Has anyone been diagnosed with Brucellosis?

Just in case anyone is likely to get worried about having this, please note that it is quite rare.

From Pubmed Health:

"Brucella can infect cattle, goats, camels, dogs, and pigs. The bacteria can spread to humans if you come in contact with infected meat or the placenta of infected animals, or if you eat or drink unpasteurized milk or cheese.

Brucellosis is rare in the United States. about 100 - 200 cases occur each year.

People working in jobs where they often come in contact with animals or meat -- such as slaughterhouse workers, farmers, and veterinarians -- are at higher risk.

i havnt never heard of this...but on an article from "under our skin " on facebook.....health officials have discovered a new bacteria from ticks that they had never seen in humans.....my thing with this is that all these researchers sit on this dang info and doesnt inform the public that it exists.....now from the article...they are treating with antibiotics..but since this is the first human contact they had seen...they arent sure its goingh to save his life...gosh there are so many things people can be infected with...its so scary....*im gona go get me some humaworm*...lol

well its a good thing to bring it up because alot of people are suffering and docs not knowing what else to test for...its all just sad ...luckily i had a positive lyme test...but alot of people r being treated when they didnt get a pos from igenix....and im with you on "knowing whats harming you"....and when my LLMD told me i had lyme and three co-infections...i was shocked and said ..is there anything else i have?..and she sat back in her chair and said u probably have more but they dont have testing for all of them......so yeah...."knowing" what it is is half the battle i believe...and plus....me having ocd...i must have closure.....lolol

well i know i was one of them left untreated...for close to twenty years i was sick...got diagnosed with depression..fibromyalgia, TMJ, interstitial cystitus, anxiety, chronic ear infection, hypothyroidism, arthritis, etc....and docs would rather diagnose you with 15 disorders than to admit a foreign body had entered in to wreak havoc....and basically all these bacteria infections is nothing more than glorified plagues that kiled so many people long ago...and they sit back and pat theirselves on the back thinking their "forefathers" eradicated those diseases...yup its frustrating

Diana, I'm so sorry to hear you're that sick. Do you know how you might have been exposed to Brucellosis?

What test did they do to check that? ETA: Sorry, I missed where you said Western Blot. Do you have the results of the WB?

SM

Now I've looked up Lyme, and it appears that Lyme and Brucella may share 18, 28, 30, and 58 kda bands.

Thanks for the info. I do not know about biofilms or the strain other then abortus. We believe I got it from cleaning infected deere meat. I use to hunt and then later on, my friends gave me a little at christmas time.

I have the numbers filed somewhere but I remember they were high. The dr wanted to start me on iv meds right away but it did not fit for me to travel 2 times a day for treatment and I can not take alot of them either.

Yes the treatments are very much a like. I am glad to find this group. Thank you. I am hangin.....

Hi everyone - I got very sick in 2004 with what started with a dizzy spell and quickly progressed to huge swollen lymph nodes under my arms, then neuropathy in hands and feet, then leg started not functioning, pain very severe even to put my feet on the floor, could not hold anything, hair felt like it was standing on end, strange tingling in my face, fever, loss of balance and then later a sensation of losing sensation starting at my feet which progressed up to my chest. I started struggling to "find my words". I was tested for Lyme but initially the doctor just said it was in my head (saw I was on Prozac) and assumed. He then tells my I tested positive for Parvo B19 and it would take me years to get over but it would pass. I insisted on seeing a neurologist. He also dismissed my symptoms and said it was viral and I would get better in 3 to 5 years. I insisted in physical therapy and acupuncture because I was terrified at how fast this thing was taking me down. I could barely walk. I believe these 2 things saved me from dying or at least saved me from not being able to walk but the fevers, depression, pain, constantly getting ill, exhaustion never went away for more than a few days every once in awhile. 4 years later I had hurt my knee (I kept getting injured by doing nothing) and a doctor said "you have had a fever every time you h.ave come in here in the last 4 years, even when not sick. I told him the story and he asked if I had ever been sent to infectious disease. I said no, and he was shocked. He got me in there and after many rounds of tests they found I had Brucellosis. I could never figure out how I could possibly have gotten this, but was treated and it went in remission. I've never been the same. Recently I discovered that BOTH Parvo B19 and Brucellosis ARE diseases that ticks can transmit to humans. So I believe I had Lyme, Brucellosis and Parvo B19. I had a rash at the initial onset as well. Now we know that the tests to diagnose Lyme are VERY limited. I went years with this stuff eating away at my joints, causing severe depression, fatigue, very weak immune system, etc. all because I was dismissed as crazy. The very first thing they should have done is sent my to infectious disease but they didn't listen to me ever. I even paid for second and third opinions and no one ever took me seriously. My heart goes out to anyone who has gotten any of these other diseases ticks carry because Lyme is bad enough.

LEIGH68773 said...
April 6th 2015 is when HELL started for me. FIrst came the air hunger, then the fast heart rate and crushing chest pain, then the nausea/vomitting/diarrhea weight loss (30 pounds in one month) hallucinations, throat spasms, arms/legs/chest felt paralylized. AND SO MUCH MORE! I was convinced I had LYme even though all tests were coming back negative. I demanded doxy and Im glad I did because i got better, but did horribly after coming off a 60 day course of doxy. I have a WONDERFUL infectious disease doctor in PGH PA, who dug deeper and found I had Brucella. Shes never taken care of anyone with it but told me she wouldn't stop until i was 100% better and as of today, the only remaining symptom is fatique and muscle twitching. Still so very scared for my future. I believe this was from a tick bite because I was positive for EBV,Mycoplasma and now Brucella. I think it is possible that the tick wasnt carrying LYme, but I will never know for sure. IGenex and regular western blot were all completely negative. I hope and pray you all are hanging in and feeling as good as you can be. Scary stuff. Prayers to all....
Leigh

Diagnosis'd MYCO/EBV/Brucella by an amazing Infectious disease doctor. Thats right, Infectious disease. They arent all bad.

Thank you for sharing some of your experience and symptoms, LEIGH68773!

I'm so glad you are getting help and treatment. Thank God your tests for Brucellosis were positive. Many of those infected don't have that priviledge as the current tests for it in the U.S. are woefully insensitive.

I sure hope your disease presentation and successive tests follow a "textbook" pattern and presentation, because ID docs are notorious for giving inadequate treatment even for infectious diseases, especially if disease presentation doesn't follow exact textbook cases.

Most cannot think outside the box, only follow rigid policy guidelines that don't always match a patient's experience. They don't just have trouble with Lyme disease, but their handling of Lyme disease is a good illustration for what I'm talking about.

That said, I really do hope your treatment is successful and you don't have to revisit your treatment or this site again. Be your own advocate. Be educated about Brucellosis and it's treatment. You really are the one responsible for your own health.

Good luck and much success!

TOOTY AND EVERYONE ELSE,
I WAS SEEING AN LLMD, WHO WAS GREAT, REALLY WAS, BUT I DON'T THINK HE WOULD HAVE EVER THOUGHT TO LOOK FOR BRUCELLA. I AM WELL AWARE OF THE ONGOING POLITICAL DEBATE BETWEEN INFECTIOUS DISEASE AND ILADS. ITS AWFUL, AND WHILE THEY ARGUE, MILLIONS ARE LEFT TO SUFFER. IT IS A CRIME TO HUMANITY, AS A NURSE OF 17 YEARS I NOW FEEL WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO WITH OUR MEDICINE. VERY SAD AND OH SO DISCOURAGING. MY EYES AND EARS ARE ALWAYS open NOW TO TICK BORNE ILLNESS. I WILL DO MY PART AS A NURSE TO ADVOCATE FOR THESE PEOPLE.
WITH THAT SAID, MY INFECTIOUS DISEASE DOCTOR TOLD ME SHE WOULD TREAT ME AS LONG AS I WANTED TO AND THAT SHE WOULDNT STOP TREATMENT UNTIL WE BOTH WERE CONFIDENT. SO I DO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN HER, BUT BELIEVE ME I WOULDN'T TRUST MY LIFE WITH MOST INFECTIOUS DISEASE DOCTORS, I MUST HAVE ANGELS WATCHING OVER ME TO HAVE GOTTEN THIS LUCKY (UNLUCKILY LUCKY)

CURRENT TREATMENT DOXY 100MG TWICE DAILY, RIFAMPIN 600MG DAILY AND BACTRIM DS 1000MG TWICE DAILY.

LEIGH68773 said...
TOOTY AND EVERYONE ELSE,
I WAS SEEING AN LLMD, WHO WAS GREAT, REALLY WAS, BUT I DON'T THINK HE WOULD HAVE EVER THOUGHT TO LOOK FOR BRUCELLA. I AM WELL AWARE OF THE ONGOING POLITICAL DEBATE BETWEEN INFECTIOUS DISEASE AND ILADS. ITS AWFUL, AND WHILE THEY ARGUE, MILLIONS ARE LEFT TO SUFFER. IT IS A CRIME TO HUMANITY, AS A NURSE OF 17 YEARS I NOW FEEL WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO WITH OUR MEDICINE. VERY SAD AND OH SO DISCOURAGING. MY EYES AND EARS ARE ALWAYS open NOW TO TICK BORNE ILLNESS. I WILL DO MY PART AS A NURSE TO ADVOCATE FOR THESE PEOPLE.
WITH THAT SAID, MY INFECTIOUS DISEASE DOCTOR TOLD ME SHE WOULD TREAT ME AS LONG AS I WANTED TO AND THAT SHE WOULDNT STOP TREATMENT UNTIL WE BOTH WERE CONFIDENT. SO I DO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN HER, BUT BELIEVE ME I WOULDN'T TRUST MY LIFE WITH MOST INFECTIOUS DISEASE DOCTORS, I MUST HAVE ANGELS WATCHING OVER ME TO HAVE GOTTEN THIS LUCKY (UNLUCKILY LUCKY)

CURRENT TREATMENT DOXY 100MG TWICE DAILY, RIFAMPIN 600MG DAILY AND BACTRIM DS 1000MG TWICE DAILY.

WOW!!!!! That is so Wonderful! I am SO happy for you LEIGH68773! You really got a keeper, didn't you?!! I really appreciate everything you said, too. ILADS docs are not perfect, that's for sure. But we know they really try, and usually go FAR beyond most docs in trying to help those who are sick. Most ILADS docs treat us as humans and not as animals! And generally they know MUCH more than even the ID docs!

Good luck and MUCH success to you! We wish you a COMPLETE cure! You'll please keep us updated, won't you!?

Leigh - Did you have any bands on the western blot? April 2015 is when my problems started as well. I took Biaxin/Plaq/flagyl at beginning of treatment in August. I stopped after two weeks because I had horrible back/kidney pain and it scared me. I wonder if that was a herx? The good news is that it pretty much cleared up all my bladder issues (frequency and burning after). Now I am on Doxy and started Bactrim today. No Rif yet. I was waiting on Brucella testing. Do you recall what lab you were tested through? I am going to give Labcorp. You were so lucky that the ID doc was so thorough!