroom.

Way back then, no one knew what Autism was or Aspergers. These were unknown words. I guess they called us psych cases instead. I don't know. All I know is, I was different in alot of ways than the other kids.

I have it severe again now, after alot of years. I get severe sensory overload and I have all the symptoms again. I'm only okay when I'm alone in a quiet place where I can relax.