not diagnosed; seeking support/insight

Hey guys, I've been lurking and you seem like a friendly crew to vent to and get feedback from. I'm being put through the ringer–MRI's, bloodwork, x-rays, etc etc trying to figure out what it is that has knocked me out of commission here for the last 2 months.

It started with this shoulder pain I've been having for 8 months. I'm a triathlete and thought I pulled a muscle in a vigorous swim workout one day. Ended up seeing over 6 doctors over the course of the last 8 months and pain keeps returning (regardless of rest, meds, therapy).

7 weeks ago it got unbearable. Headaches followed. After a few days they got completely debilitating and I was rushed to doctor. Cortisone helped for a few hours, but the headache from hell eventually returned. Ringing in ears came back with it. The next day my left arm went numb/tingly. My GP doc suspected a herniated disc in my cervical spine. Cervical MRI, x-rays showed nothing and by the time those results came back the entire left side of my body was heavy/numb & tingly.

With new symptoms arriving every day, GP sent me to the neuro-dork. By the time I could get an appointment to see her my symptoms had quadrupled.

Shoulder/kneck hurt often in the beginning, off and on now. Stomach is always rumbling, sometimes cramping. Muscles all over body constantly spasmming, boyfriend says I twitch and jerk violently in my sleep. Confusion. Vertigo. Dropping things. Right arm went paralyzed for a few hours one night. Crippling exhaustion. Ears aching like I have swimmer's ear. Ringing in ears getting louder and louder. The other morning I could barely walk and had a lot of difficulty talking–was slurring my speech..

Being an athlete I know my body very well and I know something is very wrong. Before this (7 weeks ago) I was out doing 15 mile runs. Now about 10 minutes into a run my form crumbles apart, I get super dizzy and feel like I'm not attached to my body (if that makes any sense). When I slow to a walk that eventually becomes increasingly difficult with each step to pick up one foot and put it in front of the other. Then for the next two days following the attempted run I feel like I'm dying with flu-like aches, dizziness, nausea.

Obviously the doc's are thinking MS and testing for that. I passed clinical tests and am waiting to hear results from brain MRI. But in the meantime I stumbled across info on lymes and saw the similarities.

I do actually remember being bit by a tick at my 10th birthday party, 19 years ago. I got the bullseye mark on the back of my leg and I remember mom taking me to the doctor, but neither of us can recall how it was treated.

So yeah. Here I am. Just waiting around in pain, unable to work, desperately trying to find some answers and treatment.

:(

thanks, springsjean. :)

I haven't been tested for lyme but have been educating myself on it and starting to dig around for LLMD's close to me so I can be tested properly. Also considering going back to my GP doc and talking to her about it. She's a very good friend of my boyfriends, so he knows her well and thinks she would be open and receptive to learning more about it/providing support.

Definetly get yourself tested for Lyme ASAP.

Lyme causes a variety of weird symptoms... mental and physical. Your described symptoms do fall into Lyme category.

Also I have heard of instances when patients have been misdiagnosed with MS... only to find out later that it was Lyme all along. Lyme has been known to cause brain lesions which can trick doctors into diagnosing MS. The fact they didn't test for Lyme first just goes to show how overlooked it is. I wouldn't even look at your MS results until you can cross Lyme off the list.

So go get that test... and I would even think about finding a Doctor who will start you on antibiotics even if your Lyme test is negative (they are not always accurate). You will find out real fast if the antibiotics are killing Lyme bacteria or if they are doing nothing for you. When the Lyme bacteria is killed it will cause a Herxheimer Reaction. You can basically feel the antibiotics working in your body.

Good luck.

-MysteryLyme

hey aqua,

I agree with Deejavu on the spinal injury. It really can cause vertigo and each vertebrae is connected to every organ. I hope to God you don't have lyme.