Lyme specialist

[Albert54]

People, my name its Alberto I am from Argentina, by the end of 2013 I went to California for a training of my company. After I came back I got what it seemed like a flu or something like that, with intensive muscles problems, I couldn't even move It was really hard. After a while the symptoms reduce their intensity, but I have a lot of peripherical neurological problems now, I feel like my arms and legs are burning or like it tickles, and in addition to  that I have an extreme fatigue. I went to several doctors, neurologist, infectologist, and I've done everything you can imagine. I don't have a clue. I researched and I think that I have lyme, but everybody tells me that I don't have that because I don't have the known joint and muscles pain problems , they tell me that I have chronic fatigue, or its psychological or something else.
Now I asked for the IGX lyme test to be delivered. I hope that it could help me figure out What's my problem.

I wanted to ask everyone if they know a good specialist of Lyme around LA or IRVINE or anywhere CA I could visit or at least have an interview via skype.

Please people. I will be really thankful. Since then my life changed completely. In my country does not exist the tick or the syndrome :(

[JackieCalifornia]

PS there should have been a line inserted above the paragraph (5th from the end of the message) which begins, "You can also mail to ..."  

It was intended to be a separate section.  Sorry for any confusion.

[JackieCalifornia]

[Part two of message]

Here is a link from 2002:

Aclaraciones sobre la Enfermedad de Lyme
[Clarifications on Lyme Disease]
Dr. Diego José Carpintero
Miembro del Consejo Académico del MAE
***@****
Meningopolineuritis por Garrapatas, Borrelliasis de Lyme, CIE-9-695.9, 716.59
Ambiente ecologico Edición 83 / Marzo - Abril del 2002

    [...]
    “En Argentina, los dos primeros casos de esta enfermedad registrados ocurrieron en Marzo de 1997 en Rosario. En el domicilio de las dos pacientes infectadas, por sugerencia de quien esto firma, sólo pudo recolectarse Rhipicephalus sanguineus en varios estadíos, como ectoparásitos de perros de esa vivienda.
    A pedido de las autoridades de Salud y Saneamiento Ambiental de la Municipalidad de Rosario, envié un informe - dada mi experiencia en el tema en EE.UU. - planteando la hipótesis de que los vectores en nuestro país fueran otros Ixodidae, y por su hallazgo en el domicilio, la sospecha de que la Garrapata del Perro fuera nuestro vector.
    Sin embargo, los ejemplares que me remitieron estaban muertos por lo que no se pudo investigar la presencia de B. burgdorferi en ellos. Además, propuse una línea de acción seria para conocer mejor esta enfermedad, sus reservorios y vectores, ya que en Argentina hay muchos representantes del género Ixodes y no descarto que alguno de ellos no pueda ser imputado como vector.
    Lo curioso - como anécdota graciosa, ya que considerarla de otra manera sería darle un valor que no tiene - en una revista (la misma a la que en 1997 envié a su director lo que creo que es el primer informe serio sobre esta enfermedad, cuando todos en Rosario estaban perplejos por esta patología) ahora aparece un par "expertos" hablando muy alegremente sobre el tema y me entero, con sorpresa que en Argentina los vectores son tábanos, escorpiones, avispas y "vinchucas de agua" (?) sin explicar cómo llegaron a esas conclusiones ni aclarar los taxa ni específicos ni genéricos; también nombran al "género de las garrapatas" sin, por supuesto, identificar cuáles.
    Pero los "especialistas" (con perdón del mal uso del término) no terminan ahí sus errores: También me entero que esta Borrelliasis causa "algunos casos de enfermedad de Alzheimer" ya que "su patrón común son los cuadros psiquiátricos". Bueno, luego de leer que el agente causal "no ha sido aislado aún" es hora de archivar la revista y pensar que poco aprendieron desde 1997 hasta ahora (Referencia 2).“

    Ref. 2: "La enfermedad de Lyme y las garrapatas" Modificado y con agregados en Plagas Ambiente y Salud, año lll, Nº 12, Julio 2000, p. 16, Dres. Battaglia, H.; Álvarez, G.; Mercao, A., FUENTE: DIARIO LA NACIÓN, ADRIANA GIANNINI, 2000.
    Ref. 5: Dirigido al señor L. Horny a su solicitud. Tema: Probables vectores de la Enfermedad de Lyme en Rosario. INFORME A LA MUNICIPALIDAD DE ROSARIO, Abril 1997.

Automatic translation:
In Argentina, the first two recorded cases of this disease occurred in March 1997 in Rosario. In the home of the two infected patients, as suggested by this writer could only Rhipicephalus sanguineus collected in several stages, as ectoparasites of dogs from that shelter.

At the request of the authorities of Health and Sanitation of the Municipality of Rosario, sent a report, given my experience in the subject in the U.S. - hypothesizing that the vectors in our country were other Ixodidae, and its finding at home, the suspicion that the dog tick off our table.

However, the specimens were dead referred to me so could not investigate the presence of B. burgdorferi in them. In addition, I proposed a course of action would be to better understand the disease, its reservoirs and vectors, because in Argentina there are many representatives of the genus Ixodes and do not rule out that some of them can not be set as a vector.

The funny - as funny anecdote, as would otherwise be considered to give a value that does not have - in a magazine (the same as that in 1997 sent his manager what I think is the first report of this disease seriously, when all in Rosario were perplexed by this disease) now appears a few "experts" talking very happily on the subject and I find with surprise that in Argentina the vectors are flies, scorpions, wasps and "kissing bugs water" (?) without explaining how they came to these conclusions or clarify neither specific nor generic taxa, also named the "kind of ticks" without, of course, to identify.

But the "specialists" (excuse the misuse of the term) their mistakes do not end there: Also I find that this Borrelliasis cause "some cases of Alzheimer's disease" and that "their common pattern is the psychiatric". Well, after reading that the causal agent "has not been isolated yet," it's time to archive the magazine and think that just learned from 1997 to now (Reference 2).
http://www.ambiente-ecologico.com/edici ... ntero.php3
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Verónica Patti,1 Mónica Cauhepé,2 Claudia Massone,3 Paula Bourren2 y Eduardo Rodríguez4
Enfermedad de Lyme, una entidad a tener en cuenta
[Lyme’s disease, a disease to be concerned with]
Dermatol. Argent.,2011, 17(5): 403-404

    Abstract
    Lyme’s disease is caused by a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi. Some ticks can acquire this bacterium after biting infected mice or deer. Of late patients have been reported in most of the United States. We report one patient with Lyme’s disease with reactive IgM against Borrelia Burgdorferi, showing the typical target-like erythema on his left shoulder.

The patient with EM told to be bitten by a tick in the US.

http://www.dermatolarg.org.ar/index.php ... le/529/450 [free full text, Spanish, pdf]
Last edited by panda on Sat 4 May 2013 21:07, edited 2 times in total.


You can also email to -- contact [at] ILADS [dot] com -- and ask for names of ILADS members in Argentina, or anywhere that is closer than the US.  But you are very welcome to the US, keeping in mind that treatment is measured in months, not in days or weeks.  You may find an MD who is willing to do telephone consultations, and that may work after your diagnosis is established and treatment underway.

If all this sounds like far too much to do, ask family or friends to help you locate MDs and take you to appointments.

Also, bear in mind that there are different strains of Lyme bacteria, with some more prevalent in some countries but not in others.  Tests are often specific to a particular strain of Lyme bacteria, and your MD should be certain the laboratories the MD uses will test not only for South American strains but also North American, if you may have been infected here.

If you want to come to California, I can send you a private message with my Lyme physician's contact information.  I remember sitting in his waiting room here when patients arrived from the airport, so it is not uncommon, but may also be unnecessary if you have access to good Lyme specialists in Argentina etc.  Just be sure that your physician understands where you may have been infected (what areas of the world) so that all the possible strains of Lyme bacteria can be tested for.

Let us know how we can help -- best wishes to you!  

[JackieCalifornia]

Welcome to MedHelp Lyme --

Sorry to hear you are ailing.  Here are some ideas for you:

--- search online for a phrase such as

                          lyme disease argentina

You may be surprised by the number of links that come up.  Like any MDs/physicians who work in the Lyme field, there will be those who think Lyme is not a serious disease, while others KNOW how serious it is.  There is great diversity among Lyme specialists, so if you consult with one who does not seem as aware as you would like, go see another.

That would save you a trip to California, and Lyme treatment often last for months because of the nature of Lyme bacteria:  their reproductive cycle is much slower than other bacteria, and it is when reproducing that the medication (antibiotics) can kill them all.  Many MDs do not understand this about Lyme, which is why there are treatment failures when only a few weeks of doxycycline is given to a patient with an established infection.  

Here is part of the information I found on the -- lyme disease argentina -- search online:

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Lyme disease (Enfermedad de Lyme) in Argentina

Postby panda » Sat 4 May 2013 19:02
MAZZONELLI, J.; HUTTER, E.; BRIHUEGA, B.; LABALLEN, H.
Borreliosis de Lyme: encuesta serológica en perros.
[Lyme borreliosis: serological survey in dogs.]
In: Proceding of the Anual Associación Argentina Veterinária Laboratorio Diagnostico, 4a, Tandil, Argentina, 1988.
Seroprevalence of dogs around the city of Rosario: 23% tested positive for Lyme disease

[note from Jackie:  this means there is awareness about Lyme among veterinarians, and where there are wise vets, there are often wise MDs for human treatment.  Ask around among vets if they can recommend a good Lyme physician near you.]

==== this is an article from some years ago, but may give you some leads to find a Lyme physician:===============
Rev Saude Publica. 1993 Aug;27(4):305-7.
Lyme disease: antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi in farm workers in Argentina.
Stanchi NO, Balague LJ.
Faculty of Veterinary Science, National University of La Plata Argentina.

    Lyme Disease is a tick-borne (specially by Ixodes ticks) immune-mediated inflammatory disorder caused by a newly recognize spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi. Indirect fluorescent antibody (IF) staining methods and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay are frequently relied upon to confirm Lyme borreliosis infections. Although serologic testing for antibodies has limitations, it is still the only practical means of confirming B. burgdorferi infections. Because we have no previous report of Lyme disease in human inhabitants in Argentina, a study was designed as a seroepidemiologic investigation of the immune response to B. burgdorferi in farm workers of Argentina with arthritis symptoms. Three out of 28 sera were positive (#1, 5 and 9). Serum #1 was positive for Immunoglobulin G at dilution 1:320, serum #5 and #9 both to dilution 1:160; while for Immunoglobulin M all (#1, 5 and 9) were positive at low dilution (1:40) using IF. The results showed that antibodies against B. burgdorferi are present in an Argentinian population. Thus caution should be exercised in the clinical interpretation of arthritis until the presence of B. burgdorferi be confirmed by culture in specific media.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8209163 [abstract]

http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?pid= ... xt&tlng=es [free full text]
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Here are some more names and possible links to information, although not very new:

Campodónico M, Fay M, Alvarez G, et al.,
Poster C-470. Search for Lyme Disease in Argentina. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato detection using a Nested PCR Approach.
CTSP-National University of Rosario, Rosario, Argentina. Session 282/C. Diagnostic Bacteriology II: Molecular-Based Detection and Identification Methods, Abstract C-473, June 3, 1999, ASM 99th General Meeting, Chicago.

Hector R. Battaglia, MD; Guido Alvarez, MD; Augusto Mercau, MD; Marcelo Fay, MD; and Martin Campodonico.
Psychiatric Symptomatology Associated with Presumptive Lyme Disease: Clinical Evidence.  Journal of Spirochetal and Tick-Borne Diseases. Vol. 7, No. 1, 2000. pp. 22-25.

"In 43 patients with atypical depression, 7 experienced panic attacks and all considered hypochondriacal patients, were selected from the psychiatric office for having associated multisystemic polysymptomtology according to that of Lyme disease. The patients selected had lived or frequently visited areas at risk for zoonosis, been bitten by ticks, had a history of skin injuries or dermatosis compatible with erythema migrans (EM), and had positive IgG and IgM serology for BorreIia burgdorferi. Combination therapy with specific antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease and specific psychotropics was indicated. Psychopharmacological therapy included a first 90-day period with monnaminoxidase inhibitors followed by later periods with state-of-the-art tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants and serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitors. Psychopathologies, as well as multisystemic polysymptomatology, diminished and even disappeared after the combination treatment. We conclude that an infectious disease whose closest definition could be Lyme disease produced the psychiatric symptoms described in this manuscript. Isolation of the causative agent remains to be done."

Find these MDs and researchers:  they may know who the good Lyme MDs are near you.

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Some partial links that might be helpful:

http://www.lyme.org/journal/abstracts/v ... -2000.html [abstract]

http://www.lyme.org/journal/journal/vol ... -psych.pdf [free full text, pdf-scan]

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[Katya4]

Lyme affects us all differently. You well could have lyme. Sorry you are feeling crummy. You could also have Co infections.

Luckily you are in CA and Jackie, one of our most knowledgeable people on this form, is from CA. She may be able to send you by PM some names of docs in CA

I'm sure others here will have good info for you! :)