Fortunately most of my lyme symptoms have been resolved with some good treatment from an LLMD.
One thing i do not have a grip on is Air Hunger / breathlessness.
I'm an asthmatic, and lately my meds don't seem to be working .. they stop my wheezing, but i have an almost constant chest tightness and air hunger... it's really affecting my quality of live lately.
I know that air hunger is listed as a symptom of Babesia, and I intend to bring this up to my LLMD, but I'm wondering about a few factors that may make it an unlikely diagnosis.
From what I understand, the air hunger associated with babesia is a direct result of hemolytic anemia. I don't have the fatigue symptoms of anemia, and my Red Blood Cell count is within normal limits .. also my blood oxygen level is 100%
Does this elminiate babesia as a possible cause of my air hunger? Any thoughts?
Posts: 339 | From Outer Space | Registered: Aug 2009
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
From Burrascano:
"Babesia infection is becoming more commonly recognized, especially in patients who already have Lyme Disease. It has been published that as many as 66% of Lyme patients show serologic evidence of co-infection with Babesia microti. It has also been reported that Babesia infections can range in severity from mild, subclinical infection, to fulminant, potentially life threatening illness.
Subclinical infection is often missed because the symptoms are incorrectly ascribed to Lyme. Babesia infections, even mild ones, may recur even after treatment and cause severe illness." (p. 23)
Subclinical babesiosis would not cause hemolytic anemia or red blood cell count outside of normal limits or any other detectable abnormality. My statement is based on the definition of "subclinical." See the medical definition below:
Definition of Subclinical disease
Subclinical disease: An illness that stays below the surface of clinical detection. A subclinical disease has no recognizable clinical findings. It is distinct from a clinical disease, which has signs and symptoms that can be recognized. Many diseases, including diabetes, hypothyroidism, and rheumatoid arthritis, can be subclinical before surfacing as clinical diseases.
I had babesiosis. But, I had no symptoms of it. I had no air hunger, etc. Yet, it was seen in my blood (FISH test). All other babs tests were negative. I considered this a fortunate occurrence. It certainly surprised my now famous lyme doc since I became virtually symptom-free on lyme treatment alone.
So, I don't think babs is an unlikely diagnosis at all since you had lyme disease.
Since the blood of up to 66% of lyme patients tests positive for babesiosis microti alone, that means that way more lyme patients actually HAVE some strain of babesiosis (since many with it test negative, AND there are also babesiosis duncani and at least 11 other babesia strains we can't test for).
With those percentages, I would bet you have babs. Why else are your asthma meds not working?
You are describing air hunger perfectly--chest tightness, breathlessness.
Everyone I know with lyme also has babesiosis. Everyone.
From Burrascano:
"DIAGNOSTIC TESTS Diagnostic tests are insensitive and problematic. There are at least thirteen, and possibly as many as two dozen Babesia forms found in ticks, yet we can currently only test for B. microti and WA-1 with our serologic and nuclear tests." (p. 23)
So, I suggest you try some babs treatment. That should tell the tale within a month, I would think. It certainly did in my case--dramatically.
Then, let us know what happened.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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blinkie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14470
posted
Have you been treated for parasites? This helped my breathing difficulties a lot. Biltricide and ivermectin.
Posts: 1104 | From N.California | Registered: Jan 2008
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Sammi
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
You can have normal blood test results when you have Babesiosis. Definitely speak to your doctor about your symptoms.
Posts: 4681 | Registered: Oct 2000
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I also have inhalers that help with wheezing, but don't help with air hunger/chest pain. I only use the inhalers, now, if I get a cold to prevent bronchitis b/c they don't help me, otherwise. I also have high oxygen levels (usually around 98-99%). I don't know about my red blood cell count, but no one has ever pointed it out as a problem and I've been told that I'm not anemic.
However, my sleep doctor noticed that my iron (Fe) test results were low, but in the "normal" range. She told me that low iron can cause problems, even if it's not to the level of causing anemia. She told me to take iron b/c she wanted my levels higher than the lower end of the "normal."
My point is that you could still be low on iron and not anemic.
I'm planning to hit babesia soon b/c I really do think that is at play for me.
GL
Posts: 252 | From New York | Registered: Apr 2010
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posted
I only have a few symptoms and one of them is air hunger. Early on, I thought it must be babesia.
2 LLMD's did not think so, because I didn't have other babs symptoms.
Biaxin and zith did suppress my symptoms, including the air hunger.
Now, I am with a new LLMD and she tested me for coinfections and babs was the only positive.
I've just started malarone and it is way to early to know for sure, but I think it is working even better on my muscle twitching than the Biaxin did. I have had more air hunger recently but I am thinking that might have been a herx.
It might be difficult to get your doctor to do it, but it is probably worth trying babs treatment, if possible.
Posts: 984 | From US | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
Years ago, I tested positive for Babesia and had no symptoms so my first doctor didn't treat it. I didn't know any better to insist and I relapsed years later and now think it was because we never treated the Babesia.
My symptoms this time were chills and extreme anxiety and chest tightness. I didn't have sweats or much air hunger. I also have asthma but it usually lies low - unless I laugh a lot.
Posts: 472 | From New Jersey | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
I too had very few symptoms of babesia. My LLMD didn't treat for it initially, thinking that my symptoms were all bart and Lyme. After a positive PCR for babesia, I started treatment. I always thought "air hunger" was this huge, exagerrated gasping for air. I didn't have that. I now realize that breathlessness is a big part of babesia symptoms.
Point is, some of us don't present like classic babesia. It's expensive, but I'd almost err on the side of treating for it if there's ANY suspicion at all.
Posts: 246 | From south florida | Registered: Mar 2010
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posted
My daughter really had no obvious symptoms of babs but when her doc started her on Artmesinn capsules 2 months ago her symptoms are now almost non existant. Perhaps she had babs all along?????
Posts: 499 | From Malta, NY | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
My entire family of 5 has Lyme and eventually all five of us were also found to have Babesia. Not all of us had the air hunger and sweating symptoms. My son when he was young had breathing issues when he got a cold. They would put him on inhalers and tell us he had RAD- a form of asthma. Every time he had a cold we had to have neubulizers, etc. During allergy season he was a mess. Today at 13 yrs old he has been extensively treated for Lyme and Babs for years, he plays sports, needs no breathers and never has an asthma like symptoms. I have to beleive Babs can do a number on the respiratory system like it did to my child. And I truly beleive that many of the kids walking around today may have some Lyme and Babesia in them- way too many of these cases and kids on breathers- you never saw that growing up 20 years ago!
Posts: 238 | From Bethlehem, PA | Registered: Oct 2004
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