Hi, I'm a college student who was recently diagnosed with Lyme's by my primary care physician. Over the past two years I've been thinking I have mono- all of the mono spot tests and lab work have been coming back positive for active infection since the beginning of 2009. I've had a lot of symptoms like shortness of breath, heart palpitations, unexplained panic attacks, anxiety, depression, trouble concentrating, limb weakness, and a cyst on the back of my knee. I always attributed these to my mono or my minor mitrol valve prolapse. I've had periods where all the symptoms improve, but they always come back. I have still been able to function relatively normally (the symptoms are minor most of the time, only severe once in awhile), but I don't know how much longer I can manage to keep that up for. I am just so confused by all of the Lyme info online. Three of my bands came back positive (tested by western blot, through Quest Diagnostics) - 66 IGG band, 23 IGM band, and 39 IGM band. I'm still not entirely convinced I have it- I was only bitten by a tick once that I can recall, about 11 years ago. I've heard that mono and Lyme can be confused in the lab, one giving a false positive for the other. But to be safe, I'm on antibiotics right now that my doctor prescribed for a month (doxycycline, 100mg twice a day). I have an appt with an infectious disease specialist August 24th, but I would probably cancel if I could get in with a LLMD.I'm so scared- all of the info online is overwhelming, and I'm afraid if I really have Lyme that I've had it for so long treatment will be difficult/impossible. Any advice, and info on LLMDs in SE Michigan would be so helpful. Thank you!
Posted by cheffer (Member # 28737) on :