2 questions about lyme

[Cheri21157]

Can lyme be transmitted sexually? Also what do you guys do that have it to boost your immune system? Any info helpful.
Thanks
Cheri

[sam6386]

thank you wonko. I will leave that alone for now...although still going crazy amongst other things :(

[wonko]

I apologize to sam6386, I think the issue branched into two:  what advice to give your situation, and the controversy over the possibility of sexual transmission.  

I'm not qualified to offer a medical opinion.  For the sake of community discussion:

For the former, it doesn't seem to be an issue as you say he is healthy and not showing the same signs of illness that you have.  For the later, I take the stance that lack of current documented evidence doesn't mean that it can't happen.  

I hope that I haven't caused you undue stress.  It doesn't seem that communicable transmission is a factor in your relationship.

[sam6386]

what do you think I should do in my case? do you think he should test? should I wait to ask my doctor about this?

[wonko]

Stony Brook's site also says....

That the ELISA test overpredicts Lyme disease, that false positive tests may occur more frequently than false negative tests, and that while early treatment is desirable, "Even late stages of Lyme disease have an excellent prognosis."


http://www.stonybrookhospital.com/index.cfm?id=1317#diagnosis


I'm not saying that I can prove any of these statements to be false, but they are all controversial statements.  Information is evolving, and I don't take a great amount of comfort in the lack of documentation of sexually transmitted Lyme disease.

I've read that sperm is more likely to contain the bacteria, so male to female transmission could be more plausible.  

I know a couple who has no other explanation for their mutual illness.  No, their story doesn't prove that sexual transmission of Lyme can happen, it's just more of the anectodotal evidence that the Lyme community as a whole is acused of abusing.  

My point (if I have one!) is that Lyme and it's surrounding issues are multi-faceted, and answers don't come in "one size fits all."  

[sam6386]

he hasn't brought this up and hasn't seemed concerned but honestly it hasn't popped into my mind to have him tested for this when I thought if he should be tested my doctors would advise it, knowing we have had unprotected sex recently although we are stopping. I don't want to scare him and he seems to be find after being sick last week which who knows what he had then...he hasn't seemed to complain about anything else after that. And he knows what happened to me so I am thinking he would say something. I really don't want to keep freaking out, yet all of these thoughts are making me go crazy for the past month and I haven't been myself... :(

[patsy10]

http://www.stonybrookhospital.com/lyme/faq.html

According to the above link there have been no cases of sexual tranmission.

[patsy10]

I think you will have to make that decision.  My husband is fine and I have had symptoms for 17 years.  He has never been tested.

There is so much controversy about the sexual transmission.  I can't really give you an exact answer.  But if you are concerned you could have him tested for piece of mind.

[sam6386]

thank you for your help...should my boyfriend get tested if he doesn't persist to have symptoms? we are not having unprotected sex anymore and I do not want to give it to him... he usually is very healthy. what is ur advice and opinions on this? he knows I have Lyme but I did not think of this and not my anxiety is high again. I figured since both my GYNO and Physician know I had Lyme and knew I had unprotected sex they would tell me about this...and they knew how worried I was about this and other things...

[patsy10]

This is one of those areas of controversy as wonko said.  I had my bullseye rashes in 1992. I've been married this whole time and my husband is perfectly healthy.  From what I have read there seems to be more concern or instances of passing it in utero.

[sam6386]

my physician knows I had unprotected sex. Don't you think she would have said something about teh Lyme and sex if she thought it had been a problem? my Gyno knew too and did not say anything...I told them both. I am so confused.

[sam6386]

why*

[sam6386]

thats what seems so wierd to me because it naturally comes from a tick bite... this is hy not my mind is going crazy. I guess when I go back to my physician which is in about 2.5 weeks I will ask her...I never even thought of this. And now im really going crazy that I could have in fact infected my boyfriend. I would feel so horrible if I indeed did this. He doesn't get sick often but did get sick after our last unprotected sexual encounter...(throwing up, headaches, loss of voice, sore throat, tired) but still went to work and school....and this seemed to last less then a week. we aren't having unprotected sex anymore because of other reasons but recently we have had it about 3 or 4 times so I am truly worried...  

[wonko]

Sexual transmission is one of the many aspects of Lyme that is clouded in disagreement and confusion.  Most doctors will tell you that no, it can't be spread this way.  However, as patsy10 notes, the bacteria that causes Lyme is much like syphilis.

Congenital Lyme is also disputed.  

From what I've read, I think that it is possible, if not likely, that Lyme is communicable.  However, most physicians would laugh at the notion of any transmission not involving a tick bite.

[sam6386]

wow this answer shocked me, are you serious? it can be transmitted sexually? so I should have my boyfriend tested for Lyme? when I didn't even know I had Lyme in the first place? what if I started my antibiotics and had unprotected sex after that? could he still get it? now I am really concerned cause I did not know this or think about this and neither did he.

[patsy10]

I think it is quite possible to transmit it sexually as it is a spirochete just like syphilis.  And syphilis is definitely sexually transmitted.