Posted 5/1/2015 10:21 AM (GMT 0)
Rnbelle--in my experience, yes. My bartonella tests came back negative--but I'm absolutely covered in the characteristic rashes, and have other telltale symptoms. Cognitive problems, including "brain fog," mild (and actually kind of 'fun') dizzy spells/light headedness to extreme vertigo attacks, and the floating feeling you describe have come and gone for me for five to ten years in varying frequency and extremity. I've had blurred (more accurately "foggy") vision--sometimes it looks as if I am looking through frosted glass--has been a serious concern for me for over ten years. It comes and goes; sometimes my vision is fine, and sometimes it's foggy and on a few occasions it has been double.
My doctor says I have one of the most extreme cases of bartonella she has seen, based on the skin manifestations as well as the neurological ones. Based on that, here is a short list of some of the most telltale bartonella symptoms I've had in case it is useful for comparison, in chron order in case it's useful to see the progression:
10+ years: Blurry vision, brain fog, diminished ability to read (I have a master's degree in creative writing and have worked as an editor all my life, so this has been significant for me), peripheral nerve pain or numbness.
5+ years: Double vision, "dead" leg (loss of all feeling vs. the tingling "falling asleep" sensation), "floppy foot," striated skin lesions that look like stretch marks (entire torso and knees)
3+ years: Tendon tenderness that manifests as pain when pressure is applied to soles of feet, palms of hands, inner elbows, shoulders, knees, and fingers; cluster headaches*, total exhaustion and fatigue, inability to exercise
Past year: Disabling vertigo attacks & attendant nauseousness/vomiting**
*Diagnosed by a neurologist separately, and not absolutely attributed to Lyme, but my LLMD believes it's part of the CNS inflammation
**Diagnosed by an ENT specialist separately as Meniere's disease, and not absolutely attributed to Lyme, but my LLMD believes it's part of the CNS inflammation
Interestingly (if painfully), the cluster headaches, the extreme vertigo/Meniere's, and separate radiating nerve pain I get in my jaw/shoulders/arms/fingers/chest all seem to manifest identically even though they are so clearly separate and isolated from one another. In all cases, I feel a slight throbbing sort of discomfort and then within minutes, I'm either in excruciating nerve pain or else too dizzy to stand or open my eyes--there's a sudden swell of symptoms that lasts 45-90 minutes and then gradually dissipates, leaving me in a state of confused sickness for several hours that follow. I group all these together in my mind because they all have a gradual onset that peaks suddenly, becomes torturous for a limited time, and then gradually fades, leaving me in a daze. I'm not sure whether this is Lyme or bartonella, but I suspect bartonella because my bartonella symptoms overall seem to be much more extreme than the arthritic ones.
Some of the above symptoms may be attributable to Lyme and/or babesia, as well, but I tried to highlight the most likely bartonella symptoms. This is not by any means comprehensive; I've had a lot more neuro and arthritic/joint symptoms, as well, but as I understand it those are less likely to be due to bartonella.
I hope this is helpful. I realize it's "all about me," but I am offering it in case it's a useful yard stick against which to measure your own symptoms.