I finally saw my new LLMD last week. After hearing about my intense neuro/psych problems, and the colitis this whole "lyme relapse" started with, he said "That sounds like Bartonella."
I was surprised, never suspecting a coinfection before. But after looking up Bartonella, I do have the following symptoms:
- Began with lower abdominal pain (started in the lower right just as in the description of mesenteric adenitis for Bartonella - Agitation, anxiety, insomnia, restlessness, cognitive deficits, confusion (in daily cycles) - Enlarged lymph nodes - Vision problems
I don't have the sore soles or the rashes. Questions:
- Do others with bart get these horrible anxiety/panic/mania attacks? Ever on a daily basis? - How common is the rash? - Is weight loss common with bart? (I'm wasting away) - Does bart treatment cause herxes?
Awaiting test results and another appt., I don't know much about bart but I would love to hear some info from other who have dealt with it.
Best,
- Andrew
[ 03. June 2007, 07:01 PM: Message edited by: AndrewInCA ]
Posts: 443 | From The Wild West | Registered: Jan 2002
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lymednva
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9098
posted
I'm on Levaquin now for Bart, and while I hadn't really thought I had it, I am herxing hard, so I no longer doubt it.
I have extreme fatigue, severe cognitive problems, and never really thought much about my foot pain, thought it as how everyone felt (felt that way about a lot of stuff, that I'm learning wasn't so).
Recently I had day when it became clear to me that what I thought was how everyone felt when wearing heels, was not that at all, but was probably Bart.
In addition I have needed "comfort" shoes for decades, which I thought was because I was a teacher and on my feet a lot. Probably was the Bart., again.
I used to have severe anxiety, but that has been under control for several years now, probably from reducing stress in my life by not working and keeping my activity level fairly low and even. That comes with a lot of practice and monitoring.
I haven't had a problem with keeping weight on, the other way around, but I know someone who lost a lot of weight, and I believe she has been treated for Bart., actually think she is on Levaquin now.
-------------------- Lymednva Posts: 2407 | From over the river and through the woods | Registered: Apr 2006
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kelmo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8797
posted
My daughter started out with treatment for bart. She had all the things you mentioned.
She, however, gained 80 pounds in a few months. That wasn't a red flag to our PCP, though.
A medical person recently said, "your body had no where to go, it could only gain". My daughter was 98 pounds..lyme makes you either gain or lose weight.
She has since lost 50, 20-30 to go. She is now being treated for babesia.
Do you have red streaks on your body? My daughter was covered with those, they have disappeared.
She was on zith/rifampin for a year. Wants to go back on after babs treatment just to make sure bart won't come back.
posted
Yeah, I was just like those creatures in the movie "28 Weeks Later."
The symptoms were:
Shin splints Neck enlarged like a water balloon Bleeding sinuses (great on dates!) Scritchy red eyes Sweating Pounding inanimate objects because they would not move/stay still/stay in focus
Finally took three months of rifampin.
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Jill E.
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9121
posted
Hi,
I didn't get the sore soles and rashes until I began Bart treatment - then those became new symptoms.
Symptoms of mine which may be Bart include: - Intense burning in nerves all the time - tingling - Myoclonic movements - Tremors - Occasional agitation/anxiety - Shin splints - Visual blurring when I look at patterned objects - Occasional one red eye (conjunctivitis) or very blurred vision in one eye - Exaggerated startle reflex (this started while on Bart treatment) - Noise sensitivity (this started while on Bart treatment)
I have a history of GI problems although they actually got much better with Lyme treatment so who knows how much was Bart.
I've lost and gained, lost and gained weight throughout pre-diagnosis and treatment so who knows which disease is which.
I have lots of other symptoms but those seem to get better with Lyme meds.
I herx dramatically on Bart treatment and hardly herx at all on Lyme meds, although I'm positive for all the infections. So, yes, Bart treatment can cause big-time herxing.
The meds themselves, whether Levaquin or Rifampin, can cause side effects, too.
Jill
-------------------- If laughter is the best medicine, why hasn't stand-up comedy cured me? Posts: 1773 | From San Diego | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
I had horrible anxiety when I first started treating bart, I thought I was going to have myself commited.
I've lost 20 lbs, and can't seem to gain weight. Still treating for bart
Posts: 561 | From eastcoast | Registered: Aug 2006
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Vanilla
Unregistered
posted
Andrew do not be surprised if your bart test comes back negative because out LLMD told me the testing for it is not that good but you can still have it.
I have never tested positive for it but reading some of the symptoms I think I have it too and next time I go to the LLMD I am going to see what he has to say about it.
I had red streaks years ago that seemed to come out in a hot show but they went away and my dermotologist thought they were nothing much like a allergic reaction to something. I have not had one for a while. I think I just got one 3 years ago while in the tropics. It seemed to go away once I was diagnosed for LD and babs and on meds.
I have had the tingling in my arm and some nose bleeds from no where. I even had one in the middle of the Belagio which was really embarassing. Not to mention the anxiety insomnia and thinking I was going crazy my favorite symptom...
Luckily I am doing okay on the Biaxin for the moment because I think it is suppose to help with bart?
I first gained weight in 2003 before being diagnosed but while on Lexapro for anxiety. I was also eating 3 bowls of ice cream a night at the time because I was having extreme anxiety and I was living at my dad's helping him die.
Since being on Malarone for babs I have lost weight and weigh 119 now. Before the Lexapro I weighed 114 but then went from a size 2 or 4 to a size 12. I am now a 2, 4 or 6 again. so my weight has really varied.
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Our symptoms are not the same--some of us have more of the anxiety and mental problems, others the gut woes or the aches and pains.
My daughter had the stomach troubles and lost a lot of weight. I have mostly cognitive and anxiety and communication problems.
One member of the family seemed to be bi-polar, but nope it was the Bart
The good thing about Bart symptoms is that I think once you find the right antibiotic you'll feel much better very soon. In my case I could take the med for Bart and be much calmer and more capable within the hour.
Bart is a mean disease. It nearly destroyed us.
I'm glad your doc caught it.
Posts: 27 | From San Francisco, Ca | Registered: Apr 2007
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posted
i was bitten in 1989, bullseye, all the first stage symptoms, but like so many of you , went undiagnosed for 5 years and developed all kinds of problems. after both iv and oral treatment i still had trouble and discovered i had babesiosis. spent about 2 years treating the lyme and babesiosis with antibiotics and mepron. i wonder now as i read things if the bart was missed. how reliable would any test be after all this treatment and 17 years past. my biggest problem is the burning in the soles of my feet, along with anxiety and depression.
i have another thread on here about periephial nueropathy. seems so many have it with lyme and also with bart.
i have spent so many years on and off treatments and finally decided the nerve pain is just "damage done", maybe there is more to look into.
thanks,
kathy
Posts: 97 | From Simpsonville KY USA | Registered: Jul 2002
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