Do I have Lyme Disease?

Question

I first noticed a strange rash on my thigh about a week ago. It's a little bigger then a dime and it has a red outer circle with a read dot in the middle, but otherwise is pretty much clear. I sort of brushed it off because I have eczema, but no matter how much I moisturize, it just won't go away. I've had constant headaches on and off for a few years now too, but lately they've been getting worse. I only looked up lyme disease because I've been feeling really tired and kind of sick and achy lately, even when I get a good amount of sleep. I'm someone who can survive on only a few hours of sleep so I thought it was rather strange that I kept on getting these tired spells. When I looked up symptoms for lyme disease I also remembered that I've been getting muscle aches, specifically in my forearms lately. It comes and goes, but it kind of has me freaking out. I know lyme disease is possible because I live near the woods and often go jogging in them. Should get a lyme disease test done?

Answer 1

You might wish to consider this information, which has guided me in my search to return to a healty state.

Lyme Disease Symptoms


The Diagnosis of Lyme Disease is a Clinical Diagnosis of the "Presentation" which means the "Presentation of 'Symptomatology'", and the diagnosis of the "absence" of Lyme Disease is not to be diagnosed Serologically.
IE: It is a "Clinical Diagnosis" and not a "Serological Diagnosis" which means that the determination of whether or not Lyme Disease is present is:

To be determined "only by" the presentation of the Symptomatologies; which means you "rely on" the "Symptoms of the Disease" to determine if Lyme Disease is present, and "not" the blood work.

The blood work is only to be used to "confirm" the presence of the disease and "not" to be used for a diagnosis or non-diagnosis of the disease.
Again: Blood work is only to be used to confirm the Clinical Diagnosis, and is not to be used to diagnose Lyme Disease.


If you present with over 7 (seven) of the following Symptoms seek "immediate" treatment from your Health Care Professional.








As part of your current illness, have you had any of the following: (Yes or No)
1 Tick Bite ..............................................................Y N
2 Rash at bite site
3 Rashes at other sites
4 Fever, chills, sweats
5 Weight change (loss or gain)
6 Fatigue, tiredness
7 Unexplained hair loss
8 Swollen Glands
9 Sore Throat
10 Testicular pain or Pelvic pain
11 Unexplained menstrual irregularity
12 Irritable bladder or bladder dysfunction
13 Sexual dysfunction or loss of libido
14 Upset stomach
15 Change in bowel function, constipation
16 Chest pain or rib soreness
17 Shortness of breath, cough
18 Heart palpitations, pulse skips, heart block
19 Joint pain or swelling
20 Muscle pain or cramps
21 Twitching of the face or other muscles
22 Headache
23 Neck creaks and cracks, neck stiffness
24 Stiffness of the joints or back
25 Tingling, numbness, burning or a stabbing
26 Facial paralysis (mouth is crooked on one side when you talk in front of a mirror-Bell's Palsy)
27 Eyes/vision: double, blurry, pain, increased floaters (specks in front of vision)
28 Ears/hearing: ringing, buzzing, ear pain
29 Dizziness, poor balance, increased motion sickness
30 Light-headedness, wooziness, difficulty walking, clumsy bumping into objects
31 Tremor
32 Confusion, difficulty in thinking, difficulty in concentrating, difficulty with sticking with task
33 Difficulty with concentration or reading
34 Decreased short term memory
35 Disorientation: driving past your turn, getting lost, going to wrong place
36 Difficulty with speech
37 Mood swings, irritability, depression
38 Disturbed sleep: too much, too little, early awakening- goes through cycles sometimes too much
39 Exaggerated symptoms or worse hangover from alcohol
40 Slowed pulse
41 Testicular enlargement
42 Nodules on earlobes
43 Stomach distension
44 Breathing with mouth open
45 Eye lesions
46 Nasal stuffiness /restriction
47 Shortness of breath
48 Hypersensitive olfactory organ (sensitive to the slightest odours / smells)
49 Feeling drunk without drinking
50 No desire to do anything- including favorite hobbies
51 Too slow a pulse when resting
52 Rapid pulse with slightest exertion
53 Perfuse sweating- soaking wet if you go snow skiing
54 Muscle pains, cramps or charley horse
55 Pains switching from one side of the body to the other
56 Enlarged lymph glands
57 Stiff aching neck
58 Changes in vision
59 Generalized acheyness
60 Limbs- especially arms feel heavier than normal.
61 Diminished or absent reflexes
62 Brain fog
63 Poor coordination/ataxia
64 Continual infections
65 Poor concentration
66 Decreased ability to spell correctly
67 GI distress/abdominal pain
68 Poor word retrieval/Aphasia
69 Anxiety
70 Difficulty swallowing
71 Nausea/vomiting
72 Anorexia
73 Vasculitis
74 Loss of muscle tone
75 Changes in taste or smell
76 Obsessive-Compulsive symptoms
77 Panic attacks
78 Changes in cerebral blood flow/brain waves
79 Number reversal
80 Light Sensitivity
81 Trigeminal neuralgia (TMJ)
82 Dilated cardiomyopathy
83 Loss of temperature control (this means that your body temperature is erratic and raises and lowers for no apparent reason)

Answer 2

Dr S's response is nonsense - Lyme cystic forms are well known in the research community. The longterm doxy may suppress but not cure it. You may have a tick-borne co-infection that doesn't respond to doxy. You need a proper workup from someone who knows what s/he is doing. The test you probably had - ELISA - misses half the cases. It is too insensitive to be used for a screening test. (That doesn't stop people from using it for screening, however.) Lyme may not be common where you live because 1. no one is looking for it, diagnosing or counting it; 2. it is just spreading to your area; or 3. it really is rare. Have you ever traveled to a place where Lyme is more common? Even if Lyme is not common in your area, that doesn't mean it NEVER happens. Your symptoms - being so varied - could be Lyme. Your doctors can't figure it out so they take the easy path of saying you must be psycho. They probably don't know much about Lyme. There are online support and information groups in every state. People who are treated properly, i.e. with antibiotics, often recover, even after years of illness. You just need to find the right doctor. Many people with Lyme have to travel out of state to see a knowledgeable doctor. Maybe you will, too.

Answer 3

The rash sounds like lyme. Achy joints, especially ones that migrate or move to different parts of the body, are typical in lyme patients. You should definintely get a lyme test done, but keep in mind that you can have lyme without receiving a positive test. Be diligent, ask a lot of questions and do your own research. Keep positive and know that if you find a good Lyme Literate Doctor, you can get the help you need. The key is to treat it early. Best of luck!

Answer 4

You definitely should get a test done, because some of the signs are charactaristics of lyme disease. However, I thought I had lyme disease a little while ago but it ended up being a ringworm fungus. They often look the same so it's hard to tell the difference. Either way though, if you do have it, you just need to start taking medication and you'll hardly notice you have it. Good luck!

Answer 5

My mom recently got diagnosed for lyme disease and you seem to have some of the symptoms she did. Anyways, getting tested is quick and easy. You're better off safe than sorry.

Answer 6

Good sources of info about Lyme disease:
http://www.canlyme.com
http://www.lymenet.com
http://www.lymeinfo.net
http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org
http://www.ilads.org
http://www.betterheatlhguy.com
http://www.publichealthalert.com

Answer 7

Yes definetly and as soon as you can. It sounds like you could.

Answer 8

Yes, I think you should be tested.