The first symptom of Lyme disease (also called Lyme’s disease) for about 50% of people is a small, red bull’s-eye rash, called erythema migrans, at the site of an infected tick bite. The rash usually appears a week or two after a painless bite, but can appear within 3 to 30 days. It typically spreads or may show up in other areas. It can also not look like a bull’s eye. And if the tick rash is very small and in a hairy place, it may never be noticed.
Other early, acute Lyme symptoms are flu-like – fatigue, achy muscles or joints, fever, chills, stiff neck, swollen glands, and a headache. Most doctors base their diagnosis of early Lyme primarily on the rash and accompanying symptoms. There are blood tests for Lyme, many of which return erroneous results. We’ll have more to say about testing soon.
If Lyme is identified in this early stage and treated with an appropriate course of antibiotics, it usually goes away. Treatment, however, doesn’t provide immunity; you can get Lyme again if another infected tick bites you. There is no Lyme vaccine.
It would be great if Lyme got caught early and treated in everyone who has it. But Lyme is a very tricky disease.
Some people with classic early Lyme symptoms never get treated because they either don’t go to their doctor or their doctor doesn’t suspect Lyme. Some doctors do diagnose Lyme but don’t treat it long enough. And some people infected with Lyme never get any early symptoms.
Lyme is often hard to diagnose because many symptoms are non-specific (stiff neck, fever, tingling and numbness, headache, lack of energy, weakness, moodiness, or achiness). Also, many doctors don’t know much about Lyme or don’t believe that it’s a prevalent illness, especially in areas that aren’t known to be habitats for the Ixodes ticks that carry Lyme.
Without treatment, the Lyme eventually becomes more debilitating.
Untreated, the bacteria can lie dormant and appear months or even years later. Chronic Lyme mimics the symptoms of over 350 diseases, including multiple sclerosis, lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Parkinson’s. Sadly, many people with chronic, late-stage Lyme spend years and substantial sums of money being treated for other diseases before finally learning that they have Lyme.
Chronic Lyme Symptoms
Most people chronically ill with Lymes have a combination of symptoms, compounded by the symptoms of other co-infections they may have. No two Lyme patients have exactly the same complaints.
Lyme spirochetes travel from the site of the bite to anywhere in the body via the skin, lymph system, and blood. They can ultimately cause problems in all body systems.
Credit: Michael Abbey/ Photo Researchers, Inc. - Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium in a blood smear
Here’s a plain-English list of common symptoms:
Brain and Central Nervous System: migraines, dizziness, brain fog, poor memory, poor sleep, lack of verbal fluency, confusion or disorientation, decreased ability to concentrate, facial nerve tics or paralysis, sore jaw, sinusitis, mood swings, difficulty chewing or swallowing, sore throat, hoarseness, muscle twitches, numbness and tingling, shooting pains, and lower back or neck pain. Lyme has also been found to mimic all the psychiatric disorders.
Muscles, joints, and bones: pains that come and go (with or without swelling), cramps, stiffness.
Circulation: too fast or two slow heart rate, irregular heartbeat (palpitations), inflammation of the heart muscle or arteries, and chest pain.
Breathing: sinusitis, difficulty breathing, and pneumonias.
Skin: rashes, itching, crawling sensations, benign cysts and nodules, and skin discoloration.
Eyes: pain, inflammation, blurred or double vision, retinal damage, floaters, flashing lights, light sensitivity, dry eye, and blindness.
Ears: itching, earache, buzzing, ringing, and sound sensitivity.
Digestive tract: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, loss of appetite, mild liver function abnormalities, and spleen tenderness and enlargement.
Genitourinary tract: inflammation of the urethra and bladder, pelvic pain, testicular pain, and loss of sexual desire.
General: tiredness, lack of stamina, fever, vague discomfort, irritability, nervousness or anxiety, and weight loss or gain.
Borrelia is a brilliant bacterium that can avoid detection by the body’s immune system by changing shape, becoming cell-wall deficient (living inside red blood cells) or encysting over with albumin, which antibiotics can’t reach, and hiding out in a dormant state in hard to reach places like the spaces between ligaments and bones.
If you suspect your or someone you know has Lyme, you should find a doctor who knows about the disease and how to treat it correctly. The earlier you get treatment, the better.
Lyme is not just another little infection that goes away in a week or two; people have died from it.
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1. February 2012 at 10:06 am
Good morning,
I have been battling something for over a year now. Dizziness, twitches, severe constipation, serve heart burn, feeling like in a fog, trouble walking (bumping into doors wall, etc.) I even have trouble writing and typing now. (Used to be a 50 wpm typer, now maybe twenty with ten mistakes), sexual disfunction, sinus issues, achy joints, fatigue, tinatis, are among the many.
My HMO has tried all sorts of tests. I have been sent to ENT’s, Neurologists, etc. They all claim that nothing is wrong. My neurologist even suggested that it might be psycho somatic as I had too many different symptoms to be a real disorder.
Although I live in Southern California,I spend time at rural family properties in Central New York, Eastern Long Island and Block Island. I have always been extremely careful of ticks, but sometimes things happen. After six months of berating my primary care physician he has finally consented to a blood test, although he says I don’t have Lyme or any other tic borne disease. Once again he says I have too many symptoms for it to be one specific disorder.
This is maddening! I want my life back!
Any help in the Long Beach, Los Angeles area? Zip code 90803.
Thank you!
1. February 2012 at 2:46 pm
Both CA and NY have plenty of Lyme, Page. I’m sending you SoCAL info. Don’t be surprised if your blood test comes back negative; the tests most regular docs use are very unreliable. Thanks for asking.
1. February 2012 at 8:19 am
Pls. send me info on Lyme doctors in Alabama. Thx.
1. February 2012 at 2:27 pm
I’m sending AL Lyme info ASAP. Thanks for asking, Ed.
P.S. Comments on this site are moderated, meaning they don’t show up until they’ve been approved. I deleted your second request.
31. January 2012 at 8:26 pm
I live in Naples and am experiencing lots of the symptoms, including a low-grade fever for 6 weeks. I had 2 round 1″ swelling on my left leg – it than spread to a rash – it took 2 months to go away – nothing worked…finally it went away by itself. I am tired, my glands hurt. Who should I see in Naples or Marco Island Florida
1. February 2012 at 11:33 am
I”m sending you FL Lyme info, Dee. Thanks for asking.
1. February 2012 at 12:45 pm
Could you send information on finding lyme disease doctors in New York city?
1. February 2012 at 7:30 pm
NYC Lyme info is being sent shortly, Stephanie. Thanks for asking.
31. January 2012 at 5:53 pm
I have an AWFUL headache and dizziness and I have had it for about a week now. I have not gone to school. I’ve had my blood drawn to be tested for lyme. but i still am not sure if i have it or not
31. January 2012 at 5:59 pm
I hope what you have is easily resolved, alice. Lots of things can cause headaches and dizziness. If it is Lyme, come back and tell me in what city and state you live and I’ll send you info on how to find a Lyme doctor. Most regular doctors don’t know how to treat Lyme adequately. Thanks for commenting.
30. January 2012 at 5:30 pm
Hi,
I have had Lyme disease 11 times over 20 years and have been treated each time with 3 weeks of doxycycline. Normally I feel better after treatment, but not this time. I have random leg aches/pains and other things I didn’t have before. I was re-tested 3 weeks after treatment and my internal medicine Dr. said that the number was lower so it had been treated,and no more antibiotic was needed. She claims I have RA symptoms. My RA number is very high but 2 rheumatologists said I do not have it, which primary Dr. disputes. I think it is time to find a doctor who is Lyme literate. I live in Southeastern Connecticut (near Lyme!), near the Rhode Island border. Thanks for your help.
30. January 2012 at 8:19 pm
Sorry to say, Susan, that you most likely haven’t had Lyme 11 times. It’s just gone latent and come back because you weren’t given enough antibiotics. I’m sending you CT info so you can find a Lyme specialist who will know how to treat it adequately. Thanks for asking.
30. January 2012 at 4:47 pm
Hi Pam,
I was diagnosed in Sept 2011 and was treated with three weeks of doxycycline. I have not had any symptoms since but was re-rested two weeks ago and it came back positive. I was started on another round of doxycycline for three weeks. When I asked when I should be re-tested again my doctor said it is a gray area because the results can show positive for a year. What are your thoughts? Will you please send Lyme doctor info for Boston and Southern NH area’s.
Thanks very much.
Sue
30. January 2012 at 8:05 pm
Susan, the immune system can have antibodies to Lyme long after it’s gone, so retesting isn’t always helpful. Three weeks of Doxy is rarely enough to get rid of Lyme. I’m sending you MA and NH Lyme info so you can find a doctor who knows how to treat Lyme adequately. Thanks for asking.
30. January 2012 at 2:17 pm
Could you send information on finding lyme disease doctors in Oregon?
Thanks
30. January 2012 at 8:00 pm
I’m sending OR Lyme info shortly. Thanks for asking, Vince.
30. January 2012 at 12:48 pm
I am looking for a lyme literate doctor in the Detroit, MI area. I am located in the Detroit suburbs, zip code 48316. Thanks!
30. January 2012 at 7:57 pm
MI Lyme info is on the way, Jamie. Thanks for asking.
29. January 2012 at 10:35 pm
Could you please email me doctors in Berks County, PA? I know someone who desperately needs the attention of a specialized doctor. Hopefully it is not too late.
30. January 2012 at 11:19 am
PA Lyme info is being sent shortly. Thanks for asking, Crytal.
29. January 2012 at 5:45 pm
Hello, i was diagnosed w/ chronic lyme back in 08′, since then i have seen at least 5 drs who claim to be infectious disease specialist. With each one i have found that when i come in with complants of over 30 symptoms they seem to blow me off or ask me if i am sure i am having them or they decide that they no longer treat lyme patients. I have been trying to do treatment again but my new dr is now saying that my insurance wont cover having a picc line in again even though it has before. And she claims that my last results came back negative though i was teated by anothwr dr a month after her test and they came back positive. I am lost for words and i am getting worae by each passing day what o dont understand is if its such an epidimic u wuld think that more drs wuld know bout it and have better ways to hamdle amd treat it. And for ne one that wants to know when i found a tick on me it was not a deer tick i didnt have a rash or red bullseye or nething for months.. my first aymptoms was my legs started to hurt so bad i had to b carried home from work and i had a high fever and the next day i felt normal i only got tested becuz mt sister has it as well amd she told me too.
30. January 2012 at 11:11 am
Sadly, Cassandra, infectious disease specialists are the last doctors you’d want to go to for Lyme diagnosis and treatment. Most of them follow the Lyme guidelines of the Infectioius Diseases Society of America (IDSA), which claim two weeks of Doxycycline should get rid of Lyme and there’s no such thing as chronic Lyme. If you have symptoms after a course of Doxy, it’s Post Lyme Syndrome, which they imply is psychosomatic (in your head). Health insurance companies follow these guidelines because it saves them from having to pay for long-term Lyme care. You would think more doctors would know about the seriousness of Lyme and want to understand how to diagnose it correctly and treat it adequately. But they don’t.
Thanks for commenting. If you’d like info on how to find a Lyme doctor, tell me in what city and state your live and I’ll send it.
29. January 2012 at 9:12 am
Hi, I have many of the symptoms of lyme. Do you know of any qualified doctors in central florida? Thank you so much for all the info.
29. January 2012 at 2:30 pm
FL Lyme info has been sent, Jennifer. Thanks for asking.
29. January 2012 at 8:57 pm
My mother is currently in Florida and is experiencing some of these symptoms. Could you please send me a list of Lyme-literate physicians in Central or South-Central Florida also? Thank you.
30. January 2012 at 11:16 am
FL Lyme info is on its way, Kathleen. Thanks for asking.
29. January 2012 at 2:57 am
I was diagnosed with chronic Lyme 3 yrs ago by a “Lyme literate” doc. I have been on 2 antibiotics since then and at this point it’s more of a maintenance so my shaking/ twitching, joint pain, etc don’t get worse. I am not getting better and my doctor seems to have lost interest in trying to help me! Could u please send me a list of Lyme doctors in Bucks County, PA…or close to that. I am desperate to get better and get my life back! I’m only 39 and I feel very alone in this fight. I’ve been dealing with doctors and hospitals since I was 14, long story. I know my body, I know I’m not crazy and I’m a strong woman but I’m really getting tired of fighting. Any help would be so greatly appreciated!!!
29. January 2012 at 2:24 pm
Philly area Lyme info is being sent shortly, Amy. Please find another Lyme doctor and support from others who have Lyme. Many of us with Lyme know the depressing feeling of being tired of fighting. You shouldn’t have to deal with Lyme alone. Thanks for asking.
28. January 2012 at 11:49 pm
Hi, I am inquiring for my sister. She has had several of the symptoms listed over the past few years. She does not remember having a tick bite though. I have heard sometimes people don’t even realize they have been bit though. Do you know a Lyme Specialist in the Nashville TN or Burns TN area? Thank you!
29. January 2012 at 2:17 pm
Cheryl, I’m sending TN Lyme info so your sister can find a Lyme specialist. Indeed many people with Lyme never remember a tick bite. Thanks for asking.
28. January 2012 at 9:46 pm
My husband is having major health issues. Please send me the lyme-literate doctors in northern Minnesota. He is headed for a brain MRI this week. All his blood tests are totally normal but he is losing the use of his right leg and right arm. He did have a rash this fall that we treated with an antibiotic cream and it went away. Now these symptoms as well as extreme fatigue have him in bed most of the time. We really would appreciate your help.
29. January 2012 at 2:01 pm
I’m sending MN Lyme info ASAP, Judy. Please do get your husband to a Lyme specialist, even if you have to travel. Thanks for asking.
28. January 2012 at 8:26 pm
Please send me Lyme Disease specialist names for Kansas City MO area.
I live on 10 acres in the country and many varieties of ticks are on our land and in our woods. I love to be out doors, and I commonly remove ticks, at least 20/year or more; some so tiny I don’t feel or notice them for quite awhile (like a “new” freckle in between the toes!). I was given the basic test for Lyme in 2002 when my cervical lymph nodes were very enlarged (surgical biopsy ruled out lymphona etc) – even after a second opinion the cause was never determined. They cited odd cell formations but not what caused them, yet it was not cancer. I was literally told by my surgeon that they didn’t know what it was, and to simply “watch my body and alert healthcare professionals of any future abnormailities for further investigation”. My health has slowly, generally degraded over the years, and this year became severe enough I asked for investigation. After an MRI detected a tumor, and a needle biopsy result ‘suspected’ cancer, but after surgical removal of the tumor and a second opinion provided by Mayo Clinic, determined I instead have severe auto-immune disease which we continue to investigate cause. Again in 2011 at my begging and pleading, my Primary care physician provided simple basic Lyme test (after literally LAUGHING at me but agreeing to do so as he was closing the door behind him) but it came back negative.
I have so many of the symptoms described, from heart palpitations, occasional numbness, tingling & swelling of extremities, BP spikes, memory and cognitive issues, incredible body aches/pain, achey joints, bursitis, inflammation, headaches, ear-ringing, anxiousness, vision problems (dry eye, deteriorating visual acuity and increased Rx on glasses) this year my hands have become increasingly stiff and joints inflamed and it is progressing to my wrists (neurologist ruled out MS but did say I have carpel tunnel), feet joints becoming more painful, hematologist ruled out luekemia but says my “T-Cell ratio is increased” but Drs continue to brush off all the ‘abnormalities’ to a general auto-immune disease issue recently diagnosed (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis).mRealizing that they are the specialists, I’ve trusted and dropped it – until I read this site.mThey have literally used the words “assume it’s related to your thyroid issues…..” yet no one seems to be interested in clarifying the underlying cause. simply citing “auto-immune diseases are not well understood”. I was sent to neurologist and hematologist b/c of unexplained oddities in my bone marrow seen in MRI’s, which – also, went ‘unexplained and assume it’s relaated to autoimmune issues’. Even a recent bone marrow biopsy indicates ‘abnormalities’, but b/c no gleaming “CANCER”, Drs are not concerned.
I realize there could be something else at play, but I would love to visit a Dr who will seriously investigate the possible Lyme disease (which I have wondered about for years!!) link to my progressing ailments before it’s too late. I would rather pursue Lyme as a possibility and rule it out than to have it present but be ignored.
NOTE: Other than my 2001 cervical lymph node issue, and Hypothyroidism detected in 2004 (weight gain, tiredness) – I have not seen Drs except for routine exams, annual flu shots – UNTIL THIS SUMMER when more severe symptoms reared their head. I am not a “let’s run to the Dr” kind of person….so this recent run of specialists is NOT my norm – in fact it’s a very new thing. (Before then, most ailments like tiredness, fatigue, migraines, bursitis/joint pain were so generalized and my Dr had me convinced I was just “no longer a Spring chicken”….which I know is also possible since I have no other life to compare it to!). I am currently 44 and this started when I was 32. I have been a life-long outdoor lover.
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR HELP!
29. January 2012 at 1:50 pm
Julie, all the symptoms you have are not normal for a person of any age. I’m sending you MO Lyme info so you can find a doctor who knows how to diagnose Lyme correctly and treat it adequately if you have it. No Lyme test is 1005 accurate, although those used by doctors who know little or nothing about Lyme are known for reporting many false negatives. So sorry you’ve gotten the Lyme wild goose chase. It’s a travesty how many people this happens to before they finally find out they have Lyme and get treated for it. Thanks for asking.
28. January 2012 at 7:49 pm
Hi Pam
Do you have lyme disease doctors for Sydney, australia? Thx
29. January 2012 at 1:40 pm
Australia Lyme info is on its way, Amanda. Thanks for asking.
28. January 2012 at 3:34 pm
Thanks for the info. I was diagnosised with Lyme disease 18 ago. I didn’t develope a rash. I had Bells Palsy. There was not as information available then. My family doctor put me on steroids. (worst treatment possible for immune system that’s being attacked )She did not test me for anything. My health continued to deteriorate. Thank God for my mother who pushed for answers and found a knowledgable doctor. I was tested and was positive for Lyme. I was on antibiotics for 3 months. It took months to feel better. I was so tired, weak, and depressed for almost a year. After getting back to “normal” I would have some joint pain in cold weather and a migrane a few times a year. Nothing that effected me daily. Fast forward to today. I have been experiencing a lot of arthritis pain. I’m only 30 years old and have a ruptured disc in my back. I’ve had MRI’s and was diagnosised with degenerative disc disease. I have brusitis in both hips, arthritis in my right knee, and both ankles/feet.I’m in pain everyday! I’m young, not overweight and was an active hiker before these problems started 6 months ago. Along with the joint problems I have had more headaches including 2 cluster headaches that I had to go to the emergency room for pain medication. I have seen my family doctor and an orthopedic. My Dr. tested my for Lyme (Elisa test) which was negative. At this point he acts like the subject of Lyme is closed. He may not have the knowledge. I need to find a tick borne disease specialist in New Jersey (Bergen Co. area ) I work in an animal hospital so my chances of being exposed to ticks are greater. There is a possibility I have Lyme, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma etc. It amazes me that in veterinary medicine (in my office) we test animals yearly for 3 common tick borne diseases. I can’t even get my doctor to take another look and help me live with less pain. I’m not crazy and I’m tired of doctors sending me to other specialist who only treat symptoms and not the cause. Thanks for any info.
28. January 2012 at 5:40 pm
NJ Lyme info, Catrina. Sounds to me like you really to need to see a Lyme specialist. Thanks for asking.
28. January 2012 at 12:13 pm
I have severe pain in my neck and swollen lymph nodes, pain in my feet in the mornings and several other similar symptoms that have been posted on here. I have had three tick bites in the past year that fit the description for possible Lyme infection. I went recently for a physical and requested a to be tested for Lyme. My doctor said I needed to see a chiropractor for my neck as it was a tight muscle. I am a massage therapist … It is not a tight muscle! She gave me a prescript for cyclobenzaprine to help me sleep and relax my neck, oh and did not run the Lyme test. This was 3 weeks ago! I went back yesterday to have blood drawn for the Lyme Test. Please send me information for a LLMD in the Southern Virginia area. Thank you
28. January 2012 at 2:36 pm
VA Lyme info is being sent shortly, Christy. Don’t be surprised if your Lyme test comes back negative; the CDC tests that most regular doctors use is very unreliable. Thanks for asking.
28. January 2012 at 11:35 am
Hello there,
In May/June 2011 I was starting to get severe chest pains,had lots of tests done, and at the end they removed my gallbladder (they said it probably was overactive). I had been real healthy up to this point, so all the health trouble came as a big surprise to me. Now, ever since I had my gallbladder removed the chest pain has stopped, but I still feel like something is wrong with my insides, and I still experience back pain underneith my shoulder ever day. Also, since the operation I have had a buzzing feeling inside me. Really weird. I tried to tell the doctor about it, but they don’t seem to believe me. In November 2011 I had a real bad cold, with swollen lymph nodes,… and no time to see the doctor. Then, after a few weeks the cold changed into severe lung pain, and my arms legs were starting to feel heavy and ache badly. I went to the doctors, and they were treating me for allergies. Never have had allergies in my life and don’t think I have any now. Anyway, they finally gave me an antibiotic (Zpack), which made my lungs improve a little. I still have lung pain every day, and that awful achy feeling in my arms and legs is just not going away. Also the buzzing has spread to my arms and legs now. I always thought it had to do with the bad cold I experienced, but now I am wondering if it maybe could be Lyme. Do you have any ideas or recommendations for me?
I am also wondering if I might have Lyme disease. I have had two tick bites about a year ago, but no redness, swelling, ….I actually still have the two little fellows in a bag in my freezer
28. January 2012 at 2:34 pm
My recommendation, Tanja: See a Lyme specialist and get properly tested for Lyme and co-infections. Most people with Lyme have not only that illness but also one or more co-infections that come with it (Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, and/or Anaplasmosis). Many also have Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and the herpes viruses Epstein-Barr, Cytomegalovirus, and HHV-6. You should be tested for all these by someone who knows what to look for.
If you tell me in what city and state you live, I’ll send you info on how to find a Lyme doctor. Thanks for asking.
28. January 2012 at 3:00 pm
Could you please send me a list of lyme specialists in Perry Hall, Maryland. Thanks.
28. January 2012 at 5:35 pm
I’m sending Maryland Lyme info, Kristy. Thanks for asking.
29. January 2012 at 9:18 am
Pam,
I’m in Massachusetts. Are there any Lyme specialists here? Much obliged.
29. January 2012 at 2:31 pm
I’m sending MA Lyme info, Ariel. Thanks for asking.
1. February 2012 at 2:30 pm
Thank you so much. I am living in Columbus GA
1. February 2012 at 2:50 pm
GA Lyme info coming up, Tanja. Thanks for asking.
28. January 2012 at 2:30 am
Can you please send me a list of doctors close to Midland, TX. Thank you so much
28. January 2012 at 6:51 am
TX Lyme info coming up, Irene. Thanks for asking.
27. January 2012 at 2:49 pm
I removed a deer tick from my thigh last June, and watched the site for six months. I didn’t observe any redness. I’ve observed several bizarre symptoms recently–shooting neck pain, swelling under my left heel, very sore right foot pain (at 2:00 AM; gone by 6:00 AM)–all with no apparent cause. Would you please send some info for Southern Delaware (I live in Lewes) or Eastern Shore Maryland (Salisbury is not awfully far)?
Thanks for an informative site.
28. January 2012 at 6:36 am
DE/MD Lyme info is being sent shortly, Robert. Foot issues are often Bartonella, one of the co-infections that can come with Lyme disease. Thanks for asking.
27. January 2012 at 1:38 pm
I was dx with Lyme in Nov. and completed a 4 week course of oral abx but I am still having knee and back pain. Can you recommend someone in CT to see?
28. January 2012 at 6:33 am
CT Lyme info is on the way, Sonya. Thanks for asking.
27. January 2012 at 11:08 am
I was recently diagnosed with Lymes disease…. This is the most horrible thing I have ever been through in my life. It all began with me I had a twitching in my left eye I never though nothing of it i would just keep rubbing my eyes hoping it would stop well that was first sign for me about a month later it all began setting in hard on me I was at the dentist office and i began getting tremors uncontrollably then my heart beat raised to 145 I couldnt get it to stop I began to drink some pop and settled down … This was just the beginning. About a month later I had another spell. Scared I rushed to the emergency room. They brushed me off as anxiety and from there on i went down hill everything was just like in a fog for me i looked around and nothing seemed like it was real i didnt even have enough life in me to put on my own clothes.it made my mind play tricks on me asking myselfs why was i even here. i was major confused about life. It made me into a hyprocondriac i had everything from a brain tumor to every disease they was i became paranoide i wouldnt leave the house i became debilated i had mra, mri, and had my ear checked inside out no matter what i done i couldnt find an answer to my problems. I was just about to give up and I could never explain how horrible what i went though was i couldnt conentrate my heart wouldnt stop palpatating then i got online and looked up anxiety and depression then i found lyme disease and i looked it up and i had symptoms of it it took me 3 months to get my doctor to test me for it he just kept brushing me off saying he only seen 1 case in 50 years. finally he tested me for it and i had it. my levels was up . i took antibiotics. i still have after effects to it. it turned me into a very precautious person. im still afraid of catching everything. but i am alot better from were i started. so if you think you have lymes dont give up and dont let a doctor brush it off because you couldnt definatly have it and i live where lymes isnt even common.
28. January 2012 at 6:32 am
Thanks for sharing your story, Kaydance. Lyme is more common in many places than most people realize.
26. January 2012 at 9:47 pm
ok i got a couple ?’s …. im a 28 yr old male ive very healthy im 6’4 218lbs .. i have very bad heartburn gas sharp pains in my chest feels like i cant breath get dizzy my limbs go numb i have panic attacks and end up in the hospital ive had 100′s of EKG’s tons of blood tests they alll come back great saying im 100% healthy …. i cant sleep some times i think my heart stopped beating or beating way to slow …now if im active and working i feel fantasticcccc soon as i get home at night is when it all begins …could this be lyme ???? any help would be greatly appreiated
27. January 2012 at 5:19 pm
You could have some kind of tick-borne infection, Joey. Worth checking out I think. If you tell me what city and state you live in, I’ll send you info on how to find a Lyme specialist. Most regular doctors don’t know how to diagnose Lyme correctly or treat it adequately if you have it. The Lyme tests they use are very unreliable. Also, it’s common for a lot of tests like the one’s you’ve had to come back negative when you have Lyme. Thanks for commenting.
27. January 2012 at 6:14 pm
I live in Charleston South Carolina and I believe that I may have Lyme Disease. No one has been able to help me with the chronic issues that I have had for over a year. Is there anyone close to me that can perform a reliable test?
28. January 2012 at 6:40 am
Shannon, I’m sending SC Lyme info ASAP. Thanks for asking.
26. January 2012 at 5:38 pm
Hi, I am 28 and live in Northeast Florida. I was bit in November by an unknown insect. I have had joint pain all over ( especially knees and ankles) fatigue, swelling and muscle pain. I was tested for Lymes and RA, both came back negative. I can barely walk and am a parent of a toddler and a teacher. I cannot get anyone to do the WB test for Lymes. Does anyone know of a LLMD in Jacksonville, FL?
27. January 2012 at 5:13 pm
FL Lyme info coming up shortly. Thanks for asking.
27. January 2012 at 10:23 pm
Hi, I’m 29 going on 30 in 2 months. I’ve had a tick on me when I was like 10 years old and I know this is a long time ago but running across this blog now has me concerned. I was camping with some close friends of my family when this happened one night sleeping in a tent. My friends dad sprayed something on the tick to help pull it out. His dad informed me that the head broke off in me and at the time I was young and did not know anything about this. Now, I got older I have noticed a lot of signs that could be the result of Lyme disease. I’m not sure if they are symptoms of the disease or not. However, I experience what I think is irregular heart beats sometimes, nervousness, numbness in my hands and feet not a whole lot but every once in a while which a doctor told me that was panic attacks. I have trouble sleeping sometimes, memory loss, head and body pains, I have developed an eye floater and blurriness within the least few years, even muscle spasms and nervous twitches and probably much more that would be too much to say. Anyway, I have a low income job barely making it much less having to pay a lot of money for diagnosing and treatment. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks for reading this and please email me and you may keep my email to send me any good information you may think would be good for me to know. Thanks again.
28. January 2012 at 6:49 am
You could have Lyme, Chris. Some people who have it have minimal symptoms because their immune systems are strong enough to fight it. But eventually it could get worse. You might think about seeing a Lyme specialist. Lyme is usually a clinical diagnosis since the tests aren’t very reliable. One of the main antibiotics given for it is Doxycycline. It’s cheap. A few herbal things you can get at a health food store can also help.
If you tell me in what city and state you live, I’ll send you info on how to find a Lyme doctor. Most regular doctors know little or nothing about diagnosing it correctly and treating it adequately.
I’m adding you to the site’s email list so you can read info that comes out when I post it. Thanks for commenting.
28. January 2012 at 11:37 pm
Could you send me info on FL Lymes disease testing too?
Thank you!
29. January 2012 at 2:13 pm
FL Lyme info coming up, Jaci. Thanks for asking.