Interesting discussion, that seems to come around every now and then...
Since learning that I have chronic bacterial infections as part of my M.E process (Bartonella, Chlamydia Pneumoniae and Lyme), and spending time on Lyme groups and listening to their stories, I can see that in some cases people are making their family members ill. Lyme is transmitted between mother and child and their is evidence of it being found in vaginal and seminal secretions as well as in tears and the gums.
My eldest daughter also has Lyme and has been very sick in the past with what was generally considered 'CFS'. I don't know if I passed it on to her maternally or if it is coincidental - I believe I may have been exposed before she was born, in which case all 4 of my kids may have it. She is now expecting a baby and we have fears that her child will also be infected. I have seen other cases of intergenerational Lyme transmission in others in the Lyme community.
When I met him 17 years ago my husband was one of the fittest healthiest people I ever met (not joking), and he remained so for some years. In recent years he shows signs of illness that we cant explain, but he doesn't totally succumb to M.E like symptoms. We have been worried about it enough to consider getting him tested, but instead he has decided to try herbals antimicrobials and diet - and he is feeling a little better for it.
I have met whole families in my Drs clinic that are infected and sick to varying degrees - think of John Caudwell - at least 5 family members infected with Lyme, sick and told they have things like CFS/M.E.
This is all complicated for my kids by the fact that I also have EDS III which is genetic. My birth mother also has M.E and may well be predisposed due to EDS - I also have a maternal female cousin who is sick. A LOT of people in the Lyme community have EDS, and a large proportion of those people go on to develop MCAS (as I have).
My M.E Dr finds a very large percentage of his patients have Lyme and or co infections and about 30% have EDS, another large proportion of those have MCAS as well - especially if they have been sick a long time, untreated.
You may wonder what this all has to do with M.E. Well, I believe Lyme is certainly one trigger, common in PWME, hard to eradicate once its been there a long time, maternally and sexually transmissible and if you have EDS and Lyme then it is very likely you will stay sick a long time AND pass on the genetic issues of this to your children AND possibly develop MCAS, making it almost impossible to treat the underlying infections.
If I had known I had these infections I would certainly have used condoms with my husband, but it is only in recent years we have discovered the infection in me, so a little too late.
Since learning that I have chronic bacterial infections as part of my M.E process (Bartonella, Chlamydia Pneumoniae and Lyme), and spending time on Lyme groups and listening to their stories, I can see that in some cases people are making their family members ill. Lyme is transmitted between mother and child and their is evidence of it being found in vaginal and seminal secretions as well as in tears and the gums.
My eldest daughter also has Lyme and has been very sick in the past with what was generally considered 'CFS'. I don't know if I passed it on to her maternally or if it is coincidental - I believe I may have been exposed before she was born, in which case all 4 of my kids may have it. She is now expecting a baby and we have fears that her child will also be infected. I have seen other cases of intergenerational Lyme transmission in others in the Lyme community.
When I met him 17 years ago my husband was one of the fittest healthiest people I ever met (not joking), and he remained so for some years. In recent years he shows signs of illness that we cant explain, but he doesn't totally succumb to M.E like symptoms. We have been worried about it enough to consider getting him tested, but instead he has decided to try herbals antimicrobials and diet - and he is feeling a little better for it.
I have met whole families in my Drs clinic that are infected and sick to varying degrees - think of John Caudwell - at least 5 family members infected with Lyme, sick and told they have things like CFS/M.E.
This is all complicated for my kids by the fact that I also have EDS III which is genetic. My birth mother also has M.E and may well be predisposed due to EDS - I also have a maternal female cousin who is sick. A LOT of people in the Lyme community have EDS, and a large proportion of those people go on to develop MCAS (as I have).
My M.E Dr finds a very large percentage of his patients have Lyme and or co infections and about 30% have EDS, another large proportion of those have MCAS as well - especially if they have been sick a long time, untreated.
You may wonder what this all has to do with M.E. Well, I believe Lyme is certainly one trigger, common in PWME, hard to eradicate once its been there a long time, maternally and sexually transmissible and if you have EDS and Lyme then it is very likely you will stay sick a long time AND pass on the genetic issues of this to your children AND possibly develop MCAS, making it almost impossible to treat the underlying infections.
If I had known I had these infections I would certainly have used condoms with my husband, but it is only in recent years we have discovered the infection in me, so a little too late.