I was never tested for the co-infections. My doctor told me that the tests are unreliable. He asked me some questions related to my medical history & said he didn't feel I had the co-infections. I was still curious about them & thought I'd post this list for everyone's reference.
Babesia (Babesiosis) Babesia is a protozoan spread by ticks, blood transfusion, and in utero. Despite there being 13 known forms to date, current testing only looks for two of them.
Air hunger Cough Fatigue Fevers Headache Hemolysis Imbalance without true vertigo Mild encephalopathy Shaking chills Sweats
Bartonella (Bartonellosis, also known as cat scratch fever) Spread by bites from infected ticks and in utero
Ehrlichia (Ehrlichiosis) Bites from infected ticks
elevated liver enzymes headaches myalgias ongoing fatigue persistent leukopenia thrombocytopenia
Posted by sparkle7 (Member # 10397) on :
BARTONELLA ALERT By Lucy Barnes
It is well known that co-infections may occur with Lyme Disease relatively frequently. Patients with a history of Lyme Disease who have incomplete resolution of symptoms should be evaluated for Bartonella infections. Bartonella is an intracellular, gram-negative bacteria that can become chronic. Certain lab tests may not detect the infection due to a variety of strains and the lack of sensitivity of the tests. It is advised to use both PCR and IFA methods of testing and not to dismiss the disease due to negative tests when symptoms are present. Various Bartonella species have been recognized since the early 1950s.
Bartonella may not present in its usual form when additional infections, such as Lyme or Babesia are present. In addition, typical Bartonella lesions are not always seen in patients, therefore, a diagnosis of "fever of unknown origin" should alert a physician to consider Bartonella. It is estimated that approximately 2/3 of the patients with Bartonella have a fever. Involvement of practically every organ has been reported.
There are a variety of symptoms associated with Bartonella, including, but not limited to, the following:
BRAIN: Encephalopathy may occur 1-6 weeks after the initial infection and is fairly common in patients with Bartonella. Note: Approximately 50 percent of patients who develop Encephalopathy can be affected by seizures (from focal to generalized, and from brief and self-limited to status epilepticus). Headaches, Cognitive Dysfunction, and CNS Lesions may be evident.
RASH AND LYMPHADENITIS: Erythematous papules (red splotches or slightly raised red spots) may develop. Such papules occasionally occur on the lower limbs but are more common on the upper limbs, the head, and neck. The papules may appear on the skin or mucous membranes. Bartonella may also cause subcutaneous nodules, with some bone involvement possible. The nodules may show some hyperpigmentation, be tender, fester, and/or be enlarged or swollen, but not always.
EYES: Conjunctivitis, Bartonella Neuroretinitis, Loss of Vision, Flame Shaped Hemorrhages, Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion with Vision Loss, Cotton Wool Exudates, Parinaud.s Oculoglandular Syndrome, and Papilledema.
BONES AND MUSCLES: Osteomyelitis, Myositis, Osteolytic Lesions (softening of bone), Myelitis, Radiculitis, Transverse Myelitis, Arthritis, Chronic Demyelinating Polyneuropathy.
HEART: Endocarditis, Cardiomegaly.
Possible lab findings: The following may show up during standard testing:
Thrombocytopenia, pancytopenia, anemia, elevated serum alkaline phosphatase level, elevated bilirubin, abnormal liver enzymes. X-ray of the bone may show areas of lysis or poorly-defined areas of cortical destruction with periosteal reaction. Cardiomegaly may show up on a chest X-Ray.
Biopsies of lymph nodes reveal pathology often indistinguishable from sarcoidosis. Reports of biopsies strongly suggestive of lymphoma do occur.
Tests occasionally show an enlarged liver with multiple hypodense areas scattered throughout the parenchyma.
TREATMENT: You MUST consult a knowledgeable physician for information on treatment for disseminated Bartonella. Some of the medications which have been used in the past have included Doxycycline (with or without Rifampin), Ciprofloxacin, Erythromycin, Azithromycin, trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, gentamicin, and other macrolide antibiotics.
Posted by sparkle7 (Member # 10397) on :
thanks for all the good lists; i added to my newbie package! Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Lyme Disease Symptoms List 1. Unexplained fevers, sweats, chills, or flushing 2. Unexplained weight change--loss or gain 3. Fatigue, tiredness, poor stamina 4. Unexplained hair loss 5. Swollen glands: list areas____ 6. Sore throat 7. Testicular pain/pelvic pain 8. Unexplained menstrual irregularity 9. Unexplained milk production: breast pain 10.Irritable bladder or bladder dysfunction 11.Sexual dysfunction or loss of libido 12.Upset stomach 13.Change in bowel function-constipation, diarrhea 14.Chest pain or rib soreness 15.Shortness of breath, cough 16.Heart palpitations, pulse skips, heart block 17.Any history of a heart murmur or valve prolapse? 18.Joint pain or swelling: list joints_____________ 19.Stiffness of the joints, neck, or back 20.Muscle pain or cramps 21.Twitching of the face or other muscles 22.Headache 23.Neck creeks and cracks, neck stiffness, neck pain 24.Tingling, numbness, burning or stabbing sensations, shooting pains 25.Facial paralysis (Bell's Palsy) 26.Eyes/Vision: double, blurry, increased floaters, light sensitivity 27.Ears/Hearing: buzzing, ringing, ear pain, sound sensitivity 28.lncreased motion sickness, vertigo, poor balance 29.Lightheadedness, wooziness 30.Tremor 31.Confusion, difficulty in thinking 32.Diffculty with concentration, reading 33.Forgetfuiness, poor short term memory 34.Disorientation: getting lost, going to wrong places 35.Difficulty with speech or writing 36.Mood swings, irritability, depression 37.Disturbed sleep-too much, too little, early awakening 38.Exaggerated symptoms or worse hangover from alcohol
The following signs/symptoms may be present in those infected with Babesiosis: Fatigue Arthralgias Myalgia Drenching sweats Headaches Emotional lability Depression Dark urine Splenomegaly Dizziness Nausea and vomiting Cough Dyspnea Fever Chills Hepatosplenomegaly Jaundice Malaise Shortness of breath Bleeding tendencies, bruising Thrombocytopenia Hemoglobinuria Hyperesthesia Pulmonary edema Encephalopathy Low to normal range leukocyte counts Possible elevated levels of dehydrogenase, bilirubin, transaminase* Anorexia Approximately 25%- 66% of Babesia patients are known to be co-infected with Lyme disease. These symptoms may continue for long periods of time, decrease, then return. A low Babesiosis titer (IgG) often indicates a chronic infection. An acute or current infection may show a higher reading on the IgM test initially. There are over 100 species of Babesia in the United States but only ONE or TWO species are currently checked by commercial labs.
BRAIN: Encephalopathy may occur 1-6 weeks after the initial infection and is fairly common in patients with Bartonella. Note: Approximately 50 percent of patients who develop Encephalopathy can be affected by seizures (from focal to generalized, and from brief and self-limited to status epilepticus). Headaches, Cognitive Dysfunction, and CNS Lesions may be evident.
RASH AND LYMPHADENITIS: Erythematous papules (red splotches or slightly raised red spots) may develop. Such papules occasionally occur on the lower limbs but are more common on the upper limbs, the head, and neck. The papules may appear on the skin or mucous membranes. Bartonella may also cause subcutaneous nodules, with some bone involvement possible. The nodules may show some hyperpigmentation, be tender, fester, and/or be enlarged or swollen, but not always.
EYES: Conjunctivitis, Bartonella Neuroretinitis, Loss of Vision, Flame Shaped Hemorrhages, Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion with Vision Loss, Cotton Wool Exudates, Parinaud's Oculoglandular Syndrome, and Papilledema. BONES AND MUSCLES: Osteomyelitis, Myositis, Osteolytic Lesions (softening of bone), Myelitis, Radiculitis, Transverse Myelitis, Arthritis, Chronic Demyelinating Polyneuropathy.
HEART: Endocarditis, Cardiomegaly. Possible lab findings: The following may show up during standard testing: Thrombocytopenia, pancytopenia, anemia, elevated serum alkaline phosphatase level, elevated bilirubin, abnormal liver enzymes. X-ray of the bone may show areas of lysis or poorly-defined areas of cortical destruction with periosteal reaction. Cardiomegaly may show up on a chest X-Ray.
Biopsies of lymph nodes reveal pathology often indistinguishable from sarcoidosis. Reports of biopsies strongly suggestive of lymphoma do occur. Tests occasionally show an enlarged liver with multiple hypodense areas scattered throughout the parenchyma.
Posted by jysmith (Member # 7294) on :
Hi,
Wondering if anyone who has flushing episodes has been tested for mastocytosis or other mast cell disorder? If not, a blood test for Tryptase level might be worth considering. I have symptoms very similar to late stage Lyme disease, and they came on after seed tick bites followed by a flu-like illness. Over the next few years, I started having increasing Lyme-like symptoms, including flushing, that seemed like allergy, but have now been diagnosed with mastocytosis. Some antibiotics can trigger flushing if you have a mast cell disorder. Flushing for me is head and neck, starting with the ears and red circles on my cheeks. Then a flat rash that is itchy, but doesn't look like hives. I also get tachycardia and sometimes digestive symptoms with it. Not everyone with Masto has the same exact symptoms. A lot of people have true anaphylaxis, persistent rashes, etc.
I am wondering if there's any evidence that any tick-borne organism can cause gene damage. There are so many rare diseases and syndromes and so hard to sort them out and get diagnosed!! JyS
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