what the hell to do about lyme

[tiredgurl]

I am now 39 years old and have had a positive lyme test and autoimmune disorder too...whatever that means.  I was hospitalized 25 year ago with a rash on my back, meningitis, bells paulsey and fluid in my brain (7 spinal taps)....there for a week diagnosed with lyme 5 years ago and saw a specialist to no avail....no one believes me that I feel like **** all the time what do I do????

[mojogal]

After being bit 22 years before starting treatment, I had positive ANA too. I was told I had lupus but in reality it was from the Lyme. I am just treating the Lyme. I was told I had multiple other illnesses too. By treating the Lyme and co-infections, everything is getting back to normal.

[JackieCalifornia]

Well said, bob.

tiredgurl:  If you need help finding a Lyme specialist, let us know.  I hear there are not many up your way, but maybe there is one tucked away somewhere.

[nutrinut_bob]

I wouldn't worry much about the autoimmune portion.  Part of the diagnosis the Dr. has made comes from you having a positive ANA.  ANA standing for Anti-nuclear antibody.  In other words, your immune system is producing antibodies against you cells nucleus.  The doctors who specialize in autoimmune would argue otherwise, but I feel that sometimes the reason we make these antinuclear antibodies is because there's something infective in the nucleus.  Could be a number of pathogens, anything that can reprogram the nucleus, viruses, borrellia, etc.  Get the Lyme treated first, by an LLMD.  Standard treatment for autoimmune is to administer immune suppressing steroids, which will make you worse.

[JackieCalifornia]

Welcome, and condolences on all you have been -- and are still -- going through.

What kind of doc was the specialist you saw 5 years ago?  Did he diagnose anything?  What tests did he run, and what were the results?

I'm very glad you're not giving up.  I hate it when the bugz think they win.  So fight on!  Good for you.  

What to do?  Find a Lyme specialist who understands what you are dealing with .  There is a split in the medical community, and the trick is finding a doc who really understands how to diagnose and treat Lyme and the other infection the 'Lyme' ticks bring.  

Will send you a private message through this website later this evening (gotta jump now) with some more information.  If you don't know where to find the private message (they don't make it easy) -- hover your mouse over the blue bar at the top of this page over the button that says 'My MedHelp.'

The 6th item is 'Inbox'.  When there is a private message for you, there will be a number telling you how many messages you have: '(1)'.  Click on it, and then you can read the message and also respond to it if you want to do so not on the public page where we are now.

Hang on!