I have lyme, I have had it for 22 years with the last 2 years being really really bad. I have been diagnosed and in treatment for 6 months. I am progressing nicely.
I am writing about my sister-in-law and her mother. I am concerned they may have lyme and I am looking for advice. My mother-in-law had a life changing experience at age 5 (approximately 50 years ago).
She gained lots of weight and had significant hair loss. She also had lots of crazy dreams and difficulty sleeping. She went to many drs at the time and no one could find anything wrong with her. She lived in a known lyme disease area.
She has suffered from depression, anxiety and weight issues her whole life. She recently went through breast cancer, and is having a complication regarding blood flow to heal the surgery area.
My sister-in-law has panic attacks, neck pain, anxiety, OCD, personality changes, low body temperature, numbness in her arm, has trouble sleeping, has had to pull over twice because she couldn't figure out how to get home, etc. She also suffers from headaches behind her eyes and has had MRIs etc but nothing has been found.
She also had scolocis diagnosed at about age 11, has a rod in her back and suffers from back pain all the time.
She is the middle sister, the other two sisters seem to have no symptoms what so ever. Her daughter has a lazy eye issue and is still a toddler while her son is perfectly normal.
Am I crazy to suspect lyme in the mother at age 5, passed on to one of the children, which caused the scolocis and now further issues? I could really use some help and guidance on this.
posted
Not sure on the testing, if a case was made, I think they would do it.
Posts: 48 | From california | Registered: Jul 2009
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Pinelady
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18524
posted
I would get them tested. Igenex is close to you.
-------------------- Suspected Lyme 07 Test neg One band migrating in IgG region unable to identify.Igenex Jan.09IFA titer 1:40 IND IgM neg pos 31 +++ 34 IND 39 IND 41 IND 83-93 + DX:Neuroborreliosis Posts: 5850 | From Kentucky | Registered: Dec 2008
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treepatrol
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 4117
posted
Yep dont forget coinfections.
-------------------- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Remember Iam not a Doctor Just someone struggling like you with Tick Borne Diseases.
posted
In order to get them tested, Im concerned I may need more proof. Does anyone have ideas on how to talk to them about this? They are in denial that something is really wrong.
Posts: 48 | From california | Registered: Jul 2009
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IckyTicky
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 21466
posted
Interesting.
My mother is just not figuring out that she has Lyme. She has scoliosis (although she thinks it is a result of when she got polio as a child.)She grew up in California and Rhode Island. She is 60 yrs old.
My twin sister and I both have Lyme. We are 32 yrs old. We were likely born with it but I know I've had it since I was at least 10 (when I started becoming very symptomatic) I have scoliosis. My twin sister has not had Xrays or tests for it so I don't know about her.. but I'd say probably.
Now all three of my children have tested positive for Lyme. Only one has ever had a tick bite. My oldest has Scoliosis. My younger two don't, but they are all getting chiropractic care now.
My husband just tested positive for Lyme and was symptom free until almost 2 years ago. We have been married for 11 years. He does not have Scoliosis that we are aware of.
So, My mom has Scoliosis, I have it and so does my oldest daughter. I would think it's Lyme related.
-------------------- IGM: 18+, 23+, 30+, 31+++, 34+, 39IND, 41++, 58+++, 66+, 83-93IND IGG: 31+, 39IND, 41+ Also positive for Mycoplasma Pneumoniae and RMSF. Whole family of 5 dx with Lyme. Posts: 1014 | From Texas | Registered: Jul 2009
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posted
Have them see a LLMD.
Posts: 921 | From CT | Registered: Apr 2009
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- You mentioned weight gain first. This book is specific to lyme and other chronic stealth infections.
The author discusses the endocrine connection and effects of STRESS on a person with such infections and what that can do regarding the body's regulation of weight, etc.
You can read customer reviews and look inside the book at this link to its page at Amazon.
The Potbelly Syndrome: How Common Germs Cause Obesity, Diabetes, And Heart Disease (Paperback) - 2005
by Russell Farris and Per Marin, MD, PhD
Remember that lyme really messes up the HPA axis (Hypothalamus/pituitary/adrenal network). The pituitary has much to do with weight/growth. Mess up any part of the endocrine system and other parts suffer, too.
. . . It seems likely that these bacterial species could serve as biological indicators of a developing overweight condition.
Of even greater interest, and the subject of future research, is the possibility that oral bacteria may participate in the pathology that leads to obesity. . . .
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- In addition to the usual coinfections from ticks (such as babesia, bartonella, ehrlichia, RMSF, etc.), there are some other chronic stealth infections that an excellent LLMD should know about:
I would encourage EVERY person who has received a lyme diagnosis to get the following tests. . . .
- at link. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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lightparfait
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 22022
posted
There's also the heavy metal component to add to all above. Mercury tooth amalgams in mothers who pass the mercury onto their child. Major problems that are hidden until pathogens take hold and cause immune disfunction and health decline.
There is usually more than just lyme involved in the mix.
Posts: 1009 | From NJ | Registered: Aug 2009
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I happen to have scoliosis, but it's completely unrelated to Lyme in my case. I got Lyme disease two years ago, but I got scoliosis close to 10 years ago.
I had to wear a back brace for a year, but my twin sister had to have surgery, and has a rod in her back as well. We had "idiopathic" scoliosis- ie, they didn't know what caused it.
But I know my sister does not have Lyme disease, and I know I didn't have it when I developed scoliosis.
I would be sceptical that Lyme is a direct cause of scoliosis, but I think it's very possible that it could cause it indirectly.
Lyme is known to weaken bones (decrease bone density and all that...). Many people develop scoliosis later in life because certain stresses (1 shoulder bags, etc) put stress on their spine to such an extent that their spine becomes crooked.
I would think having a spine weakened by Lyme could make you far more likely to develop scoliosis. And if you were already prone to scoliosis, Lyme could make it worse.
BUT- people without Lyme also develop scoliosis.
So if your SIL had Lyme her whole life, it could certainly have contributed to her scoliosis.
Can I ask- did they just noticed it at age 11? What age did she have surgery? My sister had to have surgery quite young because her growth spurt happened much earlier than most, and so her curve was already quite progressed by age 11/12.
While having to get rods in your back is (unfortunately) not uncommon, having them put in at an early age is. If I remember correctly, most of the other girls having surgery were between 16 and 18...but my memory sucks, so I could be wrong.
Have you talked to a Dr about scoliosis? Since it didn't run in my family, I don't know anything about that. But can it be inherited? Because if it isn't genetic, then I would think that your entire family having it would point to another cause (ie Lyme), but if it can be inherited, then it's harder to tell.
But the other symptoms sound like they could be Lyme, so I would definitely check that out.
Nicole
P.S. If you find any research on scoliosis and Lyme, please share! Not that there's likely to be any, considering the general lack of research into Lyme, but you never know
Posts: 503 | From Alberta, Canada | Registered: Jun 2009
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posted
Very interesting about the speculated Lyme-scoliosis connection. My youngest daughter, now 10, was born with spinal anomalies and resulting missing ribs and severe scoliosis - and I suspect now that I had Lyme well before she was born. Hmmmmm....
-------------------- Increasingly ill over past 10 yrs; treating since October '08. Posts: 180 | From Philadelphia, PA | Registered: Oct 2008
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