Lyme and Heart Murmur

[frankie6300]

I am a 48-year-old female in otherwise excellent health (non-smoker, avid exerciserwho was diagnosed recently with Lyme disease. I work in the landscaping/gardening industry, so my internist suggested at my last physical (in July) that I get tested. I never noticed a tick bite or bullseye rash, though.

My doc dropped the ball in pursuing the results, and didn't hear back from the lab until October, when she called me and told me the western blot test was positive. She also said she was surprised I wasn't "sicker" since I evidently have a severe case of it, suggesting I've had it for a couple of years. I'm on doxycycline now, but I don't feel any better. Had bad joint pain in my neck and fingers, and a heart murmur that could be aortic stenosis.

My question is two-fold: does Lyme cause heart murmur? And should I get this checked out by a cardiologist? (In other words, is this heart murmur anything I should be concerned about?) My internist doesn't seem concerned about it, but given the fact that she treated my lab results so cavalierly, I am not sure I trust her anymore. She also never told me what I should do when I finish the antibiotics - go back for another test?  Help!

[frankie6300]

Many thanks, Patsy10. I am dismayed that my doc knows so little about a disease that seems to be spreading rapidly in this region (mid-Altantic Md/Va/Pa) due to the increasing deer populations and our encroachment on their habitats. I do plan to get the murmur checked, and I thank you for the suggestions.

[patsy10]

I'm not positive about lyme causing the heart murmur but it does cause heart blocks and other heart problems so I would think it could.  Aortic stenosis is easily diagnosed by an ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram).  If you have a heart murmur, your doctor should have already ordered an echo regardless of the cause.  Your doctor probably does not know much about lyme disease.  It usually requires long-term treatment unless you catch it at the time of the bite.  My suggestion would be to find a lyme-literate doctor in your area and make an appt. so you can get proper treatment.  You can go to lymenet dot org and post under "seeking a doctor".  You can learn alot there about lyme in general.