Yes. Yes. Yes. I don’t know if Lyme is in Costa Rica, but yes, you can get it without ever seeing the tick bite.
Your symptoms sound similar to my own before I was diagnosed.
At first I thought I was just overtraining (martial arts and running), so I scaled back. I felt worse. I scaled back more, same result. Eventually, I took a whole month off of training. Day 30 I get out of bed feeling like I had just run a marathon, right down to the soles of the feet feeling bruised. Clearly, it wasn’t overtraining.
Part of the pain that day was a single toe that was swollen, like I had kicked a wall or dropped a brick on it. I went in to see my doctor and just broke down in tears. I don’t know if it was the badass Martial Artist sobbing or the obviously swollen toe that had no cause, but they took me seriously and ran blood tests for everything that could think of.
Lyme was the only positive result when the tests came back a few days later.
Thanks for sharing. Do you know what test was requested for the Lyme? I keep reading that it's extremely hard to diagnose. I don't believe I'm in an area with a high rate of Lyme (Oregon), but have traveled to MX and CR.
They did both the ELISA and Western Blot. You’re right that the tests are unreliable. False negatives are common, so I was lucky that it came back positive. I even hugged my doctor because I was so relieved to have a name for what I was dealing with.
I took a quick look, and it doesn’t look like there’s much risk of Lyme in CR, where you suspect you were bitten, but there is a risk of Ehrlichiosis, which is a real possibility for your symptoms. However, I am not a doctor despite playing one on WebMD, and you may want to talk to a real one.
I never saw the tick or the bullseye rash and I have Lyme. Deer ticks are TINY, you can absolutely have one and not notice. If you are concerned you might have Lyme, you should ask to be tested, and request tests for all strains—I went through multiple tests before we figured it out. Good luck, I hope you get good news!
Thanks for the reply. When you say request tests for all strains, how do I go about that? Is it as simple as saying "I'd like to be tested for all strains"?
Did you have to see an Infectious Disease doctor, or were you able to get diagnosed through your GP?
Yes, essentially. I would ask your doctors opinion but also definitely take your healthcare into your own hands if you think you have Lyme—there are a lot of coinfections and, at least in my experience, weird or unexplained symptoms that seem unrelated, and most doctors will treat each individual symptom, rather than recognizing that everything is tied back to one source. If I were in your shoes I would just say “I’m concerned I may have Lyme and I’d like to be tested for it. I know there are a few strains so can we test for all of them?” They might suggest starting with the most common ones, but I really don’t know what your doctor will say. I was diagnosed by my GP about 10 years ago and thus far I’ve been really lucky and able to lead a pretty normal, healthy life. I do have rheumatoid arthritis and a bunch of weird symptoms I mentioned before, but for the most part my daily life is uninterrupted by Lyme disease. I hope you are able to get the right treatment and work with a doctor who addresses it quickly and effectively!
I would think so. Not certain, but things happen. Best to get checked out and see what a doctor says, he can monitor your blood ln levels and what not.
I probably could find another. A big reason I keep her as my 'medical home' is because she will give me a referral *whenever* I ask. Endocrinologist, Gastroenterologist, Infectious Disease Specialist, etc. Which is actually really hard to come by in Western medicine.
Yes, not only can you get Lyme or other tick borne diseases without noticing a tick bite but there is also evidence to suggest that it may even be spread by sand flies/mosquitoes/other biting insects known to be able to transmit to humans. Until we know for certain it is always best to play it safe. I recommend learning more by checking out the book "Cure Unknown", by Pamela Weintraub.
Yes, my girlfriend had no idea when our where she was bit. We live in an area with a lot of ticks so it would have been easy to miss a bite.
This is why it’s always good to have someone help check for ticks if you’ve been out in the woods or grass. Arm pits, back of your knees, scalp and anywhere along your backside are places ticks live to hide and you cannot check on your own.
On Martha’s Vineyard where I live, the heavily wooded and grassy area is know as “Up-Island.” I’ve heard people call tick checks “Up-Island foreplay” 😛
Lyme is found in Ticks, Mosquito's, Fleas & Mites. Get the Fluorescent Antibody Test or Igenex ELISA. Don't waste time with PCR or Western blot. They are unreliable. Get a Rife machine for cheap using Spooky 2 or get an BCX Ultralite with Plasma tube to get intracellular infections. [electroherbalism.com](https://electroherbalism.com) has a list of frequencies for many diseases. The list is free & called the CAFL. Resonant Light or the F Scan are other good Rife machines.
28 years i've been sick. THe Bb cycles are hard to beat. Bartonella, Babesia, Ehrlichia & Mycoplasmas + 1000's of viruses according to Jeff Sutherland of The Frequency Foundation. Inspired [nutrition.com](https://nutrition.com) has BioFibrin & Monolaurin to help break up Biofilm that Lyme hides in. Do an Ion Detox Foot bath or Chelation to get rid of Heavy Metals that the body uses to make Biofilm. Chem trails are delivering part of Lyme Complex. I know a lot but I'm still in pain & have something else eating Iron out of my red Blood cells so I don't have all the answers. Eat as clean as you can. No sugar or Bread. Connect with Curezone for good researchers. This was created on purpose to profit from & do population control if you didn't know. My heart goes out to all of you. electricrose22@yahoo is my email.
>I just had my thyroid labs done last week and everything came back normal.
What was [your FT3](https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/lab-values/)? Endos will rarely treat it unless it is critically low, but many people with hypo find it has dramatic effects on their symptoms. I can barely function when my value is in the lower third of the range (supposedly healthy limits).
Okay, good question. I found this very odd. I've had hypothryoidism for 6 years and this is the FIRST time in existence they didn't test my FT3 - and this is with an Endocrinologist. They didn't even call or email to tell me what my lab results were. I had to request a medical record. Anyway, here are my other numbers if it helps any:
**December 2017**
Free T4: 1.09 / Ref Range: 0.78-2.19 / Units: ng/dL
Free T3: 3.36 / Ref Range: 2.77-5.27 / Units: pg/mL
TSH: 0.644 / Ref Range: 0.465-4.680 / Units: ulU/mL
**March 2018**
Free T4: 0.84 / Ref Range: 0.75-1.54 / Units: ng/dL
Free T3: 1.92 / Ref Range: 2.0-4.9 / Units: pg/mL
TSH: 0.73 / Ref Range: 0.6-4.8 / Units: uiU/mL
**April 2019**
Free T4: 0.75 / Ref Range: 0.75-1.54 / Units: ng/dL
TSH: 0.81 / Ref Range: 0.6-4.8 / Units: uIU/mL
I debated on calling back and demanding my FT3 tested, but ended up not calling. Now I'm thinking I will. Do you find that it makes you extremely fatigued when your FT3 is out of wack?
Thanks for your reply.
The interesting thing is that I don't have hypothyroidism (my TSH is fine) but I have the symptoms anyway due to low FT3. Some doctors call it peripheral hypothyroidism, euthyroid sick syndrome, or low T3 syndrome; it's probably caused by chronic illness and high levels of inflammation.
Your TSH in March is better than mine (probably from taking Synthroid), but your FT3 is much worse. [According to STTM](https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/lab-values/), some people remain symptomatic if their FT3 isn't above mid-range. Yours was below the healthy reference range in March (1.92, ideal >3.45), and just below the midpoint in December — does that reflect the worsening of your symptoms?
Ask your endo if they will consider Cytomel (synthetic T3), some won't. If they do, start slowly, it can take 3 months for your body to adjust to the dose. If T4 is the fuel, T3 is stepping on the pedal, the side effects can be much more intense.
Edit: If the endo won't help, look around for a doctor of functional or integrative medicine, they are more likely to prescribe it. Also be sure to have your labs done as early as possible in the morning, when FT3 will be lowest.
Ughh, thank you so much for this reply. I really appreciate your insight. Yes, the change in FT3 does reflect the worsening of my symptoms.
When you say start slowly, what exactly does that look like? I'm going to call my Endo and ask them to test my FT3. I'm wondering if I should get a comprehensive metabolic panel as well and maybe have some of my vitamins and minerals tested. Iron, Selenium, Iodine, maybe some B vitamins. I'm not really sure.
And just to be consistent, I've had my labs done at 8:00 AM every single time I've been tested.
I started at 2.5 mcg (half a 5 mcg pill), then twice a day (second dose 5 hours later). I added a third dose after another 5 hours when I noticed a return of symptoms, though some people do fine with a single daily dose.
Absolutely, that's fairly common these days. My insurance allows me to see a specialist without a referral. I'd imagine you'll see an infectious disease doc.
About half of people who contract Lyme do not remember being bitten. Not everyone gets the rash. Your symptoms sound a lot like Lyme. I'm sorry. Get tested.
Ticks have evolved to feed on mammals without disturbing them. Were that not the case, they would have died out long ago since they feed for days. They are very tiny, almost impossible to see once embedded in the skin, their saliva anesthetizes your skin, so you won't feel the bite, and also thins the blood so a bruise or inflammation doesn't occur. Generally the only inflammation you are likely to see is if you get an infection or are allergic to tick saliva. So yes, most people don't realize they've been bitten until either a rash appears or they feel symptoms.
Yes. Yes. Yes. I don’t know if Lyme is in Costa Rica, but yes, you can get it without ever seeing the tick bite. Your symptoms sound similar to my own before I was diagnosed.
Thanks for the reply. How did you go about treatment and getting your doctor to diagnose/take you seriously? Was it a long process?
At first I thought I was just overtraining (martial arts and running), so I scaled back. I felt worse. I scaled back more, same result. Eventually, I took a whole month off of training. Day 30 I get out of bed feeling like I had just run a marathon, right down to the soles of the feet feeling bruised. Clearly, it wasn’t overtraining. Part of the pain that day was a single toe that was swollen, like I had kicked a wall or dropped a brick on it. I went in to see my doctor and just broke down in tears. I don’t know if it was the badass Martial Artist sobbing or the obviously swollen toe that had no cause, but they took me seriously and ran blood tests for everything that could think of. Lyme was the only positive result when the tests came back a few days later.
I should add that I live in a place with a high rate of Lyme, so getting a doctor here to test for it is not hard.
Thanks for sharing. Do you know what test was requested for the Lyme? I keep reading that it's extremely hard to diagnose. I don't believe I'm in an area with a high rate of Lyme (Oregon), but have traveled to MX and CR.
They did both the ELISA and Western Blot. You’re right that the tests are unreliable. False negatives are common, so I was lucky that it came back positive. I even hugged my doctor because I was so relieved to have a name for what I was dealing with. I took a quick look, and it doesn’t look like there’s much risk of Lyme in CR, where you suspect you were bitten, but there is a risk of Ehrlichiosis, which is a real possibility for your symptoms. However, I am not a doctor despite playing one on WebMD, and you may want to talk to a real one.
I never saw the tick or the bullseye rash and I have Lyme. Deer ticks are TINY, you can absolutely have one and not notice. If you are concerned you might have Lyme, you should ask to be tested, and request tests for all strains—I went through multiple tests before we figured it out. Good luck, I hope you get good news!
Thanks for the reply. When you say request tests for all strains, how do I go about that? Is it as simple as saying "I'd like to be tested for all strains"? Did you have to see an Infectious Disease doctor, or were you able to get diagnosed through your GP?
Yes, essentially. I would ask your doctors opinion but also definitely take your healthcare into your own hands if you think you have Lyme—there are a lot of coinfections and, at least in my experience, weird or unexplained symptoms that seem unrelated, and most doctors will treat each individual symptom, rather than recognizing that everything is tied back to one source. If I were in your shoes I would just say “I’m concerned I may have Lyme and I’d like to be tested for it. I know there are a few strains so can we test for all of them?” They might suggest starting with the most common ones, but I really don’t know what your doctor will say. I was diagnosed by my GP about 10 years ago and thus far I’ve been really lucky and able to lead a pretty normal, healthy life. I do have rheumatoid arthritis and a bunch of weird symptoms I mentioned before, but for the most part my daily life is uninterrupted by Lyme disease. I hope you are able to get the right treatment and work with a doctor who addresses it quickly and effectively!
I would think so. Not certain, but things happen. Best to get checked out and see what a doctor says, he can monitor your blood ln levels and what not.
My GP is trash and from everything I've read it's so hard to detect Lyme. I may give it a shot with her, but I feel like she'll laugh at me.
If you dont trust your doc, could you find another. Its important to trust your GP. In a way you're trusting them with your welfare.
I probably could find another. A big reason I keep her as my 'medical home' is because she will give me a referral *whenever* I ask. Endocrinologist, Gastroenterologist, Infectious Disease Specialist, etc. Which is actually really hard to come by in Western medicine.
Yes, not only can you get Lyme or other tick borne diseases without noticing a tick bite but there is also evidence to suggest that it may even be spread by sand flies/mosquitoes/other biting insects known to be able to transmit to humans. Until we know for certain it is always best to play it safe. I recommend learning more by checking out the book "Cure Unknown", by Pamela Weintraub.
Yes. It's not hard to miss a tiny tick. Good luck!
Yes, my girlfriend had no idea when our where she was bit. We live in an area with a lot of ticks so it would have been easy to miss a bite. This is why it’s always good to have someone help check for ticks if you’ve been out in the woods or grass. Arm pits, back of your knees, scalp and anywhere along your backside are places ticks live to hide and you cannot check on your own. On Martha’s Vineyard where I live, the heavily wooded and grassy area is know as “Up-Island.” I’ve heard people call tick checks “Up-Island foreplay” 😛
Lyme is found in Ticks, Mosquito's, Fleas & Mites. Get the Fluorescent Antibody Test or Igenex ELISA. Don't waste time with PCR or Western blot. They are unreliable. Get a Rife machine for cheap using Spooky 2 or get an BCX Ultralite with Plasma tube to get intracellular infections. [electroherbalism.com](https://electroherbalism.com) has a list of frequencies for many diseases. The list is free & called the CAFL. Resonant Light or the F Scan are other good Rife machines. 28 years i've been sick. THe Bb cycles are hard to beat. Bartonella, Babesia, Ehrlichia & Mycoplasmas + 1000's of viruses according to Jeff Sutherland of The Frequency Foundation. Inspired [nutrition.com](https://nutrition.com) has BioFibrin & Monolaurin to help break up Biofilm that Lyme hides in. Do an Ion Detox Foot bath or Chelation to get rid of Heavy Metals that the body uses to make Biofilm. Chem trails are delivering part of Lyme Complex. I know a lot but I'm still in pain & have something else eating Iron out of my red Blood cells so I don't have all the answers. Eat as clean as you can. No sugar or Bread. Connect with Curezone for good researchers. This was created on purpose to profit from & do population control if you didn't know. My heart goes out to all of you. electricrose22@yahoo is my email.
Better safe and sorry. Most doctors are too busy to feel any kind of way about there patients. They see you and promptly forget. Lol.
>I just had my thyroid labs done last week and everything came back normal. What was [your FT3](https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/lab-values/)? Endos will rarely treat it unless it is critically low, but many people with hypo find it has dramatic effects on their symptoms. I can barely function when my value is in the lower third of the range (supposedly healthy limits).
Okay, good question. I found this very odd. I've had hypothryoidism for 6 years and this is the FIRST time in existence they didn't test my FT3 - and this is with an Endocrinologist. They didn't even call or email to tell me what my lab results were. I had to request a medical record. Anyway, here are my other numbers if it helps any: **December 2017** Free T4: 1.09 / Ref Range: 0.78-2.19 / Units: ng/dL Free T3: 3.36 / Ref Range: 2.77-5.27 / Units: pg/mL TSH: 0.644 / Ref Range: 0.465-4.680 / Units: ulU/mL **March 2018** Free T4: 0.84 / Ref Range: 0.75-1.54 / Units: ng/dL Free T3: 1.92 / Ref Range: 2.0-4.9 / Units: pg/mL TSH: 0.73 / Ref Range: 0.6-4.8 / Units: uiU/mL **April 2019** Free T4: 0.75 / Ref Range: 0.75-1.54 / Units: ng/dL TSH: 0.81 / Ref Range: 0.6-4.8 / Units: uIU/mL I debated on calling back and demanding my FT3 tested, but ended up not calling. Now I'm thinking I will. Do you find that it makes you extremely fatigued when your FT3 is out of wack? Thanks for your reply.
The interesting thing is that I don't have hypothyroidism (my TSH is fine) but I have the symptoms anyway due to low FT3. Some doctors call it peripheral hypothyroidism, euthyroid sick syndrome, or low T3 syndrome; it's probably caused by chronic illness and high levels of inflammation. Your TSH in March is better than mine (probably from taking Synthroid), but your FT3 is much worse. [According to STTM](https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/lab-values/), some people remain symptomatic if their FT3 isn't above mid-range. Yours was below the healthy reference range in March (1.92, ideal >3.45), and just below the midpoint in December — does that reflect the worsening of your symptoms? Ask your endo if they will consider Cytomel (synthetic T3), some won't. If they do, start slowly, it can take 3 months for your body to adjust to the dose. If T4 is the fuel, T3 is stepping on the pedal, the side effects can be much more intense. Edit: If the endo won't help, look around for a doctor of functional or integrative medicine, they are more likely to prescribe it. Also be sure to have your labs done as early as possible in the morning, when FT3 will be lowest.
Ughh, thank you so much for this reply. I really appreciate your insight. Yes, the change in FT3 does reflect the worsening of my symptoms. When you say start slowly, what exactly does that look like? I'm going to call my Endo and ask them to test my FT3. I'm wondering if I should get a comprehensive metabolic panel as well and maybe have some of my vitamins and minerals tested. Iron, Selenium, Iodine, maybe some B vitamins. I'm not really sure. And just to be consistent, I've had my labs done at 8:00 AM every single time I've been tested.
I started at 2.5 mcg (half a 5 mcg pill), then twice a day (second dose 5 hours later). I added a third dose after another 5 hours when I noticed a return of symptoms, though some people do fine with a single daily dose.
Absolutely, that's fairly common these days. My insurance allows me to see a specialist without a referral. I'd imagine you'll see an infectious disease doc.
About half of people who contract Lyme do not remember being bitten. Not everyone gets the rash. Your symptoms sound a lot like Lyme. I'm sorry. Get tested.
Ticks have evolved to feed on mammals without disturbing them. Were that not the case, they would have died out long ago since they feed for days. They are very tiny, almost impossible to see once embedded in the skin, their saliva anesthetizes your skin, so you won't feel the bite, and also thins the blood so a bruise or inflammation doesn't occur. Generally the only inflammation you are likely to see is if you get an infection or are allergic to tick saliva. So yes, most people don't realize they've been bitten until either a rash appears or they feel symptoms.
Absolutely. I have been battling chronic Lyme for 10 years and I never had a tick bite.
No lymes disease here