LIVING WITH LYME DISEASE

LYME DISEASE IS ON THE INCREASE ACCORDING TO MEDICAL EXPERTS WHO SAY MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO TREAT THE DISEASE IN THIS COUNTRY

LACK of awareness of Lyme disease in Ireland means the illness is under reported and often goes un- treated.

Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by bacteria and transmitted by Ticks. The most common sign of infection is an expanding area of redness or what’s commonly known as a ‘ bulls- eye rash’ ( pictured).

The disease can lay dormant in your body and attacks when your immune system is weakened. Treatment is available in Ireland, but consists of a six week course of antibiotics, which may not always be enough. Lyme disease causes flu- like symptoms such as fever, joint pain, headaches, heart- palpitations and if untreated with anti- biotics it can result in a range of symptoms similar to chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, bells- palsy or multiple- sclerosis.

48- year- old Fiona Quilter from Sligo contracted Lyme disease more than 8 years ago and is an advocate and member of the North West Lyme Group.

Fiona’s GP send blood tests to Germany where clinics specialise in treating patients with Lyme Disease.

Within three days she was diagnosed with the bacterial disease.

Blood tests carried out in Ireland often do not test for Lyme, and therefore the treatment available across Europe is far more extensive.

Doctors can treat it early once a rash appears after a bite, they can provide antibiotics that will stop it.

Many who are suffering with the illness for years are forced to travel to Germany and Czech Republic for intravenous antibiotics, vitamins, light therapy, oxygen therapy and other treatments.

“We want doctors in this country to recognise that this is an illness. It is not all in our heads.

“We should be treated as citizens in this county and not have to go abroad for help,” said Fiona.

Avril Winters from Leitrim has been battling the illness for more than 10 years and believes the disease has changed her entire life for the worst. What began as an exciting holiday to Morocco in 2007 ended up changing her life after receiving a tick bite.“I got the bull- rash on my leg where the bite was and I remember thinking, ‘ I hope I don’t have this forever.’

“Patients are learning to treat themselves in Ireland because some doctors won’t listen. You get forgotten about if you don’t look sick. It can get depressing. It feels like I’m not being heard and I’m left to rot. I’ve had doctors treat me for depression when I knew it wasn’t mental, it was how I was physically feeling,” said Avril.

Miriam Morrison received a tick bite in Union Wood in 2015 but it wasn’t until 2016 that she was diagnosed. She said the illness has affected every aspect of her life. She was even bed- bound due to pain and weakness in her legs.

In March 2014, Barry Cryan started feeling unwell and thought he was coming down with the common flu. His GP carried out routine tests, including one for Lyme Disease which all came back normal. Frustrated with the outcome and not feeling any better, Barry struggled with the disease for more than two years and found his memory was beginning to deteriorate. It wasn’t until he found Fiona’s story on Lyme disease in the Sligo Champion that he became aware of the his options.

“I had bloods send to Germany and they showed that there was something badly wrong, in fact my immune system was compared with that which you would expect to see in a patient with HIV,” said Barry.

After an extensive few weeks of treatment in the Czech Republic more than 12 months ago, Barry is starting to feel ‘ normal’ again. He believes that Lyme disease is rapidly increasing in Ireland – within a one mile radius of his home in Monasteraden more than four people suffer from the disease. “The test for Lyme Disease in Ireland is not accurate outside of a very small window when you get a tick bite, most doctors don’t recognise that.

“Just because you can’t find anything wrong it doesn’t mean there’s nothing wrong, it just means you’re probably looking in the wrong place! Only for I came across Fiona I would still be searching for answers!”

A National protest will take place tomorrow ( Wednesday) at 12.00pm at Lenister House in Dublin to raise awareness surrounding better diagnosis of Lyme disease