Lyme disease

[booboo]

I was also vaccinated when Lymerix first came out. It was a 3 shot series, after the first 2 we started seeing a bunch of data on it that the vaccination had all sorts of side effects, including kidney failure! I chose not to take the 3rd shot and the vaccination was later pulled from the market. A year or 2 later, I though I had LD and started the testing. Worst headaches of my life. The vaccination was a live vaccine and caused false positives. Long and short of it was that I went through a bunch of testing, including a CT scan, and the results were inconclusive thanks to the vaccine. Haven't had any symptoms in about 5 years but have been bit 3 times since last fall. Last titre was negative and I'm due for another one in July. I'm not friggin' around with it, I'll probably go twice a year for titres from here on out. Around here, depending on your doctor they either test the tick if you save it for them or just start you on a round of antibiotics anyway.

 

[Ekka]

No one here has had Lyme? I had the longest night of my life. 103.5 and shaking violently. That and the worst headache ever. That sucked! The whole day has been a blur

Crikey, what a bug to get. I just did the research on it as I never heard of it.

It says that after completing the course of anti-biotics that should the patient not recover fully new controversial procedures of removing sexual organs have made profound improvements to over 80% of patients. They dont know which 1 out of 5 person the procedure is a failure for though ....

















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... Just kidding.

Get better mate.

 

[HillRat]

Lyme really sucks. My wife had it last year, and my sister had a very bad case of it a few years ago because it was mis-diagnosed by several doctors at first. Take the antibiotics, start exercising when you feel up to it, and eat a healthy diet. You will feel better faster and have fewer side effects. (IIRC, lyme interrupts the cells' energy mechanism. Exercise and good diet help to restore it so you don't feel tired all the time or fatigue easily after the antibiotics are done.)

Yup the dirty sonofabiches! When I get well I'm gonna get my machete and go looking for the one that got me!

But don't shoot the messenger:

"Many people know that White-tailed Deer carry the tick that transmits Borrelia burgdorferi (the organism that causes Lyme disease) to humans. Many people also know that the deer carries and feeds the tick, but it's the White-footed Mouse that usually gives Borrelia burgdorferi to the tick in the first place and serves as a reservoir in nature for the organism."

 

[VTclimber]

I've had problems with Lyme for years. The only drs who understand what it is around here don't take insurance, and I didn't really want to pay out of pocket for all that stuff. I've taken the antibiotics a few seperate times (multiple bites) over the last 3 years. I get head and neck aches a lot, and my joints are pretty bad. But exercising and taking fish oil really seems to help a lot. I'm not doing tree work anymore, but I work for the parks, so I'm out in it all the time. Sometimes it sucks to work outside all day then go home and work out, but if you make it something fun its easier.

Anyway, that was long. Try the fish oil, it really helped with my joint pain.

 

[poulson01]

Crikey, what a bug to get. I just did the research on it as I never heard of it.

It says that after completing the course of anti-biotics that should the patient not recover fully new controversial procedures of removing sexual organs have made profound improvements to over 80% of patients. They dont know which 1 out of 5 person the procedure is a failure for though.

... Just kidding.

Get better mate.

HAHA! That sounds like the anti venom for a tiger snake bite!

I never got the bullseye rash and never found a tic. It didn't fool the doctor though. I started feeling funny friday evening and by monday I was incapacitated. I started the doxycycline on tuesday and I'm finally feeling almost ok. I'm shaky and sore and completely exhausted. I went for a ride over to the farm and back with the mason dump but I'm still too foggy and weak to do anything. When my wife dragged me to the docs office on tuesday morning (lucky it's only 1/2mi away) I couldn't even wait inside. I had to sit on the front porch until my wife came out for me. I couldn't breathe in the waiting room. There was a gaggle of senior in there and whatever was on there clothes was so thick in the air. I was thinking, "I'm better off out here anyway. Whatever I have would kill those old folk." I really thought I might die. Just from being outside for an hour or so today, I could feel my skin burning. It's overcast but the doxyxycline strips your skin of any defense against UV. The doc told me to go find a sombrero and use SPF50. I have to be very careful as the antibiotic regiment is another 21 days. Hell of a time to have to worry about the sun. End of June through two weeks in July...in NY! I'll mis a farmers market tomorrow. I think I could probably survive it with some precautions and taking it easy, but honestly, I don't think I could make change! By brain is completely fried.

 

[JeffL]

One of our guys at work has it. Has had the bulls-eye nearly 2 months, showing no symptoms other than that yet. Although today he mentioned his shoulder was getting pretty sore, so who knows. Did his 2 weeks on antibiotics, not really sure whats going on. He's due for another Dr. appointment, thats for sure.

 

[poulson01]

Yeah yuknow I could have got bit a year ago.

 

[A. Stanton]

The doctor called me yesterday. She told me that the results for my second blood test were lost. She said it is to be assumed that I had Lyme's disease.

 

[smokechase II]

Tests not reliable

The Tests are not reliable anyway.
Don't base such an important decision in your life on a test that has so many false positives and false negatives.

 

[Buckethead]

Boy, Lymes disease is a real tricky one to properly diagnose.

I have 2 buddies get it. One of them was incorrectly diagnosed with MS and the doc started him on steroids...the absolute worst treatment for Lymes. When he started getting worse they thought it was just an aggressive case of MS. He finally got so bad he ended up in a nursing home. They finally got the diagnosis correct but it was too late and the damage was done. He died in his early 40's.

My other buddy got it but it took almost a month for the docs to figure it out. He also contracted bells palsy and 5 years later has a slight droop to the right side of his face.

If diagnosed quickly the antibiotics work well. The jam seems to be ambiguous test results and physicians who aren't familiar with the wide variety of symptoms.

 

[poulson01]

Next time anyone expects they might have Lyme, come right to Warwick. I would guess one out of every ten people here get it. My mom got it pretty bad. My daughter got it. A number of my friends have had it. The docs here don't need a blood test to catch Lyme. If you fit the profile, it's antibiotics for you.

 

[bushinspector]

I guess I'm lucky

Went backpacking a few years ago in Arkansas and came back and had a bulls eye on my back. Went to the local Doc and told him what I had been up to and he put me on some antibiotics and nothing ever came of it. The key is to caught it early.

 

[booboo]

Next time anyone expects they might have Lyme, come right to Warwick. I would guess one out of every ten people here get it. My mom got it pretty bad. My daughter got it. A number of my friends have had it. The docs here don't need a blood test to catch Lyme. If you fit the profile, it's antibiotics for you.

How long after you initially get bit will they give you antibiotic? Do you know how much time can lapse between the bite and when antibiotics won't be effective anymore? Reason I ask is that on one of my bites I was told that too much time had lapsed between the bite and the time I went for treatment for antibiotics to be effective, so they didn't give them to me. All I can do now is go get another titre.

 

[treemandan]

On Monday I was sick as a dog( hope not to offend anyone's dog now) but now and Saturday I have the rash. I haven't felt good in awhile: more aches and pains, shooting pain throughout my body, tired and pissy. I had a fever Mon and hot flashes all week.
I got stung by a yellow jacket Sat and this morning my hand is still swollen. Usually I can get stung once or twice and be OK but I am sort of allergic. Meaning bee stings put me down.
I have been covered in ticks before and this is the second time Lymes is suspect.
I will go to the doc's again but I DO feel they are full of crap. Maybe it IS hard to test for.

 

[ropensaddle]

Went backpacking a few years ago in Arkansas and came back and had a bulls eye on my back. Went to the local Doc and told him what I had been up to and he put me on some antibiotics and nothing ever came of it. The key is to caught it early.

That is just our way of marking okies just flippin

 

[poulson01]

How long after you initially get bit will they give you antibiotic? Do you know how much time can lapse between the bite and when antibiotics won't be effective anymore? Reason I ask is that on one of my bites I was told that too much time had lapsed between the bite and the time I went for treatment for antibiotics to be effective, so they didn't give them to me. All I can do now is go get another titre.

Come to Warwick.
That I don't know the answer. I'll ask doc tomorrow. I talked to a guy on Saturday who got it 7 years ago, before it was so well known. The docs thought he was crazy so it went untreated. He said he was sick for a year before they whacked him up. He had some kind of IV drip thing that clipped on his shoulder. He did the drip for 21 days. Now, he gets a shot once a year around just after thanksgiving. He says it recurs about then and that's the cycle of the disease. If he gets the shot when he feels it coming on, he's fine for the rest of the year.
My mom is stubborn as a mule. I'm sure it was weeks before she finally checked herself in. She said it took her 2 months on antibiotics to get rid of it. She's fine now. My daughter was sick for three or four days before she got a dose. We gave her the whole bottle of pills, two a day, and she's fine.

Here's a list of symptoms. The only one missing is the sweating of the nuts. Your balls sweat like crazy.
http://nationallymereport.com/?p=14&gclid=CLTKv8-Jm5QCFQEpIgodviiLtQ

 

[poulson01]

On Monday I was sick as a dog( hope not to offend anyone's dog now) but now and Saturday I have the rash. I haven't felt good in awhile: more aches and pains, shooting pain throughout my body, tired and pissy. I had a fever Mon and hot flashes all week.
I got stung by a yellow jacket Sat and this morning my hand is still swollen. Usually I can get stung once or twice and be OK but I am sort of allergic. Meaning bee stings put me down.
I have been covered in ticks before and this is the second time Lymes is suspect.
I will go to the doc's again but I DO feel they are full of crap. Maybe it IS hard to test for.

What, you tested negative? Screw the stupid test! You need to get your ass on meds like NOW! I'll give you a phone number if you want. I'm not kiddin' the clock is ticking! Read that link I just posted. Everything you just described is on there. I have no patience with my kids. I've yelled at them more last week then I have in the last two years.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

What, you tested negative? Screw the stupid test! You need to get your ass on meds like NOW! I'll give you a phone number if you want. I'm not kiddin' the clock is ticking! Read that link I just posted. Everything you just described is on there. I have no patience with my kids. I've yelled at them more last week then I have in the last two years.

+1!!!!

There are actually 5 different bugs that make up Lyme disease, and the standard test only looks for ONE of them.

Just learned that yesterday from a couple who both have chronic Lyme. Their doctor also has it, and says that 90+ % of doctors have no clue about Lyme, so you need to be your OWN diagnostician and not just accept what the doctors tell you.

Get on it!

 

[secureland]

+1!!!!

There are actually 5 different bugs that make up Lyme disease, and the standard test only looks for ONE of them.

Just learned that yesterday from a couple who both have chronic Lyme. Their doctor also has it, and says that 90+ % of doctors have no clue about Lyme, so you need to be your OWN diagnostician and not just accept what the doctors tell you.

Get on it!

It's hard to test for, Get the Medicine!

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Here's what our friend with chronic Lyme just emailed to my wife today. There's more good medical fact here about Lyme in this one email than most doctors know!

Posted with her permission, and privacy protected:


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one site that I recommend is www.lyme.net.

http://library.lymenet.org/domino/file.nsf

The link above will take you right to the library.

On this site click on On Line Library and reach the articles by Burrascano. He has done the most successful work/research on the disease and has been treating for many years. [my doctors] both support/subscribe to his treatment regime.

There is a great article there about how the disease affects children. Be sure to read that one.

The one thing that I see these doctors subscribe to is testing for Lyme and all the co-infections: Babescia, Rocky Mtn Spotted Fever, Typhus Fever, Erlichia, Bartonella. I had no fever, no spots, no symptoms other than I was tired. These co-infections don't all respond to Amoxi or Doxy - they have a different treatment protocol of their own so it requires combinations of antibiotics and timing such that it gets the main bacteria and the next life cycle which is 28-30 days.

[my son] was treated in March for 30 days. He was better for April, May but in June he started to relapse. So she is retreating for 3 mos. So far he has been positive for Erlichia and Lyme. When we go back in 30 days if he isn't feeling much better he will be tested for all others again.

These are tricky bugs - they hide, disguise themselves and when not treated with full fire power on the antibiotics they can come back with a vengeance. Once bitten you have no immunity to additional bites or infections. Additional infections just diminish your immune system's capability to fight. As with mine, it was not fighting back. Thus, I had no titer on the blood tests. I was on antibiotics for 6 mos before the tests were positive. That is common with a chronic infection. Usually the acute infections show positive so that is good in [your son's] case. I just worry that he might need a higher dose, different antibiotic and/or longer treatment time.