Anti-biotics

[gorbybelle]

does anyone have an opinion on this - I was given one week supply of amoxicylin 500mg daily for a chest infection following a bout of flu, for about three weeks after the treatment I was feeling a lot better than I have felt in months /years,  now all my symptoms have returned wham, bam, out of the blue.  Does this mean I have Lyme and do need more anti-biotic treatment or was this just coincidence, also I had a period for the first time in 8 months!1

[patsy10]

No he would not miss the lesions.  If there were cervical spine lesions they would show up on c spine MRI.

[gorbybelle]

the MRI was for my neck and shoulder areas.  My pain doc. has diagnosed me with myofacia pain - that was just by looking at me!!!  [he must have x-ray eyes] The only reason he sent me for a scan was because I got angry!!!  

I will take your advice and not mention my Lyme worries to him,  not yet anyhow.

Thanks again

Best Wishes

[wonko]

Do you know what part of your spine is being scanned?  Only the c- and t-spine have central nervous system (CNS) white matter that could be damaged and show lesions.  The lumbar spine does not have any white matter.

Spine lesions are more often associated with motor problems.  Sensory issues (like tingling and burning) are more consistent with brain lesions.  If you don't have a lot of symptoms that line up with suspected spinal cord damage, then I wouldn't worry about MRI lesions.

I had a c-spine MRI to look for CNS lesions and a lumbar MRI to check for any mechanical explanation for my symptoms.  Both came back ok.  My only abnormal MRI was of my brain.  

Since a pain doctor is ordering the MRI, it sounds like he is looking for spinal cord impingement, and that is indeed a good thing to rule in or out.  As a lot of us say here in different ways and at different times, it's good to get a full work up and proper differential diagnosis before focusing on Lyme.  Excluding a back problem sounds like a good thing to me before considering aggressive Lyme treatment!  

I wouldn't bother mentioning your concerns about Lyme, but that's a personal choice. :)

Good luck and be well.

[gorbybelle]

The pain doctor who ordered the MRI does not know that I am thinking I could have Lyme he's just looking for spine problems, does that mean he would miss the 'Lesions'.

Should I ask him about this.  Your advice would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[wonko]

That sounds like a good plan.  I think it is appropriate to go through a proper differential diagnosis with mainstream doctors.  But if they can't come up with answers, or if your tests fall between diagnostic cracks, seeking an LLMD would be a good idea.

Lyme can show up on MRI.  The lesions can be non-specific in appearance, or look similar to MS lesions.  Hopefully, your MRI goes well.
  

[gorbybelle]

Hi,  the chest infection - antibiotics was the beginning of Jan 09.  The problems ;neck pain, etc; etc;  has been going on for three years.  Had a tick attatched for over 24 hours,  I knew nothing about Lyme untill I looked - up  Neck&Back problems and someone was talking about Lyme,  could be coincidence but I never had any problems to speak of untill after that horrible little thing !!! got me.  I am waiting for MRI results, if that shows nothing I am going to see an LLMD.  I now have some kind of throat/sinus problem?  

[wonko]

Of course I can't say for sure what your experience means.  But I would say that it is indirect evidence supporting that you do have Lyme or another unresolved infection.  

I think you are aware or have already heard that there are no 100% reliable blood tests for Lyme.  My CD57 test came back comfortably within the normal range.  My Lyme doctor told me that with Lyme, a negative test doesn't rule out anything, and a positive test only helps to guide treatment.

I can relate somewhat to your experience.  I don't recall a tick bite or rash, so I'm not really sure when I got infected.  But I did start to get a lot of symptoms after a round of other infections.  (I had bronchitis, ear infections and a sinus infection all back-to-back after a very stressful set of situations.  I was sick for months, and shortly after those illnesses resolved, I developed weird neuro symptoms that I now attribute to Lyme and co-infections.  About 1.5 years later, I was diagnosed with Lyme.)  

Anyway, while I was sick with those standard infections, I was on a short course of azithromycin, one of the antibiotics I now take.  I wonder if the antibiotics for the standard infections slowed down my Lyme.  There are also theories that incomplete antibiotic treatment make the patient more likely to test negative for Lyme.  I'm not sure I understand how that works, but I've read it in several sources.

Lyme flares also often onset with flu-like bouts.  I'd say that further makes your experience sound suspicious for Lyme.  The chest infection also suggests your immune system was down, which would also be consistent with the Lyme becoming more active.  

Hopefully you can discuss this experience with a Lyme literate physician.  How long ago did all of this happen?  If you responded to the short course of amox. in the past, hopefully that's a good sign that you will have future success with antibiotic therapy.