Hello everybody 
I am new to Lyme’s disease. Got lots of questions if somebody can answer them. I went to my doctor a couple of months ago for inflammation. She done a arthiritis panel blood test on me and it all came back good. The next week my joints were so painful and I was having muscle pain too so I went back to my dr. I told her that I had been tick bit a couple of weeks before and showed it to her. She immediately said you have Lyme’s as if it was no big deal and gave me some doxycycline ( 7 days worth ). I took them and began feeling better after the 3rd day. Well on the 6th day I was doing much better but not well and got really worried about 7 days not being enough so I called and ask for more. You would have thought I called and ask for pain pills! Anyway, she called me in 10 more days worth and meloxicam ( Anti-Inflammatory ) med. She told me that even after the meds are all taken that I may have problems for a little bit. For the last 2 weeks I done better - the stomach problems ( has anybody else had stomach problems ? ) So bad that now I am having test ran to find out what is going on! Well, but now here I am again with joint pain, weird little vision problems, muscle aches and on and on!! I just don’t know which way to go? What to do next! I have ask my dr twice now to test me and she says there is not a test! Really? I read where people are being tested! She says insurance won’t pay???
The tests are not very reliable. An informed physician uses the symptoms (along with a test) to make a diagnosis. Everything you have described fits lyme.
A recent study has said that long term antibiotics don’t really work. I know people who would dispute that, but I know my daughter’s doctor put her on a 30 day dose to begin with. She did many months more, but not sure if that helped or not. From what I have read, 30 days is a good place to start.
There are lots of different things you can do to try and help yourself. You will learn a lot with just a bit of research. I don’t know where you live, but if you are a part of the country where lyme is very prevalent, you might want to try a different doctor and get a second opinion on how to proceed.
Your doctor is correct in that even once all the meds are taken you may feel bad for quite a while. I have one friend who had lyme, caught it fairly early, and felt lousy for 6 months, but has been fine for years now. Others have battled for years.
From all I have read and having several friends who have battled lyme, in addition to my daughter, it seems the best way to deal with it if the initial antibiotics don’t kick it, is a combination of some life style changes and nutritional supplements (often in conjunction with antibiotics). Do your research and don’t be too frightened by what you read. Some good places to start are books by Stephen Buher (I may have his name slightly off) and a Dr. Rawls. There is also a protocol by I think, Pete Cowdon—again off the top of my head not sure about the last name.
Every case is its own story and there are some success stories out there. Bottom line is this disease is a marathon, not a sprint. Best of luck!
Wrong first name for Cowden (not Cowdon)…it’s Lee, not Pete. I’m pitiful. lol
The tests you are reading about are bogus and your Doc is correct. Insurance won’t pay as they are not done by “real labs” but rather profit seekers/opportunists like IGENX whoi have created a made to order protocol that has no science behind it (except their own pseudo-science. nor will they pay for treatment from the “Lyme Literate Doctors.” The meloxicam is a MUCH better and more effective treatment for whats going on. than more ABX. Long term ABX have an anti-inflammatory response that is duplicatable with far less harmful medications.
That’s not to say whats going on with you is not real or not the result of your initial infection because it is and happens in about 10% of cases. The good news (or bad news depending on whether you are a glass half full or empty person) is that PTLDS almost always resolves it self in time. In a very few cases there is damage to the immune system that leads to long term reactive arthritis or other conditions that require long term treatment of a different sort. The lyme disease is gone, its not hiding as some Lyme Docs would tell you.
You can spend thousands with IV therapy pic lines, damn kill your self with “herx reactions” (which are NOT Herxheimer Reactions at all but a very dangerous and possibly fatal toxic reaction to antibiotics) and still never get any better. The Lyme “Bugs” do not create endotoxins so they can’t possibly be released when they die thus a Jarisch–Herxheimer reaction is impossible. Herxing is a cover up for severe malpractice and utter stupidity in the search of a buck.
Time may do it and often does (while the quacks claim success), but in the meantime people are miserable from treatable symptoms and lose precious time.
Thank you so much!
Thank you! I am so glad I found this place!