Thursday, December 1, 2011

Do You Suffer From "What Next" Disease?

 Lyme disease can attack and wreak havoc on any and all systems in your body and the sheer number of symptoms it can cause is staggering. If you don't have the correct diagnosis and new symptoms are popping up left and right, it can be quite terrifying and you may find yourself wondering and waiting for the what next?!

With Lyme disease, it's always something, and chances are, that something is completely and utterly ridiculous. For example:

Me on the telephone to Kathy: Hey, Kathy, I got the weirdest new symptom today! It was the darndest thing. My feet fell off and now I'm starting to grow hooves!
Kathy to me: That happened to me, too--last July! That's why you never see a picture of me on Facebook from the ankles down! Oh, that Lyme disease--what next?!

Kathy to me: Hey, Alyson, I got the weirdest new symptom today! My hair fell out and dandelions grew back in its place!
Me to Kathy: Kathy, that's just weird. We can't be friends any more. Just kidding! Why do you think I always wear a hat? Oh, that Lyme disease--what next?!

All jokes aside, check out this extensive list of symptoms of Lyme disease. The symptoms are broken down to show the different body systems that can be involved with Lyme disease. (So maybe they forgot to include hoof growing and dandelion hair, but other than that, it's pretty accurate.)

Symptoms of Lyme Disease (from the amazing Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation website)

  • The Tick Bite (fewer than 50% recall a tick bite or get/see the rash)
  1. Rash at site of bite
  2. Rashes on other parts of your body
  3. Rash basically circular, oval and spreading out (more generalized)
  4. Raised rash, disappearing and recurring
    • Head, Face, Neck
  5. Unexplained hair loss
  6. Headache, mild or severe, Seizures
  7. Pressure in head, white matter lesions in brain (MRI)
  8. Twitching of facial or other muscles
  9. Facial paralysis (Bell's Palsy, Horner's syndrome)
  10. Tingling of nose, (tip of) tongue, cheek or facial flushing
  11. Stiff or painful neck
  12. Jaw pain or stiffness
  13. Dental problems (unexplained)
  14. Sore throat, clearing throat a lot, phlegm ( flem ), hoarseness, runny nose
    • Eyes/Vision
  15. Double or blurry vision
  16. Increased floating spots
  17. Pain in eyes, or swelling around eyes
  18. Oversensitivity to light
  19. Flashing lights/Peripheral waves/phantom images in corner of eyes
    • Ears/Hearing
  20. Decreased hearing in one or both ears, plugged ears
  21. Buzzing in ears
  22. Pain in ears, oversensitivity to sounds
  23. Ringing in one or both ears
    • Digestive and Excretory Systems
  24. Diarrhea
  25. Constipation
  26. Irritable bladder (trouble starting, stopping) or Interstitial cystitis
  27. Upset stomach (nausea or pain) or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)
    • Musculoskeletal System
  28. Bone pain, joint pain or swelling, carpal tunnel syndrome
  29. Stiffness of joints, back, neck, tennis elbow
  30. Muscle pain or cramps, (Fibromyalgia)
    • Respiratory and Circulatory Systems
  31. Shortness of breath, can't get full/satisfying breath, cough
  32. Chest pain or rib soreness
  33. Night sweats or unexplained chills
  34. Heart palpitations or extra beats
  35. Endocarditis, Heart blockage
    • Neurologic System
  36. Tremors or unexplained shaking
  37. Burning or stabbing sensations in the body
  38. Fatigue, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Weakness, peripheral neuropathy or partial paralysis
  39. Pressure in the head
  40. Numbness in body, tingling, pinpricks
  41. Poor balance, dizziness, difficulty walking
  42. Increased motion sickness
  43. Lightheadedness, wooziness
    • Psychological well-being
  44. Mood swings, irritability, bi-polar disorder
  45. Unusual depression
  46. Disorientation (getting or feeling lost)
  47. Feeling as if you are losing your mind
  48. Over-emotional reactions, crying easily
  49. Too much sleep, or insomnia
  50. Difficulty falling or staying asleep
  51. Narcolepsy, sleep apnea
  52. Panic attacks, anxiety
    • Mental Capability
  53. Memory loss (short or long term)
  54. Confusion, difficulty in thinking
  55. Difficulty with concentration or reading
  56. Going to the wrong place
  57. Speech difficulty (slurred or slow)
  58. Stammering speech
  59. Forgetting how to perform simple tasks
    • Reproduction and Sexuality
  60. Loss of sex drive
  61. Sexual dysfunction
  62. Unexplained menstral pain, irregularity
  63. Unexplained breast pain, discharge
  64. Testicular or pelvic pain
    • General Well-being
  65. Phantom smells
  66. Unexplained weight gain, loss
  67. Extreme fatigue
  68. Swollen glands/lymph nodes
  69. Unexplained fevers (high or low grade)
  70. Continual infections (sinus, kidney, eye, etc.)
  71. Symptoms seem to change, come and go
  72. Pain migrates (moves) to different body parts
  73. Early on, experienced a "flu-like" illness, after which you have not since felt well.
  74. Low body temperature
  75. Allergies/Chemical sensitivities
  76. Increased effect from alcohol and possible worse hangover

2 comments:

  1. Haha! I think "what's next" all the time. We should swap stories sometime.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You crack me up! Thanks for this list. I am reposting so others can compare to their own random list of symptoms! XO

    ReplyDelete