posted
can one develop asthma from Lyme? If yes, is Lyme treatment supposed to alleviate asthma, too?
I started displaying typical asthma symptoms a year ago. I suddenly developed sore throat and low-grade fever that lasted for ~3 weeks, and developed into asthma. None of existing asthma treatments seem to work.
Last month a young intern at UCSF decided to test me for Lyme - and sure I had it (Elisa and Western). An infectious disease doc is convinced that I've had it for quite some time.
One way or another, docs are treating the asthma and the Lyme as two separate diseases. Also, I've been on and off abiotics for atshma (doxy, azythro), so I am wondering if the Lyme became resistant. I take inhaled steroids, too.
If anyone can recomment a doc who can address the link between L and A, could you email me privately (from what I uderstand, one is not supposed to post docs' names here)?
Or, if anyone can recommend a research paper addressing the connection between breathing and Lyme, this would be great.
I've been living in CA for the last 2 years, but I went to school in NJ (Rutgers). When in NJ, I would often go hiking (NJ or NY). So, the infectious doc thinks I've had Lyme for at least 2 years.
Of the late Lyme sympotms, I have fatigue, long-lasting low grade fevers, focus loss, hot flashes, memory problems. Of early symptoms (AFAIR) - depression and difficulty swallowing. But it's hard to say when the Lyme started.
[ 07. December 2006, 02:43 AM: Message edited by: runcyclexcski ]
Posts: 59 | From CA | Registered: Dec 2006
| IP: Logged |
kelmo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8797
posted
My daughter developed asthma from lyme. It may have been due to the mycoplasma pneumonia that usually hitches a ride with it.
It's improved being on zithromax, but when she takes a break, breathing gets difficult.
She's still coughing up infection, though, and it's been two years since testing positive for mycoplasma p. Kelly
Posts: 2903 | From AZ | Registered: Feb 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
It's improved being on zithromax, but when she takes a break, breathing gets difficult. >>
kelmo - thank you. Does your daughter take Z continuously? Can one be tested specifically for micoplasma (or babesia?), or is it just one test for Lyme, and the other ones are treated by trial and error?
they thought I had pneumonia and put me on doxy, and it helped, but then the breating problems came back as soon as I stopped (2 weeks). Later treatments with doxy (2 more weeks, ratioinale-sinus infection) and azythro (3 months, rationale - infectious asmtha) did not provide any relief anymore.
Posts: 59 | From CA | Registered: Dec 2006
| IP: Logged |
Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
You can get tested for mycoplasma pneumoniae with a general blood test. Most labs will do it.
I had asthma start a few years before I was infected. But my asthma disappeared a few years ago, only to re-emerge during Lyme treatment. I noticed it got worse when I started Omnicef (an abx).
If it is Lyme, steroids could be making it worse.
-------------------- "When there is pain, there are no words." - Toni Morrison Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Aniek: You can get tested for mycoplasma pneumoniae with a general blood test. Most labs will do it.
How about Babs? Can that get screened for those, too? Is it what causes breathing issues, or is it the lyme itself?
I think they did do the Micoplasma bloodwork on me, and did not find anything. If it's just in the lungs, it's not suprising.
Posts: 59 | From CA | Registered: Dec 2006
| IP: Logged |
kelmo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8797
posted
She is on zith and Rifampin continuously, but takes a weekend break. She had to take a week or two off recently because her stomach was inflammed.
You can get tested for mycoplasma, but my LLMD doesn't bother to do updates on it. He says it goes away with treatment.
Someone to make sure you take enzymes, as it weakens the "wall" of the organism. There really isn't a wall, but it has something containing it.
posted
Yes I got the yeast while on meds for Lyme.
And yes I was tested thru the blood and the stool and both were postive.
If the yeast is not treated and kept under control with diet - it becomes active.
Constant post nasal drip and or thick gluey like mucus coming out of the nose and or coughing it up.
Depends on the doc I see at the time and who believes what is real and what is not as far as what's going on.
I have seen 4 different allergists, been tested for many things nothing postive - so many do not believe it's yeast - however they treat me with allery type meds because I present allergy like symptoms, within time I try and shy away from those meds because they do not work.
Diflucan will lighten the symptoms over time - but very few allergists believe that.
In my experieince the Lyme caused more air hunger type feelings - yeast caused more congestion in nose and lungs.
Posts: 374 | From NJ | Registered: Aug 2006
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Ladylee210: Yes I got the yeast while on meds for Lyme. Constant post nasal drip and or thick gluey like mucus coming out of the nose and or coughing it up.
this is exactly what I have, too. It gets really bad after earing/drinking. But from what I know numerous things can cause the drip. What's the treatment for yeast you're going through?
Posts: 59 | From CA | Registered: Dec 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Hi Don't know if this helps you at all but from my experience- here is ho this evolved and has been treated so far in me.I have all the same as you mentioned but likely magnified.
No childhood history of allergies or sinus infections, or Asthma etc. VERY LITTLE ILLNESS AT ALL. Actually rarely sick at all.
Then when I was 22-23 I took a trip to NJ / NY areas both at once , for a friends little sisters high school graduation in june of 1984 or about .
On this trip were also delayed many hours at stand still traffic after a deer/car accident on the Blue ridge parkway - it was difficult for ambulence & tow people to clear the totaled wreakage because it was a packed to lane road back then. 100's of cars at a stand still for miles in both directions and no way to get around it. No bathroom, nothing to drink etc.. E ere there about 6 hours ..everyone got out of the cars for hours and sat in grass because of the heat etc.
Could have been tick bitten then too but unsure. Exposed too much during the whole trip.Only one I am positive of is much Later & when I was 34 I definately contracted Lyme ,I removed that tick and had a bullseye rash but not diagnosed because of idiot duck DR. till 7 years later in 2002 when I was 40.( 7 years after that bite even though I sought DR. attention within weeks of that bite and while still exhibiting the expanded bullseye rash.
OK back to when I was 23 ( 1985)I became seriously sick with some sort of either allergies or other infection the following spring.
I had severe fatigue that continued from that point to several years later, allergy symptoms for the first time and lost my voice for 3 months , over the next few months I actually was so sick ( with no insurance either) that I took a transfer in job locations ,oNLY so I could get two weeks off inbetween in hopes of recovering before starting at the other restaurant location.
I never returned to the job though as I didn't improve enough for a couple of years. Eventually my voice returned and allergies improved but overwhelming fatigue and sleep problems and depression etc ere severe.I was down like this for nearly two years.
Tried everything to get back to work and eventully did when I was about 25, I had been a manager on the serious fast track before the unknown illness hit.When I got back in the workforce I took a big step down the work ladder to a pizza delivery driver because I was concerned about the stress & my health if I returned to upper management ( I was only 25).
I was never quite myself again. Over the next couple of years I managed to get back into management but then it kinda all began I still had now seasonal allergies , eventually I got chicken pox at 27, followed a unknown rash on hands and feet ( said to be excema and a variety of other things- never correctly diagnosed ) that didn't clear till 14 years later while I was finally being treated for Lyme 7 years after the confirmed tick removal / and bullseye/ fluish symptom etc that began in 1996 and seemed somewhat similar to the illness in 1985 in so many ways .
This time I was misdiagnosed for 7 years.. That long standing rash went away later after 14 years while I was on my first 6 weeks of the 15 months of IV treatment beginning in 2002 for Lyme.
Back to 1985- to 1992, the weird things continued, during this period of time I also began having asthma , bronchitis, HSV 1 cold sores/fever blisters began after the Chicken Pox hich I also got, also walking Pneumonia, chronic sinus infections, fatigue,sleep issues, and eventually a knee swelling/ fluid accumilation of three times its normal size vhich lasted a couple of weeks and returned a year later, a productive cough became somewhat chronic.My immune system was obviously comprimised ..I realize now.
I got better to some degree between 1992- 1996 but still had some symptoms and illnesses. The rash on hands & feet stayed, the cough, the fatigue, depression at times , fluctuations in weight,recurring fever blisters because of HSV1. But I stayed active too by starting to be into outdoor hiking,camping & climbing & rappelling, canoeing often multiple weekends a month for the next 4 years.
In 1992 I as the victim in a serious auto accident that never healed up completely even after 6 months of medical /chiro care & therapy ,recovery..,
My neck was nearly broken, back and soft tissue injuries too.I had as much treatment & as often as my insurance would cover - till there could be no further improvement. Some back pain lingered, and neck pain even after done.
In 1994 I had a miscarraige - this is strange because I have always been very fertile and have two children.I have actually even gotten pregnant 6 times total in spite of long term birth control use.
In 1996 I was bit by a tick and my asthma worsened after, along with my other illnesses became more of an intensified issue and ongoing.
I also had all the Lyme symptoms and bullseye rash, fevers, even worse fatigue- after seeing the duck who never even looked at the worrisome tick rash which was texbook I now know -raised hot red epanding bullseye with white center and bite in the inner ring..
He didn't test at all & he stated no way it was RMSF which I had heard of and suspected & asked about -too rare and if anything it would be lyme -he said but still impossible because its not in the south at all.Assuming the Dr. was always right I let it go.He refilled my allergy & asthma inhaler and cream for the Excema rash on hands and feet..( not excema though - later I realized)
In 2001 my short term memory became obviously affected,and I could not train for an office position at the resturant I worked at .Making me notice many neuro symptoms, confusion, headaches,ADD like thinking,etc. floaters in eyes, arthritis had been mild since mid 20's in hands but now it was also in the bad knee , and other joints and the allergies became year round ,which triggered Asthma to also become year round too.
7 Years went by beteen that tickbite & its removal hen I discovered it to days later(1996-2002) and many of the odd illnesses I had mostly seemed to intensify and many of them never reacted to any treatment for them as prescribed on the rare Dr. visit or free clinic visit.
During this time my Lyme rash reappeared also in the original spot but brown this time and not raised like or hot like before but a shaded shadow of the first rash.
To this date I just had more recent testing again and the results are ,I do have Asthma,and COPD also and finally found a combo of meds that is helping - I am now on Spiriva and pulmocourt but in the past did realize major improvement during long periods that I was on Zithromax both oral and IV for the Lyme.
This improvement of Asthma / COPD symmptoms, sinus, allergies, bronchitis would always relapse after I stopped taking the specific Abx. that was helping it though .
I have late stage neuro Lyme disease-In spite of heavy treatment w/ IV abx. & heavy hitting combos for 15 months of the 16 months I saw a true LLMD , I tested positive even by CDC standards, I had or maybe still have Babesia in spite of nearly a year of treatment w/ Mepron & Zith but some of the night seats, fevers etc have decreased during all this for sure,
I have also HSV1, Have now or did have and still have reactivations of Parvo-B19, Mycoplasma Pneumonia, Epstein Barr virus , Yeast current and past in spite of years of 200 mg. difflucan treatments on & off as needed.
I have developed allergies to multiple abx. creating anaphylactic severe reaction .At one point I had servere Chemical sensitivity for along time - improved now..I Had multiple daily seizures for many months.Encephelepathy, menninggitis.
I have had or do have nearly every listed symptom with the exception of only a few to my knowledge,
I even now have high blood pressure that began hile in Lyme teatment, and kidney damage that happened while on long term IV treatments and this year e discovered a soon to be removed arterial blood clot in leg, and hormone deficiencies affecting my periods/hormones etc for the past two + years since long term IV' treatment for lyme.
I have severe back pain and neck pain and a whole host of problems including degenerative, and disc issues and ligament tears, bilateral carpal tunnel, cysts, masses and lesions in both hips , both wrists , cysts in lumbar back - and nerve root sleeves, and bone spurs, sponylisis, sciatica, herniated discs and herniated nuclear pulposus , loss of cervical lordosis, spinal stenosis , Compressed nerve root ..and still likely I have left out so much like the basics such as lo bady temp, tremors, thick blood etc..
Of course there is a connection between all of it - I just know there is. Every thing is playing a part in this.. everything. Its absurd though.
So absurd I don't even know what to go after next , I tried going after the Lyme 1st & coinfections and some things improved but Cipro & Levaquin were two among the many meds both oral and IV I was on and they caused serious further damage to tendons , wrist & hip ligament tears, and pain in lumbar spine & right hip region which also may or may not be linked to the lumbar bone spurs & masses in that hip area & recently found labral ligament tears my hip they have discovered.
I don't walk right am constantly on narcotic pain meds for over 3 years.. and very tired of it all.Slurred speech, ADD like sympoms even dislexic,Can't spell and for a long time could not even read a paragraph, also Lyme rage too.Anxiety attacks.
I can't even imagine that its not mostly all connected somehow- either by the disease or the treatments for it .
Abx.-caused the yeast, also the pain increase and labral tears in my hip too, ligament damage in the wrists and so forth but its a trade off because abx also got rid of many of my symptoms too including the 14 year long rash on my hands and feet that as obviously NOT excema.
I am rarely suprised by anything they say is wrong with me at this point- how could I be? Did not mean to ramble so much or for this to be so long but hopefully it may give you some of the missing connections etc..
-------------------- Sandi ( badkitti30043) Posts: 664 | From Atlanta Ga. | Registered: Aug 2002
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic