With all the uproar lately concerning people spreading TB knowingly...first the lawyer guy flying all over the world and then the kid who refused treatment even though his entire family had it and he was deported along with his mom...
Seeing as how I did get some pulminological problems from having Lyme for 30+ years undiagnosed, it amazes me how much like Lyme is to the symptoms of TB. Knowing that it is a mycoplasm infection, I guess that's why.
But for those with these symptoms...do we have any idea at ALL...knowing how tests are...the accuracy of that little TB tine test? And when did you last have one??
From wrongdiagnosis.com: ________________
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Tuberculosis includes the 24 symptoms listed below: No symptoms - in early phases; also if they only have latent TB infection Early infection symptoms: Fever Chills Sweating Night sweats Flu-like symptoms Gastrointestinal symptoms Weight loss No appetite Weakness Fatigue Symptoms of chronic lung infection (pulmonary tuberculosis): Persistent cough Chest pain Coughing up bloody sputum Shortness of breath Breathing difficulty Recurring bouts of fever Weight loss Progressive shortness of breath Urine discoloration Cloudy urine Reddish urine
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
By far, the largest TB symtpoms are respiratory. It is very different from Lyme in that it primarily attacks the lungs.
Later stage TB can be caught on a lung x-ray.
Posted by Itsy_bitsyone (Member # 12635) on :
Actually, my pulimiary issues started in fact due to a bout with adult Varicella Pnemonia (lung chickenpox) a long time after being infected with lyme...or at least they say that's what it was.
Because Lyme is often presenting as Sarcoidosis (which is what they thought I had), with fibrosis and the whole nine, I did do a tine test to be sure. I don't think I have TB.
My xrays always come back as possible toxoplasmosis or histoplasmosis, which I do not have. I thought everyone had chlymidia pnemoniae?
But, in the absense of the tb positive xray...long before it becomes a chronic lung disease...you get many of the infections symptoms that lymies get....
The weight loss, as mine was extreme, the sweats and the weakness and nausea and chest pains and shortness of breath and gastro problems and so forth.
Its simply amazing how close the symptoms are before you start to have bloody mucuos and a positive chest xray!
Posted by Cobweb (Member # 10053) on :
We had a border in our house who told us he had been treated for TB. Is that something that can be permanently cured.
How is TB transmitted? What if he infected us unknowingly?
My pulminary symptoms cleared up when I quit smoking many years ago. Although I did have an abnormal chest xray-that was followed up every year for 5 years with no changes.
But the rest of the symptoms on the list are ones that are all near and dear to me.
Cobby
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Read The Magic MOuntain by Thomas Mann.
About a TB sanitorium. GREAT book!!!!!
TB is a bacteria and can be anywhere in the body but causes most problems in the lungs. It seems a lot like LYme in some ways. I know a TB/Lymie, a kid, has both- ***********************************
Tuberculosis From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus or TuBerculosis) is a common and deadly infectious disease caused by mycobacteria, mainly Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis most commonly attacks the lungs (as pulmonary TB) but can also affect the central nervous system, the lymphatic system, the circulatory system, the genitourinary system, bones, joints and even the skin. Other mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium africanum, Mycobacterium canetti, and Mycobacterium microti can also cause tuberculosis, but these species do not usually infect healthy adults.[1]
Over one-third of the world's population now carries the TB bacterium, and new infections occur at a rate of one per second.[2] Not everyone infected develops the full-blown disease, so asymptomatic, latent TB infection is most common. However, one in ten latent infections will progress to active TB disease, which, if left untreated, kills more than half of its victims.
In 2004, mortality and morbidity statistics included 14.6 million chronic active TB cases, 8.9 million new cases, and 1.6 million deaths, mostly in developing countries.[2] In addition, a rising number of people in the developed world are contracting tuberculosis because their immune systems are compromised by immunosuppressive drugs, substance abuse or HIV/AIDS.
The rise in HIV infections and the neglect of TB control programs have enabled a resurgence of tuberculosis.[3] The emergence of drug-resistant strains has also contributed to this new epidemic with, from 2000 to 2004, 20% of TB cases being resistant to standard treatments and 2% resistant to second-line drugs.[4] TB incidence varies widely, even in neighboring countries, apparently because of differences in health care systems.[5] The World Health Organization declared TB a global health emergency in 1993, and the Stop TB Partnership developed a Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis aiming to save 14 million lives between 2006 and 2015.[6]
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
Carol,
TB can be cured if it's not a resistant strain. It is normally treated with antibiotics of at least 6 months. It is taken very seriously by the medical community, and they do treat it aggressively.
I wouldn't worry about it. Just maybe mention to your LLMD that you may have had an exposure at one point.
Posted by Itsy_bitsyone (Member # 12635) on :
Because its mycoplasm, how can we be sure?
Is there a test for the mycoplasm itself...or is it like Lyme where you are just testing for antibodies or a reaction?
Anybody here familiar with the microbiology of the mycoplasm that causes TB?
They cannot prove when our cure comes after abx...how can they prove when a TB cure is a reality? Could we learn something from tb testing that could help US know when we are cured?
Posted by newlymepatient (Member # 6461) on :
You are testing for a reaction. I had a positive TB test was treated (supposedly cured) of TB, but I will always have a positive reaction. So, each time I need to get tested now I have to have a chest X-ray.
I've often wondered if my Lyme made my TB test positive or my TB made my Lyme test Positive. I believe it is the former.
I really doubt that I have both diseases. I feel bad sometimes, but not that bad. The TB meds never gave me a herx, but I felt like I was doing slightly better on them for a while, so who knows.
Posted by duke77 (Member # 5051) on :
quote: I've often wondered if my Lyme made my TB test positive or my TB made my Lyme test Positive. I believe it is the former.
I think there might be a correlation between the two or atleast between tb and lyme's testing. When I went to college I had a skin tb test done. It was borderline positive and the doc said I can take the drug or I don't have to because he is not going to call it a true positive. Years later, I have read that anyone of the different mycoplasms can cause a positive tb test.
Posted by merrygirl (Member # 12041) on :
I had a skin test before they knew it was Lyme and it was negative, along with chest xray all negative.
Itsy- I have active Toxoplasmosis. I have never heard of it in lungs before. Do you have any more info on this? I have nausea, weight loss, Chronic diarrhea, WBC in stool, swollen glands etc. makes me a bit nervous