Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lyme Disease

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Maryemm1
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Joined: Wed Aug 19, 2015 11:48 am
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by Maryemm1 on Wed Oct 17, 2018 5:36 pm

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lyme Disease

My husband was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis although some symptoms puzzled the hospital specialist. A couple of weeks later a blood test revealed that he was suffering from Lyme Disease. He has no RA symptoms now but still feels tired after LD was missed for some months.
At the hospital I mentioned the possibility of LD to a junior doctor who said he had never heard of arthritis being a symptom of Lyme disease. (I believe this to be untrue.) No blood test was prescribed and LD was not discovered until three weeks later. Is there a link between LD and RA? The former is known as the Great Mimic, I know.

judefire66uk
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Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2018 2:29 pm
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by judefire66uk on Thu Oct 18, 2018 12:52 pm

Re: Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lyme Disease

Dear Maryemm1

Sorry to hear about your husband. Just thought id give you my story - i was bitten by a tick in December 2014 and misdiagnosed as an insect bite/cellulitis until i suddenly became severely ill and ended up in hospital for a week - and until 1 Doctor suddenly said no that not cellulitis its LD. I was then treated clinically for this as my Blood test came back inconclusive. I have never felt so ill, the pain all over my body moving around like an alien, rashes all over and feeling like i had the worst flu ever shaking fever. It took me a year to recover to some semblance of normality, but i have been left with Fibromyalgia, i started suffering panic attics and anxiety during the first year and intense depression and these have also never left me. I am now lucky that after losing my job, my home and my health Im living in a small flat and claiming benefits and my helth is pretty stable. I live with daily pain, i suffer from insomnia sleep loss and chronic fatigue.

I believe in this Country our NHS system needs educating as LD can mimic several other diseases and it is not taken seriously. I believe I am STILL suffering from LD as there are several strains of it and the NHS only test for one strain, and if you are taking antibiotics ( the usual treatment is antibiotics for at least 6 months) they mask the little critter so tests come back inconclusive and like my GP at the time he had to treat me for the clinical symptoms. If you do some online research you will find several groups that will perhaps be a help to you - you can also get your blood sent away priavtely and get a proper test for all strains of LD done.

I have not had this done due to finances but i may in the future. All i know is before this rash and illness i was healthy and able to work full time since this event i now live with daily pain and my life has completely changed because of it.

I hope you can find the right treatment and please dont get fobbed off!

Good luck to you and your husband x
:D Chronic Illness Sufferer, Fibromyalgia, Depression, Anxiety, health Anxiety, Allergies, Skin Allergies, Nerd, Gooner, Bookworm, Hilarious Person!! :lol: :lol:

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Dr Sandeep Bawa
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Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2016 12:10 pm
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by Dr Sandeep Bawa on Fri Oct 19, 2018 1:45 pm

Re: Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lyme Disease

Hi,

any infection can leave fatigue tiredness and lethargy as symptoms. Also joint pains.

Usually this will be self limiting so as time goes by this should ease.

medications can be used to help manage the symptoms.

If it is confirmed he does not have RA then that is good news.

Hope that helps

Sandeep
Dr Sandeep Bawa
Consultant Rheumatologist - MBChB, MRCP, MSc (Sports Exercise Medicine)
http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/on ... p_bawa.php

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