Early symptoms of Lyme disease
Some people with Lyme disease are lucky, they’ve walked through the long grass with exposed skin, been bitten by a tick, quickly used a tick removal instrument, but still got erythema migrans (bullseye rash). They went to see the doctor, the doctor gave them the right blood test that came back positive, prescribed the correct course of antibiotics for early-stage Lyme, all within 30 days.
For the majority of Lyme disease patients, that’s a fairytale.
This is generally how it happens. A person has been feeling unwell for a week a month or maybe a year, then suddenly it gets worse they’re bedbound without any warning. They manage to get themselves to the doctor, the Dr throws a course of antibiotics at them and says finish the course and let me know how you get on.
No change, this cycle goes on for a while then the side effects of the antibiotic treatments for bacterial infections start to kick in, acid reflux, respiratory issues, constipation, diarrhoea, digestive issues, candida etc.
Maybe you have a blood test it shows kidney or liver or thyroid problems, so more drugs. Then chronic pain starts; joint pain & muscle aches so more drugs. Now anxiety kicks in more drugs, CFS/ME more drugs the neverendum of prescriptions. Then the all too familiar from the doctor or even friends and family ‘do you think it might be all in your head?’.
By then years of misdiagnosis, drugs oh and the side effects of drugs have taken their toll. You are now a chronic Lyme disease sufferer. All from a tick bite, people say and roll their eyes, like you’ve just made it all up. Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome means, there is nothing left that conventional medicine, can do for you so, you’re on your own!