Hi I am new to the forum and have several questions that I was hoping someone could help make sense of the new diagnosis of Lymes Disease I received.
For 12 years I have been diagnosed/undiagnosed (back and forth) with Lupus of the Central Nervous System. Last year, August 2008, I was diagnosed with Lymes disease after having 5 out of 7 bars show up on my IGM Lymes test. I was treated twice with Doxycycline (2 mos.) for the Lymes but the treatment did not work and the doctors suspected that I may not have Lupus but had Lymes the entire time. In July 2009, a year later, I was tested and the IGM Lymes test was again positive. The neurologist confirmed I have Lymes Disease but told me that it should have showed up on the IGG test and not the IGM test because of the length of time I have had Lymes. Now I have numerous questions.
1. Does this mean I have Lymes because I have neuro, heart and bone pain symptoms along with positive testing?
2. Can Lymes cause inflammation of the organs? (I have had incidents of colonitis, pancreaitis, diverculitis, inflammation of liver and spleen, hypothyroidism, heart mitral valve prolapse and sclerosis, GERD, pericarditis as well as several drug resistant staph infections (MRSA) over a 12 year period). Can Lymes do this to a person?
3. Also can Lymes cause severe migraines? I am now being treated for migraines that were causing blindness and dementia.
4. Are there any alternative medications that I could take since the Doxycycline didn't work?
I live in New Jersey and Lymes Disease is pretty normal occurance here. But from those I spoke with they had severe problems immediately after contacting the disease, not chronic like I have. That and they were hospitalized for months from this which almost ended in death. My problems seem to come and go almost like lupus flares. Flu symptoms, swollen glands, severe fatigue, severe bone and joint pain, muscle spasms along with some organ inflammation.
Has anyone experienced fluctuating symptoms like this?
I appreciate any information you could give me to help me get an idea if this is normal or I need more testing or medication. Thank you - Kristin