LymeNet Flash: Lyme symptom or not?

This is topic Lyme symptom or not? in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/1/40194

Posted by Starship Trooper (Member # 8546) on :

Hi,

I am no stranger to lyme. I have been on treatment for a while and lurking around here for about as long, but I am a little concerned with an llmd visit.

I went to my llmd the other day because I was having trouble breathing. He identified it as what he called "air hunger". I can breathe, but it feels like I just cant get enough oxygen in my body and I am out of breath. It doesn't happen very often, but when it does, it is rather frightening.

It is by far my worst symptom. I have had "a" drenching sweat early on in the treatment for lyme which even made the bed wet.. Now I only get smaller ones. Fatigue is rather bad at the moment too, but way less than it used to be.

The llmd said that the air hunger was due to lyme affecting the brain and making me think I needed more oxygen.

In his next breath, he said I should think about stopping the doxy and that would be the end of it. Anything left will get better on its own given time because my immune system will kick in.

Now, I wouldn't class myself as too bad at the moment, but it seems to me a little strange that the doc is ready to let me go "cured" with "air hunger", so is this a lyme symptom or not?

Also, I was in Africa many years ago (only for a few weeks) and I was given Malerone as an anti malarial, but my colleague had doxy. This was before I knew I had lyme, but I was wondering if doxy on it's own could cure Babs as I think it is similar to malaria?

I know that Babs can cause air hunger and sweats. I have never been tested for Babs, but I do have a positive test for lyme.

Thanks,
ST.

Posted by cantgiveupyet (Member # 8165) on :

First get tested for Babs. Babs can cause air hunger and nite sweats like you described.

I have both of your symptoms, the air hunger was real bad while on doxy.

2nd is your lyme doctor a real lyme doctor? Are they a member of Ilads? Can you tell him you want to prolong treatment and be tested and treated for coinfections? The LLMD should be willing to work with you.

Posted by Lymied (Member # 6704) on :

Hi Starship -

See these links - there are some other articles on PubMed regarding doxycycline used prophylactically....

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16230223&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15569805&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum

I had air hunger intensely - felt like I was going to pass out. Got treated for Babesia and kicked it to the curb.

My titer was negative for Babesia through IgeneX but the FISH test they gave me was highly positive.

Babesia infects those red blood cells as you know...the red blood cell's hemoglobin carry oxygen - only makes sense to me with this in mind that Babesia would cause this air hunger. That is completely me using my own logic and could be entirely wrong [Wink]

I would get that FISH test. Of course having been in Africa you would want to get tested for Malaria too if you haven't.

Take care!

Posted by arg82 (Member # 161) on :

Air hunger can definitely be a symptom of Babesia. I get it quite often and it's exhausting and can be frightening. It can feel like you're a fish out of water and struggling to breathe.

In my opinion, with your history of night sweats (even if they're only little ones now) it sounds like it's very possible that you have Babesia and should be treated for it before you stop treatment. I have never heard that Doxy treats Babesia, alone or in combo with anything else. The normal treatment for Babesia is Zithro and Mepron (or Malarone). Did your LLMD bring up this possibility at all? Have you ever been tested for Babesia (not that being tested necessarily proves much)?

Definitely look into this and don't just brush it off or you might be dooming yourself to relapsing once you go off treatment.

Peace and healing,
Annie

Posted by Lymied (Member # 6704) on :

I have a feeling that doxycycline does have some effect against Babs...my reasoning is purely personal experience and unscientific.

I herxed the worst on doxy of any medication I have taken so far and with in hours. Long story...but before official diagnosis I was given doxycycline and literally with in hours my finger joints would swell and you could watch them enlarge in minutes...weird...

Finally got a diagnosis of lyme, ehrlichia, and babesia. Now of course lyme and ehrlichia could have been the culprits of the herx from he** BUT

my dog was sick a month before me after multiple tick bites. Got this weird condition which would seem completely unrelated to tick borne illness...

involved skin around her rear end ulcerating...had her on all kinds of meds...she got another tick bite despite being on frontline...SO I weaned her off all the horrible meds she was on...put her on doxy 400 mg a day for six weeks...

the ulcerations she had been dealing with for six months all went away two weeks into the doxy...

Later found a vet online from the United Arab Emirates who has tied Perianal Fistulas to Babesia...so then after reading on PubMed that they have used doxy as a prophylactic against Malaria I thought maybe, just maybe it works against Babesia too.

I wished I was a scientist and had a background in biology so I could figure all this out because I really believe there is a correlation here...

Posted by SForsgren (Member # 7686) on :

Sounds like Babs to me....

Posted by groovy2 (Member # 6304) on :

Sounds like Babs to me too--

I have been taking Doxi 600mg a day
for 18 months and it did not seam
to help with Babs--

I started Mepron and BAM almost
instantly started getting much
better--
I ran out of mepron after 5 bottles
and started Bactrim DS and I have
contenued to get better-so far

--Jay--

Posted by Starship Trooper (Member # 8546) on :

Thanks to everyone who replied. It is much appreciated.

The llmd is an ilads doc and all of this makes me think that he is under pressure from the dark side. He is about 100 miles away from here and the next one is about 200 miles - after that it is much worse, so I don't want to rock the boat too much.

I have some ideas to convince him to get the babs test done so I will try those.

Also I started using samento about 3 weeks ago when the doc told me that the abx are to be stopped and the night sweats got worse. Now they are quite a bit better. It wasn't until today that I thought maybe samento could also have an efect on babs..

Then I saw the samento FAQ and I find that it does. This, together with your thoughts is enough for me to persue it all the way

I will let you know how I get on.

Thanks again,
ST.