Lyme disease symptoms checklist

Hi again ~

I finally un-earthed this checklist and want to share it here, as I promised I would. Everyone will have at least a few of these symptoms, as they can be indicative of so many different conditions, some serious and some not. This list is simply a useful tool to use with a doctor, along with examination and testing, to ascertain whether lyme disease is a possibility. I checked off 41 things (!) on this list that I have, or have had in the past decade or so, although I'm not sure that each of them is actually a result of the lyme bacteria. This is an interesting and very thorough list of all the types of symptoms that can occur with lyme.In re-reading it, I must say that I am SO grateful that there are many of these symptoms that I haven't experienced!

If you decide to use the checklist (or share it with anyone else) and if you should feel concerned about your symptoms, the main message here is to see a doctor or naturopath (one experienced with diagnosing and treating lyme, as well as all immune-related illnesses). If you don't see someone who has experience with treating lyme, you may get the very common "It's all in your head" reaction, or.... many years and many tests and many doctors and many treatments and many dollars later, you may get a correct diagnosis and treatment from someone who does have the experience in working with lyme. If you have doubts about the medical community's lack of up-to-date info about lyme disease, watch the DVD "Under Our Skin" that I mentioned in one of my recent posts. It'll give you an understanding of some of the conflicts of interest in the medical community that keep lyme patients from getting accurate diagnoses and prompt, appropriate treatment.

Catch you later, Sukie (scroll down for the checklist)

LYME DISEASE CHECKLIST

Symptoms

Lyme disease is a clinical diagnosis. The results of commonly marketed antibody tests to detect Borrelia burgdorferi (the organism that causes Lyme disease) may be misinterpreted. Physicians are advised to base diagnosis on history (including symptoms and tick exposure), physical findings, and laboratory data.

The following is a list of symptoms resulting from Lyme and co-infections. An infected person may experience some or many of these symptoms, which is why diagnosis can be difficult. Check the boxes that apply to you and go over the results with your doctor.

Tick bites may go unnoticed, especially in the spring when ticks are small. There may be instances where transmission occurs other ways (including blood transfusion, placental transmission, sexual transmission, etc.). A bulls-eye rash may or may not appear (occurs on less than 50% of Lyme patients), and can occur on other body parts than where the bite occurred).

Tick Bite
o Tick bite
o Rash (basically circular, sometimes spreading)

Musculoskeletal System
o Joint pain or swelling
o Stiffness of joints, back, neck
o Muscle pain or cramps
o Creaking, cracking joints
o Heel pain
o Spinal sensitivity
o Movement of pain or swelling to different joints

Neurologic System
o Headache – persistent/severe
o Bell’s Palsy (facial paralysis)
o Burning or stabbing pains
o Tremors or unexplained shaking
o Numbness in body and/or extremities, tingling, pinpricks
o Weakness or partial paralysis
o Pressure in the head
o Lightheadedness, wooziness
o Poor balance, dizziness, difficulty walking
o Increased motion sickness
o Seizures, stroke symptoms
o Restless legs

Mental Capability
o Memory loss (short or long term)
o Confusion, difficulty in thinking
o Forgetting how to perform simple tasks
o Speech difficulty (slurred or slow)
o Stammering, stuttering speech
o Going to the wrong place

Psychological well-being
o Mood swings, irritability
o Unusual depression
o Panic-anxiety attacks
o Overemotional reactions, crying easily
o Aggression, rage
o Too much or too little sleep/insomnia
o Difficulty falling or staying asleep
o Obsessive-compulsive behavior
o Suicidal thoughts
o Paranoia
o Disorientation (getting or feeling lost)

Head, Face, Neck
o Stiff or painful neck
o Headache, persistent/mild or severe
o Twitching of facial or other muscles
o Jaw pain or stiffness
o Sore throat (may be chronic)
o Unexplained hair loss
o Scalp rash

Eyes, Vision
o Floaters
o Double or blurry vision
o Pain in eyes, or swelling around eyes
o Light sensitivity
o Flashing lights
o Tearing and/or dry eyes
o Vision loss/blindness

Ears/Hearing
o Decreased hearing in one or both ears
o Buzzing or ringing in ears (tinnitus)
o Pain in ears
o Sound sensitivity

Digestive and Excretory System
o Diarrhea
o Constipation
o Irritable bladder (trouble starting or stopping)
o Frequent urination
o Upset stomach, vomiting
o Bloating
o Acid reflux

Respiratory/Circulatory System
o Shortness of breath
o Chest pain or rib soreness
o Night sweats or unexplained chills
o Heart palpitations or extra beats
o Heart block, heart attack
o Valve prolapsed, murmurs

Reproduction
o Unexplained menstrual pain
o Unexplained breast pain, discharge
o Testicular or pelvic pain
o Loss of sex drive; erectile dysfunction

General Well-being
o Extreme fatigue
o Symptoms change; come and go
o Pain moves to different body parts
o Unexplained weight gain or loss
o Malaise (sense of not feeling well)
o Chills
o All types of rashes on the body and/or scalp
o Swollen glands
o Unexplained fevers (high or low grade)
o Itching
o Continual infections (sinus, kidney, yeast, bladder, etc.)
o Increased sensitivity to allergens (including foods)
o Exaggerated response to alcohol or sweets
o Nodules under the skin
o Flu-like symptoms (early-on, and possibly intermittent/on-going)

Remember to discuss this information with your doctor if you have concerns after going through this checklist. Many of these symptoms can be indicative of other conditions (such as menopause) or other immune system challenges. It is important to work with an allopathic or naturopathic doctor who has experience in diagnosing and treating lyme disease. Some doctors actually have the title of “lyme literate doctor.”