Let me first say I have done A LOT of research on Lyme and know that it can mimic many diseases and all that fun stuff, but I just want opinions on my story because the timing of things makes me think it could be anxiety (that wasn't caused by lyme haha).
So go back to the end of April/early May of 2010, it was less than a month before High School graduation and I had a lot of stuff to think about for my future. During this time I had about a week or so long period of random pains (w/o flu symptoms, but I had a stuffed up nose and headaches, no fever) and when I finally went to the doctor they took a lot of blood and tested for things like diabetes, JRA, RA, WBC, and other stuff I can't remember. My doctor told me he thought it was possible allergies )pollin count was VERy high) and put me on a low-dose allergy medication and the pain and other stuff left in ~2 days. All through summer I didn't have any problems, I just had the occasional ache or pain that any normal person would get.
I started college the following september and about3 or 4 weeks after classes started I came down with a bad respiratory infection that lasted 6 weeks (ran out breath quickly, heavy chest, really low grade fever for a few days). I live in an old house and had remembered reading about hantavirus coming from mice (which we have in our attic...which I had been in) and that sent me over the edge. During this time I had my first ever panic attack from thinking I was dying, which in turn led to googling, which led to more panic attacks, which led me to google more, which led me to self diagnose myself with many cancers and other illnesses (none of which I actually had). I had the random pains come back for a while but the went away when I started to calm down a little. I started noticing eye floaters suring this time, too. For weeks after the virus I had long-lasting tension headaches and ice-pick headaches (doctor detemrined post-viral nerve pressure that could take a while to go away, and it did ~2 or 3 months later). Not too long after the virus I also satrted having wide-spread, random twitching and freaked out about ALS (more gooling, yay) for a month, then I started having a tight throat during that time and other weird symptoms that came and went. I had read that BFS (whic can be accompanied by stiffness and sometimes cramping/esstential tremors, etc...) can occur after a nasty viral infection, by the way.
I went through a period where I started a new job and everything was great for a month or two. I rarely worried, never googled and was just feeling pretty good in general.
I still get tension headaches and my neck gets stiff pretty often because I read about lyme disease and all the fun stuff that happens with it and it's been bothering me for a bit now. I have been getting some random pains but nothing is severe or debilitating. I can still go out and play sports, lift weights, and I do yard work 5-6 days a week for 7-10 hours a day (my job)without feeling completely drained.
It just seems that with all the symptoms that it IS lyme disease, but the timing of the symptoms going with other "big" life events makes me think anxiety.
I just want some opinions....
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Welcome!
I'd chat but it is after midnight and I've already turned into a pumpkin.
But before I head off behind the horses to take Cinderella to the ball...
Try reading this. It JUST came out.
Off-the-Charts Anxiety: Is a Tick Bite Making You Nuts?
Tick-borne infections aren't just causing sore joints and swollen knees. Some cause psychiatric symptoms that often go untreated, some experts say.
Im not a doctor and you have to do what you think is right. But my very first symptoms were 'panic attacks'. I also had many other symptoms so I knew that anxiety didn't cause all of them and that something else was wrong. Anxiety doesn't make you SICK! Sure it makes you nervous and can elevate your heart rate/BP slightly but not to the extent that I had it, seemingly overnight.
I refused meds for anxiety but occasionally took Ativan which helped lots!
About 2 years prior to being diagnosed with Lyme I had a week of being very ill with Lyme symptoms and somehow I recovered but still had minor symptoms but was still able to do normal activities. Now, Im not so lucky. If you can catch it before you get so debilitated I highly recommend it! Good Luck to you.
Please get tested by Igenex Labs versus any other lab. They are expensive but are much more accurate.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Could be anxiety... but just to be sure, find a dr who is willing to sign off on the Igenex test.
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