Lyme Disease????

[Needhelp0024]

September of last year I started experiencing joint pain in my thumbs and knees then I developed severe pain in my back between my shoulder blades.  I never thought to put it all together.  I thought the joint pain was because of commuting and I started seeing a chiropractor for my back pain.  From Sept - Dec I had 3 - 4 ear infections that included ringing in the ears and ear pain and developed diarrhea  The last ear infection (still joint pain and back pain) I was put on Cefzil and I had to go to the hospital because of tingling and burning from head to tow.  They switched my ab to Levaquin 250 for 7 days.  No change in the infection, still had diarrhea, joint pain and back pain.  AB was switched to Levaquin 500 for 10 days and I honestly felt GREAT!!  3 - 4 days all symptoms came back so they put on Levaquin 250 again.  I had to give a stool sample and get a colonscopy - which came back negative.  The stool sample showed no bacteria so I stopped the Levaquin as tinging came back.  I have gone down hill since.  The colonoscopy was done the beginning of February and since then I have had severe joint pain, muscle twitches, facial pain mainly in my right cheek and red rashes on my cheeks.  I have to be on an anti inflammatory to control the tingling and all of the other problems, which it does but I feel as though I am getting worst and fast. My feet and hands are now always cold, my eyes are senstive to light, my skin turns red just by lightly scratching it, I still have the tingling (sometimes head to tow)  CBC showed WBC at 11200, sed rate was normal and  ANA was positive (1:80).  I saw a Rheumatologist today hoping to get some answers and they just did more blood work and told me to come back on April 14.  He said that it could be Lyme Disease but I did have a Lyme test shortly (within a day or two) of being on prednisone for over two weeks and it came back negative.  I am at a loss.  He is doing a Western Blot along with a lot of other blood work.  Could this be Lyme Disease?  If not, what other options?  I feel as though I am getting nowhere and that my Doctors are not paying attention to the big picture and looking at my symptoms that started months ago  The rheumatologist did say that I show no signs of MS.

Any information or comments you may have would be greatly appreciated.  

[tobywillygal]

Yes it definitely could be Lyme, as the others said, you need to be tested at a good, reputable lab. Also I saw you were given the antibiotic Levaquin which along with Cipro, are fluroquinilones (sp?) and can "flox' you.  People are known to suffer horrible effects from those meds; my sister is one who was floxxed very badly.  Those antibiotics have been black boxed Twice in the US by the FDA.  Google Cipro and Levaquin lawsuits or black box warnings or permanent damage caused by...

[babsesl]

Lyme tests are notorious for being inaccurate,  appx. 25 - 30% of the time, I think.  Many, many of us have had several negative results.  This happens often.  It happened to me; about six or seven negatives.  My symptoms were just like yours; joint pain, pain in back and shoulders, terrible ear aches, ringing in the ears, diarrhea, cold hands and feet, eye and skin problems, etc.   I had them all and then some.   Igenex is the lab that finally confirmed lyme (although the doctor already "knew").  My doctor did a test called the flourescent light test.  I don't know if it has another name.  Good luck to you and please let us know how everything goes.

[jaksmom03]

YES could be lyme go to igenex dot com and order a kit! this is the most accurate test avalible the Elisa test is worth less!!!! I had 12 neg test before a positive test throguh igenex also very important change your diet to organic! this will help and start on supplements like Xango juice and probiotics and humaworm....go to lymenet there are alot of people that can help u there!