Maybe Lyme????

Hi all.  I am new to this forum but have a question.  I found a tick on me while camping last July.  Never developed a rash so didn't worry too much about it.  In November, part of my right arm went numb so I had an MRI done.  There is a demylenation lesion on C4-5 spine (very close to where the tick bite was). My brain MRI looked perfect.  I am seeing an MS specialist that says this Clinically Isolated Syndrome may or may not turn into MS.  My question is, does any of this sound like what may happen with Lyme disease?  Four months seems like a long time to see any effects after a bite, but I have to say, I don't know anything about the illness.  Any information you can pass along would be very much so appreciated!  Thank you!

[ginak]

JJ,

I have no confirmed dx as of yet, but have been worked up for MS and just recently started seeing an LLMD. It may be worth you going to an LLMD and getting an accurate lyme test (Igenix). Have you had a lyme test as of yet?

Thanks

[patsy10]

Welcome to MedHelp.  The site where you got bit would have nothing to do with the site of the lesion.  You  could get bit on the thigh and then have brain or spinal lesions.  The lyme bacteria enters the nervous system pretty quickly but can take months to show the neuro symptoms.  I had a rash in May or June but didn't have neuro symptoms until the following January.  I had other symptoms though like wandering joint and eye pains.

Did the MS specialist run a lyme test?  I saw an MS specialist and he did run a standard lyme test.  I brought in pictures of my strange rashes though.

There is  information in the health pages that you could read for more more information.

[JJJ77]

Thanks for the quick reponses.  How do I go about finding a Dr that will test for Lyme Disease?  Can any doctor do it?

[patsy10]

Any doctor can order it.  The MS doctor can.  You may find there is not much knowledge of it in Ohio.  I live here too.  I would ask either the MS specialist or your family doctor.  They will more than likely order the ELISA which is not too accurate but you could ask for the western blot.  There is info in the health pages regarding the testing if you would like to learn more about it.  If a doctor does not want to order it or if they say it's not a problem in Ohio I would insist. A demyelinating lesion is a significant issue and if there is a chance that you have a treatable illness.  I think everything should be ruled out in this situation.

[Todd36]

If you get blood work done, you may as well as have your dr check the CD-57 marker too.  It's suppressed when you have had lyme for awhile.

http://www.healthcentersofamerica.com/information.cfm?id=144

I've have a handful of neuro symptoms and I just got tested for lyme last week.  no results yet.

good luck

[JJJ77]

I have done a lot a research regarding Lyme Disease but there is one question that I still haven't been able to find an answer to...Is the amount of time the tick is on you of any relavence?  I was able to pull the tick off of me and wasn't sure if that meant that it really hadn't been there long enough to do any harm. There was just a very small red dot where it had grabbed ahold of me.  Didn't know if any of you knew anything about this.  Thanks!

[Todd36]

i'm not familar with the timing of things, but if you're showing symptoms and the tick had its head in you, I'd make sure you get a thorough exam.

Good luck

[patsy10]

This article may help answer your question.

http://www.jstd.org/journal/vol1no3/v1n3-disseminated.pdf