Positive I have Lyme disease help!!

[Captainkirk1991]

Hello I am a 24 old male seeking help. When I was around 18 or 19 I got bit by a tick in the stomach and did not notice it until a few days later. There was some redness and swelling but I did not notice any bulls eye rash that is connected with Lyme. After I removed the tick a day or so later I got really sick chills and a really high fever and so forth. After that went away I felt fine until I started college then the symptoms came on fast. First I started getting headaches almost everyday. Then problems with my heart I started having palpitations and tachycardia which the doctors  diagnosed. It felt like my heart would beat really fast all the time for no reason. This eventually lead me to the hospital a few times. The doctor kept asking why my heart rate was so high I told them I had no idea. I had a echo of my heart stress test ekg the works. Nothing was positive except for tachyrdia which they told me was normal. Soon after these problems I began to have pain in my joints . Not so much pain but severe stiffness all the time. My joints pop and crack and my back feels achy and stiff all the time. I have had these symptoms for a long time but now they seems worse. At night I have severe tingling in my left leg all the way down to my foot also tingling in my head and left shoulder. I have to stand up a lot at work and I find myself cracking and popping all my joints because they are always so stiff and uncomfortable. I tried working out and that helped a lot but I am unable to do that now because of all the pain and discomfort. Just yesterday I was sitting down at a New Years party and it felt like every joint in my body was trying to rip out and my heart palpitating constantly. Everyday is now a struggle . And have had a brain mri x rays so many test but no results. I have lost the support of my parents as well they don't believe anything is wrong with me. Physically I look fine but inside I'm in a lot of pain . I mentioned Lyme to one of the doctors I went to and he said it was really rare to get from where I live in Georgia but he said I would have to see a special doctor and all this stuff. What should I do ?  

[mkh9]

Yes I do wish you luck. If the test is negative and the IgeneX test is negative (and the co-infections). I'll keep trying to figure it out on my end. Let me know how the results go.
mkh9

[Captainkirk1991]

Thanks for the info i appreciate it. I will call the insurance and see if they can cover the tests that's what i am really hoping for if they cant then im going to have start saving up some money because this is really effecting my life. I just want to be able to feel well so i can accomplish my goals. wish me luck

[mkh9]

Well, you can try to just get tested through your insurance and if it comes up negative then go from there. The lyme doctors are very expensive. I can find that out but really really expensive. So It is worth seeing if you can test positive by the usual route. It is a Serology method. If that is negative it may be worth trying the western blot etc. from Igenex. You probably can check their website. Just google them and see if they have any pricing. But sometimes being chronic you may or may not come up positive. That is when you will have to pay cash to get the other test. Because I don't think they will pay for it anyway. Maybe call your insurance and ask them if they pay for that reference lab. You may get all their info on their website.
http://www.igenex.com

regards,
mkh9

[Captainkirk1991]

Thank you for very much for the reply.  I got bit when I was about 18  I'm 24 now so it has been about 6 years so I'm assuming it is crionic. But I have had symptoms ever since after the bite. For instance like 2 years ago the brain fog was really intense and the joint pain and tingling I did not have I was about to work out and stay active. But now it's way worse I'm having brain fog joint stiffness and constantly tingling. You say it's expensive  to test for which is one of my problems . I have insurance but I am running low on funds since I have had to pay for a lot of recent tests. How much do you think the costs will be ? I plan on getting tested asap thank you

[mkh9]

I wanted to mention that since it has been a while it would be more likely chronic lyme if you have that. So, I would get tested for it and then let me know how it goes.
regards,
mkh9

[mkh9]

Hi, it sounds like classic lyme symptoms to me or one of the co-infections you get along with lyme disease. You only get the target rash in about 40% of the time with Lyme disease. Most doctors don't know this and finally the CDC has admitted this recently. So, it could be something else but since you weren't tested yet I would get tested for Lyme disease. The best lab is to pay for it even though it is expensive and get your blood sent to IgeneX laboratories. Part of the reason is if it has gone into the chronic stage they can pick it up where some of the other labs might miss it. How long has it been since you got bitten? You probably need to get on a couple of months of Doxycycline (the drug they use to treat lyme). I would write to the lyme forum as well. But Since I know the same thing I though I would respond to you. You can ask them more details if you like about it. But feel free to ask me as well.It kind of overlaps both sections. They often tell you to see a "Lyme literate medical doctor" or LLMD because the doctors seem to dismiss lyme. Lyme is really seen throughout the U.S. despite what a lot of doctors think. It is classically in certain states but your area is very possible as well. If you do get tested you should get tested for the co infections as well. These are Ehrlichia, Bartonella, and Babesia. BTW Iike your nick name! Lyme can get into the joints and heart etc. The coinfections do this as well. Brain fog is a big sign. So you really need to get on this quickly.
Let me know if you have any questions.

mkh9

[Captainkirk1991]

It seems now that the tingling is getting way worse In my leg also my joint stiffness is at all time high. And instead of headaches now I'm getting this brain fog where my brain feels very heavy all the time and sometimes it's hard to fully open my eyes.