Luigi Mangione's struggle with Lyme disease

This is what Luigi Mangione posted on Reddit. He describes his struggles with Lyme disease, brainfog, and a back injury, which the infection likely contributed to.

There is no mention of United Healthcare.

https://arctic-shift.photon-reddit.com/search?fun=comments_search&author=mister_cactus&limit=100&sort=desc

If you click the search button it will show his posts. Some of the posts have been deleted now, so you can only see the text in the search results.

Yes, he got Lyme when he was 13, and in the following years started having complications.

The guy seems like a reasonably intelligent curious person who reads about what is affecting him. I saw all the Reddit posts when they were first released but can't find them now. He mentions Lyme in passing when he was young, but didn't seem to attribute his later brain fog to it. I haven't read anything that would suggest he thought his issues were from chronic Lyme. From what I understand his back issues were related to a surfing accident.

On the Lyme sub-reddit I've read several people trying to attribute Lyme has a causative factor in his health issues that led him to murder. I'm not seeing it based on the evidence I've seen. To me, based on what I know thus far, it seems like a perfect example of "to a hammer everything looks like a nail". To a Lyme patient everything looks like Lyme.

Reading his manifesto it seems like the more he learned the angrier he became about the state of healthcare in America (rightfully so). Somewhere along the way he was convinced violence is a valid method of dealing with (possibly because of the Unabomber's treatise). I'm sure more info will come out later and we will learn more.

Post Edited (Lymie24) : 12/16/2024 11:40:08 AM (GMT-5)

yep, it's hard to judge from the outside as we don't have all the facts

but anyone who kills another person in cold blood is likely, statistically speaking, to be unbalanced in some way

it did cross my mind that lyme, if it was indeed a part of his history, could have played a part in the distortions that lead to his actions. Sad if this is the case

i remember seeing studies showing a high proportion of people in mental institutions and prisons tested positive for lyme antibodies

Lyme/Co-infections definitely mess with us psychologically. I've read the research about the increased risk of psychosis, homicide, suicide etc. I've experienced the irritability, anger, rage brought on by the neurological manifestation of the illness which makes just existing unbearable. I've needed serious meds, like benzos, to take the edge off in the past.

I wish I could find his reddit post but, from what I remember, it was from 2018 in a brain fog forum in which he mentions he had Lyme at 13, but, I don't recall the post mentioning he had continuing illness after that. It was just one mention of Lyme. Perhaps I'm misremembering or there is other information out there that I'm not aware of but the it seems the link between Lyme and his current state of health is weak considering what we know.

That's not to say it is impossible. Of course, we know all too well this disease can become chronic and devastating. We also know most people recover from their acute illness with prompt treatment.

It's not something I'm super passionate about and feel the need to debate. I just don't see strong evidence of that hypothesis. I'll have my mind open for new information. It would be super interesting if there was indeed a stronger connection with Lyme that I can't see yet. The deed is already done and if Lyme was somehow involved and brought the forefront that actually might be a positive for Lyme awareness.

Garzie said...

i remember seeing studies showing a high proportion of people in mental institutions and prisons tested positive for lyme antibodies

I’ve often wondered how many homeless people with obvious mental issues have Lyme. My LLMD believes lyme is way more prevalent than even most lyme experts believe.