I recently noticed my lab/blood work w/a POS for Lymes. The MD ordered the Western Blot Assay for confirmation of the disease...MY Sx (symptoms) are arthritis, particularly in the spine, hip and knees, neurological dysfunction (including memory loss, and UNCONTROLLED rigidity of the hands but NO tremors or shaking), severe flu-like symptoms, severe weakness and fatigue and exhaustion.
At first, I thought I had Lupus but tested NEG on the double-stranded DNA. My ANA titer was extremely high (1:320) and my SED rate is between 34 and 79.
I'm so sick... My hair has thinned out .
I became symptomatic in 1996.
I just wonder if anyone else has had these symptoms.
Posted by NP40 (Member # 6711) on :
Hi Cats, it would be harder to find people that didn't have these symptoms on this board. You definitely came to the right spot.
Secondly, you've had this for a while so you'll probably need a Lyme literate doctor {LLMD} to treat it. Few GP's would now how to treat it effectively.
You can post in the "Seeking a Doctor" forum and someone will send you info via the Private Message function.
Posted by lymex5&counting (Member # 7202) on :
Yes!
Sorry it took so long for them to test you.
Glad you found us.
Please find a llmd asap.
In the meantime go to the newbie links.
Print out read as much as you can and ask
questions. Read Dr B's guidelines.
Take probiotics, too very important.
Others will be along to give you all the details.
lyme x 9
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
so you're the "catsmeow" lol
Welcome to the board, by private message,PM, I'll send you my newbie links which TREEPATROL'S NEWBIE LINKS IS IN THERE and in his links you will find Dr. B's 05 lyme treatment guidelines.
There is a symptoms list also; check it out.
Glad you found us; 24/7 education/support right here. Now read, read, read...knowledge is power over lyme disease.
Posted by Catsmeow (Member # 9485) on :
I'm so grateful to already find helpful people here willing to guide me.
I just wonder if anyone can tell me if the Western blot comes back negative, does that mean I don't have Lyme disease? Is it possible to have the disease and the Western blot come out neg?
*(I go in tomarrow first thing to have my blood work done; the test results won't come back for about a week).
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
Yes, it is possible to have a negative western blot and still have Lyme. The tests for Lyme are notoriously bad.
There are a few labs that many LLMD's (lyme literate doctors) rely on that many traditional doctors claim provide too many false positives.
My experience was that I had a bulls eye rash with other infection symptoms when I was 12. I started have joint problems about 18 months later. I was tested repeatedly for Lyme, and tests were always negative or equivocal and I was never treated.
At age 27, I began having hand and wrist pain that became debilitating. I actually lost most use of my hands for a year. Again, I was tested for Lyme and it was negative.
I found an LLMD because other doctors couldn't find a reason for the pain. She was ready to diagnose me based on clinical symptoms, but I then tested positive from one of the specialty labs. I had a doctor who told me that there is no way it was Lyme and I have fibromyalgia. But I've really improved on treatment, so that's the answer to me.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
meow,
afternoon draws are MORE positive we have been told..
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)