Strange symptoms!

[Fairylara]

Hi guys, for the past six or so months I've been besieged by strange and sudden health issues. I've had a very stressful year in general, starting with being fired from a long held job, then a nasty case of food poisoning, finding out I had another kidney stone, theeeennn a nasty nasty flu that gave me strange digestive issues that also sickened my mother and she ended up with diverticulitis. I majorly stressed over my moms health, helped nurse her back, but have never felt the same since. The flu was extreme, then after that I experienced high levels of fatigue, and with my period cycle I suddenly experienced really strange joint pain and aches in my legs. Headaches, night sweats, a strange feeling in my throat and chest, low grade fever, feeling dizzy, insomnia, muscle twitches. I even went to the ER, my blood work came back normal, etc. finally after several doctor visits my pcp (a physicians assistant) ordered a few viral tests, and my EBV one came back at 1.88, and so I was diagnosed with mono. Because of this strange vibration in my right foot, I was referred to a neurologist, who has seen me twice, and determined only through examining me by testing my reflexes etc, that I was fine, and it was because of the mono. I seemed to get better, the vibration went away, my headaches went away, my energy was coming back. But then last month right before my menstrual cycle (and my birthday mind you), I was hit with the fatigue,worse than ever, slightly elevated temperature, and since then the vibration in my foot has come back with a vengeance, in fact while I type it's up my leg and in my foot. :/ doctor ordered cbc and metabolic panel, it came back as normal aside from some of the red blood count numbers, since I tend to be iron deficient. I've been taking magnesium Glycinate for almost two weeks, it seemed to help at first! 400mg. Then this week, my feet and legs have felt weird and achy when walking, especially my right side. Last night I took a long Epsom soak, the took 200mg of magnesium, and tried to sleep.......then the twitches, and buzzing in my foot and leg really ramped up, there's a muscle twitching in top area of my back near my left shoulder and I haven't slept at all. I'm so afraid, and I have medi cal, so it's an uphill battle to get any doctors to listen. I've been scared that I have ms, lupus, Lyme (I did show a property up in the Santa Cruz mountains months back that I should have known better than to wear a skirt to, lo, but haven't had rashes or a bullseye or noticed a tick bite). My pcp suggests I be less stressed, and shrugs off my questions about other possible diseases, however did suggest I talk to the neurologist again. I insisted on seeing a doctor from my clinic, and that appointment isn't until the 30th.

Does anyone have symptoms like this? Why does the Epsom bath seem to have made the twitches and buzzing worse? Is it possible to have mono and something else like Lyme? Any suggestions on what to do next? I'm so very paranoid of nerve damage, degenerative diseases, etc, it's driving me crazy! Thank you for reading this long post. Hope everyone's well.

[JackieCalifornia]

I read that blog fairly often.  It is interesting, just a little scattered sometimes, like the guy is talking to himself -- so it's a little hard to follow in my experience.  But definitely interesting.

He's only posted twice in the last couple of months, which just happens to coincide with ... Lyme season!  -- which is when the new infections drive people to find a diagnosis after a long grassy summer.

[ngageme]

Here is a link to a blog by Lyme literate doctor (LLMD), where you might find a lot of useful information: http://lymemd.blogspot.com/

You will have to essentially become your own advocate and demand answers from docs until they give you diagnosis.

Best of luck to you on your road to diagnosis and recovery!

[JackieCalifornia]

I can't speak to the other possible diagnoses you list, but neurologists are, as a group, not inclined to take Lyme seriously.  Docs who don't understand Lyme often do want to hear that you have had a bullseye rash or found an embedded tick on you, but many of us never saw a rash or a tick (including me and someone else in my family).  Sometimes the ticks hide, like on the scalp, where nobody could see it anyway.  

You might be able to get the docs to order Lyme tests, which are likely to be ELISA and/or Western blot, and if you get a positive reading, then at least you have a diagnosis.  Then comes the battle on how to treat, and whether you have other infections that the 'Lyme' ticks often carry but need different testing and meds for anyway.  

But might as well take appointment and see if you can get tested for Lyme, then decide what to do.  Hang in there!  Let us know what happens.

[Fairylara]

Ps. I've also experienced light sensitivity on and off, and for the first few months a decreased appetite and nausea. Knee pain on and off, mostly in the right leg. My fatigue was first noticed after I would eat, and suddenly feel very very tired with a rapid heart rate. That went away for a while, but also came back recently, fatigue after eating. Heart rate is somewhat better, but was pretty fast in the first few months of feeling ill