Lou Gerhig's disease or Lyme disease?

A 39 year old man, who 8 months ago was in peak physical condition is now so weak he cannot walk, talk or take care of himself, and spends thousands of dollars each month to treat his condition. Unfortunately his diagnosis is baffling doctors, with a dual diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gerhig's disease) and Lyme disease. The neuromuscular disease, ALS, first caused him to feel lethargic and have hot flushes, then it attacked his motor function limb by limb, with paralysis starting in the hand, later including foot drop, general loss of function and upper torso pain. An MRI of his spine revelled spinal scarring, causing back stiffness. Through internet research, the man discovered another gent with a similar story who was diagnosed with Lyme disease, was being treated for the condition, and had subsequently recovered all of his muscle function. ALS is not treatable, by Lyme disease is. Lyme disease is a bacterial disease transmitted by the bite of a tick. However, Lyme disease is commonly misdiagnosed as other diseases, and vice versa, e.g. fibromuscular disease, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Other symptoms of Lyme disease include joint pain, mental dysfunction, paralysis of the facial muscles, extreme tiredness, and flu-type symptoms. Methods to avoid tick bites are to wear appropriate clothing when outdoors, avoid potential tick infested areas, use insect repellents. If bitten, remove the tick with tweezers directly near the head, wash the site thoroughly with disinfectant and preserve the tick in case of future illness.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by The Herald-Dispatch

Related Disease Topics:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• ALS
• Lou Gerhig's disease
• Lyme disease
• Neuromuscular disease
• Fibromuscular disease
• Fibromyalgia
• Multiple sclerosis
• Chronic fatigue syndrome

Related Symptom Topics:

• Lethargy
• Hot flushes
• Hand paralysis
• Foot drop
• Loss of function
• Upper torso pain
• Back stiffness
• Joint pain
• Mental dysfunction
• Paralysis of the facial muscles
• Extreme tiredness
• Flu-type symptoms

Article Source Details

About: Lou Gerhig's disease or Lyme disease?

Date: 10 July 2005

Source: The Herald-Dispatch

Author: Jean Tarbett

URL: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/2005/July/10/LNspot.htm

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Cause of lethargy
• Cause of hot flushes
• Cause of hand paralysis
• Cause of foot drop
• Cause of loss of function
• Cause of upper torso pain
• Cause of back stiffness
• Cause of joint pain
• Cause of mental dysfunction
• Cause of paralysis of facial muscles
• Cause of extreme tiredness
• Cause of flu-type symptoms
• Risk and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Risk and ALS
• Risk and Lou Gerhig's disease
• Risk and Lyme disease
• Risk and neuromuscular disease
• Risk and fibromuscular disease
• Risk and fibromyalgia
• Risk and multiple sclerosis
• Risk and chronic fatigue syndrome
• Diagnosis
• Diagnosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Diagnosis and ALS
• Diagnosis and Lou Gerhig's disease
• Diagnosis and Lyme disease
• Diagnosis and neuromuscular disease
• Diagnosis and fibromuscular disease
• Diagnosis and fibromyalgia
• Diagnosis and multiple sclerosis
• Diagnosis and chronic fatigue syndrome
• Diagnosis and tick bite
• Diagnosis and deer tick
• Side effects and tick bite
• Side effects and deer ticks
• Side effects and insect bites
• Misdiagnosis (type of Medical misadventure)
• Misdiagnosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Misdiagnosis and ALS
• Misdiagnosis and Lou Gerhig's disease
• Misdiagnosis and Lyme disease
• Misdiagnosis and neuromuscular disease
• Misdiagnosis and fibromuscular disease
• Misdiagnosis and fibromyalgia
• Misdiagnosis and multiple sclerosis
• Misdiagnosis and chronic fatigue syndrome
• Misdiagnosis and lethargy
• Misdiagnosis and hot flushes
• Misdiagnosis and hand paralysis
• Misdiagnosis and foot drop
• Misdiagnosis and loss of function
• Misdiagnosis and upper torso pain
• Misdiagnosis and back stiffness
• Misdiagnosis and joint pain
• Misdiagnosis and mental dysfunction
• Misdiagnosis and paralysis of the facial muscles
• Misdiagnosis and extreme tiredness
• Misdiagnosis and flu-type symptoms

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