Worse in winter and better in summer?

Hi everyone,
So - I have almost every symptom of Lyme disease, Bartonella and a couple other co-infections. I have the Bartonella rash too. My doctor wants to test me for Lyme - it will cost me over a thousand dollars and I'm already in debt to my parents and the Commonwealth. I'd like to know the possibility of it being Lyme so I know if it's worth increasing my debt to be tested.

My symptoms get a lot worse towards and during winter; they improve greatly every summer. I had the flu-like illness that began it all 3 years ago, and every year it's been winter - bedridden, and summer - able to push through the pain and fatigue to do things and appear normal. Mind you, it also cycles all year round by weeks to a lesser extent. Bad for a few weeks, then pretty good for anout 5-10 days. Does Lyme do this? Or is it more like Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Yes, my daughter and I are affected by the winter weather, especially her. Dr. David Jernigan's 2nd edition of "Beating lyme Disease" has a section that talks about that, but I'd have to read it again to remember what all it said. My daughter always dreads winter coming, because she knows she'll feel worse. If it's sunny for a day or 2, she does better, but when it's the daily dreary rainy weather, she'd like to just sleep through it all. We have a lot of rainy days over the winter. One person I know moved back to CA and feels much better for it, along with treatments. The barometric pressure is what can throw us off.

Thanks everyone! I feel much better about getting tested now! I'll let you know the results when I have them :)

Revive - thanks for the encouragement that I will bounce back; it gives me hope. My test will be sent to Infectolab in Germany, and I'll be getting 5 different tests done - 2 types for Lyme and 3 for co-infections. The doctor I'm seeing is the only Lyme Literate doctor in my state, and he certainly seems on the ball. He's already helped me with the toxic levels of metals in my system and diagnosed me with Celiac disease where other doctors didn't, because they hadn't considered that I might be IgA deficient. I had to wait 9 months to see him.

Garden Peace - which kind of barometric pressure is better, low or high? Should I live by the sea or in the mountains or somewhere else...?

Concepts - oh, the anxiety and stress thing! Just as winter starts here, school (then uni) start getting really intense, so the doctors have tended to think that academic anxiety has triggered the worsening of my symptoms each year. But I know that it's not stress that causes the symptoms...

if you are seeking a western blot for lyme, igenex labs in palo alto, ca is hands down the best. they catch what sutter / Kaiser could not. they use a more sensitive, broader range of outer surface proteins that most other labs will miss. I think a western blot is $265, panel is $500. I was able to even get our chiropractor to fill out the test requisition form since our primary refused. you draw blood at any location and send it in m-w. dont waste time with other labs, these guys are the best imo and the opinions of others I've read over the last 5 years.

John Minton said...
if you are seeking a western blot for lyme, igenex labs in palo alto, ca is hands down the best. they catch what sutter / Kaiser could not. they use a more sensitive, broader range of outer surface proteins that most other labs will miss. I think a western blot is $265, panel is $500. I was able to even get our chiropractor to fill out the test requisition form since our primary refused. you draw blood at any location and send it in m-w. dont waste time with other labs, these guys are the best imo and the opinions of others I've read over the last 5 years.

Hi John, welcome to our community.

The Igenex Lyme WB is $250 ($125 each)

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