I had lyme disease back in 1993. I caught it early. is it still possible to get symptoms after all these years? I am in the woods every day hiking, could I have gotten it again and it is just not showing up in blood work? In seem to get these syptoms at least once a year.
Posted by INEBG (Member # 27690) on :
Hi and welcome. I'd say the answer to your questions is "yes." You can have Lyme without it showing up in bloodwork, especially before getting treatment if your immune system is down, and especially if the test, lab, or physician isn't optimal for an accurate diagnosis. As you suspect, since you are in the woods a lot, you may have been reinfected without knowing it. To me, recurring symptoms are a cause for concern about Lyme. That's what I had.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
YES!! And hiking daily will allow a BIG chance to be reinfected.
Lyme testing is fraught with false negatives. Find a dr who will test you thru Igenex Lab.
Moving this to Medical Questions for more help!!
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- How long was your treatment back in '93? Was it more than a few weeks with a combination of Rx to address the cyst form as well as the spirochete form?
Were you also assessed for other tick-borne infections?
Regardless of whether this is chronic lyme that started back in '93 or new infections, it is best to consult with a lyme literate MD (LLMD).
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This explains WHY you need an ILADS-educated doctor:
Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Epidemic (2008) - by Pamela Weintraub
This details what an entire family went through. Having this knowledge of their journey will help others to get better, faster treatment and arrive at a good solid remission.
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In addition to the usual coinfections from ticks (such as babesia, bartonella, ehrlichia, RMSF, etc.), there are some other chronic stealth infections that an excellent LLMD should know about:
** Nutritional Supplements in Disseminated Lyme Disease **
J.J. Burrascano, Jr., MD (2008) - Four pages
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It's very important to have this book as a reference tool for self-care and support measures. It answers so many questions in detail that is impossible here on the forum.
