A Bath woman who spent two years taking medication after being wrongly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when she had lyme disease is warning people to be more alert to the symptoms.
Julia Marshall-Wessendorf, from Widcombe, started taking daily medication after being diagnosed with MS following the birth of her third child Peggy.
However, when symptoms got worse instead of better she carried out some of her own research, and ended up being diagnosed with the disease.
A simple course of antibiotics cured her symptoms, and now she is calling for more awareness of the dangers of ticks, especially with the summer arriving.
Mrs Marshall-Wessendorf, 37, said: "I think that more GPs should be aware of lyme disease, though it is tricky as there is a massive range of symptoms. People must also be aware of ticks, and know what to do if they have one.
"They need to check for them, as they are tiny, and can cause such a range of symptoms."
Mrs Marshall-Wessendorf's troubles started in 2010 with a numb finger. She was sent to a neurologist, who found lesions on her brain and spinal cord consistent with MS.
Mrs Marshall-Wessendorf started having muscle pains, which she was told were not symptoms of MS. At this time a neighbour mentioned the possibility of lyme disease.
Mrs Marshall-Wessendorf took her findings to the GP and asked for a test, which came back negative. However, she asked for antibiotics, while another test was taken and sent off for analysis by a specialist in America.
While taking the antibiotics her symptoms disappeared, and the test came back positive for lyme disease.
She said: "I feel so much better now."