Would You Be Assured? Just Back from the ER

After traveling a little over 3 hours by car yesterday, and having traveled a little over 3 hours Monday, I came home with bad calf pain and foot numbness. An epsom salt bath and Advil didn't help, so I started fearing a blood clot.

I went to the ER and they did an ultrasound, which was negative. I was told to return if I felt any shortness of breath. The problem is, I have shortness of breath or air hunger a lot, so I ended up going back this morning, when I was feeling worse.

They gave me an EKG, which was fine I guess (no one said anything to me about it), as well as a D-Dimer blood test, which was negative.

Now, I should be feeling reassured, but I keep thinking what if the tests are wrong? My calf hurts, my thigh hurts, and my foot has been numb on and off. It is only on my left side.

This, combined with just waking up on Monday with a numb, swollen index finger for no apparent reason, has me feeling very scared. I don't want to worry needlessly, but I can't help feeling like the tests could be wrong.

Would you be assured by the tests they did?

It's hard to say. I'm not medically trained, but I think a lot of your symptoms can be attributed to Lyme or co-infections. I think that an ER visit should be somewhat reassuring if they were unable to pinpoint a more common cause to the symptoms. In my experience from talking with others with Lyme, if a doctor says that your tests are normal even though you feel terrible or have severe symptoms, that can be a red flag for Lyme as it migrates, evades the immune system and can affect almost every area of your body.

I have a lot of air hunger too. A few weeks ago I completely lost the feeling in both my legs. I woke up paralyzed and just waited it out (it took about 4 hours to regain feeling). This happens with my hands a lot too.

I also have a lot of bad muscle pain and joint pain in all areas of my body. I have had lots of tests too and my only abnormalities are related to Lyme and co-infections. So I try not to worry even though some of the symptoms are definitely scary. I figure, I'm trying to treat it and it will eventually get better. Do you have a LLMD? A Lyme diagnosis?

Foot pain and shin splint type pains are associated with bartonella. Air hunger with babesia. If you have a recent tick bite, or known Lyme, you should also be evaluated for co-infections. They require different treatments than Lyme alone.

Summer - I am really hoping it is Lyme, and not something that they are missing. I don't currently have an LLMD, since I was treating naturally, but I am going to have to see one soon I think. I was clinically diagnosed with Babesia, also.

Would I be assured that I'm not in any immediate danger? Yes. Would I be any less stress/worried about those symptoms? No, probably not! If it's any consolation, I've had a number of blood clot scares and despite the fact that in the moment bells were ringing in my head saying, "No, it's something else this time!" before long it went away on its own.

Were you the one driving? I get the weirdest cramp/pain/indescribable sensation in my right leg when I drive for extended periods of time - that motion between gas and break does something! I have to say I think cat's claw (albeit I'm taking really high doses) seems to have helped me as far as that sludgey blood feeling - might be worth looking into as it's got so many benefits in general. I always used to take aspirin when I had that blood clot feeling - that may be terrible advice, medically, but that's what I did!

I hope you feel better soon! Have you talked to your doctor about this yet?

Do you have any anti-anxiety medication? Our brains are hard-wired to freak out with certain health-related problems, understandably. That always helps me when I get myself all worked up being afraid of what my symptoms might be.