EDITOR’S NOTE: Our friend and Lyme activist Elaine Finn reported, compiled, wrote and edited the valuable Lyme resource guide that follows on this page. Its purpose: to help patients and their families, health professionals and also the general public better understand the illness and epidemic that may affect millions. 

We thank Elaine for her hard work in pulling this information together. And we are confident it will help people with new infections as well as chronic sufferers, first to understand the illness – and then to get the help and treatment they need.

Questions? Comments? E-mail National Lyme Report editor Derek Clontz or Elaine Finn in care of NLR. We read and respond to every letter – every day.

By ELAINE FINN
Special to National Lyme Report

Lyme Symptoms

Early symptoms may include “flu-like” symptoms such as aches and pains in the muscles and joints, a low-grade fever and/or fatigue. The following is a list of symptoms resulting from Lyme disease and co-infections. 

It is VERY IMPORTANT to understand that Lyme disease affects each person differently. Remember, some patients don’t recall having a bite, the rash, or flu-like symptoms. If you are infected, you may experience one, several, or almost all of the following symptoms:

Musculoskeletal System 

Joint pain and/or swelling that travels. Joints may crack & creak and feel as if they are sliding out of position. Stiffness of joints, back, and neck. Migrating arthralgias, arthritis, and heel pain.

Muscle pain, cramps, burning, inflammation.

Twitching of facial and/or other muscles; Restless or sleepy legs.

Neurological System 

Headaches (persistent & severe), strange head sensations, pressure or tight feeling in the head, popping sensations in the head.

Forgetfulness/memory loss (long or short term) leaving tasks unfinished, difficulty concentrating (brain fog), getting lost, mental confusion, hallucinations.

Encephalitis (brain swelling).

Speech difficulty, seizures, stroke symptoms, meningitis, numbness and tingling sensations, weakness or partial paralysis, Bells Palsy-facial paralysis, light-headedness or dizziness, poor balance, difficulty walking, tremors (unexplained shaking). Writing numbers and/or letters backwards, loss of reflexes, neuralgias (intense burning sensations or stabbing pain caused by irritation of or damage to a nerve), formication (creepy, crawly sensations), coma and sometimes death.

 Psychological Effects

Mood swings, irritability, unusual depression, blues, panic and/or anxiety attacks, aggression, rage, insomnia (unable to sleep) or sleeping too much. Obsessive-compulsive behavior, suicidal thoughts, feelings of hopelessness, paranoia, mood changes, personality changes, psychotic episodes, mental deterioration.

Reproduction Involvement      

Miscarriage or premature birth, still birth, irregular menstrual cycles/menstrual problems, testicular pain, swollen testicles, loss of sex drive (libido).

Cardiovascular/Respiratory & Circulatory Problems 

Heart palpitations, skipped beats, murmurs, valve prolapse, tachycardia (fast heartbeat), arrythmias, heart block, heart attack, sinus node problems, irregular heartbeat, myocarditis, pericarditis, endocarditis, enlarged heart, episodes of slow heart rate, chest pains & other heart abnormalities

Bronchial infections, breathlessness, shortness of breath, labored breathing, feelings of suffocation

Circulation problems.

Various symptoms 

Extreme fatigue, night sweats, chills, fever, hair loss, sore throat, swollen & painful lymph glands, urgent need to lie down, weight gain, weight loss, difficulty swallowing, jaw pain, chemical sensitivity, allergic reactions, heartburn, nodules under the skin, gray complexion, rashes, skin dryness, bladder problems, cough, hoarseness, hearing loss, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), sensitivity to light (especially flashing lights), exaggerated response to alcohol and sweets, sensitivity to noise, drooping eyelids, conjunctivitis, optic neuritis, blurry or double vision, floaters, stomach pain, diarrhea or constipation, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diaphragm spasms, anorexia, difficulty eating, fainting (blackouts), liver infections, elevated liver enzymes, enlarged spleen, multiple rashes and/or hives, hot flashes, pelvic pain, vertigo, loss of smell/taste … read the whole story, Lyme Guidebook, by Elaine Finn at National Lyme Report