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Posted 6/9/2016 3:09 PM (GMT 0)
The past few days have been tough with breathing and a feeling of a heavy weight on my chest. In my head, I know, or at least think, it's the Lyme or babesia or other TBI. Guess I'm just looking for some support.
Posted 6/9/2016 3:42 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Bat43, yes, breathing issues and a heavy weight on your chest is a common issue with some of us with Lyme.

There are variances in the symptom itself. Some are caused by Gastrointestinal issues, others by the bacteria directly affecting the lungs such as Babesia. The pain can also be caused by the inflammation within your chest cavity.

If you are overly concerned or suffer from asthma or other pulmonary symptoms, I recommend that you give your doctor a call just to make sure it is not something worse.
Posted 6/9/2016 3:46 PM (GMT 0)
Bat, I'm really sorry you are having this issue. It can be so uncomfortable. I don't deal with it often so I can't help a lot, but I know many do.

Air hunger can be an issue with Babesia. I am not sure if that is what you are describing. Could you give more detail? Do you deal with allergies or asthma?

Hang in there. Others will be along soon that can answer your questions.
Posted 6/9/2016 3:47 PM (GMT 0)
I would be concerned because it could be heart issues or lung problems. Best to have it checked out.

If you were my loved one I would have you in the car now and driving you to the ER or local clinic for an xray and EKG.
Posted 6/9/2016 3:50 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the responses. I guess a little background would help. Since last July I have had five ekgs, an echo, stress test and been to the emergency room twice. The echo and stress test were done in March and according to the cardiologist it looked ok. No allergies or asthma to speak of. Just tired of this disease. I guess if it gets worse I'll go to the ER. Thanks again.
Posted 6/9/2016 4:07 PM (GMT 0)
I think our local clinics are less expensive than the ER and they usually have EKG and xray machines.

Don't be stubborn and guess. Please, if it does change in anyway for the worse, GO!
Posted 6/9/2016 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
Bat03, your last post looks like something that I would have written 5 years ago to a T. I went to the ER no less than 10 times due to the chest pains which I was sure that were cardio related.

I too had numerous EKGs, MRIs, ultrasounds, x-rays, and CAT scans done. I wore a holter monitor for a month and was unnecessarily placed on beta blockers for a few months. All tests that I mentioned came back negative for any abnormalities.

As for the ER, doctors would say that it was anxiety and would prescribe benzos and other stress/anxiety meds and send me home. At one point I was checking my blood pressure no less than 20 times a day, I still have the Excel charts to prove it. Of course the BP would be high due to the panic mode that I was in thinking that I was having a heart attack and that I was going to leave my family without a father & husband.

Geez, I still get get emotional writing about it.

I think I had a number of different issues that were causing the problem. I found this as I tried different things such as:

-- Lyme gave me acid reflux so I raised the headboard side of the bed six or so inches. This helped a bit with the chest pains and with the sleep issues because I was even able to sleep better. My doctor thinks that acid was irritating my esophagus and some of the acid was getting into my lungs causing pain.

-- I started taking antacids at night which settled my stomach and irritated esophagus. It also blocked the acid from going into my lungs.

-- I started taking Turmeric which is great for this and for inflammation.

-- I started a few abx which tackled the bacteria

The pain subsided slowly to where one day it was gone and I hadn't even noticed. Even the air hunger disappeared.
Posted 6/9/2016 4:16 PM (GMT 0)
I've had the same problem for as long as I've had the exposure to Lyme and it has gotten alarmingly worse this past two years. I'm on oxygen at night because of nocturnal hypoxemia, and actually gotten so bad trying to do anything during the day I'm wanting to see if my Medicaid would cover a small portable oxygen machine.

Always thinking about when and possibly how this or that started and got worse I think I should be tested for fungals, (mold, dust from having chickens,etc.)
I've been given the COPD diagnosis and I havent smoked for 30 years.

The shortness of breath which is referred on copd sites as "sob" set in severely when an anesthesiologist put a lidocain drip into my collarbone after surgery. When I let them know the next morning they had me come in and he immediately removed it, saying it was affecting my diaphram and that if I hadnt come in I would have fallen asleep that night and not woken up. That very week a family doctor mixed up my blood pressure medications and I went into congestive heart failure and I'm still trying to get a handle on that. Its been 2 years of meds to help with that but the damage is done.

Still, in the back of my mind, like you, I have to wonder how much possible Lyme co-infections have had a part in all of this.
Posted 6/9/2016 4:19 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the response. I'm 34 and checking my bp constantly. Smh. The last time I took it (5 min ago) it was 131/84 which I don't think is too bad and my heart rate is 67. I think I just get worked up in my head and then it starts spinning.

I also did a 24 hour holter in March too.
Posted 6/9/2016 4:55 PM (GMT 0)

Bat03 said...
Thanks for the response. I'm 34 and checking my bp constantly. Smh. The last time I took it (5 min ago) it was 131/84 which I don't think is too bad and my heart rate is 67. I think I just get worked up in my head and then it starts spinning.

I also did a 24 hour holter in March too.

I'm 64 and have hypertension (highblood pressure) probably because of weight issues. I was treated for it in my early 40s until I got my weight down to 180 and didn't need the meds, but as soon as I hit 200 again, back on the meds.

You've got a great heart rate! Mine hovers in the low 100's these days with mild activity and 90's at rest.

Watch your salt intake. Caffeine too. Hard for some of us to stick to, but I can tell when I've had too much, I retain water. Not everyone has that problem but some of us do.

I hate that "weight on the chest" feeling. The commercials on tv of an elephant standing on it are so appropriate.
Posted 6/9/2016 5:52 PM (GMT 0)
It definitely sounds babesia related. I've had the same work ups in the past and did a holter in December. Lately that symptom has reared its ugly head again (air hunger and slight chest discomfort). I know for a fact that I've been doing more treatment and definitely stirring things up a bit so I think that's what's happening in my case but in the same I am monitoring it. I just started back to taking magnesium as low magnesium and vitamin d can also result in breathing issues. I've also started my coq10 again. Since I've implemented these things my symptoms have lessened a tad. I'm also going to start activated charcoal. I took it about a week back in April but I wasn't doing the amount of treatment I'm doing now so I think perhaps I may not be getting all those toxins out very effeciently. I've got to up the detox.
Posted 6/9/2016 5:58 PM (GMT 0)
I take Hawthorn (along with CoQ10) - for the cardiovascular system.

I've had some issues in that arena. (elevated pulse when standing, previous air hunger)
Posted 6/9/2016 6:11 PM (GMT 0)
Oh one thing that I forgot to mention. Coq10 and Hawthorn (which I also take) can lower your blood pressure some. My blood pressure has been lower since dealing with this stuff (co-infections). I have to be careful.
Posted 6/10/2016 5:55 PM (GMT 0)
DS describes his lung symptoms as you do yours. He has mycoplasma and probably babesia. His heart beats a bit erratically but checks out otherwise. He also shows signs of POTs-but is not debilitated by it. His HR jumps up when he goes from lying/sitting to standing.

His LLMD group said some of his breathing may be autonomic so they had him try an albuterol inhaler before using benzos (which we haven't yet but have as a backup).

The way I understand it is that the albuterol sends a message to the brain to relax muscles and this seems to help improve the amount of oxygen he feels he's getting. This working for him so far. I also give him nettles daily.
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