HI, I dont know if i have Lyme Disease but have been experiencing health problems for the past 6 months with no diagnosis. Prior to problems I considered myself to be in very good physical shape. I had weight trained and ran 4 miles evey other day for about a year and a half. Ive been to an opthomologist, neurologist and an ENT specialist. My health problems started last summer with floaters in my field of vision. Later in the summer I experienced blurred vison out of my left eye that lasted one day. I was seen by an opthomologist and also had stress test, MRI on brain, corotid artery test and sono of heart. All test came back fine and Opthomologist found no problems with my eyes. In November my upper back went out for no apparent reason. Thorasic pain lasted two months then the pain migrated to lower back and legs. I had tighness and dull pain in hamstrings and calves. I also started experiencing muscle twitches and tremors in back and legs. My legs feel weak at times but have not lost any strength as I have just started back strength training again, I took 6 months off. I have had nausea on and off since beginning of year, pain in my tail bone when sitting sometimes, this comes and goes and pressure and ringing in my left ear for about a month. I also have had mucus draining in my throat since JAN. I first thought that they were lesions on the back of my throat(I check my mouth often bc I have been a smokless tobacco user for 20 yrs) but after clearing my throat realized it was drainage from sinuses. ive had two sinus infections one in feb and one in march, the one in March need 3 different antibiotics. It seems like my leg problems are going from superior to inferior as I am now experiencing pain in my achilles, heel and ankle. This has been going on for the last two weeks. My left heel pain hurts only after I awake and it lasts about 40 minutes. In addition to brain MRI I have also had MRI's on Thorasic and lumbar, 2 blood tests, cat on stomach and upper GI all test came back negative. I have an EMG scheduled for June 2nd. If The EMG comes back OK then I want to see a Lyme Specialist because my family doctor said he doesn't know what it could be if the EMG test comes back fine. Do my symptoms sound like lyme? I would appreciate any help you could give me as I am going out of my mind.
Thanks GREG
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
Greg, Many of your symptoms look like Lyme.
floaters blurred vision one day back pain migrating to legs muscle twitches and tremors in back and legs ringing in my left ear chronic sinus infections tests come back normal
Many of these are kind of vague, come and go, testing shows nothing.
When you put it all together, the pattern looks like Lyme.
The testing for Lyme is not very accurate. Because of this, physicians should make the diagnosis based on the patient's symptoms. This is known as a "clinical diagnosis."
Most physicians are not experienced enough to make a clinical diagnosis of Lyme. They'd rather order the tests, and when they come up negative, tell the patient that he doesn't have Lyme.
There's alot you need to learn about, so that you know what's going on with testing and treatment.
Take care, Carol
Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
Sounds like a 'twist' of lyme to me.
Hope you can kick it quick.
Go the the 'best'LLMD money can buy, forget about the cheapest or the closest, the "BEST" is who you NEED right now!!!
Go getter done!!!!!!! cuz I still B --just don--
Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :
Presque Isle has signs on trails warning of lyme disease, so you are living in a known area of the disease. This is definitely something to look into since previous testing and docs have not identified the problem.
Suggest you contact the Pittsburg support group for doc info.
Posted by valymemom (Member # 7076) on :
You have been given good sites to check. Don's phrase is right on -"a twist of lyme"
Yes, get to the best llmd you can.
Posted by AZURE WISH (Member # 804) on :
If you post in seeking a dr and include your area and perhaps where you can travel to in the post someone will pm you a drs info.
There aren't alot of lyme literate drs (llmd)around so many of us travel.
Best wishes
Posted by Greg 38 (Member # 9315) on :
Thanks for all your imput. I have a couple of questions regarding Lyme. I don't hunt but I have been near/in woods on many golf courses over the years, played softball at a park close to the entrance near Presque Isle State Park and have also cardio trained sometimes within the last three years at Presque Isle State Park. My question is can lyme ticks infect people who arn't hunters or spend alot of time in a wooded area? Also, can a tick survive if it loses its host and if so for how long?
Thanks Greg
Posted by Greg 38 (Member # 9315) on :
I live in Erie, PA and would Like to find someone in my tri-state area (Western PA, NY & Ohio).
Thanks Greg
Posted by NP40 (Member # 6711) on :
Greg, many on this board have been bitten by ticks in the nymph stage, the size of the period on the end of my sentence. They bite, fall off, you'd never even know they were there.
Ticks can be anywhere, you could stroll through your backyard and get bitten. Your symptoms are certainly conducive to lyme. Best advice is to post in the "Seeking a Doctor" section of this forum. There's some good lyme doc's in PA.
Plus, I would encourage you to read all you can here. Some great and knowledgeable folks here.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
WELCOME Greg to the board. Breaking up your long continuous paragraphs with short ones and double-spacing each paragraph so we neuro lymies can read/comprehend what you wrote.
Please do this in the future ok? Thanks.
quote:Originally posted by Greg 38:
HI, I dont know if i have Lyme Disease but have been experiencing health problems for the past 6 months with no diagnosis. Prior to problems I considered myself to be in very good physical shape.
I had weight trained and ran 4 miles evey other day for about a year and a half.
Ive been to an opthomologist, neurologist and an ENT specialist.
My health problems started last summer with floaters in my field of vision. Later in the summer I experienced blurred vison out of my left eye that lasted one day.
I was seen by an opthomologist and also had stress test, MRI on brain, corotid artery test and sono of heart. All test came back fine and Opthomologist found no problems with my eyes.
In November my upper back went out for no apparent reason. Thorasic pain lasted two months then the pain migrated to lower back and legs. I had tighness and dull pain in hamstrings and calves.
I also started experiencing muscle twitches and tremors in back and legs. My legs feel weak at times but have not lost any strength as I have just started back strength training again, I took 6 months off.
I have had nausea on and off since beginning of year, pain in my tail bone when sitting sometimes, this comes and goes and pressure and ringing in my left ear for about a month.
I also have had mucus draining in my throat since JAN. I first thought that they were lesions on the back of my throat(I check my mouth often bc I have been a smokless tobacco user for 20 yrs) but after clearing my throat realized it was drainage from sinuses.
ive had two sinus infections one in feb and one in march, the one in March need 3 different antibiotics.
It seems like my leg problems are going from superior to inferior as I am now experiencing pain in my achilles, heel and ankle. This has been going on for the last two weeks.
My left heel pain hurts only after I awake and it lasts about 40 minutes.
In addition to brain MRI, I have also had MRI's on Thorasic and lumbar, 2 blood tests, cat on stomach and upper GI all test came back negative.
I have an EMG scheduled for June 2nd. If The EMG comes back OK then I want to see a Lyme Specialist because my family doctor said he doesn't know what it could be if the EMG test comes back fine. Do my symptoms sound like lyme? I would appreciate any help you could give me as I am going out of my mind. Thanks GREG
Yes, looks like lyme; excellent links given.
Print off TREEPATROL'S NEWBIE LINKS in medical.
Print off Dr. B';s 05 lyme treatment guidelines, 33 pages.
Bettyg
Posted by Carol B (Member # 9110) on :
Greg- I live in the city, I do not hunt,nor do I golf-but I did go on a picnic once in somebodies backyard AND I lay on the ground to enjoy the cool breezes and watch the clouds. Don't know if that's where I picked up the tick or not, never saw it coming (or going). I just know I have lyme now, diagnosed without a doubt.
Carol in MD
Posted by Linda LD (Member # 6663) on :
Greg,
Please let us know how you are doing.
God bless, Linda
Posted by Greg 38 (Member # 9315) on :
Hi all,
My EMG on monday came back fine.
I had scheduled an appoinment with Doctor J for July 18th.
He recently ordered blood work for me and that came back today, I had a copy of the results sent to my home.
The only value that was out of range was the test for uric acid, it was 9.7. The range is anywhere from 3.6-8.3.
Does this mean anything relating to Lyme?
Posted by trails (Member # 1620) on :
Lyme will not show up on any blood tests except perhaps a few specific Lyme tests, and even then it is not a sure fire bet.
Uric acid is related to gout....maybe SOME of your problems have to do with that?
You can have multiple illnesses. I have more than Lyme. It stinks.
This Dr J---is this a Lyme Literate doctor?
Welcome to the board, Hope you find answers and peace, Trails
Posted by trails (Member # 1620) on :
oh, and EMG's are often normal with Lyme.
BUt the friggin hurt dont they? Posted by lymie tony z (Member # 5130) on :
Hey there Greg,
I lived in Cleveland Ohio most of my life and moved to the suburbs shortly before being diagnosed with lyme...
I used to frequent Erie Pa every day with my job working for LabCorp as a service rep...
I golfed there a few times also...I even made a couple of trips to wonderful Presque Isle...
Here's the thing...when I reported my lyme diagnosis to the Ohio(columbus) CDC...they told me that Presque Isle is Infested with lyme carrying ticks...And I probably got bit there...
Because this disease is a political tourist deterrent football...
The ducks in Ohio blame PA and vice versa...
The ducks in Canada blame the greatlakes coastal geese for bringing it into their country(cuz the deer can't run accross the water)...so it's an airborne(borne on the bodies of the geese) WMD....
Believe what you want but Erie,Ohio and the USA in general is an ENDEMIC REGION as far as I am concernedd...
Good luck there Greg...go see the llmd's in Hermitage, PA if you REALLY want some help...
Pm me and I'll give you the address of one I went to......
zman
Posted by Greg 38 (Member # 9315) on :
My other results came back.
Epstein barr VCA IGM AB <0.91 Equivocal
and
CMV IGG AB <0.91 Equivocal
the CMV IGM AB is still Pending
Does this mean I have or had antibodies in me?
what about these values regarding possible Lyme?
Posted by Ann-OH (Member # 2020) on :
Hi Greg, It looks to me like the doctor is trying to rule out other problems with the blood tests. I would wait to talk to him about the blood test results.
If you had an ELISA or a Western Blot test, those would be the usual ones for Lyme disease.
There are also a couple of other tests for Lyme disease, one with tracking antigens in urine, and another,a C-57 (?) test.
If you are going to the doctor I think you are seeing, he will be very good about explaining everything for you.
All the best, Ann - OH
Posted by TheCrimeOfLyme (Member # 4019) on :
Hiya Greg, I believe looking at your location I may guess your LLMD. Dr. J? he does alot of that testing ( and was so thorough testing for other stuff)
It does look like you have been exposed to those viruses.
Please make sure you get treated for coinfections based on SYMPTOMS and NOT blood test results.
Good luck
Posted by Greg 38 (Member # 9315) on :
Hi all,
To update everyone, I went to see my doctor on 7/18.
Tested for Western Blot and also a lyme urine test.
He put me on 4000 mg of amoxicillin, one a day vitamin and b-complex.
received a call from his office today and they told me I tested positive for the western blot.
I see my doctor next thursday.
I guess the next step will be testing for co-infections.
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