...I'm wondering about a symptom I've experienced for quite a while(in addition to others I mentioned in my first post). Every so often, I have problems with eating. It seems like everything I eat disagrees with me and I end up with diarrhea for several days, then it goes away suddenly. I don't know if I have Lyme, but... can that be associated with Lyme?
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
Yes, I get that. It can be from Bartonella. I have bart, but I also have bacterial dysbiosis.
It's strange because some foods don't agree with me -- like steamed veggies, but then other foods do agree with me even though they seem like they would bother just about anyone -- like sushi!
Posted by jaynee sparkle (Member # 13325) on :
Thanks, sixgoofykids! Now, pardon my ignorance, but... what is Bartonella? I must confess, I know precious little about Lyme disease and the diseases related to it.
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
Bartonella is another infection that you can get from a tick. I have Lyme/Babesia/Bartonella.
This is why LLMD's are so important ... they can unravel all the mysteries!
Posted by Michelle M (Member # 7200) on :
Chronic diarrhea can be a symptom of about a bazillion things.
First thing to do is a fecal occult... teensy bit of poo on a stick kind of thing... Yeah, a bit of bother, but a really good idea. It can help rule out some obvious things.
Do you have some other things going on in conjunction that would make you think lyme?
It actually IS a symptom of not only lyme but babesia and other coinfections. I had it for a couple years continuously. Only babesia treatment (two rounds) cured it. Also autonomic dysfunction causes it.
Michelle
Posted by jblral (Member # 8836) on :
There's an excellent article called "Bell's Palsy of the Gut," which discusses the GI manifestations of Lyme and coinfections.
Thanks, Michelle M and jblral. Yes, diarrhea isn't my only problem. I get episodes of difficulty walking, muscle weakness, and tachycardia/dysrthmias(sp?), triggered by cold and fatigue. When it first started my doc suspected Lyme, but the ELISA was negative. Years have passed and I've hit the end, where my doc is scratching his head over me.
A friend recently suggested this might be Lyme despite my negative ELISA, so I'd like to learn more about it. I'm in the process of finding a doc who can help me out.
Posted by Michelle M (Member # 7200) on :
Hey Jaynee.
Love your tagline!
Hey, you must forget you ever heard the word ELISA. Unless you just got bitten the other day, ELISA's are pretty much worthless. If as you suspect you've had this a while, you are WAY better served by a western blot, but ONLY -- notice I said ONLY!!! -- if you get it done at a specialty lab like IGeneX.
Also, you must present yourself to an LLMD - "Lyme Literate Medical Doctor" - rather than your regular doc. Truth is, if your regular doc knew anything about lyme, he'd have already told you an ELISA wasn't worth the postage to mail it off. But of course he doesn't know that. An LLMD would.
Please plan to spend some time reading all the newbie links - 'specially the one tacked above on western blot. Honestly, the difference between an ELISA and a decent blot can be like night and day. IGeneX tests bands so specific the lyme vaccine was made from them -- other labs completely omit those bands.
Ultimately your doc will start casting around for 'mystery diagnoses', now he imagines he's "ruled out" lyme.
Post in "seeking a doctor," and see what you can conjure up.
Good luck - don't give up, you're just getting started!!
Michelle
Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :