Viral meningitis years after Lyme tx

[smiles8823]

Hi, I was diagnosed with Lyme 15yrs ago, went through several coarses of abx. tx.  Finally after one month of IV rocefin, I was better.  During the coarse of my Lyme I had lots of Neurological symptoms such as migranes stiff neck, bells palsey, studdering...  Ever since I finished tx I have suffered from migrains, came down with Ebstien Barr Virus, Mono and Viral meningitis.  I first had viral meningitis 8 yrs ago and had it again three wks ago.  I also had shingles along with it!  I am convinced this is all related to my Lyme Disease.  I am so scared to get viral meningitis again!  Has anyone experienced this or know what this is about?

[Kaydey]

Spinal tap cannot define shingles....     For as many times as I have had them, and have had LP for research, it is not difined in spinal fluid..  What can be defined is Menengitis, both bacterial and viral.

If you had viral men. and have had chicken pox, the stress of the men. may have triggered shingles.

Shingles did not cause your Meningitis.  It can't.  The herpes virus (chicken pox) is too weak to cause it, the viral or bacterial Men. is what cause the shingles.

I would like to know how you are doing now with both. I really hope that you are doing better.

[patsy10]

It might be worth it.  

[smiles8823]

I definitlly had shingles, My spinal tap tested + for it.  It caused me to have meningitis, so they say.  I just think it is weird that this is my second bout with viral meningitis and the head pain associated was almost the same head neck /pain when I had Lyme. I am thinking about going to see a Lyme MD to see what they think.  Not sure if it is worth it or not.

[patsy10]

I don't know whether you still have lyme or not but viruses like EBV and the herpes virus can surface when the body is immunosuppressed as is the case with Lyme.  Or during periods of stress or other Illness.  

[Kaydey]

I can tell you that Shingles is not something contracted from Lyme or Men.  It is a viral from Herpes simplex 2.  Not the Herpes that is sexually transmitted. If you have ever kissed anyone that had a cold sore, or touched a cold sore (which is the most common way to spread and contract this virus) or have had e-coli infection (i know that was spelled wrong)  you are at risk for Shingles.

Although shingles are very very painful, they rarely, very rarely rear their ugly head when another bacterial or viral infection is present. I am not saying you didn't have shingles, but what I am saying is that you may have been misdiagnosed with shingles.

Shingles are very distinctive.  I know because I used to get them all the time as a child and teenager.  It begins with a fever, then a rash where there are nerve endings...shows up only on one side....very painful.  The pain can last anywhere from the beginning of the active to life.  Once you have had an episode, the probability of having another is over 90%, and it will be in the same place.  Usually the rash will reappear again within 6 weeks after the first active episode, although it may not be as severe.  The rash is the end of the contagious period..  Scarring often occurs because the rash comes from the deep nerve endings and has to travel through the muscle and fat to the epidermis (skin).

None of this is consistent with Lyme or Meningitis.