Hi I am treating for bart and babs now and I woke up with a red rash on my nose and cheeks, which looks like a lupus rash... though I tested negative for lupus... Anyway, I did a lot of research lately and I noticed a LOT of common symptoms between lupus and bartonella infection (rashes, headaches, fatigue, tingling...)... So I was wondering if you think lupus should be treated as bartonella... Also, I wonder why women are much more prone to lupus than men... this led me to a simple conclusion: the monthly cycle that women have implies bleeding, so maybe the bugs during that period go infect other red blood cells and veins... Waht do you think?
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Symptom-wise it is hard to distinguish between lyme disease and lupus.
So, you have to wonder if many people diagnosed with lupus really have lyme disease.
Lupus is a common misdiagnosis for those with lyme disease.
Posted by Shahbah (Member # 28735) on :
Hum, yeah that's what I thought too... Still, why is it that mostly woment get diagnosed with lupus?
Posted by ktkdommer (Member # 29020) on :
I was diagnosed in 1999 with Lupus at a huge medical university. I clearly had Lyme but was never tested for it. Yes, I had a positive ANA and all the symptoms, but I should have been diagnosed atypical lupus. Now we know and everyone should know that atypical lupus patients should be tested for Lyme. Thankfully, I took plaquenil for lupus and it helped my Lyme enough so that I have been able to work. I could have known 11 years ago that my boys had Lyme and my youngest would never have had to suffer so badly.
Posted by Shahbah (Member # 28735) on :
ktkdommer, did your treatment for lyme also help your lupus? Or is it a different treatment?
Posted by mcg08002 (Member # 24617) on :
Hey, I also had a butterfly rash. But I was ANA negative for Lupus. Turns out my Lyme was micking lupus.
Posted by Shahbah (Member # 28735) on :
oh, ok... damn lyme...
Posted by apljack (Member # 14233) on :
I had an ID doctor tell me I had lupus, even though she had a blood test result right in front of her that said Ehrlichia. She then proceeded to tell me I never had Ehrlichia.
Fortunately I knew she was a whack job before I saw her. I was giving her the benefit of the doubt but she glowingly proved her critics were oh so correct in their opinion of her.
My rheumotologist fortunately treated me with plaquenil and he knew I didn't have lupus although my blood work said I did. Smart guy.