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Recurrance after giving birth?

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Posted 6/6/2010 9:01 AM (GMT 0)
Hello.

I was in my first trimester of pregnancy when I got a growing sore on my arm, with severe headache, body ache and fever to follow.  The red mark on my arm kept expanding and ended up being about the size of my hand.  I went to the Dr and was tested for Lyme...the test came back negative, but I was put on a very high dose of penicillin for, I believe, ten days.  Within two days I felt back to normal, but I finished the round of antibiotics.  This was in October of last year.

Now, I've given birth to an apparently healthy baby boy.  For his first month, he was pretty miserable.  He's had some chiropractic adjustments and seems very happy and content now.  On May 19th, I did some strength training, because I've been feeling weak and want to get back in shape after the pregnancy.  I strained something in my shoulder, and the chiro said no more weights.  Ever since, I've been feeling increasingly weak and achy.  Some headaches but mostly muscle and joint fatigue. 

Does anyone know if Lyme can come back like this? I'm going to the Dr tomorrow, but not sure what good it will do...Thanks for any input!

Posted 6/6/2010 10:46 AM (GMT 0)
Hi mdl,

Contratulations on the birth of your son! Yes, it is possible to relapse with lyme symptoms after a period of remission. If you do have lyme, it sounds like you didn't receive enough antibiotic treatment initially to resolve it. I recommend that you find an LLMD (Lyme Literate Medical Doctor) in your area and get tested for lyme and all of the associated coinfections. Lyme tests will not register positive until at least six weeks following infection as it takes you body that long to produce enough antibodies. Please do not delay because the longer we delay treatment, the longer it takes most of us to recover.

Hope that you find out what you are dealing with soon and get the appropriate treatment.
Posted 6/6/2010 4:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hi mdl!!
Welcome to our forum! I am sorry that you are having to go through all of this, but you've come to a good place to get information & support. Also congratulations on the birth of your healthy baby boy!!

I agree with betterhealth. You should see a LLMD to know that you are being evaluated properly. Lyme responds to stress, and as we mothers know, not only is giving birth stressful, but so are our beautiful newborns!
Posted 6/6/2010 4:46 PM (GMT 0)
Hmmm, thanks. I'll have to check more, but after a quick google it doesn't seem like Sweden (I'm living here for three more weeks, then Michigan and CT) has any LLMDs. Is it a bad idea to wait 3 or 4 weeks to find one in Michigan?
Posted 6/6/2010 5:48 PM (GMT 0)
I don't advise waiting 3-4 weeks to see an LLMD. It would be best if you can have a doctor in Sweden order a Western Blot blood test for Lyme. They may put you on antibiotics immediately based on your symptoms and the fact that you developed a rash. If you are experiencing a relapse, you will want to get treated as soon as possible. By the way, I'm from CT and see an LLMD in NY.  Email me at [email protected] and I will send you my LLMD's contact information.

Posted 6/6/2010 7:27 PM (GMT 0)
Congratulations! And the answer is yes. I gave birth 2 years ago and my symptoms started returning at about 6 months. I felt great afterwards while I was nursing, but as soon as I stopped and got my cycles regularly, my symptoms flared up. I had lyme a lot longer than you prior to getting pregnant, but it is def. possible and I was warned when I was pregnant that I could relapse afterwards. When it didn't happen right away I thought I was ok, but it just took time.

Having a baby is a lot of stress on a woman and any stressful event can trigger your lyme symptoms. Not to mention the complete lack of sleep and the stress of taking care of a newborn.
Posted 6/6/2010 8:59 PM (GMT 0)
PLEASE do not wait another 3 -4 weeks!!!!!
Posted 6/7/2010 7:45 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you all! I am going to the Dr today and will order the Western Blot test...my Swedish hubby knew what it was, so it shouldn't be a problem. I don't currently have a rash...but did in October when it started. (I never saw the tick)

What about the baby? He seems healthy at two months old. He was pretty cranky for the first few weeks, though. He's had three chiropractic adjustments (he had a stiff neck, bent ankle and slightly webbed toe-which I read can be from the Lyme) and is feeling much better. He also flopped around a lot in the womb. Breech one day, head down the next, then sideways--every day he changed positions in weeks 36-39. He was induced at 39 weeks when we caught him head down.
Posted 6/7/2010 3:54 PM (GMT 0)
baby flipping in the belly is perfectly normal. My baby was all over the place. She was breach until I went into labor and turned right around and I used to say she must have a treadmill in there because it felt like she was always running.

She is 2 and 3 months now and lyme free. I had her tested at birth, at 6 months, at 1 year and she is the most perfectly healthy little girl. You can have your baby tested with a western blot as well to reassure yourself.
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