Only a lengthy investigation shed light on Gréta’s illness.
How did she contract the disease?
I contracted Lyme borreliosis in the summer of 2019. I was working part-time at a garden centre. It was definitely a tick bite that I didn’t notice. The symptoms started in November. My entire left side went numb, accompanied by a panic attack. I went to the emergency room and was given blood pressure medication because they diagnosed me with high blood pressure and couldn’t find any serious problems.
When did the symptoms reappear?
The numbness remained in my left leg, but I went to work as usual. However, three days later, I felt unwell again: I started to feel numb and faint. The doctor at work measured my blood sugar and blood pressure and sent me home to rest. I rested at home for a few days, then I developed neck stiffness and bone-deep pain in my ribs, knees and hands. I went to my GP, explained my situation, they took blood samples, but found nothing. Meanwhile, my condition continued to deteriorate. I couldn’t work, I was constantly tired, I was in a bad mood, and I was tormented by joint pain. I went to a rheumatologist, who suspected an autoimmune disease, so they started testing for that, but that also proved to be a dead end.
Who finally diagnosed Lyme borreliosis?
That’s how lucky patients can be: when I went to my GP, he was being replaced by another doctor, and when I described my symptoms, he suggested that I go for a Western blot test to detect Borrelia antibodies, because Lyme disease could be the cause of my symptoms and pain. I decided to give this idea a try. I had to wait three weeks for the results, which turned out to be positive.
How did the treatment work?
Many people are unaware of how Lyme borreliosis is treated. At first, all I knew was that I had to go to the infectious diseases department. There, they told me that it was not Lyme disease, but an autoimmune disease. My partner’s mother, who works in a hospital, moved heaven and earth to get the real treatment started. I received the infusion for seven days of the ten-day infusion treatment, but then the place was needed for someone else, so I had to take the remaining three days’ dose in medication. I didn’t get much better, only the stiffness in my neck disappeared. Then I went to see a psychologist, as recommended by my doctor. The psychologist examined me and said that it was not a psychological problem. In the meantime, I developed a milk allergy and several other food intolerances, I felt numb, I was constantly tired, all my joints ached and I had panic attacks.
What finally brought results?
My GP prescribed a course of doxycycline and recommended that I try taking it for 40 days. But I only managed 30 days because I developed continuous reflux and vomiting. My condition improved for three weeks, but then I got worse again. Finally, I found Dr Klára Esztó. I told her my story the first time I saw her, and she prescribed a 60-day course of treatment, after which I felt much better. Then, last November, the second course of treatment ended, and now I am about to start the third. However, the many antibiotics ruined my stomach, and now I am suffering from stomach problems.
What would you recommend to others in the same situation?
I was saddened by the attitude of the doctors, not only the state doctors, but also the private doctors: several of them called me a hypochondriac, even though I only have Lyme disease. The most important lesson is not to give up on searching and researching. When doctors say that you don’t have the disease, you have to keep going until they rule it out. Because if a patient with Lyme borreliosis receives treatment too late, they will face enormous problems. Another thing I’ve learned is that antibiotics really do help. The treatment regimen must be followed, a special lifestyle must be maintained, and I know that it is very difficult to tolerate the course of antibiotics, but for now, this is the only effective solution for living a more liveable life.
/Editor’s note: As this conversation shows, we consider it our fundamental task to expand not only the knowledge of patients but also that of our medical colleagues about Lyme disease, so that they can guide their patients in the right therapeutic direction.
Source: weborvos.hu
