There seems to have been alot of posts recently inquiring about which infection(s) might cause shin bone pain.
As Lyme patients, we know all too well how many symptoms overlap among the various infections that we are fighting. However, it is undeniable, that one strain of Bartonella in particular will cause shin bone pain. It is Bartonella Quintana.
The shin bone pain is so prevalent in this infection that the illness is also known as "Shin Bone Fever."
Other names for this infection are Trench Fever, 5-day fever (when it's not chronic), Wolhynia fever, Quintana fever, His-Werner disease and there are other names as well.
Here is a portion of an article from the Bartonella Information Thread here on Lymenet which speaks a little on the common symptoms with this strain:
Clinical manifestations of trench fever may range from asymptomatic infection to severe, life-threatening illness. �Classical� trench fever, the presentation most often reported among troops, corresponds to a febrile illness of acute onset and of a periodic nature often accompanied by severe headache and pain in the long bones of the legs. However, the sudden development of a wide range of symptoms can indicate the onset of trench fever.
Such symptoms include headache, weakness, pain in the legs, malaise, dyspnea, giddiness, pain in the loins, shivering, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, anorexia, nausea, frequent micturition, restlessness, and insomnia.
The prodromal period may last for 2 days or more. The severity of symptoms increases gradually over the first few days of disease. Headache is most often severe, especially at the front of the head and behind the eyes. When occipital, it is often accompanied by a stiffness of the neck, and symptoms may therefore suggest meningitis.
Pain may spread to the back and limbs, with leg pain being the most severe. This pain is often felt in the bones, specifically in the tibia. The patient will suffer regular cycles of profuse sweating and then shivering.
On examination, the tongue is often slightly furred, and conjunctival congestion and a decrease in the pulse rate in relation to the severity of the fever may be present. Areas of tenderness are associated with the pains involving muscles, tendons, bones, and joints.
The spleen often becomes palpable. The pyrexia associated with trench fever is often periodic, although the cycles may be of irregular duration. The level of the pyrexia is also variable, and there may be a relationship between the degree of pyrexia and its duration.
The interval between attacks of pyrexia is usually between 4 and 8 days, with 5 days being the most commonly observed period. The term �quintan fever� refers to the 5-day recurrences. Usually each succeeding attack is less severe than its predecessor, although in profound cases the patient becomes weaker and leg pains become more persistent.
Major polymorphonuclear leukocytosis often accompanies the febrile stages of the disease. Anemia may also occur, especially in chronically ill patients.
Although trench fever often results in prolonged disability, no fatalities have been recorded. Patients are most profoundly ill during the early stages of the disease, which usually continues for 4 to 6 weeks.
A minority of illnesses will become chronic, during which time the following signs and symptoms may develop: exhaustion, headaches, recurrent limb pains, irritability, nervous manifestations such as depression, abnormal response to stimuli, tendency to sweat, coldness of extremities, fever, anemia, and loss of weight.
The chronically ill patient often also complains of breathlessness on exertion, palpitations, pain over the precordium, giddiness, and disordered activity of the heart. Damp weather exacerbates all pain.
In some cases, the infection is very persistent and acute febrile lapses occur months after quiescence. Byam et al. (18) defined chronic trench fever as �a state of marked debility, with or without attacks of slight fever and aching, and characterized by a hyperexcitability of the nervous system in general.�
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS, July 1996, p. 273�292 Vol. 9, No. 3 0893-8512/96/$04.0010 Copyright q 1996, American Society for Microbiology [This Message was Edited on 07/28/2008]
The above article is rather old. I suspect that the sentence indicating that only a "minority" of patients will end up with chronic Bartonella infections would be hotly disputed today. lol
Anyway, hope this helps.
Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :
I read a lot of homeless people have that type of bartonella. I have many of those symptoms including the shin pain. There are a lot of symptoms not mentioned like indentations in the skin where it is "eaten out", nodules, swelling, cramps, etc.
Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :
I have also read that shin bone pain can be caused by lyme disease. This is in Dr. Blewiss's wonderful paper. But it seems to be a matter of pressure on the bone that causes the pain. A nurse practitioner checked me for this some time ago, and when she found the right place, the pain was excruciating.
So, are there multiple causes or did this doctor not know about bartonella coinfection, since it has been more or less discovered after his death. Don't think I have bartonella.
There is also a similar symptom in syphilis.
Posted by Pinelady (Member # 18524) on :
I just watched a show about Trench Fever. How the soldiers in WWI were grossly infected with it while they lived in the trenches in Europe.
Sad. Many had no idea what was wrong with them if they were lucky enough to get home.