Why is Lyme Disease the Great Masquerader? This is because its symptoms are so wide and varied that it can easily be misdiagnosed as something else.
There is a long list of diseases that Lyme disease shares similar symptoms with and can be misdiagnosed as.
Someone with Lyme Disease may have misdiagnosed with the following:
- ADD
- Anxiety
- Arthritis (rheumatoid, reactive, infectious, juvenile, or osteo)
- Auto Immune disorders
- Bipolar disorder
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Depression
- Early Alzheimer’s disease
- Fibromyalgia
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Lupus
- Multiple sclerosis
- Sleep disorders
- Thyroid disease
- Hypochondria
- Cellulitis
- Pericarditis
- Mycoplasma
- West Nile Virus (I had a slight positive and was nearly suspected of having this virus)
- Covid-19
As someone who has Chronic Lyme, I can tell you that I was tested or treated for seven of these things before we even thought to look for Lyme. I was being treated for Anxiety and Sleep disorders as though they were separate from Lyme Disease not a product of it. (Yes I do also have anxiety that is separate from Lyme Disease, but this feels different, hits me differently. Lyme anxiety is different)
And let me tell you, suddenly having ADD, as an adult who has never had it before, is a very interesting and unique experience.
If you've been told you have one or more of these things and it doesn't address your health issues, or if you have no evidence of arthritis but still have migratory arthritic pain (like I did) and it's being ignored, or if your other random symptoms that can't be explained are being ignored, go find a new doctor. Ask them if they think you should consider being tested for Lyme Disease, or it's related co-infections. Don't settle for inadequate treatment. Keep fighting!
Reference material:
https://www.amenclinics.com/blog/lyme-disease-great-masquerader/#:~:text=Along%20with%20physiological%20symptoms%20like,Impaired%20memory%20and%20speech%20functions
https://danielcameronmd.com/misdiagnosing-lyme-disease/
https://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-mistaken-for-covid19/
For Other Posts about Lyme Disease see the following:
How to Find the Right Doctor for Lyme Disease
How can you be Certain you have LYME DISEASE?
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