Question For Those Who May Have Lyme Involved

[futurehope]

Hi!

Other than the people who think they may have been born with lyme, do any of you remember a time in your life when you could honestly say your autonomic nervous system was relatively normal?

In other words, is there a "before" and "after" lyme? Can you remember?

Thanks.

[Guest malosp]

Hi!

Other than the people who think they may have been born with lyme, do any of you remember a time in your life when you could honestly say your autonomic nervous system was relatively normal?

In other words, is there a "before" and "after" lyme? Can you remember?

Thanks.

I can remember oh so well. Well enough that I can remember laying on my back looking up at the stars and feeling great. My first CNS symptoms...started last September 2005 with just a fast heart rate. By December 2005, I had variations in blood pressure, dizziness when standing, inappropriate fast heart rate etc. So about 5 months of POTS symptoms before I was treated for lyme.

After what I thought was a virus in June 2005...various symptoms started in September 2005. Prior to that I was very well.

I have been treating for lyme almost 3 months and some of my symptoms have improved but I am not well yet by any means. Hoping.

[Dizzy Dame]

Oh yes! Before I was 17 I was NEVER sick. Then one summer the joint pain started, but I still was able to ride horses, go kayaking, hiking, live in Ecuador and Hawaii, I just had to learn to live with constant joint and muscle pain. It wasn't until last year that my ANS symptoms started. But before that, no one would have ever guessed that I would get so severely sick as I am now. My old friends still can't believe it when they see me.

[ariella]

Interesting question.

I am still waiting for the results to my lyme tests.

If this is lyme, on one hand I can definitely say that there was an extreme exacerbation of symptoms since onset of lyme (if this is indeed lyme). But, I think I probably have a predisposition to ANS issue to begin with. Doctor noticed a heart murmur when I was a kid, I remember having what seemed like an out of body experience as a child from taking benadryl, mom takes beta blockers for palps etc etc. but really nothing to write home about.

Lyme at this point would be a "neat solution" to the puzzle of why I've got ANS dysfunction, various aches and pains, flu-like symptoms for years, peripheral nerve symptoms, and more recently muscle weakness including respiratory muscles that looks ALS-like but is not ALS.

Ariella

ps Something I've learned from lymenet that may be helpful here is to break up paragraphs for those who are "neurologically challenged" (or otherwise POTSy ) Helps me a lot in reading posts!

[pamyla]

That is an interesting question. Before the lyme dx my doctor suspected EDS, and it kind of fit because thinking back I had one or two times as a child when I felt faint, and I have always craved salt. I've also always had problems with excess sweating (yuck!) But, I didn't have all the problems with fatigue or heart rate that I have now - and I can pinpoint the time when that started. Whether that was when the lyme started, I'm not really sure... My trigger for the pots was actually a nasty respiratory infection I picked up, so at that point the lyme may have already been there but my immune system may have been handling it. But, prior to that infection I would say my ANS was behaving normally. At least I felt like I functioned pretty much like everyone else

[Sunfish]

ariella -

you are VERY right about the helpfulness of breaking up posts. we actually have this suggested, along with other things, in the "Helpful Hints for Forum Participation" which is pinned at the top of the forum http://dinet.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=5555

thanks for reminding folks,

melissa