Lyme ( commonly misspelled as Lime or Lymes ) Disease symptoms Symptoms may show up fast, with a bang, or very slowly and innocuously. There may be initial flu-like symptoms with fever, headache, nausea, jaw pain, light sensitivity, red eyes, muscle ache and stiff neck.

Many write this off as a flu and because the nymph stage of the tick is so tiny many do not recall a tick bite. The classic rash may only occur or have been seen in as few as 30% of cases (many rashes in body hair and indiscrete areas go undetected). Treatment in this early stage is critical.

If left untreated or treated insufficiently symptoms may creep into ones life over weeks, months or even years. They wax and wane and may even go into remission only to come out at a later date…even years later.

With symptoms present, a negative lab result means very little as they are very unreliable. The diagnosis, with today’s limitations in the lab, must be clinical.

Many Lyme patients were firstly diagnosed with other illnesses such as Juvenile Arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Reactive Arthritis, Infectious Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Fibromyalgia, Raynaud’s Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Interstitial Cystis, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, Fifth Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, scleroderma, lupus, early ALS, early Alzheimers Disease, crohn’s disease, m¨¦ni¨¨res syndrome, reynaud’s syndrome, sjogren’s syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, prostatitis, psychiatric disorders (bipolar, depression, etc.), encephalitis, sleep disorders, thyroid disease and various other illnesses.

If you have received one of these diagnoses please scroll down and see
if you recognize a broader range of symptoms.

If you are a doctor please re-examine these diagnoses, incorporating Lyme in the differential diagnoses.

The one common thread with Lyme Disease is the number of systems affected (brain, central nervous system, autonomic nervous system, cardiovascular, digestive, respiratory, musco-skeletal, etc.) and sometimes the hourly/daily/weekly/monthly changing of symptoms.

No one will have all symptoms but if many are present serious consideration must be given by any physician to Lyme as the possible culprit. Lyme is endemic in Canada period. The infection rate with Lyme in the tick population is exploding in North America and as the earth’s temperature warms this trend is expected to continue.

Symptoms may come and go in varying degrees with fluctuation from one symptom to another. There may be a period of what feels like remission only to be followed by another onset of symptoms.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease

The Tick Bite (fewer than 50% recall a tick bite or get/see the rash)

Rash at site of bite

Rashes on other parts of your body

Rash basically circular and spreading out (or generalized)

Raised rash, disappearing and recurring

Head, Face, Neck

Unexplained hair loss

Headache, mild or severe, Seizures

Pressure in Head, White Matter Lesions in Head (MRI)

Twitching of facial or other muscles

Facial paralysis (Bell’s Palsy)

Tingling of nose, (tip of) tongue, cheek or facial flushing

Stiff or painful neck

Jaw pain or stiffness

Dental problems (unexplained)

Sore throat, clearing throat a lot, phlegm ( flem ), hoarseness, runny
nose

Eyes/Vision

Double or blurry vision

Increased floating spots

Pain in eyes, or swelling around eyes

Oversensitivity to light

Flashing lights/Peripheral waves/phantom images in corner of eyes

Ears/Hearing

Decreased hearing in one or both ears, plugged ears

Buzzing in ears

Pain in ears, oversensitivity to sounds

Ringing in one or both ears

Digestive and Excretory Systems

Diarrhea

Constipation

Irritable bladder (trouble starting, stopping) or Interstitial cystitis

Upset stomach (nausea or pain) or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux
disease)

Musculoskeletal System

Bone pain, joint pain or swelling, carpal tunnel syndrome

Stiffness of joints, back, neck, tennis elbow

Muscle pain or cramps, (Fibromyalgia)

Respiratory and Circulatory Systems

Shortness of breath, can’t get full/satisfying breath, cough

Chest pain or rib soreness

Night sweats or unexplained chills

Heart palpitations or extra beats

Endocarditis, Heart blockage

Neurologic System

Tremors or unexplained shaking

Burning or stabbing sensations in the body

Fatigue, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Weakness, peripheral neuropathy or
partial paralysis

Pressure in the head

Numbness in body, tingling, pinpricks

Poor balance, dizziness, difficulty walking

Increased motion sickness

Lightheadedness, wooziness

Psychological well-being

Mood swings, irritability, bi-polar disorder

Unusual depression

Disorientation (getting or feeling lost)

Feeling as if you are losing your mind

Over-emotional reactions, crying easily

Too much sleep, or insomnia

Difficulty falling or staying asleep

Narcolepsy, sleep apnea

Panic attacks, anxiety

Mental Capability

Memory loss (short or long term)

Confusion, difficulty in thinking

Difficulty with concentration or reading

Going to the wrong place

Speech difficulty (slurred or slow)

Stammering speech

Forgetting how to perform simple tasks

Reproduction and Sexuality

Loss of sex drive

Sexual dysfunction

Unexplained menstral pain, irregularity

Unexplained breast pain, discharge

Testicular or pelvic pain

General Well-being

Unexplained weight gain, loss

Extreme fatigue

Swollen glands/lymph nodes

Unexplained fevers (high or low grade)

Continual infections (sinus, kidney, eye, etc.)

Symptoms seem to change, come and go
Pain migrates (moves) to different body parts

Early on, experienced a “flu-like” illness, after which you
have not since felt well.

Low body temperature

Allergies/Chemical sensitivities

Increased affect from alcohol and possible worse hangover