Got bitten in May 2005. Got the red rash on my leg days after that. Got a treatment of doxy 100mg for 2 weeks. The red rash disappeared after the 8-10th day of treatment and didn't come back.
-I started though developing very light pain in my left knee (I'm 39 years old, no history of arthritis or anything similar). It's still light though, mainly when I bend down. - I started to feel 'cold', I mean, like if my circulation was very bad for the last 2-3 months. - Had no fever, but I caught colds easier than before (before I was really strong against colds, maybe being sick once a year if not less, now I already got 2 colds in the last 3 months). - I thought I was rid of my carpal tunnel syndrome I got after pregnancy, but there it is back again on my right wrist (for about 2 months). Pregnancy ended 1.5 years ago. - My tummy seems to be hard as rock sometimes, that I need to do massage to 'unblock' it, specially at night (for the last 2-3 weeks). - eyes don't see very sharp (since when I don't know) - feel very tired, specially in the evenings. - stronger back ache (lower part), not muscular; - sciatic inflamation; - upper part of neck feeling hard (muscular, not 'bone')
Newer symptoms (since last Friday), maybe a sort of virus I caught (it seems to be endemic now here in the region - Weinfelden Switzerland):
- lack of air + heart palpitations + lighthead + 'heavy' eye lid sensation + heavy sensation on legs (as though they were pulling me down) + flush of heat coming suddenly after having felt cold for most of the time;
- pain in most articulations (knees, feet, writs, elbow, shoulder);
- not really headache, but sort of strong feeling of pinching on my head (right side, above the eyes). If it starts to last longer than 0.5 second as it's doing now, it will be awful, I can already imagine. It comes and goes, but still not really annoying.
- insomnia (can't fall asleep easily as though I drank coffee before going to bed, and I wake up at 4.30 AM- 5.30 Am for the last 4 days).
- hand trembling for no reason (still rare)
- I feel I may faint at certain times (linked to palpitations, lighthead feeling, difficulty to breathe).
- no swelling of lymph glands I think
- low body temperature at night and mornings mainly;
I'm going to see a dr. tomorrow (the same who prescribed to me 2 wks doxy), is the Western blot exam the best in my case?
Do you all think it's necessary to get doxy immediately without waiting for results or wait to see if it's not only this strong virus?
I HATE antibiotics, my stomach gets upset just to think about them, but shall I take 6 weeks of doxy 400 mg or go to the 4-6 month doxy + other drugs treatment directly ?
I'm confused and tired, and I don't trust this dr I'm seeing tomorrow. I'm still looking for another dr but the one I found is still on vacations, don't know if he'll accept me or not.
I'd love to get some of your opinions as I'm new to lyme. I even don't know if I got it. Since Friday I thought I had it, just today someone told she's got sick 3 weeks ago and that my symptoms look like hers.
It was 'just' a virus, told the dr. and she's fine now (no more articulation pains for example, no more 'cold' sensation, no more lower body temperature, heart palpitations...).
Don't know what to think for the moment! I even thought I was not going to be able to drive a car anymore, before I talked to this lady.
Waiting to read your comments. Selma
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Hi Selma! I'm a little confused by the following:
" Since Friday I thought I had it, just today someone told she's got sick 3 weeks ago and that my symptoms look like hers.
It was 'just' a virus, told the dr. and she's fine now (no more articulation pains for example, no more 'cold' sensation, no more lower body temperature, heart palpitations...).
Don't know what to think for the moment! I even thought I was not going to be able to drive a car anymore, before I talked to this lady."
I'm not sure what you're saying here about the other lady.
Either way, I'd get more abx. It doesn't have to be doxy. Doxy is really rough on the stomach. Perhaps you could try Biaxin XL for 4 weeks or so and see if some of those symptoms get worse or go away. [they may get worse, since that would be a herx]
You're in a bad position being in Switzerland and no drs who believe in Lyme. I feel for you!
let us know what happens and how you're doing!
Posted by livinlyme (Member # 3773) on :
Hey,, if I might add my two cents here .. not trying to step on Lymetoto.. But it sounds like you may have co infections that were not addressed.. like Babesiosis or possibly even Ehrlichiosis and maybe Bartonella...
they are commonly transmitted by the same ticks as Lyme disease.. look into further treatment of co infections to be safe..
Sorry for my confused explanation. I got a virus last week, it seems, and thought I was already entering the advanced stage of lyme. I feel much better today. Until yesterday, I thought I was about to collapse, I even lacked energy to push the break of the car and felt so much lightheadness that I felt like I was going to faint anytime.
But today I'm fine, still tired, but these symptoms just disappeared. Fortunately I talked to a lady who said she had very similar symptoms to mine and that her dr. told her 'it was a virus'. This was 3 weeks ago, it lasted 2 weeks, and now she's fine. Her sister caught the virus last week, before me. I met her, so I was in contact with such virus too.
What is abx??
So I went to the dr. today, and he's going to make the Elisa test (he will do the western blot only if Elisa is positive). I got high blood pressure too. And he'll check my tyreoid through a blood exam.
I'll wait and see what will happen then. Until yesterday, I thought I couldn't wait because I felt awful, but now that I feel better, I'll just wait and see.
But if he doesn't give me any antibiotic to try and see if I get better from knee and wrist pains, I'll look for another dr. If they still refuse, well, I'll see what I can do.
Well, I found a dr. that seems to be the reference for lyme in Switzerland (Dr. Meer), but she takes no more patients. Then I got the name of another, Dr. Satz, but he's now on vacation and I don't know if he'll take me.
I'm just next to Germany and Austria, not too far from France and Italy, and I often travel to Belgium. Would you know if there are any specialized dcs in these countries?
And LINDA, thanks for the interesting link, but I don't seem to fit in any of the two cases, but mostly on borreliosis itself...
Thank you, I'll keep you informed of what's going on with my treatment here.