possible lyme disease symptoms?

[terrapin05]

Been going through symptoms for past 8 months.  I have a general tingling feeling in upper forehead to top of head.  The tingling waxes and wanes but seems to be more prevalent on days I'm tired, after a long day, etc.  I also get light-headed when I do activities bending over, like washing a car, moving things, etc.  I have been to my GP who suggested sinus/allergy issues, and tried medications of prednisone and Amox and nasal spray.  When that didn't work she sent me for CT scan of sinuses, which did reveal a clogged sinus area in the left cheek sinuses.  She sent me to ENT specialist, who right off told me tingling and lightheaded are not symptoms of sinus/allergy issues, and since I didn't have drainage and watery eyes, etc, that even though I had a problem sinus area the tingling may not be related to the sinus problem I had.  He prescribed Amox for 10 days, prednisone for 7 and nasal spray for 30 days.  

I have finished the amox and prednisone and am still taking the spray twice daily.  I go back to ENT this Thursday.  The problem is I still have tingling on tired days and still have lightheadedness when doing activities.  I'm wondering what else this may be.  I have ticks in my area (Maryland) but have never had a bullseye mark they tell you to watch for.  Lots of tingling symptoms on this forum seem to relate to Lyme's or possibly MS, so I'm just wondering what to do since it seems my sinus troubles are separate from these symptoms.  

If not Lymes or MS, can I get these symptoms from just being overworked/stressed, combined with poor diet?  When I have symptoms like this or have a cold, I get extremely lazy in judgment and my diet goes out the window and I eat junk and drink sodas, etc, to help me stay awake.  I work six days a week, long hours in a restaurant, and have a set of one-year-old twins at home and a 3-year old.  Just wondering what is wrong and thanks for any help.  

[JackieCalifornia]

Anxiety is definitely part of Lyme.  Some it may be due to being told we're not reallllly sick, it's all in our heads -- which would make anyone anxious.  But it's more than that ... it's the effect of the infection on the nervous system and the endocrine system.

[ally123582]

I have Lyme and experience a ton of tingling/numbness and even burning sensations on my skin.  I initially thought it was MS, but that has been ruled out by MRI.  I've read that anxiety can cause tingling, however, I've never had a history of anxiety and I only become anxious when  the tingling and numbness won't go away!  I would take Jackie's advice and see a LLMD for some good testing.  Good luck.

[JackieCalifornia]

You are asking good questions--

Many (maybe half) of us never see the tick and never get the red bullseye rash, or it's hidden (like on the scalp) and isn't seen.  Lyme disease and others carried by the same ticks are often not well understood by those who do not specialize in Lyme and its co-infections, so you may wish to consider consulting with a Lyme specialist.  

Sinus trouble, tingling, and lightheadedness are not uncommon symptoms, and some people get more neurological symptoms than others.

Quite a few people who come here were first diagnosed with MS or at least heavily tested for it, and it seems that nonLyme docs will gravitate toward an MS diagnosis, since they don't have Lyme on the radar screen.

I think I had a mild case of Lyme for a few years, and then got really sick after getting another bite.  I had odd little symptoms, like an odd tiredness, and also when I got up in the morning, the bottoms of my feet were sore for about 10 minutes.  Strange things like that.  Then I got really sick after a trip back East where we were out in grassy areas a lot, and must have gotten a tick bite then.

Be cautious about taking prednisone or other steroids:  they suppress the immune system, and often the body is struggling to keep Lyme in check.  Shutting down the immune reaction against Lyme just lets the infection take off like crazy.  It's happened to some people who post here.  I'm not saying don't take what your doc prescribed, just be cautious and ask questions.

You may wish to consult with a Lyme specialist, which patients often refer to as LLMDs, or Lyme Literate MD, meaning a doc who 'gets' Lyme and coinfections.  In many states, the local medical boards crack down on LLMDs, so they don't advertise what they do.  If you need help finding an LLMD for a consultation, let us know.  If you search "LLMD Baltimore" online or whatever area you live in or can get to, you may find some clues.  There are a number of patient-oriented Lyme websites that may have referral functions as well.

Given how hard you work and your family responsibilities, it is important for you to be 100%, I know.  I'm not medically trained, but in your situation, I would try to find an LLMD for a consultation.  Best wishes -- let us know how you do, okay?