I called and left a message with my dr today. If this is the case what can be done? How do they check? I am a bit worried.

My neck has been stiff and hurting for several months, the fatigue has been around forever it seems. The muscle pain started several weeks ago, the sensitivity to light has been around a while but it just keeps getting worse. Now the headaches have started a few days ago.

My ears have been ringing constantantly for two weeks. They won't stop. My vision is horrible and the vertigo is getting so bad that I can hardly walk through the house.

I don't have a fever but I usualy freeze all the time but for the past week I have been hot. My body temp is normally low but it is normal but I break a sweat.

Hey Cindy,

Sorry your not feeling well!

I was so sick last summer that I was hospitalized for 6 nights. They suspected Meningitis or Encephalitis...

In order to see if I had Meningitis, I had to have a Lumbar Puncture/ Spinal tap...

I have had 3 of these before and begged them not to do another, I was told that this was the necessary test in order to diagnose Meningitis..so if it is suspected, i would think you'd have to have an LP...

Mine turned out to be Viral Encephalitis and I was sick for about 3 weeks..

I had a friend with meningitis and she was in the hospital for 3 days and on bed rest for about a week...

If you are feeling very sick, I would think a trip to the ER would be warranted, they could run all the tests there if need be.

I sure hope you are feeling better soon, and please keep us updated about how you are doing!

For me I think it is partly herxing on rifampin and minocycline. Maybe the anti inflamatory (aspirin) may help you too.

I had a spinal tap but had no luck in dx and just ended up with bad spinal tap headaches.

do you live in an area where you could find a chiropractor or naturopath who does cranial adjustments?

i go to a naturopath/chiropractor whenever i go to my daughter's in minneapolis. he said my 'meningas' have pulled the cranial bones out of place.

he said it is a sign of serious long term illness (ha, sound like anything you might have?)

i can feel it inside my mouth, behind and just on the inside of my upper teeth. on one side a bone sticks out and none on the other. i thought it was a wild tooth root, hehehe.

ANYTHING BUT A SPINAL TAP!!!

What ever it is it is in my head. I feel like I am wearing a helmet. I have alot of pressure like even when I don't have a headache.

It used to feel like a headband but now it is a helmet. The Dr's never called back today. Hopefully they will tomorrow.

I am not totally out of commision so I am avoiding the ER. I hate the ER. I think I would rather just die than go to our ER. Hahaha. They will kill me anyway.

Thanks for the info. I guess if a spinal is what I have to have I will do it but I will request that xray thing the first go round.

Thanks for your caring words Loribelle. Miss you guys.

Cindy

I'm with you, I hate the ER as well. But in my case, I was so out of it, I had no choice.

My head hurt so bad I had to squeeze it all the way to the ER in the ambulance, I was projectile vomiting, I kept passing out..I was out of it, so I had no choice but go to the ER.

As for the lumbar puncture, I remember laying there in the ER all doped up on pain pills, crying that I would rather die than have another LP.

I had 2 taps for my c- sections..

And I had 3 lumbar punctures for lyme and meningitis tests. The first one left me looking like a multiple stabbing victim and the doc messed it up so bad I was on Vicodin for 4 months...

The next 2 were done with a flora scope..not so bad.

Anyways, I was putting up such a fuss in the ER that they called in the head of radiology and he came in and did the lumbar puncture..I was so out of it that I'm not sure if it was a flora scope or x-ray of some sort..

But it didn't hurt while he did it ( though I was on pain meds) and I didn't have the spinal headache..so if you have to get an LP, ask if you can get it with a flora scope or x-ray.

In my case, I had Viral Encephalitis.They think it was from west Nile, but it came back inconclusive. I did 10 days of IV antibiotics, 7 days in the hospital and 2 weeks of bed rest and I was back on track.

But it is nothing to mess with... I had never been so sick in my life. The only reason I postponed going to the doc, was that my kids big birthday party was the next day and I had 70 people coming...lucky me, ended up in the hospital and my hubby and family pulled the party off for the kids...

But seriously, if you start projectile vomiting, or have such a bad headache that you feel the need to hit it or something to relive the pressure, get yourself to the ER..okay?

Let me know if I can help in anyway.

By the way, i meant to email you a big thank you for Mikayla's doll, she loved it. My computer has been down and I am just now getting back on line.

But we are working on thank you cards and we should be mailing them out this weekend...I'm a little slow these days

But I just wanted to thank you and let you know that she truly loved her knew baby!

Best wishes!

in 1997 I woke up with a headache like never before--not much of a headache person--

I was out of town on a retreat at the time. The pain got worse and worse all day but being the stoic type I lasted till' 10 pm.

At that point I was wailing and my spine hurt so much I could barely walk.

A nurse was on the retreat and she took a look at me and called 911. Went to some frumpy tiny town hospital--they thought anurysem--their CT was broken.

From there was transported to big hospital-good one- in New Orleans. Had to cover my face as the light was excruciating.

Yes-had a spinal tap--in so much pain I didn't feel it. Dx: Menengitis.

Stayed there for 4 days in a dark room.

Can't even remember what they did.

Home on bed rest--brain not working at all right--'course had Lyme but didnt know it.

Blood pressure shot up-usually 83/55.

Got better soon but tired.

Please go see about it but IMO it sounds more like the herxes I have now.

But better safe than sorry.

Just go find out!!!

Wishing you well.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chocolat:

Yes-had a spinal tap--in so much pain I didn't feel it. Dx: Menengitis.

Stayed there for 4 days in a dark room.

Can't even remember what they did.

---

Sounds identical to my experience 18 months ago. I drove myself to a "world famous medical institution" and was told it was a migrane and to go home. My wife drove me back a few hours later under a blanket almost unconcious. They did the spinal tap and admitted me with Menegitis. I layed in a dark room for about a week squeezing a morphene pump every chance it gave me. When I was released, my wife asked about Lyme Disease and was told by the doctor that "it was the wrong time of year for it". 18 months later my LLMD requested my records and couldn't believe that they never tested me.

Lymebrat, Thanks for the info. Your welcome I am glad she liked her Doll. I am not vomiting but I have started feeling nausious in the past couple of days and I have been have some chest pain. My xiphid process is inflamed so I thought the swelling was causing the chest pain and disconfort. The Dr's said it would be fine.

Krazykt1, I had a Stroke last year so I take asprin every day. Thanks for the info.

Chocolate, I had a headache like that a week prior to my my stroke last year. vomiting couldn't stand the light. I had vertigo for three months leading up to it. the fatigue started about a month prior. They wanted to do a tap but I declined. I thought it was just a miagraine. Then I had the stroke and a hemrage a week later and then the seizures started. Do you think it is posible I could have had meningitis then? Can menigitis cause a stroke? They never could dtermine what caused my stroke or the hemorage. The MRA showed all the blood vessels were in tact. My BP only got up to 140/100 during the stroke.

Ras, Thanks for the info. Our hospital just recental aquired a Petscan machine. I will look into that. Your info was very helpfull.

Lymied, I have tested positive to Lyme and Babesia. Since the stroke I have not had many headaches at all. I used to get them all the time before the stroke but it was like the stroke cured my headaches. I get flash headaches I call them. They come on and only last for under a minute. But in the past few days they have lasted all day long. I have had the heart flutters but I am normally really cold and have trouble with BP drops. It can drop realy low fast. I can tell when it happens. I am going to see a cardiologist to be tested for Lyme indused neurally mediated hypotenion. Wild Condor suggested it and Dr. J agreed but I have not gotten my referal yet. So I normally don't have the night sweats. I usually sleep in swat pants socks and a sweatshirt. I freeze all the time. Except lately. But maybe it is herxing and I don't think I am being treated for Babesia yet.

Someone asked was I taking minocycline I can't find it now but yes I am 100mg. every two days. I can't take my abx's everyday because they take me totally out of commision. I also take Biaxin 500mg

If it gets anyworse though I will be going in.

Cindy