Lyme Symptoms-and there's a lot of them!!

I probably should have done this post about Lyme Disease symptoms at the very beginning of treatment, but it is still valid now. It is so important to know what symptoms to look for if you have been bitten by a tick. The best option is to get 4-6 weeks of antibiotics as soon as you are bitten by a tick. Not all doctors agree with this, but it is by far the best thing to do. Not everyone who has been bitten by a tick will show symptoms. Not every bite transmits Lyme, and not everyone who has been exposed to it gets it.  *Note-I'm currently doing a detox treatment and it makes it hard to write. Please excuse mistakes!!*

The best way for a doctor to figure out if you do have Lyme's is for the doctor to use a clinical diagnosis. Many, many times the blood work will give a false negative and it can even give a false positive. So what do you do if you suspect you have it? See a doctor and have this checklist (see below) ready. It will help you communicate to your doctor what your symptoms are, and you won't forget when the doc asks you. This checklist comes from http://www.ilads.org/ (International Lyme And Associated Diseases Society). Beware, the list is long! I'll probably highlight some and then send you to the checklist in case you ever need it.

Lyme Disease Symptoms:

Persistent swollen glands

Sore throat

Fevers

Sore soles, esp. in the AM

Joint pain: Fingers, toes, ankles, wrists, knees, elbows, hips, shoulders

Joint swelling: fingers, toes, ankles, wrists, knees, elbows, hips, shoulders

Unexplained back pain

Stiffness of the joints or back

Muscle pain or cramps

Obvious muscle weakness

Twitching of the face or other muscles

Confusion, difficulty thinking

Difficulty with concentration, reading, problem absorbing new information

Word search, name block

Forgetfulness, poor short term memory, poor attention

Disorientation: getting lost, going to wrong places

Speech errors: wrong word, misspeaking

Mood swings, irritability, depression

Anxiety, panic attacks

Psychosis (hallucinations,

delusions, paranoia, bipolar)

Tremor

Seizures

Headache

Light sensitivity

Sound sensitivity

This is by no means a complete list.  These symptoms were taken from http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/B_guidelines_12_17_08.pdf#search=%22symptoms%22 pages 9 and 10. There, you can find the complete list.

When I first went in to be diagnosed, I think I counted 30 symptoms that I had. Over the years symptoms  come and go and even change. I have no desire to count now :-) However, it is great to have this list to refer to. I hope this post hasn't been too boring... Next post is about detoxing and I'll update how things are going around here.

allison