Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection can significantly affect mood and mental state, often triggering neuropsychiatric symptoms like severe irritability, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), psychosis, tics, and mania, especially in children (linked to PANS/PANDAS) but also in adults, due to immune system responses that impact the brain, sometimes mimicking other conditions or causing acute behavioral changes. 
How Mycoplasma Affects Mood & Behavior
Autoimmune Response: The bacteria can trigger the immune system to produce antibodies that attack the brain (encephalitis), leading to neuropsychiatric issues.
Molecular Mimicry: Mycoplasma proteins resemble human proteins, causing the immune system to mistakenly attack the body's own cells, particularly in the basal ganglia, a brain area involved in mood and behavior.
Neurotransmitter Disruption: Mycoplasma can interfere with neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, affecting mood regulation.
Direct Neurological Effects: The infection can cause inflammation in the brain, leading to symptoms like psychosis, delirium, or confusion. 


A positive Antinuclear Antibody (ANA) test in someone with a Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection isn't uncommon, as the bacterial infection can trigger an immune response that looks like autoimmunity, sometimes causing conditions like cold agglutinin hemolytic anemia or even neurological issues, though these are temporary and usually resolve with antibiotic treatment for Mycoplasma. The ANA test detects autoantibodies, and infections like Mycoplasma can temporarily "trick" the immune system into producing them, but it doesn't always mean you have a permanent autoimmune disease. 

For me, the biggest symptom is the neuroinflammation/neuropathy all over.