Pulmonary Embolism Support Group
By far the most common form of pulmonary embolism is a thromboembolism, which occurs when a blood clot, generally a venous thrombus, becomes dislodged from its site of formation and embolizes to the arterial blood supply of one of the lungs. Symptoms may include difficulty breathing, pain during breathing, and more rarely circulatory instability and death.
I ask for forbearance on what may seem to be a digression from this forums interest but the implications are too important for me not to speak up. So scroll by or read. The choice is there.
An interesting thread is ongoing at http://www.lymeneteurope.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3350
I realize that long scientific discussions aren't the 'meat' of this forum but if a person has antiphospholipid antibodies perhaps a reading of the articles might be worthwhile.
"Patients with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) and the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) share many clinical features of those patients with purported chronic Lyme disease CLD, including neurologic (especially cognitive), rheumatologic, and systemic symptoms."
"Antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) positive patients and patients with purported chronic Lyme disease ('CLD') share many clinical features. After identifying significant aPL in sera of several index patients with 'CLD', we performed aPL tests on all patients referred in whom 'CLD' was suspected, diagnosed or treated."
http://relative-risk.blogspot.com/2011/07/missing-diagnosis.html
What is especially confounding is the fact that Lyme disease is often 'not found' (and untreated) when certain CDC testing is done leading to years (often a lifetime) of suffering.
"CONCLUSION:
"aPL occurs frequently in patients with 'CLD'. IgM anti-2GP1, IgM aCL and IgM WB were frequently found. Documented PLS or LLD was uncommon. The role of aPL in patients with 'CLD' needs further investigation."
Comment in
Antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with persistent Lyme disease symptoms. [Lupus. 2012]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21729977
***********************
The poster of those many aPL articles said:
"As an aside, my sister-in-law was diagnosed with (and treated for) SLE for the better part of twenty years. She recently learned that her diagnosis was incorrect, but multiple doctors still can't pinpoint the precise reason(s) for her lupus-like symptoms. In other words, even mainstream medical professionals don't always get it right."
Another poster responded with his story (English is not his first language)
"I had an pulmomary embolism and almost past away I was lucky that the second embolism appeared when I was at the first aid station and fortunately there was an immediately reaction
"Afterwards I wanted to know what the cause was of the trombolism and it appeared to be APLS. How do you get APLS was my question to the MD. Two causes are possible; long lasting medication of a long lasting infection. There was no medication involved so combined with my long lasting complaints a Lyme elisa was ordered and came back positiv. This was the first time I heard about Lyme and could reconstruct that I was bitten during a vacation in Easton Connecticut in 1973, so my Lyme diagnosis was 26 years later."
Then another poster offered a PubMed article "Antiphospholipid antibodies in response to infection." The url is on the link I offered at the beginning of this thread.
The bottom line? There's no 'certainly' but there's enough information by valid researchers to make one wonder.
An interesting thread is ongoing at http://www.lymeneteurope.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3350
I realize that long scientific discussions aren't the 'meat' of this forum but if a person has antiphospholipid antibodies perhaps a reading of the articles might be worthwhile.
"Patients with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) and the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) share many clinical features of those patients with purported chronic Lyme disease CLD, including neurologic (especially cognitive), rheumatologic, and systemic symptoms."
"Antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) positive patients and patients with purported chronic Lyme disease ('CLD') share many clinical features. After identifying significant aPL in sera of several index patients with 'CLD', we performed aPL tests on all patients referred in whom 'CLD' was suspected, diagnosed or treated."
http://relative-risk.blogspot.com/2011/07/missing-diagnosis.html
What is especially confounding is the fact that Lyme disease is often 'not found' (and untreated) when certain CDC testing is done leading to years (often a lifetime) of suffering.
"CONCLUSION:
"aPL occurs frequently in patients with 'CLD'. IgM anti-2GP1, IgM aCL and IgM WB were frequently found. Documented PLS or LLD was uncommon. The role of aPL in patients with 'CLD' needs further investigation."
Comment in
Antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with persistent Lyme disease symptoms. [Lupus. 2012]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21729977
***********************
The poster of those many aPL articles said:
"As an aside, my sister-in-law was diagnosed with (and treated for) SLE for the better part of twenty years. She recently learned that her diagnosis was incorrect, but multiple doctors still can't pinpoint the precise reason(s) for her lupus-like symptoms. In other words, even mainstream medical professionals don't always get it right."
Another poster responded with his story (English is not his first language)
"I had an pulmomary embolism and almost past away I was lucky that the second embolism appeared when I was at the first aid station and fortunately there was an immediately reaction
"Afterwards I wanted to know what the cause was of the trombolism and it appeared to be APLS. How do you get APLS was my question to the MD. Two causes are possible; long lasting medication of a long lasting infection. There was no medication involved so combined with my long lasting complaints a Lyme elisa was ordered and came back positiv. This was the first time I heard about Lyme and could reconstruct that I was bitten during a vacation in Easton Connecticut in 1973, so my Lyme diagnosis was 26 years later."
Then another poster offered a PubMed article "Antiphospholipid antibodies in response to infection." The url is on the link I offered at the beginning of this thread.
The bottom line? There's no 'certainly' but there's enough information by valid researchers to make one wonder.
http://www.apsfa.org/
APS Q&A:
http://www.apsfa.org/faq.htm
Another resource:
http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/112/3/e39.full
R/Tom
At first glance I didn't see mention of Lyme disease as a possible confounder. But that's to be expected from a site whose focus is APS---- and an excellent job they do too!
The sites I like best are ones that consider and discuss a topic from all points of view--- hence the post I made here: there will be very bias there because----- well, that's just how creative thinkers are. They can be a little irritating for some (grin) I understand.
"there will be very bias there because" = there will be very little personal bias there'
Hiccup