Is it Lyme?

Started just after christmas.. my whole entire body felt numb/thick ..if I scratched a part of my body it felt like I had to scratch really hard just to be able to feel it. It also felt like my coordination was off. This lasted about an hour.

Next day I woke up feeling like I had the flu (exhuastion, nausea, shakiness etc) -- Had heart palpitations and a feeling of extreme tightness in my stomache.

-- I then started feeling random muscle twitches in my body and once in a while I would feel an internal tremor like feeling.

Had this "flu" for about 2 weeks.. went back to work

-- Things started to look weird my vision was blurry, parts of my vision seemed like it was blocked out so if I looked at someone part of their face would seem like it was blocked out or something...it was weird. Also very dizzy
-- I then noticed that things sounded louder than usual.

-- about 3 weeks later I developed tinnitus in both ears constantly which I still have to this day. I have to sleep with a fan on to reduce the noise

-- Huge amount of pressure in my head and ears that comes and goes.

--Headaches at times it felt like I coudnt hold my head up because my neck was too weak.

--Sensitivity to light that comes and goes

--VERTIGO--HUGE symptom I always feel dizzy with some vertigo.

--every once in a while I will have an area on my body that kind of tingles for a few seconds then stops (on the top of my foot, or on my face by my lip and other various places).

--Other sympoms are

Motion sensitivity that comes and goes
Nausea
Weight loss (lost 45 lbs since christmas)
Anxiety/depression
Stress increases symptoms
Huge increase in eye floaters
if I look at a reflection from a car or something it takes a long time for my eyes to go back to normal
--Irritable bowels seem to have alot of diarrhea or constipation
--Extreme pain behind eyes (hurts to move them) this comes and goes also
--A few times when blinking it seems like there are flashing lights in my periphereal vision
--sore throat that comes and goes and the feeling of getting a cold but it only lasts a day
--Extreme neck pain/stiffness that comes and goes

Anyway...does this sound like Lyme? I had a positive Elisa then a positive IgM WB (I also found out that it was bands 23 and 41 that were reactive) on the testing here in Canada but a negative IgG so my doctor is not convinced although he put me on 3 weeks of Doxy and is referring me to a llmd but that will probably take about 2 months to see him . He also wanted me to do another blood test to see if the first was a fluke. The second test came back Lyme IgG/Igm Elisa was Indeterminate Lyme IgM Western Blot was reactive

Anyway does anyone else relate to this? Is this lyme?

I agree with Razzle, Jackie.
You really should get in to see a LLMD (Lyme Literate MD) to get the help you now need. Tossing a few abx your way is NOT how any doc should treat this insidious disease, but until they understand that is a new & emerging epidemic, we need to stick together & help each other get the kind of treatment that is necessary for us to heal.

The blood tests were never meant for diagnostic purposes - even the CDC page states that, but the docs still use them that way anyway. I didn't test positive until I had been on strong abx for a full year. The fact that you tested positive & then tested negative, could easily be because your infection has gone into the 'chronic' stage.

I would suggest you get your hands on some more abx while you are waiting the two months to get in to see that LLMD.

Jackie:
My IGG and IGM were never both positive. THey keep switching around: sometimes my igg is +, sometimes my igm is +.

Joey F., welcome to the forum. Your story is not unlike many others of people who have lived with undiagnosed Lyme and coinfections. I have many of your symptoms. The eye thing, the weight loss, light sensitivity, swollen throat, neck pain and stiffness, headaches. If you have not already done it, you might want to check out the sticky for "new to this site" at the top of the thread list. It has a lot of information about Lyme testing and other things. First, just because you have a negative WB does not mean you don't have Lyme. Many times, especially early in the diagnosis process, tests can be falsely negative because of impaired immune response. Doctors may make a clinical diagnosis based on your symptoms. Also, if your test was processed by a lab using less sensitive procedures, your test may not be reliable. Was your test processed at IgenX? That is a good lab for Lyme testing. Also, if the physician interpreting the test results is not Lyme Literate, they may tell you the results are false when really the results suggest further testing.

You will also want to be tested for coinfections; infections that are often found along with Lyme.

I hope you find the answer soon. It's so difficult to live with these symptoms, especially when you are not sure what is causing them.

Rose

Willowrose said...
"I developed tinnitus in both ears constantly which I still have to this day. I have to sleep with a fan on to reduce the noise
-- Huge amount of pressure in my head and ears that comes and goes.
--Headaches at times it felt like I coudnt hold my head up because my neck was too weak.
--Sensitivity to light that comes and goes every once in a while I will have an area on my body that kind of tingles for a few seconds then stops (on the top of my foot, or on my face by my lip and other various places).
Weight loss (lost 45 lbs since christmas)
Anxiety/depression
Stress increases symptoms
Huge increase in eye floaters
if I look at a reflection from a car or something it takes a long time for my eyes to go back to normal
--Extreme pain behind eyes (hurts to move them) this comes and goes also
--A few times when blinking it seems like there are flashing lights in my periphereal vision
--sore throat that comes and goes and the feeling of getting a cold but it only lasts a day
--Extreme neck pain/stiffness that comes and goes"

Hi Jackie. The above are all symptoms you have that I also have. I have Lyme and two coinfections: babesia and bartonella. Is there any way you can get a prescription for meds to treat you while you wait for an appointment? To help with some of your symptoms, you might want to try the Lyme diet and doing detox baths. (See sticky for "new to this site") Both have helped me a lot. My husband has vertigo and has found ginger to be helpful. There is a ginger candy he likes, but you can also just eat ginger.

I hope you can get started on meds soon and that you get some relief from these symptoms.

Rose

Thanks for your reply Rose. I am seeing a LLMD on the 20th..so 20 more days..unti then I just have to wait because my regualar GP will not give me any medication. Thanks again