Posted 8/1/2017 11:37 PM (GMT 0)
Almost any symptom COULD BE Lyme. Thats one of the most frustrating things about having this disease, is that it mimicks so many diseases and so many symptoms of other conditions. However that doesnt necessarily mean it IS Lyme. A lot of people on this site do indeed have Lyme and since it causes so many symptoms, they may be quick to tell you they have that particular symptom too, but in your case it may not be due to Lyme at all.
Unfortunately the only symptoms that are truly recognized as Lyme in the mainstream medical community are a bullseye rash and joint pain, which ironically many people with Lyme don't get. And if they do, they may have forgotten about it. Most of the treatment and diagnosis of Lyme is based around the acute stage, or when you first get it. ANd at that time the tests arent accurate at all until about 6 weeks later and may not be accurate at that time either. If this sounds confusing, thats because it is.
The only way to really get a firm Lyme diagnosis is if you happen to live in an endemic area, have been exposed to ticks or remember a tick bite, and if you have the more recognized symptoms, which again is really just the rash, and even then you have to have a doctor who is at least familiar with Lyme who has the courage and experience to make a diagnosis even without test results, based on symptoms, which again only a very few symptoms are recognized as Lyme symptoms. This is called a clinical diagnosis. Getting a diagnosis of Later stage Lyme from most regular docs and infectious disease specialists can be much more difficult, and nearly impossible without a positive test and arthritis. Lyme has developed into a very controversial disease, and there are many doctors who want nothing to do with it.
People who do develop late stage or chronic Lyme are suffering a lot, which brings them to sites like this one. Once you do get it, you become paranoid that every one has it and you are quick to suggest it as a possibility to others. This is because we have all been told how rare and how treatable it is, but if you are the one who has it, you realize it cant be that rare especially once you find out how many others are suffering with similar problems, and since most of us wouldnt want this disease to happen to even our worst enemy, we suggest others to be on the lookout and suggest that they look into Lyme as a possibility even if just a remote possibilty. Also we have learned that early treatment is extremely important to a successful outcome to prevent what most of us here are going through. Keep this in mind when you are looking through answers on sites like this. Most of the people here are in really bad shape, including myself and have gotten to a point where we KNOW something is wrong.
No one here can tell you that you have Lyme based on those symptoms, although many will suggest it. If you were to go to another disease site and ask about these same symptoms people would likely say it sounds like you have that disease as well. My question would be what made you consider it was Lyme in the first place and caused you to start looking into Lyme as a potential cause?
Lyme is a very scary and confusing disease to have, and if you do get it there is no way to know if you are cured. It's only based on symptoms and how you feel. It can also re occur.
I dont say any of this to scare you. In fact based on what you posted, and based my experience with having this disease, I would personally say that these dont really sound like Lyme symptoms to me. And this is a good thing. Although every one wants to find out whats wrong, when the answer turns out to be Lyme it can open a can of worms that leads to a lot of confusion and a very costly and very difficult diagnosis and treatment process. You find yourself with a serious disease that the medical community believes is mostly fake and you are stigmatized. You get into a place of having to worry about coinfections like babesia and bartonella, and other diseases you have probably never heard of which are also hard to test for. When I first tested positive, it was a relief that I knew what was wrong, so I could now treat it, because we are always told that Lyme is easily treatable. But many of us find this not to be the case, and eventhough I now know what I have it doesnt make getting treated or cured any easier like it would with most other diseases.
In my experience, it wasnt a question that something was seriously wrong. My symptoms came on very swiftly within about a month and a half after several tick bites. I went from being an athlete working out five days a week walking 8-10 miles a day to being nearly disabled in the course of two months. You can be bitten and not know, and others also suggest it can be transmitted sexually, so it is true that the infection isnt so obvious in everyones case. Some have symptoms for many years before they find out it is Lyme.
If you dont remember seeing ticks or being bitten, and if you dont spend a lot of time outdoors or in woods, and havent been exposed to or seen many ticks, and dont know other who have had Lyme, I would say that it decreases the chances that it is Lyme, but it doesnt rule it out completely. SInce the testing is so innaccurate, there is really no way to rule Lyme out completely.
But again, I think in your situation, comparing it to my own, your symptoms dont really scream Lyme to me. Most of your symptoms sound like they are cognitive, and while this can definitely happen in Lyme, cognitive issues usually arent the very first symptoms you get. Most people start with physical symptoms like irregular fast heartbeats, chest pain and other heart problems, and especially, very profound fatigue and weakness. This is one symptom that seems to be completely universal in Lyme. I have yet to hear from anyone with Lyme who didnt mention unmistakeable profound disabling fatigue and exhaustion. People also notice nerve pain, digestive and gastrointestinal issues, sleep disturbances, muscle soreness, fever, breathing problems, poor circulation, numbness, pins and needles sensations, chills, shakiness, dizziness, poor balance, vertigo.
The symptoms can really be all over the map, but since yours are mainly cognitive without any of the physical symptoms, and especially since you didnt mention fatigue and weakness, I would personally suggest that it may be something else. I too had issues with depersonalization and derealization in my twenties, years before I was infected with Lyme.
Doing a test may be a good idea, in fact many would suggest routine testing for Lyme even if you don't have symptoms, in the hopes others could avoid the hell that many of us here find ourselves in today.
Not trying to poo poo or deminish your symptoms, but most people with chronic Lyme have serious disabling health issues and then backtrack trying to figure out what is wrong. They have a continuous ongoing downward health spiral and are forced to find answers. Based on what you wrote I dont think you are there, and based on my personal experience with this disease I would say that what you describe is probably not related to Lyme. But the fact that you took the time to make an account and post your question shows you feel something is wrong and you are looking for answers. I cant be 100% sure and no one else can based on the symptoms you posted, but gut reaction is to say probably not from my experience and that of other Lyme patients I have read about and talked to.
Also, statistically speaking, it probably is not Lyme. No one chooses the disease they get, and no one wants any disease, but you especially dont want this one.
Take a deep breath, try to relax and do regular inventories of your health. Only you really know your body and what is normal and not normal for you. Keep track of whats going on with your health, but try not to be too paranoid about it. Remember that at your age you are going through more changes than at any other time in your life, and the stress of going into adulthood and your body and mind changing quickly can make you feel like you are not yourself. Be vigilant, and if you continue to notice other new symptoms that you have never had, continue to look for answers and get tested to rule out other diseases too, not just Lyme.
I truly hope these are just mild passing symptoms for you, and they get better in time. Hopefully in a couple years you can look back and chuckle and say 'remember that time I thought I had Lyme disease.'