Is anyone dealing with Lyme disease that does NOT include any muscle or joint pain?
I developed symptoms over the past 7 months isolated to my head; Brain fog, memory loss, hearing impairment & damage, blurred vision, skull aches, eye pain and an occasional single nerve jolt like an electrical shock that would make my neck or shoulder twitch.
I was treated for Lyme 20 years ago, 4 weeks of antibiotics after a confirmed tick bite and circular rash. When finally talking to a LLMD last month I mentioned that fact last thinking it was probably too long ago to be relevant. He stopped me at that point and asked why I hadn't told him that FIRST.
My 1991 Lyme experience consisted of muscle & joint pain & stiffness, none of the symptoms listed above. In the past 7 months I have had NO muscle or joint pain.
Does this sound like Lyme? Can anyone verify Lyme resurfacing after decades?
Posted by apljack (Member # 14233) on :
From my readings, yes, Lyme can be dormant only to resurface at an opportune moment. I don't have citations to back this up, but I'm sure someone here does.
If you think back over the last 20 years, I would bet that you've had some lyme symptoms that you just didn't attribute to lyme. Maybe you've had bladder or stomach issues, emotional lability, sinus infections, etc. There's a huge list, you might want to search on these boards and get familiar with them.
I'm glad you are with an LLMD. I hope a good one, that's what it takes to get rid of this.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Oh yes, Lyme can definitely go dormant for many many years.
moving this to medical questions
Posted by searching4truth (Member # 28481) on :
For me, I was infected 14 years ago. I experienced weight loss that summer, but nothing else. I did not have any idea about Lyme. I did not go to the doctor. I had no idea what was brewing inside of me.
Anyways, over the years I experienced minimal symptoms. Things that I did not even realize WERE symptoms until recently.
Flash forward to this last May, my neurological system fried. I have been disabled from my symptoms in the period of about 5 minutes. Literally, in a moment. Spent the summer searching for a diagnosis. Got what I was looking for in Sept.
So basically, the Lyme might not have been" dormant", but it was very silent for 13 years. I guess it has more than made up for all those years of being a minor nuisance! I am beginning to learn that there is no such thing as" normal" when it comes to Lyme. Everyone's story is so different, yet so eerily similar.
Posted by searching4truth (Member # 28481) on :
Oh, and yes, almost all of my symptoms are neuro. Minor arthritis.
Posted by one4islands (Member # 28187) on :
I have plenty of symptoms not related to muscle/joint pain.
Electric shock feelings, burning/stinging of the skin,brain fog, feeling off balance, constant ear ringing, typos when writing/typing and sometimes speaking, facial pain and more.
Posted by chiquita incognita (Member # 30381) on :
I don't get any joint pains at all, no stiffness, yet have lots of neuro stuff.
I am still learning about the bugs too so it's very interesting to read what you all have to say. THank you for this enlightening conversation!
Posted by triathletelymie (Member # 26456) on :
I can't speak to the dormancy thing as I don't think that I have had ANY lyme symptoms at all throughout my life...except 18 months ago when it all hit full force!
But, I can speak to the lack of joint pain. Part of the reason, I think, that it took so long for me to get an accurate diagnosis of lyme was because I never had the "typical" lyme symptoms of joint pain and fatigue! Mine are ALL in my head...even my cardio stuff, I think, is neuro...as all of my heart work-ups have been fine! In my opinion, it is just my brain sending incorrect signals!
No matter how you slice it, it sucks!
Posted by wealdsteve (Member # 25281) on :
Im the same, most of my symptoms have been nuero. cardiac problems, numbness, tingling, muscle twitches tippy feeling constant ear ringing, visual snow.
I reckon i was bitten twenty years ago. Over the past twenty years I have had various aching joints, especially knees and back but nothing severe.I have always brushed these off as other things but am now wondering if they were lyme related all along.
Suffering really bad at the moment with twitching in my stomach, I can lay and watch it moving just like a baby kicking. Really strange but am fairly sure its signals sent from the brain.
Posted by searching4truth (Member # 28481) on :
Mine does the same thing! It is so wierd, just like when I was preggo!
Posted by H8NLyme (Member # 29487) on :
apljack, You are correct. I had at least 2 episodes of brain fog maybe 8 to 12 years ago each lasting a few months. Both were during summers. At the time I suspected phiesteria from swimming in contaminated lake water. I don't recall having any other symptoms. Eventually it went away.
Posted by Lymeorsomething (Member # 16359) on :
There was a nice lyme article in the current month of the Odyssey Magazine. It's a children's magazine but the article was very supportive of chronic lyme and featured quotes from Dr. Stricker.
The author of the article had lyme that manifested as fatigue for the most part after inadequate initial treatment.
It's a good article to check out. I work in a library that's the only reason I knew about it. You can probably find the magazine at your local library.