Leprosy concern

[dee100871]

Hello

I'm 27 years old, male.  I have a suspicion that I may have a disease of some sort.  Last year (nov 2007) after returning back from a tropical 3rd World country, I had a curious numb feeling on my left thigh above my knee cap.  When I went to the doctor, he sent me to the hospital to have it examined, they presumed it to be lateral cutaneous nerve to thigh, but wanted to take an MRI of my back.  For whatever reason I decided not to take the MRI, as I didn't think it was serious enough, and didn't feel comfortable wasting time and resources at the hospital.  

Anyway, recently i seen my doctor with further complaints of numbness and pins and needles mostly on my left limbs, occasionally on my right side limbs, with headaches. I'm currently waiting to receive an MRI appointment letter.

The headaches I've been having could be due to not wearing my glasses.

High on my list of concern is the probability this might be leprosy, as I spent 15 weeks in a poor part of the world, where this disease is rife.   I just took 2 aspirins, about an hour ago, the pain on my left arm has decreased, but pins and needles are more pronounced on all hands and feet, coming and going.  I picked up on the internet, aspirin can help with leprosy, but it should do no harm to take it anyway, even if it is not my prognosis.

On the flip side of the coin, I have some sort of comfort knowing that before I left, as far back as 4-5 years, I began experiencing pains in my feet and hands.  Also 3 years ago to the day nearly, I experienced a complete sensation of fatigue throughout my whole body, which lasted weeks, this happened in conjunction with having a form of dermatitis on my face (flaky skin.)  this fatigue was put down to anxiety.  I'm on anti-depressants called sertraline.

So now I'm at a loss, and hope this is not too serious.  I hope I have provided enough information, and I appreciate no diagnosis can be made, so no answer is sought, but any assistance on this matter would be very appreciated.

Thanks

Dee

[dee100871]

Could it be Guillain-Barré he was on about.

Thanks

Dee

[dee100871]

A pretty short absence, I'm still at a loss to what I might have.  The doxycycline seem to have worked, but from time to time still get pin ***** feelings, in varying parts of my body.  My left hip is still giving me problems, and my limbs ache from time to time too.

My doctor was surprised with my self-prognosis, and said there was a possibility it could be lyme (lime), I pronounced it limb, as my limbs are getting the brunt of this problem.

He finished by saying something about 'barry' or 'barre' but never went into any detail.  Do you know anything about this illness, ( there could be more words in the illness's name)  or can anyone give me the full name ( I'm thinking there are loads of syndromes like this) or does anyone else know if the symptoms are even the same in some ways to lyme disease.

[dee100871]

Never noticed your last post mom67, will consider it and get back to you.

Thanks

Dee

[dee100871]

So I reckon I have some tick borne disease.  This ***** man.

Doxycycline are working.  But these are anti-biotic's.  I'm screwed when these conk-out and stop working.  The pain without them is burdensome, like none other I've experienced.  I mean, when I took the first dose, there was a crazy pain, like a pin randomly pricking, always in the least expected places, surprising me every time.  Then it eventually left, when the anti biotic's kicked in.  Is there any other fellow sufferers out there, this rings true to. I caught some where that this disease is worse than some cancers.

My left hip is giving trouble, like it needs oiled like a creaky door.  Had pain on my upper hand, like a crazy ache.

Am I destined to suffer with this the rest of my life.  Is there a cure.  I keep getting mixed information from the net. Can anti-biotics get rid of this?  I can't wait to see my doc.

Thanks

Dee

[wildthingsmom67]

wow, it sounds more like lyme from what you just wrote.  One of the lyme co-infections is treated with anti-malaria medication.  You have memory problems where you can't remember when you got rash before or after.  Is your memory impaired in different ways.  How about you cognitive function.  See if you can get tested for Lyme and co-infections.  But it should be diagnosed based on symptoms.

If you can you are better off to see a lyme specialist.  If you get more syptoms, headachs with burning pain that don't go away, dissy, fatugue won't go away. Temors, Joint pain, bone pain. Rib pain. Anxiety, depression, other wierd symptoms.  Just check out my journals to see websites and look up symptoms of lyme.  But get to a doctor, and make sure it is not something else.  

It really sounds like lyme.  So make sure you research a little.  You need to get treatment.  Test are not always accurate.  If you develope more symptoms make sure you get to the LLMD our doctors don't know enough, and tend to not treat it long enough.  You would have chronic lyme at this point and need longterm antibiotics and maybe combination and some co-infections need to be treated differently. Lyme sparacheet the bugs gradually gets into all organ systems and we get sicker. They are microscopic bugs and burrow through our body creating immune disfunction.  Also have your vitamine d level tested.  Lyme cause low vitamine d levers. Try to get approriate treatment now so you don't get sicker.  Where the malaria meds worked if you feel worst again.  check into that too and west nile virus.  

But I think it is Lyme and co-infection.  You had a bug bite, did you get fever too.  Everyone is effected a little different with lyme some have only a few symptoms some get many.  It depends how long you have had it. If you had been treated with antibiotics for something else it could have killed some of the bugs.  But they multiply when not all are killed that is why longer treatment is needed.  Start that journal for the doctor.

[dee100871]

Thanks for your feedback.  I don't have lesions, after scouring the net for these images, there's nothing on my body that resembles them.  Any other symptoms i have, that I forgot to disclose would be one morning I woke, I remember feeling a 'Chinese burn' sensation, or stretchiness around my left elbow.  I put it down to the way I slept, but the pain lingered for a time, and to a certain extent still exists, but not as uncomfortable as when it began.

I did undertake a lot of exercise, at the turn of the new year and am wondering if this might have contributed or accelerated the symptoms.

Funny enough I do remember getting bit by a tick or small spider, around the time of my first complaints, but as it happened a long time ago I cant place the event either happening before or after becoming unwell.

Also when I was away I got attacked by an army of biting ants, can remember also having a rash on my legs, but never connected the incidence's, and cant remember again in what order this occurred, whether the rash occurred after or before the bites.

So all in all you have helped me a great deal, and you have enlightened me.

You asked that I don't self medicate, but reading about Lyme disease, I noticed that doxycycline can help.  Since I have some left over (malaria prevention antibiotics), I took 2, and my symptoms have eased somewhat.  Placebo effect or not, time will tell.

Thank you so very much for your time and thoughtful guidance.

Dee

[wildthingsmom67]

Do you have any liesions.  I thought leprosy was liesions.  You sound like you may have Lyme Disease.  Do you have any other symptoms?  You got sick here first.  Maybe you got reinfected out there. Lyme is on the rise at a crazy rate and many experience what you said.  But I would go see a doctor and don't self treat.  Start a health journal.  Write down symptoms day time ect.  Bring it to your health care provider and don't forget to tell what you wrote here.