I had a bad case of lymes back in 2008-2010. I did a rigorous treatment of antibiotics, b12, immune support supplements, etc. I am diligent to take care of myself etc. I have no long term negative side effects from it.
I understand lymes will lay dormant in your lymph nodes until conditions are right. Lymes can also create cysts in your bodies fat tissue post infection. During a recent cat scan they found 2-3 very small cyst like structures in my lymph node. Has any had experience with lymes creating cysts in your lymph?
Doctor suspects cancer but all other tests are coming back negative for that. I’m believing it’s related to lymes given my med history
(breaking up the post for easier reading for many here)
[ 01-15-2025, 11:08 PM: Message edited by: Robin123 ]
Posted by hiker53 (Member # 6046) on :
Welcome to LymeNet!
Hopefully someone will be along to answer your question because I have never heard of that.
Can they biopsy the cysts in the lymph nodes? I believe Lyme cysts are microscopic in size so it would seem unlikely that the cysts in the lymph nodes would be Lyme cysts.
Blessings to you and I hope you find an answer.
[ 01-21-2025, 10:15 AM: Message edited by: hiker53 ]
Posted by kgg (Member # 5867) on :
Welcome Beenhealed965! I have not heard of this happening. But I am not an expert.
I am wondering if there is some confusion about the term "cyst" in regards to Lyme? The cyst form of Borrelia burgdorferi is at the cellular level. There are three different cell forms borrelia can take: cyst, spirochete and L-form.
You are correct. Lyme loves stress. Many don't connect the dots years later when health goes south, to their previous Lyme infection.
If this was me. I would be asking one of the lymph nodes samples to be cultured. I am out of the Lyme world so I do not know what lab is the best to send it to. When I was actively treating I used IGeneX. I would not just send it to Quest or Labcorp. So if someone knows please chime in.
I also would be culturing it for Bartonella, along with Lyme. I believe that there is a specific lab to send Bartonella samples to. But again, I am not familiar.
Hope you find some answers.
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
I don't know the answer to you question. Just want to say I would feel much better after any lymphatic drainage session done by an experienced practitioner.
Posted by kgg (Member # 5867) on :
Robin123, I experience the same thing after a lymph massage. Commonly our Lymph systems can be draggy. I have a rebounder to help move lymph fluid. In the long run it was easier on my pocketbook to rebound instead of a massage.
I believe that we can have latent tick born infections even with successful treatment. These sometimes require more treatment.
For me, at some point, it turned autoimmune. I have read that Dr. Bruce Peterson, who treats Long Covid, Lyme and EBV, thinks that we have pieces of these pathogens still in our system creating an autoimmune reaction.
Dr. Steven Phillips believes that the autoimmune crisis we are having is a latent infection of Bartonella or Lyme. He wrote a book about it: "Chronic: The Hidden Cause of the Autoimmune Epidemic and How to Get Healthy Again.
Truly, after trying to figure it all it all out. I just get in my mHBO chamber. It keeps my autoimmune symptoms in check. And helps with aging. I dive while the experts continue to try to figure out what is what. I would encourage you to read the mild hyperbaric oxygen treatment thread in Medical.
Posted by bpeck (Member # 3235) on :
Hello Beenhealed965:
What do you mean by small?
Did your report mention the actually dimension of the "cyst like structures?
for reference: A Lyme cyst can be anywhere from 20 to about 200 microns (um) in size ... which microscopically speaking is pretty big.
A Lyme spirochete is about .5 um wide by 10 or more um long.
Also for a reference, a red blood cell is about 10 um wide.
But to know what's in that Lymph node, you'd need a biopsy.
Barb
Posted by Bartenderbonnie (Member # 49177) on :
Yes, Lyme resides in the lymph and salivary glands. Along with viruses and parasites. Your immune system will then respond by sending immune CD 19 cells and B cells.
“ The humoral response is one of the main mechanisms by which the adaptive immune response operates. The humoral response works to protect the extracellular spaces of the host, through the production of antigens from activated B cells in the lymph nodes.
During early infection, Borrelia target the lymph nodes where they continue to occupy the lymphoid tissue for the duration of infection. Once there, B. burgdorferi causes rapid B cell proliferation, leading to the enlargement of the lymph nodes, structural damage, and the deterioration of the T and B cell zones in mice .
B cells are the primary adaptive response for the clearing of B. burgdorferi infections in mice, as B cell deficiencies were found to lead to a more severe illness .
The increased cell accumulation in the lymph nodes was due to CD19 + B cells, of which some produced antibodies specific for B. burgdorferi.
Also Parasites will cause cysts - not "cysts" as in the cystic form where they singularly ball up for protection, but actual cysts similar to a Baker's Cyst or granuloma... and a cyst or granuloma is usually a bunch of microbes surrounded by dysregulated immune cells - and this will cause a constant inflammatory process wherever the cyst is located ...
If there is congestion in the blood and lymph, and the healthy flow is compromised, it seems logical that this would a) create a breeding ground for a very small population of parasites or bacteria and b) limit the amount of remedy that can get in, and, the amount of toxins that can get out ...
Maybe you could get your cyst excised / biopsied and tested by PCR ?
For people reading wondering if a Baker’s cyst behind your knee contains Lyme, the answer is yes.
when I am in treatment and having herxeihmer or increased symptoms, my lymph nodes always hurt- maninly my groin , jawline and sometimes arm pit, although I did develope breast cancer in the same side all the lymph nodes give me that pain, I do not think the cancer causes the lymph nodes to hurt. I am pretty sure it's the lyme and other buggers from ticks I have that
activated this response. I also have MCAS which they say can create node swelling.
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