HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Any chance this is Lyme?

Support Forums
>
Lyme Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 5/7/2015 5:03 AM (GMT 0)
I'm really hoping someone can help me. I'm a 43 yo male. Up until a year-and-a-half ago, I felt really great and was in good overall health. In January of 2014 I started having issues with my breathing. I would describe it as "air hunger" where I frequently feel I cannot get a full breath and have to struggle to take deep sighs and yawns to get a satisfying breath. The cycle typically repeats itself every 5 minutes or so. It is very frustrating.

Along with the breathing issues I've experienced unusual fatigue, headaches and muscle soreness in my neck back and shoulders. It's not debilitating but it is frustrating. None of this was typical before 2014.

My doctor has run about every test known to man on me, including blood work, CT, MRI, asthma, sleep study, lyme test, barium swallow, allergy panel and endoscopy. Besides finding out that I have some reflux, all the tests have come up normal. The lyme test was a "lyme antibody screen with reflex."

I'm wondering if there's any chance these are symptoms of lyme. I don't recall being bitten by a tick. I was sick the month before this all started but it seemed like typical cold and flu symptoms.

My questions:

Could these be symptoms of lyme? Does anyone ever get "mild" lyme symptoms like this for an extended period of time? Is the test I had considered accurate? Can anyone recommend an LLMD in the sacramento area? Any recommendations on where to go from here?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Damon
Posted 5/7/2015 5:14 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Damon, welcome to the forum.


"Could these be symptoms of lyme? Does anyone ever get "mild" lyme symptoms like this for an extended period of time? Is the test I had considered accurate? Can anyone recommend an LLMD in the sacramento area? Any recommendations on where to go from here?"

Yes, those could be symptoms of lyme. I wouldn't call those mild lyme symptoms. (Unusual fatigue, headaches, muscle soreness, breathing issues)

To find a LLMD, start a new thread titled, "Looking for LLMD in the Sacramento area"

The best test for Lyme disease in the US to get is from Igenex in California.
Please enable your email option so members can send you names of a Drs in your area
I think your next step us to find a LLMD and schedule an appt.
Good luck!
Posted 5/7/2015 1:10 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Girlie.

I guess I say "mild" because my symptoms aren't debilitating, just nagging. I also don't seem to have the more severe symptoms I've read about like fever, etc. Is it common to have low-level issues like I have without progressing to more severe issues?
Posted 5/7/2015 1:12 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Fribbio, yes. I had what you'd call low level issues for 10 years before being diagnosed.

I'd recommend getting the Western Blot run from the Igenex lab.
http://www.igenex.com/Website/
Posted 5/7/2015 2:51 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks sarahm.

A couple other questions...

I've read that lyme is typically a"clinical" diagnosis. Doss this mean that the tests, even the ones from Igenex, aren't ever totally reliable? Or are they able to give a definitive diagnosis?

Could my doctor order the Igenex test so it would be covered by insurance? Any other ways to get the test covered?

Is the"air hunger" I've described a common symptom of lyme?
Posted 5/7/2015 2:53 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Damon,

I had all of your issues for 30 years before my recent diagnosis. Until that time, I could work very stressful teaching jobs in the inner city, work out 4-5 days a week, be a single mom to an active little kid, I was very social with all my friends, the organizer of all things fun. But I just always felt tired and run down, had very frequent flu symptoms, and simply attributed it all to a busy life.

The air hunger is very normal. I never knew why I "sighed" all the time. Or why I always had to yawn while working out even though i didn't feel tired at all. Lots of people here share this symptom.

The basic IGeneX test runs $200 and they can send you or your doctor the kit to mail back with your blood work. You just need a doc willing to draw your blood and send it there. You have to submit the IGeneX bill to you insurance and *hope* they will reimburse you. I got about 7 negative tests from the crap labs (Quest, LabCorp) before a positive result from StonyBrook labs in NY that was covered by insurance. Then I got a much more detailed positive from IGeneX out of my own pocket. There is a thread on this forum posted just yesterday or day before about why IGeneX is better and more reliable. A clinical diagnosis means your doc can diagnose you with lyme based on the symptoms alone that you are presenting, even without a positive test result.

Things in my life have changed drastically on the medication--we get worse before we get better--but I'm so glad to have an answer and finally be getting healthier! Good luck with it! I hope you're able to find a good lyme-literate MD in Sacramento and get in to see them soon!

Maui
Posted 5/7/2015 7:06 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Fribbrio,

If you go to your profile settings, select Edit Profile and add the option to show your email address to other members and let us know, I will email you a name of an LLND in Sacramento with a few others in the Bay Area.

It definitely sounds like you could have Lyme and Co-Infections, which need to be diagnosed and treated by a Lyme Literate doctor.

The air hunger might be related to Babesia, but you need to get diagnosed by an LLMD. Insurance does not typically cover IGENEX, but it is well worth getting the Western Blot. You could try to submit it to your insurance, which may or may not pay. I would urge you to get in to see an LLMD.
Posted 5/7/2015 9:50 PM (GMT 0)
Air hunger is typically from babesia. Fevers, chills, and heavy sweats as well. Low back pain and neck is likely from Lyme according to my llmd. Sole pain and rib pain--if you have it--is likely from bartonella. My son tested negative through lab corp but positive through igenex for Lyme and barto. I already knew he had both because I have seen him deteriorate and he had all symptoms except a handful. I recommend you test through igenex.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply