posted
I really don't, but I sort of got thrown for a loop today. Tell me your thoughts.
About two years ago, my now 11 year old Was treated for four months for a fresh tick bite. No "bullseye" rash, but a big enough, angry enough rash at the bite site to be suspect.
A bit of pain in the knees but, no other symptoms jumped out at us. Tests at the end of treatment were neg, but I know from experience and many, many studies done, that doesn't mean a hill of beans when it comes to Lyme. (She was treated by a LLMD, not her PCP)
So, she hasn't had obvious issues. She active, happy, and a dedicated straight "A" student.
Well, this past Thursday out of the blue with no warning she passed out cold. Of course, this lead to an emergency room visit. Whole bunch of tests, CAT scan, bloodwork, EKG, urine. All seemed to come back fine.
Sent us home with instruction to come back if it happens again, otherwise follow up with her PCP. (Lyme was not anywhere in my thoughts at the time.)
Took her into the PCP today. He checked her out, and is now sending her to a neurologist for evaluation for seizures.
These are his reasons, family history of seizure disorder (My son has a SD), and a history of past Lyme disease.
I didn't bring Lyme up, he just out right asked me if she has ever had Lyme. I told him, yes, she has been treated for Lyme.
I find this interesting. When I took her in when she first got the bite, she saw a different Dr because hers wasn't in his office that day.
That Dr told us that she had had "about 20-30 people come in for rashy tick bites in the past two weeks."
She Rx'd erythromycin for 10 days. Well, that was so off the wall, as even the IDSA says erythromycin is not effective for any stage of Lyme.
So, I went directly to the front desk and asked for a referral for a second opinion. They gave us one and we took her to a LLPediatrician.
What I'm really curious about is why he brought Lyme up in the first place. I wonder if they are having a influx of previously undertreated Lymies coming out of the woodwork?
I wonder if he's been seeing more of Lyme's true impact. (Not through me as I am treated by another Dr. and only take the kids to him anymore.)
He readily admitted to me when I took my 15yr old in with her bullseye, he wouldn't know how to treat her properly, as Lyme is a very complex disease.
I also had to ask him today about getting a Brain MRI for the 15yr old. He said, he'd do what he could, but the insurance co's are not cooperating very well and it's hard to get them to agree to needed tests.
Maybe I just needed to sound off guys. It's frustrating.
Seems funny for Lyme to now be in the differential for an 11 year old passing out? Why would Lyme be on the front of her Dr's mind for this?
My first thought was if her bloodsugar dropped?? I asked him about that, but he said, that she had no history of that type of issue and the testing didn't point that direction, but she did have the history of Lyme.
Do you think he might actually be getting up to speed??
Posts: 58 | From Virginia | Registered: May 2008
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posted
seems the doctor may be onto something, he might actually be reading this board in his spare time. take your child to LLMD specialist. explain all history and symptoms.
good luck.
Posts: 570 | From philadelphia, pa | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
Lyme is known to affect the adrenals which indirectly affects the blood pressure -- orthostatic hypotension is very common with Lyme and can cause fainting.
Hypoglycemia can also cause fainting as well.
It is possible the doc had recently seen another patient with similar symptoms. That happens sometimes and can make an impression on a good doc.
Good luck with your daughter.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
He said, his reason for not suspecting Hypoglycemia was there was no forewarning. She didn't feel funny or off at all prior to going down.
She had no dizziness, nausea, or headache, nothing.
She was and had been standing already. She was giggling at her brother and I, as we were joking around.
She said she felt like she was dreaming and watching her puppy run across the yard.
She does remember having a pins and needles feeling in her lips right before she "saw her puppy running."
She was in the middle of our kitchen, no puppy running there. Her eyes were wide open and she had a smile on her face.
She didn't get rigid, just melted. I was able to keep her from falling down and gently got her seated on the floor.
Her expression didn't change until she started to respond to our questions. Then she was weak, shaky and slow of speech and response to questions asked to her.
Five hours later, she was back to her chatty self.
I don't know what to think at this point.
Posts: 58 | From Virginia | Registered: May 2008
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posted
How strange. It actually sounds a bit like a special I watched on TLC about cataplexy.
It's associated with narcolepsy, except they're not sleeping. Generally whenever people have these 'episodes', it's caused by strong emotion - for example, one girl would collapse if she laughed at a joke. Or another if she was very sad.
The weird thing is they retain consciousness the whole time, but outwardly appear as though they had passed out.
Posts: 306 | From Brownsville, PA | Registered: Jul 2007
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