Lymphoma and Lyme is there a connection?

[wodeaz]

I tested positive in the US at the Igenex lab for Lyme Disease in 1995 but never received treatment here in Canada...now many years later I am have many lymphoma Symptoms and I am having a biopsy on a groin node on March 24th. I have many symptoms including weight loss,no appetite nausea night sweats, swollen lymph nodes in my neck, groin, armpits n cheek...I am exhausted all the time and suffer from daily headache...could this be lymphoma or lyme or both...have anyone with Lyme disease been diagnosed with lymphoma?

[JackieCalifornia]

PS  As I said, I'm NOT medically trained, but I would definitely want for Lyme and its co-infections [extra diseases the Lyme bacteria often bring] ruled out before ignoring Lyme and assuming it's something else like.  The tests can be done simultaneously, I would think ... but I would not ignore Lyme as the culprit here.  

CanLyme is your friend.  And so are we.  

[JackieCalifornia]

Welcome to MedHelp Lyme --

I'm not medically trained, so this is how I would approach the situation if it were I --- given that you tested positive for Lyme 11 years ago, you could still have it, and finding confirming or discarding that possibility may be useful ... if not to your current docs, but to you and a Lyme doc.

Lyme and its co-infections have different combinations of symptoms in different people, so in your situation I would seriously consider having tests for Lyme and other co-infections before assuming it's lymphoma.  

That you have had an untreated positive IGeneX test for Lyme, you could still have Lyme.  Lyme may live quietly in the body, or may be very annoying, depending on your immune system and other variables.  Your list of symptoms are not far off from the symptoms of Lyme, from what I've read.  

There is no reason your body cannot have both Lyme and lymphoma at the same time -- they don't cross each other out.  Your symptom list above has much similarity to Lyme ... as you've already figured out.

There is an organization called CanLyme, short for the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, and I would first contact them and find a Lyme doc as near as possible to you, to save the energy and funds in making the trip.  In the US (and perhaps in Canada), Lyme docs are not in favor of having their names all over the place, so it may look at first like you don't have many options, but a little discreet snooping online may find some good stuff.

Also, I would post another separate message on THIS website here, titled something like 'Need LLMD near [name of city][name of province]' and see what you get back.

Also just snoop around doing online searches like  ---  lyme disease montreal quebec --- or whatever seems feasible.

This can be a lot of brain work when you're not feeling well, so recruit a friend to do the searching and making lists and printing things out.  

If you can get your doc who is doing the groin biopsy to also send a sample to whatever lab CanLyme might recommend, that might be a good step -- but I'm guessing here.  

Get a friend to help do all this under your supervision -- you've got plenty to deal with right now -- but you know what?  it sounds like you're tough and a fighter, and that's all to the good.

Let us know how we can help -- keep us posted!