250 – When to suspect
When to Suspect Lyme
John D. Bleiweiss, M.D.
Traditionally, the public has been advised to suspect Lyme (LD) if a round or oval, expanding, red rash develops 3-32 days after a deer tick bite associated with or followed by a flu-like illness. This limited description will apply to only some cases. About 50% of patients do not recall one or more of tick bite, rash or flu-like illness. The rashes associated with LD can assume a variety of morphologies including vesicular, urticarial, eczematoid or atrophic (Acrodermatitis Chronicum Atrophicans). For many patients, neurologic, cardiac, arthritic, cognitive and/or psychological complications predominate. While deer ticks and LD have a well known affiliation, other potential vectors can carry the spirochete that causes LD (Borrelia burgdorferi; Bb). These include, the lone star tick, fleas, the biting flies (e.g. green-headed fly) (and mosquitoes?). A case of suspected transmission via blood transfusion has been reported by Dr. Burrascano.
Lyme Handbook 
HELP!!! I have all these symptoms and I have had test after test, I have perripheral Neuropathy in my feet now starting in my hands, I have had Thyroid tests come back wrong-basically all the symptoms, I had a tic in my head in 2001 no rash-I am sure its Lyme disease because nothing has shown up but my life is slowly becoming more and more dependent on a cane,a walker, it has mimicked MS, Sjorgens, Scleroderma, I am a nurse so I know to look, the deal is WHO WILL I CONVICE TO GIVE ME THE RIGHT TESTS??
Deb,
Being a nurse, you probably are already aware of this.
I assume that at least one of these many tests were for Lyme, Bartonella, or any of the TBI infections. If so, were the tests done by either Specialty labs in Valencia, CA or Stony Brook labs? Both provide some of the more accurate TBI tests,
If you have been treated with antibiotics, follow through with your treatment. Not doing so will weaken the efficacy of the drugs (i.e. surviving pathogens may mutate and become resistant to the drugs). Of course, too much will weaken your immune system; possibly harm your gall bladder and most likely cause intestinal problems.
Finding a good Lyme Literate Doctor is essential. What region do you live?
If you’ve tried all the above with no success. Try calling Maggie Meshki in CT at 203-266-4707. She has been helping chronic Lyme patients improve dramatically through intense detoxification. A number of top LLDs have been soliciting her to find what she’s doing to better their ex patients.
Rob
Hi Deb,
I have been hearing great things about the newly available Borrelia (Lyme) culture test being done by Advanced Laboratory Services – they have a website, you can probably find them using Google. Most other tests out there usually just look for antibodies – but if your immune system is compromised, you actually might have a lower chance of producing these antibodies. The culture is also able to detect all strains of Borrelia burgdorferi, not just the ones that are compared on a Western Blot (which is based on old lab strains from the 70’s). Their culture is 80% sensitive,, making it the most reliable test available for Lyme. And it is a direct test, meaning that if the culture is positive it is evidence that there was an active infection at the time the blood was drawn. (The CDC sees cultures as the “gold standard” for diagnosing all infections – if a doctor suspects a UTI, they culture your urine. This is the first time a culture has been available for spirochetes!). Rob is right, you need to find a Lyme literate physician in your area to get the test. I believe it costs $595. Consider yourself warned though, insurance companies tend to red-flag and deny test and treatments for Lyme =(