When doctors suspect something else, it can be difficult to find the answer – the case history of a pregnant woman with Lyme disease.
How did she contract the disease?
I fell ill in April 2018. We had started our spring chores around our garden house. A few days later, I felt very tired, my head and neck hurt, and I didn’t know what was wrong with me. A week later, on 1 May, I was feeling very unwell and my body was weak. I went to my GP to say that I wasn’t feeling well. He first prescribed vitamins, saying that I was probably just tired. I didn’t get any better in two weeks, so I went back to him and he sent me to the psychiatric ward of the city hospital, saying that I was suffering from postnatal depression. I spent a week there, was given an infusion and prescribed antidepressants.
How did they figure out what was wrong with you?
That’s when I started working as an assistant in the neurology department of the city hospital. My eyesight deteriorated, I became sensitive to light, I was shaking, I was constantly dizzy, I lost weight and weighed only 47 kilos, I couldn’t concentrate, and I often couldn’t find the right words. A neurologist at the hospital department began to examine me systematically. I had CT and MRI scans, but they found no abnormalities. They did a lab test, which they didn’t look at for weeks, but another doctor in another department looked at my lab results and was the first to say that Lyme borreliosis could be the main cause.
How quickly did the treatment start?
They immediately sent me to an immunologist, took more blood samples, and gave me antibiotics. A few days later, I felt even worse, so I went back to the immunology department, where it turned out that my body couldn’t tolerate the antibiotics. I was given another one, but I couldn’t tolerate that either. Then, with the third antibiotic, I started to feel better, my symptoms decreased, and within six weeks I was in better condition. But because the disease was diagnosed late, they said it would be a permanently recurring syndrome. I developed tunnel vision, I often can’t find the words, sometimes communication is difficult, my hands shake constantly, and I often sweat profusely. In the meantime, I became addicted to antidepressants, which I now have to stop taking because I am expecting another baby.
What advice would you give to others in the same situation?
What hurts me most is that my eye problem was not detected in time and I developed tunnel vision. That’s why I tell everyone to be suspicious of the symptoms, even if they don’t have a red spot. I didn’t see any red spots on myself, only light sensitivity and neck stiffness pointed to Lyme borreliosis. Anyone who feels more tired than usual in the spring or is bothered by light should have a blood test done to find out if they are affected. I also noticed another important detail: Lyme disease causes the jaw to ache and increased sweating. But the most important lesson is this: if doctors cannot find the answer, Lyme disease should be suspected.
Dear Readers!
The purpose of the Weborvos and Lyme borreliosis section is to collect the experiences of those affected by the disease. The opinions of the patients who have made statements do not necessarily correspond to the professional opinion of Weborvos. Therefore, we recommend that you always consult your treating physician! The diagnosis of Lyme disease is always based on laboratory findings and, in some cases, on a consultative diagnosis agreed upon by several specialists, in which differential diagnosis also plays an important role. Of course, we offer all our contributors and readers assistance in finding the appropriate specialist.
Source: weborvos.hu
