Should I get tested for Lyme-Disease? (I have Visual Snow)

Firstly i want to say my english isnt that good so please forgive me if i made any mistakes writing this!

Thank you to anyone who reads this, it helps me a great deal.

Hello everyone. Im a 21 year old guy from germany and i have been suffering from a condition called "Visual Snow" for more than 2 years now and it has been getting worse progessively. Visual Snow is a persistent medical disorder in wich sufferers see constant television-like static, and many of them (like myself) are also experiencing a whole range of other symptoms (i will get to that later on). To date, there is on real cure for Visual Snow, but on a Visual Snow forum online i read that there are people out there whose Visual Snow is caused by Lyme-Disease, and on the "New to Lyme? Start here!" post i read about all the symptoms that can be cause by Lyme and it also says Lyme can cause Visual Problems, hence my question: Should i get tested for Lyme-Disease?

So here is my story i'll keep it brief:
My Visual Snow started out of nowhere about 2 years ago when i was watching TV one afternoon and suddenly noticed i had double/ghosting vision. All of a sudden i saw these colored "shadows" underneath and later also above objects especially light sources. Of course i went to a hospital and i had to stay there for a week. I had an MRI done Spinal Fluid Analasys etc. but they didnt know what was going on with me. When i came home it wasnt for long because after about a week i again had to go to a hospital because i had flu-like symptoms (aching muscels/joints, fever etc.) and severe pain in my chest wich was throbbing in the rythim of my heartbeat. I had to undergo an MRI of my heart and got pain killers and after a few days they discharged from hospital as i was feeling better. They told me i had a mild heart inflammation. But after this infection (or whatever it was) wich lasted about a week i havent experienced any other symptoms to date that would indicate a lyme disease infection other than eye and ear related symptoms. It all started with double vision and over time i also progressively got the following symptoms in this order:

many floaters in my right eye ,

light sensitivity,

gernally strained /tired eyes,

sometimes quick flashes of light

blue field entopic phenomenon,

blurry vision and extremly strained/tired eyes in stress situations (only sometimes),

after images/trails and halos,

sometimes feeling of pressure behind eyes and aching eyes,

tinnitus (sounds like a morse code),

different version of tinnitus (it sounds differently and gets louder when i think about it, and when im anxious) along with other weird ear related things that are hard to describe,

sometimes objects i look at appear to be slighty moving/flickering,

sometimes small flickering "light dots" that will stay until i blink or look away,

Also i should mention that i need glasses since it all started and i do see the "Television static" aswell, the thing is that ive always had this static tv like vision as long as i remember but it deteriorated unfortunately since the other symptoms started to develop. I went to many doctors; neurologists, neuro-ophtalmologist etc. I underwent MRI's of my brain and spine but no dcotor was able to help me or even give me a diagonis. After 2 years i finally found a doctor that knows about Visual Snow, and i will have an appointment there soon. But still i want to rule out everything that could possibly cause Visual Snow. This was a quick review of my story. and now i have a few questions:

1: Do you think i should get tested for Lyme-Disease even if i dont think i have symptoms other than Visual snow and tinnitus and i dont at all recall being bitten by a tick or having a "bulls eye rash" ?

2: If you think i should get tested, do you know any LLMD's near Dortmund in germany? Im asking this because i've seen other members ask this aswell.

Thank you all for reading.

Lyme test, if you can. that way you know you can rule it out, or find out you have Lyme.

Hi GuyWithVS - welcome!

I think you should get tested for LD.

Your list of symptoms:


many floaters in my right eye ,light sensitivity,
gernally strained /tired eyes,
sometimes quick flashes of light
blue field entopic phenomenon,
blurry vision and extremly strained/tired eyes in stress situations (only sometimes),
after images/trails and halos,
sometimes feeling of pressure behind eyes and aching eyes,
tinnitus (sounds like a morse code),
different version of tinnitus (it sounds differently and gets louder when i think about it, and when im anxious) along with other weird ear related things that are hard to describe,
sometimes objects i look at appear to be slighty moving/flickering,
sometimes small flickering "light dots" that will stay until i blink or look away,

Most of them have to do with your eyesight, but a few others' don't: tinnitus, other weird ear things,
and pressure behind your eyes.

So, yes have a LD test done. But, don't do the Elisa, do a WB.

You can email me and I will send you information for Germany that I have...

We encourage our new members to read through the "New to Lyme"..start Here!" thread - that sits at the top of the page.

Please do! I'm 27 but was diagnosed with HPPD and visual snow around your age (Ironically was diagnosed by the lead HPPD researcher before he retired in Boston - you think he might have suspected lyme), I had no idea about Lyme disease living in Florida.

My visual snow recovered 70% after a single Testosterone shot which lead me to discover Lyme, so I would recommends getting blood tested for your T levels, mine also showed elevated liver enzymes. I havent begun treatment but I have all the same visual symptoms. I highly recommend just a basic blood test too.

I still have floaters just as bad as ever especially in sunlight or fluorescent lights, head pressure, after images have lessened, starburst/ halos have lessened. Everything flairs up with anxiety and stress.

I get double vison also sometimes, have you had any facial muscle twitching or bells palsy (where one side of your face is sorta paralyzed short term.)

I've had 2 MRIs that came back normal- I would really try a SPEC Brain Scan- that detected 3 abnormal areas in my brain and 75% of Neuro Lyme cases have it. If you are having visual problems it's likely maybr NeuroLyme.

Another big deal is heart inflamation which is another area Lyme effects.

How has your sleep been, I have had major issues with insomnia, chronic fatigue, digestive issues, and weird immune issues : I caught shingles at your age which is super rare. How has your balance been, any twitching muscles or hand tremors. How has your psychological health been, mine started getting worst and worst- mine started with Visual problems, but evolved all the way to seizures - so catching it earlier will make a huge difference.

Just know the Lyme Disease test work poorly about 50% of the time, so if the test is unclear there's a better private test that's more sensitive by INGENEX.

Thanks to everyone for reading and replying.

Ok it seems like everyone thinks i should get tested.

Jinna: No i don't think my neck is is hard, im not 100% sure though. it might be a little stiff and also sometimes when i laugh the back of my head just above my neck hurts until i stop laughing (i dont know if that is relevant). I can sleep quite well and my short term memory as well as my GI tract are both working normally i'd say. I'm from Dortmund, it would take me 4 1/2 hours approx. to get to freiburg, unfortunately.. What do you mean exactly by "reacting to these herbs" ? Reacting in a good way or in a bad way? And what symptoms exactly? Also is an EAV test a secure way to determine wether i have lyme or not?

Girlie: Ok thank you very much. I will email you right away.

DangerLewis: Yes i did a normal blood test about 1 1/2 years ago after it all started, it came back normal.
No i have never had bells pallsy, i do get muscle twitching sometimes (eyelid, legs, etc.) but rarely and doesn't everyone get muscle twitching from time to time? My sleep is ok but im tired alot, but i think i'm generally a long sleeper. I don't have digistive issues. My psychological health is at an all time low, im sad often because i cant to things the way i used to because everything is impaired by Visual Snow.

bluelyme: Sorry i dont understand this scentence "much has resloved with many modalities", can you express it differently for me please (my english is too bad).


To everyone: You all gave me many approaches to go about the LD treatment/diagnosis (Herbs, WB test, EAV testing, testosterone shots, etc.). But how do i know wich way is right for me, if i find an LLMD will he guide me regarding diagnosis and treatment or will i have to decide myself what tests and treatment i have to do?

Thank you for reading.

Post Edited (GuyWithVs) : 7/11/2017 4:20:15 AM (GMT-6)

Taking a treatment and seeing whether it works or not is the way pharmaceuticals are tested in vivo.

As serological tests are not accurate, some people with lyme and all possible coinfections usually do a challenge test by taking some medicines (usually herbs or supplements) and watching their reactions.

These can be positive (improvement) or negative (worsening, overreaction etc).

Which symptoms will react to what is hard to know beforehand.

If you read the list of symptoms of lyme, you'll see that it goes by dozens, if not hundreds of symptoms!

They overlap most known diseases in the planet.

So how can you define what is lyme and what is not? It's hard.

I find the challenge test with herbs or supplements (or even drugs) a good way of knowing about what is happening inside my body.

A simple example: you take Vit D3 in winter and catch less colds. That could be an indication of lack of Vit D3 in winter, right?

It's not a final answer saying 'you had Vit D3 deficiency', but who cares? I don't care, really, as long as I feel better and catch less colds!!

Of course, you could do then a blood test to find out whether your levels of Vit D are good or not.

but it is not that simple with Borreliosis, because of lack of final definitive tests.


You take a whole set of herbs designed to improve Borreliosis symptoms and even kill the bacteria. If you feel clearly better after a few weeks, it means you would possibly have had lyme!

If you react with herxheimer reactions, that is another way to find out.

This looks more like cooking, not science, I agree.

But that is what we most do, because of lack of clear diagnosis, and because there is no single-protocol-healing-all in lyme.

I hope you don't get a headache with all this information.

Even if it's not lyme, I recommend some type of energy testing, biofeedback, whatever stuff in that sense... It cannot harm you.

I started using biofeedback basically for lyme, and the reason I endorse it is because I got better (100% symptomless) with the help of it.

Post Edited (Jinna) : 7/11/2017 5:23:33 AM (GMT-6)

Do you have a physician to prescribe you the Elisa + Westernblot tests?

Ask him, who knows he'll do it?!

I see you are more comfortable with blood tests....

You may post your bands here, when the test is done, even if it comes negative.

Diagnosis of Borreliosis by SSI guidelines = positive Westernblot test.

Treatment: short term antibiotics .

That is what most German physicians will do.


The kinesiology practitioners cannot diagnose you for anything.

They can only see if your body reacts to Borrelia and coinfections frequencies.

It's NOT a definitive diagnosis.


Example:
I had a positive Westernblot after an infected tick bite. I had barely any lyme symptoms then.

A couple of months later, when I started to feel ill, I did a second Westernblot: it came borderline, not positive, not negative.

I changed doctors (went to Zurich), and he did another Westernblot: it came negative, but my symptoms were at highest levels then.

I got no treatment from any of these Westernblot exams, because all doctors said I was not ill with lyme.

But we can see I had contact with Borrelia, because of some positive bands.


There is no test that will tell you accurately with 100% certainty that you have lyme disease. Not even a positive Westernblot, because you can have positive Westernblot and present no lyme symptom.

Or a negative Westernblot and with loads of lyme symptoms that improve with antibiotic therapies.

Post Edited (Jinna) : 7/13/2017 6:02:32 AM (GMT-6)

Ok, thank you very much

bluelyme: No i have never had cats, however i did get scratched by a cat 2 times or so i think when i was younger.
Did you use rive, bvt, herbs and antibiotics to determine if you had lyme or to treat lyme? And what exactly is rife and bvt?