Posted 12/26/2013 9:00 PM (GMT 0)
My son developed POTS after getting bitten by a tick in April 2013. The bite was seen within three days, and on the 3rd day, he was (under)treated with ONE 200mg doxycycline pill.
Symptoms began with being short of breath, feeling air hunger, then racing heart. Severe panic attack by July 2013. Follow ups with pediatrician were fruitless in getting any answers. She referred us to cardiology. EKG showed no atrioventricular heart block, no heart disease, nor arrhythmia. The cardiologist and pediatrician advised my son go on antidepressants and see a psychiatrist for counseling!!!!!!!! $&#%???!!!
Finally I bought a pulse oximeter. Took his pulse while sitting ...it was 70 bpm or so. Then, upon standing, within five seconds, his heart rate shot up to over 120 bpm! I googled this issue and then found out about POTS ..Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. Wish the cardiologist could have diagnosed this, especially considering her appointment set me back almost 700 bucks out of pocket!
So I eventually found out about a lyme literate medical doctor (LLMD) in our area. Though he had my son's medical records before him, which showed a negative test result for both the ELISA and Western Blot, he was able to make a clinical diagnosis based on history of tick bite, previous history of cat scratch disease (bartonella), and evidence of POTS (when he took my son's pulse in his office, going from sitting to standing), and treat my son accordingly: put him immediately on antibiotics (first three days were probiotics only): minocycline 100mg 2x/daily, 1 bactrim tablet 2x/daily & plaquenil 200mg 2x/daily. He is also taking 5000iu vitamin D daily, & two NAC supplements daily to protect his liver. He also told him to adhere to a diet of no soy, no wheat, no gluten & no sugar.
Within a month of this treatment, as of Dec 20th, 2013, my son no longer has the racing heart rate! At the follow up last Friday the LLMD's nurse practitioner said my son is to continue the antibiotics for another month, and she is expecting his shortness of breath to improve as well.
This is a miracle as far as my family is concerned, a complete and total 180 from what we have seen this boy going through. He was declining a such a fast pace. My son is now driving again, out with friends and finally LIVING his life again, instead of worrying that he is going to die. Our LLMD saved my son's life and the QUALITY of his life.
By the way, my son still tested negative AGAIN from the bloodwork he had done at LabCorp on Dec 13,2013. $2,800 worth of bloodwork done (yes, out of pocket!!!!!) and tests came back NEGATIVE! And yet, the proof is in the pudding. He was definitely infected with *something* as evidenced by how favorably he has responded to treatment. The tests only cover a fraction of the strains of tick-borne illnesses (co-infections) out there! Go figure! I'm just sooooo grateful my boy is getting better. I'm praying of course for a full recovery. He will be following treatment with herbal supplements to support his immune system as well.