New here,and might have Lyme? or...M.S.?

I don't know much about MS, but you should really have some testing done to be sure. However, even Lyme tests can be negative in those who have Lyme. I had several tests done recently and all were negative except for one co-infection. But everything still pointed to Lyme and so I am now starting treatment. I have many of the same symptoms as you (constant fatigue, floaters, anxiety, slurring/mixing up words ((though not really stuttering)), depression, and random shooting pain, as well as many others you did not list).

I suggest going to the top of this forum and clicking on the thread for new members. They have a master list of Lyme symptoms there, and a lot of other great information.

Do you have a history of a tick bite at all that you know of? This is not something you should let go, especially with the neurological symptoms. A spinal tap does not sound fun, but if it gives you answers, that will ease your mind in some way even if the news is not what you are hoping for.

If you strongly believe it is Lyme, then you will need to find a Lyme-literate doctor (LLMD) for a consultation. Lyme is very much a clinical disease and like I said, you can have negative tests but still be diagnosed with it if your history and symptoms match up.

I wish you the best of luck on your journey to figure out what is wrong, and treating it. Do not hesitate to hang around the forums for a while and keep us posted - there are a lot of great members here with a lot of experience and knowledge about these issues, and many more.

Someone else here had mentioned having a very unusual looking tick bite, and had symptoms develop soon after. I know you don't have to have a history of tick bites because they can bite and detach without you knowing. But it helps if you remember one around the time symptoms start. Many people like to follow their history and figure it out. I'm pretty sure I know the bite that caused my Lyme, and symptoms of chronic Lyme started a year or two later. I never had early Lyme symptoms at all.

I actually find it interesting (and yet depressing) to follow your journey and see how you got to where you are today. It helps to clarify things so you can best decide on your treatment. Everyone has variations in their treatment as well, so what works for one person may not work for another, and you may need to try different treatments until you find some relief.

There are members here with lists of LLMDs in various areas, so they may help you to locate one in your area. I am from PA as well and started seeing one about 45 minutes north of Philadelphia.

Welcome to the Board. Sorry you have been sick, and for so long. I too started with a weird or weak feeling in my legs. It progressed to severe anxiety and too many symptoms to mention over the next few years. I was found to have lesions on my brain also and told I may have MS. Have you ever had a lyme test? I did and although it was negative, it was indicative of lyme. It is imperative to understand the many controversies surrounding lyme. Very hard to comprehend in this day and age but they are many. An LLMD is the only way to get proper diagnosis and treatment with lyme. I wasted time with an infectious disease dr. who kept testing me for syphllis. You don't want to do that. I am feeling great now so keep your spirits up. It takes strength, patience and persistence but you can get well. Hope this is a turning point for you. It's all up from here!!

Right,thanks. well...my symptoms have been pretty stable for years now. I take my B vitamins daily,as well as D,and I juice organic veggies daily,so I am getting some minerals and vitamins,which is very important. I suggest that for you,and your eyes as well,if you havent tried it. Hope you feel better.

Hi Kds,
Thank you for your suggestion - I don't own a juicer, so I make green smoothies instead, using things like spinach, brussel sprouts, Kale, tons of carrots, bananas and such. It helps me so much that I have increased symptoms if I don't have it daily!

My problem is that I had gone for almost 40 years without a proper diagnosis or treatment. As you also saw in my sig line - I am seeing another type of Holistic practitioner now and I am finally finding improvements where there weren't any to be had before- but I - as do all those who start to show symptoms - needed to have herbs with not only antibacterial properties, but anti-viral and other properties. These are very complex infections and they will need a special attack plan - even from those who see Holistic Docs.

While your NP will be able to hold a lot of the symptoms at bay, it will not get rid of the original infection - these infections are able to switch between three different forms in order to evade the body's defenses. Considering your symptoms, it is a pretty sure thing that your body is having issues with trying to contain these infections. All we are doing is trying to help you understand the severity of these infections and how they will not go away without proper treatment.

Personally, I believe that herbs can do just fine in treating these infections - but that doesn't mean that you don't need the right herbs with the right actions in order to keep your symptoms from increasing in number and in severity. I had already lost three different organs because of these infections and had Lyme arthritis before finally finding my practitioner, so I feel like she has already done wonders for me, but that doesn't discount the need for the right herbs at the right time. I am currently doing treatments for my Lyme and for my Bartonella infections - if you would like to see the herbs I take for either of these infections, I would be happy to share them with you so that you can see what one set of herbs meant for treating tick-borne infections might entail.

Please do your research - your symptoms mean you have an on-going infection(s) that has overwhelmed your body's defenses , and you need treatment specifically for those infections, not just to help with the symptoms, or just trying to build your body's defenses back up - that could all to easily wind up be a never-ending treatment plan.

None of us here has anything to gain by convincing you that you need treatment other than the simple truth that none of us here wants to see one more person suffer because of inadequate treatment. Personally, I would wish this set of infections on anyone - not even those that were in my life that have hurt me the most!

I believe that it all starts with educating yourself about these infections, that's when a person can really see the truth of what's going on in their body and see the need for intervention.