Aa
new case
I thought i had ms but found itwas lyme....i think i may have had this for a long time...very worried....will i have it forever?
Unfortunately, because there are so many Lyme patients who failed "standard" treatment or treatment by a doctor who didn't know what s/he was doing, a belief has grown up that it can never be cured. Not true at all!
My doctors puts most of his patients on IV antibiotics within 3 months of starting treatment because in most cases of late stage Lyme, oral antibiotics just won't finish it off. Some quit treatment too early. My doc wants to see me symptom free and fully recovered for 8 weeks in a row before he'll stop abx.
My doctors puts most of his patients on IV antibiotics within 3 months of starting treatment because in most cases of late stage Lyme, oral antibiotics just won't finish it off. Some quit treatment too early. My doc wants to see me symptom free and fully recovered for 8 weeks in a row before he'll stop abx.
If it never leaves your body, and stress brings it back out, then you weren't ever cured, obviously. Remission is not cure. That would put you in the unlucky one third.
cured???? how can you be cured of something that never leaves your body? Once in remission, lots of things can bring it back out. ie:stress
I had been on doxy for 8 months and I got worse before getting better but that meant I was having a die off, now I am on another antibiotic because my LLMD did tests for co-infections which came up positive for Bartonella, a co-infection that did a number on me with neurological problems. As everyone has said, find an LLMD and be prepared for long term antibiotics. You will get better it can be a long road. Let us know how you are doing.
Welcome! I am sorry to hear you have Lyme, but glad you got a diagnosis. How long have you had it? If it has been awhile, 2 weeks of Doxy probably won't make a dent in it. You will need long term antibiotics, and you have to find a doctor who knows Lyme well if you want a chance of getting cured. A doctor who doesn't even believe you have it will certainly not know how to cure it.
My doc says he is able to get 90% of his patients back to full function. Some percentage of them end up on maintenance antibiotics indefinitely. He says it is easier to cure somome who has just had Lyme for 20 years than someone who has had it 5 years along with 3 or 4 coinfections.
You may also need to get tested for coinfections that are common with Lyme, as their presence can interfere with Lyme treatment, as well as cause you additional symptoms and make you sicker.
www.ilads.org is helpful, and also offers doctor referrals. What state are you in?
My doc says he is able to get 90% of his patients back to full function. Some percentage of them end up on maintenance antibiotics indefinitely. He says it is easier to cure somome who has just had Lyme for 20 years than someone who has had it 5 years along with 3 or 4 coinfections.
You may also need to get tested for coinfections that are common with Lyme, as their presence can interfere with Lyme treatment, as well as cause you additional symptoms and make you sicker.
www.ilads.org is helpful, and also offers doctor referrals. What state are you in?
Hi there--
What blood work did you have? And--let me tell you right now, this is NOTHING AGAINST YOUR PRIMARY DOCTOR WHO PROBABLY THINKS HE IS DOING WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU, but if your blood work shows Lyme and a NEUROLOGIST says you have Lyme then you need to be sure to get yourself to a doctor who will treat you for Lyme (an LLMD--Lyme Literate M. D.) for as long as it takes rather than a two week cycle of Doxy--which will do little to nothing for you.
WHere are you located--if you don't mind me asking. Someone here may be able to private message you with some idea of an LLMD near you. We don't post LLMD names on the site--it's a hugely political issue in the medical world.
What blood work did you have? And--let me tell you right now, this is NOTHING AGAINST YOUR PRIMARY DOCTOR WHO PROBABLY THINKS HE IS DOING WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU, but if your blood work shows Lyme and a NEUROLOGIST says you have Lyme then you need to be sure to get yourself to a doctor who will treat you for Lyme (an LLMD--Lyme Literate M. D.) for as long as it takes rather than a two week cycle of Doxy--which will do little to nothing for you.
WHere are you located--if you don't mind me asking. Someone here may be able to private message you with some idea of an LLMD near you. We don't post LLMD names on the site--it's a hugely political issue in the medical world.
I AM still a little vague about treatments...my research will continue. My primary doctor doesn't believe I have it.....but he took the bloodwork from my nuerologist and started treatment.
Thank you for the feedback. I have been taking Doxycycline for a week now..got a two week supply....I guess I will be on medication for awhile....but I am remaining positive.
I had Lyme for almost 20 years before finding out and a friend of mine even longer. I am in the begining of treatments and I have been told I have a good chance of getting much better. My friend is able to work now where she couldn't before. It is hard but think positive and just realize it may be a long road. When I compare myself to last year at this time, I have improved dramatically.
There is hope. Hang in there.
There is hope. Hang in there.
My lyme doc says ILADS statistics show about one third of patints who have had lyme a long time before getting treatment cannot be cured.
The definition of "cannot" is vague though - some of these patients just cannot face taking antibiotics for the amount of time needed, for example, and give up early.
At least two thirds of people do get cured.
The definition of "cannot" is vague though - some of these patients just cannot face taking antibiotics for the amount of time needed, for example, and give up early.
At least two thirds of people do get cured.
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