I answered the questions to the questionnaire and here are my answers. I was tested om Monday and was told it will take 2 weeks for results. I have researched all of the types of tests, ELISA and the Western blot, and am concerned about the effectiveness of those tests in detecting LYME given the percentage of false negatives that can result. I am very fearful and feeling helpless waiting for results. Has anyone that had those tests with false negatives and in fact did have LYME? Here are all of my symptoms:
Late Lyme Disease Symptoms
Have you had any of the following symptoms typical of late or chronic Lyme disease?
Fatigue
Yes
Headache
Yes
Joint pain
Yes
Muscle aches
Yes
Twitching
Yes
Memory loss
Yes
Cognitive impairment
Yes
Sleep impairment
Yes
Heart-related symptoms
Yes
Gastrointestinal symptoms (stomach/digestive)
Yes
Neuropathy (nerve pain, numbness, hot/cold sensations, tingling)
Yes
Psychiatric (e.g. depression, mood changes, etc.)
Yes
New onset fatigue, widespread pain, sleep disturbance, and cognitive impairment are common symptoms of late
Lyme disease. Many symptoms of late or chronic Lyme disease are non-specific and common among diseases. What
sets Lyme patients apart is the severity of symptoms and the degree of functional impairment. Patients report pain
at the severity of post-operative patients, fatigue at the level of patients with multiple sclerosis, and functional
impairment comparable to those with congestive heart failure. Most patients with chronic Lyme disease report one
or more of the following symptoms as severe or very severe: fatigue (48%), sleep impairment (41%), joint pain
(39%), muscle aches (36%), other pain (34%), depression (34%), cognitive impairment (32%), neuropathy (32%),
headaches (23%) and heart-related issues (10%). Chronic Lyme patients generally report more than one symptom
and average three severe or very severe symptoms. (Aucott 2013; Cairnes 2005, Fallon 2008, Johnson 2011 and
2014.)
Please let me know your experiences, thank you.