Diagnosis advice - symptoms going on for months

Hi I'd like some advice on my symptoms and how and who to bring the up with.

I've had health problems for 4-5 months now and been to the doctors several times but for different things. It was only when I was going through my head a list of what I've experienced I suspected it could be Lyme Disease and I was hoping for some advice. Here is a quick run down with rough time line.

September.

• Started with a slight cold which lasted a couple of days then went on to
  
• Sever headaches
  
• Fatigue
  
• Nausea
  
• Stomach pain
  
• diarrhea
  
• Feeling sleepy all the time
  ( off work for 3 weeks for all of this)
  

October.

• Heart Palpitations waking me up.
  
• Shortness of breath (ambulance called twice)
  

November

• Headaches eased up
  
• But the following got worse.
  
• Nausea
  
• Fatigue
  
• Stomach Pain
  
• changing bowel movement
  
• loss of appetite
  
• I lost more weight, (2 (28lb) stone in 2 months)
  (referred to gastroenterologist)
  

December

• Upper and lower endoscopy found nothing. Put on some antibiotics as h.pylori was found ( I've probably had this years )
  
• appetite came back a little, weight loss stopped
  
• Calves started tingling/rumbling sensation
  
• thighs started twitching
  
• getting hot prickling sensation on arms and legs
  
• waking up in hot sweats for no reason
  
• Sleeping a lot
  
• Still getting stomach pains
  
• Bowl movement very odd, standard firm movement followed by the worse diarrhea, then back to normal.
  

January.
[list]
*Went to walk in centre because it felt like my arms and legs were in a hot shower, ie burning pricking sensation.
*Muscle twitches are happening all over my body, arms, legs, back, face.
*Ankles, knees and wrists hurt and crack a lot.
*Went to the doctor with testicle pain. This pain has occurred 3 more times
*Twice I had quite bad toothache for a couple of days on different teeth.
*Had ear ache a couple of times, lasting a day or 2.
*Noticed I'm struggling to speak, I have to stop mid sentence to think what I want to say, having to think of simple words like my children's names, 'chair', 'blanket' etc.
*I'm getting easily side tracked and forgetting why I walked in to a room.
For example going to the kitchen for a drink, seeing something like the jam hasn't been put away, put it away back in the fridge and then stand there thinking 'Why did I come in here in the first place' and then leave without my drink. I've also burned so many dinners as I've forgotten I've put it on.
[/list]

I feel my doctor is looking at each period of symptoms separately and not seeing the big picture. It was only when I started listing everything I suspected it maybe Lyme.
Now, my hobby is nature photography so I spend a lot of my spare time in the open, amongst long grass, ferns etc. and I get bitten all the time so dont think much of it.

In August I went to the Lakes to do some photography and I was on holiday in Wales in late August. I remember about the time of my holiday (about a month before I started getting ill, I had, what I thought was, an in-growing hair just by my right armpit. It didn't look like a typical bite as it was just a raised red lump which took a long time to heal.
Also thinking it was an ingrowing hair, I tried to get it out. Instead of the normal clearish water I'd expect from a spot from a ingrowing hair, it just bled a lot and there was no hair in there after all. My wife remembers this as it was in a location that I couldn't get to it to squeeze.

I've got\had other aches, pains, tingles and numbness (half my face went numb for about a day), but its been going on for so long I can't remember when they started.

Could Lyme disease be a possibility? Should I bring this up as a possibility with my GP? Or shall I bring it up with my Neurologist which I've just been referred to for my muscle twitching?

Thank in advanced
Stuart.

* edited trying to get the last list to work.

Post Edited (StuartEE) : 2/4/2016 5:39:44 PM (GMT-7)

Well, your symptoms could be attributed to Lyme disease.

And, that could have been a tick by your armpit...

So, are you currently living in Great Britain?

I would suggest you get tested for Lyme Disease. There is a lab in Germany - Armin labs that does Lyme and co-infection testing.
You would most likely need a Dr. to sign the lab req. though.

I would discuss with your GP - remember to tell him/her about the tick you found by your arm pit. (It may help you to get the testing done)

Now, after all that...I'd like to officially welcome you to our community!
I hope we can help you...

You could look for a LLMD - near you - either before...or after you get the test results....and get evaluated.
I have some names of Dr.'s in the UK (if that's where you are)

Hi Stuart, welcome!
I have been diagnosed and treated for both Lyme and Bartonella. As I read down your post, I was saying "yep, uh-huh, oh yeah, I remember that one and that one and boy I don't miss that and, man, what it is with doctors thinking the human body is like a car, just and assembly of independently operating systems? Could we please consider what could be causing all of this rather than sending me off to see five specialists?"

So, yeah, I think you've come to the right place. Hopefully, SillySheep will be along and see your post as she has experience with the British medical system and could better advise you on who to consult re getting tested for Lyme.

In the meantime, have a read of the "New to Lyme?" post. Yes, it's long but each post covers a different topic so you may want to have a look at the symptoms listing post as well as the detox post. Many of the detox activities can ameliorate symptoms as well as helping your body fight the infections.

For example, I find that alka seltzer gold and children's Diphenhydramine (antihistamine) taken in the morning are like magic for relieving nausea, lemon water can help with the headaches and dry skin brushing or an epsom salt hydro peroxide bath can ease the tingle burning sensations (the bath helps with aches and pains as well). These are all easy, pretty inexpensive detox methods.

I hope the information on this site can help you as you seek out a doctor who can diagnose and treat you. Best of luck!

Stuart - Could you email me - just click on the blue envelope (under my name on the left). and I will send you an email.

In addition to emailing me, you could also start a new thread titled: "Looking for LLMD in the UK"
We do have some members from the UK - who could recommend a LLMD.

I will look for an email from you.

That is not true at all.

I got bit in July 2014 and started the standard 21 days of antibiotics the day after I pulled the tick out of my abdomen.

I developed neurological symptoms within a week of finishing the antibiotics.

Symptoms manifest differently for everyone.

The key with Lyme diagnosis is the multitude of symptoms that affect various body systems....and those symptoms can migrate....and they sometimes wax and wane.