posted
hello, maybe someone can help me. i have been feeling chronic left arm and chest weakness and discomfort. i have been diagnosed with stage three in october after many many doctors and tests and other diagnoses. i have done the IV, then two months on oral, now back on doxy three times daily for another month. most of me feels better but i am in constant discomfort thinking i have cardiac problems. i have been to the emergency room at least five times over the past two years with same complaint. i have had blood work, nuclear stress test, all stating my ticker is fine. has anyone else had this? it makes me extremely anxious, taking meds for that, and feeling like i don't want to move at all. so, i am reachng out and trying to see if others had these symptoms and if so, what to do thanks so much... lisa
-------------------- lisa Posts: 2 | From new york | Registered: Mar 2008
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disturbedme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12346
posted
Many people have cardiac involvement with lyme and co's (especially babesia).
I've had (and some of these I still do have) shortness of breath, heart palpitations, chest pain, etc.
I've had many heart tests (EKG, heart sonogram, holter monitor, CAT scan of heart/lungs) done over the years with over four different doctors/cardiologists.
Each test always came back normal/fine.
I know how you feel though. It's a terrifying feeling especially when the heart is involved.
-------------------- One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. ~ Helen Keller
My Lyme Story Posts: 2965 | From Land of Confusion (bitten in KS, moved to PA, now living in MD) | Registered: Jun 2007
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Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
IF and only if your heart has been checked throughly...
Perhpas you are having ribs being "twisted".
With Lyme and muscle spasms and junk.. sometimes the ribs will twist. This can cause pain (especially at the rib/sternum joint and the other side at the rib/spinal column area.
It can also cause weakness.. and you may feel weaker because of the fact too you don't want to move as much because it kicks in these symptoms, etc.
I have what I call "upper left quadrant" problems.. and if I didn't know better I would have to say for SURE it is my heart. It has fooled me a zillion times before.. and I still am concerned each time I get the pain.
Even up the left side of my neck hurts.. my left arm, etc.
Add the Babesia sweats to it and talk about anxiety!
posted
Serri, I am so sorry you are having these problems...It is very scarry going through this and NOT knowing what is wrong,I have been there and still trying to figure it all out..
Maybe my story will help guide you in the right direction..
I have been wanting to start a post about this subject..have even wrote BettyG about it..I have been having big problems for 4 years..
I have had a stress test and failed, I had an angiogram and that cardioligst said my arteries were clean,I cried and cried in his office because I didnt know what was wrong...
He told me my heart was slightly enlarge and never put it in the report,so All the other DUCKS thought I was nutsbecause it wasnt in the report..
I finally found a great LLMD and he gave me 18 weeks of I.V. Rochephin and that helped alot!! The chest pain never got better, but the swelling in my legs got better and i lost the 60 pounds of water I had gained!!
In the last year things have gotten worse,I cant walk up stairs and cant walk up a hill,cant walk through a store,I cant,I cant i cant, i was so sick of I cant!!!!
My LLMD found me a really great Cardioligst that is LYME LITERATE,He did a echogram.He went back to the computor and came back with a look on his face like he was giving me a death sentance!!!
I DO have big problems!!! My left atrium is dialated, My tricepid and mitril valves are leaking,My heart Is enlarged and my EF is at 40 and should be at 65 for my age(43) I have Cardiomyapathy.I dont know which one it is??
I was scared and relived at the same time!!! He 100% agreed this is Lyme related!!!! and is now working WITH my LLMD to try to fix this problem..
The meds to fix this is High blood pressure meds and I have low blood pressure..We started on low dose of enapril and my blood pressure dropped to 60/40,
So, they switched it to Coreg and that dropped my blood pressure too..so I started at a lower dose and have worked very slowly up..I am at 12.5mg.and need to get to 24 mg to do any good..
The heart Doc did tell me I may not be able to get to the dose I need to help the heart because of the left Atrium and the leaky valves..
So I joined the Cardiomyapathy group and those people really scare the C*** out of me..Most of them have pacemakers and Defibulater inplanted!! Is that What I am going to need?? Would that actually help with the leaky valves??
Both my Parents died of heart problems..My Dad Dropped dead in the shower at the age of 54 and my Mother suffered bad and died of heart problems at 56..I have started 10 years earlyer than them!!!
I am scared and dont know what to do!!! Do you think another round of I.V treatment would help?? I thought about talking to the Cario Doc about it?? Is there anything I can do to help this problem?? Or am I just going to drop in the shower like my Dad??? I HAVE writen out my Will, which I think every one should do...
I have been on babs treatment once a year.and am taking abx also for the Lyme..
SERRI...PLEASE insist to have an Echocardiogram..If the first Cardio Doc would have done that 4 years ago, things woulnt be so bad for me know!! Very easy test,Just like an altrasound ..
And pretty cool to watch..I seen the leaky valves and the Doctor explained things very well to me!!FIND a Lyme literate Cardio Doctor..they are out there..and Dont wait!!!
Is there anyone out there gone through this and had any good results?? Or am I doomed to be put on a heart transplant list?? At an EF of 30, your on the list..and I am very close??
Any info would be really great!!!
And BETTYG: thank you for ALL the help these last few years, you are really an Angel!! If it wasnt for you sharing your Fathers story with me, I wouldnt have EVER thought to get this check out!! Thanks BZ
Posts: 36 | From Pittsville Wisconsin | Registered: Feb 2006
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tailz
Unregistered
posted
I test positive for Lyme and babesia, and a cardiac echo showed "aortic sclerosis", which of course, doctors called normal since I was still breathing.
I've noticed that quite frequently the last 3 fingers on my left hand go numb and tingly (usually the middle and ring fingers are the worst, with occasional pinky involvement), but I know if I were to go to the doctor and mention this, they would ignore the human being sitting there, and consult their books for answers - and I'm tired of their textbooks.
If anything happens to me though, I've alread resolved that I will haunt my doctors. That gets me through the day.
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