Lyme pickle

Hi Maine76. Thanks for asking and I am happy to share my story :)

Yes I am absolutely 100% certain that I caught Lyme disease, Bartonella, and Mycoplasma Pneumonia from a casual contact. I know it is bizarre but I swear that's how it happened. Reason why I am so sure is because it was an old friend of mine from more than 8 years ago, she was ill for awhile apparently maybe a couple years and finally got her diagnosis of Lyme Igenex positive this past August. So she definitely has Lyme and we chatted quite a bit about it before. In addition to that she didn't ever get treatment and said getting treatment like abx just made her feel worse and that she was going to get treatment when she was ready. Nevertheless, consider her untreated and potentially with a higher infection load.

We had a casual meeting to catch up for supper and although she seemed quite normal to me at the time and didn't seem sick. During supper her eye watered or teared, and she used her index finger to wipe the tear. Like 5 minutes later I showed her a picture on my phone. Stupid coincidence that was extremely an unlucky thing to do I know. I didn't think of that at the time and also before meeting her I didn't think there was any risk of catching Lyme disease casually, only from tick bites, insect bites, or maybe sexually which I researched at the time to be controversial. So I thought there was no risk.

One thing I might add in to this "catching it from a tear" is that at the time I did have a guilty pleasure of using this vape device which is a kind of nicotine inhaler. E-cigs, you may have heard about them where you can enjoy nicotine but with reduced risk of breathing in tar and carbon monoxide. Basically I was using this and literally JUST started this habit 2 months before meeting her which is terrible luck. I used to smoke many many years ago but quit because it made my lungs sore and it's obviously not healthy.

So what I am saying is that it went from her eye-->tear-->her finger --> my phone -->my finger (unwashed hands now) --> vape device --> my lips. I didn't think anything of it at the time.

With the vape device I had you have to pinch off the mouth peice to put in new e-liquid. The part that I pulled off is the exact same surface my lips would come in contact with after.

Never in my entire life have I ever come in contact with another persons tear! It is the most terrible luck.

I am sure I got it from the vape device for sure and that definitely served as a vector, and if I didn't get it from her tear then I got it from the germs on her finger when she touched my phone. Or from germs I got on her clothing from hugging her but the tear makes the most sense. Either way it was a causal contact, I didn't even touch her skin, or kiss, or any sexual contact.

I remember vaping on that thing after and it started making my throat sore at first that was just 24 hours later. I remember thinking to myself that is strange it's never done that before. Then I got burning lips added in about 48 hours later. And there was neuropathy throughout my entire body, that is random pin pricks here and there. Finally just 72 hours later symptoms exploded, my whole lower face went into burning inflammation, like the whole nerve caught on fire (I actually attribute this now to Bartonella, but was convinced it was lyme at the time), and that has never ever happened to me. Then I woke up that night and my entire brain was on complete fire. From that night on I was unable to sleep for weeks so I had intense insomnia and anxiety ever since that night. Of course I knew at that point on what it was because what else could it be? Doctors wouldn't believe me, nobody would believe me, they said if that's the case we would have pandemics of this.

But as time went on I was certainly not "getting over this strange flu" got testing and saw the lyme literate doctors. They also didn't think this was a possible route of transmission. They both said "well nothing is impossible though", one made the comment 50% of people recall no tick bite or bullseye rash, I think that says quite a bit right there. Another lyme doctor i saw says he did have a patient that also claims to have caught it causally by a roommate who got bit by a tick. Anyways they both clinically diagnosed me with Bartonella, I tested positive for recent and acute exposure to Mycoplasma Pneumonia, and my Lyme test came back as on doctor said "weakly positive", the other doctor said it is a positive with clinical signs. This means I didn't fully seroconvert antibodies to it. 41++ is evidence of a spirochete infection either syphillis, lyme, or oral spirochetes. I had 2 other ** bands that were IND, and a 58 +.

There is 100% no way I caught it any other way. This was in the middle of winter in freezing cold Alberta Canada, and I am not an outdoors person. So I am 100% certain it was caught casually, unique and strange definitely with a bit of bad luck on the side. Is it likely that Lyme disease is as contagious as the flu? No I doubt that and nobody caught sick from me since. But could it be passed on in someone's bodily fluids if they are untreated, had the disease for awhile, and have a high infection load? Yes I believe so, I am living proof it happened to me. Also I read the book by Stephen Buhner "Healing Lyme" and he does make mention that spirochetes are in bodily fluids, even in tears, possibly saliva, and sexual fluids too. People can ask where are the studies or scientific validation? Well who's going to do studies for that? Probably nobody. I think it may have happened before, but in lyme endemic areas, and so people just assumed it was always from a tick bite. Although they can be small. Anyways that is my story, lyme from a tear. I wish I saw it coming and has this ever had a tremendous impact on my life. But to be honest I am lucky in that I knew exactly what it was right from the beginning, so I wasn't going from doctor to doctor looking for answers, I was going from doctor to doctor telling them I have Lyme disease please give me antibiotics! It's like I had the answer to what was wrong with and I knew it but doctors would refuse to believe I caught it. So I got fed up and went straight to a lyme literate doctor and saw another one just for a second opinion. Sure enough I have Lyme disease. Been pretty much treating it since that day my brain went on fire with my minocycline acne prescription.

I am however doing much better, maybe 85%-90% my former self (the worst of it was being in December and January), but I can tell there is still a long road ahead. So this disease hit me, and it hit me like a tonne of bricks in the head! That's my unusual Lyme story - a Lyme Pickle.

Ya that is how I caught it! I swear upon my life that this was the route of transmission. I would not tell it like this if I wasn't absolutely certain! Also I have no reason to lie or make up this story.

I think to be honest I'm a rare case, I mean how often do you go out with a friend with untreated Lyme disease and come in contact with her tear? I mean... I don't think I have ever come in contact with anyone's tear ever! Even the people I live with! People are far more likely to be bit by a tick or even from sexual contact. I believe it depends on the persons bacterial load though. So if she was treated, or even at least treating this likely would not have happened. Lyme spirochetes have been found in tears. On an aside note I am reading that Bartonella and Mycoplasma are far more infectious even present in saliva. Mycoplasma may even be airborne in a sneeze. Also from what I am reading Babesia is the least likely of the tick borne infections to be passed from person to person. Makes sense since Babesia just sets up home in red blood cells. Sure enough I don't have any evidence of Babesia. Or erlichia... But who know maybe I did and already treated it.

But then again my LLMD said like 70% of the population has mycoplasma so he said not to worry about it. My other lyme literate doctor tested for it and the results show acute or recent exposure. So I caught the 3! I guess it could have been worse.

To be honest I believe it has happened to others too. I have read stories on the internet. i have also met someone who knows people that caught it sexually. Perhaps more often in people that don't recall tick bites or bullseye rashes. But we usually let the Doctors be the authorities and get the "only from a tick bite" answer from them. 50% of people recall no tick bite, I think that's a significant proportion and says something right there.

But again ... How often do we come in contact with other people's tears? I mean probably not that often. It was just very unlucky.

Even in Germany I read a report that Lyme cases are at least double the number of EM rashes reported. So 750000 EM rash reportings to doctors is actually 1500000 cases of new Lyme disease.

Yes I think it maybe possible if sharing eating utensils or the same cup. But it doesn't take much to just clean the cup in the dish washer. I'm pretty sure soap with clean it, as well as the hot water. Maybe best to try and keep your germs to yourself. Sorta speak. Even good practice - keep you phone to yourself and don't pass it to other people, unless it is necessary.

I was actually thinking about this over the weekend...

Isn't Bart a red blood cell infection. How can that come out in your tears?

Not saying I don't believe you, I definitely do. I passed Lyme sexually to my husband (or him to me. We can't figure it out).

I always wonder then... will we just keep re infecting each other?

Elleon - I think Bartonella tends to infect 2 tissue types, the endothelial cells particularly inside the circulatory system and then it hitches rides on the red blood cells to find new territory. But it also infects whatever kind of tissues it comes in contact with including nerves. From what I read this one is most infectious in that fleas, sand flies, a bite from a cat could all easily pass it on. So this one is the most likely to be spread from casual contact. I am also reading that sometimes in people with healthy immune systems and say someone who didn't have Lyme, the body will likely be able to take care of the infection itself. But when Lyme is also present it makes it more difficult since Lyme also attacks the immune system.

Maine76-
I think yes Lyme likes tissues the most particularly the joints, brain, and skin, but it also likes viscous fluids (according to Stephen Buhner in "Healing Lyme") Tears happen to be a viscous fluid. It is still found in the blood people that have it, it tends to want to seek out new territory too. I think there are just many variables of the individual that makes this inconsistent such as the strain of Lyme, the individuals immune system, the treatment the person does, the persons diet, the total load of the infection. Etc, so the transmission aspect becomes complex, but again if conditions are right it does happen.

I agree with Traveler...

I was looking through archives and saw that you posted that your symptoms started 3 days after the contact with tears?

Isn't that really soon? I have no idea... It took about 3 weeks for symptoms to start in me after a bite. And it hit me HARD.

It makes me think that you got it earlier than that contact with the tear. And with all the steps you listed " that it went from her eye-->tear-->her finger --> my phone -->my finger (unwashed hands now) --> vape device --> my lips", wouldn't the bacteria be dead by then? Can they live out in open air?

Nope, there was no bug bite and that I am certain of. I have never even seen a tick in my life, live in a clean house with no bed bugs. And there are no mosquitoes here either. Plus it is the middle of winter.

I think what happened is there may have been a high load of bacteria that I came in contact with all at once. Also bartonella is much faster growing and was the bulk of my symptoms in the beginning.

How about the spirochetes that were captured in bodily fluids? Such as tears or sexual fluids? They aren't always just taken from the blood. My blood was tested just for antibodies.

Well I ended up catching this illness the method I described, there was no bug bite, just a contact with someone untreated with a high infection load. So it is possible for it to happen.

I think many of us don't want to feel "infectious" so we don't like this idea of it being easily spreadable. I will also be honest to say nobody else has caught it from me, but probably because I treated immediately, and it hasn't had time to become a higher infection load. I have also been really quite careful with it. I think there should be some precaution taken at least.

It does sound highly unlikely to be infected that way but viruses are the ones that can't survive for more than few seconds not bacteria. Think of a phone in a phone booth or a door knob. There are tons of bacteria living on them.

Noelle- My second bite I felt symptoms (crazy fatigue) the very next day. I don't believe there has to be an incubation period for this very reason.

One of the problems researchers have is that Bb only survives in certain conditions, making it hard to 'grow' and study in the lab. Bacteria still have to have the right conditions to survive - from what I've been able to read over the years (since 1999 when I began my learning about tick-borne infections), Bb needs to be in blood, tissues, bone, to remain viable. BUT ~ that's from the reading that I've been able to do, and I'm far from infallible. I'd sure be open to someone posting a link to any study showing that Bb or any of the strains of Lyme can live outside the body & a petri dish. - out on open surfaces.

http://rense.com/general43/kly.htm


Lol
I see you posted this lyme pickle!!! :) I found it a few minutes ago through google. I think it's very interesting and we need to be open minded and look at ALL the information. I never would've thought that I had lyme to begin with, let alone gave it to my babies! There is so much to learn. Regardless, I am so sorry you are sick.

Post Edited (Maine76) : 4/4/2014 6:03:58 AM (GMT-6)