posted
Hi all About a week and a half ago my husband was mowing the lawn (it was the sunday before labor day).
On that Tuesday, he had a purple/red rash- it looked like a bruise, a purple/red, the size of a quarter, not a bullseye rash or anything. It did not hurt or itch or anything. I got worried and of course, he just thought I was paranoid, and I thought I probably just was.
He went away for work that Wednesday and got back late Sunday night. Yesterday he said he was exhausted (but he was so busy working all weekend in Florida- he is a software engineer for CBS sportsline, so lots of people were doing their fantasy football this weekend- busy time).
Last night he said his neck was bothering him. He thought he pulled something. I didn't really think about it.
Today he said that his neck still bothers him a lot, he feels exhausted and out of it, and now his shoulder muscle is bothering him for no reason.
What do we do? If he gets to the doctor tomorrow, he may be able to get 21 days of 200 mg of doxy (maybe) but we know that won't work. He can make an appointment with an LLMD, but there will be a wait.
I want him to get treated immediately, since this is early. How can I get him enough doxy? In the meantime, I'll have him set up an appointment with an LLMD and get tested by Igenex, but what do we do NOW?
BTW- we have a trip scheduled for Bermuda - leaving in a week and a half- won't be able to go now with him on doxy and if he has lyme. I know that is the least important of this all, but still disappointing.
I have biaxin that I can give him- is that more effective anyway?
I also have a coil machine if that would help anything.
Please HELP........ thanks.... ANY ADVICE would be appreciated!
[ 09. September 2008, 08:52 PM: Message edited by: maureen2174 ]
Posts: 871 | From NJ | Registered: Mar 2007
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'Kete-tracker
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17189
posted
Since no answers yet, I'll throw my 2 cents in. Have him indeed get to the doctor for a checkout & to go thru the rash & symptom progression with him. (Sounds like early Lyme symptoms to ME.) Any "reasonable" doc will go with the doxy, & I've found- & heard- they can be talked into an additional week, anyways, w/o too much hassle. That's 28 days. IF he is a "Big" guy, say, nearly 200lbs or more, a higher dose IS recommended- though many docs balk at exceeding the IDSA recommended dosing of 100mg b.i.d. So it's important he take it away from any mineral supps, dairy, or other foods rich in calcium, pottasium, iron etc. so none gets tied up. HAve you conidered asking the LLMD's office for a visit w/ the 'nurse' to get on a more appropriate protocol quickly? They often want to Jump on any early-Lyme case, as it is easier to deal with. If there are no significant co-infections, 28 days on amoxy (maybe ~2 gr/day) is also a good way to "hit" it. (The amoxy following a month of doxy is even Better. And, of course, with amoxy a trip to Bermuda is do-able... BUT I'd have him rest until he's fully over this. (No symptoms for a month) Not that he stays in bed... just doesn't wear himself out. As far as Biaxin, I wouldn't suggest it as a 1st-line abx for early Lyme. You need to add Plaquenil, or equiv, to get it into the acidic intra-cellular environment.(And he'd need enough at standard dosing for a month atleast, anyway.) He's well inside the "early stage" window now. Hopefully a visit w/ the LLMD before the doxy from his PCP runs out is the best bet. Good luck!
Posts: 1233 | From Dover, NH | Registered: Sep 2008
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He is going to call the doctor in the morning (his GP) and hopefully get on doxy, then we will go from there.
I had him take some cats claw (samento) and more symptoms came on after taking that (this happened to me too when i first tried cats claw).
he now has tingling, sore knee and heavy/fatigued arms, and stabbing pain in chest in addition to his sore/stiff neck, fatigue, and sore shoulder...... definitely something going on here.
i haven't been in touch with my llmd since april, so not sure how she would treat this. i may have him contact a different llmd in the area and start new.
not sure of any co-infections, don't even know what co-infecitons i have at this point.
thanks all, Maureen
Posts: 871 | From NJ | Registered: Mar 2007
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
i couldn't read any of nitetracker's advise since it was one solid block text which we neuro lyme folks can't comprehend/read ... so sob, scrolled on by!
get what you can right now of doxy...
please send me a private message, it's 2 people standing together, and give me first/last name and city/state of your llmd who you haven't seen forawhile.
post in seeking dr. forum; NJ llmd neeeded
copy all of your post from above please. go to lower left hand corner and mark box to receive all replies; click send.
symptoms lists
The Quick Checklist
This was the initial checklist that began to lead to my Lyme diagnosis. It is based on the Burrascano "Guidelines". Keep a tally of the "yes" responses.
Although many of these symptoms are common or indicative of other things, a number of them may suggest the need for further evaluation. (My own count was 18 out of 46.)
As part of your symptoms, have you had any of the following? Yes No
1. Tick Bite (deer tick or dog tick?) Y N
2. Rash at bite site Y N
3. Rashes at other sites Y N
4. Joint/muscle pain in feet Y N
5. Swelling in toes, balls of feet Y N
6. Ankle pain Y N
7. Burning in feet Y N
8. Shin splints Y N
9. Unexplained fevers, sweats, chills Y N
10. Unexplained weight change (loss or gain) Y N
11. Fatigue, tiredness Y N
12. Unexplained hair loss Y N
13. Swollen glands Y N
14. Sore throat Y N
15. Testicular pain / pelvic pain Y N
16. Unexplained menstrual irregularity Y N
17. Unexplained milk production (lactation) Y N
18. Irritable bladder or bladder dysfunction Y N
19. Sexual dysfunction or loss of libido Y N
20. Upset stomach Y N
21. Change in bowel function (constipation, diarrhea) Y N
22. Chest pain or rib soreness Y N
23. Shortness of breath, cough Y N
24. Heart palpitations, pulse skips, heart block Y N
25. Joint pain or swelling Y N
26. Stiffness of the joints, neck or back Y N
27. Muscle pain or cramps Y N
28. Twitching of the face or other muscles Y N
29. Headache Y N
30. Neck creaks and cracks, neck stiffness Y N
31. Tingling, numbness, burning or stabbing sensations Y N
32. Facial paralysis (Bell's Palsy) Y N
33. Eyes/vision: double, blurry, pain, increased floaters Y N
34. Ears/hearing: buzzing, ringing, ear pain Y N
35. Dizziness, poor balance, increased motion sickness Y N
36. Lightheadedness, wooziness, difficulty walking Y N
37. Tremor Y N
38. Confusion, difficulty in thinking Y N
39. Difficulty with concentration or reading Y N
40. Forgetfulness, poor short term memory Y N
41. Disorientation: getting lost, going to wrong places Y N
42. Difficulty with speech Y N
43. Mood swings, irritability, depression Y N
44. Disturbed sleep: too much, too little, early awakening Y N
45. Exaggerated symptoms or worse hangover from alcohol Y N
46. Any history of heart murmur or valve prolapse? Y N ************************************************
Lyme Disease Symptoms List
1. Unexplained fevers, sweats, chills, or flushing 2. Unexplained weight change--loss or gain 3. Fatigue, tiredness, poor stamina 4. Unexplained hair loss 5. Swollen glands: list areas____ 6. Sore throat 7. Testicular pain/pelvic pain 8. Unexplained menstrual irregularity 9. Unexplained milk production: breast pain 10.Irritable bladder or bladder dysfunction 11.Sexual dysfunction or loss of libido 12.Upset stomach 13.Change in bowel function-constipation, diarrhea 14.Chest pain or rib soreness 15.Shortness of breath, cough 16.Heart palpitations, pulse skips, heart block 17.Any history of a heart murmur or valve prolapse? 18.Joint pain or swelling: list joints_____________ 19.Stiffness of the joints, neck, or back 20.Muscle pain or cramps 21.Twitching of the face or other muscles 22.Headache 23.Neck creeks and cracks, neck stiffness, neck pain 24.Tingling, numbness, burning or stabbing sensations, shooting pains 25.Facial paralysis (Bell's Palsy) 26.Eyes/Vision: double, blurry, increased floaters, light sensitivity 27.Ears/Hearing: buzzing, ringing, ear pain, sound sensitivity 28.lncreased motion sickness, vertigo, poor balance 29.Lightheadedness, wooziness 30.Tremor 31.Confusion, difficulty in thinking 32.Diffculty with concentration, reading 33.Forgetfuiness, poor short term memory 34.Disorientation: getting lost, going to wrong places 35.Difficulty with speech or writing 36.Mood swings, irritability, depression 37.Disturbed sleep-too much, too little, early awakening 38.Exaggerated symptoms or worse hangover from alcohol
The following signs/symptoms may be present in those infected with Babesiosis:
Fatigue Arthralgias Myalgia Drenching sweats Headaches Emotional lability Depression Dark urine Splenomegaly Dizziness Nausea and vomiting Cough Dyspnea Fever Chills Hepatosplenomegaly Jaundice Malaise Shortness of breath Bleeding tendencies, bruising Thrombocytopenia Hemoglobinuria Hyperesthesia Pulmonary edema Encephalopathy Low to normal range leukocyte counts Possible elevated levels of dehydrogenase, bilirubin, transaminase* Anorexia
Approximately 25%- 66% of Babesia patients are known to be co-infected with Lyme disease. These symptoms may continue for long periods of time, decrease, then return. A low Babesiosis titer (IgG) often indicates a chronic infection.
An acute or current infection may show a higher reading on the IgM test initially. There are over 100 species of Babesia in the United States but only ONE or TWO species are currently checked by commercial labs.
BRAIN: Encephalopathy may occur 1-6 weeks after the initial infection and is fairly common in patients with Bartonella.
Note: Approximately 50 percent of patients who develop Encephalopathy can be affected by seizures (from focal to generalized, and from brief and self-limited to status epilepticus). Headaches, Cognitive Dysfunction, and CNS Lesions may be evident.
RASH AND LYMPHADENITIS: Erythematous papules (red splotches or slightly raised red spots) may develop. Such papules occasionally occur on the lower limbs but are more common on the upper limbs, the head, and neck. The papules may appear on the skin or mucous membranes. Bartonella may also cause subcutaneous nodules, with some bone involvement possible. The nodules may show some hyperpigmentation, be tender, fester, and/or be enlarged or swollen, but not always.
EYES: Conjunctivitis, Bartonella Neuroretinitis, Loss of Vision, Flame Shaped Hemorrhages, Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion with Vision Loss, Cotton Wool Exudates, Parinaud's Oculoglandular Syndrome, and Papilledema.
BONES AND MUSCLES: Osteomyelitis, Myositis, Osteolytic Lesions (softening of bone), Myelitis, Radiculitis, Transverse Myelitis, Arthritis, Chronic Demyelinating Polyneuropathy.
HEART: Endocarditis, Cardiomegaly. Possible lab findings: The following may show up during standard testing: Thrombocytopenia, pancytopenia, anemia, elevated serum alkaline phosphatase level, elevated bilirubin, abnormal liver enzymes.
X-ray of the bone may show areas of lysis or poorly-defined areas of cortical destruction with periosteal reaction. Cardiomegaly may show up on a chest X-Ray.
Biopsies of lymph nodes reveal pathology often indistinguishable from sarcoidosis. Reports of biopsies strongly suggestive of lymphoma do occur. Tests occasionally show an enlarged liver with multiple hypodense areas scattered throughout the parenchyma.
ENDROCRINE ISSUES ... EXAMINING YOUR ADRENALS!
To those exploring endocrine issues: Please, please, please don't forget to examine your adrenals....Some hypothyroid patients may actually make their adrenal fatigue worse by just treating their thyroid (you need to look at both; some doctors are now saying you need to treat/examine your adrenal issues before starting thyroid treatment):....
For optimum results, please look at both...
SIGNS OF ADRENAL FATIGUE:
1) Do you have a hard time falling asleep at night? 2) Do you wake up frequently during the night? 3) Do you have a hard time waking up in the morning early, or feeling refreshed? 4) Do bright lights bother you more than they should? 5) Do you startle easily due to noise? 6) When standing from sitting or from lying down, do you feel lightheaded or dizzy? 7) Do you take things too seriously, and are easily defensive? 8) Do you have difficulty "recovering" (are really sore)from exertion/exercise
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