Lyme's Disease or RA or both?

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

I'm new here and just wondered if anyone in the group, positively diagnosed

with RA or RA symptoms, has ever been tested for Lyme's Disease? Lyme's

Disease is known as " the great imitator " - mimicking a myriad of diseases like

MS,

CFS, FM, RA, etc, and possibly even initiating autoimmune responses. According

to my Lyme's Literate MD, it's been quite well documented that RA Factor can

be elevated by Lyme's infection. Here is one study:

http://ard.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/58/12/757

" Increased IgA rheumatoid factor and VH1 associated cross reactive idiotype

expression in patients with Lyme arthritis and neuroborreliosis. "

I'm asking because this is what appears to have happened in my case. I live

in New England where tics and Lyme's Disease are very common. However, it is

becoming increasingly clear that people throughout the US are being exposed to

this increasing health threat, either through traveling to areas known to have

a high incidence of Lyme's, or because the incidence of Lyme's is increasing

in their own state.

In my case, I started with a severely stiff, sore neck over Labor Day

weekend. Shortly after, I noticed a rash that looked like a cluster of bites on

my

abdomen. It wasn't your typical bulls-eye rash, so I just thought I'd been

bitten by something, but I wasn't too worried. Within 2 weeks the rash was

diminished, but I then started with what felt like tendonitis in my left arm, so

painful I couldn't raise my arm and had to rest it on a pillow at night. The

next

day, it was gone, but the pain had migrated to my left wrist. Next day, it was

in my other wrist, then the fingers and then my upper right arm. This

debilitating, migrating pain went on for weeks and eventually moved to one side

of my

jaw and then the other...then, my lower body - my left knee, the arch of my

right foot, and so on. I also started with swollen neck glands and crushing

fatigue.

After a second visit and insisting that I may have Lyme's, my Internal Med

doc finally treated me with the standard 3 weeks of doxycycline, but by this

time, I was wracked with pain everywhere and it was too little, too late. If

treated at the rash stage, I might have been okay, but he was waiting for my

bloodwork to return and my Lyme's test came back negative. It was only later,

after

much research, that I learned that the standard Lyme's test (the ELISA test)

is notoriously inaccurate and misses about 70% of people infected with Lyme's.

The diagnosis of Lyme's must therefore be based on a clinical diagnosis alone

(rash, stiff neck, raised temp, general malaise, migrating pain, etc).

He then did more bloodwork on me and found that my RA Factor was elevated to

157...two weeks later it was 225. Since early Oct, I have been virtually

incapacitated and housebound, unable to navigate stairs, brush my hair and

teeth,

or get dressed without help. My ankles swell up like balloons, if I stand on

them for longer than 15 mins or so.

Fortunately, I joined a Lyme's support group on groups and discovered

that my story was not unusual and was helped to locate a Lyme's Literate doc in

my area. Since early December, he's been treating me with high dose

antibiotics and has just introduced Plaquenil, which is known to kill the cyst

form of

the Lyme's bacteria while helping to reduce inflammation. As this group knows

well, it is also used as a DMARD for RA, so I figure that if I do have RA - an

autoimmune response to the Lyme's infection - then it will 'kill two birds

with one stone', so to speak.

I've read some other research that suggests that RA may be triggered by an

infectious agent...viral or bacterial...so why not Lyme's? Trouble is, with two

very possible diagnoses (RA and Lyme's), my Lyme's doc has advised against the

use of steroids or any RA drug that may suppress the immune system, as this

would only allow the bacteria free reign to wreak more havoc within my body. Of

course, the whole idea of RA treatment is to suppress an overactive immune

system that is attacking the joints! So, the usual RA treatments aren't really

a viable option for me, right now.

Dr Mercola's website advocates Dr Brown's protocol for the treatment of RA

with antibiotics, so I figure this is a good alternative, as well, to treat both

until we're sure the Lyme's is well under control. All in all, in spite of

the horrendous pain, stiffness and swelling, I've opted not to see a

rheumatologist just yet, as I didn't want to confuse the issue with another

doctor's

conflicting protocol. I've been slowly improving on the antibiotic treatment

since

Christmas and, after starting the Plaquenil last week, I've noticed less of

that feeling of 'internal fire' - inflammation and fatigue.

So, after that long-winded explanation....just wondering if anyone else has

suspected Lyme's or some other infectious agent as the culprit of their RA, or

other autoimmune disorder, and also if they've tried the antibiotic protocol

for their RA? If so, what were your results?

Thanks for reading and allowing me to share in this group!

Peace, n