Subject: Re: Is it possible I have Lyme even though 2 tests were negative?
Forum: The Neurology and Neurosurgery Forum

Topic Area: Lyme

Since Dec' of '98 I started to experience the shaking at work. Shortly after I leaned my wrist on a counter and discovered my hand shaking uncontrollably. I went to my doctor who thought it was stress related and took a thryroid test just in case. The thryoid was negative and he prescribed Paxil which only made the symptoms much worse. At that point I was suffering from tremors, muscle twitching and numbness in the face. I would wake in the middle of the night with my legs shaking uncontrollably. I asked to see a neurologist who did a brain MRI and EMG both were normal. After trying several other medications which also made my symptoms worse I stopped all medication and hand a lymes test repeated. Negative again. I now sometimes experience a woozy like feeling in my head, have occasional temporary blurred spot in vision, tingling sensations along, occasional eye tearing and daily neck pain. Anxiety has been present from the onset of symptoms and to a lesser extent prior. I also was diagnosed with fibromyalgia the year before when I experienced unexplained pain throughout the body.

I recently went to a endocronologist who is again testing me for thyroid -graves disease seems to be what he is getting out. He said my thyroid is 1 1/2 times normal size and I am at the upper limits of normalcy for eye protrusion. This diagnosis explains only some of my symptoms and I am quite scared. Is it possible this is really lymes disease and I should pursue other avenues as well?

Thank you for any help you can offer me.

Dear Sabrina:

I am assuming that you live in an area that the deer tick that spreads Lyme disease is endemic, and that you have had reason to believe that you were bit by a tick. If this were the case, and you have had some other symptoms of Lyme disease such as the characteristic rash and joint pains then maybe another test might be helpful if it were analyzed by a different lab.

I would guess, that since the tests you had looked at antibodies to the lyme agent and they were negative, the possibility of you having Lyme is pretty rare. Especially if you do not live in an endemic area. The best news is that your MRI were normal and the EMG test (if done at a good place) was normal. Since you describe general problems but no muscle weakness, then the biggest concern of ALS is very unlikely. You may have what we call benign fasciculations. These are muscle twitches that are uncontrolled, they are increased in anxiety and fatigue. They are harmless physically and they often go away on their own within months. We are not sure what causes them although 30% of patients report a previous viral infection. The most important point is to get fully checked out by a good neurologist to rule out other possibilities. But my guess would be benign fasciculations.

I am not sure if I helped you at all. Without being able to examine you it is difficult to tell you what you may or may not have. Muscle twitches can be caused by elevated thyroid, but a high normal free T4 would be very unlikely to cause fasciculations.

Sincerely,

CCF Neuro MD

Follow Ups:

• Is it possible I have Lyme even though 2 tests were negative? sabrina stripe 8/05/1999 (1)
  • Re: Is it possible I have Lyme even though 2 tests were negative? CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS 8/06/1999 (0)

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