Inflammation that Damages Nerves

Inflammation is controlled by our immune system. Triggers to excessive immune action are chronic conditions such as lyme disease, MS, chronic low-grade bacterial infections such as:

• Bartonella
• Streptococcus in the colon
• Staph infections

chronic viral infections such as:

• Epstein Barr
• chronic allergies and autoimmune disorders

The nervous system has its own immune cells, called microglia cells. They protect the nerves from pathogenic attack. However they can do damage when they become hyper-excited by infection, heavy metal toxicity, over-vaccination, pesticide exposure, brain trauma and pharmaceutical agents. Yes even some prescription drugs prescribed for your good can cause nerve damage.

When these busy immune soldiers of the nervous system are activated on a chronic basis, they can be the cause for neurodegeneration! This happens as a byproduct of their excreting glutamate, quinolinic acid, TNF-alpha and IL-1beta which keeps them hyperactive. Microglia cells also secrete arachidonic acid that activates enzymes which destroy nerve cells. It’s a complex interaction of factors that turn on and keep microglia cells active as well as having insufficient protective factors that when low cannot buffer damage to nerve cells. Low levels of glutathione, SOD, and antioxidants will enable nerve cells to be unprotected.

Lyme disease patients often suffer curious and crippling nerve pain over time. The treatment of lyme disease therefore often involves the prescription of strong antibiotics. However, since there are over 300 pathogens for this disease complex of infectious and co-infectious agents, which also in turn form complex associations with parasites and the Epstein Bar virus, eradicating one strain such as babesia or bartonella in large part will not halt the progress of hyper-mycroglia activation. One antibiotic that shows promise to reduce microglia activation is minocycline. Non-prescriptive agents that calm microglia hyperactivity include l-theonine, St. John’s wort, curcumin, quercetin, magnesium, vitamin K, EGCG, an antioxidant extract from green tea and silymarin.

Having the proper nutrients to facilitate the slow process of nerve repair is the other angle. One needs sufficient B12 to fuel the detoxifcation pathways of the liver and more to provide its availability for nerve repair. It’s been suggested that a high dose of as much as 10,000mcg daily of methylcobalamin is required to see adequate nerve repair. Folate, B6, thiamine, and riboflavin-5-phosphate (100mg three times a day), as well as carnosine and cysteine to promote glutathione synthesis help to repair nerves. For more details on what dosages are adequate for you and your metabolism, consult your natural health care practitioner.

Please note:
Information on this site is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment.