diagnosed 3rd stage Lyme (6y), afraid about heart and death. :(

[regula22]

Yesterday i was diagnosed Lyme disease i probably have undiagnosed since 2006 when i had tick byte in august and in november i had multiple neurological symptoms, weakness and pitting swelling on legs. They did disappeared after weeks but some symptoms persisted months and some do exists even now.


. Since then i had PVC's, EKG showed arrhythmias (and possible myocardial ischemia and possible myocardial injury, going to cardiologist) and i have many more symptoms like pain in fingers, toes, dizzy spells, eye ticks and flashes-floaters in vision)

My question is that can Lyme disease cause permanent heart disease and be ultimately fatal?

And if heart is damaged does it will recover after antibiotic treatment?

[regula22]

I'm already on antidepressants cause all that mess and possible Lyme too makes no good for my mental health

[regula22]

she, my family doctor did wrote that doxu preparate. I hope infectionist is more knowledgeable

[regula22]

I did suspected Lyme long time but i had no insurance, now on first visit i warned family doctor that they must look borreliosis and it came out positive. Unfortunately i do know more about Lyme than my family doctor, she said herself that infectionist may know much more.

I hope so cause he did write doxu 100mg 2 times on day 20 days, but i KNOW i have long term neuro borreliosis and i need intravenous very serious treatment. All i do afraid now is inadequate treatment.

[JackieCalifornia]

As a great and kindly man once said:  Be not afraid.

It is bad news that you have Lyme, but good news that you have a diagnosis, because now you can begin to get well.

*Untreated* Lyme disease can be dangerous to your health, because it can affect the heart, but now you can be treated.  I am not medically trained, and do not know that much about heart disease caused by Lyme, but it is my general understanding that antibiotic treatment will improve all your symptoms, and when the bacteria are dead, they can no longer hurt you.  Whether there is lasting *structural* damage to the heart is something your doctor will tell you, but I would not spend time worrying about it, because you have now your best opportunity to avoid serious consequences:  treatment!

Arrhythmias may be caused by low magnesium levels in the blood, because the Lyme bacteria use magnesium to reproduce.  Muscle twitches, cramps, and pains can be caused by low magnesium levels.  The heart is a muscle, so the same concept applies.

You say 'POSSIBLE myocardial injury', and your doctor will keep an eye on that going forward, so try not to worry, because worrying will only stress your immune system further.  Get started on treatment, and see how you do.  

Would you share with us what treatment your doctor is giving you?

Another thing to remember is that Lyme affects the neurological systems entirely, including the brain, and including body chemistry that affect the brain.  The result is often anxiety and fear and depression, caused physically by body chemistry.  With treatment, this resolves.  Many of us here have been through that.

Be not afraid.  (And let us know how you do, okay?)

[regula22]

In blood borrelia IgG 28.9, IgM 2.5