What's scaring me is my hearing. Earlier this week the pulsating in my ears symptom took a turn for the worse. A form of tinnitus began, which felt like a tuning fork resonating in my ears. Then/now, I am *extremely* sensitive to sound. My own voice makes me cringe in pain if I speak too loudly.

I saw Dr. P mid week and am now 2 days into 1200 mg of antibiotics daily. He was aware of my new symptom as it had just developed, and couldn't really say when to expect improvement.

I must not be using correct search words, because I can NOT find anything significant relative to LD and hearing complications on the 'net. There's no mention at all of sensitivity to sound.

I have seen a number of posts referring to total hearing loss with late stage diagnosis, and because my symptoms developed so badly, so quickly, I'm scared that we DIDN'T catch this in time. How much sense does it make that I had BP withing a month, if not just 2 weeks, of being infected?

I know someone here empathized w/me re: the pulsating effect, but what about hyper sensitivity? Did you ever get to this stage? Were you able to reverse it?

Also, I haven't herxed at all. I'm scared about THAT , too.

Dang. I'm just plain scared tonight. Period. This stinks.

You are not alone. Sensitivy to sound is a symptom.

My son Dominic has lyme and is being treated by Dr. C. since May 2003 after not being treated correctly in April 1999 by his peditrician.

Anyway one of his major signs was sensitivity to sounds. He use to cry and grab his ears if the birds out side cherped. It was terrible.

He was scared of things only "he" would hear. We went to ENT after ENT and no help.
Once he started treatment things got better.

The sounds and his general health improved within 6 to 8 weeks. So there is hope, don't give up.

Also a herx can come at different times for different people and depending what med's your on.

Dominic was on Amoxil and Clymdician and he herx every 5 weeks like clock work. Now his is on Zithro and Flagyl and the herx's come out of the blue can't figure them out yet.

I hope you feel some relief soon.
Starr

My daughter is sensitive to most sounds that are not considered loud to anyone else, but she also has times where she must blast her tv to be able to hear it.

One of our Drs and local lyme support member have hearing aids..

My LLMD explains Herxes as INTENSE Lyme symptoms that you have been experiencing, and NEW intense Lyme symptoms that you have never experienced before.

Seeing where you are from..W. Conn., I would suspect that your recent infection of Borrelia is a re-infection rather than a complete new one.

Your own immune system can and often does keep Lyme Disease symptoms at bay. Then, when you were bit recently, the Lyme symptoms came on like gangbusters.

Of course that is just my theory. But, it is something to think about.

I believe that with all your symptoms, that you have a good chance of beating this...just don't give up when other symptoms come along...they will clear with enough abx and you are now getting enough, IMO.

As for the ear thing, my LLMD recommends "sweet oil", that you can get at one of those Vitamen stores. I'd surely give that a try.

IMO, you have a reason to be scared, for you're going down a road that you've never traveled before. Just don't put too much store, cause positive thoughts get you well much faster.

I believe that when you've been on the regimine that you are currently on for awhile, that you'll start to see your symptoms ease up a bit...as time goes by...

Anyway, later,

I have been about the biggest sissy whimp there is with this disease.

For YEARS!

We have an infection that normal tests can't seem to find... and even our BEST tests aren't 100 percent.

We are sick all over... but have trouble explaining to others what is happening to us.

We "look" fairly normal... (well except for folks like Lymetutu, who goes around dropping her drawers all the time).. and yet we feel REALLY bad sometimes.

We take medicine that is suppose to make us better... but instead it makes us worse first?

Who ever heard of THAT?

We have major IDIOTS at supposedly the BEST hospitals in the world telling us CRAP-A-MUNGO things, like:

There is nothing wrong with you.... Lyme isn't in this state.. Your test is negative so you don't have Lyme... Grow up, you can't feel THAT bad... Just exercise more and you will be fine... Stop reading and listening to the fools on the Internet... You are just "depressed"... blah blah blah. And they either DON'T help us... or give us the wrong stuff! We are made to learn and have to second guess the IDIOTS who are "suppose" to be the best! Talk about PRESSURE!!

We have an infection that is the Rodney Dangerfield of ALL diseases...

NO RESPECT.

We have no known cure for Lyme.. no test to show it is gone.. and it is spreading through the population like wildfire!

We have doctors who have risked their lives and reputations to help us... and who are getting kicked in the head for doing their jobs... and who we try to help but are really too sick to be able to do much.

We are in fear of loosing the ONLY help we have if these doctors are shut down... and worried for them.. and their families.

We have been "tested to death" to prove the ducks ABLS diagnosis (Anything But Lyme Syndrome)... as we watch our pocket books get emptied... and we STILL have no answers.

We have BIG government agencies and insurance companies (is there anyone bigger in the USA?) fighting us and refusing us help. They have whole teams of lawyers and political friends who are looking out for themselves and the almighty dollar.. rather than our health and well being.

Were YOU taught this would happen to you back in fifth grade? I sure wasn't! I was told these people were there to HELP us.

What a scare THAT puts into me!

We have symptoms galore.. and when we try to tell someone we know... or don't know.. about it.. even WE think we are NUTS because no one can have THAT many symptoms!

Heck yeah.. I'm scared!

But NOW I know I am not alone. I am not the ONLY one.

There are many many other crazy people just like me out there.

There are folks who are sick.. yet still try to help themselves and others every day.

They care.

We are NOT alone.

And..

Nah nah nah you IDIOT ducks....

Pack up your dirty duck bagfs and move on... cause...

WE ARE RIGHT!

Ok...

A couple of things...

1. Are you on meds like Zithromax that are KNOWN to cause the hearing symptoms you describe?

2. How is your yeast level? Are you sugaring your system with junk food?

3. If NOT... my thought is you might be herxing.. like Rosesisland stated.

Keep in mind we are NOT doctors .. and a call to your doctor would be in order, to check it out.

There are a number of folks with ear/hearing problems.

And yes.. proper treatment can help.

I have seen a person go from a 90 percent hearing loss.. to regain her hearing with proper meds.

I have also seen a person who's ONLY Lyme symptoms were fatigue and hearing loss.

Sooooooo...

Bottom line...

It does happen.. and it can get better.

OK?

Here is an abstract (below) that might "enlighten" you. Hope it helps.

Ear Hear. 2003 Dec;24(6):508-17.

Audiologic manifestations of patients with post-treatment lyme disease syndrome.

Shotland LI, Mastrioanni MA, Choo DL, Szymko-Bennett YM, Dally LG, Pikus AT,
Sledjeski K, Marques A.

SUMMARY: OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to characterize auditory
function in patients diagnosed with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome
(PTLDS).

DESIGN Eighteen patients with PTLDS were evaluated and compared to a
normal population.

Evaluations consisted of pure tone and speech thresholds, word recognition (WRS), acoustic immittance battery, auditory brain stem response (ABR), and loudness discomfort level (LDL).

Both seropositive and seronegative patients were evaluated. Audiologists were blinded to patient status.

RESULTS- Forty four percent of the patients had one or more abnormal pure tone
thresholds compared to gender- and age-adjusted norms.

Thirty-one percent showed abnormally reduced LDLs, and 17% had abnormal acoustic reflexes at one or more frequencies.

CONCLUSIONS- This paper catalogs previously unstudied long-term auditory system
sequelae resulting from PTLDS.

Our most significant finding was the dramatically reduced loudness tolerance in the presence of either normal or minimally impaired hearing.

The clinician is encouraged to consider PTLDS when confronted with these or
similar findings in patients having history of Borrelia burgdorferi infection and continued complaints.

PMID: 14663350 [PubMed - in process]

It could be that, it could be a herx, it could be yeast, it could be the lyme.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tincup:
A couple of things...

1. Are you on meds like Zithromax that are KNOWN to cause the hearing symptoms you describe?

I'm on 100 mg doryx 2x, 500 mg biaxin

2. How is your yeast level? Are you sugaring your system with junk food?

Remarkably well. I'm typically prone to oral thrush while on abx (mainly augmentin) and have no signs of excessive yeast issues to date.

3. If NOT... my thought is you might be herxing.. like Rosesisland stated

---

I was 100 mg doxy bid until Wednesday when I saw Dr. P. The hyper sensitivity began Monday. It hasn't gotten worse, but by no means any better since then.

Thanks, TC, for the hearing info. I would be very interested to read any(and every)thing else anyone might come across.

Rosemary, I'd love to entertain the idea of my being re-infected as it would make me feel better about my being so extreme so quick. Right now I'm terrified that my children might possibly be infected in such a debilitating way. Unfortunately Bambi and her friends appear to freaking *breed* in our yard. I wonder, though, if I were already infrected if I would have tested positive for more than the ELISA and WB band 23? Thanks for the food for thought.

Thanks to the rest of you for sharing your experiences. Your frame of references are encouraging. I appreciate that.