posted
How do you know what is normal in kids and what could be signs of LD? I was first diagnosed with LD before my pg with my first child.
My 5 yr old son always seems tired. I would say he plays hard but there are several times where he starts playing and ends up just laying down watching tv then falling asleep. I assume just busy day at school. He just never seems to get enough sleep. So very emotional.
I read the other post about leg pain. He complains about these in streaks. I assumed "growing" pains.
My 3 yr old girl has major mood swings! She seems like a 16 yr old at times. Screams and cries over the sillies things like what pair of underwear I pull out for her! Next thing she is all smiles.
She also freaks when we comb her hair. Acts like her hair has nerve endings. So very annoying.
So these are probably all just normal kids things that I need to get through, but in the back of my mind I wonder about the possibilty.
So what would you do?
Posts: 60 | From WI | Registered: Nov 2008
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posted
I forgot to add my 3yr old has had several terrible colds, bronchitis, pheonomoni. As she is gettig older she seems to have that less.
All of these things are probably completely normal. Just don't know why I can't shake the feeling.
Posts: 60 | From WI | Registered: Nov 2008
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posted
I agree with Kelly! I felt EXACTLY the same way you do not too long ago!!
In Oct 2008 found out I had Lyme after being sick for years and not knowing what it was. Then found out my mom had it. She is very sick but didn't know what it was either.
Now my brother tested positive. So I was probably born with it. Which means my kids might have been.
So after figuring all this out I decided to test them. In the mean time they did have a lot of symptoms that could be Lyme or could be normal kid things. I started wondering if something was wrong with our house. Radon or something else?
Then my youngest started getting more Lyme like symptoms. Though I wonder if he was bit at scout camp too? Cause he camps a lot.
My point is to trust your instincts! I had the same feeling and I was right.
My LLMD didn't want to test them. So I found someone who would.
I just kept thinking about how I would be now if I knew when I was younger and got treatment then. I don't want them to be my age and find out they have it and can't get better. Those were my thougts when I was searching for someone to test them.
Let us know what you decide to do. It's tough seeing our kids like this! But I have more hope that they will get well then I do that I will!
Amy
-------------------- My lyme disease blog: http://lymetimes3.blogspot.com/ One BIG Lyme family! I tested CDC + 10/08 My mom Igenex + 11/08 & My brother Igenex + 4/09, My 2 boys some + & IND bands, clinical diagnosis 3/09 (youngest has Aspergers too) Posts: 470 | From Painesville, Ohio | Registered: Mar 2009
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tickbattler
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posted
Your children's symptoms are much like how they started in my children. They came on slowly, so it was very difficult to diagnose.
With one of my boys, he started sitting on the couch listening to music (age 4), and I thought this was cute. But when he started having occasional leg pains and occasional stomach aches, I knew it was a different story. He also became much more emotional, and would lie of the floor crying over little things.
All 3 of my children see Dr. J in CT and are getting better (slowly) on treatment.
I would look up symptom lists to see if there are more symptoms that you don't even realize are lyme related, but from what you are saying, I would guess that unfortunately they are infected.
Do their ears ever turn red at odd times? When someone told me this was a symptom, I knew they were infected, because they always had red ears on and off throughout the day.
I don't see the harm in getting them tested, but I would go to someone really good, so you are not steered in the wrong direction.
My boy who would sit around listening to music had babesia too and I think that is what really zapped his stamina. Soon after we started treatment, his energy level returned.
posted
CHILDREN'S LYME SYMPTOMS compiled by Geneal 6-07 From ``GENEAL'' June 2007
I have been doing some research regarding Lyme and signs/symptoms in small children.
I know many of you have small children that you may be concerned about. I believe my youngest child (4yrs old) may have gotten this disease from me.
For All Children
-dizziness -neck pain and stiffness in almost 90% -sore throats -swollen lymph nodes -excessive thirst, -Chest pains in at least 70%, some have palpatations -Sense of air hunger or shortness of breath, dry cough
-abdominal pain in about 50%, can mimic acute appendicitis -sometimes vomiting, heartburn -rashes that come and go, malar rashes, new psoriasis
-migratory arthralgias, joint pain in 50% to 100% -myalgias in over 80%, back ache, morning stiffness, pain at rest, muscle weakness
-frequent illnesses, dark circles under their eyes -intermittent red, hot pinnae of ears -sleep disturbance in over 80%
-Neurological symptoms are protean and can appear AT ANY TIME during the course of infection *hypersensitivity of skin, scalp and hair *Hypersensitivity to noise, light, smell *Alterations of taste *poor balance and coordination *Uncharacteristic behavior outbursts, mood disturbances, depression *social withdrawal *New onset phobias *Oppositional behaviors *Obsessive compulsive disorders *Deterioration in school performance in over 90% *Difficulty with concentration and attention in school with easily distractibility as well as "brain fog" in over 80% *New onset of ADD
*When measured with formal neuropsychiatric testing, children demonstrate defects in auditory and visual sequential processing
Less Commonly:
*Movement disorders-spaticity, ataxia, motor or vocal tics *Cranial neuropathies, e.g. Bell's Palsy or optic nerve neuritis *Peripheral neuropathies-numbness and tingling, distal parathesias, subtle weakness
Pre-Schoolers and toddlers
- Mood swings, sudden emotional outbursts - Irritability - Personality changes - Regression of motor and social skills (developmental milestones) - Changes in play behavior, tire easily, less active
- Trouble falling asleep, frequent awakenings - Nightmares, new phobias, recurrence of separation anxiety - Diaper rash unresponsive to normal treatment - Frequent URI's, ear and throat infections, bronchitis, pneumonia
Congenital Lyme Disease
* Infants can be infected with Borrelia transpacentally in any stage of pregnancy and/or via mother's breast milk.
* The co-infections: Babesia, Bartonella, Mycoplasma and perhaps even the Ehrilichias can be transmitted transplacentally to the developing fetus.
* Gestational Borreliosis can be associated with repeated miscarriages, fetal death in utero, still births, hydrocephalus, cardiovascual anomalies,
intrauterine growth retardation, neonatal respiratory distress, and maternal toxemia of pregnancy.
* Infants either infected congenitally or from breast milk can have
- Floppiness with poor muscle tone - Irritability - Frequent fevers and illness early in life - Joint sensitivities and body pain - Skin sensitivity - Gastro esophageal reflux - Developmental delays -Learning disabilities and psychiatric problems
* Infants bitten very early in life will have many of the same symptoms - loss and decline in developmental milestones.
I found this to be a pretty inclusive list of signs/symptoms for small children, infants, and those suspected of congenital Lyme.
Sadly, my two children do exhibit many of these symptoms and both have positive bands for Lyme via Igenex diagnostic lab in PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA. Geneal, 2007
Also, see Cheryl's LYME INFO extensive web sites on: LD DIAGNOSIS, SYMPTOMS, & TREATMENT ... wonderful! Read the area on CO-INFECTIONS! You could have from 1-10 other illnesses that tick is carrying...lyme, malaria, etc.
If you are showing symptoms of co-infections, I would like to suggest being tested for co-infections when you have LYME western blots done. It isn't cheap!! But if you are positive, you can treat the co-infections first, and then work on LYME symptoms.
Pronunciation of common co-infections from lymetoo/tutu 12-13-07
Ba BEE' see oh sis (Babesiosis) or commonly known as Ba BEE' sza (Babesia) bart un EL a (Bartonella) er LICK' ee oh sis (ehrlichiosis
___Joint pain and stiffness (often both Left and Right sides as opposed to Lyme which is often on one side only with pain and stiffness that changes locations)
___Muscle pains especially the calves; may be twitching and cramping also
___Foot pain, more in the morning involving the heels or soles of the feet (sometimes misdiagnosed as plantar fasciitis)
___Nerve irritation symptoms which can be described as burning, vibrating, numb, shooting, etc.
___Tremors and/or muscle twitching
___Heart palpitations and strange chest pains
___Episodes of breathlessness
___Strange rashes recurring on the body often, red stretch marks, and peculiar tender lumps and nodules along the sides of the legs or arms, spider veins
___Gastrointestinal symptoms, abdominal pain and acid reflux
___Shin bone pain and tenderness
Bartonella is a bacterium that causes illness, the most commonly known of which is a disease called "Cat Scratch Fever."
Thousands of known cases of Bartonella occur in the U.S. each Year, with the vast majority of known cases due to bites from fleas that infest cats or infected dogs (may also occur directly from bites and scratches from infected dogs or cats).
Bartonella can also be transmitted by ticks that transmit Lyme Disease.
In fact, in a study published recently, deer ticks from New Jersey had a higher prevalence of Bartonella organisms than of Lyme organisms.
It is unclear whether the organism that we see transmitted along with Lyme disease is actually a Bartonella species (such as B. henselae or B. quintana) or is "Bartonella-Like Organism" (BLO) that is yet to be fully identified.
While BLO has features similar to organisms in the Bartonella family, it also has features slimiar to the Mycoplasma and the Francisella (causes tularemia) families.
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Thanks to all of you that responded. At least it makes me feel like I am not just making an "excuse" for them. Yes it still could be just normal childhood things but I think I am going to have them tested just to ease my mind.
Although if it comes back negative I am always going to wonder, was it a false negative?
I visit my LLMD on Tuesday, I am going to bring it up to him. See if he would order the testing. I doubt my regular dr would order the test or the correct ones for that matter.
Thanks again.
Posts: 60 | From WI | Registered: Nov 2008
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