Greetings to the members of this forum. I am searching for a referral to a physician in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme. For the past 7 years, I have suffered from a systemic undiagnosed illness that has radically impaired my daily vitality and bodily functions. This chronic condition has begun to affect nearly every system in my body, migrating into different areas over time. Moreover, the symptoms tend to become more severe and are rarely ever alleviated. The following is a general overview of the symptoms I've experienced during the course of this illness.
Head, Face, Neck:
Headache
Stiff neck
Sore throat, swollen glands
Heightened allergic sensitivities
Twitching of facial/other muscles
Jaw pain/stiffness (like TMJ)
Change in smell, taste
Digestive/excretory System:
Upset stomach (nausea)
Irritable bladder
Unexplained weight loss (lost 15 lbs in 1 year without changing diet or exercise)
Loss of appetite
IBS
Diarrhea & at other times difficulty passing stool
Respiratory/Circulatory Systems:
Night sweats and unexplained chills
Heart palpitations
Diminished exercise tolerance (get winded after scaling a flight of stairs, used to run 5 miles a day no problem)
Heart block, murmur
Chest pain
Rib soreness
Psychiatric Symptoms:
Irritability, agitation
Anxiety
Malaise
Disturbed sleep: too much (once I am asleep I will try to sleep 10 hours)
or if I get too little due to feeling dreadful
Cognitive Symptoms:
Forgetfulness, memory loss (short term memory is poor & long term memory is also weaker than it used to be)
Attention deficit problems, distractibility
Difficulty with concentration, reading, spelling
Disorientation: getting or feeling lost (ex. suddenly forgetting the address of a close friend)
Reproduction and Sexuality
Pelvic pain
Eye, Vision:
Double or blurry vision, vision changes
Oversensitivity to light (especially in morning hours)
Puffy eyes on bad mornings
Floaters/spots in the line of sight (floaters in my eyes, sometimes making it difficult to read)
Ears/Hearing:
Decreased hearing
Ringing or buzzing in ears
Musculoskeletal System:
Joint pain, swelling, or stiffness (ex. my hips are quite swollen, cannot sit for more than 1 hour at a time)
Shifting joint pains (knees, shoulders, and elbows crack and ache)
Muscle pain or cramps (IT band is sore, gluteus maximus is sore)
Poor muscle coordination, loss of reflexes (slowed reflex, used to be more coordinated and quicker in reactions)
Loss of muscle tone, muscle weakness (loss of muscle mass)
Neurologic System:
Numbness in body, tingling, pinpricks
Burning/stabbing sensations in the body (hips burning, stabbing in abdomen)
Tremors or unexplained shaking (shaky hands, sometimes weak legs)
Poor balance, dizziness (easily dizzied while doing martial arts, and balance impaired)
Increased motion sickness, wooziness (easier to get stomach upset via motion, used to ride on rollercoasters without issue)
Lightheadedness, fainting (after heavy exertion, almost blackout)
Word finding problems (sometimes at a loss to find words although I have possess a commanding diction)
Slowed speed of processing (slower thinker)
Skin Problems:
Rash (strange blotchy rash on heel of palm occurs during flare ups)
General Well-being:
Extreme fatigue, tiredness, exhaustion
Unexplained fevers (high or low grade)
Flu-like symptoms (early in the illness) - had several fevers during first summer
Symptoms seem to change, come and go
Other Organ Problems:
Splenomegaly (spleen was enlarged last year)
That is a fairly exhaustive list of my symptoms. I have been diagnosed as lactose intolerant, negative for celiac. My diet is fairly good, low on processed foods and sugars, high in organic foods and greens. My ANA is positive, my ESR is neutral. There is definitely something autoimmune occurring, my suspicion is Lyme's is the culprit.
I dare say that it would be very difficult for me to wait another several months before I see a doctor for diagnosis. One doctor's office told me the wait was 1 year; I cannot afford that much time. Please send your thoughts and recommendations for doctors in the Philly area.
You have my sincere thanks in advance.
Post Edited (studyy4thecure) : 5/27/2016 5:11:07 PM (GMT-6)