Very confused/Possible Lyme

Hello,

I am a 28 year old female from Canada, I recently just had a baby 6 months ago, I have had an anxiety all my life, but have been on Citalopram for several years now.

I have been experiencing migrating joint/muscle pain for one month now. I distinctly remember when it first started because I have NEVER had pain like that in my life. Not that it was that intense but it was peculiar.

It started in my fingers, wrists, and ankles. I brushed it off that night. I felt nothing for a week. Then I was sitting in a movie theatre and my arm was aching. After that I have dealt with pain migrating from my fingers, hands, knees, ankles, and pretty much all over for the last month. My joints would crackle and pop as well. Another strange symptom is that my jaw would click and pop, and sometimes I couldn't open my mouth all the way.

I went to the Doctor, she ordered blood tests. My iron was low. My ANA was 1/80 a slight positive. The Doctor ordered me an ENA panel blood test, she tested me for Lupus, Sjogren's, MCTD, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and maybe one more autoimmune disorder - all of which came back negative.

I saw my Doctor again to hear my results, and it was on a day I was feeling some better. She said well maybe it was a virus. I asked her if I should be tested for Lyme's disease, as five or so years ago I pulled a tick out of my hair after a walk in a tall grassy area. I never felt any bite, nor did I get any rash. At the time I remember seeing the tick on my bangs in my hair and I pulled it out. My boyfriend checked the rest of my head very thoroughly and found nothing.

Anyway my Doctor said that Lyme's was not common in this area (Canada, British Columbia Okanagan) so basically not to worry about it. So she said if I am not feeling completely better within two weeks to call her again and she will refer me to a Rheumatologist.

Well its been about 5 days since I saw her and I am not feeling better. I still am having these constant pains. They are not very severe but it is very hard to go about my day. I have baby I have to care for. I used to be a very active person, a runner, I did yoga - I was always on the go. Now I feel it hard to get through the day, even going for a walk has become a chore. I guess another symptom I feel is I am more tired than usual. As well as this is all I can think about, I feel so depressed. I can't get anything done anymore. I feel hopeless. My family has been okay but they always think I am a hypochondriac. My fiance works 10 hours a day, so I am usually going it alone.

I have been researching constantly about what this could be. I feel like I am going in circles. Lupus, lymes disease, sjogren's, RA. Everything I read about Lyme's disease makes it seem like its darn near impossible to get a diagnosis, especially in Canada.

I guess what I am trying to say is, does anyone have any advice about what this could be? Do my symptoms sound at all like lymes?

Any advice would be so greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Hi evianangel- I am the Mod that cd3764 was referring to - from Vancouver Island, and I see a LLND in Richmond.

There is a LLND in Vernon. If you are interested, email me for the information.
There are a few in the Vancouver area...so you do have options. The one I see will do skype or phone appts after the initial consultation.

My cousin has seen the Vernon LLND but she is just starting treatment so I don't have an opinion of him yet.

So sorry that you are dealing with this - but I am glad you found us here.

Lyme disease is not uncommon in the Okanagan. My cousin personally knows two people with it who live in the OK.

I suggest that you get a Igenex Western Blot done and see what it shows.

Thank you everyone for the kind welcome and advice. I have so many questions I don't really know where to even begin. But I will say that I am going to see a Naturalpath Doctor in Vernon in February. He is apparently very knowledgeable in Lymes disease and can test me with Ignex. However I find this all very upsetting. The test will cost near $800.

I don't know how you all manage to stay so strong. I feel like I've stepped onto another planet. Having this mystery illness and no one seems to care about, you have to be in charge of everything for yourself, including having to pay upfront instead of having it covered by medical. I can barely afford to pay my bills now this.

It is so true that people with chronic illness are often pushed aside and seen as a burden or just plain nuts. Yet if you have a more recognizable illness people are there to roll out the red carpet or sympathy and treatment for you. I actually know of a lady that has lymes disease, as does her children, and I know that people think she is a nutbar. At the time I didn't know anything about it other than it came from a tick. It is really sad there is a stigma about it, or even worse not much knowledge at all.

I have been wondering, as you said CD3764 you are pretty sure my symptoms match that of Lymes disease - but is it common to just have the one sypmtom, mainly the migrating joint/muscle pain? I have heard so many other symptoms and I think it is strange I just have the one. Have you ever heard of this? Or is this how it starts?

Thank you once again so much. I would like to get in contact with you Girlie, I will send you an email soon.

Thank you!

evianangel - sounds like you are getting more than the WB done... maybe co-infections and Elisa?
The Lyme WB IgM and IgG costs $210 for both.


"I don't know how you all manage to stay so strong. "

i didn't stay strong...I was a mess...For a while I thought I was losing my mind.
I was crying on a daily basis.

I started out with a few symptoms, then a few weeks later, another, and another...just kept stacking up.
It was ridiculous. I couldn't believe it...

But, now that I have been in treatment, I have 'lost' several symptoms.

It DOES get better...

I will look for your email.