Formication, Bruising & Biofilm

 “I feel like I have bugs crawling on me again” I said as I gingerly ran my hand through my hair. “It’s called formication, not to be confused with fornication” replied my doctor as he continued to scribble in his notebook while laughing at his joke. It had been about two months since my last appointment and I was sitting in a chair giving him a review of my symptoms when the subject of formication popped up. It is the physical sensation of insects crawling on your body and/or biting you---with no evidence that any are actually doing so. It can have various psycho-, neuro-, physio-, or pharmacological causes. Earlier on in my treatment I experienced this sensation over the period of a few months, sadly it has resurfaced and I am still waiting for it to subside again. You are probably wondering how I responded to the joke. I've got two words for you: Polite giggle. 

While my on-going battle with tick-borne diseases continues to spiral in multiple directions, I am thankful that at least one aspect of my experience has structure; my  appointments. We always start by discussing my symptoms; are they better or worse since my last appointment/medication change and are there any new ones to report? Next up, a brief change of scenery as my vitals are taken in a different room; occasionally an EKG is thrown in for good measure. (According to a recent warning issued by the FDA one of the antibiotics I have been on for almost two years can cause abnormal changes in the electrical activity of the heart that may lead to a potentially fatal irregular heart rhythm). After my vitals are recorded we return to the room we started in and wrap up the appointment with a discussion of my latest blood work results and medication and/or supplement adjustments. 

After I issued the polite giggle mentioned above, and before my arm was fitted with a blood pressure cuff, I dove into the details of a concern of mine regarding my toes. While getting ready for work one morning this past April I stepped into a pair of frequently worn shoes and headed out the door. Around mid-morning my big toe started throbbing but I didn’t think much of it because I am always experiencing ebbs and flows of random aches and pains throughout my body on a daily basis. Later in the day it became increasingly hard to walk and it wasn’t until I hobbled up the stairs into my condo after work and took my shoes off that I saw my swollen and angry looking toe (top picture). When I put my shoes on earlier that morning my toe was fine. When I walked to the metro and then to my office my toe was fine; it wasn't until later in the morning while sitting at my desk that my toe began to throb. The next day my toe was bruised (bottom picture) and everyone I showed it to assumed it was broken and that I had dropped something on it. Within two and a half days the swelling, the pain and the bruising in my toe had vanished. Most likely it was a burst blood vessel. Since April this has happened a hand full of times to both of my big toes while wearing various styles of comfortable shoes that are easy for me to get around in with all of my joint pain. (Translation: old lady shoes). Why is this happening? Nobody really knows, but I shall keep you posted if an answer materializes. 

In my last post I mentioned my doctor’s assumption that a Bartonella flare-up was the cause of my post travel "hangover". During the review of my blood work his assumption was confirmed and a new issue was brought to my attention. Lyme bacteria can create a biofilm that allows it to evade antibiotics. Sounds like the foundation for a creepy pandemic Lyme disease movie doesn’t it? While it is creepy, I am now taking enzymes to break down the biofilm that was so prominently featured in my blood work. Click here to read more about biofilm.

“How much longer are you going to be on the medication” and “When are you going to get better” are the two most popular questions I am being asked these days. The answer to both of those questions is very open-ended. The day I show up at an appointment to see my doctor and tell him that I am symptom free I will have a better idea about how to answer those questions. Till then I will just smile and nod and say “But I feel awful” when people respond to my not knowing the answer to their questions with an enthusiastic “Well, you look great!”