Last summer i worked on a farm...and got 4 tick bites....after the last tick bite...afew days or week or so i don't remember exactly.. i felt like i had the flu. Ever since then i've been sick. Neck pain, major headaches, extreme fatigue, feel run down like i have the flu. I was tested for lyme disease. However it came back negative. Now i do know of some people that it actually took 3 or 4 times to show up. I've been sick for a year now. And no one can find anything wrong wiht me. Could i have this?? I was put on antibiotics awhile back and that helped alot. But once my doasge ran out about a day later i felt horribly sick again. I really think i have lyme. That'd make alot of since. Please help. Is there anyway for sure for me to know if i have lyme???!
The tests will probably confirm this considering how linked your symptoms are you the tick bites chronologically, and also how prevalent Lyme disease is today. Also from what I understand it can take a certain period of time before it will test positive. Then again the tests themselves are not considered that reliable.
I personally have a heavy bias toward alternative treatments, and this came after personal success with the alternative as well as a ton of research. Advocates of alternative treatments claim that antibiotics only suppress the organisms, so while you're on antibiotics you may feel ok, but then you get off and you start having problems again. Or the antbiotics stop working and you need to switch.
I recommend doing some research on the Salt-C protocol for Lyme and Rife machines for Lyme. There are alot of solid testimonials, which I can't honestly find with antibiotics.
No Lyme test is compltely relialbe and results can vary by lab. Do you know which test was done? It is my understanding that the ELISA or titer is the least reliable and the one most doctors run first.
Below is a Lyme symptom list. 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
When Lyme disease is a possibility, it is very important to see a knowledgeable doctor. Many doctors do not understand Lyme and treat with outdated protocols. Besides Lyme, ticks can transmit several co-infections including Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis (HME & HGE), Bartonella, and Mycoplasma. Many people who have Lyme are co-infected, and it may affect treatment choice and progress. It is important to be tested for these by a Lyme reputable lab such as IgeneX in Palo Alto, CA.
I think you should be evaluated by a Lyme doctor since your symptoms started after getting bitten. Which state are you located in?
It is also important to learn as much as possible. I recommend reading "Everything You Need To Know About Lyme Disease (2nd edition)" by Karen Vanderhoof-Forschner and Dr. Burrascano's treatment guidelines. He is one of the top Lyme doctors in the country, and many Lyme doctors follow his protocols.
Thanks for the help. I hafta admit...this is so hard to deal with. Like pain wise out of a ten...im like a 100. Its hard just waking up and doing daily activitys. Thanks for your help. Moms scheduled me to see another infectious disease dr. I PRAY he treats me for lyme whether or not the "blood work" shows it. Becuase im pretty sure i have it. And at this point i have nothing to lose.
I understand. What's cool though is that you are seeking answers, so you are taking steps toward getting better. Chances are high that the doctor will put you on a 30 day supply of antibiotics. You'll probably start to see results from that as the antibiotics kill off some of the Lyme.
With that said, getting better from Lyme is not a walk in the park. There's alot of healing to go through and it can be rough.
Good job figuring things out with your own health. That's what many of us have had to do to get proper treatment for Lyme and or other conditions. You'll benefit from that kind of self-advocacy and initiative.
Thank you so much. I've been searching for answers for awhile. And i'll be the first to tell you i know how hard health problems are. And i just wanted to give up sooo many times. And im a huge worry wort....which brings me to my next question. I read lyme can cause nervous system disorders. I have been have aloooot of problems latley with pressure behind my left eye. And my left eye gets reaaally blurry or shakes. Im scared to death that this lyme disease could possibly given me a permant scaring with something wrong with my nerves. Is this common?
Supposedly the Lyme can pass over the blood/brain barrier, and this cause all kinds of cognitive or neurological issues. Look out there on the web the symptom list is very long. Talk to most doctors about the neurological effects and they may not take them seriously though. A LLMD or infectious disease specialist should though.
When I went to my infectious disease specialist he said the criteria for him putting someone on IV antibiotics was the presence of cognitive or neurological symptoms.
Did you get a chance to see those Salt-C testimonials? I think there are people in there who had cognitive/neurological issues. Rife too.
As far as permanent scarring, this is what I've heard: LLMD's or specialists who treat with long-term antibioitics such as IV therapy can help with brain Lyme. I have read about people who had some relief from these symptoms, but again I can't recall reading of anyone who reported a full recovery. Maybe those people don't post those kinds of things, dunno.
To help with nerves, get some nutritional supplements. That may help. I'd try a green drink, multi-vitamin - Burrascano's guidelines can help with this.
Mom has made an appointment for me so i'll find out today when im going. Todays my birthday and the one year aniversary i've been sick. *sigh. Well just keep me in your prayers. Thanks so much for everything. I never realized how bad lyme disease was. I just pray its not permant.
THANKS . Big 19 .Yea i just pray the dr. puts me on medication. But im not gonna worry about it and try to enjoy my birthday. Like i said before i never realized how bad lyme really is. That still blows my mind. Also i ment to ask is lyme fatal if untreated?
Thanks im trying to enjoy it. Im miserably sick today. Cant eat or anything. Alwell. Thanks again for all the info on lyme. Dang ticks. Sorry again for all the questions, but i was reading up on lyme some more. And recovery seems to be a big thing. It seems that it takes awhile to recover from this. I was just wondering if any of you have recovered from it. Or new how long someone had it.
Sorry to hear that you feel like crap on your birthday. Hang in there. I bet next year you will enjoy a huge birthday bash!
I saw an infectious disease doctor and she laughed at me when I showed her my rash and told her that I thought I had Lyme.
Can you get to see a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor (LLMD)?
I have been on different antibiotics for about a year and a half. On the advice of my LLMD, I kept trying different medicines until I found one that seemed to work.
I began to feel better a few months ago. Sorry to say that this stupid disease takes a long time to recover from, if you were infected untreated for a long time.
You are young and otherwise healthy, so try not to worry. I bet your immune system is still in good shape and you will recover quicker, Ok?
I hope so. I don't know if i mentioned. At first my throat kept killing me. And the dr. said it wasn't red...but it felt so rall. So i convincited him to do a strep test...came back negative. Came back a week later beucase my throat kept hurting came back negative again. Finally i go again. He does another strep test came back positive. My throat wasn't red at all. He said it was the wierdest case he ever saw. I was then on 2 round of antibiotics and felt better. once they ended i felt like crap again. However im hoping maybe those anti'bitotics helped me get alil over the lyme. I don't know, i just want to get well i have an appointment with my local dr. for thursday. Still trying to get my infectious disease appointment. Im hoping maybe my local dr. can start me out on some antibiotics to help me. .
Happy Birthday Eclipse.
Hope your day has been better and you were able to enjoy the day. Lyme is tough to beat. But fight hard. I restarted treatment last Oct and now can say I think I will win the lyme war. I still lose a battle frequently. But I am gaining. You will to. Sometimes our gut instinct is the best. Let us know what the infectious disease dr says. I see an LLMD who is also an infectious disease dr but not all are. Ask the right questions and you will quickly find out if he is Lyme literate. Have a great remainder of your birthday and I agree with the others that next year you will probably be celebrating winning your lyme war.
Prayers.....Marsha
Thanks . Im trying to. Whats the best thing for me to do? Rest all day. Try to do stuff. Whast killing me is nothing being able to work out. I use to be able to work out, and do stuff. But now everytime i go to work out i get really bad head pressure, dizzy, and heavy fatigue. Should i just do what i can?
My answer may not be the right one for you. But this summer I started pushing to do things I didn't feel like doing. My husband and I run a Water Garden & Koi business. I didn't feel like doing anything but staying in bed. But I made myself go out and meet some of the customers. My energy is still low, but it has improved and I haven't layed around the house all summer. I have met some very nice people and some have been praying for me. I think if I had chose to lay around and wait to start feeling better, I would still be in that bed but instead I see some improvement. I do have my bad days, but I also have some good and my customers continue to lift my spirits.
Try not to over do......if you can yes do some excerize...just be careful to not to knock yourself down in bed....You'll get well when your on the right treatment...Next year you'll be running a Marathon
hehe thanks for the bday thing jojo that totally cheered me up. ! im trying to balance it all out. If i can try to do stuff i do it to the point where i know if i do anymore i'll be sick../ sicker. Its so hard to not do stuff tho. All i've done for the past year is a. sleep b. watch tv. c. get on teh computer d. play video games. Like i said i go to my "family dr." on thursday. Should i ask him to put me on any certain medication? or ask him to do any treatments?
. Big 19 .Yea i just pray the dr. puts me on medication. But im not gonna worry about it and try to enjoy my birthday. Like i said before i never realized how bad lyme really is. That still blows my mind. Also i ment to ask is lyme fatal if untreated?
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