Could this be Lymes?

Hi Marie,

Thanks for replying. The doctor gave me flucloxacillun 500mg 4 x day for 7 days but I only took for 5 days because I had bad headaches. They did clear the infected cyst though. Ears feel a bit blocked and tickling inside. Also heavy headed feeling. Eyes feel dry, wear contact lenses but have to take them out earlier than usual. Floaters occasionally but not at moment. Itchy scalp and back. No double vision. I get migraines anyway but these headaches are more like tension headaches.

Cats taken to vet today and have had treatment for fleas.

I'm taking it that you have Lymes disease. Do my symptoms sound similar to yours. Could I have picked it up from cats?

Thanks for replying.

Juliannah,

I don't know whether you have Lyme or not but it sounds like it.

There are so many different symptoms that come and go and some seem to stay. Among them areItchy ears, that  feel blocked.( I have had this for about 9 months now.) Also itchy eyebrows and itchy eyes,  and you may also find that you have to turn TV up and down  as sound levels vary.

Now there are all sorts of things yours might be. and I am no Doctor but if things don't improve then I would suggest you ask your Dr for 4 weeks of Doxycycline.

The headaches  rae not migraines. I had migraines for most of my life but not for last 25 years  aand then these headaches came.

 Do you get a sort of tightening in your hed and then a pain at the back or to one side of head. Yes like tension headaches,

You might find you get spasms in your muscles that are painful enough for you to go to A and E. Wrap a warm towel round and take a painkiller  and iut should ease.

Are bowels  different from usual?

Do you want to sleep a lot? Do you lack energy? Are you having

sudden car sickness when you haven't been car sick for years or  do you havesickness with little wraning?

I believe I have Lyme but no one else does.

I have been unwell for two years now and possibly before that.

Have you ever had acupuncture>

If so it helps.

Do you have very cold legs or arms. icy cold when the other bits of you are warm?

Cats and fleas. There could well be a link. 

Mites on cats can casuse Lyme as can mites on mice.(According to USA research).

If you have pet insurance get vet   to test cats for Lyme.and co infections. Ask vet to check for mites on cat. he can do a skin scrape.

Chicken and bird mites can also carry Lyme.

Dogs and cats get it but  get over it if they are generally fit and well.

The symptoms you have given sound like those I had.have.

My Lyme test came back negaive. (most in UK do)

According to GP I do not have Lyme just depression..

Since you got thsi recently the antibiotic shold cure you but it seems you must have it for 4 weeks. and at least 400 gr daily.

I am just wondering if your Dr suspects Lyme.

When i can afford it I will have the test from Germany.

re itchy scalp and back. I still have them. I used Sulphur shampoo for the scalp and it has eased but still itches at night mostly.

I also had terrible itch in other places that kept me awake all night for months. That has eased and when it comes I just use Sudocrem as it helps and is cheap.

IF you get this terrible itch it is NOT scabies so don't waste money on scabies treatments as none work.

Aches in joints muscles and bones.

If these start then  go back to Dr.

Have you cough, a dry mouth or sore throat? Do your teeth ache?

does your nose run even though you havent a cold?

Try not to be anxious or stressed.

You are one of the lucky ones as yours is being treated early.

Eat healthily and you should be well again soon.

Thank you so much Marie for all the valuable information. I'm so sorry you are going through this awful illness. I have a lot of the symptoms you describe, ones I had forgotten to mention.

I can put up with aches and pains but feeling giddy and generally unwell has stopped me in my tracks. I haven't driven my car for a few weeks and avoid going places. I only do what I have to. I always do housework though, I just rest in between. I seem to be losing my confidence though, I'm afraid to go out alone.

I'm wondering if the cyst I had was in fact a tick bite since all of my symptoms stemmed from that. When I went to my doctor about my neck I didn't associate the two things.

I will be going back to my doctor next week and hopefully he can make sense of all of this.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me, much appreciated.

Take care

J

Juliannah,

I'm glad it helped.

We forget .all these little things as time passes but they all add to the picture.

Do you wake with a dry mouth that you've never had before?

The aches get worse if left untreated so take cap's advice and ask Dr for Doxyccline. 

The dizziness and balance lead to falls.

Have you noticed any little rounsish bruises hat appear on legs etc without any cause? 

Maybe have an eye test,

You are not imagining it as it's real.

Hopefully  the 4 weeks Doxy will cure you, It will get rid of the bacteria causing it. So it was good you saw the DR. straight away.

Yes the cyst sounds to me like the bite.

.

Tummy.

This bacteria affects the digestive system.

So any small things that seem unconnected are all part of the same thing. 

Keep your immune system in good shape. Plenty vit C. and  green veg.

Only do what you can in way of exerting yourself. 

The body knows what to do. If you are tired then rest. Sleep when you can. Find easier ways of doing things.

Maybe see the optician and get eyes checked.. 

These bacteria thrive on sugar. so cut it out  if you can.

I hope all goes well.

Oh and I am 60% better than a year ago.

I find your input very helpful cap.

The swollen gland interests me. 

I had a large lump come up betwwen shoulder blade and neck about size of a quail egg. Soft to touch  and knew it wasn't cancer-= thought I would get GP to look at it one day( had forgotten about lymph node being there) but didn't  get to see him.

One day I pressed it very hard and it disappeared.

Thought littl eof it but then the tiredness started and I stayed in bed for months. Was so cold  too amd night sweats and strange nightmares. The arthritis became much worse. 

The neck pain doesn't seem to ease and the shoulder pain makes make sthe wheelchair hard to guide as can't use that arm.

Phsychiatrist said we imagine lumps and things and its just depression.

Here in UK one is lucky if one has  a Gp who has heard of Lyme or seen a case..

No one helped me so I had to get myself well as could not go on living the way I was.

We forget all the various odd things that we have with this disease

Dermatologists seem ignorant about it too. They do not do skin scrapes.

Ah, the wheelchair. Bummer Have escaped it thus far as my cousin subcumbed to Lyme before me. She is in a wheelchair, but only off & on now as she is getting better & you will too The only reason i didn't get as far gone, is because when i hit 105 lbs., doctors were scratching their heads, while my cousin had me get the labs completed. Thus, i began my Lyme journey. Those spirochetes ate up so much muscle! I completely believe the post-mortem reports. SO many people have Lyme & don't know it be well, sweet marie!

The wheelchair helps a lot

What do you Take to lessen the pain? Nothing seems to ease it.

What is a PCM?

Hi!

PCM=Primary Care Manager (i.e. a health gate keeper in the US). Excellent question.

I have yet to use opioids. Want to avoid that. You are right. Nothing eases the pain. It is like being in a storm & having to ride it out. Last week i had excruciating pain up the back of my neck to the back of my head to the top of my head ending above my eyes. Lasted 48 hrs. & then just stopped.

Neurontin has helped a lot with lessening the head pain frequency tho but even when doc ups the dose, it is no help on days like last week. She has given me medical marijuana for nausea & it dose help the pain somewhat but it has its own side effects like i have trouble swallowing, makes me very thirsty.

Gosh, i hope we get better. My cousin knows others who were stricken as badly as you & she. They are cured & living normal lives.

Today was much better than the last 3 weeks. I just go day to day. Am flexible with my schedule & try not to plan anything bc i get super anxious about how i might feel that day. Truly live moment to moment, i guess...

Thank you cap,

You are such a help

I couldn't understand why nothing seemed to get rid of the pain.

Your PCM is like our GP here in UK. 

But if GP  doesn't believe you then you  just have to go it alone(with help of others in same situation) or  if you have money you can be treated privately.

I have little time left to beat this thing but just coulldn't cope with being as I was.

The last 6 months have been so difficult. The 6 months before that I just slept most of the day and all night. Now I seem on a plateau- the days are bearable but I just want to be rid of it and the fear of passing it on.

One finds ways of coping- Bathing is too hard so I bath two days a week and just wash the other days. Cheaper lotions and creams seem to work as well as more expensive ones.

Thirst is a problem. Nothing seems to quench it .The vit pills have to be tiny to swallow them.

But looking back I am in a different place now. as I hope you are too.

I think as the tears and hopelessness  lessen so the body gets on with trying to heal itself.

You are so right. We have to live in the moment.

Hey, Marie :-)

Thirst? I went thru that too. Frozen popsicles help. I would devour them tho but it ran its course. Fast & get your blood sugar tested just to be on the safe side, k? Oh, how is your adrenal gland function? That is a simple, take home from the lab, timed saliva swab test.

So there are no Lyme Docs in your area? We really need to rally & rattle the cages so that we all can receive proper treatment covered by insurance. It seems only the rich recover. There has to be & **will** be another path. We are just the minute to minute groundbreaking warriors!

Completely understand bathing. Am too weak usually to stand in the shower so i just use the tub for every thing probably 2x a week. My cousin& i have both said we despise hair washing day bc we never have the energy to properly dry & style it. I cut it all off awhile back bc my scalp felt like a cactus was being shoved upon it but have been growing it back out since.

I did get a coarse bristle dry bathing brush. Start with your feet. You brush upwards toward your heart. Not only does it remove the dead skin toxins, it does something else good but my brain is fogging up. Oh, it lets the epsom salts in better. Today i have been shakey but still felt detached from my body.

Thanks Cap for all the advice.

They won;t test for anything as according to them all I've got is depression.

Saliva swab test? I doubt they'd do one.  but will aski if  I go again.

Can't do the shower and bath is too painful and Sometimes struggle for an hour or more trying to get out. Too narrow for a bath lift tting.

So I was greatly relieved that you don't think daily bath js a must..

Stopped using the sulpur sampoo and hair is less itcy.

Hair wasing so tiring . Just do it twice weekly. Will get daugter to cut it all very short  when she comes this week.

People wit tihs can only do what their energy leves or  physical condition lets them. It's a question of acceptance. Will dry the dry brushing.

FRozen popsicles a good ides.

Also found a lemon juice drink witout sugar.

How did your cousin get it? From you? or from a tick bite

There are Lyme Drs  

No one has Lyme in my Doctor's practice.(Wonder if any have been tested and did they come back as negative too?) Maybe I will ask?

There are lots of fybromyalgia cases and dozens with severe arthritis 

My cousin got it from a deer tick in Northern Maryland, US, many years ago.

Think I got bit by a deertick in Northern Florida, US, in 2001. That's when I remember a bullseye but did not know what it was. It did not go away. Was always draining puss. I ended up with pneumonia about 6 mos. later. A doc noticed it & was worried about flesh eating bacteria. Pathology later revealed it was MRSA. Neither the doc nor I thought/knew to consider Lyme.

2 things keep my pain in check:

Neurontin & Lamictal. They work together. Don't cure but treat the symptoms at least.

Be well, Marie. Am SO sorry this is happening to you.

I asked about your cousin because I have  worried this was contagious ( I have ibeen so afraid for the children) but as you were both bitten by ticks and both had the bulls eye rash then you each had it independently

I will see if the painkillers you have are available here.

You are a great help to me and no doubt  to others on here. Thank you.

Do you have joint, muscle and bone pain too?

Am happy to help. This disease is just horrendous.

Yes, have joint pain in my left hand. Sometimes my right. Muscles ache entire length of legs, arms, shoulder joints & spine if i don't have neurontin & lamictal in my system 3x a day.

As far as contagious--it **is** contagious thru bodily fluids, or the sharing of shaving razors, etc. You should not donate blood or organs. However, it **only** affects those who have that DNA/alelle# weakness/susceptibility. It is **very** similiar to HIV & Syphilis, The Great Imitator.

Yes, it can be genetic & passed down. Some are just immune to it--like my husband, so far anyway. My cousin & i tracked it back to our great great grandfather. He was from Scotland. Lived in West Virginia, US. Ticks in both places. They thought he had Multiple Sclerosis, but now we think he had Lyme Disease. It's been around awhile. Docs just label it something else. It's just sad & i wish they would get on with a cure already. SO MANY of us have it; its global.

Cap,

You are so knowledgeable about it.

The pain is so hard. It keeps me awake all night.

No one in my family had arthritis and were still active into great old age.

No one had MS or anything. cancer yes but even with cancer they lived long lives.

Why won't they even consider I just might have Lyme> How can one have all these things and yet have a diagnosi of exzema. It makes no sense.

Why  is it ok to be labelled as having fibromyalia or ALS but  not Lyme?

Do you find when you type that the letters are mixed up? I have to keep correcting.

Why does one thing clear up)eg the itching and the little sores only for something else to worsen.?

Do your heels hurt? It's a deep pain.

Did you have many tiny dark purply red" veins" on your ams, hands and feet which lessen over time and are almost gone?These have only come with the disease. They were never there before?

Did you have all these little round bruises?

Sorry to bother you with so many questions. I am trying to make some sense of it all.

Marie, a fellow Lymie is **never** a bother!

Yes, i type incorrectly as well. Use my phone & 1 finger to type. My hands shake too badly on a keyboard, which halted my career as an author. (As well as the fact I don't trust my judgement to make decisions for my characters.) And, i can no longer teach bcuz i do not hear words/sentences correctly, & i mix up my speech without noticing it. When it is lovingly pointed out, i have learned to trust those close to me... My short term memory is a wreck. I used to do dog rescue, too, & volunteer in our local shelter with cats. Blessedly, i still have my 4 dogs--3 small/1 med. The medium size one is my nurse maid & loves having that job. The other 3 are snugglers & sleep more than me.

I **really** hope you can try scripts for neurontin & lamictal. I know. Tylenol, narcotics, & motrin do not even touch the pain and the nites are SO LONG. Those 2 drugs, plus the hormone, progestin, in a pill have me sleeping thru the nite. Sleep meds like Ambian, etc. are useless & exaspirate other symptoms.

Ecxema, eh? I suffered from that for many years. It stopped. I'm allergic to white potato which is in a lot of gluten free stuff. Guess what? No more white potato; no more ecxema. Sure hope that works for you! I can tell when i get potato or potato flour bc my ears itch. Sweet potatoes are ok for me as is rice flour. Yes, i have had the bruising. Dunno if it is an auto immune response or just the parasites within.

Rashes, sore, bruises: Have you been allergy tested? Where the doc writes #s on your inner forearms & then injects potential allergens? I'm also allergic to egg yolks & yeast. (In addition to a host of other things. This is super common in Lyme patients.) Those 2 give me blood blisters but with the antibiotics & being careful with my diet, that has all disapated. I'd also recommend a white blood cell count. Just to be sure your spleen is not enlarged.

So as to not fall down the self-pity path which is all too easily, each day i **try** (sometimes i fail miserably!!) to seek out & notice the blessings around me. Like i saw a tiny yellow finch the other day; i get to spend a lot more time with my parents bc i'm not working; i'm available to my college kids when they call or are home for the summer. Things like that...