I often see off balance/dizziness with out true vertigo listed as a Babesia symptom.
This symptom fits me to a "T". I have been evaluated by evey imaginable specialist and have had misdiagnoses galore- Meneire's, Migraine Vertigo and POTS to name a few.
I do see a LLMD. I tested negative for Babesia one time via the FISH test from IgeneX.
My only remaing disabling symptom is this off balance thing. It is maddening- 3 1/2 years straight now, 15 years off and on.
So- what other tests, where and is this truly a Babs symptom?
Anyone have this symptom improve by treating Babesia?
Thanks!
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Treatment for Babs helped get rid of this symptom for me.
Hope it helps you too.
Posted by sapphire101 (Member # 6638) on :
Kitty, you sound a lot like my husband. He's had that off balance thing for a long time.
Just a week ago we got off any artificial sweetners and he is almost back to normal.
He had been to ENT's and had tests done but nothing showed up. I ran across the symptoms of aspertame poisioning and he had almost all the symptoms.
This may not be the case with you but I just wanted to give you his experience.
I do hope you get it figured out. I have had it too some and it's definitely no fun and can be very debilitating.
Posted by kitty9309 (Member # 19945) on :
Tincup-
Thanks- good to hear.
What was your treatment? What tests, if any were positive?
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I had that with babesia.. no more. It was not REAL BAD for me though.
Why not get a "regular" babesia test from Igenex? The FISH is an all or nothing test.
If it comes back positive, it's a bellringer.. if it's negative, you could still have babesia.
Posted by kitty9309 (Member # 19945) on :
Really? What was the intensity of the "dizziness"?
Mine is all or most of everyday. The boat is always a rockin'.
What strains do IgeneX test for? I hear there is an East and West coast strain. I'll check the website as well.
Posted by kitty9309 (Member # 19945) on :
What strain is common in the South East US?
I got the bulls eye after a camping trip to the beaches of N. Carolina.
Found this on IgeneX website:
"The FISH test (#640) is also included since it is a more sensitive indicator of Babesia infection, even in the absence of antibodies"
That does not seem right. I think it would be easier to demonstrate antibodies that see a glowing cell show up w/ Babesia inside, given that just a very few Babs organisms can cause infection.
Guess I need to read up on why this is so.
Posted by kitty9309 (Member # 19945) on :
quote:Originally posted by sapphire101: Kitty, you sound a lot like my husband. He's had that off balance thing for a long time.
Just a week ago we got off any artificial sweetners and he is almost back to normal.
He had been to ENT's and had tests done but nothing showed up. I ran across the symptoms of aspertame poisioning and he had almost all the symptoms.
This may not be the case with you but I just wanted to give you his experience.
I do hope you get it figured out. I have had it too some and it's definitely no fun and can be very debilitating.
Thanks, I had heard that about aspartame. I wish it was my problem, but I have almost never used artificial sweeteners.
It IS very debilitating and one cannot understand unless you have been through it- thanks.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Yes, kinda like the boat thing. I kept feeling like I was going up and down when I wasn't.
Felt faint a lot and dizzy/spacey.
I don't know which babesia test is for your area. Call Igenex.
Now.. some here have said that Fry Lab has a more sensitive babesia test. Check that out too.
Posted by kitty9309 (Member # 19945) on :
Lymetoo-
Thanks, that is exactly how I would describe it. I will often stand with my legs wide apart like when you are balancing on a boat or canoe.
I will check into the stains/prevelence and ask my doc as well.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
Topic: To everyone with cardiac symptoms please read! -
Posted by kitty9309 (Member # 19945) on :
Thanks, Keebler. I have read all of the links in the past and have been doing this for 15 years with doctors, diagnoses, etc. I would say I have read nearly every site that has to do with dizziness.
I just finished an unsucessful trial of Vestibular Therapy with a Lyme knowledgable therapist. I am to still do the exercises at home, but they are not helping so far after nearly 2 months.
I know my dizziness is some type of tick born disease as it began after the bulls aye rash and swollen knees.
I am just trying to pin down: Is it due to Lyme/Bart for which I am being treated, or Babs, which is yet undiagnosed?
I appreciate the links, however.
Posted by sapphire101 (Member # 6638) on :
I sure hope you find the source of your dizziness. You've been dealing with it a long time for sure.
Posted by kitty9309 (Member # 19945) on :
Thanks.
Posted by olivia_ham (Member # 9960) on :
I can totally relate! I have had this rocking boat feeling non stop for 4 years. I was also infected in eastern NC. I did a round of Mepron/Zith for a clinical diagnosis of Babesia. It helped with the night sweats I was having at the time but not the dizziness.
I also did about a 6 month treatment for Bart which did not alleviate the dizziness either.
I started having night sweats again about a year after Babs treatment, so I've been pulsing Artemisinin for the past 6 months or so. Again, the sweats are gone but the dizziness still remains.
It's so annoying! I hope someday we will be dizzy free.
Posted by kitty9309 (Member # 19945) on :
I just looked at an old post of your re: mal de barquement syndrome. That is exactly my symptom description, but one of the only things I have not been dx'd with! lol
Dissapointing to see that Babesia tx did not help.
What did you use for Bart? I am on Rifampin/Zith for that.
I was infected in the Outer Banks camping on the beach. Also was eaten alive by sand fleas!
Posted by olivia_ham (Member # 9960) on :
I did Rifampin/Zithro too. I feel like it still could be Babesia lingering. Maybe I haven't fully treated it? I don't know. Maybe Babesia treatment could resolve it for you! Hope so!
Posted by Lauralyme (Member # 15021) on :
Do you consume sugar? That can cause dizziness...it did for me anyway
Posted by kitty9309 (Member # 19945) on :
Not much of a sugar person, though I have never noticed a difference in symptoms either way.
The dizziness began as a vertigo attack out of the clear blue a couple of months after my bulls eye rash. I have had 3 such attacks over 14 years and this one is going on and on---thanks to a month's worth of steroids at the onset...
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