Lyme Disease :: Persistent Middle Ear Infection With Muscle Twitching And Fatigue

About 6 weeks ago I began to experience some ear problems. It started with muffled hearing, tinnitus, and mild pain. I went to primary care provider and she prescribed amoxicillin three times a day for the middle ear infection. A couple of days later my symptoms got a lot worse. I lost most of the hearing in my right ear and I had severe jolting pain that radiated to my whole head and eyes. I went to the ER and was given a shot of penicillin and was also diagnosed with strep throat. I was referred to ENT because my eardrum had actually burst. The ENT doc prescribed ear drops and a higher dose of amoxicillin with clavu k. Another week passed and the symptoms continued to get worse. I followed up with ENT last week and he said my right ear looked really bad inside and I am probably going to need surgery to fix it. He also said to stop taking my antibiotics and ear drops.

Okay, this is why I think I may have Lyme. Throughout all of this I was experiencing flu and other symptoms that I didn't pay much attention to because I was focused on the ear infection. In the beginning I felt unusual muscle twitching in my limbs with achy pain. I just dismissed it as normal body functions. Fast forward to this week, the muscle twitching is now more severe and present all over my body (almost every voluntary muscle). There is some accompanying pain/soreness from the constant twitching. I am also having heart palpitations, anxiety, depression (a first for me), joint pain, dizziness, painful headache, and brain fog/"out of it" feeling. I am also unusually sensitive to cold and some of my muscles feel "electric." I went to the ER yesterday and they did some bloodwork, an EKG, and a chest x-ray but everything was normal. The EKG showed a left axis deviation in my heart but the doc said it was nothing because I am a little stocky.

I don't know what to do. I am getting worse everyday, especially after stopping the antibiotics. My doctors appear to think that my symptoms are psychosomatic even though my anxiety has been under control for weeks. The only thing they're sure I have is an ear infection, but even that isn't responding to antibiotics.

I have pets and they play in a backyard that is filled with squirrels, rats, opossums, and birds. I sleep with one of my dogs and I have found a few ticks in my bed before. I didn't think they bit humans but about 2 months ago I did develop a weird rash on my upper buttox that became a huge cyst (I sleep belly-down). It lasted a few weeks but it completely disappeared a couple of weeks ago. I just thought it was a big zit and didn't think much of it. Maybe this could have been a bite?

Sorry, about the long read. I am a recently discharged disabled veteran and I receive healthcare through the VA. Appointments are always weeks away due to huge backlogs, which makes it even more frustrating. The appointments are also always rushed and my doctors are quick to make the "anxiety" diagnosis if they don't find anything obvious.

I am not looking for a diagnosis. I am mainly seeking advice on what I should do and if my symptoms may sound like Lyme. I would also like to ask how I can approach my doctor with the possibility of Lyme Disease without being dismissed right away. I am really starting to get scared because I have been getting progressively worse over a period of almost 2 months.