Lyme disease and violence

i am sure everyone has seen the story on the pastor who was shot to death on sunday by a young man whose mom says he suffered from lyme disease.  and of course, there is the story about the chimp having lyme.  these stories need to be confirmed, i agree, but the infectious disease docs couldn't wait to use this as an opportunity to deny lyme - this from WebMD:

"I don't know of any convincing evidence that Lyme disease can cause violence or psychosis," Gary Wormser, MD, tells WebMD. Wormser is director of the Lyme Disease Center and chief of infectious diseases at New York Medical College in Valhalla, N.Y.

"We can be clear Lyme disease does not lead to psychotic and violent behaviors," William Schaffner, MD, tells WebMD. Schaffner is president-elect of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and chair of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.

"In that part of Illinois, that this person lived in, it would be almost unheard of to have true Lyme disease," he says. "But so many people get misdiagnosed because of doctors sending samples to labs that give unreliable results. I would not be surprised if this individual were misdiagnosed."

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

There was a quote from Eugene Shapiro in our local paper that the thought that Lyme Disease could make someone go out and shoot someone else is ridiculous. Where are all of the quotes from the psychiatrists that have successfully treated mentally ill Lyme patients?

I once had a 17 y/o pt in Ct that was being treated for neuro-psychiatric LD. He apparently presented initially with seizure-like activity and was seen hacking ice in his yard with a pick axe. He then got in his car, drove to some fairly remote neighborhood, knocked on a strangers door and attempted to assault the man with the axe when he answered. Fortunately the man was able to fight him off. He stated that the attacker had no expression or emotion, left his back pack with all his ID and the weapon on the porch, calmly walked to his car and drove away. The young boy called his family from Rhode Island the following day (where he had never been before) and told them that he didn't know how he had gotten there, but he thought he might have done something bad. He was being treated by Bernard Raxlen at the time, who suspected it was lyme related behaviour. I think everything worked out ok for him and his other drs testified on his behalf. I think he saw Brian Fallon as well. Both docs have been published extensively on the neuro psych effects of LD. Bizarre stuff. Very sad.

It is very openly spoken about the neuro-phsyciatric aspects of Lyme here since a couple of years, even on the web, i.e in the summary of a Lyme conference in Swizerland (2000) they explain the Lyme- psychiatrc- syndroms - one of them is outrages/ violence.

Question may be: will that open anybodies eyes before we will have to face more such tragedies ??

Sorry that I can not come up with more documentation in English (I always look for a translation - they are rare).
But I have found an article "aggression & Lyme Borreliose" from a Robert C. Bransfield, M.D. with a link to Lyme Disease Neuropsychiatric Assessment Database: http://www.lymenet.de/bransfield.htm. There should be the original English version.

Maybe the infectious disease doctor I took by the lapels and shook like a dog in 2006 will speak up ? He certainly SAW Lyme could cause aggression !!

about 3-4 years ago, before i started treatment. I used to be very moody and mean. Anything would set me off. Everyday, at about 2-4pm i would get this very mean and bad attitude. I would have to go home and get a nap. I remember how i would just want to run cars off the road to get out of my way. Such a horrible way to live.

Now fast forward 3 years. I only did antibiotics and antimalarials. I never took any anti depressents or phsycological type drugs in my entire life. But i'm 100% better now. Calm, happy and laid back. I don't get the insane nap urgency feeling anymore. So what made me not act like a mean jerk anymore? Antibiotics and antimalarials.