BARTONELLA MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS
Updated: 6 days ago
Although a few symptoms overlap between different infections, these are the Bartonella symptoms most often reported by Lyme literate doctors and Lyme organizations. I'm listing the top symptoms first, as these are the ones most often linked to Bartonella.
Short on time or energy? A quick-view graphic with the key points is at the bottom of this post.
Bring this list to your appointments with my free symptom checklist:
Bartonella education:
Bartonella - possible solutions:
TOP SYMPTOMS
1. Pain in the soles of the feet, often when first standing up, plus shin and bone pain
2. Musculoskeletal pain: joint pain and arthritis (including rheumatoid arthritis), loose joints (joint hypermobility), muscle twitching and weakness, and bone pain. The pain can be sharp, stabbing or burning.
3. Psychiatric symptoms: anxiety and panic attacks, depression, rage, mood swings, agitation, OCD, hallucinations, and feeling disconnected (dissociation). Bartonella has also been linked to psychosis and to PANS/PANDAS in kids, and in severe cases, suicidal thoughts. A 2024 study by NC State and Columbia University found Bartonella DNA in the blood of more adults with psychosis than adults without it (about 43% vs. 14%), though the researchers note this link doesn't prove Bartonella is the cause.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, please call or text 988 (in the U.S.) right away.
4. Swollen lymph nodes, most often in the neck, head and underarm areas
5. A rash that looks like stretch marks, called Bartonella striae or tracks. These are often red and don't follow the skin's natural lines, and Dr. Maderis notes they're especially likely to run horizontally on the back and hips. Other skin lesions, and tender lumps under the skin of the arms and legs, have also been reported.
See pictures of Bartonella striae:
6. Headaches and migraines. Dr. Wayne Anderson, ND, wrote that Bartonella headaches often hit the back of the head and neck, and that Bartonella can also cause ice pick-like pain (2017, older source). ILADEF notes these headaches are often in the forehead.
7. Bladder pain, urgency or burning
OTHER COMMON SYMPTOMS
- Anemia (also common in Babesia) and low platelets (thrombocytopenia)
- Brain fog, memory loss and slowed thinking
- Chills (also common in Babesia)
- Dysautonomia/POTS (Dr. Mozayeni says POTS is fairly common with Bartonella)
- Eye issues (blurred vision, red and irritated eyes)
- Fatigue (can be severe)
- Fevers (low grade, sometimes in the morning)
- Gut issues (nausea, loose stools and abdominal pain). Dr. Mozayeni finds gut bacteria overgrowth (SIBO) very common in his Bartonella patients.
- Heart issues (palpitations; chest pain; and, rarely, infection of the heart lining and valves, called endocarditis)
- Insomnia and sleep problems
- Liver and spleen inflammation (the liver and spleen can swell, with pain just below the ribs)
- Neuropathy (numbness and tingling in the hands and feet)
- Night sweats (also common in Babesia)
- Poor appetite and weight loss
- Seizures
- Sore throats (frequent)
Sore throats can have other causes too, like reactivated viruses:
- Tremors
- Vertigo and balance problems
ALSO REPORTED (OLDER OR SINGLE SOURCES)
These symptoms come from Lyme literate doctors I trust, but they come from older sources or just one source, and the newer sources I checked don't confirm them yet. That's why they aren't in the main lists above.
- Interstitial cystitis (IC), dry eyes, and waking up now and then with a sore throat that later goes away: Dr. Wayne Anderson, ND (2017)
- Thick blood and slightly elevated liver enzymes, from liver and spleen inflammation: Dr. Wayne Anderson, ND (2017)
- Gastritis: Dr. Joseph Burrascano listed gastritis among possible Bartonella symptoms (2010), and Dr. Wayne Anderson, ND, wrote that when gastritis isn't from H. pylori, Bartonella is frequently behind it (2017).
- Kidney inflammation: Dr. Rosalie Greenberg lists glomerulonephritis (a kind of kidney inflammation) among autoimmune conditions linked to Bartonella (2022).
- Teeth: Dr. Robert Mozayeni has reported seeing a very high number of root canals in his patients, possibly from poor blood flow to the tooth, as Better Health Guy shared in 2015.
LEARN MORE
My short educational video on Bartonella:
"Understanding Bartonella" webinar by Galaxy Diagnostics:
RELATED RISE ABOVE LYME POSTS
BARTONELLA EDUCATION
BARTONELLA - POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
FREE SYMPTOM CHECKLIST: A TOOL TO BRING TO YOUR APPOINTMENTS
LYME DISEASE AND CO-INFECTION TESTING
SOURCES
ILADEF (ILADS's sister organization), "Tick-Borne Diseases Other Than Lyme" (2024)
LymeDisease.org, "Bartonella" (2022)
Lonnie Marcum, "How prevalent is Bartonella in people who have Lyme disease?" LymeDisease.org (2022)
Dr. Richard Horowitz, "Medical Detective: Bartonella," Parts 1 and 2, LymeDisease.org (2025)
Dr. Rosalie Greenberg, "Bartonella - The Stealth Pathogen That Can Be 'Seen' Without a Microscope," Global Lyme Alliance (2022)
"The Misunderstood Infection that is Wreaking Havoc," with Dr. Edward Breitschwerdt, Bay Area Lyme Foundation (2023)
Delaney et al., "Bartonella species bacteremia in association with adult psychosis," Columbia University and NC State, Frontiers in Psychiatry (2024)
Ericson, Mozayeni et al., "Bartonella- and Borrelia-Related Disease Presenting as a Neurological Condition Revealing the Need for Better Diagnostics," Microorganisms (2024)
Dr. Wayne Anderson, ND, "Dr. Wayne Anderson Offers a Closer Look at Six Lyme-Related Infections," LymeDisease.org (2017, older source)
LymeDisease.org, "Bartonella," citing Dr. Joseph Burrascano (2010, older source)
Dr. Robert Mozayeni, interview with Better Health Guy, Episode 185 (2023)
Scott Forsgren (Better Health Guy), "Unraveling the Mystery of Bartonellosis," Townsend Letter (2015, older source)
Dr. Marty Ross, "How to Diagnose Bartonella in Chronic Lyme Disease" (updated 2026)
Dr. Todd Maderis, "Bartonella: More Problematic than Lyme Disease?" (updated 2023)
Disclaimer: Rise Above Lyme makes no claims about any possible benefit of using any product mentioned within this site. Always consult with your doctor before adding anything. The information shared is based on personal experience, years of accumulated researched resources from Lyme Literate doctors and polls conducted within Lyme groups from actual patient experience using these solution ideas.
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