These symptoms may sound stupid, but I have to ask because I've gotten no answers anywhere else and all tests come back normal.
-4 months ago I had some nausea and started belching a lot. The nausea went away, the belching has persisted every day since. At it's worst it was 100 times a day...better now but still there. Literally can't even take a drink of water or eat without belching, but also happens on an empty stomach. Had lots of GI tests (endoscopy with biopsies, abdominal ultrasound, barium swallow, blood work...all normal). Doctors say it's "just happening" or "stress" or "swallowing air".
-Lots of muscle twitching, daily, bodywide. This started about a month after I began taking Zoloft. Maybe that is the cause? Normal EMG & nerve conduction study.
-Hands often fall asleep at night (not laying on them).
-Occassional nausea (might be because I'm so nervous about my symptoms...it's hard to differentiate). No actual throwing up.
I just don't know what to think. I don't know what other tests to get. Lyme might be a stretch but I read some things that scared me and now make me wonder...
Any input is great Posted by droid1226 (Member # 34930) on :
Not a stretch to say its Lyme. In fact I would say that since all blood work came back fine, your symptoms involve GI issues, your hands go numb, and the the hallmark twitching that I wouldn't think it's anything but Lyme.
You probably already know that tests are less than 50% accurate and mainstream medicine is useless when it comes to Lyme. If not, you do now. Absolutely find yourself a Lyme literate dr. You can do that here.
The longer you wait with this disease, the worse it gets.. So I would ASAP.
Good luck
Posted by steve1906 (Member # 16206) on :
Did you stop Zoloft abruptly, withdrawal side effects include abdominal cramps, flu-like symptoms, fatigue, and memory impairment.
Did you take the Zoloft for - one or more of these reasons? - depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
These are also very common with Lyme and Co's.
Zoloft has a ton of side affects.
I also agree with droid1226 comments.
Are you taking any other meds?
Steve
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
Zoloft lists muscle twitching as a known side-effect.
Unfortunately, most doctors are not well-versed in the less common side-effects of prescription medications.
I encourage you to consider methylation issues and orthomolecular therapy for depression & anxiety in lieu of prescription pharmaceuticals...
Posted by dmarie725 (Member # 43094) on :
Thanks for all your input. I kept hoping maybe I was being too far-fetched with Lyme. I know it doesn't matter, but I definitely don't remember any issues with a tick or rash (I know this isn't necessary). I've had these symptoms for 4 months. Could it be possible that it's Lyme and they are my only symptoms?
The belching has been my biggest concern. It just doesn't make sense to me. No reflux or heartburn, just normal "air" belching. But it literally happens within minutes of eating or drinking anything, and appeared so suddenly. Have you heard of this with Lyme? It feels as though my stomach is incapable of holding the same amount of air as before.
I have not stopped the Zoloft...I'm still on it. I'm on it for anxiety (but the anxiety isn't new, I've suffered that for as long as I can remember).
The hands falling asleep is weird. It's not every night but it's often (and only in the middle of the night, not during the day).
I actually did find a LLMD and have an appointment in a few weeks. At first I was weary that maybe I was jumping the gun...but now based on what you're saying I think maybe I should go for sure...
Any more thoughts are great. Thank you.
Posted by droid1226 (Member # 34930) on :
I'd say if you are 4 months in, even if it's a little pricey to see an LLMD..getting tested and treated early(if it's Lyme) outweighs the negative of letting it go and finding out later it's Lyme. It can ruin your life. That's not a stretch to say.
4 months in is very early and treatable and relatively easily reversible.
I'd do anything to go back to when I was 4 months into my symptoms and treat instead of trying to tough it out for years as it gradually got worse.
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
I agree with Droid.
See an LL to rule out/in lyme.
Better to be safe than sorry.
Take our words for it, that is money you will NEVER regret spending, regardless of if it is lyme or not.
Posted by Naomi Anna (Member # 43076) on :
Dmarie, You could have Lyme, but the belching I would say could be from a bad Candida infection( systemic yeast infection) I would go on a yeast free diet to kill the candida- check out the book - the yeast connection - it helped me a lot. Also taking a probiotic every day on an empty stomach will help along with digestive enzymes b4 every meal Posted by dmarie725 (Member # 43094) on :
Thanks Naomi...the weird thing is I belch on an empty stomach, but then it's significantly worse after eating or drinking. I literally drink an average sip of water, and within a minute I have to have a large burp! But...it's not as if I'm taking in extra air with it or doing anything different. I don't understand why this would start happening after 30 years of it never happening. It almost seems like something isn't functioning properly or can't hold in the air? What do you think? I've had numerous GI tests...everything is "normal", no answers...
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
If you have not done so then I suggest testing for vitamin b12 deficiency. That could be at least a partial cause for the hands falling asleep.
I think I have read about tickborne patients who had a paralyzed diaphragm due to lyme. It is possible that something similar could be your problem.
Be sure to take copies of any prior tests including those from the G.I. doc to your LLMD appointment. They are used to dealing with bizarre symptoms and are usually pretty good at diagnosing even if it is not a tickborne problem.
Bea Seibert
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
Anxiety and muscle twitching are symptoms of low magnesium.
Symptoms of low magnesium are common in people who have Lyme, as the Lyme bacteria live in our cells and use up our mag.
Carol in pa, thanks good info !
Posted by Naomi Anna (Member # 43076) on :
DMarie, have you checked out the possibility of candida? My boyfriend belched constantly! He had dandruff, toe fungus as well- (signs of fungal growth) I put him on the Candida diet from the book YEAST CONNECTION and included probiotic on empty stomach and digestive enzymes b4 meals and his belching went down by 75 percent. Also added lots of fresh organic greens to his diet to increase the digestive power of the stomach acid. chek out the easy to do - at home candida test on line you basically just spit in a cup of water in the morning ( b4 eating) and look at it later to determine if you have candida Try it and let me know what happens
Posted by dmarie725 (Member # 43094) on :
Hi Naomi, I have considered Candida, but I really have no other symptoms other than the belching (although I have dandruff but I've always had that). I don't have any fungus or anything else listed as a symptom. This belching appeared one day out of NOWHERE with nausea. It was happening over 100 times a day at its worse. It's better now but still a lot every day. It really has me worried.
The thing that's confusing to me is it happens on an empty stomach, and it also happens simply from drinking water. It also happens a lot soon after eating. This would all suggest that I'm swallowing a lot of air, however I'm not doing anything differently and never had this problem before. It seems like something isn't working correctly and can't hold the air in? I'm so confused. Does that even sound like Candida still since it's not really related to digestion?
I have done the Candida spit test and did notice the stringy things, but then I've heard that isn't reliable at all? Any other thoughts? I'm really at a loss for how this started or why it hasn't gone away. All my tests are totally normal...
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