19 Year Old with Positive Spinal Tap

[Guest guest]

Hi,

A " 19 Year Old with Positive Spinal Tap " probably won't get the

attention of potential dates in most places so thank you for opening this.

I'm new here. I was introduced to this board by Jim , to whom I

am thankful. My name is Greg and I'm 19 years old.

I would REALLY REALLY appreciate someone reading over this and giving

me their advice since I'm barely hanging onto my life right now

mentally and physically speaking.

The people that do care about me worry because I speak about suicide

every single day.

Right now I'm basically disabled. I got a B+ average in HS but I'm not

in college or anything -- its terrible and very lonely.

I'm not 100 percent sure when I got Lyme but I think it was summer

06' since thats when I saw multiple rashes (on sides of legs and on

stomach) in September of 06'. I didn't think it was Lyme cause I heard

Lyme was just one rash but at this point I had symptoms like chest

twitching and very bad ear aches.

I had already been going to doctors for a while about things like

depression and chest pain (which I think now is just plain old

costochondritis). So when I did go to the doctor I didn't feel like

showing him my body since I was no comfortable with that and I asked

him for a Lyme test. I ended up being too fatigued to walk to the

blood lab which was a mile away so I just laid in bed for several

months as my friends went to college , losing all contact with anyone

and getting more and more depressed and feeling like its ME thats

wrong. I think I've been depressed before the Lyme, you see, so I

naturally thought it was just plain ME being lazy or something.

I didn't get antibiotics until Late November which is when I finally

had my first Lyme test (both IgG and IgM were positive at this time).

I was put on Doxycycline and 2 weeks into the treatment I had a very

high fever, heart palpitations, could barely walk because of joint

pain. I was in the ER because I could not get my fever down with

anything and they told me its just a Flu and I should go home -- I was

asking to see infectious disease specialist\neurologist for a spinal

tap since I already had twitching and neurological pain in my body.

I was in living Philadelphia at the time, going to Bucks County

sometimes, etc. Lyme danger areas. But anyway, I got a spinal tap and

a positive result. There was a huge delay because of insurance between

the time that I got my positive spinal tap (January '07)

and when I finally got my IV anti biotics in March due to insurance

problems.

My joint pain went away on the IV antibiotics and I discovered that I

enjoy running as hard as I can while listening to upbeat music. I

thought I was going to beat this thing and thats it -- but the next

day after the IV's stopped... I immediately felt a return of knee

pain. But again, no other real HERXING with the IV other than a funny

bobble head twitch that developed during the time. I didn't feel any

new energy I don't believe.

After this I went through rounds of antibiotics from

Markovich in Tallahassee Florida such as Biaxin, Zithromax, etc.

My liver enzymes ended up really high so I had to go off of them and I

havn't really been feeling worse although I am afraid to go out

running now like I used to love due to the knee pain the next day.

I'm really interested in finding out if Lyme is having a mental impact

on me other than the fact that I'm depressed and anxious since I'm so

young and my life is wasting away. Any definitive way to check --

since I'm not really sure how long I've had Lyme? I'd love to think

that ALL the splinters in my mind are caused by Lyme but this is

probably not it.

One well respected doctor in Birmingham Alabama (where I now reside)

is telling me that I have Dysautonomia with POTS (Postural Orthopedic

Tachhcardyia Syndrome) and Mitral Valve Prolapse. He says they can be

a result of the Lyme but he wants me on things like Zoloft, Klonopin 4

times a day for anxiety , and Beta Blockers. He says these things will

help my immune system. He did tilt table and incline treadmile testing

and found that my heart rate is too high. He believes that I have too

much adrenalin and that this is what is making me tired, depressed,

and unable to focus.

How long will it take to recover from this Lyme? I'm so tired of it --

its a buzz word all day long with me... I have nothing else but this

bug now. I think that it is still active -- after taking a trial run

of ADD medicine (ADDeral or Amphetamine Salts) I had very bad sleep

and I had a very strong return of muscle twitching and knee pain the

following morning.

Anyway, my father doesn't even believe that I'm sick and he is telling

me to get on Social Disability if I am.

I have NOT been tested for coinfections but I don't want to spend the

money on that. I also hear about things like Microplasma and have been

encouraged to test for heavy metals.

I have things like a sleep study coming up (since my oxygen levels

were abnormal while sleeping).

Is it recommended that I see a doctor up north about my Lyme since

that is where I most likely got it and he/she will be able to test for

appropriate confections relevant to that area? Any doctors in

Philadelphia or Bucks County? Please contact me about thisI have very

limited social support and cannot drive at this point due to the

constant haze in my mind.

I'm trying to find a way to eat 6 times a day? Any ideas about that?

Again, I may have something other than just plain old Lyme -- I'm

thinking Celiac disease as a possibility (ITS SO HARD TO AVOID GLUTEN

-- esp since you guys advocate so many different supplements)

If someone would prefer to speak by phone please email me.

Any comments about ANY points here?