A List of Symptoms

Disclaimer:  I am not giving medical advice on this blog.  I am not a M.D. nor am I an expert in Lyme Disease or Chronic Lyme.  This information is simply a response to many requests to share MY STORY related to my experience with Lyme disease.  Please see a doctor for medical advice and more importantly, read as much as you can to form your own opinion about Lyme and Lyme treatment.  Be your own health advocate...go with your gut instinct...and never give up.

See below for a list of symptoms that I personally experienced during the two years it took to diagnose me with Lyme Disease.

Not all of the symptoms are present at the same time, but many of them are.  Doctors would only hear the symptoms and not look at the full picture.   ****I did have a history of a tick bite but did NOT have the "telltale bulls-eye rash"****

~Debilitating, radiating, deep pain in my joints and muscles

~Stiffness in joints that I liken to what rigor mortis would be like while you are still alive

~Maddening severe headaches with stiff neck (some last for about 5 days...some are so severe I was hospitalized for suspicion of meningitis or a stroke.)

~Vision changes such as increased floaters and difficulty in focusing

~Cognitive changes including forgetting words, difficulty concentrating, reading passages and having no idea what I just read, dizziness, light-headed, forgetfulness

~Repeating patterns of sore throats and random fevers

~Strange rashes including a non-raised red rash that felt as if my skin was on fire that lasted anywhere between an hour and a day.

~Severe muscle twitches (not just one or two but CONSTANT twitching)  Started in my legs and then weeks later spread into arms and abdomen.

~A feeling of vibrations inside my body...very difficult to explain but different from twitches.  Would present mostly when a rash was present as well.

~Marked muscle weakness (difficult to walk from room to room; inability to hold my camera)

~Extreme and prolonged fatigue where all I could after a small effort (steps, showering, etc) was to collapse in bed

~Mood swings-  severe, explosive anger over little things

~Increased anxiety/panic attacks for no reason

~Light and sound sensitivity (where I could only handle someone whispering and could only be in darkened rooms)

~Dental Pain-  I know, strange!  I kept thinking I needed a root canal but then it would go away only to come back about a month later.

~Skin hypersensitivity- Can't stand for a sheet to touch me on my skin or even feel the breeze from a fan on my skin

~Severe sleep difficulty- insomnia, frequent waking

~HAIR LOSS- double fisted hand fulls of hair when washing my hair

~Digestion issues including nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea

~Heart palpitations-  feeling like my heart was not beating correctly or was racing

~Difficulty breathing- like I can't get enough air

~Night sweats- waking up soaked

~Increased reaction to alcohol

~Pain in the bottom of my feet-  like nerve pain

~Increased bruising

~Debilitating and unexplained back pain

~Increased catching of other sicknesses such as cold and flu due to depleted and destroyed immune system