It's Official...I have Lyme Disease!

[carrie235]

Good Morning!

Saw the LLMD in San Francisco yesterday and took my blood work with me that I'd had drawn at IgeneX back in November and he confirmed that I have Lyme with at least one co-infection of Human ehrlichiosis.  There may be more and I was sent to do more labwork to test for additional co-infections.

Although I am not happy to have Lyme, I must tell you that I am very relieved that this is Lyme and not MS which is what I have thought it was for the whole last year.  As a matter of fact, when I was being seen at UCSF, one of the first questions my doctor asked me after reviewing my brain MRI (20 small scattered lesions) was if I'd had Lyme Disease.

Anyway, LLMD explained that after my gallbladder surgery (which was Jan 19, 2010), the Lyme became active.  My immune system was probably keeping them in check but with the trauma of my surgery, things got out of control.  My symptoms came on full-force within 2-3 weeks of my gallbladder surgery.

Stated treatment last night.  Not sure what to expect, but I'm committed to getting better.  

I have a question....I was going to go away for Super Bowl weekend.....is it safe to have a few drinks while on this treatment?

Thanks everyone!

Carrie

[carrie235]

Good advice Jackie.  Thank you!

[JackieCalifornia]

"Congratulations" seems an odd thing to say to someone who is diagnosed with an illness ... but it's good to have direction and the means to pursue the goal of getting well.

So, congratulations!

Now that you have a diagnosis and treatment underway, I'd encourage you to consult your doc's office on questions about whether and how much alcohol is advisable, rather than look to websites like this one for guidance.  We can share our stories and experiences, but it is your doc who has to make the calls on things like alcohol interactions with disease and pharmaceuticals.  I'd give a quick call to the office and ask.

Normally I'd say asking a pharmacist would suffice (if the question is only whether alcohol interacts with the meds I am on), but with Lyme and Ehrlichiosis and maybe a few other things yet undiagnosed, there is a bigger frame of reference for your question -- not just how alcohol interacts with your meds, but how it interacts with your *diseases.*  Also, read the medication flyer that comes with your prescription, but your doc may have other guidance due to the disease effects and not just the medication effects.

I find that with some docs, sending a short fax to the office sometimes gets a more focussed response than a phone call.  But do contact the doc's office.