Hi Tlake,
Welcome to the board, though sorry you are ill.
Many of your symptoms certainly could be caused by Lyme disease. You do not have to have a "bullseye" rash to have Lyme, many people with Lyme never have a rash at all. Also, many of them do not recall a tick bite. It is very important to find a doctor who is knowlegable about Lyme disease to evaluate you. Many doctors, unfortunately, still have a lot to learn about Lyme and treat with outdated protocols and diagnostic methods.
I strongly recommend a book by Karen Vanderhoof-Forschner, 'Everything You Need To Know About Lyme Disease and Other Tick-Borne Diseases'. I found it extremely informative and helpful in dealing with this often confusing situation. You may want to contact the Lyme Disease Association as well and also look for a Lyme support group in your area. You do not need to have a diagnosis of Lyme to do this, many Lyme patients have a hard time being diagnosed and if you just explain to them that you suspect you may have Lyme they can offer support and advice.
In addition to Lyme ticks carry several other diseases and many Lyme patients have one or more of these co-infections. It is important to test and treat for these. I myself had not only Lyme, but also Babesiosis, Bartonella, and mycoplasma. Treating these is very important to recovery.
Important to remember: there is NO test that can absolutely rule out Lyme. The most commonly performed test, the ELISA, misses up to 60% or more of active cases and the more accurate test, the Western Blot, is still not completely accurate. This is why the CDC states that Lyme is to be a CLINICAL (symptom based) dignosis with the test used to help confirm. The best testing is a Western Blot through Igenex Labs in Palo Alto, California, but again, this is not definitive.
Below are a list of Lyme symptoms, courtesy of Ticker, on of our board members. You can have any combination of symptoms.
Unexplained fevers, sweats, chills, or flushing
Unexplained weight change--loss or gain
Fatigue, tiredness, poor stamina
Unexplained hair loss
Swollen glands
Sore throat
Testicular pain/pelvic pain
Unexplained menstrual irregularity
Unexplained milk production: breast pain
Irritable bladder or bladder dysfunction
Sexual dysfunction or loss of libido
Upset stomach
Change in bowel function-constipation, diarrhea
Chest pain or rib soreness
Shortness of breath, cough
Heart palpitations, pulse skips, heart block
Any history of a heart murmur or valve prolapse?
Joint pain or swelling
Stiffness of the joints, neck, or back
Muscle pain or cramps
Twitching of the face or other muscles
Headache
Neck creeks and cracks, neck stiffness, neck pain
Tingling, numbness, burning or stabbing sensations, shooting pains
Facial paralysis (Bell's Palsy)
Eyes/Vision: double, blurry, increased floaters, light sensitivity
Ears/Hearing: buzzing, ringing, ear pain, sound sensitivity
lncreased motion sickness, vertigo, poor balance
Lightheadedness, wooziness
Tremor
Confusion, difficulty in thinking
Difficulty with concentration, reading
Forgetfulness, poor short term memory
Disorientation: getting lost, going to wrong places
Difficulty with speech or writing
Mood swings, irritability, depression
Disturbed sleep-too much, too little, early awakening
Exaggerated symptoms or worse hangover from alcohol
