posted
I have been experiencing some peculiar symptoms for over almost two months now, and I am wondering if they sound similar to anyone.
For the past month and a half I have had numbness and tingling intermittently in my arms, legs, and face, nausea, dizziness, vomitting mucus in morning, loss of appetite, weight loss, some muscle pain, some difficulty sleeping, joint pain, stomach pain, sweats, teeth hurt, and I just don't feel well.
On 4/4/08, I got a sharp pain behind my right knee, and then my lower right leg went numb. I didn't think much of it, so I went to bed. I woke up in the middle of the night, and my right leg and arm were numb, so I went to the ER.
The ER physician couldn't find anything wrong after doing blood and urine tests, EKG, MRI, Cat Scan, X-ray of chest, and a basic neurological exam. Said to follow up with my normal physician.
Saw my physician a few days later, and he referred me to a neurologist due to the numbness and tingling. The neuro couldn't find anything, so he referred me to a specialist at Stanford. The Stanford neuro couldn't find anything, so he did some bloodwork, and ordered some more neurological tests. He also recommended I see a psychologist(of course, cuz this is all in my head, right?!).
The bloodwork came back normal, and I am still waiting on the neurological tests at Stanford. But I asked my regular doctor to test me for lyme through Igenex, and he reluctantly signed the paperwork. I explained that a week before all of this happened, I found a tick on my neck in the hairline.
Since it has been two months since the bite, will my tests still come up positive if I have lyme through Igenex?
Posts: 146 | From California | Registered: May 2008
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AZURE WISH
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 804
posted
this is a post of lymetoo's i copied listing symptoms
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.
-------------------- Do not take this as medical advice. I am not a doctor, but I DID stay at a Holiday Inn Express!
AZURE WISH
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 804
posted
igenex is a better lab but no test is completely reliable- meaning you can test negative and still have it.
besides lyme you could have also contracted another infection (a coinfection) from the tick..
I would suggest you see a lyme literate dr. they understand that lyme tests are not accurate and that lyme is a clinical diagnosis. Also in my expereince most regular drs dont no much about coinfections. This is the best way to rule it in or out.
If you post in seeking a dr and include your area someone will pm you with a drs info. We do not post drs info on the board so please make sure your private message is enabled.
posted
Thanks for the response. I appreciate the support since so far this has been a very frustrating experience.
Posts: 146 | From California | Registered: May 2008
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posted
I never did find an embedded tick on me. A week before all of this started I felt something moving in my hairline. I put my finger there, and I found a tick and a bump. Don't know if it was ever embedded or not.
Posts: 146 | From California | Registered: May 2008
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Clarissa
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4715
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