Hey there Matt -
I'm sorry you seem to be plagued with Lyme but there is an upside in your experience:
- you found this forum (an INVALUABLE resource),
- you are a CLASSIC case of Lyme and you received an accurate diagnosis fairly early into the disease manifestation and didn't wander around for years desperate for an accurate diagnosis (which is incredibly more common than you think)
- and you got immediate antibiotic prophylaxis, which is also rare for many lymees.
Early Lyme
Your official diagnosis is "Early Lyme" since you developed a bull's-eye rash (and a few other symptoms) it means that the Lyme microbe spread from the initial bite area further into your body. SHAME ON THAT FIRST URGENT CARE DOC FOR LITERALLY FAILING A PATIENT. The appearance of a bull's-eye rash doesn't get ANY clearer for Lyme. In fact, the strictest guidelines suggest the bull's-eye rash is evidence enough to omit the requirement for testing people who don't produce the rash have to go through (which is key for many people because the testing is horribly inaccurate).
Specialist
So -
the second thing you need to do is get to a Lyme specialist (I mentioned the first thing to do below). The continued symptoms you're experiencing could be due to several issues but it's best that you work with a specialist to ensure that your treatment is sufficient and comprehensive (3 wks of doxy is almost never enough so that's ground zero). Also, most ticks carry more pathogens than just the Lyme microbe so a specialist can help you figure out if you have other coinfections.
To find a specialist you might post a new thread with the title "Looking for an LLMD in _____" and indicate a
location (if you don't live near a metro area, you might give yourself 100 mi radius or something - most people have to travel out of town for a qualified lyme specialist).
Education
Also, it's recommended that you learn as much as possible about
Lyme & coinfections, treatment and what to expect from a Lyme specialist. So the
3rd thing on your list to do is please visit the "New to Lyme?" thread at the top of the page - this is a great start for your journey.Regarding your headaches -
Lyme can inflame the membrane around your brain, which causes meningitis. I wouldn't automatically assume that Lyme is in the brain. It can certainly migrate there but at sufficient doses the Doxy does a good job at crossing the blood-brain barrier (how much were you taking?) so it might be worth your time to consider other factors.
The first thing I would do is go back to the Urgent Care doc who successfully diagnosed you and ask for more abx. Chances are she will say no because she's not a specialist and the current medical "party line' on lyme is seriously archaic.
But the headaches really sound more like sinus headaches. I struggled with these for a year. The migrating sinus pain and the
location of your pain is right where the sinuses are. I don't know that Lyme often infects the sinuses but a lot of people also have sinus infections with Lyme. This could be a bacterial issue that popped up coincidentally.
Have you ever had any yeast/fungal issues? They often pop up or get worse when people take antibiotics and don't protect their gut (regular MDs almost NEVER tell patients how to take abx correctly). The abx kill both bad and good bacteria - and it's the good bacteria that keeps yeast/fungus in check. If enough yeast/fungus grows in the gut unchecked, it can grow up the throat and into your sinuses - I think this is how my issues started.
Others will be along with additional suggestions. If none of this answers your questions just keep asking them. ;)
-p
Post Edited (Pirouette) : 8/7/2016 5:19:56 PM (GMT-6)