Re: Bells Palsy and Lyme?

October 13, 2006

Hey Dee,

That's really interesting to me that the doxy worked for the Bell's Palsy. It seems like it would have to have been bacterial for it to work, though, wouldn't it?

Maybe it's one of those things where there is the herpes virus and a bacterial agent involved simultaneously.

I think I've been reading too much on the web lately, but they say, i.e., that both the herpes virus and syphilis might be what they call etiological agents for AIDS.... I think that means that you can have HIV virus but without either herpes or syphilis or some other agent probably will never develop full-blown AIDS... does that make sense? But, if a person has syphilis and then is exposed to the HIV virus, they are much more likely to develop full-blown AIDS and faster.I'm not sure if that's right or not... I read it somewhere on the internet but it could be speculation. All of my digging around looking for info on lyme also brought up a lot of interesting info about syphilis and I kept seeing the mention of syphilis as an etiological agent for AIDS everywhere I looked.

So, not that AIDS has anything to do with Bells Palsy because of course it doesn't but..

just thinking that if a person had herpes and a bacterial infection that could be the combination that causes Bells Palsy...

what do you think? Usually when I see lyme mentioned they say that it causes "Bells Palsy-like symptoms".

Bells Palsy and Lyme?

HI Sherri.

Hon Bells Palsy is usually considered to be caused by the Herpes virus not the Lyme infection/disease.... I had Bells Palsy and believe me it was ugly but TG I'm ok now... but what's so interesting and I did have an MRI to differentiate it to make sure it wasn't Lyme (since lyme can cause a facial paralysis too but it's not Bells Palsy) and mine was definitely Bells Palsy. (apparently same paralysis but different reasons?)

But in my searching when I had it I had also read of a good handful of doctors treating Bells P with Doxycycline and I had to go thru 5 doctors within 2 days to get it and believe it or not the Doxy did start to reverse the BP within 24 hrs of taking it.... WOW it was like a miracle but none of them would give it to me till the last one when I actually cried like a baby to get it and TG I did.

So though they say BP isn't technically a part of the Lyme (tho same cranial nerve (7th) is involved)..... and there is that facial paralysis on half the face (I looked like Quasi Moto) ... and supposedly an antibiotic won't work for BP but an anti-herpes med will (which I did not take or the steroids they wanted to give me)..... who the heck knows?

All I know is the Doxy definitely helped reverse my BP and is my fav. antiobiotic for almost anything I might need to take one for, it's what "I" ask for. It's been out for so long they know it's effective (for most bacterias) and it's so inexpensive as well and few side effects, gimmie the tried and true anytime.

Dee~

----- Original Message ----- From: Shopper56comcast (DOT) net

Hi :

Thanks for the explanation. What are the symptoms of Lyme? My dad had it years ago. He got Bells Palsy in his face from it. Do you have it? If you do, are you being treated and do you feel better?

Sherri

October 13, 2006

Hey Dee,

That's really interesting to me that the doxy worked for the Bell's Palsy. It seems like it would have to have been bacterial for it to work, though, wouldn't it?

Maybe it's one of those things where there is the herpes virus and a bacterial agent involved simultaneously.

I think I've been reading too much on the web lately, but they say, i.e., that both the herpes virus and syphilis might be what they call etiological agents for AIDS.... I think that means that you can have HIV virus but without either herpes or syphilis or some other agent probably will never develop full-blown AIDS... does that make sense? But, if a person has syphilis and then is exposed to the HIV virus, they are much more likely to develop full-blown AIDS and faster.I'm not sure if that's right or not... I read it somewhere on the internet but it could be speculation. All of my digging around looking for info on lyme also brought up a lot of interesting info about syphilis and I kept seeing the mention of syphilis as an etiological agent for AIDS everywhere I looked.

So, not that AIDS has anything to do with Bells Palsy because of course it doesn't but..

just thinking that if a person had herpes and a bacterial infection that could be the combination that causes Bells Palsy...

what do you think? Usually when I see lyme mentioned they say that it causes "Bells Palsy-like symptoms".

Bells Palsy and Lyme?

HI Sherri.

Hon Bells Palsy is usually considered to be caused by the Herpes virus not the Lyme infection/disease.... I had Bells Palsy and believe me it was ugly but TG I'm ok now... but what's so interesting and I did have an MRI to differentiate it to make sure it wasn't Lyme (since lyme can cause a facial paralysis too but it's not Bells Palsy) and mine was definitely Bells Palsy. (apparently same paralysis but different reasons?)

But in my searching when I had it I had also read of a good handful of doctors treating Bells P with Doxycycline and I had to go thru 5 doctors within 2 days to get it and believe it or not the Doxy did start to reverse the BP within 24 hrs of taking it.... WOW it was like a miracle but none of them would give it to me till the last one when I actually cried like a baby to get it and TG I did.

So though they say BP isn't technically a part of the Lyme (tho same cranial nerve (7th) is involved)..... and there is that facial paralysis on half the face (I looked like Quasi Moto) ... and supposedly an antibiotic won't work for BP but an anti-herpes med will (which I did not take or the steroids they wanted to give me)..... who the heck knows?

All I know is the Doxy definitely helped reverse my BP and is my fav. antiobiotic for almost anything I might need to take one for, it's what "I" ask for. It's been out for so long they know it's effective (for most bacterias) and it's so inexpensive as well and few side effects, gimmie the tried and true anytime.

Dee~

----- Original Message ----- From: Shopper56comcast (DOT) net

Hi :

Thanks for the explanation. What are the symptoms of Lyme? My dad had it years ago. He got Bells Palsy in his face from it. Do you have it? If you do, are you being treated and do you feel better?

Sherri

October 13, 2006

Hey Dee,

That's really interesting to me that the doxy worked for the Bell's Palsy. It seems like it would have to have been bacterial for it to work, though, wouldn't it?

Maybe it's one of those things where there is the herpes virus and a bacterial agent involved simultaneously.

I think I've been reading too much on the web lately, but they say, i.e., that both the herpes virus and syphilis might be what they call etiological agents for AIDS.... I think that means that you can have HIV virus but without either herpes or syphilis or some other agent probably will never develop full-blown AIDS... does that make sense? But, if a person has syphilis and then is exposed to the HIV virus, they are much more likely to develop full-blown AIDS and faster.I'm not sure if that's right or not... I read it somewhere on the internet but it could be speculation. All of my digging around looking for info on lyme also brought up a lot of interesting info about syphilis and I kept seeing the mention of syphilis as an etiological agent for AIDS everywhere I looked.

So, not that AIDS has anything to do with Bells Palsy because of course it doesn't but..

just thinking that if a person had herpes and a bacterial infection that could be the combination that causes Bells Palsy...

what do you think? Usually when I see lyme mentioned they say that it causes "Bells Palsy-like symptoms".

Bells Palsy and Lyme?

HI Sherri.

Hon Bells Palsy is usually considered to be caused by the Herpes virus not the Lyme infection/disease.... I had Bells Palsy and believe me it was ugly but TG I'm ok now... but what's so interesting and I did have an MRI to differentiate it to make sure it wasn't Lyme (since lyme can cause a facial paralysis too but it's not Bells Palsy) and mine was definitely Bells Palsy. (apparently same paralysis but different reasons?)

But in my searching when I had it I had also read of a good handful of doctors treating Bells P with Doxycycline and I had to go thru 5 doctors within 2 days to get it and believe it or not the Doxy did start to reverse the BP within 24 hrs of taking it.... WOW it was like a miracle but none of them would give it to me till the last one when I actually cried like a baby to get it and TG I did.

So though they say BP isn't technically a part of the Lyme (tho same cranial nerve (7th) is involved)..... and there is that facial paralysis on half the face (I looked like Quasi Moto) ... and supposedly an antibiotic won't work for BP but an anti-herpes med will (which I did not take or the steroids they wanted to give me)..... who the heck knows?

All I know is the Doxy definitely helped reverse my BP and is my fav. antiobiotic for almost anything I might need to take one for, it's what "I" ask for. It's been out for so long they know it's effective (for most bacterias) and it's so inexpensive as well and few side effects, gimmie the tried and true anytime.

Dee~

----- Original Message ----- From: Shopper56comcast (DOT) net

Hi :

Thanks for the explanation. What are the symptoms of Lyme? My dad had it years ago. He got Bells Palsy in his face from it. Do you have it? If you do, are you being treated and do you feel better?

Sherri

October 13, 2006

You know, I think it's like when I found an article online that was talking about patients with lichen sclerosis-like symptoms caused by lyme... but the article never came right out and said "lichen sclerosis" was caused by lyme, they always referred to it as some kind of "cutaneous lesion caused by borreliosis that was impossible to distinguish pathologically from lichen sclerosis" or something along those lines. : )

Bells Palsy and Lyme?

HI Sherri.

Hon Bells Palsy is usually considered to be caused by the Herpes virus not the Lyme infection/disease.... I had Bells Palsy and believe me it was ugly but TG I'm ok now... but what's so interesting and I did have an MRI to differentiate it to make sure it wasn't Lyme (since lyme can cause a facial paralysis too but it's not Bells Palsy) and mine was definitely Bells Palsy. (apparently same paralysis but different reasons?)

But in my searching when I had it I had also read of a good handful of doctors treating Bells P with Doxycycline and I had to go thru 5 doctors within 2 days to get it and believe it or not the Doxy did start to reverse the BP within 24 hrs of taking it.... WOW it was like a miracle but none of them would give it to me till the last one when I actually cried like a baby to get it and TG I did.

So though they say BP isn't technically a part of the Lyme (tho same cranial nerve (7th) is involved)..... and there is that facial paralysis on half the face (I looked like Quasi Moto) ... and supposedly an antibiotic won't work for BP but an anti-herpes med will (which I did not take or the steroids they wanted to give me)..... who the heck knows?

All I know is the Doxy definitely helped reverse my BP and is my fav. antiobiotic for almost anything I might need to take one for, it's what "I" ask for. It's been out for so long they know it's effective (for most bacterias) and it's so inexpensive as well and few side effects, gimmie the tried and true anytime.

Dee~

----- Original Message ----- From: Shopper56comcast (DOT) net

Hi :

Thanks for the explanation. What are the symptoms of Lyme? My dad had it years ago. He got Bells Palsy in his face from it. Do you have it? If you do, are you being treated and do you feel better?

Sherri

October 13, 2006

You know, I think it's like when I found an article online that was talking about patients with lichen sclerosis-like symptoms caused by lyme... but the article never came right out and said "lichen sclerosis" was caused by lyme, they always referred to it as some kind of "cutaneous lesion caused by borreliosis that was impossible to distinguish pathologically from lichen sclerosis" or something along those lines. : )

Bells Palsy and Lyme?

HI Sherri.

Hon Bells Palsy is usually considered to be caused by the Herpes virus not the Lyme infection/disease.... I had Bells Palsy and believe me it was ugly but TG I'm ok now... but what's so interesting and I did have an MRI to differentiate it to make sure it wasn't Lyme (since lyme can cause a facial paralysis too but it's not Bells Palsy) and mine was definitely Bells Palsy. (apparently same paralysis but different reasons?)

But in my searching when I had it I had also read of a good handful of doctors treating Bells P with Doxycycline and I had to go thru 5 doctors within 2 days to get it and believe it or not the Doxy did start to reverse the BP within 24 hrs of taking it.... WOW it was like a miracle but none of them would give it to me till the last one when I actually cried like a baby to get it and TG I did.

So though they say BP isn't technically a part of the Lyme (tho same cranial nerve (7th) is involved)..... and there is that facial paralysis on half the face (I looked like Quasi Moto) ... and supposedly an antibiotic won't work for BP but an anti-herpes med will (which I did not take or the steroids they wanted to give me)..... who the heck knows?

All I know is the Doxy definitely helped reverse my BP and is my fav. antiobiotic for almost anything I might need to take one for, it's what "I" ask for. It's been out for so long they know it's effective (for most bacterias) and it's so inexpensive as well and few side effects, gimmie the tried and true anytime.

Dee~

----- Original Message ----- From: Shopper56comcast (DOT) net

Hi :

Thanks for the explanation. What are the symptoms of Lyme? My dad had it years ago. He got Bells Palsy in his face from it. Do you have it? If you do, are you being treated and do you feel better?

Sherri

October 13, 2006

You know, I think it's like when I found an article online that was talking about patients with lichen sclerosis-like symptoms caused by lyme... but the article never came right out and said "lichen sclerosis" was caused by lyme, they always referred to it as some kind of "cutaneous lesion caused by borreliosis that was impossible to distinguish pathologically from lichen sclerosis" or something along those lines. : )

Bells Palsy and Lyme?

HI Sherri.

Hon Bells Palsy is usually considered to be caused by the Herpes virus not the Lyme infection/disease.... I had Bells Palsy and believe me it was ugly but TG I'm ok now... but what's so interesting and I did have an MRI to differentiate it to make sure it wasn't Lyme (since lyme can cause a facial paralysis too but it's not Bells Palsy) and mine was definitely Bells Palsy. (apparently same paralysis but different reasons?)

But in my searching when I had it I had also read of a good handful of doctors treating Bells P with Doxycycline and I had to go thru 5 doctors within 2 days to get it and believe it or not the Doxy did start to reverse the BP within 24 hrs of taking it.... WOW it was like a miracle but none of them would give it to me till the last one when I actually cried like a baby to get it and TG I did.

So though they say BP isn't technically a part of the Lyme (tho same cranial nerve (7th) is involved)..... and there is that facial paralysis on half the face (I looked like Quasi Moto) ... and supposedly an antibiotic won't work for BP but an anti-herpes med will (which I did not take or the steroids they wanted to give me)..... who the heck knows?

All I know is the Doxy definitely helped reverse my BP and is my fav. antiobiotic for almost anything I might need to take one for, it's what "I" ask for. It's been out for so long they know it's effective (for most bacterias) and it's so inexpensive as well and few side effects, gimmie the tried and true anytime.

Dee~

----- Original Message ----- From: Shopper56comcast (DOT) net

Hi :

Thanks for the explanation. What are the symptoms of Lyme? My dad had it years ago. He got Bells Palsy in his face from it. Do you have it? If you do, are you being treated and do you feel better?

Sherri

October 13, 2006

HI ,

I hear you... and I just hope and pray you don't have Lyme disease. I'm just curious other than your vulvar pain and LS do you have other symptoms that would suggest it at all... ?

It sure can be confusing no doubt about it.... and by all accounts the Doxy shouldn't have helped me since it was a definite diagnosis of BP... (and why it took the 5th doctor to give it to me as they just absolutely refused) Yet it worked and only because I'd seen those articles written by doctors that said they used it for Bells and it worked. *sigh*.. It does make me wonder tho I can tell you. *sigh* maybe it was Lyme all along and why the antibiotic worked so fast and it had nothing to do with Herpes.

(I didn't take the herpes med or the steroids they wanted to give me)

But WOW if you want to really get into some deep research check out what those many varieties of herpes can do, esp. HHV 6 and a supposed relationship to that one and AIDS. (most people only know of Herpes 1 & 2) But certain strains of Herpes can be far more worse (or as much) than even Lyme. *sigh* Starting with the simple Epstein Barr kids get in college. That's a whole other field that can really stimulate your interest. A good book is ''The Virus Within'': A Coming Epidemic by N.Regush

Anyway I do know what you mean about the possibility of the tie in with LS... but honestly at various times it always comes up and we've had a big discussion about that over on the LS group over the years... (first time here on the VD group I think) *smile* since it's only been connected with vulvar pain in LS as far as articles that I'm aware of and could be wrong but I've never seen it otherwise.

And from all that I'd ever read about the Lyme & LS connection they say just isn't connected with the USA cases. I even had a list of all the other countries where it can be found... but our (USA) ticks supposedly just don't carry the one that's connected with LS. (again hon just from what I've read)

And I've never seen it mentioned with just reg. vulvar conditions, not that someone might not have Lyme disease as that's definitely more common than suspected, esp. with Chronic fatigue, Scleroderma, Morphea, even Fibro and so many other things, but I'd love it if someone could point me to vulvar conditions with it other than LS and in America.

Or is that they just co-exist like someone can have 'whatever' plus a yeast infection? SO I wouldn't doubt with Lyme being so common that there'd be more than a handful here with V pain 'and' Lyme and why I asked if you had other conditions that might lead you in that direction.

But to me it's like HPV.. where they thought that was a big cause of V pain at one time... but come to find out that approx 80% of the population carries it and most of them don't have V pain.. (the horse before the cart sort of) it

co exists with other diseases or infections and that was the bottom line.. and I personally think that's what it is with Lyme.

A person may have Lyme 'and' V. pain but I don't think the Lyme is the cause of the V pain, (but we ''definitely'' should get treatment for it!) but I do think it's a secondary issue at least in that case and usually a first indiction would be having other major chronic problems..

As to why not LS in the USA? Studies showed this.....

DNA from B. burgdorferi was detected by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) in (17 of 82) of the tissues of patients with morphoea in ''Europe and Asia'', but ''not'' a single case among 98 patients was reported to be positive from the U. S.A.

In Europe and Asia, borrelial DNA was detected in 0-100% (nine of 28) of the cases with lichen sclerosus, whereas in the U.S.A. 'none' of 48 patients was positive.

''So, when using that PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and DNA tests...the study above (and others) suggest that the B. burgdorferi genus or strain, plays no role in the development of morphea, LSA, or scleroderma in North American patients; (Lyme yes) and those findings support the recent observations that the B. burgdorferi ''variety'' is associated with different aspects of disease in North America compared with that found in various parts of Europe & Asia.''

Even in that great really long article *smile* that sent (thanks hon) in there it mentions this (Eurasia) because there is a difference in the species.

''Because of the differences in the species of Borrelia that cause Lyme disease in North America (B. burgdorferi), compared with those that cause this infection in ''Eurasia'' (B. burgdorferi, Borrelia afzelii, and Borrelia garinii), recommendations were based, whenever possible, on studies conducted in the United States.''

I "still' haven't quite finished that article *smile* but in there I don't think they mention V pain or even LS either do they?

So far I guess 'I'm' not convinced it's a part of LS (at least in the USA) but I definitely would be tested if I lived elsewhere or traveled. AND..... I most definitely would be tested if I had any of those other symptoms and there's no doubt a good handful of people carry Lyme unbeknownst and are as sick as a dog and diagnosed with every thing but....

Look at this list of things Lyme can imitate! If I had any of those? Again in a heart beat I'd be tested.

"It is now realized that Lyme disease can mimic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Bell’s Palsy, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, neuritis, psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia, chronic fatigue, heart failure, angina, irregular heart rhythms, fibromyalgia, dermatitis, autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma and lupus, eye inflammatory reactions, sudden deafness, SIDS, ADD and hyperactivity, chronic pain and many other conditions....Lyme disease needs to be considered in every patient with a chronic illness."

Just like Amy Tan author of the Joy Luck Club (and more) and where she finally realizes that's what she has in her book.... 'Opposite of Fate' but had to go thru hell with being checked for everything else when it was that in the end...

But there too I didn't see her mention any kind of vulvar pain. (not that she necessarily would tho either being such a taboo subject *sigh*) The only one I have seen with V pain & Lyme is with LS and like I said haven't seen any in the USA with that connection.

In all the articles I ran across on LS and the Borellia Burgdorferi (BB) and biopsy's? Many didn't specify where it was from and in fact of those that were mentioned, were always biopsies on the trunk or other body extremities.

But.... like anything else we can't rule it out positively that's for sure but I don't think it's that common if it is but that's just 'my' opinion. Then again by now maybe those ticks have migrated here eh?

Just one suggestion though in searching anything out that might connect Lyme & LS? Keep this in mind too while viewing abstracts.... not only dates published (older ones are quite outdated) but be aware of the country of origin of the studies to be certain to see where they come from and I'd venture to say they are from other countries.

Gosh hon It's really a tough one.... and myself I believe in antibiotics big time and they don't frighten me at all and if I even thought one would help me? I'd be on one in a NY heartbeat. (lucky tho I don't get yeast infections either) ... maybe a bit of diarrhea if it's long term, but my feeling is 'so what'? That doesn't hurt me or kill me (but that's me). Believe me if I had a long term chronic condition? You'd better bet I'd be trying the antibiotics.

WOW it's 6:15 in the morning I've GOT to go to bed.LOL

Hugs hon and still just hoping you don't have Lyme and those that do I've got great faith that the antibiotics really will help and have much hope for their relief.

Dee

October 13, 2006

I am not in a position right now to pull up all the links, but I have read

several articles that

mention pelvic pain and genital pain as symptoms of lyme. No, no one has ever

said

" vulvodynia " but it sure seems like people aren't interested in hearing/talking

about vulvas

much anyway, and that they are generally neglected by medicine, so I wouldn't be

surprised if the connection just hadn't been made, esp. since so many women go

around

for years without even getting acknowledged.

And, peripheral neuropathy is always mentioned as a symptom of lyme, and isn't v

pain in

some cases a type of peripheral neuropathy?

Just thinking out loud.

>

> HI ,

>

> I hear you... and I just hope and pray you don't have Lyme disease. I'm just

curious

other than your vulvar pain and LS do you have other symptoms that would suggest

it at

all... ?

>

> It sure can be confusing no doubt about it.... and by all accounts the Doxy

shouldn't

have helped me since it was a definite diagnosis of BP... (and why it took the

5th doctor to

give it to me as they just absolutely refused) Yet it worked and only because

I'd seen

those articles written by doctors that said they used it for Bells and it

worked. *sigh*.. It

does make me wonder tho I can tell you. *sigh* maybe it was Lyme all along and

why the

antibiotic worked so fast and it had nothing to do with Herpes.

> (I didn't take the herpes med or the steroids they wanted to give me)

>

> But WOW if you want to really get into some deep research check out what those

many

varieties of herpes can do, esp. HHV 6 and a supposed relationship to that one

and AIDS.

(most people only know of Herpes 1 & 2) But certain strains of Herpes can be far

more

worse (or as much) than even Lyme. *sigh* Starting with the simple Epstein Barr

kids get in

college. That's a whole other field that can really stimulate your interest.

A good book

is ''The Virus Within'': A Coming Epidemic by N.Regush

>

> Anyway I do know what you mean about the possibility of the tie in with LS...

but

honestly at various times it always comes up and we've had a big discussion

about that

over on the LS group over the years... (first time here on the VD group I think)

*smile*

since it's only been connected with vulvar pain in LS as far as articles that

I'm aware of and

could be wrong but I've never seen it otherwise.

>

> And from all that I'd ever read about the Lyme & LS connection they say just

isn't

connected with the USA cases. I even had a list of all the other countries

where it can be

found... but our (USA) ticks supposedly just don't carry the one that's

connected with LS.

(again hon just from what I've read)

>

> And I've never seen it mentioned with just reg. vulvar conditions, not that

someone

might not have Lyme disease as that's definitely more common than suspected,

esp. with

Chronic fatigue, Scleroderma, Morphea, even Fibro and so many other things, but

I'd love

it if someone could point me to vulvar conditions with it other than LS and in

America.

>

> Or is that they just co-exist like someone can have 'whatever' plus a yeast

infection? SO

I wouldn't doubt with Lyme being so common that there'd be more than a handful

here

with V pain 'and' Lyme and why I asked if you had other conditions that might

lead you in

that direction.

>

> But to me it's like HPV.. where they thought that was a big cause of V pain at

one time...

but come to find out that approx 80% of the population carries it and most of

them don't

have V pain.. (the horse before the cart sort of) it

> co exists with other diseases or infections and that was the bottom line.. and

I

personally think that's what it is with Lyme.

>

> A person may have Lyme 'and' V. pain but I don't think the Lyme is the cause

of the V

pain, (but we ''definitely'' should get treatment for it!) but I do think it's a

secondary issue

at least in that case and usually a first indiction would be having other major

chronic

problems..

>

> As to why not LS in the USA? Studies showed this.....

>

> DNA from B. burgdorferi was detected by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) in

(17 of

82) of the tissues of patients with morphoea in ''Europe and Asia'', but ''not''

a single case

among 98 patients was reported to be positive from the U. S.A.

> In Europe and Asia, borrelial DNA was detected in 0-100% (nine of 28) of

the cases

with lichen sclerosus, whereas in the U.S.A. 'none' of 48 patients was positive.

>

> ''So, when using that PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and DNA tests...the

study above

(and others) suggest that the B. burgdorferi genus or strain, plays no role in

the

development of morphea, LSA, or scleroderma in North American patients; (Lyme

yes) and

those findings support the recent observations that the B. burgdorferi

''variety'' is

associated with different aspects of disease in North America compared with that

found in

various parts of Europe & Asia.''

>

> Even in that great really long article *smile* that sent (thanks hon) in

there it

mentions this (Eurasia) because there is a difference in the species.

>

> ''Because of the differences in the species of Borrelia that cause Lyme

disease in North

America (B. burgdorferi), compared with those that cause this infection in

''Eurasia'' (B.

burgdorferi, Borrelia afzelii, and Borrelia garinii), recommendations were

based, whenever

possible, on studies conducted in the United States.''

>

> I " still' haven't quite finished that article *smile* but in there I don't

think they mention V

pain or even LS either do they?

>

> So far I guess 'I'm' not convinced it's a part of LS (at least in the USA) but

I definitely

would be tested if I lived elsewhere or traveled. AND..... I most definitely

would be tested if

I had any of those other symptoms and there's no doubt a good handful of people

carry

Lyme unbeknownst and are as sick as a dog and diagnosed with every thing but....

>

> Look at this list of things Lyme can imitate! If I had any of those? Again

in a heart beat

I'd be tested.

>

> " It is now realized that Lyme disease can mimic amyotrophic lateral

sclerosis,

Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, Bell's Palsy, reflex sympathetic

dystrophy, neuritis,

psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia, chronic fatigue, heart failure,

angina, irregular

heart rhythms, fibromyalgia, dermatitis, autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma

and

lupus, eye inflammatory reactions, sudden deafness, SIDS, ADD and hyperactivity,

chronic

pain and many other conditions....Lyme disease needs to be considered in every

patient

with a chronic illness. "

>

> Just like Amy Tan author of the Joy Luck Club (and more) and where she finally

realizes

that's what she has in her book.... 'Opposite of Fate' but had to go thru hell

with being

checked for everything else when it was that in the end...

>

> But there too I didn't see her mention any kind of vulvar pain. (not that she

necessarily

would tho either being such a taboo subject *sigh*) The only one I have seen

with V pain

& Lyme is with LS and like I said haven't seen any in the USA with that

connection.

>

> In all the articles I ran across on LS and the Borellia Burgdorferi (BB) and

biopsy's? Many

didn't specify where it was from and in fact of those that were mentioned, were

always

biopsies on the trunk or other body extremities.

>

> But.... like anything else we can't rule it out positively that's for sure but

I don't think it's

that common if it is but that's just 'my' opinion. Then again by now maybe

those ticks

have migrated here eh?

>

> Just one suggestion though in searching anything out that might connect Lyme &

LS?

Keep this in mind too while viewing abstracts.... not only dates published

(older ones are

quite outdated) but be aware of the country of origin of the studies to be

certain to see

where they come from and I'd venture to say they are from other countries.

>

> Gosh hon It's really a tough one.... and myself I believe in antibiotics big

time and they

don't frighten me at all and if I even thought one would help me? I'd be on one

in a NY

heartbeat. (lucky tho I don't get yeast infections either) ... maybe a bit of

diarrhea if it's

long term, but my feeling is 'so what'? That doesn't hurt me or kill me (but

that's me).

Believe me if I had a long term chronic condition? You'd better bet I'd be

trying the

antibiotics.

>

> WOW it's 6:15 in the morning I've GOT to go to bed.LOL

> Hugs hon and still just hoping you don't have Lyme and those that do I've got

great faith

that the antibiotics really will help and have much hope for their relief.

>

> Dee

>

October 13, 2006

Sure, and Dee you might have had some other type of bacterial infection (not lyme) and the herpes together that's why the Bells Palsy... I've heard that different bacteria when taken out of their "normal" environment can causes diseases, say if you take a bacteria that usually lives in your gut and then it ends up colonizing in your brain. I think there's a danger with IV treatments, partly for that reason. That can potentially cause problems... I don't know this for a fact, though... just some stuff I was reading. If you were tested for lyme at that time, maybe it wasn't that, but was some other bug that acted as an agent.

Oh, I don't know, really... just reading some things out of college biology notes I found on the web and they were talking a lot about primary and secondary infections, and diseases that were caused by two underlying conditions rather that one, etc. I think the temptation is to want there to be one underlying cause when it's often more than one underlying cause. So, all of that stuff about syphilis seemed pretty interesting, and they were telling HIV+ patients, treat the syphilis first with antibiotics because it acts as an agent...

curious, the H. Pylori that causes stomach ulcers, does it ever end up in other organs and cause similar problems?

See, my urologist told me once that he thought IC was either an autoimmune problem or it was caused by some unidentified bacteria buried in the lining of the bladder...

I'm not thinking so much about lyme here, just bacteria in general....

October 13, 2006

Hi Dee:

My dad had Lyme about 15 years ago after which he developed Bell's Palsy. At that time they told him the Bell's Palsy was caused by the Lyme. He was treated for Lyme, don't remember what they did for the Bell's. It took a long time to go away so I am thinking they didn't do anything to treat it.

Sherri

-------------- Original message --------------

HI Sherri.

Hon Bells Palsy is usually considered to be caused by the Herpes virus not the Lyme infection/disease.... I had Bells Palsy and believe me it was ugly but TG I'm ok now... but what's so interesting and I did have an MRI to differentiate it to make sure it wasn't Lyme (since lyme can cause a facial paralysis too but it's not Bells Palsy) and mine was definitely Bells Palsy. (apparently same paralysis but different reasons?)

But in my searching when I had it I had also read of a good handful of doctors treating Bells P with Doxycycline and I had to go thru 5 doctors within 2 days to get it and believe it or not the Doxy did start to reverse the BP within 24 hrs of taking it.... WOW it was like a miracle but none of them would give it to me till the last one when I actually cried like a baby to get it and TG I did.

So though they say BP isn't technically a part of the Lyme (tho same cranial nerve (7th) is involved)..... and there is that facial paralysis on half the face (I looked like Quasi Moto) ... and supposedly an antibiotic won't work for BP but an anti-herpes med will (which I did not take or the steroids they wanted to give me)..... who the heck knows?

All I know is the Doxy definitely helped reverse my BP and is my fav. antiobiotic for almost anything I might need to take one for, it's what "I" ask for. It's been out for so long they know it's effective (for most bacterias) and it's so inexpensive as well and few side effects, gimmie the tried and true anytime.

Dee~

----- Original Message ----- From: Shopper56@...

Hi :

Thanks for the explanation. What are the symptoms of Lyme? My dad had it years ago. He got Bells Palsy in his face from it. Do you have it? If you do, are you being treated and do you feel better?

Sherri

October 14, 2006

Hey Dee,

At this point I don't know about the lyme disease....

I am suspicious of some type of bacterial infection for these reasons:

1) I was bitten by either a tick or spider years ago and it caused numbness, eye twiching, stabbing pains and a small rash

2) I went from having no allergies at all to suddenly having to take hour-long showers in the mornings to try to drain all of the mucous out of my head. I had a chronic hacking cough, a chronic sore throat, a sinus headache that never went away, motion sickness, swollen glands in my throat and below my ears, and what felt like a low-grade ear infection that didn't ever go away. I was really sensitive to loud sounds... the volume in the movie theater really bothered me to distraction and I'd leave rock concerts in tears... and my ears were always ringing. I told my husband for several years that I felt like I had an awful hangover every day. At one point I just got kind of depressed because I always felt rotten and the only explanation I could find was allergies.

Long showers, the steam room at the gym, aerobics, and lots of really spicy food and sudafed helped me deal with this stuff.

Finally I got tested for allergies, they said I was allergic to a whole bunch of things and put me on shots. But, it took about 3 years for the shots to really help... at first, they made me feel worse. But now, I totally have the allergies under control and don't have the sinus symptoms except on very rare occaions. I generally feel good.

3) But then... I started having numbness and tingling in my feet and arms every night. I thought I had carpal tunnel. I wore a splint to sleep. I went for carpal tunnel tests... the doctor says I have sore muscles or possibly tendonitis.

4) Then... my hips start aching.... every night for several years I wake up with this throbbing pain in my hips and at one point it gets so bad I have to start taking sleep aids and painkillers so I can sleep because it keeps me awake all night.

In the morning, I couldn't stand up and walk to the bathroom. I'd have to stand there for a few minutes before i could get the feeling back in my feet and could stumble to the bathroom... I figured it was caused by doing step classes at the gym... after a couple of years, it went away. I had shin splints for a couple of years too but kept exercising with them.

5) Then, I get to where I can't chew gum or chewy foods because they make my jaw ache and pop... I think, this must be something like TMJ... I stopped chewing gum because I noticed it aggravated it.

6) My face starts looking flushed all of the time and I think maybe it's rosacea... I cover it up with makeup and try to ignore it. Now, when I drink one alcoholic drink my face and neck and chest break out in this bright red rash and I look like I have a sunburn. That never used to happen.

7) My lower back starts really bothering me, to the point where I can't easily get up and down from a sitting position without a lot of pain. At this point, I'm about 29 yrs old. I figure it's from lifting PA equipment and my electric piano. I think maybe that's what's causing my feet to go numb. I go to a chiropracter and he XRays my back and says it looks perfect... no degeneration that he can see and perfectly aligned...but being a chiropracter he figures he should work on me anyway... after a few sessions I decide it's doing absolutely nothing to help the back pain and quit going to him.

8) I've had an ulcer in my left eye that's been there for 5 years and never goes away... it gets a little better and a little worse. I've used antibiotics on it.

And then, after all of that... I had the vulvodynia I believe before I got that bug bite, so I think that's probably something else...

I am diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, then gluten intolerance, then lichen sclerosis in that order.

So, when I started reading all of that lyme info... it just fit... that's why I was so glad hoping it was an underlying cause.

But, now I'm negative so back to square one I guess.

So now, I have this mysterious pain right below my ribs on my right side... I asked my dermatologist about this and she said go see another doctor.. that's musculoskeletal... but it hurts when I move certain ways or walk a lot or lie on that side I get these sharp stabbing pains.

I tried the probiotics, had the LS flare and the eye twitch, headaches, motion sickness, nausea, facial flushing, eye pain (ulcer), blurry eyesight all come back again (having not had those symptoms in 5 years at least). At first, I'm thinking maybe I accidentally switched my contacts because the eyes are blurry... the eyes sort of came in and out of focus and the r eye twitched. I'd take the contacts out and it was the same thing with the glasses. I stopped taking the probiotics and the eyes all of a sudden are normal again... no blurry vision, the ulcer stops hurting right away. This week the back started being sore again and it hasn't bothered me in a few years. And, three days ago I wake up with the right side of my neck sore and stiff... the next morning it's the left side of my neck and today it's both sides and I can barely move it and that seems odd.

So, that's my story.... I strongly suspect something infectious.