Chronic complaint ignored by GP

[worriedabout]

I posted here just before Christmas about my migraine (or is it?)

It started the week before Christmas. I had pins and needles in my hand and when I woke up on Christmas eve my hands and legs were numb. I was lightheaded and it felt like something was pressing really hard against the side of my head. I went to A&E - they diagnosed viral meningitis (even though I had had a similar experience 6 months before which lasted 10 days).

I think it is now 5 weeks since I had the first symptoms. I am still getting headaches, particularly down the right side of my face, am unable to do anything without being completely exhausted afterwards and wake up every morning feeling stiff.

I have had blood tests done twice and on both occasions my esinophil count has been raised (about 40% above normal) and my neutrophils and lymphocytes are slightly low. My GP says this is nothing to worry about.

My GP has recommended an MRI (not sure if this is the right avenue) and every time I suggest that it maybe is not a viral infection, I am told about how long it takes to recover from a virus. A virus would not go into remission for 6 months before making me sick again would it?

I don't know what else I can say to my GP. I think I have a parasitic infection but he is just not open to that idea at all and I am worried that I will end up with a spurious diagnosis like CFS because they just can't be bothered to investigate it properly.

(Disclaimer: I don't mean CFS is a "spurious" diagnosis on the basis of the patients; apparently in the US it is estimated that 50% of people diagnosed with CFS and fibromyalgia have lyme disease - I wonder: is there a similar thing happening in the UK?)

How can I get my GP to investigate my symptoms?

What other symptoms do you have that make you think you have Lyme?

You need to push you GP, tell them you are not happy with diagnosis and want more tests.....or change doctors.

I have just changed Gp as my last one was not even interested in seeing me. All evening I have had a burning pain in my right knee and elbow. I had a couple of really strange insect bites over the summer and it was around this time I had the first migraine. I remember showing one to DH And h saying to me it was a strange looking bite.

When you say strange how do you mean? the classic initial Lyme symptom is the spreading red rash after the bite has occurred - if it was anything like that then it's worth pushing for more blood tests specifically to look for Lyme. Years ago my DP was bitten by a tick and had this, the rash vanished but he was left feeling awful - flu-type symptoms, headaches etc. He went to the GP 3 times, and it was only when he went with a print out about Lymes that they took it seriously and he was tested in the hospital. It was Lymes and treated with ABs and cleared up quickly after that. Of course I'm sure there are plenty of other things that could also cause your symptoms so don't get too hung up on that specifically, but if you have other reasons to think it could be that then worth another visit. Other GPs in the same surgery may be worth speaking to if your current one isn't interested?

I had loads of weird bites this summer and I didn't have a clue about lyme.

The bite I remember was on my arm that was a small white blister with a red ring round it. It was really ugly and DH commented on it saying "that is weird, I don't know what that is".

Anyway, I sent an e-mail to the practice this morning giving a thorough background and I got one back saying they would test for lyme.

I am now worried it will come back negative and I will still be stuck with these symptoms.