50. Bartonella, mold and more with Dr. Neil Nathan (part 2)
Resources and strategies for diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Neil Nathan is a physician and author, and has practiced medicine for over 50 years in the areas of family medicine and pain management. In part 2 of our podcast with Dr. Nathan, he talks about Bartonella, helpful strategies for treating tick-borne illnesses, resources for a deeper dive into the diagnosis and treatment mold, Lyme disease and multiple chemical sensitivities. We’ll also get a sneak peak into his new book that addresses causes and solutions for the growing problem of increased sensitivity.
Regarding Bartonella
Dr. Nathan explains that, although Bartonella is often overlooked, it is the nastiest and hardest tick-borne infection to treat. Because it is the “third in line” of the three most common infections, it often doesn’t receive as much attention as Lyme and Babesia. Dr. Nathan points out that Bartonella is as common as Borellia in ticks from his region, northern California. Some of the common symptoms of Bartonella are pain on the bottom of the feet, vibrational perceptions or tremors, and intense anxiety, depression or a feeling of hopelessness. Beyond the symptoms themselves, Dr. Nathan notes that the increased intensity of a patient’s experience is often an indicator of a Bartonella infection.
“Bartonella…I think, is the nastiest of the infections. As nasty as Lyme is, and it is, I think Bartonella is a little harder to treat, and a little bit more entrenched. And it’s the last of the big three to be discovered, so that some Lyme doctors haven’t quite gotten around to embracing it the way we have Lyme itself.”
Dr. Neil Nathan
One step at a time
One of the challenges in treating tick-borne infections and mold is finding a physician that can help. Dr. Nathan points out that treatment requires a great deal of patience and often involves a year or more of treatment. He sees it as a team effort where the patient, physician and family each do their part in a one step at a time approach. He has found that perseverance, and a logical, “slow and steady” approach is best. He notes that “slamming” the body with treatments is asking for trouble, and instead encourages a degree of respect for the process. Dr. Nathan also acknowledges that treatment can be expensive but encourages patients to look for a health care provider that can help and support their recovery. He also advises patients to ask friends and family to learn as much as they can.
“The bottom line is that Bartonella is very common, more common that Babesia…it does carry some symptoms that distinguish it from Lyme per se, pain on the bottom of the feet…a vibrational perception of internal vibration or tremor, which people can feel on the inside but it can’t be seen on the outside…Bartonella more than Lyme by far, predisposes to intense anxiety or depression, almost a feeling of hopelessness. Bartonella carries with it a very intense perception.”
Dr. Neil Nathan
For a deeper dive
Dr. Nathan has written several books, including the recently updated 40 page ebook called Mold and Mycotoxins: Current Evaluation and Treatment 2022. More in depth information about mold, Lyme disease and multiple chemical sensitivities can be found in Dr. Nathan’s book Toxic: Heal Your Body from Mold Toxicity, Lyme Disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, and Chronic Environmental Illness. Dr. Nathan has also written about the role of energy in Energetic Diagnosis: Groundbreaking Thesis on Diagnosing Disease and Chronic Illness.
Why am I so sensitive?
Dr. Nathan notes that the problem of increased sensitivity to multiple stimuli such as light, sound, chemicals, food and electromagnetic frequency is often disregarded and dismissed by the medical system. To address this growing concern, Dr. Nathan has written a book, along with several experts in their fields such as Stephen Porges, Richard Horowitz, Annie Hopper and Ashok Gupta. Listeners can expect to see this book, “Why am I so sensitive, and what to do about it” in 2023.
“The number one thing for the patient to understand is, this [mold] is treatable…it’s not a short trip. So you have to be in for the long haul. You have to have reasonable expectations. You have to be patient with your doc, and you have to be patient with yourself, and your family. So, the quality in people that enables them to do this journey is perseverance.”
Dr. Neil Nathan
New treatments on the horizon
In closing, Dr. Nathan is encouraged by emerging treatments such as the double dapsone protocol developed by Dr. Horowitz, which addresses tick-borne infections and their persister cells. Thank you Dr. Nathan for helping us to “peel the onion” of tick-borne illness, mold, multiple sensitivities and more!
“I’m just going to come at it slowly and steadily, not…’load me up with antibiotics and hit it hard,’ [then] you’re asking for trouble…bodies do not like being slammed and they will let you know that. So coming at it gently, slowly, with respect…honouring the body’s need to take the time it needs to go where it needs to go.”
Dr. Neil Nathan
