List your test results, and the TYPE of test it was for Lyme and RMSF.

For example: I tested postive ( elevated IgG titer) for ParvovirusB19 but I don't have symptoms. Most probably I had it at sometime in the past - as many people do, and my immune system erradicated it, leaving the IgG antibodies. IgM for Parvo was negative.

Barb

He thought it was nothing (of course) but gave me 5 days abx that "cured" me. Turned out I was positive IgM for RMSF (negative elisa). Never had any acute symptoms or even fever. I still test mildly positive for a current RMSF infection IgM = 64.

I don't know if I got RMSF, lyme, neither or both. Based on symptoms, herxing and abx response in general, I have to believe I do have lyme now and the current RMSF test indicating current infection is incorrect (I think I would be dead by now).

Guess you were not so lucky while on the mower?

As bpeck said.. you may have been exposed to RMSF in the past... and it could have been mistaken for the flu, pneumonia, etc.

You may have had a low dose of organisms which you were able to fight off successfully??

You may have had its cousin, Ehricklia... and the tests cross reacted? (That theory, about cross reacting... is NOT established fact and I am not even sure it is possible.. just something I have wondered about in the past... so don't take that as gospel please).

And yes.. RMSF CAN become chronic... and has some symptoms that are more slow growing than the wham bam that hits originally. See info below...

The same ticks can pass any of the diseases... but most literature published (which copies other peoples literature).. well... that makes it hard to actually find good info with the updated facts.

Think of it this way. Let's say a tick feeds on a mouse. A mouse can carry nearly 100 diseases. A tick can pick up one, two, four, or no diseases at all as it feeds.

The tick then feeds on deer for the second stage meal. The deer can contract organisms from the previously infected tick and pass them to new ticks later on down the line.

Most literature will say a blah blah blah tick transmits this disease and a blah blah blah tick transmits that disease. Years ago that was fairly true.. kinda sorta.. because the ticks that carried RMSF ... well the researchers didn't even know about Lyme or to even look for it. They were only looking for RMSF... so they didn't know what other diseases might have been carried.

I volunteered at a deer checking station years ago where we collected ticks from a small spot on each deers neck and recorded locations. Sometimes there were several species of ticks on the same deer. The test results showed how many ticks were infected with Lyme and other diseases... and there was no big difference in species of ticks compared to diseases.

Many folks don't get the rash with the RMSF so not having the rash does not mean you didn't get the disease.

Here is some infornation that may help?

If you need more.. try the search function at Lyme Net. There should be a good deal of info there.

By the way... simply handling ticks.. or ticks crawling across your skin could transmit RMSF. You don't have to be bitten to get the disease.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever:

RMSF is a rickettsial disease normally presenting with a sudden onset
of fever, chills, fatigue, muscle pain, headaches, and conjunctivitis. A
spotted rash may appear on the hands and feet in about 50% of cases.
Delay in treatment may result in death or a chronic illness which can
affect the brain, spinal cord, heart, lungs, kidneys, or liver. Chronic
cases of RMSF may also cause a loss of bladder or bowel control, blood
clotting problems, partial paralysis, hearing loss, congestive heart
failure, movement disorders, and respiratory distress syndrome. The
fatality rate can reach 20% in untreated cases.

I am still waiting on the Ehricklia test to come back as well as Babasia and she is test for typhus also.

Doc is retesting the RMSF to make sure the lab did not messup.

The lab also had something on my sheet about spinal fluid but

she did not do a spinal tap so she is wondering if they messed up.

I guess I will have to wait again and see. In the mean I am still on Doxy and I am starting to feel human again.

I just want to make sure this is no just sitting dorm and as soon as Im off the doxy it will kick me again.

Never once in the two and a half weeks that I was there , did they test me for Lyme or any co-infectons!!

I was on and off abx for a whole year for other things ,like an ear infection...that sort of ting.

Finally after being so sick for over a year... I couldn''t even stay awake. My mopm takes me in to the Ducks office and starts layin it on em....

2 days later I was on abx for Lyme, RMSF and Ehrliciosis!!!! The doc finally tested me. I had no idea what Lyme disease really was then.

But obviously I had , had it for a long time. Ha that's the beginning of my story.

However, once I did my abx treatment, the test said I still had Lyme but not the other stuff..... I don't trust labs.....

Good luck, Jamie